Pope Leo XIV got a cockpit visit onboard an Iberia flight from Madrid to Barcelona, including a radio exchange with Spanish fighter pilots escorting the aircraft. Not exactly your average intra-Europe hop… Pope Leo XIV Visits Cockpit On Iberia...
70 United Airlines AVGeeks Flew To All 7 Hubs In One Day, And United Went All In
70 AVgeeks recently flew to all of seven of United Airlines’ continental USA hubs in one day. Here’s a review from three of the travelers who organized the trip and took part in the journey. With special thanks to...
Review: Delta One Lounge Los Angeles (LAX)
Here’s a brief update to my full review from last year, with this bottom line: the Delta One Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport remains just as great as ever and it’s easily my favorite lounge at LAX. I...
Delta Weighs Pragmatic Alternative To Swanky New A321neo Business Class Seat
UPDATE: Delta Air Lines has officially confirmed it will not wait much longer for the Safran Vue seat. While it still prefers this seat for its premium subfleet of Airbus A321neo aircraft, it is now open to the Thompson...
Lufthansa First Class Awards Still Exist, But Miles & More Pricing Is Brutal
It has now been nine days since Lufthansa cut off all first class award space to its Star Alliance partners. It’d be one thing if Miles & More members also were cut off from first class award space, but...
United Airlines Surprised Me With Excellent Coq Au Vin On A Redeye
For this week’s Meal of the Week, I am looking at a surprisingly delicious coq au vin served on my United Airlines redeye. While a little heavy for a midnight snack, it really hit the spot. Taste Test: United...
Philippine Airlines Joins oneworld, But Don’t Expect American Airlines To Fly To Manila
Philippine Airlines is joining the oneworld alliance in 2027, a welcome and somewhat surprising development that gives oneworld a stronger Southeast Asia presence. But does it mean American Airlines will finally launch Manila service? Not unless the carrier wants...
“Bring ’Em On”: Delta Takes Aim At United Across The Pacific
Delta Air Lines wants to become the leading U.S. carrier across the Pacific, taking direct aim at United Airlines. That is an ambitious goal, and while Delta has some real advantages, United’s Pacific network remains in a different league....
Surprise: European Union Moves To Strengthen EU261 Flight Compensation, Not Gut It
EU261/2004 may finally be updated and much to my delight (and contrary to months of rumors), Europe is not gutting passenger compensation. Quite the opposite: the core compensation scheme appears set to remain largely intact, while airlines may soon...
The Aging Playboy, The Prada Bag, And The Inflight Romance Scam
I really felt sad for my seatmate, who was engaged in a frenzied WhatsApp conversation on a flight up the California coast with his “girlfriend” that was impossible for me to avoid and left me very thankful that I...
Barking “Service Dog” Ruins My United Airlines Redeye Sleep
I know I sound like a broken record sometimes, but it seems like I cannot escape a trip without encountering a fake service animal, this time a barking dog on a United Airlines redeye flight. A Barking “Service Dog”...
Man Sneaks Onto United Airlines Flight With Fake Boarding Pass After Multiple Security Failures
A Houston man used a fake boarding pass to sneak onto a United Airlines flight at IAH, forcing the aircraft to return to the gate and triggering a major law enforcement response. It’s always curious me to how these...
Carnitas Breakfast Bowl On Alaska Airlines: Best Airline Breakfast Ever
My consolation for my first class upgrade on Alaska Airlines not clearing was the best economy class breakfast (and perhaps even the best breakfast period) I’ve ever enjoyed on an airplane: the carnitas breakfast bowl. Taste Test: Carnitas Breakfast...
Review: Air India Maharaja Lounge San Francisco (SFO)
I had a chance to stop by the new Air India Maharaja Lounge in San Francisco (SFO) during a recent layover and enjoyed a nice Indian dinner in this small but impressive lounge. Air India Maharaja Lounge San Francisco...
United Airlines Adds Four New Routes, Including First U.S. Nonstop To Chiapas
United Airlines is adding four new routes this fall and winter, including two from Washington Dulles, one from Newark, and one from Houston, including a new destination in Mexico and a new transcontinental flight to Southern California. United Airlines...
American Airlines Upgrades Lounge Dining With Better Hot Meals, A La Carte Dishes
Earlier this week, I wrote that American Airlines was winning me over with better food in its network of Admirals Club lounges. Now American has made clear this was not a lucky outlier, but part of a deliberate effort...
Spirit Airlines 2.0: Can A Grassroots Campaign Bring The Airline Back From The Dead?
A viral grassroots campaign wants everyday travelers, former employees, and Spirit fans to buy Spirit Airlines and relaunch it as a community-owned “Spirit 2.0.” It is certainly a long shot unlikely ever to come to fruition, but I love...
Is The Era Of Lufthansa First Class Awards With Partner Miles Over?
We are still waiting for clarity, but I fear the era of booking Lufthansa First Class with partner miles may be over. I truly hope I am wrong, but it would fit the broader Star Alliance trend: if United...
Review: American Airlines A321XLR Business Class
I flew a brand new American Airlines A321XLR from Los Angeles to New York in Flagship Business Class and enjoyed the sleek new cabin and individual seat. It’s not a perfect business class seat, but it is a big...
Kuwait Airport Reopens, But Can Airlines Trust A Gateway Iran Keeps Targeting?
Kuwait International Airport was struck by drones in a deadly attack attributed by Kuwait and the United States to Iran, damaging Terminal 1 and briefly halting flights. Operations are now resuming, but the larger question is whether Kuwait can...
