2024 was full of some great travel experiences for me — I flew 82,892 miles on 10 different airlines and explored five different continents. With all of the travel experiences that I’ve had this year, I wanted to create a list of my favorite travel experiences in 2024.
Favorite long-haul business class flight: Air France, Los Angeles to Paris
My favorite long-haul business class flight in 2024 was easily Air France from Los Angeles to Paris, where I got to experience Air France’s new business class seat (which One Mile at a Time calls the “world’s best business class seat“).
While I’ve never had a bad experience flying Air France (either in business or economy), I was floored by how spacious the bulkhead seat was and it was one of my favorite flights I’ve ever taken thanks to how comfortable and spacious the seat was, the service, and the food.
Favorite short-haul business class flight: Air France, Paris to Naples, Italy
While the flight only clocked in at at 2 hours and 15 minutes and was a typical European business class flight (with the middle seat blocked off, but otherwise the same seats as economy), I was impressed by the service and the meal served on the flight.
I wish American-based airlines would follow Europe in offering delicious food and first-class service on shorter business class flights (in fact, the meal and service on this 2+ hour flight was better than the meal and service on a ~5 hour international business class flight that I took from Los Angeles to Guatemala City, Guatemala on United).
Favorite hotel: Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam
This was my 2nd time staying at the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam and it’s truly one of my favorite hotels in the world. I can’t say enough good things about the high-quality service, the hotel’s central location, the Guerlain Spa, the food, the rooms, and the property itself. Even though I’ve already been trice, I can’t wait to visit again.
Favorite lounge: Air France lounge, Terminal 2F (Paris, France)
After taking the best business class flight that I experienced all year, I had about an hour-and-a-half to spend in the Air France lounge in Terminal 2F before boarding my flight to Naples, Italy, and left incredibly impressed. The lounge is beautifully designed and spacious, the food was delicious, the staff was friendly, and there were enough showers that I didn’t need to wait (which was important, since I didn’t have a ton of time to spend in the lounge).
The only slight negative was that I wasn’t able to get a complimentary spa treatment as the Clarins Spa inside the lounge since it was booked solid, but it gives me something to look forward to for my next trip.
Favorite Airbnb: Blue Sky in Positano, Italy
In May, I got to visit Positano, Italy for the first time and stayed at a wonderful Airbnb that’s aptly named Blue Sky. This two-bedroom Airbnb was quite possibly my favorite Airbnb stay ever for a few reasons: it offered a stunning view of the Amalfi Coast, it was located above the hustle-and-bustle of Positano (away from the crowds and noise), the kitchen was fully stocked with muffins and other treats, the host was always available to help with questions and even assisted with booking local tours and rides, the terrace was massive, and the apartment was so large that it felt like me and my friend had separate apartments where we could hang out or be alone whenever we wanted.
Favorite destination: Serengeti, Tanzania
Going on safari in the Serengeti was an experience I’ll never forget, and I’m already planning my next safari for 2026. While on safari, I was lucky enough to see the “Big 5” (lions, elephants, rhinos, buffalo, and leopards) in a single day, and also to be in the Serengeti during the great wildebeest migration from Tanzania to Kenya.
The safari was definitely outside of my comfort zone, but it was quite possibly my favorite travel experience ever and was definitely my favorite destination of 2024.
Favorite airport: Zurich Airport
I almost always love flying through Zurich Airport, for a few reasons: I like the airport’s modern, minimalist design, going through customs and security is usually a breeze — especially if you’re flying business or first class, and I enjoy the SWISS Business Lounge (particularly the one in Terminal E, which has an outdoor terrace with great plane spotting, as well as a quiet room where I spend most of my time).
In August, I flew through Zurich Airport with a 6.5-hour layover, my longest layovers in years. I was flying home from Zanzibar and flew Edelweiss Air from Zanzibar to Zurich, landing at about 6:35am with my Swiss flight to LAX departing at 1:05pm. While originally I was worried about getting bored, I found it quite easy to pass the time — I casually walked to the lounge, took a long shower, changed, found a comfortable and quiet spot, and then spent my time going through photos from my safari. When it was time to leave the lounge to board, the boarding process was seamless.
This is the type of experience I’ve grown to expect flying through Zurich. While the airport isn’t as sparkly as Dubai, Qatar, or Singapore, Zurich Airport is well-run, clean, and reliable.
Favorite mileage redemption: United Polaris business class from Los Angeles to Auckland, New Zealand on for 100,000 United MileagePlus miles.
I was walking home from a tennis match when I saw an article on BoardingArea saying that United was selling business class tickets to New Zealand for 100,000 miles each way. I was so consumed with finding dates that worked for me that I’m surprised that I didn’t accidentally walk into traffic on my journey home.
But it paid off, as I was able to secure a ticket in business class (and even one for the journey home), which made the 13-hour flight a breeze. Given that one-way business class flights from LAX to Auckland can cost over $8,000, getting the flight for only 100,000 United miles was a great deal and made it so that I arrived in New Zealand completely rested and ready to explore.
Favorite hotel redemption: Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam, five nights for 440,000 Hilton Honors points
Clearly, I’m a fan of the Waldorf Astoria Amsterdam. That said, it’s an expensive hotel where five nights can run you over $10,000, depending on the time of year that you visit. Since my visit was in July, during peak tourist season, I lucked out in finding standard room availability, and was able to instead book five nights for 440,000 Hilton Honors points.
The hotel upgraded me to a canal view room, which was a welcomed surprise (I’m not sure if they gave me that upgrade because of my Hilton Diamond status or because I let them know that I was there to celebrate my birthday; but either way, I very much enjoyed the upgrade).
Favorite luxury experience: PS LAX
This year, I got to experience the private suite at PS LAX, which is located inside a private terminal in LAX. PS LAX gives lucky travelers access to a number of luxury amenities including: a full-service spa, bar area, delicious food (cooked to-order by a chef) and high-end alcohol, a private security checkpoint, and a car that drives you directly to your plane.
What were your favorite travel experiences in 2024? Let me know in the comments.
