Doha’s Diplomatic Dance: Qatar Jet Stops In Cyprus To Avoid Flying Non-Stop To Israel

by Gary Leff

Nov 25 2023

Pollster Frank Luntz took to social media on Friday to decry a Qatar Airways for not recognizing Israel. For someone so politically savvy, that struck me as naive. The obvious answer here was that Qatar doesn’t recognize Israel. It would be more of a scandal for Israel to appear on the moving map of its state-sponsored airline than for it not to.

Yet this morning a Qatar jet flew from Doha to Israel. It had to make a technical stop in out of the way Cyprus in order to avoid operating the first non-stop between the two countries.

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Heathrow Hustle: 3 Buses And 95 Minutes Of Terminal Madness to Reach Etihad’s Oasis

by Gary Leff

Nov 25 2023

I had a 3 hour 50 minute connection at London Heathrow. Normally I’d feel that was interminably long. However I was connecting from British Airways Terminal 5 over to Terminal 4 for Etihad. And it turns out it was much worse than that: three buses and one hour and thirty five minutes from plane to lounge. The good news is that the Etihad London Heathrow lounge is actually pretty good. I just had less time there than I’d expected!

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Jet Set Pet Controversy: 3 Kittens Take Over 10 Hour Transatlantic Flight

by Gary Leff

Nov 24 2023

The kittens started off the flight in their crate. But an hour into the flight, one of them “got scared.” So they let her out and gave her lots of love.

Then they fed her. Eventually the kittens fell asleep. But the passengers decided to bring out them out to play halfway through the flight because they “low key missed them.” Seven hours into the flight was “a big bathroom break.” OMG they went potty into a tupperware.

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Review: British Airways Business Class, Austin – London Heathrow

by Gary Leff

Nov 24 2023

British Airways business class is very serviceable. The new seat (which won’t be completely installed in their fleet until 2026, despite already being four years into the roll-out) is quite good. The bedding and amenity kits are good. Their main meals are ok, snacks chintzy, and breakfast worth skipping.

Cabin crew are friendly enough, though a bit overwhelmed in the Airbus A350 in particular.

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Yikes: Delta Flight Attendant Pounded Cans Of Wine, Began Vaping, And Sexually Assaulted Passenger

by Gary Leff

Nov 24 2023

A Delta Air Lines flight attendant pounded five cans of wine, began vaping, and sexually assaulted a passenger while traveling as a nonrev on the Atlanta-based carrier, according to a new lawsuit.

The off duty crewmember kissed the woman and touched her up against her will, as working crew continued to ply their colleague with alcohol as she became visibly more and more intoxicated.

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