Airlines, desperate for cash, are running lucrative purchased miles promotions. The opportunities seem almost too good to pass up, don’t they? But don’t buy miles unless you have a very specific trip in mind. Not in this world of...
Trip Report: Flying United During COVID-19 Epidemic
Reader Mark, a family friend, travelled on United earlier this week. He shared with me with this report, which is interesting on so many levels about what it was like to travel across the country during the height of...
Booked! Air France A380 + 777 La Première First Class…For Now?
I took advantage of a cheap fare offered out of Algeria last weekend to confirm two trips in first class on Air France. But will Air France honor the tickets? Flying Air France First Class on the 777-300ER was...
Virgin Australia’s New Humanitarian Mission: Toilet Paper
With a worldwide shortage of toilet paper caused by mass hoarding in many nations, Virgin Australia has embarked upon a new humanitarian mission. Instead of its usual April Fool’s Day jokes, Virgin Australia is donating toilet tissue to vulnerable...
Democrats Demand Airline Ticket Refunds For Everyone Who Wants One
A group of nine U.S. Senators from the Democratic Party have signed a letter urging airlines to promptly refund tickets that consumers cancelled due to COVID-19. While I’m sympathetic to such pleas, I think that ship has passed… To...
My Interview With A COVID-19 Positive United Employee
A United employee who has contracted COVID-19 reached out to me. We spoke. He shared some disturbing information which United, not surprisingly, has pushed back on. But his story warrants our attention. The employee chose not to go on...
First Impressions: South African Airways A330 Business Class
I recently had the chance to fly South African Airways onboard the A330-300 in business class from Johannesburg to Accra. It turned out to be a very pleasant flight experience that greatly exceeded expectations. South African Airways is operating...
A Five-Page Application Worth Billions To U.S. Airlines
In case you’re curious how the aid process works for U.S. passenger airlines, the Treasury Department has made the application process quite transparent. Posted on its website (.pdf) with detailed instructions, airlines have until 5:00PM EDT on April 3,...
British Airways Suspends All Service To London Gatwick
London Gatwick was poised to grow in 2020. Then COVID-19 hit. EasyJet suspended all flights and now British Airways has followed. With the United Kingdom encouraging citizens to avoid all non-essential travel and travel demand greatly depressed due to...
I’m Dreaming About Future Travel, But Not Planning…
What will next year look like? How about next month? Or next week? Will we contain COVID-19? How much will it destroy the world economy? Short and honest answer: we don’t know. Are You Panning Travel Or Just Dreaming...
All-In Pricing: Marriott Deserves No Praise For What Should Be A Given
Marriott now gives you the option to see all-in pricing when making a reservation earlier in the search process than the final payment screen. Are we supposed to cheer for what should have always been the case? Oh, it’s...
U.S. Airlines Want To Party Like It’s 1977
Imagine a country where airlines were seen as a public utility, not merely an engine for profit. A body of civil servants determined what routes each airline would operate, how much they would charge, and limited any new entrants...
