Just days after suddenly retiring its entire 747-400 fleet a year ahead of schedule, KLM has backtracked and restored two specially-configured 747-400s to service. KLM operated a subfleet of 747-400M or 747-400 Combi aircraft. Unlike traditional passenger configurations, these...
Lufthansa Salutes New Zealand With A380 Flyover
A Lufthansa A380 performed a flyover as it departed Auckland earlier today, delighting onlookers and serving as a fitting thanks to Kiwis for all their help. Lufthansa, which prior to this point has never flown to New Zealand, has...
British Airways: Beautiful Platitudes But No Status Extensions
I just received a rather beautiful and paradoxically sad yet uplifting email from British Airways. But it is heavy on fluff and light on details. Here’s the letter: Dear Mr. Klint, For only the second time in our 100-year...
American And United Spar Over Philippine Airlines
I’ve written before about how United Airlines is trying to stop Philippine Airlines from expanding in the USA unless United also gains a new slot in Manila. Now United is trying to block a new codeshare agreement between Philippine...
Lufthansa Seeks State Aid From Four Nations
Lufthansa will ask Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, and Austria for a bailout as it seeks to stabilize itself and its subsidiary carriers in a time of uncertainty. Speaking to staff, Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr said: “I am optimistic that the...
Woman Jailed For Leaving Hotel Room In Search Of Fresh Towels
Anna Carter spent the night in jail after being arrested for violating her violating her quarantine order. Carter claims she was just looking for fresh towels. Carter, 45, is under quarantine in Brisbane, Australia. She was ordered to self-isolate...
United Postpones Launch Of New Uniforms, Citing Costs
United Airlines will postpone indefinitely the launch of new uniforms for flight attendants, pilots, and other work groups, citing cost concerns. I suspect that new uniforms are the last things on the mind of most United workers these days,...
Hot Deal: Qatar Airways Qsuites From USA
While now is not the ideal time to book travel, I cannot help but to mention an incredible Qatar Airways fare sale going on now. Fly Qatar Airways Qsuites For Under $1700 R/T From New York Or Philadelphia To...
Enough! Junior Flight Attendants At American Airlines Need To Stop Griping
Many junior flight attendants at American Airlines are livid. They need to stop and count their blessings. I know, so easy for me to say from the comfort of my armchair. But hear me out. Why Junior American Airlines...
Singapore Airlines Cabin Crew Will Serve Hospital Patients
Singapore Airlines will redeploy grounded flight attendants to a Singapore hospital, where they will serve patients in low-risk wards. As in much of the world, health care workers are overburdened right now in Singapore, even as the city-state has...
Teen Pilot Flies Critical Supplies To Rural Hospitals
TJ Kim is too young to drive alone, but he can fly…and he has put his pilot’s license to good use, delivering critical medical supplies to rural hospitals. 16-year-old Kim lives in Virginia and delivers supplies including masks, gloves,...
Pessimistic Lufthansa Will Retire Some 747s, A340s, A380s
Lufthansa does not see demand bouncing back for years and has responded by announcing the retirement of several longhaul and shorthaul aircraft. When I accuse my German wife of being pessimistic, she corrects me and says she is just...
United Significantly Reduces Flying Schedule At San Francisco + Los Angeles
Much like it did in Newark, United Airlines is dramatically scaling back flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco. In a note to SFO and LAX employees, United’s Executive Vice President Greg Hart announced the cutbacks, set to begin...
Will You Reward Or Punish Airlines & Hotels For Status Extensions?
Airlines and hotels have been generous with status extensions for 2021. Will you reward them with more business or use the chance to be a free agent while still maintaining your status? With a dwindling number of holdouts, airlines...
Newlyweds “Trapped” At Five-Star Resort In The Maldives
“Everyone says they want to be stuck on a tropical island, until you’re actually stuck. It only sounds good because you know you can leave.” Olivia and Raul De Freitas are newlyweds. The South African couple married last month...
Air Canada’s Innovative Approach To Elite Status Sharing
Kudos to Air Canada for thinking outside the box when it comes to status extensions in a way that will encourage further travel once COVID-19 passes, not discourage it. Matching an increasing number of carriers, Air Canada will extend...
United Airlines Sued For Refusing Refunds: Class Action Coming?
Jacob Rudolph decided enough was enough. After repeatedly denying his refund request, Rudolph has sued United Airlines and is now seeking class-action status, a move which would allow all those impacted by United’s failure to promptly to refund tickets...
Critical Thinking On COVID-19 With A Nod To History
What if we are approaching this all wrong? If you have some time, listen to the interview below with Dr. John Ioannidis of Stanford University. He’s a a Greek-American physician-scientist and epidemiologist who studies scientific research itself. Ioannidis published...
American Airlines Kicks Employees Out Of First Class…Was It Necessary?
American Airlines has informed employees they will temporarily lose access to first class seating on narrow body, two-cabin domestic flights when non-revving. Is such a draconian approach really necessary? In a memo shared by View from the Wing, American...
I’m Sitting Pretty On Elite Status For 2021…
Thanks to an unexpected gift from my preferred hotel chain and airline, I don’t have to set foot on another airplane or hotel this year and will still enjoy top-tier status until at least early 2022. After initially resisting...
