This is part two of SV41, from Riyadh to Los Angeles. In the first installment of this report, I covered the short flight from RUH to JED and the ground stop in Jeddah. This flight covers the 16hr journey...
Review: Saudia 777 First Suite Riyadh to Jeddah
Even though Riyadh to Los Angeles is sold as a direct flight and there is no way to purchase the Riyadh to Jeddah portion alone, I am going to break up the review into two parts. Note that even...
Booked! Last United 747 Flight
When I saw the news yesterday that United Airlines would retire its 747 with a special Hawaiian-themed celebration to recreate its first flight, I resolved to be part of the flight…no matter the cost. I braced myself for the...
Final United Boeing 747 Flight Will be SFO-HNL on November 07, 2017
After 47 years, United Airlines is retiring the Boeing 747 from its fleet. The final international flight will be on October 29, 2017 from Seoul to San Francisco. Today, United announced the final domestic flight: San Francisco to Honolulu...
Review: Saudia 777-300ER First Class Dubai to Riyadh
The quick two-hour flight from Dubai to Riyadh was merely long enough to whet my appetite for the 19hr Riyadh to Los Angeles longhaul to come on the same aircraft. We checked in a few hours before the flight...
Whew! Qsuites Booked from New York to Doha
When I took advantage of the incredible $672 Qatar Airways business class fare in July, I had a strategic choice to make. My outbound is next month and my return is in January. For review purposes, I like daytime...
Turkish Airlines Considers 747-8i
Turkish Airlines is reportedly in talks with Boeing to acquire eight 747-8i jets for use on passenger flights. We’ve heard rumors for years about interest from Turkish Airlines in acquiring 747-8s (and A380s) but past 747 rumors centered around...
First United 767-300 with Polaris Seats Takes Flight
Last month I wrote about the completion of United’s first 767-300 retrofit. Last night, the reconfigured aircraft took its first flight, from Newark to London. > Read More: Revealed: United 767 Polaris Cabin Layout There was some controversy that the...
Review: Somon Air 737 Business Class Dushanbe To Dubai
Somon Air is the sole private airline (versus state-owned Tajik Air) in Tajikistan. We flew from Dushanbe to Dubai aboard a 737-900ER, the crown jewel of the fleet. While I’d rate the flight experience as good overall, Somon Air...
Air Europa 787 Business Class is Underrated
While I had higher hopes for Air Europa than for Aerolineas Argentinas, they were still quite measured. Not only did Air Europa’s 787 in business class beat expectations, it was actually a very competitive product and enjoyable ride. Air...
United 747 Will Fly Domestic on Friday
United is retiring its 747-400 fleet this autumn. While I’m hearing rumors of a farewell domestic tour, nothing has been confirmed yet and the final flight is still scheduled from Seoul to San Francisco on October 29, 2017. But...
Review: China Eastern 777-300ER Business Class Los Angeles to Shanghai
Let me start by saying that now I know what it is like to have been on a smoking flight. That, a fairly comfortable seat, horrible food, and totally unprofessional service are my takeaways from my first China Eastern flight,...
Review: British Airways 747-400 First Class London to New York
British Airways’ 747-400 First Class is a bit of a tight squeeze, but a comfortable product. My midday flight from London to New York flew by. With excellent service and tasty meals, I landed in JFK with a smile on my...
Review: Qantas A380 First Class Dubai to London
This first class flight report is a continuation of Qantas 001 which travels from Sydney to London Heathrow with a stop in Dubai for a crew change. You can check out Part I from SYD to DXB here. Just to note,...
How is Biman Bangladesh Airlines in Economy Class?
My last-minute ticket home meant I was stuck in economy class for the 2hr flight from Bangkok to Dhaka on Biman Bangladesh Airlines. Business class was sold out. That’s a shame because it was only about $100 more than...
Review: British Airways A380 First Class Los Angeles to London
British Airways first class has often been called the “best business class product in the sky”. That was surprisingly not my experience. At least on the A380, I found the product very much a true first class product. Just to note,...
Lufthansa Premium Economy is Much Better on a Daytime Flight
I’m back from Germany and have a far more favorable impression of Lufthansa Premium Economy for daytime flights than for overnight flights. I complained about my inability to sleep in Premium Economy on the trip over. Interestingly, on the...
I Survived Lufthansa Premium Economy
Well of course I survived, but the concept of Premium Economy is so overrated if you are looking for a good rest on your longhaul flight. True, not all Premium Economy seats are created equal, so we’ll stick to Lufthansa today....
Leaked A350-1000 Configuration on United Airlines
A tweet allegedly reveals how United will configure its new A350 aircraft. Via @A350_Production on Twitter, United’s A350-1000 (on order) will be delivered with the following configuration: 60 United Polaris (Business) [18%] 91 United EconomyPlus [27%] 186 United Economy [55%] —— 337 total...
United Will Not Retire 757-200s As Planned
United Airlines will not retire 15 of its 757-200s as planned, as it examines viable replacements for the workhorse jet. The plan was to retire the remaining pre-merger United fleet of 757-200s later this year, all of which are configured with...
