I returned home from Europe yesterday and would be remiss if I did not mention what superb flights I had on United for both the outbound and inbound journey. You’ll have to wait on the trip reports—Afghanistan and the...
New Seats, Wi-Fi, Streaming IFE Coming to United Airlines Airbus Fleet
United Airlines is refreshing its Airbus fleet and UAInsider has provided a bit more insight into the pending changes. New RECARO seats in United Economy and Economy Plus, which will result in an additional half-inch of headroom an almost...
Captain Weighs In on My Removal from United Airlines Flight for Taking Seat Photo
James Fallows offers a piece in The Atlantic today following up on the family who was removed from a United flight for complaining about the in-flight movie and also following up on my own expulsion from United flight a...
10 Days in Europe
The last few days have been hectic—travel from coast to coast, the Freddies, final exams, and a term paper. Thankfully, that is all behind me now and I will be taking a breather for the next week and a...
San Diego – Atlanta Mileage Run on United – 6798 miles for $180
For the seasoned mileage runner or leisure traveler, United has had some killer deals out of San Diego this year and today’s Atlanta – San Diego r/t for $169+ takes the cake. Heck, even business travelers may wish to...
United Airlines Raises Change Fees – Will Others Follow?
Without warning, United Airlines raised change fees on tickets yesterday by $50, pushing fees on a restricted domestic ticket from $150 to $200 and from $250 to $300 on an international ticket. After many expressed indignation on Flyertalk, UA...
Amtrak ClubAcela Lounge Access for United Club Members + Premium Passengers
I live just a flew blocks from Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station when I am in Philadelphia and conveniently for me, United Airlines has codeshare service with Amtrak out of ZVF to Newark Airport, allowing me to easily make my...
Tip: Avoid San Francisco International Airport on Weekends
My trip to Philadelphia last night was not as smooth as I had hoped it would be: San Francisco International is a great airport and I enjoy connecting through it, but when the fog and wind roll in, expect...
Pay-to-Play VIP Treatment on Delta and American, but not United
Scott Mayerowitz has a piece out today on how three of the legacies are offering extra special VIP treatment for select guests, namely “true” VIPs and those willing to slap down some cash. American Airlines built a private check-in lobby in Los Angeles...
Los Angeles/San Francisco – New York (Newark) for $198 r/t on Virgin or United
Virgin America recently launched non-stop service between Los Angeles/San Francisco and Newark and is offering some very attractive promotional fares, with round-trip travel starting at $198. Travel from 3 September – 30 October on Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday at this low...
The Solution to United Airlines’ Woes
United Airlines has taken a beating lately, and rightfully so. From me being thrown off a flight for snapping a picture of my seat to a flight diverting after parents questioned the appropriateness of an in-flight movie for children,...
Loud Crew = No Sleep
First, the good news. I’ve earned over 965,000 lifetime flight miles on United Airlines and what happened on my redeye flight last night has never happened before. For that, I consider myself fortunate. Now onto the story. Last night...
Family Thrown Off United Flight for Complaining About In-Flight Movie
A family claims to have been thrown off a United Airlines flight for complaining about the in-flight movie. The Atlantic prints their letter here, but my executive summary is below– Legacy United crew / A230 / DEN-BWI / 02 Feb 2013 Parents...
Showers at Newark United Club
Earlier in the week I shared that showers are now available for all United Club guests in Chicago and São Paulo including united club pass holders. A couple of you wondered what the showers actually look like in United Clubs...
Shower Access for All United Club Guests at Chicago O’Hare and São Paulo
One notable hole in the United Airlines lounge system is the dearth of showers in the United States. United had showers in Chicago, London, São Paulo, and San Francisco available only to arriving first and business class full-fare passengers (as...
Dog Flies from Newark to Phoenix via Dublin on United
When I took my island-hopper flight last week from Honolulu to Guam on United Airlines, the same intro and safety video was played six times–every time the aircraft took off. Ironically, it was the cargo intro (below) that that...
United Airlines Island Hopping in Coach: Avoid "Direct" Flights
Five days ago I promised a post making the case for why I will continue to remain loyal to United Airlines despite my photo incident and more importantly, despite the dearth of complimentary upgrades, hit-or-miss service, no onboard wi-fi,...
Resolution to the United Airlines Photo Incident
Many of you have asked whether I have resolved my photo incident with United Airlines. The answer is yes. We have been in regular contact for the last couple of weeks and while I will not be walking away...
The Flight Home from Istanbul…
After my ejection from a United Airlines flight to Istanbul, I was admittedly apprehensive as I walked down the jetway to board my return flight to Newark eight days later. What if the same crew was aboard…or one particular...
The United Merger: One Year Later
One year has passed since the day United and Continental officially tied the knot and what a year it has been. I predicted in a blog post late on March 2, 2012 that the transition would be bumpy and...
