View from the Wing
Baby Born As Flight Lands At JFK — Air Traffic Control Says ‘Name The Baby Kennedy’
A passenger gave birth as a Caribbean Airlines flight was landing at New York JFK, with air traffic control expediting the arrival, arranging medical help at the gate, and then delivering the perfect line once the baby was out: “Name the baby Kennedy.”
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Viroth’s Villa in Siem Reap in Cambodia: My First Stay at a Mr & Mrs Smith Hotel Property — and The Verdict Is…
My first stay at a Mr & Mrs Smith hotel property occurred while I was at Viroth’s Villa in Siem Reap in Cambodia. The acquisition of the carefully curated and growing collection of greater than 1,500 boutique and luxury properties was officially announced by Hyatt Hotels Corporation on Friday, April...
Live and Let’s Fly
United Served Steak In Economy Class? A Look At A 1966 Easter Menu
A classic United Airlines Eater menu from 1966 showcases how economy class passengers used to be fed on domestic flights. When Economy Class Included Steak: United’s 1966 Easter Menu A Flyertalk member shared pictures of a special Easter menu from a 1966 United flight: Dinner included: Hearts of Lettuce Salad...
View from the Wing
Hyatt Business Card Record 80,000 Points — The Fastest Way To Spend Toward Status
The World of Hyatt Business Credit Card now has its biggest-ever welcome bonus: 80,000 points after $10,000 in spending in the first three months, up from the previous 60,000-point offer. The bigger reason to care is that Hyatt makes this its fastest card for spending your way toward elite status.
Live and Let’s Fly
United’s New “Basic” Business Class Won’t Lower Prices, It Only Cuts Benefits
United Airlines is introducing a new tiered fare structure for its premium cabins, including what amounts to “basic” business class and premium economy. It’s exactly what I warned about last year, though we now have more details. United Airlines Introduces “Basic” Business Class Fares United Airlines has announced a new...
Eye of the Flyer
Delta Schedule Change Saturday Is Back — Check Your Flights
Another fairly significant “Schedule Change Saturday” has arrived for some Delta Air Lines passengers this weekend. What Can Happen During a Schedule Change? Here’s what might shift when schedules update: Flight departure days Rare, but it happens Departure and arrival times Aircraft swaps Seat assignments Your perfect seat might disappear...
One Mile at a Time
Review: Air France Lounge Montreal Airport (YUL)
During myexotic journey to Bangkok via Paris,I flew Air France’s Boeing 787-9 business class from Montreal (YUL) to Paris (CDG). Prior to that, I had the chance to spend some time at the Air France Lounge Montreal Trudeau International Airport, which I’ll be reviewing in this installment.
Economy Class & Beyond
West Midland Metro expands operations
The West Midlands Metro is slowly morphing from a single line to a network. As part of its network expansion, the Metro has opened a branch between Bull Street and Millennium Point. Passenger tram services are to start running to the Millennium Point stop from Easter Sunday (5 April), connecting...
View from the Wing
The Dumbest Airline Upgrade Tips Never Die — And Passengers Still Fall For Them
Airline upgrade advice never stops circulating, even though much of it is nonsense. From dressing nicely to hinting at a special occasion, travelers keep hearing that the right attitude or outfit can unlock first class. In reality, upgrades mostly go to elite status, paid offers, and airline-controlled systems — not...
One Mile at a Time
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts: The Fast Growing Luxury Hotel Group To Watch
In recent times, Ive been writing a series about some of the worlds best small luxury hotel groups, including Airelles, Aman, BVLGARI, Capella, Cheval Blanc, Oetker, One&Only, Ritz-Carlton Reserve, etc. I’ve also written about some of the bigger luxury hotel groups, like Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, etc.
Frequent Miler
Eat out, earn more: Guide to card-linked dining programs for airlines, hotels & more
One of the ways to earn points, miles and/or cashback on your everyday spend is to link your payment card(s) to dining programs that offer rewards. When paying for meals at participating restaurants with one of those linked cards, you earn bonus rewards through that dining program. Once you’ve registered...
Live and Let’s Fly
Trump Moves To Privatize Airport Security, Slash TSA Funding
President Donald Trump is taking aim at the Transportation Security Administration, proposing a partial privatization of airport security alongside funding cuts. It is an idea that has surfaced before, but this time it comes amid lingering operational chaos, staffing shortages, and renewed questions about whether TSA is actually making us...
View from the Wing
Hotels Are Using Climate Goals To Shrink Breakfast Buffets — Guests Get Less, Owners Save More
Hotels are using climate and food-waste goals to justify smaller breakfast buffets, fewer options, and more “efficient” service — but the payoff for owners is lower food and labor costs. Guests may hear talk about sustainability, while what they actually notice is less on the plate and less on the...
The Gate with Brian Cohen
Te Anau in New Zealand
The drive between Queenstown and Milford Sound can consume almost four hours to drive fewer than 300 kilometers. Going to Milford Sound for the day from Queenstown is not impossible to do; but it can be quite a long day. Te Anau in New Zealand is a quaint town which...
Live and Let’s Fly
SWISS Charges A Premium In Europe, But For What Exactly?
My SWISS Airbus A220-300 flight from London to Zurich was pleasant enough, but it left me asking a simple question: what exactly are you paying a premium for to fly SWISS versus a budget carrier? SWISS Vs EasyJet: What Are You Actually Paying For In Europe? On a short European...
View from the Wing
I Read All 425 Pages Of Uniteds Flight Attendant Deal — Bigger Pay, But Profit Sharing Lags And United Can Own A Regional Airline
United’s new tentative agreement really does deliver what the union is selling on the headline items: roughly 30% higher base pay, 50% boarding pay, a richer 401(k) match, and meaningfully better hotel language. But after reading all 425 pages, the fuller story is that the gains come with real tradeoffs...
