A long-time Award Expert client and friend recently returned home from Europe and had the great fortune of having the entire business class cabin to himself onboard a brand new SAS A350-900 in business class. When we booked his...
Want A Truly Flexible Ticket? Book A Boeing 737 MAX
Now that the Boeing 737 MAX has been “ungrounded” in the United States, airlines have the tall task of getting people to fly on it. All three U.S. operators have assured customers they have flexible options if they do...
Another Carrier Announces Retirement Of Boeing 747
This has been a bad year for the Boeing 747. As the pandemic has made larger, four-engine aircraft less attractive, carriers have accelerated retirement plans for the Queen of the Skies. Now another airline, China Airlines, has indicated it...
British Airways Defends Its Decision To Retire 747
British Airways abruptly retired its fleet of Boeing 747-400 aircraft over the summer, blaming COVID-19. But the newly-installed CEO now touts the decision as a huge boost to British Airways’ sustainability efforts. British Airways Defends 747 Retirement Speaking at...
Details: Final Boeing 777 Flight On Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines surprised many of us by announcing the early retirement of its entire Boeing 777 fleet due to the pandemic. Now the final Delta 777 flight has been penciled in for the last day of this month....
747 Wins Fat Bear Week In Alaska
As we close the week, a bit of humor…I think we all need it. Our story takes us to Alaska, where a very fat bear, aptly called 747, has just won a very special honor. 747 Grizzly Bear Wins...
The Airbus A380 With 966 Seats Onboard…
Could an all-economy configuration of the Airbus A380 with nearly 1,000 passengers saved the program? Or is the concept of a 966-seat jet aircraft the stuff nightmares are made of? The All-Economy Stretch A380 With 966 Seats Onboard Andreas...
Farewell Photo Tour: British Airways 747-400
As British Airways retires its fleet of Boeing 747-400s without so much as a domestic farewell flight, Live and Let’s Fly is offering the next best thing possible, a photo walkthrough in memory of the Queen of the Skies....
50 Years Ago Today: Queen Of The Skies Debuts On United Airlines
50 years ago today United Airlines debuted a new aircraft type, the Boeing 747-100. A half century later, the Queen of the Skies remains a beloved aircraft and symbol of beauty. July 23, 1970: United Debuted 747 United took...
British Airways Retiring 747 Fleet…Maybe?
Another chapter nears an end for the storied Boeing program, as British Airways prepares to retire its 747 fleet. But three words still give me hope… British Airways Will Retire Its 28-Aircraft 747 Fleet British Airways is the largest...
Happy 25th Birthday Boeing 777! Read This Inaugural Trip Report
This week marks the 25th anniversary of the first commercial Boeing 777 flight, a United flight from London Heathrow to Washington Dulles and from domestically Denver to Chicago. The last quarter century has been quite a ride for the...
Boeing Debates Future Of 747 Program
A furious internal debate at Boeing over the future of the 747 program will either extend the life of the program or end it by 2022. Supply Concerns Threaten Future Of Boeing 747 Program The problem is Triumph, which...
The Airbus A380, Another Coronavirus Fatality
One of the many ways our travel lives will change going forward is the loss of the Airbus A380 Super Jumbo Jet, all but killed off by coronavirus. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please...
Lufthansa A380 Operations Won’t Return To Frankfurt
Lufthansa has retired seven of its 14 Airbus A380 aircraft in response to COVID-19. Now the carrier has revealed that the A380 will not return to Frankfurt. Lufthansa Faces Same A380 Issues As Other Carriers Carriers around the world...
Why The Air France A380 Retirement Pains Me…
As expected, Air France has accelerated its A380 retirement and will be come the first airline to wholly retire its A380 fleet. That’s sad news in general, but particularly sad news for me. Let me concede at the outset...
Video: New Airbus A350 German “Air Force One”
I’ve written before about the embarrassing mechanical problems Germany has had with its government jets. In an attempt to remedy the problem once and for all, the first of three new Airbus A350-900s will soon be delivered. First Airbus...
Even Emirates May Ground A380 Fleet
When it comes to Airbus A380 operators, there are many airlines. Then there is Emirates, the outlier with over 100 in its fleet. But even Emirates is mulling the grounding of its A380s. Already, we’ve seen Lufthansa, Air France,...
United Airlines Tells Flight Attendants To Stop Locking 787 Window Shades
The most annoying thing about the Boeing 787 Dreamliner is the ability of the crew to prohibit window shades from being opened. Flight attendants at United were reminded this week not to lock these dimmable windows. United To Flight...
Own A Piece Of The First Airbus A380
Singapore Airlines was the launch customer of the Airbus A380. It also was the first airline to retire an A380. Now you can own a piece of that original aircraft. The A380 is nearly 14 years old. Its maiden...
The Grim Future Of The A380
We know Airbus is stopping A380 production. We also know that airlines are accelerating the retirement of them. But unlike past airframes, there appears to be absolutely no secondary market for them. A Grim Future For A380 Leaseholders I’ve...
