A Swedish man was caught trying to smuggle over $8 million worth of drugs into Australia using the lining of his suitcases. The man had originated in Turkey and was traveling with two suitcases. Officials pulled him aside for...
Any Interest In A Cubana IL-96 Trip Report?
I’m planning a trip to Argentina, and as I always do, am checking my flight options. One option–via Havana on an Ilyushin IL-96–has really caught my eye. Cubana Ilyushin IL-96 Cubana operates a fleet of four IL-96 aircraft. It...
WOW! Let’s PLAY An Icelandic Airline Game
As WOW Air transitions to a cargo airline and PLAY seeks to be the latest low-cost upstart, one has to wonder just what is going on with Icelandic aviation. Let the guessing game begin. Introducing PLAY: A New Low-Cost-Carrier...
Lufthansa Slashes Meal Service In Economy + Premium Economy (As Competition Improves)
Lufthansa is “optimizing” the pre-arrival meal service in economy class and premium economy class on longhaul flights. That’s bad news, since Lufthansa was already lagging behind its competition. Effective November 28, 2019, Lufthansa will only offer a cold vegetarian...
How A Cockpit Photo Outraged China
A pilot lets his girlfriend sit in the cockpit. She posts it on social media. A blogger notices and complains on Weibo. Outrage grows. Many are punished. The pilot is banned for life. But was the reaction a bit...
A Weekend In The Heartland Of California
I spent Saturday in a part of California I previously did not even know existed. It felt like another country…and it was wonderful. California is such a diverse place. Not just the population, which represents cultures from around the...
How To Save Big On Uber And Lyft At LAX
As Matthew recently wrote, LAX shared ride pickups have been a mess since the switch to a central pick-up zone. But you can save money and perhaps even time on your next Uber or Lyft ride with a little...
Hyatt Globalist Room Service Shenanigans
Is consistency at a hotel too much to ask, especially at the Hyatt I frequent most often? Regular readers know that the Hyatt Regency Mainz is the Hyatt hotel I stay at most often. It’s an easy drive from...
Norwegian Air Launches New Credit Card For U.S. Customers
Norwegian Air is entering the credit card market with a new product for U.S. consumers. Norwegian Reward Card Details + CashPoints Norwegian Air uses an award currency called CashPoints, which can be applied toward flight purchases, seat assignments, and...
“LAXit” Will Expand After Rough First Week
Los Angeles International Airport will significantly expand its new “LAXit” pick-up lot for rideshare vehicles and taxi after a chaotic rollout last week. One week ago, LAX banned taxi, Uber, and Lyft from picking up passengers curbside at LAX....
Scotland Finale: Trains, Planes, Hotels, And The Fondest Of Memories
121pilot, a commercial airline pilot in the United States who has offered his insights and analysis on a number of topics on Live and Let’s Fly recently traveled with his brother and father on a very special trip to...
A Disastrous Debut For New LAX Rideshare Pick-Up Lot
You’ve endured your flight and now you’ve sat in a shuttle which has taken you to a parking lot adjacent to the airport. You summon an Uber…and see there is a one-hour wait for a car. Welcome to Los...
Thai Airways May Restore Gas-Guzzling A340-600 To Fleet
If you can’t sell it, restore it? That’s the decision facing Thai Airways. Thai Airways’ A340-600 Problem Five years ago Thai Airways retired its last Airbus A340 aircraft. The four-engine planes were used for intercontinental travel, but relatively fuel...
So Cool: Final EL AL 747 Flight
Yesterday, EL AL operated its final Boeing 747-400 flight. The sendoff included a “special” routing enroute from Tel Aviv to Rome. Via Flightradar 24, take a look at the flight path of LY1747. The 747 “drew” a 747 over the...
American Airlines Flight Attendants Refuse to Fly the 737 MAX, Southwest Pilots Sue Because They Can’t
Boeing’s 737 MAX has been a divisive issue amongst airlines employees and the traveling public. American Airlines flight attendants refuse to fly it while Southwest pilots sue Boeing because they can’t. What?!? If you are considering booking travel or signing up...
CIBO OTG Taking Over Airport Hubs
If you’ve traversed many of the nation’s largest airports, you’ve encountered been inundated by CIBO or OTG food vendors and restaurants. Increasingly, it seems every restaurant in the airport is one or the other – how did this happen? If...
Review: Chicago Athletic Association (Hyatt Unbound)
The Chicago Athletic Association is a new hotel to the Hyatt family but not a new property in downtown Chicago. Since joining Hyatt, this was our first chance to try the property and we loved it – with one...
My Perplexing Egg Dish On Ukraine International 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. Would you...
Sad: American Express Centurion Lounge Crowding Getting Worse
I don’t know about you, but American Express Centurion Lounge crowding has been particularly bad lately for me. Sadly, it may not even be feasible for American Express to take more drastic action to curb the crowds. But it...
When Does An Airline “Joke” Impermissibly Cross The Line?
When does a joke cross from crass to simply inappropriate? When does it becomes grounds for a lawsuit. Those are the leading questions emerging from a flight attendant lawsuit against Southwest Airlines. For Renee Steinaker, a Southwest flight attendant...
