For those who adore being in airplanes, do you ever have those days when you just want to get to your destination and skip the flying? I occasionally do and had one of those days yesterday. I was back...
Women Forced to Drive to Denver Because No Female TSA Agent on Duty?
Note the question mark–when I first head about the story, I rolled my eyes and commented, “The TSA did it again,” but there is a question as to who was at fault. A Littleton woman said she missed her...
Reader Question: Should I Buy Up My MileagePlus Status?
Reader Sandy asks: Matthew, I received the following offer from United in my e-mail box. I was about 10K miles short of 1P [Premier Executive] status last year, so I am tempted to take advantage, though it looks expensive....
New United Airlines Routes, Including Washington Dulles to Honolulu
United Airlines recently announced a handful of new summer routes, including new non-stop service from Washington Dulles to Honolulu and service from Denver to Fairbanks, Alaska. Daily Service between Washington/Dulles and Honolulu United will begin daily year-round service between...
A Zone of Twilight Between OnePass and MileagePlus
As Continental OnePass and United MileagePlus work to fully integrate in March, the next month and a half will be tricky for those elites looking to take full advantage of reciprocal benefits but who never linked accounts. Last March,...
Delta Shows the Grass is Greener on the Other Side, at least in North America
My travels took me to Bermuda last weekend, thanks to a very low Delta Air Lines fare from Newark. Despite holding Delta Platinum status for a year (I have no status anymore with Delta), it was also my first...
United Airlines’ New 767-400 Economy and Business Class Seating
United Airlines released photos on Facebook of the refreshed Continental 767-400 cabin interior, featuring lie-flat seats in business class and Economy Plus. Currently, Continental’s 764s have very narrow seat pitch throughout economy class (though the front half of the...
Free Wi-Fi this Week on US Airways
US Airways is offering ten minutes of free Gogo Wi-Fi by entering promo code USFREE10. Gogo is available exclusively on US Airways’ A321 aircraft and standard rates run from $4.95, depending on the type of device you have and...
Swiss, Adria, and Croatia Airlines Award Space Now Bookable on Continental.com
Swiss, Adria, and Croatia Airlines award seats are now bookable on continental.com, meaning that 26/27 Star Alliance carriers can now be booked quickly and easily online. Only Ethiopian Airlines, which joined Star Alliance last December, is yet to be...
TSA Find Bomb, Leaves it Behind, Prompts Bomb Scare
Security analyst Bruce Schneider, a fierce critic of the TSA, brings us another example of the agency’s (in)competence: TSA screener finds two pipes in passenger’s bags. Screener determines that they’re not a threat. Screener confiscates them anyway, because of...
Another Bump on United Airlines!
I still wonder sometimes why I put myself through such torture, but it always seems to work out in the end… Instead of flying non-stop from Los Angeles to Philadelphia to get back in time for my 2pm class...
Alaska Airlines Hasn’t Got A Prayer
Is it appropriate for an airline to hand out a prayer card with your meal? After doing so for decades, Alaska Airlines announced this week that it would be ending the practice effective 01 February 2012. Reactions have been...
Humor: Leaked US Airways Memo on Philadelphia Expansion
A great brouhaha is going on right now in the City of Brotherly Love over the proposed expansion of Philadelphia International Airport. Not surprisingly, US Airways (which currently holds a dominant position in Philadelphia) wants to keep it that way...
Spanair Ceases Operations
Barcelona-based Spanair, a Star Alliance Member, has ceased operations effective 27 January 2011. The struggling carrier has fought to stay afloat recently, but after a recent round of talks with Qatar Airways failed to produce an investment agreement, the...
Spirit Airlines Bickers Over the Return of All-In Pricing
A refreshing change has hit U.S. airline websites this morning: the return of all-in pricing. Under a new directive by the Department of Transportation, airlines must now display all-in pricing initially and at all junctures of your flight search–not...
American Airlines Business Class Seats – Only $140!
Act fast and you can purchase not just one, but two American Airlines business class seats for only $140! Just watch out for splinters… Now that I’ve got your attention, allow me to direct you to the following craiglist...
Senator Rand Paul Detained by the TSA for Refusing Invasive Patdown
I want to be careful not to blow this story out of proportion, but there is a key point we can take away from today’s incident at Nashville Airport in which Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) was temporarily detained by...
TSA Carry-On Policy: Guns Yes, Cupcakes No
If the Transportation Security Administration was a Shakespeare play, it would be A Comedy of Errors. In an apparent case of mistaken identity and astounding sloppiness, an x-ray scanner picked up a .38-caliber revolver in a passenger’s carry-on baggage...
American Airlines Restores Free Beer and Wine in International Economy Class
Starting 01 February, 2012, American will re-introduce free beer and wine in economy class on their flights between the US and Asia, Europe, and select markets in South America (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Uruguay). Gary wonders if such a...
Continental Airlines Dissolves Partnership with Virgin Atlantic
Via Friendly Skies, Continental Airlines announced today that their partnership with Virgin Atlantic will abruptly end on 13 February. While the news was not unexpected, it also was not expected to happen so soon. Effective February 13, 2012 we...