Sections
After getting to Dulles way too early for our flight out to Dubai, we were extra-eager to finally arrive at the Etihad First and Business Class Lounge. This was one of our (many) highlights of our upcoming trip, and it didn’t disappoint. The Etihad lounge is located at A16, right next to their gate. Because they have just one gate at Dulles, Business & First passengers can board directly from the lounge which is super, super awesome (and a first for us!).
Headed to Gate A16
Entrance to the Etihad Business/First Lounge
As soon as the sliding doors [...]
As I wrote about here (How-to: Book US Airways Flights With British Airways Avios), US Airways officially joined the Oneworld Alliance a few months ago. Joining the ranks of American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, LAN, etc., US Airways is now eligible for bookings with Avios. This opens up lots of opportunities for maximizing short, non-stop flights out of US Airways’ hub cities: Charlotte-CLT, Philadelphia-PHL, Phoenix-PHX and Washington-Reagan-DCA.
First in this series was Charlotte, North Carolina-CLT, then Philadelphia-PHL and now we’ll look at Washington, D.C. It turns out that the Washington-Reagan hub has the fewest international [...]
Amtrak Acela Express 2168 – First Class Car Review
I needed to get from Washington-WAS to New York-NYP and had already decided I was taking the train. But, instead of a Northeast Regional train (which has appx 1 departure every hour), I wanted to try America’s one and only “high speed” train.
Value and BookingThe Acela Express train isn’t cheap, especially when considering that it’s not so much of a “high-speed train” than an “Express Train”. The Acela will typically save you about 35 minutes when compared to the slower Northeast Regional train, but tickets can cost as much as 80% more (cheapest rates on the [...]
Our journey started off in Charleston-CHS on a small United Airlines commuter flight to Washington-IAD. We couldn’t have been more thrilled that the seat-back magazine, Hemispheres, featured article that was titled, “Three Perfect Days in Istanbul”–off to a good start!
…it must be a sign
We made it to Dulles from our connecting flight with about 3 hrs to kill before takeoff. I had a few United Club passes that I wanted to use before they expired, but we wanted to stay in Terminal B. Unfortunately, you’re out of luck when it comes to United Clubs in Terminal B.
BWI — Baltimore-Washington International Airport Terminal D (Note: Also accessible to other concourses by presenting a same-day BWI boarding pass to Concourse D security) Between D10 and D12, the Delta/United terminal 4:30am – 8:00pm
As I’ve said before (The Club at ATL – Atlanta’s Newest (and best?) Lounge and JFK Terminal 4 Lounges/The Oasis Lounge), which lounge I go to is often a function of which one will let me in. However, at BWI, the Airspace Lounge is the only (domestic) lounge, so that adage is a little less relevant. Here are your entry options:
Complimentary Access for American Express Platinum Card–up to 2 guests Pay to enter — [...]1110 Vermont Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. American $$$
Jeffrey and I were in DC recently and happened to stay just around the corner from Lincoln. After doing some quick research on Urban Spoon, we decided on the Lincoln because of its close proximity to our hotel and its good reviews (92%!).
When we walked in, true to its name, there were penny’s inside the floor. Pretty cool touch for a restaurant that takes its name from the President whose face is on the penny. The restaurant had a laid-back atmosphere with plenty of people, but it didn’t seem crowded at all. And, it’s not too nice — it wasn’t quiet and you don’t have to [...]
Spotted a possible pricing mistake on Starwood:
The Deal
The Westin Washington, D.C. City Center is undercharging for One-Bedroom Suites…rates as low as $299/night for a 902 sq ft suite where Traditional Rooms are $329-$399/night.. I’m finding good availability in June, July, September, October, etc 2014–other months seem to be pricing correctly.
Sample of pricing mistake June 18-19 booking
Normal rates are closer to the $500 mark for the suite:
The normal price: Sample booking for Apr 14-17 comes to $479/night [...]
I took my first train trip on Amtrak’s Acela a few weeks ago from Washington, DC Union Station (WAS) to New York Penn Station (NYP). Because I had a First class ticket (Acela only has either Business Class & First Class), I was able to check out the ClubAcela lounge in Washington while I was waiting for my train.
You’ll need to present some credentials to make it past the doors to the luxury that lies beyond. Here are the ways to get into the Lounge:
Access included with First Class tickets on the “high-speed” Acela train or those traveling in sleeper cars Those with Select Plus/Executive status (top level Amtrak Guest Rewards [...]
