Air France First Class awards were never for the parsimonious, but were still reachable and in some cases valuable. With new restrictions and increased pricing on La Première awards, is there any value proposition left? Effective October 15, 2019, Air...
Can You Be Detained At Airport If Deemed A Suicide Risk?
A hypothetical. Let’s say you hint to a family member or loved one that you are contemplating suicide. Say you leave the country and that family member gets worried and calls the police. The police knock on your door...
A Beautiful KLM Ad That Brought Me To Tears
As I watched the KLM advertisement below commemorating its 100th anniversary, I broke down in tears. Go ahead, watch it before you read my commentary. But grab a tissue. You’ve been warned. There are so many things I love...
My Five Favorite Airline Snacks
Airline snacks are great on so many levels. Not only do they help to pass the time and make the flight a little more bearable, but they can be really tasty too. Here’s a look at my five favorite...
Part I: A Day Trip To Iraq
As Turkish forces embark upon a massive offensive into Kurdish-controlled Northeast Syria, memories of my trip to Iraqi Kurdistan are in the front of my mind. > Part I: A Day Trip To Iraq > Part II: Exploring Erbil,...
A Spotlight On A Great United Captain
When you love your job, others take notice. Captain Jason Lopez epitomizes the sort of professionalism and care that characterizes a great airline captain. He also provides an example for his co-workers. United Airlines spotlights Captain Lopez in a...
Air Canada’s Subtle Dig At Its Neighbor To The South
In a rather out-of-character move, Air Canada released a humorous new video entitled, How To Travel Like A Canadian. But is there a deeper message? It stars American-Canadian actress Sandra Oh and on the surface is a cute look...
Was It Something I Said? Icelandair Abandons San Francisco
The day after I published my review of Icelandair Premium Saga (business) class from Reykjavik to San Francisco, Icelandair announced it was dropping the route. Was my review that bad? I’m joking, of course, though it was not one...
It’s Time To Shut Down In-Flight Messaging Systems
A horrible incident on a Virgin Atlantic flight provides a compelling reason for airlines to think twice about in-flight messaging systems. 24-year-old Jessica Van Meir was traveling from London to Washington Dulles on Virgin Atlantic, seated in 55C. She got...
Wow: Woman Evades TSA And Delta To Board Flight Without ID Or Ticket
Evading the TSA? No problem. Delta? Please. The only thing that stopped a woman from successfully stowing away on a flight was taking the wrong seat onboard… Sylvia Rictor almost made it. Somehow, she allegedly passed through a TSA...
Why Did An Amsterdam-Bound United 787-9 Divert To Maine?
A United Airlines flight bound for Amsterdam diverted to Bangor, Maine after a cabin pressurization issue onboard. United flight 968, operated by a Boeing 787-9, took off from San Francisco on-time on Sunday with 197 passengers and 13 crewmembers...
Why Does Ethiopian Airlines Want To Invest In South African Airways?
Ethiopian Airlines is open to the idea of investing in South African Airways. In fact, it sees it as part of a broader strategy to save aviation in Africa. Not only has South African Airways (SAA) not reported profit...
One Last Jaunt Across The Pond In United’s “Old” Business Class
United Airlines is (finally) rather quickly retrofitting its 777-200 longhaul fleet to add new Polaris business class seats. But there are still “old” aircraft floating around and I very much enjoy them. I wrote about this older seating configuration...
Lufthansa Concedes Defeat In Hidden City Ticketing Lawsuit
Germans can feel safer taking advantage of hidden city ticketing after Lufthansa withdrew its pending appeal, signaling an important legal victory for consumers. One German man noticed that he could save over $2,000 by booking Oslo – Frankfurt –...
Norwegian Hands Iberia An Unsolicited Gift
Norwegian just gave Iberia the best gift it could have asked for: it is abandoning the majority of its routes from Madrid. Profit has been elusive for Norwegian, which is seeking to shed unprofitable routes and navigate an aircraft...
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker’s Days Appear Numbered
I wrote earlier this year that I didn’t think American Airlines CEO, Doug Parker, would survive the summer. Now into October, it looks like that prediction may be true, depending on one’s definition of summer. If you are considering booking...
Hyatt’s New Hong Kong Centric Review
During a recent status run, I tried out a new property in one of my favorite cities in the world, Hong Kong. Here is my review of the Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong. If you are considering booking travel or signing...
Why Don’t You Earn Points on Missed Non-Refundable Reservations
Prepaid and non-refundable hotel stays and flights don’t mind keeping your money when you can’t make the trip, but why do they withhold the points too? If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both...
Breakfast, Lunch, And Dinner On British Airways
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...
United President: I Won’t Be Next CEO Of American Airlines
United Airlines President Scott Kirby has made it clear…he is not jumping ship (again) and returning to American Airlines. Rumors are abounding that American Airlines CEO Doug Parker will not survive the month at the helm of AA. With...
