The Boeing 737 MAX is a very delicate issue. Airlines are owed for down time but getting passengers back on the planes may be tough. Southwest employee groups are effectively fighting Boeing for Southwest by proxy. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com. If you […]
False Alarm: United Economy Plus Won’t Be A Separate Cabin…Yet
Will United Airlines start treating Economy Plus as a separate class of service? What will happen to MileagePlus elites, who currently can assign those seats for free? An unannounced trial this week by United is simply that, a trial, but still raises cause for concern. United Files Economy Plus As Separate Fare Class Earlier this […]
Scary: American Eagle Embraer E175 Diverts After Pilots Lose Control
An American Eagle Embraer 175 safely returned to Atlanta after encountering severe flight control issues during takeoff. The situation is eerily similar to an Air Astana Embraer 190 incident that occurred just under a year ago. On November 6, 2019, AA4439 departed Atlanta (ATL) for New York LaGuardia (LGA) on-time at 9:04PM. It was operated […]
An Intriguing Fifth Freedom Route On RwandAir
As smaller, more fuel-efficient aircraft Fifth Freedom routes less prevalent, many carriers have cutback on them. But RwandAir recently started an interesting new Fifth Freedom route. What is a Fifth Freedom Route? Fifth Freedom is the right for an airline to fly between two foreign countries during flights in which the flight originates or ends in […]
Doug Parker, CEO Of American Airlines, Offers Career Advice
“Once I stopped worrying about my career, my career took off.” So says Doug Parker, the CEO of American Airlines. In a wide ranging interview with the New York Times, American Airlines CEO Doug Parker offered extended thoughts on the 737 MAX and a detailed history of his career. He also offered some career advice. […]
Will Norwegian Add Russian Jets To Fleet?
Are 40 historically unreliable jets worth access to valuable airspace that would allow low-cost flights between Europe and Asia? That’s the question Norwegian is pondering. Norwegian is considering a lease of Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) aircraft for operations within Europe and Argentina. These mid-size aircraft are larger than a regional jet but smaller than Airbus […]
A Cool New Airline Book For My Coffee Table
Maps and airlines are two of my favorite things. A new book maps the history of airline route maps. When driving home from my son’s swimming lesson yesterday, I had Marketplace on and caught a segment on a new book on airline maps. My ears instantly perked up. The book is called Airline Maps: A […]
What Is United Premium Plus Like On Transcontinental Flights?
What is United’s new Premium Plus product like on domestic transcontinental flights? I’ve reviewed United’s new premium economy “Premium Plus” product on an international flight from San Francisco to Frankfurt, but United recently introduced Premium Plus on select premium transcontinental flights between Newark and Los Angeles/San Francisco. > Read More: United 777-200 Premium Plus San Francisco […]
A Special Trip To Scotland In Lufthansa First Class
121pilot, a commercial airline pilot in the United States who has offered his insights and analysis on a number of topics on Live and Let’s Fly recently traveled with his brother and father on a very special trip to Scotland. He asked me if I would be interested in a trip report and I quickly […]
While Qantas Teases, Air New Zealand Delivers
Qantas made headlines for its historic nonstop “test” flight from New York to Sydney last Friday, but doesn’t even know if the route is viable. Meanwhile, Air New Zealand has announced that it will serve New York nonstop from Auckland. Starting in October 2020, Air New Zealand will launch nonstop flights between Auckland (AKL) and […]
Will Southwest Really Merge With Alaska Or JetBlue?
Rumors are swirling that Southwest Airlines may solve its lingering Boeing 737 MAX problem by acquiring another airline. I just don’t see it happening. The theory goes something like this. Southwest has over 100 737 MAX on order, with growth plans built around that aircraft. As the 737 MAX problems continue and Southwest is forced […]
Boeing Digs Its Own Grave
Credibility is a peculiar thing. It takes years, sometimes decades to build, and can best lost in an instant. The ongoing 737 MAX sage has already cost Boeing most of its credibility, but somehow Boeing found a way to dig its own grave even deeper… The mess surrounding the 737 MAX is complex. Some try […]
United, Delta Short-Haul Aircraft Better Than American Mainline
As Delta further invests in the customer experience of smaller jets and United rolls out CRJ550s they have surpassed the American mainline fleet. When will management learn? If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com. If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today. Delta Revamps 717s Delta […]
What An Airport Auction Is Like
Pittsburgh International Airport announced their annual auction and I have always wanted to attend. This is what an airport auction is really like. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com. If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today. The Announcement Was Elusive I follow the airport’s […]
Europe’s Fastest Growing Airline…I’ve Never Heard Of it
I like to stay up-to-date on airlines from all over the world, but admit Europe’s fastest growing airline took me by surprise. In fact, I had never even heard of it. I’m talking about Pobeda, a low-cost subsidiary of Aeroflot based in Moscow’s Vnukovo Airport. The budget carrier was founded in 2014 and has now […]
Is the Great American Airlines Elite Evacuation Underway?
Signs from United and Delta, combined with performance issues with American point to a possibility that elites are starting to leave American Airlines after the summer of discontent. If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click here. Both support LiveAndLetsFly.com. If you haven’t followed us on Facebook or Instagram, add us today. United Elite Increases […]
Analysis: Fundamental Changes To United MileagePlus In 2020
Last night, United Airlines announced radical changes to the way elite status is earned in the MileagePlus program, starting in 2020. What do these changes mean for you? First, let’s review the changes. Introduction Of Premier Qualifying Flights (PQF) + Premier Qualifying Points (PQP) Premier Qualifying Miles (PQM), Premier Qualifying Segments (PQS), and Premier Qualifying […]
Boeing Loses Large 787 Order
Aeroflot Russian Airlines has formally canceled its Boeing 787 order, further casting the future of Boeing’s Dreamliner program into uncertainty. Boeing ramped up production of the Dreamliner earlier this year from 12 to 14 aircraft per month at two facilities (for a total of 28 planes per month). Without new orders, Boeing may be forced […]
Was It Something I Said? Icelandair Abandons San Francisco
The day after I published my review of Icelandair Premium Saga (business) class from Reykjavik to San Francisco, Icelandair announced it was dropping the route. Was my review that bad? I’m joking, of course, though it was not one of my most charitable reviews. I felt the 767-300 “business class” was much more like a […]
Norwegian Hands Iberia An Unsolicited Gift
Norwegian just gave Iberia the best gift it could have asked for: it is abandoning the majority of its routes from Madrid. Profit has been elusive for Norwegian, which is seeking to shed unprofitable routes and navigate an aircraft shortage worsened by the ongoing grounding of the Boeing 737MAX. As part of that effort, it […]
