
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Equator. Ecuador. Equinox?
The main reason why I traveled to Ecuador is for the quest to reach the equator on the equinox so that I can claim to have been in spring, summer, autumn, and winter within a split second — but things do not always work out as intended; and I cannot...
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Frequent Miler
Qantas A380 First Class (Sydney to Dallas): Bottom Line Review
After a wild week of fast-paced, high-energy travel (on very limited sleep), Greg and I flew back to the United States from the land Down Under in comfort and style, traveling first class aboard the Qantas A380. While Qantas First doesn’t enjoy quite the same reverential reputation as the opulent first...

Live and Let’s Fly
I Tried Alaska Airlines’ New Business Class And Premium Economy Seats. Here’s A First Look
Alaska Airlines invited members of the media, including Live And Let’s Fly, to Seattle on Tuesday for a look at its next chapter. Between the executive Q&A, seat mock-ups, food samples, and training center tour, there was plenty to take in. Inside Media Day At Alaska Airlines’ Global Training Center...

Frequent Miler
Sapphire Reserve® Exclusive Tables adds 40 restaurants, and removes 12
The Chase Sapphire Reserve® card includes twice-annual $150 credits for restaurant spending at Sapphire Reserve Exclusive Tables. These are a curated selection of high-end restaurants available through a special version of OpenTable. You do NOT need to make a reservation or pay through Chase or OpenTable in order to earn...

View from the Wing
American Airlines Has Solved Its London Catering Mess—And Keeping Staff To Check Food For Every Plane
American says its Heathrow catering transition should be complete October 28 after a shortage of specialized trucks. But the more encouraging detail is what happens afterward: catering coordinators will keep checking every departure so crews have what they need.

Live and Let’s Fly
Review: Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge – The Garden Doha (DOH)
Qatar Airways’ Al Mourjan Business Lounge known as “The Garden” in Doha (DOH) is a beautiful place to spend a long layover, with extensive seating, good food, quiet rooms, and even a gym. I spent much of an eight-hour overnight connection here and enjoyed the lounge…though the service at dinner...

View from the Wing
Denver Airport Spent Over $21,000 On A Party For One Employee—$466 Per Attendee [Roundup]
Denver airport spent over $21,000 on one employee’s retirement party for just 45 people—more than $466 per attendee. Also: a Delta Diamond with 10 million SkyMiles eyes United, nearly 40% skip paying at an airport’s honor-system parking lot, and Australia’s card surcharge ban shifts the cost into advertised prices.
Reviews
Read the latest reviews for road warriors and frequent flyers.
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Review: Qatar Airways Al Mourjan Business Lounge – The Garden Doha (DOH)
October 3, 2026
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Review: United Club – San Antonio International (SAT), Terminal
October 3, 2026
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Air Canada Premium Economy Review: Toronto to Vienna on the Boeing 787-8
October 3, 2026
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Review: Ryanair Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 – Milan to Manchester
October 3, 2026

View from the Wing
Chase’s New $350 IHG Card Offers 200,000 Points—Plus $400 In Flight Credits Before Your First Renewal
Chase’s new $350 IHG credit card can return $400 in flight credits before your first renewal, on top of a 200,000-point initial bonus. It also gives you enough elite nights to choose a confirmable suite upgrade without first earning those nights through hotel stays.

Frequent Miler
Current point transfer bonuses for October 2026
The best points rewards programs, in our opinion, are those that allow points to be transferred to many different airline and hotel loyalty programs. In this way, it’s often possible to get outsized value from your points. For example, suppose you want to fly lie-flat business class to Europe. Prices...

BoardingArea
Review: United Club – San Antonio International (SAT), Terminal
Small former Continental Presidents Club is dated but staff is wonderful and buffet is decent The summary The lounge is near gate B3 at SAT airport. With a whopping number of short flights to Houston, as well as nonstop service to most of its other hubs, United is smart to...

Live and Let’s Fly
He Took The Business Class Upgrade And Left Her In Economy. She Says A “Real Man” Would Switch.
A woman says her boyfriend accepted a business class upgrade and left her in economy while they were flying to visit his family. She calls it the beginning of the end of their relationship and says a “real man” would have switched seats. I think he should have offered…but I...

View from the Wing
The 10 Best And Worst Airline Leaders Of All Time—Southwest’s Genius, TWA’s Corporate Raider And American’s Decline
Herb Kelleher made flying cheaper and built an airline employees loved. Doug Parker squandered American's advantages. Here are the all-time 10 best and 10 worst airline leaders worldwide and the decisions that put them on the list.

Frequent Miler
Current Amex Offers
This post is designed to show current Amex Offers. If you have any Amex cards, even authorized user cards, then you’re eligible to sign up for offers when you log into your Amex account. If you’re planning to shop or book travel, check this page to see if an Amex...

Frequent Miler
An irregular operations save, your input needed, IHG gets interesting, and more (Week in Review)
After flying Qantas from Sydney to Dallas on Thursday, I was supposed to fly American Airlines from Dallas to Philadelphia and onward to my home airport of Albany, NY, arriving on Thursday night after 11 pm. Unfortunately, the leg from Dallas to Philadelphia was delayed, and I missed my connection...

Live and Let’s Fly
Mistake? Alaska Airlines’ New 737 MAX 10 Leaves Economy Class Without Seatback Screens
Alaska Airlines is finally adding seatback screens to its Boeing 737 fleet, but only for passengers in its two premium cabins on the incoming 737 MAX 10. Everyone else will use their own devices. I welcome the investment up front, but I think leaving screens out of economy is a...

Paddle Your Own Kanoo
The Flydubai Pilot Was Reportedly Grounded For Extremism at His Last Airline. This Was Never About Crash Axes or Who Sits in the Cockpit
It has now been widely reported that First Officer Hamam al-Hammami, who has been accused of attacking his captain on Flydubai flight FZ-1073 on Wednesday in an alleged terror attack, had already been flagged for serious security concerns at his previous airline. According to the Wall Street Journal and ABC...

View from the Wing
Capital One’s DCA Lounge Has Cream-Filled Pastries So Good I’ve Gone Back For Seconds
Capital One Landing at Washington National serves cream-filled pastries that are among the best things I’ve eaten in an airport. I was just there again and while the José Andrés steak, garlic shrimp and Spanish ham garners most of the attention these are really worth trying.

The Gate with Brian Cohen
Partial Shower Partitions in Europe: Why?
Why are there rooms in hotel properties in Europe that are equipped with a partition which only blocks part of the shower area?
How is someone supposed to shower without spritzing all over the place and causing a big wet mess on the floor in the remainder of the bathroom?
I try...

Frequent Miler
Up to 35% transfer bonus to Qatar Avios from Citi ThankYou Rewards
Citi ThankYou Rewards cardholders can get up to a 35% transfer bonus when transferring ThankYou Rewards to Qatar Airways Avios between October 1 and October 31, 2026. This bonus is offered on Qatar Airways’ end, so you won’t see it in your Citi ThankYou account, but you’ll receive the bonus...

Paddle Your Own Kanoo
British Government Promises to Ban ‘Rip-Off’ Airline Fees But Retains Some of the Highest Aviation Taxes in the World
The British government has promised to ban ‘rip-off’ airline fees, like charging parents to sit with their own children or to change simple name mistakes, in what Prime Minister Andy Burnham described as an “everyday fix” to put money back in the pockets of working families. What the government did...









































