Troubled Italian flag carrier Alitalia loses about €2,000,000 per day, according to a government minister. The solution? Another cash infusion… Earlier this month, Italy appointed a new administrator, Giuseppe Leogrande, to oversee cost-cutting measures and find a buyer for Alitalia. At the same time, it granted Alitalia yet another bailout. Facing pressure from both the […]
Why? Lufthansa Ready To Invest 200 Million Euros In Alitalia
Alitalia is out of cash (again) and Lufthansa stepping up to offer 200 million euros ($223MN). Since when is Lufthansa in the business of losing money? While Lufthansa has officially said, “We are not commenting on this,” numerous reports have appeared in Italian newspapers this week about Lufthansa’s latest Alitalia investment offer. Reuters coaxed a […]
Why I’m Seriously Considering An American Express Centurion (Black) Card
It’s not for the points. It’s certainly not for the status. But I am seriously considering an American Express Centurion Card, more popularly known as the AMEX “Black” card. For many years, I’ve chuckled at clients who put tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars per month on the card. It’s one of the worst […]
I Got “Stuck” Flying Lufthansa First Class…Again
Oh poor me, I had to fly Lufthansa First Class again. This trip, though, I really tried to branch out and try something new. But I just could not turn down the allure of flying nonstop on one of my favorite products. After Dubai, I traveled to Frankfurt via Brussels, where I hoped to try […]
The Painstaking Process Of Plotting A Review Trip…
Like any addiction, the flying compulsion rears its ugly head without warning and with great force. I had to chuckle at Ben’s recent piece entitled, “My Very Logical, Methodical, Review Trip Planning Process…” He and I think about review trips in precisely the same way. Before I even take a look at award space or […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: July 23, 2018
Greetings from sunny Los Angeles. I’m in a holding pattern this week. I thought I was going to have to leave for Europe tomorrow, but that trip has been postponed. I’m both relieved and disappointed. I never like leaving my family but there’s a heatwave coming to Los Angeles that I wanted to escape. In […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: July 15, 2018
As the weeks fly by, I hope you are having a wonderful summer. It has been a quiet week in the world of aviation. But over the last week, we’ve seen an Air China pilot endanger the lives of over 150 passengers onboard by smoking, learned of changes to the T-Mobile international plan, and been […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: July 01, 2018
It’s a beautiful summer evening in Los Angeles and I’ve spent the day with family and friends. My thanks to Kyle and Carly for giving me the chance to take a break on Sundays. Over the last week, we’ve seen a Sun Country challenge to Alaska Airlines in Portland, re-shuffling of Singapore service on United, […]
Home Sweet Home On The Lufthansa A380 In First Class
I recently had to take a last-minute trip to Italy and award space just wasn’t opening. Absolutely nothing from Los Angeles in economy, business, or first class unless I wanted to pay ridiculous rates on Air France, Delta, or KLM. The night before departure, I cobbled something together: Los Angeles to Milan via Denver, Houston, […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: April 22, 2018
Hello from LA. I’m back from Hawaii after a wonderful, albeit brief, getaway with my wife. In terms of top news for the week, we’ve now learned more about the new Marriott-SPG loyalty program. It looks good (for the most part) but I’m still skeptical (so was Kyle, see his commentary below). We also saw […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: February 25, 2018
Hello from the American Express Lounge at San Francisco International Airport. I’m on my way home from FTU after a great weekend in Seattle. It was an honor to meet many readers. Remember, there are four upcoming Frequent Traveler University events in the months ahead: London Brisbane New York City Washington, DC I enjoy these […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: January 21, 2018
Hello from Zurich. I’m in the midst of an extended business trip, anxious to get home, but trying to appreciate the time in one of my favorite countries. I’ve already been to Qatar, Vietnam, Germany, and Malta. Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, and England are still to come. Recounting the top stories of the week, United […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: October 15, 2017
Good evening from Los Angeles. I’m about to embark upon another adventure…I’ll share the details tomorrow. In the meantime, let’s review the top stories of the last week. The diplomatic spat between Turkey and the USA currently means no US citizen can visit Turkey…that’s got to be painful news for Turkish Airlines. We also learned […]
Introduction: Los Angeles to Rome via Argentina and Spain on SkyTeam
It’s time for my next trip report, a short one that will detail my trip to Italy last month. Let’s just say I took the scenic route… An ambitious goal to be sure, but it is my desire to review every premium cabin product on every alliance (Star Alliance, oneworld, SkyTeam). I’m slowing whittling down […]
Ouch! Ramifications of Etihad’s $1.87BN Loss
Etihad lost near $2BN last year due to bad investments and low fuel costs. What will the future hold for the behemoth Gulf carrier? When it comes to actually flying, Etihad made money. Its losses come primarily in three forms: $1.06BN – writing down the value of aircraft $808MN – lost value in Air Berlin […]
Matthew is Wrong – Hyatt Buying Starwood Benefits Customers
Earlier today I posted about Hyatt potentially buying Starwood hotels as reported by CNBC. Then Matthew from Live and Let’s Fly here on Upgrd wrote this post. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com. If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today. Matthew Had Salient Points There […]
Dublin to Boston in Aer Lingus Business Class
Aer Lingus recently refreshed its transatlantic business class product with a new lie-flat bed and a reinvented onboard menu. I had the chance to sample it last week from Dublin to Boston and am pleased to report that I had a tremendous flight. Aer Lingus Business Class Service If you’ve read a regular reader of […]
Italian Court Says Emirates Must Suspend New York – Milan Route
An Italian Court handed Dubai-based Emirates a stinging defeat yesterday, holding that the carrier could not operate its Fifth Freedom Route between New York and Milan. It all boils down to this–there is a very real (and valid) fear amongst U.S. and European carriers that the Gulf carriers will eat up yields on profitable routes, […]
The Real Reason Behind United’s New Service to Atlantic City
United Airlines announced new service from Houston Bush Intercontinental and Chicago O’Hare to beleaguered Atlantic City, New Jersey this week in a deal that brought NJ Governor Chris Christie and United CEO Jeff Smisek together for a special ceremony on Thursday. But if you think this announcement is about service to Atlantic City, think again. […]
