YouTuber Josh Cahill is one of the most controversial aviation vloggers. He prides himself in his independence and lack of bias, though in reality, he just creates completely unnecessary (and often dishonest) drama seemingly where he goes.
So while we’re very used to him calling out airlines and accusing them of things, one government is now hitting back at him, and it’s kind or refreshing to see, as flagged by View from the Wing.
In this post:
Josh Cahill accuses Air Côte d’Ivoire of downgrade & scam
A couple of weeks ago, Josh Cahill reviewed the inaugural Air Côte d’Ivoire flight from Paris (CDG) to Abidjan (ABJ). I’ve gotta be honest, I was kind of jealous, since I’ve desperately been wanting to fly the country’s flag carrier on its brand new Airbus A330-900neo, but I’ve been unable to find a reasonable premium fare.
Cahill claimed to have booked a business class ticket on the flight, and then published an absolutely scathing review, claiming he was “downgraded, scammed & censored.” It all started at check-in, when he was told that he was actually booked in economy, but he claimed to be booked in business class.
After the station manager was called, it became clear that his business class ticket was canceled, and that he was actually booked in economy. The check-in staff demanded an extra $1,500 to upgrade him to business class.
Of course Cahill always does a creative job with editing videos to make them fit his narrative. He edited out the parts where the employees presumably shared some important details that didn’t fit his narrative.
Long story short, he boarded in economy, but then once onboard, they upgraded him to business class. I assume they did so to avoid negative publicity (since they knew who he was), but who knows…
When I first saw the video a couple of weeks ago, I assumed there had to be more to the story. Like I said above, I was desperate to take this flight, but I wasn’t able to find any sort of a semi-reasonable business class fare, so I really wondered what Cahill had booked.
Of course in this case he left out that very important detail (is that too much to ask in a video that’s nearly 40 minutes long?), and that made me even more suspicious, because I assumed there was a reason he wasn’t sharing this. Well, now we know exactly what happened, and it took the government of Côte d’Ivoire to settle this…
Parliament member sets record straight on Josh Cahill
Alain Lobognon, a parliament member in Côte d’Ivoire, has taken to social media to respond to Cahill’s accusations, and it’s quite something:
As a proud Ivorian, I cannot stay silent when I see someone trying to tarnish the reputation of Air Côte d’Ivoire, a national symbol of our country’s progress, ambition, and independence in the skies. Let me remind you of the facts:
1. You booked your ticket through Booking.com, not directly with Air Côte d’Ivoire. A technical error on their platform displayed a business class fare that was never actually issued by our airline.
2. Yet, despite this, Air Côte d’Ivoire went above and beyond : they upgraded you to business class for free the moment the issue was flagged. That’s not negligence, that’s Ivorian hospitality at 30,000 feet.
So why launch a public campaign against a company that treated you with generosity and respect?
Unless, of course, your real goal isn’t fairness, but helping European carriers who are nervous about a proud African airline now competing directly on the Abidjan–Paris route, with our own aircraft, our own crew, and our own vision.
Air Côte d’Ivoire isn’t just an airline. It’s Côte d’Ivoire taking flight. It’s proof that we can build world-class service, connect our diaspora, and stand tall on the global stage.
I’m proud to see my country operate long-haul flights between Abidjan and Paris. I’m proud of our pilots, our cabin crew, our engineers. And I’m especially proud that, even in the face of a third-party mistake, we chose excellence over excuses.
Constructive criticism? Always welcome.
But bad faith attacks on a national achievement? Not on my watch.
Shame on Josh Cahill for his lack of morals and transparency
It’s not often I talk this way, but Cahill is really the lowest of the low when it comes to the extent to which he’ll manufacture drama for views. Of course this is hardly the first time that he has had major issues with an airline. Somehow he’s always getting “scammed” by airlines — it’s amazing how he’s the common link in all of these incidents.
So it appears that what happened here is that he managed to book a business class fare of €982, well below the published price. The key detail is that he booked through Booking.com, an online travel agency, so clearly the website had some issues with how it was mapping those fares.
However, this issue was clearly on Booking.com’s end, rather than on the carrier’s end. A few things:
- I have to assume that Cahill knew exactly what he was booking, and the risk it entailed; there’s no guarantee that mistake fares will be honored
- Cahill is a savvy traveler, and he knows that if an OTA makes a mistake with fare mapping, the airline isn’t necessarily at fault for that
- Since the ticket was canceled, I would be willing to bet that Cahill received a cancellation notice for the business class ticket, and just pretended that he didn’t, by showing the initial confirmation at check-in (that would explain the conversation, and the way it’s edited)
It’s just really pathetic to see the approach that Cahill takes. He doesn’t care about the truth, and he doesn’t care about giving airlines a fair shake. He just cares about clicks at any expense.
Obviously it’s not good when there are fare mapping issues, and consumers are sold a product that’s not delivered on. But he’s not honest in sharing what happened, blaming this entirely on the airline, when that’s not necessarily the case. He could’ve approached this honestly and transparently with his viewers — “hey, I booked this great fare through Booking.com, there might be issues with it, let’s see how it goes.” But that’s not what he did.
There’s an irony to Cahill constantly having a feud with Sam Chui and trying to call him out, where he accuses Chui of basically being a mouthpiece and PR for airlines. Cahill is exactly the opposite, and not in a good way — he’ll bash airlines at any expense, whether it’s true or not.
Now, of course the parliament member is quite delusional as well, claiming that Cahill’s goal is “helping European carriers who are nervous about a proud African airline now competing.” Lol, no. Cahill is just a jerk who will attack any airline if it generates clicks. He’s only there to defend himself.
Bottom line
YouTuber Josh Cahill is finding himself in a controversy yet again, this time involving the inaugural Air Côte d’Ivoire flight from Paris. Cahill claimed he was downgraded and scammed by the airline. In reality, he booked a business class mistake fare and it was canceled, and it seems the fault was primarily with the online travel agency.
It’s sad, because Cahill flies some really interesting airlines, and it’s fun to see the reviews. But he’s just such a dishonest person who takes his viewers for fools, and is willing to omit any information in order to create sensationalism.
What do you make of this Josh Cahill and Air Côte d’Ivoire drama?
Oh look, the dumbass gobshite acting like a spoiled whiny brat when it didn't get its way and has so much main character syndrome it acts like a freaking Gulf royal and moans, bitches and gripes about everything.
STOP TALKING ABOUT THE CLOWN. IT DOES NOT DESERVE AIRTIME. BOTH CAHILL AND CHIU.
Just want to mention that Cahill's made up click-bait drama does not make Sam Chui a good airline reviewer. Actually, both are absolutely dishonest and a shame for the industry.
Cahill one the one end, Sam Chui on the other.
This 100%.
Hi Ben,
Why have you lashed out so negatively on Josh? I am not surprised he got upset as you did throw a good number of general accusations his way.
He does make issues a bit bigger than they need to be in order to increase his viewership but that is YouTube business as usual. You do the same with clicky articles on your blog.
It's not nice to see bloggers exchange...
Hi Ben,
Why have you lashed out so negatively on Josh? I am not surprised he got upset as you did throw a good number of general accusations his way.
He does make issues a bit bigger than they need to be in order to increase his viewership but that is YouTube business as usual. You do the same with clicky articles on your blog.
It's not nice to see bloggers exchange accusations and I do not think it is necessary to carry it out in public as you are doing here. Makes neither you nor him look good.
Hope you two give it a rest and go back to proper reporting.
Because they all deserve the hate and negativity for being ambassadors of utter privilege, disgusting entitlement, and outright audacity.
The airline is right! And they treat him so nicely. His way is smiling all the time and acting out his problems and misunderstanding situations is always due to other people problmes. He is never to blam. If it would happend once, I would say maybe he is right, but it always problems with this guy. And at leaat once I cought him not objective in his review, to say the least.
Hi Ben, i did read your comment on when Cahill's so-called PA wrote to you. I absolutely agree that he is a cry baby. Thats kind of his thing. I never watch or take him serious. But a big BUT. you are wrong in many counts here. Even if he booked his ticket via Booking.com, the ticket is issued by the airlines. According EU regulations, once the ticket is issued, then the responsibility is NO...
Hi Ben, i did read your comment on when Cahill's so-called PA wrote to you. I absolutely agree that he is a cry baby. Thats kind of his thing. I never watch or take him serious. But a big BUT. you are wrong in many counts here. Even if he booked his ticket via Booking.com, the ticket is issued by the airlines. According EU regulations, once the ticket is issued, then the responsibility is NO LONGER by the travel agency but by the airline. I do not think he will go with an economy ticket to the business counter, since its also not mentioned by the minister of transportation. I do feel your opinion about him and his fake PA is correct (the writing style is totally how he talks). But you are very subjective in what you wrote here, and you have not the legal knowledge of the EU. Furthermore, the minister of transport should get a quick class on EU rules and regulations. Error fares must be honoured once the ticket is issued, there are many court rulings. If he believes that european airlines have a secret union with secret agenda, and have nothing else to do to compete with a single african airline with a single european destination; perhaps he should act better.
It’s time for Airlines to send him on a no fly list. He is such a unnescessary Agent provocateur and my gaydar is also on. Do many closeted Gays have destruktive traits. It’s a shame.
As usual, Josh Cahill want to have a lot of followers to make more money, and he certainly think that controversy is the best way. Now we have on both sides Josh Cahill who's always complaining and on the other side Sam Chui who never complain as a free of charge customer.
Are you Sam chui writing this
I'll just comment, regardless of whatever truly happened or not, that the congressman's tweet REEKS of AI lol. "It's not X, it's Y", among a litany of other tells.
Ben you are absolutely right with the way he creates his videos. Extra unnecessary drama etc.
But according to my understanding, if you have a confirmed booking from the airline (which I assume he had) and you get downgraded by either way, you are entitled to EC261 compensation of the downgrade. So unless his flight was cancelled by him, or he didn't have an actual booking reference from the airline being booked in business class,...
Ben you are absolutely right with the way he creates his videos. Extra unnecessary drama etc.
But according to my understanding, if you have a confirmed booking from the airline (which I assume he had) and you get downgraded by either way, you are entitled to EC261 compensation of the downgrade. So unless his flight was cancelled by him, or he didn't have an actual booking reference from the airline being booked in business class, he should be entitled for 75% refund of his ticket.
According to the way the agent reacts in the video, there was a booking in business that was cancelled and there was a new booking in economy. "We" don't know who cancelled his booking. But if it was the airline, he can definitely fight his way for EC261 compensation as this wasn't a real glitch in the system. If it was booking.com, he can also fight for refund.
This is how I understand the situation with the information I have from the video.
These people are losers. His lack of morals and ethics will catch up to him. Karma is a b*tch.
Not surprised by Cahill's actions in the least, which is why I don't watch his content
I read the article title on the front page and before I even clicked I knew it was going to be Josh Cahill. I think that alone tells you enough you need to know about him.
Look at the positive. He keeps this up he will be banned from most airlines and countries and will be out of business.
Why give him a forum?
We’ve been asking that every time Lucky posts about him (or someone similar).
To call him out and not let him get away with it. As an Ivorian, I am pushing for the story to be acknowledged outside of Côte d'Ivoire.
Well, Ben works for clicks too. And writing about Josh apparently gets a lot of clicks and comments.
Yeah, sounds about right for Josh Cahill. I stopped watching his videos a while back, as he never came across as being authentic but rather overly dramatic. Of course, more drama = more views. But at this stage, it is so blatant. His beef with Sam Chui (who he never misses an opportunity to trash) seems petulant.
Typical Aljoscha's fake drama, his AeroDili case is also full of lies and deceit. Cutting the part where he used his alias name iso passport name in his ticket, which is a no-no for Indonesian immigration. As such, the airline then have to get the approval to issue a manual boarding pass.
Stop watching this faker
The parliament member's response totally screams chatgpt!
First of all, Josh Cahill needs to correct himself. These aren’t “self-funded,” these trips are subscriber funded from funds he solicits from the public. People pay a subscription for his “patreon” where he sends exclusive content that in turn fund his trips.
Second, any European (past present or future) need not throw around the word colonialism around black/brown or peoples that have been thru a tumultuous past and colonized. It’s tone deaf and in...
First of all, Josh Cahill needs to correct himself. These aren’t “self-funded,” these trips are subscriber funded from funds he solicits from the public. People pay a subscription for his “patreon” where he sends exclusive content that in turn fund his trips.
Second, any European (past present or future) need not throw around the word colonialism around black/brown or peoples that have been thru a tumultuous past and colonized. It’s tone deaf and in short RACIST.
While hiccups happen and they tend be annoying, why is the (lowest) common denominator Josh? (His) misery attracts more misery.
You also get the experience you pay for. Josh, sometimes actually often expects experiences either not advertised, or promised. He’s expecting ANA/JAL attentiveness on Spirit/Ryannair budgets.
He’s trashy, annoying, bigoted, lying; actually an oxygen thief.
Josh is there for the clickbait only. He is also an extremist Zionist (much like the Points Guy), travelling and giving money to Israel during the middle of Israel's war crimes and genocide in Gaza.
He is, oddly, really in all his negative commentary towards non-white airlines. Make what you will of that.
Travelling to Israel at this (or any) time does not make one an "extremist Zionist". Please get help.
I don't think he's picking on an African airline because European airlines are nervous (lol), but looking at his history of conflicts, he does pick on airlines in countries that are unlikely to take him to court in Europe or America. Basically he knows this crap is defamation, so he doesn't dare to pull this crap in the USA or the more powerful EU nations.
Disgusting, vulture behaviour.
Ben - I have followed your blog since you first started, and I respect and appreciate your feedback surrounding the aviation and travel industry. However, Can you please just stop posting about Josh? You are just giving him more of a platform, and sending more people to his videos. His work revolves around sensationalism. Period. There is no value or positivity that comes from these types of posts. I also believe you should hold yourself...
Ben - I have followed your blog since you first started, and I respect and appreciate your feedback surrounding the aviation and travel industry. However, Can you please just stop posting about Josh? You are just giving him more of a platform, and sending more people to his videos. His work revolves around sensationalism. Period. There is no value or positivity that comes from these types of posts. I also believe you should hold yourself and your content to higher standard than what Josh creates.
I think josh deserves to be called out for his dishonesty. His video tarnished a whole nation's reputation on an international level and when you're an Ivorian pointing out his lies, you get dismissed as a 'nationalist'. It's extremely important to shame this douchebag.
Also the fact that he has so much viewership tells you that the next generation is just doomed. Same goes for other trouble marker YouTube content… it’s a sad state of affairs with the young folks.
The only travel guy I watch is the Noel Phillips guy. He has some good British humor in the sea of otherwise bland, dry and dramatic airline vloggers.
I agree that Noel Philips is entertaining. I also enjoy watching Jeb Brooks’s videos. He seems like a genuinely nice guy and you can tell that he really enjoys his job. Commenters have mentioned meeting him in travel and agreeing that he is truly a nice guy and gracious for his viewers.
my holy list of aviation youtubers are The Flip Flop Traveler, Noel Phillips, Jeb Brooks, Flight Formula, and iTripReport
It’s kinda wild I’ve never seen the flip flop traveler but his snark and honesty really have garnered a funny Internet crush for him ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I’m sorry but if you book business class, you should expect business class. If Josh weren’t a well known name, they’d never have restored his ticket. A regular Joe would never have got that treatment. And a ‘minister’ who writes tweets with ChatGPT can never be taken seriously.
You must be new here. Mistake fares do not have to get honoured.
He was bever ticketed in business class and bought his ticket via a third party site that had a glitch. He was upgraded free of charge, films staff ( and passengers ) without consent which is also prohibited in France. The same clown that travelled from Lagos to Johannesburg was surprised the service was bad, flew on another carrier and was asked whether he was filming the crew and insisted he was not, whilst continuing...
He was bever ticketed in business class and bought his ticket via a third party site that had a glitch. He was upgraded free of charge, films staff ( and passengers ) without consent which is also prohibited in France. The same clown that travelled from Lagos to Johannesburg was surprised the service was bad, flew on another carrier and was asked whether he was filming the crew and insisted he was not, whilst continuing to do so and posting online. He should be blacklisted by more airlines.
Just curious, so just what's wrong with using ChatGPT or any AI tool? It is still his ideas that is translated in a form which you could probably understand.
@Huntsville. And he probably doesn't speak English. That may be why he used ChatGPT to translate his thoughts.
I agreed with Ben 100%. Josh often likes the attention of being a victim in the sky. He picked a fight with Sam Chui. Is that necessary? We all know that many airlines know both of them so at some points they both get special treatments. I'm sure both of them have annoyed other passengers that happened to be on the same flights as them. Quit watching their videos if you don't like them. I...
I agreed with Ben 100%. Josh often likes the attention of being a victim in the sky. He picked a fight with Sam Chui. Is that necessary? We all know that many airlines know both of them so at some points they both get special treatments. I'm sure both of them have annoyed other passengers that happened to be on the same flights as them. Quit watching their videos if you don't like them. I personally like nonstop Dan and Jeb Brooks ... at least for now.... until YouTube world change them :).
When Ben starts writing multiple insults about somebody in one blog post, that person must have really pissed him of!
Exactly how I imagine 1990 looks.
Marissa saw me reading this article and asked a question I thought was reasonable - "Do people only follow Josh Cahill because he's handsome (for a YouTuber)?"
Fair question. He's an LA 5, but he's handsome enough. His content certainly isn't very well made, and his insights are thoroughly unoriginal. He also does have a strange penchant for drama.
So...whadya think?
'LA 5' bah!
lol no! I don't follow him at all.
he's certainly not handsome. he's not deformed in any obvious way but he's not particularly handsome.
Hahaha.....
David G Travels here — have to agree with you on literally every point listed in this article. I can't think of another YouTube channel in aviation that's even close to as distasteful. Thanks for the good coverage as usual — see you in the air or on the road — would love to have you on the channel for an interview!
I've noticed the dog whitles as well because he's always making backhanded comments about race and the countries he's visiting. It's bizarre. In one video, he ranted and tried to give a history lesson for 10 minutes, buddy can barely speak English, so hearing him yap about things clearly above his pay grade was sad. He also said he's not politically correct on his channel; I don't even think he knows what that means.
Mr "I'm a minority too. I'm a vlogger" strikes again
Guy may may be a liar or a troublemaker, I don't know, but what is it with the governments of certain countries feeling the need to like step in and defend the honour of their national airline or airports? The airline in question here as a fleet size of 12, with 2 of those being long haul A/C. Likely nobody is flying them in a competitive and far away market; It's a flag carrier for...
Guy may may be a liar or a troublemaker, I don't know, but what is it with the governments of certain countries feeling the need to like step in and defend the honour of their national airline or airports? The airline in question here as a fleet size of 12, with 2 of those being long haul A/C. Likely nobody is flying them in a competitive and far away market; It's a flag carrier for a mostly captive audience.
If he did something unsafe or illegal, charge him in court. If he violated the airline's TOS, quietly ban him. But it seems like nobody there has ever heard of the Streisand effect. It's not necessary for an government or an airline to engage with a review youtube publicly unless the former situations apply.
I think the minister has every right to defend his country's airline. I believe it's more the proud Ivorian than the government representative talking here.
Air Côte d'Ivoire may operate within a captive market, the new Abidjan-Paris route already puts it in competition with two European carriers. It also has plans for expansion to North and south America, Asia and other parts of Europe so this kind of review can really hurt the airline's...
I think the minister has every right to defend his country's airline. I believe it's more the proud Ivorian than the government representative talking here.
Air Côte d'Ivoire may operate within a captive market, the new Abidjan-Paris route already puts it in competition with two European carriers. It also has plans for expansion to North and south America, Asia and other parts of Europe so this kind of review can really hurt the airline's reputation in the long term.
I suspect the response is aimed more at the domestic home audience than the rest of the world --- small carrier or not, many countries and their peoples are very proud of their national carriers and statements like this will land well with them.
As for the rest of the world, most people may not fly this airline but it also might be one of their only interactions and associations with the country and it...
I suspect the response is aimed more at the domestic home audience than the rest of the world --- small carrier or not, many countries and their peoples are very proud of their national carriers and statements like this will land well with them.
As for the rest of the world, most people may not fly this airline but it also might be one of their only interactions and associations with the country and it can certainly colour their perceptions of its reputation.
The response is fair, reasonable, and professional --- I see it a net benefit for them (as opposed to say, Aero Dili, who scored an own goal in their terrible response to his drama).
Hey airlines, ban this lying troublemaker. Problem solved.
I totally expected a video like this from him, not surprised... The whole "jealous European carriers" discourse is very popular currently in Côte d'Ivoire and people are (wrongly) convinced that Air France somehow had a role to play in all of this due to ongoing "difficult" negotiations regarding flight schedules and rights between Côte d'Ivoire and France.
The funny (or sad, depends on how you look at it) thing is that the Ivorian Government...
I totally expected a video like this from him, not surprised... The whole "jealous European carriers" discourse is very popular currently in Côte d'Ivoire and people are (wrongly) convinced that Air France somehow had a role to play in all of this due to ongoing "difficult" negotiations regarding flight schedules and rights between Côte d'Ivoire and France.
The funny (or sad, depends on how you look at it) thing is that the Ivorian Government themselves signed a pretty liberal agreement with France in 2016 (published by decree in France in 2019) and that is the reason why they, unlike Sénégal, can't boot an airline or ask the other to reduce frequencies to make room for the national airline.
To add even more insult to injury, the Ivorian parliament and other public institutions signed an agreement in May 2025 for preferential flights fares with... Corsair, knowing full well that Air Côte d'Ivoire would soon launch their own flights to Paris. Complete and utter incompetence bolstered by a complete lack of accountability.
I used to be subscribed to his channel. Not anymore! I realised his 'scam' of contriving faked dramas for 'clicks'. (Josh Cahill, is not even his real name.)
I watched the video and cannot see your problem there. Josh is fair, friendly and shows up the reality. As a German I like it to be direct. That's how he adresses these things without nonesense suggarcoding.
Fair and friendly? He films people without permission with the intent of creating a drama like the queen he thinks he is. He edited it to make it appear the airline was at fault when it was the opposite. He’s an idiot, who uses a fake name.
Total idiot!!
If I want to see “real” airport and airplane drama I have endless airport and airline meltdown videos on YT. I certainly don’t need this guy’s made up drama. MCO and DFW alone could support a dedicated YT channel.
This guy would never tell me anything of value or something I don't already know.
Don't forget to mention Wawa, George!
He’s in competition with Sam Chui?
That sounds like a MMA fight between shit and crap. Even the winner is a loser.
And if you join in it'll be a three-way match. You can appear as 'turd'. It suits you.
Found another cahill bot. How does his boots taste?
I find Cahill’s reviews very fair (sometimes a bit dramatic) and he rightfully earned his awards. Your agenda against him looks very biased and unbalanced. Why haven’t you reported on all the great things he has done? Such as the Afghanistan all-female flight or how he calls out Skytrax? Because it doesn’t fit your narrative? Have you actually ever asked him for his point of view? His fellow creators such as Noel, Dan or Jeb...
I find Cahill’s reviews very fair (sometimes a bit dramatic) and he rightfully earned his awards. Your agenda against him looks very biased and unbalanced. Why haven’t you reported on all the great things he has done? Such as the Afghanistan all-female flight or how he calls out Skytrax? Because it doesn’t fit your narrative? Have you actually ever asked him for his point of view? His fellow creators such as Noel, Dan or Jeb Brooks speak very highly of him and always point out how nice and kind he is… to me this seems like a big campaign fuelled by hatred and a bit of jealousy. Be kind Ben, suits you better…or equally call out others.
@ Andrew -- "Why haven’t you reported on all the great things he has done?" I'm sorry, is he Kim Jong Un, and I'm North Korean state media? I've also called out Skytrax a countless number of times...
And again, as I've pointed out below, my coverage of him hasn't just been negative. Just look at this post, about the unacceptable way Aero Dili treated him:
https://onemileatatime.com/news/airline-revenge-youtuber-passport/
Wouldn't you call that balanced?
Absolutely agree. Ben, I love your posts and your content in general, but you have a lot of assumptions here. You're saying Josh left out major details and you're seemingly filling them in with your own theories as fact.
He's not wrong in calling Sam out on most things. Sam is basically a sponsored Ad for most airlines and I'm sure we can both agree he is biased at times. Likely due to him...
Absolutely agree. Ben, I love your posts and your content in general, but you have a lot of assumptions here. You're saying Josh left out major details and you're seemingly filling them in with your own theories as fact.
He's not wrong in calling Sam out on most things. Sam is basically a sponsored Ad for most airlines and I'm sure we can both agree he is biased at times. Likely due to him receiving free travel and not paying like the rest of us.
Can Josh be dramatic, yes. Do I think he shows issues and the ways airlines can improve, absolutely. I don't think it's right to say - I've covered him in a positive light in the past, while seemingly saying he's pathetic, a jerk, clickbait content, sways the truth, etc. Come on, Ben.
@ Shawn -- I'm curious, which theories are you claiming that I'm inserting into this? That he booked with Booking.com, or something else?
The main issue I have with Josh is the extent to which he blatantly and unapologetically lies. Just look at his Legend Airlines video, where he claimed he wasn't recording the crew while recording the crew:
https://onemileatatime.com/news/youtuber-flies-romania-shady-legend-airlines/
Do you not take issue with that? And for the record, I'm not...
@ Shawn -- I'm curious, which theories are you claiming that I'm inserting into this? That he booked with Booking.com, or something else?
The main issue I have with Josh is the extent to which he blatantly and unapologetically lies. Just look at his Legend Airlines video, where he claimed he wasn't recording the crew while recording the crew:
https://onemileatatime.com/news/youtuber-flies-romania-shady-legend-airlines/
Do you not take issue with that? And for the record, I'm not in any way defending Sam's content, or suggesting one person is better than the other, in case that wasn't clear.
"The main issue I have with Josh is the extent to which he blatantly and unapologetically lies"
You're assuming Josh used booking.com to confirm a mistake fare. You assume that but have no idea. $1,200 USD for a 6.5 hour international flight seems low, but why go directly into calling him a liar? They stated there were only 30 people on board, he was the only one in business and he said the business price...
"The main issue I have with Josh is the extent to which he blatantly and unapologetically lies"
You're assuming Josh used booking.com to confirm a mistake fare. You assume that but have no idea. $1,200 USD for a 6.5 hour international flight seems low, but why go directly into calling him a liar? They stated there were only 30 people on board, he was the only one in business and he said the business price was twice as much as economy.
"Since the ticket was canceled, I would be willing to bet that Cahill received a cancellation notice for the business class ticket, and just pretended that he didn’t, by showing the initial confirmation at check-in (that would explain the conversation, and the way it’s edited)"
Again, another assumption.
"It’s just really pathetic to see the approach that Cahill takes. He doesn’t care about the truth, and he doesn’t care about giving airlines a fair shake. He just cares about clicks at any expense."
"Cahill claimed he was downgraded and scammed by the airline. In reality, he booked a business class mistake fare and it was canceled"
I've watched most of his videos, are there things that he does that I don't agree with? of course. You're the one who mentioned Sam, which is why I also commented on his content. You're cherry picking what you have issue with and unless you have direct knowledge, your stance is very firm and diminishing of another blogger.
Your entire post seems off and you're usually my go-to man for an unbiased view. Wouldn't have taken the time to comment at all if it didn't seem off.
He booked with a third party provider. That's not an assumption but a fact. It was mentioned by the ground crew during the actual video.
Andrew and Shawn both seem to have the hots for Josh too!!
Josh is a lot of drama mixed with some fair and less dramatic content..... I gotta back Ben on this one!
At some point, he even insinuated that the airline discriminated against him by making him wait for the locals to sit down first. I'm also sure that was BS. I'm amazed that people can get to this level of narcissism
I'm also tired of his MAGA dog whistles. Unsubscribed.
I read somewhere his real name is Duche Baggy!
Your bias against him is obvious. You ignore his hundreds of great and fair reviews and only focus on the few negatives to create attention for yourself. Have you emailed him to ask for his side of the story? You ain’t any better Ben and it is clear that this is personal.
@ Henry McCoist -- Have I emailed him to ask for his side of the story? He shared his side of the story in a 40-minute video, leaving out important details!
Regarding only focusing on a few of his negative videos, that's not at all the case. For example, look at the posts I've written where I defend him:
https://onemileatatime.com/news/airline-revenge-youtuber-passport/
https://onemileatatime.com/news/qatar-airways-bans-youtuber-negative-review/
I understand that Josh and perhaps others have invited Ben to have a discussion live/broadcast online or a video, and perhaps Ben has been invited to the Avcon summit of aviation/airline YouTubers in April. But Ben has declined Josh's invitations. I could be wrong, but this is my understanding of it...
@ NedsKid -- Sorry, what am I missing? Josh has invited me to have an online discussion? That's the first that I've heard of that, as I don't think I've ever interacted with him directly in any capacity (unless I'm forgetting something from years ago). I'm curious where this is coming from?
Henry & Nedskid...... I think you may both be secretly in love with Josh?? Hmmmmmm? lol
Cahill is a slimeball and I just flat out don't like his videos.
People like you condon unethical airlines practices. In this particular instance, it was the travel agent's problem. Any ordinary traveller, who by nature is the target audience of the youtube channels, would expect the airlines to honor the business class tickets issued, given that it was not the traveller that was at fault, and that is a reasonable expectation. Mind you, the ticket was not expensive, but it was also not outrageously cheap. So would...
People like you condon unethical airlines practices. In this particular instance, it was the travel agent's problem. Any ordinary traveller, who by nature is the target audience of the youtube channels, would expect the airlines to honor the business class tickets issued, given that it was not the traveller that was at fault, and that is a reasonable expectation. Mind you, the ticket was not expensive, but it was also not outrageously cheap. So would an average traveller, with full details, think that either the airlines or the travel agency were scamming them? Yes. And hence the title.
This guy is probably hated or maginalized by the frequent flyer influencers' circles, which are apparently receiving special privileges from airlines from time to time, and hence are always speaking on good terms for the airlines. I do not know this Josh guy, never watched his videos, but I would not side with the airlines nor the travel agent for cancelling a ticket. From a passenger's point of view, the airlines should have reimbursed the price difference from the travel agent. And I stopped booking with booking.com for good couple years ago since they had multiple issues with their platforms and the support staff never responded properly. So this Josh guy should be blammed for not knowing better of not to book with booking.com, but the clickbait is not unjustifiable.
Now, this so-called minister is not like Pete Buttigieg or anything, his post was liked by fewer than 200 people and your hourly readers amount would exceed that, not to mention that it was a tweet, not even an official statement nor parliamentary response. Coupled with the reaction of other who posted here, one would argue that your post title is also inflating the importance and making the hate against this Josh guy more dramatic than it sounds.
As much as I like some of your posts, your recent PH Kuala Lumpur posts are as inauthentic as they look given that I stayed there not long ago and it was nothing like how you mentioned it. Your blanket support on Ryannair, the airlines that treats passengers like cattle and normalizes the ill-treatment, is something that I think anyone outside than your frequent flyer ivory tower would find it difficult to understand.
So, is Josh dramatic? Probably yes. Is he wrong though? Well, Booking.com is even more wrong. Is the government official of that country correct though? Well it looks more like an unimportant political statement that nobody cares? So who is being more dramatic here? Well, it is obvious.
@ Wosh -- Sorry, my post about the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur was "inauthentic" because I had a positive experience, and maybe you had a different experience? You understand that people can come away from hotel stays with different impressions without one person being inauthentic, right?
Regarding blanket support for Ryanair, you might want to go back into the archives, because I've called the airline out many times, Hell, they threatened to sue me several...
@ Wosh -- Sorry, my post about the Park Hyatt Kuala Lumpur was "inauthentic" because I had a positive experience, and maybe you had a different experience? You understand that people can come away from hotel stays with different impressions without one person being inauthentic, right?
Regarding blanket support for Ryanair, you might want to go back into the archives, because I've called the airline out many times, Hell, they threatened to sue me several months back for sharing a government statement.
Parliament member's response 100% written by ChatGPT
Those are the risks you accept when booking via third party as opposed to the airline or hotel. When a problem arises you are in a tough spot ; no recourse directly or loyalty status. On the other hand it’s a business so ofcourse Josh is going to edit , lie , deceive, I don’t like the guy personally but the videos are entertaining. I’m more a fan of OSKAR and DAN !!!!
As soon as I saw the headline, I thought Josh Cahill. He’s a narcissist
@Icarus
+1 Even before reading, I knew it was Conman Cahill. Evidently, we're not the only ones who know what this POS is all about.
Let’s start addressing “Josh” by his real name:
Aljoscha Wendholt
Really, I read somewhere it was Duche Baggy? Thx for the clarification.
My take on this article and the subject matter is somewhat different to that which others are posting ….
Firstly the dialogue: too much blathering on and on, but in fact, saying so little of any interest or consequence. Obviously the chap is playing to his perceived audience, extremely badly. Such minimal aircraft cabin, seats, storage, EFI and amenities information, etc, was a big mistake on his part. Especially due to the fact that the...
My take on this article and the subject matter is somewhat different to that which others are posting ….
Firstly the dialogue: too much blathering on and on, but in fact, saying so little of any interest or consequence. Obviously the chap is playing to his perceived audience, extremely badly. Such minimal aircraft cabin, seats, storage, EFI and amenities information, etc, was a big mistake on his part. Especially due to the fact that the flight was almost empty and the crew appeared to be so amenable.
The video content; being expected to view that face while listening to his drivel was excruciating. This chap completely missed the plot to record and inform his audience about the product he was supposed to be reviewing. An almost empty, brand new aircraft was available to him, but, as he was so full of his own self importance, he completely missed the plot.
Crack-on Ben, learn from this chap’s mistakes and keep on doing your flight reviews in your own way.
My bottom line is simple: I have just wasted my time watching a numpty demonstrating how not to make a flight review video and then compose this missive to post herein.
Ben speaking of great fares, can you try Biman Bangladesh on the 787 from Toronto to Dhaka? $1200 USD one way, should tie in nicely to some trip in the future!
@ Willem -- Now that's tempting!! Hmmm, where to go from DAC, though...
@Ben - From DAC, you can take Etihad's regional J, and then connect to their A35K J to North America (JFK, ORD, ATL). Or you could provide an updated review of Air China or another Chinese airline. Just a few ideas off the top of my head...
He always has some issue. His videos and constant complaining are annoying to say the least.
He’s an annoying t- and I hope he reads Omaat
Downvote his videos. Select the option to not get his channel in your feed. Youtube's algorithm will learn. Maybe he gets demonetized some day.
Do nonstop Dan next. Let’s get both these drama queens off YouTube
Dan has the best recording quality and great attention to detail. Why the hate?
I have been stopping watching his trash for a while, it is just a personality reality show.
Stopped watching him some years ago, got tired of his BS.
I like that Ben very rarely pronounces on others in the B/Vlog space. And I like that he did, in this instance.
Yes, Cahill is untrustworthy trash. But I doubt his reviews are relied upon by anyone who could get approved for a credit card anyway. As for the rest of us, telling people not to look at a car wreck as they pass is great advice, good luck with that.
Not this scum again. He is to be ignored.
It is always Josh Cahill. It is clear that he is a drama boy. He should stop this nonsense. Just stop watching his videos.
He's a drama queen. As a gay man, my drama queen gaydar when off the first time I saw one of his videos. He's annoying!
He also films and intimidates staff as well as filming other passengers without redacting images. In France that’s absolutely illegal without permission let alone the rest of Europe. They should ban him and sue for slander. What a moron. @josh even though that’s not your real name, I hope you read this blog and the comments.
Didn't he have an issue earlier with Qatar Airways as well?
Yes, and i think Qatar Airways banned him from flying with them.
Good to hear...... I don't have to worry about our paths crossing on Qatar!! :)
just stop watching his trash. stop covering it. ignore it. he is scum.
Absolutely correct! He's a pain in the...
It is ridiculous that companies bend the knee to these vloggers, bloggers whatever they are called.
A reasonable response by the minister although I would have left out the unnecessary part of : "but helping European carriers who are nervous about a proud African airline now competing directly on the Abidjan–Paris route, with our own aircraft, our own crew, and our own vision."
It serves no purpose to make unnecessary allegations. Just stick to the facts.
If everybody would just stop watching his videos so he does not get any views, he will probably stop this nonsense since he won’t be making any money out of it.
Yesssssssss!!!!
And Josh Cahill proudly says he is "YouTube's Most Awarded Airline and Aviation Creator." I don't agree.
In my humble opinion, I never cared to watch Josh Cahill. If I were to award the best aviation YouTuber, I would award it to Simply Aviation. They're the polar opposite of Josh Cahill, priding themselves on being no-nonsense in their reviews and, most importantly, genuinely being useful for the wider audience rather than generating clicks, since the...
And Josh Cahill proudly says he is "YouTube's Most Awarded Airline and Aviation Creator." I don't agree.
In my humble opinion, I never cared to watch Josh Cahill. If I were to award the best aviation YouTuber, I would award it to Simply Aviation. They're the polar opposite of Josh Cahill, priding themselves on being no-nonsense in their reviews and, most importantly, genuinely being useful for the wider audience rather than generating clicks, since the majority of their studies are in economy class. They aren't dramatic at all, but rather just give you the facts and their personal opinions so that you can make your own judgment. I also believe Jeb Brooks is just as humble as Simply Aviation, but with a more tailored approach towards general adventure, comparisons, and behind-the-scenes content. Still like watching him, though!
My least favorite is Noel Phillips cause it seems he purposely books itineraries with tight connections that are likely going to end up badly.
Don’t know where you found anything negative about Noel. Most of his videos are pretty positive and good. You found maybe one or two cases where he might have booked a tight connection and took it as an offense, that is such a weird thing to do…
Noel Philips is more geared towards entertainment than being useful. Kind of similar to Jeb Brooks, but a bit less useful and a little bit more ruthless and just slightly more dramatic (but very far from being Josh Cahill's level of dramatic). Still not that bad, for the most part (but it was really painful watching Noel's review of ANA the Room), just not as useful.
Noel has teenage kids and a spouse struggling with health issues, he tends to book the most efficient itineraries to accomplish the goal and go home. It’s hard to fault him for that.
Noel is a good guy and generally posts honest, positive reviews. A recent Caribbean island-hopping trip stands out, where he tried to manufacturer drama that wasn't deserved by the airline and rightly got roasted in the comments by his followers.
Simply Aviation, Jeb Brooks, Dennis Bunnik, Razgriz, and The Layover Aviation are probably the best of the YouTubers. There are a couple of other mostly tolerable ones, too.
Nonstop Dan (wasn't he briefly an OMAAT staffer?) is a bit annoying but tolerable in limited doses. Noel Phillips is the off-brand knock-off of Jeb Brooks (doing many of the same stunts, like transcon CR2s or trying to hit all hubs in a day).
Arguing over whether...
Simply Aviation, Jeb Brooks, Dennis Bunnik, Razgriz, and The Layover Aviation are probably the best of the YouTubers. There are a couple of other mostly tolerable ones, too.
Nonstop Dan (wasn't he briefly an OMAAT staffer?) is a bit annoying but tolerable in limited doses. Noel Phillips is the off-brand knock-off of Jeb Brooks (doing many of the same stunts, like transcon CR2s or trying to hit all hubs in a day).
Arguing over whether Chui or Cahill is better is arguing over which midget is taller.
One no one here has mentioned but I've grown to really enjoy is The Flip Flop Traveller. His Style is not too dissimilar Simply Aviation but is instead geared towards luxury travel (mostly) and so does also release hotel reviews.
+1 The Flip Flop Traveller and the Layover Aviation, might add Patrick Shea to the list too.
Patrick Shea is underrated! Flip Flop Traveler is good too. Layover Aviation, Million Miles Marc, and Global Aviation and Travel are also good underdogs, and Razgriz, Sohaib, and Alesh are my go-tos if I just want to immerse myself in travel.
Meow, Ben. Josh Cahill > Sam Chui anyday!
Is "neither" an option?
Deciding between them is like "debating" which is the One True Religion.
@ NYCHoo -- I wasn't taking a side there, but I was just saying that I don't think Cahill has a moral high ground on which to stand.
Typical josh cahill glazer over here. Bringing up Sam chui in a conversation where he vas never even remotely mentioned. I'm starting to wonder if ya'll aren't just bots doing his bidding in comment sections.
I watch Dennis Bunnik and maybe Simply Aviation on occasion.
Dennis is a legend. Met him on the bar flying on the A380 SYD DOH and have been a fan ever since. Such a nice guy.
That response from the govt minister is very clearly written by AI. But still, not great what Cahill has done here.
@james
On what basis are you making the claim that the minister's response was written by AI? I asked several AIs and they all said no evidence.
who cares? It is a good reply. Much better than I would expect for someone whose first language is probably not English
Well said.
Now, someone will comment "at least Josh Cahill is honest unlike Sam Chui."
No, Cahill is not honest. He's not even honest about himself, then how can you expect him to be honest about others too?
Hard agree. He was in his earlier videos, but now he knows it’s his bread & butter and it’s just blergh. Two wrongs don’t make a right
If you’re ever in doubt about whether or not he’s honest, just know that in 3 separate interviews he’s given his birthplace as being 3 different countries: Germany, Australia, and the former Czechoslovakia. It’s one thing to be private about your personal life (I don’t have a problem with him using a pseudonym, for example) but another to outright lie about something so inconsequential.
And he claimed to have been a "refugee from Czechia" and claims to barely speak German anymore. All claims that are easily disproven, most notably by himself in various interviews.