Thanks to my Etihad Guest Gold status and a Double Miles offer, my Air Berlin & Etihad Business Class trip to Jakarta earned me an amazing 46,050 Etihad Guest miles! This included 34.402 Guest Tier Miles which is only 5598 miles short of requalification for the Eithad Guest Gold tier!

Excited by the high number of miles earned, I started browsing Etihad’s award availability for their newest product, the A380, which will start serving the Abu Dhabi – London route as of December 27, 2014. As expected, astronomical amounts of miles were required to book The Residence. For the first half of 2015, First Class Apartments were only available at First Suite Saver level requiring more than four hundred thousand miles. Yes, 400000! And then this happened…

For whatever reason, it was possible to book the new Etihad A380 First Class Apartments at Guest First award level for flights on Saturday October 10, 2015. Other days in 2015 required more than 400,000 miles to book the same seat! With 13,453 miles from my Etihad Business Class flight back in 2012, my total Etihad Guest balance was 59,503 miles. Enough for this amazing award redemption. I didn’t hesitate and booked immediately. There was Guest First availability in both directions, but I selected the AUH-LHR flight as its air time is 50 minutes longer. Taxes were also lower for departures from Abu Dhabi, 80 AED (€17) compared to 190 GBP (€240) from London. The revenue fare for my flight was €4813 ($5955).

As Etihad Guest miles seemed to be quite valuable, I opted for the Miles + Cash option which allowed me to buy an extra 13,935 miles for 460,69 AED (€102) during the booking process. Afterwards, I also noticed there was a promotion for Etihad Guest redemptions until Dec 10, 2014 which would refund 25% of the redeemed miles after the actual flight! What a deal! Let’s hope Etihad doesn’t delay its A380 services any longer, fingers crossed!

Pic: The Lobby, Upper Deck, Etihad Airways A380

Key success factors for amazing redemptions:

• If you have an opportunity to status match, do so. This is how I got Etihad Guest Gold
• Make sure to check loyalty program promotions before you travel
• Keep your miles for valuable redemptions, don’t waste them on this!

Pictures & Video: Etihad Airways

Pic: Sydney New Year’s Eve = seven tonnes of Fireworks! (Dec 2014)
After celebrating New Year’s Eve on Times Square in New York and at the Big Ben in London, Sydney was next. I flew Qantas First Class from London to Melbourne via Dubai and connected to Sydney in Qantas Business Class. (more on that later) As you might imagine, hotels were really expensive for NYE. Instead of paying 2813AUD (~€1986), I used 150K IHG Rewards Club points to book a Superior Cityside room for 3 nights at InterContinental Sydney. Another great points redemption! ;-)

Pic: View from InterContinental Sydney (Dec 2014)
Nope, that wasn’t the view from my room. I took this picture from the swimming pool at InterContinental Sydney. My room was facing city side and an upgrade to harbour view would have been 500AUD per night extra! Add another 1000AUD per night if you wanted Club Lounge access. Yup, New Year’s Eve prices are insane.

Pic: New Year’s Eve Welcome Amenity at InterContinental Sydney

Pic: The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney (Dec 2014)
I started the last day of 2014 with a morning run at the fantastic Royal Botanic Gardens. The complete park was fenced off to ensure a safe New Year’s Eve celebration, but to my surprise, a security guard invited me in to enjoy my run in the park. Only a few other joggers were present in the park, which made enjoying its beauty a unique experience!

Pic: Sydney Opera House seen from The Royal Botanic Gardens

Pic: Jogging at The Royal Botanic Gardens Sydney (Dec 2014)

Pic: A.S.N. Warehouses, The Rocks, Sydney (Dec 2014)
When celebrating New Year’s Eve in Sydney, you want to watch the fireworks up-close. But you’re not alone, hundreds of thousands of spectators gather around the harbour with the same purpose. So what would be the best strategy to secure a good spot? After some research, I learned people started lining-up at the public viewing spots as early as 7am! After my 9 hour wait in the blistering cold on Times Square in 2010, I didn’t feel like a 16 hour tanning session at Sydney harbour. With a group of friends, it could be fun, but as I was traveling solo, I wanted a different solution. First alternative, buy a ticket for one of the vantage point parties. NYE Under the Stars was selling tickets at 395AUD (€277) to sit on the lawn. Park Hyatt Sydney charged 595AUD (€418) for their Rooftop Cocktail Party with limited Sydney Harbour Bridge views. After a few hours of reading blogs and forums, I learned the best opportunity was hiding in plain sight: Sydney Opera House! Turned out they were still selling tickets for their New Year’s Opera Gala Concert mid December. I ordered the cheapest ticket in the house (Choir row 2!) at 264AUD (€181). The ticket would give me access to the Opera Gala performance with a 9pm break to see the “family fireworks” and allow me to see the midnight fireworks from the Southern Foyers. The Opera’s Midnight Party, which required an additional ticket, was already sold out when I checked mid December. The extra benefit of the party was access to the Opera House Northern Foyers which have terraces providing 180 degree uninterrupted views of the Harbour Bridge and surroundings, free flow of drinks….and birds eye view on the Lord Mayor’s New Year’s Eve party!

Pic: Early morning spectators at Sydney Harbour bridge (Dec 2014)
I called the Sydney Opera House ticket desk on the morning of December 30th and boy was I excited to learn they had exactly 1 ticket left for the Midnight Party! Apparently a number of tickets get booked but not collected in due time and are released again. Add an additional 279AUD (€192) for the Midnight Party and my total for the night was 543AUD (€373)… an expensive night out in Sydney!

Pic: Ready for the Opera Gala Concert at the Sydney Opera House

Pic: New Year’s Eve Gala Opera at Sydney Opera House

Pic: New Year’s Eve Fireworks at Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Opera House Northern Foyers vantage point offered amazing views, but to be honest, my experience of the New Year’s Eve fireworks in London in 2012 was more intense. In fact, those were the most spectacular fireworks I ever witnessed.

Pic: New Year’s Eve Fireworks seen from Sydney Opera House

Pic: New Year’s Eve Fireworks Sydney Harbour Bridge (Jan 2015)

New Year’s Day 2015

Pic: New Year’s Day started at this beautiful villa at Point Piper
Aron, an Australian friend of mine whom I got to know at the Athens 2004 Olympics, invited me to join him and his friends for some boating at the Sydney harbour on New Year’s Day.

Pic: Boating in Sydney – Paul Allen’s Super Yacht ‘Octopus’ (Jan 2015)
Also present was Microsoft’s co-founder Paul Allen with his super yacht Octopus.

Pic: A packed Milk Beach on New Year’s Day in Sydney (Jan 2015)

Pic: Enjoying the views on Sydney accompanied by Christine (Jan 2015)
Thanks for the awesome day on the water Aron, Adrian, Josh, Christine & friends!

Pic: The World famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House

Pic: British Airways Galleries First at Heathrow Terminal 3
For my year end trip to Australia, I used 150K US Airways Dividend Miles which I bought for $1702 (€1288). I managed to buy these miles at 1.1 dollar cents during their fabulous 100% bonus on shared miles promos back in Oct 2013, Dec 2013 and Apr 2014. I paid an additional $370 (€285) in taxes and fees to book Amsterdam (AMS) – London Heathrow (LHR) – Dubai (DXB) – Melbourne (MEL) – Sydney (SYD) roundtrip with the long haul flights in First Class and short haul segments in Business Class. My total airfare was €1573 for a trip which could have been easily €8280 booked as revenue ticket!
Pic: Taittinger Prelude Champagne at BA Galleries First
After an uneventful British Airways Business Class flight from Amsterdam to London on Saturday afternoon, my Qantas Chauffeur drove me from Holiday Inn Express Heathrow T5 to Terminal 3 on Sunday morning. As Qantas First Class passenger, I had access to both the British Airways Galleries First Class lounge and the Emirates Business and First Class lounge.

Pic: Breakfast at the BA Galleries First Class Lounge
As expected, the service at the BA Galleries First Lounge was lacking. Nobody to welcome me at the First Class dining area, tables with stains and greasy spots, ages before someone took my order, etc… still a lot to improve British Airways!

Pic: No. 1 Traveller Lounge & Spa at LHR Terminal 3
As a Qantas First Class passenger, I was entitled to a 15 minute Spa treatment (menu) at the No. 1 Traveller Lounge & Spa . Fortunately, my ‘Fix It Massage’ session was a bit longer than the advertised 15 minutes. The therapist was friendly and professional, the treatment room rather small, as is the case with most airport spas.

Pic: Breakfast at the Emirates lounge, LHR Terminal 3
For my second breakfast, I visited the Emirates Business and First Class lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 3. The lounge didn’t have a separate area for First Class passengers, which gave it a less exclusive feel. However, the food and beverages buffets were quite extensive.

Pic: Qantas Airbus A380 Kangaroo
Around noon, it was time to board my flight QF10 from London to Melbourne (via Dubai). After reading a number of Qantas A380 First Class seating guides, I had selected seat 4A. The best seat in the house (3A) was already taken. The Qantas A380 First Class cabin is rather crowded with 14 suites, e.g. Lufthansa has 8 seats in First Class, but you can make it a bit more exclusive by selecting a seat in row A. Why? As a passenger in row A, you share the aisle with only 4 other passengers as there’s a divider between row A and F.

Pic: Qantas A380 First Class Seat 4A

Pic: Qantas A380 First Class Seat 4A

Pic: Qantas First Class Amuse Bouche and Taittinger Champagne
First Class flight attendant Alex welcomed me on board with a glass of Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs 2000. The drinks menu read as follows: Champagne, wine, cold beverages and hot beverages.

Pic: 2000 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs

Pic: Bart at A380 Qantas First Class London to Dubai
I didn’t have high expectations of the inflight catering, as Qantas doesn’t have a caviar service, something most other airlines offer in First Class. There were two menu’s for this 7 hour flight: a Tasting Menu and Lunch Menu. I went for the tasting menu of which the main course stood out: the Rockpool Bar and Grill style herb crumbed lamb cutlets with roasted carrots, cauliflower gratin, harissa and seeded mustard. It was one of the best lamb dishes I ever had… so delicious!

Pic: Rockpool Bar and Grill style Crumbed Lamb Cutlets

Pic: Vanilla Sable with Poached Mandarin and Orange Syrup

Pic: Selection of cheese served with accompaniments

Pic: Emirates First Class Lounge Dubai
Qantas flight QF10 made a short stop in Dubai (1:45min) on the way to Melbourne to refuel and give the passengers the opportunity to stretch their legs. As Qantas has a partnership with Emirates, First Class passengers can use the Emirates First Class facilities at the A380 terminal at Dubai airport. I used the opportunity to take a refreshing shower and had a quick bite at one of the Emirates First Class à la carte lounge restaurants.

Pic: My Qantas A380 First Class Seat 4A Dubai to Melbourne
After our quick stop in Dubai, we continued the journey to Melbourne which was another 13 hours of flying. I returned to the same seat, but noticed only a few familiar faces. As expected, there was a new crew but also a number of new passengers in First.

Pic: Qantas A380 First Class Seat 4A top view

Pic: Qantas First Class King Prawn Salad

Pic: Cream of pea and mint soup with croutons
As it was well beyond midnight, I only had some light courses from the DXB to MEL menu: Supper and Refreshments, Dinner. The Champagne, Wine and Beverages menus were the same as on the London to Dubai segment.
Pic: 2009 De Bortoli Noble One Botrytis Semillon
After my light meal, I had the pleasure to enjoy the heavenly Qantas First Class bed. My new favorite in the sky together with the Lufthansa B747-400 First Class bed!

Pic: Qantas A380 First Class Full Flat Bed Seat 4A

Melbourne to London

Pic: Qantas First Class Lounge Melbourne Bollinger Brut Champagne

Pic: Qantas First Class Spa at Melbourne airport

Pic: Qantas First Class A380 seen from the Melbourne First Class lounge

Pic: Pre-departure drink: Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2004

Pic: Veuve Clicquot La Grande Dame 2004

Pic: Qantas First Class Amenity Kit and Pyjamas

Pic: Qantas First Class A380 Seat 3K

Pic: Qantas First Class Breakfast on QF9 Melbourne to Dubai

Pic: Qantas First Class Lunch – Mezze Plate inspired by Emirates

Pic: Qantas A380 Staircase to Business Class

Pic: Qantas Business & First Class A380 Upper Deck
A special thank you goes out to First Class flight attendants Alex (LHR-DXB), Matthew & Jamie (MEL-DXB) and Carine (DXB-LHR) for the fantastic service on my Qantas A380 First Class trip!

Pic: Qantas First Class Chauffeur Drive to London

Pic: Afternoon tea with Feliza at Ting, Shangri-La The Shard, London

Pic: High tea at Ting, Shangri-La The Shard, London

Pic: Partially frozen Horseshoe Falls, Niagara Falls (Feb 2015)
Weekend trips can be so awesome! Friday morning, I flew Jet Airways from Brussels to Toronto for the weekend. Very reasonable travel times of 8h 45min for the outbound flight and only 6h 16m for the inbound flight thanks to the strong jet stream over the Atlantic.
Pic: Bart at Table Rock, Niagara Falls, Canada (Feb 2015)
My day trip to the Niagara Falls on Saturday was originally booked with BG tours, but as they didn’t have enough participants they rebooked me with King tours. At $67 Canadian dollars, the 9am till 6pm tour was excellent value. Glad I avoided renting a car and battling the 240km (roundtrip) of icy roads!

Pic: Breakfast at Early Bird, Toronto
Avoided the expensive hotel breakfast buffets and enjoyed a fantastic start of the day at Early Bird in the hip Queen Street West neighborhood.

Pic: King room at Trump Hotel Toronto
Friday night, I had booked Trump Toronto using HotelTonight, where even Donald Trump himself was expecting me! ;-)

Pic: Social media welcome amenity at Trump Toronto

Pic: The Moon & Toronto CN Tower
Another magic moment of my weekend in Toronto: blue hour at the famous CN Tower! It was the World’s tallest tower (553m) until the Burj Khalifa (Dubai) was finished in 2007.

Pic: View from the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada

Pic: Deluxe room at InterContinental Toronto Centre
On saturday night, I had a fantastic view from my deluxe room 2327 at the InterContinental Toronto Centre.

Pic: View from InterContinental Toronto Centre (Feb 2015)

Pic: CN Tower seen from InterContinental Toronto Centre

Don’t have a Brussels Airlines American Express card yet? Lucky you! Until April 30th 2015, you get a €60 reduction on your first American Express annual fee! Combine this with the double sign-up bonus for friend referrals and you get an awesome deal:

• Brussels Airlines Preferred American Express (€120 €60 annual fee)
  Sign-up bonus: 6000 miles (instead of 3000 miles)

• Brussels Airlines Premium American Express (€150 €90 annual fee)
  Sign-up bonus: 12000 miles (instead of 6000 miles)

• Pay your cellphone bills with Brussels Airlines American Express
  Extra bonus: 2000 miles (one time)

Pic: Use your Miles & More miles to fly Lufthansa First Class like me!
Earning airline miles is not limited to flying, you can earn miles with almost anything these days. One of the easiest ways to earn extra miles is signing up for a credit card. You will receive a number of miles just for signing up for the card and you will get 1,25 or 1,5 miles per euro spent. American Express also provides a bonus when you spend a certain amount in one year. Unfortunately, the number of credit cards earning airline miles is very limited in Belgium. Still, they can offer you a great opportunity to travel the world in luxury on a budget. For Belgian residents, the credit card offers are limited to one program, Miles and More of the Lufthansa group. Miles of this program can be used to book (and upgrade) flights of any Star Alliance carrier.

Brussels Airlines offers three Miles and More credit cards: the Preferred MasterCard, the Preferred American Express and the Premium American Express. I don’t detail the MasterCard in this posts as it comes with only 2000 welcome miles. I signed-up for the Brussels Airlines Preferred American Express Card back in 2008 and switched to the Premium American Express card in 2011 earning me a total of more than 400,000 miles! The key to earning the maximum amount of miles is to pay as much as possible with your credit card. Pay all your bills and purchases (both online and offline) with your credit card, every euro counts! Shopping (including groceries), dining, gas, electronics, hotels, airline tickets, … almost everything! Some payments might even result in an extra bonus. Example: Paying your cellphone bills with your Brussels Airlines American Express card gets you 2000 bonus miles!
The yearly fee also includes a number of insurances:

Full details of the Brussels Airlines Preferred and Premium American Express insurances.

How much are those miles worth?
It all depends on what you spend them. In my opinion, only long-haul Business Class and First Class flights are worth spending miles on. These allow you to maximize the value of your miles as Business Class flights easily cost more than €2000 and First Class flights more than €8000. Airline loyalty programs will do everything to make you spend your miles on less valuable options e.g. use miles to buy goodies in their online shop, book hotel nights or rent a car. You really don’t want to do that! Miles and More no longer sells its miles directly, but screenshots from past miles sales give you an idea how they value their miles.

Signing up for the Brussels Airlines Premium American Express earns you 12,000 miles which were being sold for €245 by Lufthansa.

Include the 2000 extra miles you get for paying your cellphone bill with American Express, and you have 14,000 miles which were being sold for ~€290!
How do I maximize the number of miles earned?
I would recommend to sign-up for the Brussels Airlines Premium American Express card now to get the 12000 miles. Complete the form to pay your cellphone bill with the card and earn an additional 2000 miles. Next year, you could cancel the Premium card and switch to the Preferred card. You would earn the sign-up bonus again (this time for the Preferred card, which is 6000 miles via the friend referral) and you would earn another 2000 miles when you register to have your cellphone bills paid with the Preferred card. That’s 22,000 miles in one year, just by signing up for these cards!

What are the pitfalls?

• The annual fees of the Brussels Airlines American Express cards are only reduced for the first year (€60/€90). Next year’s fees would be (€120/€150) You might want to consider canceling your card after collecting all the sign-up bonuses next year.
• American Express cards have a high conversion fee (2,5%) for non-euro payments. Use your Brussels Airlines American Express cards for euro payments only. For non-euro payments, I recommend the BKCP Visa card. See all details in our Credit Cards for Belgian Travellers post.

I’m not yet a Miles and More member, where do I sign-up?
You can enroll at the Miles and More website.

To receive a personalized sign-up link with double welcome bonus, please complete the form below.
[contact-form]
Full disclosure: By signing up for the Brussels Airlines American Express card using my personalized link, I will also receive bonus miles (friend referral program). Thank you for supporting my travel blog and enjoy your double sign-up bonus!

Conditions of the offer:

• The discount of €60 only applies on the first year of membership and will be applied on the first monthly statement. As of the second year of membership the normal annual card fee will be charged, which is €120 for the Brussels Airlines Preferred American Express Card and €150 for the Brussels Airlines Premium American Express Card.
• This offer is only valid for approved Brussels Airlines American Express Card applications introduced between 12/03/2015 until 30/04/2015.
• This offer is reserved for new clients.
• This offer only applies for principal card applications and not for supplementary card applications.
• The discount of €60 is non-refundable, non-transferable and cannot be converted into cash.

Pic: Sunrise Beach at Koh Lipe in Thailand (Jan 2015)

Pic: Thai Airways Royal Silk Business Class B777-300ER
Back in January, I booked a last minute side trip from Australia to Thailand. I used 80K LifeMiles to book Brisbane – Bangkok roundtrip in Thai Airways Royal Silk Business Class for a total cost of €1092. Revenue tickets started at €2800.

Pic: Rooftop Pool at Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road
For my stays in Bangkok, I booked two brand new IHG hotels. Before heading to Koh Lipe, I spent 3 nights at Holiday Inn Express Bangkok Sukhumvit 11 (room) at €43 per night. Upon my return from the island, I stayed two nights at Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road at €101 per night. Stays which earned me valuable credits for the IHG Set Your Sights promo.

Pic: King Deluxe Room at Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road

Pic: Rooftop pool at night, Hotel Indigo Bangkok Wireless Road

Pic: Idyllic Concept Resort at Sunrise Beach, Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe is located 70km off the west coast of Thailand’s most southwestern province Satun with Malaysian island Langkawi only 40km away. Getting to Koh Lipe is fairly easy these days, both AirAsia and NokAir offer tickets which combine flights, harbor transfers and ferries. I used NokAir (€84) to get to the island and AirAsia (€76) to return to Bangkok. Note: AirAsia and Nokair use different airports and harbors to get to Koh Lipe.

Pic: Longtail boat to Ko Adang Koh Lipe Thailand
Located just outside Tarutao National Marine Park, Koh Lipe is surrounded by uninhabited islands which you can visit by long-tail boat.

Pic: Beach at Ko Adang near Koh Lipe

Pic: Enjoying Ko Adang near Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe is easily circumnavigated by foot in less than an hour. There are no cars, only motorbike taxis which can take you to most places on the island for 50THB (€1,4). The island has 3 main beaches: Pattaya Beach in the south, Sunrise Beach in the east and Sunset Beach in the west. (Koh Lipe Map)

Pic: Pattaya Beach at Ko Lipe
I booked my accommodation on the island via Airbnb and stayed at Time To Chill. My recommendation would be, except for extreme high season, to only book your first night and shop around once you’re on the island. You can see the accommodation yourself and negotiate better rates by cutting the middleman.

Pic: Happy Vibe Beach Bar at Sunrise Beach, Koh Lipe

Pic: Lunch spot at Happy Vibe Beach Bar, Sunrise Beach, Koh Lipe
Ko Lipe is a destination to chill. Main activities are enjoying the beach, snorkeling / diving and visiting nearby islands.

Pic: Tiny people at Sunrise Beach, Koh Lipe

Pic: Serendipity Beach Resort Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe is another example of why I love Thailand so much. It’s an affordable, easy to travel to and incredibly beautiful vacation destination!

Pic: Sunset at Sunset Beach, Koh Lipe
Pictures: Sony DSC-RX100 MI & GoPro HERO4

UPDATE AUGUST 2015: THIS OFFER IS STILL VALID! 

Brussels Airlines is relaunching its Miles & More credit cards with a very attractive limited time offer: double sign-up bonus for friend referrals. To receive a personalized sign-up link for this offer, please complete the form below.

• Brussels Airlines Preferred American Express (€120 annual fee)
  Sign-up bonus: 6000 miles (instead of 3000 miles)

• Brussels Airlines Premium American Express (€150 annual fee)
  Sign-up bonus: 12000 miles (instead of 6000 miles)

• Pay your cellphone bills with Brussels Airlines American Express
  Extra bonus: 2000 miles (one time)

Earning airline miles is not limited to flying, you can earn miles with almost anything these days. One of the easiest ways to earn extra miles is signing up for a credit card. You will receive a number of miles just for signing up for the card and you will get 1,25 or 1,5 miles per euro spent. American Express also provides a bonus when you spend a certain amount in one year. Unfortunately, the number of credit cards earning airline miles is very limited in Belgium. Still, they can offer you a great opportunity to travel the world in luxury on a budget. For Belgian residents, the credit card offers are limited to one program, Miles and More of the Lufthansa group. Miles of this program can be used to book (and upgrade) flights of any Star Alliance carrier.



Brussels Airlines offers three Miles and More credit cards: the Preferred MasterCard, the Preferred American Express and the Premium American Express. I don’t detail the MasterCard in this posts as it comes with only 2000 welcome miles. I signed-up for the Brussels Airlines Preferred American Express Card back in 2008 and switched to the Premium American Express card in 2011 earning me a total of more than 400,000 miles! The key to earning the maximum amount of miles is to pay as much as possible with your credit card. Pay all your bills and purchases (both online and offline) with your credit card, every euro counts! Shopping (including groceries), dining, gas, electronics, hotels, airline tickets, … almost everything! Some payments might even result in an extra bonus. Example: Paying your cellphone bills with your Brussels Airlines American Express card gets you 2000 bonus miles!
The yearly fee also includes a number of insurances:

Full details of the Brussels Airlines Preferred and Premium American Express insurances.
How much are those miles worth?
It all depends on what you spend them. In my opinion, only long-haul Business Class and First Class flights are worth spending miles on. These allow you to maximize the value of your miles as Business Class flights easily cost >€2000 and First Class flights >€8000. Airline loyalty programs will do everything to make you spend your miles on less valuable options e.g. use miles to buy goodies in their online shop, book hotel nights or rent a car. You really don’t want to do that! Miles and More is currently selling miles with a 20% bonus, which is still way too expensive, but it gives you an idea how they value the miles.

Signing up for the Brussels Airlines Premium American Express earns you 12,000 miles which are being sold for €245 by Lufthansa.

Include the 2000 extra miles you get for paying your cellphone bill with American Express, and you have 14,000 miles which are being sold for ~€290!
How do I maximize the number of miles earned?
I would recommend to sign-up for the Brussels Airlines Premium American Express card now to get the 12000 miles. Complete the form to pay your cellphone bill with the card and earn an additional 2000 miles. Next year, you could cancel the Premium card and switch to the Preferred card. You would earn the sign-up bonus again (this time for the Preferred card, which is 6000 miles via the friend referral) and you would earn another 2000 miles when you register to have your cellphone bills paid with the Preferred card. That’s 22,000 miles in one year, just by signing up for these cards!

What are the pitfalls?

• The annual fees of the Brussels Airlines American Express cards are high (€120/€150). You might want to consider canceling your card after you collected all the sign-up bonuses.
• American Express cards have a high conversion fee (2,5%) for non-euro payments. Use your Brussels Airlines American Express cards for euro payments only. For non-euro payments, I recommend the BKCP Visa card. See all details in our Credit Cards for Belgian Travellers post.

I’m not yet a Miles and More member, where do I sign-up?
You can enroll at the Miles and More website.

UPDATE JULY 2015: THIS OFFER IS STILL VALID!

To receive a personalized sign-up link with double welcome bonus, please complete the form below.
[contact-form]
Full disclosure: By signing up for the Brussels Airlines American Express card using my personalized link, I will also receive bonus miles (friend referral program). Thank you for supporting my travel blog and enjoy your double sign-up bonus!

Early August, the Jordan Tourism Board invited me to discover their country. Despite being bordered by Iraq, Syria and Israel, Jordan has proven to be an island of security in the Middle East turmoil. At no point during my trip I felt unsafe. Together with 2 Belgian and 4 Dutch bloggers, I flew Royal Jordanian direct from Amsterdam to the Jordan capital Amman. After a night at Le Meridien Amman, we drove to Petra where we had the pleasure to stay at the Mövenpick Resort located at the entrance of the Petra Visitor Center.

Pic: Bart Lapers at the Treasury, Petra, Jordan (Aug 2014)
Petra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985 and one of the New 7 Wonders of the World, is Jordan’s most-visited tourist attraction. The highlight of this hidden city is Al Khazneh (“The Treasury”) which was carved out of a sandstone rock face at the beginning of the 1st Century AD. I was initially disappointing by the colors of the sandstone, as the sunlight was too harsh during the early afternoon. I managed to make better pictures with almost no other visitors around in the late afternoon (5pm).

Pic: The Monastery in Petra, Jordan (Aug 2014)
After our Petra guided tour had ended with a lunch near Colonnaded Street, I started hiking a nearby trail not knowing where it would lead me. To my surprise, a similar building to the Treasury called Ad Deir (“The Monastery”) was located at the top of the mountain. The views from the nearby peaks were just amazing!

Pic: The Monastery Petra – Panoramic View (click for full size)

Pic: Petra by Night in Jordan (Aug 2014)
After dinner, we returned to Petra for a spectacle which takes place 3 times a week: Petra by Night. The Treasury as well as the Siq leading to Al Khazneh were lit by hundreds of candles creating a unique atmosphere.

Pic: The Treasury – Petra by Night, Jordan (Aug 2014)

Pic: The Treasury – Petra by Night, Jordan (Aug 2014)

Pic: Wadi Rum desert in southern Jordan (Aug 2014)
After a full day at Petra and a night of sleep at the Mövenpick, we headed south for the Wadi Rum desert. Jordan, being a relatively small country, allowed us to travel from one highlight to the next in just a few hours. At the Wadi Rum desert we stayed at a Bedouin camp (no luxury here!) and discovered the desert by 4×4 and camel ride.

Pic: Ships of the Wadi Rum desert in Jordan (Aug 2014)

Pic: Swimming Pool at Kempinski Hotel Dead Sea (Aug 2014)
Fortunately, we were booked at the Kempinski Ishtar Dead Sea after our dusty night in the desert. This 5 star luxury hotel situated on the edge of the famous salt lake (which is the lowest point on earth – 427m below sea level!) provides uninterrupted views across the vast Dead Sea towards the West Bank.

Pic: Panoramic view from Kempinski Dead Sea (click for full size)
With 34.2% salinity, the Dead Sea is one of the world’s saltiest bodies of water. The unusually high salt concentration means you can easily float in the Dead Sea due to natural buoyancy, something I had to try! :)

Pic: Swimming Pool & Beach at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea
Conclusion: Looking for a sanctuary in the Middle East? Visit Jordan. A safe, liberal and friendly country with several amazing highlights located close to each other. Perfect for a one-week vacation!

IHG Rewards Club has just announced its Fall 2014 promotion called Into the Nights. Similar to previous ‘The Big Win‘ promos, you need to complete a number of ‘Offers’ before the end of 2014 to earn extra IHG Rewards Club points. When you logon to https://intothenights.ihg.com/ you’ll see your personalized offers. Here are mine:


Each individual offer comes with a number of points. In my case, I can earn a total of 30,900 offer points. Completing all offers results in an additional bonus: the choice between a Bonus points package OR a number of Free Nights. Note that my personalized offer page states “Complete 7 of 7 offers and earn 31,000 Bonus points or 2 free nights”, your offer might state e.g. “Complete 3 of 4 offers and earn XX bonus points and X free nights”.

I’ll be able to choose between 31,000 extra bonus points or two Free Nights. The Free Nights come as digital vouchers which can be used at any ‘participating’ IHG property as long as they have award availability for your preferred date(s). The Free Night vouchers will be valid for one year. This makes the ‘Into the Nights’ promo extremely valuable if you received a decent personalized offer. Back in 2010, IHG had a similar offer which earned me free night vouchers I used at the Crowne Plaza Times Square on New Year’s Eve, the InterContinental Paris Le Grand and InterContinental London Park Lane. What offer did you get and how do you plan to spend the Free Nights?

Pic: Royal Suite at InterContinental Paris with Free Night voucher! (Mar 2011)

Pic: Etihad Chauffeur service to London Heathrow Terminal 4
One weekend, three A380 First Class flights, a personal record! On my way to Canada, I flew Etihad Airways A380 First Class from London to Abu Dhabi, Qatar Airways A380 First Class from Doha to London and British Airways A380 First Class from London to Los Angeles. For the Etihad flight, I burned 40,000 American AAdvantage miles, the two other flights were part of the British Airways First Class error fare from Dubai (~€1350 out-of-pocket, a fraction of the normal fare ~€7000). The revenue OneWorld flights earned me a total of 23,429 American AAdvantage miles.

Pic: Etihad Airways A380 First Class Apartment 4K (May 2015)
I had very high expectations for my Etihad A380 First Class Apartment flight from London to Abu Dhabi, but unfortunately those were not met. Was it because Martina was not part of the flight crew? Maybe. The ground experience at Heathrow was nice with a tasty breakfast (menu) and relaxing massage (Six Senses Spa) at the Etihad First & Business Class lounge. But onboard there were a number of disappointments: a less than enthusiastic welcome by cabin manager Bashar, a pre-departure drink served in a broken glass, mediocre inflight dining & service, a cramped shower, a lobby bar lacking the grandeur of its competitors, and more… All first world problems, but if you pride yourself on “setting a new standard for best in class”, expectations of your premium passengers are very high.

Pic: Etihad A380 connecting First Class Apartments 3K and 4K
Obviously, there were a number of positive features as well. The spacious ‘Apartment’ offering great privacy, the ottoman converting in a 2 meter bed, the huge IFE high definition screen, etc… check the Design Air Etihad A380 First Apartment trip report for more details and pictures. I’ll fly Etihad A380 First Class later this year again which hopefully will be an improved experience.

Pic: Etihad First Class – Bollinger La Grande Année 2005 Champagne

Pic: Etihad First Class pre-depature drink & snacks.

Pic: Etihad Airways A380 First Class Apartment (May 2015)

Pic: The Etihad Airways First Class Dessert Taster

Pic: The Lobby at the Etihad Airways A380 Upper Deck

Pic: Etihad Airways A380 First Class Apartment 5H

Pic: Shave by Etihad Airways in Abu Dhabi
Upon arrival in Abu Dhabi, I had some refreshments and fantastic shave by barber Noor at the Etihad Arrivals lounge before Etihad’s Chauffeur service drove me to the Park Hyatt Dubai.

Pic: Excellent service by Etihad barber Noor!

Pic: The pool at Park Hyatt Dubai

Pic: Forget golf carts, this is how we role at Park Hyatt Dubai!

Pic: Quad Bike Safari near Dubai

Pic: Sunset at Burj Al Arab in Dubai (May 2015)

Pic: Qatar Airways A320 First Class Dubai to Doha
After a relaxing weekend with friends in Dubai, the journey continued with my best short-haul flight ever! Qatar Airways A320 First Class from Dubai to Doha. The service and inflight catering offered by purser Mi & colleagues during this 45 minute flight was simply amazing! Same counts for the views during take-off!

Pic: Sunrise at The World, Dubai

Pic: Qatar Airways A380 First Class Seat 2K
A short layover at Doha airport allowed me to enjoy some breakfast and Krug at the Al Mourjan Lounge before boarding the Qatar Airways A380 to London. No private suites in this First Class cabin, but beautiful designed seats with a lovely color scheme and fantastic high quality materials. Service and inflight catering were great, only minor comment was the very slow complimentary inflight Wi-Fi.

Pic: Qatar Airways A380 First Class Krug Champagne

Pic: Qatar Airways A380 First Class cabin seat 2E

Pic: Qatar Airways A380 First Class bathroom

Pic: Qatar Airways A380 First Class full flat bed

Pic: Bart at the Qatar A380 First & Business Class bar (May 2015)

Pic: British Airways A380 First Class Seat 3K
And then followed the worst First Class airline experience I ever had, British Airways A380 First from London to Los Angeles. At Heathrow Terminal 5, there was the horrible BA Concorde Room where you need to wait half an hour to use a shower which looks like a hospital bathroom, an Elemis Travel Spa which requires you to call 5 WEEKS in advance to book a 15-minute treatment and food you don’t want to even look at. Unfortunately there wasn’t much improvement after boarding the A380. The seat was ran down, cramped and had a tiny low resolution IFE screen. What made it even worse was the trash and stains from previous guests. I felt embarrassed for the purser announcing through the PA “Welcome to our brand new British Airways A380″ .

Pic: British Airways A380 First Class Seat 3K

Pic: British Airways A380 First Class Seat 3K

Pic: British Airways First Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle Champagne
Service and catering wasn’t spectacular either, so I decided to sleep until our arrival in Los Angeles.

Pic: British Airways A380 LHR LAX First Class full-flat bed
Surprisingly, Qatar Airways First Class was the most enjoyable experience out of my three A380 First Class flights. Etihad wasn’t bad, but didn’t manage to blow me away. British Airways is now on my ‘avoid’ list. Both Qatar and Etihad First Class can be booked extremely cheap using miles, so if you still have some American AAdvantage or Etihad Guest miles in your account, make sure to book now before the big devaluations kick in!

Pic: Bart at Moraine Lake, Banff National Park, Canada
After my First Class flights to Los Angeles the journey continued to Calgary, Canada. I had booked Hertz’ cheapest rate but was lucky enough to receive a brand new car for my 3-day roadtrip (map) in the Canadian Rockies. When I arrived at Radisson Calgary airport on tuesday night, the weather was gloomy and the forecast wasn’t really encouraging. Fortunately, this turned out to be an advantage when the weather cleared up on Thursday. It was exceptionally quiet in the parks which offered me the opportunity to enjoy the sights without the summer crowds!

Pic: Lake Louise, Banff National Park, Canada
A short stop to buy a rain jacket at the town of Banff and off I went to beautiful Moraine Lake and Lake Louise in Banff National Park. I stayed at Paradise Lodge & Bungalows, a 5 minute drive from Lake Louise. Not the cheapest place to stay, I paid $228 Canadian dollars (~€165) for my last-minute booking of a Preferred Fairview Suite, but what a relaxing experience! Nothing feels better than a hot shower after hiking all day in the rainy woods!

Pic: Bart at Icefields Parkway, Canadian Rockies
On Wednesday, the weather cleared up right in time for The World’s Most Spectacular Journey: Icefields Parkway from Banff to Jasper. What a FANTASTIC route! Probably the nicest I’ve done in my entire life.

Pic: Lake along Icefields Parkway (click for larger version)

Pic: Boat to Spirit Island on Maligne Lake
Once in Jasper National Park, I headed to Maligne Lake to visit the world famous Spirit Island. Peter Gales’ image of Spirit Island hung in Kodak’s Colorama showcase in NYC’s Grand Central Station for many years which made the island a popular vacation hunt for commuters.

Pic: Spirit Island, Maligne Lake, Jasper National Park

Pic: Black Bear near Maligne Lake Jasper, National Park Canada
On my way to Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, I was fortunate enough to spot several black bears along the road, even a mother bear with cubs! Amazing how easy it was to encounter wildlife in the park!

Pic: Dramatic mountain backdrop at Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge
HotelTonight had the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge available, a property with rather dated lodges, but spectacular settings. For breakfast, I drove to Jasper town where Bear’s Paw Bakery served delicious danish.

Pic: Glacier Skywalk Jasper National Park
On the way back to Calgary, I made a stop at Glacier Skywalk, Columbia Icefield. Tip: visit the Skywalk before 11am to avoid the crowds.

Pic: Bart at Glacier Skywalk, Jasper National Park
It was only a brief 3-day visit to the Canadian Rockies, but the memories will last a lifetime…highly recommended! Have you been in Canada before? Any tips to share? Are you aware of road trips which are as beautiful as Icefields Parkway? Please do share your experiences in the comments of this post. Thanks!

Pic: Lufthansa A333 First Class Champagne Bar (Jun 2015)
For my return from Canada to Belgium, I used 85.000 Miles & More miles (+€383 in taxes & fees, ouch!) to book Vancouver to Munich in First Class and Munich to Brussels in Business Class. The required miles were earned with my Brussels Airlines Premium American Express card. This wasn’t my first time flying the ‘new’ Lufthansa First Class, I had previously enjoyed LH F on the B747-400, A380 and A340-300. This trip added the A330-300 to the list with the B747-8i and A340-600 still to go.

Pic: Lufthansa First Class pre-departure Champagne
The ground services at Vancouver airport were rather disappointing. Lufthansa uses the Air Canada Maple Leaf Lounge for its First Class passengers, a business class lounge which doesn’t even have showers. Star Alliance partners ANA, Swiss and Air China must have realized how bad this lounge is as they invite their premium passengers to the nearby Plaza Premium Lounge which does have showers. I reported my disappointment to Lufthansa via Twitter and to the inflight manager. The latter must have filled a report, as I received a call from Lufthansa Customer Relations a few days after my flight to apologize and provide me with 7000 miles as compensation. Excellent service!

Pic: Lufthansa First Class seat 2K on A330-300
Once onboard, I settled in my favorite seat (2K) which offered a nice overview of the cabin. I immediately noticed the interior looked very new with no stains or scratches. I assume this A333 was one of the more recent aircraft which got retrofitted with the ‘new’ First. FYI As of June 27, 2015 all Lufthansa aircraft offer the new First Class.

Pic: Enjoying the spacious Lufthansa A333 First Class
I was welcomed by the cabin purser and offered a glass of Louis Roederer 2007 Vintage Brut. The menu read as follows: Dining menu intro, Dinner, Breakfast, Vinothek intro, Champagne + Aperitif, White Wine, Red Wine, Dessert Wine + Liqueur and Port, Spirits, Cold Beverages, Hot Beverages.
Pic: Louis Roederer 2007 Vintage Brut with macadamia nuts
Boarding was already well underway when a German family with baby took their seats in First Class. Fortunately, the kid slept most of the flight, so there were no inconveniences.

Pic: Lufthansa First Class Caviar Service
Once airborne, inflight dining started with my favorite course: caviar! To my surprise there hadn’t been any caviar served on my Etihad, Qatar and British Airways First Class flights earlier that week, so I was happy to indulge myself with two rounds of caviar!
Pic: Lufthansa First Class Caviar – delicious black gold!
The courses which followed didn’t impress. I returned the appetizers as they didn’t look fresh: Seared Pacific Diver Scallops, Farmers Charcuterie and Marinated Feta Cheese with Sweet Peppers. The Pier 39 San Francisco Cioppino was disappointing as well. Unfortunately, this has been a returning issue on all my Lufthansa flights, the food is never really good, except for the caviar! I wish they got rid of their LSG Sky Chefs and switched to the excellent DO&CO catering which Lufthansa uses at their First Class terminal in Frankfurt. The food is so much better at DO&CO catered flights! (e.g. Austrian or Turkish Airlines)

Pic: Lufthansa First Class – Cheese platter and Dessert 
As a sweet tooth, I couldn’t skip dessert: Warm Apple Crumble with Vanilla Ice Cream. I also had a cheese platter with Danish Blue, White Cheddar & Oak, semi soft cheese, Goat & Champfleury cheese served with Fig Chutney. A nice extra was the Pralinenmenu with a selection of premium Coppeneur chocolates.

Pic: Lufthansa A330-300 First Class – Movie time!
After dinner, I had a flight attendant convert my seat into a full flat bed and enjoyed some movies. I was excited by the much improved In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) system with a bigger high-resolution screen and new navigation menu compared to my previous LH F flights. A much needed upgraded for Lufthansa, as competitors like Etihad and Qatar are now offering huge high definition IFE screens in First Class.

Pic: Lufthansa First Class limo service at Munich Airport
Upon arrival in Munich, I was fortunate to have our plane at a remote stand resulting in an enjoyable Mercedes-Benz S-Class limo ride to the terminal!

Pic: Healthy breakfast at Lufthansa First Class lounge in Munich
I was a bit confused when my driver guided me to the Lufthansa First Class lounge and had me skip immigrations. Once at the lounge, it became clear they had their own dedicated immigration officer to process my passport, quite neat.
Pic: Taking a bath at Lufthansa First Class lounge in Munich
One of the fantastic privileges of flying premium class tickets is the ability to take a shower (or bath in this case) before / after your flights…except if you end up in an Air Canada lounge! ;-)

Pic: Lufthansa First Class Bar at Munich Airport Lounge

Pic: 2002 Pommery Cuvée Louise Champagne at First Class lounge
After a late breakfast and relaxing bath, I headed to the First Class restaurant where the menu read as follows: Buffet, Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner, Champagne & Red and White Wine, Beer, Soft Drinks, Hot Drinks. I had the 2002 Pommery Cuvée Louise and ordered a T-Bone steak with fresh asparagus.

Pic: T-Bone steak at Lufthansa First Class Lounge Munich
At boarding time, a lounge attendant came to see me and guided me to the reception area where a white Porsche Cayenne was waiting for me to drive me to the plane. The enthusiastic driver was in his twenties and told me it was his sidejob. I opted to wait until all passengers had boarded the plane to Brussels and used the opportunity to have the picture taken below.

Pic: Porsche Cayenne chauffeur service to plane at Munich airport
Conclusion: Overall another great Lufthansa First Class experience with some minor hiccups like the Air Canada lounge in Vancouver and the average LSG Sky Chefs onboard catering. I loved the new retrofitted cabin and the enthusiasm of both the inflight crew and ground staff at Munich airport. Also great follow-up by Lufthansa Customer Relations on my comment about the AC lounge with 7K miles as compensation.

Pic: Qatar Airways B787 Dreamliner Business Class Seat
Business Class fares have dropped significantly in the past couple of years. It’s not uncommon to see Business Class fares from Europe to Asia for ~€1200 or less these days. One of the airlines routinely offering extreme low Business Class fares is Qatar Airways, Skytrax 2015 Airline of the Year. In May, I flew Qatar from Brussels to Bangkok via Doha on the B787 Dreamliner (QR196 BRU-DOH) and A380 (QR836 DOH-BKK). The Qatar Airways B787 Dreamliner is serving Brussels Airport since December 2013.

Pic: Qatar Business Class – Pol Roger 2006 Rosé Champagne
Qatar Airways, renowned for its excellent inflight beverages, was serving Billecart-Salmon Brut and 2006 Pol Roger Rosé Champagne on my Business Class flight from Brussels to Doha. They also had the exceptional 1974 Kopke Colheita Port on the menu!

Pic: Qatar Airways Business Class – Classic Arabic Mezze

Pic: Qatar Airways B787 Dreamliner Business Class Cabin

Pic: Qatar Airways Business Class – Gourmet Ice Cream
Forget about getting this kind of ice cream served in Business Class on one of the US or European legacy carriers! Once exception maybe: DO&CO catering onboard Austrian and Turkish Airlines.

Pic: Qatar Airways Arrivals Lounge in Doha
The brand new Hamad International Airport, which opened in April 2014, hosts some impressive Qatar Airways facilities. For arriving passengers there’s a stunning Arrivals Lounge just after immigrations & customs. It has plenty of seating, showers and meeting rooms.

Pic: Seating at Qatar Airways Doha Arrivals Lounge

Pic: BMW Limousine ride to InterContinental Doha The City
The Qatar Airways Arrivals Lounge agent arranged me a limo to InterContinental Doha The City where rates were exceptionally high that weekend due to the Doha Diamond League taking place. I used 25K IHG Rewards Club points instead of paying 1900 QAR (€481) to book my room and was upgraded to an Executive Suite. Excellent value!

Pic: Nighttime view from InterContinental Doha The City

Pic: View from my room at InterContinental Doha
Confusingly, there are two InterContinental hotels in Doha with similar names. On Saturday, I moved to InterContinental Doha which has the longest private beach in Doha. I used 35K IHG Rewards Club points to book my superior room instead of paying 1030 QAR (€260) and was upgraded to a Deluxe Sea View room. I wasn’t too impressed with the service at the pool bar and lobby restaurant nor did I get my Ambassador Welcome Amenity. After complaining about it, the guest relations manager offered me a complimentary limo ride to the airport at check-out. Ka-Ching!

Pic: Museum of Islamic Art in Doha, Qatar
Instagram follower Katia, who works for Qatar Foundation, invited me for a brunch with her expats colleagues and showed me around in Doha. Highlights were the Qatar Foundation campus, the Museum of Islamic Art (a masterpiece by architect Pei) and The Torch Doha.

Pic: Cantilevered Swimming Pool at The Torch Doha 

Doha to Bangkok

Pic: Qatar Airways Business Class Check-In in Doha
Qatar Airways has the most stylish Business Class check-in area I have ever seen. There’s plenty of seating around the check-in area with complimentary drinks and refreshment towels and you get a box of Belgian Godiva chocolates at check-in!

Pic: Qatar Airways Check-in Welcome Amenity

Pic: Hidden gem in Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge
And then there’s the mighty Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Class Lounge. Beautifully designed and furnished with excellent food and beverages featuring a restaurant with table service! Hidden gem in this lounge: they serve Krug Grande Cuvée Champagne on demand which retails at ~€150 per bottle!

Pic: Qatar Airways A380 – Flight QR836 from Doha to Bangkok
The Qatar Airways A380 aircraft has 8 First Class seats and 48 Business Class seats on the upper deck. (QR A380 seat map) I was surprised to see another 8 rows of economy class seats tucked away behind The Lounge, the inflight bar for Business and First Class passengers on the A380. I had selected business class seat 15K which looked identical to the seat on the B787.

Pic: Qatar Airways A380 Business Class Cabin

Pic: Qatar Airways A380 Upper Deck Economy Class Cabin

Pic: The Lounge bar at Qatar Airways A380
Another highlight at Qatar Airways is the very impressive bar onboard the A380 called ‘The Lounge’. It’s incredibly spacious, has a beautiful color scheme, stunning chandeliers, leather seats, fresh flowers and servers the best Business Class Champagne in the world… Heaven! :-)
Pic: Qatar Airways – Fresh Roses at The Lounge bar

Pic: Drinks selection at Qatar Airways A380 The Lounge
The Lounge even features its own menu: Intro & Food Selection, Champagne Spirits Wines Beers Cocktails and Mocktails & Beverages.

Pic: Krug and Taittinger Rose Champagne at The Lounge

Pic: Bart at Qatar Airways A380 The Lounge Bar
Conclusion: It didn’t come as a surprise when Qatar Airways won the ‘Skytrax 2015 Airline of the Year‘ award at the Paris Air Show in June. Qatar delivers in terms of aircraft cabin, food & beverages, inflight service, lounges and ground services. The only area of improvement is customer service: I requested to receive some feedback about a remark I made during my first flight, but was never contacted. It’s clear His Excellency Akbar Al Baker (CEO of Qatar Airways) has a meticulous attention for detail which shows in the product his teams delivers. Qatar Airways, highly recommended for your next premium class trips! Feel free to share your Qatar experiences in the comments of this post. PS: Make sure to follow me on Twitter and Facebook to get instant updates when Qatar Airways published new low Business Class fares!

Hotels

HOTELTONIGHT
Credits: $25 (€22)
Promo Code: BLAPERS ($25)
What: My favorite last-minute hotel booking app. Book up to 7 days in advance.
Link: hoteltonight.com
Terms & Conditions: Both promo codes are for first time users.


HOTELQUICKLY
Credit: $15 (€13)
Promo Code: BLAPE3
What: Last-minute hotel booking app for Asia-Pacific.
Terms & Conditions: Promo code for first time users.

AIRBNB
Credit: $25 (€23)
Promo Code: LINK
What: World famous Bed & Breakfast booking app.
Terms & Conditions: Promo code for first time users.

ORBITZ APP
Credit: $25 (€23)
Promo Code: DOWNLOAD25
Link: Orbitz.com
Terms & Conditions: Min. $100 spend and 2 nights. Book by Sep 30, stay by Dec 31.

Transportation

UBER
Credits: €10 or $30
Promo Code: UBERTRAVELMAGIC (€10)
Promo Code: RIDIN30 ($30)*
Terms & Conditions: Both promo codes are for first time users only. Free credits only apply on first ride. *US only, expires 1/1/2016.

GETT
Credit: £10 (€14/$16)
Promo Code: GTBARTL
What: Taxi app active in London, New York, Moscow and more…
Terms & Conditions: Promo code for first time users.

WHEELY
Credit: £10 (€14/$16)
Promo Code: UG5EN
What: Taxi app active in London and Russia.
Terms & Conditions: Promo code for first time users.

HAILO
Credit: £10 (€14/$16)
Promo Code: STANDARD10
Link: hailoapp.com
What: Taxi app active in UK, Ireland, Spain, Singapore and Japan.
Terms & Conditions: Promo code for first time users.

MYTAXI
Credit: €10 ($11)
Promo Code: FIRST
Link: mytaxi.com
What: Taxi app active in Germany.
Terms & Conditions: Credits can only be used for first trip in Germany. Valid until Dec 31.

CHAUFFEUR-PRIVE
Credit: €10 ($11)
Promo Code: BARLAP1
Link: chauffeur-prive.com
What: Taxi app active in Paris and Côte d’Azur (Nice, Cannes).
Terms & Conditions: Promo code for first time users.

Conclusion: There are a lot of travel apps out there offering free credit for first time users. Enjoy your hotel discounts & free rides!

On Sunday, I witnessed an amazing new World Record: 433 hot air balloons took off simultaneously at Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons (LMAB), the biggest international hot air balloons gathering in the world! The festival takes place every two years at former United States Air Force base Chambley-Bussières, 35km east of the French city Metz.

More than ten years ago, I downloaded a wallpaper for my computer of the famous ‘Great Line’ mass ascent at Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons festival and said to myself ‘One day I will witness this in real life!’ Fast forward to last week when I realized LMAB 2015 was only a 3-hour drive from Brussels. I decide to make it a weekend trip and booked a nearby bed & breakfast via Airbnb. LMAB15 had started on Friday July 24th. I arrived on Saturday afternoon which allowed me to inspect the site and its surroundings. This edition had been unlucky with the weather so far, as they normally have flights every morning and evening for 10 days in a row but there hadn’t been any flights on Friday or Saturday due to the bad weather. On sunday morning, I woke up at 4:30am and headed to the base. There was a briefing for the pilots at 5:45am and final approval was given by the weather service and organization to attempt to break the previous mass ascent World Record dated July 31st, 2013 with 408 balloons.

Pic: ‘The Great Line’ at Chambley-Bussières air base (click!)
The spectacle is called ‘The Great Line’ as hot air balloons line up in three rows on the 2377m runway. It took until 7am before all balloons were filled with hot air when a car started driving down the runway sounding its horn to indicate balloons could take-off. A slight breeze blew in our direction which resulted in the balloons heading over the crowd (which wasn’t that large, seems not that many people liked to wake-up so early!) The next couple of minutes we were surrounded by balloons… it was AMAZING!

Pic: The ‘crowd’ on Sunday morning at LMAB 2015

Pic: Lorraine Mondial Air Ballons 2015 World Record
I was chasing the balloons like a little kid, amazed by the spectacle. Not only the sights were impressive, the sound of the dozens of gas burners was awesome as well! Check my short video which was featured at TIME magazine and Mashable!

Make sure to book the cheapest hotel rates using these 5 tips!

1. Use Price Comparison Sites

Don’t assume your favorite online travel agent (OTA) always offers the cheapest rates. Compare hotel rates using price comparison sites like HotelsCombined.com and Trivago.com to book the cheapest rooms.

2. Check Hotel Promo Codes

You might be able to discount that cheap rate even more using a promo code. Check the General list of Codes and Promos at FlyerTalk before you finalize your OTA booking. The hotels’ Facebook or Twitter account might have a promo code or special deal too!

3. Use Last-Minute Hotel Booking Apps

If you are booking last-minute, one week or less in advance, check what hotel booking apps have on offer. First time bookers get additional discounts:
HotelTonight.com $25 (€22) with promo code BLAPERS
HotelQuickly $15 (€13) via this link
Airbnb $25 (€23) via this link

4. Call the Hotel

Make sure to call the hotel before you finalize your booking via a third party website. Hotels need to pay a commission if you book via an Online Travel Agent which can be as high as 25%. Hotels might offer you a better rate (or extra perks like complimentary breakfast) if you book directly with them.
Background: Until recently, hotels listed on market leader Booking.com weren’t allowed to offer cheaper rates on their own website or other third party booking sites. This Booking.com requirement came under scrutiny after lawmakers investigated the practice for price fixing. France has now voted a law which forbids OTA’s like Booking.com to demand hotels to offer the lowest rates via their sites. In other European countries, Booking.com still doesn’t allow hotels to advertise lower rates on their own websites but they are allowed to offer cheaper rates via email, telephone and other third party booking sites.

5. Monitor Your Booking

Only applicable in case your booking is refundable. My general advice is to book hotels not earlier than two or three weeks in advance with the exception of very high demand nights (e.g. New Year’s Eve) or when you’ve found an exceptional deal. Don’t pay attention to the ‘sense of urgency’ messages on booking sites (e.g. “this week is very busy in city X, 80% of all rooms booked”). These are just marketing tricks to get you booking asap. In case you still want to book far in advance, select a refundable rate. This will allow you to monitor prices via aggregators like HotelsCombined.com and you can cancel and rebook when cheaper rates comes along.

Rule #1: Pay with your credit card

Paying with the right credit card has many advantages including:

• Cheaper than exchanging cash*
• Cheaper than Maestro debit cards (non-euro countries)
• No need to carry around large amounts of cash
• Possible to dispute transactions with your bank
• Earning miles or points (certain cards)
• Insurance coverage (certain cards)

*Some countries have a black market currency exchange which offers much better rates than the official ones (e.g. Argentina), bringing cash might be a better deal. Also check if credit cards are widely accepted at your travel destination, cash might be the only option to pay.

Rule #2: Choose the right credit card

When selecting a credit card, there are 3 things to keep in mind:

• The annual fee of the credit card
• The conversion fee when paying in foreign currencies
• The cost of withdrawing money

Comparing annual fees is easy, but what most people forget is the conversion fee. When you make a payment in a foreign currency, all banks use the same exchange rate obtained from the ECB (for European cards). But most banks also add a conversion fee (also known as ‘foreign transaction fee’) which may vary from 1% to 3%. Make sure to use a credit card which doesn’t have a conversion fee or at least a card with a low conversion fee.

Rule #3: Pay in the local currency

You might have heard the question before: “Do you want to pay in local currency or your home country currency?” Always decline the offer and make sure you are charged in the local currency! Shops, hotels and restaurants offer this option so they can apply “Dynamic Currency Conversion” which is basically a SCAM. The payment processor will convert the local currency to your home country currency but will add a conversion fee which can be as high as 10%! Much higher than the conversion fee (if any) of your credit card…a nice extra for the hotel, restaurant or merchant. Paying in the local currency is always cheaper.

Withdrawing money from an ATM

In general, credit cards offer a better deal than using a Maestro debit card when withdrawing foreign currency from an ATM. Most credit cards charge an withdrawal fee which may be a fixed amount or a certain percentage of the amount you withdraw. Select a credit card which has no ATM withdrawal fee (or a low one) and don’t forget the conversion fee. Never accept an ATM’s offer to convert the foreign currency to your home country currency, this is the Dynamic Currency Conversion SCAM. Some ATM’s might also charge an additional fixed ATM fee on top. Do your research online and check which banks have no (or low) ATM fees at your travel destination. Finally, if your credit card has a fixed ATM withdrawal fee (e.g. €5) make sure to withdraw all the cash you need for the trip, instead of making multiple smaller withdrawals.

Best credit cards for Belgian travellers

For non-euro payments, I recommend the BKCP Visa Classic and Belfius Mastercard White cards as they offer the lowest fees on the Belgian market. The BKCP Visa card is best for travellers who spend and withdraw foreign currencies several times a year. If you spend less than ~€4000 in foreign currencies per year and don’t withdraw money from ATM’s using your credit card, the Belfius Mastercard might be a cheaper option. Keep in mind you can also use the cards for online purchases in foreign currencies!

BKCP VISA CLASSIC
Annual fee: €19,92 + €37,92* = €57,84
*You need a BKCP account to request the card, annual fees €37,92
Conversion fee: 0%
ATM withdrawal euro-zone: €0
ATM withdrawal outside euro-zone: €5 (+ 0% conversion fee)

BELFIUS MASTERCARD WHITE
Annual fee: €12
Conversion fee: 1%
ATM withdrawal euro-zone: €5
ATM withdrawal outside euro-zone: €5 (+ 1% conversion fee)

BRUSSELS AIRLINES AMERICAN EXPRESS
Annual fee: €120 or €150
Conversion fee: 2,5%
ATM withdrawal euro-zone: 3,5% (min € 5,00)
ATM withdrawal outside euro-zone: 3,5% (+ 2,5% conversion fee)
For euro-payments,  I recommend the Brussels Airlines Premium American Express card. As you probably noticed, the conversion fees and ATM withdrawal fees of the American Express cards are insane. You can avoid them by using the card for euro-payments only. There’s also a high annual fee, but this is compensated by a number of insurances which come with the card and the fact your earn valuable miles per euro spent. Applying for the Brussels Airlines Premium American Express card earns 12,000 miles! More details on how to request the card in my Brussels Airlines American Express blog post.

Update 1:

Best Maestro debit card for Belgians

ARGENTA MAESTRO DEBIT CARD
Annual fee: €0
Conversion fee: 0%
ATM withdrawal euro-zone: €0
ATM withdrawal outside euro-zone: €0 (+ 0% conversion fee)
Blog reader Dima highlighted the Argenta Maestro debit card which claims to have no fees at all. I can confirm the card has no annual fee and the linked bank account is free. I’m still a bit skeptical about the free ATM withdrawal outside the euro-zone. I’ll do the test on one of my next trips and withdraw the exact same amount of money from the same ATM at the same time with my BKCP Visa Classic and Argenta Maestro debit cards to compare what I’m being charged in euros. The Argenta Maestro card might be a nice addition to your wallet for non-euro payments and cash withdrawals, but has some disadvantages versus VISA / MasterCard:

• Maestro less accepted than VISA / MasterCard
• No credit, need cash in your account
• Need to unlock account for use in non-EU countries
• Not possible to use card as ‘guarantee’ (e.g. car rental)
• Not possible to dispute transactions with your bank
• Lower limits

Anything to add? Please share your experiences in the comments of this post! Thanks.

AYANA Resort and Spa Bali

Back in November, I flew Air Berlin and Etihad Airways Business Class to Jakarta. I reported extensively about my flight experiences with both airlines, but didn’t write yet about the hotels I enjoyed in Bali. First up is Ayana Resort and Spa, a huge property with 368 rooms located on the towering cliffs above Jimbaran Bay which opened in 1996 as The Ritz-Carlton Bali but rebranded as independent resort in 2009. It shares 90 hectares of gardens with sister property Rimba which opened in September 2013. Combined, Ayana and Rimba feature 11 pools (!) and 15 F&B outlets. Rest assured, you won’t get bored at this place. I recommended Rimba as honeymoon resort to friends of mine. After a week long stay, they decided to extend their vacation!

Pic: Rock Bar at Ayana Resort in Bali (Nov 2014)
Ayana also features the famous Rock Bar which is located on natural rocks 14 meters above the ocean. The bar looks fantastic, but suffers a bit from its popularity. One year after it opened in 2009, the 106sqm bar it was already extended with an additional 600sqm of surrounding terraces and paved areas. Every afternoon long queues build up as everyone wants to witness sunset at the unique bar. Fortunately, in-house guests can skip the line but don’t expect a quiet setting.

Pic: Pool at RIMBA Jimbaran Bali Resort (Nov 2014)

Pic: Sunset dinner at Ayana Resort Bali (Nov 2014)

Hanging Gardens Ubud

Pic: Villa bedroom at Hanging Gardens Ubud (Nov 2014)
Located in the middle of the jungle, Hanging Gardens Ubud features a very different setting away from the hustle and bustle of South Bali. Villa’s in traditional Balinese style offer the opportunity to relax in a unique tranquil environment.

Pic: Infinity pool at Hanging Gardens Ubud (Nov 2014)
The split level infinity pool at Hanging Gardens Ubud was voted ‘Best Swimming Pool in the World’ by both Condé Nast Traveller and TripAdvisor. You don’t need to stay at the hotel to enjoy the pool. Hanging Gardens Ubud offers a Spa and Pool package at IDR 2.5 million ++ per person (~€165) which includes a treatment at the Riverside Spa overlooking the Ayung river, a healthy lunch at the River Cafe and a relaxing swim at the world famous infinity pool.

Pic: Swimming Pool at Hanging Gardens Ubud Bali

Pic: Puri Saren Ubud Palace (Nov 2014)

W Retreat & Spa Bali

Pic: Wet Deck at W Retreat & Spa Bali (Nov 2014)
If you prefer to stay closer to the action, W Retreat & Spa Bali in Seminyak might be your thing. Vibrant bright colors, over-the-top design, 24/7 clubbing vibe…. Party Animals: this is the place to be! ;-)

Pic: Breakfast at W Retreat & Spa Bali (Nov 2014)

Pic: Massage with a view at W Retreat & Spa Bali

Pic: Extreme WOW Pool Villa – Master bedroom view W Bali

Pic: Villa Bathroom at W Retreat & Spa Bali (Nov 2014)

Pic: Cocktails at WOOBAR W Retreat & Spa Bali

Pic: Sunset at WOOBAR W Retreat & Spa Bali
What’s your favorite hotel in Bali? Share it in the comments!

Over the past few years, I’ve stayed numerous times at luxury hotels for free. Highlights include a night in the €2500 Dom Perignon Suite at InterContinental Amstel and suites at InterContinental Paris Le Grand, InterContinental Paris Avenue Marceau, InterContinental Dusseldorf, InterContinental Dublin and InterContinental Bucharest. All thanks to the Best Price Guarantee. Major hotel chains offer a price guarantee which states they will compensate you if you manage to find a cheaper rate for your hotel booking on a third party hotel booking website. (e.g. expedia.com) Most hotel chains will lower their prices to the rate you’ve found and will give you some loyalty points or an extra discount for your stay. The InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) which includes brands like InterContinental, Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza and Hotel Indigo has an even better guarantee. If you find a lower price on a third party website you get the first night free and the other nights at the lower price. Yes, if you’re only staying one night, the stay is free! Ideal for weekend trips.

How does it work?

The IHG Best Price Guarantee terms & conditions are quite complex, but if you stick to the rules below your chances to get a claim approved increase significantly.

1. Check hotel prices at IHG.com

Rule #1: Wait until the hotel of your choice offers refundable rates only.
As long as you see Advance Purchase rates, your chances to get a claim approved are very limited. Once you found a hotel with Best Flexible rates only, take note of the prices.

2. Find lower prices on third party sites

Use aggregators like HotelsCombined.com and Trivago.com to compare room rates of hundreds of third party hotel websites in just a few clicks. You might be able to find lower rates this way, but it helps to have a list of lesser known OTA’s (Online Travel Agents). Here’s my list of favorite sites which often offer lower rates compared to IHG.com

• Amoma.com
• Asiatravel.com
• Destinia.com
• Elvoline.com
• HotelsClick.com
• Otel.com
• Roomex.com
• Yeego.com

Note: Third party sites needs to offer lower rates in the same currency as on IHG.com

3. Book and submit your claim

Once you have found a lower rate, make your booking on IHG.com and submit your claim. You can expect a reply within 24 hours or less. If your claim is denied, cancel your booking and repeat steps 1 – 3.

Got a claim approved? Congratulations! Feel free to share your successes in the comments of this blog post. Enjoy your free stay!

Today, the much anticipated Qatar Airways First Class Lounge Al Safwa opened at Doha Hamad International Airport. A friend of mine was traveling Qatar Airways First Class and had the opportunity to enjoy this amazing lounge on its opening day. Below are some pictures he made with his smartphone which give you a general idea of the lounge. For more details, check this Flyertalk thread.

Pic: Qatar Airways Al Safwa First Class Lounge Entrance

Pic: Qatar Airways First Class Lounge Al Safwa Doha

Pic: Fountain at Qatar Airways First Class Lounge Doha

Pic: Seating area at Qatar Airways First Class Lounge

Pic: Qatar Airways First Class Lounge overview (click!)

Pic: Bar area at Qatar Airways First Class Lounge

Pic: Bar at Qatar Airways First Class Lounge Al Safwa

Pic: Dining Area at Qatar Airways First Class Lounge
Here’s the lunch menu of the opening day.

Pic: Herb Crusted Lamb Chop at Qatar First Lounge

Pic: Kitchen at Qatar Airways First Class Lounge

Pic: Shower & sleeping rooms at Qatar First Lounge

Pic: Qatar Airways First Class Lounge Doha Showers

Pic: Sleeping rooms at Qatar Airways First Class Lounge

Pic: Duty Free Shops at Qatar First Class Lounge

Pic: Duty Free Shopping at Qatar Airways First Class Lounge