The rumors have finally been confirmed: United will expand its premium transcontinental service to flights between Boston and San Francisco on July 01, 2017. Even better, United will spruce up business class food and offer free hot meals in...
Inside the Honeymoon Suite of Pippa Middleton at Park Hyatt Sydney

Trust me, Live and Let’s Fly is not turning into the Daily Mail, but I could not resist this story. Feel free to skip it. Pippa Middleton (sister of Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge) and James Matthews married last week...
British Airways WILL Cover EU261 Claims + Other Flight Bookings

Some good news for consumers afflicted by the British Airways IT Meltdown over the weekend: BA has pledged to settle up. #1: BA will cover EU261/2004 claims One Mile At A Time reported that some passengers who filed claims under...
Iberia A330 Business Class: Not Bad At All

While the flight did not end well, I actually had a very pleasant trip on Iberia from Madrid to Los Angeles. I very much enjoyed the food onboard. The first meal was particularly delicious: a unique chicken thigh stuffed...
Overnight in the Iberia Velázquez Lounge in Madrid

I arrived into Madrid at 10pm from London and had a connection to Los Angeles the following day at noon. Was it worth going to the airport Hilton or into central Madrid? With a 24-hour lounge featuring a sleeping area, I...
British Airways’ CEO Alex Cruz Should Resign

I’ve not been particularly subtle in expressing my skepticism over British Airways CEO Alex Cruz. Since ascending to the helm of British Airways in early 2016, Cruz has treated British Airways like the low-cost Vueling carrier he previously ran. Small problem:...
Memorial Day Message from United CEO

United CEO Oscar Munoz is quite the prolific scribe. My go-to FA (who also said a new international route from LAX will be announced later this week) sent me the following note Munoz sent to employees earlier today to...
First Impressions of Biman Bangladesh Business Class

Biman Bangladesh Business Class disappoints, but mostly delights. My first flight in Biman Bangladesh Business Class, on the carrier’s flagship 777-300ER London route, was very good overall. The ground experience…not so much. I’ll have a full review later in...
How to Claim Compensation from British Airways Meltdown

British Airways experienced a huge IT meltdown over the weekend that crippled operations at London Heathrow and Gatwick. If you were impacted, what kind of compensation can you expect? First, let’s start with basic amenities. Under EU law (which the...
Virgin Atlantic Fuel Surcharges on Delta: Don’t Be a Fool

Last night we saw multiple reports of Delta adding massive fuel surcharges to Virgin Atlantic Upper Class redemptions. This morning the fuel surcharges are gone. Search for Virgin Atlantic award space on delta.com and you’ll see that the fuel...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: May 28, 2017

A pleasant Sunday evening to you from warm and sunny Los Angeles. I’m back from my latest trip to China/Thailand/Laos/Bangladesh/England/Spain and am looking forward to a couple weeks at home. My travails with Ethiopian Airlines have drawn out strong...
Qatar Airways and the Laptop Ban

When Trump Hands You a Laptop Ban, Qatar Airways Makes Lemonade 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. Review of Laptop Ban...
Iberia Apologizes, Clarifies Onboard Photo Policy

Last week I wrote about two Iberia flight attendants who demanded that I refrain from taking pictures onboard my Madrid to Los Angeles flight. I reached out to Iberia on Twitter for clarification on the carrier’s photo policy and found...
Review: Ace Hotel Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh is a city of chain hotels – which is where I usually stay due to elite benefits and point accrual – but on occasion there is sufficient cause to divert from the pattern. Ace Hotel Pittsburgh is just such a...
Another Note from Ethiopian Airlines Arrives

Ethiopian Headquarters has contaced me via e-mail concerning the $763 Bangkok fare. As I evaluate how to proceed with Ethiopian, I do wish to be transparent and post all correspondence. Having led you through this saga, it is only...
United Airlines Falsely Accuses Father of Fondling Son

There are a lot of bad people in this world who want to harm children. But it seems sometimes that society has gone off the deep end in its inherent distrust of fathers. Henry Amador-Batten was flying from Newark to Raleigh-Durham last Saturday on...
Spirit Airlines CEO Promises Better Customer Service

Spirit Airlines may be a low-cost leader, but its customer service leaves many passengers fuming. In the past, the airline has been openly indifferent (if not downright hostile) to the notion of providing good customer service. Nope, the focus...
Why is Aeroplan Website Blocking Non-US/Canada Awards? My Theory

UPDATE: The problem is fixed…for now. Aeroplan is blocking all online award redemptions of itineraries that do not touch the USA or Canada. Earlier this month I wrote The Worst Aeroplan Redemption I’ve Ever Made, a last-minute Frankfurt to Vienna...
Denied: Biman and Iberia Prohibit Me from Taking Onboard Pictures

This trip has morphed into an unenviable close. If I cannot take pictures onboard a flight, my review will be incomplete and much less worthy of your time. Thus, my very sustenance depends upon onboard photography. Sadly, I was warned by two...
Review: Qantas A380 First Class Sydney to Dubai

I hated to leave the superb Qantas first class lounge in Sydney, but I had been looking forward to this flight for months. Just to note, this review is from March 2015. I publish older reviews because they have...