Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist

i fly around the world and write about airplanes.
2026 so far: 137 flights - 312k miles - 42 countries.
as seen in Business Insider.

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

Business class dinner on my Kenya Airways flight from Paris to Nairobi last night (KQ115).

@KenyaAirways what are all these liquids…😳

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

@AirlineGeeks Unfortunate!

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

Wild that the solution to fixing a toxic culture was blocking the guy who wrote about it. 🤦‍♂️

[Ben Schlappig @OneMileataTime]

OMAAT Is Now Blocked In The UAE, Following My Etihad Coverage
https://t.co/ubzliyYKAu

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

@OneMileataTime As someone who reviews airlines in a lot of countries that take criticism personally, this one hits home. Airlines can’t fix what no one’s allowed to talk about. Hope it gets sorted. 🙏

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

https://t.co/thDoXVVN0c

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

One of the biggest travel sites in the US (@OneMileataTime) is reportedly being blocked in the UAE, days after it reported on a toxic culture among Etihad’s senior management. It wasn’t even a review, and it should still matter to anyone who flies. My take ⬇️

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

https://t.co/8pyRgGdrMb

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

Lufthansa pilots flying an A380 out of San Francisco reportedly told air traffic control they’d write a report after waiting 17 minutes to take off, saying it “costs tons of fuel.” Why planes get stuck at the end of the runway, and why SFO makes it worse:

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

https://t.co/O2XDnmjdWU

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

Delta is giving its business class rare bourbon, Missoni amenity kits, a second pillow and a Wagyu burger. But the change most travelers will actually notice is how the crew serves you, and one perk is quietly getting smaller. ⬇️

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

https://t.co/LwC0F0ZaxR

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

Heading to Tanzania? Since October 1, most foreign visitors to the mainland must buy a $44 state-backed travel insurance policy, even if they already have their own. Without it, you can reportedly be turned away at the border. Zanzibar has its own separate version too. ⬇️

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

https://t.co/LvbSL2fpBk

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

🚨 Riyadh's main airport will now stay closed until at least October 17, affecting roughly 700 flights a day. Dammam's airport was targeted Sunday night too. Where every major Saudi airport stands right now, which airlines have canceled, and what to do if you're booked ⬇️

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

Flights bound for Dammam in eastern Saudi Arabia are circling or turning back this evening, according to flight tracking data. The cause isn’t confirmed yet, but it comes a day after the deadliest attack so far shut down Riyadh’s main airport. More as we learn it.

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

https://t.co/9vYAuAse5L

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

🚨 Passengers on an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Chennai were reportedly beating out flames with clothes and backpacks after a power bank caught fire in an overhead bin. The flight diverted to Hyderabad. Power banks are now one of the most common causes of fires on planes. Why they keep catching fire, and the one rule that keeps you safe ⬇️

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

@adampnathan Fascinating that 19 states and DC still top out domestically. Which state do you think is most likely to get a long-haul route next?

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

@JSS779 Nice!!

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

@BoardingArea @yourownkanoo Wow. Airlines flying to Israel are now in a tough spot: follow the host country’s security rules, or protect crew who hold passports they had no say in. Air France is reportedly already rostering around it. Will be interesting to see how unions respond.

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

https://t.co/r8MpWFKECo

[Zach Benitez | Aviation Journalist @contrailzach]

After an attack on Riyadh’s main airport killed 12 people, Trump says the US “may” join Saudi Arabia’s fight against the Houthis. Just last month, Washington reportedly turned down a Saudi request for direct military help. With Delta’s Riyadh launch less than two weeks away, what could it mean for flights?