Earlier this month I wrote about the battle for Havana slots. Like a game of musical chairs, demand outstripped supply and it was up to the U.S. Department of Transportation to divvy out the slots. Yesterday, the U.S. Department...
U.S. Airlines Fighting Over Cuba…Again
With yields weak and demand far lower than expected, we’ve seen many carriers reduce or eliminate service to Cuba. Even so, U.S. airlines are still fiercely fighting for Havana slots. Under current U.S. Department of Transportation rules, airlines are...
Will Qatar Airways Buy 25% Stake in JetBlue?
Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, has hinted at plans to buy a 25% stake in a U.S. “startup” airline. If I’m a betting man, I’d say that is JetBlue. Speaking to reporters at an air show in...
The Bickering and Scheming Couples on My JetBlue Flight
Let me preface this post by saying that perhaps you had to be there to experience the true humor in the situation. Saturday night I flew home from New York to Burbank on JetBlue. While I normally will choose...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: October 22, 2017
I’m back in LA after a fast-paced week around the world. My trip took another twist on the way to Ho Chi Minh City, which I will share tomorrow morning. As it was a relatively light news week, Live...
JetBlue-United Merger?
An “influential” Wall Street analyst is asserting that a merger between JetBlue and United is more likely than you might think. I am not convinced… In paywall-protected analysis, Hunter Keay of the Wolfe Research has opined– A few investors recently...
JetBlue Mint Service Coming to Palm Springs
JetBlue Mint Class sets the standard for domestic transcontinental service. Residents and visitors of Palm Springs will be able to fly Mint Class to/from New York for a brief period later this year. JetBlue serves Palm Springs seasonally and...
Moral Conundrum: JetBlue’s Cheap Florida Flights
In response to Hurricane Irma JetBlue is offering inexpensive flights to Florida. First, the carrier capped the cost of these flights to evacuate residents and visitors out of harm’s way but now the carrier is trying to get Floridians...
Review: JetBlue A321 Mint New York To Los Angeles
The more I reflect on this flight, the more I realize how much I take mediocre service for granted on U.S. airlines. Put simply, this late-night flight in JetBlue Mint was one of the best domestic flights I have...
Did JetBlue Really Kick Family Off Over Birthday Cake?
Today’s trending airline customer service horror story centers around a family of four who was kicked off a JetBlue flight from New York to Las Vegas. The culprit? Apparently a birthday cake. We have two very different narratives of the...
Mints on United vs. MINT on JetBlue
If you’re on a United flight this month, keep an eye out for complimentary mints. Yes, not to be confused with MINT (business) class on JetBlue! The Mileage Plus Explorer Card from Chase has an increased sign-up bonus of...
Who Did SAS Sell the LHR Slots to (for $75MN)?
SAS just sold two of its London Heathrow slots to an unspecified buyer for $75,000,000. Under the deal, SAS will have use of the gates for up to three years. SAS drops from 19 daily slot pairs to 17, but the...
Must JetBlue Honor the $150 Off Deal?
A few days have passed since many (myself included) took advantage of the JetBlue deal in which you could save $150 off a domestic hotel + flight package. There were no restrictions, originally at least, meaning that if your...
Déjà Vu: Free Vacation to Las Vegas!
I chuckled last night as I confirmed my second free mini-vacation to Las Vegas. Didn’t we do this six years ago? Six years ago Gary Leff wrote about a deal on Expedia’s Canadian site that offered C$300 off a vacation package....
The Fine Line Between Common Sense and Revenue Management
First, a bold disclaimer: I accept responsibility for what I did and was entitled to nothing. Even seasoned travel pros make mistakes and I sure made a big one on my recent 48-hour adventure. If you recall, I was...
Caution: Transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards to Flying Blue
Flying Blue, the loyalty program of Air France/KLM, has become the latest Chase Ultimate Rewards transfer partner. This is good news, not only because Flying Blue offers award chart sweet spots and attractive and unique partner redemption options, but...
Flying Blue Increases Cost for Flex Business and First Class Awards Without Notice
Flying Blue, the loyalty program of Air France / KLM, offers two tiers of awards, classic and flex. For travel between North America and Europe, that translates to 62.5K for a one-way in business class at the classic level and...
JetBlue Will Expand Mint Business Class to Boston
JetBlue announced an expansion of its popular Mint lie-flat business class service to Boston with service starting next year. In March 2016, JetBlue will commence three daily flights between Boston and San Francisco and add Boston – Los Angeles...
Air France KLM Flying Blue Cancelling Award Tickets for Transferring in American Express Points!
Numerous reports have sprung up recently concerning a “fraud crackdown” from Flying Blue, the loyalty program of Air France, KLM, Air Europa, and Kenya Airways. Here’s the situation– in more than one instance, a traveler has opened up a...
Flying Blue Promo Awards for January 2015
Each month Air France / KLM Flying Blue offer Promo Awards and I have highlighted the value of these awards on many occasions. While the January 2015 promotion is modest, Canadian travelers have a great opportunity to save on business class travel to Europe. Business...