The American Express Centurion Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is now open and looks great. American Express Centurion Lounge LAX Hours + Location Hours of operation will be daily from from 6:30AM until 11:00PM. While not surprising...
Review: United Airlines 737-900 First Class
What is traveling across the country on a 737-900 like in United’s domestic first class on one of its longest transcontinental fights? My TAP Air Portugal ticket only got me as far as Boston. From Boston, I booked a...
United’s New Schedule Change Policy Is Indefensible
Over the weekend, United clandestinely updated its schedule change policy in a dramatically customer-unfriendly way. There is no justification for the policy change. None. New United Schedule Change Policy Up until Saturday, a schedule change that resulted in an...
Lufthansa Grounds Entire A380 Fleet. Is Air France Next?
Last week, I reported that Lufthansa was considering grounding its entire Airbus A380 fleet. It’s now official: all 14 Lufthansa A380s will soon be grounded. Who’s next? Air France? British Airways? Aero Telegraph (via OMAAT) reports it viewed an...
United Won’t Loosen Premier Qualifications (Yet), But Will Extend Status Matches
United Airlines will not loosen the requirements to re-qualify for premier status in 2021…yet. But it will give travelers participating in a status match challenge more time to complete the challenge. United is sending out a lot of email...
United Airlines Attempts to Assuage Our Fears
United Airlines reached out to every MileagePlus member with an email on COVID-19, meant to assuage fears and calm frayed nerves. The letter, written by outgoing CEO Oscar Munoz, talks about United’s current travel waiver, how aircraft are cleaned,...
Airlines Warn Of Wasteful “Ghost Flights” From London Heathrow
Airlines are seeking a waiver from Heathrow’s “use it or lose it” slot during this time of weakened travel demand. Absent that, expect a lot of empty flights to/from London Heathrow in the days and weeks ahead. LHR “Use...
Lufthansa May Ground A380 Fleet, Slash Capacity By 50%
Citing unprecedented cancellations and anemic new bookings, Lufthansa is considering grounding its entire A380 fleet as it explores a massive cutback in flights. Coronavirus concerns have prompted thousands of passengers to cancel or postpone travel. The problem is so...
Review: Turkish Airlines A321neo Business Class
Business class on Turkish Airlines is always a pleasure, but the A321neo is such a wonderful alternative to the business class product offered by most European competitors. I booked my ticket from Frankfurt to Atlanta via Istanbul using 55,000...
Warning: Singapore Will Jail You For Lying About Travel
As nations around the world work to battle the spread of COVID-19 coronavirus, Singapore is not messing around: don’t even think about lying about where you have been. If you do, you face jail time and a hefty fine....
Finnair Platinum Wing: One Of World’s Best Airport Lounges
I had a chance to visit the Finnair Platinum Wing in Helsinki and quickly ascertained that this is one of the nicest airport lounges in the world. It was truly a pleasure to spend several hours here. Access is...
Split Decision: Mother Found Guilty Of Beating SWISS Pilot While Grandma Walks…
Earlier this week I shared about the mother-daughter duo who were arrested for assaulting a SWISS Air captain over a hand baggage disagreement. A London court just adjudicated the case. Henrietta Mitaiare, 23, and Mary Roberts, 53, were traveling from Zurich...
Want To Hang Out With Me In Washington, DC This Weekend? (FTU)
Frequent Traveler University is returning to Washington, DC this weekend. FTU is a full day of expert-led sessions on trending travel topics and manufactured spending. It’s not only a venue to learn, but one to network with like-minded folks...
MI6? CIA? Mossad? I Leave My Seatmate Guessing
I had fun with my seatmate on a recent Turkish Airlines flight from Frankfurt to Istanbul, who thought I was a spy. As I shared in my first impressions post, the aircraft swapped from an A321 to an A321neo...
Leaked Memo: United Airlines Responds To Coronavirus
United Airlines will tackle weakened travel demand by reducing or suspending more routes, offering unpaid leave, freezing all non-essential hiring, and postponing raises for non-union employees. In a lengthy memo to United employees, outgoing CEO Oscar Munoz and incoming...
Why Delta CEO Skipped White House Meeting…Again
Delta CEO Ed Bastian ruffled feathers by missing a White House meeting with President Donald Trump last July. Yesterday, airline CEOs again convened at the White House. Yesterday, Bastian was again missing. This time, though, no one is questioning...
SWISS Pilot Attacked By Mother-Daughter Duo…Over Baby Stroller
A SWISS pilot has alleged a mother-daughter duo from London attacked him over a baby stroller. Henrietta Mitaiare, 23, and Mary Roberts, 53, were traveling from Zurich (ZRH) to London (LHR) last May with Mitaiare’s child. Upon boarding, Mitaiare was informed...
First Impressions: Finnair A330 Business Class
While not as comfortable as the A350, the Finnair A330 proved a comfortable ride from London to Helsinki. Industrial action in Helsinki (airport ground workers launched an unexpected strike) delayed my inbound flight from London by two hours. Despite...
United Airlines’ Very Shrewd Change Fee Waiver
United Airlines has issued a blanket waiver on change fees for all new bookings through the end of the month. The shrewd policy is meant to stimulate demand for new bookings and allay the coronavirus fears of nervous passengers....
Ryanair CEO Condemns “Hysteria” Over Coronavirus
Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary is not happy over coronavirus coverage, savaging what he calls the “lunacy” and “hysteria” of social media pandemonium. O’Leary has never been one to hold back words and was very blunt in an interview with Sky...
