Breakfast is my favorite meal of the day and one of my favorite breakfast dishes happens to be an airline meal. Now it is available even in economy class. United Airlines has offered a Southwestern omelets for a over a year now in premium cabins. It pops up occasionally on domestic flights and has been […]
I’m Assembling the Trip of a Lifetime
![a map of the world with red lines](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Trip-of-a-Lifetime-738x355.png)
Although there will be plenty of business travel, with the exception of my upcoming final 747 and Qatar QSuite trips, I am voluntarily suspending new “review” trips until next August. That doesn’t mean I will not be traveling on new products. For example, you can bet that I will do everything in my power to […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: October 29, 2017
![Qatar Airways A350](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Qatar-Airways-A350-Business-Class-5-738x355.jpg)
Hello from Singapore…where I’m laying in bed sick. I’ll keep this brief. You’ll find a review of the week’s top stories below. Let me stress: take care of yourself. Don’t overdo it. But at the same time, take every opportunity you can to see this world of ours. I’ve been blessed to see so much […]
Can You Cancel Basic Economy Fares Within 24 Hours?
![Basic Economy Fares 24 Hour Cancellation](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Basic-Economy-Fares-24-Hour-Cancellation-738x355.jpeg)
American, Delta, and United all have some form of a 24-hour courtesy cancellation policy. But does this apply to no-frills “Basic Economy” tickets, which are explicitly non-changeable and non-refundable? In short, yes. But there are limits. Let’s review each legacy carrier’s policy. American Airlines American used to allow holds on all fares instead of courtesy […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: October 22, 2017
![a large airplane at an airport](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Lufthansa-747-8-First-Class-Review-75-738x355.jpg)
I’m back in LA after a fast-paced week around the world. My trip took another twist on the way to Ho Chi Minh City, which I will share tomorrow morning. As it was a relatively light news week, Live and Let’s Fly focused more on trip reports than breaking news. But importantly, Airbus and Bombardier […]
Finally, Lie-Flat Beds on My Ethiopian Airlines Flight!
![a woman standing in an airplane](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Ethiopian-Airlines-New-Business-Class-2-738x355.jpg)
I’m pleased to report that my connecting Ethiopian 787 flight from Addis Ababa to Bangkok featured Ethiopian’s new fully lie-flat beds. But did it lead to a restful flight? The flight departed from a remote stand and bus boarding was a free-for-all, with passengers pushing and shoving to get onboard and no separate line for […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: October 15, 2017
![AtlasGlobal Deals](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/AtlasGlobal-FAs-738x355.jpg)
Good evening from Los Angeles. I’m about to embark upon another adventure…I’ll share the details tomorrow. In the meantime, let’s review the top stories of the last week. The diplomatic spat between Turkey and the USA currently means no US citizen can visit Turkey…that’s got to be painful news for Turkish Airlines. We also learned […]
Great Deal: ANA First Class R/T for 93K Points
![ANA First Class Virgin Atlantic](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ANA-First-Class-Preview-5-738x355.jpg)
One of the sweet spots in the Virgin Atlantic Flying Club award chart is redemptions for ANA First Class. With the current transfer bonus promotion, you can score a round-trip ticket in ANA first class for only 93,000 American Express Membership Rewards Points. Virgin Atlantic ended service to Japan in 2015, opting to partner with […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: October 08, 2017
![Singapore A350 Award Space](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Singapore_A350_Award_space-738x355.jpg)
I’m back in Los Angeles after a week in France/Switzerland/Germany. My trip was exhausting so it will be great to stay in LA this week. The big news of for the week, at least in my mind, was the death of the Star Alliance mileage run. Since you can no longer earn one mile for […]
Unsubstantiated Gossip: Southwest Wants Denver-Kona
![Lovely Hawaii](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/IMG_1124-1.jpg)
I have avoided writing this post for just shy of a year because there wasn’t yet corroborating evidence or reason to believe it’s true – now there may be. Based on potentially reliable information, Southwest may focus on Denver to open their Hawaii route aspirations. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: October 1, 2017
![a woman sitting in a chair on an airplane](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Spirit-Big-Front-Seat-Review-14-738x355.jpg)
Greetings from 38,000 feet. I’m in the air enroute to Europe, where I’ll be spending most of the week. No new products to review on this trip…TAP and Air India didn’t have award space… Some more disturbances in the air over the last week, with a crazed passenger on Southwest, a lewd British Airways FA […]
Blame Alaska Airlines for Latest Singapore Devaluation?
![Singapore Airlines United Devaluation](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Singapore-Alaska-Partnership-738x355.jpg)
Alaska Airlines and Singapore Airlines (SIA) are now partners. Is it just a coincidence that Singapore devalued earnings on United Airlines flights…without notice? I give the Singapore Airlines’ KrisFlyer loyalty program a mixed review. If you want to fly Singapore Airlines in a premium cabin, this is the only reward program for you. The Star […]
I’m Flying Spirit Airlines on a Transcon Redeye Tonight…
![Spirit Airlines Redeye](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Spirit-Airlines.jpg)
I’m flying Spirit Airlines tonight on a transcontinental flight. Let me explain why. The point is not to provide a detailed review of Sprit Airlines, Ben did that nicely. I don’t care to taste the canned cocktails or overpay for the sugary or salty onboard snacks. I just want to sleep…and not pay an arm […]
Boeing Wins, Consumers Lose
![Boeing Bombardier Tariff](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Boeing-Bombardier-Tariff-738x355.jpg)
Last week I wrote about a trade spat between Boeing and Canadian aircraft manufacturer Bombardier over alleged subsidies. The US Department of Commerce has sided with Boeing and plans to slap a whopping 220% tariff on each Bombardier C Series airliner imported into the USA. That’s potentially bad news for consumers. Boeing argued that Delta […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: September 24, 2017
![Saudi Arabian Airlines First Class](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Saudia-777-First-Class-Review-136-738x355.jpg)
After a few weeks at home, I’ll be traveling again at the end of the week. Leaving home is always bittersweet. When you get used to your daily routine, especially with your family, it is particularly difficult to leave. I love waking up next to my wife each morning and walking into my son’s room […]
Introduction: Los Angeles to Rome via Argentina and Spain on SkyTeam
![SkyTeam Business Class Review](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Alitalia-Style-03-738x355.jpg)
It’s time for my next trip report, a short one that will detail my trip to Italy last month. Let’s just say I took the scenic route… An ambitious goal to be sure, but it is my desire to review every premium cabin product on every alliance (Star Alliance, oneworld, SkyTeam). I’m slowing whittling down […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: August 06, 2017
![Iceland United MileagePlus](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Iceland-United-MileagePlus-738x355.jpeg)
A pleasant Sunday evening to you. It has been a quiet week for me that included a nice trip with my family to Carmel, CA. I’ll have a full report on the Hyatt Carmel Highlands in the weeks ahead. United announced several new European routes for summer of 2018 this week, Air Berlin inched closer […]
Caution: You May Soon Need Your Passport for Domestic Travel
![Real ID Latest Update](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Real-ID-Doemstic-Travel-03-738x355.jpg)
I’ve noticed the warnings when going through security, but never really paid close attention to them. But be aware: residents in a handful of states may need a U.S. passport to travel domestically starting next January. To put it very simply, the REAL ID Act of 2005 seeks a minimum level of security features on U.S. state driver’s […]
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: September 10, 2017
![a white airplane at an airport](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Ethiopian-Airlines-DUB-LAX-Business-Class-Review-17-738x355.jpg)
After three consecutive weeks of travel, it was great to be home this week. I’m traveling a bit in the week ahead, but just with family and just by car. Hurricane Harvey and Irma have dominated news headlines this week. I once again wish a safety and speedy recovery to all my readers in Texas […]
Magnifico! Alitalia Business Class from Rome to LA
![Alitalia Business Class USA Review](https://liveandletsfly.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Alitalia-Business-Class-USA-Review-2-738x355.jpg)
I’ll admit, I had high expectations for Alitalia. I assumed good food and great coffee and figured the service might not be incredible, but would be fine. I’m happy to report that I had an excellent flight with not only great food and coffee, but good service as well. Alitalia has a large business class […]