Here’s the paradox of tipping coming to Uber: I now tip far more generously than before, but my rating is dropping. Honestly, I care much more about any secret comments on my Hyatt or United profile than what my...
Introduction: Road Trip Though Italy
Greetings from beautiful Italy, where I’ve spend most of the week…on the Autostrade. I’m on a 10-11 day trip in Italy with one of my salesman from my other line of work. We started in Rome and will be...
Pilot Stranded Miles Away from Airport by Angry Lyft Driver
It happens often, but it is not always captured on video. An airline pilot was ditched in a grocery store parking lot seven miles from Los Angeles International Airport. Why? His Lyft driver had no desire to travel to...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: April 08, 2018
Buona sera from Milano. I’m in the midst of a fast-paced business trip through Italy. I’ll provide some detail on it in the days ahead…it will not be a typical trip report. It was a fairly light week of...
Free Agent Is The Best Status to Hold
After years of chasing status (I still do), sometimes being a Free Agent when it comes to choosing your travel product is the most liberating of all. While I still hold elite status, on a recent trip my family...
Review: Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort
Navigating the Orlando hotel scene can be a challenge, even when presented with a limited set of parameters. I had a chance to review the Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek Resort on a recent Disney trip and was pleased with...
Flying By The Seat Of Our Pants
The more points and miles we have and the more we travel, the finer we cut our trips. However, the trip we took this last week was booked in part while we were on it, leaving surprises at every...
Air New Zealand Unveils New Flat Beds in Economy Class for Infants
Although it has been eight years since Air New Zealand launched its innovative SkyCouch product, a new variant will allow more undisturbed sleep for toddlers. The modified seats will include a dedicated infant harness and belt, allowing little ones to...
Alitalia, ANA Form Strategic Partnership
Alitalia and ANA are linking up…further proof of the waning power of alliances. Until recently, Alitalia and ANA would have been viewed as strange bedfellows. Alitalia is a member of SkyTeam and ANA a member of Star Alliance. But...
Venezuela Bans Copa Airlines
In an escalating diplomatic spat between Venezuela and Panama, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro has banned Copa Airlines from flying to the Bolivarian Republic. Panamanian President Juan Carlos Varela shrugged over the news. Although word of the ban sent Copa stock tumbling...
Perspective: Why More Dogs Die on United
We know that more dogs die United Airlines than any other U.S. airline. But there’s more to the story. United is pushing back. The stats are alarming. 506,994 animals flew on a U.S. airline last year. 24 died. 18 of...
No Lounge? No Problem! A Creative Solution from SWISS
SWISS is currently remodeling its Business Class and Senator Schengen lounges near the A-Gates in Zurich. As a result, these lounges will be closed until at least July. But that’s actually a GOOD thing. In the interim, SWISS provides...
Fly the Fokker 100 While You Still Can!
Although increasingly rare in the west, it is still possible to fly on a Fokker 100. It is now an aging aircraft, but I highly recommend it. I wrote about this aircraft before and even reviewed a brief flight...
Stunning: Pictures from the New SWISS First Class Lounge in Zurich
Leave it to SWISS to create a sophisticated, beautiful new first class lounge now open in the A Gates (Schengen) area of Zurich Airport. Like the E-Gates First Class Lounge, the bar design resembles a plane fuselage–made of beautiful...
New Lufthansa First Class Lounge in Munich is Excellent
The recently-opened Lufthansa First Class Lounge in Munich’s Satellite Terminal 2 is top-notch. It’s not that the design style is different than the old one. Rather, it is a testament to Lufthansa’s enduring quality as a top-tier carrier. >...
I’m Delayed In Zurich…But Why?
So much for reaching Rome on time… Last night, my flight from Zurich to Frankfurt posted creeping delays, 15 minutes at a time. The flight ended up departing 90 minutes late. With only a 55-minute connection in Frankfurt, it...
Scam “British Airways” Agent Defrauds My Client
A cautionary tale: be careful when you search Google for an airline’s telephone number. One of my Award Expert clients just got ripped off, big time. We had booked a trip for her in American Airlines + British Airways...
Lufthansa First Class Never Disappoints
Lufthansa First Class never disappoints. Never. Yesterday I flew from Los Angeles to Munich, a route now served by the A380. There wasn’t really anything new and different (though Wi-Fi is now free). And that’s the point. I’ve never...
How I Almost Missed My Flight (Again…)
Yesterday afternoon, I almost missed my flight to Munich despite arriving at the airport two hours before departure. It’s a long story, perhaps too much information, but bear with me. Yesterday I was driving to lunch with my business...
Express Dining on United Airlines
United offers express dining on long-haul flights in Polaris class for those who wish to dine quickly and maximize sleep. That’s the subject of this week’s Meal of the Week. I took advantage of it on a trip last...
