Looking back on the dawn of long haul travel in luxurious jets, many people are shocked to learn that airlines frequently offered onboard lounges. Even grand pianos on board!
How quaint, that seems! Why would an airline ‘waste space’ with places for passengers to congregate? Modern airline executives shove as many seats into a plane as possible, even stealing space from lavatories and galleys wherever they can.
When I was a junior in high school the state finals of debate were at San Diego State University. My team went down to San Diego the night before, and a group of us – mostly 16 years old at the time – decided we might as well go to Tijuana.
Back then you didn’t have to carry a passport to enter Mexico, or return to the U.S. For a land border crossing a drivers license was sufficient.
I was debating the best travel movies the other day and tried to build my own list. It’s going to weigh heavily towards planes and airports but I’ve also given some thought to being in an unfamiliar place and growing as a person because of the places you’ve been.
I think each of these films is a classic for a reason, and I try to offer a brief take why. That even holds for some of the ones on the list that may not have been so critically acclaimed.
Up in the Air is best for reasons that should be obvious, Die Hard 2 is awesome even if it’s absurd with more plot holes than the business plan for Washington Dulles’ Independence Air. But was there every really a better air crash investigator than Kris Kristofferson in the broadly panned Millenium?
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.
YouTuber Josh Cahill, who has nearly 700,000 subscribers, reviews flights and courts drama, it seems. Just a couple of months ago he was banned by Qatar Airways over a negative review.
Now he’s taken on East Timor’s Aero Dili.
American Airlines passengers took refuge underneath a blanket recently as water leaked down on them from above inside the cabin, getting them and their bags wet throughout the flight. Eventually the blanket would have become wet, too, but worked to keep moisture away for awhile.
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.
The U.S. Drug Czar Rahul Gupta is being slammed as “egocentric” and a “primma donna” who creates a “toxic work environment.” Most striking is that he’ll blow up months of work on a trip when he learns that he’d have to fly Southwest Airlines.
I hate tipping because of the frictions. You don’t know what you’re supposed to tip, it’s ambiguous. You’re supposed to have cash? It’s so much better when employees are compensated by their employers and listed prices are the amounts you actually pay.
If tipping is supposed to ensure better service, why is it such a bad customer experience?
The best airport lounge in the world is probably the Air France La Premiere lounge at Paris Charles de Gaulle. It has true gourmet dining, a spa, and a car service to take you to and from the plane. However, almost nobody can use this. You actually need to be an Air France first class passenger. They only make one award seat available per flight, and you have to be a Flying Blue Platinum member to book it.
However there are many great lounges that most of us have real world access to. These are my favorites.
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 »
