Cathay Pacific has such an all-around good first class product, that it’s my favorite. They don’t have the best food, but they have good food and good snack options. They don’t have the best service, but they have good service. I used to like their Shanghai Tang pajamas best, their new ones are still very good though not quite as good. Other amenities are good, and wines are as well (Champagne is Krug). Similarly, I don’t like their new caviar presentation (in a tin) as much as the older version that also included Balik salmon. But it’s still quite a good high-end offering. They don’t have the best lounges — or the best ground service — but their Hong Kong lounges are good, and the Wing’s first class side has the best showers in any…
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We Should Have More Government Investment and Lower Taxes. And a Pony.
Chris McGinnis points to a survey by the US Travel Association arguing that people avoid flying because of delays and cancellations, which they suggest are because of lack of government investment in airport infrastructure and air traffic control improvements. They argue that 38 million domestic plane trips were avoided in 2013, for a total airfare loss of ~ $9.5 billion. And piling on, just like advocates for sports stadiums, they argue that this means a broader loss for the overall economy of $35.7 billion through lost hotel bookings, rental cars, dining out, and recreation. Because anyone who doesn’t take a plane trip sits at home. In the dark. Without heating or air conditioning. And doesn’t eat. (Which would suggest they save, which might be a good thing, although the positive effects of a higher savings…
Tips To Avoid Gate Checking Your Bag and a Scary Video of What Happens When You Do
This video of Air Canada baggage handlers tossing gate checked bags was uploaded on Thursday. It was taken before a flight from Toronto to Vancouver. Air Canada is investigating. “The gate check, unfortunately, turned into a gate toss,” Stewart said. The video runs a little over a minute and shows a baggage handler dropping items from the top of a movable staircase into a bin, which a second handler then moves into a nearby vehicle. I never want to have to gate check bags. I also hate to board first. I don’t want to spend 20 minutes on the plane more than necessary, especially in a coach seat. I’d rather work a few more minutes in the lounge or spend the time picking up a bottle of water or snack near the gate. The key…
A Big Lesson Learned for American: Respect Your Members
Now that I’ve had a day to reflect on the changes American announced to their frequent flyer program (not to mention to the US Airways award chart and to checked baggage allowances), more and more I think the lesson in all of this is about member respect. A lot of readers gave me flak for not recognizing the gravity of the changes themselves. And while I will personally miss stopovers at a North American gateway city, and the hidden value in distance-based awards, I just wasn’t that surprised to see them go. My frustrations remain with the lack of notice, and with how that sets the stage for all of the other news that is still to come.
The Supreme Court Limited Your Right to Sue a Frequent Flyer Program: What It Means to You
When the Supreme Court took up the case of the Rabbi whose frequent flyer account was closed by Northwest Airlines because he complained too much, I asked reader, attorney, and Supreme Court watcher Eric M. Fraser to offer his perspective on the case. He joined us again as the case went to oral argument. And I’ve asked for his contribution now that the Supreme Court has ruled unanimously against the consumer in his quest to sue Northwest (now Delta) under state law interpretive rules of contract. Eric M. Fraser is an appellate and antitrust attorney with Osborn Maledon. He is an active flyer and closely follows View from the Wing. * * * The Supreme Court of the United States released its decision and opinion in Northwest, Inc. v. Ginsberg. The Supreme Court held in…
Star Alliance Gold Status for Sale
Avianca LifeMiles will now straight-up sell you elite status. And with this change they fully supplant US Airways’ role inside of the Star Alliance. US Airways used to be known as ‘the official consolidator of Star Alliance premium cabin seats’ (HT: eponymous coward), the idea was that they would sell miles cheap and as a result let people buy the business and first class seats that the rest of the Star Alliance didn’t expect to sell for cash at a deep discount. No one monetized their frequent flyer program, and the award seats of their partners like US Airways. But now US Airways and American have merged, US Airways has left the Star Alliance. Fortunately Avianca LifeMiles has stepped up to the plate — with frequent discounted mileage purchase offers (selling miles even cheaper that…
How Throwaway Tickets and Hidden Cities Can Save You Big Money on Airfare
It’s been awhile since I explained how to use hidden city and throwaway ticketing to save big money on airfare, and it’s such an integral part of an arsenal to save money on airline tickets that it’s worth repeating. Airlines often price tickets from one city to another through a hub cheaper than flights that terminate at the hub. Flying United New York to Milwaukee through Chicago is often much cheaper than just flying New York to Chicago. If you get off the plane in Chicago and don’t board your connection to Milwaukee, you’ve potentially saved yourself a lot of money. This is called hidden city ticketing. Most people think they’ve purchased two flights, New York to Chicago and Chicago to Milwaukee. They only take one, but the airlines still got paid for both. The…
Everyone Is to Blame for Too Many Checked Bags On Board, They Just Didn’t Know It
I like Joe Sharkey, he’s one of those great curmudgeons in travel, and full disclosure he moderated a panel I was on a couple of years ago at the Phoenix International Aviation Symposium. But like so many curmudgeons, crankiness holds together their narrative more than argument. As with this New York Times piece on checked baggage fees. Sharkey manages to simultaneously offer us that: People carry on more luggage than they are permitted. It’s unfair for airline personnel to single people out to check the size of their carryons. An inability to carry all of the bags people bring on board a full flight is a problem with the aircraft. Here are some highlights. Attire Discrimination: Will How You Dress Determine Whether You Face Carry On Scrutiny? Michael S. Piraino, an elite-status flier on United,…
Vietnam, Cambodia, Macau and Hong Kong Trip Report: Vietnam Airlines Economy Class Danang – Siem Reap
Index: Introduction, Positioning Flight to New York, and the Hilton JFK British Airways First Class Lounge, New York JFK Cathay Pacific First Class, New York JFK – Hong Kong The Pier First Class Lounge and Cathay Pacific Business Class, Hong Kong – Ho Chi Minh City Park Hyatt Saigon Lunch at Pho Hoa, Ho Chi Minh City Vietnam Airlines Business Class, Ho Chi Minh City – Danang Hyatt Regency Danang Resort & Spa Vietnam Airlines Economy, Danang – Siem Reap Park Hyatt Siem Reap Angkor Wat and Other Temples Dragonair Business Class, Siem Reap – Hong Kong Turbojet, Hong Kong Airport – Macau and the Sheraton Macao Hotel The Venetian, Fernando’s, and the Ferry to Hong Kong Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Harbor View Suite Bo Innovation, Hong Kong Amber Restaurant, Hong Kong Cathay Pacific The…
How Frequent Flyer Programs Really Work (What Travel Writers Tell You is Wrong)
I love that consumer ombudsmen like Chrstopher Elliott exist. They can get attention for people that are trapped in bizarre bureaucracies, out real cash after trips have gone awry and who are getting nothing but runaround. What frustrates me is that he seems to think that everything travel providers do is inherently ridiculous and unreasonable, and that consumers ought to be entitled to pretty much anything they wish. He reminds me of the Saturday Night Live fake commercial for a personal injury law firm that featured Phil Hartman — “Sure the sign said no trespassing, but how much did that really mean when you were as drunk as I was?” And Elliott makes crazy, over-the-top claims that even he can’t possibly believe, presumably to get clicks and generate controversy. That’s often how online writers get…
