For those willing to invest the time, the changes to United MileagePlus actually may make it cheaper to qualify for top-tier status on United than it is now. But it will take some serious and creative mileage running… United...
Analysis: Fundamental Changes To United MileagePlus In 2020
Last night, United Airlines announced radical changes to the way elite status is earned in the MileagePlus program, starting in 2020. What do these changes mean for you? First, let’s review the changes. Introduction Of Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF)...
United MileagePlus Announces 2020 Qualification Requirements
United’s MileagePlus frequent flyer program is shaking up the way they track and award status in 2020 and it’s not all good news for loyalists. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support...
Lufthansa Sheepishly Scrambles To Locate Missing Cat
Milo is missing. Lufthansa says it is doings its best to find him. But how did he get lost in the first place? Last week, Molly McFadden travelled with her two cats, Milo and Beau, on Lufthansa from Munich...
Boeing Loses Large 787 Order
Aeroflot Russian Airlines has formally canceled its Boeing 787 order, further casting the future of Boeing’s Dreamliner program into uncertainty. Boeing ramped up production of the Dreamliner earlier this year from 12 to 14 aircraft per month at two...
Part II: Exploring Erbil, The Capital Of Iraqi Kurdistan
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 If I showed you these pictures...
Singapore Award Space Blocking On Alaska Airlines
You can now redeem Alaska MileagePlan miles for worldwide travel on Singapore Airlines. How does award space access compare to Singapore’s other partners and Singapore’s own KrisFlyer program? After announcing a partnership in 2017, Alaska MileagePlan members can finally...
Air France First Class Awards: Sensible Or Foolish?
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...
