
Paddle Your Own Kanoo
United’s Flight Attendants Aren’t Entitled to Sit in Premium Economy Because of a Bizarre Ruling on What ‘Premium Economy’ Is
Flight attendants at United Airlines aren’t entitled to sit in Premium Economy when ‘deadheading’ on an international flight because of a bizarre ruling about what constitutes Premium Economy on United’s planes. And to make it worse, the flight attendant union had a chance to close the loophole but chose not...
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Paddle Your Own Kanoo
American Airlines Says Downgraded Business Class Passengers on International Flights Aren’t Entitled to a Partial Refund: A Couple Want the DOT to Force it to Change
American Airlines claimed it didn’t owe a couple who were downgraded from Business Class to Premium Economy on a long-haul transatlantic flight to Edinburgh anything, using an international treaty as its excuse, while ignoring Department of Transportation (DOT) rules, British compensation regulations, and even its own contract of carriage. The...

View from the Wing
Passengers Were Downgraded On An $8,166 Business Class Trip—American Airlines Denied Any Refund
American’s Montreal Convention treaty defense has real support, but its own contractual refund promises and federal consumer protection rules don't let the airline decide $0 is what the passengers are entitled to.

Live and Let’s Fly
Downgraded From Business Class On An 11-Hour Flight, But Offered Remarkable Compensation
An involuntary downgrade from a $4,300 business class ticket to an 11-hour economy seat could easily cost an airline a valuable customer. Arkia instead turned a bad situation into a lesson in how airlines should handle downgrades. Arkia Shows How An Airline Should Handle A Transatlantic Downgrade A Live And...

Your Mileage May Vary
Plane Passenger: Stranger Said I ‘Ruined Her Flight’ Because I Ate Before Everyone In Our Row Was Served
A passenger received his special meal before the rest of his row and started eating. The complete stranger beside him flipped out and thought that was so rude and inconsiderate…

View from the Wing
American And United’s Premium-Heavy A321XLRs May Need Ballast To Fly?
Reports of Iberia carrying ballast on lightly booked A321XLR flights raise questions about American and United’s more premium-heavy layouts. The balance concern makes sense, but I'm sure when it comes to claims about United’s snack bar and cheaper economy fares.

View from the Wing
Misleading New York Times Essay Blames Your Miles For Killing Spirit Airlines—Author Wanted Miles Banned 34 Years Ago
Spirit borrowed heavily against its loyalty program, lost cost discipline, and posted a negative 30% operating margin months before the Iran war. A New York Times essay blames lack of access to credit card funds for the airline's failure while leaving out the facts that explain what really happened.

Live and Let’s Fly
Rock Bottom: My Worst American Airlines A321T Business Class Flight Yet
I want to say at the outset that I am really rooting for American Airlines…I want the carrier to succeed and be a strong competitor to Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. I also laud the many investments AA has made in its onboard product and technology over the last...
Reviews
Read the latest reviews for road warriors and frequent flyers.
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Review: United Club – Houston Intercontinental (IAH), Terminal C (Gate C33)
September 26, 2026
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Review: Vueling Airbus A321 – London Gatwick to Paris Orly
September 26, 2026
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FLIGHT REVIEW: Air Canada, Vancouver to Ottawa in Business Class on an A321-200. Naked green nailed feet!
September 25, 2026
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Air Canada Rouge Review: Our First Flight Was Better Than Expected
September 25, 2026

View from the Wing
Airlines Are Making Business Class Worse, Not Cheaper—Why Their “Basic” Strategy May Backfire
Delta, United, JetBlue and a growing list of international airlines say stripped-down premium fares offer more choice. They are not creating a new class of bargain fares. Airlines do need to discount empty flat beds without giving the same price to travelers willing to pay more, but lounge access is...

BoardingArea
Review: United Club – Houston Intercontinental (IAH), Terminal C (Gate C33)
Former Continental Presidents Club and nothing has changed The summary The lounge is near gate C33 of Houston Intercontinental’s massive C terminal. This large lounge still sports the dark wood and cubicles that were hallmarks of Continental Airline’s Presidents Clubs. The lounge never even received the mid-2010’s United refresh with...

Frequent Miler
Wild Card challenge livestream check-ins: Second one is tonight (9/26) at 9pm ET
We’re now about halfway through this year’s Wild Card challenge and it’s almost time for our second livestream check-in now that all three contestants have visited their second destination. The three live check-ins will be on the following dates and times: Check-in 1: Thursday September 24, 2026 at 7pm ET...

Live and Let’s Fly
Delta Adds No New European Destinations In 2027. United Adds Nine. Who’s Making The Smarter Bet?
Delta Air Lines is adding a trio of new flights to Europe in 2027, but no new European destinations, taking a very different approach from United Airlines. Is Delta’s restraint a smarter bet, or will United’s faster growth pay off? Delta’s Restrained 2027 Europe Expansion Delta is adding two seasonal...

Paddle Your Own Kanoo
No Surprise: Heathrow’s Controversial Third Runway Has Been Delayed Again… Operational By 2039 (Maybe)
In news that will surprise no one, Heathrow’s controversial third runway has reportedly been delayed yet again, although this time it isn’t down to a legal challenge or even environmental concerns. Instead, the airport’s owners claim the timeline they’ve been working on to get the new runway up and running...

View from the Wing
“Temporary” Airline Subsidies Still Cost $680 Million A Year After 48 Years—Paying For 78% Empty Flights
Pueblo, Colorado is bringing back a 6 a.m. flight to Denver on a route subsidized at $6.84 million a year. The winning airline bid forecast filling just 22% of seats, and Colorado Springs airport is only 45 minutes away by car. Denver is driveable!

The Gate with Brian Cohen
Is Taking Food From an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Okay?
If you travel frequently, you have most likely seen an all-you-can-eat buffet in various forms and at different places — such as restaurants, lounges and hotel and resort properties — but is taking food from them okay?
A warning was purportedly served to members of the flight crews of...

Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Air Baltic Removes Sick Bags From Seat-Back Pockets in Desperate Cost-Cutting Move as Chapter 11 Process Continues
Air Baltic, the beleaguered Latvian flag carrier that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the US last week, is removing sick bags from seat-back pockets as part of a slew of desperate cost-cutting measures as it seeks to unlock up to €350 million in debtor-in-possession financing to keep the...

Frequent Miler
Bilt Rent Day for October 2026: Transfer bonuses for Amtrak & Hilton, free Hilton status & challenge
Bilt Rewards released details of their next Rent Day promotion yesterday and there’ll be two transfer bonuses available. For one day only on October 1, 2026, you’ll be able to get a bonus of up to 125% when transferring to Amtrak and up to 200% to Hilton Honors. One of...

Live and Let’s Fly
American Airlines Downgraded Couple From Business Class, Then Claimed It Owed Them No Refund
When an airline moves you from business class to a cheaper cabin, you might assume it will refund what you paid for the seat you did not receive. A couple who bought an $8,166 business class itinerary on American Airlines learned how difficult even a partial refund can be. American...

View from the Wing
Seattle Residents Sue Delta And Alaska For Jets Polluting Their Homes—Case Gets Thrown Out
Residents near Sea-Tac sought cleanup, compensation, and medical monitoring over alleged aircraft pollution. Their claims failed because federal law bars separate state emissions standards—and they hadn't alleged that the airlines violated the federal ones.

Eye of the Flyer
Fight Over a Greek Beach Sunlounger Left an 82-Year-Old Dead, and British Airways Dared James May to Land an A350 — Plus More Travel News!
Here are this week’s travel news headlines from around the web and interweb I found the most interesting. Take a look: 🛩️ British Airways Dared James May to Land an Airbus A350. Here’s How That Went. Years ago, James May (of Top Gear and The Grand Tour) wrote a book...

Frequent Miler
We check in with the Wild Card Challengers, Citi stirs things up with JAL, good news for baseball fans and more (A Week in Review)
On Tuesday, Greg, Nick, and Tim started their Wild Card journeys, flying literally all over the world to satisfy itineraries dictated by randomly selected (and reader-inspired) cards for our annual team challenge. Every year we learn more and more about how to give readers and listeners the best possible way...

Live and Let’s Fly
New York Times Essay Blames Your Airline Miles For Killing Spirit Airlines. It’s Malarkey.
A new essay in The New York Times argues that airline loyalty programs helped kill Spirit Airlines by giving its larger competitors an unfair financial advantage. It is an interesting theory, but one that collapses under scrutiny. No, Your Frequent Flyer Miles Did Not Kill Spirit Airlines Former Spirit Airlines...







































