Some of you may have noticed that things have been quiet lately…in the four years that I have written Live and Let’s Fly, there has never been a month with as few posts as the last one. Thankfully, my...
Why I’d Hate to Be a Gate Agent
I spend enough time in airports to know that I would never want to be a gate agent. Some agents are just nasty, but most try their best and get gangraped (I suppose that is a bit strong) by...
United Cuts Winter Service to Rome, Belfast, Dublin, Manchester
I wrote about United’s new service to Santiago, Chile yesterday as well as additional flights to Punta Cana and Belize City, but that was only half the story. While the resumption of Santiago service will be a nice addition...
United Announces New Routes to Santiago de Chile, Punta Cana, Belize City
After bludgeoning the majority of MileagePlus members with a customer unfriendly move toward revenue-based award mileage earning earlier this week, United has thrown us a bone in introducing new service to three Latin American cities. Of special interest is the...
RDMs Will Be Revenue-Based Starting March 01, 2015 on United Airlines
When Delta Air Lines announced a revenue-based earnings chart for 2015, I predicted that it would only be a matter of time before United Airlines would match, though I did not expect it to happen so soon. Copying Delta...
Win 200,000 Flying Blue Miles + Platinum Membership
Air France/KLM Flying Blue wants your best travel pictures from around the world. Three winners will receive 200,000 Flying Blue miles, Platinum-level elite membership for one year, and their photo will be placed on Flying Blue luggage tags for...
Video: New United Airlines Commercial
United Airlines has a new commercial out highlighting its international route map through a light-hearted tale of a man trying to learn catch phrases in several languages. The ad is targeted toward New York City flyers and was filmed...
Last Day for 100% Bonus on US Airways Purchased Miles
It frankly shocks me that US Airways is still selling miles so cheap, but perhaps it should not—after all, Doug Parker is still running the show. I sense a steep devaluation coming, and coming soon, but until then US...
Free Boingo Internet for American Express Platinum Cardholders
American Express Platinum is on the rebound. It was right to question the value of the $450 annual fee when Continental left Membership Rewards, US Airways lounge access was lost, and Delta lounge access was severely curtailed, but in...
Scandanavian Airlines SAS Introduces New Business Class
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has trailed the competition for years in terms of longhaul business class product. I reviewed business class from Copenhagen to Washington Dulles in 2010 and four years later the seats still have not changed–SAS still does...
Why Congress Should Mandate All-In Pricing for Hotels Too
As Congress considers whether to allow airlines to hide taxes and fees from consumers until late in the booking process, perhaps a hotel anecdote will be instructive. Hotels and the online travel agencies that sell hotel rooms are not...
Can I Access An American Express Lounge Without My AMEX Card?
I was in Las Vegas today and giddy to check out the American Express Centurion Lounge that opened last year. Available to American Express Black and Platinum cardholders for free or $50 to other AMEX cardholders, the lounge offers...
An Unrealized Memorial Day Wish
U.S. President Calvin Coolidge, a man of so few words he was referred to by many as “Silent Cal”, delivered an uncharacteristically long speech at Gettysburg on May 30, 1928 to commemorate Memorial Day. The context of his speech...
Is it Safe to Travel to Thailand?
A coup d’état has taken place in Thailand with a military junta now running the show. As horrible as that sounds, is it safe to travel to Thailand during this time? In a word, yes. King Bhumibol Aduljadej has been...
United Has Tightened Routing Restrictions on Asia Awards
Exactly one month ago, I wrote a post entitled New, Stricter United MileagePlus Routing Rules for Travel Between USA and North Asia? At the time, I concluded the rumored draconian new routing restrictions on awards between North America and North Asia...
FAQs About Waitlisting a Singapore Airlines Award
Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer is now a Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner and with that comes the possibility of reasonably priced awards in premium cabins on SQ flights. Singapore has three award pricing tiers on their own metal and often...
4 Years, 28 Countries, 1 Wedding Proposal
I hate to hear my own voice, so it is rare that I make videos when I travel. That’s a shame, really, because I’ve been to over 100 fascinating countries and though I make it a point to get...
United Airlines Increases Mileage Upgrade Co-Pay on Premium Transcon Routes
United has transformed its premium service (p.s.) fleet that operates between Los Angeles/San Francisco and New York JFK from a three-cabin configuration with older seats in business and first class to a two-cabin configuration with fully lie-flat seats in business...
Chase Ultimate Rewards Adds Singapore KrisFlyer as Transfer Partner
Chase Ultimate Rewards just got even more valuable with the introduction today of Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer as a 1:1 transfer partner. KrisFlyer is not a particularly valuable program for most Star Alliance redemptions, but like any program there are...
Reaching Lufthansa Miles & More After Hours
Lufthansa Miles & More offers a great value on United Airlines redemptions within the USA, particular in business class (35K r/t). The downside is that most partner flights, including United, must be booked by telephone. Like many things German,...
