Late March and early April is when airlines switch from winter to spring and summer schedules, and there is so much going on at Bay Area airports this week, my head is spinning! Some happy arrivals and sad departures.
Here’s what you need to know:
A festive scene greeted those departing on Saturday’s inaugural United nonstop to Taipei. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
>United launched SFO-Taipei nonstops on Saturday with a big colorful celebration at Gate 92 in the International Terminal. The gate area was festooned with about 100 paper lanterns, dancing dolls and a free dim sum buffet. San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee remarked that the rainy send off was a sign of good fortune for the route. SFO-Taipei now has service from United (B777), Eva Air (B777) and China Airlines (B747). Check out our Facebook page for more pics of the fun party!
SFO welcomed LAN nonstops to South America in 2010. Now there are none.
>LAN’s nonstop B767 flight to Lima, Peru departed SFO for the last time on March 31. This is particularly sad because it leaves the Bay Area without any nonstops to South America.
>Aer Lingus revives its SFO-Dublin nonstops Wednesday afternoon with a lot of fanfare and a “dry salute” (weather permitting) at the airport. Stay tuned to TravelSkills for a Q&A with Aer Lingus CEO Christophe Mueller.
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If you are headed to Atlanta, be sure to drop by The Varsity at the airport or downtown for a naked dog, F.O. and onion rings served with sassy southern hospitality. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
>Starting Tues, April 1, United will use 737-800s to revive its nonstop service on SFO-Atlanta, Flights depart SFO at 8:54 am and 3:33 pm and return from ATL at 6:55 am and 5:24 pm.
>Delta’s final SFO-Tokyo nonstop took off last Friday March 28, leaving United, ANA and Japan Airlines (to Haneda on a 787) offering nonstops.
>Air France’s A380 is back for the season and will be flying SFO-Paris through the end of October.
>KLM is now flying a nice Boeing 747-400 on SFO-Amsterdam sporting its nice new true lie-flat business class seat. (So glad to that ancient MD-11 go away!)
>Later this week, United will crank up a second daily nonstop from SFO to London for the season. United’s flights will arrive and depart at Heathrow’s stunning new Terminal 2– :
>Both Virgin America and Alaska Airlines have announced that they will skedaddle from the overcrowded San Jose-LAX market. At the same time, Southwest is bulking up at SJC with additional frequencies to: Denver, San Diego, Seattle and Orange County.
Chris – How mean of you to tease me with a photo of that smilin’ Varsity server. I thought you were about to write that the Varsity had decided to open @ SFO’s Delta terminal. Oh how I miss my “nekked dog, walk it!” (i.e. plain hotdog, to go) now that I live it SF. And no one can match the Varsity’s greasy rings – yum! At least we Atlanta-to-SF transplants can still get our Houston’s fix @ Hillstone on the Embarcadero (and if you ask nicely, they can sometimes get you a piece of that gooey cheese toast they took off the supposedly more health conscious California menu!)