Blog Review Archives - Benjamin J Travel

Trip Report: British Airways 777-200 Premium Economy | Houston to London Heathrow - World Traveler Plus - Blog Review

Trip Report: British Airways 777-200 Premium Economy | Houston to London Heathrow

2 October, 2018 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

Making my way to London for a long weekend, my in-flight product would be British Airways on the 777-200 in Premium Economy from Houston to London Heathrow. I’ve reviewed the British Airways 777-200 experience in Club World but it’d been a while since I’d been aboard a British Airways 777. Premium Economy is branded as World Traveller Plus but I will refer to it as Premium Economy in this review. The Cabin: Configured in a four-class arrangement (First, Club World, World Traveller…

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Hotel Review: Mr. Jordaan Hotel | Amsterdam Blog Review Centrum Best

Hotel Review: Mr. Jordaan Hotel | Amsterdam

25 September, 2018 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

Meeting friends for an extended weekend in Amsterdam, the Mr. Jordaan Hotel would be my place to rest my head. Lodging in Amsterdam is notably pricey but the Mr Jordaan hotel offered a reasonable rate for a top rated hotel at about $190 USD a night. That’s an overall good rate for Amsterdam Centrum based on my general research. I checked out a couple Airbnbs but didn’t find any great deals. Location: 5 of 5 Stars – The location of…

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Trip Report: TAP Portugal Lie-Flat Business Class | A330-200 | Lisbon to Boston Blog Review

Trip Report: TAP Portugal Lie-Flat Business Class | A330-200 | Lisbon to Boston

22 July, 2018 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

Making the journey back home from Oslo, my transatlantic segment would be aboard an A330 in TAP Portugal Lie-Flat Business Class. In its long haul fleet, TAP Portugal operates A330s and A340s with their Business Class cabin current undergoing an retrofit. I selected my particular itinerary so that I could experience TAP Portugal’s new Business Class cabin on the A330 featuring it’s new lie flat seats. I left my Airbnb extra earlier to have a bit of time to hang out…

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Trip Report: TAP Portugal Intra-Europe Business Class | A320 | Oslo to Lisbon - Blog Review - Airbus - tap portugal a320 seat map

Trip Report: TAP Portugal Intra-Europe Business Class | A320 | Oslo to Lisbon

16 April, 2018 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

Beginning my extended journey home from Oslo, the first leg of my journey would be in TAP Portugal Intra-Europe Business Class aboard an Airbus A320 from Oslo to Lisbon. Scheduled for an 6:55 PM departure, our flight time would be at 4 hours from gate to gate. Tap Portugal refers to their Business Class cabin as “Executive Class”. Boarding was slightly delayed and the gate area was packed but ultimately the boarding process was orderly with Business Class and Star…

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What's The Best Economy Seat on American Airlines' 777-300ER? - best seats american airlines 777-300er

What’s The Best Economy Seat on American Airlines’ 777-300ER?

15 April, 2018 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

Traveling long-haul on one of American Airlines’ flagship 777-300ERs soon? What’s the best Economy Seat on board? While there are a number of “best” Economy Class seats on the American Airlines 777-300ER, your preference might not be the same as your fellow passenger. So what constitutes the best Economy Class seat on the American Airlines 777-300ER? Is it more legroom? More privacy? Or maybe simply avoiding extra cabin noise. I’ve flown American’s 777-300ER dozens of times and I’ve sat all…

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Lounge Review: Polonez LOT Business Lounge | Warsaw - Blog Review WAW

Lounge Review: Polonez LOT Business Lounge | Warsaw

11 April, 2018 Benjamin J Travel Comments 2 comments

Arriving from Brussels and awaiting my flight to Chicago, I found myself with a long layover in Warsaw. I ultimately had time to visit two different lounges, both the LOT Business Lounge (also referred to as the “Polonez” lounge) lounge and the Bolero lounge. The Bolero Lounge is located on the non-Schengen side of Terminal A, while the the LOT Business Lounge is on the Schengen side. The LOT Business Lounge is a LOT Polish operated lounge, serving LOT Polish…

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Hotel Review: Thon Hotel Terminus | Oslo - Oslo S Central Train Station Hotel - Blog Review

Hotel Review: Thon Hotel Terminus | Oslo

5 April, 2018 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

Sending a long weekend in Oslo, the Thon Hotel Terminus in Central Oslo would be my home for 3 nights.Oslo is notably an expensive city with mid-range lodging options often extending $200 USD per night. However, I was able to snag a rare deal on Booking.com for only $77 USD a night at the Thon Terminus Hotel. Quite the deal for Oslo! Location: 4 of 5 Stars – If you’re looking for a very central location, the Thon Hotel Terminus…

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Trip Report: American Airlines 737 Business Class | Puerto Vallarta to DFW Blog Review First Class

Trip Report: American Airlines 737 Business Class | Puerto Vallarta to DFW

2 April, 2018 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

Making the short 2.5 hour journey home from Puerto Vallarta to DFW, we enjoyed a lovely flight with American Airlines in Business Class on one of their workhorse 737s. We had originally booked a one way ticket in Economy Class, Chris and I were upgraded thanks to my Executive Platinum status. Our complimentary upgrades cleared about 4 days prior to departure. My upgrade was complimentary and Chris, who holds Gold AAdvantage status, redeemed two 500-mile upgrade “stickers”. Premium cabin seats…

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Lounge Review: Plumeria Lounge Honolulu | Hawaiian Airlines Blog Review HNL

Lounge Review: Plumeria Lounge Honolulu

28 December, 2017 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

Due to some island hopping on our Hawaii trip, we departed from HNL twice times in a week. On the first departure, we tried to enter the Plumeria Lounge was but turned away due to being over capacity. This was a Tuesday around 2 pm. On our second attempt, entry was no issue and the lounge was nearly empty. The Plumeria Lounge is a bit tricky to locate as there isn’t much signage for it throughout the airport. Once you are…

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Trip Report: Alaska Airlines 737-800 Economy Class | San Diego to Honolulu Blog Review Legroom Airline Food

Trip Report: Alaska Airlines 737-800 Economy Class | San Diego to Honolulu

26 December, 2017 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

Making the journey to Hawaii for a 10 day holiday, our final outbound leg would be aboard Alaska Airlines from San Diego to Honolulu. This was an award booking with American Airlines AAdvantage miles with the first segment form DFW to San Diego on American Airlines. We’d been upgraded thanks to my Executive Platinum status on the first leg but we wouldn’t be eligible for an upgrade not the Alaska operated flight. Award booking method for this flight: Economy Class…

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Lounge Review: Qantas First Class Lounge Sydney Restaurant Dining Blog Review Airline

Lounge Review: Qantas First Class Lounge Sydney

11 November, 2017 Benjamin J Travel Comments 2 comments

Not quite ready to leave Australia but time to head home, we started our long journey back to Texas in the Qantas First Class Lounge Sydney. We had woken up quite early so I was still quite sleepy as we made our through the long security queues. The Qantas First Class Lounge Sydney is located just beyond the duty free shopping in Sydney’s Terminal 1. Access to the Qantas First Class Lounge Sydney is granted to those traveling in a premium…

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Lounge Review: TAP Portugal Premium Lounge | Lisbon Terminal 1 Star Alliance Blog Review

Lounge Review: TAP Portugal Premium Lounge | Lisbon

26 October, 2017 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

Located in Lisbon Airport’s Terminal 1, the TAP Portugal Premium Lounge serves TAP Portugal’s premium cabin customers, Victoria elite guests, and Star Alliance flyers. The TAP Portugal Premium Lounge is located on the sixth floor, above the main concourse of Terminal 1, just past security control and up the escalator. The lounge staff at the front desk was friendly and polite. Check-in was a prompt after a quick scan of my boarding pass. Access to the TAP Portugal Premium Lounge is…

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Trip Report: British Airways 747-400 Economy Class | Dallas DFW to London Heathrow LHR Blog Review

Trip Report: British Airways 747-400 Economy Class | Dallas to London

15 October, 2017 Benjamin J Travel Comments 1 comment

Flying one of my most frequent routes, Dallas to London, I’d be flying aboard the Queen of the Skies aboard a British Airways 747-400 in Economy Class. While I prefer the upper deck on the 747, I snagged an off-peak award with British Airways Avios that I couldn’t pass up for only 16,250 Avios points one-way. Award Booking Cost Points Used: 16,250 British Airways Avios Taxes and Fees Per Ticket: 153.10 USD Total Cost: 16,250 BA Avios + 153.10 USD…

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Lounge Review: Bolero Lounge | Warsaw Chopin Airport Blog Review Priority Pass

Lounge Review: Bolero Lounge | Warsaw Chopin Airport

22 September, 2017 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

Making my second lounge strop in Warsaw Chopin Airport before my LOT Polish flight to Chicago, I hopped over to the Bolero Lounge on the lower level of Terminal A. The Bolero Lounge is located on the non-Schengen side of Terminal A at Warsaw Chopin Airport. I’d already spent some time in the LOT Polish Polonez Lounge on the Schengen but wanted some lounge time after passport control. Part of the Priority Pass network, I gained access to the Bolero Lounge…

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Trip Report: LOT Polish Business Class | 787 | Warsaw to Chicago Airline Blog Review

Trip Report: LOT Polish Business Class | 787 | Warsaw to Chicago

17 September, 2017 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

Making my way from Warsaw to Chicago, LOT Polish Business Class on the 787 would be my ride across the Atlantic. After a nice flight from Brussels to Warsaw on LOT Polish, I was looking forward to my firs long-haul flight with LOT Polish. I’d spent some time in the Polonez and Bolero Business Class lounges before heading to the boarding gate. The boarding process was a bit delayed and boarding commenced about 20 minutes late after the scheduled time….

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Trip Report: LOT Polish Business Class | E190 | Brussels to Warsaw Embraer Airline Blog Review

Trip Report: LOT Polish Business Class | E195 | Brussels to Warsaw

26 August, 2017 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

Continuing my journey home from the Côte d’Azur, my second segment would be aboard LOT Polish Business Class on an Embraer 195 regional jet. This would be my second time flying aboard LOT Polish after a trip to Krakow, Poland last year. The entire cabin of the E195 is in a 2-2 layout with a curtain separating the Business Class cabin from Economy. The first four rows were designated as Business Class but the seats in Economy Class are identical to…

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Trip Report: Brussels Airlines Business Class | A319 | Marseille to Brussels Airline Blog Review

Trip Report: Brussels Airlines Business Class | A319 | Marseille to Brussels

24 August, 2017 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

Starting a very nontraditional routing home from Marseille to Dallas on Star Alliance carriers, my travels would begin in Brussels Airlines Business Class aboard the A319 from Marseille to Brussels. This would be my first time aboard Brussels Airlines and my second time at the Brussels Airport. As much as I hate early flights, my itinerary left me with little choice but a 6:40 AM departure from Marseille. I took an Uber from my Airbnb rental in Aix-en-Provence and arrived…

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Lounge Review: Star Alliance Business Class Lounge LAX Los Angeles TBIT Blog Review

Lounge Review: Star Alliance Business Class Lounge LAX

18 August, 2017 Benjamin J Travel Comments 2 comments

Arriving earlier at LAX for my Swiss Business Class flight to Zurich, I’d have plenty of time to check out the Star Alliance Business Class Lounge at in LAX’s Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). Positioned near the other premium lounges on the 6th floor of TBIT, I headed up the escalators to the lounge entrance. Access is permitted to Star Alliance Gold passengers and those traveling in a premium cabin on a Star Alliance carrier. Check-in was quick and friendly…

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My First Experience Booking a Flight via US Bank Altitude Rewards Flight Points Find Blog Review Credit Card

My First Experience Booking a Flight via US Bank Altitude Rewards

11 August, 2017 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

I’ve had the US Bank Altitude Reserve Card for a few months now and it’s become one of my top go-to cards, especially for the 3x points earning on mobile wallet payments. I’ve accumulated a nice stash of Altitude points and I had a good opportunity to redeem some of these points for a flight booking. So how was my experience booking a flight via US Bank Altitude rewards? I had already had a particular flight in mind form Chicago…

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Lounge Review: Galilei VIP Lounge | Pisa International Airport Blog Airline Review Italy

Lounge Review: Galilei VIP Lounge | Pisa International Airport

7 August, 2017 Benjamin J Travel Comments 0 Comment

Bound for London, my sister and I were flying British Airway from Pisa to London Heathrow after wrapping up a nice time in Florence and the surrounding region. While we were staying in Florence, there a more flight options out of Pisa than the Florence airport. Plus, award availability on British Airways was much better from Pisa. After riding the train from Florence, we took the brand new Pisa People Mover to the airport. The ride takes less than 5…

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