A sad story from Iran, where a private jet carrying a Turkish socialite and her closest friends slammed into a mountain, killing everyone onboard. Mina Basaran, the 28-year-old Daughter of Turkish billionaire Huseyin Basaran, was in Dubai to celebrate...
Dog-Killing FA Should Be Sacrificial Lamb
The tragic story of a dog killed inside the passenger cabin of a United Airlines flight demands accountability. Who should take the fall for this horrible error in judgment? I’d like to think that other than the dog’s owner,...
What Does the United Flight Attendant Manual Say About Dogs?
In light of the horrific dog death aboard a United Airlines flight earlier this week, I reached out to a United FA to see what the rulebook actually says about stowage of pets in-flight. She provided me sections of...
United Airlines Already Has “Premium Economy” on Domestic Flights
United Airlines already has “premium economy” on domestic flights…it’s called first class. I’m not saying that to be facetious. Honestly. But the one image we have seen thus far of what United’s new premium economy class product will look...
United Takes Responsibility Immediately for Dead Dog in Overhead Bin
If there is one thing that United Airlines learned from the Dao incident, it is not to blame the customer. If you haven’t heard yet, a dog tragically died on a United flight on Monday evening. Here’s a summary...
A Somber Reminder of War in Canberra
After spending several hours on Capital Hill in Canberra at Parliament House, we headed to the Australian War Memorial, a national shrine to Australians who have served or lost their lives in military conflict. From the balcony of Parliament...
Mea Culpa: A350 Delta One Suites for 60K Miles
“To err is human; to forgive, divine” – Alexander Pope (1709) I must admit I got a tad annoyed yesterday. I scheduled a post entitled How to Book A350 Delta One Suites for Cheap(er) Using Miles for yesterday morning and went...
20% Off Award Flights to Hawaii on United Airlines
United Airlines is running a 20% off flash sale on saver award flights to Hawaii. If you’re a United Premier member or a United-branded credit card holder, a pre-sale has already began and you can book space today. If...
Brilliant: Why A Man Sued Southwest for One Penny Less
Southwest Airlines flew a 737 to the wrong airport in Branson, Missouri. One man sued for damages, but for the seemingly odd amount of $74,999.99 instead of an even $75,000. But his reasoning is sound and his strategy brilliant....
Why I Cancelled My Trip to the East Coast Last Night…
Not that it’s a big deal, but since this is my long-term travel blog I think it’s somewhat interesting to gauge how my travel patterns have changed over the years. I need to meet with a key partner in...
Sobering: “My” Helicopter Crashed into East River in NYC
A sobering reminder of the fragility of human life: the helicopter that crashed in the East River in New York City yesterday was one that I flew on last year. I heard about the crash on Saturday via several...
How to Book A350 Delta One Suites for Cheap(er) Using Miles
While searching for routes to get an Award Expert client home from China earlier this morning, I was surprised to find that Delta’s flagship A350 suites were available at a very reasonable price for next-day travel. Delta operates or will...
U.S. Airlines Fighting Over Cuba…Again
With yields weak and demand far lower than expected, we’ve seen many carriers reduce or eliminate service to Cuba. Even so, U.S. airlines are still fiercely fighting for Havana slots. Under current U.S. Department of Transportation rules, airlines are...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: March 11, 2018
Another week spent entirely on the ground…this is really something out of character. But I’ve cherished the time spent with my wife and son lately: the little one is growing up so fast. I hope to finish up my...
The Perfect Pre-Arrival Snack in Lufthansa Business Class
Sometimes…many times, actually…the simple things in life are the best things in life. My pre-arrival meal on Lufthansa Business Class may not have been fancy, but it certainly hit the spot. It’s the subject of this week’s Meal of the...
A Day in Parliament in Canberra
One of the highlights of my time in Canberra was spending an afternoon in the Australian Parliament, located on Capital Hill in the heart of the Australia’s capital city. Parliament House is home to both houses of parliament and open to...
Brazilian Bandits Steal $5MN from Lufthansa Plane
Five bandits breached airport security and stole $5MN in cash being loaded onto a Lufthansa Cargo plane. The MD-11 aircraft, slated to fly from Sao Paulo to Frankfurt via Dakar, Senegal, was being prepared for loading when the heist...
American Airlines’ Pilot Attacks Ground Agent, But Did She Attack First?
A veteran American Airlines’ pilot is in deep trouble, now facing prison time in Brazil for assaulting a gate agent during a petty disagreement. But was it just self-defense? The name of the captain has not been released, but...
Review: Qantas 737-800 Economy Class Melbourne to Canberra
The plane went up, the plane went down. The point of this 293-mile economy class flight review is to ask whether Qantas is worth the premium over its low-cost competition. Qantas remains a full service airline, even on short...
The “Real” Reason United is Changing Bonus Program
After a unanimously negative reaction to the replacement of a popular bonus program with a lottery that would leave most employees with nothing, United is promising to listen to employees…before making changes. But WHY are changes needed? The reaction...
