Carry-on Bags

RUMOR: American Airlines To Roll Back Carry-On Restrictions On Basic Economy Tickets?

July 8, 2018By Edward Pizzarello2 Comments

American Airlines may be rolling back restrictions on Basic Economy, allowing customers to bring full-sized carry-on bags onboard.

Two Recent Business Trips Illustrate The Frustration And Joy Of Life On The Road

May 17, 2018By Edward Pizzarello4 Comments

Policy changes out of nowhere, flight delays, crabby employees, surprise upgrades. Life on the road is never quite as glamorous as people might think. But, it can be better than expected.

United Introduces A “Carry-On Bag Fee” For Regular Folks

March 10, 2018By Edward Pizzarello13 Comments

United Airlines is introducing a priority boarding fee that’s pretty affordable. It pretty much guarantees you overhead bin space. That’s a bad thing for regular customers.

When Airlines Offer You A Product So You Don’t Buy It

November 28, 2017By Edward Pizzarello10 Comments

Airlines are trying to make flying more miserable so we’ll spend more money. Are customers buying up?

Pizza On TV! Talking About American Airlines Plans To Expand Basic Economy

July 30, 2017By Edward Pizzarello2 Comments

Basic Economy is a hot topic nowadays. I was on TV again yesterday discussing the increasing number of flights you’ll find these new fares.

United Airlines Gets The Incentive Wrong For Checking Your Bag At The Gate

July 26, 2017By Edward Pizzarello16 Comments

I heard United offering a new type of compensation if you’ll check your bag at the gate on full flights. Do you consider this a benefit or a tax?

A Bit More Info On Delta Early Valet, Loading Your Carry-On Bags For Free

June 25, 2017By Edward Pizzarello6 Comments

I tracked down a bit more info on Delta Early Valet, a really cool service where they will load your carry-on bags in the overhead bin above your seat before you board.

Are Basic Economy Fares The Worst The Airlines Can Treat Us?

May 22, 2017By Edward Pizzarello12 Comments

Basic Economy fares have now spread across all 3 of the legacy carriers. American Airlines and United Airlines took a harsher path than Delta did, taking away even more benefits than Delta did. Is this the beginning or the end of the latest round of cuts customers will have to endure?

Flying Aegean In Coach. Athens & Paris For Dollars A Day

February 3, 2016By Edward Pizzarello3 Comments

There are so many low-cost carriers in Europe it’s very easy to get from place to place without paying a ton. Aegean is not a traditional low-cost carrier but they do offer plenty of cheap tickets through their route network, which is bigger than you might think.

Black Friday 30% Off Luggage Sale Today

November 27, 2015By Edward Pizzarello0 Comments

Yes, My Briggs Holds Two Kids!

A one-day sale on Amazon for Black Friday. There are a variety of brand names and bag types on sale.

Bilt Rewards Double Points On All Categories On The First Of Every Month

I earn affiliate credit if you sign up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard using links in this story. Double points? On all spending? Sign me up! There’s also 50% off on cruises and free SoulCycle classes. Bilt Rewards, the program that lets you earn points for paying your rent, is also turbo-charging their credit card. I’m a big fan of what Bilt Rewards has been building, and this latest double points offering is another example of them making their credit card a valuable one to have in your wallet. Hyatt […]

Win A Flighty Pro Lifetime Membership!

As a road warrior I’m constantly looking for new tools to help me keep track of my travel. Delays and cancellations are probably as bad right now as I’ve ever seen them. But, travel problems are always lurking, keeping me from getting where I need to go. Over the years I’ve collected a number of tools that help me figure out when things are likely to go sideways. Many of them are arcane websites with crappy technology or involve flipping through multiple screens just to get one bit of data. […]

American Airlines Eliminates 24-Hour Hold On Reservations For Paid Tickets

American Airlines has eliminated the option for customers to place a flight on hold for 24 hours prior to ticketing. While the big 3 airlines (American, Delta, United) have grown more alike over the past 10 years this was one of a very few areas that American differentiated themselves in a positive light from their competitors. Now, that seems to have come to an end. Why American Airlines’ 24-Hour Hold Policy Was So Critical In the absence of a 24-hour hold, American will still allow a full refund within 24 […]

The Hope That Followed 9/11

For as long as I can remember I’ve written a blog post about 9/11. Some years I’ve flown on 9/11, other times I’ve recalled the memories of that day while surrounded by loved ones. As I sit here on a rainy morning more than two decades after one of the most impactful days of my life, my thoughts are focused on the hope that sprung up in the days and months that followed 9/11. The day itself, and many afterwards, were dark days. We were excused from work that morning […]

Triple Points On Gas And EV Charging Through October 31st On Bilt Rewards Mastercard

I earn affiliate credit if you sign up for the Bilt Rewards Mastercard using links in this story. Bilt Rewards is a quickly moving from the being the new kid on the block to the popular kid people want to hang out with. They launched with the ability to earn points for paying rent without any fees. Those points were redeemable for some of the most valued travel partners, such as American Airlines and Hyatt hotels. Since then, they’ve added the Bilt Rewards Mastercard, a no annual fee card that […]

I Flew Frontier, Saved $400 And Didn’t Die. My Frontier Airlines Review

Those low-cost carriers always have very appetizing fare sales. Who wouldn’t want to pay $20 to fly somewhere? But, what does $20 really buy you? I found out exactly what Frontier does (and doesn’t) offer customers on my first flight with them recently.

How To Use New Metro Silver Line To Get Between Dulles and Reagan National Airports

People talk about how bad the traffic is in places like Los Angeles with plenty of adjectives. And, it is quite bad. But, the traffic in DC is what I refer to as “stealthy bad”. It doesn’t get the same press that LA traffic does, but a trip that normally takes an hour can easily turn into a 3-hour ordeal. With visiting dignitaries, protests and construction as variables, weather can also wreak havoc on a system that consistently backs up during rush hour. For those of us that live in […]

Update: American Airlines Variable Choice Plus Pricing A Feature, Not A Bug

I have to admit, I was pretty pleased with the original announcement that American Airlines was creating bundled pricing that included change fees at a lower apparent cost. Things got a little better when American also announced they were expanding the timeframe you could request a same day change to your flight. And, then things started to get a bit screwy. It started with just one flight I couldn’t get to price right with Choice Plus as an add-on. But, then I did a bit more digging and found out […]

A Summary Of United Airlines Global Services Benefits

As travel has gotten more stressful the benefits of elite status are even more valuable. In some cases, what used to be free for everyone is now only free for those customers that fly most frequently. I value my American Airlines Executive Platinum status more highly than any status I’ve earned, including 1K service with United Airlines. However, Global Services is another matter. For those not aware, Global Services is an invitation-only status level that United bestows on their best customers. What defines a best customer? Well, United doesn’t list […]

Is Foursquare Dead?

Venture Beat doesn’t think so, and I’m not 100% sure they’re wrong. But, before I discuss the article, a little background on why someone allergic to social media like me became a Foursquare nut. A few years ago, a company called TopGuest came up with this concept where you could earn airline miles and hotel points for checking in at various places on Foursquare. I can’t say I thought it was a terribly good business model, but they convinced a bunch of hotel chains to hand out miles for this. […]

Edward Pizzarello - September 22, 2022:
Kerrigji, when I hit that screen it gives me the option to [...]

kerrigjl - September 22, 2022:
Interestingly, can't type anything in the "say hi" field despite restarting the [...]

Edward Pizzarello - September 15, 2022:
Yeah, if the award hold went bye-bye there would be a lot [...]

Edward Pizzarello - September 15, 2022:
Definitely a bummer, Von!

Billy Bob - September 15, 2022:
I'm freaking out here - I thought that five-day hold in award [...]