We’re increasingly seeing a trend whereby airlines are introducing signature drinks, or drinks designed specifically to be enjoyed inflight. This can range from a special coffee blend, to a special beer, to a special cocktail. Along those lines, German leisure airline Condor has just introduced a cute new signature cocktail, which I look forward to trying on my next flight with the airline. Condor unveils its take on the Cosmopolitan Condor has a new signature cocktail, and it’s very cute. It’s called the Condorpolitan, and it’s the carrier’s take on the classic cosmopolitan. The drink is made ..read more

There’s quite a bit of drama at the moment between pilots at Southwest Airlines and pilots at United Airlines, following an event that unfolded when a United pilot sat in the jump seat of a Southwest aircraft. I first wrote about this yesterday, but a few more details are starting to emerge, which complicate this story a bit. A United pilot’s flight in a Southwest jump seat It’s common for pilots to commute to work, in situations where they live in one city, but are based out of another city. They can typically fly just about any airline, and they usually fly in the passenger cabin. In the eve ..read more

Before the end of the year, several Gulf countries are planning on introducing a multi-nation visa, in an effort to boost tourism. Think of it as being somewhere along the lines of the Schengen concept in Europe, only not. Details of Middle Eastern visa coming in late 2024 Six Gulf countries have announced plans to introduce a unified visa concept, which would allow at least 30 consecutive days of travel throughout Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) member nations. This includes Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). No official date has been announced for ..read more

I don’t write all that much about the Southwest Rapid Rewards program. It’s a program that many people find to be valuable, though there aren’t that many tricks to getting outsized value. That’s because Rapid Rewards is a revenue based frequent flyer program, so you typically get roughly the same value for your points toward flights, regardless of how you redeem. In this post I wanted to cover the basics of redeeming Southwest Rapid Rewards points, and talk about if there are better ways than others to redeem these points. Southwest Rapid Rewards points are easy to earn Southwest Rapid Rewards ..read more

Iberia has just officially become the new global launch customer for the Airbus A321XLR, thanks to Aer Lingus’ ongoing pay dispute with pilots. Iberia will be first airline to fly Airbus A321XLR In June 2019, Airbus formally launched the Airbus A321XLR, which will be the world’s longest range narrow body jet. This aircraft is based on the Airbus A321 family of aircraft, but features even more incremental range improvement over the A321neo and A321LR (which already have more range than the A321ceo). Airlines have ordered hundreds of these jets, as they look for long range, low capacity jets, th ..read more

We’ve just seen the opening of what’s almost certainly the world’s most luxurious airport spa… Dior Luxury Beauty Retreat Doha Hamad Airport Christian Dior and Qatar Duty Free have partnered on the opening of the Dior Luxury Beauty Retreat at Doha Hamad Airport (DOH). To date, this is the largest spa in the world that Dior has opened (we’re not just talking at an airport, but in general). Dior Spa Doha reception The Dior Luxury Beauty Retreat is located inside The Orchard, which is the airport’s impressive garden area. The spa is a duplex, and can be accessed either directly from the terminal ..read more

Several flight attendants have just been arrested, and are accused of smuggling $8 million in drug money from the United States to the Dominican Republic. Ouch! Flight attendants transported $8 million to Dominican Republic On Tuesday, May 7, 2024, four people were arrested, related to charges from the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Specifically, the four people are all flight attendants for major international airlines, between the ages of 34 and 42. They’re accused of having transported $8 million in drug money from the United States to the Dominican Republic ..read more

Air Vanuatu is the small national airline of South Pacific nation Vanuatu (as the name suggests). The airline was founded in 1981, when Vanuatu gained independence from the United Kingdom and France, and the airline was started with the assistance of (now defunct) Ansett Airlines. Now, nearly 45 years later, the airline is on the verge of going out of business. The carrier has canceled international flights, the company’s board has been fired, and voluntary administration seems likely. Air Vanuatu’s issues with sole Boeing 737 Air Vanuatu has a small fleet consisting of just five aircraft, wit ..read more

There’s apparently quite a bit of drama at the moment between pilots at Southwest Airlines and pilots at United Airlines, after the behavior of a United pilot while she was flying in the jump seat of a Southwest aircraft. United pilot reports Southwest pilots to FAA It’s common for pilots to commute to work, in situations where they live in one city, but are based out of another city. They can typically fly just about any airline, and they usually fly in the passenger cabin. In the event that there are no seats in the cabin, they can also fly in the cockpit jump seat, with the permission of th ..read more

The good news is that most existing cardmembers seem to be spared, at least for now… Venture X Business cuts some Priority Pass access The Capital One Venture X Business (review) is a popular small business premium travel rewards card, which launched in 2023. While the card has a $395 annual fee, there are so many reasons to get this card, from the excellent welcome bonus, to ongoing perks like a $300 annual travel credit, 10,000 anniversary bonus miles, and much more. The Capital One Venture X Business also offers valuable lounge access, including a Priority Pass membership and acce ..read more