Since we introduced our Globility Board, a group of 20 frequent travelers selected to represent a cross section of our readership, last April we’ve called on them to offer advice and insights for articles ranging from travel insurance to maximizing the benefits of affinity credit cards.

Based on their bios and a few short telephone conversations with some of them, I’m familiar with their credentials. Ranging in age from mid-30s to 60-plus, the board is comprised of 14 men and six women (including two married couples). Twelve have advanced degrees, and about half fly more than 50 times per year, with three logging in excess of 100 flights annually.

In a couple of weeks, I’ll get to know many of them personally as we convene in New York City for our first official Globility Board meeting. Sadly, one of the board’s charter members will not be in attendance. Dr. Clyde Brown, a retired physician from Cincinnati, Ohio, passed away Nov. 16, succumbing to injuries he suffered in a mid-October traffic accident.

I’m sorry I didn’t have the opportunity to meet Dr. Brown in person. I look at the photo he sent with his board application and see a smiling man who looks like he would have been fun to know. My thoughts will be with his friends and family when the Globility Board convenes for the first time. Although I didn’t know Dr. Brown, I have a feeling he enjoyed life to the fullest. Time is fleeting. Let’s be sure we all do the same.

Read on for reports about Nanjing, Rome, British Columbia, Mexico City, Beijing, New Orleans, Bermuda and Quito. Brush up on travel safety measures and relive the birth of one of the greatest airliners ever built, the Boeing 747. We’ll also take you shopping in İstanbul and into the kitchen with Chef Wes Morton of Washington, D.C.’s Art and Soul.

We have a lot on our plates. Let’s get started!