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Airline Reviews Cathay Pacific Reviews

Airline Review: Cathay Pacific – Business Class (Boeing 777-300 with Lie Flat Seats) : Los Angeles – Hong Kong (CX 881)

Flight:  Cathay Pacific CX 881  from Los Angeles to Hong Kong Duration: 15 hours 55 minutes Aircraft: B773(Boeing 777-300ER) Class: Business Seat: 11A (single bulkhead seat with direct aisle access) Seat Specification: True Flat Bed, Seat pitch: 81.0 “. Seat width: 21 ” Cathay Pacific flies Boeing 777-300ER on all its LAX – HKG flights (3 x Daily) and I have experienced it twice before, once in 2015 and next in 2018. There are a total of 53 business class seats divided between a small forward cabin of 2 rows of 1 x 2 x 1 reverse herringbone configuration and rest in a …

Trip Summary

Dec’19 – Jan’20: India and Sri Lanka Trip – Introduction

Time for my yearly trip to India again!! This time I will be going there myself (without my wife that is) and planning on visiting Sri Lanka with my parents for a week or less. We will be visiting Colombo, Bentota, Kandy and Nuwara Eliya. There will be a lot of trip reports, airline reviews and hotel reviews following this trip. Airline Review – Cathay Pacific Business Class from Los Angeles to Hong Kong Trip Report – Bentota, Weligama and Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka Hotel Review – Shangri-lanka Villa, Bentota Hotel Review – Weligama Bay Marriott Resort & Spa Hotel …

Airline Reviews EVA Airways Reviews

Airline Review: EVA Airways – Business Class (Boeing 777-300 with Lie Flat Seats) : Taipei – Los Angeles (BR 6)

Flight: EVA Air BR 6 from Taipei to Los Angeles Aircraft: B773 (Boeing 777-300) Class: Business Seat: 10K, Window Seat Specification: Full Flat, 180 degree recline, Seat pitch: 81″. Seat width: 26″ EVA Air operates Boeing 777-300 on all its flights between Taipei and Los Angeles with Royal Laurel Class (Business Class) having 1-2-1 layout and full flat beds. I have flown EVA airways on this route before, on both LAX-TPE and TPE-LAX segments in 2015. I was a bit full by eating in the EVA Air lounge earlier and opted to skip the main entree. I slept for a …

Airline Reviews EVA Airways Reviews

Airline Review: EVA Airways – Business Class (Airbus 330 with Angled Flat Seats) : Bangkok – Taipei(BR 206)

Flight: EVA Air BR 206 from Bangkok to Taipei Duration: 3 hours 45 minutes Aircraft: A333 (Airbus 330-300) Class: Business (Premium Laurel) Seat: 8G, Middle Aisle Seat Specification: Angled Flat, Seat pitch: 62″. Seat width: 22″ EVA Airways flies different configurations on Bangkok – Taipei route. They fly Boeing 777-300 with Royal Laurel Business class with flat beds in 1-2-1 layout (which I flew in 2015) and also fly Airbus 300 with Premium Laurel Business class with angled flat seats in 2-2-2 layout (this flight).  For a short flight as this one the difference in comfort was minimal. Flight attendant …

Airline Reviews Lufthansa Reviews

Airline Review: Lufthansa – Business Class (Boeing 747 with Lie Flat Seats) : Frankfurt – Bangalore (LH 754)

Flight: Lufthansa LH 754 from Frankfurt to Bangalore Aircraft: B748 (Airbus 747-800) Class: Business Seat: 5G, Middle Aisle Seat Specification: Full Flat, 180 degree recline, Seat pitch: 64″. Seat width: 20″ Lufthansa operates a Boeing 747-800 on this route with 2 x 2 x 2 layout in Business Class downstairs and  2 x 2 upstairs. Since I was traveling by myself and opted for a middle row downstairs (for direct aisle access and having seatmate not climbing over mid-flight). For a 9 hour flight, Lufthansa was pretty generous in feeding us 2 full meals :). Lunch service started soon after …

Airline Reviews Lufthansa Reviews

Airline Review: Lufthansa – Business Class (Boeing 747 with Lie Flat Seats) : Los Angeles – Frankfurt(LH 457)

Flight: Lufthansa LH 457 from Los Angeles to Frankfurt Aircraft: B748 (Airbus 747-800) Class: Business Seat: 11D, Middle Aisle Seat Specification: Full Flat, 180 degree recline, Seat pitch: 64″. Seat width: 20″ Lufthansa operates a Boeing 747-800 on this route. To be frank, this is one of my favorite aircraft to travel on (because of upstairs). There are 8 rows of 2 x 2 x 2 configuration downstairs and 8 rows of 2 x 2 configuration upstairs in Business Class. I usually prefer the upstairs because its more cozy. However, I was traveling by myself and preferred the middle seats …

Airline Reviews Choice Hotels/Radisson Hotel Reviews

Hotel Review – Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Chicago O’Hare South, IL

Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Chicago O’Hare South, IL 777 E Grand Ave, Bensenville, IL 60106 This Country Inn & Suites hotel (a Radisson property) is located about 7 km from O’Hare International Airport. The hotel provides complimentary airport shuttle once an hour (both for pickup and drop off). We were arriving at the airport and staying just 1 night in Chicago so this was a convenient option for us. The bed was not very comfortable and felt like it sagged in the middle. We tried the complimentary breakfast and the selection was quite limited. Thumbs up: Complimentary Breakfast …

Destination Trip Reports North America

June 2019: Chicago Trip Report

Day 1: We started the day by taking the Blue line from O’ Hare Airport to Clark/Lake station and then transferred to State/Lake station. We had purchased the $10 day pass for the CTA and it served us well throughout our trip. From the station its a close walk to the Riverwalk. There are a lot of picturesque spots along the Chicago Riverwalk. We saw quite a few interesting and notable buildings including the Trump Tower. A few minutes into the walk we came across the Vietnam Veternans Memorial. We walked the Riverwalk to Lower Michigan Avenue and then walked …

Airline Reviews Iberia Reviews

Airline Review: Iberia – Business Class (Airbus 359 with Lie Flat Seats) : Madrid – Chicago (IB 6275)

Flight: Iberia IB 6275 from Madrid to Chicago Equipment: A359 (Airbus 350-900) Class: Business Seat: 3E – 3G, Middle Aisle Seat Specification: Full Flat, 180 degree recline, Seat pitch: 78″. Seat width: 26″ Iberia used to operate this route using Airbus A346 in the past and recently upgraded it to an Airbus A359. The business class seats and configuration stayed the same with a 1-2-1 direct aisle access to all seats.  The middle rows are better for families traveling together and we got the “honeymoon seats” where the middle seats are really close together and the arm rests face the …

Hotel Reviews Marriott/SPG Reviews

Hotel Review – Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center‎

Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center Av. de Aragón, 400, 28022 Madrid, Spain Madrid Marriott Auditorium Hotel & Conference Center is a Category 2 Marriott property located just 10 minutes away from Madrid Barajas International Airport. The hotel provides complimentary shuttle to and from the airport at set times (twice in an hour). We stayed at the hotel twice during our Europe trip, first at a cash rate (about $100 USD per night) and second time using points (12,500 Marriott Bonvoy points per night). After clearing customs and immigration at the airport, I called the hotel front desk and …

Accor Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review – Ibis Moscow Domodedovo Airport

ibis Moscow Domodedovo Airport 40 km A-105 building 3, Moscow Oblast , 142046 ibis Moscow is one of the very few chain hotels located in the vicinity of Domodedovo Airport, in the outskirts of Moscow. It is located about 5 km from the airport and offers 24-hour complimentary shuttle service. We booked 2 rooms for 1 night at this hotel through Booking.com website. Check-in was quick and we were informed that the complimentary shuttle leaves for the airport twice an hour and to be at the front desk 10 minutes before scheduled time. The bathroom is very small, one of …

Destination Trip Reports Europe

June 2019: Moscow Trip Report

Day 1: We started our sightseeing in Moscow with its most famous sight, the Red Square. Although there is a metro stop close by we took a cab from our hotel straight to the square. The square is surrounded by St. Basil’s Cathedral, Kremlin Walls, and Lenin Mausoleum on one end and the State Historical Museum and GUM Department store on the other. We did not go inside St. Basil’s cathedral as I read that the exterior architecture is more impressive anyways. Lenin Mausoleum was closed that day. After spending some time at the Red Square we walked behind St. …

Hilton Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review: Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya

Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya Kalanchevskaya Street 21 40, Moscow, 107078, Russian Federation Hilton Moscow Leningradskaya is located right next to Leningradsky Railway station (where Sapsan trains from St. Petersburg terminates) as well as Komsomolskaya Metro stop (Line 1, Line 5). It is about 30 km from Sheremetyevo International Airport and 55 km from Moscow Domodedovo airport. The hotel building is one of the Seven Sisters skyscrapers of Moscow. We stayed 3 nights at this hotel using cash rates. The room was fairly large with plenty of space. The carpet could use a bit of cleaning though. Being Hilton Gold members, we …

Destination Trip Reports Europe

June 2019: St. Petersburg (Russia) Trip Report

Day 1: We arrived at St. Petersburg around noon on our flight from Brussels. After an uneventful immigration check, we took airport taxi to our hotel (Staybridge Suites St. Petersburg). After freshening up, we took the metro from Moskovskie Vorota Metro stop (Line M2) near our hotel to Nevsky Prospekt (Line M2). Nevsky Prospekt is the main street of St. Petersburg. Its crowded and quite touristy. We passed by the Kazan Cathedral and then walked along the channel embankment to Church of the Savior on Blood. The Church of Savior on Blood is quintessential Russian architecture with onion domes. After …

Hotel Reviews IHG Reviews

Hotel Review – Staybridge Suites St. Petersburg, Russia

Staybridge Suites Saint Petersburg Moskovsky Prospekt 97V St. Petersburg, 196084 Russia Staybridge Suites Saint Petersburg is located about 15 km from St. Petersburg International Airport (Pulkovo Airport). It is right next to Moskovskiye Vorota metro station making it very easy to connect to the city. It shares a walkway with another IHG property, Holiday Inn St. Petersburg – Moskovskye Vorota. We stayed here for 2 nights and booked the room using 25,000 IHG Rewards points per night. Based on the price of the hotel, it was an excellent redemption at the time. Check-in was quick and we were informed by …

Destination Trip Reports Europe

June 2019: Brussels Trip Report

We spent 2 nights (1 full day) in Brussels while going from Barcelona to St. Petersburg, Russia. We arrived in Brussels late at night (around midnight), spent the full day exploring Brussels and then flew out to St. Petersburg early next morning. Although we missed some popular hot spots due to short schedule, it still was a lot of fun and we gained a lot of appreciation for this city. Karen had signed up for a Belgian Chocolate Workshop and I dropped her off in the morning for the 3 hour class. While Karen was in class, me and my …

Hotel Reviews Marriott/SPG Reviews

Hotel Review – Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel

Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel Brussels National Airport, Brussels 1930 Belgium Sheraton Brussels Airport Hotel is located right opposite of Brussels International Airport (BRU) less than 5 minutes walk from Departures level. This is a Category 5 Marriott property costing 35,000 Marriott Bonvoy points per night. The view was nothing to write about (of airport parking lot!!). While staying at the hotel for the night, we walked over to the airport next door and had dinner in the food court. One thing to remember is the food court starts to close down after 8 PM. Thumbs up: Right next to Brussels …

Hilton Hotel Reviews Reviews

Hotel Review – Hilton Brussels Grand Place Hotel

Hilton Brussels Grand Place Hotel Carrefour de l Europe 3, Brussels, 1000, Belgium Hilton Brussels Grand Place hotel is located in the heart of Brussels, right opposite of Brussels Central station (just 2 minute walk across from the station). This means that the hotel is walking distance to most of Brussels attractions and anything that cannot be reached by foot can be accessed by the train station (as well as Metro stop) just across the hotel. This is one of the most outstanding hotels I have stayed in Europe (based purely from location standpoint). We booked 1 night at this …

Hotel Reviews Marriott/SPG Reviews

Hotel Review – AC Hotel Diagonal L´Illa

AC Hotel Diagonal L´Illa Avinguda Diagonal, 555, 08029 Barcelona, Spain AC Hotel Diagonal L’llla is a Category 4 Marriott property located on the busy Avenida Diagonal street in the heart of Barcelona. We booked the hotel for 1 night at 25,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. The cash rate for that particular night at this hotel (as well as the nearby Hilton Barcelona) was very high so represented a good value of points. I don’t particularly like carpet flooring so really liked the wooden flooring in the room. Thumbs up: Good location on busy Avendia Diagonal street in Barcelona with lots of …

Destination Trip Reports Europe

June 2019: Barcelona Trip Report

Day 1: We arrived on AVE train from Madrid in the evening. Although there is a direct metro line from Barcelona Sants station to our hotel (Hilton Barcelona, Maria Christina metro stop) we opted for a cab to avoid lugging all our belongings in the metro. After checking in and freshening up me and Karen decided to walk to a highly reviewed restaurant on Tripadvisor (Cerveceria Catalana) about 2 km from the hotel. Day 2: The day started out really bad weather wise and I decided to make slight changes to the itinerary for the morning. We took the metro …