Hyatt may be hemorrhaging elite members, but that has not stopped the hotel chain from committing one of the biggest cardinal sins in loyalty: essentially a no-notice devaluation. At 9:01pm CT On January 31, 2018, two hotels changed categories....
Aeroplan Sent Me a Certified Letter…
After traveling in Europe for nearly two weeks, I returned home to find a certified letter from Aeroplan delivered by FedEx. Here’s the unedited letter, concerning my cancelled first class tickets on SWISS: Dear Mr. Klint: Thank you for...
Flight Carrying 85 Plumbers Forced to Divert…Due to Lavatory Problems
A flight carrying 85 plumbers was forced to divert after the onboard lavatories malfunctioned and could not be repaired. How’s that for irony? Norwegian Air Flight 1156 from Oslo to Munich was forced to turn around just past the...
Lufthansa’s Unnecessary New Livery
A couple weeks ago, I wrote a post entitled, Dear Lufthansa, Please Don’t Ruin Your Beautiful Livery. It was a plea for Lufthansa to leave well enough alone. Sadly, my letter fell upon deaf ears. The new livery is out...
My Hyatt Concierge Experience
One of the benefits of achieving Globalist status in the World of Hyatt loyalty program is a personal concierge, called My Hyatt Concierge. This person is intended to be a single point of contact for all reservation requests and...
27-Year-Old Has Visited Every Country in the World
As I continue my own quest to visit every country in the world, I love reading stories about how others have achieved the same feat. Sal Lavallo is just 27 years old, but recently visited Malta, his final country on...
“Love Suites”: Virgin Atlantic’s Clever Spin on Old Business Class Seats
Coming soon to Virgin Atlantic Upper Class: Love Suites, Solo Freedom Suites, and Solo Corner Suites. But don’t expect a revolutionary new business class product. Virgin Atlantic has acquired a handful of ex-Air Berlin A330-200s which will enter service...
Why You Should Always Book Directly with the Airline
This week we learned about a sad case, a tragedy really, involving a woman who was denied boarding enroute to her mother’s deathbed due to a ticketing snafu. It’s a reminder to always book directly with the airline, when...
Why You Encounter Errors on Aeroplan Website
Have you ever wondered what is going on when you encounter an error when trying to book an award using your Aeroplan miles? In almost all cases, the culprit is two words: married segments. I’ve outlined before, in great...
Qatar vs. Delta – Who Really Won?
Later today U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will announce a sweeping deal that will put to rest the dispute between U.S. carriers and Qatar Airways. But who is the real winner here? Qatar Airways will agree not to...
What Would YOU Ask United CEO Oscar Munoz?
I’ll soon have a chance to speak to United CEO Oscar Munoz. I have a few questions in mind, but want to give you a chance to help me formulate excellent questions. Last time I spoke with him, I...
Update: SWISS Sends Second, Nasty Letter Blaming Bloggers
My ongoing battle over cancelled first class tickets on SWISS is a two-front war: one with with SWISS and the U.S. Department of Transportation, the second with Aeroplan. In the case of SWISS, recall that I filed a DOT...
United Airlines Denies Boarding to Emotional Service Animal…a Peacock
Recently, I argued that airlines must crack down on the abuse of emotional support animals. Passengers continue to twist federal law to bypass pet cargo fees and bring animals onboard who do not belong onboard. > Debate: The Abuse...
The Airline in Which Pilots and FAs Are Too Afraid to Come to Work
Times are grim for Kam Air, the main private airline in Afghanistan. Fearing for their safety, foreign workers are fleeing the country, forcing the carrier to cancel the majority of its flights. Last week a deadly terrorist attack rocked...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: January 28, 2018
I’m back in California after a whirlwind trip around the world that included stops in Asia, the Middle East, and seven countries in Europe. I’ll be on the ground for awhile…at least that is the plan. This coming week...
Review: W Hotel New Orleans – French Quarter
The W Hotel New Orleans French Quarter was a mixed bag. The property is well located if you want to be close to Bourbon Street but still able to sleep at night, less than ideal if you’d prefer to...
Getting to Ha Long Bay, Vietnam
We ended our summer of slow travel through Asia in Vietnam. One of my long time “Bucket List” destinations, my family was excited to visit the lush and beautiful Ha Long Bay. We weren’t let down. Getting There We flew in...
Confirmation That Elites Are Leaving Hyatt
Hyatt changed their very popular loyalty program in 2017 and may have upset their best customers. Hyatt has made a series of changes to the program that walked back some of the restrictions keeping elites from qualifying for the...
University Professor Arrested for Calling German “Nazi” at Frankfurt Airport
A Georgetown University professor was arrested for calling a German Federal Police Officer “Nazi” (among other choice words) at Frankfurt International Airport. Word of warning: that’s a bad idea anywhere, but especially in Germany. I lived in Germany for...
Review: Turkish Airlines A330-200 Business Class Istanbul to Frankfurt
Turkish Airlines offers a consistent, above-average product in its European business class. This flight demonstrated, once again, why I enjoy Turkish Airlines so much. It wasn’t the A330 I thought it would be…I already addressed that in my initial...
