It was time to leave Longyearbyen and I was very sad to go. That said, the weather had turned decidedly chilly, with a cold pelting rain greeting us on our final morning. One other tidbit on Longyearbyen: no one locks their doors. We had left our bags with Kai, our Air BnB host, when we […]
Why MileagePlus Go Card is Actually Great
Critics have come out against the MileagePlus Go Visa Prepaid Card early and often. But I think many of their criticisms are unfair and don’t accurately reflect the wider market for this product. This card is a great value for some and a terrible value for others, but since the rest of the world seems […]
United Status Matched Me to 1K!
I have previously noted that American Airlines has gutted their Advantage frequent flyer and because of that I am leaving American. Loyalty is a two-way street and American has worked hard to make it a one-way street, well I’m not riding any more. But of course that decision was reached only after I had already […]
Why Are Status Hotel Upgrades Tough?
Some hotel chains offer room upgrades of varying levels to their elite guests. These are typically listed as “if available upon checkin” but often moving up from a double queen room to a coveted suite seems like hard work. But really, if the room is available, why are status hotel upgrades so tough to execute? […]
Why I’m THANKFUL for Latest United Mileage Plus Devaluation
I hate all devaluations. But United’s latest devaluation could have been much worse. Much worse. Let’s review what will change on November 01, 2017. For over a year now I have been predicting another United MileagePlus devaluation. While both Delta and American Airlines have introduced rather substantial devaluations, United has not touched its award chart […]
Review: Lufthansa A380 Premium Economy Los Angeles to Frankfurt
Last month I had the chance to fly round-trip from Los Angeles to Frankfurt in Lufthansa’s Premium Economy product. I previewed the flights already, but here is the full review of the outbound flight. My inbound flight review is here. > READ MORE: I Survived Lufthansa Premium Economy Fight Nearly Breaks Out on My Lufthansa […]
Join Me for Frequent Traveler University Chicago!
Frequent Traveler University is coming to Chicago, this time with a brand new format and an extended lineup of speakers. I’ve spoken at Frequent Traveler University for several years now because I love to help others do what I love. FTU is not so much about discovering hidden tricks (though that always happens) as much as […]
Review: Iberia A340-600 Business Class from London to Madrid
For years I’ve had my eyes on an evening Iberia A340-600 flight that operates from London Heathrow to Madrid. Last month, I finally had the chance to fly it. With a same-day flight necessary from London to Madrid and prices sky high, spending 12,750 Avios plus $66.13 for a lie-flat bed made the most sense. After 11hrs […]
Green Sand Beach: Papakolea in Hawaii
During a recent trip to Hawaii, my family got to take full advantage of the natural beauty of the island. By far, one of the most breathtaking and adventurous, was the journey to the green sand beach, and view once we arrived. Where Located near the southern tip of the Big Island of Hawaii (and […]
United Airlines Falsely Accuses Father of Fondling Son
There are a lot of bad people in this world who want to harm children. But it seems sometimes that society has gone off the deep end in its inherent distrust of fathers. Henry Amador-Batten was flying from Newark to Raleigh-Durham last Saturday on United. A FA felt that his hand was too close to his son’s genitals and called […]
Five Reasons to Attend FTU in Minneapolis
If you’ve never been to a Frequent Traveler University, consider attending the upcoming FTU in Minneapolis June 9th-11th. I have been speaking at FTU events for several years now and would not do so if I did not believe in this fundamental premise: the pie is big enough to go around and you’re pretty foolish […]
American Cutting Legroom in Economy Class. Will United Follow?
I wrote earlier today about my disdain for the pageantry of Congressional hearings, but don’t think I am excusing the doublespeak on the another side of the dais. As American Airlines looked members of Congress in the eye with the promise of improved customer service, news emerged of its plan to cut economy class legroom […]
Leaked A350-1000 Configuration on United Airlines
A tweet allegedly reveals how United will configure its new A350 aircraft. Via @A350_Production on Twitter, United’s A350-1000 (on order) will be delivered with the following configuration: 60 United Polaris (Business) [18%] 91 United EconomyPlus [27%] 186 United Economy [55%] —— 337 total seats In brackets I have indicated what percentage of overall aircraft seats each cabin contains. By […]
In Solidarity, I’m Flying Turkish Airlines to the USA
It’s a small sign of solidarity with Turkish Airlines against a questionable electronics ban, but I will be flying on the carrier next month from Istanbul to Los Angeles even though it means I will be separated from my laptop for 14 hours. This was no easy decision. The Los Angeles flight occurs during prime work […]
How Does Hyatt’s Spring Promotion Compare?
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. Hyatt introduced their second quarter promotion this morning, Scott has more on that release. The promotion, Double Points for Being You has few limitations, the most important is that the […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: March 26, 2017
Good afternoon from the Black Forrest of Baden Württemberg. It has been another busy but great week visiting family and friends. The coming week will also be busy, but there will be downtime as well. The in-flight electronics ban has dominated travel headlines this week and rightfully so. I addressed in numerous posts: Official Details […]
Getting a Tourist Visa for Venezuela
I wrote earlier this week about my desire to visit Venezuela and my failure to check entry requirements. Once I realized my mistake, I planned to quickly rectify it by following the instructions, finding a nearby consulate or the Embassy in Washington DC and expediting the process. I looked into how I would begin and […]
Ouch! Disappointing Loss for Cathay Pacific
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 […]
