I’ve flown most Star Alliance and oneworld carriers, but very few on SkyTeam. When Garuda Indonesia offered 90%-off first class award redemptions, I sensed an opportunity not only to try SkyTeam’s premier first class product, but also sample additional...
Globalist for 24 Months: Mattress Running for Hyatt Status
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. I’ve long been a fan of Hyatt hotels (as my reviews will show)...
Review: Hong Kong Disneyland
Though we had been to and through Hong Kong more times than we could count, we have some favorite spots in the city that make any layover greater than four hours worth leaving the airport. We had never taken...
United Beefs Up Domestic Network with New Routes
In December, I mentioned that United Airlines is refocusing on domestic flying. The plan is win back the road warriors and leisure travelers alienated during the Smisek era by focusing on operational reliability. United CEO Oscar Munoz recently told employees that United suffered...
New United Service from San Francisco to Munich
United Airlines will add daily summer service between San Francisco and Munich, running from late May through early September. Adding to flights to London, Frankfurt, and Paris, the new service to Munich will utilize a Boeing 787-8 and run...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: February 26, 2017
Greetings from cold and rainy Seattle. I am speaking at FTU this weekend and it has been a lot of fun. If you have not yet been to FTU, consider the upcoming Minneapolis FTU in June. This weekend I...
Garuda’s Dangerous Gamble at LAX
Garuda Indonesia is coming to Los Angeles! The carrier has sought permission to operate 3x per week between Jakarta and Los Angeles beginning in November 2017. Garuda plans to use its three-cabin 777-300ER on the route and operate the...
Hyatt Place in Europe: A Whole Different Experience
On my way back home from the Garuda trip, I spent one night in Amsterdam at the Andaz and my second night at the Hyatt Place near Schiphol Airport. I loved the Andaz — it was exactly what I...
Hollywood Throws Out Bob Hope from Burbank Airport
As my home airport, I watched with great dismay as service to Burbank greatly shrunk during the Great Recession. Now with great delight I watch service returning to pre-recession levels. In a bid to draw even more travelers (and...
Five Reasons My Garuda First Class Flight Was Incredible
Hello from Amsterdam! The Garuda First Class flight is over and it was great. Really great. Here are five reasons my experience was incredible. #1 The incredible crew More than anything else, the crew was amazingly spectacular. Every moment of...
Innovative Aer Lingus Onboard Coffee
My brother Andrew lives in Germany and surprised me with this post waiting in my inbox this morning. I think it’s pretty good! I figure I should introduce myself as I hope to submit more content here as time...
Why Flight Attendants Prefer to Work in Economy Over First Class
“I once had a forty-something male passenger who said he was a picky eater and asked me to remove the almonds from his mixed nuts, the shaved Parmesan from his salad and the cilantro from his tabouleh.” That’s from...
Emirates Swanky New A380 Bar (Pictures + Video)
Profits may be plunging as oil prices remain low and the competition catches up, but Emirates made a U-turn today in its cost-cutting direction with the announcement of a newly redesigned bar onboard its Airbus A380 aircraft. Color me...
A Very Political Ad from Hyatt
World of Hyatt is replacing Gold Passport on March 1st and Hyatt unveiled a new ad campaign today that will air on the Oscars Sunday night. It is a very political ad. First, watch the video– I like the video...
So My Garuda Ground Experience Was Disappointing…
Well, it was bound to happen. When they asked me what kind of berries I wanted, I just assumed every aspect of the Garuda experience would blow me away. The first class lounge did not. I will compare Garuda...
Airline Accused of Banning “Old, Fat and Ugly” Flight Attendants
Such a proud day for Aeroflot yesterday with news that it had been named World’s Most Powerful Airline Brand. But today, allegations have emerged from a disgruntled group of FAs that the Russian carrier is banning flight attendants deemed...
An Economy Meal Far Better than Business Class
Talk about a step down. After my Garuda First Class flight my next flight was a 10hr flight to Houston in United Economy on UA21. I decided not to upgrade because economy was only about ¼ full and if...
The Amenity Kit I Cannot Throw Away
I think we all tend to hold on to certain things, sometimes irrationally. Back in 2005, I picked up a free “United MileagePlus Visa” amenity kit at the ticket counter in Washington Dulles. For the last 12 years, it...
Garuda First Class Team Contacts Me by Email
Setting the tone for what hopefully will be a tremendous overall experience, Garuda Indonesia reached out to me several days before my flight. Talk about customer service! Dear Our Valued Customer Mr. Matthew Jonathan Klint , Warmest greetings from Garuda Indonesia First...
Travel Book Review: “SOAR” by Shashank Nigam
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. I am always on the lookout for new travel industry books to read....
