Despite a good rest on the flight over, I had no desire to spend last night sitting up in the Turkish CIP Lounge. Here’s how I tried (but ultimately failed) to obtain a visa on arrival and enter Turkey. First, let’s note the date — this happened on the evening of December 19, 2017. I […]
Next Stop: Istanbul in Turkish Airlines Business Class
I’ve flown Turkish Airlines many, many times over the years, but now I finally get the chance to fly the 777-300 in business class. Yesterday evening was a beautiful winter day in Los Angeles. It was brisk outside…like 52ºF. Nevertheless, I spent the afternoon in one of my favorite places: the terrace of the Star […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: December 17, 2017
After another trip to New York, I’m back in Los Angeles until tomorrow…when I’ll fly to Germany for Christmas. It has been a hectic month, so I am looking forward to some downtime. American Airlines’ opened a beautiful new lounge and lounge-within-a-lounge in Los Angeles earlier this week. Here’s my review of the new lounge […]
Delta Postpones Final 747 Flight
While United Airlines went out of its way to make its final 747 flight a commemorative event, Delta appears to have taken the opposite approach. The Atlanta-based carrier just postponed its final scheduled service on the 747. In a November 14, 2017 post entitled Seven things to know about Delta’s Big Goodbye to iconic 747, the […]
Spirit Airlines Justified in Kicking Off Breastfeeding Mother
Spirit Airlines removed a breastfeeding mother, her son, and her elderly parents for refusing to follow crewmember instructions. I believe this action was justified. Oh no, don’t worry…this isn’t going where you may think. Not that it matters, but I happen to think public breastfeeding is a good thing and am ashamed at how much […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: December 10, 2017
I’m back in LA after a whirlwind trip to New York and Frankfurt. I’ll have more details on that trip tomorrow, including a dismaying incident at JFK. My focus over the last week has been on the SWISS First Class award cancellation. I have no new updates to report today, but will continue to keep […]
5 Reasons Lufthansa is a 5-Star Airline
Lufthansa was named a five-star airline by Skytrax yesterday, making it the first European airline to receive such recognition. Per Skytrax: A critical factor for an airline to achieve 5-Star Certification is consistency of standards, and this is where Lufthansa ranks highly across their network and different cabin types, with a core feature of the […]
Best City for a Night Out is…Hamburg?
I’m not much of a nightlife person, preferring to be in bed by 9pm, but in my travels to over 125 nations I’ve certainly experienced my fair share of nightlife. Which world city is best for a night out? A recent survey polled over 4,000 people from around the world on which city offered the […]
Senate Version of Tax Cut Bill Eliminates Tax Hike on Gulf Carriers
The final tax cut bill has not reached the President’s desk yet, but the U.S. Senate has wisely cut a ridiculous tax increase levied on foreign airlines from its version of the bill. Per the Los Angeles Times: Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), whose state is home to Delta Air Lines, proposed the provision to require […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: December 03, 2017
I’m in LA tonight…the question is for how long. I’m hoping I’ll be able to stay home this week, but I may be on a plane to New York tomorrow, then Hong Kong, then Zurich…maybe even Las Vegas. We’ll see how the week unfolds… Last week the big story, for me at least, was the […]
Hurry! Aeroplan Allowing SWISS First Class Bookings!
Several years ago, SWISS stopped releasing first class awards to partners on a regular basis, generally reserving that award space only for elite members of its own Miles & More loyalty program. But sometimes the door is temporarily opened…and now is the time. Act fast to scoop up fuel-surcharge free award space in SWISS First […]
Admission to Harvard is Easier than Becoming a Delta FA
Want to be a Delta flight attendant? The Atlanta-based carrier is hiring, but be warned…admission is more difficult than getting into Harvard or Yale. Delta will hire 1,000+ FAs in 2018. Last year, the airline hired 1,250 FAs. For those positions it received over 150,000 applications. That’s a 1% acceptance rate. By comparison, Harvard admits […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: November 26, 2017
Greetings from a beautifully blustery autumn day in Carmel, CA. I’ll have details tomorrow about the wonderful way I’ve spent my long holiday weekend. It was a fairly quiet week on the blog and in the aviation industry, which was appreciated. We’ll see what next week brings, though. We did learn further details about Lufthansa’s […]
UK’s Obscene Airport Taxes Rising Again
Obscene is a strong and harsh word. It means offensive to moral principles; repugnant. I don’t use the word casually. Yet I do use it to describe the ridiculous APD departure tax from the United Kingdom…that will soon grow even further. First the news, then my commentary. The UK Air Passenger Duty (APD) was introduced […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: November 19, 2017
I really enjoyed FTU this weekend. Not only was it fun to meet many readers, but it was a great crowd–I hope all who attended enjoyed it. I’m happy to report that I have no more (planned) airline trips until Christmas. It has been quite awhile since I’ve been able to spend more than a […]
Aeroplan Change Fee: Unethical or Fair?
Aeroplan charged me a change fee that I believe was unconscionable. I am heading to Germany for Christmas this year with my family. We booked tickets via Aeroplan on Turkish Airlines months before the diplomatic spat that has effectively barred U.S. citizens from entering Turkey. That’s a problem because we have a stopover in Istanbul. […]
Alaska Airlines, Sun Country Cancel Cuba Service
When commercial airline service resumed between the United States and Cuba last year, many carriers saw gold in this untapped market. But a year later, many carriers have discovered that Cuba is more fool’s gold than a lucrative new market. Both Sun Country and Alaska Airlines have announced they will abandon service to the Pearl of […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: November 12, 2017
After a quick trip to Honolulu to commemorate the final United Airlines 747 flight, I’m back in LA…for tonight anyway. Tomorrow my next trip begins: a business trip that I’ll detail tomorrow that will take me on a product you might think I would have flown by now, but actually have not. Later in the […]
Delta, Here I Come!
I’m trying something different for the trip home from Honolulu. United Airlines and I are still in a very healthy relationship, but sometimes you need to see what else is out there in order to appreciate your first love. Actually, it’s not that complicated. First Class was virtually sold out on all United flights, so […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: November 05, 2017
Hello from Southern California…where I’m recovering from a relapse of sickness. Thankfully not the stomach flu I had last week, but another particularly strong head cold. I really need to lay off the travel… This week marks the final United 747 flight and I will be taking part in festivities in San Francisco and Honolulu. […]