A flurry of commentary has poured forth today over the 4-mile United Airlines First Class award redemptions to China available briefly yesterday on united.com. As a frequent traveler who has cashed in on many “mistake” fares in the past...
Analysis: Legality of EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)
Here’s a short paper I wrote recently on the legality of the European Union’s ETS. Enjoy! What happens when an airline suddenly finds itself forced to break a law? It has two possible courses of actions—one action violates law...
Jeff Smisek’s "Passionate Plea" to United Pilots
Jeff Smisek assumes the “good cop” role in a letter to United Airlines pilots concerning ongoing contract negotiations. Still, the United CEO does not dance around the highly contentious, primary issue of dispute: the scope clause. Dear Pilots: I...
An Update on the Burma Business/First Class Fare Sale
The dust has now settled a bit in the latest airfare pricing extravaganza, but the fun has just begun. For those just joining the party, on Tuesday and Wednesday fares originating in Burma to just about anywhere in the...
US Airways Says Merger with American Airlines would Generate $1.2BN per Year
As American Airlines management continues to insist its goal is to emerge from bankruptcy as a stronger, leaner stand-alone airline, US Airways is upping the rhetoric on a potential merger: Speaking on a conference call with reporters and analysts...
As American Airlines Departs, Opportunity for United at Burbank
News that American Airlines will suspend service from Burbank/Bob Hope Airport next month compounds a problem for an airport that continues to lose passengers even as it invests in a pricey infrastructure upgrade that will enhance the parking facilities...
The Legality and Ethics of Terminating a Frequent Flyer Account
Random Segments writes a well-reasoned and provocative piece on the case of Rabbi S. Binyomin Ginsberg, the Minneapolis man who found his elite status revoked and mileage account closed after complaining too much to Northwest Airlines. Ginsberg is suing,...
The Photograph the TSA Doesn’t Want You to See!
As we near the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Live and Let’s Fly will feature a series of posts in the coming the days focusing on how travel has changed over the last decade. Today, I want to...
US Airways: We Love Fees, Charlotte, and Mergers (but not Pilots)
Ely Portillo of the Charlotte Observer covered the US Airways monthly employee meeting in Charlotte on Tuesday attended by CEO Doug Parker. Here’s a quick rundown: On Fees: Parker said he understands that fliers hate the new fees, but...
Thinking Critically About Rumored Changes to United Mileage Plus Program
News about the rumored changes to the United Mileage Plus program came as quite a shock to me. Although the final details will likely not be released until after Labor Day, it will still be advantageous to analyze each...
Analysis: TSA Diffuses Full Body Scanner Privacy Concerns
While I am no fan of the TSA, I will give them credit when credit is due. The announcement this week that the TSA will introduce new software on full body scanners that generates an image of a human...
D.C. Circuit Rejects Claim that TSA Full Body Scanners Violate Fourth Amendment
In probing the Transportation Security Administration’s Advanced Imaging Technology program last week, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit squarely rejected the contention that the TSA’s use of AIT violates the Fourth Amendment. Distinguishing unlawful...
Don’t Blame Delta for Saudi Foreign Policy
The Rabbi Jason Miller is not happy with Delta Air Lines. In a poorly-written article published in the Huffington Post, Miller bemoans that Saudi Arabian Airlines will soon be a member of the SkyTeam Alliance, the airline group that...
Why I Mourn the Loss of Airport Smoking Lounges
Call me old-fashioned, but few things irritate me more than seeing smoking areas eliminated from the secure side of airports. I don’t smoke, don’t intend to ever smoke, and consider it an unhealthy, overpriced, and sophomoric habit. At the...
“King Solomon couldn’t start a U.S. domestic airline these days”
“King Solomon couldn’t start a U.S. domestic airline these days,” said Hubert Horan, an aviation consultant. “No matter how well they’re run, it’s tough for any airline that’s small to survive.” For an interesting take on competition and structural...
Chris Elliott’s Response to My Post on "Mistake" Fares
Last week I posted my thoughts about airline mistake fares in response to Scott McCartney’s excellent “Middle Seat” column in the Wall Street Journal on the same subject. Today, Christopher Elliott decided to chime in. While I prefer not...
The Authoritative Post on Airline Fees
Although he wrote it in January, the Philadelphia Inquirer just published a column our friend Christopher Elliott did on airline fees in this week’s Sunday travel section. Some of his analysis is spot-on, much of it is…not. First, what makes...
