👨‍✈️ The Briefing Room:

Notes and open topics from the editor’s desk.

Welcome to Departures. The place to be for where to go and what to see. Happy Friday everyone! Here’s another amazing last minute transatlantic deal from the great folks over at Norse. So far the most aggressive deals on transatlantic flights I’ve seen all year.

Alvin

💰 The Deal:

This special sale is for travel during the month of October. It is only available directly through the airline’s official website flynorse.com and available while supplies last. So you will definitely need to act fast. As of this morning as I am writing this there are still plenty of seats and dates available at the sale price. I’ve included screenshots of all the destinations and circled the best prices in red:

✈️ About Norse Air:

We’ve featured Norse in the past as it consistently ranks as one of our top value long haul carriers in the market. It operates similar routes to Play and French Bee. The biggest difference is that Norse offers a lot more non-stop point to point routes and connects via Oslo, Norway.

📸 About the Aircraft:

One of my favorite things about Norse is that it flies a fleet made entirely out of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. These are among the most comfortable cabins for long haul flights in the industry.

They offer a modern in flight entertainment system and have a good selection of choices on their menu.

The complete PDF menu is available for download on Calameo here:

Norse Inflight Menu

🧳 Baggage Allowance

As with all ultra low cost carriers (and most full service ones) the baggage allowance is limited. For the Economy Light fare product in this sale, Norse only includes 1 personal item. Here is a chart of charges for additional baggage and other services:

🛫 About Us:

Departures is a free newsletter about photography, travel & lifestyle. To find out more about what this is, who I am and why should you be here, visit our dedicated about page here:

About Departures

👨‍✈️ The Briefing Room:

Notes and open topics from the editor’s desk.

Welcome to Departures. The place to be for where to go and what to see! This week TAP Portugal has some hot sales departing out of Chicago Let’s check them out!

Alvin

💰 The Deal:

Chicago to Barcelona Round Trip for €360. This special sale is for travel between October 2024 and November 2024. What really made this deal stand out for me was that it includes x1 personal item, x1 carry-on and the meal. This deal is only available directly through the airline’s official website flytap.com. Like most of these deals, it is limited to availability and at this price, it won’t be long before seats sell out. So you will definitely need to act fast. For easy reference, bellow is the chart with the lowest prices for each month with the best travel days highlighted in red:

Chicago to Paris Round Trip for €400. This special sale is for travel between October 2024 and November 2024. As with the Barcelona deal above, it includes x1 personal item, x1 carry-on and the meal. This deal is only available directly through the airline’s official website flytap.com. Like most of these deals, it is limited to availability and at this price, it won’t be long before seats sell out. This is the chart for the Chicago - Paris route with the lowest prices for each month with the best travel days highlighted in red:

✈️ About Tap Portugal:

TAP Portugal is a full service carrier that operates flights to close to 100 destinations in more than 30 countries around the world. The airline is the flag carrier of Portugal and their main hub is located in Lisbon with a secondary hub in Porto.

📸 About the Aircraft:

One of the things I like the most about Tap is their fleet of brand new Airbus A330neo aircraft which I highly prefer over the smaller A320/321neo’s from Play Air. In my opinion, these aircraft are quieter and roomier.

Each seat is equipped with an infotainment system, headphone jack and USB charging port. Overall they offer a better inflight experience than their more compact counterparts. Limited paid WiFi service is also available onboard.

🛫 About Us:

Departures is a free newsletter about photography, travel & lifestyle. To find out more about what this is, who I am and why should you be here, visit our dedicated about page here:

About Departures

👨‍✈️ The Briefing Room:

Notes and open topics from the editor’s desk.

Welcome to Departures. The place to be for where to go and what to see! This week French Bee dropped some hot sales for those post summer travel blues. Let’s check them out!

Alvin

💰 The Deal:

New York to Paris Non-Stop for $110. This special sale is for travel between September 2024 and November 2024 (Similar dates are available from Los Angeles from $235). This deal is only available directly through the airline’s official website frenchbee.com. Like most of these deals, it is limited to availability and at this price, it won’t be long before seats sell out. So you will definitely need to act fast. For easy reference, bellow is the chart with the lowest prices for each month in red:

✈️ About French Bee:

French Bee (and it’s sister airline Air Caraibes) is another one of our top picks for value long haul carriers right now. It operates similar it competes in the transatlantic routes with Norse and Play Air. The biggest difference is that French Bee / Air Caraibes connect all its destinations via Paris Orly. Another thing to note is they operate in New York out of Newark International Airport, so they offer a bit more convenience over Play Air which serves New York out of Stewart Airport.

📸 About the Aircraft:

One of the things I like the most about French Bee is their fleet of brand new Airbus A350 aircraft which I highly prefer over the smaller A320/321neo’s from Play Air. In my opinion, these aircraft are quieter and roomier.

Each seat is equipped with an infotainment system, headphone jack and USB charging port. Overall they offer a better inflight experience than their more compact counterparts. Limited paid WiFi service is also available onboard.

🛫 About Us:

Departures is a free newsletter about photography, travel & lifestyle. To find out more about what this is, who I am and why should you be here, visit our dedicated about page here:

About Departures

👨‍✈️ The Briefing Room:

Notes and open topics from the editor’s desk.

Welcome Departures. The place to be for where to go and what to see. Amazon’s Prime Day sale is one of the most exciting shopping days of the summer. For those of you who might not be familiar with the concept, it is the 2 days of site wide sales on all sorts of items. So I have curated and compiled a list of my favorite deals on travel gear. Note that you must be an Amazon Prime Member to be eligible to purchase Prime Exclusive Deals during Prime Day. If you are not an Amazon Prime Member, you can sign up for a FREE 30 day trail here:

Start your free 30-day trial

All these items I have personally owned and all have over 4 stars on Amazon. Don’t forget deals will run through July 17th, 23:59PM PST and items can sell out. So now without further ado, let’s take it away!

Alvin

1. Beats Studio Buds

I recently added the Beats Studio buds my list of favorite wireless buds for their unique sound signature over my AirPods Pro. At almost 1/2 off they are the best value in noise cancelling wireless buds in the market right now. They come in 6 different colors.

Prime Day Deal: -47% $79.00

List Price: $149.00

Get this deal

2. Apple AirPods Max

If you in the Apple ecosystem, it doesn’t get any better than this. Excellent sound quality, noise cancellation and ergonomics. This is the lowest price I’ve ever seen them.

Prime Day Deal: -28% $394.99

List Price: $549.00

Get this deal

3. Twelve South AirFly

I reviewed the AirFly last year. If you missed the review, the AirFly plugs in to your in seat entertainment system and allows you to use any bluetooth headphone with it. I never board a flight without it.

Prime Day Deal: -24% $41.79

List Price $54.99

Get this deal

4. TomToc RFID Blocking Belt Bag & Compact EDC Sling

I have an unhealthy relationship with bags and pouches. I own several TomToc bags and the Compact EDC Sling bellow is my favorite every day cary bag while traveling and around town. These both come in various colors.

Prime Day Deal: -20% $23.99

List Price: $29.99

Get this deal

Prime Day Deal: -25% 32.44

List Price: $42.99

Get this deal

5. Samsonite Styrde 2 Hardside Expandable Luggage

Before switching from roller bags to duffles, the Stryde was my main choice of carry-on. Lightweight, super strong and very versatile.

Prime Day Deal: -41% $154.22

List Price $259.00

Get this deal

6. MZOO Sleep Eye Mask

I was never really able to use sleeping masks until I discovered the MZOO eye mask. The eye sockets make the mask feel like it’s not even there. Highly recommend it.

Prime Day Deal: -41% $16.99

List Price: $28.99

Get this deal

7. Anker Prime 67W 3 port USB C Charger

Anker is another brand I have been using for years. I currently travel exclusively with this charger to power all my devices. I also have the EU version which doesn’t have the folding prongs.

Prime Day Deal: -33% $39.00

List Price: $59.00

Get this deal

8. Anker Magnetic Battery Charger with Stand

I’ve had this battery for over a year and it never leaves my TomToc Compact EDC Sling (see above). It charges my phone multiple times and doubles as a phone stand in both portrait and landscape orientation.

Prime Day Deal: -44% $44.98

List Price: $79.99

Get this deal

9. Sony ZV-1F Camera

Originally marketed as a “Vlogging” camera, the Sony ZV-1F is one of the most underrated compact travel cameras in the market right now. If you want to upgrade from your cellphone photos, this is a perfect option. It also comes in white.

Prime Day Deal: -20% $398.00

List Price: $499.99

Get this deal

10. Canon EOS R100 Mirrorless Camera

As great as the Sony ZV-1F above is, sometimes we want to step up our photo game even further. If that’s you and don’t mind the additional size and weight, the Canon EOS R100 is currently at the same price as the Sony. Biggest difference aside from that being the you have the option to interchange lenses. So if you are looking to get into serious photography, The Canon EOS R100 is a great entry point.

Prime Day Deal: -20% $399.00

List Price: $499.00

Get this deal

🛫 About Us:

Departures is a free newsletter about photography, travel & lifestyle. To find out more about what this is, who I am and why should you be here, visit our dedicated about page here:

About Departures

👨‍✈️ The Briefing Room:

Notes and open topics from the editor’s desk.

Welcome to Departures. The place to be for where to go and what to see. Hope everyone’s had a great start to the new year. Flights can often be most expensive part of a trip, but it doesn’t always have to be that way. As someone who depends on long haul flights to commute back and forth between jobs on a weekly basis, I am always looking for ways to save money. So in this edition of Departures I am highlighting some of the new carriers coming in to the low-cost-long-haul space with fresh routes and innovative products that can save you thousands for 2024 and beyond.

So now without further ado, let’s take it away!

Alvin

📰 Best strategies to save on flights:

Tips and tricks to get the most out of your money when booking your next trip.

When bargain hunting, you will always run into compromises. With some carriers it will be more than others. From arriving at smaller airports outside the main city centers, limited inflight service and ancillary charges for certain amenities, it all comes with the territory. You must ultimately decide if the cost savings are worth it for you. Just make sure you read all the fine print and adjust your expectations accordingly. If in the end going the low cost carrier route is not for you, here are some best practices I highly recommend employing to save money when booking your next flight regardless how you decide to travel:

1. Subscribe to alerts. It is a common practice for carriers to price a limited number of seats in each flight very aggressively in order to kickstart the sale of the flight. These usually sell out pretty fast so take any advantage you can get in order to grab first dibs on the sale. Subscribe to price alerts directly from the airline and/or your favorite aggregator site.

2. Have flexible dates. Having a flexible calendar is probably the single most effective way to save the most on airfare. Whether you choose to go full service or low cost, all carriers follow fairly similar pricing models and prices will fluctuate around certain seasons. The more flexibility you have, the better you will position yourself to use the calendar to your financial advantage.

3. Have flexible destinations. Flying to/from local regional airports will usually increase the cost of flights exponentially. If you go through the carriers in this list you will notice that they all operate out of major international hubs and from airports that offer lower operating fees. Although this might not be the most convenient, it opens up the possibility for other options, specially on the European side where flights, trains and bus routes are so accessible.

4. Book in advance. At the very latest 6 weeks in advance. Although deals can still be occasionally found beyond the 6 week mark, the odds will usually not be in your favor. Booking in advance while having a flexible schedule is my main “left-jab-right-hook” strategy to always landing the best deals on airfare.

5. Pack light. Long gone are the days where you could pack carelessly and throw half your wardrobe into your multiple checked bags “just in case”. Even full service carriers these days want to nickel and dime each passenger as much as they can. So be aware of all the specific allowances of your carrier and be prepared to pack accordingly.

✈️ How to Fly to Europe for under $200:

These are the carriers to watch in 2024 for the most affordable flights from North America to Europe.

Norse Air

It is no secret the pandemic hit the airline industry particularly hard. Out of all the casualties that came from the aftermath, Norwegian’s transatlantic operations was the one that affected me personally the most. It was my preferred carrier for both Europe and Asia. So I was very happy to hear last year that Norse would be taking over Norwegian’s Boeing 787’s Dreamliners, part of their routes and more importantly their low fares + fees for everything business model.

Last February they ran a sale on their Economy Light product from New York to London for $99 each way.

Most of the year though, bargain hunters can cross the Atlantic from Los Angeles, New York or Miami direct to Oslo for just over $100 each way. Flights to and from Los Angeles start at $179. Here’s a chart of their 3 economy products:

Additionally they also offer several premium products (not listed here) and the ability to upgrade only certain parts of the experience with add-ons for wifi, special luggage, seat selection and in-flight meal service.

via: flynorse.com

Play Air

Where Norse is taking over where Norwegian left off, Play is filling the shoes of Wow Air, the failed Icelandic carrier that ceased operations in 2019. Like its predecessor, Play connects Europe and North America via Reykjavík and it’s a great option for a long stopover if you fancy to witness some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world on your way to or from your final destination. Although unlike the country’s national carrier Iceland Air which has the stopover feature built in to the site, with Play you will need to book your itinerary point to point on your own with separate tickets each way.

A couple of things to note, Play flies the smaller Airbus A320/321neo aircraft which in my experience can feel a little cramped for a long haul flight. This might or might not be a deal breaker for you, but I always prefer the larger aircraft on anything over 4-5 hours. The other caveat that you might also want to consider if planning to fly in / out of New York is they only service Stewart International Airport, which is about 1.5 hours north of Manhattan.

Pricing wise, they are typically not as aggressive as Norse, but you can still find plenty of under $200 itineraries off season to most of the destinations they service in Europe. Last December they ran a sale for travel between January 2024 and April 2024 on select dates for €107. Different to Norse, Play offers only one “Economy” cabin class with no seat back entertainment or Wifi. Luggage beyond your personal item, food, drinks and seat selection are all ancillary.

via: flyplay.com

French Bee (Honorable Mention)

Originally called “French Blue”, the Paris based carrier had to abruptly rebrand after objections from US based JetBlue. The carrier began its direct service between Paris Orly and Newark International on September 2019 only to temporarily suspend its US operations in light of all the Covid restrictions a few months later.

They offer non-stop flights to all my most frequented US cities including new seasonal service to Miami. They also operate a fleet of Airbus A350’s that offer a very similar flight experience to Norse Air’s Boeing 787’s.

With fares for Paris to New York regularly available for $139, they served as my goto carrier to commute back and forth to the US for the longest time. Mostly because they flew out of Orly which is always less congested than Charles de Gaulle and way more accessible than Beauvais airport. Because it is so early in the year, I am not ready to completely drop them from the list. But given that just like the rest of the carriers in the ultra low cost space the price only includes flight and an under seat bag, I will probably not be using them unless I find a good sale.

via frenchbee.com

Fly Atlantic (Summer 2025)

Originally scheduled to make their maiden flight on June 2024, they have pushed back to Summer 2025. The airline is setting itself up to cover the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States and Canada through its hub in Belfast, Ireland. They will operate a fleet of bran new Airbus A321neos in what the their CEO Andrew Pyne says will be a “factory fresh opportunity to innovate and be creative with how we configure the cabin”. I will update this post as more information becomes available.

via flyatlantic.com

Global Airlines (Summer 2025)

The latest contender to enter the low cost transatlantic market is British startup Global Airlines. After a few delays to their initial 2024 launch, the airline is set to connect Los Angeles and New York with London for the summer of 2025. Very excited to see what they do with their fleet of A380 Super Jumbos.

via globalairlines.com

🛫 About Us:

Departures is a free newsletter about photography, travel & lifestyle. To find out more about what this is, who I am and why should you be here, visit our dedicated about page here:

About Departures

👨‍✈️ The Briefing Room:

Notes and open topics from the editor’s desk.

Welcome to Departures. The place to be for where to go and what to see. Happy Friday everyone! Here’s another amazing last minute transatlantic deal from the great folks over at Norse. So far the best deal I’ve seen in the last few months.

Alvin

💰 The Deal:

New York (JFK) to London (LGW) non-stop for $99. This special sale is for travel between now and March 22nd 2024. It is only available directly through the airlines official website flynorse.com and expires Monday, February 5th at 12:00m, or when the seats sell out. So you will definitely need to act fast. As of this morning there were still plenty of seats available at the sale price:

Though the lowest price is between New York and London, there are also other great fares for other European destinations including:

• Orlando (MCO) to London Gatwick (LGW) from $129

• Miami (MIA) to London Gatwick (LGW) from $129

• Miami (MIA) to Paris (CDG) from $129

• Miami (MIA) to Oslo (OSL) from $129

✈️ About Norse Air:

We’ve featured Norse in the past as it consistently ranks as one of our top value long haul carriers in the market. It operates similar routes to Play and French Bee. The biggest difference is that Norse offers a lot more non-stop point to point routes and connects via Oslo, Norway.

📸 About the Aircraft:

One of my favorite things about Norse is that it flies a fleet made entirely out of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. These are among the most comfortable cabins for long haul flights in the industry.

They offer a modern in flight entertainment system and have a good selection of choices on their menu.

The complete PDF menu is available for download on Calameo here:

Norse Inflight Menu

🧳 Baggage Allowance

As with all ultra low cost carriers (and most full service ones) the baggage allowance is limited. For the Economy Light fare product in this sale, Norse only includes 1 personal item. Here is a chart of charges for additional baggage and other services:

If you are a minimal or efficient packer, you can maximize your carry to fit the personal item dimensions with a backpack like this one from Eastpak:

via: eastpak.com

🛫 About Us:

Departures is a free newsletter about photography, travel & lifestyle. To find out more about what this is, who I am and why should you be here, visit our dedicated about page here:

About Departures

👨‍✈️ The Briefing Room:

Notes and open topics from the editor’s desk.

Welcome to Departures. The place to be for where to go and what to see. Last week we brought you one of the best transatlantic deals we had come across in a very long while thanks to the folks over at Play Air. One of the big caveats of last week’s sale though is it was only for the Play’s Basic fare and had very limited baggage allowance. Well not to be out done, this week French Bee heats up the competition by throwing in a piece of checked luggage to their already excellent Basic and Smart fare classes.

Alvin

💰 The Deal:

First piece of checked baggage (50 lbs/23kg) free of charge for BASIC fares, and a second piece of baggage free of charge for SMART fares. Depending on how you normally book, this could mean up to $100 savings per way / per passenger. This special sale is valid for flights (one-way or round-trip) operated by French bee departing from Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco, or New York to Paris-Orly. It is only available directly through the airlines official website frenchbee.com. Offer expires tomorrow Sunday, December 17th at 12:00m (Central European Time). So you will definitely need to act fast.

✈️ About French Bee:

French Bee (and it’s sister airline Air Caraibes) is another one of our top picks for value long haul carriers right now. It operates similar it competes in the transatlantic routes with Norse and Play Air. The biggest difference is that French Bee / Air Caraibes connect all its destinations via Paris Orly. Another thing to note is they operate in New York out of Newark International Airport, so they offer a bit more convenience over Play Air which serves New York out of Stewart Airport.

📸 About the Aircraft:

One of the things I like the most about French Bee is their fleet of brand new Airbus A350 aircraft which I highly prefer over the smaller A320/321neo’s from Play Air. In my opinion, these aircraft are quieter and roomier.

Each seat is equipped with an infotainment system, headphone jack and USB charging port. Overall they offer a better inflight experience than their more compact counterparts. Limited paid WiFi service is also available onboard.

🛫 About Us:

Departures is a free newsletter about photography, travel & lifestyle. To find out more about what this is, who I am and why should you be here, visit our dedicated about page here:

About Departures

👨‍✈️ The Briefing Room:

Notes and open topics from the editor’s desk.

Welcome to Departures. The place to be for where to go and what to see. Even though it’s been quiet around these parts as of late, doesn’t mean we have not been busy. Between putting the finishing touches to the studio and final tweaks to the podcast, we ran across this amazing deal that is just too hard to pass on.

Alvin

💰 The Deal:

New York to Paris via Reykjavík for €107. This special sale is for travel between January 2024 and April 2024. It is only available directly through the airlines official website flyplay.com and expires tonight Friday, December 8th at 12:00m or when the seats sell out. So you will definitely need to act fast. For easy reference, bellow is the chart with the lowest prices for each month circled in red:

✈️ About Play Air:

We’ve featured Play in the past as it consistently ranks as one of our top value long haul carriers in the market. It operates similar routes to Norse and French Bee. The biggest difference is that Play connects Europe and North America via Reykjavík and it’s a great option for a long stopover if you fancy to witness some of the most beautiful landscapes in the world on your way to or from your final destination.

📸 About the Aircraft:

A couple of things to note, Play flies the smaller Airbus A320/321neo aircraft which in my experience can feel a little cramped for a long haul flight. This might or might not be a deal breaker for you, but I always prefer the larger aircraft on anything over 4-5 hours. Play offers only one “Economy” cabin class with no seat back entertainment or Wifi. Luggage beyond your personal item, food, drinks and seat selection are all ancillary.

The other caveat that you might also want to consider if planning to fly in / out of New York is they only service Stewart International Airport, which is about 75 minutes north of Manhattan. There is an express bus service to and from Stewart International Airport and the 42nd Street Port Authority bus terminal operated by Megabus. It is $25 each way.

The bus schedule is synchronized to the Play Air flights so in that regard, your transfer should be pretty seamless. If New York City is not your final destination and you are changing airports, make sure to give yourself a lot of headroom between connections.

🧳 Baggage Allowance

As with all ultra low cost carriers (and most full service ones) the baggage allowance is limited. For the basic fare product in this sale, Play only includes 1 personal item. Here is a chart of charges for additional baggage and other services:

If you are a minimal or efficient packer, you can maximize your carry to fit the personal item dimensions with a backpack like this one from Eastpak:

via: eastpak.com

🛫 About Us:

Departures is a free newsletter about photography, travel & lifestyle. To find out more about what this is, who I am and why should you be here, visit our dedicated about page here:

About Departures