Flying
An architect who's helped design more than 60 airports around the world explains why America's are so terrible
In spite of our many complaints about the state of air travel in the US, Americans are flying more than ever. As a result, our airports are bursting at the seams with business travelers and holiday goers.<p>The nation's runways are overwhelmed by the number of planes that need to take off and land …
BusinessStunning JetBlue Passenger Video Shows Exactly What Flying Has Become (and Why Good Flight Attendants Deserve Lots of Thanks)
The video is shocking, and it reminds us all of what flight attendants sometimes face.<p>If you travel for business, you've likely seen more incidents of passengers behaving badly. One key difference now is that many more are captured on video.<p>Now, one of the more shocking videos you'll see of this …
AirlinesNRA defends itself after corporations pull away
The National Rifle Association defended itself in no uncertain terms Saturday after numerous companies sought to cut ties with the gun lobby following the nation's latest mass shooting.<p>“Let it be absolutely clear,” the organization said in a statement. “The loss of a discount will neither scare nor …
GunsCondoleezza Rice: America must 'consider Second Amendment's place in the modern world'
Condoleezza Rice has said it is time Americans questioned what the Second Amendment “means in the modern world.”<p>The rare intervention from the …
GunsAirlines' Latest Sneaky Trick. Charging Passengers According to Who They Are, Not Where They're Flying
How low can they go? Look down. Keep looking.<p><i>Absurdly Driven</i> <i>looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek.</i><p>Have you ever been ignored in a restaurant?<p>Have you walked into a fancy store and the clerks took one look at you and decided that you're not rich …
AirlinesHawaiian Airlines Will Buy Boeing's 787-9 Dreamliner, and It Makes No Sense
In a perplexing move, Hawaiian Airlines plans to dump its order for six Airbus A330-800neos in favor of Boeing's 787-9 model.<p><b>Boeing</b> (NYSE:BA) just …
AviationDelta wouldn’t upgrade the gold-winning US curling team’s seats
They swept their way to an Olympic gold medal — but it’s tough luck and cramped seats for the US men’s curling team on their flight back home.<p>After …
SportsFlight forced to deplane after passenger's carry-on bag catches fire
Passengers were forced to disembark from a China Southern Airlines flight to Shanghai after a power bank caught fire in an overhead compartment Sunday.<p>Channel News Asia reported that passengers were boarding the flight when smoke started to pour into the cabin and a passenger’s bag was seen in …
AirlinesTop 17 Unique Restaurants in San Francisco
San Francisco was always known for sourdough bread, clam chowder and of course Ghiradelli chocolate! These days it is one of the hottest food …
San FranciscoFour 6% Yielders That Will Beat The Market For Years
Most of your friends are going to struggle to make <i>any</i> money in U.S. stocks for the next five to seven years. They’re battling not one, not two, but <i>three</i> major headwinds:<p>Low yields,<br>• High valuations, and<br>• Rising interest rates.<p>Historically, half of the stock market’s returns (or more, depending on the …
InvestingUS companies cut ties with the National Rifle Association
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines on Saturday became the latest major corporations to sever marketing ties with the National Rifle Association as the fallout from last week's massacre at a Florida high school took its toll on the gun advocacy group.<p>The exodus of corporate names, ranging from a …
GunsUpgrade Your Flight To Business Class Free: What Works (& What Doesn't)
Everyone wants to fly in Business rather than Coach. I don’t know anyone who prefers to be squished like a sardine into a Coach seat. But I also …
Business ClassCompanies Halt Giving NRA Benefits, Including Major Airlines
In gun-toting red-state Texas, many of the industries affected are in the travel industry with airlines, rental cars and hotels.<p>HOUSTON, TX — It's …
GunsAmerican Airlines Boasts About Its Profits (While Employees of its American Eagle Subsidiary Are On Food Stamps)
Now Congress wants to know why.<p><i>Absurdly Driven</i> <i>looks at the world of business with a skeptical eye and a firmly rooted tongue in cheek.</i><p>Americans adore making money.<p>Many respect it above all things.<p>If you're rich, you're to be admired. Until, that is, you do something that makes people tweet bad …
BusinessO'Hare to add gates, terminal space under $6.1 billion deal, report says
A $6.1 billion expansion at O’Hare Airport is expected to be introduced to the City Council this week.<p>The project will add dozens of gates and about …
TransportationChrissy Teigen Asked American Airlines If She Could Bring an Emotional Support Casserole On a Flight
And they replied.<p>Today in hilarious things Chrissy Teigen tweets: The model tweeted American Airlines asking for permission to bring a casserole dish of scalloped potatoes on a flight as her carryon. This should be surprising to exactly no one who is familiar with Chrissy Teigen at all, but it's …
Celebrity News10 Airports Where Shopping Is (Almost) as Good as Flying
Airport shopping used to be simple: snacks, bottled water, a few magazines or a trashy novel (unless you were on an international flight, and had …
Frequent-flyer ProgramsFlorida shooting survivor David Hogg blasts NRA for 'serving gun manufacturers'
David Hogg, who was a survivor of the Florida shooting, responded to National Rifle Association (NRA) spokeswoman Dana Loesch after her controversial …
GunsHere's why you should always check your passport before a trip, even if you don't think it's expiring anytime soon
• <b>Before you travel, always check if the country you're visiting requires your passport to be valid for a certain amount of time.</b>• <b><br>When in doubt, update</b> …
AirlinesEmanuel administration, airlines nearing multi-billion dollar deal to dramatically expand O'Hare
Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Chicago’s airline carriers are in the final stages of negotiating a blockbuster deal to dramatically expand O’Hare International Airport with a state-of-the-art global terminal, dozens of new gates and several additional concourses, the Chicago Tribune has learned.<p>The …
BusinessAir travel is almost never great — and it’s worse for tall passengers. Here’s what they’re doing about it
Jim Fox dreads flying.With good reason. At 6-feet-10, the former NBA player has to squeeze himself into economy class seats, which isn’t always …
British AirwaysKeep Your Hilton Honors Diamond Status with an Extension - Points Miles & Martinis
Were you a Hilton Honors Diamond member last year, but didn’t re-qualify for the status for this year? Hilton has a program that allows Diamond …
Frequent-flyer ProgramsQatar Airways' new plane battles jet lag with ambient light, hospital-grade air filters
A sleek new plane designed with customer comfort in mind hit the skies this weekend.<p>Qatar Airways unleashed its new A350-1000 with premium airplane upgrades on Saturday between London and Doha, Qatar.<p>The new aircraft boasts millions of ambient anti-jet lag LED lights, hospital-grade air filters, …
Qatar AirwaysOnboard Qatar Airways A350-1000 Inaugural Flight Toulouse to Doha
It has been a whirlwind week, and I have been out of action on the blog most of the week. Reason? I was in Toulouse to attend the delivery of the …
Qatar AirwaysHawaiian Airlines Trims Schedule Because of Late Airbus Deliveries
Hawaiian Airlines trimmed its summer flying schedule because of engine trouble that has dogged one of Airbus SE’s most popular jets.<p>The carrier …
AirlinesHow You Can (Really) Get Upgrades On Flights...
Since the tips you may have heard don’t actually work…<p>Thinking about upgrades after check in is like trying to qualify for the Olympics while eating …
Cathay PacificAmerican Airlines Didn't Pull An NRA Discount Program -- It Didn't Have One
Unlike competitors Delta and United, American Airlines has not pulled its discount program with the National Rifle Association.<p>That’s because it didn’t have one.<p>In a message sent to employees on Saturday, American said, “Some of our team members and customers have asked why American Airlines has …
American Airlines50K points w/ Citi ThankYou Premier is back
<b>Citi</b> has once again increased the signup bonus on the <b>Citi ThankYou Premier</b> to <b>50,000 ThankYou points</b> after making <b>$4,000</b> in purchases in the first 3 …
American Airlines is changing its safety video because it was too ‘celebratory’
In September 2016, American Airlines introduced a new safety video to play on flights ahead of takeoff.<p>The video received a significant update with more modern visuals, but it also added something that bothered some passengers more than it reassured them: jolly flight staff cheering with the …
American AirlinesIs This The Most Unlucky United Plane Last Week?
United Airlines flight UA878 bound from Houston to Minneapolis made not one but two unscheduled landings on Friday night which ended up with the …
United Airlines