UPDATE: Operations are slowly improving at O’Hare. Plenty of flights still stuck here and I’m guessing many crews will time out. But, arrivals and departures seem to be speeding up. I’m currently at Chicago O’Hare airport and United seems to be in the midst…
United gets a lot of credit for having a better online and app experience than the other major airlines. There’s no doubt they have their strengths. But, they also have issues, like when they were deleting Known Traveler numbers from passenger’s records. Their “Expert…
You’d be forgiven for feeling like this is a dejavu moment. After all, it was June of last year when United quietly increased the price of many award flights, including both on their own planes and partner flights. They did it without notice, the…
Better late than never? I’ve been tied up with some family health issues but wanted to get caught up on my 2024 outlook for elite status. First, let’s look at the various elite status levels I achieved in 2023. 2023 Elite Status 2023 was…
After Delta drastically increased their requirements for earning elite status, and subsequently rolled back a number of those changes, frequent travelers were wondering what the other big airlines would do. Southwest had already spoken, making elite status easier to earn in 2024. United has…
I’ll admit, I hate the term “devalue”. That’s the term many travel bloggers use to describe when airlines increase the number of miles or points necessary to book award flights. To me, this is a price increase on awards. The reality is that many…
Airlines are complicated beasts. Hundreds of unique systems need to talk to each other to make sure everything functions properly. Frequently, that’s not the case. Road warriors are used to things going wrong. Planes break, employees show up late, technology backfires. Add weather to…
Complimentary upgrades to first class on domestic flights have largely become a thing of the past for road warriors. Gone are the days where I would clear the upgrade list on virtually every flight I booked. Economy class is nowhere near as pleasant as…
In the early days of the pandemic airlines scrambled to find ways to save money. One cost-cutting method that the airlines have relied on frequently over the years is to reduce catering options onboard planes. Catering cuts are likely centered around the belief that…
United Airlines is depositing Premier Qualifying Points (PQPs) into elite member’s accounts, labeled “Starter PQPs” after raising elite status requirements late last year.