Greetings from a beautifully blustery autumn day in Carmel, CA. I’ll have details tomorrow about the wonderful way I’ve spent my long holiday weekend. It was a fairly quiet week on the blog and in the aviation industry, which...
Putting the ‘Mistake’ in Mistake Fare
I posted some time ago about the tremendous deal/mistake fare that was offered by Air Transat from several airports in Canada to several airports in Europe. I wasn’t sure at the time if this was just a great deal...
Review: Ritz-Carlton Shanghai Pudong – Suite
As part of my United 1K Challenge I headed to Shanghai for a quick status run. I wanted to stay in some new properties as I had previously stuck to Hyatt and hadn’t spread my wings beyond the brand....
Helping a Toddler Beat Jet Lag
Jet lag is hard enough on adults, but children have it the worst. They don’t understand why they are tired, awake and may want to fight it but don’t have the strength. There are some easy ways to avoid...
Airport Shuttles are NOT the Bane of My Existence!
Travel with Grant wrote an entertaining rant entitled, Airport Shuttles are the Bane of my Existence. I hold a different viewpoint. He lays out a string of recent horror stories involving airport hotel shuttles and vows to never wait for...
Review: Park Hyatt Toronto (Suite)
Here’s a review of a hotel that will close next week for two years. Consider this the “before” review in preparation for the “after” review in late 2019. But even the old Park Hyatt Toronto is, well…was still a...
New Trick for Booking JAL Award Space with AA Miles
There’s a new way to book Japan Airlines (JAL) award space with your American Airlines miles. Use this guide to successfully book JAL award space with AAdvantage. After more than three years of preparation, JAL migrated from its own Passenger...
“BA Magic” Campaign from British Airways
Sometimes I think I live under a rock…I can’t believe I only learned today of the “BA Magic” campaign by British Airways. These videos will make you cry. Take the latest video, to start. British Airways fulfills the dreams...
Next Generation Lufthansa Business Class Seat Revealed
Lufthansa will be the launch customer of the 777-9 in 2020. While Lufthansa has opted to forgo first class on its new aircraft, also called the 777X, it will offer an updated business class product. Up until now, we’ve...
Review: Ethiopian Airlines 787-8 Business Class Dublin to Los Angeles
Ethiopian Airlines’ Fifth Freedom service from Dublin to Los Angeles featured an outdated seat in business class, but genuinely friendly service and a great meal. Ethiopian Airlines runs a bustling operation in Dublin, Ireland. Flights to Washington, New York,...
UK’s Obscene Airport Taxes Rising Again
Obscene is a strong and harsh word. It means offensive to moral principles; repugnant. I don’t use the word casually. Yet I do use it to describe the ridiculous APD departure tax from the United Kingdom…that will soon grow...
Review: Dublin Airport Executive Lounge
The Dublin Airport Executive Lounge offers scorching-fast wi-fi and barista-made coffee. It’s well worth a visit before your flight from Terminal 1. After checking in for my Ethiopian Airlines flight from Dublin to Los Angeles, I proceeded through security....
A Turkey Dinner from 37,000 Feet Over Iraq
I realized something while searching through my massive archive of airline meal photos today. I’ve had steak, chicken, lamb, pork, fish, lobster, crab, octopus, and even reindeer as a main course on an airplane. But never have I had...
Introduction: Adventures on Ethiopian Airlines and Qatar Airways
Two so-called mistake fares. One mega trip. It was a hard-fought battle, but eventually I prevailed and successfully reinstated my discounted business class ticket on Ethiopian Airlines. Soon thereafter, Qatar Airways published an amazing business class fare between Ho...
A Thanksgiving Resolution
Once upon a time there was a boy who loved to fly around the world using his miles and points. Around the globe he flew, visiting the far corners of the world; meeting new people and surveying new lands....
Thanksgiving Letter from United CEO
United CEO Oscar Munoz penned a beautiful to note to employees concerning the Thanksgiving Day holiday. Dear United family, Thanksgiving is a time when we take stock of what we’ve accomplished over the past year and give thanks to...
Review: SWISS 777-300ER Business Class Los Angeles to Zurich
The SWISS 777-300ER has a lot going for it. A great hard product in business class, good IFE, wi-fi, and generally professional service. But there were some rough edges. Food was poor and one particular FA was quite rude....
How to Survive 14 Hours in Economy Class
Last week I found myself in the rear coach cabin for a 14-hour journey from Hong Kong to Chicago. Here are seven tips for how to survive long flights in economy class. 1. Drink Gallons of Water Staying hydrated...
Air China Cancels Service to North Korea
Air China has suspended its service to Pyongyang (FNJ), North Korea, effective immediately. Air China cites a lack of demand as the reason behind the route cancellation, but I question that. Earlier this week U.S. President Donald Trump added...
Masturbation or Self-Gratification? Penetrating the Air France Controversy
Speculation continues over what really happened onboard Air France 228, from Paris to Buenos Aires, on October 29th. Live and Let’s Fly will never be a willing purveyor of “fake news” so let’s dig a bit deeper. A passenger...
