Sunday, June 25, 2017

Saturday, June 24, 2017

Burning Miles - Alaska

I do practice what I preach, my Alaska Airlines balance is 0. I like Mileage Plan, but I don't trust any airline program to stop points inflation.
The Perfect Balance
I also got my Southwest balance to 67, but then earned some bonus points. Still good.
I Like the New Look

Friday, June 23, 2017

AA Miles

I have about 56,000 AA miles and face a conundrum. Do I want 4 domestic one ways, two first one ways, or earn 1,500 points and get a business class one way to Europe? I have time to decide and can move some SPG points quickly if needed. I don't feel inspired to earn beyond that mark. The heavily restricted premium award space (oneworld partners included) is taking the fun out of earning miles.
Where to?

Monday, June 19, 2017

A380 Updates

I like the new winglets that reduce fuel burn by 4%, the rest has me suspect. It's the same size tube, hard to fit 80 more seats without Spirit Airlines type space.
Already Holds 500+

Saturday, June 17, 2017

Qatar Fare Sale

Want to wager the recent airspace restrictions on Qatar will be short term? Then book a coach fare on Qatar for a discount. Worst case your flight will take much longer than it should.
787 GE Engine Detail

Monday, June 12, 2017

Thanks SWISS

I recently booked an award flight and was excited to fly on a Swiss CS100 from MAD to ZRH. I then had a 777-300 home and it was all in business class.  Then Swiss canceled the Madrid portion and now my trip is in air. I really wanted to fly that new aircraft. Oh well, I guess I need to wait for Delta to roll it out.
SWISS A320 at Madrid
Delta Already has 2 by 3 Seating

Saturday, June 10, 2017

Don't Purchase Miles

Don't buy miles. If you're in a pinch and need <10,000 miles, try earning through a partner. The online malls usually work for gift card purchases.
Reminds Me of Poor Values

Tuesday, June 6, 2017

Keep Burning Miles

No use hanging on to a currency that inflates 5-10% a year and is accept less often.
Delta Is Not Helping

Sunday, June 4, 2017

A Gold Member Was Upgraded on United

I was shocked to receive an upgrade as a Gold level member. It was Sunday morning LAS to LAX and the flight was hideously delayed. Also I had already taken my seat in coach, then was plucked out and handed seat 1D. I had a great view of The Strip and enjoyed some Bailey's on the 65 minute flight.
Vegas, Area 51 Flights, & Private Terminals

Friday, June 2, 2017

Thursday, June 1, 2017

Monday, May 29, 2017

Poor Operational Performance United

We overshot the gate. SFO has antiquated boarding gates that don't move left and right, so we needed to hook up to a tug and be pushed back. This has happened twice to me this year and cost almost two hours.
First Row Behind the Door on a 757

Friday, May 26, 2017

Limited-time offer: Purchase Premier qualifying miles and segments

Don't! It's poor value. You'd get more elite miles for less by going to Singapore for the weekend (and award miles). Oh, and you'd get to visit Singapore. It's $130 per 1,000 PQM or 13c per mile.
Buying First Could Be Cheaper per Mile

Wednesday, May 24, 2017

Virgin America Airbus

The underside needs a wash, but will get a new coat of paint instead.
Virgin America Taking Off From Las Vegas

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

Lufthansa and Hertz

Enter to win 50,000 Lufthansa miles by sending your complete contact information (address, telephone number, and your Miles & More Service card number) to gewinnspiel@hertz.com. Please state as a reference: “Miles & More competition.” 20 winners will be drawn from all the entries.
I Love Lufthansa
You also get entries by renting from Hertz and crediting Lufthansa. Good deal at 1,500 miles per rental. 

The offer is valid for all bookings made from April 1 until June 30, 2017 for the rental period from: April 1 until September 30, 2017. When booking, you must enter the discount number CDP 646999 and promotional code PC 203594. The minimum rental period is one day. The offer cannot be combined with other offers, discounts, or promotions. 1,500 award miles will be credited for each rental. Please provide your Miles & More service card number when booking, and present your Miles & More service card during the rental process. Hertz’s general rental terms and conditions apply for every rental in the respective rental country. All Miles & More members making a reservation that fulfills the above-mentioned requirements with the discount number CDP 646999, the promotional code PC 203594, and the Miles & More Service card number are entitled to take part in the competition and are automatically entered into the draw

Sunday, May 21, 2017

Virgin Atlantic Upper Class

I'm trying to burn my Delta miles before they are completely worthless. Virgin Atlantic has some upper class space on A340-600's for 85,000 miles. I don't think the new 787 will open up any time, so this could be a fun option.
New = Nicer

Friday, May 19, 2017

Another Photo Post

I have tons of photos and promotions are non-existent.



Sunday, May 14, 2017

Happy Photo Day

Windy here, but smooth air after take off.
Southwest Operates About Half of All 737-700's

Thursday, May 11, 2017

Blues Brothers

United's bring your own device streaming movies includes Blue Brothers. It holds up well, but boy the 70's look rough.
Thanks United

Tuesday, May 9, 2017

Sunday, May 7, 2017

Now That's Cool

A new German firm is making cool household items from airliner scrap. You can buy a hot tub from an A320 or an neat fireplace.

Saturday, May 6, 2017

Happy Photos

Enjoy.



Hawaiian Updated Their Logo

The 50th state airline is following the lead of the 49th state airline and is updating their logo. I'm always in favor of planes that aren't all white.
Lame

Not Lame
Cool

Thursday, May 4, 2017

WestJet Will Buy Dreamliners

WestJet must think it's the Norwegian of North America because they are buying 787-900 Dreamliners to supplement their core 737 operation.
That's A Big Step Up from 767's or 737's

Tuesday, May 2, 2017

Should I Buy Basic Economy from United Airlines

Should you buy United Airlines Basic Economy fares? It's a surprisingly complicated answer, so I drew it out in a Visio diagram. It comes down to do you care about where you sit and qualifying for elite status. The less you care, the less you pay.

United Airlines Basic Economy Fare Buy Chart

Monday, May 1, 2017

Fun Pictures

Former Midwest Express E17-

Current HK Express A320

Sunday, April 30, 2017

Little Touches at LAS

I had extra time to enjoy the little touches at Las Vegas McCarran Airport.
Fun Carpet

Aviation Map in Floor

Friday, April 28, 2017

Yay Airplanes!




Don't Present Bad Options When Checking Out

Alaska Airlines presenting these bad options when checking out. It looks amaturish and might encourage cart abandonment. Next time just keep those choices to yourself Alaska.
I Don't Want to Pay More than Double

Monday, April 24, 2017

Who Does Runway Work at Rush Hour?

SFO closed a runway yesterday for repairs, so my flight was hideously delayed. 
Runway 3 Left at JNB

Sunday, April 23, 2017

Lavatory Wall Patern

I guess it would be cool to have your artwork reproduced thousands of times, but I hope this guy has other works to be proud of. It works well to hide dirt and not be noticed.


Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Flying First Class - Liquid Diet

I actually paid my own money for a first class ticket on United from Denver to San Francisco. The dinner options included a seafood stew. I've had good luck with United soups on past trips, so ordered it without hesitation. It was great. I also enjoyed drinking the front of the plane out of Bailey's. 
Quite Tasty