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...
London to San Francisco on British Airways…in 4 Minutes
Flying from London to San Francisco takes 11 hours. But thanks to one innovative pilot, you can re-live the journey in less than four minutes. British Airways’ Captain David Wallsworth is a Twitter and YouTube sensation for his time-lapse videos from...
Passengers Terrified by “Drunk or Stoned” FA on United Express
You’re on a flight from Denver to Williston, North Dakota when all of the sudden a FA blurts out (over the PA): “If your seatbelt isn’t tight, you f***** up.” That’s not funny. That’s vulgar. Then the FA sits on...
Review: Park Hyatt Milan
I last stayed at the Park Hyatt Milan in 2011 and posted this review. Seven years later, very little has changed (further validating why I post old trip reports). The hotel remains an amazing property in the heart of...
Jail Time for Publishing a Mistake Fare?
A German court has ruled that websites can be fined and owners jailed for publishing so-called “mistake” fares. The ruling comes out of Bavaria, a more conservative and business-friendly region of the German Republic. Lufthansa sued a travel website...
Commentary: United Hires a White House Press Secretary
United Airlines has named former White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest as its Chief Communications Officer. In a press release, United describes his job description: At United, he will be responsible for developing the company’s global communications strategy, leading a...
A Horrible Stay at the Famed Plaza Hotel in New York City
What happens when a five-star hotel that runs over $1,000 night doesn’t have any food or beverages? That’s what happened at the famed Plaza Hotel in New York City (and still is…). One of my best Award Expert clients...
These Dogs And Cats Are Banned From United PetSafe
When United Airlines begins accepting new reservations for its PetSafe program this summer, many dog breeds and a handful of cat breeds will no longer be welcomed. United’s PetSafe program is currently under review. Working in collaboration with American...
Customer: AA Agent is Sending Me Vulgar Text Messages!
After one customer cursed out an airline employee over the phone, she suddenly received a pair of abusive text messages from an unknown number. I’m not going to defend the conduct of Marla Margolis. She flew from Boston to...
My Last Meal on Virgin America
I’m going to miss the food on Virgin America in both first and economy class. I touched on this in my review last week of my final Virgin America flight, but want to dedicate this week’s Meal of the...
A321 with 200 Passengers Lands on Unfinished Runway, Now Trapped
A Vietnam Airlines A321 with over 200 passengers onboard landed on a wrong, unfinished runway. Civil aviation authorities are now questioning how and why. From the Telegraph: Vietnam Airlines Flight VN7344 from Ho Chi Minh City touched down on a...
Emirates Tells Passengers With Severe Nut Allergy To Sit In Lavatory…For 7 Hours
What happens when nuts are served on a flight with passengers who have a severe allergy to such nuts? In the case of one Emirates flight, the crew suggested the allergic passengers take refuge…in the lavatory…for seven hours. Shannen...
Booking a 50K Lufthansa First Class Award with Asiana
A first class Lufthansa award ticket between North America and Europe is only 50,000 Asiana Club miles, an excellent value. But be warned, booking is not a straightforward process. Asiana Club is a Starwood Preferred Guest transfer partner, meaning...
Great Hotel Concept: Hospitality Suite
What happens when you check-in and your hotel room isn’t ready or you check-out but are not ready to leave the hotel? The Kahala in Honolulu provides a great solution: a hospitality suite. I wrote about my recent stay...
American Airlines May Soon Find Itself Locked Out of Venezuela
Last month, American Airlines announced increased service to Caracas, Venezuela. While other U.S. and European carriers have abandoned air service to the beleaguered nation, AA has steadfastly remained. But that could soon change. American flies twice daily to Caracas...
My Conversation with Oscar Munoz at SFO
United CEO Oscar Munoz was on hand for a United Polaris Lounge media event last week in San Francisco. Unlike my last encounter, I asked him a couple questions this time. There were about 30 members of the media...
