San Francisco International Airport has banned the sale of single-use plastic water bottles effective August 20, 2019. While well-intentioned, the policy unnecessarily penalizes water drinkers while overlooking a better pro-environmental alternative. I am trying to approach this issue from...
United’s Most Valuable Route And JFK Dilemma
United Airlines is determined to steer customers from JFK to Newark for lucrative transatlantic flights. But how? In continuing to unpack the conversation between United President Scott Kirby and Newark employees, exclusively obtained by Live and Let’s Fly, talk...
Bated Passengers Bat Away Bat On Batty Spirit Airlines
Forgive me for the title, I could not resist… A fluttering bat greeted passengers on an early morning Spirit Airlines flight to New Jersey. No, this time it was not an emotional support pet. Peter Scattini, a passenger onboard...
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...
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...
Delta’s Tokyo Switcheroo Demonstrates Folly Of DOT Haneda Slot Awards
Delta has announced plans to suspend all service to its former hub at Tokyo Narita. The news demonstrates an inherent flaw in the the way slots are awarded at Tokyo Haneda. In February 2019, 19 additional slots to Tokyo...
United Instructs Agents To Covertly Report Hidden City Travelers
United Airlines does not appreciate passengers who engage in hidden city ticketing. Now it wants airport agents to play a greater role in discouraging this practice…covertly, not overtly. First, a review of hidden city ticketing. Briefly, United (and all...
I LOVED Bali!
My expectations for Bali were low. I thought it would be crowded and hot and a generally miserable place for a layover. Boy was I wrong. I loved it! For all of you who gave me hotel recommendations prior...
LOT Polish Expanding Budapest Hub
LOT Polish will continue to expand its hub at Liszt Ferenc International Airport in Budapest, including introducing new service to Asia. With the demise of Malev, the former flag carrier of Hungary, in 2012, LOT Polish saw an opening to expand...
My Strong Desire To Fly The Air France A380…
Call me crazy, but I have a strong desire to fly on the Air France A380 while still in service. Yesterday I wrote about the decision by Air France to retire its entire A380 fleet by 2022. This move...
United President Scott Kirby Reflects On Customer Service
What will the future of customer service look like on United Airlines? United President Scott Kirby recently sat down with employees at Newark Airport. In a copy of the video forwarded to Live and Let’s Fly by an attendee, Kirby...
Rooftop Fire Erupts In United Airlines Maintenance Hangar At SFO
A rooftop fire flared up at a United Airlines maintenance hangar at San Francisco International Airport yesterday, but damage was thankfully minimal. A fire on the roof started at 7:30 AM, sending thick plumes of smoke into the crisp...
Montreal Looks Like Doha This Summer!
Visit Montreal this summer and you just might think you are at Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar. This summer, you’re going to see a lot of Qatar Airways aircraft parked at Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport in Montreal....
First Impressions: Virgin Australia 737-800 Business Class
Hello from Bali! I’ve certainly flown the long way here by traveling via Brisbane on Virgin Australia. I’ll use this post to provide my first impressions of Virgin’s 737-800 in business class. I knew I wouldn’t get the white,...
Hoping To Date Lufthansa Flight Attendant, Man Calls In Bomb Threat
A man who fell head over heels for a Lufthansa flight attendant called in a bomb threat in one last desperate attempt to keep her in Serbia. The 65-year-old man confessed in a Belgrade court that he called in...
Air France A380 Retirement Is Hardly A Surprise
As I predicted, Air France will not bother to retrofit its A380 fleet, but instead retire it by 2022. The writing was on the wall. Last November, Air France announced it would return half of its A380 fleet rather...
United Airlines Testing First Class Meal Pre-Ordering
United Airlines is testing out the opportunity for first class passengers to pre-order meals. If the trial is successful, it may eventually roll out systemwide. The first phase of the trial will occur tomorrow, only on select flights from...
Trump’s Anger Over Delta CEO Torpedoes Protectionist Cause
It’s amazing really to think that one man’s absence may have lurched a White House meeting from one outcome to another. But we live in the age of Donald Trump. That’s not mean as a compliment or an insult,...
First Impressions: Virgin Australia 777-300ER Business Class
Hello from Brisbane! After 14 hours onboard Virgin Australia I am relaxed and ready for the day ahead. Brisbane is merely a transit point on this trip–my end goal is Singapore–but I could not pass up the opportunity to...
Thai Airways: We Need To Restructure To Survive
A high-ranking official at Thai Airways has conceded that only serious reforms will save his airline from continued financial losses. Thai Airways President Sumeth Damrongchaitham said his airline needs to restructure in order to “survive” in the “highly competitive...
