I live in Miami, and one question I'm constantly asked is why I don't fly out of Fort Lauderdale more, given that JetBlue flies out of there, and I quite like JetBlue. For example, reader Andrew asked the following on a post yesterday: "Ben, I don’t…
In theory Heathrow Airport is supposed to get a third runway eventually, and now the project has hit yet another roadblock. Could this finally be the end of any plans for a third runway? The London Court of Appeal has blocked the plans for Heathrow's…
I've actually never seen a startup airline quite like this before. The rebirth of WOW Air is odd because it seems to me like the people running it are serious about the airline (unlike Baltia), and they have the cash (unlike Global Ghana Airlines #LowAltitudeFlightAttendants),…
Hey LOT Polish, you should really meet my friend oneworld... The first global alliance (Star Alliance) was formed in 1997, and for the first decade the concept was around, it was all the rage. However, at this point many would argue that the concept…
Airlines are being hit hard by the uncertainty from coronavirus, causing many to put off planning travel. JetBlue seemingly has an innovative solution for that. JetBlue has today announced that they will suspend all change and cancelation fees for newly…
LifeMiles is known for the excellent promotions they offer on purchased miles, and a couple of weeks ago they launched their latest such promotion, exclusively through OMAAT (of course you're welcome to share the deal with anyone you'd like). This is…
China Eastern has today revealed details about a new subsidiary they're launching. We knew this was coming, though the whole concept has to make you wonder. Historically China Eastern has exclusively operated Airbus and Boeing planes, though later this…
I'm not surprised by this move, but it also isn't good news for Condor. Several weeks ago it was announced that Polish Aviation Group (PGL), the parent company of LOT Polish Airlines, will be acquiring Condor Airlines. The deal is expected to close in…
It looks like Virgin Australia will be deciding on their long haul fleet renewal plans in the not-too-distant future, so what could that look like? Currently Virgin Australia's wide body fleet consists of: Five Boeing 777-300ERs, which are an average…
A couple of weeks ago it was announced that Alaska Airlines will be joining the oneworld alliance in 2021. On the surface this is an exciting development, though I'm also curious about the implications this has on their industry leading Mileage Plan…
The Peninsula Beverly Hills is suing the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills and Hilton over what they call corporate espionage. This week the Peninsula Beverly Hills has filed court papers accusing Hilton of engaging in corporate espionage and unfair business…
Obviously the coronavirus situation is having an impact on the global economy, though there's no denying that airlines are among the hardest hit, due to the uncertainty and fear caused by it. For the most part we've seen travel brands be fairly reasonable…
There are lots of aspects to maximizing your credit card strategy, including taking advantage of the best welcome bonuses, spending categories, and card perks. Sometimes I think it's interesting to break down credit card strategies by card issuer, so…
Since mid-January, Chase and Marriott have been offering increased bonuses on two popular co-branded cards. The Marriott Bonvoy Boundless™ Credit Card and Marriott Bonvoy Bold™ Credit Card are offering welcome bonuses of 100K and 50K points,…
Qantas is currently celebrating their 100th anniversary, and to commemorate that they're introducing a new safety video, which will debut on all flights on March 1, 2020. The safety video takes place through different eras of flying, starting in the…
Here's something that would be absolutely awesome, but I'm skeptical of whether it will ever become a reality. Air New Zealand has today unveiled a new lie-flat prototype sleep product for economy travelers. The airline is today filing a patent and trademark…
A bit over a week ago I stayed at The Ben, a brand new Marriott Autograph Collection property in West Palm Beach, Florida. For those of you not familiar with Autograph Collection, it's supposed to be Marriott's collection of luxury, independent hotels.…
After my ground experience in Manila I was extremely excited to board my Philippine Airlines flight to Toronto. So, how is Philippine Airlines' A350? Can they compete with other excellent airlines in the region, or do they still have a long way to go?…
The previous installment covered the disaster which is connecting from T2 to T1 in Manila, and suffice to say that it probably clouded my perception of everything at this airport. In this installment I wanted to take a look at the PAGSS Lounge Terminal…
When I wrote about the Philippine Airlines ticket that I booked, many readers warned me that the connection experience at Manila Airport is the worst in the world. I don't want to say that that I dismissed what people were saying, but I figured they…
For the return portion of my trip to North America I decided to book Philippine Airlines. The airline is trying to reinvent themselves, and they have new A350s with an excellent business class product. I had flown the airline once before in 777 business…
I had quite a bit of time between by 5:30AM visit to the China Airlines Lounge, and my 9:40AM flight to Manila on Philippine Airlines, so I decided to check out another lounge. Plaza Premium has four lounges at Taipei Taoyuan International Airport --…
It sure is nice to know where you stand on a flight upgrade list. Not only does it help you manage expectations, but it can also be useful if you have an opportunity to easily change to another flight, or are considering a paid upgrade. I've managed…
There are lots of aspects to maximizing your credit card rewards, including taking advantage of the best welcome bonuses, spending categories, and card perks. Sometimes I think it’s interesting to break down credit card strategies by card issuer, so…
2020 has been a fascinating year for American Airlines so far. On the one hand, I'm thrilled to see that they've woken up and are actually starting to develop a strategy. Is there actually an underlying strategy, though? Or at this point is American…
The US American Express Membership Rewards program is one of the all around most useful transferable points currencies. Not only does Amex have a lot of airline and hotel partners, but they also often have transfer bonuses that can get you even more…
Hey, here's something to be genuinely excited about, as it points towards the cat fight between the US carriers and Gulf carriers coming to an end. Or perhaps it just points to American's lack of strategy and follow-through. American Airlines and Qatar…
One of the things that I appreciate about British Airways Executive Club is that they guarantee a certain amount of award availability on each flight. British Airways guarantees a minimum of two business class and four economy class award seats on all…
Reports suggest that Lufthansa and possibly even United might be working together to buy a major stake in TAP Air Portugal. While I totally get the logic, this would be terrible for consumers. Airline entrepreneur David Neeleman founded JetBlue and Azul,…
Over the years Global Entry (which offers expedited immigration to "trusted" travelers) has saved me a countless number of hours. It has turned US immigration from an annoying pain point of travel, to a consistently seamless process. Of course when you…
Lately we've seen a trend whereby airlines have added an incredible number of new ultra long haul flights. This is a reversal of a previous trend, because prior to a few years ago we saw fewer and fewer long flights introduced. When you look at the list…
While Wyndham is the largest hotel franchising company in the world in terms of number of properties (they have 9,300 hotels in 90 countries), I don't talk all that much about their loyalty program, Wyndham Rewards. With Wyndham's newest "Make Your Break"…
