Not usually one to shy away, especially not from my favorite city in the world, Hong Kong protests have me reconsidering my United status run. Should I? If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please click...
A Double Whammy For Boeing
The news just got much worse for Boeing, even as the aircraft manufacturer continues to struggle over the 737 MAX issue. As the trade war between the United States and People’s Republic of China continues to escalate, China’s next...
As China Grounds 737 MAX, Safety Questions Abound
Tragically, an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 MAX traveling from Addis Ababa to Nairobi crashed shortly after takeoff yesterday. 159 perished and there were no survivors. The second crash of this aircraft variant in a matter of months has left...
Review: SWISS A340-300 First Class Shanghai To Zurich
Here’s a classic report from 2011, but published for the first time and for good reason. I recently flew the A340 on Lufthansa in first class and am compiling a series of comparison posts from the four European airlines (Air...
The Real Reason Air New Zealand 787 Was Denied Landing in Shanghai: Taiwan
There’s a new twist in the Air New Zealand 787 diversion story…it appears China denied the aircraft landing rights over a reference to Taiwan on the flight paperwork. In case you missed my story yesterday, an Air New Zealand...
Today Is Single’s Day in China – What?
Single’s Day is a new “holiday” started by students at a Chinese University in 1993. It’s held every November 11th and while it was originally meant to be an alternative to loved-up Valentine’s Day, now it is the Chinese...
United Airlines And The Mystery Bamboo Forest
I recently wrote about United’s new ad campaign, which represents a tapestry of instruments from around the world weaving together Rhapsody in Blue. But keen observers have fairly questioned whether United knows the difference between China and Japan. As...
Overwhelmed at the Shenzhen Electronics Malls
During my status run to Hong Kong, I took a day trip to Shenzhen, a place I have never been before. Once I found my way into the city, I was on a mission to visit some of the...
Getting From Hong Kong to Shenzhen
During my status run to Hong Kong, I took a day trip to Shenzhen, a place I have never been before. Some of the information I found online was incomplete or incorrect so I wanted to share my efficient,...
Why China Is Angry At United Airlines
A good compromise leaves both sides mildly discontent, but when one side has a stronger 剑 (sword), compromises do not hold up long. Mainland China is angry at United Airlines. It views the carrier’s “compromise” on the sticky Taiwan issue...
The Gold Mine Of China Turns Into Fool’s Gold For U.S. Airlines
U.S. airlines are retreating from Mainland China, realizing the great Chinese aviation gold mine may actually be fool’s gold. To be sure, there is money to be made…a lot of it. But U.S. airlines are increasingly finding frustrating yields...
Now Taiwan May Punish Airlines Who Complied With Chinese Demands
In the ongoing battle over the sovereignty of China and Taiwan, Taiwan is now fighting back. The island nation is mulling punitive “countermeasures” for airlines who caved into Mainland demands to label Taiwan as part of China. These “countermeasures” are...
Shanghai-Pittsburgh Successful – More To Come?
Pittsburgh landed a charter service from Shanghai and it was objectively a resounding success. Will this lead to more charters or even regular service? Should it? If you are considering booking travel or signing up for a new credit card please...
Editorial: Satisfying China’s Request is Impractical
China has asked US airlines to designate Taiwan as part of China on their websites and systems. Regardless of where you fall on the China/Taiwan debate, there are impracticalities that arise when treating the two places as one country and it...
China Rejects Compromise On Taiwan By U.S. Airlines
China has rejected an attempt at compromise over the thorny Taiwan issue by the three U.S. legacy carriers. Earlier this week, I wrote that U.S. airlines agreed to Chinese demands that Taiwan not be listed as an independent nation...
U.S. Airlines Will Kowtow To China On Taiwan
U.S. airlines including American, Delta, and United are poised to capitulate to Chinese demands to remove references to Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau as separate nations. Last time I wrote about this, U.S. airlines had collectively deferred to the...
Air China Fires Smoking Pilots, But Will Culture Change?
Last week, I wrote about an Air China 737-800 that rapidly descended due to a loss of cabin pressure. At the time, Air China and Chinese authorities believed it was due to pilots smoking in the flight deck, but...
Chinese Warn Citizens That U.S. Travel Is Extremely Dangerous
China and the USA are now at war with another…a trade war. The old adage “all is fair in love and war” applies here too. The Chinese government has warned its citizens about the unsafe conditions in the United...
China Won’t Discuss Taiwan Issue With U.S. Airlines, Blames Trump
As a “final” deadline approaches for U.S. airlines to respect Chinese wishes over the classification of Taiwan on their websites, the issue is escalating into a full-blown diplomatic battle. Recall that China has insisted that all U.S. airlines identity...
U.S. Airlines Brashly Defy China: Consequences Coming?
The Chinese government is insisting that U.S. airlines stop treating Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau as separate nations on their websites and other booking channels. Thus far, U.S. airlines have steadfastly refused. But what will happen when Beijing tightens...