It’s actually brilliant. Europe’s top budget carriers–including EasyJet, Ryanair, and WizzAir–have been invited to start service to St. Petersburg, Russia…but there’s a catch. Tourist Boom Coming To Russia’s St. Petersburg In 2020, expect a boom of tourism and cheap flights to St. Petersburg (LED), Russia’s fourth largest airport. The Russian Federation is trying to expand […]
With Air New Zealand Gone, Will United Double Up On LAX-LHR?
Air New Zealand is abandoning its Fifth Freedom route between Los Angeles and London. Will United step up with a second daily flight? Air New Zealand has served London since 1982. Until a few years ago, Air New Zealand ran a round-the-world service, flying from Auckland to Los Angeles to London to Hong Kong to […]
While Qantas Teases, Air New Zealand Delivers
Qantas made headlines for its historic nonstop “test” flight from New York to Sydney last Friday, but doesn’t even know if the route is viable. Meanwhile, Air New Zealand has announced that it will serve New York nonstop from Auckland. Starting in October 2020, Air New Zealand will launch nonstop flights between Auckland (AKL) and […]
Emirates Plans to Defy Court Order In Mexico City
Despite a Mexican federal court ruling against Emirates, the Dubai-based airlines plans to move forward with planned flights to Mexico City via Barcelona. Emirates has tried to launch service to Mexico City for years. Due to the high altitude of Mexico City, a nonstop flight is not commercially feasible. Thus, Emirates planned a stop in […]
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 redeem miles for travel on Singapore Airlines. Which Regions Can You Use Your Alaska Miles For […]
Sapid California Cuisine On Air New Zealand
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 I loved most on the my flight to Great Britain on a New Zealand carrier was the […]
Review: KLM 777-300ER Business Class
Despite a flight time of under three hours, I received the full KLM World Business class experience on my Fifth Freedom flight from Bali to Singapore. After booking a cheap economy class ticket for $154, I approached the ticket counter at Denpasar Airport and was able to upgrade to business class for 99EUR. I detailed […]
Cathay Pacific Cuts Capacity, Axes Longhaul Routes
Cathay Pacific is responding to depressed demand by cutting or reducing a number of longhaul routes. August was a horrible month for Cathay Pacific, its worst since the 2003 SARS outbreak. Overall passenger traffic declined 11.3% versus the previous August, with a lopsided 38% reduction in the number of inbound passengers to Hong Kong. Premium […]
Review: Royal Jordanian 787 Business Class
Royal Jordanian’s 787 business “Crown” class product is hardly cutting edge, but it got the job done on an overnight flight from Bangkok to Amman. I had started my evening in Kuala Lumpur and remained onboard while the aircraft was re-fueled and re-catered in Bangkok. At about midnight, passengers originating in Bangkok began to board. […]
Review: Royal Jordanian 787-8 Business Class Kuala Lumpur To Bangkok
Royal Jordanian’s Fifth Freedom flight from Kuala Lumpur to Bangkok is both cheap and comfortable. But factor in buffer for a delay if you are connecting. Royal Jordanian offers a tag flight between Bangkok (BKK) and Kuala Lumpur (KUL) onboard its 787-8 Dreamliner to supplement its service between Bangkok and Amman (AMM). These flights can […]
Why Airlines Struggle In Italy
The joke goes that Italian airlines will be profitable…when hell freezes over. Why is it that airlines seem to struggle in Italy? In an article entitled, Good Luck To Any Airline That Tries To Make A Profit Flying U.S.-Italy, Ted Reed suggests it is due to Mideast subsides. I’ve called out Mr. Reed before for being a […]
First Impressions: KLM 777 Business Class
I made it to Singapore and want to provide my first impressions of KLM’s 777-300ER business class product, which I enjoyed on a short Fifth Freedom flight from Bali. Last time I was on a KLM longhaul product, it was the 787-9 featuring the carrier’s latest business class seats which provide direct aisle access to […]
A 99EUR Lie-Flat Business Class Upgrade On KLM
I had many choices to fly from Bali to Singapore, but could not turn down the chance to sample KLM’s 777-300ER on an exotic Fifth Freedom route. It turned out to be a tremendous deal as well. I may love to fly in premium cabins, but I’m also pragmatic when it comes to out-of-pocket spending. […]
9 Airlines. 14 Flights. Which One Surprised Me The Most?
My last whirlwind trip around the world included a number of exceptional flights from top carriers around the world. But one stood out more than others. One surprised me so pleasantly that it merits a special post. In case you missed them, here’s a consolidation of my “first impressions” of the flights I took: A […]
Booked: Asia Via Australia In Virgin Australia Business Class
Earlier this week I mentioned my upcoming layover in Bali and asked for your help on where to stay there. I am flying a rather unconventional route to get there. Singapore is my ultimate destination. Rather than flying nonstop or via Asia, as most do, I am flying via Australia and Bali. Why? I saw […]
First Impressions: Royal Jordanian 787-8 Business Class
Greetings from Amman. I’ve flown from Kuala Lumpur to Amman via Bangkok, all on Royal Jordanian. Here’s my first impressions of RJ’s 787-8 in “Crown” business class. First, the B/E Diamond seats are fairly common, available on airlines including Aeroflot, American, Delta, United, and Qatar Airways. The seats are comfortable, though the soft pillow and […]
Doug Parker Explains Why AA Hates Air Italy
American Airlines CEO Doug Parker sat down with Business Insider to discuss why Air Italy is viewed as such a threat. First, let me say that I am so tired of rehashing this issue over and over. But as misinformation continues to be spread about Air Italy and Qatar Airways, I see no choice but […]
U.S. Secretary Of State Looking “Very Closely” At Qatar-Air Italy Deal
Mike Pompeo, the U.S. Secretary of State, was grilled by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee this week. Many topics were raised, but the one that raised my eyebrows was Air Italy. A group of U.S. Senators—a motley bipartisan crew—are “very concerned” about the risk Air Italy poses to U.S. jobs. Never mind that Air Italy […]
A New 54-Mile Flight On British Airways In The Middle East
British Airways will add a new 54-mile extension onto its service to Manama, linking the Bahraini capital to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Starting on December 01, 2019, BA will add a tag from Manama, Bahrain to Dammam, Saudi Arabia. The “direct” service to Dammam, home to Saudi Arabia’s oil industry, will stop in Manama in both […]
How Airlines Are Going To Great Lengths To Avoid Venezuela Layovers
As the economic and political crises in Venezuela continue to worsen, more airline crews are choosing to avoid ever even stepping out of the airport during layovers. That has forced airlines to get creative. While many carriers have scaled back or eliminated service to Caracas and other Venezuelan cities during the on-going deterioration of the Bolivarian […]
