I have come to the realization that coffee is the most important thing in an airport lounge. Nice food is appreciated. High speed wi-fi is helpful. Comfortable seating is applauded. But if I had to choose just one thing that I consider most important in an airline lounge, it would be the coffee. People love […]
Clarification On My United Compensation Story
My story about proactive United compensation caused quite a stir yesterday. Some speculated whether I was on the United payroll while others wondered if I was the only passenger who received compensation due my oft-United-focused blog. Apparently a journalist even reached out to United to see if everyone on the plane received compensation for the […]
How High Is Too High? Fuel Surcharges Rise Again On British Airways
British Airways has substantially raised fuel surcharges on flights originating in the United States, especially for first class. How high is too high too for an “award” ticket? A round-trip business class ticket from the United States to London and back will now cost you $1433.46 (including $1,106 in fuel surcharges alone) in addition to the […]
Review: The Library Lounge Nice Airport (NCE)
The Library Lounge in Nice Airport, a Priority Pass lounge, offers a quiet work environment, but not much in the area of food. I did not deliberately arrive early, but with light traffic found myself at Nice Airport about an hour before my flight. The lounge was virtually empty, with just a couple other passengers. […]
Editorial: Cut The Complaints About “Inferior” U.S. Airlines
There’s a cliche amongst frequent travelers. It goes something like this: U.S. airlines are woefully behind European and Asian airlines, especially in terms of service. While just my opinion, I’m tired of that trite argument and reject it. Don’t think I am going to defend the lackluster and sometimes hostile service that FAs on U.S. […]
“Genuine” Travel From A Luxury Hotel Room And Airline Lounge
What is genuine travel? Travel is fundamentally about experiencing life in the shoes of others. That means that those who seek refuge in airline lounges and western hotel chains fail to experience the essence of what it means to travel, right? Absolutely wrong. Here’s why. This story takes places over one day, as I traveled […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: August 26, 2018
It was an unseasonably cool week in LA and we are expecting more of the same in the week ahead. That has made being home all the more sweeter. I plan to be home again this week, but my next trip is on the horizon. I wish you all a great week. Here’s a review […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: July 29, 2018
After a whirlwind trip to New York and Miami, I’m back in Los Angeles for the day, then off to Las Vegas tomorrow. Over the last week, we’ve seen a new photo policy at United Airlines, Chinese anger at U.S. airlines, and a bed bug invasion on Air India. Please find a review of the week’s top stories as well […]
An English Breakfast on British Airways
One of my favorite airline meals of all time, any time of day, is an English Breakfast on British Airways. That’s the focus of this week’s Meal of the Week. Sometimes we can act irrationally when it comes to food, even airline food. While I hope to never sell my birthright for a bowl of […]
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 […]
Review: Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge London (LHR)
The late morning is a great time to to visit the Singapore Airlines SilverKris lounge in London Heathrow (LHR) T2. I nearly had it to myself. The lounge is open daily from 7:15a.m. to 10:00p.m. and I’m sure it fills up before the flights to Singapore. But at 11:30a…empty. You’ll find the lounge on the […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: July 08, 2018
Good evening from from LA. It was a relatively quiet week with the exception of a short business trip to the Pacific Northwest. This week should also be quiet. Here’s a review of the week’s top stories on the blog plus a recap of every story that appeared on Live and Let’s Fly. Have a […]
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, […]
Aeromexico Says “Gracias” To South Korea With Comical Discount
After a 0-2 defeat against South Korea, Germany was knocked out of the World Cup in the group stage for the first time since 1938. And while Germans are lamenting, Mexico is rejoicing. Flag carrier Aeromexico is doing more than rejoicing: it’s slashing fares to South Korea by 20%. Earlier this week, I wrote about […]
The 10 Best Airlines For Last-Minute Award Space
Which airlines are most likely to release award space at the last-minute? We book a lot of last-minute tickets at Award Expert. In fact, booking tickets less than a week prior to travel has developed into our main business. Generally, award space works like an inverted bell-curve. Many programs release space if you can book […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: June 24, 2018
I’m back in LA after a week in Italy and Germany. It’s good to be home, though every time I am in Europe I miss living there. We’ll keep it simple this week. Here’s a review of the week’s top stories and a link to all posts that have appeared on Live and Let’s Fly […]
Review: Timberline Steaks & Grille Denver Airport (Priority Pass Restaurant)
Last week I had a three hour connection in Denver, giving me a perfect opportunity to try out the Timberline Steaks & Grille, a Priority Pass restaurant. I wrote about this restaurant when it was first introduced to the Priority Pass network. A valid card entitles the cardholder and each guest $28 in credit, which […]
Bold Confidence: Waiting Till The Very Last Moment To Book Award Ticket
My wife woke up this morning without a ticket to Zurich. She had told her friends and family she was leaving today and would arrive on Saturday afternoon. She even told her parents her flight number. Small problem: the space had not opened. The flight was 12 hours away and she didn’t have a seat…yet. […]
These 12 Airlines Still Fly the Boeing 747
The Queen of the Skies is disappearing from the skies…but there’s still time to fly her. While this list is not exhaustive, here’s a look at a dozen airlines that still operate the Boeing 747 on scheduled passenger routes. Air China Bill Larkins / Wikimedia Commons Air China operates both 747-400s and 747-8s commercially. Air India […]
United Airlines to Flight Attendants: Work on Sloppy Grooming, Uniform Standards
United Airlines has asked its flight attendants to take proper uniform wear and “personal grooming” more seriously. In a memo to flight attendants obtained by Brian Sumers of Skift, John Slater, United’s Vice President for in-flight operations, told FAs: Perhaps because of the distractions of our industry or the merger of our airlines, over time, we became […]