World leaders tend to argue about everything, but they have worked out a lot of issues to make sure that most of our flights go smoothly. The International Civil Aviation Association (ICAO) recognizes five Freedoms of the Air that make modern commercial aviation possible. Since all countries are protective of their borders and revenues, international treaties had to be put in place to ensure that airlines can fly freely anywhere in the world
Stopovers are an incredibly valuable tool that allows you to see more places for the same amount of
The Cathay Pacific Visa Signature card from Synchrony Bank is good for anyone looking to rack up some Asia Miles, especially for those currently limited by sign-up bonus restrictions imposed by larger banks. Asia Miles is a transfer partner of both American Express Membership Rewards and Citi Thank You points. However, American Express has a once-in-a-lifetime rule for earning sign up bonuses, and Citi limits sign up bonuses to once per 24 months per rewards family.
There is a new travel credit card in the market. Read on to learn more. Also, hotel companies are awarding big bonuses for upcoming stays. See which ones and where in the latest offerings in this week’s report.
Tickets to Asia are usually north of $1,000 and sometimes close to $2,000. You can use Citi ThankYou points to fly there free by booking your flight with the Citi Travel Center or by transferring the points to one of the Citi’s airline partners. Booking through the travel portal is rarely a good deal though, due to the high cost of the ticket. Transferring points to a frequent flyer program is generally a more prudent choice. We give you the lowdown on which programs are the best transfer options.
A direct flight from North America to Asia can take you 12 to 15 hours. Spending that amount of time in a great business or first class seat will not just make you feel pampered — it will help you adjust to the time difference easier. Enjoying a good night sleep in a comfortable 180-degree bed helps your body clock adjust despite crossing a dozen time zones.
Cathay Pacific is a member of the OneWorld Alliance and transfer partner of three U.S.-based airline travel programs: American Express Membership Rewards, Starwood Preferred Guest and Citi ThankYou. That makes collecting Cathay Pacific miles relatively easy, so if you often fly to Asia, you may want to consider attaining elite status on Cathay Pacific.
Cathay Pacific offers one of the best first- and business-class products in Asia, with non-stop service to eight North American gateways: Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto, Boston, and New York (JFK and EWR). The carrier no longer operates the Boeing 747 to the United States or Canada, so all of these routes are instead served with the Boeing 777-300ER.
Cathay Pacific, like most Asian carriers, is known for its good service. A reverse herringbone business-class and spacious first-class suites provide some of the best award redemption opportunities for those crossing the Pacific Ocean. Cathay even operates a “fifth freedom” route between Vancouver and New York-JFK.
If you fly to Asia with any frequency, and you care about service and quality, you’ll probably want to build a relationship with Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s flag carrier. It ranks among the most luxurious airlines in the world. In addition to receiving a five-star Skytrax rating, it has been recognized as the World’s Best Airline more times than any other carrier.
Hyderabad sits at an ancient crossroads of commerce, and was once famous as a pearl and diamond trading center. Still known as the City of Pearls, its centuries-old shopping bazaars offer modern and exotic goods from all over India. This 400-year-old city on the banks of the Musi River is full of striking Qutb arches, royal palaces and minarets.
In the beginning of the year, airlines and partners like hotels and dining programs offer great bonuses so they can stimulate travel in the dead zone between New Years and February.
Cathay Pacific is the main carrier for China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, so it might not seem to be the best fit for flyers based in North America. But if you need to do a lot of travel to Asia from the U.S., it’s a very safe bet: It won the 2014 Skytrax Award for Worlds Best Airline.
After my stay on Koh Samui, I took Cathay Pacific to get home to New York. The airlines six-seat first class cabin comes complete with gourmet food, top-shelf drinks, and over-the-top service. The carrier gives the word pampering a new meaning. Its first class service always ranks high on surveys that rank those kind of things.
