My sister and her family are planning a trip to Hawaii next year and as we offer our recommendations and reminisce about our trip to the Big Island last October, I wanted to share this list. Here are a...
Review: St. Regis Shanghai Jingan – Suite

Combining the end of a mattress run for Marriott Platinum status and the only trip of my United 1K status match, I thought I would stray from my old mainstays and get a little wild. The St. Regis Shanghai...
United Status Challenge: My First Flight

I was surprised and delighted to see that contrary to stated status match levels, I was granted a status challenge from American Airlines Executive Platinum status to 1K. After reading comments from our readers, I decided to take the...
First United 767-300 with Polaris Seats Takes Flight

Last month I wrote about the completion of United’s first 767-300 retrofit. Last night, the reconfigured aircraft took its first flight, from Newark to London. > Read More: Revealed: United 767 Polaris Cabin Layout There was some controversy that the...
How to Check In Hands-Free for Your Next United Airlines Flight

You can now check-in for your United Airlines domestic flights without even lifting a finger or tapping a key. Just ask Alexa… I bought an Amazon Echo when it first came out…and have never opened it. I liked it...
Can You Skip Flight Segments in Middle of Trip?

One of the most common questions I receive at Award Expert is can I just skip that segment? The answer is no, unless it is the last segment of the ticket. The question is innately reasonable. Most people assume...
A Delicious Ethiopian Meal on Ethiopian Airlines

I mentioned it briefly in my first thoughts on flying Ethiopian Airlines, but want to focus on an unexpectedly delicious Ethiopian meal on Ethiopian Airlines for my Meal of the Week post this week. Airline food is still airline...
Delta Infuriates Me With Lack of Common Sense

I don’t fly Delta, but it is heralded by many as the best carrier in the United States with good operational reliability and great customer service. Forgive me for being skeptical. Yesterday, an employee was flying from New Orleans,...
Breaking: Shooting at Miami International Airport

Miami-Dade Police shot a knife-wielding man who managed to breach a security checkpoint and make it all the way to the tarmac before being apprehended. Terminal J remains closed. I received an text from one of my employees a...
Review: Somon Air 737 Business Class Dushanbe To Dubai

Somon Air is the sole private airline (versus state-owned Tajik Air) in Tajikistan. We flew from Dushanbe to Dubai aboard a 737-900ER, the crown jewel of the fleet. While I’d rate the flight experience as good overall, Somon Air...
Breaking News: Massive Equifax Data Breach!

If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com. If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today. CNN is reporting that Equifax has experienced a massive data breach of up...
New Houston to Sydney Flight on United Airlines — Too Long?

United Airlines is launching new service from Houston to Sydney, Australia, an ultra-longhaul route that showcases new markets made possible by the 787-9. The new route will be daily and begins on January 18, 2018. Tickets are already on...
Hypocrisy: Delta Announces (Subsidized) New Indianapolis to Paris Route

Good news for citizens of Indianapolis: starting next May, you can fly non-stop to Paris on Delta. Ironically for an airline that decries Gulf subsidies as distorting real demand, the new international route will be subsided by the State...
Heartwarming Video: United CEO Visits Houston

United Airlines just released a heartwarming video covering CEO Oscar Munoz’s visit to areas devastated by Hurricane Harvey in Houston. I don’t think the video requires much commentary. Here it is– I love the simple truth in this video...
How Was It? 10 Hours in Ethiopian Airlines Business Class

I’m home again. Yesterday I flew from Dublin, Ireland to Los Angeles on Ethiopian’s Fifth Freedom flight aboard a 787-8. It was my first time ever flying Ethiopian Airlines. How was it? A mixed bag, but good overall. I...
How Can Priority Pass Sustain a Steakhouse?

There’s a difference between free inexpensive snacks and drinks found in many airport lounges and a nice steak dinner for the entire family. Priorty Pass has added Timberline Steaks & Grill in Denver to its broadening definition of airport lounges....
I Win! I’m in the Air…on the Ethiopian Airlines Sale Fare

For those who doubted that I would ever fly on my Ethiopian BKK fare, I’m sorry to disappoint you. By the time this post goes live I’ll be traveling between Dublin and Los Angeles on an Ethiopian Airlines 787...
Delta’s Latest Stealth Devaluation: A Far More Expensive Close-In Booking Fee

Delta Air Lines, the airline that should not be trusted under any circumstances when it comes to the redemption side of its loyalty program, has done it again. I held off a few days writing about this to ensure...
An Exciting Review of Boring Dushanbe Airport + CIP Lounge

This is the review of the lounge we did not have access to, but still managed to visit and discreetly photograph. Let’s talk about Dushanbe Airport. Weird. We arrived at 2:30p, yes probably far too early, for our 5:35p...
Best International Airline…Ethiopian Airlines?!

On the heels of its 2017 Skytrax award for Best Airline in Africa, Ethiopian Airlines took home an even bigger crown yesterday…Best International Airline of the Year. …From the 2nd annual Ghana National Aviation Awards in Accra. Oh. So perhaps we...