Happy birthday, London Tube!

I always enjoy taking the Tube in London, for the simple reason that it's so easy to use (especially if you have an Oyster card and top off once you get there).  So that's why I want to wish the tube a very happy 150 years of serving London!

You can find some fun facts about the tube here.

My favorite is the fact that they installed suicide pits in 1926 beneath the tracks...apparently that was the thing to do back then since there were so many?

Phoenix to Johannesburg?

Since getting to Johannesburg and Cape Town is on my list of goals, I couldn't pass up the chance to share this flight deal from Phoenix (courtesy of theflightdeal.com):

PHX-JNB

The cost is actually not too prohibitive, seeing as though you are flying all the way down under.  Plus this deal is on British Airways, so you have your choice of collecting Avios or Aadvantage miles (I'd probably choose the latter at this point).  If you have a BA credit card, you can get an additional 10% off the fare - only issue is that availability is through March 31st, and tickets must be purchased by January 23rd.

If you have some time available, this deal isn't too shabby!

do I want to fly on the new planes?

It seems to be the "vogue" thing to do these days - the minute a new airplane type is released, it becomes all the rage if you're a frequent flyer to try and get a flight on the new plane.  Call me crazy, but I'm not one of those types who absolutely need to fly on them the minute they are put into service.  I've always been a believer in letting the airlines get the kinks out of the planes first before I sit my butt in one of the seats.

Given the recent news about the new Dreamliner and what has taken place in Boston this week, I find my mindset to be just a tad justified.

Don't get me wrong - the allure of flying on one of the largest airplanes does intrigue me.  And I'm really curious about the whole "shower" spa thing and sleeping in a suite.  And yes, one of my dreams was always to fly on the Concorde, and I really missed out on that one.

But for now I'll keep saving my miles and try out some of these new planes eventually.  Once the kinks are worked out.

American / Qatar Airways Codeshare!

I'm not sure what it is, but ever since I took my first trip over to Doha I see so many more news articles that concern Qatar than I ever saw before.  And when they are travel related, I take special notice since there's always a good chance I'll be returning (whether for leisure or for something related to my dissertation research). 

Today was another day of note concerning travel to Qatar - American and Qatar Airways officially sealed a codeshare pact (courtesy of USA Today) that should open up a host of travel opportunities to the Middle East and allow for flyers to collect Aadvantage miles in the process. 

No mention was made of whether miles earned will be elite qualifying, but hopefully the codeshare will include that option.

Flight options will be available beginning February 10th for travel commencing February 26th on most non-stop routes between the US and Doha.

Guess I will start my fall travel planning now!

Into the new year we go...

Happy New year everyone!

I know I'm a little late in the game on the greeting, but was on the road back to WI for my brother's wedding and only just recently managed to get back home.  For all of you who have taken a few minutes to check out my blog over the past years, I sincerely want to thank you and hope you have enjoyed.  I've tried my best to keep this space for all of my travel interests, with a few other random topics sprinkled in from time to time. 

One of my big takeaways from last year is that I've become much more savvy and in-tune with point collecting and general travel topics.  My experience has been honed by daily blog reading and a more concerted effort to maximize my card usage at locations that take advantage of bonus point values (for example, grocery shopping with a card that gives me 6x points - why didn't I ever do that before?).

So this year I anticipate doing more of the same, and have a few travel goals in mind for 2013 (provided I get my dissertation written and defended as my #1 goal).  Not sure if any of them will work out, but it's great to have goals!  Here they are in no particular order:

1.  South Africa - Besides Johannesburg, there are penguins to be viewed, seeing where the oceans meet, Table Mountain, and a safari to be had around the Cape Town area.  This one has been recommended near Kruger National Park.

2.  Tirana, Albania - I had a classmate at WLC who was from Albania, and always encouraged me to visit.  The Citadel at Berat would be neat to check out!

3.  Kuala Lumpur - Seeing the towers is high on my list!

4.  New Zealand - Not sure if it's just a Lord of the Rings thing, but seeing the landscape and trying some of that famous wine would be completely relaxing.