Flight UPgrades: A How-To Guide

[trip style = luxury on a budget]

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Editor's Note: We're currently on a research trip which has us exploring Kuala Lumpur, Bali and Tokyo. With this, we'll be pausing in our in-flight schedule this Thursday and next week, returning May 8th with our regular Tuesday-Thursday Trip Stylin'. In the meantime, check out our posts on Instagram. 
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Scoring a flight upgrade is akin to Willy Wonka's Golden Ticket—a sweet deal worth munching on a few regular chocolate bars to unwrap the golden one.

Going from economy to cushy class without status is a hard-to-achieve travel perk, but when it happens, it's like you've entered a candy land you never want to leave. Think: lie-flat seats that double as massage chairs {Emirates}, sommelier-selected wines {most major airlines}, and lounges with included manicures {Virgin Atlantic} or made-to-order noodles {Cathay Pacific}. 

Two weeks ago I wrote an article for the Expedia Viewfinder Travel Blog—to which I'm a regular contributor—about how to score a business class upgrade in the clouds. In it, I list six tips to get you one step closer to Champagne perks at 35,000ft based on how I've scored sudden upgrades. To give you a hint of what's in the article, here are the tips in their ultra-basic form. Find the FULL details, here. 

1/ Dress nicely. Need some inspiration? Follow our JetSet Style series.

2/ Fly airlines offering low-cost upgrades. No joke; if the stars align, you can upgrade for as low as $50.

3/ Focus on B routes at B times. Unless you have status, it's hard to get bumped to the front of the plane if you're flying major routes like Vancouver to Toronto, or Los Angeles to New York. 

4/ Be nice, and treat those around you like humans versus droids. The power of nice can have a huge impact on your seat selection. 

5/ Get serious about travel credit card spending and racking up miles with an airline alliance. 

6/ Ask. It can't hurt. 

[top photo by @tripstyler, bottom photo via Cathay Pacific]

West Coast Escapes

[trip style = weekend getaway]

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

The problem with wanderlust—a strong desire to travel—is that it can never really be quenched. When I get away, I'm already planning my next retreat. Not out of the need to escape my everyday life, but fuelled by the joy of discovering somewhere new or the comfort of returning somewhere special. Standing on a beach last week, with only the Pacific between me and Japan, I couldn't help but take a mental trip down the West Coast and chart a course for an escape—or four. Could one of these destinations be the temporary cure for your wanderlust?

Tofino, BC

What's better than a spontaneous escape to Tofino? {Also known as the ideal place to decompress for fans of fish tacos, surfing, long walks on the beach, gorgeous sunsets and cozy lodges.} Taking advantage of a midweek rate of $100/night, I stayed at the rustic and friendly Middle Beach Lodge last week, where pleasant perks like breakfast, evening cookies and a roaring fire were provided in the communal beachfront lounge.  If you're looking for something more luxurious—perhaps a Travel+Leisure hall of famer—try The Wickaninnish Inn, which we covered last year in Roam+Board. Don't miss the aforementioned fish tacos at local and visitor favorite, Tacofino, and long walks on the beach along Chesterman Beach or Long Beach, part of Pacific Rim National Park Reserve.

Seaview, WA

From one Long Beach to another, a truly unique spot along Washington's southern coast is The Sou'Wester, about 30 minutes north of Astoria, Oregon. This retro glamping escape features a collection of vintage trailers outfitted with record players, wood panelling and lawn chairs straight out of your childhood. Read up on this nostalgic seaside escape in Roam+Board.

Big Sur, CA

This cliff-top destination on California's central coast is one of North America's most popular and romanticized stretches of coastline. High rollers can perch themselves high above the beach at the Post Ranch Inn or Ventana Inn, while those looking for something a little more rustic and midcentury can check into a cabin at Glen Oaks Big Sur, previously featured on Roam+Board. I hear McWay Falls, Pfeiffer Beach, Big Sur Bakery and Deetjen's are not to be missed.

Santa Barbara, CA

I've been crushing on a collection of cabins, yurts and safari tents on Instagram for the past year. El Capitan Canyon is a private camping resort tucked between a state beach and a national forest 20 miles north of Santa Barbara; the perfect place for those seeking to unplug, unwind and toast a few marshmallows alongside hip LA families on holiday. {And dangerously close to Santa Barbara wine country, which is a must visit!} If your idea of relaxing is more poolside than creekside, check into Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara, a historic hotel in a spectacular setting that shouldn't be missed. Did someone say "happy hour"?

[tofino photos by @heatherlovesit, others via long beach peninsula tourism, wikimedia, el capitan canyon]

Jetset Style :: Kimonos

[trip style = any]

This post is written by Trip Styler's Assistant Wayfarer/Editor Heather.

A nouveau boho movement is sweeping the planet faster than you can say flower crown. Less Coachella and more style staple, the kimono is the perfect packable piece for anytime, anywhere travel. 

I wear my kimonos at the beach as a cover-up, with an all-black ensemble of skinny jeans and tank top, over denim cut-offs paired with a wide-brimmed hat {see our favorites here}, or even at the office belted over a slim maxi dress.

Whether you're into cheap and cheerful, fringed and flowing, short and simple, or long and loud, there's a kimono for you at a price you can handle.

Men: Feeling left out? Look for a shirt with a kimono print this Spring.

Trip Styler Tip: Board shops are a great place to begin looking for inexpensive printed kimonos for the beach.

Where to buy: #1 / #2 / #3 / #4

Where to buy: #1 / #2 / #3 / #4

Where to buy: #1 / #2 / #3 / #4

[top image via spell & the gypsy collective]

Roam+Board :: Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai

[trip style = luxe + foodie + sun + spa]

Editor's Note: This R+B is part of a series on my luxury jaunt to Asia. Earlier posts include: flying Cathay Pacific's business class, exploring Hong Kong and checking into the Four Seasons Hong Kong. Look for a wrap-up in a few weeks, when I take you on an elephant trek in the Golden Triangle {where Thailand, Laos and Myanmar meet}. 

What
Staying in hotels as my passion project and my living means resorts are much more than a stay I've sought out, or an assignment I've been given; they are my second home, my source of inspiration and my global community {from the room attendants to the other guests}. And sometimes, I can't shake certain stays.

The Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai is one of them. Sprawling 20 acres over botanical gardens and a working rice farm in Northern Thailand, the resort's tall curvy roofs, open-air living and stepping-stone pathways, designed in an ode to the area's Lanna Kingdom heritage, are only part of its je ne sais quoi. Looking back, the reason I can't {and will never} shake this stay, is the property's personality. In a word, it's got soul. 

Built around gently cascading rice terraces, 64 pavilions accompanied by a private outdoor living room {aka: sala} beg you to be. Three hours later, you realize you drifted away. While I'm normally a go-go-go gal, the surrounding quietness and beauty lulled me into a never-never land. Beyond the pavilions, a collection of 34 pool villas and private residences round out the wild and with-it accommodations. 

Aside from a sightseeing and shopping visit to the 700-year-old city—Chiang Mai is the cultural capital of Thailand—a trip to the Spa and a few sun sessions by the infinity pool, I spent most of my time consuming Northern Thailand's famous fare like kaow soi gai {the area's signature yellow curry noodles with chicken} in the hotel's four restaurants.

My culinary crescendo came on the last night in the hotel's Cooking School when under the tutelage of Chef and local restaurant owner Nuttaluck Roswan, I prepared green papaya salad and noodle-wrapped fried chicken in an exotic dining pavilion sporting exposed-beam ceilings, timber floors and a symphony of copper pots.  

You find the soul of a place through its food. Combine this with the Four Seasons' trip styled setting, it's no wonder I fell so hard. Trip Styler approved.     

Trip Styler Tip: Leave your Jimmy Choos at home; the cobblestone and teak pathways are better tailored to flat soles over spikes.

Where
In Chiang Mai, Thailand's Mae Rim Valley, 30 minutes from the Chiang Mai Airport {CNX} and 20 minutes from the city.

When
Chiang Mai's weather ranges from warm to hot year round. August and September accumulate the most rainfall, so while there's no bad time to visit, most stay between October and May.

Who/Why
Garden variety resorts aren't for you. You want something savvy with soul. A place to be pampered, yet go rice planting; to eat well, yet sharpen your kitchen skills in a cooking school.

Cost
Rates start around $487 a night and include use of mountain bikes, an area resort shuttle, a sauna and herbal steam room. Note: The Four Seasons Resort Chiang Mai skews towards adults, though small ones are welcome and will gush about their own pint-sized resort experience due to the kids club with daily activities.

Photos

Adult pool

Main pool

Chic seating perched over main pool

The dining scene at Sala Mae Rim, one of four resort restaurants

Pad Thai {when in Rome}

Dessert: sweet coconut soup with taro pearls

The Cooking School

Mixing my own green papaya salad in cooking class

Ask for it: Rice Field cocktail

A server offering Monsoon Valley, Thailand's only locally made, beautifully flavored sparkling wine

My pavilion

My bathroom

My outdoor sala, attached to every pavilion

Inside the sala

Lobby lights

Floating flower arrangements, a familiar sight in every corner of the 20-acre property

Two workers--part of a staff of 50 full-time gardeners--tending to the rice fields

The rice paddy parade, an end-of-day procession happening every night at 4.50pm

More Roam+Board
Four Seasons Hong Kong
Korakia Pensione - Palm Springs 
La Gazelle d'Or – Morocco
Mandarin Oriental – Las Vegas
Hotel Lone – Croatia
Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay - Lanai

[photos by @tripstyler, except top photo and cooking school via Four Seasons Chiang Mai, taken as a guest of the hotel]

Roam+Board :: Four Seasons Hong Kong

[trip style = luxe + urban + food & wine]

Editor's Note: This R+B is part of a series on my luxury jaunt to Asia. Earlier posts: flying Cathay Pacific's business class, and exploring Hong Kong. 

What
The Four Seasons Hong Kong exists at the cusp of business and pleasure, boasting the streamlined efficiency of a Fortune 500 company and the escapism of a far-flung retreat. Graced with a soothing blend of Asian hospitality and Four Seasons' signature service, I felt at home the minute I walked into the sleek and daylight-drenched lobby.  

Not holding anything back, each room features floor-to-ceiling views and a marble ensuite flaunting fresh flowers and separate spaces to soak and rinse. The pillowy-firm beds, seemingly outfitted for the long-haul traveler, mean sweet dreams quickly overtake jet lag. 

Completely content with the lure of the Spa, Pool Terrace and Michelin-star restaurants, there were moments when I second-guessed walking out the front door into the waterfront metropolis. There's a distinct retreat quality to the urban tower.

Intent on experiencing the hotel with all five senses, every day, I did two things: Swim in the infinity pool perched over Victoria Harbour {pictured above}, and visit the Spa's water therapy circuit, complimentary for guests and the ULTIMATE way reinvigorate the body after flying.

At night, it only seemed fitting to delve deeper into the hotel's global allure and toast the city, where I started dating my husband, at Caprice, home to Asia's largest selection of artisanal French cheese. In the discreet and dark-hued bar-lounge, I sat in a velvet settee with a glass of Bordeaux, a wooden board of cheese and the hope that my trip styled stay could one day be repeated. Trip Styler approved.

Where
In the heart of the Financial District on Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong, 25 minutes from the airport via the Airport Express train or 35 minutes by car/taxi.

When
Hong Kong's weather is sweetest in spring and fall when precipitation is at a minimum and temperatures are warm like a West Coast summer.

Who/Why
You're looking to make a splash in Hong Kong, both in the rooftop infinity pool, as well as in the Michelin-starred restaurants.

Cost
Rates start around $545 a night and include free WiFi and access to the Spa's vitality lounge, thalassotherapy pool, steam, infrared sauna. 

Photos

Pool terrace

My room

My bathroom

Bathroom orchids

Tai Chi with master William

Dim sum in Lung King Heen, the world's first three Michelin star restaurant

Caprice Bar

French cheese board at Caprice Bar

Thalassotherapy pool with chi water in the Spa

More Roam+Board
Korakia Pensione - Palm Springs 
La Gazelle d'Or – Morocco
Mandarin Oriental – Las Vegas
Hotel Lone – Croatia
Four Seasons Resort at Manele Bay - Lanai

[photos by @tripstyler, except lead image and Caprice Bar via Four Seasons Hong Kong, taken as a guest of the hotel]