Lufthansa’s aging but adequate Senator Lounge provided a productive environment for my long layover in Berlin Tegel. This lounge really has not changed since I first visited it more than a decade ago. Neither has TXL…for decades. There is...
Woman Who Sued Emirates Over Water Denial Loses Big
An Australian woman who sued Emirates, claiming they refused to give her enough water onboard, has lost her case. She now faces staggering legal fees. I wrote about the case earlier this year. Lina Di Falco was traveling from...
United’s New California-Themed Livery
United Airlines has unveiled a new California-themed livery now gracing the surface of a Boeing 757-200. The livery is the work of Tsungwei Moo, a San Francisco-based artist who won United’s “Her-Art-Here” contest in association with the National Museum of...
Qantas Will Operate New York To Sydney Nonstop On Friday
Qantas will attempt to fly nonstop from New York to Sydney on Friday, a flight of nearly 20 hours. As Qantas continues to consider nonstop service from Sydney to London and New York, it still has many kinks to...
Why Lufthansa Believes Upcoming Strike Is Illegal
Despite a threatened strike on Sunday by flight attendants, Lufthansa has made clear that flights will operate normally. It has also insisted the planned strike is illegal. The true battle is over UFO recognition. For years, the Unabhängige Flugbegleiter...
Walmart Boss Is New CEO Of Air New Zealand
What’s the difference between a discount retail chain and Air New Zealand? Not much, apparently, if Air New Zealand’s CEO is any indication. I say that jokingly, but only half-jokingly, for reasons I will explain below. But indeed, Air...
A Quixotic Plan To Ban Frequent Flyer Programs By Government Fiat
Do frequent flyer programs encourage travelers to take more flights than they need to? Should the small subset of road warriors who take the majority of flights be taxed for their excessive flying? That’s what a government-sanctioned climate report...
Protest Targets Turkish Airlines At SFO
As Turkish tanks rolls deeper into northern Syrian, some Bay Area residents have used Turkish Airlines as a proxy for the Turkish government. Nearly 100 people showed up to the Turkish Airlines ticket counter at San Francisco International Airport...
Emirates Plans to Defy Court Order In Mexico City
Despite a Mexican federal court ruling against Emirates, the Dubai-based airlines plans to move forward with planned flights to Mexico City via Barcelona. Emirates has tried to launch service to Mexico City for years. Due to the high altitude...
Offensive T-Shirts And The Line Of Decency Onboard Airplanes
Whether a t-shirt calling for the execution of journalists or using a choice expletive to describe the President of the United States, where should an airline draw the line in permissible onboard attire? A man boarded a United flight...
Japanese Lunch On A Lufthansa Breakfast Flight To Middle East…
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. The title...
United Battles Alaska At LAX With New Route
United Airlines is challenging Alaska Airlines in Los Angeles with new nonstop service to Anchorage, Alaska. Next summer, United Airlines will offer daily nonstop service between Los Angeles (LAX) and Anchorage (ANC). The service will be operated by a...
SWISS Expands “Flugzug” Service
With the demise of Adria leaving a gap in its domestic network, SWISS is expanding it Flugzug rail service to Lugano. In German, Flugzug is literally flight train, though SWISS translates it as Airtrain. When SWISS abandoned Basel (BSL), it...
Part III: Heartfelt Conversations With Iraqi Kurds
As Turkish forces embark upon a massive offensive into Kurdish-controlled Northeast Syria, memories of my 2011 trip to Iraqi Kurdistan are in the front of my mind. > Part I: A Day Trip To Iraq > Part II: Exploring...
An Intriguing Upside To United’s Radical MileagePlus Changes
For those willing to invest the time, the changes to United MileagePlus actually may make it cheaper to qualify for top-tier status on United than it is now. But it will take some serious and creative mileage running… United...
Analysis: Fundamental Changes To United MileagePlus In 2020
Last night, United Airlines announced radical changes to the way elite status is earned in the MileagePlus program, starting in 2020. What do these changes mean for you? First, let’s review the changes. Introduction Of Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF)...
Lufthansa Sheepishly Scrambles To Locate Missing Cat
Milo is missing. Lufthansa says it is doings its best to find him. But how did he get lost in the first place? Last week, Molly McFadden travelled with her two cats, Milo and Beau, on Lufthansa from Munich...
Boeing Loses Large 787 Order
Aeroflot Russian Airlines has formally canceled its Boeing 787 order, further casting the future of Boeing’s Dreamliner program into uncertainty. Boeing ramped up production of the Dreamliner earlier this year from 12 to 14 aircraft per month at two...
Part II: Exploring Erbil, The Capital Of Iraqi Kurdistan
As Turkish forces embark upon a massive offensive into Kurdish-controlled Northeast Syria, memories of my trip to Iraqi Kurdistan are in the front of my mind. >Part I: A Day Trip To Iraq If I showed you these pictures...
Singapore Award Space Blocking On Alaska Airlines
You can now redeem Alaska MileagePlan miles for worldwide travel on Singapore Airlines. How does award space access compare to Singapore’s other partners and Singapore’s own KrisFlyer program? After announcing a partnership in 2017, Alaska MileagePlan members can finally...
