Back from Cuba early on Friday, I received word that a family member had died and I had to travel to Colorado…the next morning. Once again, I found that giving up United will not be easy. For the second...
Viva La Habana!
I appreciated all of your speculation, but none of you correctly guessed the location of my “top secret” trip earlier this week. Burma won’t be till next March! Here’s a few pictures from the trip: And there’s a lot...
Top Secret Trip
Folks, I suppose a Tweet would have been enough, but I’ll be away the next couple days and may not have access to the internet. Care to guess where I am headed? You’ll love the trip report… Here’s a...
United Airlines Fights Their Iraq War
With my apologies to Glenn Tilton… A piece in the Chicago Tribune on Sunday captured the frustration many of us have experienced flying on post-merger United. Essentially taking a “mileage run” from Chicago to San Francisco to Las Vegas...
Memorial Day 2012
Despite the irony of Boeing depending on war and carnage, and thereby the death of soldiers, to stay profitable, the aerospace firm manages to put together a nice Memorial Day ad each year. This year’s ad is compelling and...
Analysis: Legality of EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)
Here’s a short paper I wrote recently on the legality of the European Union’s ETS. Enjoy! What happens when an airline suddenly finds itself forced to break a law? It has two possible courses of actions—one action violates law...
Jeff Smisek’s "Passionate Plea" to United Pilots
Jeff Smisek assumes the “good cop” role in a letter to United Airlines pilots concerning ongoing contract negotiations. Still, the United CEO does not dance around the highly contentious, primary issue of dispute: the scope clause. Dear Pilots: I...
$60 Off Lufthansa, United, Austrian, and Air Canada Flights ex-USA
Save $60 on your next Lufthansa ticket originating in the United States by requesting a free voucher here. Note the highlights of the fine print: The voucher can be redeemed between 25/05/2012 and 31/05/2012. Travel must be between 12/08/2012...
Final Week to Burn bmi Diamond Club Miles for Star Alliance Awards
As we enter the final week to redeem bmi Diamond Club miles for Star Alliance Awards, I want to review how you can effectively use your miles and share some of my recent redemption success stories. First off, you...
United Airlines Security Breach
This is not another post attacking SHARES, United’s Passenger Service System (PSS). But it is a reminder that the system still has kinks in it, some of which should cause United far greater concern than the many upgrade irregularities...
Winning Over a Cranky Flight Attendant
Have you ever had a flight attendant from hell who turned out to be an angel in disguise? I did on a recent United Airlines flight. Kind of. I was flying from Los Angeles to Philadelphia on a recent...
Why Leaving United Airlines is Going to be a Lot Harder Than I Thought
Last week I shared about my decision to redirect much of my travel to American Airlines this fall. That remains my goal, but I quickly realized today that old habits die hard. I had a United e-certificate set to...
United Airlines CFO Labels Certain MileagePlus Elites as "Entitled"
Many are up in arms over recent comments about certain MileagePlus elite members made by United Airlines CFO John Rainey at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch Global Transportation Conference last Thursday. I am yawning. While not very savvy, his...
20% Off All Alitalia Flights This Weekend
Alitalia is offering 20% off economy and business class tickets through Monday (at noon CET) using the code SPECIAL20IT. This week you reserve an offer not to be missed. Buy online between 12:00 on 18 May at 12:00 on May 21,...
Top up your bmi Diamond Club Miles with a 20% bonus
With just under two weeks left to redeem Diamond Club miles for Star Alliance flights, bmi has sweetened the incentive to burn your points now with a 20% bonus on purchased miles. If you are just short of another...
An Open Letter to Ex-Continental Flight Attendants and Pilots
17 May 2012 My Dear Friends from Continental Airlines, A simple question for you: what is wrong? What is it that is truly bothering you? I have been a steady United Airlines customer since 2004 and I grew to...
American Airlines Here I Come!
I consider myself a savvy traveler and have turned much of the lemons created by United Airlines’ 03 March system integration debacle with Continental Airlines into lemonade. I’ve run into a fair number of problems and a great deal...
Star Alliance Celebrates 15 Years
Happy 15th Anniversary to Star Alliance! What began at a small office near Los Angeles International Airport in 1997 as a union between five airlines hoping to better cooperate has become a global force to be reckoned with; the...
American Airlines Hints at Potential Merger with US Airways
After weeks of repeated denials that it was even considering a merger with US Airways, American Airlines has agreed to “study” the prospects of a marriage between America’s third and fifth largest air carrier by traffic. American Airlines says...
Sacramento Opts Out of TSA Screening
After months of exploration, Sacramento International Airport has decided to replace federally-employed Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport screeners with private contractors. This is an opt-out I support. As a compromise to House Republicans over a decade ago, language in...
