A mesmerizing look at a Delta jet from a window of ATL’s Concourse E Delta Sky Club (Photo: AP Gouge Photography)
AIRLINES
Hot mushroom soup and a pretty fruit/chicken salad on a recent SFO-ATL lunchtime flight (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
United improves front cabin meals. February 1 is United Airlines’ launch date for upgraded meal service in United First and United Business cabins on North American mainline flights of at least 800 miles. Transcontinental and Hawaii flights will get a new multi-course meal service with “heartier entrees,” United said, while flights of four hours to five hours and 19 minutes will offer three entree options instead of two. Meal flights of less than four hours will provide breakfast options like French toast souffle or steel-cut oatmeal with yogurt and fruit, and dinner choices like tandoori chicken instead of sandwiches. Also new on certain flights: Cookies baked fresh on board. Starting in March, United said, United Express premium-cabin travelers on flights of at least 800 miles will get fresh meals served on china instead of snack boxes; international long-haul economy flyers will see a new multi-course meal service; and new premium cabin menu choices will be introduced on p.s. transcontinental flights.
Best Photo! Thanks to TravelSkills reader Tony Gouge who responded to the request for plane photos in our recent 6 Tips for Better Plane Pics post– one of our most popular “how to” stories so far this year. Tony said that he used a technique called HDR on this (High Dynamic Range) to get the effect you see in the photo at the top.
Just in: Bomb threat leads to evacuation of Delta and Southwest jets at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Airport. Developing story.
Bidding for upgrades on Virgin America. Over the last few months, Virgin America has been quietly rolling out a new program inviting certain Elevate members to bid for upgrades to unsold Main Cabin Select and first class seats about a week before departure. We have learned that Virgin is experimenting with a service called Plusgrade that several other carriers have utilized. Here’s a quick video showing how it works on Air New Zealand. Sounds like a nice idea, but don’t sit around waiting for that email asking for a bid. A Virgin spokesperson told TravelSkills that the program is available in some markets for select flyers only and, “We are testing to see how travelers react to it first before instituting a broader program.” At present there is no way to get on the email list. Have you been asked to bid on an upgrade on Virgin America? Did you make a winning bid? Leave your comments below.
Double points on Virgin. Members of Virgin America’s Elevate loyalty program who register online will earn double points — or 10 per $1 spent — for travel from January 20 through March 31.
A big green Aer Lingus A330 at SFO (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Aer Lingus enhances SFO service. Bay area travelers will be the first to experience Aer Lingus’ new business class service starting January 28 on the carrier’s A330 non-stops to Dublin. The new cabins are coming this year to all of Aer Lingus’ A330 U.S. routes, including New York, Boston, Chicago and Orlando. You can check it out in this Youtube video. Meanwhile, the Irish carrier plans to boost SFO-Dublin service to daily frequencies (from the current five a week) on May 1, and to launch new Washington Dulles-Dublin flights four times a week on the same date.
American Airlines’ new baby. On Friday, American Airlines flew its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (N800AN) from the factory in Everett, Washington to Dallas/Ft Worth. As part of a massive (and much needed) fleet renewal program, AA has firm orders for 42 more of the efficient widebody. American expects its first 787 to enter revenue service in the second quarter, flying domestically between American’s hubs for several weeks before being launched on international flights.
Delta downgrade? A blogger who specializes in scrutinizing Delta’s SkyMiles program says that Platinum elites are no longer eligible to request upgrades on the airline’s JFK-Los Angeles and JFK-San Francisco routes. The unannounced change would mean that only Diamond-level members can ask for upgrades on those plum routes. Anyone else encountered this new downgrade? Please leave your comments below.
United eyes new aircraft type. United Airlines is reportedly considering switching some of its existing orders with Boeing to an aircraft type not currently in its fleet: the 777-300ER. The carrier is said to be thinking about adding 10 of the planes — Boeing’s largest twin-engine model — possibly in place of some 787s currently on order. United was the launch customer for the original Boeing 777 back in 1995; the company already has dozens of Airbus A350 widebodies on order. What’s your favorite long-haul aircraft type? Why? Post comments below.
20 different biz class seats in 1 room- PHOTOS
A Hainan Airlines Boeing 787 like could find its way to San Jose this summer (Hainan Air)
New China service from San Jose, Dallas. Silicon Valley workers might not have to go to San Francisco International to get a non-stop to China starting in June. That’s when Hainan Airlines plans to begin non-stop San Jose-Beijing 787 flights five days a week, subject to government approval. The airline already flies to the Chinese capital from Boston, Chicago and Seattle. Meanwhile, the trade journal Travel Weekly reports that Hainan has also filed for U.S. approval to begin non-stop service to Shanghai from Seattle and Boston … American Airlines has received Transportation Department approval for its planned Dallas/Ft. Worth-Beijing service, which will start May 7. AA will use a 777-200 for the daily non-stops. (Meanwhile, American is offering double miles for flights to Asia on AA and its partner Japan Airlines, for travel from now through March 20. Online registration is required.) Related: Did you see our story on the new high speed rail line between Beijing and Moscow?
And finally… we bet you’ve never seen a 747 that looks like this one! Take a peek and let us know what you think!
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6 tips for better plane pics
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I have flown the Delta routes JFK-LAX, JFK-SFO. These are non upgradeable routes. When I asked Delta why the answer was more or less, “Just because”. I did in fact use miles to upgrade last flight from JFK to LAX. I am platinum and upgrades are not a sure thing, so basically all elite flyers are downgraded.
As a “economy” passenger on long hauls (sadly!) – I really enjoyed the Lufthansa A380 window seat – I’m 5’10 – and able to stand & stretch at my seat! The only down side the the wall is a bit too far away to lean against to try to get some sleep.
I bet Hainan is getting a financial incentive from San Jose that makes it tough to resist at least trying. –chris
My thoughts exactly. They should have just gone to SFO; the catchment area at SJC is just too small, not to mention that, in my opinion, international travelers want to fly into airports with services that tiny airports can’t support.
747 upstairs or in the nose (where some carrier have F class) – it’s a great isolated ride in either place. 380 in business is kind of like UA in business – too many people to make it all that special but at least it’s more comfortable!
During the 1990s, I flew United between California (LAX/SFO) and Japan (KIX/NRT), in every combination. I once added in a stop in HNL too.
I always upgraded to Business upstairs in the bubble. The upstairs cabin and those window seats were amazing, with those huge window bins. The big closet at the top of the stairs was nice too. And as you said, being able to upgrade for 30,000 miles in each direction with no co-pay was a great deal.
Have to agree with Chuck, the 747 is the best experience in flying. I have been lucky to fly many a time in first class on long haul flights like Chicago to Toyko, L.A. to Melbourne and Sydney to San Francisco and it was the greatest experience.
I have also flown a half a dozen times between L.A. and London in both first and business. In the old days of United before they put in those crappy flat beds, they had these really wide seats and reclinced all the way down and were great. In the business class bubble the plane also had these great window lockers in which you could store tons of stuff including all of your carry on’s and jackets.
Also back then you could pay for business class and for 30,000 miles upgrade to first, those were the good old days of United. Now they have these folks that make a living at United going to work every day thinking of more ways of screwing the passenger out of more money and getting less but costing more frequent flyer miles. So it’s now close to impossible to fly first class internationally on United, unless your willing to part with years of acclimated mileage.
I also would love to fly in first or business on the airbus 380, but those that have done it say it’s like being in a big room with a lot of people in it.
I also would love to fly on the 787, but to fly it in the United States is near impossible.
One last thing, the only tolerable plane in coach that United has is the new 737s with direct TVs. Those new airbus with the thin, light weight seats that United can now stuff three more rows of seats on are terrible.
I’m reasonably certain I’ll never have a better long haul experience than SFO-LHR on United, upstairs in The Bubble on their 744. The return, downstairs in the way-back, was a different type of experience, but I’d go upstairs just about anywhere. LOL!
It will be interesting to see how HU works out at SJC. United has a wrap on Silicon Valley companies and HU is not in an Alliance. there is not really that big of a population of Mainlanders in the Valley. Most of the Asians are Taiwanese in Freemont and Mtn. View. I would expect rock bottom fares on this route. I will go out and even predict it will be discontinued after two years.
A few months ago, you asked who would be the next Asian carrier to San Jose. I guess correctly, since Hainan is expanding in underserved markets.
Good catch! That’s an old photo. And no, I’m not trying to put one over on you 🙂 I’ll update the photo– chris
“The cards I carry: The […] Barclaycard Arrival Plus card”
Except that’s not the Arrival plus card is it. It’s the Arrival card. What’s more, it’s the old version of the arrival card before they replaced them with the chip+pin version, which means that this is likely an old photo…
Trying to put one over on us?
The B777 is probably my favorite (but was on a nice LH A330 recently) and United’s 772’s are one of its few bright spots, post-merger. Their interiors seem to be recently refurbished (last 2-3 years) and that seemed to have been confirmed by flying on one that seemed to be a pre-merger version (ratty seats, older IFE, two-prong headset plugs – luckily, I had an adapter). I was on an AC 773 a year ago, after a UA flight out of PVG was cancelled, and it was visibly older on the inside; AC has a nice IFE but it seemed old after having used UA’s (and later, LH’s).