How much does it cost to operate Air Force One? Even having worked in the White House a decade ago, I was shocked to see the numbers. With the President making weekly trips to Florida, NPR has a story...
AA Learns the Concept of Diminishing Returns
A foolish man once said, “We will cut our way to growth.” American Airlines is finding out that its massive devaluation to its AAdvantage loyalty program last March is taking a toll on its profit. There is some disagreement...
United CEO Apology Tour at Asian Consulates
Apparently United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz paid visits to Japanese and Chinese consumes this week in the aftermath of the UA 3411 controversy. Although United has thus far not responded for my request for comment, I’m told that Munoz visited Japanese and...
United Airlines Board of Directors Addresses Controversy
The United Airlines Board of Directors has been silent this week over the UA3411 controversy. Until now. In a letter directed to employees, the Chairman Robert Milton offers his take on what happened and what United will do about it. The...
Has Technology Made Your Airline Experience Worse?
NY Times technology columnist Farhad Majoo argues that technology has failed to improve your airline experience. His thesis– Yet the airline industry has not just stubbornly resisted innovation to improve customer service — in many ways, technology has only...
What Kind of Food Does Turkish Airlines Serve in Longhaul Economy?
With the United passenger ejection story dominating headlines this week, I did not get a chance to put up the weekly Meal of the Week segment on Wednesday. This week, I’ll share pictures of the two meals and one...
Yes, ISIS Could Have Brought My Plane Down
Now I’m even more convinced electronics ban is worthless. Yesterday I flew from Istanbul to Los Angeles on Turkish Airlines. Turkey is one of the eight nations impacted by the in-flight electronics ban. First, I felt very safe flying...
Is Oscar Munoz a Liar?
I’ve stood by embattled United CEO Oscar Munoz throughout the passenger dragging incident saga, but one issue puzzles me–who is telling the truth on reaching out to Dr. Dao? Earlier today I wrote about the elaborate press conference staged by...
Lawyers Stage Elaborate Press Conference to Pummel United Airlines
The pageantry of a made-for-TV legal case was on full display yesterday, as Dr. David Dao’s lawyers used a carefully staged press conference to lay out their case against United. Here’s the press conference — 1hr in length — In the...
Why Didn’t Anyone Help the Bloody Passenger?
Leadoff questions: if the treatment of Dr. David Dao was so immoral, why didn’t any of his fellow passengers try to stop it or also leave the flight in protest? In discussing this issue with my wife, a psychology...
Flight Review: Asiana A321 Business Class
What is business class like on an Asiana Airbus A321? Asiana has discontinued operations in Siem Reap, ceding the destination to its low-cost Air Seoul subsidiary. Thus, an Asiana flight review from Siem Reap to Seoul will be of...
I’m on a 13hr45min Flight Without My Laptop!
Hello from 38,000 feet above Central Europe! I’m on a Turkish Airlines flight back to Los Angeles…a 13hr45min flight…without my laptop…in economy class. Why would I do that to myself? Because I love Istanbul, saw a very cheap fare...
A New Job Opening at United: Public Relations Manager
Want to help United Airlines avoid another #leggingsgate or #bumpgate? Now’s your chance! The carrier is hiring a Public Relations Manager. You can read the full job description here, but I do find the opening paragraphs of the job...
One New Video, Two Competing Narratives – Passenger Interaction with Police Prior to Ejection from United Flight
A new video has surfaced documenting the words exchanged between Dr. David Dao and Chicago Aviation Police prior to Dao’s removal from a United flight on Sunday. Here is the video, which shows a belligerent yet paradoxically calm Dao speaking...
New Tricks for Booking Air Tahiti Nui Award Space with AA
A couple weeks ago I wrote about the inability of American Airlines agents to confirm award space on Air Tahiti Nui. This wasn’t just a couple bad agents, but a recurring problem experienced over dozens of calls and days....
Must See: United CEO on Good Morning America
United CEO Oscar Munoz appeared on ABC’s Good Morning America today as the first stop on his apology tour for the passenger dragging incident. The seven minute interview is worth a watch– Munoz is guarded in his words, yet does...
United Airlines Passenger Downgraded With Threat of Arrest
Here we go again. A California man was threatened with handcuffs if he failed to relinquish his first class seat on a United flight from Lihue to Los Angeles. The reason? His seat was needed for a “more important” passenger....
Emirates Shames United With Powerful Ad
The Royal Jordanian ad poking fun at United was cute. The Emirates ad is damning. Emirates just won the Trip Advisor Travelers’ Choice award for Best Airline in 2017. Now I know it seems like these sorts of awards...
What United CEO Left Out of Apology
It took United Airlines exactly one day to realize it was fighting a losing PR game. In a stunning (but hardly surprising) change in tone, CEO Oscar Munoz is now unequivocally apologizing for the passenger ejection on Sunday that left...
Details Emerge on Identity of Doctor Dragged Off United Flight
Wow! Details about the doctor thrown off the United Airlines flight on Sunday are emerging. He’s quite a character, but I’ll explain why we should not become sidetracked by his past. I do approach this topic cautiously. Surprisingly perhaps, what...
