
Live and Let’s Fly
Review: United Airlines 737-700 Economy Class
I enjoyed a short but productive fight on a United Airlines 737-700 in economy class, a fairly rare aircraft for me on the routes I tend to frequent. United Airlines 737-700 Economy Class Review (PIT-IAD) I don’t get on 737-700s very much these days, so I’m taking the chance to...
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2PAXfly
HOTEL REVIEW: Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver Airport. An indulgence. Oh Canada!
The Oh Canada trip report continues. It’s time to review my first hotel stay on Canadian soil at the Fairmont Hotel, Vancouver Airport, which is located within the airport building. I’ve already covered my First Class check-in and Lounge visit in Sydney, and my Dreamliner flight with Qantas to Vancouver....

One Mile at a Time
Ritz-Carlton Reserve Goes “Urban,” With Shanghai Hotel: Brands Mean Nothing Anymore
The boutique Ritz-Carlton Reserve brand will be opening its first city hotel, located in a skyscraper. While I’m sure this property will be nice, it sure makes you wonder what the point of hotel branding is anymore… not that this kind of confusion is anything new nowadays.

View from the Wing
Delta Will Use AI To Cut Jobs And Set A Different Ticket Price For Every Passenger—CEO Says Profits Could Rise 50%
Delta CEO Ed Bastian says artificial intelligence could increase profits 50%. The airline’s plans point toward fewer office jobs, automated decisions and different fares for individual passengers.

View from the Wing
United Airlines Pilot Leaves Mic Open For 7 Minutes—250 Passengers Hear Him Berate Flight Attendants In Profane Rant
A United Airlines pilot on the 15-hour Cape Town–Washington flight left the PA open, broadcasting a profanity-laced attack on cabin crew. The technical mistake was embarrassing; the cockpit–cabin culture it exposed matters more.

One Mile at a Time
My Favorite Places I’ve Visited: It’s Complicated, But Here Are My Picks
Here’s a topic that I think makes for a fun, updated discussion — what are your favorite places that you’ve traveled to? It’s a question that I’m often asked, but struggle to answer. That’s not because I never leave the airport (contrary to what some people may believe), but rather...

View from the Wing
United Polaris Passenger Opens Freshly Packed Blanket, Finds “Feces” Inside — Then Spends 9 Hours In The Seat
A United Polaris passenger says he opened freshly packed bedding on a San Francisco–Tokyo flight and touched dried feces—then spent nine more hours in the same seat because the cabin was full.
Reviews
Read the latest reviews for road warriors and frequent flyers.

View from the Wing
American Airlines Took A Family’s Seats For Its Pilots—They Were Kicked Out Of Business Class Because They Used Miles
American Airlines downgraded a family from business class to make room for deadheading pilots, choosing them because their tickets were booked with miles. The $600 voucher offered doesn’t replace the mileage refund required after an involuntary downgrade.

Live from a Lounge
India Will Stop Stamping Boarding Passes At Immigration From September 1
International travellers departing India will no longer need to carry a physical boarding pass to immigration or have it stamped by an immigration officer from September 1, 2026. The Bureau of Immigration is doing away with the requirement across all international airports in the country, in another step towards a...

One Mile at a Time
United Business Class Passenger Finds Poop-Covered Blanket At Seat, Forced To Sit There Anyway
A passenger traveling in United Airlines’ Polaris business class claims he boarded a long haul flight, only to find a blanket covered in feces at his seat. The crew had nowhere to move him to, so he was forced to stay in that seat for the entire flight… only to...

Live and Let’s Fly
Air France Denies Its Paris Lounge Sauna Became A Sex Den, But The Explanation Doesn’t Add Up
Air France has now publicly denied that it closed the sauna in its Paris Charles de Gaulle lounge because passengers were engaging in sexual activity inside. Fair enough, but I stand by what I reported: that is what an Air France lounge manager told me when I specifically asked why...

One Mile at a Time
Sun Country Flight Attendant Charged With Assault, Faces Lawsuit Over Racist Altercation
A Sun Country flight attendant is facing assault charges and a lawsuit, over an incident that happened on a flight earlier this month, after people were kicked off a flight. It’s common to see flight attendants kick people off planes with fairly limited repercussions, so at least the assault accountability...

View from the Wing
Exclusive: First Video Inside American’s Retrofitted 777-300ER—70 Business Suites With Doors But No First Class
View From The Wing has obtained the first video inside American Airlines’ completed Boeing 777-300ER retrofit, showing its enormous 70-seat business-class cabin installed. The first aircraft, N718AN, is back in Dallas ahead of an expected early-September commercial debut.

Frequent Miler
Testing United’s cardholder award availability, digging into Atmos Rewards, US Bank’s wonky transfer partner launch and more (Week in Review)
I’ve been seeing just how long I can go with a $0 credit card wallet, carefully curating a modest collection of no annual fee cards that earn me transferable points at decent rates for my most common spend categories: grocery, dining, and gas. While I’m happy to take this as...

Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Delta Air Lines Flight Attendants Ordered Not to Let Passengers Hold Onto Pre-Departure Beverages For Takeoff… Yes, That Includes Plastic Cups
What to Know Delta flight attendants must now collect every pre-departure beverage, including plastic and paper cups, before pushback starting September 1, under a newly enforced FAA rule. In This Article Why a 34-year-old FAA regulation is suddenly being enforced more strictly, and what changed in May. Why the change...

Live and Let’s Fly
I’m Flying From Pittsburgh To Los Angeles Via Portugal And Germany Just To Ride One Last Lufthansa A340-600
I decided to fly home from Pittsburgh to Los Angeles via Washington Dulles, Lisbon, and Frankfurt…as one does. The reason: to fly on a very special Lufthansa aircraft one more time. Booked! One Last Lufthansa A340-600 Journey (TAP Air Portugal A321 Too) Lufthansa plans to retire its iconic Airbus A340-600...

One Mile at a Time
New FAA Rules Around Clearing Plastic Cups Are Absurdly Stupid: Are Plastic Cups A Safety Hazard?
Earlier, I covered how Delta issued a memo to flight attendants, related to service changes before flights take off. Specifically, flight attendants will have to collect all service items, including pre-departure drinks, before the aircraft pushes back, rather than just before takeoff.

Paddle Your Own Kanoo
Wet Lease vs Dry Lease vs Damp Lease: Why Airlines Sometimes Borrow Another Airline’s Plane, Crew, or Both
Have you ever boarded a plane where the logo on the outside doesn’t match the logo on your boarding pass… Only to then discover that the crew aren’t wearing wearing the uniform you were expecting and the inside looks completely different from what you were expecting? It’s not a mistake....

View from the Wing
Husband And Wife Upgrade To Delta Business Class, But The Mother-In-Law Demanded: ‘Who’s Going To Help With The Baby?’
A woman used her own miles and money to move herself and her husband from Delta Comfort+ to lie-flat Delta One on a 10-hour family flight. Her mother-in-law said first class wasn’t for “kids”—and wanted to know who would help with the baby left in back.

One Mile at a Time
Etihad Sparks Diplomatic Spat After Referring To Taiwan As Part Of China
Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways has made headlines in Taiwan, after it was revealed that one of the carrier’s inflight announcements referred to Taiwan as part of China. This caused a bit of a diplomatic spat, and the airline was forced to apologize, though let’s see how China feels about this…

Eye of the Flyer
Delta Austin – Paris Pricing, René’s 2027 Eclipse Plans, and an A380 Work Light to Dallas
Delta’s new Austin – Paris flight is finally bookable, and the Delta One pricing made me do a double take. Plus, René is already plotting his next total solar eclipse trip, and somehow a mechanic’s work light scored a round-trip to Dallas inside a Qantas A380.

View from the Wing
FAA Tells Airlines To Take Away First Class Drinks Before Pushback — But You Can Keep Your Own Starbucks
Starting September 1, Delta says FAA enforcement will require carrier-provided cups and glasses to be collected before pushback, while passengers may keep identical drinks they brought aboard if properly stowed. The 34-year-old rule is about evacuation safety and could make already-inconsistent predeparture beverages even less reliable.

Live and Let’s Fly
Miss Congeniality: American Airlines Passenger Gobbles Down Three Hard-Boiled Eggs While Turning Seatmates Into Personal Assistants
I have seen passengers bring some unusual food onboard airplanes over the years, but I never ceased to be amazed: this time over three hard-boiled eggs, carefully transported in pink plastic egg carton and consumed one by one during an American Airlines flight while simultaneously asking quite a lot from...

One Mile at a Time
Drink Up: Delta Crews Will Collect Pre-Departure Drinks Earlier, In “FAA-Driven” Change
Delta flight attendants are being told that they’ll shortly have to prepare the aircraft cabin for takeoff earlier than in the past, and that specifically impacts collecting service items. While the airline claims this is an FAA-driven change that applies across the industry, I’m not sure anything is actually changing,...

Paddle Your Own Kanoo
American Airlines Flight to Dallas Makes Emergency Landing After Fire Breaks Out in Cabin Injuring Four Passengers
An American Airlines flight from Atlanta to Dallas Fort Worth was forced to make an emergency landing at DFW on Friday evening after a passenger’s laptop overheated and caught fire as the plane was on approach to the carrier’s home hub airport, injuring four to five passengers. The incident occurred...

The Gate with Brian Cohen
A Closer Look At the Hilton Garden Inn Logo
Since its humble introduction in 1990 as a brand of Hilton Worldwide with four hotel properties that were originally branded as CrestHill by Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn has been a symbol for enthusiasts of Hilton as a mid-range yet “laid-back sophisticated” brand with a “casual garden courtyard ambiance” which offers...


































