When it comes his relationship with oneworld, Qatar Airways’ Chief Akbar Al-Baker acts like a victim. He’s quick to cry foul and threaten to leave, but never follows through on his threat. And yet his charges are largely delusional and...
A Rainy But Lovely Weekend In Carmel
I spent Thanksgiving weekend in Carmel, which has now become a family tradition. Even with the rain, we had a wonderful time together. A Great Weekend In Carmel California highways and interstates can get very crowded around the holidays,...
A Cringeworthy Rant From A Callow Airline Passenger
A freelance writer for the Washington Post penned an essay entitled “Air travel shows what happens when we give companies ruinous power over us”, sharing of an “ordeal spanning 53 hours, six gates, three airports and two airlines.” His...
Genius: Hoping For Upgrade, Woman Fakes Medical Emergency On Single-Cabin Aircraft
A woman was arrested after admitting to faking an emergency onboard in hopes of securing an upgrade. Small problem, though: the aircraft had no premium cabin. The incident took place on American Airlines flight 3508 from Pensacola to Miami last...
Amtrak Won’t Let You Sue, Even After A Crash
You buy an Amtrak ticket. Your train derails. You are severely injured. And you can’t sue. Why? Blame the fine print in your ticket rules. Back in January, Amtrak quietly revised the language of its ticket terms and conditions....
What’s The Longest Possible Commercial Flight?
The list of the longest airline routes in operation is hardly a surprise, but what about theoretical routes? What is possible with more technical innovation? The 10 Longest Airline Routes Currently Flying Currently, the 10 longest flights in the...
Cyber Monday Travel Steals Still Available
It’s not too late to grab some Cyber Monday travel deals. Here are some deals you might want to grab for someone special or just for yourself. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card...
Malaysia Airlines Cozies Up To Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines and Malaysia Airlines have signed a new codeshare agreement. What does the increased cooperation between the two carriers mean for travelers? Turkish Airlines will place its flight number on all Malaysia Airlines domestic flights as well as...
South African Airways Survives…But Now What?
South African Airways (SAA) will survive…at least for now…thanks to another government infusion. But will the government finally force the carrier to change? Let’s zoom right into the text of statement from South Africa’s Department of Public Enterprises, as...
American Airlines Reinforces My Decision to Leave
I have been rather vocal about my switch from American Airlines to United. But as I still have hundreds of thousands of miles, I need to spend them and American continues to squander opportunities to win me back. If...
Does Terror Alter Your Travel Choices?
Another terror attack in London and the Hague sparked concerns for my family and raised the question of whether or not acts of terror alter our travel choices. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit...
The Innocuous Pasta Dish On Lufthansa
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. What’s the...
Emirates Wants To Add More Fifth Freedom Flights To USA
Emirates is walking a fine line between targeting commercially lucrative routes and trying to keep protective U.S. carriers quiet. Even so, it is exploring options to add new Fifth Freedom routes between the USA and Europe. Fifth Freedom routes...
Man Impersonates Lufthansa Pilot For Free First Class Upgrades
Catch me if you can? The man has been caught…and wait till you hear his defense. Man Arrested For Impersonating Lufthansa Pilot Rajan Mahbubani is a self-identified frequent flyer. The 48-year-old acquired a Lufthansa’s pilot uniform and fake ID...
Mother Gives Birth On American Airlines Jetway, Names Her Daughter “Sky”
How does a flight arrive with 165 passengers when it left with 164? Ask Nereida Araujo. Araujo was 38 weeks pregnant and had to fly from Tampa (TPA) to Pittsburgh (PIT) via Charlotte (CLT). She was cleared by her...
Delta’s Outstanding TUMI Amenity Kit
While my overall flight on Delta from Los Angeles to New York was average at best, I want to commend Delta for offering passengers a very practical and useful amenity kit. Although I have a huge collection of amenity...
KLM Flight Reaches North America Before Returning To Amsterdam
Talk about a long day. Passengers had little to give thanks about on KLM685 yesterday. The flight returned to Amsterdam…after already reaching North America. The flight was headed to Mexico City, where Popocatepetl had earlier erupted. A volcanic ash...
Atlanta Airport Wants To Help You Stop Smoking With Absurd Smoking Ban
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Airport will soon close all its smoking rooms. At the same time, it wants to help you stop smoking through a free nicotine lozenges. I’m strongly of the opinion that indoor, airside smoking lounges should remain. While smoking...
Does Lufthansa Think It’s Above The Law?
Lufthansa is in trouble with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration for operating “illegally” from two U.S. cities. In fact, the FAA implies that Lufthansa knowingly flouted regulations. That plays into a common theme: does Lufthansa think it’s above the...
The Golden Era Of Airline Travel? We’re In It.
To all those who wistfully talk about the golden age of travel in the past tense, I’d argue we are in it now. Someone recently shared the video below with me. It captures what service was like onboard Korean...
