I have a confession to make. If I am ever feeling down or just need a good laugh, I call US Airways to book an award trip. I’ve shared about two recent experiences with the call center and had...
Los Angeles/San Francisco – New York (Newark) for $198 r/t on Virgin or United
Virgin America recently launched non-stop service between Los Angeles/San Francisco and Newark and is offering some very attractive promotional fares, with round-trip travel starting at $198. Travel from 3 September – 30 October on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday at this low...
Flying Blue Makes Africa Redemptions Easier?
Flying Blue, the loyalty program of Air France, KLM, and Kenya Airways, is an oft-overlooked American Express transfer partner, but one that I have been particularly critical of on this blog. Customer service is poor and booking awards can...
Tales from the SFO Intra-Terminal Shuttle Bus
With a delay in opening the remodeled E-Concourse at SFO, United Airlines is stuck using several gates in Terminal 1 in addition to its main operation in Terminal 3 and the International Terminal. That means a free airport tour...
The Solution to United Airlines’ Woes
United Airlines has taken a beating lately, and rightfully so. From me being thrown off a flight for snapping a picture of my seat to a flight diverting after parents questioned the appropriateness of an in-flight movie for children,...
Will U.S. Airlines Ever Charge Passengers Based on Weight?
Air Samoa made headlines this week with its new policy of charging passengers based upon their weight (personal + baggage). Many are wondering if such a policy could ever hit airlines in the United States. The answer is not...
Loud Crew = No Sleep
First, the good news. I’ve earned over 965,000 lifetime flight miles on United Airlines and what happened on my redeye flight last night has never happened before. For that, I consider myself fortunate. Now onto the story. Last night...
Family Thrown Off United Flight for Complaining About In-Flight Movie
A family claims to have been thrown off a United Airlines flight for complaining about the in-flight movie. The Atlantic prints their letter here, but my executive summary is below– Legacy United crew / A230 / DEN-BWI / 02 Feb 2013 Parents...
British Airways Florida Call Center to Close
British Airways has announced the impending closure of its Jacksonville call center, displacing 280 jobs. Sadly, this is not an April Fools’ joke. The news broke last week, but a conversation I had today with a British Airways call...
Showers at Newark United Club
Earlier in the week I shared that showers are now available for all United Club guests in Chicago and São Paulo including united club pass holders. A couple of you wondered what the showers actually look like in United Clubs...
Shower Access for All United Club Guests at Chicago O’Hare and São Paulo
One notable hole in the United Airlines lounge system is the dearth of showers in the United States. United had showers in Chicago, London, São Paulo, and San Francisco available only to arriving first and business class full-fare passengers (as...
White House Tours and Paris Hotel Bills
My life wasn’t always centered around travel. My undergraduate studies were in political science and U.S. history and my first post-graduation job was in the White House Press Office. That kept me busy enough M-F, but there was just...
Dog Flies from Newark to Phoenix via Dublin on United
When I took my island-hopper flight last week from Honolulu to Guam on United Airlines, the same intro and safety video was played six times–every time the aircraft took off. Ironically, it was the cargo intro (below) that that...
How to Obtain a Saudi Arabian Transit Visa
11/2013 UPDATE: Numerous reports suggest that Saudi Arabia has suspended the issue of transit visas in the United States. Contact your nearest Saudi consulate or the Saudi Embassy in Washington if you are in need of one. Case-by-case exceptions...
New Star Alliance Gold Commercial
Star Alliance’s marketing department is savvy and I don’t just say that because I know the folks in it… Take a look at the latest Star Alliance Gold advertisement– What I love about this commercial is that it simply...
Book One-Way Award Travel on American Airlines with Alaska Mileage Plan
Lucky reports that one-way travel at half the round-trip price is now available online for Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members. Rumors of this change in policy begin swirling last month but have not been confirmed up until this point...
Five Steps to Fix the TSA
You haven’t heard me talk much about the TSA lately and the nationwide fervor over the agency has seemingly died down. One reason is Pre✓, a “trusted traveler” program that allows passengers who submit to background checks to bypass...
Introduction: A Journey to Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan
When Saudia Airlines (formerly Saudi Arabian Airlines) offered an amazing $557 r/t deal from New York to Dubai via Jeddah last December, I jumped on it—but it was not because I had any desire to go to Dubai. Saudia...
Pictures from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
I did not stray far from the Park Hyatt Jeddah during my recent transit through Saudi Arabia, though I did spend a couple hours in the evening walking around the Kingdom’s second largest city. I was not near the Al-Balad...
Win 200,000 Miles on American Airlines
As Rocky reports, American Airlines is commencing three new international routes this spring: Dallas/Fort Worth to Seoul Chicago to Dusseldorf Dallas/Fort Worth to Lima To promote these additions to its route network, AA is giving away “a chance to...
