Pont des Arts Bridge

Getting Caught Up On What’s New In The Travel World

July 27, 2014By Edward Pizzarello2 Comments

Our family just got back from a great 10-day vacation in Italy and I’m getting caught up. There were a bunch of things I either missed or didn’t have time to touch base with all of you on. You’ll find a list of them below, with my thoughts: British Airways fuel surcharges are one of the very few major bummers I encounter with oneworld awards, especially given the “friendly” partner pricing United announced last year. View From The Wing to the rescue with a solution to help. Do this today! […]

Paris, Abbreviated. Walking Around Paris, Angelina And The Pont Des Arts Bridge

March 26, 2014By Edward Pizzarello2 Comments

Our first afternoon in Paris was a fun one. We got to enjoy macaroons and decadent hot chocolate at Angelina, a couple of quick picture stops, and an unforgettable fun family moment at the Pont des Arts bridge, anding a lock to the many thousands already there.

Hong Kong Protests: Why We Can All Learn From Cathay Pacific’s ex-CEO

If media reports are correct, Cathay Pacific’s ex-CEO Rupert Hogg made an incredible sacrifice for his employees.

Did Boeing Promise Southwest Millions Of Dollars If 737 MAX Pilots Needed A Simulator?

A small nugget in a recent story about the Boeing 737 MAX has me wondering if Boeing made significant financial promises to airlines in regards to the training requirements on the MAX.

Cathay Pacific CEO Resigns, Presumably Because China Is Mad At The Airline

Cathay Pacific CEO resigns amid Hong Kong protests. He was most likely forced out as a sacrifical lamb for angered Chinese officials.

Marriott Rolling Out Changes That Are Likely To Hurt Many Members

With these new changes, Marriott becomes Lucy holding the football while their customers become Charlie Brown, charging down the road to a vacation they may not be able to afford.

Hong Kong Airport Shuts Down Amid Protests As Cathay Pacific Kowtows To China

Two stories about Hong Kong this morning captured my attention. First, one of the largest airports in the world was shut down due to a massive peaceful protest. Maybe even more surprisingly, China pressured Cathay Pacific, Hong Kong’s flagship airline, to feed information to the Chinese about employees protesting, as well as barring them from flights to or above China.

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 […]

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 […]

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 […]

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 - August 20, 2019:
Glenn, let's hope someone gives him a job.

Edward Pizzarello - August 20, 2019:
Milton, maybe not 0, but probably not a big number.

Edward Pizzarello - August 20, 2019:
Ryan, agree on both of your points. I still bet an airline [...]

Edward Pizzarello - August 20, 2019:
OR97, I don't read it that way. I read it as a [...]

Edward Pizzarello - August 20, 2019:
Tom, the good old days of SPG are definitely behind us.