Qatar Airways sees tremendous growth opportunity in Africa and has responded by picking a strategic hub: Kigali, Rwanda. Now Qatar Airways wants to invest in Rwanda’s national airline. Bugesera International Airport in Kigali is set to open in 2022,...
Lufthansa Has Really Hit Rock Bottom In Economy Class
Hey, it’s time for another Lufthansa Economy Class trip report from Los Angeles to Frankfurt. It just gets worse and worse… I flew from LAX-FRA aboard the A380 last Friday and did economy class again because…well, we’re tightening our...
A Pioneering United Captain Remembered
Bill Norwood is a legend, not just at United Airlines, but as one of the first Black American commercial pilots. Here’s a heartfelt note that United CEO Oscar Munoz shared with employees that recognizes Norwood as part of a...
My Seatmate Watched Porn On His Mobile Phone…
In-flight pornography has been in the news this week, with United sending its flight attendants to special training on how to handle passengers onboard who decide to watch porn. I have my own in-flight story relating to this subject...
Is Bethlehem Safe?
I’ve been talking to people about my trip to Israel and have heard the same question, over and over: Isn’t Bethlehem In the West Bank? Wasn’t that risky? You went into the West Bank? Is that safe? The very...
How To Get From Jerusalem To Bethlehem Cheaply And Easily By Bus
Taking Bus 231 between Jerusalem and Bethlehem is a cheap and easy option that I highly recommend over a taxi or private guide. If you’ve been reading my Israel trip report, you know that we tried to keep expenses...
United Airlines Suspends Last Hong Kong Route
Matching American Airlines, United Airlines will suspend its final link to Hong Kong for at least the next two weeks. United Airlines’ final flight to Hong Kong will depart later today from San Francisco (UA877). The final return flight...
Lufthansa Aggressively Hawks Upgrades
Lufthansa has fully embraced the upgrade monetization game with its upgrade bidding system and more aggressive fixed-price upgrade offers. A client is traveling from Paris to Frankfurt this week. We just booked an “Economy Classic” ticket for her, the...
How Southwest Airlines Made A Forlorn Boy Happy Again
You know that feeling you get when you’ve left something behind and you realize it when it is too late? For little Grayson Mulligan, that feeling hit home when he left his favorite stuffed teddy bear onboard a Southwest...
Booked! Turkish Airlines A321neo + 787-9 Business Class
I spent the weekend in Germany and decided I will return to California in a different way than my usual United Polaris or Lufthansa First Class. This time, I’m trying two new products on Turkish Airlines. Turkish Airlines Last-Minute...
A Regrettable Airbnb Experience In Israel
As I alluded to in my reflections on Jerusalem yesterday, our trip started at an apartment booked via Airbnb. Sadly, we wound up vacating after the first night. Our Airbnb Jerusalem Expectations I say sadly, because look at the...
By Royal Decree: Onboard The Royal Jordanian Wuhan Rescue Flight
By order of King Abdullah II, a Royal Jordanian 787-8 was dispatched to Wuhan, China to rescue Jordanian, Palestinian, and other Arab students and workers. Before returning to Amman, the aircraft underwent an extensive sterilization process. A team from Jordan...
How I Spent Three Days In Jerusalem
We began our trip to Israel in Jerusalem, an ancient city with deep links to the Abrahamic faiths. Our three days focused on religious sites, but we also enjoyed the joy of bartering in the Old City and found...
The Grim Future Of The A380
We know Airbus is stopping A380 production. We also know that airlines are accelerating the retirement of them. But unlike past airframes, there appears to be absolutely no secondary market for them. A Grim Future For A380 Leaseholders I’ve...
NBC News Reporter Blames Trump For Losing Delta Elite Status
Can we steer clear of name-calling in the comments, please? I am writing this more because I am amused and appreciate the link to airline status. Breaking News: NBC News Reporter Loses Delta Elite Status With the strike of...
Turkish Airlines Super Bowl Ad Captures Jubilation Of Travel
For the third year in a row, Turkish Airlines released a beautiful Super Bowl ad. Its 2020 ad highlights the joy of traveling for the first time, especially later in life. The ad begins by reminding us that man...
A Hearty Lunch On Japan 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. Japan Airlines...
Truth: Airline Miles Bridge Gap Between Rich And Poor
Our friend and syndicated columnist Christopher Elliott is out with his latest column, once again waging class warfare on the divide between economy class and the premium cabins. As usual, he couldn’t be more wrong. The Contention: First Class Is Unnecessarily Nice...
Jewish Family Thrown Off American Airlines For “Foul Body Odor” Now Suing AA
A Jewish family is suing American Airlines for $75,000, alleging discrimination and defamation after being removed from a flight to Detroit last year for what American called “extremely offensive body odor”. Yehuda and Jennie Adler were traveling with their...
Fabulous First Class Award Option To Australia Returns
Japan Airlines (JAL) is restoring first class service to Australia, representing a remarkable opportunity to enjoy first class using miles. As of September 1, 2020, Japan Airlines will add a daily 777-300ER flight between Tokyo Haneda and Sydney. The...
