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...
Singapore Will Resume Nonstop Flights to Los Angeles and Newark
Singapore Airlines has announced intentions to resume non-stop service from Singapore to New York City and Los Angeles with its newly-delivered Airbus A350 aircraft in 2018. Singapore Airlines spokesman James Bradbury-Boyd told View from the Wing: Missing the Singapore Airlines nonstop...
United Airlines Defends DCA Perimeter Rule
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, just minutes from downtown Washington DC, is subject to a perimeter rule that restricts all but a handful of flights beyond 1,250 miles. A push this week to extend the perimeter to 1,475 miles...
United Brings Back Early Boarding for Families with Children
Starting Monday, 15 February 2016 United Airlines will bring back aircraft pre-boarding for families with young children aged two and under. The new boarding priority will be: People with disabilities / active-duty members of the military in uniform / families...
United Airlines Announces San Francisco to Singapore Route on 787-9
United Airlines has announced plans to offer daily non-stop service from San Francisco to Singapore beginning 01 June 2016 on its 787-9 aircraft. The new route will be one of the world’s longest at 8,446 miles (second only to...
Alaska Airlines Brand Refresh
For the first time in a quarter century, Alaska Airlines is refreshing its brand image in a major way, with changes coming to everything from credit cards to aircraft livery. Why the change now? Isn’t one of Alaska’s best...
UberX Finally Available at LAX
After months of behind-the-scenes negotiations with recalcitrant regulators, UberX will finally be allowed to pick up passengers at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) starting today, January 20, 2016, at 8am PT. Uber has suffered a string of setbacks in...
United Global Services and 1K Members Now Get Free Food in Economy Class
Rumors have been swirling over the last few days that United Airlines’ top-tier elite members would receive complimentary food in addition to complimentary alcoholic beverages when flying in economy class. I reached out to United for confirmation on Monday...
United CEO Oscar Munoz Receives Heart Transplant!
United CEO Oscar Munoz, who suffered a heartback and was forced to temproraily step down just weeks into his tenure, recevied a heart transplant on Wednesday. United isssued the following statement: Our president and CEO, Oscar Munoz, underwent a...
Refusing to Transport Israelis, Kuwait Airways Suspends New York to London Flight
Politics is the oddest of sports and the decades-long conflict in the Middle East is manifested in strange ways — like some nations not recognizing Israel while simultaneously vowing to eliminate it. Kuwait is one of those nations and...
Big Metal Bird: A New Show About United Airlines
United Airlines has introduced a new in-house show “that takes you inside how we get up in the air and down to business” called Big Metal Bird. The 3-4 minute program is lighthearted but instructive at the same time,...
United Will End Dubai Service on 23 January 2016, Blames Emirates and Etihad
When I wrote that United’s departure from Kuwait City was predicated upon expulsion by the Kuwaiti government, my insider source also mentioned offhandedly that Dubai would be shut down soon after because of stiff competition from Emirates. With United denying my...
Final Hours to Transfer Chase Points to Amtrak
In just a few hours, the ability to transfer Chase Ultimate Rewards points to Amtrak Guest Rewards will no longer be possible. If you are considering an Amtrak redemption in the coming months, now is the final call to...
United Airlines Chooses illy as New Coffee Provider
United flyers can finally breathe a sigh of relief — the despised coffee currently found onboard and in United Clubs is on the way out and Italian coffee maker illy is on the way in. Starting next month we...
How To Get Arrested on a Plane
Many are tense now with recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Beirut still a vivid memory as is the downing of a Russian jet in Egypt. With that heightened fear, I can only imagine what passengers onboard a British...
American Airlines Finally Guts Award Chart
I’ve been predicting it for months…years actually…and the time has finally come: AA announced a huge devaluation of its AAdvantage award chart today. The only question has been how bad it would be and for those who like premium...
Air Berlin Business Class Award Space on New Routes to Boston, Dallas, San Francisco
Air Berlin has announced three new longhaul routes to North America from its Dusseldorf hub; Dallas, San Francisco, and Boston. The new longhaul routes will commence next spring and feature fully lie-flat seats in business class. Schedules have been...
