Does Uber charge you more if the battery on your mobile phone is low? NPR interviewed Keith Chen on its Hidden Brain program, who is head of “economic research” at Uber. He said: When your phone is down to five...
SkyTeam Responds To Rebuff From Delta CEO Ed Bastian
Delta CEO Ed Bastian expressed indifference bordering on hostility to the SkyTeam alliance this week even though his airline is a founding member. Now SkyTeam has hit back, gently, with a reminder of the value that it brings travelers....
Delta Pushes Boeing To Develop 797
Delta wants Boeing to develop the 797…and is dangling 200 aircraft orders as a prize. Speaking to Bloomberg in New York, Delta CEO Ed Bastian said: I do anticipate they will do it. I hope they will do it....
Cathay Pacific Awards On AA.com = Very Bad News
Cathay Pacific flight awards are now easily bookable on aa.com using miles. What could be the downside? A big one, as it turns out. Cathay Pacific awards have always been bookable using your American Airlines miles. In the past,...
Does New SAS Livery Reveal New SAS Identity?
For the first time in more than two decades, SAS has unveiled a new aircraft livery. What should we make of the new livery and the timing surrounding it? The new livery maintains the iconic SAS logo and blue...
Terrifying: Delta 767-300 Rapidly Descends 29,000 Feet
A Delta 767-300 diverted to Tampa after rapidly descending 29,000 feet in just seven minutes. Delta Flight 2353 was headed from Atlanta to Ft. Lauderdale on Wednesday when a cabin pressure irregularity occurred midway through the flight. While flight...
United Airlines’ New Focus On Quality
United Airlines President Scott Kirby has pledged a greater emphasis on the quality of the passenger experience after many years of shunning such a viewpoint. But what makes for a quality experience? Speaking at the Morgan Stanley 7th Annual...
South African Airways Says Latest Cash Injection Is Not Enough
South African Airways is expected to shortly receive a 5.5 billion rand ($376 million) infusion for the new fiscal year. But the beleaguered carrier says that is not enough to keep the lights on. SAA has debt of 12.7...
American Airlines Saboteur Mechanic May Have Terrorist Ties
Abdul-Majeed Marouf Ahmed Alani, the American Airlines mechanic who admitted to sabotaging an AA 737-800 in Miami, may have terrorist ties says prosecutors. The startling allegation prompted a judge to deny bail to the 60-year-old defendant. When he was...
SFO Runway 28L Will Open One Week Early!
The last 10 days have been irksome for many San Francisco travelers thanks to a closure of SFO Runway 28L. But the pain will end tomorrow night, a whole week ahead of schedule. Runway construction on 28L begin on September 7th at...
The Diamond-Studded Emirates A380 Lounge
Emirates has unveiled a diamond-studded lounge onboard its A380…but don’t worry, it is only a rendering. You might recall that Emirates shared a crystal-encrusted 777 last year on its social media channels: The aircraft was aptly named “Bling 777”...
KLM Replaces Brussels Flight With Full-Service High-Speed Train
KLM will trial a high-speed train service between Amsterdam and Brussels next March in place of one of its flights. But the Dutch carrier promises more than just a seat. KLM currently flies five times per day between Brussels...
Watch An Air China 777-300ER Catch Fire Over Washington Dulles
An Air China 777-300 was forced to return to Washington Dulles after a flames erupted from the left engine after takeoff. An eyewitness captured the entire scene on video using a mobile phone. Air China Flight 818, bound from...
Pain, Regret, And An 18-Mile United Flight
When I wrote about the special 18-mile United flight yesterday, I had no idea how much of an emotional roller coaster I was about to embark upon. It was a painful day. But ultimately an instructive one. United Airlines...
Review: Virgin Australia 737-800 Business Class
While perfect for domestic short hops, I found Virgin Australia’s 737-800 Business Class product a bit constraining for a six hour journey to Bali. I understand that Bali is a leisure destination for Australians and most are far more...
Germany Unites Around New Taxes, Higher Airfares (But Protections For Lufthansa)
Germany is moving closer toward raising taxes on domestic flights in hopes of reducing demand and eventually greenhouse gas pollution. But Lufthansa stands to benefit from the new taxes. Like other nations, Germany finds itself falling short of the...
Review: Plaza Premium Lounge Brisbane (BNE)
Since waiting for the Virgin Australia Lounge in Brisbane is like Waiting for Godot, I occupied my long layover in BNE by relaxing in the Plaza Premium Lounge. The Virgin Australia Lounge in Brisbane has been delayed almost as...
An 18-Mile United Mainline Flight Is Flying Today
United Airlines is operating a special flight from Burbank to Los Angeles today, a flight of only 18 miles. With the ongoing runway work at San Francisco International Airport (SFO), United is ferrying one of its Airbus A319s from...
Review: Virgin Australia 777-300ER Business Class
I may not have slept well, but I liked everything else about my Virgin Australia 777-300ER flight in “The Business” from Los Angeles to Brisbane. In one of the rare sweet spots on the Delta award chart, I booked...
Why Fiji Airways Is Angry At “Aggressive” Qantas
Fiji Airways is angry at Qantas, the Australian airline that owns a 46% stake in it. Is the anger justified or just another example of protectionism? Earlier this year, Qantas started flying 4x/week between Sydney and Nadi, Fiji, the...
