It dawned on me as I was writing my earlier post about traveling through Ethiopia this week that I actually have 17 hours in Addis Ababa. My question is simple — what should I do? Ethiopian Airlines provides hotel...
This Week: Toronto, Addis Ababa, Bangkok, Saigon, Doha, New York
Oh how I love these weeks, the weeks I spend the literal majority of the time on an airplane. This week I’m linking up two incredible fares sales I took advantage of — one on Ethiopian Airlines, the other...
JetBlue-United Merger?
An “influential” Wall Street analyst is asserting that a merger between JetBlue and United is more likely than you might think. I am not convinced… In paywall-protected analysis, Hunter Keay of the Wolfe Research has opined– A few investors recently...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: October 15, 2017
Good evening from Los Angeles. I’m about to embark upon another adventure…I’ll share the details tomorrow. In the meantime, let’s review the top stories of the last week. The diplomatic spat between Turkey and the USA currently means no...
Reader Questions on Family Trips to Asia
A reader recently reached out to ask some questions about traveling around Asia with a small child. Since I have encountered a number of these issues in my own experience and questions like my reader’s remain, I thought it...
Status Lite Is Bad For Everyone
Hotels, car rental companies, airlines – loyalty programs of all kind offer status to their best customers to distinguish casual guests from true loyalists. Status involves greater benefits in exchange for an increase in business. In order to create new...
Rocketmiles Gave Me $20 Without Booking
I am always on the look out for better ways to book travel. Certain markets make services like Rocketmiles a great value or later in the year where status has already been achieved. After shopping around for an upcoming...
A Trio of Midnight Treats on United Airlines
United Airlines provides a hot snack on premium transcontinental red eye flights. Over the last couple years I’ve only been offered three variations, but all were tasty. For this week’s Meal of the Week I review a trio of...
Defiant Delta CEO: We Will NOT Pay “Nonsensical” Bombardier Tariff
Delta CEO Ed Bastian has come out swinging, saying Delta will take delivery of its new Bombardier C Series order while also promising it will never pay the 300% tariff levied by the U.S. Government. I outlined the stakes of the...
Review: Star Alliance First Class Lounge Los Angeles (LAX)
The Star Alliance Lounge at LAX offers a quiet oasis from the bustling terminal with à la carte dining and personalized service. But it also has some rough edges. First, take advantage of an escort if you are flying...
A Tribute to the 747
United Airlines’ final 747 flight will take place next month. It will also mark the final day a 747 operates scheduled passenger service for a U.S. airline. In anticipation of the historic occasion, United has created a very nifty...
Flight 666 to HEL on Friday the 13th
Airlines assign flight numbers themselves and once in awhile have some fun with them. For example, UA flight 777 used to run each day from Washington Dulles to Las Vegas. UA flight 747 is the designated flight number for...
Review: Alitalia 777 Business Class Rome to Los Angeles
With Alitalia operating in bankruptcy protection, I figured this might be my last shot to sample a longhaul flight on the carrier. Let’s hope not, though, because I actually had a very pleasant 13hr flight from Rome to Los...
Great Deal: ANA First Class R/T for 93K Points
One of the sweet spots in the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club award chart is redemptions for ANA First Class. With the current transfer bonus promotion, you can score a round-trip ticket in ANA first class for only 93,000 American...
Lufthansa Will Take Over 80% of Air Berlin, Launch New Longhaul Routes
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr announced his company will take over the majority of Air Berlin’s assets, including 81 aircraft. Speaking to reporters, Sphor said Lufthansa would invest at least €1.5BN and offers jobs to at least 3,000 (and possibly more...
Uh Oh: Hyatt Reveals Credit Card Breach
Chuck Floyd, Global President of Operations of Hyatt, just sent out an email to Hyatt guests noting a credit card breach that occurred earlier this year. Importantly: Breach took place between March 18, 2017 and July 02, 2017 11 countries...
I Screwed Up. Don’t Ever Hesitate in Booking an Award Ticket.
In my quest to try out as many business class products around the world, I thought I had a great trick up my sleeve to try out Middle East Airlines. I did, in fact. But I hesitated too long....
Airline Offers Unlimited Business Class Flights for a Flat Fee
AtlasGlobal, a Turkish airline, is offering unlimited business class flights throughout its international route network for a flat fee. It’s a surprisingly compelling offer. AtlasGlobal is based in Istanbul and serves 50 cities in 35 countries. While its route...
Southwest Kind Of Announces Hawaii Flights
Last weekend I reported about Southwest and the rumors swirling regarding their Hawaii operations. Based on information I gained from a casual conversation on a beach in Kona with a Southwest senior employee, it was clear that Denver would...
How to Book Delta Flights Online Using Virgin Atlantic Miles
Using Virgin Atlantic miles to book Delta flights often represents an incredible value. While you can always phone Virgin Atlantic to book your ticket, most flights can be booked online. But Virgin Atlantic does not make it easy. Here’s...