ASMR for me has nothing to do with the sound of someone crunching a mid-flight Air France crouton. No, it’s all about the airline status match reality I’m currently facing. Prepare your small violins for this one. In my last post, I mentioned about how Emirates was quite open to the idea of a status […]
Travel Hacks
The Emirates Status Match
Really, there’s a Skywards Emirates status match challenge available? If access is granted to its business class lounges in Dubai (DXB), it might be worth it. But how did this discovery come about, and more importantly, what’s a status match? A few years ago, to invite frequent fliers to sign-up for its brand-new Volare program, […]
Metro Access to Istanbul International Airport
If you, too, are as interested as I am in mass transit, then I’ve got some good news– there’s now metro access to Istanbul International Airport (IST). On 29 January the M11 metro line, connecting IST to Gayrettepe transfer station near downtown Istanbul, started operations. For your reference, I’ve added a snippet of the official […]
Visa & Entry Requirements Travel Hack
Years ago, when travel for me was all about amassing passport stamps, many times I had to doff my cap to Wikipedia. But muh sources. Sure, like any website, one has to know how to separate fantasy (new nonstops from O’Hare to Midway) from reality. And generally speaking, the Wikipedia entry requirements travel hack did the […]
How to Reserve Train Seats in Japan
The third — and likely final — video in my Japan travel series involves a how-to for Japanese train reservations. Why final? I’m getting out of Dodge soon, so I wanted to get one more helpful video beforehand. It’s also getting tiresome, innit? Anyway, the photo below shows a variety of train tickets acquired through […]
Japan Rail Souvenir … with a Catch
O.K., so you’ve added funds to your IC card, and are using the train to your heart’s content. But how do you keep track of all the places that you’ve been? Yes, your phone is likely stalking your location, but how about a less Orwellian approach? Allow me to introduce you to the following Japan […]
Tokyo Rail Travel Hack
If you’re in the Tokyo area, and are carrying an IC card, I’ve got a Tokyo rail travel hack for you. (I mention Tokyo because I am most familiar with it. This hack may exist in other Japanese cities.) Firstly, if you’re not sure what an IC card is, I will help out. IC cards […]
Trip Report: Japan Railways (JR) Seishun 18 Ticket
I’m writing today to tell you about another Japan Railways “rail pass,” in particular about my recent experiences using the Seishun 18 Ticket (青春18きっぷ). As for why there have been some Japan-related posts lately, well– I’ve been in Tokyo for a couple of weeks. What is the Seishun 18 Ticket? In short, the Seishun 18 […]