At Award Expert, we do our best to be discerning. If a client tells us they want economy class but we see a great deal for business class, we are going to alert them. A long-term client asked me...
EU261 Delay Compensation: I Won, Lufthansa Lost
A final update to my Lufthansa EU261/2004 delay claim. If you missed out on the details of my issue with Lufthansa, I’ll briefly summarize: Itinerary: Milan – Frankfurt – Munich – Los Angeles Milan to Frankfurt flight delayed by...
An Annoying British Airways Avios Booking Restriction
There’s a fine line between fraud protection and annoyance. The pendulum for British Airways Executive Club awards bookings has swung into the annoying direction. Yesterday I tried to book a JAL business class award for a friend from Los...
How Qantas Is Cracking Down On Carry-On Bandits
I have a confession to make: my carry-on bag is usually very heavy. Very heavy. When I travel, I like to travel with only one bag. It’s not that I put rocks inside. But my electronic equipment is not...
Do You Pick Up Hitchhikers?
Would you invite a hitchhiker into your car? Sunday afternoon I drove down California’s Highway 1 from Carmel to San Luis Obispo. It’s a beautiful drive…I haven’t done it in about 10 years…and I appreciated the beauty of the...
Lufthansa Sees Itself In Global “Champions League”
More industry consolidation is on the way says Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr. He wants to ensure Lufthansa is in the so-called champions league. Speaking at a conference in Berlin, Spohr said: It is obvious that consolidation will act further and...
Turkish Airlines Is Hiring
I’ve written about the global pilot shortage before, but Turkish Airlines offers a prime example of the great need around the world for qualified pilots. As Turkey opens its beautiful new airport in Istanbul, Turkish Airlines continues its renaissance....
Review: Los Angeles International Lounge (LAX)
The Los Angeles International Lounge in the Tom Bradly International Terminal at LAX is the “leftover” lounge. Emirates and Etihad have their own lounge at LAX. Oneworld and Star Alliance both have first class and business class lounges. SkyTeam...
The Totally Clueless United “Global Services” Passenger…
I spent Thanksgiving weekend in Carmel, California with my family. As always, we stayed at the Highlands Inn, a Hyatt property. During brunch on Sunday, two couples seated at the table next to us began speaking about airline travel....
A Timely Suggestion For American Express
A quartet of new American Express Centurion Lounges offers a perfect opportunity to test how to best limit crowding. American Express recently announced it will open a new Centurion Lounge in Charlotte. AMEX also plans to open lounges in...
United Announces Pain-Free Paine Field Schedule
United Airlines announced it will start service to Paine Field next March. While that’s not a surprise, United’s chosen aircraft is a welcome and pain-free surprise. Over a year ago, I wrote about United’s plan to return to Paine...
Introduction: Hong Kong + Bangkok On Hong Kong Airlines
Welcome to my next trip report, a detailed recap of my Hong Kong Airlines trip from earlier this month. It’s rare that I break away from Star Alliance and when I do it is to review a oneworld or...
Cyber Monday: The Few Deals I Will Actually Pursue
As I try to downsize my lot of earthly possessions rather than accumulate more clutter, I’m not jumping on the Black Friday or Cyber Monday bandwagon this year. Even so, there are a few deals worth pointing out. Let’s...
Great United Airlines Sale: Save Up To 50% On European Awards
United Airlines has discounted economy class awards by up to 50% for Cyber Monday. Savings range from 20-50% based upon whether you hold a Chase co-branded United credit card and your MileagePlus elite status. Saver Award eligibility Members Premier...
Air France A380 Decision Is Sad, But Smart
Air France will gradually retire half of its A380 fleet, starting in 2019. The move is sad, but smart. Air France currently operates 10 A380s. Five are owned, five are leased. All are tragically uncompetitive. By that, I mean...
The Best Airline Dessert. Ever.
Ice Cream? Cheesecake? Chocolate Truffles? Daifuku? What is the best dessert on an airline? I wrote about this delectable sweet treat in my earlier trip report, but never gave it a dedicated post. It deserves one. On a recent Midlde...
My Revealing Conversation With A United 1K…On Hong Kong Airlines
Earlier today I wrote about my flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles on Hong Kong Airlines. One conversation I had onboard was quite revealing. The only way I am ever able to get unobstructed cabin pictures is to...
Why My Final Flight On Hong Kong Airlines Was The Best
I was hoping for a “superfecta” or “quadfecta” and experienced exactly that as I stepped onboard my final Hong Kong Airlines flight from Hong Kong to Los Angeles. Four flights. Four different business class configurations! We all have different...
United Flight Attendants Plan Day Of Protest
Mark your calendars. United flight attendants are planning a systemwide “day of action” on December 13th. I’ve written quite a bit recently about the labor situation at United Airlines between flight attendants and management. United Airlines May Add “Satellite...
How You Can Experience My First Class Asiana Flight For Cheap
Earlier today, I published a glowing review of Asiana first class onboard the A380 from Seoul to Los Angeles. Now is a GREAT time to experience what I did for cheap. And when I mean cheap, I don’t just...
