SUMMER IS IN FULL SWING, and I am sure by now you have already taken some summer trips, not just for vacation but for business as well.

I started the summer with a visit to Atlanta to see some of our valuable clients and introduce Yasser Ogando (one of our newest employees) to one of the friendliest cities in the Union. I followed with a whirlwind trip for Father’s Day in Sarasota, taking United’s non-stop service from Newark. The new Polaris Lounge is open, and it proves a fantastic addition (find more information on www.globaltravelerusa.com). Please read this issue’s One on One interview with Luc Bondar, who spearheads the continual improvements of the United MileagePlus program.

Right now I am grillin’ and chillin’ in the Outer Banks of North Carolina in Kitty Hawk for a couple of weeks of remote working while soaking up some sun and getting in a few rounds of golf. It is a great annual Gallagher family gathering we all treasure.

I want to note a great added value for global business travelers at Turkish Airlines. As one who travels the world, I consider the Turkish Airlines Corporate Club membership a required tool, putting extra baggage, flexibility with flights, access to lounges, flight discounts and hotels at your fingertips. I cannot imagine what the new Turkish Airlines lounge will be like at the new Istanbul Grand Airport (due to open in October), as the current lounge is one of the best in the world.

Hong Kong Airlines is also seeing amazing growth. You likely read the interview with George Liu, chief marketing officer, in our May issue. Hong Kong Airlines, after launching service on the West Coast, will add a New York flight this year. As a frequent traveler to Asia and Hong Kong, I welcome some competition.

At the same time, Kenya Airways — now helmed by longtime industry friend and former LOT Polish Airlines CEO Sebastian Mikosz — will launch service to JFK Oct. 29. Although I have frequently traveled to South Africa, I have never been to Nairobi. Perhaps I can follow in the “hoof prints” of our senior vice president, Richard T. Evans, who had a glorious horseback safari some years ago. The safari experience is different in Kenya, and I look forward to trying it firsthand.

Many of the Global Traveler team will attend the annual Global Business Travel Association convention in San Diego this summer. On the night of Aug. 14 we will host a reception at the University Club Atop Symphony Towers, an exquisite private club opening its doors to our celebration. Not only will we celebrate the colossal growth of international travel but also our own growth and the announcement of this year’s The Trazees awards winners (see page 42). The millennial market is vitally important to the travel industry, and trazeetravel.com successfully captures that niche. Please join us as we celebrate the industry and our key sponsors for the evening: Ontario International Airport, Chase United MileagePlus Explorer Card and Turkish Airlines Corporate Club.

Do not forget to vote for your favorites in the GT Tested Reader Survey. Find the ballot on page 33 in this issue and in the remaining summer issues, as well as online at www.globaltravelerusa.com/gt-tested-awards-ballot. This marks the 15th GT Tested Reader Survey awards, scheduled at The Peninsula Beverly Hills rooftop Dec. 12.

See you on board!