Taiwan's EVA Airways Accepted Into Star Alliance

As I posted last June, Taiwan's EVA Airways has been in the process of joining Star Alliance for many months now. Finally, this past Thursday, they were officially accepted into the world's largest airline alliance, with full membership expected in early 2013. This follows on the heels of China Airlines (Taiwan's biggest carrier) joining SkyTeam in late 2011.

Adding EVA Airways strengthens Star Alliance's position in greater China. The extremely lucrative cross-strait route between mainland China and Taiwan (in which foreign carriers are not allowed to fly) gives Star Alliance a huge boost, since Air China and EVA Airways alone account for more than 30% of the total capacity. For people wanting to visit mainland China, EVA Airways operates dozens of daily nonstop flights from Taipei to 19 destinations.

As Frequently Flying pointed out, EVA Airways currently serves six destinations in North America, with daily nonstops to Los Angeles and San Francisco, four times weekly to New York and Seattle, and three times weekly to Vancouver and Toronto. In addition, EVA Airways also serves London, Paris, Amsterdam, and Vienna in Europe. Those of us in the States now have a real alternative to fly nonstop to Taipei with Star Alliance, and also visit cities such as Kaohsiung in Southern Taiwan and Surabaya in Indonesia that were previously off limits. Best of all, EVA Airways now gives us a brand new one-stop route to many popular destinations in Southeast Asia.

With Shenzhen Airlines also becoming a full member in late 2012, Star Alliance would arguably have the best reach in all of Asia, and perhaps even trump SkyTeam in terms of domestic China routes. It also offers those of us who collect United Airlines Mileage Plus miles or US Airways Dividend miles greater ease and flexibility in redeeming for award flights in the region.

A Couple Of Things...

I'm sitting in Cathay Pacific's The Wing lounge at Hong Kong International Airport right now, and I must say, the past 20 hours or so has simply been some of the most enjoyable I've ever experienced - at least when it comes to air travel. We had very strong headwinds going from LAX to HKG, so I was able to savor almost 15 hours non-stop in Cathay Pacific's new business class seat. And let me just say... it was absolutely fantastic. I'll have much more in my full trip report down the road, but I honestly can't think of anything more I could ask for in a business class seat. It was comfortable, spacious, and intelligently designed with tons of room to place your personal items.

I've read plenty of complaints about Cathay Pacific's business class food, but I was pleasantly surprised at how delicious everything tasted and how nicely it was presented. And the service was impeccable - in fact, I would not hesitate for a moment to say that this was hands down better than the first class service I received on Cathay Pacific last July. More details to come when I get back!

A quick note about The Wing... it's definitely much improved compared to last year. Although the first class lounge is still in the process of being renovated, they do have a temporary area called The Atrium for first class passengers only. Since opening up both levels six and seven for business class passengers, it's gotten a lot less crowded all around. I can't wait to see the finished product in a few months time.

Finally, I saw this on Virgin America's Facebook page and literally bust out laughing. Simply too awesome for words :)

Prepping For Cambodia

I'll be leaving for Cambodia today, and I'm especially excited for this trip because of all the different airlines I get to sample, including Cathay Pacific in their new business class, Dragonair, Cambodia Angkor Air, Bangkok Airways, Thai Airways in first class, and Asiana Airlines in both business and first class... just to name a few. I booked a rather complicated return route so I could squeeze in a visit to the Thai Airways Royal First Class Lounge in Bangkok, and also try out Asiana Airlines' first class service from Seoul to Los Angeles. Of course, a full trip report will be forthcoming once I return in early April.

I'm also extremely excited to finally be able to see the famed Angkor Wat. Many of my friends have recounted their amazing experiences there, and I've wanted to visit as soon as possible - before more renovations and access restrictions take effect. Unfortunately, I actually had to cut this trip shorter than planned, as it originally included another week in Laos. The month of March turned into an absolute nightmare at my day job, and I didn't want to give my manager a heart attack by telling him I'd be taking two and a half weeks off! Hopefully I'll be able to visit Laos within the next year or two.

Finally, I'm slightly nervous since this is my first solo trip in about five years. Typically I'm very comfortable navigating around large cities by myself anywhere in the world, but Cambodia might just be a little more adventurous. I will continue to post pictures and updates sporadically, although WiFi access might be spotty depending on where I'm at. Wish me luck, and I'll see you guys again in April!

Air New Zealand Business Premier Amenity Kit Winner

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest, and a huge thank you to Darren over at Frequently Flying for helping me spread the word! I've used an online random number generator, and the winner is Kris Z with comment #25. He's thinking about doing a day trip to Hong Kong later this year... which might be a little hectic, but I certainly hope you can make it happen! You will receive an email from me shortly with a request for address information, and I will get the amenity kit shipped out within the next day or two. Thanks everyone!

25,000 AAdvantage Bonus Miles For DIRECTV

First, a warning that I have never tried DIRECTV, so I can't vouch for the quality or customer service. However, this does appear to be the largest bonus offer I've ever seen for signing up with DIRECTV (or any other cable or satellite TV option for that matter). You might not want to immediately ditch your current provider if you're happy with them right now, but if you are thinking about switching, then this is a great promotion to take advantage of.

Right now, earn 25,000 AAdvantage bonus miles by signing up for a two-year contract with DIRECTV. For just $29.99/month for the first 12 months, you get over 140 channels, including three free months of HBO, Starz, Showtime, and Cinemax. For the final 12 months, the rate goes up to $54.99/month. In addition, you'll get HD and HD DVR for free. Installation is free, there are no start-up costs, and you will also save an extra $20 by signing up online. There are a number of other packages at a range of prices you can choose from. Note that this offer is for new customers only, and it ends on July 18, 2012.

I'm actually seriously contemplating switching over to DIRECTV since I'm paying an arm and a leg right now for Comcast cable service. Check out the promotion website below for complete details: