Word to the wise: when claiming your luggage from an airline baggage claim carousel, don’t just check the exterior of your bag for damage, but make sure your personal contents are inside. Sometimes, your bag may look right and...
Traveling with an Infant in International First Class
Few travel issues evoke more controversy than the matter of children in premium cabins, especially in international first class. I’m not here to debate that, directly. Instead, I want to help guide parents who are considering whether to bring...
An Extremely Boring, Extremely Smart Award Redemption
Sometimes the best use of your miles is not for a luxurious longhaul first class flight but simply getting to your destination far more cheaply than paying cash. Boring? Yes. But smart? Yes, indeed. An Award Expert client in...
The Best Award Redemptions Are Often The Most Boring
The best award redemptions are often the most boring. I truly do make every effort to use my miles for aspirational business and first class redemptions that I would never otherwise be willing to pay for out-of-pocket. But lately,...
Airline Ticket Spelling Error: An Avoidable Horror Story
A sad story from Canada, where a man’s trip to Ireland was ruined because he used his nickname instead of his full legal name when booking his airline ticket. I find it absurd that three missing letters cost him...
Booking An Aisle And Window Seat And Hoping The Middle Remains Open
When traveling with a friend or loved one, do you book the aisle and window seat and hope that the middle seat remains empty? It is a strategy I have used for years, to varying degrees of success, but...
How To Guarantee An Empty Middle Seat On United Airlines
Earlier today I wrote about the mandatory seat blocking United Airlines is implementing this winter onboard its Boeing 757 series of aircraft. For those who desire extra room onboard, you can leverage this seat blocking to ensure an empty...
Manspreading On An Airplane Is Grossly Unacceptable
Keep your feet to yourself on an airplane. There is no instance when “manspreading” is allowed except when the seat next to you is open. Manspreading On An Airplane – Not Okay A user posted the following picture on...
Irish Model Slams “Awful Man” Who Wouldn’t Swap Seats For Her Family
We’ve discussed the practice and etiquette of switching airplane seats this week on Live and Let’s Fly and today I want to focus on one element of it: shaming. Is shaming ever appropriate when someone refuses to change seats?...
A Woman Defends Her Refusal To Switch Airline Seats To Help Families Or Couples Sit Together
Jaci Stephen likes to fly Virgin Atlantic. When she does, it is only seat in 8A. If she can’t sit in seat 8A, she’s not going. And if you want her seat, forget about it. She flies other airlines...
Duct Tape, A Travel Necessity?
Travel expert Samantha Brown explains why she never leaves home without duct tape. I must admit, it has never been one of my carry-on items, but it will be going forward… Always Travel With Duct Tape… Brown makes some...
Cool Airplane Trick: Use Air Sickness Bag To Create Mount For Phone
Those new TikTok-like videos that are flooding my Instagram feed are overall pretty annoying, but I did learn a genuinely useful trick for mounting my mobile phone on the seatback in front of me when flying in economy class...
Pack Light And Don’t Check Bags This Summer…
As tempting as it is to pack a lot of clothes on a long trip, it is in your interest to pack light and if at all possible, travel with only a carry-on bag. That’s always good advice, but...
Air Travel Chaos Continues, With A Grim Summer Ahead Of Us
Let’s not kid ourselves: if last week was any indicator, summer air travel is going to be even rougher than we thought. After a weekend of flight delays and cancellations, you’d be wise to start thinking about Plan B...
Americans Get Scammed In Mykonos: How To Avoid
An American couple visiting Mykonos, Greece encountered a horrible surprise when they were slapped with a huge bill for a small lunch. They fell prey to a common tourist restaurant scam that I’ve witnessed (and thankfully never fallen victim...
The Airline Pillow Trick…Don’t Rest On It
A video has gone viral on TikTok that purports to show how to beat paying baggage fees by stuffing clothes inside a pillowcase. This is not a travel hack I would rest on… Pillow Flies Free? It Depends. The...
Preparing For The Ultimate Summer Of Travel Misery
Warnings signs over the last week suggest that the busy summer travel season is shaping up to be even more rocky than last year in terms of airline operational performance. Brace yourselves for a summer of travel misery. The...
Australia International Arrivals Experience (2022)
A friend of mine flew to Australia earlier today and shared his international arrivals experience with me, which I found so immensely helpful I want to share it with all of you. Entering Australia right now is still pretty...
How Do You Eat Healthy When You Travel?
As we enter the spring season, a very practical question: how do you eat healthy when you travel? I realize for many the answer is simply, I don’t, but this question takes on important meaning as I embark upon...
Miles, The Alternative To Sneaking Into Business Class
My post on a woman sneaking up to business class on my Singapore Airlines flight caused quite a stir, with many indignant about me calling her out. But she could have avoided the embarrassment of being marched back to...
