United Airlines is shifting strategy at Newark Liberty and Washington Dulles, with big plans to concentrate connecting traffic at Dulles and make Newark “almost entirely” mainline. Let’s first turn to Domestic Network VP Ankit Gupta. His strategy is simple: Dulles...
Review: Hyatt Regency Paris Charles de Gaulle
I enjoyed my night at the Hyatt Regency Paris CDG Airport, a full-service hotel with comfortable rooms. Instead of paying nearly 400EUR for a second night at the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile, I moved to the Hyatt Regency Charles...
Review: Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile
I would have been happy to stay another night at the Park Hyatt Paris, but no vacancy forced me to move over to the Hyatt Regency Paris Étoile across town. This 995-room hotel was transformed over the last two...
Qantas Destroys Baggage: A Cautionary Carry-On Reminder
Another reason you should never place valuables inside your checked bag: your luggage might fall out onto the tarmac and be run over by truck. Although that is merely an allegation by one disgruntled Qantas passenger, the proof is...
British Airways Adds New Destination in South Africa
British Airways will begin nonstop service to Durban, South Africa starting this autumn. The new 5,935-mile service begins on October 29, 2018 and will run three time per week and utilize a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The flight will operate...
Review: Park Hyatt Paris (Renovated Room)
My recent stay at the Park Hyatt Paris was much like my last one. Far from flawless, but still a great experience overall. The drive from Orly Airport to the hotel took about 30 minutes. I pulled up to...
Alaska Airlines Is Ditching What Made It Special
Alaska Airlines is praised for its customer-friendly policies and lack of nickel and diming. But that unique position continues to erode. Starting on June 05, 2018, Alaska Airlines will make three major fee changes. 1. 24-hour free change/cancellation policy...
United Overhauls Service To Mexico, Cuts Three Destinations
United Airlines is adjusting service to Mexico, eliminating three destinations entirely and reducing service to others. In a leaked internal memo, United announced several routing changes starting next month. Note that United has doubled capacity between the USA and Mexico...
Collapse Of Iran Deal Hurts Airbus Much More Than Boeing
With U.S. President Donald Trump signing an executive order re-instating sanctions on Iran, Iran Air finds itself in a difficult position. So does Airbus. Boeing? Not so much. The USA is withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal framework. With...
Airbus A350 Performs Near-Vertical Takeoff
An Airbus A350 performed an incredible near-vertical takeoff at a recent airshow in Berlin. This is a must-see video. of a A350 Vertical Takeoff The aircraft, a A350-900XWB with Rolls-Royce engines, was the second A350 ever produced. This plane is primarily...
American Airlines’ Agent Humiliates Breastfeeding Mom
An American Airlines’ gate agent humiliated a woman, loudly chiding her for trying to bring breastfeeding equipment and breastmilk onboard her flight. The incident happened at Los Angeles (LAX) while boarding a flight to Chicago (ORD). A gate agent...
A Boring But Brilliant Award Redemption
Sometimes the best use of your miles is not for a luxurious longhaul first class flight but a short domestic flight in economy class. An Award Expert client needed to travel from Chicago to Birmingham this weekend. Dates were...
Why is United Slashing Domestic First Class Meal Service?
Can someone explain to me why United Airlines continues to slash domestic first class meal service? Oh, I know. One word, right? Kirby. United Airlines’ President Scott Kirby is just doing what he attempted to do at American Airlines:...
A Tremendous Priority Pass Lounge in Venice
The Marco Polo Club at Venice Airport is an exceptional lounge with great amenities. We had allowed plenty of time to drive from the Dolomites down to Venice and arrived with some time to spare before our EasyJet flight...
Is Air France Fighting for Survival?
With the government refusing to intervene, share prices falling, losses mounting, and a strike persisting…is Air France fighting for survival? Bruno Le Maire, the French Finance Minster, told reporters that the ongoing labor dispute “threatens the survival of Air France.”...
China Threatens U.S. Airlines
As Marriott can already attest, tensions over China’s sovereignty can hurt business. Now U.S. airlines are under threat. In one corner: China, stating that any business operating within its borders must respect its sovereignty. In the the other corner:...
The Beguiling and Sometimes Accurate Freddie Awards
My wife and I recently attended the 2018 Freddies Awards for loyalty programs. The winners and losers were both predictable and confounding depending on the award. Some made perfect sense while others left the room gasping. Which ones made...
OneJet Continues Growth, Acquires Ultimate JetCharters
This week Pittsburgh-based carrier OneJet acquired Ultimate JetCharters and Ultimate Jet Shuttle to expand footprint and size up their fleet. What will the new airline look like? If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card...
Review: Hyatt Regency Cartagena – Suite
During a spontaneous last-minute getaway, we had a chance to stay three nights the Hyatt Regency Cartagena. We were switching hotels from the beautiful, but remote Conrad Cartagena as we were itching to be closer to the vibrant walled...
Review: Park Hyatt Milan (Prestige Suite)
Yesterday I wrote about my recent stay at the Park Hyatt Milan. This post focuses on my upgrade to a Prestige Suite. First, this is not a typical suite upgrade: this is a “luxury” suite and I was quite...
