Cathay Pacific is blaming too many empty seats and increasing competition from Mainland China for only its third annual loss in company history. In 2015, Cathay Pacific reported a HK$6bn annual profit ($772mn USD). In 2016, the company lost $575mn ($74mn USD). Why the huge reversal? The same market dynamics that are pressuring carriers in North American […]
Overrated Avios: Why I WON’T Take Advantage of British Airways Promo
On the surface, the deal sounds great — 150 Avios per dollar spent to join a dating website. By maximizing the deal you can earn 82,285 miles for $548.57. No brainer, right? So why have I decided not to take part? When I read Lucky’s post this morning, I was quite excited. This is undeniably […]
Review: China Airlines A350 Business Class Amsterdam to Taipei
China Airlines’ A350-900 in business class was every bit as impressive as I hoped it would be. Great service, great food, and a great seat made for a great flight. I had started in Los Angeles the previous morning, with a 6hr layover in San Francisco followed by 10hr flight flight to Amsterdam with only a two hour […]
Turkish and Air Namibia Join Forces
Turkish Airlines and Air Namibia have announced a codeshare agreement (effective 01 March 2017) on a limited number of routes with hopes of further collaboration. Air Namibia has only one longhaul international route — to its former colonial overlord in Frankfurt, Germany. The A330 Business Class product is modern, with Aura Lite seats from Zodiac Aerospace, the […]
My Awesome Routing to Jakarta for Garuda First Class
I’m enroute to Jakarta for the long-awaited 90%-off first class award redemption on Garuda Indonesia. Although I am very excited to try Gardua First Class, I must admit my routing to Jakarta is giving it a run for the money. When I booked the one-way first class award from Jakarta to Amsterdam in December for […]
Interest in Traveling to the USA is Plummeting
Is the U.S. on the verge of a “tourism shock”? One digital travel agency is claiming the answer is YES. Its analytics reveal the interest in traveling to the USA in 94 countries has fallen sharply since the Trump inauguration and travel ban. 17% drop in flight searches to USA A company called Hopper compared the number […]
TSA Admits It Likely Cannot Spot Terrorists
Internal documents reveal that the TSA’s behavior detection program aimed at rooting out terrorists is inherently flawed according to an ACLU report. The TSA’s behavior detection program utilizes specially-trained agents — some uniformed, some in plain clothes — to scope out signs of stress, fear or deception in airport passengers. The program has been around for 10 years […]
Remorse & Resolve: Final Thoughts on a Month in Africa
My unexpected month in Africa will always be a two-edged sword: a treasured memory on the one hand and a painful and expensive exercise in futility on the other hand. Remember the purpose of this trip was to secure a police clearance report for Heidi – one-more charade we had to perform for the hapless […]
Review: Radisson Hotel Bandar Seri Begawan – Brunei Darussalam
If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com. If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today. My wife and I planned a short trip to Brunei and we were not disappointed. Finding a Club Carlson property in the city center, Radisson Bandar Seri Begawan, was a […]
Top 10 American Airlines Award Redemptions
After a substantial devaluation last March, American Airlines AAdvantage miles are not worth what they once were. Nevertheless, there are still sweet spots on the award chart (mostly premium cabin) that are worth taking advantage of. Here are my top 10 redemptions on American. Top 10 AAdvantage Redemptions (one-way basis) 1. USA to Africa (75K Business) […]
How to Complain Effectively in Three Easy Steps
It’s easy enough to complain to an airline or hotel over bad service. It’s quite another matter to do so in an effective manner to obtain the results you are seeking. Here’s my how-to guide on complaining. A Case Study Let’s use an example. If you want to get right to my tips, scroll down to […]
United CEO Vents About Small Planes, Washington Dulles
United CEO Oscar Munoz has a message about Washington Dulles: we screwed up. Fly between Newark and Washington Dulles — United’s two east coast hubs — and you’ll find yourself on a 37-seat turboprop (Bombardier Q200). Admitting that United’s share of traffic has steadily shrunk on the WAS-NYC market while competitors have increased, Munoz conceded, “And so now […]
Want to Work for Lufthansa? Now is Your Chance!
The Lufthansa Group plans to hire more than 3,000 new staff in 2017, including 2,200 FAs. What Does it Take to be a Lufthansa Group FA? For any Americans looking to join Lufthansa, the first requirement is (unsurprisingly) that you must be fluent in German. Here is a list of requirements that I have translated from […]
Review: Kahala Hotel & Resort – Honolulu
If I am going divert from staying in a chain hotel in which I can earn and redeem points, the alternative has to be very, very compelling. Although Honolulu has a wide assortment of chain hotels including three great beachfront Starwood properties and a comfortable Hyatt Regency, my hotel choice is the Kahala Hotel and […]
Hyatt Sha Tin: Bring the Family Along to Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of my favorite cities in the world and still a favorite for us now traveling as a family. Some may not immediately see the appeal of this destination as a family getaway, but traveling there before having a child created a yearning to return again and again and again. Bringing Lucy […]
His Excellency Defends Qatar Atlanta Service in New Interview
Protests have sprung up in the Atlanta area over Qatar Airways new service to Doha including a string of protests, radio/tv attacks, and full-page newspaper ads condemning the Gulf carrier. CEO. Trying to reassert control over the matter, Qatar CEO Akbar Al Baker (“His Excellency”) has made himself available to local press in Atlanta, attempting to […]
My Plan for Fixing Aeroplan
I was going to title this post “An Indictment Against Aeroplan” but I don’t think anyone wants to read another list of gripes about Aeroplan’s shortcomings. So Aeroplan, consider this my free consultation for how you can bring yourselves into the 21st Century and offer customers a dramatically better experience. 1. Aeroplan Call Center Must […]
Last Day to Burn Your AA Miles Prior to Devaluation!
Monday, March 21, 2016 is the final day to use your AA miles at prevailing rates. On March 22nd a massive devaluation kicks in for premium cabin awards in nearly every region, making your AA miles much less valuable. But there is still time — one more day — to take advantage of some great […]
United Airlines Shuffles Board as Oscar Munoz Readies Return
Two news items from United Airlines. First, Oscar Munoz will be back soon. Second, three new independent members to the Board have been appointed. Is there a link? Munoz is already back in a decision-making capacity but will resume his CEO role on a full-time basis on March 14, 2016. In a press release he […]
Delta Now Shows Only Four Award Booking Classes
Delta Air Lines removed award charts without notice last year, downplaying the need for them by insisting that delta.com would accurately price awards. That news foreshadowed more dynamic award pricing and an aggressive use of fare logic to price awards segments cumulatively rather than as what had traditionally been a single maximum price between an […]
