I'm going to write about an airfare deal not because I think people should take advantage of it (quite to the contrary, they shouldn't -- stay home, people), but rather because I find this pricing strategy to be rather unusual. With demand for travel…
Most government functions have either screeched to a halt or been re-directed to address pandemic-related concerns, but the Canadian Competition Bureau is still ticking along. Today it released its findings in a review of Air Canada's proposed acquisition…
This is a pretty significant development, when you consider that Turkish Airlines has historically flown to more countries than any other airline in the world... With the cases of COVID-19 on the rise in Turkey, the country has banned international flights…
The government will be providing aid to the airline industry, but United Airlines is already saying that this won't be enough. With the CARES Act, the government is supposed to provide $50 billion in aid to airlines. A couple of conditions of this include…
I feel like we could all use some humor at this point, given that many of us haven't really left our homes in over two weeks. I figured I'd dig through the over 13 years or archives here at OMAAT to bring you some of my most amusing firsthand travel…
Florida's Attorney General is looking into claims that Norwegian Cruise Line instructed employees to mislead consumers about the risks of coronavirus. It goes without saying that along with the rest of the travel industry (and much of the world, for…
How times have changed. In early February the US essentially introduced a China travel ban, preventing foreign nationals who had been to China recently from entering the US, and more. Well, the tables have turned, and now China has introduced significant…
As the news cycle on COVID-19 evolves and we find our radius of travel getting smaller and smaller (in many cases, to the confines of our homes), it's no wonder so many people are looking to get outside. Even the most stringent of "shelter in place"…
We haven't seen much communication directly from American Airlines CEO Doug Parker in the past couple of weeks, and that's apparently because he has been in Washington fighting for government aid for airlines. American Airlines has just released a video…
Marriott has temporarily cut the biggest perk for their top tier elite members, and I guess I can't blame them? Ambassador Elite is Marriott Bonvoy's top tier status, which requires earning 100 elite nights plus spending $20,000 "qualifying" dollars…
I expect virtually all travel loyalty programs to make it significantly easier to earn status this year. Some programs have already announced how they'll make it easier, while other programs are acknowledging they'll have to adjust elite tiers, but are…
Happy Friday, and thanks to everyone who joined us for our virtual happy hour over the past seven weekdays/sorry you haven't had anything better to do. We've had a lot of fun with it, and as many people seem to enjoy these, we'll be doing another one…
I'm sure I'm not the only one who is daydreaming at the prospect of getting on a plane. At this point I'd be giddy about a middle seat in the last row on a Spirit Airlines flight taking me to a Holiday Inn Express just off an interstate. I continue to…
The politics of this one sure is going to be interesting... Reuters is reporting that German leisure airline Condor has applied for 200 million EUR in state aid, according to people with knowledge of the matter. The airline confirmed that they have applied…
Canada improved protection for air passengers back in 2019. In light of the current situation, though, the Canadian Transportation Agency is giving airlines a lot of leeway. The Canadian Transportation Agency decided yesterday that airlines no longer…
It's no surprise that airlines have been grounding many of their planes. The major US carriers are literally parking hundreds of planes as demand for air travel has more or less dried up. The extent of groundings and flight cancellations is basically…
At last it's time for my review of Calala Island. I never thought I'd travel to a private island off the coast of Nicaragua for vacation, but when World of Hyatt points became redeemable here, I couldn't say no. In the previous installment I shared the…
I'll keep this review relatively short, because our stay was short. Friday night we had a quick overnight in Managua, as we were arriving at around 9PM, and had to be back at the airport by 5:30AM for our flight, as we were enroute to Calala Island.…
Ford and I are spending the weekend in Nicaragua to visit Calala Island. In the past I didn't review "run of the mill" flights, though I've realized they have the potential to be useful as well, so am trying to do when it's practical. For example, I've…
Last weekend Ford and I decided we wanted to get out of town. I started looking at options on Friday morning, and a few hours later we were on a flight to Cancun for our three night stay at the Andaz Mayakoba. This is a Hyatt property I had heard a lot…
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?…
We've seen airlines play all kinds of games with refunding customers, given the cash bind they're in. There are plenty of hotels doing the same. Before I get into the crux of this story, let me note that I feel so bad for the entire tourism sector, and…
I know several people who have visited Japan for the first time and had their lives changed forever. Sure, the food is incredible, the public transportation is top-notch, and the culture is fascinating... but that’s not what I’m talking about. It’s their…
I've written about the measures that American and United have taken to encourage social distancing on planes. While the efforts are nice, ultimately they don't offer any guarantees. Well, Lufthansa has just taken onboard social distancing to a new level.…
About a week ago I wrote about how United Airlines is helping people social distance. The airline started asking gate agents to proactively reseat people on empty flights to maximize space between people (and based on the looks of it, flights are empty).…
Alaska Airlines has become the latest airline to announce significant schedule reductions and cost cutting measures, in light of the COVID-19 outbreak across the US and beyond. Alaska Airlines plans to cut capacity by 70% in April and May, in what the…
Many airlines around the world are winding down operations or at least reducing flights, though one airline is countering the trend. Just a few days ago I wrote about how Qatar Airways planned on parking their A380s, but the airline has now reversed…
Hilton Honors is taking the lead among major US hotel loyalty programs when it comes to extending status and more. Hilton says they want to show their appreciation to Honors members by extending benefits. Hilton is doing several things, including extending…
File this under "things that happen when borders are closed, but that most people who don't live on a remote island in the middle of the ocean don't think about." Saint Helena is once again more or less cut off from the outside world. Saint Helena is…
We're not exactly seeing airlines introduce many positive product innovations at the moment, but All Nippon Airways seems to be the exception. This was supposed to be an exciting year for Japan, as the 2020 Summer Olympics were supposed to be held in…
A lot of people around the world are trying to get home right now before borders close even more. Global aviation is obviously in a tough spot, as immigration rules change constantly. In addition to regularly scheduled flights, we've seen some airlines…
