Out And Abroad

Is Premium Economy the happy and cheaper medium between economy and business?

Introduction

On my flight to London, I was able to pay 175 dollars more to upgrade to Premium Economy. I was quite excited by this as 175 dollars for 8 hours of more comfort, better food, etc. sounded great, but was it that great? Would I pay much more than that in the future, or save money and sit in regular economy or splurge for business class? Let’s find out!

Is Premium Economy the same as Economy Plus?

Absolutely not! Most airlines these days domestic or international offer an equivalent to Economy Plus. While the experience can slightly vary by airline Economy plus offers the same experience as regular Economy except passengers get extra leg room. Food, Cabin, Service are all the same. I think Economy Plus passengers can board before a few others, but that is it.

Premium Economy is only (usually) offered on overseas flights. It is its own cabin, with different class of service, different seats, priority boarding and check in and other amenities. I think in theory that is worth more money, but let’s put it to the test. On the way to London, I flew American Airlines Premium Economy and, on the way, home I flew American Airlines Economy Plus. Let’s compare!

At the Airport

I did not check luggage and was able to check in via mobile app which made checking in at the airport unnecessary. However Premium Economy would allow me to check in at the business class counter and use the priority lane at security. In theory that is worth something but thanks to my American Airlines status and Executive Citi Card I also would get that on my flight home.

Verdict: Premium Economy wins for those without status or the right credit card

Lounge

Neither Premium Economy nor Economy Plus gets me access to the lounge. However, my status and credit card do! You all know about my love for the Cathay Pacific lounge (NOODLE BAR!) that I accessed with my status.

Verdict: Push

Seat

Think of the Premium Economy seat as the same as the domestic first-class seat. So, it is nice, BUT it does not turn into a flat seat. The leg room was good, but honestly not any better than Economy plus. But the seat itself was significantly more comfortable. Certainly, for an overnight flight it was lovely, but I did not sleep very much.

Verdict Premium Economy

Food

The food is marginally better in Premium Economy, and it is very nice that it is served on glassware and plates. It makes it a much more pleasant experience, but the actual food was only marginally better.

Verdict: Premium Economy, but more for the platers and glassware

Service

The flight attendants in Premium Economy are the same as regular economy or economy plus. My attendants were much nicer and more proactive on the way home when I was in economy plus

Verdict Push

Amenities

You do get an Amenity bag in Premium Economy. This included a tooth brush, moisturizer, sleeping mask and noise cancellation headsets. You also received Casper branded pillows and blankets. These were all very similar to business class amenities. In Economy Plus all I got was a cheap airline pillow and blanket.

Verdict: Easily Premium Economy

Overall

As you are probably noticing, Premium Economy is a little better than Economy Plus and as a result I do believe it’s worth a little more than Economy Plus. I would say based on my unscientific measurement; Premium Economy’s biggest win is the seat. It is dramatically more comfortable and wider than Economy Plus. The amenities were also very nice making the long flight more comfortable. The food while being slightly better is not worth the additional charge. In my humble opinion for a red eye flight, it is worth 50 dollars more per hour (175 total was a steal as my flight was 7 hours) and maybe 10 dollars more per hour for a day flight. I would not break the bank cash or points wise for Premium Economy. Either go big with business or stay home (much better choice than flying economy!), just kidding, or save money/points and fly economy.

Thankfully my next several European flights are in Business class, so this horror story is over!

Bon Voyage!

Andrew

*****/*****

My fitness photoshoot was located in Nottingham, England. Of course when I first start planning this trip I assumed Nottingham was like a suburb of London as in the movies it usually took Robin Hood 15 minutes or so to gallop from one to the other. Much to my dismay Nottingham is almost a 3 hour drive away from London and renting a car and driving on the other side of the road was not happening. My options were a private taxi or a train. The three-hour taxi ride was a fortune (250 USD)  but the first class East Midland 90 minute train ride was only 33 (USD) as compared to 21 (USD) for a standard ticket. Since 12 dollars more for luxury is practically the pinnacle of this blog’s existence, how could I refuse!

Overall, this is the way to travel as the trip was an absolute delight between convenience, service and comfort.

Booking and Boarding

East Midlands Railway (EMR) tickets are cheaper if you book on their website and you get the benefit of picking a specific seat. Signs at Kings Cross station for EMR trains are easy to follow and sure enough about 10 minutes before departure our track was listed. I made it to the first class car and my name was flashing on the monitor above my seat indicating it was my reserved spot. Easy Peesy!

Seat

The first class seat was quite a bit wider with a table and charging ports for electronics. It was quite a comfortable way to travel and far superior to a cramp car.

Service

Truthfully this is where I saw a lot of value for the 12 dollar more first class ticket. The basic ticket price just includes a more standard seat with less space, while drinks/food were additional charges. For first class passengers drinks and food were included and I was shocked for such a short trip how much was offered. The drink trolly came around several times offering coffee, tea, juices, sodas, and water. Crackers, biscuits, and additional snack items were also offered. I figured that was it until the attendant came around taking breakfast sandwich choices too! I declined since I was in starvation mode for the shoot, but I got to say the breakfast sandwiches looked much more appetizing than the trash domestic airline first class offers these days.

Overall

For my extensive list of readers who are frequently traveling between London and Nottingham, EMR first class is the way to go. The seats were comfortable, the service was excellent and the price could not be beat. The 90 minute journey was quite pleasant and 12 dollars for unlimited drinks, snacks, sandwiches, wifi and more comfortable seats is a great way to travel luxuriously on a budget. Amtrack can learn a thing or two from EMR

Bon Voyage,

Andrew

****.25/*****

I only had one night in London and chose the Renaissance St. Pancras purely out of convenience and cost (free! Why I Changed My London Hotel Reservation 3 Times in 3 Days! – Out And Abroad (out-abroad.com)) Overall it was a great stay and I highly recommend it for those who are looking for a luxury hotel near Kings Cross/St Pancras train station.

How I Review

Obviously reviews are subjective based on taste, preference, etc. I think the fairest way to review a product is judging it based on how it sells itself. The Renaissance St. Pancras is a five star luxury hotel. I cannot compare it to the Four Points Sheraton Dayton Airport. I am comparing it to other urban 5 star hotels.

The Renaissance Brand

Renaissance hotels are primarily four star hotels in the North America and five star everywhere else. Think of it on par with a Marriott, Sheraton or Hilton. It is part of Bonvoy and I usually enjoy Renaissance hotels more than a typical Marriott as there is usually more character. The Renaissance St. Pancras has A LOT of character.

Building/Room

The architecture is just out of this world. I will let the pictures speak for themselves;

As a Marriott Bonvoy Titanium member I was upgraded to a Junior Suite in the Chambers section of the hotel. The Chambers section is the more historic part of the hotel and one of the benefits is free access to the lounge. While usually lounges are accessible to all elite members, somehow (Bonvoy is sketchy sometimes with benefits) this hotel gets away with limiting access to only the highest elite members or those staying in the Chambers section of the hotel. The lounge provides a free hot breakfast buffet and appetizers in the evening with an open bar at night. All in all it was quite lovely.

The suite was also quite lovely

Location

This one is hard as for my purposes the location was perfect, but for most I imagine this location leaves a lot to be desired. The hotel is literally connected to the Kings Cross/St. Pancras (can someone explain to me the difference or why there are new two names for the train station?) which was perfect for me because I had an early train the next day. However for those of you looking to be in the center of everything in London this may not be for you as it is either quite a walk or a tube ride from the big attractions.

Service

The only hotel staff I interacted with was the front desk receptionist and the Chambers Lounge attendant. They were all very nice. My room was understandably not ready when I checked in (I arrived at 8am) but the receptionist took my bag and even gave me early access to the Chambers Lounge so I can eat and have coffee, a very nice touch. When my room was ready my bag was waiting for me in the room.

But I have to say, otherwise I was underwhelmed by the service. There was no doorman, no turn down service and when I entered the restaurant to see the menu the staff gave me a menu but definitely in a ‘now go away’ kind of way. I found overall this five star hotel was missing the oomph of the best of the best. I did not end up eating at the restaurant or utilize the spa so all I can say was the restaurant sure looked pretty and the fact they have a spa in a city hotel is always nice to see.

Overall

The Renaissance St Pancras is a perfectly fine hotel for those looking for accommodations near King Cross/St. Pancras for convenience to a train to other parts of the UK or Europe. The building is beautiful, the rooms are lovely and the service overall was pretty good. However, it is quite expensive per night and I found it lacking some of the luxuries and service of a European five star hotel. Therefore unless you have an early train I would walk by to get photos, but stay somewhere cheaper or go for a more luxurious property!

Bon Voyage

Andrew

The next few blog posts will be a series of reviews from my trip to the UK. I am so grateful for those asking more about the photoshoot and I promise I will post more about it once I receive my final photos, but for now I am just going to focus on hotels and transit reviews.

Overall Thoughts on the UK

Let me preface this with the fact I spent a grand total of 72 hours in the UK. 24 hours in London and 48 hours in Nottingham. I clearly need to spend more time and explore more to have a true opinion, but overall I thought London was fine and Nottingham was cute. The people everywhere were quite nice and charming! However outside of visiting friends, I probably won’t be rushing back.

London

It is nuts that I have spent so much time abroad, but this was my first (brief) time in London. There is absolutely nothing wrong with London, in fact I was quite impressed how diverse it truly was and considering the size, quite walkable (in the summer). But there is something I just couldn’t put my finger on that left me underwhelmed. Maybe it’s the fact I am from New York and the cities are similar? Interestingly I am no fan of NYC either and I also did not dislike London like I do NY so it can’t be that. Get over it New Yorkers, the food isn’t that much better than anywhere else anymore, but it is twice as much! Plus I can drive and park in other cities!

I think the problem was I still felt like I was in the United States. When I am in Paris or Barcelona or Rio, I feel like I can just disappear, but not so in London. It felt too much like home. I primarily enjoy traveling overseas to get lost from it all and I could not do it in London. So while I probably won’t be back to vacation anytime soon overall it was a nice visit and I am glad I saw it!

Nottingham

I enjoyed my alone time (not shoot related) in Nottingham quite more! It is a cute little city that is easily walkable with very nice architecture. There is not a ton to see tourist wise, but I prefer that as I enjoy just mingling on the street. There is the castle which was pretty and a few other cool things. Not a bad place to spend a day!

Reviews

I plan on writing 4 review blog posts from my trip.

1. Comparing American Airlines Premium Economy to Economy Plus:They are not the same, but is Premium worth the price?
2. Renaissance London St. Pancras: My historic five-star accommodations in London
3. East Midlands First Class Train: I doubt most of my readers take East Midlands Trains frequently, but I had such a great experience that I wanted to discuss it!
4. Heaven err I Cathay Pacific London Heathrow Lounge: My Favorite Airport Lounge: Cathay Pacific Heathrow, A Love Story – Out And Abroad (out-abroad.com)

So what do you all think? Am I being a bit unfair about London? Convince me to plan my next vacation there!

Bon Voyage,

Andrew

PS My thoughts on the UK have absolutely nothing to do with the people. Everyone I interacted with was just lovely and truthfully what would pull me back for a future visit!

I am literally sitting in this amazing lounge as I write this and I must show it off. Welcome to the Cathay Pacific Lounge. A place that serves ala carte Chinese delights such as soups, Dim Sum and Noodles while offering spa like bathrooms and showers and beautifully crafted cocktails. I could spend all day here!

Ironically when I arrived at Heathrow my heart sunk. There was a sign over the American Admirals Lounge saying it was still closed due to the pandemic. Nothing makes this gay heart weep more than the idea of sitting in the terminal with the commoners while waiting for my flight! How would I survive without the typical overcrowded, mediocre food and terrible wine of the American Airlines Admiral’s Lounge (United is no better!) Cathay saved the day!

What is Cathay Pacific and Why/How Am I In Their Lounge

Cathay Pacific is a Hong Kong based airline with the reputation that rivals Singapore Airlines regarding airplane service. Cathay is part of the OneWorld Alliance. There are many blogs/articles on the google that can explain the airline alliance system more thoroughly, but real quick, airlines partner with one another to provide easier connections around the world while providing consistent(ish) benefits to elite flyers. The idea is if I have status on American Airlines and I want to fly to Bangkok, I can fly AA to Hong Kong and use Cathay for the rest of the journey on the same ticket while receiving the same benefits. Because the AA lounge in London is closed, Cathay allows those with AA status in. Lucky me as this is dramatically better than the typical Admirals. Lounge.

What Makes this Place So Special

Made to order Dim Sum! That’s what!

Seriously few standard Airline lounges offer restaurant quality food. Noodle dishes, soups, dumplings, oh my!

This lounge is also quite spacious with excellent food, and a fully stocked bar (and completely open!) Most lounges charge for the good drinks, but not Cathay. I wasn’t drinking today due to being hung over trying to keep up with a bunch of British friends…..but good to know for next time and nothing beats a hangover better than Chinese soup!

You all know how I feel about airport lounges (450 dollars a year for all you can eat, drink and shower at the airport? Introduction to the Airport Lounge – Out And Abroad (out-abroad.com)). Most are fine and check the boxes, but Cathay Pacific Heathrow is by far my favorite. Some of you know that airlines also have international first class lounges such as the United Polaris and American Flagship. I can tell you that the ‘standard’ Cathay lounge blows Polaris and Flagship out of the water.

Wait, free made to order food, open bar…how much? Nothing, thanks to my AA status :). Did you know you could literally buy AA status Introducing AAdvantage Loyalty Points (exploreamerican.com) ? Probably cheaper than a mediocre glass of wine in the main terminal!

What is your favorite lounge?

Bon voyage,

Andrew

Today is the photoshoot! What photoshoot? Here read this Next Trip: Traveling to strip in the UK – Out And Abroad (out-abroad.com). It probably seems odd to you that I traveled all the way to Nottingham, UK to do this. So, let me try to explain myself a bit more and how I am feeling about all of this as I am overwhelmed and writing is better than crying right?

Why the UK?

So I met this guy almost 15 years ago as a camp counselor and we stayed in touch.

I remember meeting Dan as my co-counselor, sharing a bunk with him and thinking this guy is like the definition of cool and is absolutely going to hate me as I am the definition of not cool. You know, the fooootball (soccer) playing jock with a British accent in a New York Jewish camp? As you can imagine he was quite popular. However somehow, I fooled him, and we clicked. I mean I was pretty big too (literally) as the fat, closeted Jewish dork, but I digress!

Something I never told him was how he was also a huge comfort to me while at camp. Unfortunately, this was a long time ago and camp was quite a homophobic setting with the word f*g being thrown around all day every day including by members of the owner’s family. I was still very far in the closet, but very awkward so the fact Dan was nice to me and befriended me meant the world to me at the time (please don’t tell him I said that🤢). We stayed close over the years and now he runs a successful large online fitness coaching company. I told him years ago I wanted to do the annual photoshoot with him that his company runs in Nottingham, so here we are! But it took a little while for me to have the courage to call him and begin training with him.

The Journey

3 years ago I was battling depression due to Matt and I attempting (and failing many times) to grow our family and hating my job (students, I promise it had nothing to do with y’all and the fact so many still stay in touch means the world to me, in fact I had a drink with a wonderful former student while here in Nottingham last night). Even though I worked out frequently I saw very little progress as I was eating and drinking like an idiot. As a result I looked like this;

Thankfully I began a new career with a bit more confidence and finally reached out to Dan for help as clearly I had no idea how to use a gym properly or how eat normally. I wasn’t sure if it would work, but Dan had a history of making me feel good about myself and I enjoyed watching him grow his fitness empire that I wanted to give it a shot. Dan has been offering me free help for years, but it was time to get real help and pay the man. Money well spent;

I was never the fitness guru. I was bullied growing up because I couldn’t do pull-ups and I played Right Field in Little League which meant I was the worst player on the team (sorry fellow little league right fielders, you know it is true)! However, in my first year working with Dan I started seeing results pretty quickly. What was crazy was I still ate pizza, drank plenty and went out frequently. Once I lost 20 lbs a year in I approached Dan about doing the next photoshoot. Like so many other goals, Covid came along and crushed that. Working out from home wasn’t the same but by having a coach I still continued to lose weight slowly during the pandemic.

Once vaccinated and I was able to use the gym again I told Dan I was ready and to push me. I lost another 20 lbs or so while gaining some muscle. No more pizza and nights out and drinking water wasn’t fun, but I did look and feel a lot better One year later I am sitting in my hotel room in the UK about to get ready to go to the photo studio….

Conclusion

I am not sure what the purpose of this post is outside of calming my anxiety about today. To be honest I feel like a fraud and should just go back to sleep. But I trekked all the way here so I might as well get a few photos taken. Maybe I will surprise myself and feel like I belong today but I still look in the mirror and see this;

Life is full of surprises! Lessons I learned on my fitness journey;

• When you need help, ask for it! I went to the gym 3x a week and ‘dieted’ and still gained weight. Paying a professional was necessary.
• Marry someone who loves and supports you. Thank you Matt for being so supportive during this journey and sending me to the UK (in coach…)
• It really requires a lot of self-control. Going to the gym several days a week and not eating pizza and drinking booze requires self-discipline and while friends are of course supportive they still invite you out!
• If your job makes you miserable, quit!

I will post more about today’s shoot and may even include a pic or 2 😊. Until then, London was nice and Nottingham is very cute and I got to see this guy for the first time in almost 15 years;

Bon Voyage (and wish me luck),

Andrew

It wouldn’t be a gay travel blog if I did not address this question. During the first year of covid Matt and I thought about using our Marriott points to travel to the Maldives. The Maldives are islands in the Indian Ocean that offer the overwater bungalow experience. Because they are so hard to get to (and beautiful) celebrities and the world elite have turned them into one of the most premier travel destinations. We were eyeing the W Maldives as it is known to be a gay friendly hotel in a country where homosexuality is technically illegal….

After several days of back and forth we decided against it. While it is nice that some of the individual hotels are accommodating, why are we spending our money in a country that could potentially arrest us for who we are? Couldn’t we just go to Thailand or Bora Bora for a similar experience? More on Thailand maybe next year…

The problem is as I write this post, I also am well-aware I live in one of the most politically unfriendly states in the United States (not for long, hello Maine), how can I justify spending money in half the United States which would outlaw sodomy if they had their chance, but not travel to ‘unfriendly countries.’

Before I give my my rational let me break down my range of destinations from friendly to outright hostile for gay travelers.

Category 1: Gays Gays Nothing But Gays Come One Come All Especially If Gay (examples: Spain, Portugal, France, Canada)

Countries in this category not only have laws in their books protecting the LGBTQIA+ population but openly embrace it in all corners of the country outside a few outliers. Matt and I would be comfortable holding hands virtually anywhere in these destinations.

Category 2: Gays please cut my hair, Stay in the Cities, and Get Married (or everything but) If You Want (examples, Half of USA, Israel, Australia, Argentina, Costa Rica, Germany, Italy, Brazil, South Africa)

These countries provide most legal rights to gays, but once you leave liberal areas it can get a little dicey. I don’t think rural Mississippi wants Matt and I making out in public, but technically the law is on our side. Generally the urban areas are where it is most safe and protected to be openly gay and proud.

Category 3: Gays can exist with some protections (Examples Thailand, Japan, Mexico, Half the USA)

These countries legalized homosexuality and provide other rights, but a decent chunk of the population and government are not friendly, but generally not violent either. No one is going to be arrested for being gay but not everyone is thrilled about it either.

Category 4 Gays just be quiet about it and hide in your few bars but generally (but sometimes) you won’t be arrested or attacked by the authorities(Examples: Hungary, Poland, China, Turkey, India)

Matt and I can travel to these countries and not have to worry about prison as we are not usually ones to be affectionate in public, but we are generally not welcomed.

Category 5: Being Gay is criminalized, but not generally enforced if you’re a tourist and keep it in the bedroom (Examples: Dubai, Maldives, Qatar, Egypt)

If we limit our gayness at the hotel we should be fine but people can and do go to jail for being gay in a category 5. There are plenty of gay people in Dubai I am well aware, but it is still illegal, and arrests do happen

Category 6 Being Gay is outlawed and highly enforced (Examples: Russia, most of Africa, much of the Middle East that isn’t Israel or Lebanon or a category 5 above)

These countries will arrest, imprison and potentially execute you if you are caught being gay or performing sodomy.

Verdict

I am aware everything is a little more complex than outlined above, but this gives us some perspective. It is also important to note that the politics of a country does not reflect all views either. We have happily traveled to countries in categories 1-3. The reality is for vacation purposes that is not family related most of us regardless of sexual orientation would not travel to category 6 countries for other reasons besides gay rights. Women and other minorities do not do much better in most of them. That leaves us with category 4 and 5.

Now let’s circle back to why we canceled the Maldives trip as that was how we decided on our personal philosophy on where we should and shouldn’t spend our money. The reality is I hope to travel to Dubai and Egypt one day because my goal on both of those destinations would be to experience a rich culture and history in unique settings that cannot be replicated. But what does an Island Resort in the Indian Ocean do for me that one in the South Pacific that likes the gays doesn’t? I cannot see the pyramids anywhere else besides Egypt. I cannot experience Arabic food and culture anywhere safer than Dubai. But I can get good eastern European food in Prague instead of Budapest where gays have more rights and the government is not authoritarian, catch my drift?

Where you travel and spend your money is a personal decision. No country is perfect (Portugal is pretty close) so it comes down to your values. Our preference is to prioritize travel and spending in category 1-3 countries. We are open to traveling to countries in 4 and maybe 5 if there is a unique experience to be had without an obvious alternative where there is also limited risk. Countries in Category 6 (and Russia particularly) can screw off 😊.

I am curious on this one, do my readers (mom) have differing opinions?

Bon voyage,

Andrew

One of the benefits of dynamic pricing whether referring to dollars or points (don’t let the word benefit fool you, I can assure you dynamic pricing is generally not beneficial to the customer) is that rates can change daily. As my 3 readers know (thanks Mom!) I am about to head across the pond for a photoshoot in Nottingham, UK. However, I will be spending my first night in London getting a few selfies in front of the clock, bridge, and Queen. I have now changed my hotel reservation 3 times….let me tell you why!

Before I begin let me emphasize that these changes are not about hotel quality. We are talking about the Renaissance Pancras vs The Great Northern Hotel-A Tribute Hotel. Both properties are five-star hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy family. I would say based on reviews these are both lower end five-star hotels (five-star hotels are not created equal), but both have fantastic reputations and are in close proximity to Kings Cross station which was desired as my train to Nottingham departs early the next morning.

London hotel prices are absolutely insane. Considering the city has never really done it for me (food is bland, the weather sucks, people everywhere, etc.) I hated the idea of spending at least 400 dollars a night for a suitable hotel. Sure, in theory stay at a lower end hotel, but it’s me!

When I began searching for award redemptions the Renaissance was asking for 60,000 points for one night (nuts) while the Great Northern Hotel was asking for 55,000. I initially chose the Renaissance for a little more as it is a very famous hotel. There is a good chance some of your favorite British shows/movies have been filmed there including Harry Potter.  However, I was talking to people on one of the Marriott Facebook groups I follow, and they suggested I save the few thousand points and move to the Great Northern Hotel as it is smaller with better service. I made the change!

Then I got my annual email from Marriott notifying me my one-night annual reward from my Marriott American Express has arrived. What perfect timing! I am trying to stay away from suggesting people apply for credit cards, but you might be noticing by now through my posts that to play the luxury vacation on a budget game, a credit card strategy is crucial. My favorite card is the Marriott American Express card. It is 450 dollars a year which sounds crazy but one benefit is the free annual night that comes with it. The Renaissance Pancras is 413 dollars a night, so the card has practically just paid for itself (not counting all the other perks like Airport Lounge Access through Priority Pass and the 300 dollar Marriott credit for food, spa or booze, etc.)

The only issue with the free night award is that it’s capped at 50,000 points so you obviously cannot use it for a night at a Ritz Carlton or something like that. If you recall the Renaissance and Great Northern Hotel were both above that. However, dynamic pricing for once became my friend! As I checked this morning the Renaissance Pancras was now just at 50,000 points for the night I was looking! I immediately grabbed it by using my free night award and canceled the Great Northern Hotel which refunded my 57,000 point, which I can now use for a future luxury vacation! I win!

Moral of the Story

Just because you book hotels ahead of time doesn’t mean the cost can’t change. Sometimes that change is to your benefit. There have been many occasions where I have canceled and rebooked to save 10 dollars here or there. Prices sometimes go down quite a bit as the date of your reservation approaches likely due to the hotel needing to fill rooms. Always keep an eye on it. Sure the Great Northern Hotel might have marginally better service, but for one night I am saving 60,000 points by slumming it at the more famous Five Star hotel with a terrific reputation. By paying 450 dollars a year for the American Express Marriott Bonvoy, I now am staying for free in a historic London Five-Star hotel, traveling through the airport in style with lounge access and saved 60,000 points for a future trip. Not bad! Let me know if you have any question!

Bon voyage,

Andrew

PS Hey @GreatNorthernHotel….feel free to drop you price to and I can rebook! 😊

450 dollars certainly sounds like a lot of money. However, let me ask you. How much did it cost you and your travel buddy to buy a meal and a drink with alcohol (why drink anything else while on holiday) at the airport? My guess is probably around 75 dollars…but wait! You have to return too so let’s multiply that by two and we get (eek I think) 150 dollars. Now multiply 150 dollars by the amount of times a year you travel….450 is starting to sound like a deal. I can assure Matt and I travel at least 20x a year between vacations and work and we save quite a bit of money by having lounge access.

Why am I posting about Lounges?
One of our mission’s here at Out and Abroad is to help make luxury travel more accessible and I think Lounges are a perfect way to make the airport experience far less miserable and more fun. Also is there anything more gay than free Mimosas in the morning? So, we are now within scope!

Let’s discuss Airport Lounges and how to access them!

Airport Lounge 101*

In my opinion the lounge is single handily the perk you should invest in if you travel enough to justify it. Plane delays? Now let me be frank, the food and beverages in these lounges are generally mediocre at best, BUT if you spend many hours annually at the airport it is still quite the money saver plus there are additional amenities.  Airport lounges are either independently owned or run by specific airlines. While the amenities can vary most of them include the following.

• Free Snacks
• Free Alcohol (premium drinks are more expensive)
• Free better Wifi
• Usually more comfortable seating
• Usually showers (great for a layover)
• Nicer bathrooms

What are my big ‘wins’ for Lounge Access

1. I like to get to the airport very early (yay anxiety) so having a place to relax for awhile with all the above amenities is wonderful.
2. We travel internationally frequently and connect. After a long flight it is wonderful to shower and feel human again during the layover
3. Matt and I aren’t big eaters so the snacks in the lounge are plenty for us.
4. Matt and I frequently travel for work and taking calls in the lounge is much easier than the terminal.
5. Delays are far less annoying when comfortable and have free booze and food

Who should NOT invest in lounge access

Let’s start with who wouldn’t find the above perks desirable.

• People who don’t consume alcohol: honestly if you don’t drink much (which yay good for you) I am not sure it is worth it unless you travel very frequently and want to quieter space to work or relax
• People who travel 1-3x a year. You probably will get better value (and food) at the airport restaurants.
• People with kids. You will be miserable, your kids will be miserable, I and the rest of the lounge will be miserable, everyone will be miserable (lol just stating facts, what are kids supposed to do in such a confined space). If it’s infrequent it’s doable but I wouldn’t pay for frequent access for children. 😂
• People who only travel from small regional airports. Your lounge accessibility will be limited unless you frequently connect at a major hub which the lounge will be a great resource for a layover activity.

How do I access a lounge?

There are multiple ways, but I will give you the consultant answer before I break it down, it depends!

1. Day Passes: Many lounges (including airline lounges if you are flying with them that day) actually allow you to pay to enter. It can usually be anywhere between 40-70 dollars per person. Truthfully, I would only suggest this if you are arriving at the airport several hours before your flight, or if you are significantly delayed. Otherwise just go to a restaurant.
2. Airline Annual Memberships: Airlines charge around 500-600 dollars annually for access to their specific lounge network (think Admirals Club for American Airlines, United Club for United Airlines, etc.) This isprobably my recommendation asf the way to go, but there are caveats
3. you need to consistently fly this specific airline to make it worth it. For example, if you have access to the Delta Lounge than you have to fly Delta to access it. One cannot fly Spirit (ew please leave this blog, lol jk!) and use the Delta lounge, regardless of if you have their annual membership.
4. Your home airport needs to have a this specific airline lounge otherwise why pay for this
5. If you go this route, get access with an airline credit card (450 dollars that includes lounge membership with many more perks instead of paying for the 550 dollar for just the annual membership independently
6. Priority Pass: Priority pass is a network of independently owned lounges (sometimes owned by the airlines too). This is something you can also buy directly through priority pass or as a perk through many credit cards. Heck some credit cards offer specific airline lounges AND priority pass lounges which is a steal.  This is a good option if you fly several different airlines annually and/or your airport has a priority pass lounge. Feel free to go on the priority pass website and take a look at their locations
7. Book Business or First Class International Flights: Flying in the front of the plane on international flights gets you access too. Totally the way to go if you are very wealthy and have no brand loyalty.

I am happy to chat further in the comments if you are still unsure or have any questions about airline lounge! I do hope this post helped you get more acquainted with the whole idea and reveal it is not a fortune to gain access and in a lot of ways can save you money. See you in the lounge!

Bon Voyage,

Andrew

*For the purposes of this post, I am referring to the standard airport lounge. I am aware airlines have fancy ones like Polaris, American Flagship and various other First-Class lounges which have even more luxury perks

Work was a lot this week, but now we are enjoying some time off! To get me out of work mode I started fantasizing about our upcoming international vacations for the rest of the year and excited to share our plans with you and tease some upcoming flight and hotel reviews.

7/20-7/24 Half Naked Solo Trip to the UK

Purpose of the trip: Celebrate starvation and being miserable at the gym with almost naked photos! LOL I already wrote about this one so I will leave it here

Flights:

MIA-LHR American Airlines Premium Economy (curious if this much cheaper alternative to business might be a nice sweet spot of saving money but getting some luxury. For review purposes this is my most intriguing flight.

LHR-MIA American Airlines Economy (I can review this one now 0 out of 5 LOL)

Hotels:

London: Great Northern Hotel: Historic 5 star (we shall see) Hotel near Kings Cross. Location for this one as I am only in London for a night and wanted to be by the train station. However a truly historic boutique hotel and I am excited to see it

Nottingham: Mecur Hotel City Centre: Smaller boutique hotel. Looks fine.

8/23-9/4 Tuscany (and a quickie in Zurich) with our Mothers, Neil and Sean

Purpose of the trip: We are returning to our favorite villa outside of Siena, Italy with our mothers. It was so special bringing our mothers and we loved it so much we are returning along with new friends! We will also be exploring Florence for a few days and spending a night in Zurich.

Flights:

BOS-CDG: Air France Business class

CDG-FLR: Air France Business Class

FCO-ZRH Swiss Air Business Class

ZRH-BOS Swiss Air Business Class

BOS-MIA American Airlines Business Class (ugh just me as I need to go back to FL to drive the babies to our new house in Maine.)

Note: I would not splurge for within Europe business class as they are economy seats with the middle seat left open. But they are part of a connection and were included.

Hotels:

Florence: St Regis Hotel (😊) Generally considered one of the best hotels in Florence, we shall find out)

Montepulciano: Villa Bossoncina (already know it is 5/5 but we will review it properly after)

Zurich: Radisson Blu Hotel-located within walking distance of the terminal

10/14-10/24 Autumn in Paris and the French Coast

Purpose of the trip: House Hunting!

Jk….sort of!

Is there ever justification needed to go to Paris? It is one of our favorite cities in the world and cannot wait to return. We are also going to the South of France near Montpellier to visit an All-Male clothing optional chateau. Lots of food and wine on this one!

Flights:

BOS-LIS: TAP Portugal Business Class

LIS-ORL (other Paris airport): TAP Portugal Business Class

CDG-MPL Air France Business Class

MRS-LHR British Airways Business Class

LHR-BOS  British Airways Business Class

Hotels:

Paris: Prince de Galles A Luxury Collection Hotel-considered the top Hotel in Paris that participates in Marriott Bonvoy

Small village southern France: Cinq e Sept-All Male Clothing optional hotel

11/25-12/5 Our Sister Is Getting Married in Calgary!

Purpose: Winter in Calgary….Thanks Katie and Nick! Just teasing cannot wait to celebrate your special day, finally!

Flights (probably no reviews as they are all your standard economy ❤ hour flights)

PWM (Portland)-EWR-United Economy Plus

EWR-YYC Air Canada Economy (sorry Matt)

YYC-ORD-United Business Class

ORD-PWM

Hotels:

Residence Inn South Calgary: Working from the hotel for the week so this is a great option

Best Western Plus Calgary: For the wedding

Marriott YYC Airport: So far our favorite airport hotel

Wow 4 Out and Abroad trips in 5 months! I Will write more about each individual trip in future posts but I do want to point out a few things that helps keep these trips luxurious but within a budget which is our mission here at Out and Abroad. Clearly there are a lot of business class flights in here which can’t be cheap, but take notice we connect quite a bit. Connection can save money. Specific airlines like Tap Portugal offer a full oversea business flight experience for a fraction of the cost too. Also;

• Many of our hotels are on points, please stop using debit and get a (travel perk) credit card and pay off each month. The rewards are quite something.
• Stopping in Zurich for one night literally made our business class seats cheaper than economy
• A week at the villa is cheaper than 5 nights at a nice hotel in any tourist area in the United States, plus we cook most of our meals

I hope this post inspires you to start thinking about your holidays for the rest of the year. Please let me know if you have any questions or thoughts about our trips. Otherwise please leave a comment with your 2022 travel plans, domestic too!

Bon voyage,

Andrew