Johnny Jet's Q & A With Joe Brancatelli

HOW OFTEN DO YOU FLY?
Well, it depends. There are times I'm on the road three times a week. Sometimes, I could go a month. I go when my clients want. But, in an average year, I guess I do 75,000 miles a year.
WHAT CLASS OF SERVICE DO YOU MOSTLY FLY IN?
Well, mostly I can live with coach on AA under 4 hours. International, I simply don't fly coach and use upgrades to go business Domestically, I fly first based on upgrades. Of course, if I have to do a story or are checking on something, I do coach or first or whatever...
FAVORITE AIRLINE?
No such thing. I think AA in coach is a miracle. JetBlue and Midwest Express do great value for money. BA in the premium classes is great. Cathay and Qantas over the Pacific are great in premium, too. And, I think, Continental does the truly best international business class among two-class airlines.
FAVORITE AIRCRAFT?
Well, I'd say the L-1011, but you can't find them anymore. Mostly, I hate the 767. It just ruins my ears. Otherwise, a plane's a plane.
FAVORITE HOTEL?
No question. Halekulani in Honolulu. But for city hotels, I think the Millenium Hilton in New York was a great deal (it's closed now because it was across the street from Ground Zero.) The Ritz-Carlton in Chicago was the first great hotel I ever stayed in, so, for me, it's still a fantasy. At the other end, I think Hamptons, Hilton Garden Inns and Courtyards are all good and reliable. I find real value in knowing what I'm getting regardless of where I go...
FAVORITE AIRPORT?
You're kidding, right? I'd rather be anyplace than any airport, so how can I have a favorite? I don't hate Pittsburgh. I don't even mind O'Hare. DTW and Malpensa in Milan are must to avoids. I can live withOUT T1-T3 in Heathrow and most of JFK, too. Vancouver in Canada is nice.
FAVORITE CITY?
Well, I try to find good things about every place I go. But, if someone said, you have to take a meeting, where do you want to do it, I'd say Chicago for domestic, Rome for international. And I'll never turn down a gig in Honolulu or Hong Kong. I kinda dig Seoul and London, too.
AISLE OR WINDOW?
Aisle. Unless it's the window in BA's business class because, basically, it becomes a private office
ETICKET OR PAPER?
Eticket, if I'm confident I won't be changing carriers.
TRAVEL AGENT OR ONLINE?
I prefer travel agents. I have a great one. If you have a great travel agent, life is SO much better, even if you're a supposed "expert" traveler like me.
FAVORITE TRAVEL WEBSITE?
Hell, man, I don't even like my own yet. I think Travelocity has some good tools. Hotwire is useful. And I think sfreservations.com is a marvel for booking hotels at a bargain in the Bay Area. I like Quikbook.com. As for other sites, well, I love any site that gives real value. Your site is great. Ed Hewitt does great stuff, too. I admire what Chris Elliott is trying to do with his sites. How can you not love Randy Petersen and Webflyer. And the websites of the newspapers and magazines are terrific because you get access to travel info you otherwise wouldn't see. That's why I created the Fellow Travelers page at my site to link to the best stuff... But, boy, I really love reading Don George's stuff over at Lonely Planet
FAVORITE TRAVEL COMPANION?
My wife, man. It means there's a chance I'm going on an adventure, not a business trip.
BEST TRAVEL TIP:
Join the airline clubs. As many as you can. Get a Diners Club and a Platinum Amex card for their club-access programs. And join Priority Pass. When you've got club access, no matter how bad things are, you feel like the smartest traveler alive.