I don’t need to take any lessons because actually I will teach them lessons. -His Excellency, Akbar Al Baker Qatar Airways has experienced a difficult year, recently reporting a $69 million loss after years of profitability. The Doha-based carrier’s...
Medical AND Mechanical Issue Force Diversion Of AA Flight
An American Airlines’ flight bound for China was forced to divert after experiencing both a medical emergency and mechanical problems in-flight. Talk about an unlucky flight… AA263 from Dallas to Beijing departed DFW on time at just past 11:00 A.M....
Photo Essay: Stunning Los Angeles Union Station
Yesterday I wrote about my Amtrak experience from Los Angeles to Portland aboard the Coast Starlight. Today, I want to focus on the beautiful station my journey began in. Los Angeles Union Station opened in 1939, consolidating LA’s two...
Wow, United Airlines’ CEO Actually Gets It…
United’s Chief Executive Officer Oscar Munoz wants you to love flying United Airlines again. So does every airline CEO, of course, when it comes to their own airline. But Munoz’s new focus on customer service is a step in...
Lufthansa Offers A Chance To Experience Golden Age Of Travel
Lufthansa is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its Senator Service onboard the Lockheed Super Constellation, which represented the first “luxury” transatlantic flight in 1958. This weekend, you can experience that service yourself. If you’re in New York City this...
Woman Thrown Off Plane For “Emotional Support Squirrel”
Miniature horses may be allowed, but squirrels? Not so fast. A wheelchair-bound woman in Orlando was thrown off a Frontier Airlines flight for refusing to part with her so-called “emotional support” squirrel. Frontier Airlines Flight 1612, bound for Cleveland,...
Review: Amtrak Coast Starlight Superliner Bedroom Los Angeles To Portland
The day had finally arrived. It was time for the great train adventure. All my life I had wanted to take a long-distance journey on Amtrak and now I would have my chance…29.5 hours to Portland, Oregon then another...
Review: Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge Los Angeles Union Station
Prior to boarding my Coast Starlight train for Portland, my wife and I spent about 30 minutes in the Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge at Los Angeles Union Station. You’ll find the lounge on the second floor of the station, near...
Avianca Considers European Expansion
Bogota-based Avianca will soon launch flights to Munich and is considering an even greater European expansion. Starting on November 16, 2018, Avianca will commence five weekly flights between Bogota (BOG) and Munich (MUC) utilizing a 787-8 aircraft. Day Origin...
My Unusual But Effective Flight In Lufthansa First Class
I returned home from Europe on Friday and have not encountered a hint of jet lag. Flying first class certainly helped, but that alone was not enough. Sometimes I fly first class, sometimes I fly business, occasionally I’ll even...
Boeing 747 Skids Off Runway in Bangkok
A Thai Airways Boeing 747-400 skidded off a runway in Bangkok after landing in torrential rains. It’s monsoon season in Thailand, creating fierce storms that pummel the earth with concentrated spurts of rain. Thai Airways flight 679 was approaching Suvarnabhumi...
Norwegian Overtakes British Airways in New York City
Norwegian Air Shuttle continues to flex its muscles. The budget carrier has now achieved a symbolic victory that demonstrates how much air travel has changed over the last several years. Flights between London and New York City have always...
Introduction: An Astounding Amtrak Adventure
I am switching gears for my next trip report, pivoting away from flying and writing about a wonderful train trip I enjoyed with my wife in 2016 from Los Angeles to Glacier National Park in Montana. Whenever I publish...
Editorial: Cut The Complaints About “Inferior” U.S. Airlines
There’s a cliche amongst frequent travelers. It goes something like this: U.S. airlines are woefully behind European and Asian airlines, especially in terms of service. While just my opinion, I’m tired of that trite argument and reject it. Don’t...
Impressive Amenities on Air Dolomiti “Seventh Freedom” Flight
I just flew an Italian airline between France and Germany. Air Dolomiti is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa based in Verona, Italy. It operates many flights on behalf of Lufthansa to/from Munich. Unlike many of Lufthansa’s other regional partners,...
Miniature Horses Are Welcome On Alaska Airlines, Possums Are Not
Alaska Airlines’ updated onboard animal policy has entered into effect and the list of approved animals has been substantially narrowed down. Your dog and cat are still welcome as service animals. So is your miniature horse. That’s it. Miniature...
Affordable: A Year In Bali On Points
Hotel and airline loyalty programs offer beautiful destinations for little to nothing out of pocket. They also offer some destinations for very few points, but rarely do the two converge. In the case of Bali, however, they do. Here’s...
Airline Ticket Rules Are Inequitable Contracts
Airline tickets are contracts between the passenger and the carrier, but it’s the airlines that hold all the cards. From setting the rules to changing them after purchase, passengers are nearly helpless and that’s not right. If you are...
Uber Punitive Star System Bad for Drivers and Passengers
Uber’s star rating system allows passengers and drivers to rate each other anonymously. In some countries, Uber is barring riders from the app for having a four-star rating and that has me scared. If you are considering booking travel or signing...
EgyptAir Insists Its Bizarre Celebrity Interview Is Real
EgyptAir is digging it, insisting it’s bizarre “interview” with Drew Barrymore in this month’s Horus in-flight magazine actually occurred. If you missed my story on this earlier in the week, you can read all the juicy details here. The...
