United Airlines is adjusting its winter longhaul schedule this weekend. The story is not just the upgauges and downgauges, but the strategy behind them and the versatility of the United fleet. First, let’s starts with the changes, which include...
Cockpit Coffee Spill Prompts Transatlantic Flight Diversion
Drinking hot coffee in the cockpit can be a very dangerous thing…and costly too. Just ask one Condor pilot. On February 06, a Condor flight traveling from Frankfurt to Cancun and operated by an Airbus A330-300 diverted to Shannon...
Airline Pilot Fails Sobriety Test Then Sues Police For Detaining Him
A SkyWest pilot is suing two police officers in Rapid City, South Dakota for false arrest, alleging defamation and slander. Police say they detained him on a tip that he reeked of alcohol and that he failed a sobriety...
Rumor: Qatar Airways Will Invest In TAAG Angola Airlines
Angolan media is reporting that Qatar Airways is exploring a sizable investment in troubled TAAG Angola Airlines. In a move aimed at turning TAAG from a steady loss-leader into a profitable airline, state-owned TAAG is selling a 39% stake...
Cathay Pacific Cuts Capacity, Axes Longhaul Routes
Cathay Pacific is responding to depressed demand by cutting or reducing a number of longhaul routes. August was a horrible month for Cathay Pacific, its worst since the 2003 SARS outbreak. Overall passenger traffic declined 11.3% versus the previous...
Amtrak Hints At Long-Haul Route Cuts
Amtrak is hinting that long-haul train service will remain, but will be scaled back from current levels. I’d call that wildly optimistic thinking. Speaking to Skift’s Brian Sumers, Amtrak CEO Richard Anderson explained: There will always be a place...
Unpopular: Variably-Priced Awards Are Better For Most
By November of 2019, the three largest airlines in the world (American, Delta and United) will all have variably-priced award flights in one form or another. Frequent flyers lament them, but for most travellers, it’s good news. If you...
Naughty: Spirit Pushed Credit, Not Refund, For Cancelled Flights
Hurricane Dorian brought many flight cancellations, Florida-based carriers like Spirit were particularly hard hit. But when flights started to cancel, Spirit flight refunds were hard to come by. They pushed credit not refunds for passengers. If you are considering booking...
American Airlines Mechanic Goes Too Far, Hurts Cause
It was revealed this week that an American Airlines mechanic was charged with sabotaging a flight from Miami, then he was arrested. This kind of action hurts their cause. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit...
Shocking: American Airlines Mechanic Charged With Sabotaging Aircraft
An American Airlines mechanic in Miami was arrested and faces sabotage charges. He has confessed to deliberately disabling a navigation system on an aircraft in hopes of securing overtime pay. On July 17, Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani allegedly tampered...
SAS Plays Musical Chairs At LAX
SAS is shifting its service to Los Angeles. Stockholm is out. Copenhagen is in. What prompted this change? Effective January 13, 2019, SAS will launch year-around service between Copenhagen (CPH) and Los Angeles (LAX): SK931 Copenhagen – Los Angeles...
Three Major Chinese Airlines Synchronously Invest In Chinese-Made Jet Fleet
Major Chinese airlines are looking away from Airbus and Boeing and investing in Chinese-made aircraft in a peculiarly imitative order. Air China, China Eastern, and China Southern each announced identical orders for 35 Comac ARJ21-700 twinjets. The Comac ARJ21 is intended...
American Airlines Gives Apologies, Delta Gives Raises
American Airlines is in a never-ending war with their employees, so much so that they instructed how to apologize better while Delta gives their employees raises. A tale of two airlines. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a...
Accused of Damaging My Rental Car
I rent cars an awful lot as part of my day job. Sometimes vehicles are damaged during a rental, sometimes before you even get in. Here’s what happened when I was accused of damaging my rental car. If you...
Environmentalists Plan To Disrupt London Heathrow With More Drones
An environmentalist group has put London Heathrow Airport on notice: the drones are coming. Heathrow Pause opposes the construction of a third runway at LHR, arguing it runs counter to the United Kingdom’s plan to reduce net greenhouse emissions...
Virgin Australia Cuts Staff After Seventh Consecutive Annual Loss
After seven consecutive years of annual losses, Virgin Australia is cutting staff and plans to cuts routes as well. Virgin Australia, founded in 2000, last posted an annual profit in 2012. In the last seven years it has updated...
Your United MileagePlus Miles Will No Longer Expire
Effective immediately, your United MileagePlus miles will no longer expire. That’s it. No strings attached, no minimum activity needed, and no United credit card or other gimmick required. In fact, United will even retroactively reinstate miles for those members...
TSA Bans Star Wars “Thermal Detonator” Coca-Cola Bottles
The U.S. Transportation Security Administration has banned special-edition Star Wars-themed Coca-Cala bottles from Disneyland onboard checked and carry-on baggage. It claims the cans look too much like bombs. First, a picture is in order. In celebration of the newly...
US Carriers, Asia Flights From Chicago Don’t Work
United has suspended Hong Kong flights from Chicago which follows a number of American Airlines discontinued flights from the windy city. Why can’t US carriers make Asia work from Chicago? If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new...
United Reducing Service To Hong Kong + Buenos Aires
Citing weak demand, United Airlines will suspend two long-standing international routes to Hong Kong and Buenos Aires. This autumn, United will suspend its Chicago to Hong Kong flight, its Newark to Buenos Aires flight, and accelerate the suspension of its...
