I am a bigger risk taker than most when it comes to checking valuable items, but I’d like to think I’d draw the line somewhere before checking a 300-year-old viola valued at $200,000. One woman didn’t…and Alitalia blamed her...
Was SWISS First Class Worth It?
It has been nearly two weeks since my trip from Zürich to Los Angeles in first class. Many have asked me, now that I’ve had time to reflect, was it worth it? Let’s put aside the lawsuit for a...
Chinese Cyber Police Block Marriott’s Website for Disrespecting China
Cyber Police from the city of Shanghai have blocked Marriott’s website and mobile app for one week, punishing the hotel chain for “disrespecting” Chinese Sovereignty. Marriott sent out a Mandarin-language survey to Chinese consumers which listed Hong Kong, Macau, Tibet,...
Review: Almost@Home Lounge Helsinki (Great Priority Pass Lounge)
I visited the Almost@Home lounge while transiting through Helsinki (HEL) just to grab a few pictures, but ended up liking it more than the crowded Finnair lounge. This is a great lounge option in Helsinki for Priority Pass members. The...
This Airport Lounge Has a Stylish Sauna
The sauna is a central part of Finnish culture. Fittingly, Finnair offers a sauna for guests of its business class lounge at Helsinki Airport. Located between the business class and “Premium” lounges in the non-Schengen area, the sauna area...
Review: Finnair Business Class Lounge Helsinki (HEL)
The Finnair Business Class lounge in Helsinki offers a great selection of food and fast wi-fi, but it does get crowded. You’ll find the lounge near Gate 36 in the non-Schengen area. As you enter the lounge, you’ll turn...
United Airlines Adds Eight New Domestic Routes
United Airlines is bolstering its domestic route network with eight new flights starting this summer. As part of President Scott Kirby’s plan to focus on growing the domestic route network, United will pinpoint cities such as Bismarck, Dayton, Madison,...
Passengers Threatened with Arrest for Taking Cell Phone Videos
Let’s start with the bottom line: when airline personnel threaten you with arrest for taking pictures or video, ignore them. It won’t happen. It has been a cold week in the Northeast and that has led to many weather-related...
Review: Finnair A320 Business Class Berlin to Helsinki
Finnair has one thing going for it in its intra-Europe business class: hot meals. A nice lunch is my main takeaway from the short flight from Berlin to Helsinki. Berlin Tegel is such a mess. The airport is somewhat...
Air France Holding My Money, Hasn’t Reached Out…22 Days Later
It has been 22 days since I booked a suspiciously cheap Air France first class fare. While Air France cancelled the ticket four days after booking, it still has not refunded my money or even reached out to me...
Review: Grand Hyatt Berlin
Located in the upscale Potsdamer Platz neighborhood within walking distance of the Brandenburg Gate, the Grand Hyatt Berlin is a great hotel choice in Berlin. I must admit, my favorite (points) hotel in Berlin has always been the Westin...
Rat-Infested British Airways Concorde Rotting on Heathrow Tarmac
If you’ve ever flown out of London Heathrow, you may have seen her parked in a corner. Sadly, the once majestic Concorde has been left to rot. As an aside, I did not know there was a most tabloid-esque...
Secret Government Airline is Now Hiring Flight Attendants!
I’ve written about JANET before, the “secret” government airline that transports workers to highly-classified government facilities. The airline is now hiring FAs! But this won’t be a standard job interview… > Read More: The Secret U.S. Government Airline JANET, more...
Introduction: A Trip to China on Finnair
For years I have wanted to try Finnair. A business trip to China allowed me to finally sample not just Finnair’s business class, but the Finnair A350. John and I were in Germany and had to get to Beijing....
Is it Acceptable to Spread Out When There are Open Seats?
We hope for them, rarely get them, but once in awhile run into flights that depart with many opens seats. What is the protocol for claiming those seats? I wrote about my recent flight in SWISS First Class that...
How the East Coast Storm Ruined My Weekend in Sunny LA
A horrific storm pummeled the East Coast last week, bringing commercial aviation to a standstill. As airlines continue to dig themselves out of the backlog, let me tell you about my weekend. At Award Expert, we don’t just book...
AA CEO Has Already Made $19.2MN in 2018
We’re barely a week into 2018 and American Airlines’ CEO Doug Parker has already made $19.2MN. Parker is not paid a cash salary. Rather, he is paid in company stock and stock options, a practice that began in his...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: January 7, 2018
A very happy Sunday evening to you from Los Angeles. It’s been a horrible weekend in one respect. I’ll explain tomorrow. For now, I’ll just leave you with the top stories of the week and a link to each...
Seven Travel Lessons Learned in 2017
The end of the year and beginning of the next is the perfect time to reflect on what’s transpired in 2017 and how to apply those learnings to 2018. Here are the lessons I’ve learned in the past year...
Flying in 2018: The Best of Times
Like Charles Dickens’ famous opening line, “it was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” In a counter post to one previously published today, I can prove that flying in 2018 is the best it has...
