A trip is on the horizon…I’m anticipating a trip to Europe coming up, perhaps as early tomorrow. But for now, another week in LA. I didn’t even spend this many consecutive days on the ground when my son was...
A Family Holiday in Beautiful Borneo
One of our favorite family holidays was to Beautiful Borneo over Christmas. We spent most of our time in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia as our port of entry to the nearby islands, and a side trip to Brunei. While no...
Hotel Upgrades Remain Elusive Without Insistence
This year I am traveling more than ever, giving Ryan Bingham a run for his money. As such, I find myself in many hotels some of which honor elite benefits regarding hotel upgrades, and others that do not. Instead...
United Could Easily Improve IRROPS
Businesses should not be measured by how they operate when things go right but rather how they react when things go wrong. United Airlines absolutely fell apart on a recent trip that experienced irregular operations before a dedicated employee...
How I Scored an Amazing Upgrade at Park Hyatt Sydney
It was a dark and stormy night in Sydney. We had checked in late to the Park Hyatt Sydney after our train ride from Canberra and were cold. Small problem. Our heater in the room didn’t work. And the...
United Charters Private Jet for Lost Dog
United chartered a private jet to reunite a German Shepard with his owners…after sending the dog to Japan instead of Kansas. Imagine this. You’re moving from Oregon to Kansas. After weighing flying versus driving, you book travel on United...
Dear Hyatt, We Don’t Need Another Courtyard by Marriott Chain
Dear Hyatt, the U.S. doesn’t need another Courtyard by Marriott chain. Please. Hyatt is piloting a program at a handful of Hyatt Place properties that eliminates free breakfast, long a cornerstone of this brand. Based on customer feedback, Hyatt...
Canberra to Sydney by Train
My uncle and I had a disagreement: I wanted to fly, he wanted to take a train. Spoiler alert: we took the train. This review covers my train trip from Canberra to Sydney. It wasn’t that I was opposed...
United Pilots Angry at Kirby’s Push for Regional Jet Expansion
United Airlines’ President Scott Kirby shocked investors by proclaiming United would increase domestic capacity by up to 6% this year and next. Now he’s shocked pilots by arguing this is “entirely dependent” on their authorization of more outsourced regional jets....
It’s the Golden Age to Become an Airline Pilot
It’s a great time to be a pilot or pilot-in-training. In fact, Boeing predicts the U.S. alone will need 117,000 new pilots by 2036. The days of furloughing pilots are over. Carriers are hiring at levels unseens since 9/11 and demand...
Senators Propose New Bill to Regulate Onboard Pet Storage
As I mentioned on Wednesday, there is technically no rule or law prohibiting the placement of pets in overhead bins. That may be a spirit/letter of the law issue, but at least two U.S. Senators want to fix that....
Review: Park Hyatt Canberra
Admittedly, this hotel reminded me more of a retirement home than a Park Hyatt property. But I still liked it a lot. Have you ever been in a retirement home that has a sort of musty/old smell? That’s this...
Qatar Airways First Class vs. Qsuite Business Class
I’ve received many questions asking whether I prefer Qatar Airways First Class or fancy new Qsuite Business Class. Here’s a comparison of the two products. Qatar Airways still offers first class aboard its A380-800 aircraft. Thus far, Qsuite Business...
Rebuttal: Passenger, Not FA, Responsible for Dead Dog on United Flight
Could it really be that the FA was just doing her job and bears no responsibility for the death of a dog? Reader Anthony did not agree with the arguments I made for why the United Airlines’ flight attendant who...
Bachelorette Party Ends in Tragedy as Private Jet Crashes
A sad story from Iran, where a private jet carrying a Turkish socialite and her closest friends slammed into a mountain, killing everyone onboard. Mina Basaran, the 28-year-old Daughter of Turkish billionaire Huseyin Basaran, was in Dubai to celebrate...
Dog-Killing FA Should Be Sacrificial Lamb
The tragic story of a dog killed inside the passenger cabin of a United Airlines flight demands accountability. Who should take the fall for this horrible error in judgment? I’d like to think that other than the dog’s owner,...
What Does the United Flight Attendant Manual Say About Dogs?
In light of the horrific dog death aboard a United Airlines flight earlier this week, I reached out to a United FA to see what the rulebook actually says about stowage of pets in-flight. She provided me sections of...
United Airlines Already Has “Premium Economy” on Domestic Flights
United Airlines already has “premium economy” on domestic flights…it’s called first class. I’m not saying that to be facetious. Honestly. But the one image we have seen thus far of what United’s new premium economy class product will look...
United Takes Responsibility Immediately for Dead Dog in Overhead Bin
If there is one thing that United Airlines learned from the Dao incident, it is not to blame the customer. If you haven’t heard yet, a dog tragically died on a United flight on Monday evening. Here’s a summary...
A Somber Reminder of War in Canberra
After spending several hours on Capital Hill in Canberra at Parliament House, we headed to the Australian War Memorial, a national shrine to Australians who have served or lost their lives in military conflict. From the balcony of Parliament...
