I was sorting through my laptop this morning and stumbled across an old letter that I had written to the Waldorf=Astoria hotel in New York after a very disappointing stay in 2007. I sent a letter to the manager...
Emirates Orders 32 more A380s from Airbus
Emirates, a rising star among airlines, ordered 32 additional A380s from Airbus this week. Airbus recently received its 10th A380 delivery and augments its previous order of 58 super jumbos. The deal, worth $11.5 BN, was announced at the...
Route through Chicago if you want a bump this summer?
Continuing on the theme of bumps, Chicago O’Hare (ORD) might be a wise airport to connect in this summer if you are looking for a bump. It also might be the airport you want to avoid if you are...
The Solution to Avoid IDBs: VDB Auctions
The Wall Street Journal has an excellent editorial today arguing that rather than more government rules, airlines should adopt an auction-style system to deal with overbooked flights. …In the first quarter of this year, some 23,380 passengers were forced...
Airlines Work to Update Technology
…[I]f you’ve ever been stranded at an airport during a raging thunderstorm, chances are you will end up standing in a long line watching a gate agent typing furiously on an outdated computer. Isn’t that the truth? Here’s the...
Car Takes Flight at DFW
Boeing and Airbus now have a new competitor: Ford Motor Company. The woman, who was drunk, claimed she had only one vodka-cranberry the night before. That must have been some vodka… I hope she’s not expecting a 500-mile minimum...
Eating Humble Pie After “Incident” at SFO Security Checkpoint
I had to cut short my trip to the Bay Area this weekend and fly home to attend the funerals of two family friends who died this week. For the first time in years, I purchased a walk-up ticket...
Review of the Westin Denarau Island Resort & Spa in Nadi, Fiji
I spent my spring break in Fiji this year with my uncle and stayed four nights at the Westin on Denarau Island, near Nadi. For a review of my flights to Fiji (and back) on Continental click here. Compared...
Return of the Concorde?
Although the Concorde has not flown for almost seven years, a group of aviation enthusiasts are attempting to return the jet to flight in a heritage capacity. A recent engine check found the engines of one bird in "perfect"...
United’s Secret Plan to Cut Fuel Costs
Well, it’s not a secret anymore. United Airlines will become the first airline to conduct two trans-Atlantic flights using state-of-the-art flight planning to reduce environmental impact and save fuel. The flights, which will be flown on June 5, 2010...
New Protections Proposed for Airline Passengers
The Obama Administration has proposed new "rights" for airline passengers that will likely go into effect this fall. Among the changes: The maximum limit for Involuntary Denied Boarding compensation would increase from $800 to $1,300 and award tickets would...
Ohio Woman Defrauds United of $400,000+
Another reason to be weary of the contract employees of United Express: An Ohio roller derby skater who used the team name "Sadistic Sadie" has admitted in federal court to illegally obtaining more than $400,000 in airline tickets while...
Rent an iPad on Jetstar!
Jetstar has ordered hundreds of iPads from Apple and will will begin renting them on select domestic Australian flights this month for A$10. Andrea Wait, speaking on behalf of the Melbourne-based Jetstar, has confirmed in an e-mailed statement that...
Continental Announces Elite Upgrades on Award Tickets for Credit Card Holders
Scott O’Leary, Continental’s Managing Director of Customer Experience and a former guest on UPGRD, confirmed on Flyertalk yesterday that elite members who hold a Continental Chase Presidential Plus or OnePass Plus MasterCard will be eligible for complimentary upgrades on award...
Continental Airlines: Lisbon-Caracas for $440 r/t
Continental Airlines has misfiled a V-class (Economy) fare from Lisbon, Portugal to Caracas, Venezuela. Rather than $550 o/w, it is only $55 o/w. With taxes, fees, and fuel surcharge, the lowest a/i fare is $440 r/t. Sample Itinerary: LIS-LHR-IAH-CCS,...
Upgrades to Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX
After years of neglect, progress is being made on the dilapidated Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. Phase I of the update on the 26-year old structure is now complete. By far the most important change: The largest part of the...
Consider the Hero Miles Program this Memorial Day
Today is Memorial Day in the United States, a holiday set aside to honor U.S. soldiers who have died while in military service. This is not a blog to debate the merits of war and peace, to dissect statecraft...
Fierce Competition for Loyalty in Lucrative NYC Airline Market
Bloomberg had a nice piece yesterday on the über-competitive NYC airline market. At stake is a bigger slice of the $13.6 billion spent each year by passengers who start or end trips in New York, which no carrier dominates. More...
Dear United and Continental, Have you considered this livery?
Check out this incredible livery that FTer UAL4life designed. Not only does it blend the best of both airlines, but it is elegantly simple and would not require a great deal of extra labor to paint. Far better than...
Continental Announces Nonstop 787 Service from Houston to Auckland
Although flights will not start for another year and a half (longer if Boeing runs into more production trouble), Continental announced that it will utilize its first 787 on a new Houston-Auckland route. With 228 Economy and 36 lie-flat...
