Want to know how to travel in style, just like the pros? We check in with frequent fliers to find out how often they fly, their favorite destinations and what they never leave home without.
Name: Henry Harteveldt
Occupation: Co-Founder, Airline/Travel Industry Analyst, Atmosphere Research Group
Hometown: New York, NY
Residence: San Francisco
How often do you fly? Every week to two weeks, usually 200,000-250,000 miles/year
How many countries have you been to? 37
How many continents have you been to? Six
Favorite American city? New York
Favorite international city? Paris
Least favorite country? Pass. I may need to go back there someday.
Favorite airline? I’m unable to name any airlines currently flying, due to my need to remain objective as an analyst. My two favorite airlines that are no longer flying were Braniff International and TWA.
Favorite aircraft type? 747 (looking forward to the 787)
Aisle or window? Aisle
Favorite airport lounge? SFO Terminal 2. The whole terminal is like a lounge.
Favorite U.S. airport? Tied between SFO and Dallas Love Field (DAL)
Favorite international airport? Tied between Munich and Singapore
Favorite hotel? Pretty much any hotel that’s too expensive for me to actually stay there.
Favorite fancy restaurant? Taillevent, Paris
Favorite hole in the wall? Sonny Bryan’s barbecue, Dallas (Inwood Road location)
Favorite travel movie(s): Airport (the original), Airplane!, Out of Africa, Grand Hotel, Murder On The Orient Express, Room With A View, Midnight in Paris, Hugo
Five things you bring on a plane? Laptop (& power supply), iPad (& power supply), iPod Touch, lip balm, moisturizer
What do you always seem to forget? The iPod Touch
Most embarrassing/worst travel moment: On a trip to Israel several years ago, our travel agent called a few hours before our SFO-Frankfurt flight to tell us that an agent in his office had accidentally cancelled our Frankfurt-Tel Aviv reservation. The nonstop flights between Frankfurt and Tel Aviv were all already full. As a result, we had to spend a day at a Frankfurt airport hotel, and then fly Frankfurt-Vienna-Tel Aviv. Instead of arriving in the afternoon, we landed at midnight. We arrived at our hotel (King David in Jerusalem) at approximately 2 AM to find out that our hotel reservation was cancelled as well.
What’s your dream destination? India
Favorite travel website(s) – besides JohnnyJet.com, of course!: There are other travel websites?
Best travel tip: Always allow more time than you need to get to/from an airport. And always, always, always be polite to front-line workers at airlines, hotels, etc.
Henry Harteveldt is my idol!