The only reason why Lufthansa bought 40 Airbus A350s and Boeing 787s last month was because it can no longer grow in Frankfurt. Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr is in the USA this week. Yesterday, he told Flight Global in Washington,...
What Meal Service Looks Like In United Premium Plus (Premium Economy)

On March 30, 2019 United Airlines will officially roll out Premium Plus service on 17 longhaul routes, with more to follow as aircraft are retrofitted or new 787-10s are delivered. United’s new premium economy product will greatly resemble domestic...
A History Of Aircraft Groundings (Part 2 – The Jet Age)

121pilot, a commercial airline pilot in the USA, has graciously written a three-part series on the history of aircraft groundings. Today, we explore part two, the jet age. Click here for part one. McDonnell Douglas DC-10 The fifth aircraft...
Hey Guys, See Something? Say Something. (Airplane Edition)

What would it take to get you to intervene when a creep hassles another passenger, especially a female teenager? Joanna Chiu, bureau chief for the Toronto Star, witnessed something quite dismaying on a recent late-night domestic flight in Canada....
Another Day Of Father-Son Bonding At LAX

My son and I had such a marvelous time at LAX a couple of weeks ago that we (and I do mean we) decided to return for round two. After our last visit, my son woke up each morning...
Lufthansa May Buy 100+ Boeing 737 MAX

Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr claims his airline has not lost faith in Boeing and is mulling a narrowbody order for over 100 aircraft. Speaking about Boeing, Spohr told Reuters: We have not lost our trust in Boeing. They’ve built...
A History Of Aircraft Groundings (The Early Years – Part 1)

121pilot, a commercial airline pilot in the USA, has graciously written a three-part series on the history of aircraft groundings. Today, we explore the propeller era. In evaluating the FAA’s decision to ground the 737MAX, it’s helpful to review...
Korean Air Ejects Passengers With Peanut Allergy. Fair?

Two teenage boys were thrown off a Korean Air flight after mentioning their peanut allergy. The story again raises the question of how should these situations should be handled. The Patel brothers were traveling from Atlanta to Manila via Seoul...
Breakfast In LAX Oneworld Lounge

For those who love a liquid breakfast, I can’t think of a better lounge than the oneworld lounge at LAX. Two words: coffee and juice. If you know me, you know I’m obsessed about that for breakfast. And while...
Ethiopian Airlines “Believes In Boeing”

Ethiopian Airlines’ Chief Executive Officer Tewolde Gebremariam was either unequivocally supportive or a master manipulator of words in recent statements about Boeing. Addressing the two-week mark since the crash of ET 302, Gebremariam stated: Let me be clear: Ethiopian Airlines...
United Airlines Grants Lifetime Global Services Status To Medal Of Honor Recipients

The Medal of Honor is the highest and most prestigious military award in the USA. Recipients of the award enjoy a host of benefits both inside and outside the military. United Airlines is adding to that list with free...
A Model Flight Attendant For United Airlines

It’s so easy to complain when something goes wrong, but I want to use this space today to offer great praise for a wonderful United flight attendant. She is truly a model flight attendant for United Airlines. When I...
A New 54-Mile Flight On British Airways In The Middle East

British Airways will add a new 54-mile extension onto its service to Manama, linking the Bahraini capital to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Starting on December 01, 2019, BA will add a tag from Manama, Bahrain to Dammam, Saudi Arabia....
FYI: Air India Award Space Currently Not Bookable With United Miles

If you’re trying to book an Air India flight using your United miles, you cannot…at least for the time being. United Airlines has had some issues with its Star Alliance partner award inventory lately. For several weeks, bookings with...
United 787 Diverts To Small French Island After Mechanical Scare

A United Airlines’ 787-9 bound for Los Angeles diverted to Noumea due to the “smell of smoke” onboard. Noumea is the capital of New Caledonia, a French territory located east of Australia and north of New Zealand. The flight,...
Why It Pays To Sleep Through Meal Service In Economy Class…

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. My journey...
I Flew The “Boring” Option Home To LA…

After spending hours (upon hours) trying to come up with an interesting way back to Los Angeles, I ended up booking “boring” United Airlines. That turned out to be a great choice. Sometimes boring is a good thing. Sometimes...
Garuda Indonesia’s Threat To Cancel 737 MAX 8 Order Is Likely A Bluff

In my own import/export business, I’ve learned the great power of a bluff. I’ve got the feeling that is what Garuda Indonesia doing in “canceling” its large Boeing 737 MAX 8 order. It was Winston Churchill who was first said,...
A Flight Attendant Freed From Detention Demonstrates Power Of Social Media

A Mesa Airlines flight attendant has been freed from federal detention thanks to an onslaught of social media pressure. I had prepared another post today on this topic, a very opinionated one, that I can thankfully spare you from...
The Joy Of Flying, Even In Economy Class

While it is true that I treated my economy class trip on Lufthansa as something of a joke, I want to make one thing clear: flying in any cabin is an incredible joy that should not be taken for granted....