Scott Kirby made the odd pivot from President of American Airlines to President of United Airlines yesterday. Walking away with a $13MN severance package from AA without a non-compete clause, he has already begun work for United, where he...
Lost Cat Turns Up on Air Canada Flight
Have you ever heard a flight attendant come down the aisle asking, “Has anyone seen a cat?” I haven’t either, but I wasn’t on Air Canada Flight 189 from Ottawa to Vancouver earlier this week, where about 20 minutes...
British Airways’ Curious Strategy for Growth
You’re shopping for a ticket from London to New York and opt to pay an extra $500 for a Premium Economy seat on British Airways, which promises among other things “delicious meals” (with an “s”). Your flight time is about...
Sneak Preview of United Polaris Dining Menu
“240 new entrees. 96 new appetizers. 48 new salads.” United describes its new Polaris Business Class menu as a “complete redesign of the culinary experience”. Earlier today, a group of FAs in Chicago had a chance to sample the...
Surprising New Name for Turkish Airlines Lounge
The failed coup attempt in Turkey last month has emboldened President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan to crack down further on dissidents and spawned a concerted campaign to define July 15, 2016 as a turning point in Turkish history. State-run Turkish Airlines...
Anti-Muslim Bigotry on American Airlines or Fabrication?
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) has filed a complaint with the U.S. Department of Transportation over an alleged incident on an American Airlines’ flight from Charlotte to Detroit on December 6, 2015. According to the complaint, passenger Mohamed Ahmed Radwan was...
FAA Lifts Turkish Airlines Ban
The failed coup attempt in Turkey last Friday exposed security concerns at Istanbul’s Ataturk International Airport, leading to a FAA ban on all direct flights from Turkey. Although the ban was threatened to last until September, Turkish authorities have...
United Pilot Calls For Hillary Clinton to be Executed
A United Airlines pilot has suggested via Twitter that Hillary Clinton should be hanged for treason. First Officer Michael Folk serves part-time in the West Virginia House of Delegates and part time flying for United Airlines as a First Officer. Folk’s...
Man Steals TSA Bin, Now Uses it as Sock Drawer
America is a nation of security theater — we go through a role play each time we take a commercial flight to make the fearful among us feel safer, but the reality remains the TSA has failed to stop any...
His Excellency Defends Qatar Atlanta Service in New Interview
Protests have sprung up in the Atlanta area over Qatar Airways new service to Doha including a string of protests, radio/tv attacks, and full-page newspaper ads condemning the Gulf carrier. CEO. Trying to reassert control over the matter, Qatar...
This is Why I Always Fasten Seat Belt When Seated on Airplane
Turbulence can hit unexpectedly and when it does, it can be injurious or even deadly. A recent Avianca flight from Lima to Bueons Aires encountered unexpected but severe turbulence at 41,000 feet, throwing passengers and crew across the cabin and...
Jeffrey Goh Named Star Alliance CEO
Choosing a company insider to replace retiring Mark Schwab, Star Alliance has named Jeffrey Goh its new CEO, with an appointment effective on Janauary 01, 2017. “This early decision lays the groundwork for a smooth leadership transition at the...
United Airlines Will Unveil New Business Class Seat Today
In an event that will seemingly mimic an Apple WWDC, United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz will hold a “major media event” this evening in New York City’s Gotham Hall. Expect the unveiling of a “totally new premium product experience” including a...
United Airlines Team USA Amenity Kits
Earlier this week I wrote about a new United Airlines safety video that celebrates United’s partnership with Team USA in the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games. A flight attendant passed on news to me that beginning this month United...
United Rolling Back International Economy Meal Service Downgrades
With much fanfare, United Airlines announced upgrades to its international economy class meal service last year that included new menu options, better quality entrees and salads, ice cream, and crackers & cheese. In exchange for the enhanced menu, complimentary...
Order Pizza from Chicago United Club
United Airlines is refreshing its airport lounge network and bringing innovation in an area that has long been lacking — dining. You can now order food from Giordano’s from the comfort of your armchair in United’s newly-renovated lounge near B18 in...
Malaysia Airlines CEO Christoph Mueller Resigns
Malaysia Airlines CEO Christoph Mueller — the man with 25 years of airline experience who turned around Aer Lingus — is leaving Malaysia Airlines “due to a change in his personal circumstances” less than halfway through his contract. His...
Hijacked EgyptAir Flight Lands in Cyprus
In a throwback to the “good old days” of pre-9/11 hijacking, an EgyptAir domestic flight traveling from Alexandria to Cairo was commandeered by a man claiming to have a bomb strapped to himself and forced to divert to Larnaca,...
Starwood Bidding War Begins
Breaking news this morning — Starwood has accepted a bid of $78 cash per share by Chinese investor group Anbang, throwing a wrench into the Marriott – Starwood merger. How could this be? Wasn’t a contract with Marriott already signed?...
American Tourism in Cuba is Now Legal
In a sweeping Executive Order ahead of his trip to Havana next week, U.S. President Barack Obama has essentially made tourism in Cuba legal for all Americans. And you thought Marco Rubio was shedding tears over losing Florida! Up until...
