Growing up I was a "kettle" flyer–one to two trips a year in the back of the economy cabin with no concept of elite status, frequent flyer perks, or mileage running. When I was a teenager I had a...
Picture of the Week #10: Airport Murals at Denver International Airport
I stopped doing the Picture of the Week feature a few months ago, but I’m bringing it back, at least for today, to showcase this piece of airport artwork: photo courtesy: telegraph.co.uk Looks like some sort of Chavez propoganda...
United pilot detained for showing his underwear in Brazil
I have not had the pleasure of visiting Rio de Janeiro yet, but it seems they take airport security even more seriously than the TSA: SAO PAULO – A United Airlines pilot was briefly detained at the international airport in Rio...
United loses liquor license at SEA Red Carpet Club for serving alcohol to minors!
If you are flying though Seattle-Tacoma International over the next five days, don’t bother to pull out your drink chits if you stop by United’s Red Carpet Club. UA’s liquor license has been suspended for allegedly serving alcohol to...
United vs. Continental in the NYC Market
While the New York City airline market is one of the nation’s most competitive, transcon routes are particularly cutthroat. Delta, American, and United are all vying for your business out of JFK and offer an enhanced product to SFO/LAX,...
An airline horror story: Trapped On A Plane
Imagine boarding a delayed flight from London to Newark. With nerves already frayed, you are told that all the mechanical issues have not been resolved and the air conditioning onboard is not working. You wait a little longer for...
No YQ on UA international fares
It’s too early to tell whether this is a temporary glitch or a deliberate change in the way United prices tickets, but UA has eliminated the YQ (fuel surcharge) on most trans-pacific fares. Sample a/i fares available now: SFO-SYD...
Spirit Airlines’ new ad campaign: "Check out the oil on our beaches"
You see how smart Spirit Airlines is? Fresh off the heels of a strike that cost them millions, Spirit needed to get back in the news and get people talking about them again. They’ve succeeded in their latest ad...
Saddened over the elimination of mySmoothie on United
While many are crying over the loss of premium liquor like Maker’s Mark or The Glenlivet on United, I’m saddened that UA has recently eliminated mySmoothies from the beverage selection. United is constantly tinkering with its BOB menu and the à...
The Soviet Era is over for Aeroflot
I had the pleasure of flying on Aeroflot three times in late 2008 and have become a big fan of the airline that many bypass simply because of its Soviet-era reputation. Aeroflot understands it still has some work to...
SkyTeam bolstering its lineup: Tarom and China Eastern to join
SkyTeam, which added Vietnam Airlines to its alliance last month, will soon add two more members to the team. Romania’s Tarom Airlines will join later this week and offer an alternative to SkyTeam’s already robust presence in Europe. Tarom also...
Since when is United’s meal service in domestic first class better than in international first class?
I was dismayed to read about Lucky’s dismal meal last week from Tokyo to Seoul last in United’s three-cabin international first. United has worked hard the last few years to upgrade the premium cabins on all its international 767 and 747...
Want to work for Emirates?
Emirates is holding a job fair at the Four Seasons in Houston on June 26. With 32 A380s on order and new service springing up all over the world, EK is planning to hire 3,000 cabin crew employees and...
New Munich-Baghdad flights coming on Lufthansa
Lufthansa, through its PrivatAir partner, will begin service from Munich to Baghdad four times a week this fall. The flights will utilize a Boeing 737 and compliment service to Arbil (in Northern Iraq) from Frankfurt and from Vienna (on...
Who needs United First when you have a LH Senator Lounge?!
Last week, for the second time since United’s UDU program started, I missed an upgrade. It was a Thursday afternoon IAD-DEN (hub-hub) flight on a 757 and I was traveling on an S-fare, so it wasn’t a big surprise...
Another reason I love United: NBA Finals on Channel 9
While I was hoping for a bump on UA595 Thursday evening, UA’s inventory management is just too good. As an LA native, I not only was seeking a $400 voucher, but I wanted to watch game 7 of...
My first experience with United’s "enhanced" meal service
Last week, UA announced changes to their premium class meal service on North American flights. I had a chance to try out some of the changes earlier this week. SFO-IAD, UA792, departing 2300 For years, UA has offered a...
Interrogated by DHS in Montreal for sounding "foreign"
Yesterday I shared about my experience with Canadian border authorities while trying to enter Montreal. Sadly, my border travails were not over and I had more problems returning to the U.S. yesterday. After clearing security at YUL, I found...
Detained at Canadian Immigration in Montreal
Remind me not to take any more one-night trips to Canada. This week, I took advantage of a great fare from ONT-YUL on United to spend a couple days mileage running and one day in Montreal. I have taken...
A return to airline regulation?
Some members of Congress are worried about what the CO-UA merger will mean for the consumer and are considering introducing a bill to restore airline regulation if the merger goes through. Deregulation has been credited with making airline travel affordable...
