When Flexjet recently reached out asking if I would like to tour their first Gulfstream G500 (N200FX), how could I refuse? I tried to act cool, but of course I was giddy to have the opportunity to check out one of the most premium private jets on the market today (I guess the cool kids are calling them “PJs”).
N200FX sitting on the tarmac at King County International Airport (aka Boeing Field)
You can see the color change paint from orange to green
I met up with the Flexjet representatives at the FBO at King County International Airport (KBFI) and we walked out to the tarmac where N200FX awaited us. Of course there was no security, no lines, we just walked out to the plane when we were ready to go. I have to say that Flexjet has a beautiful livery and the fact that part of its paint design has “chameleon” paint that changes color depending on the sun’s angle, made it all that more special.
After spending some quality time with the outside of the G500, I was delighted to board and check out the interior firsthand!
Watching an China Eastern A330 land — feels like you could reach out and touch it!
What is Dorkfest, you might ask? It’s a fabulous event created by our friend Brett Snyder (aka Cranky Flier), where a bunch of AvGeeks get together at the In-N-Out by LAX to look at airplanes, eat some chow, win airport/airline giveaways, and be around a great group of people. Sound interesting? Here are the deets:
There is no registration required for the main shindig, but if you want to be in the raffle to win awesome aviation-themed prizes or take a possible ramp tour of LAX, you will need to pre-register for those. To learn more about Dorkfest or sign up for the extras (as of publishing, the RSVPs are not yet open), then head to the main Dorkfest page.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) recently unveiled a $399 million, 145,000-square-foot expansion of the C Concourse and I had the opportunity to explore the space. I think passengers will be impressed and there is one new addition that AvGeeks will love!
Way back in 2017 we wrote about United’s next-gen premium cabin product called Polaris. Early in Polaris’ rollout I tried it on a shiny new 787-10 on a transcon route, but in all the time since then I haven’t flown it on a true international flight. I finally managed to work long-haul Polaris into my travels. And the timing was perfect because it’s been a newsworthy period for United’s onboard product in the past few months.
Back when it unveiled Polaris, United highlighted key features like direct aisle access, seat consistency across the fleet, improved onboard service elements, a strong focus on sleep, and a potentially best-in-class set of airport lounges. And so during this flight from Newark to London I was paying close attention to how well Polaris was delivering on those promises nearly a decade after its rollout.
Read on for the full scoop on whether this flight delivered on the Polaris promise — plus plenty of the usual photos and window-seat-view videos. We’ll also walk you through some major announcements that United just made about its short-haul and long-haul fleets, including the next generation of its flagship business class experience.
Over the years, I have covered quite a few inaugural flights into Seattle. They are always a hoot, but often there aren’t many surprises. Well, when Cathay Pacific Airlines did an inaugural flight to Seattle (SEA) from Hong Kong (HKG) on March 30, they did things a bit differently, and in a grand way. Not only did I get to experience the normal excitement of being on the ramp to greet the aircraft, but there was also a fun surprise at the gate; plus the airline held a grand gala event later in the evening.
The flight & aircraft information from FlightRadar24
The day started when I awoke and opened FlightRadar24 to see which aircraft was en route. As expected, it was an Airbus A350-900, and it had registration B-LRJ. Then I noticed the photo: it was the retro livery. Booya!
I quickly got some AvGeek goose bumps (yes, that is a thing). The airline calls it the “lettuce sandwich” retro livery and it has a special place in my AvGeek heart. Long before the internet was a thing, I remember looking at L1011s in that very livery in one of my airline books. It was one of my favorites. I never got the chance to see it in person, so here was my opportunity. And, it was extra special because this was also the first time that this retro livery would be flying to the U.S.
