Despite strong loads, Taipei-based China Airlines is reducing service to an unlikely West Coast city. China Airlines serves Ontario, California daily…an odd route, despite the large Chinese diaspora in the San Gabriel valley of Southern California. The airport remains...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: June 17, 2018
Greetings from Italia. Sadly, I’ve had to spend Father’s Day away from my family…but my trip, like every trip, is in order to provide for them. Even so, every trip in which I am separated from my family is...
A Father’s Day Reflection: Travel Moments with Dad
As we celebrate Father’s Day this weekend in Key West, I am reflecting on moments throughout Lucy’s travels where her dad has shared with her so much more than just the entire world. A Collection of Moments There are...
A Tale of Two Waldorf-Astoria Hotels
We tried a pair of Waldorf-Astoria Key West properties and the two couldn’t have been more different. One had great grounds but terrible rooms, the other excellent rooms but none of the history. It was the most bizarre tale...
I Challenge You To Identify This Hotel Brand
We stayed at a hotel that was so far off brand that we checked out before our luggage arrived from the bell staff. Without cheating, can you identify this bad hotel room’s brand? If you are considering booking travel or signing...
A Hot Meal on Ryanair
This week’s Meal of the Week takes us back to 2011 and a hot lunch I enjoyed on Ryanair. It was a crisp, spring day and my brother and I had booked an incredibly cheap fare from Frankfurt Hahn...
Christopher Elliott Misleads Consumers on Travel Perks for U.S. Politicians
Like the rail passes of the Gilded Age, are U.S. politicians being bought out by airlines through lucrative and exclusive travel benefits? That’s what consumer advocate Christopher Elliott would have you think. The reality, however, is a bit more...
Review: Malaysia Airlines 737-800 Business Class Jakarta to Kuala Lumpur
The last time I had flown a Malaysia Airlines 737-800, I had experienced the scariest flight of my life. Since then, two 777s from the same airline had gone down: one shot down over Ukraine and the other crashed...
Houston Polaris Lounge Opens June 29th – Get an Early Bird Look
United Airlines will open its boutique Polaris Lounge in Houston (IAH) on June 29th. But you can get a sneak peek using your United miles before the lounge is opened to the public. 2,500 miles gets you a two-hour...
On Anthony Bourdain, Travel, and Suicide…
When news broke last week that CNN star Anthony Bourdain had taken his own life, I was saddened but not shocked. Not because I personally knew Bourdain was struggling, but because I know how hopeless life can feel sometimes. I’m...
U.S. Airlines Brashly Defy China: Consequences Coming?
The Chinese government is insisting that U.S. airlines stop treating Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau as separate nations on their websites and other booking channels. Thus far, U.S. airlines have steadfastly refused. But what will happen when Beijing tightens...
Review: JAL First Class Lounge Tokyo (NRT)
The Japan Airlines First Class Lounge in Tokyo Narita (NRT) is a great business class lounge…but doesn’t cut it as a first class lounge. Even though this review is from 2016, a report from View from the Wing only...
Review: Japan Airlines 777-300ER First Class
Three FAs, one passenger makes for a great ratio in first class. Not only was I blessed to fly Japan Airlines (JAL) in first class, but I had the entire cabin to myself. But I think even if the...
Is It Ethical To Steal Premium Cabin Amenities?
Is it ever ethical to walk away with amenities from business and first class that airlines do not intend for you to take? The Wall Street Journal covers this topic in-depth. It’s a great read. The last paragraphs of...
Vortex Sends Qantas A380 Into Terrifying Nosedive
You’re sitting in your seat, two hours into a 15-hour flight. All of a sudden, without any warning, the plane nosedives toward the ocean…for 10 seconds. That’s what happened to passengers aboard Qantas 94 from Los Angeles to Melbourne on...
Use Your United Miles To Be A Movie Extra In London
Have you ever wanted to be an extra in a blockbuster movie? Now you can…with your United miles. Via MileagePlus Exclusives, you can bid miles to become an extra on Spider-Man: Homecoming 2, opening in theaters in July 2019. The winner...
My Dumpy Hotel in New York City
Every time I have a bright idea to save some money, I end up regretting it. When it comes to hotels, you tend to get what you pay for. I was in New York City last weekend for FTU...
A New Sharia-Compliant Airline in the United Kingdom by the “Halal Richard Branson”
Kazi Rahman, who calls himself the “Halal Richard Branson”, wants to fly alongside Emirates and Qatar Airways to the Middle East. If successful, Firnas Airways would be the first Sharia-compliant airline in the United Kingdom. But Rahman has his work...
Why I’m Excited About the New LAX American Express Lounge
American Express officially announced today it will open a lounge at LAX in 2019. We’ve known about this lounge for several months thanks to various leaks from LAX board meetings, but the official announcement comes with exciting details. First,...
THIS Is How You Deal With An Unruly Passenger
When a passenger is so disruptive that a diversion is required, one course of action makes sense to me: ban him for life. It’s invariably a him, isn’t it? That’s what happened to passenger on Jet2 after a flight...
