I’m sorry to tease a preview in this way, but I have a reason I’m not revealing more until the trip kicks off. So let me explain, as I’m downright giddy — while there are several flights that I’m excited about, there’s one in particular that I can’t wait to experience, for better or worse.
I’m going to Europe… the very long way in both directions
We just wrapped up a month-long family trip to Europe, which was fun, but very exhausting. I realize people enjoy true review trips, and that’s exactly what I have planned for the coming weeks. I’m leaving next week, and will share all the details mid-week, less than a week from now. My plan is to share live updates, as usual, and then of course to publish a full trip report upon returning home.
In reality, this is a combination of two things — a cruise that has been planned for a very long time, and a review trip-style routing to get to the starting and ending points. Earlier this year I sailed on a Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection journey, my first cruise since childhood. I was very impressed by the experience, and it has prompted me to book some more cruises, especially given the interesting growth in the segment at the moment.
So in the near future we’ll be taking a cruise in Europe, and I’ll let y’all guess which cruise line it is. While Ford will be flying there as directly as possible, I’ll of course take a more roundabout routing, leaving a few days earlier, and returning a few days later.
Hints about the fun itinerary that I have planned
Like I said, I’ll reveal the full details of the routing in the coming days, and will also explain why I’m doing it that way, but in the meantime, let me drop some hints. For the outbound portion of the trip:
- I’ll be flying across the Atlantic in a business class product belonging to a European airline; while I’ve flown the airline and the seat type before, I haven’t flown the plane type, and look forward to experiencing the updated soft product
- I’ll then be flying the “strange” airline that has probably fascinated me for the longest, and this is the part of the trip that I’m most looking forward to
- I’ll then be flying what’s probably a pretty controversial first class product, but I think the ground experience will be great, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it makes my list of the world’s top first class lounges
For the return portion of the trip:
- I’ll be flying a national carrier that I’ve heard has improved quite a bit over the years, since I last flew with it
- I’ll then be flying one of the most talked about airline startups out there, because I’ve gotta give it a try
- I’ll then be flying the new business class product of an airline from the United States, which I haven’t yet flown
Bottom line
I’ll shortly be taking a cruise that I’m looking forward to, but perhaps what’s even more exciting is how I’ll be flying there and back. The flights that get me the most excited aren’t the most luxurious ones, but instead, the ones where I don’t really know what to expect.
That’s one of the reasons that I’m so looking forward to this trip — these airlines are all over the place in terms of quality, but more than anything, I just don’t know what to expect. One flight in particular has me the most excited.
Stay tuned, and thanks for your patience… and again, sorry for this teasing, but I’m so excited, so I want to say something, but I also want to be strategic about what I say until… well, you’ll see.