For the optimists out there, consider that the Air France Flying Blue program may offer a positive example for U.S. airline loyalty programs moving to a dynamic pricing model. Last year, Flying Blue, the loyalty program of Air France-KLM,...
Two Years Later, Dr. David Dao Discusses Dragging Debacle
It was two years ago that Dr. David Dao was dragged off a United flight for failing to give up his seat. Now he has resurfaced, recounting the incident in a surprisingly conciliatory tone. Let’s not forget that Dao...
Virgin Atlantic Will Retire Boeing 747s In 2021
Out with the old, in with the new… As Virgin Atlantic unveiled its beautiful new A350-1000s earlier this week, it also announced retirement plans for its 747-400 fleet. Speaking to reporters outside a glistening new A350, Virgin Atlantic CEO...
A Golden Opportunity For Air Canada
With United moving away from transparency as it introduces changes to the MileagePlus program this autumn, one carrier has the golden opportunity to differentiate itself from a mediocre field: Air Canada. Air Canada acquired Aeroplan and is in the process...
United May Replace 757s With A321XLR
In the coming years, United plans to replace its aging fleet of Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft. Now United is floating the Airbus A321XLR as a potential replacement. Speaking to employees in a video that was seen by Flight...
An Explosive New Theory On The Ethiopian 737 MAX Crash
A new and detailed theory suggests that a potential bird strike plus pilot error, coupled with faulty sensors, resulted in the ET302 crash. I’ve been following the ET302 crash closely as we all try to better understand what happened...
I Like The New Virgin Atlantic Seats, But…
Virgin Atlantic unveiled new a new business class product for its A350-1000 aircraft yesterday and there’s a lot to like about it. But talk about an anticlimactic moment… Let’s start with the positive. The new business class seat appears...
Chasing Air Force One At LAX
Whatever your partisan affiliation, there’s no harm in loving the president’s aircraft. That led me to Los Angeles International Airport on Friday evening. President Trump was in town on Friday and flew into LAX. I don’t follow that sort of...
My Thoughts On United MileagePlus Changes
I’ve written extensively about the changes coming to the United MileagePlus program this November. Now it’s time to share my opinion about them. Let’s start with the positive. In some cases, awards will become cheaper than ever before. The...
Is Delta Messing With JetBlue?
Delta, in partnership with Virgin Atlantic, announced plans to serve London Gatwick from New York and Boston. Is this really about pursuing two lucrative new routes or is it about discouraging JetBlue from the same routes? Like One Mile at a...
LOL: Flight Attendant Spills Tray Of Drinks On American CEO!
A flight attendant “accidentally” spilled a tray of drinks on American Airlines’ CEO Doug Parker. She shared her story on Instagram along with a great picture with her boss: So yesterday I worked a flight from Phoenix to Dallas....
Exceptional Breakfast On A Very Short Qatar Airways Flight
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. This week’s...
My Conversation With Luc Bondar, Head Of United MileagePlus
Yesterday, I reported that United would make a number of changes to its MileagePlus program in November. I had a chance to speak with Luc Bondar, United’s Vice President of Loyalty and head of the MileagePlus program. We spoke...
Why The Value Of Your AA Miles Just Increased
American Airlines miles are now more valuable than they were last week…all thanks to a small modification to arcane routing rules on one partner airline. Put simply, AA has a general rule that you cannot transit “third regions” when making...
Boeing CEO Accepts Blame For 737 MAX Crashes
Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg issued an extensive statement concerning the preliminary report on flight 302 by Ethiopian Airlines. In it, he seems to apologize and accept blame for both the Lion Air and Ethiopian 737 MAX crashes. He also promises...
Huge Changes To United MileagePlus Coming On November 15, 2019
United Airlines is making big changes to the MileagePlus program this November. I just got off the phone with Luc Bondar, United’s Vice President of Loyalty and head of the MileagePlus program: we spoke for 35 minutes. I’ll have...
Qantas Flight Attendant Fired For Onboard Vodka Consumption
This story is not about shaming a flight attendant who has an alcohol problem. Nor is it to poke any sort of fun about a very sad issue. But it is to commend Qantas for doing the right thing....
Has Southwest Airlines Lost Its LUV?
Southwest Airlines has taken a lot of heat for the way it has handled the unexpected grounding of its Boeing 737 MAX fleet. Many customers are angry and argue that Southwest has acted very much out of character. But...
United Flight Diverts To Dallas After Cockpit Screens Malfunction
A United Express flight bound for Houston diverted to Dallas after two pivotal cockpit screens shut down without warning and could not be restored. United flight 4390, a CRJ-200 operated by Express Jet, departed from Knoxville, Tennessee on time...
United Airlines Suspends Service To New Delhi
Citing the continued closure of Pakistani airspace and strong seasonal winds, United Airlines will suspend its service to New Delhi for two weeks. A flight attendant shared a note she just received: Due to seasonal winds and the continued...
