On Friday, United Airlines flight 59 from Frankfurt to San Francisco had to turn around when a toilet overflowed. The Boeing 777-300ER was at 30,000 feet around 70 nautical miles northwest of Amsterdam when pilots asked to enter a holding pattern to troubleshoot the lav. Half an hour later they turned back.
Apparently one of the lavatory toilets “overflowed” and what was called “the soup” spilled into the cabin, with an unbearable stench.
With plenty of time, I went straight to the D terminal which has the best lounges. My first stop was the American Express Centurion lounge across from gate D12. I saw a line to get in.
According to data from Cirium, the price of U.S. domestic airfares are up 9% versus 2019, while inflation is up 19%. That means tickets are cheaper in real terms.
Tax day is right around the corner, and so is the year’s first quarterly Estimated Tax deadline of April 15th.
Many people pay their taxes due via credit card. It can be worth it for earning credit card initial bonuses, threshold spending bonuses and credit towards status, and for high rebate cards even just earning the spread between cost and reward value
A doctor shares his travel hacks to bring liquid and meals past TSA security at airports, so he doesn’t have to buy water and gets to eat what he wants. The government won’t let you bring a bottle of water into the airport (unless you freeze it first). He brings a whole bag of coconuts so that he can drink coconut water on the plane. And he brings burgers.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
If Jimmy McMillan had been a resident of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, he might have declared the airfares are too damned high!. Politicians in Guam and Saipan have figured out that you never lose by taking on the cost of air travel. And, they complain, that “[a] roundtrip ticket from Saipan to Guam can cost up to $580 on United Airlines. That’s more expensive than some tickets from the Marianas to destinations in Asia.”
In Lopburi, Thailand, a significant escalation has occurred involving conflicts between rival monkey factions, leading to significant disruptions. To mitigate the situation, officials have engaged, successfully capturing a key figure among the monkeys, Ai Krao, along with several of his followers. Despite these efforts, the challenge persists due to the monkeys’ adeptness with firearms and understanding of human cues.
A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.
Before the pandemic, Hilton’s CEO Christopher Nassetta admitted that he typically doesn’t tip housekeeping. He quickly backtracked once coming under criticism. But at least now, and in Southern California, doesn’t it seem like he’s right?
Once a job hits $35 per hour with $20 per month full family health insurance coverage, should we take it out of the category where tips are expected?
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 »
