Airlines

Home Airlines DOT Issues Enforcement Policy on Emotional Support AnimalsDOT Issues Enforcement Policy on Emotional Support Animals August 12, 2019 by FamilyFlysFree The abuse of the emotional support animals (ESA) policy by passengers has long been a major air travel pet peeve of mine. It really irritates me when pets board under the guise of being ESAs. I have understanding for service animals, including those providing emotional support. But more often than not, I see no indicator that the un-leashed and un-crated animals allowed to roam (and bite, and maul) on board are anything but pets. In some cases, it obvious the pet is the one that needs to human for emotional support. Plus, more people have started to abuse the system. That much is obvious. Luckily, we have (mostly) gotten rid of the ridiculous, such as emotional support pigs and ferrets on board. Even so, Delta recorded an 86% increase in ESAs over a two-year period. Airlines have started issuing policies … [Read more...] about DOT Issues Enforcement Policy on Emotional Support Animals

Home Airlines Airbaltic To Round Out Baltic Special LiveriesAirbaltic To Round Out Baltic Special Liveries August 9, 2019 by The Flight Detective Based in Riga, Latvia, airBaltic fly to over 70 destinations throughout Europe, as well as further afield to places such as Abu Dhabi and Azerbaijan. Latvia is one of the Baltic states in Europe, the other two being Estonia and Lithuania. The backbone of the airBaltic fleet is the Airbus A220, formerly known as the Bombardier CSeries. With 19 in service and 41 on order, the carrier is reportedly very pleased with the new aircraft’s performance. Baltic Special Liveries First in the series honours airBaltic’s home country of Latvia, with an aircraft painted up to resemble the Latvian flag. Named Riga for the capital, it took 15 professional painters 1,000 hours to produce the final result. In June of this year, another special livery appeared, this time in the blue, black and white of the Estonian flag. Just like the … [Read more...] about Airbaltic To Round Out Baltic Special Liveries

Home Airlines How I Used Turkish Miles & Smiles to Book for HawaiiHow I Used Turkish Miles & Smiles to Book for Hawaii August 6, 2019 by FamilyFlysFree When I saw Nick over at Frequent Miler’s post about booking flights to Hawaii using Turkish Miles & Smiles, I knew I had to try pulling it off too. The original method was to confirm everything over email, which sounded tedious. I had an additional layer of complexity, needing to use miles from a different account (i.e. my wife’s) for the ticket. I no longer have a ThankYou Point-earning card. Plus, there was a non-instant transfer involved. Lots of layers. But then Nick posted about booking over the phone. That sounded a whole lot less painful to me. He highlighted an easy process to get it done. But I thought I found an even easier way to do so. Trying to Book the Turkish Hawaii Sweet Spot Online I wrote about my experience trying to book this Turkish Airlines award online over at Miles to … [Read more...] about How I Used Turkish Miles & Smiles to Book for Hawaii

Home Airlines Cathay Pacific Admits to In-flight CamerasCathay Pacific Admits to In-flight Cameras August 6, 2019 by The Points Pundit I must admit that Cathay Pacific is one of my favorite airlines. I’ve loved flying them multiple times on my trips to India and around Asia. However, some shocking news is rocking many in the world of flight. Cathay Pacific has admitted that they monitor passengers with in-flight cameras. This is stunning and a huge reveal for all of us who are concerned about passenger privacy and rights. In-flight Cameras Cathay Pacific has highlighted this information, albeit surreptitiously. It shows up in section 2.1 e of their privacy policy. Information such as previous travel arrangements, feedback about your experiences, details of lost luggage and other claims, your use of our inflight entertainment system and inflight connectivity, your images captured via CCTV in our airport lounges and aircraft, your use of our cargo services … [Read more...] about Cathay Pacific Admits to In-flight Cameras

Monday newsletters always feature top 10 travel lists to inspire. Today (August 5, 2019): Top 10 best Business Class amenity kits in the skies. Flying Business Class is purely aspirational for most, a lifetime experience for some, and a must for a select few. I previously published a top 10 list of the world’s best airlines for longhaul Business Class. Besides gourmet food, a flatbed, more attentive service and access to an airport lounge, Business Class passengers will also receive an upgraded amenity kit as compared to travelers in Economy (‘cattle’) Class. Here’s my selection of the 10 best Business Class amenity kits in the skies. Some of these kits are real collector items, and you’ll want to take them home after your flight! There is more information below the slide show. Think I missed one? Share your favorite Business Class amenity kit in the comments section, or take my poll below! This slideshow requires … [Read more...] about Top 10 best Business Class amenity kits in the skies