Review: United Airlines Business Class, Sydney – San Francisco

by Gary Leff

Jul 10 2022

At the end of 12 days in Australia, my wife, three year old daughter, and I were set to fly back to the States on United award tickets in business class, Sydney – San Francisco. Flight UA870 was operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, the airline’s largest aircraft, and every seat was booked.

Here’s the experience in a nutshell: United Airlines business class is (usually now) a better seat than the airline used to offer, but one with less space than you’ll find on Delta, American, Air Canada or Air France. United has good bedding, an the wifi worked on my flight, but the rest of the soft product from food to service was subpar.

Continue Reading »

Hotel Group Stops Selling Rooms At Closed Hotels, Marketing With Fake Website

by Gary Leff

Jul 10 2022

In one of the sketchier things I’ve seen out of hotels in the United States, the owner of 27 hotels in northern lower Michigan takes reservations for their more expensive properties, and walks guests to the cheaper ones. They also own a deceptive website purporting to be the area’s “Chamber of Tourism,” recommending only their own hotels.

Continue Reading »

American Airlines Pilots Union Tries To Scare Passengers Away From Flying

by Gary Leff

Jul 09 2022

American and its pilots union have been in negotiations over a new contract. The latest company offer is for a raise of roughly 17% by the end of 2024. The union’s new President says they knew their members are going to get paid – the real negotiations are over work rules and quality of life issues.

Their negotiating strategy seems to be to trash the airline in the media, with a mix of charges that have a grain of truth combined with nonsense.

Continue Reading »

Agents Warn ‘Southwest Karen’ You’re Not Flying Spirit!

by Gary Leff

Jul 09 2022

A woman waiting to check in with Southwest Airlines in Los Angeles tells another passenger, an African American man, that he’s entitled – while a Southwest employee asks her to move up in line. It seems like he’d asked her to move forward when there was plenty of room in front of her, she didn’t, and she got mad over having been asked – although exactly what transpired before the video was filmed isn’t clear.

This passenger, dubbed “LAX Karen,” yells and makes a fist at the agent who asked her to move up. That puts her on the verge of being “escorted out” of the check-in area. That’s when another agent jumps into the chat.

Continue Reading »

When American Airlines Flagship First Class Compares Poorly To Business Class On Other Airlines

by Gary Leff

Jul 08 2022

About a month ago I came up with 6 reasons to fly American Airlines rather than Qatar Airways on the New York JFK – Doha route, now that American serves the routes. Fly America Act – government travel and you have to stick with a U.S. carrier Price – American is cheaper for a given trip Your corporate deal requires it – what are you going to do? To use systemwide upgrades – better to fly American business than Qatar economy American has premium economy – a great option for passengers not in a position to fly business There’s sometimes semi-decent web saver award pricing on American, useful for times when Qatar redemptions aren’t available Qatar Airways is so obviously the better experience on average, but I thought that there were also edge cases worth…

Continue Reading »

Delta Flight To London Without Water, Crew Dump Bottles Down The Toilet Every 20 Minutes

by Gary Leff

Jul 08 2022

Attorney Jordan Acker took to social media to complain about his Detroit – London Heathrow flight on Delta. But it wasn’t one of the usual complaints – delays, long telephone hold times, lost or damaged bags – the seven and a half hour Airbus A330 flight, he said, lacked water. According to crew on the aircraft, water had been an ongoing issue with the aircraft, though Delta did not confirm this.

Continue Reading »