United Airlines is offering select New York residents a huge mileage bonus for flying United thru the end of June. In an email that went out to select NYC-area travelers yesterday, United invited MileagePlus members to enter their MileagePlus number...
Airline Meal: Carbs with Carbs and a Side of Carbs
Last week I wrote about United Airlines resuming service between Chicago and San Jose, CA. I flew the route once, in August 2007, and was served a meal in first class I will never forget. In honor of the...
A Kind Gesture at LAX Makes My Day
It has been a rough travel day — a mechanical delay out of Burbank meant a long day for Heidi, me, and the baby. But a kind gesture at LAX made my day. We had bags to check and an infant...
United Will Now Call You Back During Long Holds
Welcome to the 21st Century, United! Many airlines now offer a call-back option so you do not have to sit on hold, sometimes for hours, with a stale sound track that eventually drives you mad. United’s digitized version of Rhaposdy...
Drunk United Pilot Jailed for 10 Months
A United pilot has been sentenced to 10 months in jail for showing up to work drunk. Carlos Roberto Licona, a United Airlines 757-200 first officer, showed up to Glasgow Airport reeking of alcohol last August. The stench was so...
United Airlines Will Protest Emirates on Sunday with Members of Congress
United Airlines employees and a handful of Members of Congress plan a protest on Sunday at Newark’s Liberty International Airport against Emirates. The Dubai-based airline is commencing non-stop service between Newark and Athens later this month. The protest will...
Stroopwafels: United vs. KLM
Both United Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines serve stroopwafels onboard their flights. The all-important question of the day: which airline has better waffles? A stroopwafel is a “waffle made from two thin layers of baked dough with a...
United Airlines Returns to San Jose, CA
United Airlines is adding mainline service to San Jose, CA, years after abandoning Silicon Valley from two hubs. Twice daily service from Chicago began yesterday and once daily service from Newark begins today. Silicon Valley and the entire Bay...
United Airlines CEO Defends 747 Retirement
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz defended his company’s decision to move up the retirement of the 747-400 by a full year. The last United 747 flight will be in October. In answering a...
Strange United Airlines Schedule Change
Last week I reported that United Airlines is making Boston – San Francisco a 100% lie-flat route in business class starting in June. This morning, reader Eric W. left a comment stating– Just checked several dates in mid-June and found the...
United Making Boston-San Francisco Route Lie-Flat
United Airlines is making Boston – San Francisco a 100% lie-flat route in business class staring this summer. With fierce competition from JetBlue and Delta, starting on June 08, 2017 United will use a mix of 757s and 777s with lie-flat...
United CEO on Gulf Carriers: “Those airlines aren’t airlines”
At the US Chamber of Commerce Aviation Summit this week, United CEO Oscar Munoz voiced strong opposition to Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways (ME3). Those airlines aren’t airlines. They’re international branding vehicles for their countries. -United CEO Oscar Munoz In an...
United Polaris Menu for Spring 2017
When United Airlines rolled out its Polaris soft product in December 2016, it promised rotating menus so you would never get bored with the meal choices. While not the daily menu that KLM prints for its World Business Class, United...
United’s Clever Trick to Keep Crews Out of Dangerous Venezuela
The situation in Venezuela is not getting any better. With violence increasing as the economy further descends into chaos, United Airlines now fears for the safety of its crews. Rather than suspend service completely, it has taken a novel to...
United Beefs Up Domestic Network with New Routes
In December, I mentioned that United Airlines is refocusing on domestic flying. The plan is win back the road warriors and leisure travelers alienated during the Smisek era by focusing on operational reliability. United CEO Oscar Munoz recently told employees that United suffered...
New United Service from San Francisco to Munich
United Airlines will add daily summer service between San Francisco and Munich, running from late May through early September. Adding to flights to London, Frankfurt, and Paris, the new service to Munich will utilize a Boeing 787-8 and run...
An Economy Meal Far Better than Business Class
Talk about a step down. After my Garuda First Class flight my next flight was a 10hr flight to Houston in United Economy on UA21. I decided not to upgrade because economy was only about ¼ full and if...
United Airlines Issues Statement On In-Flight Calls
While in-flight calls using cellular networks remain off-limits, carriers may set their own policy concerning Wi-Fi enabled calls through mediums like Skype or FaceTime. The DOT is considering whether airlines must disclose at time of purchase whether or not these types of calls are allowed, similar...
When Will the Next United Polaris Lounge Open?
United opened its Polaris Lounge in Chicago O’Hare last December and it has received rave reviews. I’m going to deliberately route through Chicago on an upcoming trip just to try it out. But ORD is just one hub. When...
United Mainline Returns to Burbank!
After an eight year hiatus, United mainline is returning to Burbank with upguaged service to Denver and San Francisco beginning this week. As a frequent Burbank customer, this great news hits very close to home. I vividly recall the last...