News and notes from around the interweb:
- That first first class experience is always special. My first was Los Angeles – Washington Dulles on United over 20 years ago, it was an internationally-configured Boeing 777. The appetizer was almond-dusted shrimp and my entree was a steak. I had a couple of cocktails and didn’t want the flight to end.
- Pakistan International Airlines has fired 50 employees, including 3 pilots, for fake high school diplomas (HT: Jackie Reddy)
- Delta Tells St. Martin Citizen Their Ticket Home Isn’t Eligible for Visa-Free Travel He’s from the French side of St. Martin, the airport is on the Dutch side, and he’s told he can stay only 3 months without a visa — so the airline changed his return ticket to comply with their made up interpretation of visa rules.
- DC United captain Wayne Rooney arrested at Dulles airport for public intoxication
- Qatar Airways double miles and elite qualifying miles for premium cabin tickets, 50% bonus for economy. Book January 7 – February 28 for travel through August 31, registration required by March 5. (HT: Loyalty Lobby)
- A family lost their GoPro camera on an American Airlines flight. It had their final images and memories of the woman killed by a falling tree in a national park. Kudos to American Airlines who not only found the camera but hand delivered it.
.@AmericanAir UPDATE: We just got the @GoPro thanks to Ms. Rebecca Burt of American Airlines who flew from Midland to DFW to hand deliver it to us. God bless you and your team! pic.twitter.com/4rcl9VC0mi
— Aysha Moosa (@AMoosa925) January 6, 2019
- Socks.
The guy in the first-class video is 100% right! And personally, I still always remember how fortunate I am when I arrange to fly first/business class.
first class (flat bed) only seems amazing because economy is so piss poor for long haul
My first class adventures began in the 1980s when Delta targeted me for a special promotion for something called “the Executive Women’s Club”. When I joined Delta gave me 4 (transferable) First Class Upgrade certificates. After joining I soon realized that one didn’t need to be an Executive to join. And one didn’t even need to be a woman. Soon our entire family was enrolled—my husband joined and my 2 small sons- giving us 16 First Class Upgrades. We never looked back after that because when those certificates ran out we figured out how to use miles. I have asked many people over the years and nobody yet has ever heard of that Club. But it was one of my best travel coups over the years.
My first First Class ride was after getting vountarily bumped, flying Toronto to Atlanta. This was however 37 years ago on an Eastern DC-9, so the free booze and leather seats were the only things I noticed.
I spent my first time in First flying NRT-JFK on ANA back in 1996. I was seated across the aisle from Cyndi Lauper, who had been promoting her new album Sisters of Avalon in Tokyo and could not have been more lovely. It made the flight highly entertaining, in addition to being spoiled by ANA service and food. Back then, the seats were barely flat, even in First.
As the Economist said long ago, one of life’s more particular pleasures is boarding an aeroplane and turning LEFT.
Great job AA for finding the GoPro, but let’s not forget that this story was heavily publicized on social media.