Last week I flew from Los Angeles to Frankfurt in Lufthansa First Class then connected on a cheap ticket from Frankfurt to Amman via Athens in Aegean economy class. Believe it or not, the dinner on the 807-mile ATH-AMM...
Here’s Why United’s Award Booking Rules are Just Stupid
I run Award Expert, a boutique travel consulting agency that specializes in the effective use of miles and points. Consequently, my team and I are well-acquainted with the nuances of every loyalty program worth talking about. Not surprisingly, we deal with United...
Emirates, Etihad, Turkish Electronics Ban Lifted: What’s Next and Why
Good news for travelers to the United States: the electronics ban has been lifted on Etihad, Emirates, and Turkish Airlines. The ban will be lifted on flights from Saudi Arabia in the next couple weeks as well. So what was that...
Cool New United Airlines Museum Exhibit at SFO
If you’re flying through Terminal 3 of San Francisco International (SFO) in the coming months, factor in an extra 15 minutes to check out an amazing United Airlines museum-quality exhibit. The SFO Museum rotates collections twice per year in the long hallway...
United CEO Reflects on Independence Day
Happy Independence Day to my readers in the USA. United CEO Oscar Munoz sent the following note to UA workers this morning. Thanks to a FA friend for sharing it with me: Dear United Family, This Fourth of July, our...
Review: Air Serbia Premium Lounge Belgrade
I spent the night in Air Serbia’s 24/7 Premium Lounge in Belgrade (BEG), allowing for plenty of time to explore it. It’s a great lounge with many first class elements. After a rough opening act, I settled down to...
How Air Serbia Nearly Ruined My Day
I had a choice to make. I arrived into Belgrade at 5pm and had a connecting flight at 7am the following morning. While a hotel may seem 100% logical during a 14-hour layover, three factors worked against it. One,...
My Horrible Seatmate in Lufthansa First Class
Trying to be as gentle as possible, I’ll just say this—I have never shared a first class cabin with someone with such poor behavior. It started in the Star Alliance First Class Lounge at LAX. An escort arrived to...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: July 2, 2017
Greetings from over the Atlantic on a rare overnight westbound flight. The week took an unexpected turn as I found myself on a very quick jaunt to Germany and Jordan. More details on that trip are coming. In the...
Emergency Landing at Denver as United Aircraft Catches Flames
Scary moments today as the left engine of a United Express aircraft caught fire, forcing an emergency landing and hasty evacuation. United 5869, enroute from Aspen to Denver, encountered fire upon descent. The SkyWest-operated Bombardier CRJ-700 was met by fire officials upon...
When it Typhoons in Hong Kong
Two weeks ago I found myself in a precarious situation, Typhoon season had begun in Hong Kong and the rain came in with fury. I was also traveling without my husband but with my daughter. During each of the last...
Why Are Status Hotel Upgrades Tough?
Some hotel chains offer room upgrades of varying levels to their elite guests. These are typically listed as “if available upon checkin” but often moving up from a double queen room to a coveted suite seems like hard work....
Quick Review: Cathay Pacific Lounge Bangkok
In an effort to provide short posts of relevant and updated information I have compiled some quick reviews to help readers benefit from my travel experiences. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both...
Review: Air Serbia A320 Business Class from London to Belgrade
Air Serbia has a brand new business class seat on its flights within Europe. This flight review recounts my experience flying from London to Belgrade a couple weeks ago. Check-In I arrived three hours prior to my flight via London...
The One United Award I’m Booking Before Devaluation
Earlier today I analyzed the upcoming United MileagePlus devaluation coming in November. I noted that awards originating outside the USA are going up in price, but did not go into detail. I’ll go into detail now on one particular...
Why I’m THANKFUL for Latest United Mileage Plus Devaluation
I hate all devaluations. But United’s latest devaluation could have been much worse. Much worse. Let’s review what will change on November 01, 2017. For over a year now I have been predicting another United MileagePlus devaluation. While both...
Disabled Passenger Forced by Japanese Airline to Crawl Onto Plane
Sometimes rules get in the way of common sense. But sometimes rules exist for a valid reason, even if they appear inhumane. This sad story, however, demonstrates that sometimes there is just no right answer. Hideto Kijima is head of the Japan...
My Experience Applying for Hyatt Credit Card
You would think that as a loyal Hyatt Globalist, I would have had the Hyatt Credit Card from Chase for many years. But I just applied for it today. You should too if you enjoy staying at high-end Hyatt...
New DHS Security Directive on All US-Bound Flights
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has announced an “enhanced security directive” on all commercial flights to the USA. From its Fact Sheet, the following changes will take place, effective immediately (though obviously compliance will take time): Enhancing overall...
ANA Adds Third Daily Flight Between Los Angeles and Tokyo
ANA has announced a third daily service on its Los Angeles – Tokyo route starting on October 29, 2017. Presently, ANA operates one flight per day to Tokyo Haneda and one to Tokyo Narita. The new daily service will...
