Would you be more likely to splurge for a luxury hotel room if it came with a COVID-19 test kit, nurse on duty, and medical insurance? If so, Swiss luxury hotel chain Le Bijou may be just the place...
White House, Senate Agree To Stimulus Package That Will Include Relief For Airlines, Hotels
Senate leaders and White House officials just emerged from a marathon closed-door negotiation session with smiles on their faces. Both sides now fundamentally agree on a $2 trillion stimulus package aimed at boosting the American economy. Among the largesse...
My Shelter-In-Place Diet Is Worse Than My Travel Diet…
Usually I eat healthy at home and splurge when I travel, especially onboard an airplane. Lately, I’ve fallen into the junk food trap at home. How about you? My wife is a wonderful cook and very good at making...
KLM Flight Attendant Soothes Cabin With Stirring Song
A KLM flight attendant bid farewell to passengers in the form of a song, singing for passengers in a gesture that will make you smile. This is an uncertain time for the entire economy, but particularly for flight attendants...
Cool: Nonstop A380 Flight From Australia To London On Qantas
With Singapore blocked off, Qantas is getting creative with its London service, bypassing other countries all together in favor of a technical stop at a historic Australian airport. Nonstop Service…From Darwin To London Heathrow Qantas 1/2, its flagship nonstop...
Qantas Wants To Crush Virgin Australia Once And For All
Troubled Virgin Australia has asked the Australian government for a financial lifeline. Qantas has aggressively responded, denouncing a government bailout for a “badly managed” company and arguing for a “survival of the fittest” model as the economy enters recession....
Florida Quarantining New York Travelers: More Domestic Flight Restrictions Coming?
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has announced that all airline passengers arriving from the New York-area will face a mandatory 14-day quarantine. Are more domestic flight restrictions around the corner? DeSantis announced the ban Monday evening, warning that, “I would...
Would You Support Airline Bailouts If Executives Chipped In Themselves?
I’m curious, would you be more likely to support a bailout for the airline industry if executives returned the bulk of their compensation or chipped in from their own pockets? Richard Branson, for example, is worth over $4BN, but...
If The Airline Refund Doesn’t Impute, You Must Dispute…
Let me put it bluntly: if your flight is canceled and an airline doesn’t issue a prompt refund, you should dispute the charge with your credit card company. In 1994, charismatic attorney for O.J Simpson Johnnie Cochran told the...
An Extortion Proposal From US Airlines To Congress
U.S. airlines have banded together to warn that absent immediate aide from U.S. Congress, jobs will soon be lost. The letter amounts to extortion, even as U.S. airlines finally begin to take on a more sensible narrative. Let’s start...
American Airlines Backs Downs On Mask Ban
American Airlines (wisely) backed down on its ban on masks for flight attendants, now allowing them to wear masks onboard and in airports if they so choose. If the U.S. government is to believed (and that’s sadly not a...
Reversal: United Reinstates Longhaul International Flights
Earlier today I reported that United would slash all of its longhaul service in April, leaving only international service to a few cities in Mexico. Already, United has reversed that decision and reinstated a number of longhaul flights. United...
My Favorite Airline Comfort Food, One Last Time
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. My last...
The Future Of Live And Let’s Fly In Our New World…
Dear Readers, I’ve received an uptick in nasty email and comments this week celebrating the imminent collapse of Live and Let’s Fly. I’ve also received notes and comments from many concerned about me and my family as we adjust...
United Airlines Warns Of Mass Layoffs Absent Government Bailout
The message from United Airlines is clear: bail us out or we are going to start laying off massive number of workers. Earlier today I shared that United Airlines will reduce international service by 95% in April. Domestic service...
United Airlines Will Reduce International Schedule 95% In April, Cut All Longhaul Service
Blaming depressed demand and government restrictions, United Airlines will cut 95% of international travel in April, leaving service to only a handful of cities in Mexico. United Airlines Suspends All Transatlantic Service United is suspending all service to Europe,...
The Last Supper In The Polaris Lounge…
United has shuttered all of its Polaris lounges, hopefully just on a temporary basis. What are we missing during this time? Dinner In United Polaris Lounge Newark Last week, I enjoyed linner (lunch and dinner in one sitting) in...
Are Flight Attendants Onboard ONLY For Safety And Security?
In the new world of COVID-19, are flight attendants onboard only for safety and security? A comment in a story I wrote earlier today, has left me scratching my head. Lisa, who presumably is a flight attendant, commented on...
Labor War Reignites At American Airlines
Flight attendants are “highly offended” at American Airlines over disparities in treatment between themselves and pilots as well as about their working conditions and options for leave. In an open letter written by Lori L. Bassani, National President of...
United Airlines Closes Additional United Clubs
3/20/20 Update United will close five more clubs; two effective today and three on Saturday: Now closed: Raleigh-Durham – RDU – United Club London Heathrow – LHR – Arrivals Lounge Tomorrow (3/21), the following three lounges will close: Mexico...
