Why I Prefer Knowing One Airline Extremely Well
Spreading your flying across three airlines to chase the best fare on any given week sounds smart on a spreadsheet. In practice, I think it costs you more than it saves.
AA By the Numbers: What I Want to Track Across a Year of Business Travel
I'm building a real data page for this site — not to brag about miles, but to find the patterns hiding in a year of connections, upgrades, and delays. Here's what I'm tracking and why.
Worth the Upgrade? How I Evaluate Short-Haul First Class
A paid upgrade on a flight under 90 minutes rarely buys you a meal or a nap — so what is it actually buying you? Here's the framework I use before I pay for it.
What’s in Brad’s Wallet? How I Judge an Airline Credit Card
Forget the glossy benefits page. Here's the actual framework Brad uses to decide whether any travel credit card earns a spot in his wallet — and when it's time to cut one loose.
The Rental Counter: What Rental-Car Status Should Actually Save You
Rental-car status is sold as skipping the line entirely. On a normal business trip, here's what it actually delivers, where it quietly falls short, and whether it's worth the trouble.
Hotel Check: What I Want From a One-Night Business Stay
A one-night business stay doesn't need a pool, a spa, or a lobby bar with a scene. It needs a fast check-in, a real desk, working Wi-Fi, and a dark, quiet room. Here's how I judge a property when I'll be gone before the amenities matter.
36 Hours in Dallas Built Around an American Airlines Schedule
A 36-hour Dallas trip isn't planned around attractions — it's planned around an evening arrival, a free morning, and a departure bank at DFW. Here's how the timing actually works.
Why a Great Gate Agent Can Matter More Than the Seat
Seat maps get all the attention, but the person standing at the gate podium during a meltdown often decides whether your day actually works. A composite story about the kind of service that quietly saves a trip.
A321neo First Class: What Matters After the Seat Photos
Everyone photographs the seat. Fewer people ask whether the tray table fits a laptop, where the outlet actually is, or whether the flight is even long enough to use any of it.
When the Connection Breaks: How I Think Through a Business-Travel Recovery
A storm rolls through the hub, the inbound aircraft is late, and a same-day meeting is suddenly at risk. Here's the decision framework I actually use in those first ten minutes.