Airline Reviews Reviews Vietnam Airlines

Airline Review: Vietnam Airlines – Business Class (Airbus 350-900) : San Francisco – Saigon (VN 99)

Flight:  Vietnam Airlines VN99 from San Francisco to Saigon Duration: 15 hours 30 minutes Aircraft: A359 (Airbus 350-900) Class: Business Seat: 2D-2G (Center Aisle) Seat Specification: True Flat Bed. Seat width: 20.2″, Bed length: 75″ This was our first time flying on Vietnam Airlines. It was a A350-900 aircraft with a single business cabin of 8 rows in 1-2-1 reverse herringbone configuration. Before we even sat down, the flight attendant came up and volunteered to put on seat cover for us. Me and Karen both ordered the Saigon Sunlight (Whiskey, 7up with lemonade),  Vietnam Airlines signature drink. It was refreshing. …

Accor Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review – Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20

Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 19/9 Sukhumvit 20 Alley, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110, Thailand Novotel Bangkok Sukhumvit 20 is located in the popular touristy area of Bangkok close to Terminal 21 / BTS Asoke station/ MRT Sukhumvit station (only a 12 minute walk). Terminal 21 has a lot of dining options including a giant food court. Also being quite close to both a BTS and MRT station allows for connection to different parts of the city. I stayed just 1 night at the hotel after my onwards flight to HKG was cancelled due to a typhoon and had to rebook a …

Airline Reviews Reviews Starlux

Airline Review: Starlux Airlines – Business Class (Airbus 350-900 with Suites) : Ontario – Taipei (JX 9)

Flight:  Starlux Airlines JX 9 from Ontario to Taipei Duration: 12 hours 45 minutes Aircraft: A359 (Airbus 350-900) Class: Business Seat: 7A(Window) Seat Specification: True Flat Bed, Suites. Seat width: 19.6″, Bed length: 6’7″ This was my 3rd time flying Starlux Airlines Business class on the A350-900. The business class features 7 rows of 1-2-1 reverse herringbone suites with closed doors . The first row is more spacious with higher doors and is marketed as first class even though its in business class cabin. After dinner the flight attendant put a mattress pad on my seat and I went to …

Airline Reviews ANA Reviews

Airline Review: ANA – Business Class (Boeing 787-9 with Lie Flat Seats) : Haneda – Los Angeles (NH 106)

Flight:  ANA NH 106 from Haneda to Los Angeles Duration: 10 hours Equipment: B789(Boeing 787-9) Class: Business Seat: 3A (Aisle) Seat Specification: Flat bed seats with seat width: 20″ Bottomline: Seat: **** Service: *** Food: ***  

Airline Reviews EVA Airways Reviews

Airline Review: EVA Airways – Business Class (Boeing 787-10 with Lie Flat Seats) : Taipei – Narita (BR 196)

Flight:  EVA Air BR 196 from Taipei to Narita Duration: 3 hours 15 mins Equipment: B787X(Boeing 787-10) Class: Business Seat: 2A (Aisle) Seat Specification: Flat bed seats with seat width: 21″, Row pitch: 44″ EVA Airways is among the top 2 airlines whose business class I’ve flown the most (the other being Cathay Pacific). However, this was the first time I flew it on a Boeing 787-10. EVA Airways Business class on Boeing 787-10 consists of 38 seats with 10 rows of staggered 1-2-1 configuration. I love the color scheme of the business class seats !! The seat has lots of …

Hilton Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review – DoubleTree by Hilton Bangkok Ploenchit

DoubleTree by Hilton Bangkok Ploenchit 12 Sukhumvit 2, Khlong Toei, Bangkok 10110, Thailand DoubleTree by Hilton Bangkok Ploenchit is located in central Bangkok, only 7 minutes walk from nearest BTS station. I stayed 1 night during a transit stay and paid cash rate. Check-in was a breeze and the front desk upgraded me from a standard room to a corner big room. I arrived in the morning and stayed till just after midnight, so could not avail complimentary breakfast. Thumbs up: Well maintained property where a responsive front desk upgraded me to a bigger room Very short walking distance to …

Airline Reviews Reviews Starlux

Airline Review: Starlux Airlines – Business Class (Airbus 350-900 with Suites) : Los Angeles – Taipei (JX 1)

Flight:  Starlux Airlines JX 1 from Los Angeles to Taipei Duration: 14 hours 40 minutes Aircraft: A359 (Airbus 350-900) Class: Business Seat: 2A(Window) Seat Specification: True Flat Bed, Suites. Seat width: 19.6″, Bed length: 6’7″ This is my second time flying Starlux Airlines Business class and it has quickly become my 2nd favorite Business class product after Qatar Qsuites. The Airbus A350 Business class has 6 rows of 1 – 2 – 1 suites and with a total of 26 business class seats. The first row in business class cabin is more spacious with privacy doors and high screen partition …

Airline Reviews Finnair Reviews

Airline Review: Finnair – Business Class (Airbus A350-900 with Lie Flat Seats) : Helsinki – Los Angeles (AY 1)

Flight:  Finnair AY 1 from Helsinki to Los Angeles Duration: 11 hours Equipment: A359 (Airbus A350-900) Class: Business Seat:  2A (Window) Seat Specification: Flat bed seats This was my first ever Finnair flight and I was looking forward to flying it on the A350 with the recently redesigned Business class cabin. Finnair A350 has 30 Airlounge seats with 7 rows of  1 – 2 – 1 configuration and 2 seats in the middle as first row. One thing I should add is that this seat is much more comfortable to sleep on than sit. Even though it looks very wide its not …

Airline Reviews American Reviews

Airline Review: American Airlines – Business Class (Boeing 777-300ER with Lie Flat Seats) : London – Los Angeles (AA 135)

Flight:  American Airlines AA 135 from London Heathrow to Los Angeles Duration: 10 hours 45 mins Equipment: B77w (Boeing 777-300 ER) Class: Business Seat:  3J (Window) Seat Specification: Flat bed seats with seat width: 20″, seat pitch: 72″ MilesPointsTravel Disclaimer: This review is solely the work of Karen. I personally did not fly this segment.  American Airlines on this version of the Boeing 777-300 ER had 13 rows of seats in 1-2-1 configuration with 2 rows in forward cabin and remaining in aft. I have flown AA on Boeing 777-300 ER multiple times before and only difference was the color scheme of …

Destination Trip Reports Europe

August 2025: 24 hours in Helsinki Trip Report

We arrived late into the night at Helsinki Airport from Oslo. After staying the night at Clarion Helsinki Airport, next day we transfered to the city via train from the airport. After dropping off our luggage at our hotel (Hotel Fabian Helsinki), we walked to Senate Square where our Free Helsinki Walking Tour was about to start. The tour is tip based and lasts about 2.5 hours. We walked by the Uspenski Cathedral, a Russian Orthodox church. Next our guide took us to Havis Amanda, a beautiful statue at a busy intersection. Our next stop was Helsinki Central Station. Our …

Destination Trip Reports Europe

August 2025: Oslo Trip Report

Day 1: We traveled from Bergen to Oslo by train which left very early from Bergen and after 7 hours arrived at Oslo just past noon. The scenic beauty on both sides of the tracks was outstanding. We had already done Bergen – Myrdal segment for our “Norway in a Nutshell” tour 2 days ago. But this time the 7 hour journey went by watching streams, lakes, forests on both sides of the train. After arriving in Oslo, we walked across the Oslo central station to our hotel, the Amerikalinjen. After checking in and dropping our luggage, we walked 2 …

Choice Hotels/Radisson Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review: Hotel Fabian, Helsinki

Hotel Fabian, Helsinki Fabianinkatu 7, 00130 Helsinki, Finland Hotel Fabian is located about 20 minutes walking distance from Helsinki Central station. It is located very close walking to the tourist attractions such as Vanha Kauppahalli (6 minutes) and Senate Square (10 minutes). We stayed 1 night at this hotel using 15,000 Choice Privilege points. The hotel offers complimentary breakfast buffet for all guests. However, I was a little disappointed with the lack of menu options compared to the other Helsinki hotel we had just stayed at in addition to our Norway hotels just before this trip. Thumbs up: Excellent location …

Choice Hotels/Radisson Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review: Clarion Hotel Helsinki Airport

Clarion Hotel Helsinki Airport Taivastie 3, Vantaa, 1531, FI Clarion Hotel Helsinki Airport is located right next to the airport connected by a pathway with a very short walking distance. This makes it a great and convenient option for late arrival and early departure flights. We arrived very late in Helsinki (past midnight) and this was the best option for us to stay instead of in the city. We stayed here 1 night using 15,000 Choice Privileges points. The hotel has complimentary breakfast for all guests and the restaurant has a very large seating area. Breakfast buffet had a variety …

Choice Hotels/Radisson Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review: Hotel Amerikalinjen, Oslo

Hotel Amerikalinjen Jernbanetorget 2, 0154 Oslo, Norway This iconic hotel is located just across the Oslo Central Station and opposite of the famous Tiger sculpture in front of the station. This makes the hotel very centrally located for a lot of Oslo attractions such as only short walking distance to Oslo Opera House (8 minutes) and Karl Johans Gate (10 minutes). We stayed 2 nights here using a total of 40,000 Choice Privilege points. Breakfast is complimentary at the hotel for all guests. However, to manage traffic we were given time slots to appear for breakfast and we still found …

Destination Trip Reports Europe

August 2025: 4 Days in Bergen Trip Report – Day 4 – Hardangerfjord Fjord cruise day trip

We spent our last day in Bergen doing the Hardangerfjord cruise day trip. There are multiple variations of the trip and we booked the one from Norled Cruises. Norled is a transportation company and not a typical cruise operator. What this means is that the boats of Norled are primarily for transporting passengers between various stops along Hardangerfjord but tourists can use it for sightseeing. First segment of the trip was a bus journey from Bergen to Norheimsund kai. After reaching Norheimsund kai we switch to a catamaran to Ulvik village. Spent 4-5 hours in Ulvik and return from there …

Destination Trip Reports Europe

August 2025: 4 Days in Bergen Trip Report – Day 3 – Norway in a Nutshell roundtrip from Bergen

This was our Norway in a Nutshell day. This is probably one of the most popular itinerary for tourists. This included 3 train rides, a cruise and a bus journey. One can book the whole tour at the official website however, I had read in multiple travel blogs that if someone wanted to construct the itinerary from actual train and bus vendors, you can save some money. I don’t remember exact figures but we saved around 150$ for me and Karen total by booking separate segments directly from the vendors instead of the official website. First segment of the journey …

Choice Hotels/Radisson Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review: Hotel Oleana, Bergen

Hotel Oleana, Bergen Øvre Ole Bulls plass 5, 5012 Bergen, Norway Hotel Oleana is an iconic hotel located just 10 minutes walking distance from Bergen Sentrum station. It is located at a very convenient spot to walk to local attractions like Bryggen neighbourhood (12 minutes),  Fish Market (6 minutes) and Floyen Funicular (10 minutes). We stayed at this hotel for 4 nights for the entirety of our stay in Bergen and used a total of 60,000 Choice Privilege points. Check-in was a breeze. We met different front desk staff during our stay and everyone was extremely courteous, friendly and helpful. …

Destination Trip Reports Europe

August 2025: 4 Days in Bergen Trip Report – Day 1 & 2 – Bergen city sightseeing & Mostraumen Fjord Cruise

Day 1: We arrived at Bergen International Airport (BGO) on our flight from Reykjavik. Cheap and convenient way to reach the city center is the tram from airport to Byparken stop (near Bergen Centrum Station).One can pay for the tram in Skyss ticket app itself. I had already installed the Skyss app and it came in handy on our 4 days in Bergen. After reaching Byparken Tram stop, we walked to our hotel for 4 night stay in Bergen, Hotel Oleana. After checking in and freshening up we set out for lunch. We stopped by Pingvinen Restaurant. I ordered the …

Destination Trip Reports Europe

August 2025: 6 Days in Iceland Trip Report – Day 6 – Last day of Waterfalls – Skogafoss, Kvernufoss and Irarfoss waterfalls

This was our last full day of traveling in Iceland and we were traveling from Skogafoss to our hotel near Keflavik airport to fly out next day. We were staying at Hotel Skogafoss by EJ Hotels and one of the main reasons of staying here was so we could see the falls on the night we arrive and the day after. We started the day early visiting the falls right after breakfast at the hotel. We were glad we got waterproof shoes to walk on the rocks to get to the middle to take the pictures. After Skogafoss we drove …

Hotel Reviews Marriott/SPG Reviews

Hotel Review: Courtyard by Marriott Reykjavik Keflavik Airport

Courtyard by Marriott Reykjavik Keflavik Airport Aðalgata 60, 230 Reykjanesbaer, Iceland We stayed at Courtyard Reykjavik Keflavik Airport for our last night in Iceland before flying out next day. The hotel is located just 2.5 km from Keflavik airport. The complimentary hotel shuttle only runs from hotel to airport and exclusively for Marriott Bonvoy members. We had a rental car and coincidently enough the Ace Rental Car agency is located just across the hotel. The cash rates at the hotel were quite expensive (even by Iceland standards) and we used 50,000 Marriott points for the 1 night stay. The hotel …