Not a very comforting letter published in yesteday’s NY Times: To the Editor: Re “This Bedbug’s Life,” by May Berenbaum (Op-Ed, Aug. 8): I recently flew back to Los Angeles from Washington, D.C., business class on United Airlines. In...
Southwest Airlines Considers Investment in 737-800
Southwest Airlines, America’s largest domestic carrier, is thinking big. Their fleet of 737-300, -500, and -700 series aircraft have served them well, but slot restrictions at airports like BOS and LGA have limited their ability to grow in key...
Steven Slater is a Liar!
Well, at least that’s what some passengers are saying. Then again, they could just be trying to get their 15 minutes of fame like Mr. Slater has very successfully done. Nevertheless, the news hasn’t been good for suspended JetBlue...
Sun Country Airlines Matches JetBlue, Offers Unlimited Flight Pass
After JetBlue announced the return of their popular flight pass this morning, Sun Country introduced a similar promotion. The MSP-based airline will offer unlimited flights to all 16 of its destinations between September 5 and October 13 for $499. ...
Airlines Raiding Desert Boneyards as Passenger Traffic Increases
Last week I booked a Sunday night redeye from Los Angeles to Chicago on United and was pleasantly surprised to see that the flight would be operated by a 747-400. Like Kevin’s experience last week, the aircraft featured the old...
747 Transformation (Courtesy of Virgin Atlantic)
Last week I blogged about Virgin Atlantic’s plan to repaint all 38 of its aircraft with a special metallic paint that will be more durable and require fewer coats than would conventional paint products. Now you can see how...
Review: Hyatt Regency Montreal
Below is a brief review of my recent stay at the Hyatt Regency in Montreal. Its brevity can be explained: about the only thing I did at the hotel was sleep. I arrived in Montreal on an early morning...
Star Alliance or Oneworld? LAN and TAM to Merge
LAN and TAM have announced their intention to merge into a new South American mega-airline group, LATAM. If the merger goes forward, the new company would boast 40,000 employees and transport more than 45 million customers a year to 115...
Air Canada Introduces Lifetime Elite Status
For those who have racked up at least 1,000,000 elite miles on Air Canada or Jazz flights, new benefits are coming your way: 1 million status miles = lifetime Elite status (mid-tier, Star Gold) 2 million status miles = lifetime...
Ex-Gangbanger and Inner-City Cop Flying First Class on Singapore Airlines
I’ve already blogged about the folly of assuming someone doesn’t belong in first class, but this story takes the cake. I love trip reports that read like a suspense novel and Flyertaker macabus has proven himself a fine raconteur. Click...
Leaked JetBlue Memo Reveals that Steven Slater May Have Fabricated Story
The AP has obtained an internal JetBlue memo admonishing the actions of Steven Slater and warning FAs not to try anything similar. Most interesting is this: JetBlue Chief Operating Officer Rob Maruster says in the memo that the airline is still...
Another Thaw in StarNet Blocking – My Award Trip is Now Complete
It’s too early to tell if StarNet blocking is gone on UA or just on another hiatus, but I was able to book transatlantic Lufthansa flights today–a marked change from last week. As I mentioned in an earlier post...
United 1K Line Calls Me the Wrong Name on Skype!
United’s IT staff may not win m/any accolades, but one thing I do is appreciate is not having to enter my Mileage Plus number each time I call reservations on my mobile phone. Because that number is the primary...
Continental/United Update Livery
I still am rooting for this design, but at least the merger team at Continental/United is making some progress on the livery of the combined carrier. When UA and CO announced they were getting hitched in May, they revealed this livery for...
A Note to the Disgrunted Passenger at UA Baggage Claim Last Night at LAX
Dear Disgruntled Passenger, Hi. I was the young man being assisted at the United baggage claim counter last night at LAX when you stormed in and demanded to cut to the front of the line. It was apparent that...
Partner Blackout Dates on United Airlines
Beyond the scope of StarNet blocking by United, some Star Alliance airlines simply do not make award travel available on specific dates, usually around major holidays or in high tourist season. While UA is very cautious about releasing any...
Ultimatum for Turkish Airlines FAs: Lose Weight or Lose Your Job
You read the title correctly and, no, I am not quoting a news story from the 1960s. Of course Turkish Airlines isn’t the only airline to set maximum weight and size thresholds for their flight attendants, but it always...
World’s Most Expensive Cities – 2010
The LA Times recently published a feature story highlighting the ten most expensive cities in the world. Here’s the top 10 list: Luanda, Angola Tokyo N’Djamena, Chad Moscow Geneva Osaka Libreville, Gabon Zürich Hong Kong Copenhagen I was surprised to see three African...
Jet Blue Flight Attendant Exits Stage Right After Rousing Vocal Performance
Steven Slater was already having a bad day. He had just landed at JFK from Pittsburgh a tad late and his passengers were restless. One even got up to fetch her hand baggage while the aircraft was still on...
World’s Least Expensive Cities – 2010
The LA Times recently published a feature story highlighting the ten places in the world where your dollar will go the farthest. Here’s the top 10 list: Karachi, Pakistan Managua, Nicaragua Islamabad, Pakistan La Paz, Bolivia Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan Bishkek,...
