One Mile at a Time — page 25

Coverage, page 25

page 25 of 44

My Riyadh Air 787 Business Class Flight: Did It Live Up To The Hype?

Hello from Spain, as I just flew Riyadh Air’s Boeing 787-9 business class on the six hour flight from Riyadh (RUH) to Madrid (MAD), as I continue the return portion of my review trip. Obviously I was very much looking forward to this flight, given that Riyadh Air recently launched commercial operations, has huge growth plans, and has promised to be premium, with an obsessive attention to detail.

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig31 Jul

Southwest Will Start Boarding Most Flights Earlier, Checked Bag Fees To Blame

As of August 1, 2026, Southwest Airlines will start boarding most flights up to 35 minutes before departure, instead of up to 30 minutes before departure. Not surprisingly, checked bag fees are primarily to blame…

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig31 Jul

Redeem American AAdvantage Miles On Oman Air (Finally), A Great Option!

In June 2025, Oman Air joined the oneworld alliance, which was an exciting addition. One of the big benefits of an airline joining an alliance is supposed to be the introduction of reciprocal award redemptions.

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig31 Jul

Cathay Pacific’s New A330 Flat Bed Aria Studio Regional Business Class

In February 2026, Cathay Pacific formally unveiled its new regional business class product, which will be branded as the Aria Studio. This is intended to replace the carrier’s current regional product, which isn’t very competitive.

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig31 Jul

I Visited Riyadh Air’s Hafawa Lounge Riyadh: WOW, What A Stunner!

Hello from Saudi Arabia, as I continue my review trip. The main reason I came to Saudi Arabia is to try Riyadh Air, which is the most well funded and ambitious airline start that we’ve seen in a very long time (admittedly it helps to be owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund).

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig31 Jul

Trump’s “Patriot Passport” Goes Nationwide Due To “Overwhelming Demand”

Several weeks ago, the State Department rolled out a limited edition ”Patriotic Passport,” as it’s called, featuring President Trump on it. This is intended to commemorate the 250th birthday of the United States, and it was only supposed to be available at the Washington Passport Agency, until quantities ran out.

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig31 Jul

Donald Trump

Ink Cash Vs. Ink Unlimited: How I’d Choose Between Chase’s No Annual Fee Business Cards

Chase offers two no annual fee cards in its excellent collection of Ink business cards: the Ink Business Cash Credit Card and the Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card. On paper the two look nearly identical, with the same annual fee (none), the same excellent welcome bonus, and the same trick for turning cash back into Ultimate Rewards points. The real difference is how each card earns rewards, and that’s where the choice gets interesting.

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig30 Jul

American Updates 24-Hour Free Refund Policy: Bad For Last Minute Tickets

American Airlines has quietly updated its (formerly) generous policy when it comes to 24-hour refunds for tickets that are booked last minute, as flagged by View from the Wing. This is worth being aware of, as American now just complies with regulations, rather than going above and beyond in this area…

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig30 Jul

Four Seasons Venice (Hotel Danieli) Now Open: Iconic, Historic Property

In 2022, plans were announced for the Four Seasons Venice, in the form of a conversion and renovation of Hotel Danieli, which used to be a Marriott Luxury Collection property. There’s now a major update, as the hotel has just opened.

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig30 Jul

Buy Alaska Atmos Rewards Points With 100% Bonus (1.88 Cents Each): Worth It?

Often buying points strategically can be a good value, and Alaska Atmos Rewards (formerly known as Alaska Mileage Plan) is one of my favorite programs to buy points from, both thanks to the frequency with which the program sells points, and what a good deal award redemptions can be.

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig30 Jul

Viasat Inflight Wi-Fi Getting Big Upgrade: Airline Passengers Rejoice

Inflight connectivity has come a long way over the years. Going back just a few years, Viasat was considered the gold standard of inflight connectivity, while nowadays Starlink is stealing the show.

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig30 Jul

Hilton Cuts Loyalty Fees Hotel Owners Pay, And That’s Bad For Hilton Honors Members

Hotel guests often forget that they’re not the real customers of the major hotel groups. Instead, it’s the hotel owners who are the customers, and us guests and loyalty program members are the ”product” being sold to them.

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig30 Jul

Buy Wyndham Rewards Points With Up To 90% Bonus (0.68 Cents Each): Worth It?

Wyndham Rewards has launched its latest promotion on purchased points, which could potentially help to unlock discounted award stays. The program is offering up to a 90% bonus, which is an opportunity to buy points for 0.68 cents each.

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig30 Jul

Trump Unveils Washington Dulles Airport Transformation: Nice But Expensive!

Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) certainly leaves a lot to be desired when it comes to its terminal facilities. We’ve known that plans were underway to fully overhaul the airport, with a massive investment. Well, the details of that have now been revealed, and the proposal looks great. However, it’s also really, really expensive, so one wonders who will be footing the bill…

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig30 Jul

Allegiant Air Launching First Class Cabin, Adding Free Drinks In Economy

Allegiant Air, historically known as one of the United States’ most disciplined ultra low cost carriers, has just announced plans to significantly improve its passenger experience. This includes introducing a first class product, and also adding free drinks in economy.

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig30 Jul

Delta Partners With Sports Betting Website DraftKings, Even Though Inflight Gambling Is Illegal

In early 2025, Delta Air Lines revealed it would partner with sports betting platform DraftKings, in order to improve inflight entertainment. There was only one problem — inflight gambling isn’t allowed in the United States, which made many of us wonder what exactly this would entail.

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig29 Jul

Portugal Privatizing National Airline TAP: Air France-KLM & Lufthansa Group Submit Binding Offers

In the summer of 2025, the government of Portugal relaunched a project to privatize national carrier TAP Air Portugal, with the goal of selling a large stake within a year or so. All too often, not much comes of these kinds of projects, though it seems like this is moving along nicely.

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig29 Jul

LATAM Embraer E195-E2 Deliveries Start Soon, 136-Seat Interiors Revealed

In September 2024, South American giant LATAM placed an order for an aircraft that’s becoming increasingly popular in recent times, and it seems like a good fit for the airline. I’d like to take an updated look at this, as LATAM has just revealed what we can expect from the interiors of these aircraft.

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig29 Jul

Saudia A330 Business Class: 75-Minute, 1AM Flights Don’t Get Much Better Than This!

Hello from Saudi Arabia! I just flew Saudia’s Airbus A330-300 business class on the 75-minute flight from Jeddah (JED) to Riyadh (RUH), as I continue my review trip. In the last installment, I covered my Saudia Boeing 787-10 business class flight from Amsterdam (AMS), which greatly exceeded my expectations.

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig29 Jul

Chase Sapphire Preferred 100K Bonus Points Offer Last Chance: Apply Now

The Chase Sapphire Preferred Card has recently undergone a major refresh, and the changes are a mixed bag, with some people better off, and some worse off. It’s still one of my top recommendations for beginners and people who value Chase Ultimate Rewards points, and don’t mind the recent Hyatt devaluation (or are willing to pair this card with one that makes the devaluation immaterial).

One Mile at a Time•Ben Schlappig29 Jul