An Amtrak train traveling from Seattle to Los Angeles made an unexpected stop in a small town in Oregon…for 37 hours. Amtrak’s Coast Starlight service runs daily between Los Angeles and Seattle. The 36-hour journey mostly follows the Pacific...
Airline Sues Passenger For Throwing Coins In Engine
A man who threw coins into an A320 for good luck is instead being sued by the airline for over $21,000. Talk about a turn of fortunes… The man, named Lu, was traveling on Lucky Air from Ningbo to Anqing....
Aegean Adds Eight New International Destinations
Fledgling Aegean Airlines will add eight new international destinations and increase frequency between many top destinations and and the Greek capital. Aegean will add 700,000 seats, primarily increasing traffic during the slower winter months. From Athens: Casablanca Ibiza Marrakech...
Flight Attendants Battle American Airlines, Claiming Sexism and Pilot Favoritism
The flight attendant union at American Airlines claims that AA treats its predominantly female cabin crews as “second-class citizens” over pilots via new “sexist” attendance rules. Welcome to contract negotiation season… Pilot and flight attendant contracts are up for...
Shocking British Airways Video Shows Why I WALKED To Gibraltar
A shocking video of a British Airways Airbus A320 attempting to land in Gibraltar demonstrates precisely why I’d rather walk than fly. The incident happened on February 25 on Flight 492 from London Heathrow to Gibraltar. The British enclave...
Review: Aspire Lounge London Heathrow (LHR – T5)
I complained about the crowding in the British Airways’ T5 Galleries Lounge last week, but that was like a New York subway compared to the nearby Tokyo Subway, aka Aspire Lounge. In fact, I’ve never been in a more...
My First Meal On Alaska 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. Remember when...
I’m Plotting An L-1011 TriStar Trip…
Even more so than the Concorde, the one plane I most regret not flying is the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. But it may not be too late… I’ve written before about the five aircraft I most regret not flying. The...
Will Etihad Partner With United And Join Star Alliance?
Rumors are swirling that Etihad Airways will ditch American Airlines and partner with United Airlines. What will this mean for all three carriers? It was two years ago that rumors were swirling that Etihad was close to joining Star...
U.S. Carriers Fight For Coveted Tokyo Haneda Slots
Four U.S. carriers are fighting for 19 slots at Tokyo Haneda Airport. Who will be left without a seat when the music stops? A new bilateral aviation agreement with Japan gives U.S. carriers access to 12 new daytime slots...
Review: Grand Hyatt Bali – Executive Suite
During a long trip through Southeast Asia, we tried a number of hotels we haven’t stayed in before. One of which was the Grand Hyatt Bali, a mega-resort in Nusa Dua. We were treated to a Globalist suite upgrade...
What’s An Appropriate Remedy For Vigilante Korean Agent Incident?
Last week I recounted an exchange I had with a vigilante Korean Air lounge attendant that attempted to downgrade me from paid business class to coach on her own accord despite substantial evidence I bought the correct ticket. Many...
Spirit Airport Booking Is My Favorite Travel Hack
Spirit is the king of a la carte fares. They promise cheap seats on direct flights but everything is extra, even paying for your ticket incurs a $15-20 convenience fee when you buy online. We decided we don’t want...
Why The Willard InterContinental Is My Favorite Hotel In Washington, DC
I’m generally a very loyal Hyatt patron, but there are exceptions. Washington, DC is one such exception. In the District, my favorite hotel is not one of the three Hyatt properties, but the Willard InterContinental. I first stepped into...
Air France Cancels Venezuela Flights While Air Europa Offers Crews Kidnapping Advice
In the wake of escalating civil unrest, Air France is temporarily halting flights to Caracas. Meanwhile, Air Europa has issued an advisory to crews on how to avoid kidnappings… It is a historic day in Venezuela. The Maduro regime...
Please Don’t Go Kamikaze On Us American Airlines!
Rumors are swirling that American Airlines is considering restricting the use of systemwide upgrades to only recipient account holders. To do so would take AAdvantage on an unnecessary kamikaze mission. The rumor comes from reliable insider JonNYC. Over the...
Airfare Is Cheaper* Than Ever Before
With inflation factored in, average airfare in the United States is lower than it has ever been since the government started keeping track. But do note the asterisk in my title. Government record keeping began in 1995 and this...
United’s Secretive Top-Tier Status Has Nice Perks…
When it comes to airline loyalty programs, there is “top-tier” status, and then there is true top-tier status… While Premier 1K status is the top published status level at United Airlines, there’s one level above it. And the perks...
An Online Travel Agency Invites You To “Break The Rules” (But Be Careful…)
A popular European online travel agency has promised to pay your legal fees if an airline sues you for throwaway ticketing. Or maybe not. Let’s take a closer look. Last week I wrote about Lufthansa suing a passenger for...
Amtrak Faces A Daunting Dilemma
Amtrak, America’s state-run passenger railroad company, faces a daunting dilemma. Its path to profit is to cut what its Congressional overlords seem unwilling to even consider eliminating. I’m taking about long-distance rail service. Storied routes like the Empire Builder...
