Monthly Archives

Monthly Archives for July 2018.

For One Brief Moment Passengers Spontaneously Cheered On Board an Emirates Flight

by Gary Leff

people cheering on flight
Jul 09 2018

Flying has become increasingly accessible and democratic around the world. More people than ever have access to the skies but load factors are up, airlines are squeezing more seats into the same amount of space, and looking for areas to cut back on costs.

So when we see passengers spontaneously break out cheering? That video will go viral with millions of views on Facebook, for sure. And that alone may be enough reason to justify an airline’s investment in inflight entertainment.`

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China Warns Its Citizens That the US is Too Dangerous to Visit

by Gary Leff

boiler
Jul 09 2018

We all have perceptions of risk, and they often vary widely from what the data actually says. My willingness to visit certain parts of the world is colored in the opposite direction from most people. Living for many years in Alexandria, Virginia and working in Arlington my daily commute took me past the Pentagon. This wasn’t just a potential primary military target, it had actually been attacked directly on 9/11 when a hijacked aircraft crashed into the building. Most places have less risk than this. Years ago when I traveled to Cyprus as a result of Alitalia’s $33+tax fat finger business class fare from Toronto which allowed stopovers in Italy, a friend of my wife’s was afraid for us. Turkey invaded, after all, in 1974 following a military coup there. Beach in Cyprus I’ll be…

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This Man Fired the Board of an Airline When They Cancelled His Flight

by Gary Leff

Mozambique Airlines plane
Jul 08 2018

Most of us are at the complete mercy of the airlines we fly. When things go wrong I’m a big fan of taking matters into your own hands as much as possible. Know what your alternate flight options are and suggest those instead of relying on airline agents to find you the best flights. Be willing to book alternatives yourself and seek compensation later, including from your credit card company.

One man though took a different approach.

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Earn Money Delivering Lost Luggage for Delta

by Gary Leff

beer with luggage tag on it
Jul 07 2018

Increasingly airlines are using technology to track bags, prevent loss, and even let you monitor your luggage throughout their journey. That doesn’t mean they’ll be handled with care by staff, and it still doesn’t mean the bags will always make it.

One of the most frustrating parts of losing luggage is waiting to have your bags delivered. It’s not fair to have to make a return trip to the airport, you may be nowhere near the airport. But relying on the airline for that ‘last mile’ getting bags reunited with their owners is tough, it’s hard to know when they’ll ever turn up once they’re handed over to a local delivery service.

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Review: Japan Airlines Business Class, Tokyo Narita – Shanghai Pudong

by Gary Leff

japan airlines amenities
Jul 07 2018

I was sort of excited to be flying a widebody aircraft on such a short hop. The 1100 mile flight would take us about two and a half hours. On the other hand the Boeing 787 we’d be flying had JAL’s old business class seats. They ordered the planes so long ago, and deliveries were delayed so long, that they debuted angled business seats. They’ve been putting in their new business, but it makes sense to put the older product on a regional route.

Still within Asia customers in a premium cabin are used to a much better product than Americans are.

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