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2025 was a big year for me.
I graduated from business school, moved back to New York City, my daughter turned one, and I left my longtime role at The Points Guy to go independent.
Somehow, I also managed to sneak in a lot of travel. Not my busiest year ever, but the days of flying 200,000 miles annually are probably behind me. When my wife is working, someone needs to stay home with our daughter.
Still, I always enjoy looking back on where the year took me.
Without further ado, here’s how my 2025 stacked up. Let me know how it compares to yours in the comments.
2025 travel stats
Total miles flown: 154,344 (2024: 100,093; 2023: 191,271; 2022: 185,780; 2021: 152,033; 2020: 133,796; 2019: 205,985)
Longest flight: Abu Dhabi to New York City (6,850 miles)
Shortest flight: Boston to Martha’s Vineyard (70 miles)
Unique airlines: 16
Unique airports: 54
Most frequent aircraft: Airbus A320
Most frequent airlines: JetBlue (28 flights), United (26 flights), American (17 flights)
Hotel nights: Too many to count
2025 elite statuses
I earned a whopping eight elite statuses this year — probably the most I’ve ever held at once.
- Amtrak Guest Rewards Select Executive
- American Airlines AAdvantage Executive Platinum
- JetBlue Mosaic 2
- Southwest A-List
- United Airlines Premier 1K
- Hilton Honors Diamond
- Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Elite
- World of Hyatt Globalist
I easily hit Amtrak’s top-tier status with all the commuting I did between New York and Philly while I was still at Wharton. The sad news is that I’ll probably only take a handful of train rides next year, so my status will basically go unused.
Meanwhile, I also earned four airline statuses. I didn’t do much Delta flying; it’s hard to justify the airline’s often sky-high last-minute prices. But I earned top-tier status with the other two Big 3 airlines.
United has long been my go-to network airline, and that continued this year. I earned 1K with 29,757 Premier Qualifying Points. So long as I keep living on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, I’ll continue to fly United. (Newark isn’t that far by train or car.)
As for American Executive Platinum status, this is my fourth year in a row going for top-tier American status. The airline’s year-end “wrapped” told me I enjoyed six complimentary upgrades, which feels higher than I remember.
But either way, American is my second-most frequent network airline, and it’s nice to enjoy some of the “softer” benefits, like better customer service, when I run into issues. (I mostly earned the status via credit card spending on taxes, insurance bills, etc.) Plus, I’ll put the systemwide upgrades to good use.
I earned JetBlue Mosaic 2 for the first time. This was mainly from all the spending I did with JetBlue during the 25-for-25 challenge. I’ll particularly enjoy the free extra-legroom seating at booking benefit, though I doubt I’ll requalify since I now have entry-level Mosaic 1 status for the next 25 years.
Fun fact: I’ve never held any Southwest status until now. And ironically, it came via the “back-door” route. I spent $75,000 in eligible purchases on my Chase Sapphire Reserve® card, which earned me A-List status (among other benefits). Not sure how much I’ll use A-List status next year (since Southwest’s New York City presence is pretty limited), but we’ll see.
As for hotels, World of Hyatt remains my (and every other travel personality’s) favorite hotel chain. The company’s redemption rates and stacked top-tier benefits continue to outweigh the competition. (Of course, the generous loyalty program helps compensate for the more limited footprint of Hyatt hotels than Marriott or Hilton.)
Marriott and Hilton are my next top hotel chains. I earned Bonvoy Platinum status organically (and via the Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant® American Express® Card) this year, while I’ll keep the Hilton Honors American Express Aspire Card to maintain Diamond status for any Hilton stays next year.
2025 travel highlights
Boiling nearly 100 flights down to a few highlights isn’t easy, but here’s my best attempt.
Skiing in Tignes, Niseko, and Park City
Business school and ski trips are practically synonymous. And that’s a good thing because I like both of them.
I began the year on a business school ski trip in Tignes and Val-d’Isère, followed by spring break in Park City and Niseko, Japan.
It was my first visit to Hokkaido, and while the snow conditions were a bit disappointing (we went a little late in the season), the trip was still memorable.
I extended my stay at the Park Hyatt Niseko, which remains my favorite ski resort I’ve ever visited. If you’re heading to Japan, it’s absolutely worth the detour.
Lounges, lounges, lounges
It seems that every year brings newer and nicer airport lounges.
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This year’s highlights include the Chase Sapphire Lounge in Philadelphia (easily the nicest in the portfolio), a new Delta One Lounge in Seattle, Capital One’s flagship New York-JFK Lounge, and a stunning new Amex Centurion Lounge in Salt Lake City.
Plus, who can forget JetBlue’s first-ever lounge, which exceeded my expectations when it opened just a few days before the end of the year.
Israel trek
My most frequented transatlantic destination isn’t London or Paris. It’s actually Tel Aviv.
And this summer, I took 100 of my Wharton classmates on a trek around Israel. We visited Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, and much more.
This was also the first time I’ve planned and led a big group trip, and it has me thinking that maybe I’ll do another one to Israel (or elsewhere), open to my followers and readers.
Apple’s fall reveal
I’m just as obsessed with tech as I am travel, and this fall’s signature Apple event was one for the record books.
I saw firsthand the introduction of the iPhone Air and 17 series, the new AirPods Pro 3, and the updated Apple Watch models.
Apple events are the most fun and polished industry events I attend, and I’m looking forward to seeing what new tech upgrades the big fruit has planned for travelers (and everyone else) in 2026.
Related: 7 best travel tech items, and one you’re not packing but should
Etihad A321LR delivery
I got to cross off a big bucket list item for aviation geeks this year.
I joined Etihad for the delivery flight of its first long-range Airbus A321LR from the Airbus factory in Germany to Abu Dhabi.
The flight itself was a blast, and I thoroughly enjoyed the carrier’s new business-class product.
Plus, the jet ushers in a new era of narrowbody flying for the Gulf carrier.
American’s 2 swanky planes
American Airlines is on a roll. The carrier debuted two all-new business-class products this year onboard the Boeing 787-9P and Airbus A321XLR.
Both of the products are a big upgrade relative to the outdated biz cabins currently flying. Plus, the planes feature nose-to-tail upgrades, like 4K TVs with Bluetooth, making for a much more modern passenger experience.
I’m especially excited to try the A321XLR on a long-haul flight — and I’m already watching closely for United’s upcoming Elevated interiors.
Acela next-gen
2025 saw the long-awaited introduction of the new Amtrak Acela trainsets.
The trains sat idle in Philadelphia for years as Amtrak worked through regulatory approval and other safety-related testing. And every time I passed through 30th Street Station, I stared longingly at the next-generation trains that would one day whizz up and down the Northeast corridor.
That day finally came in late August, and I loved being on the train’s first ride from New York to Boston. I got to test both first and business class, and I can confidently say the weirdest part of the next-gen Acela is the semi-circle-shaped bathrooms.
Underrated destination of the year
Maybe I’m just living under a rock, but I visited Mexico City for the first time this year, and left blown away by it.
From the food to the culture to the history to the parks, it exceeded my expectations and then some. (Next time, I’ll try to avoid going there on a bachelor party. My body can’t handle that anymore.)
A couple’s retreat
We wrapped up the year with an early-December stay at a resort I’d been dreaming about for more than a decade: Four Seasons Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica.
I first visited with my parents years ago and remembered it as one of the nicest resorts I’d ever seen. When my wife and I decided on our first getaway since our daughter was born, this felt like the perfect choice.
Spoiler: it won’t take another 12 years before we return.
2026 plans
If January is any indication, 2026 is shaping up to be yet another busy year.
Trips to Seattle and Hawaii are already on the calendar, and I expect a few more big journeys early in the year. P
lanning far in advance is harder these days, but we’re eyeing a return to Tel Aviv, another summer jaunt to the Greek islands, a big ski trip, and whatever else comes up.
Here’s hoping your 2026 is filled with memorable travels, and thanks for following along for the ride!
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