JetBlue Now Has Facial Recognition Working At JFK
Biometric gates are starting to gain traction and we're seeing more airlines trialling them and putting them into service all the time. Delta and BA were testing facial recognition gates back in 2017, BA expanded its US trials in March this year and Lufthansa joined in on the act at LAX a few weeks later. Now JetBlue has brought its biometric gate to New York.
Qatar Airways Is Playing Fast And Loose With The Words “Upgrade” & “Spacious”
Earlier today I wrote about how Qatar Airways is replacing one of its two Qsuite equipped aircraft on the Doha - Frankfurt route in favor of an Airbus A380. In the press release for that announcement the airline attempted to put a positive spin on the news despite the fact that, for Business Class travelers, the news was probably not what they wanted to hear.
In fairness to Qatar Airways there are some positives to having the Airbus A380 on the Doha - Frankfurt route (I pointed those out in the post earlier) so the press release wasn't entirely a smokescreen for bad news....but the airline has also released another press release in which facts really only play a half-part.
LifeMiles May Now Be An Amex Transfer Partner But I Really Don’t Care
During the first week of November LifeMiles (Avianca's loyalty program) was rolled out as the latest American Express transfer partner and I've just realised that I never wrote a blog post about it.
It wasn't a conscious decision not to write about the Amex/LifeMiles news at the time so the omission is almost certainly a result of the fact that the announcement wasn't actually something I cared about....and there's a very good reason why I didn't (and still don't) care.
Qatar Airways Adds First Class But Cuts Qsuites On Its Frankfurt Route
Qatar Airways offers two daily flights between Doha and Frankfurt and this route was one of the first on which the airline offered its fantastic Qsuite Business Class cabin on all flights. Sadly, starting with the summer 2019 season, this will no longer be the case.
Flying To Dubai or Abu Dhabi? Your Medications May Be Illegal!
A cautious friend of mine is currently planning his first visit to Dubai and he recently pointed out something to me on the British Foreign Office's website that made me stop and wonder what the UAE is thinking.
I've visited the UAE a number of times and have had good experiences on all visits but it shouldn't come as a shock to anyone when I say that some of the rules you'll find in the UAE aren't exactly what most of us may be used to.
Delta Silver Medallion Members Now Get An Extra Checked Bag On Virgin Atlantic
I hold absolutely no status with Delta or Virgin Atlantic but as I look to possibly change my airline allegiances going forward I'm paying a lot more attention to what the like of Delta and Virgin Atlantic offer....and that's why an update posted today caught my eye.
An alert I received today let me know of a change posted to the Skymiles News & Updates page today (15 November 2018) which suggests that Delta Silver Medallion members now get at least one checked bag on Virgin Atlantic operated flights.
Is Cathay Pacific Now Even Closer To Leaving Oneworld? [Speculation]
These are tumultuous times for the oneworld alliance with more infighting than ever before and with at least one member already openly saying that it's considering exiting as soon as next year.
It's no secret that a number of oneworld's members don't really get on and some even openly dislike each other so it seems only a matter of time before something gives and we see one or more significant changes to the membership.
Your Credit Card Info May Be On The Dark Web Courtesy of British Airways
According to the Daily Mail the Russian team who successfully hacked British Airways earlier this year may have made around $12m (£9.4m) selling the credit card information it obtained courtesy of BA's ineptitude.
Qatar Airways Is Looking At Alternatives To Oneworld
The oneworld alliance is probably the most dysfunctional of the three major alliances as a good number of its airlines simply do not get on with one another.
The squabbles between BA and Qantas are well documented, Cathay Pacific and Qantas have never really seen eye to eye and American Airlines has spent the best part of the past five years trying to get the American government to impose sanctions on Qatar Airways.
I'd love to be a fly on the wall when all the members sit around a conference table to discuss whatever it is they discuss....it must be like the most awkward Thanksgiving dinner of all time!
United Airlines Announces First 787-10 Dreamliner International Routes
Just last week I wrote a post detailing the more important aspects you may need to know about United's new Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner and now we know what the airline has planned for its new aircraft's first long-haul routes.
Blog News: Traveling For Miles Has Joined BoardingArea!
If you've had your morning cup of coffee before visiting Traveling For Miles this morning you may have noticed a small new floating link on the bottom right of every page. It's a link with a logo that I'm very proud to have on the site because it shows that Traveling For Miles is now part of the BoardingArea family of blogs.
ANA Will Soon Let You Book Premium Economy Seats With Points
ANA first started to introduce a Premium Economy cabin to its fleet in 2015 and the cabin is now fitted to 59 of its aircraft flying 30 international routes.
Up until now it hasn't been possible to book Premium Economy awards on ANA (a bit like the situation we currently face with American Airlines) but the airline is looking to change that in 2019.
What You Need To Know About United Airlines’ New 787-10 Dreamliner
United Airlines took delivery of its first 787-10 Boeing Dreamliner on Monday and in one fell swoop became the first U airline to take delivery of this Dreamliner variant and the first airline in the world to operate all three Dreamliner variants (787-8, 787-9 & 787-10).
The Dreamliners get bigger as you progress though the list and the 787-10 is 18 feet longer that the previous longest Dreamliner United Airlines operated. This has allowed United the freedom to incorporate 4 different seat classes into its aircraft.
Finnair Will Introduce A Premium Economy Cabin … But Not Until 2020
You only have to look back a little over a decade to see a time when most transatlantic airlines didn't offer a Premium Economy cabin and when the likes of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic offered a product that few others did.
Air France and KLM added Premium Economy cabins in 2009 but things didn't start to speed up in the sector until 2014 when Lufthansa joined the Premium Economy club.
Since then we've seen American Airlines, Iberia, Delta, LOT and United Airlines(amongst others) jump on the Premium Economy bandwagon.
Now it's Finnair's turn.
American Airlines Simply Doesn’t Care About AAdvantage Or Its Members
There was a time when the American Airlines AAdvantage program was the clear leader in the airline loyalty sector and when the airline saw it as a genuine asset to its business. Nowadays all of that is rapidly becoming a distant memory as the current leadership team at American Airlines continues to dismantle AAdvantage and with it what little loyalty that is still felt towards the increasingly hard-to-like airline.
Significant Changes Coming To American Airlines AAdvantage In 2019
American Airlines has just announced a series of changes to the AAdvantage loyalty program that will come into effect on 1 January 2019. The changes affect how many Elite Qualifying Dollars are required to earn top-tier status, how many elite qualifying miles are earned with select partner airlines and more.
IAG Boss Thinks It’s “Highly Likely” That Qatar Airways Will Leave Oneworld
Last month Akbar Al Baker, the highly excitable CEO of Qatar Airways, announced that he was considering withdrawing his airline from the oneworld alliance because members of the alliance were acting negatively towards Qatar Airways.
Al Baker was specifically unhappy with American Airlines whom he accused of "talking against Qatar Airways" but, at the time, a lot of us thought that he was simply posturing (something he has been known to do in the past).
Well, apparently there may be more to all of this than just simply posturing.
Virgin Atlantic May Be About To Get A Lot More Interesting For Premium Cabin Travel
Virgin Atlantic has a solid Premium Economy product, a pretty reasonable Economy Class product (or so I'm told - I haven't flown it in years) and a truly terrible Business Class product. I tried out the Virgin Atlantic A330 Upper Class (Business Class) seat on an overnight flight not all that long ago and it's one of the only Business Class seats that has ever made me wish I was back in British Airways Club World. I genuinely have no idea how a modern, European airline gets away with such a bad seat....but deliverance may be on the way.
Here’s The Problem With Marriott’s Suite Upgrades
Before Marriott Rewards and SPG were merged Marriott didn’t officially offer its elites upgrades to suites. Very occasionally (and usually on short trips) Marriott properties have upgraded me to a suite in the past but, more often than not, the upgrades I’ve received have been to a slightly larger room on a high floor.
That’s always been fine for me as I rarely need the space that a suite offers but I know that the lack of suite upgrades has been a bugbear for some.
Those crying out for suite upgrades had their wish granted when Marriott updated its elite benefits following the merger of the Marriott Rewards and SPG loyalty programs but, now that the new rules are in place, I’m not sure guests will be getting what they may expect.
Iberia A350 Premium Economy & Economy Class Cabins – An Overview
I recently took the opportunity to try out the Iberia A350 Business Class cabin while the airline was still flying its newest aircraft on short-haul routes around Europe. After my flight landed I took the opportunity to walk a little further back in the aircraft to see what the A350's Premium Economy & Economy Class cabins looked like.
Review: Iberia A350 Business Class Cabin
Iberia took delivery of its first two Airbus A350s back in July and since then it has mostly been flying them on various short-haul routes around Europe as the airline gets its crews accustomed to the new aircraft.
The first Iberia A350 finally flew its inaugural long-haul flight in early August when it took over one of the airline’s two Madrid – New York JFK flights while the second A350 took over the second flight on the New York route this Saturday just gone (1 September).
Review: American Airlines 777-300ER Business Class LAX-LHR (Overnight)
After a number of Economy Class flights across the Atlantic it was nice to have one of my systemwide awards clear – that’s how I found myself in the American Airlines 777-300ER Business Class cabin.
Emirates Has Opened A New First & Business Class Lounge In Cairo
Emirates opened its new First & Business Class lounge in Cairo on Thursday last week and has shared details of what the new lounge offers as well as a few images too.
Review: American Airlines Flagship Lounge At Los Angeles (LAX)
American Airlines has been paying a bit more attention to its lounges in recent years and its the Flagship lounges which have probably seen the biggest changes.
Not all that long ago the American Airlines Flagship Lounge at LAX was open only to First Class passengers (international and transcon only) and top-tier oneworld elites but not any more.
Delta’s Refurbished Sky Club At Washington Reagan Is Now Open
Towards the end of last month Delta unveiled its refreshed Sky Club at Washington’s Ronald Reagan Airport (DCA) and, although the airline hasn’t exactly gone overboard with the images it has provided, it has released a fair amount of information detailing what flyers can expect when they visit.
Review: American Airlines A321S First Class (LIH-LAX)
Two weeks earlier I had flown my first flight on an American Airlines A321S and, as my upgrade had failed to clear, I got to experience (and review) the aircraft’s Economy Class cabin.
On this occasion my complimentary upgrade cleared a whole 2 days before departure (miracles do happen!) so it was time to try out the A321S First Class cabin.
Review: Hawaiian Airlines Inter-Island First Class (Boeing 717)
I wouldn’t normally even consider booking a Hawaiian Airlines First Class fare for a flight as short as the one between Maui and Kauai (approximately 40 minutes) but, on this trip, the math more or less made sense.
Review: DAA Executive Lounge Dublin Terminal 1 (Priority Pass)
The DAA Executive Lounge at Dublin Airport's Terminal 1 is the primary lounge for the terminal and, as you'll see from the sign near the entrance, it's the lounge for a whole host of airlines and lounge programs including British Airways, Qatar Airways, Lufthansa, KLM, and Priority Pass.
Review: American Airlines A321S Economy Class (Los Angeles – Maui)
The Airbus A321S is American’s aircraft of choice on a number of its routes to/from Hawaii so, if you’re thinking of visiting the 50thstate, there’s a very good chance that this is the aircraft you’ll experience.
The First Class cabin on the American Airlines A321S holds 16 passengers but, as the cabin had been fully booked for months, I had known for a while that my complimentary upgrade was never going to clear….and it didn’t.
Review: American Airlines 777-200 Economy Class Day Flight (LHR-LAX)
One of the many reasons I'm not longer wedded to American Airlines is that the airline recently changed its upgrade policy to one which really doesn't suit me. The current upgrade policy is now one which puts me at a serious disadvantage when trying to use one of the 4 systemwide upgrades top-tier elites are given every year. It's also the reason I found myself sitting in American Airlines Economy class on one of the longer routes the airline flies.
Piecing Together A Big Hawaii Trip – The Planning, The Cost & The Issues
I actually really enjoy planning trips, finding great fares and researching destinations but every now and again a trip comes up for which the planning is a little bit more complicated and takes considerably more thinking and compromising than most - this was one such trip.
Welcome To The New Look Traveling For Miles
I've been meaning to give Traveling For Miles a new look for some time but I've never really had the time to keep the site running and do the wholesale changes TFM actually needed.
Recently it became obvious that I would never have enough time to do both so I decided to put TFM on a temporary hiatus and get down to changing a lot of things I wanted to change.
United’s New San Francisco Polaris Lounge Opens
United has been exceptionally slow when it comes to rolling out its Polaris Business Class product (in the air and on the ground) and there have been a few questions flying around questioning just how committed to Polaris the airline actually is.
At the time of writing there are no more than a handful of United's 777s equipped with the new Polaris Business Class cabin (even though United now calls all of its Business Class cabins "Polaris") and the new lounge roll-out program has, up until now, been woefully behind United's original schedule...but that looks as if it's changing.
The Conrad Maldives Will Offer An Undersea Residence From This Year
The Conrad Maldives has announced that it will soon offer an undersea residence. Due to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year the new residence will be called "Muraka" (which means coral in the local language) and will offer "an intimate and immersive experience of one of the Earth’s most breathtaking marine environments".
British Airways Opens A New Lounge In Rome
British Airways has opened a brand new lounge facility for passengers traveling through Rome Fiumicino airport. The new lounge is part of a broader lounge revamp program that the airline is undertaking as part of its often mentioned £4.5bn ($6.3bn) investment into aircraft, cabins and the passenger experience.
Singapore Airlines Improves Its HighFlyer Program – Partners Added
Singapore Airlines launched its HighFlyer program for SMEs back in the summer of 2017 with the aim of giving small businesses an incentive to book with the airline without taking away mileage earning from the people actually doing the flying. The program has only been valid on Singapore Airlines operated flights up until now but, as of 2 April 2018, two of Singapore Airlines' Star Alliance partners have been added.
Review: Qatar Airways A380 Business Class (Night Flight DOH-BKK)
Considering how many Qatar Airways flights I’ve been on in the past few years it’s amazing that this was my first flight in the Qatar Airways A380 Business Class cabin.
I flew in the A380’s First Class cabin between Doha and Paris last year as an add-on to my Auckland – Doha flight and I wasn’t that impressed so I was interested to see what Business Class would be like.
You Can Now Mix British Airways Basic and Plus Fares In A Single Booking
A few weeks ago I speculated that a note that British Airways sent out to travel industry professionals indicated that flyers would soon be able to mix Basic Economy and regular Economy fares (Plus fares) in the same reservation.
Sure enough it now looks as if this is possible as the BA website flight searches now look slightly different.
How I Booked The Iberia A350 Business Class Cabin & Got A Great Deal
As regular readers of this blog will know I like to try out new aircraft and new premium cabins in the most cost effective way I can find. This usually involves booking flights on new aircraft while the airlines are testing them out on short-haul routes before letting them loose on the longer routes they were designed to fly.
Hilton Adds A New Resort In The Maldives
The majority of miles & points collectors like to use their balances on aspirational travel and when it comes to aspirational travel the Maldives ranks quite highly. If you're a Hilton loyalist, right now you have just the one option when visiting the Maldives (the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island) but, from the end of this year, a second Maldivian property should be bookable on Hilton.com.
New Air New Zealand Route To Chicago – Here’s What You Need To Know
Air New Zealand is the latest airline to announce that it will be launching an ultra haul flight using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner as the airline schedules service between Auckland and Chicago. Ultra long-haul routes are now slowly becoming more common but the aircraft that operate them vary significantly and it's worth taking a closer look at what Air New Zealand offers before you think about trying this route out.
Almost Confirmed: Big Changes To The Chase IHG Rewards Card
The IHG Rewards credit card has long been one of the very best deals you can get in the miles & points world. As a card that offers a free night at any IHG hotel in the world in exchange for an annual fee of just $49 it has been selling itself for years. But the card looks to be on its way out and the opportunities to sign up for it as fast disappearing.
Singapore Airlines New Regional 787-10 Business & Economy Class Cabins
Singapore Airlines has just taken delivery of its first Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner and the airline has now revealed the cabins passengers can expect to find onboard.
The 787-10 aircraft are configured with 337 seats across two classes (no First Class or Premium economy on this aircraft) and will operate on Singapore Airlines flights of up to 8 hours.
Lufthansa Is The Latest Airline To Introduce Biometric Boarding To LAX
Around two weeks ago British Airways announced that its biometric gate trials have gone so well in Los Angeles that it has rolled them out to Orlando and New York as well...and now Lufthansa is joining in at Los Angeles International Airport too.
Air Tahiti Nui 787 Dreamliner – Here’s What You Need To Know
Towards the end of last week Air Tahiti Nui finally announced the dates on which we can expect to see it launch its brand new 787-9 Dreamliners on three of its routes. As this is the airline that offers one of only three ways to get between the US and French Polynesia non-stop I thought I'd take a look at what we can expect from the new aircraft.
British Airways Avios Changes On The Way … But To Whom Will They Matter?
Yesterday morning Head For Points ran a post quoting an interview Alex Cruz (BA's CEO) had with the South China Morning Post in Hong Kong. In the interview Cruz gave the SCMP an insight into how he sees the airline's loyalty program evolving and what we changes we can expect to start seeing later this year (or possibly in 2019). The changes Alex Cruz is describing are not in the slightest bit surprising but how they're perceived will depend on what group of flyer someone falls into and how the implementation actually works.
Qantas Unveils Its New International Transit Lounge In Perth
Qantas will be starting up the first non-stop service between Australia and Europe when it starts up its Perth - London route tomorrow (24 March 2018). So far we know all about the Qantas 787-9 Dreamliner that the airline will be operating on the route, we've been given an insight into the food Qantas will be serving on the ultra long-haul flight and we know that the new international lounge in Perth will be very exclusive....but we haven't really had a real idea of what the lounge will look like.
British Airways Is Changing The Way It Files Short-Haul Fares From 4 April – Could This Be Good News?
British Airways has sent a note out to travel industry professionals reminding them that the way the airline presents and files its short-haul fares will be changing from 4 April 2018. Normally how an airline presents its fares to the travel industry isn't really of importance or interest to regular travelers but, in this instance, there may be more to this than just a few name and presentation changes.
Review: Qatar Airways A330 Business Class Day Flight (HEL-DOH)
I've flown in Qatar Airways Business Class quite a few times but this was my first experience of the Qatar Airways A330 Business Class cabin. Technically speaking I tried out an very similar product last year when I flew in the airline's A340 Business Class cabin but, because I'm determined to review every aircraft Qatar Airways offers, I'm keeping this one separate.
Qatar Airway Introduces Oryx Kids Club – A New Loyalty Program For Kids
Qatar Airways' loyalty/rewards program is called "Privilege Club" but, to be a member, a traveler has to be at least 12 years of age. Now, however, in what appears to be an attempt to fill the age gap leading up to when a child can join the Privilege Club, Qatar Airways has introduced a new loyalty program for kids - the Oryx Kids Club
Crossrail’s Elizabeth Line Will Make Efficient Travel From Heathrow Into London Cheaper
London is not a cheap city to visit and getting a taxi from Heathrow to the center of London can often leave you wondering if you should remortgage your home or sell an organ to raise the fare. There's aways the option of the London underground but that's not exactly speedy and while the Heathrow Express train service is certainly quick it's certainly not cheap.
London's new Crossrail Elizabeth line has long been billed as the answer to a lot of journey problems that Londoners and those visiting London face and, as this new line will extend out to Heathrow, it's of importance to those of us who fly in and out of Heathrow with any frequency.
IHG Adds Tesla Charging Stations To All Crown Plaza Properties In Australasia
Tesla is the only electric car manufacturer that has succeeded in making serious inroads into the motor industry (you can't move for Tesla Model S vehicles in LA) and, as more and more people jump on the Tesla bandwagon, it's becoming increasingly important for hotels to provide guests with somewhere the can charge their vehicle overnight.
Delta Will Open A New Sky Club In Phoenix This Year
Delta has announced that it plans to open a new Sky Club at Phoenix Sky Harbour International airport in 2018. As things stand Delta flyers don't have a Sky Club in Phoenix and the closest Priority Pass lounge is in a neighbouring terminal so this should be good news for Delta flyers.
RUMOR: Emirates To Fly To Mexico City Via Barcelona
A number of Spanish news sources have reported that Emirates has reached agreement with Spanish and Mexican authorities to launch a 5th freedom flight between Barcelona and Mexico City. The Middle Eastern carrier has been looking for a way to start up service to Mexico's capital for a number of years and now, finally, appears to have found a way.
Review: Finnair Short-Haul Business Class (LHR-HEL)
Finnair flies its excellent Airbus A350 between London Heathrow and Helsinki on a daily basis but, as luck would have it, the A350's schedule wouldn't get me into Helsinki in time to connect on to my Qatar Airways flight to Doha so I was stuck with a narrow-body A319.
I don't normally book myself into short-haul Business Class (either with miles or points) as I don't generally see the value in paying considerably more for a cabin that differs only slightly from Economy Class. On this occasion, however, I had chosen to overpay for my flight and book the frontmost cabin as the math behind the tier points I'm earning this year showed that it was the right thing to do.
RUMOR: Qantas To Start Perth – Paris Service This Year
Qantas will be launching one of the longest routes in the world when it starts up service between Perth and London on 24 March 2018. The airline is on record as saying that it would like build on this route and go on to use its newly acquired Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners to establish Perth as its gateway to Europe.
Marriott’s Autograph Collection Plans New Belize Resort
I loved Belize when I visited it a few years ago. I visited outside of the busy season (May) so where I was staying was beautifully tranquil and the scuba diving was fantastic. I've been looking for a reason to return and it's just possible that Marriott is about to give me one.
British Airways Extends Biometric Gate Trials In The US
British Airways has been using biometric gates at its London Heathrow base for quite some time (I've yet to be given the chance to use one but they're definitely there) and, since November last year, BA has had three biometric gates at Los Angeles International airport where it has been trialling the technology.
Well, the trials must have gone pretty well at LAX because British Airways has extended the biometric trial to its facilities in New York (JFK), Miami and Orlando.
Review: Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge London Heathrow T3
Cathay Pacific offers a First and a Business Class lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 3 and both are less than 18 months old thanks to a significant renovation project which ended in November 2016. I reviewed the First Class lounge in an earlier blog post (I liked it) so, on my latest visit to Heathrow Terminal 3, I decided to see just how good (or bad) the Cathay Pacific T3 Business Class lounge is.
Hyatt Is Getting A New London Property
Hyatt has announced that two yet-to-open properties are set to join its Unbound Collection in 2018. One of the properties is Istanbul (more on that one a little later) while the other is set to open in the very heart of London.
Lufthansa Is Adding “Buy On Board” Meals On Long-Haul Flights….But The News Isn’t As Bad As It Sounds
Buy on board food options are commonplace on most airlines' short-haul routes all around the world but, when it comes to long-haul flights, it's generally only the low-cost carriers like WOW and Norwegian that ask Economy Class passengers to pay extra for their food.
Now it looks like Lufthansa is joining the long-haul buy on board party...but not in a way that should worry fans of the airline.
British Airways Confirms It’s Making Its Heathrow 777s More Uncomfortable Too
At the beginning of the week British Airways unveiled the new cabins it is installing on the Boeing 777 aircraft it operates out of its Gatwick base. The biggest change passengers will see is that the airline has squeezed an extra seat into each row of Economy Class meaning that the already cramped seating conditions are about to get worse.....but it turns out that Gatwick will not be the only base to get these aircraft.
Virgin Atlantic Is The Latest Airline To Offer Basic Economy (Hand Baggage Only) Fares
Delta, Air France/KLM led the way with transatlantic Basic Economy fares, last week the oneworld airlines joined in and now Virgin Atlantic has also announced that it will start offering Basic Economy (aka "hand baggage only) fares across the Atlantic within the next few months.
Virgin Atlantic is actually doing things slightly differently to the other legacy airlines in that it's sub-dividing its Economy Class cabin into three separate offerings each of which offers a little bit more that the last.
Radisson Hotels Group Launches “Radisson Collection”
It's all change over at Radisson with what was once the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group now rebranded as "Radisson Hotels Group" and with the Club Carlson loyalty program now rebranded as Radisson Rewards and slightly tweaked at the same time too.
Now Radisson Hotels has announced the Radisson Collection which, according to the hotelier, is a premium collection of hotels in landmark locations.
Mandarin Oriental Now Has A Loyalty Program You Should Join
I really like Mandarin Oriental hotels...and that's coming from someone who has never actually spent a night at a Mandarin Oriental property in his life. I've visited a good number of the chain's properties around the world but I've only ever been inside to look around, to enjoy a great bar (Las Vegas) or to dine (London, Tokyo, Las Vegas, Milan) but each time I've noticed just how good and attentive the service seems to be.
British Airways Has Unveiled Its New Tightly-Packed 777 Cabins
British Airways will be unleashing its refurbished high-density Boeing 777 aircraft on a largely unsuspecting public in the next few months, and the airline has now released images to show what the refurbishment will look like and what passengers can expect.....sort of.
Club Carlson Is Now “Radisson Rewards” and The Name Isn’t The Only Change
The Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group (which was always a mouthful) has been rebranded as the "Radisson Hotel Group" with immediate effect and alongside the group's name change come changes to the group's loyalty program too.
Introduction: Bangkok In Business Class – What I Booked, How Much I Paid & What I Earned
Whenever possible I like to write an introduction to the trips I take to give readers an idea of how much things cost, how I book and when I use points and when I choose to part with some cash. The point of this is to hopefully show just how doable these trips are and how, with a little bit of planning and a little bit of flexibility, these are trip that a lot of people can book.
For this trip I combined a good Qatar Airways Business Class fare between Europe and Bangkok, a certificate for a free night at a Marriott property from Chase and some cash to finally visit Thailand's capital.
Emirates Reveals New 777-200LR Cabins – Business Class Just Got Better
Back in November Emirates confirmed that it would be refitting its ten 777-200LR aircraft with new interiors before launching the refreshed aircraft in March. We've known from the outset that the aircraft would be losing its First Class cabin and that Business Class would be losing a seat from each row but, until now, we didn't really know much more.
New Swiss First Class Lounge Opens In Zurich Today (There’s A New Chauffeur Service & New Amenity Kits Too)
SWISS is opening the doors to its new First Class lounge at Zurich's Terminal A today and, at the same time, the carrier is launching a new chauffeur service for its First Class customers arriving into Zurich airport.
Joon Takes Over Another Air France Route
Air France has been slowly ceding it's less popular routes (or the routes with increased low-cost competition) to Joon and now the lower-cost carrier is getting a new destination courtesy of Air France.
Delta Changes Access To International Third-Party Business Class Lounges
Delta has announced that it will be changing the rules surrounding which flyers have access to third-party lounges at select destinations. In some cases lounge access is being withdrawn entirely while in others its elite members that are seeing their access rights withdrawn.
Emirates Skywards Reaches 20 Million Member Mark
Emirates says that its Skywards loyalty program now attracts, on average, 220,000 new members every month and that last week the total Skywards membership crossed the 20 million mark.
Fantastic Service From American Airlines As Iberia Really, Really Screws Up
I have done more than my fair share of American Airlines bashing over the past two years (it has been well deserved) but, right now, I'm incredibly grateful for some truly fantastic service from the airline after it got us out of a serious mess of Iberia's making.
British Airways 787-9 Dreamliner Business Class review (LAX-LHR)
Despite a reasonably good experience in British Airways Economy Class on the airline's A380 aircraft I wasn't expecting great things on my 787-9 Business Class (Club World) flight back to the UK.
This was to be my first experience of the British Airways Dreamliner but, having flown in BA Business Class quite a few times, I knew to expect high-density Business Class seating, no direct aisle access and certainly no internet connectivity.
Cathay Pacific’s New Hong Kong Lounge Set To Open – Welcome To “The Deck”
The Cabin was first Cathay Pacific lounge to offer the modern, sleek look we have come to expect when we walk through the doors on one of the airline's renovated spaces but, a little over seven years after it first opened, the lounge is set to close at the end of April this year. In its place comes "The Deck" and we finally have our first look at what the latest Cathay Pacific lounge will offer.
American Airlines & Qantas Want Government Permission To Price-Fix
Two years after withdrawing their last request American Airlines and Qantas have gone back to the US Department of Transport (DOT) asking for permission to form a joint venture and to revenue share across the Pacific. Essentially the airlines are asking permission to create a similar agreement to the one American Airlines has with British Airways, Iberia & Finnair for flights across the Atlantic.
Delta, Sprint & Others Join Forces To Give Customers Seamless Mobile Services
Delta, Sprint, Airbus, Airtel and OneWeb have formed the "Seamless Air Alliance" which will look to allow member mobile/cell operators to extend the services they offer into aircraft cabins.
New design Senator Lounge opens in Vienna
Senator lounges are the lounges that sit one tier below Lufthansa Group's exclusive First Class lounges and the newest Senator lounge has just opened its doors in Vienna revealing a new design.
Review: Oneworld Lounge LAX Tom Bradley International Terminal
The Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX offers gates used by all the oneworld airlines that fly in and out of Los Angeles (including American Airlines). As such the oneworld lounge LAX in the Tom Bradley Terminal (colloquially known as TBIT) acts as the Business Class lounge for all these airlines and is the lounge I visited when flying with British Airways last month.
United Announces First 737 MAX 9 Routes & Adds A Bit Of Nonsense For Good Measure
United Airlines has announced the first routes on which we'll see the airline try out its new Boeing 737 MAX 9 aircraft and, with the announcement, the airline's PR team couldn't resist adding in a small bit of nonsense in the hope that no one will them out on it.
Review: Andaz West Hollywood King Suite
A few weeks back Joanna, MJ and I spent six nights in a King Suite at the Andaz West Hollywood. It's a property I know quite well (having lived down the road from it for 5 years) and it's a property I've stayed at a few times in the past....but never with Joanna and MJ.
I've already discussed why we booked the Andaz how much it cost in a previous post so I'll move straight on to the review.
Review: British Airways A380 Economy Class Daytime Flight (LHR-LAX)
I genuinely don’t mind traveling across the Atlantic in Economy Class as long as three conditions are met - it’s a daytime flight, I’m booked into an exit row seat and I got a good deal on the fare. It’s because all three of those came together that I found myself boarding a British Airways A380 over the Holidays and settling in to my Economy Class seat.
Qantas Makes Its New Perth Lounge Very Exclusive
Qantas is expected to open its new international lounge at Perth Terminal 3 on 24 March just in time for the start of the new non-stop Perth - London route which will be operated by the airline's Dreamliners. While the plans for the lounge look very nice indeed it looks as if there will be a lot of disappointed Qantas flyers come opening day.
UK Regulator Investigating Airline Seating Policies
The UK's aviation watchdog/regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced that it is looking into the seating policies adopted by a number of airlines following complaints from the public that they have been unfairly separated from their traveling companions.
VIDEO: Latest Tourism Australia Ads Revive “Crocodile Dundee”
Those of you who remember life before the internet, cell phones, overpaid sports stars and mind-numbing reality TV (and the "stars" that go with it) may remember the Crocodile Dundee movies of the 1980's (I'm ignoring the disastrous attempt at a re-boot in 2001). Well, Crocodile Dundee is back....or at least his son is.
Qatar Airways Makes Negative Changes To Upgraded Tickets
I've always considered Qatar Airways to be the better of the 3 big Middle Eastern carriers - less "bling" than Emirates, less penny-pinching than Etihad and offering a better Business Class product than both. But now the airline has gone and done something that cheapens the brand and, frankly, doesn't make much sense.
British Airways Starts Rolling Out Wi-Fi & Adds Lounge Access In Three European Airports
Two pieces of news coming out of BA and, for a change, both are pretty positive. The airline is finally putting aircraft in the air which offer Wi-Fi (although the rollout appears to be competing with the world's glaciers for the slowest possible speed) and it has negotiated lounge access for BA/oneworld elites (those flying with BA) at three more European lounges.
Is British Airways Ignoring Its Own Policy Change?
Despite having flown with British Airways for years I still consider myself a novice when it comes to the airline's rules and regulations.
Because most of my British Airways flying has been on inconsequential short-haul flights and because, up until now, my flights have all been credited to the American Airlines AAdvantage program, I've been a bit lax when it comes to keeping on top of how BA does things.
I say all this because right now I'm a little confused.
Lufthansa Opens A New Lounge At Milan Malpensa Airport
Lufthansa has announced that it has opened its new lounge at Milan Malpensa airport and, from the information provided by the airline, it looks as if flyers will have a nice new place to relax or get some work done before a flight.
Review: Sydney Qantas First Class Lounge
Qantas offers some of the best First Class lounges in the world and as a fan of the airline's First Class lounge in Los Angeles and even the recently opened Business Class lounge in London, I was genuinely excited to revisit the Sydney Qantas First Class lounge to remind myself of what it's like.
Air France Reopens A Remodelled Business Class Lounge At Paris CDG
Air France has announced the reopening of its Business Class lounge in Hall "L" in Terminal 2 of Paris Charles De Gaulle airport. The lounge has been completely redesigned and is considerably larger than the facility it has replaced.
Review: Grand Hyatt Sao Paulo
Some time ago I visited Sao Paulo on a crazy itinerary that saw me spend as many nights on American Airlines aircraft as I did in Sao Paulo (I earned a lot of miles and elite qualifying miles on that trip!) but, rather annoyingly, the flash drive on which I stored all my pictures became corrupted and so I haven't been able to publish any reviews...until now.
I've finally managed to recover my files from the Sao Paulo trip so I thought I'd share the pictures I took of the Grand Hyatt and add add my thoughts on teh service and the property.
Delta Moves To Curb Fake Service & Support Animals On Board
If you ask US road warriors to list out the things that annoy them the most when they fly most of them will put unruly fake support animals down somewhere on their list.
Because the Air Carriers Access Act requires airlines to provide in-cabin travel for for service and support animals without charge, the number of animals seen onboard domestic flights had ballooned out of proportion and a lot of us suspect that a large percentage of these animals are neither genuine service animals or genuine support animals.
Review: Singapore Airlines A380 First Class Suites – Long Haul (SIN-LHR)
Last year I reviewed the Singapore A380 Suites experience on a regional flight between Hong Kong and Singapore but, while that was a very nice experience, it was the true long-haul experience in Singapore Suites that I've looked forward to trying out for some time.
Singapore Airlines doesn't yet offer its new Suites Class on the Singapore - London route (that's coming on 16 February 2018) so the A380 that we flew in was equipped with the original suites....and these are the Suites that most Singapore A380s will offer for quite some time.
I Wish People Would Rate Their Uber Drivers Accurately
I had a mixture of good and bad experiences when using Uber on a recent visit back to Los Angeles and one of the things that really stuck out for me was how quickly I stopped having much faith in the ratings I was seeing in the app.
American Express Announces New Centurion Lounge For JFK
American Express has announced that it plans to open a new Centurion Lounge at New York JFK's Terminal 4 in "early 2019". According to Amex the lounge will have "spectacular airfield views and exceptional amenities" and will be the largest Centurion Lounge in the network.
[VIDEO] Emirates’ Latest Marketing Campaign – Upgrade Your Airline, Not Just Your Seat
Emirates has unveiled a new marketing campaign in which it encourages travelers to upgrade the airline they're flying on and not just their seat.
The latest campaign pokes fun at travelers who try all kinds of tricks to try to score an upgrade (we've all seen them!) and ends with an apparently contented traveler checking in with Emirates.
Why Airlines Should Be Penalized Just Like Their Passengers
If ever there was an example of an industry in which the main players wanted everything their own way it's the airline industry. If you ever have a bout of insomnia try reading the detailed rules of an airline's loyalty program and you'll see just how skewed the rules are in favor of the airlines.
UBER In Los Angeles: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly From A Recent Trip
Joanna and I were back in LA recently and decided to experiment with not having a rental car and, instead, use Uber whenever we needed to get anywhere that required a car.
The experiment was one that came to us when we realised that the cost of renting a car for the 6 nights we were in town coupled with the cost to park was verging on the ridiculous.
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