While I’m not totally dismissing it, I’m certainly quite skeptical about the Virgin Atlantic upgrade advice offered by Bloomberg. Bloomberg is in the midst of a “high-end travel hacks” series featuring “notable” names in food, wine, fashion, cars, real estate. This story...
Air Italy: Qatar’s Plan to Destroy Alitalia
Air Italy wants to be the flag carrier of Italy, taking over beleaguered Alitalia’s long-held dominant position. Air Italy is actually already Italy’s #2 carrier, still flying under the Meridiana name. Last year Qatar Airways acquired a 49% stake...
Sisters Sue Airline for “Guilt by Association” Fart Removal
Two sisters are suing a Dutch budget airline after their removal from a recent flight. That flight diverted after a passenger proved unable or unwilling to control his flatulence. The sisters claim they never farted and did not know the...
Sun Country Slashes Workforce in Minneapolis
Sun County Airlines will outsource 20% of its workforce, announcing it will layoff 350 ground workers at Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP). These positions include “below-wing” ground workers, ticket counter agents, sky caps and those who assist passengers with wheelchairs. Here’s the...
Review: Vietnam Airlines A350 Business Class Ho Chi Minh City to Frankfurt
Vietnam Airlines offers impressive onboard service and a great business class seat onbroad its new A350s. Even so, the soft product was disappointing. After arriving in Ho Chi Minh City from Doha, I proceeded to the transit counter and...
First 10 United 737 MAX 9 Routes Announced
United Airlines will soon take delivery of its first 10 Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft and has revealed what routes these new aircraft will fly on. What’s a MAX 9? It’s the latest version of the 737 from Boeing,...
Star Alliance Rolling Out Extremely Useful New Services
Now a mature alliance, Star Alliance is no longer in a growing phase, but instead focusing on delivering an improved portfolio of services to its customers. There is much to look forward to. Simple tasks like assigning seats on...
Looks Like Opening of New Malaysia Airlines Lounge is Delayed
Earlier today I published a review of the old Malaysia Airlines First Class Lounge in anticipation of the new lounge opening tomorrow. It now appears we will have to wait a bit longer to see the new lounge. Earlier...
Review: Malaysia Airlines First Class Lounge Kuala Lumpur (KUL)
Tomorrow, Malaysia Airlines will open a newly refurbished first and business class lounge in Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL). I look forward to visiting the new lounge soon. I never published a review of the “old” first class lounge...
Did This Lady Deserve To Be Kicked Off A Flight? Oh Yes.
Lucky asks, “Did this lady deserve to be kicked off a flight?” My answer is yes, though not for the reason she was. I know a thing or two about getting kicked off a flight without just cause. Indeed,...
Guide: Transit Without a Visa in Vietnam
Transiting through Vietnam is tricky if you don’t have a visa. But it’s possible. Here’s how to do it. Obtaining a visa in advance is not necessary if you arriving into Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, or Da Nang....
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: February 18, 2018
Good evening from Carmel, CA…I’m spending the holiday weekend at my favorite California Hyatt and have been enjoying the fresh air and beautiful weather with my family. Earlier today we drove down Highway 1 to Big Sur…it is always...
Surprisingly Delicious United Airlines First Class Salad
United is currently in a period of cutbacks in terms of domestic first class meal service. Thus, I was quite surprised to find an apparent upgrade to meals on a recent transon flight. That’s the subject of this week’s...
AA Agent Saves Two Teenagers from Human Trafficking Plot
AA ticket agent Denice Miracle is being credited as the miracle that saved two teenage girls from a potential life of slavery. Miracle is an AA ticket agent at Sacramento International Airport. Her suspicions were aroused when two teenage girls...
Review: Qatar Airways A330 Business Class Doha to Ho Chi Minh City
No matter what time of day, you’re in for a comfortable flight on Qatar Airways. In my intro to this trip report, I focused on the excellent food onboard even a relatively short overnight flight in Qatar Airways business...
Airlines Condemn Trump Budget Plan
A proposed plan to raise airline fees for TSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection has airlines bracing for an attack from an Administration it so far has strongly supported. The relationship between the White House and U.S. airlines is...
Review: Hyatt Regency Orange County (Near Disneyland)
If you’re looking for a family-friendly hotel near Disneyland, the Hyatt Regency Orange County fits the bill. That wasn’t what I looking for, though. I just wanted a quiet hotel to spend the night with my wife and a...
In Defense of the Cursing Delta Agent
There is no excuse for a Delta agent cursing out a vile passenger. Note the nuance of my previous sentence–I am calling the passenger vile, for reasons I will explain below. But there is simply no excuse to curse...
Norwegian 787 Breaks Transatlantic Speed Record…Again!
It was only last month that I wrote about a Norwegian Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner setting a transatlantic speed record from New York to London for a subsonic jet. It took less than a month to break the record. Last Thursday,...
Which Sandwich is Best in Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Lounge?
While Qatar Airways has eliminated à la carte dining in the main dining room of the Al Mourjan Lounge in Doha, sandwiches are still available for order in the patisserie in the lounge. I love sandwiches. Love them. I think sandwiches...
