A window seat in United’s new Polaris business class. (Image: United)
In international route developments, United puts more aircraft with its new Polaris business cabin into service from San Francisco; San Diego gets new Europe service from two carriers; Hainan Airlines plans a New York route; and WOW adds another U.S. gateway.
United Airlines has taken delivery of more 777-300ERs equipped with its new Polaris international business class seat, and it is putting them into service. The airline is focusing on transpacific flights out of San Francisco for the new planes. This week, it put a new Polaris-equipped 777-300ER into service between San Francisco and Tokyo Narita, and another is due to start flying later this month from SFO to Taipei. United already uses the 777-300ER on its San Francisco-Hong Kong and Newark-Tel Aviv routes.
Lufthansa will out an A380 onto its Los Angeles-Munich route. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Lufthansa has some big plans for California in 2018. For one thing, the airline said it will begin service next summer between San Diego and Frankfurt. It will operate five flights a week on the route, but it didn’t say what kind of aircraft it would use. Meanwhile, Lufthansa is planning to shift five of its 14 Airbus A380 super-jumbos from Frankfurt to Munich next year, and it will put one of them onto its Munich-Los Angeles route next summer, where it currently uses an A340. Lufthansa currently uses an A380 for one of its two daily LAX-Frankfurt flights.
Last week, another airline started flying from San Diego to Europe: Edelweiss is operating two flights a week (Mondays and Fridays) from SAN to Zurich. The seasonal service will continue through September 18, using a two-class, 314-passenger A340-300. What is Edelweiss? It’s a sister company of Swiss International Air Lines (and thus part of the Lufthansa family) that concentrates on the leisure market.
Speaking of Lufthansa, the German carrier is reportedly planning to try out a new pricing concept for long-haul trips through its European hubs. It’s called a “flexible routing” fare, and persons who buy it would get a discount in exchange for agreeing to let Lufthansa change their flight and routing from a connection through Frankfurt to one at another Lufthansa-family hub like Munich, Vienna or Zurich. The point is to give the airline more flexibility in steering traffic away from Frankfurt, where operating costs are higher, and still get the passenger from his desired point A to point B.
China’s Hainan Airlines has filed a schedule to start service this fall between New York JFK and Chongqing. The carrier is planning to offer two flights a week beginning October 20, using a two-class 787-8.
A Wow Air A321 (Image: Wow Air)
Iceland’s low-cost WOW Air continues its U.S. growth. This week, WOW started flying from Pittsburgh to Reykjavik , with one-way base fares starting as low as $99 (plus ancillary fees for everything from carrying on a bag to selecting a seat assignment in advance). Onward connections are available at Reykjavik to several European cities. WOW will fly the route five days a week, using a 220-passenger A321. Next month, WOW is due to add Chicago O’Hare to its route map.
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Happy about the WOW flight.
Quick question. Are they using an A320 or 321 from PGH?
Doh! And it even says A320 right there on the fuselage. Post updated. Thanks.
As an avid pupil of your plane spotting tutorials, I would point out that’s a WOW A320 in the picture (check the exit doors).
I like the flexible routing fare idea from LH. There are lots of times I’d happily route through any of their hubs for a decent savings, and honestly I’d probably prefer to route through MUC or ZRH instead of FRA.
Yes, this is the ultimate bait and switch and I do think they are ruining the brand at the beginning. People who get on 295 flights per day are being disappointed. It’s not like the video. You show up expecting a new Lexus and you have a 20 year old beat up Chevy.
That United Polaris seat set up looks so uncomfortable as compare to what American has done in their 777’s.
Should we stand up and cheer, United has been selling a product “branded” Polaris but without the Polaris seats for six months now. So with these new planes, they will fly what 5 or 6 of their 300 daily international routes with Polaris seats. The lie continues at United and it’s like nobody cares.
Amazingly, i read the Lufthansa press release when they announced their new lie flat biz seats — they claim their customer surveys showed that direct aisle access was not that important. They clearly didn’t survey anyone I know …
Very excited about Lufthansa adding the flights. I just wish their business product had single seats. I don’t like sitting beside anyone.