My family and friends know me as the guy who loves to fly, so I get a lot of requests for travel tips and sometimes even more. Like yesterday, where I spent my entire day between consecutive late-night transcon...
Why I Am Keeping my American Express Platinum Card
When I took advantage of a 100,000 point sign-up offer to obtain an American Express Platinum Card last year, I planned to collect the sign-up bonus, use it for a year, take advantage of the $200 in airline credit...
A Salute to Darren Booth (Frequently Flying)
When Darren Booth first began his Frequently Flying blog, he turned to me often for advice—he said I was one of the bloggers who had inspired him to blog and we chatted frequently about blogging, award travel, and our...
Last Day to Book Under Old Hyatt Award Chart
A new Hyatt Gold Passport award chart goes into effect tomorrow, 07 January 2014, and the changes are bad for the most part, particularly for high-end Park Hyatt properties. If you are planning on using your Hyatt points for...
How NOT to Deal with a Flight Attendant who Tells You to Extinguish Your Cigarette
It’s bad enough to smoke on an airplane, but the truth is you can usually get away with a few puffs if you play dumb and extinguish the cigarette immediately when instructed to do so. What you cannot get...
Special Edition Amenity Kits from United Airlines
Through 01 March 2014, United Airlines is offering customers in BusinessFirst and Global First special edition tin amenity kits that highlight its seven U.S. mainland hubs. These special edition amenity kits will be available on longhaul international flights departing...
United Eliminates Free Alcohol in Transpacific Economy Class
Effective 01/01/14, United Airlines has quietly eliminated free alcoholic beverages on transpacific flights. This comes just days after Delta Air Lines’ recent announcement that it will expand its free beer and wine offerings on all longhaul international routes to cover spirits...
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Top 10 Airline Award Redemptions for January 2014
With the new year here and many changes negatively affecting airline loyalty programs now in effect or shortly taking effect, there are still a number of superb deals available. Here are my top ten award travel bright spots for...
Additional Business Class Saver Award Space for Elite Members of United MileagePlus Program
United is massively devaluing its award chart at the end of the month and has instituted a minimum-spend requirement for elite qualification in 2014. With deep cutbacks to the domestic front cabin product and few flights with internet, questioning...
Travel Restraint or Status Quo in 2014?
While my travel patterns have remained largely unchanged over the last three years and even the last decade, 2014 will usher in a substantial change in the way I travel and think about travel. Reaching MillionMiler status on United...
Myanmar, Melbourne, Malta, Micronesia, & MillionMiler: My Magnificent 2013
2013 flew by incredibly fast—just incredibly fast. Looking back at the year I marvel at what was accomplished and think about how the airline industry and my own livelihood has changed. When I started law school, I had every...
The TSA Presents: The 12 Banned Items of Christmas (Humor)
I love intelligent humor that not only draws a laugh, but makes a deeper point–perhaps a reflection on an pertinent political issue or on society at large that invites contemplation and discussion. A new video out poking fun at...
Reminder: New Aeroplan Award Chart Takes Effect on 01/01/14
Aeroplan is updating its award chart on January 01, 2014 and the changes are both good and bad. The Good: One-way awards at half the round-trip cost Right now Aeroplan charges 67% of the r/t price for a one-way...
3:1 Avianca Lifemiles Today Only
A targeted e-mail went out to Avianca Lifemiles members this morning with a 3:1 mileage purchase offer: buy 1,000 miles and get 2,000 free, today only. 1,000 miles costs $30 + tax, so you’re getting miles for one cent, pre-tax....
The Night Before Christmas: United Airlines Edition
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the air,The United executives stirred in despair;The stock had grown on the NYSE with fanfare,In hopes that great profit soon would be there;The Chairman was nestled all snug in his bed;While...
Singapore Airlines Accuses United Airlines of Lying About Pulled Online Award Space
Last week, United announced that it would no longer offer online searchability for Singapore Airlines award space. United stated this was a “mutual” decision but implied that Singapore had requested that United remove the space. Hi everyone, I wanted...
Generous Lufthansa First Class Award Availability between Tokyo Haneda and Frankfurt
When Lufthansa recently announced new service between Mexico City and Munich as well as Toronto and Munich, premium class award seats were released on every flight. Even first class, which is normally only released to Star Alliance partners two...
Star Alliance Should Pursue Alaska Airlines
For all the complaints about US Airways being a “low-cost carrier” or offering an inferior in-flight product, the carrier has been a valuable member of Star Alliance that will be missed tremendously. With a healthy European route network and...
Air India Again Positions Itself for Star Alliance Membership
When I worked for Star Alliance in 2011, the politics surrounding Air India’s failed bid to join the Alliance were fascinating. I am bound from disclosing the nitty gritty details, but the situation opened my eyes to how much...
Hitting the Million Miler Mark on United Airlines
My first United Airlines flight was from Los Angeles to Denver in the winter of 1995, but I did not start seriously flying United until 2005, the year I decided I did not want to sit behind the curtain...
