The senior U.S. Senator from New York, Charles Schumer, has introduced a bill that would make it illegal for anyone to record or distribute images obtained from TSA full body scanners. While I prefer Ron Paul’s bill that would outlaw...
The Verdict is Out: Continental Airlines to Blame for 2000 Air France Concorde Crash
I can’t say that I am surprised by the decision: PONTOISE, France – Continental Airlines and one of its mechanics were convicted of manslaughter Monday by a French court, which ruled that debris from a Continental plane caused the...
Why I Won’t Credit Any More Flights to British Midland
The news that Air Canada is restricting elite status to those who fly at least 10,000 miles on Air Canada metal got me thinking about my habit of crediting 38K miles each year to British Midland (bmi). Even before...
Reconsidering American Airlines’ "Your Choice" Boarding and Flexibility Package
Back in June, I wrote a blog entry entitled American Airlines adds “Your Choice” service, i.e. pay for what used to be free. I was critical of AA’s new “Your Choice” program, bemoaning that the airline was charging for what...
$20 in Free American Express Spending at JFK, EWR, LGA, CLE, and IAH
Receive a statement credit of up to $20 when you make a purchase with an eligible American Express Card at one or more of these participating merchants at the airports listed below. The offer is valid through 12/31/2010 (and...
Air Canada’s Aeroplan Restricts Elite Qualification
As Nick blogged about earlier today, Air Canada and Aeroplan have modified their elite qualification requirements. Starting next year, travelers crediting to Aeroplan need to fly at least 10,000 miles or five segments on Air Canada metal in order...
The Difference Between Pending and Waitlisted Upgrades on United
A reader recently asked me to explain the difference between a pending upgrade and a waitlisted uprade on United Airlines. It’s really quite simple: pending means that you are outside the time limit for a waitlist to clear. Waitlist...
Opening up a SunTrust Account for Delta SkyMiles, Take Two
It has been almost two months to the day since I opened up a couple SunTrust banks accounts in order to take advantage of a generous Delta SkyMiles offer, but no miles have posted to my account. And it’s all...
Tapas Snackbox on United is Delicious
In November, United introduced three new snack boxes as part of its revamped buy-on-board menu for economy class. One of them, the Tapas snackbox, caught my eye and I had the chance to sample it earlier this week. The...
Hint: Look at Your Airline Meal Before You Dive In
A woman is suing American Airlines for $15 million, claiming she ingested a lizard buried in her in-flight meal. In 2003 (yes, 2003–you’ve gotta to love the speed in which cases move through court in the U.S.), Monserrate Luna dove...
Another Bittersweet Experience with Megabus
Megabus has saved me a lot of money this year. I went down to Washington, DC today for $1. The return ticket was only $3. I don’t know how Megabus makes any money at these cheap rates, but I...
Even the TSA Concedes it is Defenseless
Flying with Fish contacted the Transportation Security Administration to further probe into the broken security paradigm at American airports and promptly received a reply from a “threat assessment analyst” at the Department of Homeland Security. How does it make...
Poll Reveals Challenge Facing United and Continental
A recently released Zagat survey of 8,000 frequent flyers reveals a conundrum for the new United Airlines: passengers seem to love Continental and hate United. Continental certainly does many things well. Their website and mobile app is slick and...
Partisan Politics Behind TSA Public Reaction?
New York Times columnist Ross Douthat argues that public reaction to the Transportation Security Administration is hopelessly rooted in partisan politics. Imagine, for a moment, that George W. Bush had been president when the Transportation Security Administration decided to...
American Express $25 Small Business Promotion Extended Through December 31
Last Saturday evening I sat down to a late dinner at the Cheesecake Factory in Newport Beach with a nagging thought in the back of mind that I was forgetting something. Moments later, I received a text message from...
Double Elite and Redeemable Miles on American Airlines between LAX/SFO and DFW
As Virgin America prepares to enter the Dallas market, American Airlines is offering double elite qualifying miles (EQMs) and redeemable miles (RDMs) on flights between Los Angeles/San Francisco and Dallas/Fort Worth from November 29, 2010 through February 28, 2011....
From Hate to Great: Continental vs. United at Las Vegas International
As I have harped on many times before, attitude is key when it comes to forming my overall impression of a flight or travel experience. The amenities, ticket price, and hard product can all be great, but unless the...
Using a Flight Delay to Your Advantage
While most of the traveling public dreads the announcement that their flight is delayed, I usually welcome such announcements. To be sure, delays are not always a great thing. My Los Angeles-Las Vegas United flight was delayed yesterday by...
My Las Vegas Hotel Dilemma
Last week Expedia’s Canadian division ran a wonderful $300 off promotion that I took full advantage of. Booking the trips to New York City were easy, but the trips to Las Vegas were a bit more difficult. With Vegas,...
What the Spell Checkers Missed at United.com
Believe me, spell checking is not the easiest task in the world. Automated spell checkers are not perfect and without careful proofreading (as I have found more often than I’d care to admit on my own blog), a lot...
