At the launch party for EVA Air’s Houston-Taipei service I had the opportunity to walk through their brand new 777-300ER Hello Kitty “Shining Star Jet” and have a look at all three classes of service.
Hello Kitty planes are a whole lot of fun. They offer a really nice enhanced soft product, bringing the Sanrio characters to life through video, meals, and a presence across the small items onboard like safety cards and even the toilet paper in the lavatories.
I value American AAdvantage miles quick highly — but for redemption on their partners, like first class awards on Etihad, and not for redemption on American’s own flights. In fact, all things equal, I would rather not redeem miles to travel on American (unless it’s redeeming 4500 British Airways points for an American flight under 650 miles).
Nonetheless, the lack of award availability on American’s international flights has become even worse, sometimes and some routes impossible.
Star Alliance member EVA Air has launched service from Taipei to Houston.
The inaugural flight was on Friday, and I turned up for its arrival and the launch party that the airline held in conjunction with the airport.
Airlines need to communicate far better with passengers when stranding them during an unplanned foreign diversion.
A collection of the most interesting links you’ll want to see, many you’ll want to click.
I flew United to Houston for the EVA Air inaugural festivities on Friday. Just like when I flew them earlier in the year, they were fine though my return flight delayed just shy of two hours — first a late inbound aircraft, and then a decision to operate the flight with a different plane that was even later. That happens, goodness knows I’ve had my share of creeping delays on American MD80s.
I visited the United Club on the E concourse in Houston twice — once on arrival, since I turned up at the event early enough to handle possible delays and figured i could get some work done, and then again on departure when my flight delayed.
A reader asked me the other day whether I would fly to my home city from Asia on Korean in first, or to San Francisco on Cathay Pacific and connect?
Cathay unquestionably has the better seat. I find the service better. The entertainment system is better. The midflight snacks are better. So is the lounge. But I’d still choose Korean.
Here’s what that says about preference for time versus comfort, and the allure of hotel versus the experience of the road.
Simple steps to take so that delays and flight cancellations don’t ruin your plans.
New York’s DeBlasio administration has backed off plans to make Uber submit all app updates in advance for regulatory approval before anyone’s phones could be updated. But the tussle points to a global war between regulatory jurisdictions over who controls technology companies — one that China may win.
American Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are partners — but starting September 1 you will only be able to redeem American miles for travel on Hawaiian for intra-island flights and flights beyond Hawaii to their Asia Pacific destinations. You will no longer be able to redeem for Hawaiian flights between Hawaii and the US mainland.
There’s more than two months’ notice to this change, and there are plenty of other options to Hawaiian on both American and Alaska Airlines. Hawaii awards aren’t getting more expensive, just a little harder. And there are many ways still to get those Hawaiian flights to and from Hawaiian. So this isn’t devastating. But it is disappointing.
Here are the ways you can still use American miles for travel on Hawaiian, the ways you can use American miles to get to Hawaii, and the other ways you can fly between the mainland and Hawaii on Hawaiian.
Gary Leff is one of the foremost experts in the field of miles, points, and frequent business travel -- a topic he has covered since 2002.
Co-founder of frequent flyer community InsideFlyer.com, emcee of the Freddie Awards, and named one of the "World's Top Travel Experts" by Conde' Nast Traveler (2010-Present) Gary has been a guest on most major news media, profiled in several top print publications, and published broadly on the topic of consumer loyalty. More About Gary »
