I try to avoid political controversy here, but for my annual Thanksgiving post I had planned to write a piece stating that I would not be shopping today or tomorrow and encouraging you to also spend the time with...
Pack a Sack as United Sacks Packs of Snacks in Back to Stay in Black
United Airlines CEO Jeff Smisek promised USD$2 Billion in cuts at the last shareholders’ meeting and the process has already begun. First, route cuts. Next, a threatened furlough of legacy United flight attendants (more on that in a future...
Thanksgiving Travel on United Airlines at Chicago O’Hare
Chicago’s local ABC affiliate did a fluff piece on traveling with United Airlines over the Thanksgiving holiday, but it still merits watching. Note the gate lice at 1:58! I like that the news clip actually paints an accurate picture...
Airport Security Exposed: How to Build a Homemade Shotgun After You Clear Security
No snow globes or yogurt are allowed past airport security checkpoints, but the video below shows that it does not take MacGyver to build a powerful shotgun with material that you can purchase once you get past the full body...
Simplicity: The Key to a Smooth US Airways Award Booking
US Airways mileage awards are perhaps the most enigmatic because there is seemingly no rhyme or reason to what is permitted and what is not. I laid out some general guidelines about booking US Airways awards, but six phone...
TSA-Approved "Detention Pods" at Syracuse Airport
As part of its $60mn renovation, Syracuse International Airport has installed new exit portals that it says will replace the need for security guards or TSA agents to be stationed at exits to the secure part of the airport....
Generous Premium Award Space On British Airways’ 787 Between Austin and London in August 2014
I help a lot of families use their miles and points to book family vacations and even with depressed business demand for premium seats during the summer, finding three or more business class seats on the same flight often...
The Real Reason Behind United’s New Service to Atlantic City
United Airlines announced new service from Houston Bush Intercontinental and Chicago O’Hare to beleaguered Atlantic City, New Jersey this week in a deal that brought NJ Governor Chris Christie and United CEO Jeff Smisek together for a special ceremony...
German Supreme Court: "Loyalty points are currency"
The German Bundesgerichtshof (Federal Court of Justice) (BGH) held today that loyalty points are a type of currency that should not simpy expire. Rewe, a grocery store chain across Germany, ran a promotion in 2011 in which you could collect stickers...
Leaked US Airways Memo: Agents Forbidden to Manually Request Award Space
US Airways apparently did not appreciate my story on how to book blocked Lufthansa award space, because a new memo has been issued that explicitly instructs Dividend Miles agents not to manually request award space on any flight. It was...
Merger! US DOJ Settles Lawsuit Against US Airways and American Airlines
US Airways and American Airlines have reached a preliminary deal with the U.S. Department of Justice concerning their planned merger. Details are still emerging. Under the proposal, American and US Airways would sell 104 takeoff and landing slots at...
Overnight Train from Baku to Tbilisi, Georgia
Each night an overnight train runs from Baku to Tbilisi, leaving Baku at 08:45p and arriving into Tbilisi the following morning at 11:40a. Baku’s central railway station is in the heart of the city and accessible by cab or...
Are Airline Safety Videos Worth Playing?
For years we have been told to set aside our reading materials while an airline safety video is played prior to takeoff, but few people comply with that request. In fact, most openly ignore it–continuing conversations, remaining focused on reading...
Delta Skymiles Logic: A Devaluation Before the Devaluation
You have to wonder what is going through the minds of the decision makers at Delta Air Lines when they announce a devaluation of their Skymiles award chart effecting all travel on or after 01 June 2014 then decide...
Book Your Summer 2014 Family Vacation in Lufthansa First Class with United Miles!
Lucky shares that Lufthansa has opened the award space floodgates on its new route between Toronto and Munich that begins on June 5, 2014. Space is going fast already but Lufthansa has released eight business class seats and four...
An Armed TSA is a Threat to All
In the wake of a lone wolf gunman storming a Terminal 3 security checkpoint at LAX last Friday and murdering a TSA screener, some are now calling for a cadre of TSA screeners to be armed at every airport....
Review: Park Hyatt Baku
Other than its barrage of CNN advertisements, you don’t hear too much about Azerbaijan. When you do, it is usually a story encouraging investment by heralding the country’s favorable interest rates and stable government or perhaps a blurb on...
Baku Metro (Pictures)
Every time a population surpassed one million in a Soviet city, Soviet law allowed for construction a Metro system. The Baku Metro, which debuted in 1967, was the fifth Soviet Metro system and boasts a similar blending of utility,...
The Other United Airlines Devaluation: Fewer Upgrades at a Higher Cost
The big news Friday was United’s devaluation of its MileagePlus award chart starting 01 February 2014, particularly for premium cabins on Star Alliance partners, but United also announced a policy change eliminating complimentary upgrades on flights to/from Northern South American and...
Clarification from United Airlines on Award Chart Changes
United has addressed some initial confusion stemming from its announcement yesterday that on 01 February 2014 the award chart chart will be massacred. 1. United claims the cost of premium seats on partner carriers is “out of sync” with...
