For 15 years I have faithfully read Scott McCartney’s The Middle Seat column in the Wall Street Journal. Now I have even greater appreciation for the man behind the column…thanks to a lovely guest columnist, Mrs. Middle Seat. McCartney has...
Two Very Different Flight Options From Singapore – Your Thoughts?
I’ve wrapped up my time in Singapore and have narrowed my return flights to two choices. The decision has been surprisingly difficult. Often, time and value work against each other. While I am thankful to have the freedom to...
First Impressions: KLM 777 Business Class
I made it to Singapore and want to provide my first impressions of KLM’s 777-300ER business class product, which I enjoyed on a short Fifth Freedom flight from Bali. Last time I was on a KLM longhaul product, it...
Yes, You Should Drink Airline Coffee…
A cute article in Forbes pokes fun at the hysteria over airline coffee. I concur in full. Is airline coffee better than it has ever been? Will McGough says YES and makes a good case for it: To me,...
Some Southwest Airlines Customers Blind To Shortcomings
This should be a fun comments section… Any time I write about Southwest, I am inundated with customers who defend their brand. But many are factually incorrect. Is it that they are misinformed or simply unaware of how Southwest...
Is Buying United PQMs for Status Crazy?
When I logged into my United account this week, I found a familiar pitch – buying premier qualifying miles for status re-qualification. Are these purchases a good idea or crazy? If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit...
My (mis)Adventures Aboard Ryanair
Hello from Milan. With 12 legs down and only two legs to go on my trip around the world, I thought I’d give you an update on my adventures on Ryanair from Amman to Milan via Bucharest. I last...
Uh Oh! My China Southern Trip Is Already Heading South…
I have not even taken off yet and I’m already regretting my choice to fly China Southern first class. Let’s hope things don’t get worse. Reserving a seat assignment on China Southern is worse than pulling teeth or booking...
A Short, Sweet, Satisfying ANA A380 First Class Flight
Greetings from Tokyo! I’m now enroute on my trip around the world and want to provide my initial thoughts on my ANA A380 “Flying Honu” flight from Honolulu to Tokyo Narita in first class. First, service on ANA is...
Booked: An Epic Trip On ANA, Thai, China Southern, Cathay Pacific, SriLankan, Royal Jordanian, Ryanair, Air Italy, and United
Yesterday I wrote about the rare appearance of first class award space on ANA’s new A380 service between Honolulu and Tokyo. I decided to book a whole trip around it! It has been about a year since I last...
Alitalia In Hot Water For “Racist” Obama Ad
In celebration of its new service to Washington Dulles, Alitalia commissioned an ad campaign featuring actors portraying famous U.S. politicians. But the Italian flag carrier made a critical faux pax. The series of Italian ads appeared only on social...
Delta Invests In Itself By Investing In Customer
Yes, I’m here to join the bandwagon in lauding Delta for its upcoming upgrades to international economy class service. I see no downside to this customer-friendly news. I’m no Delta cheerleader. Not because I have anything against Delta, but...
Chaos On Turkish Airlines Flight, As Man Begins “Smashing Things”
A Turkish Airlines flight was forced to return to Istanbul after a man became agitated onboard and began wreaking havoc on the cabin. TK680, a 737-900 headed from Khartoum, Sudan had just taken off from Istanbul on Friday when...
The Top 10 “Undertouristed” Countries
France. Italy. Spain. We certainly know which countries are affected by overtourism. But what about “undertouristed” countries? Where can you go if you want to escape the crowds? Or is that premise totally wrong? Seeeking to answer that question,...
Delta CEO “Encourages” Boeing CEO
In a wide-ranging interview with Marketplace, Ed Bastian talked about Delta’s future relationship with Boeing. First, let me give a plug for the full interview. When I turned on my car yesterday, I heard Ed Bastian’s voice…he was being...
Learn From The Pros How To Travel Like A Pro
Frequent Traveler University is coming to Chicago the first weekend in June. Through midnight PT on Friday, you can save $30 on the price of admission. Both Kyle and I will be speaking on behalf of Live and Let’s...
Fascinating: How Aerial Plane Shots Are Captured
Have you ever wondered how promotional photos and video of aircraft in-flight are made? Are they even real or produced by a computer? United Airlines not only took new in-air video and photos of its newly-revealed livery; it also...
Airlines Made Billions In Baggage Fees Last Year (Here’s A Breakdown By Carrier)
U.S. airlines collected a whopping $4.9 billion in baggage fees in 2018. That figure alone explains why these airlines will likely never offer complimentary checked bags again. When American Airlines announced it would start charging for all checked bags...
Do You Pull Stickers Off Your Passport? How About Fake Stamps?
I was looking at my passport yesterday and smiled at the collection of stickers I have built up on the back. I still have a long way to go before surpassing the number of stickers on my old passport...
Southwest Airlines Looks Beyond Boeing, Quietly Meets With Airbus Operator
The model is simple: one aircraft and one aircraft only. But after 47 years, Southwest may finally be looking beyond the Boeing 737. When Southwest Airlines began operations in June 1971, it chose the Boeing 737 for its fleet....
