Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, has hinted at plans to buy a 25% stake in a U.S. “startup” airline. If I’m a betting man, I’d say that is JetBlue. Speaking to reporters at an air show in...
Do You Ever “Waste” a Flight Watching Movies?
It had all the ingredients of an ideal flight for sleeping. The flight left at 2am. I had just worked for 8 hours. Lie-flat beds were available. And I was tried. But I did not sleep a wink. After...
Qatar Airways Shines in the Dark of Night
My final segment on my Qatar Airways “Golden Ticket” was a flight from Doha to Ho Chi Minh City aboard an A330 that departed at 2am. You might think catering would be more limited on an overnight flight departing...
Bravo! Delta Restricts Emotional Support Animals
I’ve written before about emotional support animals…and how some airline passengers routinely abuse federal law to avoid pet fees. Now Delta Air Lines is saying enough is enough. Complaints over animal defecation, urination, and biting have risen 84% over...
Sitting Next to a Pipe Smoker
I could smell it many paces away…my seatmate from Doha to Ho Chi Minh City was not just a smoker, but a pipe smoker. The smell was distinct and unmistakable. And while I prefer the smell of smoke from...
Review: United 777-300ER Polaris Business Class San Francisco to Hong Kong
United Polaris Business Class, and by that I mean the actual new Polaris seat, is a step in the right direction for United. My 15hr flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong gave me plenty of time to test...
Norwegian 787 Sets Transatlantic Speed Record
A Norwegian Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner has set a transatlantic speed record from New York to London for a subsonic jet. The jetstream is strong this time of year and was clocked as strong as 202mph on Monday during the...
United Airlines 2018 Winter Olympics TV Ad
The 2018 Winter Olympic Games are coming up in PyeongChang, South Korea. U.S. athletes will be traveling there on United Airlines, the subject of a new 30-second TV advertising spot. The video’s slogan: Helping superheroes fly for 38 years. Proud...
Airport Pharmacy in Doha Saves the Day
I keep my vitamins and the one prescription drug I take each day in the kitchen of my house. Three trips in the last year, including my current trip, I have forgotten them. One time I was only gone...
Premium Plus, a New Premium Economy Product on United Airlines
United Airlines will launch a true premium economy product later this year called Premium Plus. An email sent out to Mileage Plus members today included the following information: Introducing United® Premium Plus International premium economy is coming. Later this...
Qatar Airways Agent Tries to Deny Me Boarding…
Sometimes it is wise not to draw attention to a particularly cheap fare an airline has decided to honor. You can accuse me of being greedy, but I stopped at the transit desk after arriving into Doha and asked...
Booked: Vietnam Airlines A350 Business Class
Last week I asked you how I should get home from Ho Chi Minh City. Votes were fairly divided between JAL, Korean Air and Vietnam Airlines/Virgin Atlantic. After weighing the options, I decided to try Vietnam Airlines in business...
My Experience Booking a Complimentary Transit Hotel in Doha
Qatar Airways has extended its complimentary transit hotel program until at least April 2018. I had the opportunity to test it out on my trip through Doha this week. About a week before travel I visited the website. Economy...
Is Compensation Due When a FA Fails to Wake You Up to Eat?
Is compensation due when a FA fails to wake you up to eat, as requested? As my Qatar Airways flight was entering final descent yesterday, one passenger was giving a FA a piece of her mind. She was livid...
Qatar Airways Qsuite: My First Impressions
Hello from Doha. I just completed the 6,705 mile journey from New York to Doha aboard a 777-300ER featuring Qatar Airways’ new Qsuite. The new business class hard product is revolutionary in terms of its privacy and personal space....
United’s Surprising New Emphasis in Customer Service Training
I’m hearing from an inside source that United Airlines has embarked upon a major reeducation course (they call it “training”) for front-line employees, focusing on improving customer service. Trainings are routine and ordinarily not newsworthy. But in light of...
Man Wears 10 Layers of Clothing to Skirt Baggage Fees, Is Arrested
A man who tried to avoid baggage fees by donning 10 layers of clothing was denied boarding and dragged out of Keflavik International Airport in Iceland. Ryan Carney Williams, who prefers to be called Ryan Hawaii, thought he was clever....
Air France Writes Me, Issues Refund
Last week I noted that it had been more than 18 days since Air France cancelled my first class ticket and 1.) I still had not been notified and 2.) my money was still being held. Well, Air France...
My First Flight in 2018: American Airlines
I’m not jumping ship from United, but I am starting off 2018 flying a whole lot of oneworld. That trip began with a redeye on American Airlines’ last night from LAX to JFK. If you caught my AA medical...
Review: Park Hyatt Beijing (Suite)
Yesterday I published a comprehensive review of the Park Hyatt Beijing, my first review of the property. It wasn’t my first stay, though. My first stay included a complimentary upgrade to a beautiful suite. Rather than squeeze it into...
