My first ever flight on Air France presented a startling revelation, to me at least: not only was Air France acceptable, it was excellent. I arrived in CDG’s Terminal 2 early and proceeded to the “Sky Priority” check-in area....
Review: Air France Business Class Lounge Paris (CDG)
I was very pleasantly surprised by the Air France Business Class Lounge in Terminal 2E, Hall M. My six-hour stay quickly flew by. My original goal was to visit the newly renovated lounge in Hall L, but I was...
United Airlines Add Service To Naples + Prague + Amsterdam
United Airlines will add year-around service between San Francisco and Amsterdam as well summer seasonal service between New York/Newark and both Prague and Naples, Italy. United teased us on Twitter yesterday with a hint at these routes using anagrams,...
How I Spent My Layover In Paris
I landed in Paris just before 7:00 P.M. and wanted to be back at 6:00 A.M. to capture pictures of the Air France lounge before it got crowded. I arrived in Paris well-rested, having just stepped off an 11-hour...
The World’s 10 Oldest Airlines Still Flying
What are the oldest airlines in the world that are still flying? Earlier this week I shared a heartwarming British Airways video that celebrates the life of a 99-year old woman while also recognizing BA’s 99th anniversary. That got...
United Adds Two Great New Destinations From Denver
United Airlines is adding two new destinations from its Denver hub, including a destination United has never served before. Starting on March 8, 2019, United will begin daily service ice to Charles M. Schulz–Sonoma County Airport (STS), about seven miles...
KLM Delays Retirement Of 747-400 Fleet
KLM is giving the Queen of the Skies a reprieve. KLM flies a fleet of 12 Boeing 747-400 Combis. The plan was to fully retire this aircraft type by end of 2020, replacing it with Airbus A350-900s. But KLM is deferring...
The Free Lounge For Everyone At Paris CDG
If you’re transiting through Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and have some time on your hands, a new lounge offers relaxation and comfort…for free. Called Instant Paris, this “public transit lounge” is located in Terminal 2E (Air France). It is...
President of United Airlines DEFENDS Family Separation…On Airplanes
United Airlines hates family separation…unless their customers won’t pay to sit together. Last June, United Airlines, along with other airlines, came out strongly against the White House decision to separate minor children from parents who are captured while crossing the...
Counterpoint: Turning Chase’s JetBlue “Lemon” Into Lemonade
Matthew wrote a piece discussing the removal of Chase Ulitmate Rewards partner Korean Air SkyPass and the addition of JetBlue TrueBlue was the equivalent of a car dealer selling a “lemon.” I emphatically disagree, and here’s why I am...
The Classic But Clever Gimmick Airlines Are Using To Avoid Compensation
What’s the easiest way to ensure that a flight lands on time? The answer is an old trick that more airlines are turning to scrub flight delays. It’s called schedule padding. Arriving on time is easy when you block...
United Airlines Helps To Rebuild Houston
As we remember the first anniversary of Hurricane Harvey, we also remember that Houston is still rebuilding. A flight attendant passed on the following note from CEO Oscar Munoz to the United family: Dear United family, I spent this...
Review: Aeromexico 787-9 Business Class Mexico City To Paris
My late-night flight from Mexico City to Paris represented the perfect flight-time for sleeping…but would service suffer as a result? I lined up at the gate one hour prior to departure, hoping to be first onboard. Boarding began about...
Chase Trades In A Rare Beauty For A Lemon
If Chase were in the car business, it would be guilty of swapping out a rare beauty for a lemon. My metaphor is meant to convey this: we just lost a great partner and its replacement is essentially useless...
British Airways Makes Me Cry…Again
I’m a sucker for a good airline marketing campaigns and British Airways continues to impress me. Over the last few years the BA Magic campaign has released heartwarming videos centered around bringing families together including: Now comes the latest...
Live and Let’s Fly Weekend Digest: August 26, 2018
It was an unseasonably cool week in LA and we are expecting more of the same in the week ahead. That has made being home all the more sweeter. I plan to be home again this week, but my...
Review: United Polaris 777-300ER San Francisco to Hong Kong
As a lifelong American Airlines customer and frequent Cathay Pacific flyer, United had a long way to go to impress me with their Polaris business class product. They did. Here is another leg in my status run to Hong...
Review: United Polaris Lounge – San Francisco
This year I split my loyalty somewhat between United and American Airlines along with a handful of discount carriers for direct flights. As a result, I needed to make a status run and chose Hong Kong as my destination....
Mileage Runs May Be Dead, Status Runs Still Alive
Mileage runs were the hallmark of travel enthusiasts who found more to gain from unnecessary trips than not taking them. Elite status runs have the same principle but different result, taking unnecessary trips to retain or “level up” your...
Breakfast Tacos On United Airlines?
Each week, my Meal of the Week feature examines an airline meal from my travels over the years. This may be a meal from earlier in the week or it may be a meal served over a decade ago. My upgrade...