United Airlines is running an auction this week for two seats in Polaris (business) class on a special Chicago to San Francisco flight debuting its new 777-300ER and Polaris Business Class seats. But how much is too much? The...
The Cruel Poverty of Cape Town
Income disparity is a fact of life. I am not a Marxist and I reject the notion that it is purely luck or at the expense of others that great fortunes can be made. But I do recognize both...
Star Alliance Iceland Stopover Now Much Easier
Iceland fascinates me. Not only does it contain immense natural beauty, it offers Northern Lights in the winter and midnight sun in the summer. I’ve been before and had a great time — now I want to take the family....
Flying Blue Now Lets You Book Award Travel One Year in Advance!
Traditionally, Air France/KLM Flying Blue only allowed award bookings 10 months in advance. Now you can book up to 12 months in advance! I was working on an award to Tel Aviv this morning for an Award Expert client...
United Warns FAs: Stop Customers from Stealing!
As I shared in my Frankfurt to San Francisco Polaris First Class review last week, the new Saks Fifth Avenue bedding on United Airlines is really nice. So nice, apparently, that customers are walking off with it at an alarming...
Johannesburg to Cape Town in South African Airways A343 Economy Class
I had neglected to assign seats in advance on this flight (did not even think it was possible) and my wife and I ended up in middle seats. The A343 economy class cabin has a 2-4-2 configuration and the...
Hilarious Ellen DeGeneres Parody of United Basic Economy
I don’t watch the Ellen Show. Heck, I don’t even have a TV in my home, but when I saw this video today I had to laugh. United Basic Economy is coming soon and Ellen has a field day...
Road Trip from Johannesburg to Lesotho
I am on a quest to visit every country in the world. My “first pass” through the world will often include more limited visits — sometimes just hours — but my goal is to experience a taste of life in every nation....
Want to Work for Lufthansa? Now is Your Chance!
The Lufthansa Group plans to hire more than 3,000 new staff in 2017, including 2,200 FAs. What Does it Take to be a Lufthansa Group FA? For any Americans looking to join Lufthansa, the first requirement is (unsurprisingly) that you...
Review: South African Airways Domestic Voyager Lounge – JNB
Disclaimer: This lounge has been refurbished. I am publishing this review for historical purposes — to make my South Africa trip report complete — but note that the lounge now looks quite different. Check out Lucky’s review for what this lounge...
The Worst Business Class Meal I’ve Ever Had
For this week’s edition of Matthew’s Meal of the Week I reflect upon the worst meal I have ever been served in business class. With roughly 80% of my flights on United, it is no surprise the worst meal...
10 Things You Should NEVER Say to a Flight Attendant
When you fly millions of miles, mostly on one airline, you develop a kindred spirit with FAs. Although they will generally be pleasant and smile in all circumstances, I’ve learned there are certain things you just should not say...
Review: Hyatt Regency Johannesburg (Suite)
Located in the Rosebank district of Johannesburg and surrounded by several shopping malls, my wife and I spent five nights at the Hyatt Regency Johannesburg to round out our time in Johannesburg. The hotel is a Category 2 property,...
Etihad and Lufthansa Announce Closer Partnership
In a joint press conference with Etihad CEO James Hogan and Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr, the two carriers announced a strengthened codeshare agreement, terminal relocations for Etihad in Germany as well as new LSG Sky Chefs and Lufthansa Technik contracts...
Review: Park Hyatt Beijing — Luxury Is Personal Even For Kids
I already knew from a previous stay that the Park Hyatt Beijing was going to impress, but I can honestly say that I had no idea just how much their personal touches, during our recent stay, would leave a...
Delta Ditches Taiwan, Further Dismantles Narita Hub
Delta will end service to Taipei in May, further eroding its Tokyo Narita hub. Delta currently operates a daily Fifth Freedom flight between Tokyo Narita and Taipei, Taiwan. That flight will end on May 24, 2017. Blaming the international expansion of...
Here’s How to Eliminate Risk When Booking a United Award
Earlier today I wrote about phantom SWISS award inventory appearing on united.com. The result of this inaccurate award space can be dramatic: hundreds of thousands of orphaned miles in United. Here’s how to eliminate risk when booking a partner award with United...
Caution: Lots of Phantom SWISS Award Space on United
If you have been searching united.com for award space lately, you may noticed something that was once as elusive as a four-leaf-clover: SWISS business class space. Be careful, though, before you transfer points over — some of the space...
Kasane, Botswana to Johannesburg on South African Airways (Airlink)
When planning out the routing for our trip, I was not even aware that Kasane (BBK) had an airport – credit to my wife for stumbling upon it when looking for accommodation. It worked out perfectly, saving a long...
Huge Cocaine Stash Found on AA Plane
We have a bit of a mystery on our hands…and some drug humor as well, all thanks to airliners.net. The issue: 31lbs of cocaine found on an AA plane at Tusla earlier today. CNBC reports that while working on the...
