The Flight Detective, Author at TravelUpdate

Extra! Extra! Read all about it! Airline stories are here!

Posted by The Flight Detective | Apr 3, 2020 | Airlines | 0

You’re probably currently on some form of lockdown and a little bit bored. The home renovations are done, you’ve seen Tiger King on Netflix and are sick and tired of looking at your family. What should you do next? How about reading some interesting airline stories? Flipping through the bookmarks in my web browser turned up some interesting things that you will find fascinating. It’s a wide range of this and that, but all of them were kept for a reason, so you should learn a thing or two. Get Your Airline Stories Here! Delve deep into the launch...

Aer Lingus giving AerClub frequent flyers bonus tier points

Posted by The Flight Detective | Apr 2, 2020 | Airlines | 2

With travel patterns disrupted, airlines are doing various things to help out loyal frequent flyers. British Airways reduced the threshold required to maintain status for some people and now fellow IAG stablemate Aer Lingus is offering bonus tier points. Getting a little assistance to move towards the next tier is always welcome. After all, the whole point of a loyalty programme is to dangle a carrot in front of you, spark desire and keep you chasing the goal. Aer Lingus Bonus Tier Points As you can see from the e-mail excerpt below, people like me are being issued with...

Waiting for an airline ticket refund? Better be patient!

Posted by The Flight Detective | Apr 1, 2020 | Airlines | 0

Airlines are currently coping with a tsunami of refund requests, thanks to an unprecedented array of cancelled flights. Those people waiting for an airline ticket refund should be prepared to wait. Usually your refund will come through fairly swiftly, if not immediately. However, in case you hadn’t noticed, these are not normal times, so the waiting game is real. Airline Ticket Refund Delays Finnair had an apology on their web site for ages, as refunds were taking up to four weeks. Today they have sent an e-mail and updated their web site to say refunds are taking an average...

Remember how fun it is to plan holidays and book flights?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Mar 31, 2020 | Airlines | 2

Everyone suddenly has a lot of free time, right? What better way is there to pass the time than to plan holidays and book flights. You might think I’m mad to think of this at this time, but it’s true. Half of the fun of a holiday is going online and planning it. Working out where to go, how to get there and where to stay is just as much fun as the trip itself. Plan Holidays And Book Flights I decided to start holiday planning for the rest of my 2020. As I plan to visit a country...

Flying for 20 hours non-stop is one step closer as Qantas pilots approve Project Sunrise

Posted by The Flight Detective | Mar 30, 2020 | Airlines, News | 2

Imagine sitting in an aircraft for 20 hours without stopping. To some, it may be their version of hell, while for others it might be utterly heavenly. The news that Qantas pilots approve Project Sunrise means these flights are one step closer to reality. The business case at Australian airline relied on pilots approving the proposed new flying. Why? Such long journeys required changes to terms and conditions, pay scales needed to be agreed and more. Qantas Pilots Approve – But Who Wants To Fly That Long? There are a bunch of people who automatically think a flight of...

Does anyone remember the very successful Fokker F27 Friendship?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Mar 29, 2020 | Airlines | 4

The Fokker F27 Friendship is a short to medium range aircraft powered by a pair of Rolls-Royce Dart turboprops. First flying on 24 November 1955, it is one of the most successful European planes ever produced. It was designed as a replacement for piston-engine airliners such as the Douglas DC-3. The first airline operator was Ireland’s Aer Lingus, taking delivery of two aircraft on 19 November 1958, with first flights starting in December 1958. Fokker F27 Friendship Video Following on from the last video about the Tupolev Tu-204, we head west to the Netherlands to look at the Fokker...

Did you know Japan Air Lines and Aeroflot once used the Tupolev Tu-114 for a joint operation?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Mar 28, 2020 | Airlines | 0

At the height of the cold war, an unlikely joint operation began when Japan Air Lines and Aeroflot started working together. Considering the two countries were old foes and had radically different political ideologies, it’s remarkable it took place at all. The shortest air route between Europe and Japan is via Russia or the Soviet Union as it once was. With the closed nature of that country back in the day, flights had to route via the Arctic, adding 2,500 kilometres to the journey. The collaboration changed all that. A Lengthy Gestation Operating the service was initially proposed in...

What does the British Airways 30% Tier Point reduction mean for me?

Posted by The Flight Detective | Mar 27, 2020 | Airlines, Loyalty Programs, News | 0

Frequent flyers are starting to see some appreciation from airlines in reaction to the current situation around the world. British Airways are offering a 30% tier point reduction for some members of the Executive Club. This is an interesting development. It is not as generous as airlines like Qantas who extended frequent flyer status for a year, but it’s definitely something. Tier Point Reduction In Numbers Rather than having to earn 1,500 Tier Points in your membership year to reach Gold status, this is reduced to 1,050. Silver reduces from 600 to 420 and Bronze from 300 to 210....

Review: American Airlines 737 First Class on a dinner flight from Washington to Miami in 2012

Posted by The Flight Detective | Mar 26, 2020 | Airlines, Flight Reviews, Reviews and Reports | 2

For just US$261.30 I was able to fly American Airlines 737 First Class from Washington DC to Miami on a dinner flight back in 2012. This was a mileage run, and immediately after this were two transcontinental services back to back. You can read all about the experience here. AA1349 – Washington Reagan to Miami (DCA-MIA) 8 October 2012 Boeing 737-823 – N823NN Seat: First Class 4A Departure: 16:30 Arrival: 19:10 Duration: 2 Hours 40 Minutes Cruising Altitude: 38,000 feet After spending some time in the Admirals Club, I proceeded down to the gate. Boarding was already underway, and...

Finally! Here’s why I’m happy my airline cancelled my flight

Posted by The Flight Detective | Mar 25, 2020 | Airlines | 4

It seems a long time ago that I wrote about pondering upgrade offers on flights I had booked. Everything has gone pear shaped and at last my airline cancelled my flight. This makes me happy! For a while now, free changes have been available for my bookings. One reason I haven’t done that is because our group hasn’t decided on when we’ll reschedule the trip. The other reason? Well, that’s financial. Happy My Airline Cancelled My Flight Originally I was quite pleased that airlines were allowing free changes on bookings. However as the situation deteriorated, making forward travel plans...