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....
Review: US Airways A330-300 Business Class Philadelphia To Munich
Why an old US Airways Envoy Class review? As we remain in lockdown, read this introduction to my current Balkans trip report. To begin my journey to the Balkans, I had to get to Europe…and I flew on US Airways on...
United Capitulates To Nervous Nellies With New Advance Warning System
I’m not directly saying it is a bad policy, but United’s new warning system to protect passengers against full flights will lead to unreasonable expectations. United Airlines Will Warn You If Your Flight Is Full It all started with...
United’s New Pre-Departure Amenity: Hand Sanitizer Wipes
Starting today, a United flight attendant will greet you at the door of the aircraft with a smile…and a hand wipe. Flight attendants will offer individually-packaged hand sanitizer wipes from a basket using tongs, almost like hot towel or...
Boeing CEO Predicts Major U.S. Airline Will Go Out Of Business
Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun believes a major U.S. carrier will “most likely” go out of business. Which one did he have in mind? Calhoun will appear on NBC’s TODAY Show later this morning. All we have is a teaser...
Introduction: Road Trip Through The Balkans
I’ve held off for two months on starting a new trip report, but it’s time for a new report. Sort of. Read more of my classic trip report through the Balkans Introduction: Road Trip Through The Balkans Review: US...
The Peril Of Buying Gift Cards…
I don’t buy gift cards, unless I am gifting them in small amounts. A recent bankruptcy illustrates why you should also be careful about ever stocking up on gift cards. First, perhaps, we should take a step back. The...
Unbelievable: Lufthansa Spent €150 Million Restoring Historic Plane That Never Flew
We knew a decades-long process to make a Lockheed Constellation airworthy again was scrapped, but now we know how much it cost…and that amount is staggering. Lufthansa Aimed To Make Lockheed Constellation Airworthy Again Lufthansa once aimed for a...
How Airline Lobbyists Hoodwinked Congress In CARES Act
As it turns out, Congress wasn’t careless; it actually chose to cut out language from the CARES Act that would have prohibited airlines from slashing worker’s pay by reducing hours. Last week, I defended the right of airlines to...
Lufthansa Remains A Political Pawn In Bailout Debate
Another week has flown by with Germany and Lufthansa still unable to come to an agreement on a bailout. The unresolved issue remains how much control Germany should exert over Lufthansa. Yesterday, German Economy Minister Peter Altmaier said his...
Emirates’ Mother’s Day Tribute To Flying Moms
Happy Mother’s Day! On this day in which we celebrate our mothers, I want to share with you a nice tribute to flying moms released by Emirates. The two-minute video includes pilots and flight attendants with their young children....
Toothsome Intra-Asia Meals On United Airlines
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. Earlier this...
United’s Peculiar Redefinition Of “Cancelled” Flight
Just in time for the novel coronavirus, United has a novel definition of cancellation. Does United’s new definition fly or is it another slap in the face of consumers? Three of my favorite blogs have addressed this issue and...
South African Airways Lives To See Another Day After Court Forces It To Keep Flying
A South African Labor Court has ruled that South African Airways must continue to operate, handing a victory to union who sued to halt the carrier’s shutdown. South African Airways entered business rescue in December. Business rescue, by its...
Delta Suspends Service To 11 Airports For “Health” Reasons
Delta Air Lines is suspending service to several stations, citing health concerns as the primary reason. How convenient that all of the airports happen to be in metropolitan airports not too far from larger Delta stations… While Delta concedes...
