
Live and Let’s Fly
It’s Not Only First Class Awards That Lufthansa Has Restricted…
It has been more than a month since Lufthansa suddenly restricted partner first class awards. As that lockout continues, the news is even more grim: business class awards have also been heavily restricted. Lufthansa Continues To Restrict Partner First Class Awards, But Also Business Class Awards I’ve written about the...
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Frequent Miler
My Chase car rental claim and a botched experiment
Thwack! We had just gotten on the highway when a rock hit the windshield. I had rented the minivan the night before. Now, the Frequent Miler team was on our way to Colorado Springs for a working meeting with our blog hosting company, Boarding Area. Despite the cracked windshield, visibility...

View from the Wing
American Airlines Is Now Offering First Class Upgrades For Just $35 While Loyal Customers Wait In Coach
American Airlines appears to be offering domestic first class upgrades for as little as $35, a new low that makes sense for casual passengers but stings for loyal customers waiting on complimentary upgrades. The shift shows how little traditional elite upgrades are worth now that airlines would rather sell the...

Live and Let’s Fly
Korean-American Doctor Says United Airlines Employee Mocked Him With “Konnichiwa” Greeting
A Korean-American physician says he was greeted mockingly with “Konnichiwa” after a flight by a United employee, then watched as the awkward exchange turned into something more insulting. While this may not be a David Dao incident, it seems like a serious unforced error. Doctor Says United Failed To Step...

View from the Wing
The Amex Black Card Gets A New $1,000 Dining Credit, But This Luxury Feels Like A Spreadsheet
American Express has added a new $1,000 annual Resy dining credit to the Centurion Card, giving Black Card members a larger version of the restaurant benefit now offered on Platinum. But even on a $5,000-a-year prestige card with a $10,000 initiation fee, Amex still requires enrollment and quarterly credit management,...

View from the Wing
Korean-American Doctor Was Greeted With “Konnichiwa” As He Got Off A United Flight, And He Wants Answers
A Korean-American doctor says he was greeted with “Konnichiwa” while deplaning a United flight, then confronted the man and asked whether he worked for the airline. The incident upset him and even reduced him to the wrong Asian stereotype.

View from the Wing
Hunter Biden Blames Business Class Bloody Mary Cart And United App Shows Who Boarded
Marriott and United are offering targeted summer bonuses for elites enrolled in their partnership, Hunter Biden says a business class Bloody Mary cart triggered a relapse, and United’s app now shows how many passengers have boarded. Also: Frontier and Barclays renew their cobrand deal, Flying Blue promo awards include U.S.–Europe...

Live and Let’s Fly
The More I Travel The World, The More I Appreciate Traveling In America
The more I travel internationally, the more I appreciate traveling within the United States. That wasn’t the outcome I expected when I started spending so much time overseas, but it has become increasingly obvious over the years. Travel has a funny way of highlighting things that I once took for granted....

Live and Let’s Fly
Lufthansa Told Woman Her Gym Outfit Was Too “Naked” To Board
A fitness influencer says she was stopped from boarding a Lufthansa Group flight because her outfit was deemed too revealing. I live in Los Angeles, so perhaps I have simply become immune to skimpy clothing, but the only problem I see is one of hygiene. Lufthansa Told Passenger She Was...

Economy Class & Beyond
ANA to unveil its Pokemon RED jet on 28th July
With the 30th anniversary of Pocket Monsters… or as most of us know it better as Pokémon, All Nippon Airways (ANA) has announced the date of the “Red Pokémon Jet” unveiling. With a chance to attend the ceremony. ANA Red Pokémon 30th Anniversary Jet – Image, ANA The unveiling event...

2PAXfly
RIYADH AIR: What are reviewers’ first impressions
Saudi Arabia’s new flag carrier, Riyadh Air, has now carried its first paying passengers in its own Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The early verdict from critics is fairly consistent. Riyadh Air looks exceptionally good. It is serving food, drinks and attention at a level many established airlines would struggle to match....

One Mile at a Time
United CEO Scott Kirby: United Is World’s Best Airline, USA Is World’s Best Country
United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby has just published his July 4th message to employees at the airline, as shared by Live and Let’s Fly. To Kirby’s credit, he’s consistent in his messaging. That being said, he sure takes some liberties both with how he views his airline, and how he...
Reviews
Read the latest reviews for road warriors and frequent flyers.
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EMIRATES: New-generation lounges roll out globally, but Sydney is still waiting
June 30, 2026
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First look: Inside the second Delta One Lounge at LAX
June 30, 2026
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QANTAS: Flooding closes LAX First Lounge, premium dining moves next door
June 29, 2026
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Delta’s Austin Sky Club Is Excellent — But Even It Can’t Escape Lounge Crowding
June 29, 2026

One Mile at a Time
The Surprising Frontrunner For The Air Canada CEO Job (Non-French Speaker!)
Several weeks ago, we learned how Air Canada CEO Michael Rousseau would be ”retiring.” This followed the Air Canada accident at LaGuardia, where Rousseau was under fire in Quebec for his inability to speak French, a consistent theme of his tenure.

One Mile at a Time
Lufthansa First Class Awards With Partner Miles: I Assume It’s The End
As of June 1, 2026, Lufthansa completely stopped releasing first class award space to partner frequent flyer programs. This wasn’t the first time that had happened on a temporary basis, but as I noted, this time around definitely felt different. This ”outage” has also lasted longer than we’ve ever seen...

Frequent Miler
Which hotel credit card is the most rewarding for spending?
Co-branded credit cards, and hotel cards specifically, are often frowned upon as a place to put regular spending, especially compared to bank cards with transferable currencies and sexy bonus categories. That said, hotel cards can be both rewarding and fun in the right circumstances. The reason is that they tend...

Points With a Crew
Save Up to 50% on Amazon with Amex Rewards Dollars (Targeted)
We’ve written about this deal before but it appears to be back! It appears to be targeted but if so, it seems widely targeted. Save 30% on Amazon, up to $30 in savings (offers vary), when you you purchase eligible products and use at least 1 cent in Amex Reward...

The Gate with Brian Cohen
Why Red and Green Lights Are On Wings of Commercial Airplanes
You may have been a passenger aboard an airplane who sat at a seat next to the window in hopes of nice views to enjoy throughout the duration of your flight — only to find that a huge wing is blocking much of your view — and while you might...

Frequent Miler
Current hotel promotions for July 2026
All major hotel brands dangle various carrots in front of customers to incentivize their patronage. Bonuses for for elite status, loyalty program membership and credit card spending all serve as sweeteners that make rewards-earning a little faster and more fruitful. Promotions are another significant way that hotel loyalty programs try...

2PAXfly
INDONESIA/WEST PAPUA: Pilot killed and aircraft burned in remote highlands attack
An American pilot flying one of the small aircraft that keep Indonesia’s remote Papuan highlands connected has been killed after his Pilatus PC-6 Porter was attacked and burned at an isolated airstrip. This tragedy highlights the perils of flying into disputed areas, amid political turmoil. Captain Nicholas F. Gosselin was...

Frequent Miler
Amex Delta Business Card Upgrade Offers: Up to 60,000 SkyMiles (targeted)
Some Delta business cardholders are eligible for spending offers to encourage them to upgrade their Delta Business Gold and Delta Business Platinum cards. Usually, there is some degree of targeting associated with these sorts of upgrade offers, even though the links are publicly available. However, with the Delta cards, it’s...

View from the Wing
American Airlines Refunded $900,000 For Overcharging Taxes On Children’s Award Tickets. DOT Took 11 Years To Act
American Airlines has refunded more than $900,000 to AAdvantage members after overcharging taxes on children’s award tickets to 14 jurisdictions. The refunds trace back to a complaint filed by frequent flyer Mike Borsetti in 2015, but DOT took 11 years to act and ultimately declined enforcement because too much time...

Frequent Miler
Rakuten offering up to $275 / 27,500 Bilt points on select Bank of America credit cards
Update 7/2: The Rakuten bonus for the Customized Cash Rewards card is now up to $200; a much better proposition for a card that will appeal to many folks, thanks to the 6% cash-back categories it also offers for the first year. ~~~ Last year, Rakuten started offering bonus rewards when...

Live and Let’s Fly
The More I Travel The World, The More I Appreciate Traveling In America
The more I travel internationally, the more I appreciate traveling within the United States. That wasn’t the outcome I expected when I started spending so much time overseas, but it has become increasingly obvious over the years. Travel has a funny way of highlighting things that I once took for granted....

View from the Wing
Korean-American Doctor Was Greeted With “Konnichiwa” As He Got Off A United Flight, And He Wants Answers
A Korean-American doctor says he was greeted with “Konnichiwa” while deplaning a United flight, then confronted the man and asked whether he worked for the airline. The incident upset him and even reduced him to the wrong Asian stereotype.

The Gate with Brian Cohen
Exclusive Summer Promotion For Top Tier Elite Members of Marriott Bonvoy and United Airlines MileagePlus
An exclusive summer promotion for top tier elite members of the Marriott Bonvoy and United Airlines MileagePlus membership programs is currently under way through which qualified members can earn 2,000 bonus Marriott Bonvoy points on eligible flights that are operated by United Airlines and 1,500 bonus United Airlines MileagePlus miles...

View from the Wing
American Airlines CEO Robert Isom Was On The Ropes. Now The Pilots Union Has Moved On To Complaining About Uber Black
A few months ago, American Airlines CEO Robert Isom was under pressure from unions, operational failures, takeover chatter, and questions about whether he would survive. Now the pilots union is still unhappy, but the complaints have shifted to more ordinary contract-positioning issues: lost internal tools, layover hotels, and whether pilots...

Frequent Flyer Bonuses
Strawberry Hotels: Earn 2x Elite Qualifying Nights at select hotels between July 3 & August 24
Strawberry Hotels are offering members a boost towards earning or re-qualifying for status with stays at select Scandinavian properties this summer. The 2x Qualifying Nights offer: Earn 2x Elite Qualifying Nights on eligible stays at participating Strawberry Hotels in Scandinavia. Register and book by Jul 31 for stays Jul 3...


































