There are a million lists of ‘travel hacks’ out there and I almost never share them, but for some reason I figured I’d pass this one along. It’s a list of 45 tips, some of which will be new to even the most seasoned traveler.

A few of them I already do, like roll clothes in a suitcase rather than fold and pack them. Another one is to bring food on board, especially if you’re flying economy. I’ve opted for a Subway sandwich from Vancouver airport many times before boarding, and my fellow passengers usually give me longing looks as I unwrap it while they dig into their soggy broccoli.

One of these tips genuinely surprised me, though: frozen items are permitted through security. We’ve all been caught, usually accidentally, with a water bottle in our carry-on luggage while passing through security. People either chug the water like it’s a high school beer, or just pass it to the security agents. However, if that same bottle of water was frozen, you’d get through with no trouble at all. Who knew?

If you’d like to pick up a few more ideas, or just miss traveling and want to pretend like you have a trip coming up, then dig in.

Truth be told, this wasn’t supposed to happen. Hong Kong has been beset by protests and and unrest all summer, adding more uncertainty to a city already filled with anxiety. It was time to get out of the mayhem and take a break. I spent some time looking for seat availability using points and was shocked to uncover a business class ticket to New York City for just 85,000 Asia Miles. I’m in.

I didn’t know it at the time, but those 85,000 miles were going to get me a lot more than I anticipated. When I got to the gate, the Cathay Pacific gate agent scanned my boarding pass and the machine beeped. She looked up and shuffled through some boarding passes on the counter, then grabbed one and handed it to me: “You’ve been upgraded,” she said with a smile.

I travel a lot, and I’ve been upgraded a handful of times to premium economy or business class — but never to first. I have long wanted to give it a try, but it never made much sense: overseas business class on most airlines is plenty comfortable, and the food is about as good as you’ll get anyway. So why pay so much more, in cash or rewards points?

But who am I kidding — of course I was pumped when she passed me that new boarding pass, because this isn’t just any old first class seat. It’s the Hong Kong to New York flight — the flagship route on Cathay Pacific. It’s the pinnacle of what Cathay Pacific offers its guests, and something I may never experience again.

The first class experience

Cathay flies a 777-ER between New York and Hong Kong, with a 1-1-1 configuration in first class. There are just six seats — ahem, “suites” in Cathay’s parlance — right at the front of the aircraft. Back in business class (I love saying that) Cathay uses a 1-2-1 configuration. Each first class suite is about double the size of a business class seat.

There is no stepping over passengers and squeezing into this seat. Everything is extended and spread out, with plenty of table space, a private closet, storage, and a physical seat that is wide enough to leave items beside you and never bump into them. The flight attendants offered welcome drinks after I sat down, and being 9am I opted for orange juice.

A unique aspect of first class is the complete lack of overhead bins. The suites are large enough for each one to have its own storage closet, and anything that doesn’t fit in there can slide in under the ottoman. Having no overhead bins really opens up the cabin and makes everything feel more spacious and less crowded.

Each seat has a 17 inch touch-screen monitor for Cathay Pacific’s in-flight entertainment (IFE) system. I almost never use the in-flight entertainment anymore, instead filling up my iPad with magazines and podcasts before boarding. I wasn’t going to break routine on this flight, so my first act after sitting down was to switch off my monitor. (I obviously can’t review Cathay’s entertainment offering as a result, but I hear it’s pretty good!)

Underneath the monitor was a very spacious storage compartment where I put my Cathay-issued noise-cancelling Bose headphones, amenity kit for males, and other items like my boarding pass and passport.

It seems obvious, but one thing I really enjoy about flying in premium cabins is the table space, and this suite is no exception. There is plenty of room for a bottle of water, coffee, iPad, Kindle, a travel wallet, and any other reading material that I would want to keep close by during the flight. There’s even a hidden little compartment for valuables.

Caviar and champagne

After I put away my luggage and got comfortable, the fight attendant came over carrying two navy blue garment bags and asked me if I would like the pajamas in medium or large. This being Asia, and me being from North America, “large” was the much safer bet.

Then another flight attendant passed me the menu: we would get lunch and dinner on the flight, with a few options for the on-demand snack service. Full on-demand dining has been attempted by several airlines, often with mixed results. It’s a nice perk, but it’s not a deal breaker. Plus, on-demand dining is a lot more work for flight attendants.

I looked at the menu but, as usual, had no plans to eat right after takeoff. I’m a bit peculiar on flights because I would rather eat before boarding to leave more room to spread out and relax, read, or do some work. Sometimes busy flight attendants can leave empty trays on the table for extended periods of time, which has always been a minor nuisance to me.

I had grabbed a croissant and coffee in the lounge earlier, so I told the flight attendant I’d be happy with one of their signature Cathay Pacific drinks once we reached cruising altitude. Cathay actually has a track record of some pretty delicious signature cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks, and rare is the day that I don’t enjoy one. The flight attendant told me the signature cocktail for the flight would be the Pacific Sunrise, a combination of champagne and Drambuie with a hint of orange and lemon. The non-alcoholic option was the Cathay Delight: a kiwi fruit-based drink with coconut milk and a touch of fresh mint. That’s the one I picked (remember it’s 9:30am, people).

When the Cathay Delight arrived it was even better than I expected, with a consistency more like a smoothie than a juice. As I enjoyed the beverage I thought of an article penned by Lucky, the eccentric personality behind the popular travel hacking site One Mile at a Time, about the more mundane parts of his job reviewing airlines — and one of them was ordering food for the sole purpose of writing about it, even when he wasn’t hungry. So, dear reader, in the spirit of a full and complete examination of Cathay’s first class offering, I decided to suck it up, take one for the team, and make the ultimate sacrifice: I ordered the king prawns. You’re welcome.

I’ll discuss the prawns in a moment because there were plenty of other dishes lined up first, and one of them stole the show: caviar and champagne. I am not a regular caviar consumer (is anyone?), but I developed a strong appreciation for it during a stay in St. Petersburg, Russia, a couple of years ago. Caviar can also be hit-or-miss, but this was a massive hit — a home run. Cathay serves Calvisius caviar, which comes from Italy, served with the traditional garnishes of blinis, chives, creme fraische, and chopped eggs. The flight attendant also poured a flute of Krug 2004, a rare treat. This dish alone made me grateful that I decided to order lunch.

Next up was a tomato, orange and basil soup, which was good if not particularly noteworthy. It was followed by a vitello tonnato with truffle mascarpone cheese, a dish I suspect you might not be familiar with. Here’s what our good friends over at Wikipedia have to say:

…a Piedmontese (Italian) dish of cold, sliced veal covered with a creamy, mayonnaise-like sauce that has been flavored with tuna. It is served chilled or at room temperature, generally in the summertime, as the main course of an Italian meal or as “an exceedingly elegant antipasto for an elaborate dinner.”

This was probably my least my favorite dish during the meal, and definitely the least flavorful. I left enough of it behind to concern the flight attendant, who asked me if there was any problem. I replied that it was fine, but was saving room for the entree. (Hey, it’s partly true.)

Now to the main course: the king prawns arrived having been pan-fried and served with lemon herb garlic butter, asparagus, and millet. Putting lemon herb garlic butter on anything makes it better, so it’s no surprise the prawns were magnificent. The dish was also noteworthy because it wasn’t heavy, which can sometimes happen when “fried” and “butter” come together.

If the caviar was the star of the show, the runner-up was the dessert: a pumpkin coconut sweet soup. Hong Kong is known for almond tea and coconut or sesame desserts, so I expected something like that — but this was different. Unfortunately the flight attendant brought it over just before some fairly severe turbulence, so a lot of it ended up spilling onto the table. The parts that made it into my mouth, though, were absolutely excellent: it was sweet but not too sweet, not too heavy, and it’s coconut and pumpkin. Need I say more?

The most comfortable bed in the sky

I only got around three hours of sleep the night before, so after filling my face I was ready for a nap. I told the flight attendant I would probably nap a bit later — envisioning reading for a bit with the seat comfortably reclined — but she jumped to attention at the word “nap”, darting into the galley and coming back with a mattress pad. I stood to the side as she transformed my seat into a beautiful, cozy-looking bed.

This is one of the more notable differences between business class and first. Business class has lie-flat seats, but they are quite narrow without a lot of room to maneuver. The first class bed was much wider, longer, more comfortable, and the bedding was top tier. In short, this was basically better than any bed I slept in until I was about 35.

Being first class, the pampering couldn’t stop with just the mattress pad. Passengers flying long haul are also given pajamas — and not just any pajamas. I’ve been fortunate to have traveled enough to actually compare pajama offerings by major airlines, and Cathay beats American, Etihad, and United hands down. These are made with 100% pure cotton and come from a stylish, boutique fashion shop in Hong Kong called PYE. But don’t be calling them “pajamas”; Cathay and PYE are proud to offer “sleep suits”. Here’s a description from PYE’s website:

The sleep top, featuring a double sided collar, can be worn either up as a Mandarin collar or down in a classic pajama style. A single button sewn with a bright red thread adds a subtle signature to this special co-branded product. The sleep suit also comes with a pair of matching slippers and an eye mask, packaged in a variation of PYE’s reusable tote bags.

Decked out in my “sleep suit”, exhausted and with a full stomach, I fell asleep almost instantly after my head touched the pillow. There would be no reading. I slept for about five hours, waking up periodically by some turbulence along the way.

Post-nap munchies

When I woke up I was extremely hungry. I saw the flight attendants had left behind a box of pralines and bottle of Evian, but I figured now was a good time to try the snack service. My heart was set on the hamburger purely for novelty’s sake, but I have had it before so wanted to try something new. My options included roast duck with lai fun noodle soup, shrimp and fishball laksa (this was tempting), and Movenpick ice cream. I opted for the afternoon tea set and a latte.

This is a good spot to mention Cathay’s coffee service, which has been on point for a while now. Their lattes and cappuccinos are much better than one would expect, if not quite at the level rivaling the best boutique coffee shops. I remember the days of re-heated black tar on board aircraft, so almost anything is an upgrade on that.

The tea set was basic but hit the spot. The scone and clotted cream with strawberry jam were excellent, while the key lime cheesecake and savory options were just okay. I didn’t want to eat too much because dinner service would begin in a couple of hours. As I nibbled on mini cakes I hauled out the iPad Pro and began writing this review, making use of all of the available table space.

Descent into New York City

There was still about six or seven hours to go, so I went back to sleep. This time I regret to report that I selfishly slept right through the dinner service. Here’s what I missed:

• Starter: Seasonal fresh fruits
• Main Courses (choice of):
  • Pan fried black cod, asparagus, shimeiji mushroom, capsicum, carrot mash and parsley cream sauce
  • Stir fried chicken, black beans, broccoli and steamed jasmine rice
  • Tagliolini, porcini and Kalamata olives
• Dessert: Key lime cheesecake and mixed berry compote

If I was awake at the time, I probably would’ve opted for the cod.

It was a flight attendant who eventually nudged me awake to inform me that we’d be landing in New York soon. The shades were being opened and it looked like a spectacular day with blue skies and sunshine.

Having just woken up, I asked the flight attendant if I could bother her for one more latte. She glanced at her watch and looked a bit nervous, as we were getting closer and closer to landing. To her credit, and my great appreciation, she agreed and brought me back a hot latte shortly thereafter. It hit the spot as I gazed out the window.

Before wrapping this up I should also mention the amenity kit. Cathay Pacific has teamed up with Aesop to give customers a male or female travel kit (I guess Cathay didn’t get the memo). The male kit contained the usual items: toothbrush, toothpaste, mouth wash, comb, moisturizer, disposable razor, shaving cream, that kind of thing. I don’t think it was missing anything and appreciate the kit as a perk in first class, but it also didn’t stand out either. It was one of the few items on the flight that was run-of-the-mill — good, just not great. The problem is good stands out when everything else is great.

Wrapping up

I mentioned at the beginning of this post that I didn’t see enough value in first class to justify the cost – in points, miles, or cash – when business class is already so comfortable. That still holds true today, and it’s partially why this flight was so special: it may never happen for me again. It was a glimpse into a different world, with different service standards, different food, different amenities, different snacks, and even nicer hardware like the Bose headphones and 17 inch touchscreen monitor. It’s a luxurious experience geared towards passengers who don’t think twice about dropping US$20,000 for an airline ticket, but still can’t quite afford to fly on their own Gulfstream.

Cathay Pacific doesn’t have the prestige that it once had, even before it got tangled up in Hong Kong’s summer of protest. But the airline remains one of the best in the world, and service on their Hong Kong-New York route was a good reminder of why. Today’s upstarts from the Middle East and Singapore might have more bling, but Cathay still has that quiet, classy confidence that has served it well over the years. I suspect that will keep many of its customers — at least first class ones — loyal for a long time to come.

I was up in Beijing last weekend and came across these machines when I asked for WiFi access at Beijing Capital Airport’s Terminal 3:

I had never seen these before, and I travel to Beijing quite frequently. In fact, I didn’t pay much attention to them at all until an airline staff member told me to use the machine to get a username and password for Wifi access.

To be clear, I saw these machines in the Air China First Class Lounge and Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge, though there were signs in the main passenger areas of the airport, too.

The process is easy enough: have the machine scan the barcode on my boarding pass, then let it scan my passport. Next came a small slip of white paper, like a receipt from an ATM. It contained my custom username and password.

The experience is otherwise unremarkable, except that it’s yet another intrusion by Chinese authorities into the lives of people inside the country. I don’t think checking NHL playoff highlights will interest them, but somebody else’s activities might.

It’s a reminder that China’s surveillance state is alive and thriving. This Wifi machine, on its own, wouldn’t be too concerning, but when it’s combined with biometric scanning, a social credit score, real-time surveillance of social networks, and bonafide concentration camps, it paints a dystopian picture.

My first visit to Beijing was in 1999, and I lived there from 2004 to 2008 (with a brief stint in Guangzhou and Shanghai during that time). Surveillance has been a reality throughout, but only in recent years has China really seen some serious breakthroughs in data collection, often with the assistance of foreign companies.

The government can already reach deep into people’s lives in China, and it’s anyone’s guess how far this could go.

Asia and its millions of wealthy tourists are in demand, but some US cities are having a hard time setting up air service — like Miami:

For years and years and years, Miami Airport has been working on attracting a nonstop flight to Asia. For these purposes we’re excluding Qatar’s flight to Doha and EL AL’s flight to Tel Aviv — while those are technically in Asia, we’re talking about North/East Asia flights.

In the past Miami Airport had a task force for this purpose, and it sure seems like the airport is consistently quite optimistic about attracting an Asian carrier. The argument is that Miami is the busiest US market for leisure and business travel from Asia that doesn’t have nonstop passenger service.

Why service exists between some random cities (Hong Kong and Dallas) and not more logical ones (Hong Kong and Honolulu) is perplexing. Good luck to Miami, because it’s definitely a spot I would visit again if it was more convenient.

Source: One Mile at a Time

I’ve long been an admirer of the United States, which isn’t exactly common among Canadians. My compatriots typically like to sneer at their southern neighbours, indignant at their inability to figure out decent medical care and repulsed at their intense preoccupation with assault rifles.

If you can look past that, though, you’ll find a country that is largely open and caring, with people who are kind and welcoming. Obviously that’s a vast generalization, but having spent much time in the United States I’ve seen far more good than bad.

But man…. They really have to figure out this airport security thing.

We were all set to fly Delta for the first time on December 27. The flight departed at 4:30pm from Victoria, Canada, which is a quintessential small-town Canadian airport. The rules are always to arrive three hours early for flights to the United States, but really? I suppose you could sit at the one, lonely Starbucks while waiting for your flight, but there’s not much else to do in the meantime. It’s so small it doesn’t have a single lounge.

We arrived at 3:15pm for our 4:30pm departure and as expected, there was not a soul around. We took our bags and moved towards the Delta check-in counter. With nobody in line we expected a speedy check-in, but no.  We were intercepted on our way by two burly security guards who identified themselves as US security agents. They wanted to ask us a few questions, and we obviously obliged.

What I expected to be a few quick questions quickly dived into detailed questions about the financial industry in Hong Kong, in which I work. They asked me about stock codes, what the major indices are in Hong Kong, etc, presumably to test whether I was authentic. While engaging, a group of three appeared behind us with lots of luggage.

“You guys can go ahead, as check-in closes shortly. I’ll talk to you after,” he said as he ushered them to the front.

A few seconds later another couple came in, and they were likewise ushered into line. As our questioning wrapped up, he released us, and we joined the line too, now behind the first two groups.

Several minutes elapsed as the check-in agent struggled with the first group of three, as one of them apparently had a passport issue. She spent quite a bit of time on the phone sorting it out as we waited. Eventually boarding passes were printed, and they were on their way. The group in front of us then approached the counter, and she said, “Sorry, check-in is closed. The system is off and I can’t help you. Here’s a card, call Delta to re-book.”

She came over and passed me a red card too, with a big toll-free number on it. Then she disappeared.

At first, I was somewhat astonished, like this couldn’t be real? We had arrived with 15 minutes to spare and nobody in line. I approached the security guard and explained he questioned us, put us at the end of a line, and we missed our flight.

“You’re supposed to be here two hours early, not 15 minutes early,” he said without any empathy whatsoever.

At this point, I should acknowledge, openly, that we should’ve been there with more than 15 minutes to spare. So with that in mind, my issues are as follows:

• With a line forming and an automatic check-in cutoff, coupled with a passport issue with the first group being checked in, why weren’t more staff called to help? It would seem natural for the airline to check in as many as they can, especially when there is a hold-up and people are going to miss flights, and in our case connecting flights. There was never more than one agent checking in passengers the entire time we were present.
• Security goes through this procedure each day when the Delta flight departs; surely the guard knew, by holding us up and letting others go first, we would end up missing our flight. Why not, when cut-off closes one hour before departure, and we’re 15 minutes before that time, talk to people *after* check-in? There seemed to be very little empathy or care for passengers, in terms of trying to get them on their way as best they could. 

Fast forward to today, at Vancouver International Airport, which is obviously much larger and more complex. We arrived for an Air Canada flight from YVR to SFO that departed at 8:40am. This time, we arrived at the airport at 6:45am to leave plenty of extra time… but even that was barely enough thanks to another snafu with US security.

Vancouver Airport has what’s called “co-location” immigration facilities, or “pre-clearance”. This means for flights to the United States, passengers can clear US immigration while in Vancouver Airport, and then technically be in the United States even before departure. Even the cell phone signal in that part of the airport switches to AT&T. Then upon landing in the US, they are free to grab their bags and go; it’s convenient, provided everything works.

(Incidentally, it is a similar co-location issue that involves Mainland China security agents at Hong Kong’s new Express Rail Link that is causing such an uproar.)

This time though, it didn’t work. At US immigration there was a Nexus and Global Entry line (Nexus being the fast-track for US and Canadian citizens), a line for Canadian/US passport holders, and a third line for those traveling to the US on visas. One in our group was using a Chinese passport with US visa, so an agent directed us to that line.

The line moved inch-by-inch for a few minutes as expected, before stopping entirely. We were about 9th in the queue, and could see the front: the agent handling immigration procedures in our line had stood up and walked away. The next guy in our line, a westerner with a long hipster beard, looked exasperated (I mention the beard because it made him easily identifiable, and place no value judgment on beards nor hipsters). I looked down at my phone to glance at the time: 7:35am. We waited until 7:55am, and literally not a single person in our line had moved. The bearded guy in the front frequently waved his arms in desperation, trying to get somebody’s attention; people behind him were looking around confused, with the woman behind us saying we had been forgotten. The clock struck 8am, with boarding for our flight at 8:10am. Still, we watched as the Nexus and passport lines on either side of us sped along, with our line held up.

I looked at the incredibly long line building behind us, and all of the angry and panicked faces. I don’t know exactly what happened, or why our line suddenly found itself without an immigration agent, but I know people missed flights because of it. The Nexus line began taking people from our line about every 5th person at 8:07am, a full 32 minutes later, which meant we cleared the line at 8:13am and ran full-speed to the gate. Once seated, I overheard the flight attendants say three Australians were in-line at immigration and would need to be re-booked.

I hesitate to draw too many conclusions based on two isolated incidents, but there was a theme that drew these two together: US security couldn’t be bothered to care. As the kids say, they gave zero f***s whatsoever. Is it an unreasonable expectation for them to want to provide good service? To try and smooth passengers’ journeys? To provide a touch of humanity and empathy in what they do? Maybe it is too much to ask. Maybe the US, which has taken a more isolationist and inward-looking turn, has no time for foreigners trying to enter the country — they are too busy trying to get them out. Or perhaps it’s always been this way, because the US deals with such massive numbers of visitors, immigrants and assorted asylum seekers every year. 

Perhaps I’ve become spoiled by living in Hong Kong, where it seems everybody is constantly under pressure to deliver, and there is an emphasis on efficiency. (I’m thinking more MTR, less HSBC here…)

These are ultimately small incidents, because the anger and panic subsides the second you get a passport stamp and you’re off to the gate. But they are tiny reminders of the extra hassles necessary to visit the United States, and they add up to the US becoming a less welcoming place to visit overall. Who wants to go where they aren’t welcome?

I’ll certainly think twice next time.

(Addendum: On the positive side, I twisted the screws tightly on Delta and they provided a full refund. I’d like to commend them for quick telephone service after we missed the flight, and issuing a refund on a non-refundable ticket.)

You can catch up by Reading Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, and Part 6 first.

The alarm went off and I was groggy. It was 6am, just three hours after I had turned off the lights. I had clearly slept soundly because the sheets on the bed still looked relatively undisturbed.

I rolled out of bed for a quick shower. The sun was already streaming through the windows, so I knew it was going to be a beautiful day following the previous night’s rain storm. I packed up my things and was in the lobby by 6:45, where I checked out and got a taxi back out to Heathrow.

I must now provide a little bit of background about the art of flying standby. I mentioned in Part 1 that I got the travel bug thanks to my dad’s employment with Air Canada, which allows its employees and their families to travel on a standby ticket for a small service charge. This sounds romantic, but the reality is anything but. When you arrive at the airport with a standby ticket, there is no guarantee you will get on the flight – it’s entirely dependent on whether there is an open seat, and even if there is, it might not be filled because the airplane might already be at maximum weight thanks to heavy luggage or other cargo. Many times over the years we had packed for a Hawaiian vacation, only to have our excitement smothered by being turned away at the boarding gate. There’s nothing quite like the experience of unpacking your suitcase back at home, knowing your holiday plans will never happen.

Then there’s the small issue if you do get a seat: as a non-paying customer you are almost guaranteed to get the worst seat on the plane. That means if there are two George Foreman-sized guys sitting in the back row, chances are you’ll get the seat between them for that 12 hour flight. This. Is. Not. Fun.

Despite the largesse on this #5nights5cities tour, I’ve kept my costs extremely low by cashing in points for hotels and airfares. I wasn’t about to break the bank for a full-fare ticket from London to Vancouver, so figured I’d return to my roots and give standby the ol’ college try. I hadn’t done it in years, and was psyching myself up for it.

The other drawback is purely psychological: when you purchase a ticket, you can check in and select your seat. You have some certainty about where you are going, when, and the seat you will be sitting in. That means you can wonder around the duty free shops or get a burrito — basically be carefree — until boarding time. But with standby, nothing is certain, which puts a black cloud over you until you get that final boarding pass at the gate. And it means you should sit at the gate and wait for your name to be called, lest you miss your chance.

Good (very early) morning, Heathrow Terminal 2.

I hopped out of the taxi at Heathrow Terminal 2, where Air Canada departs from, unsure about what was to transpire. I walked inside and saw massive crowds at nearly all the check-in counters. As a standby passenger I wandered around to Air Canada’s premium economy check-in, and used the opportunity to chat with the agent about how the flight loads were looking and whether I’d get a seat. “Oh, and can I check this bag in?” Fortunately he took my bag, but didn’t give me a seat, instead instructing me to go to the gate and wait.

I mentioned in Part 6 that Heathrow is an atrocious airport, and it lived up to it once again. Pure chaos in the departure areas, with thousands of people going in multiple directions, long queues at security, and a general sense of staff and passengers not knowing what’s going on. The best way to handle these situations is be as patient as possible, and basically tune out – if you start getting frustrated, chances are that anger will boil over. In short, Heathrow is a total s*** show.

I got through security by 8:30am and the flight was to depart at 10:05, so I had time to try a Plaza Premium lounge. I have no status on Air Canada or Star Alliance, so my lounge options were limited. I only had Plaza Premium through an American Express card I have, which included a Priority Pass subscription.

The Plaza Premium Lounge at Terminal 2 is right underneath the security clearance.

Plaza Premium lounges are found around the world and are quite hit-and-miss. I don’t like the one in Hong Kong at all, finding it way overcrowded with simple and cheap food options. Oh, and alcohol costs extra. Plaza Premium in Vancouver, though, is excellent, with a wide range of food and alcohol options and a huge beautiful lounge airside. So the quality varies.

This was better than the Plaza Premium at HKG. I nibbled on bacon, sausages and scrambled eggs before heading to the gate.

London Terminal 2 Plaza Premium fits somewhere in the middle. It’s a tastefully done lounge with comfortable seating, but it wasn’t very big. I was there at breakfast, and the spread included toast, rolls, sausage, bacon, tomatoes, baked beans and scrambled eggs, along with deli meats and cheeses and fruit and yoghurt. When I arrived, the scrambled eggs were already gone and I couldn’t wait around for a refill, so I nibbled on everything else available and poured myself a latte. Then not wanting to miss being handed a seat, took off for gate B38, which was a 15-minute walk away.

It didn’t take long to hear my name called over the intercom. I wandered up to the counter and was handed a boarding pass: seat 19H. I immediately scrambled to see what that was, and found it was an economy seat on the aisle. Perfect. Considering what I could’ve gotten, I was happy. Aisle seats are always my favorite, because they provide a bit more room and easy access in and out (I always get uncomfortable asking people to stand up so I can get out if I have a window or middle seat).

Ahhh… this is what I’m used to.

Sure enough the Air Canada flight was full. I had a large guy sitting next to me, but  we were able to reach a detente on using the arm rest. After takeoff we were offered chicken or a tomato and mozzarella pasta, but I wasn’t hungry and just wanted to sleep, so I skipped it.

I didn’t wake up until we were about halfway to Vancouver, so decided to spend some time reading until the pilot announced our descent into the city. About 90 minutes out the harried flight attendants passed out either a veggie or meatball wrap.

A meatball wrap. Small, but hit the spot in that moment.

Then it was time to land in beautiful Vancouver.

I clearly hadn’t been home in a while, because I wondered why flight attendants didn’t hand out a customs and immigration form. When I got to the immigration hall at Vancouver Airport, I asked a guard where to find the forms, and he informed me they aren’t used anymore. “Everything is digital,” he said.

Sure enough I was able to clear myself through immigration. Terminals, kind of resembling ATMs, are now scattered throughout the arrivals hall for people to answer questions on screen and scan their passports. The machines print out the results and you pass these to agents as you leave the hall. Convenient and surprising, only because when it comes to government services my expectations are extremely low!

A spectacular day in Vancouver.

A friend was waiting in arrivals and we hit the road to an old haunt for launch.

I can’t begin to explain the sheer elation of landing in Vancouver in summertime. I’ve traveled around the world, and no place compares to Vancouver in the summer. The sky is a clear blue, the ocean is a deep blue, the greenery, the sunshine, the mountains, the breeze, the clean water and clean air. It is absolutely spectacular. It is heaven.

An old hangout directly behind a radio station I used to work at in my Vancouver days. Many a-happy hour has been celebrated here.

We stopped at a Cactus Club, a well-known local chain in Vancouver that serves up fusion food and great locally-brewed beers. Oh, and delicious yam fries with garlic aioli.

While I love spending time in Vancouver and have so many friends in the city, this trip back home was to visit with my parents, who live on Vancouver Island. Vancouver Island is a 90 minute ferry ride from Vancouver, or a 10 minute flight (yes, there are multiple flights a day). The biggest city on Vancouver Island is Victoria, the capital of the Province of British Columbia, and where I grew up. It’s got a population of about half a million people in the Greater Victoria area, which is a decent-size for a Canadian city but many times smaller than a suburb of Shanghai.

I missed these.

After wrapping up lunch, we headed out to Tsawassen, where the ferry terminal is found. With such great weather and so many people on summer break, the ferries were busy and severely delayed. I waited in a holding room for about 90 minutes before we were finally able to board.

The view from the ferry.

At this point, in the final leg of my journey, and with a couple of beers in me, exhaustion started to seep into my bones. I sprawled out on a couple of seats near a coffee bar and watched the beautiful scenery go by. If I would’ve fallen asleep, I’m not sure anyone could’ve shook me hard enough to wake me up.

One of the Queen-class ferries that plies the route between Tsawassen (near Vancouver) and Swartz Bay (near Victoria).

After docking I walked off the ferry, was picked up by my dad, and went home for a quick shower. Unbeknownst to me, my parents were attending a barbecue with many of their friends and insisted I join them. “It won’t be long,” I was told. So despite the exhaustion I went out to sit on a patio, surrounded by people I didn’t know, celebrating Canada’s 150th birthday (the actual national day is July 1, but celebrations have continued throughout the year). A live band even serenaded guests with show tunes after dinner.

Despite the exhaustion and not knowing anybody at the barbecue, there was something peaceful about just sitting there and decompressing. And being home.

You can catch up by Reading Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, and Part 5 first.

I finally had a good night’s sleep. Because of the rain storm, I went to bed early in Warsaw and slept in until about 9am. I felt great, and ready to go out and explore.

My flight to London wasn’t set to depart until 6:30pm, giving me plenty of time to get some things done before heading out to Chopin Airport. First stop? Warsaw’s famed Targ Śniadaniowy, or Breakfast Market.

The second I read about the Breakfast Market online, I knew I absolutely loved the idea. Every Saturday from 9am until 4pm Warsaw residents gather at a park in Żoliborz to cook and eat food. A number of stalls are set up, serving everything from tacos and perogies to burgers, Indian curries and fruit. There is a stall to borrow blankets and sit on the grass while whiling away the morning.

As I was waiting for an Uber in front of my hotel a thin older lady with a thick European accent, perhaps in her 60s, stopped me on the street to ask if I enjoyed the “congress”. I said “Pardon?” I said I’m not here for a congress. She apologized and explained there was some kind of international youth congress underway near the Presidential palace that she had just attended, closing many of the roads in front of the hotel. Indeed I noticed there were no cars coming, and wondered how my Uber would find me.

Not sure whether the woman was crazy or just friendly (in Europe, it’s not uncommon to strike up conversations with people at practically any age), she asked where I was going and said she would join me. Sure enough she hopped into the Uber’s front seat and I took the back, where she regaled me of stories of meeting Chinese President Xi Jinping (even knowing his name surprised me), how classy his wife is, how great Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is, and how she knew his father (former Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau). Then she said, “Melania is also a very classy woman. You know, Donald and Melania bring a touch of Hollywood to the White House.” I have no idea if she was off her medication or actually had met these people, but I couldn’t totally rule it out. It appeared she worked in some kind of NGO that took her around the world.

Regardless of who she was, I didn’t sign up to be her Warsaw tour guide, so I’m thankful she felt the Breakfast Market was too far away once we arrived, and she went directly back to the hotel. A wave of relief washed over me.

The market wasn’t quite what I pictured – it was much better. I had pictured a more formal market, large-scale in size, in a huge park, but it was none of those things. It was an unpretentious local community gathering with regular people cooking up food, a little bit of music, and attendees eating away on picnic benches in the middle of the park. It was absolutely wonderful, and a highlight of my trip.

I first got a coffee before walking around to see what I might want to eat. Sure enough foods from around the world were represented, but I wanted something with a Polish flavor so opted again for perogies. The woman who made them is apparently well known and spoke no English, but through a translator explained she had been to Canada before and loved it. Her perogies with sweet onions on them were A1.

These were exceptional.

After finishing I ordered another latte from another stall I pulled up a chair at a picnic bench and took in the sights. There is something special, and even inspiring, about witnessing the spirit of a local community as an outsider. The Warsaw Breakfast Market is definitely not a tourist attraction – it was regular people speaking Polish and joining friends and family for food. Kids ran around with their friends and played on a merry-go-round while their parents sat chatting in the sunshine. After spending a couple of hours there I knew I had to return to the hotel to check out, but had to pry myself away. I probably could’ve stayed there until it closed at 4pm, it was such a calming and happy place to spend one’s hours. It was a highlight of the trip.

I headed back to the hotel to check out around 1pm and made my way to Chopin International Airport early to kill some time (I need time to write these things, after all!) There is so much to see in Warsaw, such as museums, galleries, live music venues, memorials and more, and it’s on my list as a city to return to. With such a short visit, one can only get a taste of a place – but for me, it’s enough to know I want to return.

I arrived at the airport and checked in via British Airway’s mobile app, because the check-in counter hadn’t opened yet. Unlike Qatar Airways, the procedure was easy and clear and it downloaded my boarding pass effortlessly to my Apple Wallet. I then used the boarding pass to go through security and head towards the Fantazja Executive Lounge, one of two I would check out.

This was a surprisingly good lounge, with yummy perogies and great working areas.

Warsaw has lounges dedicated to its national flagship carrier, LOT Airlines, and then just a handful of generic lounges with varying degrees of entry criteria depending on which airline you’re flying, your status, and which credit cards or other membership programs you hold. Fantazja lounge was, to my surprise, practically empty when I originally entered so I pulled up a comfy seat near the window and hauled out my computer to do some work. The lounge was bright and cordoned off into individual seating sections, with a handful of closed-in areas to get some real work done. It also had a decent hot food selection, with – you guessed it! – more perogies! These ones were a bit more traditional, filled with spinach and feta, and they were not bad at all for lounge food. I also had a turkey and vegetable stew, which drove home the point that Polish food is for hearty individuals.

I worked for a few hours before making my way past immigration and to the Bolero Lounge. I only had a few minutes there before boarding, so basically took a few photos and checked out the food. It wasn’t nearly as nice as the Fantazja Lounge.

Upon boarding BA851, I saw a little logo on the side of the airplane that gave me a clue: Ooredoo was providing on board Wifi. Ooredoo is a mobile network company based in the Middle East, and provided the poor Wifi services on Qatar Airways. Sure enough, this BA flight was a code share, and was a Qatar plane. I took seat 1A.

Comfy for sure, but definitely not Dreamliner-style!

The quality of the seat on this trip has declined with each successive flight: the suite on board Qatar to Doha, followed by the lavish and large seat from Doha to Warsaw, and now a much more traditional seat with just slightly more room than an economy seat from Warsaw to London. There was no rosé this time, and no menu. Instead the flight attendant told us they had a chicken and a fish dish, and asked us which one we’d like after takeoff. My seat mate and I both picked chicken and we pushed back from the gate.

It actually tasted better than it looked.

Considering the short flight, the food was actually solid. The chicken was juicy and done perfectly, while the creamy gnocchi in Alfredo sauce provided all the carbs necessary to fall asleep afterwards. A chocolate mousse cake along with crackers and blue cheese was the perfect cap on the meal. After reading for a while, I reclined the seat and tried to get some shuteye – for about an hour, before the pilot announced we had begun our descent into London.

I had never been to London in my entire life until I visited there in the spring, so I had not expected my second visit to come just a few months after the first. London, with its people from all walks of life and all corners of the globe, in all colors and speaking dozens of languages, has been dubbed the capital of the world. But when a city is that big and successful, it means many people want to go there, which means busy airports, which means…….. long lines at immigration.

I flew Cathay to Gatwick Airport on my first visit to London, so nothing could have prepared me for landing at Heathrow. I dutifully queued up to go through immigration at 8:15pm, with plans to meet friends at a speakeasy in Earl’s Court at by 10:30pm. Plenty of time, right? Well, not so fast. This is what I saw:

I felt miles away.

Still, I figured this can’t be more than 45 minutes long? Again, I would be wrong. By 9pm I had moved a few rows closer, but was still nowhere near getting my passport stamped. No, for that, I would need to wait another full hour. I passed through immigration at 10:10pm.

I’m not sure, considering London’s battles with terrorism, if it’s appropriate to complain about the immigration procedures at Heathrow. Asking around, I discovered my experience was not out of the ordinary, and that an hour or more for processing is routine. I will not weigh in on whether this is justified or not, except to say I had never had this issue anywhere else. This is a unique London phenomenon, at least in my own travels. (One that comes close is JFK, which is also an old airport ill equipped to deal with today’s passenger numbers.)

My friends cancelled the table at the speakeasy because there was no way I’d make it in time. Instead they holed up at a bar nearby to wait for me, so I snagged a taxi outside Heathrow and made a beeline to Leicester Square, where I had booked a room at the W Hotel to collect more Starpoints.

One of the reasons I had booked the W is I wanted to sample their keyless service, which lets customers check-in via the mobile app and be assigned a room key to their iPhone or Apple Watch, which can be used to open the door. There is no need to check in at the front desk at all. But while I went through the check-in procedure in the app, it said it would send me the key once the check-in was “approved”. Unfortunately for me, it never was, and I needed to check-in in person anyway.

Sometimes mobile services just aren’t ready for prime time.

W Hotel targets a young, trendy clientele. Upon zipping up to the first floor lobby, I was blasted by electronica pumping from the house bar and followed the dim lighting to the check-in counter. The music was so loud that it was difficult to hear the guy checking me in, but it’s all part of the experience, right? #notafuddyduddy

Loved the room layout and location, right in Leicester Square.

In all honestly, the hotel’s creativity makes it stand out from similar priced hotels. The dark hallways and sparkling room numbers indicate you aren’t staying at a simple Sheraton, and the room design featured an open-style kitchen and mirrors everywhere. I just wish I had more time to spend there!

I had a quick shower and headed out into Saturday night in London, and what a wonderful place it is. The streets in Leicester Square were teeming with people, many of whom were inebriated and having a fantastic time. We walked through Chinatown amid the music, buzz and crowds and into the theatre district where the shows had just emptied, passing by pubs and clubs and jazz bars and members only clubs and speakeasys, all of which seemed packed to the rafters.

We settled on a place I fell in love with at first glance: Opium. Located just off Chinatown, we slipped through a narrow door into a dimly lit red hallway where we climbed three floors of stairs. The stairs opened into a cave, with little nooks and crannies with small tables and groups of people around them. We made our way to the main bar, which in proper light might resemble a large open kitchen in a big US home. We pulled up a stool and ordered several drinks, including newly-created ones like a salted caramel sazerac alongside traditional favorites like the old fashioned and whisky sour. Cocktails were superb, and we finally pulled ourselves out of there, tipsy and giggly, at 2am.

A salted caramel sazerac.

Where to go now? Standing on the street outside it began to pour, and we got soaked. One of my friends handed me a black scarf, which I wrapped around my head and covered my face, the first real indication I had just come from the Middle East. We scampered to a London late night tradition: the casino. Yes, casinos mean different things in different places. They all offer gambling, but culturally their significance can vary. London has rather strict closing times for bars and pubs, so casinos are where the after-parties happen. Sure there are roulette and poker tables along with slots and other video-style games, but there is also a 24-hour bar that was packed and even a couple of different nightclubs and patios upstairs. We wandered into a small carpeted room where young Londoners were dancing the night away, making out, pouring drinks, and living it up. We then meandered back downstairs and grabbed a table to talk for a while longer.

Busy bar at Opium.

It was now 3am. My alarm was set for 6am. Dreading the sleep ahead of me, I decided it was time to go. I gave everyone hugs and walked outside into the pouring rain, then ran as fast as I could to my nearby hotel. I was soaked, but safe. It was time to go to bed. Finally.

You can read Part 7 here.

You can catch up by Reading Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 first.

I spent Wednesday night in Hong Kong, throwing items into my luggage, making sure I had all my cables and chargers for the computer and iPad, and tossing any liquids that I intended to bring because I wanted to stick with carry-on luggage only. I curled up in bed on Wednesday night knowing it was the last time I’d be sleeping in Hong Kong for a while, and the first night among the coming five in which I would be falling asleep in a different bed each night.

My plans, if not my sleep, seemed sound that night, but no matter how well prepared something unexpected always seems to happen on the day of travel that throws those plans into the wind. This time, just before heading to the airport on Thursday, I was called into my boss’ office with strict marching orders to complete a task — urgently. As I watched the hands on the clock ticking ever later, I quickly wrapped up the meeting, grabbed by bags and made a beeline for the airport with work now hanging over my head.

Fortunately for people who are perennially late, no city is as efficient as Hong Kong in getting people to the airport. Passengers can check in for their flight at two locations downtown, drop off their bags, and receive their boarding passes before hopping on board an express train direct to the airport, which only takes 24 minutes. In some cases, check-in opens 48 hours before the flight departs, meaning you can ditch your heavy bags extra early.

If you don’t want to talk to anybody at all, most airlines will let you check in via mobile application instead. Cathay has a convenient app that loads boarding passes into Apple’s Wallet app or the Apple Watch, which displays a QR code to whisk you through security.

Around noon on Thursday I decided to check in using Qatar Airways’ mobile app, and was slightly disappointed. The app looks slightly dated compared to Cathay’s, and the check in process timed out for me repeatedly. I needed to enter my booking reference (which is odd, considering the app should already have this information — I was signed into my account), then needed to add my passport number, nationality, expiry date, and a lot more over multiple screens. Every time it timed out, it reverted back to the beginning and I had to start filling in the information all over again. It took me four tries before I finally got my boarding pass, which I then downloaded to my iPhone Wallet.

It looks nice, but it didn’t work.

Unfortunately, that didn’t work either. I got to the airport with very little time to spare, but when I tried to go through security I was told the QR code on the boarding pass had a problem. I was escorted to Qatar Airways’ counter, where the friendly staff gave me two paper boarding passes (to Doha, and on to Warsaw). With time tight, Qatar staff then took me through the VIP security lane and I whisked right through. The moral of the story? I would’ve saved more time skipping the mobile check-in altogether.

Qatar Airways doesn’t have a lounge at Hong Kong Airport, but as a Oneworld airline I had access to the Cathay and Qantas lounges. I had been to the CX lounges already, so figured I had just enough time to give the Qantas Lounge a look-see — and I’m glad I did! It is easily one of the largest lounges in Hong Kong with multiple seating areas, business bars, hot buffet, showers, and televisions showing news and sports in different parts of the lounge. The hot food menu was decent for a lounge, with sweet corn soup, greek style braised chicken, vegetarian fried rice, rigatoni pesto pasta and pork and cucumber dumplings on offer. While I didn’t try the food (I was saving space for the meal on board), a lot of people were digging in and the reviews on Lounge Buddy were positive. (The salted caramel cheesecake looked particularly appealing!) The Qantas Lounge also had a wide selection of Australian wines.

With only a few minutes to spare, I popped downstairs to Gate 16 and boarded QR817 to Doha. I had read about Qatar’s business class layout on the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, but it still has to be seen to be believed: beautiful wood paneling, classy lighting, a 22 inch television monitor for each seat, and lots of personal storage space. For a Middle Eastern airline, it was able to strike a balance by avoiding the gold and garish ostentation of Emirates Airlines but still giving passengers a classy and high-end experience.

My home for the next eight hours.

After getting seated, I was given a glass of rose and began hauling out my computer, iPad and Kindle for use later during the flight.

Qatar Airways leaves some champagne and fruit on a counter at the back of the business class cabin.

I will cut to the chase here: service on Qatar Airways is the best I’ve come across on board any airline. The flight attendant came to my seat to explain how things worked on board, asked me about my final destination in Warsaw, and even suggested restaurants in the old town for great perogies! I particularly liked the fact there is no designated meal time on Qatar — the menu is all a la carte, and passengers can order whatever they like whenever they’re hungry. Nonetheless the flight attendant was taking orders now for people who wanted to eat right after takeoff, so I requested the creamy coconut soup and smoked salmon with goat cheese crumble to start, followed by a main of grilled beef fillet with caramelized onion jus and a peppery Dijon mustard.

Right after takeoff I opened my laptop to begin writing, and had plenty of room to prop up both my iPad (which contained my notes) and a 15” laptop (to write), underscoring how big the working and eating area are in each individual suite. I popped open the armrest and found a bottle of Evian water alongside noise cancelling, over-ear headphones to use with the airline’s Onyx on-board entertainment system.

Passengers were also given a small pouch in a Brics travel bag containing products from Castello Monte Vibiano, an Italian maker of wines, olive oils and cosmetics. Inside was a hydrating facial mist, lip balm, an anti-aging moisturizer and some Brics socks. The flight attendant also gave me a full set of pajamas, and told me if there’s any problem with the sizing to let her know and she’d get another pair (I never bothered to try them on, as the flight was slightly too short.)

Then it was time for dinner, so I shut down my computer.

Thinking I was going to start working again, I ordered myself a latte to perk up. But after reclining back in my seat following a hearty meal, and cognizant it was now evening in Hong Kong, I got a bit sleepy so decided to nap for a bit first. Just before dozing off, the flight attendant brought an after dinner treat: chocolates from Godiva.

I slept much longer than I anticipated, and woke up around 1am Hong Kong time, about two hours out from Doha. I attempted again to get onto the internet, and it was extremely spotty. Qatar’s most expensive on-board internet plan is US$20 for 200 MB of data, which under normal circumstances could disappear in a hurry. Fortunately, the internet was so slow I got nowhere close to using it all up.

(Pro tip: When traveling and to avoid background processes on your computer taking up bandwidth and data, such as iTunes and iCloud updates, backups, and syncs, you can download an app called Trip Mode on the Mac. It lets you determine which apps can access the internet, and it shuts all the other ones off to ensure you conserve data.)

I ordered two more lattes to wake up and decided to get one more bite to eat. I had heard the Arabic mezze platter was delicious, so I asked the flight attendant and she brought it a few minutes later. I am a huge fan of babaganoush and tabbouleh, which were both on point, and I even thoroughly enjoyed the hummus with the warm pita bread. As I ate I chatted with a few people still awake in Hong Kong via iMessage and did a bit more writing until we began our descent into Doha. Business class service and comfort was A+ on Qatar Airways, and I didn’t want the flight to end.

Qatar is a global airline that shuttles people through Doha, the capital of the country, en route to somewhere else. Therefore it has become a key transit hub in the Gulf region, and most passengers on my flight proceeded to the transit area to wait for a connecting flight. I decided to pop into town, even just for a short time, so headed for the arrivals area.

I had transited through Doha back in 2012, but a new airport has opened since which is absolutely spectacular. Hammid International Airport has an industrial but classy feel, is spacious and airy, and is sparkling clean. It is also famous for its duty free shops, which apparently offer up unbeatable bargains.

Nobody around…

I headed towards arrivals and saw signs indicating business class passengers should carry on to a different immigration processing area. I walked in, and it appeared to be more like a lounge: there was a reception area, tables and chairs, sofas, coffee machines, tea, cakes and cookies on hand for passengers to sit down and relax after a long flight. But it was actually the immigration area. Sure enough, at the front, a guy was quietly stamping passports and issuing visas as soon as passengers were ready to go through. I have never seen such an immaculate and well-thought-through immigration process, which was comfortable and convenient. It made traveling through the airport almost blissful.

The first and business class immigration “lounge” at Hammid International. Behind me was a coffee and tea station, with cookies and cakes.

After getting my passport stamped I went to grab a taxi. As I stepped outside, the hot air blasted me in the face. I’m used to the heat and humidity in Hong Kong, but the heat in Doha was debilitating. While it was a dry heat, which is generally easier to handle than Hong Kong’s steam baths, it was still extremely uncomfortable. Thankfully the cab driver had the air conditioning on full blast.

Party time in the souq.

I stayed at a hotel in the Souq Wafiq area near the waterfront. Souq roughly means “market” in Arabic, and there was no indication people were winding down when I arrived. The souq was lively with people sitting outdoors, musicians playing music, stalls offering up street food, and a general festive atmosphere. I arrived around 11pm and originally intended to walk around the city. But alas, even the best laid plans often go sideways. Instead I holed myself up in my hotel room finishing my work task, which was due before the morning hours in Hong Kong. So I holed myself up in my hotel room until past midnight getting it done before finally nodding off to sleep.

You can read Part 5 here.

To catch up, you can read Part 1 and Part 2 first.

Okay, I couldn’t wait until I was already in the air — I had to do one more update prior to taking off.

I was thinking about how to travel these last few days, like what are some tools and tips that people might be unaware of that make the experience easier, more convenient, or even more fun.

I am not a ‘professional’ traveler, in the sense that I don’t work in an industry related to travel nor do I frequently travel on business. But I do enjoy traveling and making my way to a handful of countries each year. Because I rack up the miles, I routinely get asked questions like where to find the cheapest flights, what are the best hotels, which programs have the best benefits, and things like that. So with my #5nights5cities tour coming up, I figure I’d tackle some of these questions below.

Buying airline tickets

This is a difficult question to answer. Imagine if somebody asked, “How much is it to take a holiday?” Your answer would depend on so many variables, and it’s the same with booking websites.

The larger question is one’s socioeconomic status and the amount of traveling a person plans to do. It will cost more for sure, but sticking with an airline alliance (like Oneworld or Star Alliance) could really pay dividends over the long run in terms of free flights, lounge access, and upgrades.

If this is you, then I would look at credit card promotions that help accumulate miles for your chosen airline and remain pretty committed to booking with them on their website. It might take a year to reach a status level that begins providing benefits, but once achieved it’s relatively easy to maintain. In short, you’ll pay more at the outset, but you’ll get that back and more long term.

If you’re based in the United States, I highly recommend reading The Points Guy and One Mile at a Time, which I mentioned in Part 2. Both of which are rich resources into credit card promotions and tactics for maximizing benefits.

I’m in Hong Kong though, so these sites don’t work as well. Cathay Pacific is the local flagship and is part of Oneworld. If you want to collect Asia Miles, which are used on Cathay and its partners, Standard Chartered has a very popular Asia Miles card at the moment, but also check with American Express and Citibank which also have good options. This changes frequently, so always keep an eye out for the latest deals.

Now let’s say you just want the cheapest fare possible — the good news is there are plenty of options. If you are flying to Mainland China, Ctrip is one of the most popular travel sites in the world. You can also check Qunar and Elong, which used to be owned by Expedia (until it was sold to arch-rival Ctrip). The other benefit of being in Hong Kong is the wide variety of nearby international airports; I have often found cheaper flights from Shenzhen or Macau, and if the price difference is big enough it’s sometimes worth it to fly from these other airports. (I even flew from Guangzhou once, when a return trip from Guangzhou to Phnom Penh, Cambodia was only HK$1,500 but HK$6,000 from Hong Kong.)

If you’re looking specifically at Singapore or Southeast Asian destinations, always check discount carriers Tiger Air and Air Asia directly on their websites. Their flights are often not listed by the large ticket resellers. For Japan, check with their discount carriers too, like Peach Airlines.

For flights further afield, I usually use Hutchgo, but I know everybody has their own favorite.

Finally, among the best resources for finding cheap flights is Google’s popular Skyscanner service. It will list nearly every possible combination of flights between two cities along with a wide range of agents with prices attached. I will often start on this site to get an idea of options and prices before moving to one of the other websites.

Apps

There are literally hundreds of apps out there meant to make travel easier, and I don’t have space (or patience) to do a thorough review of them all. Suffice to say I’ve looked at a lot of them, and I’ve settled on two main ones that I use every single time I travel. They match my needs, but they may not match yours, so I would definitely investigate what’s out there.

1. App in the Air

I can’t remember where I heard of this app, but it has been a mainstay of every trip I’ve taken since. App in the Air is a full featured app for iOS and Android that provides a lot of expected functions, like flight information and departure/arrival times. But it goes many steps beyond that.

App in the Air showing my upcoming flights.

First, it is extremely fast with any changes to the flight. That means you’ll get a notification when check-in opens and how much time you have to check in and get to the gate. You’ll get alerts if there is a gate change (extremely handy), and also notifications once boarding starts. This often means you can squeeze in one more glass of champagne at the lounge!

App in the Air also has a great Apple Watch app. Some apps just provide notifications, but you can go through the app on the watch to get other flight information which is handy in a rush.

The Apple Watch app provides useful notifications, sure, but it also puts all kinds of flight information right on your wrist.

App in the Air also contains other airport information such as the expected wait at immigration and security, as well as the on-time record of that particular flight. It also lets you know what the immigration situation is like at the arrival airport, contains reviews of airport services, and the phone number and other information related to the airline you are flying. Finally, it also has an automatic check-in feature, so it will check you in as soon as check in opens for your flight without you needing to do a thing. Fantastic.

I only have two quibbles with the app: with all that information it’s a tad bit messy, though the different widgets are customizable so you can remove any you don’t need. Also, the app isn’t cheap: for all of the premium services you’re looking at $4.99 a month, $29.99 a year, or $49.99 for a lifetime membership. I went with the $49.99 plan a couple of years ago and have relied on it since.

1. Lounge Buddy

This app, also on iOS and Android, is loved or hated by frequent travelers. The app is a comprehensive directory of lounges at airports around the world, complete with photos, reviews, maps, and entrance requirements. You can also tell the app which credit cards and airline status you have, and it can show you which lounges you have access to.

Lounge Buddy is like a Yelp for airline lounges worldwide.

The best part of Lounge Buddy is the reviews. It is a Yelp for airports. I regularly consult it when I get to a new airport to pick the best lounge, and sometimes Lounge Buddy itself will have specials that provide access to certain lounges. I’ve found the UI/UX to be a bit clumsy, though, and sometimes it says you don’t have access to a particular lounge when in fact you do. So it’s not always reliable. Nonetheless, it’s had a regular spot on my iPhone for years and I open it frequently when traveling.

Prepare

A few things I do when traveling:

• Travel light: You mostly likely don’t need multiple pairs of shoes and wide variety of clothes. Think about where you’re going and what you’ll be doing there, and take as little as possible. The biggest mistake people make when traveling is thinking “But if we go to a nice dinner, then I will need….” You *won’t* go to a nice dinner. Just take what you’re sure you’ll need. You can always pick something up at the destination if some surprise situation arises.
• Take a carry-on only, if possible: Obviously, this isn’t always possible, but for trips of four days or fewer, it should be. Going the carry-on route saves a lot of time at the arrival terminal; it’s great to walk off a flight, go through immigration, and right out to a taxi while everybody else waits for their bags (and hope they didn’t get lost).
• Empty your pockets *before* security: I have a little pouch in my backpack, and it gets coins and keys and other loose items that were in my pocket long before I reach the security line. This way you aren’t fiddling around at security, but can just throw your bag down and walk through.

I’m in the midst of packing now, as by this time tomorrow night I should be at 35,000 feet over western China. ‘Til next time…

You can read Part 4 here.