• Podcast

DLD 543: Some Answers, But Not Enough

• July 17, 2025
• Tagged as: 787-9, A330-900, A330neo, AI171, Air India, AirAsia, Allegiant, Bermudair, Bus, business class, China, crash, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, Greenland, Hertz, Landline, LCC, LCCs, LIM, Lima, Low Cost Carriers, Malaysia, Malaysia Airlines, Nuuk, premium cabin, Premium Economy, rental cars, Retreat Suite, routes, TSA, United Airlines, Upper Class, Virgin America

The initial accident report from AI 171 is out, and the story it tells is both spooky and incomplete. Plus new planes in Malaysia, new cabins for Virgin, and new ways to visit China, and much more.

• Podcast
• Trip Reports

DLD 519: Rankings and Rantings

• January 30, 2025
• Tagged as: Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, earnings call, Qatar Airways, routes, Saudia, Trip Report, TSA, United Airlines

We’re back in the USA and ready for some news and rants this week. Some of them are even reasonable.

• Podcast

DLD 501: Star signs and labor challenges

• September 19, 2024
• Tagged as: 737 MAX 10, 737 MAX 8, 737 MAX 8200, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Allegient Air, American Airlines, Boeing, IFC, IFEC, in-flight connectivity, in-flight internet, inflight connectivity, inflight wifi, Real ID, Rex, Riyadh Air, San Antonio, SAT, Southwest Airlines, SpaceX, Spirit Airlines, Starlink, strike, Sun Country, TSA, union, United Airlines, Virgin Australia, Volotea

One strike averted, another underway. And plenty of challenges remain for the aviation industry overall.

• Podcast
• Trip Reports

DLD 474: A shock to the system

• March 14, 2024
• Tagged as: 737 MAX, Air Europa, airbnb, Batik Air, Boeing, China Southern, Department of Justice, DOJ, electric cars, EVs, IAG, LAS, Las Vegas, MCO, merger, NTSB, Orlando, regulators, rental cars, routes, TSA, United Airlines

Hopefully not too shocking, of course. But maybe enough to keep you awake, unlike those pilots…

• Podcast

DLD 439: But was it really a melt down??

• July 6, 2023
• Tagged as: 777 Partners, A380, Billy Bishop, Delta Air Lines, Flair, Global Airlines, Haneda, LaGuardia, LGA, preclearance, routes, slots, Toronto, transcon, TSA, United Airlines, YTZ

United’s operations are mostly back to normal at this point, but it took a while to get there. Fortunately, there were plenty of other things to keep us entertained while watching that mess unfold.

• Podcast

DLD 409: Sorry we missed you

• November 17, 2022
• Tagged as: A321neo, A380, British Airways, business class, Canada, China, credit card, credit cards, Dulles, elite status, Flyr Norwegian, frequent flier, frequent flyer, Heathrow, HSBC, IAD, jetblue, Jetlines, Korean Airlines, LHR, PDX, podcast, points, Portland, premium cabin, security, slots, Star Alliance, TSA, Uber, United Airlines

Maybe we’re supposed to say something in advance when the publishing schedule changes. Oopsie.

• Podcast

DLD 401: The end of Summer

• September 8, 2022
• Tagged as: 747, 747-8i, 787, 787-9, A340, A340-600, A380, Aeroplan, Air Canada, ATR, ATR 42, awards, Boeing, China Airlines, codeshare, crash, Emirates, Israel, rewards, Saab 340, Saudi Arabia, Silver Airways, Thai Airways, TSA, United Airlines

Summer is ending, but travel continues. And optimism remains strong, at least in some segments of the industry.

• Podcast
• Trip Reports

DLD 391: Some Independence thinking

• July 7, 2022
• Tagged as: 737 MAX, 737 MAX 10, A320neo, A321neo, Air China, Air New Zealand, Airbus, American Airlines, British Airways, business class, Cathay Pacific, China, China Eastern, China Southern, Delta Air Lines, economy class, France, JFK, JFK Airport, lie-flat beds, PreCheck, Shenzhen Airlines, Trip Report, TSA, Vancouver, YVR

Great news: The holiday weekend wasn’t a total meltdown, despite warnings from airlines.

• Podcast

DLD 345: Teaming, trimming & traveling

• August 5, 2021
• Tagged as: Aeroplan, Air Canada, Allegiant, Allegient Air, alliance, alliances, American Airlines, Chase, credit card, credit cards, Delta Air Lines, dining, economy class, elite status, ExpressJet, first class, frequent flier, frequent flyer, high-speed rail, jetblue, JetSMART, KLM, lie-flat beds, London, loyalty, Lufthansa, medallion, Nordica, podcast, premium cabin, train, TSA, Uzbekistan, WestJet

More airline partnership and a key route trimmed. Plus, cool new trains and airlines and loyalty plays.

• Podcast

DLD 337: The Tropics of New England

• June 10, 2021
• Tagged as: AirBaltic, American Airlines, Boom, Boom Supersonic, Breeze Airways, COVID-19, COVID19, credit card, credit cards, cruise, Delta Air Lines, Emirates, inaugural, iOS, iPhone, JFK, JFK Airport, podcast, points, routes, supersonic, Trip Report, TSA, United Airlines, United Kingdom

Summer is heating up in more ways than one. Booking rooms in some destinations is dicey and seems unlikely to get better any time soon.