The Library Lounge in Nice Airport, a Priority Pass lounge, offers a quiet work environment, but not much in the area of food. I did not deliberately arrive early, but with light traffic found myself at Nice Airport about...
My Experience Using American Express Premium Cabin Airfare Discounts
Is the American Express International Airline Program worth your time? At Award Expert, we are seeing an increasing trend: more and more bookings directly through the American Express or Chase Ultimate Rewards travel portals. While transferring points to airline programs...
This Is Why I Love Southern California
I’m a Los Angeles native and proud to call Southern California my home. People often ask me, sometimes incredulously, how I can stand to live here. Isn’t the traffic bad? The pollution? The high cost of living? Trust me,...
New Flight To Newark On Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines is returning to Newark more than two decades after abandoning service to Liberty International Airport. The carrier will launch daily service starting in August 2019, utilizing an Airbus A330-300: TK29 Istanbul (IST) – Newark (EWR) / 13:15-17:20...
Why American Airlines Is Suing Expedia
American Airlines is suing Expedia in Texas, alleging that the online travel agency is guilty of trademark infringement. The controversy centers around Expedia’s new “Add On Advantage” loyalty program. American Airlines contends that the name is too similar to...
Captain Delays Flight 2.5 Hours When Denied First Class Seats For Friends
Sometimes it is necessary to dig a little deeper. A story is not always what it appears to be on the surface. It’s true. A Thai Airways captain demanded first class seats for his off-duty pilot colleagues on a...
Will United Remove Seats From Business Class?
Is United planning to remove some business class seats from its longhaul fleet? Yesterday I wrote about United’s healthy third quarter earnings and rosy outlook for the remainder of the year. I finally had a chance to read over...
Drama Over: PrivatAir and Lufthansa Renew Partnership
PrivatAir and Lufthansa have ironed out their differences and reached a new partnership agreement. Thus, Lufthansa’s plan to fly an Airbus A319 between Frankfurt and Pune, India will now merely be a stopgap. Over the last week, I have poked...
Three Twists In The Ryanair “Staged Photo” Story
Yesterday I wrote about a viral picture of a Ryanair crew forced to sleep on the floor in Malaga Airport after a weather diversion. Ryanair claimed, via chief operating officer Peter Bellew on Twitter, that the whole thing was...
As Another Airline Collapses, Which One Will Fail Next?
Cobalt, a low-cost carrier based in Cyprus, is the latest airline in Europe to fail. But it will not be the last. Who is next? Visit Cobalt’s website and you’ll be met with this lovely page: Cobalt regrets to...
Restaurant Dumps Priority Pass At LAX
It was only the week before last that I offered a review of Campanile, a restaurant in Terminal 4 at LAX. At the time, Campanile was Priority Pass’s latest addition. But the restaurant has quietly been removed from the Priority...
Oscar Munoz Offers Insight On United’s 30% Profit Surge
After reporting a 30% increase in profit even with a higher fuel bill, United Airlines finds itself in a strong position. United’s stock is up 24% this year. Meanwhile, Delta has dropped 5% and American has dropped 36%. Although...
Is Ethiopian Airlines Abandoning LAX?
Here’s a mystery perhaps we can solve together. I book Award Expert clients on Ethiopian Airlines to/from Africa all the time. The airline is very generous in releasing award space and has an unparalleled route network within Africa. It...
Ryanair Dismisses Viral Photo Of 737 Crew Sleeping On Airport Floor
Ryanair is calling a viral photo of a 737 crew sleeping on the floor of Malaga Airport “staged” and misleading. And while I am usually a harsh critic of Ryanair, I’m somewhat sympathetic to its argument. The picture below,...
United Airlines Adds 22 New Routes, Cuts Three Of My Favorites
United Airlines is adding 22 new domestic routes in 2019 as it continues its robust domestic expansion. At the same time, it is retreating from a pair of routes from Los Angeles that face fierce competition plus a surprising...
A Family of Nuts: Korean Air CEO Indicted
There are all sorts of jokes I can make about the Cho family in South Korea, the powerful chaebol that owns Korean Air. But this is no laughing matter. South Korea has been conducting some “house cleaning” since a...
What’s A Longhaul Economy Class Meal Like On United Airlines?
I wound up in economy class on a recent flight from Los Angeles to London on United…by choice…and want to report back on the latest meal service. Meal service began shortly after takeoff. Rather than start with drinks and...
Scary: United Seriously Threatening Passengers Who Skip Flights
I wish this was a joke, but it appears that United Airlines is harshly cracking down on those who exploit so-called “hidden city” ticketing to save on ticket prices. Let’s understand how realistic the threat is. Briefly, United (and...
Lufthansa Puts Lipstick On A Pig
If ever the “lipstick on a pig” metaphor were appropriate, this is the case. I recently wrote about the new service Lufthansa will operate between Frankfurt and Pune, India. The route has traditionally been operated by a Privatair 737,...
The Holidays Are The Best Time To Go Abroad
The Holidays present the gainfully employed with extended periods of days off from work. But don’t go home for the holidays, go abroad and stay abroad for a really long time. Here’s how to turn three vacation days into...
