Most flights to the gorgeous Azores archipelago route through Lisbon, which adds about seven hours of travel each way if you’re flying from the US or Canada. But there’s an affordable direct option from the East Coast that skips the backtrack entirely and will get you there in less than six hours. Here’s how to book it, what we paid, and whether it’s worth it.
There is a lot of advice floating around about how to get upgraded to business class. You’ll hear people tell you to wear a suit, mention it’s your honeymoon, or arrive at the airport four hours early to “befriend” the staff. In our experience, none of that actually works. These are our tried and true ways to get business class upgrades, and you don’t need to be a frequent traveler or have airline elite status for most of them.
We’re always happy to get upgraded or enjoy a first-class domestic flight on a longer international business-class route, but is it worth a cash splurge for this short flight? We break down the whole experience, including what we paid, so you can decide if it’s worth it to you.
When a cyclone in Sri Lanka forced us to divert our entire trip at the last minute, we didn’t expect to find ourselves in an Etihad Business Class cabin to Abu Dhabi. We were fortunate to trade our cancelled itinerary for a 40,000-mile American Airlines redemption each from Bangkok back to Doha through Abu Dhabi. How did it go? While the ground experience in Abu…
Flying the short 2.5 hour hop from Singapore to Bangkok can feel like a routine commute, but we found an amazing points deal and decided to make it an elevated experience. Was it worth it? Every bit of comfort is appreciated when you’re hopping on the flight at 9:00 PM after a fun day of sightseeing and coming off a multi-leg jet-lagged journey. For us,…
Here’s everything you need to know about the whole experience from booking to check in to the flight and arrival – plus how we booked this from Doha to Kuala Lumpur for $38 in taxes each.
We’ve booked hundreds of flights over the years. Over time, we’ve figured out what truly helps us get better prices, more comfortable seats, and fewer booking headaches. You don’t need to chase mistake fares or spend hours searching every portal. You can book smarter by focusing on the strategies that consistently deliver more flexibility, better seats, and lower costs without wasting time or overcomplicating things….
We’ve spent years mixing and matching airlines, hopping between programs, and chasing the best redemptions. Being flexible helped us travel for as cheap as possible. But we’re not really budget travelers anymore. We want comfort and as little stress as possible – all for a reasonable price. Our themes are traveling smart and finding luxe for less, so committing to one airline alliance for most…
Icelandair frequently has business class deals from the U.S. to Europe for less than $1300 round trip, and direct flights to Reykjavik can cost less than $900. So what’s the catch when other airlines charge $3k-5k? We’ll tell you everything you need to know after chasing and finding deals on Icelandair over the last few years.
If you’re flying with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and want to upgrade to business class without paying full price, bidding for an upgrade can be a surprisingly effective strategy. We’ve done this ourselves multiple times on long-haul flights and learned all about how the process works, what increases your chances, and when it’s easy to overpay. Here’s a step-by-step guide to SAS upgrade bidding, including what…
