An American Airlines flight operated by Mesa Airlines on January 17th, departed Phoenix, Arizona and made an emergency landing in Dallas/Ft.Worth. The mechanical issue stemmed from a broken fan which caused smoke in the cockpit. Footage A video taken...
My First Flight in 2018: American Airlines
I’m not jumping ship from United, but I am starting off 2018 flying a whole lot of oneworld. That trip began with a redeye on American Airlines’ last night from LAX to JFK. If you caught my AA medical...
Medical Emergency on My AA Flight
Last night I flew from Los Angeles to New York on AA…and encountered a medical emergency onboard that led to a lengthy delay and removal of a passenger. We pushed back on time and FAs screened safety the video....
AA CEO Has Already Made $19.2MN in 2018
We’re barely a week into 2018 and American Airlines’ CEO Doug Parker has already made $19.2MN. Parker is not paid a cash salary. Rather, he is paid in company stock and stock options, a practice that began in his...
Why You Should Always Compare Economy v. First Class Prices
I know this goes without saying for travel pros, but I was reminded again today that it always pays to check the price of a premium fare. One of the things we do at Award Expert is ensure that...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: December 17, 2017
After another trip to New York, I’m back in Los Angeles until tomorrow…when I’ll fly to Germany for Christmas. It has been a hectic month, so I am looking forward to some downtime. American Airlines’ opened a beautiful new...
Review: AA Flagship First Dining Los Angeles (LAX)
The new Flagship Lounge is nice, but I was most excited to sample American Airlines’ new Flagship First Dining experience at LAX. This lounge within a lounge is reserved exclusively for first class passengers traveling on longhaul international routes...
New Trick for Booking JAL Award Space with AA Miles
There’s a new way to book Japan Airlines (JAL) award space with your American Airlines miles. Use this guide to successfully book JAL award space with AAdvantage. After more than three years of preparation, JAL migrated from its own Passenger...
Why Did I Choose American Over Qatar?
My wife and daughter spent the summer in Thailand as it is my busy season at work and I am nearly never at home – why shouldn’t they be at the beach instead? As a result, I have been...
American Airlines CEO Suggests Hubs Matter More Than Management
During an earnings call last week, American Airlines’ CEO Doug Parker intimated that bad hubs rather than poor management are to blame for widening profit gaps between industry-leader Delta and American or United. When asked about the widening profit...
Will China Southern Leave SkyTeam for oneworld?
Back in March, China Southern and American Airlines announced a close partnership, with AA acquiring a stake in the Chinese carrier. Now as the relationship continues to develop, China Southern is putting out feelers for leaving SkyTeam. If you...
Can You Cancel Basic Economy Fares Within 24 Hours?
American, Delta, and United all have some form of a 24-hour courtesy cancellation policy. But does this apply to no-frills “Basic Economy” tickets, which are explicitly non-changeable and non-refundable? In short, yes. But there are limits. Let’s review each...
Closing My BankDirect Mileage Checking Account
Earning miles and points on everything you do should extend to your checking account if possible. For a long time I have loved debit products like the SunTrust Delta Debit card, and the BankDirect mileage-earning checking account. It offers...
The Godfather of the Airline Industry
Freddie Laker. Richard Branson. William Franke? Although not a household name, William “Bill” Franke is the man we can thank for the ultra-low-carrier model in the USA. He also hired both Doug Parker (CEO of American) and Scott Kirby...
Doug “Nostradamus” Parker: AA will Never Lose Money Again
American Airlines’ CEO Doug Parker has made a bold claim: AA will never lose money again. Parker says even in bad years, American will still earn $3BN/year in pre-tax profit. Of course inflation makes this figure a bit misleading,...
Beware of the Basic Economy “Gate Service Fee”
Delta Basic Economy fares permit a larger carry-on bag, so the focus of this story is on American Airlines and United. If you think you can slip by undetected with you rollerboard, be prepared to pay up and lose...
Lawsuit: AA FAs Deliberately Pour Red Wine on Wedding Dress
A New Jersey woman claims a group of FAs on American Airlines conspired to ruin her wedding, discreetly opening an overhead bin in-flight and dousing her white wedding gown in red wine. Yewande Oteh was flying from Philadelphia to Montego...
Heartwarming: 7-Year-Old Becomes AA Pilot
A 7-year-old with a congenital heart defect was given the chance to fulfill a dream thanks to American Airlines and the Make-A-Wish Foundation. He earned his pilot’s wings. William Kottos has wanted to be a a pilot since he...
American Airlines Introduces the “Anti-Matthew Rule” on Award Tickets
My heart sank yesterday when I saw that American Airlines is restricting the number of segments permitted on award travel. The new one-way limits include: Domestic USA + Canada: Three [3] segments Other destinations (including Puerto Rico + US...
