The moment had finally arrived. It was time to fly Garuda Indonesia First Class. Nanda and Roni, my two first class assistants, asked me if I would like to board first or last. Had the internet been working in...
United Making Boston-San Francisco Route Lie-Flat

United Airlines is making Boston – San Francisco a 100% lie-flat route in business class staring this summer. With fierce competition from JetBlue and Delta, starting on June 08, 2017 United will use a mix of 757s and 777s with lie-flat...
United CEO on Gulf Carriers: “Those airlines aren’t airlines”

At the US Chamber of Commerce Aviation Summit this week, United CEO Oscar Munoz voiced strong opposition to Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways (ME3). Those airlines aren’t airlines. They’re international branding vehicles for their countries. -United CEO Oscar Munoz In an...
Review: Garuda Indonesia First Class Lounge Jakarta

In my initial thoughts on Garuda Indonesia’s First Class Lounge in Jakarta, I focused on a few shortcomings. This review will help balance out what Garuda can improve upon with what it does well. I opted for a 3pm...
Why American Express Platinum Card Is Still Worthwhile

American Express has retooled its Platinum card. Let’s walk through the changes and then I will explain why I am keeping it. Here’s what changes, effective 30 March 2017– Two complimentary lounge guests when using Priority Pass benefit $15/month Uber...
Review: Radisson Admiral Hotel Toronto

If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com. If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today. For our Christmas/New Year vacation, we found a tremendous deal in business class...
United Polaris Menu for Spring 2017

When United Airlines rolled out its Polaris soft product in December 2016, it promised rotating menus so you would never get bored with the meal choices. While not the daily menu that KLM prints for its World Business Class, United...
Overrated Avios: Why I WON’T Take Advantage of British Airways Promo

On the surface, the deal sounds great — 150 Avios per dollar spent to join a dating website. By maximizing the deal you can earn 82,285 miles for $548.57. No brainer, right? So why have I decided not to...
Review: Grand Hyatt Jakarta

Although I spent only a night at the Grand Hyatt Jakarta, I enjoyed every moment of my stay there. Well, almost every moment. I arrived late and an agent quickly checked me in, encouraging me to hurry up to the...
I Was Involved in an Uber Accident…

A traffic accident is always scary, no matter the circumstances. First, I’m okay. Second, it happened with Uber in Jakarta, not in the USA. But, I was involved in a minor Uber accident while driving from the airport to the Grand...
Soup Hits the Spot: LAX-IAD First Class on AA74

For this week’s Meal of the Week, I want to share something that I hope airlines will take seriously: soup is the way to a passenger’s heart. I could do a post on the dozens of soups I have enjoyed...
It’s A Small World (of Hyatt) After All

My wife and I took little Augustine to Disneyland last week. His first ride, appropriately I think, was It’s A Small World. The ride, a Disneyland staple since 1966, takes you on a journey around the world with the following...
Three Observations on Singapore KrisFlyer Devaluation

Singapore Airlines is devaluing its KrisFlyer program on March 23, 2017. While the changes could have been far worse, there is no way to spin this as good news. Singapore KrisFlyer Devaluation Details Singapore Airlines awards are going up moderately, anywhere from...
Cute Video from Brussels Airlines

Brussels Airlines is celebrating its 15th birthday and launching an Extra Smile campaign (get it?) to make help make some worthy soul’s dream come true. Start with the video– Overlook the “Going the extra smile for you since (sic) 15 years” title and...
United’s Clever Trick to Keep Crews Out of Dangerous Venezuela

The situation in Venezuela is not getting any better. With violence increasing as the economy further descends into chaos, United Airlines now fears for the safety of its crews. Rather than suspend service completely, it has taken a novel to...