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End of the World

Photo of the Week!

F 4; 1/400; 24mm.

Shot at Haleakala National Park on Maui, Hawaii.

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The Boeing 737 MAX is safe to fly, but there’s a legitimate reason to avoid it

The Daily Flyer

Happy first day of March, and welcome to this edition of “The Daily Flyer,” The Higher Flyer‘s newsletter that gathers up and summarizes some of the most important happenings in the world of airlines, hotels, award points, and other travel-related things. Today’s feature offers a different reason to avoid the Boeing’s beleaguered 737 MAX jet, as well as innovation in premium cabins, another Delta devaluation, and an exceptional piece on the vanity of flying.

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With COVID-19 raging, there’s no such thing as responsible travel planning

The Daily Flyer

Happy February, and welcome to “The Daily Flyer,” The Higher Flyer‘s newsletter that gathers up and summarizes some of the most important happenings in the world of airlines, hotels, award points, and other travel-related subjects. Today’s feature discusses travel plans in a pandemic, as well as a new mask mandate, airplane seat preferences, cheap fares in Europe, and a behind-the-scenes look in to a 787’s pipework.

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21 higher flyer predictions for ’21 (Part 2)

The Daily Flyer

Welcome to the January 11, 2021 edition of “The Daily Flyer,” The Higher Flyer‘s newsletter that gathers up and summarizes some of the day’s most important happenings in the world of airlines, hotels, award points, and other travel-related things. Today’s main feature picks up where last Wednesday’s entry left off and offers 10 more predictions for 2021. It also covers higher flying’s uncomfortable intersection with acts of sedition, updated elite status qualifications (or not), and a list of COVID test providers.

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21 higher flyer predictions for ’21 (Part 1)

The Daily Flyer

Happy Wednesday, and welcome to the January 6, 2021 edition of “The Daily Flyer,” The Higher Flyer‘s newsletter that gathers up and summarizes some of the day’s most important happenings in the world of airlines, hotels, award points, and other travel-related things. Today’s feature consists of 21 predictions for 2021 (or rather 11 of them; the other 10 will come in the next TDF installment), as well as huge diplomatic news (that affects aviation), some thoughts on obtaining elite status this year, and, to round it out, some New Year’s resolutions from renowned travel writers.

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2021: Introducing the murky next chapter for higher flying

The Daily Flyer

Happy new year, welcome back, and welcome to the first 2021 edition of “The Daily Flyer!” After a long, COVID-induced layoff, The Higher Flyer‘s newsletter is back to gather up and summarize some of the most important happenings in the world of airlines, hotels, award points, and other travel-related things.  Today’s feature — for January 4, 2021 — examines the state of higher flying entering 2021, and it also bids farewell to Fido (in a way), covers a (potentially) practical aspect of higher flying in a pandemic, and, on a more aspirational note, it highlights some new hotels scheduled to open in 2021.

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DoubleTree hotels are nice and boring

A recent review on the The Higher Flyer has prompted a few to ask:  “what’s wrong with DoubleTree hotels?” and as a follow up:  “why do you hate them?”  Well, despite what my review of the DoubleTree in Madrid may imply, the answer is a resounding “nothing.”   Nothing is wrong with Hilton’s business-traveler-centric brand and I’d gladly stay in one if presented the opportunity.  That said though, these hotels don’t really lend themselves well to scenes of higher flying; they don’t evoke visions of luxury like Waldorf Astorias do, nor do they offer the incredible value that Hampton Inns do.  DoubleTrees instead are synonymous with bland-yet-practical accommodations for the well-paid road warriors of the world.

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American Airlines “StrAAnds” Dallas Cowboys in Philadelphia

American Airlines’s pathetic operational reliability record isn’t exactly a new development, and complaints have long been streaming in from major media outlets, “higher flyer” bloggers, and angry mobs in the Twittisphere.  Now the Dallas Cowboys, as of the evening of December 22, have every right to complain as well.  In addition to the delays that it has subjected its many millions of passengers to, AA has now failed one of the most famous (or rather infamous?) sports teams in the world.

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Flying Cathay Pacific’s Business Class is Overrated

While I’m not saying that flying business class on Cathay Pacific is a bad thing — quite the opposite actually — the product has a world-class reputation that, at times, seems misplaced.  It has all the makings of a competitive international business class offering, sure, but then again, so does British Airways’s Club World.  Like its oneworld counterpart, Cathay is just fine, but it lacks a defining feature to give it any sort of advantage over its regional rivals.  Despite this, several reputable sources consider Cathay to be among the best in the world and a top higher flyer experience… which is a bit puzzling.

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