I have chosen the non-conventional career path of working for myself instead of working for others, and as Award Expert has grown, it has consumed a growing chunk of my time. Even with an excellent team already lending support,...
Last Call for 30K Starpoints Bonus from Starwood American Express Card
UPDATE: Offer now expired. Today is the final day to take advantage of the enhanced sign-up bonus on the Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card and Business Card from American Express. Starwood points are great for booking Starwood hotel properties, but they are also a...
Last Day for 100% Bonus on Purchased US Airways Miles
Update: Offer Expired. US Airways has been good about offering a 100% bonus on purchased Dividend Miles every second or third month for the last two years, but today is the last day for the current promotion. Buy 10,000-19,000...
The Bigotry of Fear Exposed at JFK
The story of Aditya Mukerjee, a Hindu-American who spent three hours detained at JFK for triggering an explosives alert at a TSA checkpoint is a troubling story and cause for deep introspection. I must admit, even my first reaction was...
New United Airlines Transpac Route from SFO: Chengdu
United Airlines will announce a new transpacific longhaul route from San Francisco tomorrow and an insider tells me the new destination will be to Chengdu (CTU). Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan province in Southwest China and home to more than 14,000,000 people....
False Alarm: Still No Fuel Surcharges on Most AA Awards
I awoke to news this morning that American Airlines would begin imposing fuel surcharges on all award travel, including flights on its own metal, and my heart sank. Currently fuel surcharges are imposed on British Airways flights and a...
American Airlines Adds New Flights at LAX
American Airlines is growing at Los Angeles International and today the carrier will begin service to five new cities: Indianapolis, Indiana Columbus, Ohio Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Hartford, Connecticut Bentonville, Arkansas Earlier this year AA began serving Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina and...
Disgruntled Former United Airlines Purser Extracts Revenge by Phoning in Bomb Threats
A former United Airlines purser has pleaded guilty to to making a false bomb threat against a United flight from Los Angeles to London Heathrow. He could face up to five years in prison and has agreed to pay...
A Delicious Breakfast on American Airlines
I admit it. I do like airline food. Though I am getting better at turning things down, I still eat almost anything put before me on an airplane. Most of my domestic flying this year has been transcons to/from...
American Airlines Airbus A319 Photo Tour
American Airlines has taken delivery of its first new Airbus A319s and invited me and a cadre of other travel writers to examine the new aircraft in Dallas last week. I was already at LAX on another matter, so...
Rumor Confirmed: United 777s to Sydney, 787 to Osaka, 747 Returns to Chicago
United Airlines will replace its 747-400s with three-cabin 777-200ERs on its flagships Los Angeles/San Francisco-Sydney routes starting next spring. Other changes include a 787 on the San Francisco-Osaka route (currently a mix between the 747 and 777) and the...
Higher Costs + No More Holds = Delta Further Devalues Skymiles Program
Delta Air Lines has announced an “enhancement” to their Skymiles award chart, raising the price of saver business class redemptions up to 25% in some markets. Citing abuse, the carrier also announced an end to the ability to hold award reservations...
Cathay Pacific Announces New Service to Newark Beginning on March 2, 2014
Cathay Pacific teased us on Facebook and Twitter last week with the image above, stating that it would announce new service to either Boston, Seattle, Miami, or Newark this week. Newark is the winner and the new flight is already...
Limited Starwood American Express Sign-Up Bonus
UPDATE: Offer now expired. Through Labor Day 2013, Starwood was offering an enhanced sign-up bonus on its Starwood Preferred Guest Credit Card and Business Card from American Express. Starwood points are great for booking Starwood hotel properties, but they are also...
Sneak Peek at JetBlue’s A321 Business Class + Mini-Suites
JetBlue has released the first images of its new Airbus A321 interiors, including a look at its 16-seat business class cabin that will contain four mini-suites with sliding doors providing complete privacy. The new aircraft and addition of business...
An Important Decision Resolved
Let me give you a bit of advice that probably goes without saying—if you wish to do well on something, you have to put in the effort…unless you happen to be naturally brilliant of course, which few of us...
Cathay Pacific First Class Cabin Refresh
Only a few weeks after Singapore Airlines announced their new first, business and economy class designs, Cathay Pacific is following suit. Today they announced their anticipated refresh of their first class seat. While the new seat isn’t a big...
Air France-KLM Flying Blue Promo Awards: 50% Off Business Class through August
I’ve griped about the inept call center and arcane policies of Flying Blue, the loyalty program of Air France-KLM, but I’ve been booking a lot of clients on Air France and KLM flights this month and want to make...
Birds of a Feather Get Two Seats Together
My brother travels to the Bay Area regularly for business and buys same-day tickets which has led to frequent trips on Southwest Airlines. Burbank Airport is his preferred departure point in LA and he flies out of the “other...
Breaking: Nose Gear Collapse on Southwest Airlines Plane at New York LaGuardia
Some breaking news out of New York– At least three people suffered minor injuries when a Southwest Airlines plane landed at LaGuardia Airport with a nose gear collapse, according to officials. The airport is closed until further notice, the...
