The latest edition of Big Metal Bird explores United’s historic Island Hopper route between Guam and Honolulu. Three times per week, a United 737-800 takes off from Honolulu just as the sun begins to rise, making five stops enroute...
Dad Ditches Kid In Economy Class To Relax In Business Class
How would you react to finding your seatmate on a 12-hour flight to China is a talkative eight-year-old boy whose father had ditched him to go sit in business class? Flyertalk member steveo posted the following question in the...
Italian Government Wants to Fight Air Italy By Nationalizing Alitalia (Again)
I’m reading between the lines here, but what do you think it means when the Italian government plans to take control of Alitalia (once again) in order to build a flagship airline of “Italo character”? Alitalia is heavily in debt and...
Giveaway: Special Edition Lufthansa First Class Duck
As the World Cup festivities wind down, here’s your chance to win a free special edition Lufthansa rubber duck from the First Class Terminal in Frankfurt. First, congratulations to France on their 2018 World Cup victory over Croatia. It...
Next Up: Los Angeles to Frankfurt via Dubai in Emirates First Class
My next trip report will be a short one, covering my journey from Los Angeles to Frankfurt via Dubai in Emirates First Class onboard the A380 for both sectors. Whenever I post a review that is more than a...
How Africa’s Largest Airline Exercises Strategic Influence
We’ve seen many surprises at the Farnborough Airshow this week, including the birth of a new airline. But the politics behind it are even more interesting. Nigeria has struggled to maintain a viable flag carrier over the decades. Nigeria Airways...
Review: United Club London Heathrow (My Favorite United Club)
The United Club in London Heathrow is my favorite United Club in the network and a great place to work or eat prior to your flight. This lounge does get crowded in the morning, just like the nearby Air...
Review: Lufthansa 747-8 Business Class Frankfurt to Los Angeles
Lufthansa is an excellent airline in so many ways, but misses the mark when it comes to longhaul business class. While there was nothing glaringly wrong with my 11-hour flight from Frankfurt to Los Angeles, there was also nothing...
Exclusive: Same-Sex Couple Accused of Child Trafficking on Southwest Flight, Threatened By Police
Imagine returning from vacation with your granddaughter only to be treated like a criminal thanks to a nosy passenger and a reactionary police officer. Last year I wrote about a man who was falsely accused of human trafficking on...
Maximizing Your 10% Rebate On Hyatt Redemptions
During the months of August and September, Hyatt if offering its Chase-branded credit card cardholders a 10% refund on award redemptions. To take advantage, simply register by August 31, 2018. This promo runs for stays between August 01st and September 30th....
Amazon Prime Day: My Travel Picks
As Amazon Prime Day continues, I thought I’d outline some travel items that now accompany me on every trip. These Prime Day discounts end at midnight tonight. I’m trying to be more minimalist. I’ve got a garage full of...
Air China Fires Smoking Pilots, But Will Culture Change?
Last week, I wrote about an Air China 737-800 that rapidly descended due to a loss of cabin pressure. At the time, Air China and Chinese authorities believed it was due to pilots smoking in the flight deck, but...
Three Filet Mignons in 24 Hours on Lufthansa
One of the joys of Lufthansa’s first class lounges are the excellent dining choices in Munich and Frankfurt. I’ve written before about enjoying a filet mignon for breakfast in the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt. A filet with...
Ambitious Juneyao Airlines Unveils 787 Details
Juneyao Airlines has grown to become one of the largest private airlines in China. This fall, it will take delivery its first wide-body, longhaul jet, a Boeing 787-9. Juneyao currently has a fleet of 41 Airbus A320 aircraft and...
Mystery Surrounding New Boeing 787-9 Order from United Airlines
United Airlines announced it will purchase 29 new aircraft, including 25 Embraer E-175 and four Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. But there is mystery surrounding the 787-9 order. First, the Embraer E-175s are among the most spacious and comfortable regional jets. These aircraft...
Review: Hyatt Regency Mainz (Suite)
One of my favorite hotels in Germany is the Hyatt Regency Mainz. In terms of upgrades, though, it is one of the most difficult. In over 20 stays at the hotel over the last few years, I’ve only been...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: July 15, 2018
As the weeks fly by, I hope you are having a wonderful summer. It has been a quiet week in the world of aviation. But over the last week, we’ve seen an Air China pilot endanger the lives of...
The Best Fish I’ve Ever Had On An Airplane
Call me adventurous (or stupid), but I will often order fish on an airplane. This week’s Meal of the Week looks back to the best fish I’ve ever had on a commercial flight. I don’t kid myself that fish...
A New Airport Lounge With A Sauna
I’ve written about the sauna available inside the Finnair Lounge in Helsinki before. Now another airport lounge, this one nearly 1,200 miles away, offers not just one, but two saunas. This lounge is in Paris. It’s in the new...
Justice: Delta Passenger Forced To Pay Up For Flight Diversion
We read about flight diversions fairly regularly, but it is not often we read about who settles the bill. Diverting a plane cost moneys. There are fuel costs, landing fees, labor costs, not to mention passenger rebooking. A diversion...
