On a British Airways to St. Lucia, a friendly conversation turned bad, resulting in the use of a duty-free bottle of wine as a weapon of attack and a brawl that sent a good Samaritan to the hospital. Man...
Independence Day 1863: A Reflection on Gettysburg
I ran the story below on July 4, 2013 on the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg. Another decade has passed and I find it all the more timely that we reflect upon the US Civil War and...
Humiliated For Ratting Out A Jerk Who Filled His Backpack With Beer In A Hotel Lounge…
Reader Fathiss sent me the story below, which I found amusing due to its unexpected twist at the end. Do you speak up when you see someone taking food or drinks out from a hotel or airport lounge? Does...
Russia Says Moscow Airport Attacked By Ukrainian Drones
Russian media has reported that Moscow Vnukovo Airport in central Moscow has been attacked by drones from Ukraine. Thus far, Ukraine has neither confirmed nor denied these allegations. Russia: Drones Target Moscow Airport A series of drone attacks in...
My Trip To A Notorious “Murder Capital Of The World”
Welcome to my next trip report, a journey I took to a city that for many years held the notorious honor of being the murder the capital of the world. This is a trip report about San Pedro Sula,...
US Advises Citizens To Avoid Travel To China
Even as the US and China attempt to dial down tension and reset relations, a new US travel advisory warns US citizens to avoid non-essential travel to China. US Travel Warning: Avoid Travel To China Mainland China recently passed...
American Airlines Passenger Has Meltdown Over “Imaginary” Passenger
A woman demanded to get off an American Airlines flight for fear of…an imaginary passenger? Meltdown On American Airlines: Woman Freaks Out Over “Imaginary” Passenger I’m trying to make sense of the video below, which has gone viral with...
Oneworld Lounge Hopping In Singapore: A Foodie’s Delight
Singapore Changi International Airport is not only home to a number of superb Singapore Airlines lounges, but also five different oneworld lounges, all worth visiting (though some more than others). I enjoyed many delicious meals during my 18-hour layover...
Spirit Airlines Passenger Charged With Attempted Murder After Placing Police Officer In Chokehold At Ticket Counter In Orlando
When you do not get the answer you want from a Spirit Airlines check-in agent, the answer is not to attack the agent and then to attack the police officer who is called in to break up the fight....
Time for Video Surveillance Onboard Planes?
Six years after I first wrote about the idea of airline video surveillance systems onboard, I find my opinion has changed very little. I’m still rather agnostic about the presence of cameras onboard, though I find many benefits that...
United Airlines CEO Offers Detailed Explanation Of What Led To Operational Meltdown This Week
Another story on United Airlines today thanks to a long note to staff that CEO Scott Kirby just sent out. Kirby has put together a timeline seeking to explain what happened and exactly why United suffered an operational meltdown...
United Airlines Offers Massive Mileage Compensation To Atone For Operational Woes
I just received an email in my inbox offering me 30,000 United MileagePlus miles in compensation for the operational woes this week that upended my trip to Newark and wasted hours of my time. It is a nice gesture....
In Defense Of United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby: Those Calling On Him To Resign Are Crazy
There is no question that United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby erred in taking a private jet to his home in Colorado while his airline melted down and thousands of passengers and crew members were stranded. But calls for his...
Hidden Gem: Qatar Airways Singapore Premium Lounge
I arrived in Singapore on KLM not quite sure how I would get to California, but ended up booking flights on Malaysia Airlines to Tokyo via Kuala Lumpur. That gave me a chance to lounge hop at Singapore Changi...
United Airlines CEO Caught Flying Private Jet When United Could Not Get Him Home…
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has issued a candid apology after he was caught flying a private jet from Newark to Chicago in the midst of an operational implosion at United that resulted in thousands of delays and cancellations....
The Reckless Airport Limo Driver At LAX
All drivers, but especially professional drivers, have a duty to drive safety… particularly at a busy international airport like Los Angeles International (LAX). To the driver who weaved recklessly between vehicles and cut us off: I hope your license...
KLM 777 Business Class Never Disappoints, Especially On A Fifth Freedom Route
I had to fly home for a week while my friend relaxed another week in Bali and my trip home began with KLM 777-300ER Business Class on a Fifth Freedom flight from Bali to Singapore. Here’s a quick look...
The Real Tom Stuker, United’s 23-Million-Miler Flyer
Let me put it to you this way: I’ve known Tom Stuker for many years and when I see him misquoted by a perfidious columnist for The Washington Post, it does not sit well with me. Beyond the sensational...
What Happened To the Cubana IL-96?
UPDATE: While the fate of the Cubana Ilyushin IL-96 is still not fully clear, a promising sign has emerged that at least two of these aircraft will be restored and put back into service. Per Granma, the official Communist...
Pete Buttigieg Rejects Blame From United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby Over Travel Disruptions
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and the union representing United Airlines’ pilots have pushed back against the narrative of United CEO Scott Kirby in blaming the Federal Aviation Administration and its shortage of air traffic controllers for the operational woes...
