With another year behind us, it's time to reflect on the accomplishments of the previous year and look forward to the future.
This year began to feel normal again. Many countries reopened their borders to tourists after the mask mandate ended.
I was fortunate to visit some destinations that were previously off-limits during the Pandemic, such as Indonesia and Singapore, despite not topping my travel statistics.
There were a lot of other travel-focused highlights this year, so I will recap some of them below and give you a glimpse into the future.
There were 185,780 total miles flown in the year.
The longest flight was New York.
Boston and New York are the shortest places to fly.
The airlines are unique.
The airports are unique.
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American AAdvantage Executive Platinum is one of the seven elite status earned. You can read more about my elite status plans in my story.
The Points Guy is Zak Firth.
A few months ago, I got to check out a plane that has been converted into a luxuriousVIP configuration for a tour company.
There are 48 seats in the 757 in a 2-2 configuration. While the seats are similar to international business class, the private jet experience includes cooked-to-order meals, top shelf Champagnes and liquors, and highly personalized service.
It is possible to fly from a private terminal at some of the world's hardest-to-reach airports.
With a sticker price of $160,000 per person, I don't think that flying this jet will be in the cards for the foreseeable future, but at least I got a glimpse inside.
The Points Guy is Zak Firth.
The new longest flight in the world was launched by Singapore Airlines from JFK to Singapore.
The previous longest flight in the world was from Newark Liberty International Airport to Singapore.
I wanted to experience the JFK flight not just for the novelty of being on the world's longest flight, but also to compare the experience with that of the Newark route.
It was a blast for this aviation enthusiast and I was able to catch a glimpse of the northern lights.
The Points Guy is Zak Firth.
No storyline captured as much attention this year as the one about network adjustments during the Pandemic-era.
United's summer expansion and Delta's new service to Cape Town and Tahiti are my favorite new destinations this year.
I was fortunate to fly United's inaugural from Newark to Palma de Mallorca, Spain in June, and it was a blast getting to join in on the fun, which included a pre-departure gate party and a welcome reception.
Expansion hasn't been the only thing that's happened this year. Small U.S. cities are being dropped from the route map by the Big 3.
American, Delta and United have pulled out of 64 U.S. cities since the beginning of the Pandemic.
The Points Guy's photo was taken byZach Griff.
I look forward to checking out new travel-focused technology each year, and 2022.
The new MacBook Air was launched in July and has become my go-to laptop. The computer is powered by the tech giant's latest M2 processor, which provides incredible performance and all day battery life. I used the computer throughout the world's longest flight and was able to land with 85% charge left.
The Apple Watch Series 8 is one of the new gadgets that Apple has released this year.
I've been testing out the new Mini 3 Pro drone, and I've been a fan of the Hero11 camera. All my travel gear recommendations can be found in my annual gift guide.
The Points Guy's photo was taken byZach Griff.
Delta's fleet strategy this year was very interesting.
Due to the rapidly increasing demand for travel, the Atlanta-based carrier quickly added the second-hand A350s and Boeings to its fleet.
The cabins have not been updated while the planes are in Delta's livery.
The "inferior" A350s are not as outdated as you might think, especially for couples travelling together. I was surprised when I flew Delta's first A350 in June.
The Points Guy's photo was taken byZach Griff.
Delta took delivery of a brand-new domestic workhorse, the A321neo, as well as adding used planes to its fleet.
The interior of the plane is the largest upgrade yet to the domestic first class experience.
Additional privacy, more storage, and a lot of other improvements were added to the recliner by Delta.
This was the most innovative thing that happened to the domestic onboard experience this year.
The Points Guy is Zak Firth.
The airports are busy again now that travel is close to normal. The lounge is perhaps the most obvious example of that.
The lounge came back with a vengeance after a two year hiatus. When you make it into the lounge, you'll get a much better experience.
Three new Sky Clubs were opened this year by Delta. There is a year-round outdoor deck in L.A. that is great for plane spotting.
The United Club in Newark and the first-of-its-kind Admirals Club in the nation's capital were opened by American and United this year.
The Points Guy is Zak Firth.
Premium economy is a better option if you're looking for more comfort on your next international flight.
More and more airlines are adding this cabin to their long-haul fleets because it's more popular than ever.
The new premium economy was introduced on the inaugural flight. The experience looked like business class.
It won the award for the best economy cabin.
The Points Guy is Zak Firth.
Airport infrastructure projects have been one of the bright spots of the Pandemic. In the Northeast, it's obvious that there are new terminals in airports.
Two airlines co-located in JFK's Terminal 8 with three new lounges and an upgraded check-in experience.
Delta's Sky Way opened in Terminals 2 and 3 at Los Angeles International Airport.
The new terminal opened in February and reinvented Memphis as a post Delta hub.
It was a big year for me, and there are more to come.
I'm looking forward to flying United's inaugural service to Dubai in March, as well as returning to Japan and flying the new Qantas flight from Australia to New York via New Zealand.
I'm pretty sure there will be many more plans popping up throughout the year, so be on the lookout for more exciting coverage in the years to come.
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