After arriving from Frankfurt aboard the A321neo, I had an extended layover in Istanbul before my connection to Atlanta. I decided to spend the night in the lounge instead of leaving the airport, a decision I did not regret....
Bernie Sanders Flies First Class
I left out the “guilty” or “sheepish” or “nervous” to avoid charges of clickbait, but a fellow passenger “caught” Bernie Sanders in first class on an American Airlines flight and the look on his face is just priceless. Bernie...
Reclining American Airlines Passenger Claims “Assault” After Exasperated Man Punched Her Seat
Ah yes, the great seat recline debate rears its ugly head once again. Is It “Assault” When You Punch The Seat Of The Passenger In Front Of You? Legally, assault is intentionally putting another person in reasonable apprehension of...
Alaska Joins Oneworld? Don’t Get Too Excited…
Alaska Airlines will from a strategic alliance with American Airlines to compete with Delta in Seattle and also join the Oneworld alliance. Let’s be careful before we start celebrating this news. There’s a lot to be happy about in...
United Airlines Will Replace Biscoff Cookies With Oreo Thins
United Airlines is ditching my favorite onboard snack for Oreo cookies. I feel like crying. United Introduces Oreo Thins Effective March 1st United will introduce Oreo Thin cookies on all mainline and United Express flights. These new cookies will...
Former United CFO Plans A “Boring” New Airline
“The best way to compete in the airline industry is to not compete.” – Andrew Levy Former United CFO Plans New Airline Former United Chief Financial Officer Andrew Levy plans a new airline of his own, one that won’t...
A Non-Sabbath Sabbath In Israel
I was under the false impression that all of Israel shut down from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday. Not so in Nazareth. We spent Friday at the Sea of Galilee, taking in three historic Christian sites during the day....
Success! I Now Have Two U.S. Passports
Well, that was smoother than I thought. I went from having one passport with no space left for stamps to two empty passports…in a number of hours. Los Angeles Passport Agency: Easy I was able to make an appointment...
Delta Should Think Twice Before Dancing On Air Italy’s Grave
You can bet that there was euphoria in the C-Suites of Delta Air Lines over the news of Air Italy’s collapse. But the untimely demise of Air Italy does not excuse Delta of hypocrisy nor validate its longstanding protest...
Air New Zealand Is Asking The Right Questions
Air New Zealand wants to deliver its a more “uniquely Kiwi” experience and is asking its most frequent flyers for feedback. To its credit, it is asking the right questions. Airpoints Gold and Elite members received an email from...
My Beloved Air Italy Bites The Dust
In an unexpected move, Air Italy decided to cut its loses and shut down…effective immediately. This is a very sad day for a very special carrier. Investors accelerated an emergency meeting, originally scheduled for February 18th, to today. There,...
My Passport Dilemma
“A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.” My former commanding officer in the U.S. Air Force had that quote boldly emblazoned on a plaque on his desk. Today that is quite...
Southwest Airlines Swaps Humor For Solemnity
Southwest Airlines has updated its pre-flight announcements to urge passengers to report any unwelcome behavior observed onboard. Effective systemwide, you’ll now hearing the following as part of the pre-flight briefing before your next Southwest flight: “We are here for...
Pictures: Winter Storm Brings Chaos To Munich Airport
With Storm Sabine flooding streets and knocking down trees and power lines, all flights were suspended from Munich Airport. That created a de facto refugee camp in the terminal halls of Germany’s second largest airport. Storm Sabine (called Storm...
The Best Kanafeh In Israel
I’ve written about kanafeh before…my favorite dessert in the world. I had the great pleasure of introducing my wife and son to kanafeh during our recent trip to Israel. Here are two places I strongly recommend for really tasty kanafeh....
First Impressions: Turkish Airlines A321neo Business Class
It was so enjoyable to fly on Turkish Airlines again, reminding me of what intra-Europe service could be like on other carriers. I must admit, the A321neo was not planned. Rather, it was a fortunate last-minute aircraft swap from...
United Airlines Tries To Make Kosher Food Tasty
United Airlines is improving its kosher menus with new choices of food and drink on Tel Aviv flights. A Kosher Meal Problem I have many clients at Award Expert who keep Kosher, meaning I frequently order Kosher meals on...
Wow! British Airways 747 Sets Transatlantic Speed Record
British Airways has reclaimed the crown for fastest transatlantic subsonic flight, with a record-breaking journey from New York to London. In 2015, British Airways set a transatlantic speed record for subsonic travel by crossing the Pond (JFK-LHR) in 5 hours,...
DHS Was Right To Block New York Global Entry Applicants
The Department of Homeland Security began blocking New York residents from applying for their trusted traveller program, Global Entry, over the state’s “Sanctuary policies” but there’s more to the story and DHS was right to do it. If you...
United App Unnecessarily Forces Update, Frustration
The Coronavirus has caused a number of shifts in air travel, but United forced users to update their app. Flyers had issues at the airport, but other airlines didn’t require the same. If you are considering booking travel or signing up...
