I have written before about the valuable Southwest Airlines Companion Pass (pass holders can take another passenger with them for free). But its value proposition has lost its luster, we find ourselves using it so rarely because the value...
I Found A Needle In My Hotel Room
I stay in hotels often – as many as 200 nights every year – and I thought I had seen everything. Until the day I found a needle in my hotel room. What would you do? If you are...
Review: Amtrak Empire Builder (Superliner Bedroom)
My journey from from Portland, Oregon to Whitefish, Montana aboard Amtrak’s Empire Builder service was not what I expected, but still enjoyable. After arriving from Los Angeles on the Coast Starlight, we had about an hour before continuing our...
Review: Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge Portland Union Station
While certainly more private than the station itself, the Amtrak Metropolitan Lounge in Portland, Oregon is hardly a compelling highlight. You’ll find the lounge toward the left side of the station, as you enter. Coffee and water are available....
I’ll Get The New Amex Gold Card, But Not Yet
There has been a lot of hoopla about the the new American Express Gold Card. Here are my thoughts on the new card. First, let’s review the benefits. On the spending side, you’ll see a nice return on purchases...
Emotional Support Squirrel Lady Is Suing Frontier Airlines
A passenger who was thrown off a Frontier Airlines flight for refusing to part with her “emotional support” squirrel now vows to sue the airline. Passenger Cindy Torok relies on her emotional squirrel, Daisy, to deal with her anxiety. She`ll...
Air Italy Loans An A330 To Finnair It Leased From Qatar Airways
Air Italy just proved that there is a still a role for middlemen in the aircraft leasing business. Last month, a Finnair A330-300 (registration # OH-LTS) was clipped by a high loader (those vehicles that load baggage or catering onboard) at...
Qatar Airways’ Smug CEO Vows To Prove Critics Wrong
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...
