I’m back in Europe after a 13hr flight onboard a brand-new Vietnam Airlines A350 aircraft. What is Vietnam Airlines like in long-haul business class? Vietnam Airlines has taken delivery of 10 A350 aircraft since 2015. The first five were...
Review: American Express Centurion Lounge Hong Kong (HKG)
The beautiful new American Express Centurion Lounge in Hong Kong represents an excellent new addition to the AMEX lounge network. I arrived at the airport nearly 2.5 hours before my flight to Chicago and thus had plenty of time...
How Does the “Serial Stowaway” Sneak Past Security Checkpoints and Onto Airplanes?
Marilyn Hartman, who has become a folk hero for slipping past TSA checkpoints and onto airplanes undetected, has struck again. This time she not only bypassed security at Chicago O’Hare, but managed to sneak onto a British Airways flight...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: January 21, 2018
Hello from Zurich. I’m in the midst of an extended business trip, anxious to get home, but trying to appreciate the time in one of my favorite countries. I’ve already been to Qatar, Vietnam, Germany, and Malta. Austria, Italy,...
Video: Passengers Brace for Emergency Landing
An American Airlines flight operated by Mesa Airlines on January 17th, departed Phoenix, Arizona and made an emergency landing in Dallas/Ft.Worth. The mechanical issue stemmed from a broken fan which caused smoke in the cockpit. Footage A video taken...
Hilton Award Hack Or Bad Tech?
During a period of maintenance to the Hilton Honors website I was able to secure prices that beat the Dynamic Pricing engine. Was this a case of luck, a new award pricing hack, or just bad technology? If you...
United Airlines’ Limited Global Services Challenge
Status challenges exist to steal business from competing airlines and hotel chains. United Airlines offers their Global Services with unpublished requirements and does not allow status matches to the exclusive tier, but it appears they now offer a challenge...
Will Qatar Airways Buy 25% Stake in JetBlue?
Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, has hinted at plans to buy a 25% stake in a U.S. “startup” airline. If I’m a betting man, I’d say that is JetBlue. Speaking to reporters at an air show in...
Do You Ever “Waste” a Flight Watching Movies?
It had all the ingredients of an ideal flight for sleeping. The flight left at 2am. I had just worked for 8 hours. Lie-flat beds were available. And I was tried. But I did not sleep a wink. After...
Qatar Airways Shines in the Dark of Night
My final segment on my Qatar Airways “Golden Ticket” was a flight from Doha to Ho Chi Minh City aboard an A330 that departed at 2am. You might think catering would be more limited on an overnight flight departing...
Bravo! Delta Restricts Emotional Support Animals
I’ve written before about emotional support animals…and how some airline passengers routinely abuse federal law to avoid pet fees. Now Delta Air Lines is saying enough is enough. Complaints over animal defecation, urination, and biting have risen 84% over...
Sitting Next to a Pipe Smoker
I could smell it many paces away…my seatmate from Doha to Ho Chi Minh City was not just a smoker, but a pipe smoker. The smell was distinct and unmistakable. And while I prefer the smell of smoke from...
Review: United 777-300ER Polaris Business Class San Francisco to Hong Kong
United Polaris Business Class, and by that I mean the actual new Polaris seat, is a step in the right direction for United. My 15hr flight from San Francisco to Hong Kong gave me plenty of time to test...
Norwegian 787 Sets Transatlantic Speed Record
A Norwegian Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner has set a transatlantic speed record from New York to London for a subsonic jet. The jetstream is strong this time of year and was clocked as strong as 202mph on Monday during the...
United Airlines 2018 Winter Olympics TV Ad
The 2018 Winter Olympic Games are coming up in PyeongChang, South Korea. U.S. athletes will be traveling there on United Airlines, the subject of a new 30-second TV advertising spot. The video’s slogan: Helping superheroes fly for 38 years. Proud...
Airport Pharmacy in Doha Saves the Day
I keep my vitamins and the one prescription drug I take each day in the kitchen of my house. Three trips in the last year, including my current trip, I have forgotten them. One time I was only gone...
Premium Plus, a New Premium Economy Product on United Airlines
United Airlines will launch a true premium economy product later this year called Premium Plus. An email sent out to Mileage Plus members today included the following information: Introducing United® Premium Plus International premium economy is coming. Later this...
Qatar Airways Agent Tries to Deny Me Boarding…
Sometimes it is wise not to draw attention to a particularly cheap fare an airline has decided to honor. You can accuse me of being greedy, but I stopped at the transit desk after arriving into Doha and asked...
Booked: Vietnam Airlines A350 Business Class
Last week I asked you how I should get home from Ho Chi Minh City. Votes were fairly divided between JAL, Korean Air and Vietnam Airlines/Virgin Atlantic. After weighing the options, I decided to try Vietnam Airlines in business...
My Experience Booking a Complimentary Transit Hotel in Doha
Qatar Airways has extended its complimentary transit hotel program until at least April 2018. I had the opportunity to test it out on my trip through Doha this week. About a week before travel I visited the website. Economy...
