New dishes and cutlery. Better pillows. Menu cards…all in economy class. That’s right, Delta is making the onboard economy class experience even better next year on longhaul flights. But why? Starting later this year, Delta will offer a number...
The Cheapest Hyatt in the World
As the year draws to a close and many of us are considering how we can squeeze in additional nights for status requalification, one very attractively-priced Hyatt property merits mention. The Hyatt Regency Yogyakarta (in Indonesia) has the lowest...
Review: Lufthansa First Class Terminal Frankfurt
The Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt remains one of the best first class lounges in the world. Although not intended for arriving longhaul passengers, the Lufthansa First Class Terminal in Frankfurt welcomes guests with a same-day arriving boarding...
The Godfather of the Airline Industry
Freddie Laker. Richard Branson. William Franke? Although not a household name, William “Bill” Franke is the man we can thank for the ultra-low-carrier model in the USA. He also hired both Doug Parker (CEO of American) and Scott Kirby...
Saying Goodbye to the Park Hyatt Toronto
I spent Monday night at the Park Hyatt Toronto, a hotel that will soon close until late 2019 for refurbishment. Part of me is sad to see it change. To be sure, the hotel does not fit in with...
Review: Lufthansa 747-8 First Class Los Angeles to Frankfurt
When it comes to redeeming miles for transatlantic travel, it is difficult to justify redeeming for business class when Lufthansa First Class is available for only marginally more. Thus, our trip to Zurich included a stop in Frankfurt. Lufthansa...
Drunk United Passenger Urinates on Seatmate…and FAs Ignore?
Another day, another chapter in Perils of Drinking and Flying. This story puts United Airlines back in the spotlight with a particularly unsavory drunk man on a transcontinental flight from Los Angeles to Newark. Daniel Card was flying home...
Airbus and Trump Win, Boeing and Bombardier Lose
Bombardier will sell the majority of its C Series program to Airbus. Although talks have been ongoing for months, they took on a new urgency in light of the blistering 300% duty slapped on by U.S. regulators. The new...
How Should I Spend 17 Hours in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia?
It dawned on me as I was writing my earlier post about traveling through Ethiopia this week that I actually have 17 hours in Addis Ababa. My question is simple — what should I do? Ethiopian Airlines provides hotel...
This Week: Toronto, Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Saigon, Doha, New York
Oh how I love these weeks, the weeks I spend the literal majority of the time on an airplane. This week I’m linking up two incredible fares sales I took advantage of — one on Ethiopian Airlines, the other...
JetBlue-United Merger?
An “influential” Wall Street analyst is asserting that a merger between JetBlue and United is more likely than you might think. I am not convinced… In paywall-protected analysis, Hunter Keay of the Wolfe Research has opined– A few investors recently...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: October 15, 2017
Good evening from Los Angeles. I’m about to embark upon another adventure…I’ll share the details tomorrow. In the meantime, let’s review the top stories of the last week. The diplomatic spat between Turkey and the USA currently means no...
A Trio of Midnight Treats on United Airlines
United Airlines provides a hot snack on premium transcontinental red eye flights. Over the last couple years I’ve only been offered three variations, but all were tasty. For this week’s Meal of the Week I review a trio of...
Defiant Delta CEO: We Will NOT Pay “Nonsensical” Bombardier Tariff
Delta CEO Ed Bastian has come out swinging, saying Delta will take delivery of its new Bombardier C Series order while also promising it will never pay the 300% tariff levied by the U.S. Government. I outlined the stakes of the...
Review: Star Alliance First Class Lounge Los Angeles (LAX)
The Star Alliance Lounge at LAX offers a quiet oasis from the bustling terminal with à la carte dining and personalized service. But it also has some rough edges. First, take advantage of an escort if you are flying...
A Tribute to the 747
United Airlines’ final 747 flight will take place next month. It will also mark the final day a 747 operates scheduled passenger service for a U.S. airline. In anticipation of the historic occasion, United has created a very nifty...
Flight 666 to HEL on Friday the 13th
Airlines assign flight numbers themselves and once in awhile have some fun with them. For example, UA flight 777 used to run each day from Washington Dulles to Las Vegas. UA flight 747 is the designated flight number for...
Review: Alitalia 777 Business Class Rome to Los Angeles
With Alitalia operating in bankruptcy protection, I figured this might be my last shot to sample a longhaul flight on the carrier. Let’s hope not, though, because I actually had a very pleasant 13hr flight from Rome to Los...
Great Deal: ANA First Class R/T for 93K Points
One of the sweet spots in the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club award chart is redemptions for ANA First Class. With the current transfer bonus promotion, you can score a round-trip ticket in ANA first class for only 93,000 American...
Lufthansa Will Take Over 80% of Air Berlin, Launch New Longhaul Routes
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr announced his company will take over the majority of Air Berlin’s assets, including 81 aircraft. Speaking to reporters, Sphor said Lufthansa would invest at least €1.5BN and offers jobs to at least 3,000 (and possibly more...
