As its 787 Dreamliners undergo maintenance, LOT Polish is using Air Belgium to operate one of its flagship routes. Starting today and running through at least March 11, 2019, Air Belgium will be operating LOT’s flights between Warsaw and...
Fascinating New York Times Interview With Delta CEO Ed Bastian
David Gelles of the New York Times recently sat down Delta CEO Ed Bastian. The Q&A offers a fascinating look into Bastian’s history from childhood to present. We learn about Bastian’s childhood, his first summer jobs, his time as...
Review: Hyatt Carmel Highlands [2019]
I spent the weekend in Carmel, CA with my family at the Highlands Inn, our favorite Hyatt property in the Golden State. My previous reviews remain relevant, but I do want to draw your attention to a few positive...
Keep Clam: I’m Now Using Grammarly + Other Blog Updates
Dear readers, I know I have a problem. And I’m addressing it today. At least I’m starting to. Yes, I have a proofreading problem. And yes, I know it is annoying to many of you. Believe it or not,...
Flight Diversions Galore As India And Pakistan Brace For War
Yesterday was not a good day to travel to India or Pakistan and today isn’t looking much better. Gearing up for possible war, Pakistan has closed its airspace to commercial air traffic. That caught many airlines off guard. Last...
Amtrak’s Coast Starlight Train Stuck In Snow For 37 Hours
An Amtrak train traveling from Seattle to Los Angeles made an unexpected stop in a small town in Oregon…for 37 hours. Amtrak’s Coast Starlight service runs daily between Los Angeles and Seattle. The 36-hour journey mostly follows the Pacific...
Airline Sues Passenger For Throwing Coins In Engine
A man who threw coins into an A320 for good luck is instead being sued by the airline for over $21,000. Talk about a turn of fortunes… The man, named Lu, was traveling on Lucky Air from Ningbo to Anqing....
Aegean Adds Eight New International Destinations
Fledgling Aegean Airlines will add eight new international destinations and increase frequency between many top destinations and and the Greek capital. Aegean will add 700,000 seats, primarily increasing traffic during the slower winter months. From Athens: Casablanca Ibiza Marrakech...
Flight Attendants Battle American Airlines, Claiming Sexism and Pilot Favoritism
The flight attendant union at American Airlines claims that AA treats its predominantly female cabin crews as “second-class citizens” over pilots via new “sexist” attendance rules. Welcome to contract negotiation season… Pilot and flight attendant contracts are up for...
Shocking British Airways Video Shows Why I WALKED To Gibraltar
A shocking video of a British Airways Airbus A320 attempting to land in Gibraltar demonstrates precisely why I’d rather walk than fly. The incident happened on February 25 on Flight 492 from London Heathrow to Gibraltar. The British enclave...
Review: Aspire Lounge London Heathrow (LHR – T5)
I complained about the crowding in the British Airways’ T5 Galleries Lounge last week, but that was like a New York subway compared to the nearby Tokyo Subway, aka Aspire Lounge. In fact, I’ve never been in a more...
My First Meal On Alaska 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. Remember when...
I’m Plotting An L-1011 TriStar Trip…
Even more so than the Concorde, the one plane I most regret not flying is the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. But it may not be too late… I’ve written before about the five aircraft I most regret not flying. The...
Will Etihad Partner With United And Join Star Alliance?
Rumors are swirling that Etihad Airways will ditch American Airlines and partner with United Airlines. What will this mean for all three carriers? It was two years ago that rumors were swirling that Etihad was close to joining Star...
U.S. Carriers Fight For Coveted Tokyo Haneda Slots
Four U.S. carriers are fighting for 19 slots at Tokyo Haneda Airport. Who will be left without a seat when the music stops? A new bilateral aviation agreement with Japan gives U.S. carriers access to 12 new daytime slots...
Why The Willard InterContinental Is My Favorite Hotel In Washington, DC
I’m generally a very loyal Hyatt patron, but there are exceptions. Washington, DC is one such exception. In the District, my favorite hotel is not one of the three Hyatt properties, but the Willard InterContinental. I first stepped into...
Air France Cancels Venezuela Flights While Air Europa Offers Crews Kidnapping Advice
In the wake of escalating civil unrest, Air France is temporarily halting flights to Caracas. Meanwhile, Air Europa has issued an advisory to crews on how to avoid kidnappings… It is a historic day in Venezuela. The Maduro regime...
Please Don’t Go Kamikaze On Us American Airlines!
Rumors are swirling that American Airlines is considering restricting the use of systemwide upgrades to only recipient account holders. To do so would take AAdvantage on an unnecessary kamikaze mission. The rumor comes from reliable insider JonNYC. Over the...
Airfare Is Cheaper* Than Ever Before
With inflation factored in, average airfare in the United States is lower than it has ever been since the government started keeping track. But do note the asterisk in my title. Government record keeping began in 1995 and this...
United’s Secretive Top-Tier Status Has Nice Perks…
When it comes to airline loyalty programs, there is “top-tier” status, and then there is true top-tier status… While Premier 1K status is the top published status level at United Airlines, there’s one level above it. And the perks...
