On January 5, 2022 United Airlines will resume its nonstop service between San Francisco and Singapore. United Airlines Service To Singapore Relaunches In January 2022 As Singapore bucks the trend of its neighbors and takes a “we must live with it” approach to COVID-19, it has re-opened to foreign tourism from several nations. Singapore Airlines […]
Lufthansa Adds Stop In Dubai For All India Flights

Even with a record number of daily new COVID-19 cases, Lufthansa is continuing service to three Indian cities form it Frankfurt (FRA) hub. But effective immediately, those flights will make technical stops in Dubai (DXB) so that crews do not have to remain overnight in India. Lufthansa Adds Dubai Stop On All India Flights Lufthansa […]
Report: Air Italy To Restart Operations With Russian Jets

Air Italy was an early casualty of the pandemic. But a new report suggests that Air Italy could be resurrected under new investors, this time with a primary fleet of Russian-made passenger jets. Investor Wants To Restart Air Italy With Russian, Airbus Jets In February 2020, Qatar Airways and the Aga Khan Group decided to […]
Review: Turkish Airlines 737-900 Business Class

After a wonderful tour of Cotonou, my driver dropped me off at the airport, officially known as Cardinal Bernadin Gantin de Cotonou International Airport. My journey to Istanbul on Turkish Airlines would be on a 737-900 in business class with a stop in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire. Turkish Airlines 737-900 Business Class Review Booking I used Turkish […]
Review: Air Burkina Embraer 195 Lomé To Cotonou

While the journey between Lomé, Togo and Cotonou, Benin was only 79 miles, I chose to fly instead of drive. With roads and land borders unpredictable, I figured flying would be the safer option, especially because my return flight departed from Cotonou (COO). Air Bukina, operating a Fifth Freedom route from Lomé (LFW) to COO […]
Lufthansa’s New Longhaul Destinations For 2021

Seeking to improvise during a time of depressed demand on former bread and butter routes, Lufthansa is adding several new leisure destinations in 2021, including a pair of new longhaul flights to North America. Lufthansa Adds New Longhaul Routes From Frankfurt In 2021 Lufthansa will add several exciting new destinations in 2021, several of which […]
European Union Bans Pakistan International Airlines – Is Canada Next?

The European Union has banned Pakistan International Airlines from its airspace for six months, citing safety concerns. Will Canada also ban troubled PIA? European Union Bans PIA Effective now, July 1, 2020, the European Union Air Safety Agency (EASA) has banned PIA from European airspace for six months, through December 31, 2020. PIA finds itself […]
United Airlines Will Route China Flights Via South Korea

Matching Delta, United will also operate its Shanghai flights via Seoul, South Korea. The technical stop will spare crews from overnight stays in Mainland China. United Adds Seoul Technical Stop To China Flights After a multi-month hiatus, United plans to resume flights to Mainland China on July 8, 2020. With the Chinese government permitting only […]
Toothsome Intra-Asia Meals On United Airlines

Each week, my Meal of the Week feature examines an airline meal from my travels over the years. This may be a meal from earlier in the week or it may be a meal served over a decade ago. Earlier this week I wrote about United’s planned resumption of Fifth Freedom service between Hong Kong and Singapore. […]
Delta Should Think Twice Before Dancing On Air Italy’s Grave

You can bet that there was euphoria in the C-Suites of Delta Air Lines over the news of Air Italy’s collapse. But the untimely demise of Air Italy does not excuse Delta of hypocrisy nor validate its longstanding protest against Air Italy. From Air Italy’s inception, Delta cried foul, arguing the market could not support […]
Emirates Denies Interest In Chicago To Athens Service

UPDATE: An Emirates spokesperson reached out to me, stating, “Emirates has no plans to launch services between Athens and Chicago.” Emirates’ Fifth Freedom flights between Newark and Athens have proved so popular the carrier is looking at another Fifth Freedom route between Athens and Chicago. Speaking in Athens, Emirates’ Area Manager of Greece and Albania, Khalid […]
United Airlines Challenges Emirates In Athens

United is challenging Emirates directly with a vastly superior business class seat between Newark and Athens, the only route the two carriers compete directly on. United has long complained that Emirates is unfairly targeting its customers by launching a money-losing Fifth Freedom route from Newark, United’s largest East Coast hub. > Read More: United Airlines […]
Vintage Review: United Airlines 757-200 First Class New York JFK To Los Angeles

This week we are taking a walk down memory lane with a vintage first class trip report. I’m sharing photos and brief commentary from a trip I took in the final days of 2010 and first days of 2011 that included many first class flights from five Star Alliance carriers. As we enter a new […]
Vintage Review: Lufthansa A340-300 First Class Frankfurt To New York

This week we are taking a walk down memory lane with a vintage first class trip report. I’m sharing photos and brief commentary from a trip I took in the final days of 2010 and first days of 2011 that included many first class flights from five Star Alliance carriers. As we enter a new […]
Review: Park Hyatt Saigon + Exploring Ho Chi Minh City

This week we are taking a walk down memory lane with a vintage first class trip report. I’m sharing photos and brief commentary from a trip I took in the final days of 2010 and first days of 2011 that included many first class flights from five Star Alliance carriers. As we enter a new […]
Vintage Review: Thai Airways 747-400 First Class Bangkok To Beijing

This week we are taking a walk down memory lane with a vintage first class trip report. I’m sharing photos and brief commentary from a trip I took in the final days of 2010 and first days of 2011 that included many first class flights from five Star Alliance carriers. As we enter a new […]
Introduction: A Vintage First Class Trip Report

As we enter a new decade, how has first class changed over the last decade? I’m in Israel this week and trying to relax a bit with my family. At the same time, Live and Let’s Fly never goes on vacation. In an attempt to find a happy medium, I am going to publish a […]
European Budget Carriers Will Be Guinea Pigs In Russia

It’s actually brilliant. Europe’s top budget carriers–including EasyJet, Ryanair, and WizzAir–have been invited to start service to St. Petersburg, Russia…but there’s a catch. Tourist Boom Coming To Russia’s St. Petersburg In 2020, expect a boom of tourism and cheap flights to St. Petersburg (LED), Russia’s fourth largest airport. The Russian Federation is trying to expand […]
With Air New Zealand Gone, Will United Double Up On LAX-LHR?

Air New Zealand is abandoning its Fifth Freedom route between Los Angeles and London. Will United step up with a second daily flight? Air New Zealand has served London since 1982. Until a few years ago, Air New Zealand ran a round-the-world service, flying from Auckland to Los Angeles to London to Hong Kong to […]
While Qantas Teases, Air New Zealand Delivers

Qantas made headlines for its historic nonstop “test” flight from New York to Sydney last Friday, but doesn’t even know if the route is viable. Meanwhile, Air New Zealand has announced that it will serve New York nonstop from Auckland. Starting in October 2020, Air New Zealand will launch nonstop flights between Auckland (AKL) and […]