Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
I fell in love with Alaska and Alaska Airlines after moving to Anchorage in 2002. AS traditionally does very well with customer service and that is no better demonstrated by their long-time policy of upgrading any elite to fill the First Class cabin. I…
Author: The Military Frequent Flyer
Alaska Announces New Expanded Elite Program (Incl. a New Level!)
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
Alaska Airlines is my favorite FF Program and for many good reasons. I have been a MVP Gold or 75K for 18 years straight (they kept my status both times I deployed) and today’s announcement gives me even more reason to continue that streak. I just rece…
My Epic to Antarctica – The Cool Stuff
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
“Cool stuff”, see what I did there? Still writing on this trip of a lifetime. You can catch up by reading the first, second, third and fourth posts. Saved all the best stuff for the end. Today I’ll be giving you a tour of CAPT Scott&#…
My Epic Journey to Antarctica – A Week at McMurdo
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
For those of you catching up, my first post on Antarctica is here and second post here. This is a hard post to write since how do I capture a full week in one post? Here’s my attempt at that, but feel free to ask if there is something that you wo…
My Epic Journey to Antarctica – The Mission
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
I have always sought a life of adventure and, for the most part, that is what I have lived. A lot of it comes from just being lucky and in the right place at the right time. That happened again to me in 2018 when a group was put together to meet …
After Action Report (AAR): Cardiff, Wales
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
Greetings, Fellow Travelers! NOTE: With no travel over the next few months, I’m digging into my archives to remember some travels from the past few years. This trip to Cardiff, Wales occurred in June 2016. This was in conjunction with a br…
After Action Report (AAR): San Sebastián, Spain
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
Greetings, Fellow Travelers! NOTE: With no travel over the next few months, I’m digging into my archives to remember some travels from the past few years. This trip to San Sebastián and the Basque region of Spain occurred in February …
After Action Report (AAR): Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
Greetings, Fellow Travelers! NOTE: With no travel over the next few months, I’m digging into my archives to remember some travels from the past few years. This trip to Kuala Lumpur, our first, occurred in July 2018 combined with a second t…
An Informed Analysis Of How COVID-19 with Affect You and Your Travel
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
So what makes this an informed analysis? Most of me fellow Boarding Area bloggers know my military level, but let’s just say I am a senior leader. What many do not know is that I am a senior leader at the Army Corps of Engineers. That coupled wit…
If You Are Still Flying, I Have Some UA Upgrades
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
Sorry, for not blogging a lot lately, but as a senior leader at the Corps of Engineers, you can imagine how busy I am right now. One of our benefactors from last Jan. has contacted me to offer up some UA upgrades due to his cancelling his flights. Not …
United Upgrades Still Available for Military Members or Family Members Flying Before the End of the Month
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
Our generous donor still has a few Plus Points left if you are flying United before the end of this month when they expire. Send me an email at glennagoddard@gmail.com or post a reply if you are interested.
The post United Upgrades Still Available for …
More Free Upgrades Available for Military Members
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
We still have some United upgrades available and now some Alaska upgrades too. However, the Alaska upgrades need to be applied by 12/31. The flight came be later, but the upgrade needs to be applied by next Wednesday. AS upgrades are a little tricky, y…
Marriott Recognizes my Lifetime Titanium Status – A Year Late!
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
One of the good things about the Marriott-Starwood merger (yes, Ed, there was something good) was the dropping of the point requirement for Lifetime status and only going by nights like the Starwood program. Marriott’s program used to require 250…
Flight tips for Government Travelers from Albert
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
Another great post from my friend Albert: Techniques, Tactics, and Procedures (TTPs): Government Tickets and Travel. Greetings, Fellow Travelers! BLUF: Whether you use the Defense Travel System (DTS), CONCUR, or another system for purchasing your USG a…
After Action Report (AAR): Iceland, April 2019 (Part 4 of 4)
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
Greetings, Fellow Travelers! BLUF: This four-part AAR covers the journey, destination, and activities of our trip to Iceland. Iceland is full of amazing wonders: waterfalls, geysers, wildlife, and fresh air. Over the past five years, Iceland has…
ALL HANDS: Loyalty Status Levels, Hotels
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
ALL HANDS: Loyalty Status Levels (Part 2, Hotels). Greetings, Fellow Travelers! BLUF: Marriott Bonvoy Platinum (or higher) level is one of the most useful hotel status levels when traveling around Europe. Today’s ALL HANDS wi…
Albert’s Trip to South Africa, Finale
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
AAR: The Western Cape, South Africa, June 2017 (Part 6…the end) Greetings, Fellow Travelers! BLUF: This six-part AAR covers the journey, the destination, and activities of our trip to South Africa (our second!) while stationed in Ge…
Giving Away United Global Upgrades to Military Personnel this Month
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
We have a generous donor named Bill, who is giving away 4 United Global Premier Upgrades (GPUs) which are expiring 31 Jan. He would like these to go to military personnel traveling this month. The tricky part about using UA GPUs is that they need…
Tips to Get My Friend Ed to Hawaii
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
My friend Ed Pizzarello of Pizza in Motion fame, hosts a podcast called Miles to Go. On his show he often laments/ humblebrags that he has never been to Hawaii. I almost think that people on his show are so amazed by that fact that he takes it as…
Veterans’ Day Benefits for Those Who Served and Sacrificed
Written by The Military Frequent Flyer @ BoardingArea
All Veterans’ Days are special, but this one commemorates the 100th anniversary of the end of the War to End All Wars – which unfortunately didn’t. First called Armistice Day, it was changed to the more familiar name of Veterans’…