No Upper Class on the return flight but I had an entire bulkhead row to myself so it was close enough. Before the flight, though, a stop at the Centurion Lounge as I figured the meal there would be more substantial than up in the air - and it was.

The Upper Class experience on VS154, starting on the ground at JFK in the Delta One Lounge and Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse to the flight (where I had second dinner) to, finally, the Virgin Atlantic Revivals Lounge at LHR for a shower and brekkie.

The experience going to/from Las Vegas with an unexpected itinerary change to layover at LAX on the way home but at least the transcon flight was in Delta Premium where breakfast was served at… 1:15 pm.

The views from the Delta Sky Club at LGA and from onboard DL2465 with service to FLL.

Breakfast. Lunch. Dinner. Delta One.

The experience on the ground at JFK and IAD from one Capital One Lounge to the other. #EUMDWHoliday #latergram

The experience aboard a SWISS | @flyswiss A330-300 on Flight LX72 with service from ZRH to IAD from an all-too-quick stop at SWISS Business Lounge E to eight-plus hours in SWISS Business.

The planes and trains and their airports and stations I traveled through while I bopped around Europe.

The experience aboard a Singapore Airlines | @singaporeair 777-300 ER on Flight SQ25 with service from JFK to FRA in Business Class.

All good trips eventually come to an end but at least this one came with a visit to the LHR Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse ahead of Flight VS25 to JFK.

The experience in JFK with stops at the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse and the Capital One Lounge in JFK ahead of Flight VS10 to LHR.

No upgrades to First Class on these flights (will have to make do with Comfort+, the horror) but it wouldn’t have made a difference for lounge access anyway as MEX is basically considered domestic for that purpose. No matter, I finally got to have a (mini) bagel from Ess-a-bagel at the Capital One Lounge in JFK on the way out and got to experience a la carte dining at the American Express Centurion Lounge in MEX.

No better way to close out #asianwinterbreak25 than with one last flight in Korean Air Prestige Class, this time on the upper deck of their A380.

The experience in Korean Air Prestige Class from Tokyo to Seoul which was… fine, I guess? Nothing spectacular but a meal on a short regional flight is always welcome.

Before my flight to Seoul, I stopped in at the American Express Centurion Lounge | @americanexpress which I was able to access with my Platinum Card. It would be an understatement to say that this lounge at Haneda was, by far, the best in the Centurion Lounge portfolio. Food was great with made-to-order onigiri on offer when I was there during breakfast hours and some standout cocktails, made all the better with the choice of what Japanese whisky I wanted in it.

The experience going from Tokyo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto on the Hokkaido Shinkansen, covering over 800 km in just under four hours and then onwards to Sapporo on the Hakodate Main Line, covering just over 250 km in… just under four hours. It’s safe to say there’s no beating the Shinkansen for speed on the rails in Japan.

The experience going from Osaka to Ho Chi Minh City and then to Tokyo in Vietnam Airlines Business Class, with a stop in the KIX Lounge Kansai for breakfast and then at the Lotus Lounge in SGN for a much-needed shower and supper.

The experience going to Osaka via Seoul in Korean Air Prestige Class, with a stop and a much-needed shower at the Korean Air Prestigle Lounge at ICN.