Per the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. Department of Transportation has asked airline for “suggestions” as it reviews passenger protections in light of President Donald Trump’s mandate to cut “red tape”. Not surprisingly, airlines are foaming at the mouth...
Update: SWISS Sends Second, Nasty Letter Blaming Bloggers
My ongoing battle over cancelled first class tickets on SWISS is a two-front war: one with with SWISS and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the second with Aeroplan. In the case of SWISS, recall that I filed a DOT...
University Professor Arrested for Calling German “Nazi” at Frankfurt Airport
A Georgetown University professor was arrested for calling a German Federal Police Officer “Nazi” (among other choice words) at Frankfurt International Airport. Word of warning: that’s a bad idea anywhere, but especially in Germany. I lived in Germany for...
Flight Attendants Ordered to Pay Model $100K for Spilling Soup on Her
Nearly four years later, a fashion model has prevailed in her battle for restitution from Asiana Airlines and the FAs who scalded her with soup. It was March 17, 2014 and the model, who is only known as Chang, was...
Bravo! Delta Restricts Emotional Support Animals
I’ve written before about emotional support animals…and how some airline passengers routinely abuse federal law to avoid pet fees. Now Delta Air Lines is saying enough is enough. Complaints over animal defecation, urination, and biting have risen 84% over...
Air France Writes Me, Issues Refund
Last week I noted that it had been more than 18 days since Air France cancelled my first class ticket and 1.) I still had not been notified and 2.) my money was still being held. Well, Air France...
Cathay Dragon Pilot Scams $29K in Flights from Air Canada
A Cathay Dragon pilot has been ordered to repay over $29,000 and perform 20 hours of community service in punishment for scamming free flights from Air Canada. Marc Anthony Tacchi is Canadian but lives in Hong Kong and flies...
Chinese Cyber Police Block Marriott’s Website for Disrespecting China
Cyber Police from the city of Shanghai have blocked Marriott’s website and mobile app for one week, punishing the hotel chain for “disrespecting” Chinese Sovereignty. Marriott sent out a Mandarin-language survey to Chinese consumers which listed Hong Kong, Macau, Tibet,...
Passengers Threatened with Arrest for Taking Cell Phone Videos
Let’s start with the bottom line: when airline personnel threaten you with arrest for taking pictures or video, ignore them. It won’t happen. It has been a cold week in the Northeast and that has led to many weather-related...
Air France Holding My Money, Hasn’t Reached Out…22 Days Later
It has been 22 days since I booked a suspiciously cheap Air France first class fare. While Air France cancelled the ticket four days after booking, it still has not refunded my money or even reached out to me...
German Government Accuses Lufthansa of Illicit Price Hikes
A German regulatory agency is accusing Lufthansa of unjustified price hikes in the wake of Air Berlin’s bankruptcy. Per thelocal.de: Germany’s Federal Cartel Office (FCO) is currently probing complaints that Lufthansa fares shot up on some routes after bankrupt...
Update from Aimia (Aeroplan) RE: My Demand Letter
Literally minutes after posting yesterday about purchasing SWISS First Class tickets, I received an email from the legal department of Aimia, parent company of Aeroplan. I do not believe that post and this response are at all related. I’ve spoken...
Delta Accused of Anti-Semitism in FA Lawsuit
“Delta has encouraged and maintained an anti-Jewish, Hebrew and ethnic Israeli attitude among management, who…operate under an express assumption that ethnic Jews and Israelis cannot be trusted.” So claims a lawsuit filed in New York by four Delta FAs...
Real or Mistake? Frontier Airlines Slashes Fares by 99%
Since the subject of “mistake fares” seems to be a recurring theme on this blog, let me ask you this: is 99% off too good to be true? Frontier closed 2017 with a 99% off sale using the promo...
I’m Booked in SWISS First Class, Zurich to Los Angeles…
Sometimes, you have to put your money where your mouth is. In what seems like so long ago, I promised: But mark my words: my family will fly in SWISS First together to end our holiday trip to Germany....
Fascinating: Foul Play and Intrigue Onboard ANA Flight to Nowhere
Turns out there may have been a very good reason to turn an ANA flight around over four hours into its journey…a genuine stowaway onboard. > Read More: Supermodel’s Account of the 8hr ANA Flight from LAX to LAX I...
UPDATE: United Insists It Did NOT Boot Woman From First Class for Congresswoman
I had a telephone conversation with United Airlines yesterday about the events surrounding the Washington, DC woman who found herself booted from first class and a Congresswoman in her original seat. If you missed out on yesterday’s post, you...
Congresswoman Poaches First Class Seat, Accuses Victim of Racism
A teacher has accused a prominent Democratic Congresswoman of stealing her first class seat on a United flight from Houston to Washington, DC. Jean-Marie Simon was traveling back from Guatemala to Washington, DC via Houston. Upon boarding her connecting flight...
Is U.S. Biometric Exit Program Constitutional?
While exit controls do not exist when leaving U.S. airports, they are coming…in some form. But the Department of Homeland Security’s experimental new Biometric Exit Program may be unconstitutional in its current form. Mandated by Congress in 1996 and re-affirmed after...
Case Closed: Korean Air “Nut Rage” Executive Avoids Prison
Cho Hyun-ah, famous for her nut rage incident at JFK, will avoid jail time after the South Korean Supreme Court upheld her suspended sentence. In case you forgot: Heather Cho, 40, was in a first class seat on a...
