“In 1983 I built a LongEZ experimental aircraft that I keep in Southern California, and that I continue to fly,” says Kreidel, adding, “I also own an Aviat A1-C Husky that remains at my home in Montana for flying into remote backcountry areas in Montana and Idaho.”

It’s not surprising then, that Kreidel’s career reflects his talent for making things and putting them together.

In 2006, Kreidel sold his door-hardware business to the world’s largest door and door-hardware company, the Swedish manufacturer, Assa Abloy. He now works for Assa Abloy in industry and government affairs and also helps integrate new acquisitions into the company.

“I’m a manufacturing guy. I’ve worked in, run, and owned manufacturing companies, including starting a joint venture in Shenzhen, China in 1993,” says Kreidel. “I’m making it my mission to help small domestic manufacturing companies re-capture work that has gone offshore.”

In the process of doing so, he finds himself flying to both Europe (London and Munich), and to Asia (Taipei and Hong Kong) five times a year, as well as making numerous domestic business trips. He also travels between his home on a lake in Northwest Montana, where he lives in the spring and summer, and Southern California, which he calls home in the fall and winter.

All that travel has made Kreidel Premier 1K (the airline’s top level) on United Airlines and given him three-million lifetime miles as an AAdvantage Gold member with American Airlines. Or as he describes it, “United Airlines two million-miler butt-in-seat, but in the new 2012 United/Continental program it will be over three million miles.” His favorite airline: Cathay Pacific.

Internationally, the cities he most enjoys visiting are Shanghai, China and Kinsale, Ireland, and domestically, he favors Chicago. Although his favorite airport is the sizable Hong Kong International, Kreidel is very fond of Kalispell, Montana’s small airport, also known as Glacier Park International (FCA).

MOST MEMORABLE TRIP

Kreidel describes “a week spent on a very small boat on the Li River, near Guilin, China” as his most memorable travel experience so far.

“I was traveling with Taiwanese business colleagues, and it was their suggestion that we spend time on the Li River to relax and formulate strategies for advancing our joint venture.

We slowly traveled the river, stopping in small villages to eat dinner and occasionally sleep, although most meals were prepared on the boat, and we spent several nights onboard. The boat’s bunks were primitive and not designed for 6’2” Americans!

Fishing was interesting, as we carried several cormorants that were tethered to the boat and had ropes around their necks to keep them from swallowing the fish. Every fifth fish was given to the ‘fisherbird,’ and the other four were ours.”

The nation’s third-largest airline by traffic, American wants to cut 13,000 jobs, terminate its obligations for employee pensions, and boost revenue by $1 billion per year.  In addition, the plan calls for $2 billion in annualized cost savings by 2017.  The $1 billion in additional revenue would come from workforce cuts, grounding planes, restructuring debt and aircraft leases, and renegotiating supplier contracts.

American’s parent company AMR filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection on November 29. It was at that point the only major airline to have avoided filing for bankruptcy.  The company hopes to win the support of its main unions and it plans to avoid terminating existing labor contracts while in bankruptcy.

American’s 777-300ER aircraft  will feature lie-flat seats in first- and business class, as well as Wi-Fi access during international flights.

Beginning June 14, American plans to increase its service between Dallas-Ft. Worth and Sao Paulo from seven times weekly to 12 times weekly. Also in June, American plans to launch service between Miami, Florida and Manaus, Brazil.

The city is officially known as the Tokyo Metropolis and is the seat of the Japanese government and the home of the Imperial Family and Imperial Palace.

The city’s pace can indeed be overwhelming because the prefecture’s total population exceeds 13 million, making Tokyo the world’s most populous metropolitan area, with 35 million people.  More Fortune Global 500 companies (47) are headquartered here than in any other city.

To see both the traditional and twenty-first century Tokyo in a few days is easy.  Start with a visit to the Hamarikyu Gardens, in Chūō, Tokyo.  This park was the site of a Shogun Tokugawa family villa and opened to the public in 1946.  It may be one of the calmest places in the city, and the teashop in the middle of the pond offers to visitors a Japanese-style tea ceremony.

The park is near Shiodome, one of the most modern, skyscraper-filled parts of the city.  Here you’ll find office towers and the new Conrad Hotel Tokyo atop the Tokyo Shiodome tower.

The Conrad isn’t the only hotel perched on the top of a skyscraper.  The Park Hyatt Tokyo opened in 1994 atop the Shinjuku Park Tower in Tokyo’s Shinjuku neighborhood.

Tokyo’s sleek Roppongi Hills complex, which opened in 2003 in the Roppongi district of Minato, Tokyo, includes the Mori Art Museum, movie theaters, more than 200 restaurants and shops, the 54-story Mori Tower (with an observation deck on the 52nd floor), luxury residences, offices, and the Grand Hyatt Tokyo.

WHAT TO DO

The Ginza district, also in Chūō, is the home to numerous upscale stores, boutiques, restaurants, and cafés.  It is one of the most famous and high-end shopping districts in the world.  For electronics, visit Akihabara Electric Town, a district known for new and used electronics, gadgets, and computers.

Dining options are numerous.  Take in the view at the New York Grill, on the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt but also visit China Blue in the Conrad, and Ginza Kyubei, which is perhaps the most famous sushi restaurant in Japan.

For entertainment, try traditional kabuki dance-drama.  The renowned Kabuki-za Theater is temporarily closed for reconstruction (it reopens in 2013) but performances are being held at the nearby Shinbashi Enbujō.  Sumo wrestling at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan (also known as Sumo Hall) is also worth taking in.

Trade show visitors will probably visit the Tokyo Big Sight, formally known as the Tokyo International Exhibition Center.  Its most distinctive features are its four glass-and-titanium inverted pyramids. Located in Odaiba, Tokyo Bay, it opened in 1996 and is the home of the Tokyo Motor Show and many other events.

Other must-see attractions include the Buddhist Senso-ji Temple and, in springtime, the cherry tree blossoms in Ueno Park, home of the Tokyo National Museum.

Finally, the observation deck at the Tokyo Tower, which at 332.5 meter s(1,091 feet) is the second tallest structure in Japan has wonderful views of the city in all directions.

IF YOU GO

Numerous airlines including American Airlines, All Nippon Airways (ANA) , Japan Air Lines, and United have non-stop flights to Tokyo from the U.S.   ANA is the launch customer for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and is currently the only airline flying that type.

Two airports serve Tokyo, Haneda (more formally known as Tokyo International Airport) and Narita International Airport.  Haneda is 14 km (8.7 miles) from the city and handles almost all domestic flights as well as select international ones.  Narita is 57.5 km (35.7 miles) from the city and handles the majority of international traffic.

There are literally thousands of hotels and ryokans (traditional Japanese inns) to choose from. Many frequent visitors stay at the new Conrad Tokyo (with a direct monorail connection to the Big Sight) and at the Park Hyatt.

(Photos: Jonathan Spira)

The new service will use Boeing 767-300 aircraft, with lie-flat seats in business class.

Iberia Airlines, a member of the oneworld alliance, and a joint venture partner with American Airlines and British Airways, will boost its service between Miami International Airport and Madrid’s Barajas Airport. Iberia will add a second four-times-weekly flight on this route starting March 25.

American Airlines, currently the world’s fourth largest airline (and number three in the U.S.), was founded in 1930 as American Airways.

Generations of business travelers grew up playing with Frisbees, a flying disc that got that moniker in 1957.  Wham-O, the manufacturer, adopted the name after finding out that Connecticut college students had already borrowed the name for what was then called the Pluto Platter from the Frisbie Pie Company in the same state.

The Saab 340 turboprop aircraft had its first flight in 1983.  As of 2009, there were 413 340s in service with 61 operators in 30 countries.

The first Boeing 747-400 aircraft (pictured) was delivered to launch customer Northwest Airlines (now merged with Delta Air Lines) in 1989.  Its innovations included a two-pilot glass cockpit, which rendered the flight engineer unnecessary, more fuel efficient engines, an all-new interior and had a maximum capacity of 660 passengers (747-400D).

Miles can be earned by booking Regus offices in 92 countries worldwide, as well as by booking virtual offices. AAdvantage members with elite status will also receive a Regus Businessworld Gold card, giving them access to Regus business lounges worldwide.

American has operated this route since 2005 with a three-class Boeing 777-200 aircraft.

American will exit the Burbank market on February 9, ending its Dallas-Fort Worth-Burbank route.

Codeshare tickets can now be purchased for travel that starts January 9. Members of the carriers’ frequent flier programs, American’s AAdvantage and LAN’s LANPass, can accrue miles on the codeshare flights.

The PreCheck program at JFK will be available to American Airlines frequent fliers, as well as U.S. citizens who are participating in the Customs and Border Protections’ Trusted Traveler Program, which, includes Global Entry, Sentri, and Nexus.  The exact date of the implementation at JFK has yet to be determined.

The PreCheck program is currently available at the following airports: Dallas/Fort Worth International (DFW), Miami International (MIA), Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County (DTW), Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International (ATL), and Las Vegas McCarran (LAS) airports.

Under the current program, travelers are able to forgo some of the banalities of checkpoint searches, including taking off shoes and jackets, and removing liquids and computers from carry-on bags

The PreCheck program is already slated to expand to include frequent travelers flying Delta out of Minneapolis-St. Paul and Salt Lake City, American Airlines out of LAX, and to US Airways and United frequent fliers.

The current PreCheck program is part of the TSA’s attempt to deploy a risk-based, intelligence-driven passenger screening program as opposed to the one-size-fits-all security screening that is presently in place at airports in the U.S.