Sicily

United Airlines Adding New Routes to Europe and Caribbean, Increasing Frequency

August 22, 2019By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

Looking for new destinations in the Caribbean? How about exploring Sicily? United rolled out a number of new routes and expanded service this morning, with a focus on heavy business class configurations.

A Recent E-mail Reminds Me Of The Primary Reason I Love Blogging!

May 21, 2018By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

Hearing from readers is awesome. Hope you like the story!

Wrapping Up Sicily, Salzburg And Vienna

August 28, 2017By Edward Pizzarello4 Comments

Places are sections of a quilt. We make that quilt bigger the more we travel. Some sections, or squares, have vivid pictures. Others, just an abstract of a long-ago memory. They’re all wonderful. My kids’ happiness won’t necessarily be the size of their quilt, but rather the detail. I can’t wait to add some more squares.

A Day In Siracusa, Italy

June 17, 2017By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

Siracusa has archaeological areas to explore, small beaches, shops and restaurants. It’s an easy day trip from Catania.

Walking And Eating In Downtown Catania, Sicily

June 15, 2017By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

Catania is a vibrant city center with a busy, urban core. We didn’t spend a ton of time downtown, but here’s a few spots to consider if you’re headed to Catania.

Exploring Mt. Etna, An Active Volcano

June 7, 2017By Edward Pizzarello3 Comments

We’ve never had the opportunity to climb an active volcano. Mount Etna, via Sapienza Refuge turned out to be one of the highlights of our Sicily trip.

Sicily And Salzburg. Our Favorite Part of Taormina

June 5, 2017By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

We’ve been so lucky in our travels to discover some real gems. Food is a big motivator to me when we travel. I love experiencing the best local cuisine a place has to offer. That’s what makes this experience our favorite part of Taormina.

A Return To Taormina, A Beautiful City On A Hill

June 4, 2017By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

Taormina is a special place for us. We’ve been before and can’t wait to go back again. While there are plenty of hotels there, we’ve always chosen to stay elsewhere and make Taormina a day trip.

No, Really. This Was An AWESOME McDonald’s. In Sicily.

May 29, 2017By Edward Pizzarello19 Comments

Pastry Case

Fresh-squeezed orange juice, quinoa salad, polite staff who bring our order to your table? This is just a different set of Golden Arches.

Hotel Review: Sheraton Catania, Sicily

May 27, 2017By Edward Pizzarello3 Comments

This was our second time back at the Sheraton Catania. This hotel is a bit of an odd property, but a pretty good value for point redemptions.

Why This September 11th Is Just A Little Bit Different For Me

It’s a day to stop and think about the bravery it must have taken for first responders in lower Manhattan to watch the first tower collapse, then run up the stairs into the second tower to try to rescue survivors. I started forming the thoughts for this story a few weeks ago. My plan was to publish it last week, but as with so many things lately, time got away from me. So, here we sit on the 20th anniversary of 9/11. In some ways, September 11th is just another […]

The Canada-US Border Is Open. Here’s What Crossing By Land Is Like Right Now

If you’re thinking about crossing the Canadian border, I’ve got plenty of details on what to expect. Our family recently crossed the border into Canada and then back into the US. If you prefer to listen to the story than read it, you can check the whole thing out on my podcast. If you just want the quick and dirty, here are some key links: The ArriveCAN app (you need to complete an online application to enter Canada) Nova Scotia pre-arrival application Link to order Abbot BinaxNOW tests (rapid test […]

Recent Experience Shows How Marriott Properties Treat Award Bookings Differently Than Paid Bookings

Since Marriott acquired Starwood Preferred Guest a few years ago, the number of paid stays I’ve had with Marriott have been steadily dropping. It didn’t start out intentional, but I did find myself booking fewer and fewer Marriott stays . I don’t go out of my way to avoid Marriott. But, I used to go out of my way to stay with SPG. As the years have gone by, a number of changes have caused me to continue moving business elsewhere. Marriott has been fairly intentional in establishing a loyalty […]

Hyatt Adds 100 Leisure Hotels With More On The Way

Hyatt announced earlier this week that they were acquiring Apple Leisure Group. The move will add 100 existing hotels to the Hyatt family and another couple dozen that are in the pipeline for Apple (ALG). Here’s a quick description of ALG from the press release: ALG’s hotel portfolio consists of over 33,000 rooms operating in 10 countries. The portfolio has grown from nine resorts in 2007 to approximately 100 properties by the end of 2021 and has a pipeline of 24 executed deals with a large number of additional hotels […]

EXCITING! Aeroplan Is The Newest Chase Ultimate Rewards Transfer Partner

There’s really good news for folks who have a stash of Chase Ultimate Rewards points, especially if you have easy access to Air Canada hubs (think Toronto and Vancouver). In anticipation of the launch of a credit card for US residents, to be issued by Chase, Ultimate Rewards transfers to Aeroplan are live. This is all part of a significant relaunch of Aeroplan that started last year. Aeroplan came up with a bunch of great new options like Status Pass, where you can grant elite status to a friend or […]

I Flew Frontier, Saved $400 And Didn’t Die. My Frontier Airlines Review

Those low-cost carriers always have very appetizing fare sales. Who wouldn’t want to pay $20 to fly somewhere? But, what does $20 really buy you? I found out exactly what Frontier does (and doesn’t) offer customers on my first flight with them recently.

How To Use New Metro Silver Line To Get Between Dulles and Reagan National Airports

People talk about how bad the traffic is in places like Los Angeles with plenty of adjectives. And, it is quite bad. But, the traffic in DC is what I refer to as “stealthy bad”. It doesn’t get the same press that LA traffic does, but a trip that normally takes an hour can easily turn into a 3-hour ordeal. With visiting dignitaries, protests and construction as variables, weather can also wreak havoc on a system that consistently backs up during rush hour. For those of us that live in […]

Update: American Airlines Variable Choice Plus Pricing A Feature, Not A Bug

I have to admit, I was pretty pleased with the original announcement that American Airlines was creating bundled pricing that included change fees at a lower apparent cost. Things got a little better when American also announced they were expanding the timeframe you could request a same day change to your flight. And, then things started to get a bit screwy. It started with just one flight I couldn’t get to price right with Choice Plus as an add-on. But, then I did a bit more digging and found out […]

A Summary Of United Airlines Global Services Benefits

As travel has gotten more stressful the benefits of elite status are even more valuable. In some cases, what used to be free for everyone is now only free for those customers that fly most frequently. I value my American Airlines Executive Platinum status more highly than any status I’ve earned, including 1K service with United Airlines. However, Global Services is another matter. For those not aware, Global Services is an invitation-only status level that United bestows on their best customers. What defines a best customer? Well, United doesn’t list […]

Is Foursquare Dead?

Venture Beat doesn’t think so, and I’m not 100% sure they’re wrong. But, before I discuss the article, a little background on why someone allergic to social media like me became a Foursquare nut. A few years ago, a company called TopGuest came up with this concept where you could earn airline miles and hotel points for checking in at various places on Foursquare. I can’t say I thought it was a terribly good business model, but they convinced a bunch of hotel chains to hand out miles for this. […]

Sony - September 21, 2021:
Thanks so much for the crystal clear and speedy response. Much appreciated! [...]

Edward Pizzarello - September 21, 2021:
Meeting expectations, again.

Edward Pizzarello - September 21, 2021:
I can confirm that's correct. 72 hours, PCR test to get [...]

Sony - September 21, 2021:
Hi Ed, brilliant write-up. Thanks for the wealth of information shared:) Just to [...]

Jon - September 16, 2021:
Appears the opening has been pushed yet again to mid-November. No email [...]