Will Swiss kill the golden goose with $39 business lounge ancillary?
Swiss and its Lufthansa Group parent have long operated an unusual model of airline lounges: the Business Lounge for business class passenge... Continue Reading
Nose to Tail
United’s Polaris star obscured by product identity questions
What is United Polaris, the new airline brand? Is it the new Zodiac Aerospace SKYlounge-based seats? A set of updated meals? The Bloody Mary... Continue Reading
Cathay’s much-delayed LHR lounges go full mid-century modern
It might be six months late, but Cathay Pacific’s new London Heathrow Terminal 3 business and first class lounge complex is truly beautiful.... Continue Reading
BA plans $65m JFK terminal upgrade, but is it enough?
British Airways is spending $65 million to renovate its New York JFK Terminal 7 home, and not before time. The existing terminal, built for ... Continue Reading
Business class: bring back our bins
Part of the benefit of flying business and first class is the additional carryon luggage space — either to avoid checking a back, to tote th... Continue Reading
When light loads reduce the value proposition of Delta’s Comfort+
What is in-seat power worth on a transatlantic flight? This is the question your author faced when considering seat assignments on a recent ... Continue Reading
China-focussed SkyTeam bucks mediocre national lounge trend
With a new shared facility in Beijing due to open “in the coming weeks”, airline alliance SkyTeam is pushing the boundaries of Chinese airli... Continue Reading
Singapore Airlines’ outdated regional biz and service disappoint
The smallest aircraft in the Singapore Airlines fleet is its Airbus A330-300, used on regional routes of between an hour and eight hours. Ne... Continue Reading
Japan’s ancillary fee train seating offers model for airlines
Japan’s efficient, widespread and comfortable trains make it one of the few nations where high speed rail dominates over airlines for domest... Continue Reading
Preclearance for Stockholm and maybe more
US Customs and Border Protection is spreading its wings. The agency last week announced that Stockholm’s Arlanda Airport will be the n... Continue Reading
Why airlines need to spruce up first class ground services
First class is becoming increasingly luxurious in cabins at 38,000 feet, but are ground services falling behind? After a number of internati... Continue Reading
Delta Premium goes for biz-minus amenities, but average seat
Delta’s new premium economy seat — dubbed “Delta Premium” — is a fascinating if somewhat contradictory mix of well above-average amenities a... Continue Reading
‘Book The Flick’ IFE choice looms as near-term inflight perk
Imagine you’re in the fast-track for security at the airport after a meeting and haven’t had the chance to refresh your iPad with that cult ... Continue Reading
When European international train travel beats the plane
Travelling through Europe by high speed train isn’t only speedy, it’s inexpensive, comfortable and productive. I recently needed to travel f... Continue Reading
Thoughtful mocktails Nudge passengers away from over-imbibing
I talk a lot in Up Front about wonderful Champagne, carefully selected wines, signature cocktails, and other alcoholic beverages, but in the... Continue Reading
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