Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. The bottom line is this: I am not making any speculative Qatar Airways bookings after Qatar changed the terms of its very lucrative flexible ticket policy. An...
South African Airways Is In The Hands Of One Man
Pravin Gordhan desperately wants to maintain a national carrier in South Africa. As South Africa’s Minister for Public Enterprises, the key to a new or revitalized airline rests in Gordhan’s hands. One Man’s Effort To Save South African Airways There’s...
United Restricts Employee Standby Travel To Ease Onboard Crowding Tensions
United Airlines is limiting the number of employee standbys it will board in order to encourage “social distancing” onboard. Airline employees are generally allowed to travel on a non-revenue, space-available (NRSA) basis on any flight their airline operates. Sometimes...
A Delicious Steak Dinner On US Airways
Each week, my Meal of the Week feature examines an airline meal from my travels over the years. This may be a meal from earlier in the week or it may be a meal served over a decade ago. This week,...
Balkans Day 3: Sarajevo – Dubrovnik
Day 3 of my Balkans road trip included a morning in Sarajevo, afternoon bus ride to Dubrovnik, and a tasty BBQ to cap off a long day. Read on for how you can easily book a Sarajevo – Dubrovnik bus...
Airlines Are Irked By Boeing CEO’s Grim Prediction
U.S. airlines have not responded well to a suggestion from the Boeing CEO that a major airline would go out of business by the end of the year. Speaking on NBC’s TODAY show earlier this week, Boeing CEO David Calhoun...
Wow: United Airlines Offers Top-Tier Status, 250,000 Miles, And Lucrative Flight Benefits To Employees Who Quit Now
Facing a historic collapse in demand and grim prospects of recovery, United Airlines is further incentivizing employees to accept voluntary separation packages with several enticing new benefits. United Is Warning Of Steep Job Cuts In October Although the CARES...
Thank You Delta For Doing The Right Thing…
As we close out the week, I want to give props to Delta for doing such a great job of processing refunds. It’s something that we should take for granted, but unfortunately has not been the case for every...
Balkans Day 2: Belgrade – Sarajevo
Day 2 of my Balkans trip turned out to be a R&R and travel day, allowing me to fully heal and positioning me to really enjoy the rest of my trip. The day included a 7.5 hour bus ride...
Las Vegas Airport Slots In PPE Vending Machines
Las Vegas becomes the first airport in the Untied States to introduce vending machines dispensing personal protective equipment. At Vegas pricing of course… Visit McCarran International Airport and you’ll find two new vending machines, one in Terminal 1 and...
The Shortest Commercial Flight In The United States
You may have heard that American Airlines just introduced the shortest commercial flight in the Untied States. As far as I can tell, that is not the case and the shortest flight in the USA remains unchanged. So what...
Why Will Delta Retire 777 Fleet?
Delta Air Lines surprised us all yesterday by announcing it would retire its Boeing 777 fleet by the end of 2020. Why would Delta retire this iconic long-range aircraft that it only recently retrofitted with new seats? I’ve outlined...
Hilarious: Airline Priority Boarding Frustrations
Can I interest you in a break from your day to watch a hilarious yet poignant satire on the airline boarding process in 2020? I must admit, I had never heard of Key and Peele before my brother shared the...
10 Great U.S. Destinations To Visit During The Summer Of Lockdown
More and more it is looking like international travel will be limited longer than domestic travel will. For U.S. residents, that presents several interesting opportunities for a summer of domestic travel. Many states are still in lockdown, but most...
United Airlines Prepares To Officially Enter The Kirby Era
On May 20, 2020 United President Scott Kirby will officially become the new Chief Executive Officer. How will consumers, employees, and shareholders react? Kirby: Hope Is Not A Strategy In several pieces over the last two months I have...
The Airline Industry Is In “Good” Shape? What Shape Is That?
With bookings down 98%, planes still flying empty, and most of the world off-limits, to say that airlines are struggling is an understatement. Buoyed temporarily by taxpayer dollars, airlines groan on, but safe and healthy? Not a chance. President...
Balkans Day 1: Sick In Belgrade
Oh, what a horrible way to start my Balkans Road trip. The trip began the day after my birthday, but what a miserable birthday it was. Read more from my classic trip report through the Balkans Introduction: Road Trip...
My PPP Funding Arrived…It’s Not Too Late For You!
It came down to the wire, but I finally received Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funding for Live and Let’s Fly. If you are still waiting on a conventional institution, it’s time to look elsewhere. PPP: Chase, You Let Me...
Loose Lips Sink Ships: Boeing CEO Sends Airline Stocks Plunging
Tuesday was a rough day for U.S. airline stocks, with major airlines sinking 3-5%. One culprit? The loose lips of Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun. Yesterday, Calhoun was on NBC’s TODAY show and predicted that a major airline would go...
U.S. DOT Warns Airlines To Issue Refunds (After 25,000 Complaints)
It only took 25,000+ additional complaints, but the U.S. Department of Transportation is reminding airlines what was clear from the start: refunds cannot be withheld for cancelled flights. I’ve discussed (in depth) United’s absurd redefinition of the word cancellation....
