View from the Wing https://viewfromthewing.com/ Thought Leader in Travel Sun, 11 Feb 2024 12:25:52 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.4.2 69176167 3 Reasons Not To Check Bags, And 4 Smart Strategies If You Must https://viewfromthewing.com/3-reasons-not-to-check-bags-and-4-smart-strategies-if-you-must/ https://viewfromthewing.com/3-reasons-not-to-check-bags-and-4-smart-strategies-if-you-must/#comments Sun, 11 Feb 2024 22:04:25 +0000 https://viewfromthewing.com/?p=200177 Avoiding checked luggage saves time and reduces the risk of loss, but if unavoidable, using specific credit cards for protection, maximizing baggage allowances, not checking valuable items, and considering luggage trackers can mitigate the hassles.

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]]> https://viewfromthewing.com/3-reasons-not-to-check-bags-and-4-smart-strategies-if-you-must/feed/ 10 200177 The Children’s Toy That Was Banned From Planes By The FAA https://viewfromthewing.com/the-childrens-toy-that-was-banned-by-the-faa-and-nsa/ https://viewfromthewing.com/the-childrens-toy-that-was-banned-by-the-faa-and-nsa/#comments Sun, 11 Feb 2024 19:34:42 +0000 https://viewfromthewing.com/?p=200068 1999's big toy innovation was Furby, a robot toy that was kind of like a furry, colorful owl. 14 million were sold that one year alone. As long as it had batteries, Furby was on and talking. It began by speaking its own Furbish language, but as it listened to its owner it would learn English. Tickle the Furby and it might kiss you. If you rewarded that behavior with pets, the frequency of kisses would increase. If you had two Furby (Furbies?) they would talk to each other.

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]]> https://viewfromthewing.com/the-childrens-toy-that-was-banned-by-the-faa-and-nsa/feed/ 7 200068 Unfair? Woman Forced Off Plane for ‘Excessive’ Lavatory Use https://viewfromthewing.com/unfair-woman-forced-off-plane-for-excessive-lavatory-use/ https://viewfromthewing.com/unfair-woman-forced-off-plane-for-excessive-lavatory-use/#comments Sun, 11 Feb 2024 16:58:25 +0000 https://viewfromthewing.com/?p=200476 A woman with Montezuma's Revenge was kicked off a WestJet flight leaving Mexico as it prepared to take off. Journalist Joanna Chiu kept going to the bathroom during the plane's boarding process, and crew decided that she made one too many trips to fly.

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]]> https://viewfromthewing.com/unfair-woman-forced-off-plane-for-excessive-lavatory-use/feed/ 15 200476 Boiling Over: The Rising Tide of Hot Beverage Lawsuits from McDonald’s to Korean Air https://viewfromthewing.com/boiling-over-the-rising-tide-of-hot-beverage-lawsuits-from-mcdonalds-to-korean-air/ https://viewfromthewing.com/boiling-over-the-rising-tide-of-hot-beverage-lawsuits-from-mcdonalds-to-korean-air/#comments Sun, 11 Feb 2024 15:04:58 +0000 https://viewfromthewing.com/?p=200443 You have heard about the woman who sued McDonalds and won $2.7 million after spilling a cup of coffee in her own lap. It became an exhibit in how we desperately needed tort reform. And yet the judgment made a lot of sense to anyone who actually went and learned the facts of the case.

Korean Air has a lot to learn from McDonald's.

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]]> https://viewfromthewing.com/boiling-over-the-rising-tide-of-hot-beverage-lawsuits-from-mcdonalds-to-korean-air/feed/ 8 200443 Out Of Planes, American Airlines Abandons Israel Until Fall To Fund Europe Flight [Roundup] https://viewfromthewing.com/out-of-planes-american-airlines-abandons-israel-until-fall-to-fund-europe-flight-roundup/ https://viewfromthewing.com/out-of-planes-american-airlines-abandons-israel-until-fall-to-fund-europe-flight-roundup/#comments Sun, 11 Feb 2024 13:04:21 +0000 https://viewfromthewing.com/?p=200440 A roundup of the most important stories of the day. I keep you up to date on the most interesting writings I find on other sites – the latest news and tips.

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]]> https://viewfromthewing.com/out-of-planes-american-airlines-abandons-israel-until-fall-to-fund-europe-flight-roundup/feed/ 22 200440 Gratuities Gone Wild: You’re Now Expected To Tip When An Agent Rebooks Your Flight https://viewfromthewing.com/gratuities-gone-wild-youre-now-expected-to-tip-when-an-agent-rebooks-your-flight/ https://viewfromthewing.com/gratuities-gone-wild-youre-now-expected-to-tip-when-an-agent-rebooks-your-flight/#comments Sat, 10 Feb 2024 22:04:54 +0000 https://viewfromthewing.com/?p=200436 Tipping is out of control. We now get presented with an option to tip even at self-checkout. At the Austin airport I was asked to tip when buying a water from a machine that was programmed not to accept $0 as an input.

The U.S. tipping culture always seemed strange, with customers supplementing worker wages, but this used to be limited to personal services provided by low wage workers. Now it's everywhere.

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]]> https://viewfromthewing.com/gratuities-gone-wild-youre-now-expected-to-tip-when-an-agent-rebooks-your-flight/feed/ 38 200436 Taylor Swift’s Race Against Time: The Two Unique Strategies That Made Her Tokyo-To-Super Bowl Flight Possible https://viewfromthewing.com/taylor-swifts-race-against-time-the-two-unique-strategies-that-made-her-tokyo-to-super-bowl-flight-possible/ https://viewfromthewing.com/taylor-swifts-race-against-time-the-two-unique-strategies-that-made-her-tokyo-to-super-bowl-flight-possible/#comments Sat, 10 Feb 2024 19:41:44 +0000 https://viewfromthewing.com/?p=200460 VistaJet's flight VJT993, a Bombardier Global Express,, is operating as "The Football Era." It is currently estimated in over an hour early, at 3:07 p.m. Pacific time.

Reportedly charter provider VistaJet made two unique preparations, besides having the plane ready for Ms. Swift's swift departure following her Tokyo show.

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]]> https://viewfromthewing.com/taylor-swifts-race-against-time-the-two-unique-strategies-that-made-her-tokyo-to-super-bowl-flight-possible/feed/ 21 200460 Skeptic Turned Believer? Unpacking Beond’s Luxury Airline Ambitions https://viewfromthewing.com/skeptic-turned-believer-unpacking-beonds-luxury-airline-ambitions/ https://viewfromthewing.com/skeptic-turned-believer-unpacking-beonds-luxury-airline-ambitions/#comments Sat, 10 Feb 2024 17:04:25 +0000 https://viewfromthewing.com/?p=200223 I love premium products, and innovative ideas. So I'm rooting for Beond to succeed. But I've been skeptical of filling an all business class plane (most airlines go with a mix of products for a reason), based in a highly seasonal destination, operating only a few flights a week to each destination.

Fortunately on Thursday I had the opportunity to speak with the airline's Chairman and CEO, Tero Taskila, to see whether he could turn around my skepticism.

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]]> https://viewfromthewing.com/skeptic-turned-believer-unpacking-beonds-luxury-airline-ambitions/feed/ 3 200223 No Lights, No Food, No Recline: The 5 Hour American Airlines Flight Where Even The Toilets Were Shut Off https://viewfromthewing.com/no-lights-no-food-no-recline-the-5-hour-american-airlines-flight-where-even-the-toilets-were-shut-off/ https://viewfromthewing.com/no-lights-no-food-no-recline-the-5-hour-american-airlines-flight-where-even-the-toilets-were-shut-off/#comments Sat, 10 Feb 2024 16:58:15 +0000 https://viewfromthewing.com/?p=200405 American Airlines sent a redeye flight from Los Angeles to New York on February 2 without working electrical systems. There was only emergency lighting in the cabin. Flight attendants couldn’t prepare food in the galley of the cross country flight, and business and first class seats didn’t have power so could not recline. Toilets did not flush.

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]]> https://viewfromthewing.com/no-lights-no-food-no-recline-the-5-hour-american-airlines-flight-where-even-the-toilets-were-shut-off/feed/ 57 200405 From Austin To LA And Back: Exploring The Delta Difference In Coach, First Class, And Airport Lounges https://viewfromthewing.com/from-austin-to-la-and-back-exploring-the-delta-difference-in-coach-first-class-and-airport-lounges/ https://viewfromthewing.com/from-austin-to-la-and-back-exploring-the-delta-difference-in-coach-first-class-and-airport-lounges/#comments Sat, 10 Feb 2024 15:04:30 +0000 https://viewfromthewing.com/?p=200394 Earlier in the month I flew to LA as a favor to Peter Greenberg, to speak at the Travel Adventure Show. I flew out on a Saturday, back Sunday. I didn't want to leave too early, since I didn't actually need to speak until Sunday, and wanted to fly back as quickly as possible after I was done. United, American, Southwest and Delta all operate the Austin - Los Angles route and both ways Delta had the schedule that worked best for me.

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