Considering I book multiple awards per week, mostly from US carriers, I have become intimately acquainted with award routing rules on the legacy carriers like United, Delta, American, and US Airways. You would not believe how often the agents...
Arrested for Sitting Next to Someone Who Used the Lavatory on Frontier Airlines
You are sitting on a Frontier Airlines flight. It is the tenth anniversary of the 9/11/01 attacks so people are a little on edge, but you just want to get home to Ohio. Boarding is complete on your flight...
Air India Has No Money to Pay for Boeing 787s
Poor Air India. When faced with a bloated staff and sagging financial numbers, rather than trim back operations and layoff non-essential personnel, they compensated for their abnormally high aircraft to staff ratio by ordering new airplanes–27 Boeing 787s. The...
The Ryanair Experience – Frankfurt Hahn to Pisa
Earlier this year Ryanair ran a special from Frankfurt Hahn to many of their destinations in Europe, with fares only 7€ each way including taxes and check-in fees (normally tripling the cost of a ticket). My brother was on...
Ten Years Later: Critically Examining 9/11
I tell you, freedom and human rights in America are doomed. The U.S. government will lead the American people in — and the West in general — into an unbearable hell and a choking life. -Osama Bin Laden, December...
Trying out Adria Airways and Croatia Airlines
This weekend I am checking out out two new European cities: Ljubljana, Slovenia and Zagreb, Croatia. The cities are only 140km apart, so I will be flying into Ljubljana then traveling to Zagreb by train, and finally returning to...
Wi-Fi Arrives on Delta Regional Jets
Delta is already one of the leading U.S. carriers when it comes to in-flight internet access and now has become the first U.S. carrier to offer wireless internet access on its regional fleet: Delta Air Lines announced Wednesday that...
Booking a 10-Segment Award on US Airways
I had a marathon day with US Airways yesterday, but when the dust settled I successfully booked a very attractive 10-segment business class itinerary, bucking the conventional wisdom and stern admonitions from many agents that awards cannot exceed eight...
"Ladies and Gents, Nepal Airlines Flight 410 to Kathmandu is Delayed…Due to a Mouse"
A new threat is on the loose–bandits wreaking havoc on one poor airline and sending its passengers into a state of panic. The airline has called for their destruction, but these zealots are on a mission and are not...
The Photograph the TSA Doesn’t Want You to See!
As we near the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, Live and Let’s Fly will feature a series of posts in the coming the days focusing on how travel has changed over the last decade. Today, I want to...
American Airlines Flight Attendants Shun First Class Turndown Service
You would think that flight attendants would be happy about their employer spending more to take care of customers. After all, a happy customer is easier to work with and there is a certain sense of pride that comes...
Man Chokes on Airline Meal, Dies during Jetstar Flight to Auckland
“One minute we were sitting next to each other kissing, holding hands and the next minute he was choking,” said 27 year-old Vanessa Preechakul of her now deceased boyfriend Robert Rippingale. The two were on a Jetstar flight from...
Germany Rejects Airport Full Body Scanners
When you are evaluating the acquisition of new technology how do you determine whether it will be a good fit? Do you just buy it without testing it, as the U.S. did in the case of airport full body...
Austrian Airlines Award Availability Now on Continental.com
The Continental Airlines award search tool is very handy. Quickly and easily, you can search for Star Alliance award space and at least get a general sense of what is available using your Star Alliance frequent flyer miles. The...
Time to Burn Your British Airways Miles?
Changes are coming to the British Airways’ Executive Club mileage program–and they do not sound good for North American travelers. At this point, we can only speculate, which I do not see much value in, but here is what...
PJs, Duvets, and Slippers Coming to American Airlines First Class
I really do think many travelers suffer from the “grass is always greener on the other side” syndrome when comparing U.S. airlines to those carriers outside the U.S. Sure, the Southeast Asian carriers like Singapore and Cathay Pacific offer...
Review: Hyatt Regency Kiev, Ukraine
When you think about service in the former Soviet Union, what usually comes to mind? A woman like the one featured in Wendy’s “Having No Choice” commercial taking issue with even the simplest request? I mention that because I...
My Long Journey to Mendoza, Argentina
My vacation has officially started. I checked into the Park Hyatt Mendoza earlier today and am going to take it easy for the next few days. Although I left Frankfurt last Wednesday night, the last five days have been...
In the Heart of Bolivia…
Sorry it has been a couple days…I´m sitting at a little internet cafe in Uyuni getting ready to travel to Argentina and the connection is worse than dial-up speed–I am going to keep it brief. The last few days...
Off to Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile on TAM Linhas Aéreas!
I am on my way down to South America for a week of travel including Salar de Uyuni in Bolivia, Mendoza, Argentina, and Santiago, Chile. I will provide updates when possible, but my posts may be a bit sporadic...
