As far as I am concerned, United botched the official rollout of its premium economy product on premium transcontinental routes. It’s all about communication… Over the weekend, United began selling Premium Plus seats on select flights between Newark and...
United’s Plus Points Makes MileagePlus Best In the US?
United Airlines has changed their Regional Premier and Global Premier upgrade system, replacing them with Plus Points instead. And now it’s not just 1K flyers that benefit. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click...
Why Isn’t Cathay Pacific Leveraging US Credit Card Markets to Shore Up Losses?
Cathay Pacific has struggled financially prior to the disruptions in Hong Kong. Why doesn’t the airline turn to the US credit card market for liquidity? If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support...
Why UK Pilots Are Livid Over Germany’s Condor Bailout
Pilots in the United Kingdom have expressed outrage over the German government’s bailout of Condor. Is this a case of jealously or do the pilots have a point? The British Airlines Pilots Association (BALPA) is the umbrella union representing...
Delta’s Investment In LATAM Is Pure Genius
Delta’s surprise announcement that it will spend $1.9 billion to acquire a 20% stake in LATAM is a shrewd move that will simultaneously strengthen Delta while hurting the competition. Yesterday, Delta announced it would form a significant relationship with...
Condor Survives After Bailout From German Government
Condor will survive the winter after the German federal government and the State of Hessen announced a so-called bridging loan to keep the carrier afloat. Condor is a profitable airline and forecasts stability and growth in 2020. But parent...
21-Year-Old College Student Runs Texas Hotel Alone…For 32 Hours…During A Tropical Storm
Satchel Smith’s eight hour shift turned in a marathon 32-hour effort at a Homewood Suites in Beaumont, Texas. By the time his shift had ended, he was hailed a hero for single-handedly caring for so many hotel guests. Tropical...
End Of An Era: The Amtrak Dining Car
Amtrak is “reinventing” dining on its longhaul train service. Dining cars are out on many routes. “Flexibility” is in. Driven by cost-cutting and a desire to appeal to millennials, Amtrak will close onboard kitchens and shift to pre-packaged meals...
Is The Future Of Condor In Lufthansa’s Hands?
The collapse of parent company Thomas Cook has not affected Condor…at least not yet. What will happen to another storied company that now faces uncharted waters? While all Thomas Cook flights have been suspended, Condor flights continue to operate as...
With Thomas Cook Collapse, UK Prepares For Largest Evacuation Since World War II
The United Kingdom is assembling a fleet of jumbo of jets to rescue more than 150,000 stranded travelers around the world in wake of the Thomas Cook collapse. The evacuation will mark the largest peacetime rescue mission in British...
Did a Hilton Hotel Discriminate Against a Gay Interracial Couple?
The Hilton Canopy in Dallas Uptown walked guests last week, something that happens all the time. But the guests suspects discrimination, and the situation is odd to say the least. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new...
South African Airways Says Latest Cash Injection Is Not Enough
South African Airways is expected to shortly receive a 5.5 billion rand ($376 million) infusion for the new fiscal year. But the beleaguered carrier says that is not enough to keep the lights on. SAA has debt of 12.7...
American Airlines Saboteur Mechanic May Have Terrorist Ties
Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani, the American Airlines mechanic who admitted to sabotaging an AA 737-800 in Miami, may have terrorist ties says prosecutors. The startling allegation prompted a judge to deny bail to the 60-year-old defendant. When he was...
SFO Runway 28L Will Open One Week Early!
The last 10 days have been irksome for many San Francisco travelers thanks to a closure of SFO Runway 28L. But the pain will end tomorrow night, a whole week ahead of schedule. Runway construction on 28L begin on September 7th at...
KLM Replaces Brussels Flight With Full-Service High-Speed Train
KLM will trial a high-speed train service between Amsterdam and Brussels next March in place of one of its flights. But the Dutch carrier promises more than just a seat. KLM currently flies five times per day between Brussels...
Watch An Air China 777-300ER Catch Fire Over Washington Dulles
An Air China 777-300 was forced to return to Washington Dulles after a flames erupted from the left engine after takeoff. An eyewitness captured the entire scene on video using a mobile phone. Air China Flight 818, bound from...
Germany Unites Around New Taxes, Higher Airfares (But Protections For Lufthansa)
Germany is moving closer toward raising taxes on domestic flights in hopes of reducing demand and eventually greenhouse gas pollution. But Lufthansa stands to benefit from the new taxes. Like other nations, Germany finds itself falling short of the...
Air India’s New “Diet” Crew Meals: Fat Shaming Or Cost Cutting?
Air India is introducing new low-fat “diet” meals for crews. Is this another not-so-subtle attempt at fat-shaming or just another cost cutting cutting move for a cash-starved airline? Effective immediately, Air India cabin crews (flight attendants and pilots) will...
Premium Award Seats Better For Balance Sheets
Airlines are happy to award more miles to customers who spend more money. But they sometimes forget that releasing premium award seats (business and first class) is better for the balance sheet too. If you are considering booking travel or signing up...
Who’s Excited About IHG Promotions? Nobody, Apparently
The purpose of offering a promotion is to gain interaction, drive incremental sales, and engage a customer base. But when your promotion is so bad that customers don’t respond, why run one at all? If you are considering booking travel or signing...
