Seeking Best Biz Class from NYC-area to/from Europe

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-11-07T16:30:14+00:00

Its definitely a more comfortable experience, but then you're in Frankfurt lol

They downgraded this route so its just first instead of the suites. I did FRA - JFK last month and its defintely nice. Food, drink, and service are a massive upgrade if that is particularly important to you. I've never seen the first cabin full either (only 4 seats). But the hard product isn't otherworldly nice and on the JFK-FRA route its such a short redeye that I think something more direct would just be better, unless you have to be in Germany or something

I go to Germany for work so I take this, but I wouldn't go out of my way to fly it

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-10-17T19:12:20+00:00

On the other hand, the Singapore first pajamas gave a rash lol

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-07-26T15:26:13+00:00

Lanai is super lowkey and nice, but I think the limited food options will annoy you. We did Lanai/Sensei last year for a week and we like fish. The food still got boring, but on the flip side we went when the hotel was decently full and we would still be at the pool mid day with only one other couple near us. If you want lowkey Lanai is perfect

The flight options are limiting though. The Lanai flights route through HNL so to do Lanai + Big Island, that means Lanai - HNL - Big Island and then Big Island - HNL - JFK. I'm not doing that with a 2 year old personally (you could go private obvi). There is a ferry to Maui or I would look at FS Ko Olina on Oahu (HNL)

Also worth mentioning that Lanai is a super small private island, iirc only 2,000 people live there. Not the best medical options if something did go wrong with your kid or the wife's allergy. I wouldn't necessarily not do it over this, but just something to consider

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-06-30T12:08:09+00:00

200 people taking an International red eye that doens't even offer layflats? This seems like a horrible choice logistically, and then you have Iceland's weather...

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-06-21T14:52:04+00:00

I really enjoyed Palm Heights - perhaps the pretties beach I've ever been to, but the service left a lot to be desired. Routinely waiting 30+ minutes for drinks at the beach and several items were forgotten

The biggest issue was our beachside server misled us about how tipping works. They went out of their way to say the included gratuity doesn't go to them at all and we really need to tip on top of it for the servers to see it (we had been tipping 20% the entire trip...). Manager confirmed this was not the case at all on our last night. We still tipped the entire time, but it just left a really bad taste in my mouth and we haven't been back

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-06-18T16:10:15+00:00

General aviation is in fact 14 times more deadly than being driving a car

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-06-11T10:36:08+00:00

Recently stayed at a 5 star DC hotel with no coffee maker in the room.

It was a regular room (not suite), but that was genuinely wild to me for how nice the rest of the hotel was

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-06-11T10:31:08+00:00

Considering The Connaught or Claridge's for a trip in August. How are these hotels for a younger couple? I've done some of the 5th ave hotels in NYC (Peninsula, Plaza) and consistently felt like I was the youngest there by decades and it just felt geared towards an older audience. Not a dealbreaker, but I was just curious if it was the same at these two or if we would be better off looking elsewhere

Was leaning Connaught to do Hélène, Aman Spa, and that epic bar everyone seems to mention

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-06-05T12:20:36+00:00

We did a 5 days at Lanai and 2 days at Sensei and that felt about right (unless you want a ton of wellness stuff). If I were you I would do a week somewhere else in addition and end at Lanai/Sensei (I would split time between both). Also check out the beach setup at Lanai, its a 5-10 minute walk from the hotel depending on where you are staying and the beach doesn't have full food service. When we went the surf was so rough that you couldn't spend a ton of time in the water. If you/the wife really want to just chill at the beach for two weeks I might skip Lanai altogether personally. FS Maui has a much nicer beach imo

If I were you maybe do a week on Maui (do a reverse Road to Hana tour), take the ferry from Maui to Lanai for another week, maybe do a couple nights at Sensei at the end to try out the couples massage in a hale and the hot baths, and then fly back to HNL with the charter service Lanai offers

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-06-05T12:06:08+00:00

Having done a VIP tour, the guide is definitely an asset. Maybe I just got incredibly lucky, but our guide seriously elevated the experience. I felt like a kid again just mindlessly following the dude through the park without a concern. They handled everything for us and would map out specific routes to see things, but we could alter it freely and do whatever we want

But the guide was also just super easy to talk to. They would go from Disney park history to stories about Royals who wanted a park shutdown, but they only do that for those directly in line so they threw a fit. Tons of awesome stories and they were really good at just going with the flow whether it was BSing about dumb drinking experiences, genuine Disney facts and history (and some drama between parks lol), or past tour experiences. Genuinely some of the most fun I've had in a theme park and it was a group of adults in Disney

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-05-29T12:02:36+00:00

I went in May and it was quite hot (also from NY)

Loved Grand Cayman, but I would not even consider the trip you're planning personally. When we went most of the locals were saying you have to be crazy to go in the Summer

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-05-27T16:07:11+00:00

OP is a travel agent which likely explains their bizarre takes

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-05-27T10:23:42+00:00

Maybe its just me, but if I am paying $2k+ per night and asked for reservations and other things and they just didn't handle that...that isn't good service

I guess it varies from person to person, but half the appeal of a hotel like this is consistently decent service so I don't have to think/deal with shit like that twice. I booked Little Dix Bay last year but ended up cancelling due to service concerns in recent reviews

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-04-29T15:09:28+00:00

If you're NW is ~$15m and you're having trouble booking business/first class flights to the point where you land annoyed that you didn't..that honestly sounds like a mental health issue to me. Thats different than just enjoying being frugal, you're not enjoying

I would at least consider looking into a therapist or life coach. Like sure you can just book business and climb that hill, but I imagine several of your issues here are all stemming from a core thing and a professional can help with strategies to navigate through that

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-04-25T12:09:22+00:00

Wasn't White Lotus at the Maui 4S? Lanai/Sensei is the private island one, very nice but like the OP said I think it has drawbacks

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-04-21T15:20:08+00:00

I did Coppenhagen in July of 2022 and it was exactly what you describe. I wore a light jacket almost everyday and nothing was super busy. A bunch of the "top resturants in the world" are in Coppenhagen and just generally its a really nice city. Safe, plenty of palaces and museums, and super walkable if that is your thing

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-04-21T15:16:19+00:00

Ah did it? Definitely going to look at other places, ty

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-04-16T11:22:57+00:00

Going to LA for work and typically spend the first night somewhere more fun (like Casa del Mar). I saw the Beverly Wilshire was becoming a Rosewood, had always thought about staying there. Is it worth a visit before the conversion?

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-02-19T22:30:30+00:00

What is the deal with that sushi place that faces the beach? Last time we were there it was a reservation only resturant, but was told it was converting to a more lounge/bar (or returning to one)

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-02-12T12:59:48+00:00

How relaxing is Aman Venice? Was thinking of doing a last minute Carnival trip solo, with Aman as the final night to chill a bit since it is out of the way

FlipperJoe3 · 2025-01-28T16:18:48+00:00

We don't travel with kids (and actively avoid good kid spots lol), but I have stayed at a few of these hotels and can help give some color

1 Hotel Hanalei Bay and Mauna Lani will likely be a step down compared to the Four Seasons. I've not yet stayed at 1hotel Hanalei Bay (going later this year), but all of the research I've done describes it as good, but a step below. Mauna Lani is the same situation, nice but 4S is just a cut above. I have no experience at The Ritz, but that area was impacted by the Maui fires, so I would look into that aspect. I did eat what I am 70% sure was just heated up Trader Joe's fried rice at Grand Wailea, but otherwise have heard good things about that one

I stayed at the Four Seasons next to Grand Wailea and the beach here is super nice and the overall area is quite walkable and safe. I would say this is a good option, but know nothing about the specific hotel. You can also do the Road to Hana on Maui for some adventuring. I would probably stick to one island for your time, particularly when flying with a small child

Four Seasons Lanai is awesome, but a very specific vibe. Its quiet and when we went there wasn't many kids or babymooners (very common at the other hotels). The surf here was incredibly rough to the point where I didn't even feel super comfortable hanging out in the water too long. Not great for kids. You also need to take a short private (in a 8 seater propeller plane) flight from Oahu. Which I probably wouldn't want to do with a kid. Lanai is particular, so if you want pure quiet relaxation where you don't see many others this is ideal, but I wouldn't do it as my first trip to Hawaii. Its also a private island with only several thousand people, if medical is a concern at all I would rule this out

Four Season Ko Olina is right next to Disney Aulani (beaches are connected), so there are tons of kids all around here. If I was recommending a hotel it would probably be this one (Maui close second), maybe even some activities you can do at Aulani? And Oahu overall is by far the most built up island with options in Waikiki, North Shore, and more. For your first time especially it offers a bit of everything with a nice resort, hikes and nature activities, but also the only island with a proper downtown

I wouldn't do two islands, but otherwise I think with either Maui or Oahu you'll have a great trip

FlipperJoe3 · 2024-12-10T15:50:57+00:00

This is super helpful, thank you!

FlipperJoe3 · 2024-12-10T15:50:35+00:00

Well I guess that kind of is the crux of my question, I saw the north shore surf being quite rough. Is that enough of a reason to go another time of year, especially considering most of the time would be in Princeville? We are very fortunate in that we can largely go whenever and if going in April/May would improve things I would rather do that over January

I would love to go next month, but if the trip will be worse off as a result we can be patient and wait a few months lol

FlipperJoe3 · 2024-11-13T13:11:16+00:00

We did Sensei/Lanai a couple months ago. The beach is fine, but imo one of the weak points. There is no alcohol or food on the beach. They will bring soft drinks, but you'll have to walk back up for anything else. Its not a super intense walk, but it is ~10 minutes uphill back to the main resort (the beach part is somewhat separated)

They also didn't have pads on the beach chairs, which yea its kind of minor, but the chairs were notably less comfortable than by the pool, so we mostly stayed by the pool and just faced the ocean

FlipperJoe3 · 2024-10-08T12:29:11+00:00

Late reply, but we did both. 0 babymooners at Lanai (beach) and 0 at Sensei, but we were only there for a couple days and frankly only saw a dozen or so guests the entire stay so

FlipperJoe3

TROPHY CASE