Matthew Issa Travel, LLC

06/01/2025

Low cost premium economy to Europe. Worth it for $448?!

Over Thanksgiving, I flew French Bee from Newark to Paris-Orly. French Bee is a low-cost airline offering long-haul flights to Paris from various destinations. I decided to try their premium blue cabin, which is advertised as equal to a premium economy on any mainstream airline. My recommendation: do it if budget/price is your main priority, but this is not a truly premium experience.

Overall rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌑🌑 (3/5)

Pros:
-Cheap, cheap, cheap. One-way premium economy on a direct flight to Paris is usually north of $1,000
-All-inclusive fare: the fare includes bags, meals, seat choice and drinks of your choice.
-Wide seats
-Good entertainment selection

Cons:
-The seats in front of you go way too far back, leaving you practically trapped in your seat.
-There is a lot of room between the window seat and the wall, making sleep quite difficult.
-The seats were quite thin.

02/11/2024

Premium Economy—is it worth it?

This is one of the most common questions I get from clients. Short answer: it depends. Different airlines have wildly different premium economy experiences, so you need someone flying a lot of these to help you figure it out!

Recently, I flew British Airways’ Premium Economy (branded World Traveller Plus) across to London, and here are my thoughts. I think if you can get on it, then do it.�
Overall Rating: 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

Pros:
-Truly roomy seat with extra legroom and recline, and a footrest
-A unique meal service that is different from economy class
-Perks like amenity kits and extra nice blanket

Con:
-This is more for the airline generally, but BA’s entertainment systems could use an upgrade

19/09/2024

HOW did I get a night at the St. Regis Doha for $265/night—a true steal at a luxury property with VIP treatment all around?

When you book your stays with Matthew Issa Travel, you get VIP treatment at over 7,500 properties (and growing!), including many luxury and five-star options.

Some of the perks included:

-VIP upgrade priority
-Welcome amenities
-Free breakfast
-Butler service
-Credit for spend at the restaurants and spa
-Early checkin/late checkout

I’ve partnered up with Fora Travel to give my clients access to these VIP perks, and I’m very excited for what’s in store. Happy Travels!l

23/06/2024

Let’s talk about Florence. Florence was absolutely beautiful, and as you may know, the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. So many artistic and historical treasures there, and they were all worth seeing. The only downside to Florence was the crowds: the tiny city is incredibly packed with bad sidewalks and crowded streets, and it made even the easiest walking trips stressful. I would like to go back at some point, but definitely during a quieter season. Here were some of my favorites:

Favorite Bar: Manifattura
Favorite Activity: Pasta Cooking Class
Accommodation: Hotel Rivoli (Basic, affordable accommodation on a beautiful property) and private VRBO apartment (2 BD, 2 BR)
Favorite Museum: Accademia, of course. Look at that David!

29/04/2024

One of the most common questions I get from clients is whether they should buy travel insurance before their trips. As with all insurance, this depends on the traveler’s risk tolerance. However, trip insurance comes with a number of considerations which can be difficult to sort out: What benefits should I care about most? Does trip insurance mean I can change the dates of my trip or cancel it entirely? Does it cover my kids as well?

With so many options, having an experienced traveler to help you sort out what’s available to you is certainly a plus. I am happy to help you make sense of trip insurance and find the best plan for you and your travel companions. Please feel free to reach out to me with any trip-insurance related questions, or any trip planning advice in general. I’m here to help!

Please check out my website or reach out at [email protected] at any time. I am happy to help!

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