Hobbled United CEO Oscar Munoz is on the mend. After replacing disgraced CEO Jeff Smisek, Munoz promised big changes to United but quickly suffered a heart attack, forcing United to name Brett Hart as Interim CEO. For weeks we have...
The Elegant Simplicity of Cathay Pacific’s New Livery
Airlines update their livery from time to time, often when the brand is in need of a similar refresh. For Cathay Pacific, flag carrier of Hong Kong, the brand is respected, financial are stable, and there has been no...
Rumor: United Will Charge to Gate Check Excess Carry-on Bags
Checked baggage fees are here to stay and checking a bag remains an unattractive option — who wants to stand around a baggage carousel or risk losing your valuables when you can keep your bags with you onboard? That...
American Airlines Passenger Goes on 9/11 Rant, Claims to Have Gun
Nothing like a crazy passenger to disturb an otherwise mundane transcon flight. An American Airlines flight from LA to Philadelphia was forced to divert to Phoenix after a man who had probably been listening to Alex Jones too much...
British Airways Stabs USA Travelers in the Back in Latest Cutback
British Airways should be ashamed of itself — truly ashamed. Every carrier has sweet spots on its award chart and we all knew that one of the great bright spots of the Executive Club award chart was 4,5000 miles...
Why I Am Opposed to Hyatt – Starwood Merger
Let’s be clear — when was the last time a merger was actually beneficial to customers on the loyalty front? Northwest and Delta merged, and we lost a great Northwest loyalty program and website. The new carrier took the...
Kuwaiti Government Expels United Airlines from Kuwait
United Airlines has announced it will suspend service to Kuwait City and Bahrain on January 13, 2016. I’ve flown the route twice and the plane was half full both times (and with only about 50 passengers the one time...
Why is Uber Still Not Available at LAX?
Despite promises from city officials that we’d have UberX and Lyft at Los Angeles International Airport this summer, it is now autumn ad we are still waiting. The reason? Bureaucratic paperwork and a lawsuit. The LA Times reports– As...
Aer Lingus Adds Flights to Los Angeles, Newark, and Hartford
Aer Lingus is accelerating its international expansion with newly announced service to Los Angeles, Newark, and Hartford in 2016. New USA Routes Propel Aer Lingus International Expansion Thus far, we only have details about the Los Angeles route, which...
Brett Hart is United’s New Acting CEO
And just like that, another lawyer is at the helm of United Airlines. As a lawyer myself, you might expect that I would express some form of solidarity, but it just makes me suspicious from the outset after sleazy...
Update on United CEO Munoz Coming Today
United released the following, fairly cryptic statement this morning from Henry Meyer, non-executive Chairman of the Board– The Company anticipates it will today conclude the corporate governance process necessitated by the hospitalization of President and CEO, Oscar Munoz. The company...
Breaking: United CEO Oscar Munoz Suffers Heart Attack
Some bad news this morning from United Airlines, where apparently CEO Oscar Munoz suffered a heart attack and is in a Chicago hospital. More info here. Apparently, the United board had no succession plan in place, which speaks volumes about the...
United Airlines Announces Further Meal Service Improvements
Let’s give United Airlines a little credit — the carrier has improved the quality of meal service in domestic premium cabins over the last year and has now announced another series of improvements that represent, if nothing else, a...
This is Why the TSA Federal Air Marshal Service Needs to End
The Federal Air Marshal Service is a sensational program that steals revenue from airlines, first class upgrades from frequent flyers, makes our ticket prices higher, and actually endangers our security. Under the guise of safety, a small number of flights carry...
United Announces Non-Stop Service from San Francisco to Auckland and Tel Aviv
The Boeing 787 is revolutionary in that it has made otherwise financially nonviable routes viable. United announced two new routes today, to be operated on its 787-8 and 797-9 aircraft from San Francisco — Tel Aviv and Auckland. San...
Should Kuwait Airways Be Banned from Flying to the USA?
Kuwait Airways is in some hot water over its policy not to transport Israeli citizens. After the Kuwaiti flag carrier refused to transport to Eldad Gatt, an Israeli citizen, Glatt complained to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). Now in...
United Airlines Launches New Website to Engage Customers
United Airlines launched a new website called United Airtime today that invites both customers and employees to provide feedback and promises a level of engagement in which United will respond honestly and candidly to tough questions. Front and center on the...
The Bright Side of the Aeroplan Devaluation
Aeroplan announced changes to its award chart today, effective 15 December 2015. The bad news is that the amazing prices to Europe in business and first class will go up, a tad. The good news is that this round...
No More Gogo All-Day Passes On United And Why That May Be A Good Thing
Beginning on 01 November 2015, the use of a GoGo All-Day Pass will no longer be possible on United Airlines. Sounds horrible right? I think it might be a blessing. United Will Manage In-Flight Wi-Fi Sales Instead of Gogo...
Breaking: AA Flights Grounded Nationwide
AA flights from DFW, ORD, and MIA were briefly grounded this afternoon until 2:15p ET due to an unspecified computer glitch. The problem has now been resolved. On Twitter, AA earlier said- We’re working to resolve technical issues impacting several airports as...
