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Routes: Qatar Airways to SFO + United 787s, Delta, Copa, AA, Virgin Atlantic

Qatar Airways plans to start San Francisco service next year- image of Qatar’s current business class seat from a travel conference trade show floor. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

In international route news, Qatar Airways will add San Francisco service and delay Las Vegas; United plans changes to 787 schedules at SFO in 2018; Delta’s code goes onto a long-haul Air France route; Copa adds a new U.S. gateway; American will suspend its Auckland route for a while; Virgin Atlantic trims an Atlanta route; Spirit gives up a Caribbean destination; and United and American start up several seasonal Europe routes this week.

Laptop ban or no laptop ban, Qatar Airways plans to add service to another new U.S. destination next year: San Francisco. Company officials said at a travel show in Dubai last week that Qatar plans to bring a dozen new destinations onto its route map in 2018, including SFO – although it did not say exactly when the flights would start or what type of aircraft it would use. SFO tells TravelSkills that the service will be daily and could start in the second quarter of 2018 using a Boeing 777. Meanwhile, Qatar’s previously announced plan to start flying to Las Vegas on January 8 of next year has been pushed back to sometime in the second quarter. Qatar plans to fly the LAS-Doha route four times a week with a 777-200LR. Qatar Airways is a member of the Oneworld Alliance. 

United will add 787-9s to more San Francisco routes next year. (Image: United)

United will make some changes in its 787 schedules at San Francisco next year, according to Routesonline.com. The carrier plans to deploy 787-9 Dreamliners on its daily flights from SFO to Seoul on March 18 and to Taipei on May 4, 2018, replacing 777-200ERs on both routes. At the same time, 787-9s will replace 787-8s on the SFO-Munich route May 4, 2018 and on the SFO-Chengdu, China route May 2. Also on March 24, United will switch from a 787-9 to a 787-8 on its Washington Dulles-London Heathrow route.

Delta last week gave its customers a new way to get to Singapore. In an expansion of code-sharing with joint venture partner Air France, Delta started putting its code onto Air France’s daily Paris CDG-Singapore flight. Meanwhile, Air France added new code-shares with Singapore Airlines, putting its code onto the latter’s flights beyond Singapore to Melbourne and Sydney, and on sister carrier SilkAir’s service to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Phuket.

Copa Airlines economy class on a 737-800 (Image: Copa)

Panama’s Copa Airlines has set a December 11 start for new service between Denver and Panama City, which will be its thirteenth U.S. gateway. The carrier plans to fly the route four times a week with a 737-800.

Going to New Zealand later this year? American Airlines filed plans to suspend its Los Angeles-Auckland service for a while – specifically, from August 5 to October 4. When the flight resumes on October 5, it will use a 787-9 instead of the current 787-8. In another service cutback, Delta partner Virgin Atlantic will trim its Atlanta-Manchester schedule this winter. From October 29 through March 24, Virgin will fly the route three times a week instead of daily. And Spirit Airlines is giving up the ghost on Cuba: The carrier will terminate its Ft. Lauderdale-Havana flights effective May 31, citing weak demand.

It’s time for major carriers to start up their seasonal summer routes to Europe, and both United and American will launch a bunch of them this week.  On May 5, United will kick off seasonal service from its Newark hub to Edinburgh, Venice, Stockholm and Hamburg; from Washington Dulles to Lisbon and Madrid; and from Chicago O’Hare to Rome and Dublin.  Also on May 5, American Airlines will begin seasonal flights from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Amsterdam and Rome; and from Chicago O’Hare to Barcelona.

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American buys greater access to China

American’s customers will get access to scores of new destinations on China Southern. (Image: China Southern)

American Airlines is buying an equity stake in China Southern Airlines, a move that will give its customers access to more  destinations in Asia through code-sharing and frequent flyer connections.

The $200 million equity investment will give American a 2.68 percent stake in the Chinese carrier.  American is following a strategy like that of Delta, which purchased 3.5 percent of China Eastern Airlines two years ago. Delta also owns more substantial equity stakes in Virgin Atlantic and Aeromexico.

“Later this year, the two carriers expect to begin codeshare and interline agreements that will give customers access to many more destinations in China, as well as North and South America,” American said. “The expected codeshare routes are anticipated to include the ability to earn and redeem AAdvantage Miles, through-bag checking and the ability to book travel on a single ticket. The planned routes operating under the interline agreement are anticipated to include through-bag checking to the traveler’s final destination.”

Asia’s largest fleet with more than 600 aircraft. (Image: China Southern)

Most of China Southern’s transpacific flights are from Guangzhou. American flies to Beijing and Shanghai from Chicago, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Los Angeles. The company said that the new partnership with China Southern will give its customers access to 40 destinations through connections at Beijing and 30 beyond Shanghai. Passengers will gain access to scores of AA cities beyond the Chinese carrier’s U.S. gateways of Los Angeles, San Francisco and New York JFK.

It is Asia’s largest airline in terms of passenger traffic. Both China Southern and China Eastern are members of Delta’s global SkyTeam alliance, but a spokesperson for American tells TravelSkills that is not an issue in the equity purchase.

“We don’t expect China Southern to leave SkyTeam. That’s not the focus of our relationship with them,” the spokesperson said.

American flies 787s on its China routes to Beijing and Shanghai. (Image: American)

Meanwhile, American’s newest route, from Los Angeles to Beijing, is still on hold as the carrier tries to negotiate slot assignments at Beijing from Chinese authorities. A few weeks ago, the U.S. Transportation Department gave American a six-month extension to start flying the route after it became apparent that the slot issue would not be worked out by the March 16 deadline originally set  by the agency.

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More transatlantic 787s for the Bay Area

British Airways' inaugural San Jose flight arrives at the gate. (Image: Mineta San Jose Airport)

British Airways’ inaugural San Jose flight arrives at the gate. (Image: Mineta San Jose Airport)

Two European carriers this week started up new 787 Dreamliner flights to the Bay Area, including British Airways’ San Jose service and additional KLM frequencies to San Francisco International.

At Mineta San Jose International, the city’s mayor Sam Liccardo was on hand along with Willie Walsh, CEO of British Airways parent International Airlines Group, to welcome the first flight of BA’s new 787-9 service from London Heathrow, which now operates daily from SJC’s Terminal B with an 8:05 p.m. departure time to LHR. The flight time is about 10 hours.

Because the BA 787-9 is larger than the 787-8, it has something the smaller plane doesn’t – a first class section, along with 42 Club World (business class) seats, 39 in premium economy and 127 in regular economy. (Here’s a video of BA’s new First suites, designed specifically for the 787-9.)

From left: San Jose Mayor Liccardo, International Airline Group CEO Willie Walsh, SJC Aviation Director Kim Becker, and British Consul Gebneral in San Francisco Priya Guha. (Image: Mineta San Jose Airport)

From left: San Jose Mayor Liccardo, International Airlines Group CEO Willie Walsh, SJC Aviation Director Kim Becker, and British Consul General in San Francisco Priya Guha. (Image: Mineta San Jose Airport)

Mayor Liccardo said at the welcoming ceremonies that London has been “the number one requested international destination” from San Jose, and BA’s new service is the first ever on that route. It’s the British carrier’s fourth destination in California.

Airport officials noted that Silicon Valley-based companies have 428 locations throughout the UK, while U.K. firms have 118 locations in Silicon Valley. Passengers bound to Heathrow on BA can also connect to 130 destinations beyond London.

KLM 787

Business class seats on KLM’s 787 Dreamliner (Photo: KLM)

Meanwhile, KLM this week increased service between Amsterdam and San Francisco International from seven to nine flights a week with the addition of second frequencies on Wednesdays and Sundays for the summer season. Those two new flights (KL610, with a 4:45 p.m. departure from SFO on those days) feature the North American debut of KLM’s Dreamliner service. The other daily flights continue to use a 747-400.

Business class seats in the 306-passenger KLM 787-9 recline fully flat, and all offer direct aisle access and 16-inch video screens. Economy seats provide a 40 percent greater recline than previous models, and larger 11-inch screens for in-flight entertainment. The aircraft offers Wi-Fi throughout. The KLM 787 has 42 business class seats, 48 in Economy Comfort (with 35-inch pitch) and 216 in regular economy. Take a look at the plane here.

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New routes for Airberlin, Delta, China Eastern; more AA, BA 787s scheduled

Airberlin will add A330 service to three U.S. cities in 2016. (Image: Airberlin)

Airberlin will add A330 service to three U.S. cities in 2016. (Image: Airberlin)

Topping the list of international route news this week is Airberlin’s plan to add a trio of new U.S. gateways. Also, Delta will fly to Iceland from a second U.S. city next year; China Eastern adds a new U.S. city and a new in-flight amenity; and British Airways and American will put 787s onto new routes.

Germany’s Airberlin plans a substantial expansion of its U.S. operations in 2016, adding three new destinations and increasing frequencies on existing ones. The company said it plans to add flights from Dusseldorf in early May 2016 to San Francisco, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Boston, using A330-200s. The DFW flights will operate four times a week; Boston service will begin at three a week and increase to four on June 16; and the San Francisco schedule will start at three flights a week and grow to five as of  June 9. Existing service from Dusseldorf to Los Angeles will increase from six a week to daily, and Dusseldorf-New York JFK will increase from 13 a week to twice-daily. The carrier also flies from Dusseldorf to Miami and Ft. Myers, and from Berlin to New York and Chicago. Airberlin is a Oneworld partner airline. It gets only fair reviews on both SkyTrax and TripAdvisor– have you flown it?

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In addition to service from New York JFK to Reykjavik, Delta plans to add service to Iceland from its Minneapolis-St. Paul hub next spring. The daily service, slated to launch May 26, will use a 199-seat 757-200 with 20 premium seats, 29 extra-legroom Delta Comfort seats and 150 in regular economy.

China Eastern's A330-200 at SFO (Photo Peter Biaggi)

China Eastern’s A330-200 at SFO (Photo Peter Biaggi)

Airlineroute.net, which tracks carrier’s schedule filings, reports that China Eastern Airlines will begin new U.S. service next year to Chicago O’Hare. The carrier plans to operate three flights a week from Shanghai Pudong with a 777-300ER. China Eastern is a member of Delta’s Skyteam global alliance. Meanwhile, China Eastern has teamed up with Panasonic Avionics to start offering in-flight Wi-Fi on international routes. The carrier’s 777-300ERs are introducing the service on routes from Shanghai to New York, Los Angeles and Toronto this month, followed by San Francisco and Vancouver in December.

More 787s are coming on international routes from the U.S. American Airlines plans to put a 787-8 onto its Dallas/Ft. Worth-Santiago, Chile route starting December 17, replacing a 777-200ER. And British Airways is due to replace the 767 on its Baltimore/Washington International-London Heathrow route with a 787-8 effective August 1, 2016.

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More 787s for LAX + AA trims first class + Delta to Brazil + Qatar earlier in ATL

American is bringing new 787s to two LAX routes this fall. (Image: American)

American is bringing new 787s to two LAX routes this fall. (Image: American)

In international route news, American will deploy new 787s on a pair of Los Angeles routes this fall, and will end first class on some London flights; Delta eyes new South America service from Orlando; Air China will add capacity at LAX and Icelandair will do the same at Seattle; and Qatar plans to move up its Atlanta debut.

American Airlines unveiled plans to add more new Boeing Dreamliners to its international network this fall, with an October 5 launch date for 787 flights from Los Angeles to Sao Paulo, and a November 5 start for new LAX-Shanghai Pudong 787 service. It currently operates Dreamliners from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Beijing, Buenos Aires and Shanghai, and will begin Chicago O’Hare-Tokyo 787 flights August 18. The 787s are replacing 777-200s.

In other developments, American plans to eliminate first class cabins on two of its three daily New York JFK-London flights on December 17 by switching them from 777-300ERs to 777-200s configured with business class, economy and main Cabin Extra seats. Meanwhile, American plans to change equipment from a 767-300ER to a 777-200ER on its JFK-Milan route September 9, and on its Miami-Paris CDG route starting November 5.

Delta has filed for government approval to move its Atlanta-Brasilia flights to Orlando starting December 1, serving the Brazilian capital city four times a week with a 757-200ER. Delta said the altered route would complement its new Orlando-Sao Paulo service. In other news, Delta plans to switch from a 767 to an Airbus A330-300 for five of its seven weekly flights between Atlanta and Dublin beginning May 26, 2016.

Another airline moves in at LAX Tom Bradley Int'l (Photo: Prayitno / Flickr)

Another airline moves in at LAX Tom Bradley Int’l (Photo: Prayitno / Flickr)

Air China last week relocated its Los Angeles operations from Terminal 2 to the Tom Bradley International Terminal, and also expanded its schedule between LAX and Beijing with the addition of a third daily roundtrip. All three flights use 777-300ERs with first, business and economy classes.

Starting May 5 of next year, Icelandair will boost its Seattle-Reykjavik schedule from seven flights a week to 11. The four additional flights will include “the only two international morning flights from Sea-Tac,” Icelandair said, with 9:15 a.m. departures on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Qatar Airways, which had announced plans to begin Atlanta-Doha flights on July 1, 2016, now reportedly will move up that schedule by a month, beginning the new 777-200LR service on June 1 instead. The airline is on a U.S. expansion binge, which also includes new flights to Los Angeles starting January 1, to Boston March 16, and a second daily New York flight March 1.

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A big news day for American Airlines

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American's new 787 will fly DFW-Beijing starting next month. (Image: American Airlines)

American’s new 787 will fly DFW-Beijing starting next month. (Image: American Airlines)

It was a double news day at American Airlines Thursday as the carrier puts its first new Boeing 787 Dreamliner into commercial service, and also started a new route to China from its Dallas/Ft. Worth hub.

American’s new daily nonstop service from DFW to Beijing’s Capital International Airport will initially use a 777-200, but will transition to a 787-8 Dreamliner on June 2, marking AA’s first international route for the new aircraft. This is American’s second route to Beijing, which it also serves from Chicago O’Hare.

Meanwhile, American put its first 787 into service Thursday between DFW and its Chicago O’Hare hub. The temporary domestic routing is intended to give pilots more time flying the plane before it goes onto long-haul global routes.

In addition to putting a 787 onto the new DFW-Beijing route next month, American said it will also use a new Dreamliner on its DFW-Buenos Aires route starting June 4. AA’s 787s have business class seating with fully-flat bed-seats and a main cabin that features Main Cabin Extra seating with five inches of additional legroom, as well as regular economy seats.

Here a link to a video showcasing the interior of AA’s new Dreamliner.

Have you flown on a 787 Dreamliner yet? Please leave your comments below or check out our experiences with the new plane here:

ANA’s new 787 Dreamliner to Tokyo

Flying on a brand new United 787 Dreamliner

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Delta Aeromexico + Delta dogs + United beer + 787s delayed + Japan Airlines + Remnants of SkyMall

Aeromexico jets load up a Mexico City's Benito Juarez International Airport (Chris McGinnis)

Aeromexico jets load up a Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport (Chris McGinnis)

Delta plans Aeromexico joint venture. In addition to its joint ventures with Air France/KLM/Alitalia across the Atlantic and Virgin Australia across the Pacific, Delta now wants to create a similar partnership with Aeromexico, a member of its SkyTeam alliance. The companies said the proposed joint venture would let them coordinate routes and schedules across their networks. “Upon receipt of the required governmental approvals, Delta and Aeromexico will seek to expand opportunities to co-locate and invest in airport facilities by improving gates, lounges and the overall connecting experience. Additionally the airlines will increase joint sales and marketing initiatives,” Delta said. JVs like this don’t typically result in lower fares; instead you can expect a better, more consistent experience. In other news, Aeromexico is starting up two new U.S. routes this week, with Mexico City-Ontario, Calif. service four times a week and Mexico City-Sacramento three times a week.

United's newest beer.

United’s newest beer.

Free beer on United. Starting this month, United will offer a new beer onboard: Goose IPA, which it describes as “a craft beer that delivers a fruity aroma, dry malt flavor and long hop finish.” Goose IPA arrives on United almost a year after Goose Island’s 312 Urban Wheat Ale, which IPA will gradually replace. United says that on April 15, it will offer free Goose IPA on select flights from Chicago and Houston departing between 4 and 6 pm.

AA 787s delayed. Two months ago, American Airlines announced the initial routes for the first of 42 Boeing 787 Dreamliners it has ordered, with the first flights starting in May. But the 787 rollout could be delayed by a problem in the supply chain: Not enough seats for the planes. In fact, Boeing has taken the unusual step of putting two of the new Dreamliners — which were supposed to be delivered to American late last year — into storage in the California desert, because the French company making seats for the planes hasn’t delivered them. No word on how this might affect AA’s Dreamliner schedules.

Chris's labs don't fly- but they love a good road trip! At Bixby Bridge along California's Pacific Coast Highway. (Chris McGinnis)

Chris’s labs don’t fly- but they love a good road trip! At Bixby Bridge along California’s Pacific Coast Highway. (Chris McGinnis)

Delta dogs. The Humane Society of the United States urges people not to ship their pets by air “unless absolutely necessary.” I agree with that and would rather drive my pooches across the country than force them to undergo the danger and trauma of an airline flight in the cargo hold. (Our big labs aren’t small or civil enough to ride with the passengers. See above!) According to Bloomberg, for $50 Delta will place a new device on your pet’s crate, noting location, temperature and position. If the temperature rises above 85 degrees for example, it will send an alert to Delta. Pet owners can also monitor their animal’s stats by visiting a website. However, the device only provides data before and after the flight because the device relies on cellular communication, which must be disabled during the flight. What do you think about pets in the cargo hold? 

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Visa simplifies in-flight charges. Credit card giant Visa said in a blog post that it has introduced new global payment standards for airlines’ ancillary fees that should simplify expense reporting for travelers and expense processing for companies. Under the new standards, charges will be specifically identified by the type of transaction, like baggage fees, in-flight food purchases, upgrades and so on. Visa noted that airline ancillary fee credit card purchases have jumped by almost 400 percent since 2008 as carriers changed their business models. Visa said that with the changes, “consumers can more easily understand charges on their bill.” It also means more transparency for your accounting or travel department.  For example, what previously may have read, ‘Airline Air 0014567891014’ would now read ‘Airline Air WiFi.’ “

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Delta's 20-minute guarantee (Photo: Jim Glab)

Delta’s 20-minute guarantee (Photo: Jim Glab)

Delta extends bag guarantee. A couple of months ago, Delta issued a limited-time guarantee for checked bag deliveries on domestic flights: Any SkyMiles member whose bag took more than 20 minutes to make it to the carousel could get 2,500 bonus miles as compensation just by filling out an online form. That was supposed to expire March 31, but on Friday Delta said on its Facebook page that it has extended the offer. The airline’s “Bags On Time” web page lists no new expiration date. Irritating: Several TravelSkills readers are reporting that Delta gate agents now frequently fudge about lack of overhead bin space on planes during boarding, forcing passengers to gate check carry ons. But once on board, these passengers report seeing acres of unused overhead bin space. Has this happened to you? 

New Japan route. Japan Airlines has reintroduced daily non-stop service between Los Angeles and Osaka’s Kansai International Airport — a route it stopped flying more than eight years ago. The service is being operated as part of JAL’s joint venture with American Airlines. The carrier is using a 787-8 Dreamliner on the route, with 42 business class seats and 144 economy seats. Related: JAL’s new SkySuite 777 on TravelSkills 

SkyMall purchase. A New Jersey company purchased the remnants of SkyMall at a bankruptcy auction last week for $1.9 million. The company has also bought rights to failed companies like Ritz Camera and Polaroid. Details are still sketchy, but the LA Times reports that the new owners have said that the SkyMall website continues to generate lots of traffic and sales and suggested that in the future, the SkyMall magazine might instead be distributed in airports and hotels, instead of airplanes. Another company called SKY2BUY (which was apparently trying to buy SkyMall, too), is considering starting a new special advertising section inserted into airlines’ existing in-flight magazines. My favorite catalog is The Herrington Catalog, which features a curated collection of truly useful travel-related items, plus clothing and an excellent Europeanish travel shoe selection. What’s your favorite catalog?

Weekend Edition

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In Case You Missed It…

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Where will American fly its shiny new 787 Dreamliners?

American Airlines 787 - Business Class

Note the forward and rear facing seats on American’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliner (Photo: AA)

American Airlines has started taking delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliners, and just announced it will put the planes into commercial service for the first time this spring, starting with domestic flights in May and international routes in June.

That will make American the second major U.S. carrier to put the Boeing widebodies into service; United is already flying more than a dozen 787s, and has about 60 more on order. There are no 787s at Delta right now, or in its immediate future.

If you’re an AA regular and would like to be among the first to sample the new aircraft, here are the details: The first American 787 flight will operate between Dallas/Ft. Worth and Chicago O’Hare starting May 7; international routes on the 787 deployment schedule include DFW-Beijing starting June 2 and DFW-Buenos Aires beginning June 4. More routes will be added during 2015 as additional Dreamliners join the fleet, American said.

Nasty! Watch flu particles disperse on plane

American Airlines 787 - Main Cabin

Economy class on American’s new Dreamliners. Love that blue ceiling! (Photo: AA)

The American Airline 787-8s will have business class and economy cabins, providing 28 fully-flat Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration; 48 Main Cabin Extra seats; and 150 regular economy seats. The Main Cabin Extra and regular economy seating will have a 3-3-3 layout. (No first class on these birds.)

Business class will feature both forward- and rear-facing seats to allow direct aisle access for all passengers, and AA’s 787 business cabin will offer a walk-up bar with snacks and drinks. The aircraft will be equipped with satellite-based WiFi, and all seats in both cabins will have AC power outlets and USB jacks.

American has ordered 42 787s, with options for another 58. Although American is well behind United in deploying the new wide-bodies, it is perhaps fortunate in another way: It didn’t have to go through all the angst and schedule disruptions that United and other early customers suffered due to the problems of 787 batteries overheating and sparking fires — a situation that took months to correct.  See our Trip Report: ANA’s 787 Dreamliner to Tokyo

8 things every frequent flyer wants

Screen Shot 2015-02-11 at 11.27.09 AM

Flying onboard a brand new United Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Click to read post (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

United currently operates 787s on some routes linking its U.S. hubs, and on select intercontinental routes, mostly between the U.S. and Asia, like Denver-Tokyo, Los Angeles-Tokyo and Los Angeles-Shanghai. Most recently, United deployed the newest Dreamliner model — the 787-9 — onto its LAX-Melbourne route, making it the world’s longest Dreamliner flight.

Check out our popular report from last year about flying on a brand new United 787.

There was some speculation last year that Delta might turn to Boeing for an upcoming order of new widebodies, including 787-9s and 777-300ERs, but instead Delta went with Airbus. The Atlanta-based carrier ordered 25 Airbus A350-900s — the manufacturer’s newest twin-aisle aircraft — and 25 A330-900neos, a deal worth an estimated $6 billion.

Trip Report: ANA’s 787 Dreamliner to Tokyo

 

Have you been following our super popular Planespotting 101 series? Check out our first two installments here: 

Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

Planespotting 101: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

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JetBlue goes transpac? + Seattle battle + More 787s + Dirty planes + Centurion Lounge at MIA + New hotels for ATL SFO

JetBlue hopes to be able to sell these Singapore Air seats as its very own with a proposed code share agreement (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

JetBlue hopes to be able to sell these Singapore Air seats as its very own with a proposed code share agreement (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

JetBlue adds transpacific service (kinda). Most of JetBlue’s code-sharing deals with foreign carriers are unilateral — i.e., the partner’s code goes on domestic JetBlue flights, but not vice-versa. But now JetBlue wants government approval for a new partnership with Singapore Airlines that puts JetBlue’s code onto flights from San Francisco to Singapore via Hong Kong and via Seoul; from LAX to SIN via Tokyo Narita; and from New York JFK to SIN via Frankfurt. Singapore’s code would go onto 16 domestic JetBlue routes.

‘Battle for Seattle’ heats up. Alaska Airlines and Delta are ramping up efforts to outdo each other with new Seattle routes. In the latest round, Alaska said that next spring, it will add 27 more daily departures at SEA, to destinations including Boise, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Fairbanks, Palm Springs and Sacramento. That’s in addition to new service starting this spring and summer to New Orleans, Tampa, Baltimore, Detroit and Albuquerque.

Southwest Airlines mobile boarding passes now available at all US airports

Southwest Airlines mobile boarding passes now available at all US airports

Meanwhile, Delta plans to add SEA service to Spokane and Calgary on November 3, and to Maui, Bozeman, Los Cabos and Puerto Vallarta on December 20.

Southwest finishes boarding pass rollout. Southwest Airlines said its passengers at airports throughout the U.S. can now use mobile boarding passes on smartphones and other electronic devices, and that its iOS and Android apps have been upgraded to provide flight status, boarding position and gate information. “Travel information will update in the app beginning 24 hours prior to a flight allowing customers to check in and access their mobile boarding pass from the homepage,” Southwest said.

New 787 routes coming. After the troubled rollout of the 787 Dreamliner, the FAA seems to be gaining confidence in the aircraft. Boeing said the agency will now allow 787s to fly routes that take them up to five and a half hours from the nearest airport; the previous limit was three hours. Air Canada, which starts flying its first 787 next month between Toronto-Tokyo Haneda, has revealed plans for the interiors of its international Dreamliners. And pilots at American Airlines have started 787 training; the first of its 42 Dreamliners arrives in November, although AA hasn’t yet said where it will fly them.

Study: Aircraft interiors are bug-friendly (esp seat pockets). Here’s a cautionary tale for travelers: A two-year FAA-funded study conducted by Auburn University found that dangerous bacteria can survive for up to a week on surfaces that passengers come in contact with aboard commercial airlines — “particularly the porous material such as arm rests and seat pockets,” the researchers said.  

AIRPORTS

Inside the big bright new Queen's Terminal (T2) at London Heathrow (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Inside the big bright new Queen’s Terminal (T2) at London Heathrow (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Heathrow’s new T2 opens. London Heathrow’s brand-new Terminal 2 will open for business this Wednesday, June 4, when United moves its operations there from Terminals 1 and 4. The new T2 will bring together all 23 Star Alliance carriers at LHR, as well as Aer Lingus, Virgin Atlantic’s Little Red and Germanwings, with moves scheduled over the next several months. The airport also issued a list of all the new shops and restaurants in T2. The spacious new terminal replaces the old T2, which was demolished in 2009. Known as the Queen’s Terminal, it will be dedicated by Her Majesty on June 23. Check out the TravelSkills slideshow from our sneak peek at United’s posh new business and first class lounges at T2!

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AmEx lounge coming to MIA. But who knows when? American Express announced plans to open an 8,000-square-foot Centurion Lounge — its fifth — at Miami International, although it didn’t give an opening date. AmEx already operates lounges at DFW and LAS, and plans to open others this year at New York LaGuardia and San Francisco International. For some strange reason, American Express is being coy about opening dates for all these lounges…

HOTELS

Atlanta, San Francisco get new hotels. Hyatt Hotels has cut the ribbon on what it calls “the first new full-service build in Atlanta’s Central Perimeter market in 25 years” — the 177-room Hyatt Atlanta Perimeter at Villa Christina. It’s inside the Perimeter and minutes from the Buckhead neighborhood at 4000 Summit Boulevard. In San Francisco, the 153-room boutique Hotel G has opened at 386 Geary Street; it’s a remake of the former Hotel Frank/Fielding Hotel.

In Case You Missed It…

>Check out our new guide to secret social media sites for business travel insiders.

>Is InterContinental Hotels Group going to be absorbed by Starwood?

>The 116 Protea Hotels in Africa and the Middle East that Marriott recently acquired can now be booked through Marriott central reservations and Marriott.com.

>Delta has resumed seasonal JFK-Copenhagen service, and United has done the same in the Chicago-Edinburgh market.

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–Jim Glab

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Check out these popular recent TravelSkills posts: 

Biz Trip: New York City

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Popular: Hawaii now $305 roundtrip + New deck for SFO + Slow exit for 747 + “Real” premium economy

View from the recently refurbed Ali’i Tower at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu. (Photo Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order):

Before we get to this week’s top 10 (below), we need to let you know about a fare sale happening right now. How about Hawaii for just $305? It’s in there!

United’s been on a tear this week with tons of low fares for winter trips from the Bay Area- we can barely keep up! First it was Hawaii at $325, then South Florida for $251, then SFO-Boston for just $197 or in basic economy, $228 regular (even during peak summer) and now SFO-HNL or Maui (OGG) are back and even lower at $299-$305- and these fares are good November thru May and then again in August and September. (UPDATE: The cheap Hawaii fares appear to have flown away on Monday morning Oct 30)

The there’s SFO-Chicago ORD on United, America and Virgin for $165 (basic)-$205 now thru end of Feb. And there’s even more: SFO-LAX for just $73 roundtrip in basic economy (doable on such a short route), $110 in regular. Yep, and it’s good for trips late November through end of February.  Grab ’em while they are hot! All fares found on Google Flights & United.com and subject to change.

SFO OGG

We found roundtrips between SFO and Maui or Honolulu in January for just $305 (Image: United website)

1 Sneak sale: Hawaii $325 roundtrip from 5 west coast cities

2 “Fond farewell to our 747”- a tearjerker video from United

3 More great outdoors! Another outdoor observation deck for San Francisco International

4 Yuck United squeezes more seats into long-haul 777-200s

5 Great comments! Thanks, folks! Are TSA’s new “automated” security checkpoints really better?

6 American adds more premium economy seats- will United follow?

JetSuite

Chris’s head nicks the slick ceilings inside JetSuite’s Embraer jets where overhead bins are removed – seats configured 1-2 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

7 Routes: JetSuiteX in California + JetBlue cuts + New Sun Country model + more

8 Prepare for more security scrutiny at overseas airports

9 Deal! Bay Area to Miami, Ft Lauderdale, Orlando just $251 for winter trips

10 No more Starwood credits for Uber rides

Don’t miss! Winter vacation in a warm place? IHG Rewards PointBreaks for award stays now through end of January at IHG properties around the world.

Chris checked out San Francisco’s newest hotel last week- and was very impressed. The Proper Hotel is one of many new hotels opening (or soon to be opening) in the “urban pioneering” strip of Market Street near City Hall. Definitely worth a look! Follow Chris on Instagram for more photos.

Super swank bunk rooms at brand new (and nice!) Proper Hotel in SF $250/night #hotels #sf #travel #dreamforce

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Links to stories from other sources that we thought you’d like to read:

The New York Times is looking for someone with good TravelSkills. Could that be you?

United award price hike starts November 1

Oracle’s Larry Ellison buying Lake Tahoe resort

United’s final international 747 flight arrives in San Francisco on Sunday, Oct 29.

United chopped up an old 747 and is selling off the pieces to the highest bidders

Singapore Air adds more Dreamliner 787s and B777s for $14 billion

Good: Stockton Airport can’t call itself San Francisco-Stockton after all

Who is Luc Bondar, United’s New VP of Loyalty?

United app now issuing partner airline boarding passes

Branson’s Virgin Hotels plans a Washington D.C. location

China expected to surpass U.S. in five years as world’s largest air travel market

Would you use a hammock headrest?

Delta will add a thousand new flight attendants next year

British Airways offers double Avios points through year’s end

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Routes: Delta at LAX, More Mexico for United, BA 747s, Norwegian, Icelandair,

Delta will use a 777-200LR for LAX flights to Paris and Amsterdam. (Image: Delta)

In international route news, Delta will add new transatlantic routes next year; Norwegian starts up London flights from two western U.S. cities; Icelandair will add U.S. gateways in 2018; Austrian Airlines debuts a new cabin class; British Airways will put 747s on two U.S. routes; United adds a Mexico destination from two cities; Aeromexico replaces Delta on a U.S. route; and new services are coming for Avianca, Azul and WestJet.

Delta said this week it plans to add new service from Los Angeles to two European destinations next year. Effective June 16, Delta will use a 777-200LR to fly from LAX to both Paris and Amsterdam, but it will not offer daily departures on those routes. The Paris flights will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (eastbound), and the Amsterdam flights on the other four days of the week. Many onward connections at both destinations will be available on Delta partners Air France and KLM. At New York JFK, Delta will start flying five days a week as of May 24 to Ponta Delgada in the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal about 1,000 miles west of Lisbon in the Atlantic Ocean.

At its Atlanta hub, Delta will add seasonal 767 service to Lisbon from May 24 through September 4. And starting May 16, Delta will add a third daily roundtrip between Detroit and Paris CDG (already served by daily flights from Delta and code-share partner Air France). Delta had previously announced new transatlantic service three times a week as of March from JFK to Lagos, Nigeria; Orlando-Amsterdam flights beginning March 30; and Indianapolis-Paris starting May 24.

In other news, Delta this week resumed code-sharing with Russian carrier Aeroflot, putting its DL code onto 14 Aeroflot domestic routes out of Moscow Sheremetyevo. You can see a full list of the affected routes here.

Norwegian Air 787 Dreamliner

Norwegian Air is now flying from Seattle and Denver to London with 787s. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Low-cost Norwegian has started flying a pair of previously-announced new transatlantic routes. This week it inaugurated daily 787-9 service to London’s Gatwick Airport from Seattle-Tacoma International, as well as twice-weekly (Saturday/Tuesday) 787-9 service from Denver International to Gatwick. The Denver service is scheduled to increase to increase to three flights a week on November 2 with the addition of a Thursday departure from DEN.

Icelandair is expanding its U.S. route network next year, as it faces growing competition from low-cost Icelandic carrier WOW Air. Icelandair will add Dallas/Ft. Worth to its route map in May 2018, offering 757-200 flights to Reykjavik four days a week out of DFW’s Terminal D. (Earlier this month, WOW announced new DFW-Reykjavik service also starting in May 2018, operating three times a week with an A330.) Also coming in mid-May 2018 is new Icelandair service from Cleveland to Reykjavik, operating five days a week with a new two-class 737MAX 8. The day after Icelandair announced its Cleveland route, WOW announced it will also fly Cleveland-Reykjavik, starting May 4 with four flights a week, with fares starting at $99 one-way.

Austrian’s new premium economy seats have 38-inch pitch. (Image: Austrian Airlines)

Austrian Airlines — the Lufthansa subsidiary that flies to Vienna from New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami – unveiled plans to offer premium economy seating, bookable now for flights starting March 6. The new seats will be wider than regular economy and will offer a 38-inch pitch as well as footrests, a 12-inch seatback screen, power outlets and USB ports. Premium economy passengers will be allowed two free checked bags, and will get welcome drinks, amenity kits, and meal service on china.

Touch-screen screens in economy are part of British Airways’ overhaul of its 747s. (Image: British Airways)

You want more chances to fly on a 747 before they all disappear? British Airways still relies on the Boeing jumbos for some long-haul services, and it plans to put a 747-400 onto its London Heathrow-Austin route next spring (effective April 8), replacing the 787-9 it currently uses. And from August 8 through September 30 of next year, according to Routesonline.com, BA will replace an A380 on its Los Angeles-LHR route (BA283/282) with a 747-400.

United Airlines is adding service to Mazatlan, Mexico just in time for the winter holidays. From its Houston hub, United will fly to Mazatlan four times a week from December 21 through April 8, then cut back to weekly Saturday-only service through mid-August. From Chicago O’Hare, United will offer once-a-week Saturday service to Mazatlan from December 23 through April 7. In other Mexico route news, Delta’s existing daily Delta Connection/Skywest CRJ900 service from Salt Lake City to Guadalajara will be replaced in January by daily E190 flights operated by Delta’s new joint venture partner Aeromexico.

Elsewhere in Latin America, Brazil’s Azul will expand its U.S. network in December by adding new service four times a week between Orlando and Belo Horizonte, Brazil; and four flights a week linking Ft. Lauderdale with Belem, Brazil. Avianca’s TACA Airlines unit plans to revive Newark-San Salvador, El Salvador service November 17, operating five flights a week. And Avianca Brasil plans to offer daily flights to Sao Paulo Guarulhos from New York JFK beginning December 15.

And to Canada, Westjet will start flying between Denver and Calgary effective March 8, operating one daily roundtrip with a 737-700.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Most popular: Mystery plane + Phone searches + Cheap awards + New routes + Legroom

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) wants your mobile phone password (Image: CBP)

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order):

1 Russian mystery plane at SFO – this post was picked up by Drudge Report and snagged 150,000 views on Thursday! Still no official word on what exactly all these Antonov planes are doing at SFO- but there’s plenty of speculation in the comments! 

2 U.S. Customs: Show me your phone, or else…

3 5 cushy crew rest areas: Cathay Pacific, United, Singapore, Qantas, Delta

4 Best airlines, best days for cheap award travel

5 Domestic Routes: Delta, JetBlue, United, Virgin America, Alaska, Southwest, American

Qatar Airways plans to use a 777-200LR on its new SFO route. (Image: Darren Koch/Wikimedia Commons)

6 International Routes: Qatar Airways to SFO + United 787s, Delta, Copa, AA, Virgin Atlantic

7 Economy class legroom: How low can it go?

8 A new(ish) look for Hawaiian Airlines

9 6 SFO secrets you should know

10 The big difference between direct & nonstop flights

New African-American #history #museum in #washington #dc is hottest ticket in town. #soldout #travel

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Have you been to the new African American History Museum on Washington, DC yet? Read about how a trip there took editor Chris McGinnis on a journey through time to his adolescence and reminded him of a guardian angel! From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Links to stories from other sources that we thought you’d like to read:

Hawaii Renames Honolulu Airport to Honor Late US Senator

New renderings of the Grand Hyatt on airport at SFO, breaking ground later this year 

Luxury lounge coming to LAX

What? Delta’s new JFK-Manhattan helicopter costs $1,300 one way

San Francisco International celebrates 90 years!

China’s new aircraft will compete with the 737, A320

Grand Hyatt SFO

A new Grand Hyatt is coming to SFO terminals (Photo: SFO)

Canada’s WestJet orders 787-9s; eyes new Asia, South America routes

Qatar Airways offers free Doha stopover to transit passengers, including hotel stay

Southwest’s new president pledges carrier will not impose baggage fees

British Airways adds perks for Executive Club members

DFW Airport loses millions in parking revenues due to Uber, Lyft

‘Squeezed’ passenger sues AA for seating him next to obese travelers on 14-hour flight

Emergency bridge loan keeps Alitalia flying — for now

Qantas will introduce its own Platinum MasterCard

Spectacularly cool! Nation’s tallest public art to top Salesforce Tower (IMAGE)

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Routes: Airberlin delays at SFO/LAX, Virgin Australia, Austrian, AA, United + more

Airberlin is delaying its new Berlin service from San Francisco and Los Angeles. (Image: Airberlin)

In international route news, Airberlin is pushing back the start date of its new West Coast service to Berlin; Virgin Australia adds a Los Angeles route; Austrian Airline starts LAX flights; American plans an aircraft switch for some west coast service; United shifts Dreamliners to Washington Dulles and begins seasonal flights to Europe from San Francisco and Houston; Xiamen expands service; and JetBlue adds a Caribbean route.

Airberlin is delaying the start-up dates for its new service from Berlin to San Francisco and Los Angeles. The service from Berlin Tegel to San Francisco, originally set to begin May 1, has been pushed back to May 29; and the Berlin-Los Angeles flights, due to launch May 2, have been postponed to May 16. Passengers scheduled to travel on the earlier flights are being rebooked onto other flights via Dusseldorf, the company said. Airberlin blamed the delays on problems with its new ground handling company at Tegel Airport. The carrier plans to operate four flights a week from SFO; the LAX schedule calls for two flights a week from mid-May, with a third frequency starting in June.

Virgin Australia this week kicked off new non-stop service from Los Angeles to Melbourne. The Australian carrier will fly the route five days a week with a 777-300ER, as part of its joint venture operation with Delta. On the other coast, Delta partner Virgin Atlantic plans to convert its New York JFK-Manchester service from a seasonal to a year-round operation, with plans to continue flying the route four times a week after October 29 with an A330, then dropping down to three a week from January 14 through March 22, 2018. Delta will no longer fly the route, according to Routesonline.com.

Austrian Airlines started 777 service from LAX to Vienna. (Image: Austrian Airlines)

Austrian Airlines this week kicked off new service from Los Angeles International to Vienna. The airline’s 777-200 service starts off with five flights a week through June 12, then increases to daily frequencies. The route marks Austrian’s first non-stop service to the West Coast. The 308-seat 777 includes 48 business class seats with lie-flat seat-beds.

American Airlines is planning to change equipment on a couple of international routes out of Los Angeles later this year, according to Airlineroutes.com. Plans call for American to put 787-9s into service starting November 5 on the LAX-Sao Paulo route, and increasing frequencies from five to six a week; and on the LAX-Tokyo Narita route from August 4 to October 27. In both cases, the Dreamliners will replace 777-200ERs.

United Boeing 787 Dreamliner

United is shifting some 787s from Houston to Washington Dulles. (Photo: United)

Speaking of 787s, FlightGlobal reports that United Airlines plans to shift Dreamliner flying from Houston Bush Intercontinental to Washington Dulles this coming winter, citing a letter to pilots from UA management. The carrier will reportedly close its 787 pilots’ base at Houston. Effective with United’s winter schedule October 29, that means in addition to its existing 787 service from IAD to London and Paris, United will also use the Dreamliner for flights from Dulles to Beijing (replacing a 777-200) and to Sao Paulo (replacing a 767-400ER), while a 777-200 will go onto Houston-Frankfurt and a 767-300ER will be used for Houston-Buenos Aires. Meanwhile, United is due to begin seasonal service April 20 from Houston to Munich and from San Francisco to Frankfurt, with both routes continuing through October 27. Have you flown a United Dreamliner yet? Let us know what you think in the comments.

China’s Xiamen Airlines is due to start 787-9 service from Los Angeles to Xiamen three times a week on June 28. That schedule will increase to four a week from July 19 through August 24 with the addition of a 787-8 flight, according to Routesonline.com.

JetBlue already flies to Port-au-Prince, Haiti from New York, Boston and Ft. Lauderdale, and now it plans to add the only non-stop service to Port-au-Prince from Orlando beginning in December, subject to government approvals. The carrier said it will use a 100-seat E190 for the new service.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Most popular: 747 + New Hawaiian seats + British Airways biz class + Polaris snag + Lav seats

Tourists London

Despite terrorism, tourism in London is strong- Chris notes that Westminster was packed as ever last week (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order):

1 A long-term love affair: First look deep inside a Delta 747-400 [PHOTOS]

2 Wide seats on narrow bodies: Hawaiian Airlines unveils new A321s for west coast routes

3 Exclusive look! British Airways’ posh plans for business class [PHOTOS] See comments

Chris McGinnis

Chris took the best seat on a BA 787 Dreamliner – 1K- for landing during a London press conference

4 Sit back, relax, and wait: United’s Polaris business class rollout hits turbulence

5 More Mint: JetBlue sets next wave of Mint expansion

6 Routes: New Alaska transcons + Delta, Southwest, AA, Frontier

7 Upgrades? Nope: Delta, JetBlue lay on more lie-flat seats, but…

8 Routes: Norwegian SEA/DEN-London $199; LOT, JAL, United, EVA + more

9 Oh, jeez: DHS warning: Laptop ban could be expanded

10 Contro: Airplane lavatory seats: Up or down?

Do you follow Chris on Instagram? Come on and join the fun! Click here

Early morning view from my #hotel room #jetlag #london #travel #sunrise

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Links to stories from other sources that we thought you’d like to read:

United will move 787s from Houston to Washington Dulles routes

Alaska will keep Virgin America’s gates at Dallas Love Field

Delta extends Porsche transfers to Delta Private Jet customers

How the I-85 freeway collapse in Atlanta is affecting Delta 

New Airbus A380 interior option would let airlines cram in more seats

Wallethub ranks best and worst U.S. airlines

Analyst: Basic economy fares could be a big bait-and-switch tactic

United getting new coach seats

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Most popular: Boeing 747 + Mexico + Biz class sale + Burbank + Korean 787

United 747

Looking out at a graceful 747 wing & Greenland from the cozy bubble of a United 747 (Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order):

1 Final mop-up mission for The Queen- Seriously! United flies Boeing 747 SFO-LAX

2 Spring breaker beware- Reader Report: Shakedown in Mexico

3 Book by Feb 28- Business class sale: US to Europe this spring

4 A few of these left- Fare war: California-Chicago $100 roundtrip

5 Biz traveler favorite- Burbank loses Hope but gains flights

6 Probably not- Should you ever book a Basic Economy fare?

7 Still popular after 2 weeks!- United’s 4-hour flight to nowhere

San Jose SJC Terminal B

San Jose getting even more new nonstops to East Coast! (Photo: SJC)

8 Plenty of faves left out (see comments)- Best & worst airport-to-city trains

9 Routes: United, Alaska at San Jose + American, Delta, Spirit

10 Norwegian invasion- Ten new Europe routes will offer $65 fares

Links to stories from other sources that we thought you’d like to read:

Qantas unveiled its new Premium Economy seats, which will go on its new 787s this fall (Image: Qantas)

Getting a good cocktail at airport or plane getting easier

Qantas rainbow themed livery for Sydney Mardi Gras

Gogo’s newest Wi-Fi satellite technology exceeds 100 Mbps

American’s revised boarding procedure has nine passenger groups

Korean Air’s new 787 Dreamliner is made in Charleston, SC (Photo: Boeing)

Korean Air takes delivery of its first 787-9 Dreamliner

Spirit’s CEO sees no threat from Basic Economy fares at legacy airlines

Delta’s first Airbus A350 takes shape

Virgin Atlantic is showing Oscar-nominated films in flight through May

Comments to DOT on in-flight phone calls are strongly negative

Non-EU airlines ordered to compensate passengers for lengthy flight delays

Cathay Pacific introduces beer designed for consumption at 35,000 feet

Chris visited Atlanta this week and had a perfect Martini, a great meal (and oysters!) at the Kimball House in Decatur. Been yet? Follow me on Instagram! 

#cocktails #martini #decatur #atlanta #travel

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ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Routes: United, China Southern, Hainan, Alaska, Hong Kong Airlines, LOT

United is boosting capacity on its new route from SFO to Auckland. (Image:

United is scaling back its six-month-old route from SFO to Auckland. (Image: Aucklandnz.com)

In international route developments, United will scale back its San Francisco-Auckland and LAX-London service; China Southern will boost capacity to San Francisco; China’s Hainan Airlines seeks two more U.S. routes; Alaska Airlines begins Cuba flights from the West Coast; Hong Kong Airlines schedules its first service to North America; and LOT Polish will resume a Chicago route.

Is there too much new capacity between the U.S. and New Zealand? United Airlines has decided to suspend its San Francisco-Auckland flight this spring and turn it into a seasonal route. United will halt the 787 service April 16 and pick it up again October 28, according to Routesonline.com. But then on December 16, 2017, United will boost frequencies on the route from seven a week to 10, using a 777-200ER. United kicked off the SFO-Auckland route last summer, just after American started flying from Los Angeles to Auckland. And a little over a year ago, Air New Zealand added a new Houston-Auckland route.

In other news, United has dropped plans to add a second Los Angeles-London Heathrow to its schedule this year. The second flight had been scheduled to begin April 4, but United apparently had second thoughts about committing more seats to a crowded market, with five other airlines already offering non-stop service between Los Angeles and London. And from its Newark hub, United this week ended its daily service to Belfast, Northern Ireland, as it previously announced. The Belfast Telegraph reports that Belfast Airport officials are in talks with several other carriers to add a U.S. route.

China Southern to launch new SFO nonstops in December (Photo: Wikimedia)

China Southern will add more seats from San Francisco to Guangzhou (Photo: Wikimedia)

China Southern Airlines has filed plans to increase capacity to San Francisco from Guangzhou, Routesonline.com reports. It will start by changing aircraft as of March 26 from 787-8s to larger 777-300ERs on its four weekly non-stop flights from Guangzhou to SFO and its three flights a week from Guangzhou to SFO via a stop in Wuhan. Then on June 21 it will increase frequencies on the non-stop route from four flights a week to six.

Hainan wants to add 787 flights from Chengdu to LAX and New York. (Photo: San Jose Airport)

Hainan wants to add 787 flights from Chongqing to LAX and New York. (Photo: San Jose Airport)

China’s Hainan Airlines, which has several U.S. routes already, wants two more. The carrier has applied with U.S. authorities to start flying two or three times a week from Chongqing to Los Angeles within the next few months, followed by a similar schedule from Chongqing to New York JFK in the second quarter, using 787s on both routes. Hainan already flies to Beijing from San Jose, Chicago and Seattle, and to Shanghai from Seattle and Boston.

Alaska Airlines has finally launched its new Havana service, becoming the only airline to fly to the Cuban capital from the West Coast. The daily service originates in Seattle, then stops in Los Angeles before continuing non-stop to Havana. The 737-900ER flight leaves SEA at 5 a.m. and departs LAX at 8:50 a.m. Chris was on the inaugural, and will file a report shortly.

Hong Kong Airlines, which has a route network all around East and Southeast Asia as well as Australia and New Zealand, plans to begin its first transpacific service to North America this summer. The airline said it will star flying once a day on June 30 between its Hong Kong base and Vancouver, using an Airbus A330.

LOT Polish Airlines has set a July 2 start for new service between Chicago O’Hare and Krakow, operating one flight a week on the route with a 787-8.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Routes: Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Hainan, United, AA, Delta, Volaris

Air Canada will use regional jets like the Embraer 190 on new U.S. routes. (Image: Air Canada)

Air Canada will use regional jets like the Embraer 190 on new U.S. routes. (Image: Air Canada)

In international route news, Air Canada will add some new transborder routes next year; Virgin Atlantic will drop a key U.S.-London service; China’s Hainan Airlines applies for rights to two U.S. cities; United suspends two Europe routes this winter and one next summer; American goes all-787 on a London route; Volaris adds two U.S.-Mexico routes and Delta drops one.

Air Canada said it plans to add or expand half a dozen U.S. routes next spring, using regional jets on all of them. On May 1, the airline will begin new daily service from Toronto to San Antonio and Memphis, and its Vancouver to Phoenix service will be expanded from seasonal to year-round. On the same date, Air Canada will start seasonal Toronto-Savannah, Ga., flights for the summer, operating six times a week through October 15. On May 18, Air Canada will begin twice-daily flights between Vancouver and Denver, and on May 26 it will add daily flights between Montreal and Dallas/Ft. Worth.

Virgin Atlantic’s summer Chicago-London Heathrow flights, which last year operated from mid-May through mid-October, will not resume in 2017, according to Routesonline.com. Virgin said suspension of the Chicago flights will allow it to add a third daily Los Angeles-London flight, as previously announced.

Don’t miss! Transcon fares plunge to around $200 round trip

Hainan wants to add 787 flights from Chengdu to LAX and New York. (Photo: San Jose Airport)

Hainan wants to add 787 flights from Chengdu to LAX and New York. (Photo: San Jose Airport)

What’s the big attraction of Chengdu, in central China’s Sichuan province? For one thing, it has a population exceeding 10 million. China’s Hainan Airlines has asked the U.S. Transportation Department for rights to fly to Chengdu twice a week from Los Angeles in the first quarter of 2017, and three times a week from New York in the second quarter, using 787s on both routes. It already has the approval of China’s government. Chengdu is already served by United from San Francisco, by China Eastern from LAX via Nanjing and Sichuan Airlines from LACX via Hangzhou.

United Airlines plans a temporary suspension of two routes to Germany this winter, according to Routesonline.com. United will drop its four weekly Newark-Hamburg 767 flights from January 9 through May 4, and its five weekly Houston-Munich 767 roundtrips from January 10 through April 3. And next summer, United has reportedly decided not to offer previously planned seasonal daily 757 flights between Newark and Oslo, which had been scheduled to operate from May 5 to September 5.

The main cabin on an America Airlines 787. (Image: American)

The main cabin on an America Airlines 787. (Image: American)

American Airlines, which currently uses 767s and 777s on its Chicago O’Hare-London Heathrow route, reportedly plans to change over to all 787-8 Dreamliners for those flights beginning March 5. The airline’s three daily ORD-LHR flights will be supplemented with a fourth daily 787 roundtrip for the summer starting April 4. AA also will replace its daily 767-300ER flight from O’Hare to Dublin with a 787-8 from July 5 through October 4.

Delta’s daily Los Angeles-Guadalajara 737-800 flight is due to be discontinued February 1. But Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris continues to expand transborder service. This month, it started daily A320 roundtrips from Monterrey to Denver, and in March it is due to launch twice-weekly service from Guadalajara to Milwaukee.

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Routes: Havana, London, Doha, Paris, China, Panama City, Mexico City

Havana this week became the 100th point on JetBlue's route map. (Image: JetBlue)

Havana this week became the 100th point on JetBlue’s route map. (Image: JetBlue)

In international route developments, major U.S. carriers this week started service to Havana; Virgin Atlantic expands capacity out of Los Angeles; Qatar Airways will add another U.S. gateway; Norwegian increases service to Paris; two carriers add Vancouver routes to China, and one begins Las Vegas flights; San Francisco gets more capacity to Panama; and a Mexican low-cost carrier starts a Chicago route.

Major U.S. airlines this week are starting their long-planned new service to Havana, Cuba. American Airlines operated the first scheduled flight in 50 years, on its new Miami-Havana route. American also kicked off Havana service from its Charlotte hub this week. United Airlines started flying from its Newark hub to Havana, and this weekend it will add a weekly Saturday flight from Houston Bush Intercontinental to the Cuban capital. Havana became the 100th city on JetBlue’s route map, with the carrier starting service there this week from New York JFK, Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale.

Delta on December 1 is set to begin Havana flights from Atlanta, Miami and New York JFK. And there’s more to come, including Southwest Airlines service to Havana from Tampa and Ft. Lauderdale beginning December 12, and Alaska Airlines’ service from Los Angeles starting January 5. Despite all the hoopla about U.S. airlines returning to Cuba, there is still some uncertainty about whether or not the incoming Trump Administration will allow these flights – and other Obama-initiated liberalizations – to continue. Trump has threatened to end some or all of the new U.S.-Cuba initiatives unless he can get a better “deal” from the Cubans.

Virgin Atlantic's LAX Clubhouse has views of the runway and the Hollywood Hills. (Image: Virgin Atlantic)

Virgin Atlantic’s LAX Clubhouse has views of the runway and, in a really clear day, the Hollywood Hills. (Image: Virgin Atlantic)

Delta SkyMiles members on the west coast will see more capacity to London Heathrow in 2017 as Delta joint venture partner Virgin Atlantic plans to add a third daily Los Angeles-LHR flight starting on May 1. All three of Virgin’s daily LAX-London flights will use three-class 787-9s. The three flights will depart LAX at 5:50 p.m., 6:30 p.m. (the new one) and 8:55 p.m. (Interesting to note that all of Virgin’s SFO-LHR flights are now on 787s, too.)

Qatar Airways, which started service from Doha to three new U.S. cities this year – Atlanta, Boston and Los Angeles – said it plans to add Las Vegas as its 11th U.S. gateway in 2017, although it hasn’t yet announced a starting date or schedule details.

Norwegian plans to increase capacity between the U.S. and Paris in 2017. (Image: Creative Commons)

Norwegian plans to increase capacity between the U.S. and Paris in 2017. (Image: Norweigan)

According to Routesonline.com, Norwegian plans to add Orlando-Paris Charles de Gaulle as its newest transatlantic route in 2017, starting service July 31 with one 787 flight a week. The report said Norwegian will also increase capacity on other U.S. routes to Paris at the end of July, boosting Los Angeles-CDG frequencies from two a week to four; New York JFK-CDG from four a week to daily flights; and Ft. Lauderdale-CDG from one to two a week for the summer season.

December 2 is the launch date for Hainan Airlines’ new Las Vegas-Beijing route. The carrier will use a 787 to operate three flights a week. In other China developments, China Eastern Airlines is due to begin a new route between Vancouver and Nanjing three times a week beginning December 20, using an Airbus A330-200; it already flies from Vancouver to Shanghai and Kunming. And Hong Kong Airlines plans to launch daily Hong Kong-Vancouver flights – subject to government approvals – on June 30 as its first North American route.

At San Francisco International, Panama’s Copa Airlines — a Star Alliance member — has added a second daily roundtrip to Panama City with the unfortunate departure time of 12:38 a.m. from SFO.  And at Chicago O’Hare, Mexican low-cost carrier Interjet has started flying to Mexico City. The airline is operating two flights a day with 150-seat Airbus A320s.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Popular: More PreCheck | Easy Virgin points | Cell phone warning | Delta biz class | Hotel bonuses + much more

Lufthansa's A380 maiden FRA-SFO voyage loads up in 2011 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Lufthansa now a part of PreCheck (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

While we were away in August (see post), the biggest travel news story seemed to be Delta’s computer outage, which wreaked havoc on summer travel plans, cost Delta $100 million, and exposed how airlines have wiggled out of previous arrangements to honor each other’s tickets in such cases. What a mess!

Nearly every major hotel chain rolled out new fall promos last month, all of which require registration. We’ve included links to them below.

After plowing through emails and notifications, here are the stories that caught our eye (in no particular order). I’m sure we probably missed a few, so please help us catch up by adding your two cents in the comments! (Next up in our catch-up is a big airline routes update, so stay tuned…)

Lufthansa is first European carrier to join PreCheck: Up til now the only international carriers with PreCheck were Air Canada, WestJet, Aeromexico & Etihad

Easiest 500 Virgin America Elevate points ever: An easy no-brainer- just sign up for an email alert

FTC warns that rental cars might be able to steal data from your phone: Yikes! Connecting your phone to car via USB or Bluetooth could set you up for a breach

Alaska Airlines produces a hip new mood-lit video designed to woo Bay Area travelers: Conservative Alaska Air’s first foray into hipness. But no real news about fate of Virgin brand. Thoughts?

United changes Mileage Plus award rules for multi-leg trips: Screws continue to tighten on frequent flyers

Delta A350 business class

Rendering of Delta’s new business class suite with a door on its A350s (Photo: Delta Air Lines)

Delta’s new business class suites with privacy doors for A350: But it’s going to be a while until you can get cozy in one of them

Some airport Starbucks to serve booze

British Airways axes half its JFK-London City all-biz-class flights: Looks like Brexit is taking a toll on the high end of the market

American’s new ad campaign suggests that you need so bone up on your Travel Skills! 😉 See it yet? Thoughts?

American now offers free Main Cabin in-flight entertainment on domestic flights– following in the footsteps of Delta

If you apply for more than five credit cards every two years, you should read this: New “5/24” rule stymies credit card points hobbyists

The new Marriott Residence Inn in Portland, OR (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The new (ish) Marriott Residence Inn in Portland, OR (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Most major hotel brands rolled out fall bonus promos- go ahead and sign up for all of them, because you never know where you might be staying!

Marriott’s popular MegaBonus is back and it’s choosy (registration required)

Double (or triple) your Starwood SPG points this fall (registration required starting Sept 12)

Double points for every stay at all Hilton portfolio hotels (registration required)

Stay five nights, get 5,000 points (plus plus) from Hyatt (registration required)

New high-end Chase Sapphire RESERVE card offers 100K sign up bonus: Did Chase make this bonus too good? Rumors swirl about delays/changes due to high demand. When shopping for a new card, please be sure to use our new card resources pages! It helps us help you.

Priceline dumps “name your own price” for airlines; keeps it for hotels and rental cars

SFO

On-airport parking rates at SFO soar (Photo: Monte Deignan)

SFO Parking rates hit new high- some up up 40%: Apparently the airport is trying to encourage use of public transport options by jacking up prices for individual cars

Fly Virgin America by Sept 30, earn 999 Elevate points (Registration required): Another easy no-brainer if you fly Virgin a lot

Virgin America to lay off 225 management workers as Alaska Air merger approaches: I guess we all saw this coming. We still wonder if a JetBlue merger is in the works…

Amtrak’s new Acela trains in the northeast will hit top speeds of 220 mph: Currently, trains run at 135-150 mph. See the video of the sleek new trains

Turkish Airlines CIP Lounge Istanbul

Turkish Airlines outstanding “Heroes of Democracy lounge” (new name) at Istanbul (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Check out the slick new Turkish Airlines lounge at Washington-Dulles: Not as grand as its Istanbul counterpart (pictured) but a nice addition at IAD

Korean Airlines introduces no-show fees on long-haul flights: Joining Emirates, Singapore and JAL in this unusual practice. If you can’t make your flight, just call ahead and let them know– or you’ll pay.

U.S., Mexico agree to open up air routes, frequencies: Could lead to cheaper flights for spring break- and more nonstops

KLM plans to retrofit its A330s with new business class: Its B777s, 747s and 787s already have it

FAA clears Indonesian carriers to fly to the U.S: Garuda could come back, but would you?

Delta starts deploying RFID baggage tracking technology systemwide: Good news for the few TravelSkills readers who frequently check bags

Delta quietly boosts prices of SkyMiles business class awards: Yet another unannounced sneaky move

Google teams with Waze to challenge Uber, Lyft in San Francisco: Getting paid to carpool. Would you?

Marriott upgrades the Ritz-Carlton Rewards Card

Hanalei, Kauai, Hawaii, sunset

Watching the sunset from Hanalei, Kauai (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Chris’s summer vacation in Hawaii… don’t miss his pics and tips from the trip!

Hilton expands, upgrades Digital Key and other features of HHonors app

Gogo to be available in China

New 787 crisis? ANA will replace engines on all 50 of its Dreamliners

Virgin Atlantic will offer free live TV on its 787-9 fleet

We have a big new airline routes update coming next. But what did we miss? Please share what you think are the biggest travel news stories over the last month in the comments below!

–Chris McGinnis

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Briefs: Alaska/JAL, AA biz seats, BA Wi-Fi, Lufthansa in Silicon Valley

Japan Airlines has a new partnership with Alaska Airlines. (Image: JAL)

Japan Airlines has a new partnership with Alaska Airlines. (Image: JAL)

International carrier news briefs include a new transpacific partnership for Alaska Airlines, a look at American’s new long-haul business class seating, a Wi-Fi decision by British Airways and its siblings, and a move by Lufthansa to fund travel-related start-ups in Silicon Valley.

Starting this summer, members of Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan will be able to earn miles on Japan Airlines, thanks to a new partnership between the two carriers. The code-sharing and frequent flyer cooperation pact will mean seamless connections for travelers between Alaska’s flights and JAL’s transpacific services to Tokyo from San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Vancouver, as well as JAL’s LAX-Osaka service. While mileage-earning on JAL will begin this summer for Mileage Plan members, award travel redemptions on the Japanese carrier “will begin later in 2016,” Alaska said. Strategically, the tie-up with JAL is a logical step for Alaska; its merger partner Virgin America already has an interline partnership with JAL for connections at SFO and LAX, and Alaska recently started a big expansion of code-sharing with American Airlines, which has joint venture and Oneworld global alliance partnerships with the Japanese carrier.

Japan Airlines and Alaska will link up at four West Coast gateways. (Image: JAL)

Japan Airlines and Alaska will link up at four West Coast gateways. (Image: JAL)

American Airlines will turn to a next-generation “Super Diamond” business class seating configuration for its next-generation long-haul international aircraft, according to a report in Forbes. The new seats will all recline fully flat, will be enclosed in a kind of personal shell, and will offer aisle access from every seat. They’ll go into the new 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A350s that will be coming to American in the next few years, and will also be retrofitted onto some 777-200s. American recently broke off its ties to French-based seat manufacturer Zodiac and is turning to B/E Aerospace for the new business class seats.

American Airlines' new international business class seat. (Image: American)

American Airlines’ new international business class seat. (Image: American)

International Airlines Group, (IAG), the parent of British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus, has signed a deal with Wi-Fi vendor Gogo for installation of that firm’s next-generation 2Ku satellite-based Wi-Fi technology. Passengers should start to see the technology appearing on aircraft next year, and by 2019, IAG said, it should be on 90 percent of the airlines’ long-haul fleets. “In addition to providing faster access to web-based services, passengers will enjoy more entertainment options throughout their entire journey. In the future, inflight Wi-Fi will also transform the duty free experience, allowing travelers to order from their phones and tablets and arrange for items purchased on board to be delivered to their homes,” the company said. It will be installed in BA’s 747s, 777s, 787s and A380s as well as Iberia A330s and A340s and some Aer Lingus 757s.

Gogo will greatly increase broadband satellite Wi-Fi capacity in 2017. (Image: SES/Airbus Defence & Space)

Gogo will greatly increase broadband satellite Wi-Fi capacity in 2017. (Image: SES/Airbus Defence & Space)

Earlier this year, JetBlue announced the formation of a subsidiary that will invest in travel-related technology start-ups in Silicon Valley – and now Lufthansa is doing  the same. The airline said its Lufthansa Innovation Hub unit will team up with Plus and Play, a venture capital group in Silicon Valley. “The objective is to identify and promote innovative technologies and digital business ideas along the entire travel chain,” Lufthansa said. “Over the course of a twelve-week mentoring program, 20 to 30 selected start-ups will receive support for the further development of their business models. They will also make contact with companies in order to talk about partnerships and joint projects as well as investment.” The airline is backing up its interest in Silicon Valley with new San Jose-Frankfurt non-stops due to start July 1.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Most popular: Airline ticketing tricks + Alaska/Virgin + NZ deal + 787 + California corridor

Delta Atlanta rains

Delta among major airlines pushing pricing shenanigans on multi-city trips (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order):

1> Airlines hosing us again? Warning: Be careful pricing multi-leg trips (readers sound off in comments!)

2> More new Routes: Southwest, American, United, Alaska, JetBlue

3> Consolidation drama Alaska Airlines + Virgin America: What you need to know now / Reactions to Alaska Virgin merger vary widely

4> Stunner- Deal alert: US to New Zealand for $898 roundtrip! (book by April 14)

KLM's new 787-9 Dreamliner (Photo: KLM)

KLM’s new 787-9 Dreamliner (Photo: KLM)

Weekend Edition5> Blue bird! KLM’s first 787 Dreamliner route to U.S. (photos)

6> Positive reader comments on this: New California corridor small-jet service: $109 each way

7> Some worse than others 8 European cities most affected by terrorism

8> America’s most unloved airport: United could face more competition at Newark

9> SPG not for everyone: Starwood surprise in latest JD Power survey

10> Sorry, folks. Seat size regulation killed in Congress

In this CBS 5 TV interview, Chris likens the the Alaska-Virgin merger to combining IBM & Apple. And don’t say anything about his ski-burned face! He was straight off the sunny Lake Tahoe slopes 🙂

Links to stories from other sources that we thought you’d like to read:

Relax. No combined Marriott-Starwood loyalty program until 2018

New: US Embassy in Turkey warns Americans in Istanbul, elsewhere 

Why the heck is United flying a new 787 Dreamliner between LAX and Newark? 

How to get the best flight deal to Europe

Delta shuts down, moves @DeltaAssist Twitter handle

Confessions of an airport thief

Inside the big bright new Queen's Terminal (T2) at London Heathrow (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Inside the big bright new Queen’s Terminal (T2) at London Heathrow (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

World’s two busiest air routes? Surprising answer

United, Delta drop plan for JFK-Newark slot swap

How airlines are using post-booking emails to sell things to customers

Atlanta’s airport looks for ways to speed up security screening lines

Poll: Most hotel guests go online within seven minutes of checking in

These design innovations could improve the air travel experience

New study rates airports’ Wi-Fi performance

Survey finds road warriors are stressed out by international trips

Company develops 21-inch seatback touchscreens

Most popular Instagram photo this week is a photo of a photo on the wall at San Francisco International- an overhead shot of SFO’s international terminal in the 1960s.

Click to follow Chris on Instagram!

Click to follow Chris on Instagram!

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s newest, longest flight + Tipping Uber drivers + Qantas 747 Trip Report + Confusion over PreCheck policies + No-fee earlier flights

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Routes: Sydney, Tokyo, Zurich, Addis Ababa

Look for more United 787s on transpacific routes next year. (Image: United)

All Dreamliners all the time on SFO-SYD starting this spring. (Image: United)

In international route developments, American kicks off a new transpacific route; United changes aircraft on its flights to Sydney; Swiss sets a date for the introduction of its fancy new plane on San Francisco-Zurich service; and Ethiopian Airlines will add a new U.S. gateway.

At the end of March, United Airlines plans equipment changes on its San Francisco-Sydney and Los Angeles-Sydney routes, replacing the 777s it currently uses with 787-9 Dreamliners. United already uses a 787-9 on its Los Angeles-Melbourne route. United’s 787-9s have 48 flat-bed BusinessFirst seats in a 2-2-2 configuration, 88 in Economy Plus and 116 in regular economy. The planes have in-flight Wi-Fi as well as power and USB ports.

Following up on its December introduction of Los Angeles-Sydney 777-300ER service, American Airlines has now started up new daily service between LAX and Tokyo’s close-in Haneda Airport, using a two-class 787-8 Dreamliner. The new flight is operated as part of AA’s transpacific joint venture with Japan Airlines; both JAL and American continue to offer LAX-Tokyo Narita service as well. Through the end of April, American is offering passengers on the new Haneda route a promotional bonus of 5,000 to 20,000 AAdvantage miles, depending on fare category. In other international route news, American will increase service to Bermuda from New York JFK starting February15, operating a second roundtrip six days a week (increasing to daily March 3).

A representative of Lufthansa subsidiary SWISS tells Travelskills that the airline is targeting August 30 for the introduction of its new 777-300ER on the Zurich-San Francisco route. The aircraft will have eight first class seats, 62 in business class and 270 in economy. In addition to providing in-flight Wi-Fi, SWISS is reportedly planning to experiment with in-flight phone service on its 777-300ERs.  It will go onto the Zurich-New York JFK route four times a week starting February 21, but only until late March, when it moves to Zurich-Montreal. The aircraft is expected to debut on the Zurich-Los Angeles route in June. It will replace SWISS Airbus A340s.

Ethiopian Airlines has started taking reservations for new service beginning July 3 between Addis Ababa and New York JFK, operating via a stop in Lome, Togo, according to Airlineroute.net. Ethiopian will use a 787-8 on the route. It hasn’t flown to New York since it halted Newark service a dozen years ago; its current U.S. gateways are Washington Dulles and Los Angeles.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Boeing 747 nearing its end? + “Targeted” for an upgrade? + 5 newest biz class hotels in New York + TSA PreCheck is exploding + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 

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Delta nearly done with global wi-fi rollout; United, AA catching up

Delta now offers Wi-Fi on all of its transatlantic flights. (Image: Delta)

Delta now offers Wi-Fi on all of its transatlantic flights. (Image: Delta)

As in-flight Internet service provider Gogo continues to enhance its product with the addition of satellite networks for overseas flights, Delta has been  gradually equipping its international aircraft with that new technology. And now it has finished a major piece of that effort, offering high-speed Wi-Fi on all of its transatlantic flights.

Delta said this week that the Ku-band satellite service is now available on up to 83 daily roundtrip flights across the pond, including all its London Heathrow flights as well as service to 27 European cities, Tel Aviv, and the African destinations of Accra, Dakar and Lagos.

Besides the paid Wi-Fi service, Delta said customers who bring personal electronic devices on those routes can also get free access to its Delta Studio selection of streaming movies and TV programs.

After finishing the latest installations, Delta said that the addition of satellite Wi-Fi to its 767s, 747s, A330s and transoceanic 757s in addition to its domestic aircraft now gives it “the world’s largest Wi-Fi equipped fleet.”

gogo logo

Buy one, get one. Gogo is currently offering a special deal on Delta Wi-Fi; through February 29, Gogo said on its website, customers who buy one Delta Global Day Pass for $28 will get a second one for free — a savings of $60 over the in-flight purchase price. Each pass is good for 24 hours of access on any Gogo-equipped Delta flight, and they’re valid for a year.

United Airlines is also making considerable progress in equipping its long-haul fleet with satellite-based Wi-Fi. The airline says on its website that all 74 of its 777s now have Wi-Fi, as do all 22 of its 747-400s and 98 percent of its 767s. Installations on its 787 Dreamliners are 68 percent finished, covering 17 aircraft, United said, with completion of all the rest slated for June.

The cost of Internet access on United aircraft “will vary,” the airline says, although it gives no examples, and notes that it does not offer daily, weekly or monthly Wi-Fi passes, “but we may offer these options in the future.”

Related: How to save $$ on pricey inflight internet

“We are in the process of launching a newly designed portal with multiple payment options,” United notes. “With this new portal, on select aircraft, you will have additional Internet access options, such as time-based plans (e.g., 30 minutes, 1 hour) or full flight access, as well as the ability to purchase Internet with your MileagePlus award miles or a saved credit card in your MileagePlus account.”

American Airlines currently offers international Wi-Fi service on its 787s, 777-300ERs and “select” 777-200s (it doesn’t say how many), at rates ranging from $12 for two hours to $19 for the full flight.

What’s your experience been when using wi-fi on international flights? From my seat, I get better coverage over an ocean than I do over land, but maybe that’s just me? Comments, please!

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Boeing 747 nearing its end? + “Targeted” for an upgrade? + 5 newest biz class hotels in New York + TSA PreCheck is exploding + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 

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Most popular: United’s longest + Fewer big seats + Concorde + Soul food + more

Seen QANTAS clever new inflight safety video? See link below (Image: QANTAS)

Seen QANTAS’ clever new inflight safety video? See link below (Image: QANTAS)

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order):

1 16 hours, 20 minutes United Airlines reveals its newest, longest flight

2 Fewer big seats at the pointy end United’s first class phase-out

3 Most readers approve New look for Alaska Airlines Weekend Edition

4 Routes: LAX-China, Nashville, Toronto, Germany, India, Brazil

5 Second in our supersonic series Trip Report: British Airways Concorde experience LHR-JFK

6 Give and take New JetBlue seats: Less space, more tech

7 8 fun facts about inflight wi-fi

8 First in the series Trip Report: New York-London on Concorde! (PHOTOS)

9 Might not feel that way but… Mounting evidence that fares really ARE cheaper

10 Fried chicken on the plane? United’s got soul food (and free snacks)

Note the button on lower right

Note the button on lower right- from a room phone at the Baccarat hotel NYC (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

We’ve completed our series of New York’s five newest business class hotels. Did you see all of ’em? If not, here ya go:

 1 Hotel Central Park (Midtown)

The Baccarat (Midtown)

New York EDITION (Flatiron/Madison Sq Park)

The EVEN Hotel (Near Penn Station/Garment district)

The Knickerbocker (Times Square)

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Remember our post and poll about your recent PreCheck experiences? So far, 330+ readers have participated and results are overwhelmingly positive– see below and if you’ve not voted yet, now’s the time! Do you agree with the findings?

Please vote and post comments below.

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Here's Qatar Air's business class seat. All the UAE carriers had their most gorgeous FA's on hand to show off the seats! (Chris McGinnis)

Could you sit in this business class seat for over 18 hours? (Photo from Global Business Travel trade show floor by Chris McGinnis)

Links to stories from other sources that we thought you’d like to read:

And the newest, longest flight in the world (18 hours) is…

American Airlines unveils new amenity kits

CLEAR’s special offer for Super Bowl attendees (or anyone else) $50 for 6 months

No LAX to Hong Kong nonstops on American after all

We’ve reached saturation with cute airline safety videos, but QANTAS has a good one

Back story on new Eastern Airlines

New York’s free public wi-fi is crazy fast

Uber billed executive $640 for a 30-minute ride to the airport.

SkyTeam offers discount on its around-the-world fares.

TripAdvisor invites user reviews of airlines.

Passport expiring? State Dept. says you shouldn’t delay in renewing it.

Starwood is the latest hotel company to participate in TripAdvisor’s Instant Booking feature.

Brussels wants you back! And they’ve made a video to convince you it’s safe.

Are you signed up for the TravelSkills.com blog? Why not? Do it right now and don’t miss out. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Boeing 747 nearing its end? + “Targeted” for an upgrade? + 5 newest biz class hotels in New York + TSA PreCheck is exploding + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 

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Routes: LAX-China, Nashville, Toronto, Germany, India, Brazil

Hainan Airways is using a 787 on its new route to LAX from Changsha, China. (Image: Simon Auger)

Hainan Airlines is using a 787 on its new route to LAX from Changsha, China. (Image: Simon Auger)

In international route news, China’s Hainan starts a Los Angeles route; Canada’s WestJet plans new U.S. routes;  Iberia sets its summer LAX schedule; new overseas code-share flights for United and Delta; British Airways brings 787s to more U.S. cities; and Brazil’s Azul drops a U.S. route.

China’s Hainan Airlines, which flies to Chicago to Beijing and from Boston and Seattle to both Shanghai and Beijing, has kicked off a new U.S. route between Los Angeles and Changsha, the capital of central China’s Hunan Province with a population of 2.3 million. Hainan, a code-sharing partner of American Airlines, is using a 787-8 on the route, which operates twice a week.  

Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet said its summer schedule will include new non-stop flights from Toronto to Los Angeles and to Nashville as well as from Vancouver to San Diego. In addition, WestJet will begin new service from Toronto to Boston on March 15 with three flights a day. On June 15, WestJet’s Encore unit will begin five flights a week on the new Toronto-Nashville route with Q400 turboprops. June 29 is the launch date for daily Toronto-Los Angeles 737 service, and on June 16, WestJet begins three 737 flights a week between San Diego and Vancouver. 

Iberia Airlines, a member of American’s Oneworld alliance, has set its summer schedule for Los Angeles-Madrid service, according to Airlineroute.net. It begins March 30 with three weekly flights, increasing to five a week on May 26, six a week beginning June 6, and daily from July 3 to August 28. (Last year, Iberia only had four summer flights a week on the route.) The airline will use A330s and A340s for the LAX flights. 

British Airways will add San Jose service next spring with a new 787-9. (Image: British Airways)

British Airways bringing more 787s to US. (Image: British Airways)

British Airways plans to pull the 787-9 from its Austin-London Heathrow route on March 27, according to Airlineroute.net, and to replace it with a 777-200ER. But the airline is bringing 787s to more U.S. routes. It will begin 787-9 flights between Houston Bush Intercontinental and London on March 27, instead of August 1 as previously planned. And 787-9 service on the Newark-LHR route moves up to April 2 from August 1. BA will also use a 787-9 from Philadelphia to London on selected flights beginning April 9, and is sticking to its original May 4 stating date for new London-San Jose 787-9 service. 

United Airlines has started putting its code onto several intra-European flights of Star Alliance partner Lufthansa’s low-cost affiliate Eurowings. The UA code is now on Eurowings flights from Dusseldorf to Geneva, Birmingham, Manchester, Milan Malpensa and Paris CDG; and from Hamburg to Dusseldorf, LHR, Manchester, Prague, Stuttgart, Toulouse and Zurich. MileagePlus members will get revenue and status miles on the flights. 

Etihad uses a Jet Airways 777 on its new SFO-Abu Dhabi run (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

Delta selling tickets on India’s Jet Airways (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

Delta has started selling tickets for its new code-share service with India’s Jet Airways, which it is starting along with joint venture partner KLM. Effective for travel beginning March 27, Delta’s code goes onto Jet’s flights from Amsterdam to Delhi and Bombay, as well as service beyond those gateways. From Delhi, it’s on Jet’s flights to Amritsar, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata; and from Mumbai to Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kochi and Kolkata. 

Brazilian airline Azul, which operates a daily A330 flight between Orlando and Belo Horizonte, Brazil, plans to discontinue that route on February 29.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Boeing 747 nearing its end? + “Targeted” for an upgrade? + 5 newest biz class hotels in New York + TSA PreCheck is exploding + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 

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Largest plane + Puzzling pic + New United Club + Hyatt, Marriott sales + More

Virgin America’s in-flight teammates debut the chic new pump onboard flights as of this fall. The pump is also available to the public exclusively on Zappos.com (Virgin)

Virgin America’s in-flight teammates debut red pumps onboard flights this fall. This ruby slipper is also available to the public for $355 at Zappos.com (Virgin)

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order):

1 Big bird! World’s largest passenger plane unveiled

2 Gotta see this> First look: Newest United Club & concourse [photos]

3 We all saw it coming American AAdvantage switches to spending-based programWeekend Edition

4 On the fence? Time to jump off Time is right for a new credit card. Why?

5 See the hot-headed comments Delta’s Comfort+ seats for sale

6 Routes: New Denver-SFO + LAX flights, Spirit at LAX, AA at Phoenix + more

7 Zoom Supersonic flights making a comeback

8 Mixed emotions Marriott, Starwood will merge

9 The long haul: New routes for Airberlin, Delta, China Eastern; more AA, BA 787s scheduled

10 Buongiorno United upgrades inflight coffee

Puzzling photo: One of the best things about TravelSkills are the comments… readers definitely know what they are talking about. For example, there was some confusion about what type of Delta aircraft was used for this promotional photo that appeared on the blog last week. See below for an explanation:

Delta's Comfort+ seating is getting a separate fare category. (Image: Delta)

Delta’s Comfort+ seating – but what plane? (Image: Delta)

Reader L. Howell explains it: It is a 757, the model they use primarily on premium JFK east/west flights and sometimes to Europe. You can see the new Biz Elite config forward. What’s confusing is they removed the jump seat and equipment by the left door to make the cabin appear more spacious. And you are correct that there’s one row on the right side with two rather than three seats due to exit door 2-right. There’s only that one row (18) that has 2 seats on just the right side, no seats on the left (left exit door). The next row is 3 across both sides. They ought to use this photo and what it really looks like in the back of Highlights Magazine in the “what’s missing” photo….

A few newsy nuggets from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week:

Virgin America flight attendants debut sexy, red, $355 pumps

United will test letting MileagePlus members pay for in-flight Wi-Fi with miles. 

November 30 is booking deadline for Hyatt winter sale.

Three-day Marriott early winter sale starts Black Friday.

State Dept.: No more inserts of blank pages for full passports after January 1.

Consumer Reports finds carry-on bags’ dimensions aren’t always what manufacturers claim.

JetBlue teams up with taxi-sharing app for JFK passengers.

Delta no longer accepting pets as checked luggage

Helpful new tools from Uber make expensing rides a LOT easier 

Silicon Valley residents get loud about new noise from SFO arrivals

Hilarious video of dad confused by GoPro

Delta adds hearty new fall/winter first class menus

Definitive guide to all SFO lounges 

Chris flew United's p.s. business class SFO-EWR this week. Stay tuned for his trip report! (Chris McGinnis)

Chris flew United’s p.s. business class SFO-EWR for the first time this week. Stay tuned for his trip report! (Chris McGinnis)

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NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: 5 ways to save using Uber/Lyft  + New overseas plan from Verizon + Trans-Pac fare war?

 

Lots of new airline routes rolling out

A Hainan Airlines 787 like this one is coming to San Jose. (Image: Simon Auger/Flickr)

A Hainan Airlines 787 like this one is coming to San Jose. (Image: Simon Auger/Flickr)

In route news, both San Jose and Houston will get new transpacific routes in the next few weeks; JetBlue blows into Lake Tahoe; United kicks off a new U.K. service from Newark; and Orlando and New Orleans will see new Latin American routes.

  • China’s Hainan Airlines is set to launch its newest U.S. route on June 15 when it begins new 787 Dreamliner service between Beijing and San Jose. The airport is converting Gates 17/18 in Terminal B to accommodate the new international service.
  • JetBlue is adding summer and holiday season nonstops between New York JFK and Reno/Tahoe, the carrier’s 89th destination. Daily service will operate between June 18, 2015 and September 11, 2015, as well as between November 25, 2015 and January 4, 2016.
  • June 12 is the launch date for All Nippon Airways’ new route from Houston Bush Intercontinental to Tokyo Narita. ANA, a partner in the global Star Alliance with United — which has a hub at Houston — will use a 777-300ER for the daily flights.

Related: ANA’s Dreamliner ride to Tokyo!

  • The city of Newcastle in northeastern England has its first-ever non-stop air service to the U.S. following United’s launch of service this week between Newcastle and Newark. The seasonal service will operate five times a week until September. Newcastle is about five hours north of London on the road to Edinburgh.
  • Azul Brazilian Airlines plans to expand its route network to the U.S. on November 16, when it will start service between Orlando and Belo Horizonte, Brazil. The flights will operate five days a week through December 13, then increase to daily frequency.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Airport smoking ban? + Trip Report: Aer Lingus + Terminal shuffle at Heathrow + More Uber at airports

6 tricky tipping dilemmas that trip up travelers

Ti tip, or not to tip. That's the question for a lot of frequent travelers (Dave Dugdale / Flickr)

Ti tip, or not to tip. That’s the question for a lot of frequent travelers (Dave Dugdale / Flickr)

If only tipping were simple. You already know the etiquette for the common travel situations: restaurant servers, taxis, housekeeping. But sometimes it’s not so straightforward.

Here are six scenarios that can trip me up when I’m traveling:

1. I have no small bills. Sadly, I find myself in this situation more often than I’d like to admit, particularly with the valet or bellman. Recently I stashed a wad of singles and fives in a deep corner of my bag for just such emergencies.

2. I have no local currency. Often I don’t head to the ATM until getting settled into my hotel, which means I occasionally encounter an uncomfortable tipping moment in the meantime. Only recently did I learn that in many–if not most—countries, tipping in U.S. dollars is welcome and occasionally preferred.

3. The service has been paid for by someone else, and it’s unclear whether the gratuity has been covered. I encountered this not long ago when a black car from the hotel to the airport had been paid by a third party. The discomfort was compounded by the afore-mentioned problem of having no local currency. Even if I had learned the gratuity was not covered, I couldn’t offer a credit card to charge the tip when I wasn’t even sure how much it cost. Awkward.

4. Traveling internationally, I am unsure of local custom. I wish I could say I’ve always done my tipping research before arriving in a country. Asian countries tend to have a no-tipping culture. Europeans tend to tip less than Americans. It’s complicated! Here’s a comprehensive international tipping guide I’ve found helpful. Also, treat Las Vegas as a foreign country when it comes too tipping—a land where all sorts of free goodies are bestowed, but where tips should not be withheld. Read up on how to handle everything from casino culture to pool cabanas.

5. At a buffet or high-end cafeteria, the server has a limited role. Does the 15-20% still apply? Emily Post says 10% is appropriate, but I waiver between thinking this is too much and thinking it’s too little. And there’s a big difference between a luxe brunch buffet and a place just slightly nicer than Chipotle.

Related: Tipping is not a city in China

6. I received services from someone who could be considered a peer. On a recent trip to Hong Kong, I was provided a media guide. By the end of the day, he felt more like a colleague and friend than guide. Would a tip would be demeaning? I ended up thanking him with a letter of commendation to his client instead, but I wondered if I’d done the right thing.

Tipping in Vegas? YES. And generously. Pictured: The new High Roller ferris wheel. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

Tipping in Vegas? YES. And generously. Pictured: The new High Roller ferris wheel. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

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Have you checked out Personal Capital yet? A powerful new tool from the former CEO of PayPay and Intuit (Quicken) to help busy people manage finances– some say it’s a better tool for wealth management than Mint.com. If you, like many business travelers, have a tough time keeping up with your investments, you should check it out today and help support TravelSkills!

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I have found a few ways to tip with more confidence:

When in doubt, err on the generous side. Many workers depend on tips to make a living wage. According to PayScale.com, 25% of food servers’ income generally comes from tips. And there’s something to be said for karma. If you worry that you may be over-tipping because all you have is that big bill, hand it over anyway—make the guy’s day, and it will come back to you some day, somehow.

Do the research. Before a trip, check that you have small bills and do research about local customs when necessary. It just takes a few minutes and prevents hours of guilt and confusion.

Keep a tipping app on your phone or tablet. In your favorite app store you’ll find myriad options. Some are international guides that also provide advice (like GlobeTipping on iOS and Global Tipping Guide Pro on Android). Others are U.S.-focused and will calculate the tip and even split the bill. A few of these will calculate in local currency outside the U.S. (like Tip Calculator Pro+ on Android).

A tip says, “Thanks for making my trip better than it would otherwise have been.” Sure, situations will always arise when you’re unsure about protocol. But with the right tools and preparation, you’ll almost always be able to offer that appreciation befittingly.

What tricky tipping situations have you encountered, and how did you address them?

–Nancy Branka

<<<>>>

Did you miss our TravelSkills Weekend Edition? Not a problem! Here are the links:

Suspicious behaviors + 2 lounges at SEA-TAC + 80K HHonors points + CLEAR expands + New Wyndham program + Pricey room service

Delta Aeromexico + Delta dogs + United beer + 787s delayed + Japan Airlines + Remnants of SkyMall

In Case You Missed It…

  •  How to avoid fees when you want an earlier flight.

::

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<
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Top 10 most deeply discounted European cities

Taking a spin around Copenhagen in an electric car was a blast two years ago- now it's a lot cheaper! (Chris McGinnis)

Taking a spin around Copenhagen in an electric car was a blast two years ago- now it’s a lot cheaper! (Chris McGinnis)

With the dollar at new highs against the euro and other currencies, nearly everyone is pondering a trip across the pond this summer.

Leisure travelers are ready to see the sightss at a discount, of course. But business travelers are headed over, too, trying to keep European customers happy now that they are paying a lot more for American goods and services.

This week TripAdvisor produced a helpful list (TripIndex) of popular European cities and says that overall, Europe is about 11% cheaper this year than last, but it depends on which city you are in.

As usual, the cheapest cities in Europe lean toward the east. Istanbul (down 25%) is a darling when it comes to low prices, but I bet proximity to the conflict in Syria is likely taking a toll on bookings, and resulting in lower prices.

But a nice surprise this year is that Scandinavia is much cheaper than last year due to fare wars (thanks Norwegian Air) and the declining value of their currencies. For example, Oslo has long been forbiddingly expensive for Americans, but TripAdvisor says it’s now 20% less expensive than last year.

Istanbul is breathtakingly beautiful, but might be a little scary for Americans this year (Moyan Brenn)

Istanbul is breathtakingly beautiful, but might be a little scary for Americans this year (Photo: Moyan Brenn / Flickr)

Here are the top ten least expensive cities along with how much cheaper they are this year than last year:

1) Istanbul -25%

2) Bucharest -16%

3) Krakow -5%

4) Budapest -6%

5) Prague -11%

6) Athens-15%

7) Brussels -14%

8) Berlin -9%

9) Lisbon -1%

10) Stockholm -23%

Even if you don’t want to stay in Istanbul, TripAdvisor’s Wendy Perrin says travelers should consider connecting there: “The average airfare to Istanbul is only $1,197, and that’s because Turkish Airlines has been rapidly expanding its fleet (with new planes with comfy seats and great food) and offering low fares from its U.S. gateways. If you’re willing to connect in Istanbul en route to your final European destination, you might have an overnight, but they’ll give you either a free hotel at the airport or a free tour of Istanbul.”

Even perennially popular Paris is 17% cheaper this year. View from the Shangri-La hotel (Chris McGinnis)

Even perennially popular Paris is 17% cheaper this year. View from the Shangri-La hotel (Chris McGinnis)

Here are the top 10 cities with the largest drop in prices compared to last year: 

1) Istanbul -25%

2) Stockholm -23%

3) Copenhagen -21%

4) Oslo -20%

5) Paris -17%

5) Edinburgh -17%

6) Bucharest -16%

7) Athens -15%

8) Helsinki -14%

8) Brussels -14%

Zurich: Always nice. Always pricey but still 9% cheaper than last year (Photo: PapaPiper / Flickr)

Zurich: Always nice. Always pricey but still 9% cheaper than last year (Photo: PapaPiper / Flickr)

Have you checked out Personal Capital yet? A powerful new tool from the former CEO of PayPay and Intuit (Quicken) to help busy people manage finances– some say it’s a better tool for wealth management than Mint.com. If you, like many business travelers, have a tough time keeping up with your investments, you should check it out today and help support TravelSkills!

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Some other findings in the TripAdvisor’s TripIndex:

  • At $3,236 per week, Zurich is the most expensive destination; however, it still offers a relative value as prices have fallen 9% since last summer.
  • The average nightly rate for a European hotel booked on TripAdvisor for this summer is $133, compared to $164 in 2014.
  • The least expensive hotel rooms this summer can be found in Bucharest for $67 per night, while Reykjavik is the costliest at $258.
  • Hotel rates in Moscow have seen the biggest year-over-year price decline—from $146 to $84—representing a 43% savings.
  • Roundtrip flights from the U.S. to the European destinations on the index cost $1,448 on average between June and August, compared to $1,579 in summer 2014.
  • While Reykjavik has the most expensive hotels, it boasts the most affordable airfare at $1,086; London is the most expensive destination to fly to at $1,763.
  • Although hotel prices in Moscow fell the most year-over-year, it was the only city to see a substantial increase in airfares (+56%).

–Chris McGinnis 

Did you miss our TravelSkills Weekend Edition? Not a problem! Here are the links:

Suspicious behaviors + 2 lounges at SEA-TAC + 80K HHonors points + CLEAR expands + New Wyndham program + Pricey room service

Delta Aeromexico + Delta dogs + United beer + 787s delayed + Japan Airlines + Remnants of SkyMall

In Case You Missed It…

  •  How to avoid fees when you want an earlier flight.

::

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<
Like what you just read? Then say so! Scroll back up to the top and LIKE the post on Facebook, post it on Linked In and/or tweet it!

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Business class on sale

Get business class meals like this one on SAS at a discount this summer! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Get business class meals like this one of peppered salmon on SAS at a discount this summer! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Business travel volume tends to drop off a bit in the summer, when road warriors take their vacations. But airlines still have just as many premium cabin seats to fill, and some of them try to lure summer business with fare deals.

If you don’t have enough miles to secure award seats — or more likely, if you can’t find any award space — it might be worth your while to look around for business class fare sales. Many times you’ll find that the difference between a low business class fare and a high, peak season economy class fare is not all that much– especially during July or August.

The roundtrip summer sale fares we found start out as low as $1,699 round trip, but average around $3,000. 

A word of caution: Airlines that cut business class fares in the summer often attach a long advance purchase requirements to the deal, so be prepared to lock in your travel dates a couple of months ahead of time. Also, keep in mind that even for the European carriers that do offer such deals, the number of seats available at the lowest advertised fares will be quite restricted. These fares are fleeting and may not last due to market conditions.

Business class fare sales are much more common with European carriers that US carriers. We scoured the websites of Delta, United and American and found no premium cabin fare sales to Europe at all for this summer. But, we’ve seen that US airlines sometimes quietly match these fares as summer approaches, so keep an eye out.

Here are some sample fares sales we found for summer travel. Will you take the bait and fly up front this year? The savings you’ll find due to the strong dollar might make these fares even more palatable this year.

Lufthansa's A380 business class seats are regrettably of the "angled" lie flat variety (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Lufthansa’s A380 business class seats but some are regrettably of the “angled” lie flat variety- but not for long! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

  • Lufthansa is currently offering transatlantic business class sale fares with a June 30 purchase deadline and a 60-day advance purchase requirement. They’re good for trips departing June 26-August 29 and returning July 7-November 29. Sample roundtrip business class fares start at $3,739 from Atlanta to Munich, $4,059 from Los Angeles to Berlin, and $3,599 from Chicago to Dusseldorf. Here’s how to know if you are buying the older angled lie flat (which will be phased out by end of second quarter of this year) or the new true lie flat seat on Lufthansa.
Upper Class on Virgin Atlantic A330-300 with the 1-2-1 reverse herringbone config (Photo: Tom Mascardo)

Upper Class on Virgin Atlantic A330-300 with the 1-2-1 reverse herringbone config (Photo: Tom Mascardo)

  • A 60-day advance purchase also applies to Upper Class sale fares to London currently on offer at Virgin Atlantic. There’s currently an April 27 purchase deadline for travel from June 26 through August 29. (Some of the flights listed on Virgin’s sale page are operated by joint venture partner Delta.) Sample one-way fares start at $2,078 from Atlanta, $2,123 from San Francisco, $1,623 from New York JFK and Newark, $1,854 from Chicago and $2,023 from Los Angeles.
Air France's chic new La Premiere suite (Photo: Air France)

Air France’s chic new La Premiere suite (Photo: Air France)

  • Air France’s La Premiere Class (first) is on special offer for tickets bought by June 30 and travel between June 26 and August 29, with a 60-day advance purchase rule and a minimum stay over Saturday night. Non-refundable roundtrip fares start at $7,047 for travel from San Francisco to Nice, $6,022 from New York to Paris, and $8,166 from Los Angeles to Paris.
Aer Lingus's new lie flat business class seats on an A330-200 (Chris McGinnis)

Aer Lingus’s new lie flat business class seats on an A330-200 (Chris McGinnis)

  • Aer Lingus, which is rolling out a new business class cabin this year, also has 60-day advance purchase sale fares for premium seats this summer. Roundtrip prices start at $4,359 from San Francisco to Dublin, $3,479 from Chicago to Dublin, $2,999 from New York to Dublin or Shannon and $3,269 from Boston to Dublin or Shannon. They’re valid for business class travel from June 26 through August 29, although some blackout dates may apply in some markets.

Have you checked out Personal Capital yet? A powerful new tool from the former CEO of PayPay and Intuit (Quicken) to help busy people manage finances– some say it’s a better tool for wealth management than Mint.com. If you, like many business travelers, have a tough time keeping up with your investments, you should check it out today and help support TravelSkills!

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SWISS business class

SWISS business class

  • Swiss is offering business class sale fares from New York for travel June 26-August 29. Roundtrip fares start at $3,022 to Geneva, $3,062 to Florence, $3,355 to Prague and $3,070 to Rome. Weekend surcharges may apply.
La Compagnie business class seat is also of the angled lie flat variety (La Compagnie)

La Compagnie business class seat is also of the angled lie flat variety (La Compagnie)

  • La Compagnie, a boutique all-business class transatlantic airline that flies out of Newark with 74-seat 757-200s, is currently promoting special summer fares available for purchase through October 15. Rates are $1,699 roundtrip for travel to Paris Charles de Gaulle, and $1,798 roundtrip from Newark to London’s Luton Airport.
SAS offers angled lie flat business class seats on its A340s (Chris McGinnis)

SAS offers angled lie flat business class seats on its A340s (Chris McGinnis)

  • SAS has sale fares out of Houston on its all-business-class, 44-seat 737-700 service to Stavanger and beyond (connections to Oslo, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Aberdeen, London and Frankfurt) starting at $3,183 roundtrip, available for ticketing through August 31 with a minimum three-day stay. It also frequently discounts business class fares between other US cities and Scandinavia. They’re only available through flysas.com/us. Also, check out SAS’s newly refurbished biz class cabins coming to a jet near you soon!

–Jim Glab

Did you miss our TravelSkills Weekend Edition? Not a problem! Here are the links:

Suspicious behaviors + 2 lounges at SEA-TAC + 80K HHonors points + CLEAR expands + New Wyndham program + Pricey room service

Delta Aeromexico + Delta dogs + United beer + 787s delayed + Japan Airlines + Remnants of SkyMall

In Case You Missed It…

  •  How to avoid fees when you want an earlier flight.

::

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<
Like what you just read? Then say so! Scroll back up to the top and LIKE the post on Facebook, post it on Linked In and/or tweet it!

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Time to pay for PreCheck

Screen Shot 2015-04-06 at 1.53.30 PM

There are 26 PreCheck enrollment centers at airports across the country (Photo: TSA)

When PreCheck first rolled out, it was reserved for a secret society of frequent travelers– primarily a beta test group of high mileage members of Delta SkyMiles and American AAdvantage programs (and eventually United MileagePlus).

Airlines sent special invitations to their high-mileage flyers based in the few cities where PreCheck lanes first emerged in the summer of 2011. All members had to do was “opt in” and like magic, they became part of PreCheck. They did not have to apply or pay a fee to be part of the popular program.

Were you one of the lucky chosen few who just opted in? Many TravelSkills readers were! We remember hearing from you 🙂

If you’ve never applied for PreCheck, never paid a fee and received a “known traveler number” (KTN) then you need to pay attention to this.

This month the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is making changes to PreCheck.

The agency warns that if you are just an opt-in member, and not a full-on, card-carrying, paid member of its trusted traveler programs with a KTN, you will see a decline in how often you are chosen for expedited screening. 

The TSA blog states: If you want to keep receiving TSA Pre✓ on a consistent/reliable basis for the next five years, you are encouraged to enroll in one of the four trusted traveler programs offered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security:

To learn more about these programs, and to view a comparison chart of the benefits, visit www.dhs.gov/tt.

tsa_precheck_whosflying

Bottom line: If you’ve never paid to be part of a trusted traveler program and do not have a KTN on your frequent flyer profile, your chances of getting in the PreCheck line are slim and none.

–Chris McGinnis

Did you miss our TravelSkills Weekend Edition? Not a problem! Here are the links:

Suspicious behaviors + 2 lounges at SEA-TAC + 80K HHonors points + CLEAR expands + New Wyndham program + Pricey room service

Delta Aeromexico + Delta dogs + United beer + 787s delayed + Japan Airlines + Remnants of SkyMall

In Case You Missed It…

  •  How to avoid fees when you want an earlier flight.

::

Have you checked out Personal Capital yet? A powerful new tool from the former CEO of PayPay and Intuit (Quicken) to help busy people manage finances– some say it’s a better tool for wealth management than Mint.com. If you, like many business travelers, have a tough time keeping up with your investments, you should check it out today and help support TravelSkills!

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>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<
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Best photo + United meals + Bid for Virgin upgrades + Delta downgrade + New Asian nonstop for SJC

A mesmerizing look at a Delta jet from a window of ATL's Concourse E (Photo: AP Gouge Photography)

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)

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)

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 Air Boeing 787

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! 

Back tomorrow with more of TravelSkills Weekend Edition!

WeekendEdition

 

6 tips for better plane pics

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iPhones on United + Delta backtrack + Holiday first class sale + Uber issues + New hotel for NYC

United's going big with the new iPhone 6 Plus. (Photo: United)

United’s going big with the new iPhone 6 Plus. (Photo: United)

AIRLINES

UA flight attendants get iPhones. Passenger purchases on United flights will soon be processed through an iPhone 6 Plus. The airline said it plans to give the big new iPhones to 23,000 flight attendants in the second quarter of 2015, and they’ll be able to handle most in-flight retail transactions. In the months to come, “United plans to develop a number of customer-focused tools for the device,” a spokesman said.

AmEx-Delta: No point transfer cap after all. American Express and Delta said they have agreed to “a multi-year extension” of their 18-year-old co-branded credit card partnership. And as part of that deal, the companies announced that they have backed off an earlier plan to cap American Express Rewards point transfers into SkyMiles at 250,000 a year. Also, “Platinum Card members from American Express and Delta Reserve Card members can continue to enjoy access to the Delta Sky Club,” the companies said. It was only a couple of months ago that the limit on point transfers, which was supposed to take effect January 1, was announced — and neither AmEx nor Delta offered any hints as to why it is now being dropped. Readers — care to speculate on the reason? Was this a big deal for you or not?

First class holiday sale from Virgin. Act fast (booking deadline is midnight Sunday, December 14) and use promo code MERRY50 and you can save 50 percent off Virgin America’s first class and Main Cabin Select fares for travel December 19-January 2.

Why not let holiday spending help you snag big credit card mileage bonuses? Check out our recommendations here and get your 40,000 miles! 

Here's a rendering of American's new look at the airport

Here’s a rendering of American’s new look at the airport

AA promises big customer improvements. American Airlines marked the one-year anniversary of its merger with US Airways last week by announcing it will spend $2 billion on passenger-oriented improvements in the months ahead. Besides fleet renewal — some 112 new aircraft will be delivered next year, AA said — improvements will bring new seats (including lie-flat, direct aisle access first and business class seats “on nearly every American Airlines widebody jet”); power ports in every row on narrow-bodies and at every seat on newly delivered 777-300ERs and 787s (AA’s first Dreamliner is due in the next few months); new Bose headsets in premium cabins of international and transcon flights; and Wi-Fi on international routes. Airport facilities and Admirals Clubs will also get an overhaul. Another part of the plan: American will install Gogo in-flight Wi-Fi over the next year on 250 of its two-class regional jets. Which passenger enhancement would you most like to see on American? Post comments below.

Cleveland Shuffle: Flights cut, added. United’s big drawdown of service at Cleveland Hopkins isn’t finished yet. The carrier’s latest cutbacks will include the end of Cleveland-Dallas/Ft. Worth service on March 5, followed by termination of flights to Ft. Myers, Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa on April 7. Meanwhile, JetBlue said it will add Cleveland as the 88th destination on its route map starting April 30, when it launches two flights a day to Boston. And low-cost Frontier Airlines plans to pull its service from Cleveland to LaGuardia, Washington Dulles and Chicago O’Hare in the weeks ahead.

International routes: China Southern, Delta, EVA. December 16 is the launch date for China Southern’s new service from San Francisco to Guangzhou, operating via a stop in Wuhan three times a week with a 787 … Delta kicks off new daily service December 20 between its Salt Lake City hub and Mexico City … Taiwan’s EVA Airways plans to begin new service between Taipei and Houston Bush Intercontinental in June 2015, flying three times a week with a 777-300ER.

Lufthansa’s new course. What’s going on at Lufthansa? Pilots have staged disruptive walkouts in recent weeks as the airline moves forward with a plan to compete against low-cost carriers by expanding its budget Eurowings subsidiary on both short and long-haul routes while still maintaining a full-service operation at the parent airline. Lufthansa chief Carsten Spohr explained the strategy in a New York Times interview last week. Have your plans been disrupted by LH pilot strikes? How did you handle it?

Recent: Better hotel deals on these 5 hotel-only sites? 

AIRPORTS

Delta coddles arrivals at Heathrow. Delta premium passengers flying into London Heathrow can now take advantage of a new arrivals lounge the carrier has opened in Terminal 3. Available at no charge to BusinessElite passengers as well as SkyMiles Diamonds and Platinums, the facility has 11 private showers, clothes pressing and shoeshine services, breakfast service, Wi-Fi and a business center. It’s open from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. daily.

CARS

Uber’s legal ups and downs. It’s a real roller-coaster ride for the lawyers at ride-sharing app Uber these days. On the upside, Uber (and competitor Lyft) just won approval from the Dallas City Council to operate legally in that city effective April 30. On the downside, district attorneys in San Francisco and Los Angeles last week filed suit against Uber alleging violations of various consumer protection statutes (although both cities recently settled a similar case against Lyft). But that’s not Uber’s only difficulty: Web site The Daily Beast last week published a summary of the legal problems facing the company in a number of venues. And then there’s this: Who’s Driving You?

Have you entered the contest to win a $200 Amex gift card plus one year of National Executive status? All you have to do is offer one great travel tip! 

HOTELS

A big new Virgin hotel for NYC...but why not SF? (Photo: Virgin Hotels)

A big new Virgin hotel for NYC…but why not SF? (Photo: Virgin Hotels)

Virgin America adds sister hotel firm to Elevate. The newest participant in Virgin America’s Elevate loyalty program is its new sister company Virgin Hotels. Its first property is due to open in Chicago in mid-January; Elevate members will get 1,000 points per stay (doubled from January 15-March 31), and Gold members will receive free breakfasts and room upgrades. A Nashville property is expected to open in 2016, followed by a New York City hotel in 2017. The developer of the Manhattan property, at Broadway and 29th Street, last week revealed some details about the 38-story, 475-room hotel, including a rooftop bar, outdoor pool and spa. (We wish they’d build a new one in in San Francisco!)

In Case You Missed It…

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Free inflight texting + Another 747 flies away + Lufthansa’s new premium economy + PreCheck not so special

AIRLINES

T-Mobile CMO Mike Sievert addresses the media at the Un-carrier 7.0 event in San Francisco. (Photo: Jed Jacobsohn)

T-Mobile CMO Mike Sievert reveals new Gogo partnership in San Francisco. (Photo: Jed Jacobsohn)

Free inflight texting & voicemail. Starting September 17, T-Mobile customers can get free in-flight texting and voicemail service on all 2,000 U.S. aircraft equipped with Gogo Inflight Internet Wi-Fi. “To access the free messaging and voicemail services, T-Mobile customers will need to have their Wi-Fi Calling-enabled phone in airplane mode and connected to Gogo Wi-Fi.  From there, they simply launch their browser, verify they’re a T-Mobile customer, and follow the instructions,” Gogo told TravelSkills. (Interesting side: Gogo’s stock jumped 10% after this new deal became public last week.) If you don’t already use T-Mobile, does this make you want to switch? Leave your comments below. 

Click to see TVOne news report on Air New Zealand's final 747 flight from SFO

Click to see TVOne news report on Air New Zealand’s final 747 flight from SFO

End of an era at Air New Zealand. The latest airline to mothball its last 747 is Air New Zealand, which has flown the Boeing jumbos for 33 years. Its final 747-400 left San Francisco for Auckland last week, then was taken out of service. The carrier now uses 777s and 787s on transpacific routes. Meanwhile, Air New Zealand will add a third daily roundtrip to its LAX-Auckland route three days a week from April through October 2015.

Southwest boosts on-time record. Has Southwest Airlines figured out how to overcome its recent problems with late flights? The airline’s August performance showed a big improvement in on-time operations, up 10 percentage points from July when it (and JetBlue) were stuck at the very bottom of the the DOT’s on-time performance rankings.

Recent: How to choose the best new carry-on bag

Lufthansa's new premium economy seat on display at the Global Business Travel Association convention in August (Chris McGinnis)

Lufthansa’s new premium economy seat on display at the Global Business Travel Association convention in August (Chris McGinnis)

Lufthansa details premium economy service. Star Alliance member Lufthansa will debut its long-promised premium economy section in a few months, and it has posted a new website with details of what the service will provide to passengers and its planned schedule of deployment on international routes. It will be introduced starting in December on 747-8s from FRA to ORD, LAX and IAD; by late April on A380s to IAH, JFK, MIA and SFO; and in May 2015 on A340-600s to LAX, EWR and SFO.

Airline Wi-Fi searches. If you’re flying on United and you’d like to know in advance whether or not your aircraft is Wi-Fi equipped, you can look it up on this United website.  Passengers on Southwest can do the same thing with the carrier’s online Wi-Fi Finder. United & Southwest have taken the proactive step of notifying passengers on the day before their flight if the plane has wi-fi. (Whether or not the wi-fi is operational is another question ….)

Popular on TravelSkills: Another British Airways A380 for the US

The new soy ginger marinated salmon salad now onboard Virgin America (Photo: Virgin America)

The new soy ginger marinated salmon salad now onboard Virgin America (Photo: Virgin America)

Virgin America enhances front cabin menus. First class flyers on Virgin America will see a slate of new menu options this fall from celebrity chefs like Hiro Sone, Staffan Terje, Chris Beerman and Elizabeth Binder. New entrees include things like a grilled mushroom medley, soy ginger marinated salmon salad, roasted chicken with artichokes, ginger pepper noodles, and Marrakesh chicken salad. NOTE: If you fly Virgin America into San Francisco before Dec 14, bring your boarding pass to the Humphry Slocombe ice cream store in the Ferry Building marketplace for a free scoop! (It’s also served onboard flights departing SFO.)

Texas all-you-can-fly air service plans autumn start. A Texas entrepreneur plans to launch a new small-plane air service this fall with an all-you-can-fly policy for flat-fee memberships, according to the Dallas Business Journal. Called Rise, its eight-passenger Beechcraft King Air 350 turboprops will initially concentrate on the busy Dallas-Houston market with high-frequency service. Memberships will cost $1,650 to $2,650 a month, and Rise will use its own terminal at Love Field. The former CEO of California’s Surf Air — which has a similar business model — is executive chairman of Rise.

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AIRPORTS

Mock up of what the new dining terrace at LAX Terminal 2 will look like

Mock up of what the new dining terrace at LAX Terminal 2 will look like

LAX shows plans for T2 overhaul. The Westfield Group, in partnership with Los Angeles World Airports, has created a video showcasing its plans for bringing 20 new retail and dining concessionaires to LAX’s Terminal 2. The revamped T2 will have a dozen dining outlets — twice as many as it has now — and will feature outlets of several local restaurants. The project, now underway, should be finished next year. (Currently, T2 primarily serves international carriers.) Terminal 2 is home to ten domestic and international airlines, including Aeroméxico, Air Canada, Hawaiian Air and Virgin Atlantic. 

Wi-Fi Update: Sites monitor airports, hotels. The folks at Cheapflights.com have compiled a handy guide to Wi-Fi at 25 major U.S. airports, including how to access it, whether it’s free or paid. Meanwhile, hotelwifitest.com — which lets users see the data speeds typically achieved at major hotels — enhanced its service so the results can be viewed directly by users of major hotel booking sites. “After a one-click install, the extension will automatically display the WiFi information block whenever you open a hotel page on Hotels.com, Expedia, Booking.com, or TripAdvisor,” the company told us.

SECURITY

TSA: Most travelers now use expedited lanes. Remember the early days of TSA’s PreCheck program when you were whisked through expedited screening while everyone else lingered in long lines? Those days are gone: TSA now sends more than half of all travelers through the expedited checks — not just PreCheck members, but various categories of low-risk flyers and persons selected randomly from regular lines. This is reportedly reducing wait times for all passengers — but early adopters of PreCheck certainly don’t feel so special any more.

CARS

Volkswagen's sporty new GTI now in the National fleet (Photo: VW)

Volkswagen’s sporty new GTI now in the National fleet (Photo: VW)

New cars at National. Members of National’s Emerald Club will have access starting this fall to new 2015 models in the company’s Emerald Aisle locations nationwide, including the Volkswagen GTI, Chrysler 200, Dodge Challenger, Jeep Cherokee, Mazda6, Mustang and Lincoln MKC. Some locations will also offer new Mazda MX-5 Miatas and Hyundai Velosters.

HOTELS

Marriott innovation: Healthy food from a machine. Hotel vending machines typically dispense candy bars and high-sodium snacks. But the Chicago Marriott O’Hare is trying out a new option: Fresh, healthy food from a vending machine. Priced from $3 to $12, options include things like the Detox Salad (kale, quinoa, fruits and beans); low-fat Greek yogurt with berries; and chicken breast from antibiotic-free, humanely raised birds.

In Case You Missed It…

Chris evaluates Virgin America’s LAX Loft lounge.

British Airways is bringing its A380 to San Francisco.

You can pile up bonus points with these fall hotel promotions

Southwest Airlines unveils a new logo and aircraft livery

–Jim Glab & Chris McGinnis

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How to choose the best carry-on bag

A bright spot at LAX’s drab Terminal 3

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United’s newest jet + More Delta to UK + New Asian carrier at SFO + Grand plans for ATL & MEX airports

Nail Painting onboard: Illegal or just rude? 

Biz Trip: Copenhagen

Virgin Atlantic adds new ATL, SFO & DTW flights

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United streams entertainment + ATL short changed by merger? + Secret spaces on new jets + PreCheck milestone

6 end-of-summer travel deals. Act fast

Awesome Knee Defender animation VIDEO

Are you in the market for a new credit card? Looking for a fat points or mileage bonus to sweeten your balance? Then check out our BEST CREDIT CARDS FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS and scoop up the deals!

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5 ways Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner still wows

The crew on my 787 Dreamliner flight from San Francisco to Chengdu (and back!). (Photo: Nancy Branka

The crew on my 787 Dreamliner flight from San Francisco to Chengdu–and back (Photo: Nancy Branka)

The shine has not come off Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

It’s been almost four years since ANA, the inaugural customer for the 787-8, took possession of the first aircraft and flew its first commercial flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong. Yet, while 150 or so Dreamliners are currently in service, the plane is used primarily on international routes. And United Airlines is the only U.S. carrier to own the aircraft, with just 10 in the fleet right now. That means the number of North American passengers who have experienced the 787 remains small. I had flown on the 787 twice, three years before, but when I boarded the Dreamliner for United’s inaugural 14-hour flight from San Francisco to Chengdu, China (CTU), it thrilled me.

Over time, as more and more 787s go into service, it will be just another aircraft. But in the meantime, here are five things still worth getting excited about on this pretty plane:

Humidity – One of the big benefits for passengers of the 787’s 50-percent-composite-material construction is that the cabin can be pressurized to allow higher humidity. That lovely humidity is what I heard most about from passengers and crew on my SFO-CTU-SFO 787 flights. In the moister air, nasal passages do not get that burning, dried-out feeling. Eyes feel less irritated. Another benefit of higher humidity: It may lessen your chances of getting sick because germs “stick” more in dry nasal areas. Some say the lower pressure and higher humidity may reduce jet lag, but that’s a hard one to measure and I didn’t speak with anyone who experienced a noticeable difference.

_I1P7298

The 787’s birdlike wings that bow up during flight capture the imagination. (Photo: United Airlines)

Wings – There’s absolutely no passenger comfort benefit to the wing design, but it’s what I love most about the aircraft. For aviation aficionados, it’s breathtaking to see the shape of the 787’s wings change as the plane takes off. Positively birdlike! In fact, during our return flight, two experienced aviation journalists and I took turns gaping at the window when the angle of lift was particularly striking. If you can, take a look out the window during turbulence and see how the wings respond. A search on YouTube yields lots of passenger videos, too, of the wing flex during turbulence and takeoff.

Related: TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis recounts his unusual experience in Tokyo during the grounding of the Dreamliner in early 2013

Spaciousness – The 787’s overhead bins sport a groundbreaking design. Strangely, overhead bins have become the battleground of the passenger experience. But these bins are exceptionally roomy, easily able to accommodate standard rollaboards. Even better is the fact that their deep curve and the way they fold into the ceiling create unusually spacious headroom in the aisle seat. Even if you’re not sitting in the aisle, the sense of roominess makes you feel like you have more headroom and even more legroom (that one’s an illusion). The fellow next to me, who was 6’3”, could easily stand in the aisle seat area. I have noticed similar design on other aircraft models as their cabins are refreshed.

Quiet – The Dreamliner is substantially quieter than its aircraft relatives, and it’s a noticeable difference. My seatmate, who was a frequent international flier, had never flown a 787 before and commented on that. Reduction in noise, besides all the environmental benefits, is a stress-reducer for passengers.

The size and lighting of the Dreamliner's windows add to the visual comfort of the flight. (Photo: Flickr/ChicagoKoz)

The size and lighting of the Dreamliner’s windows add to the visual comfort of the flight. (Photo: Flickr/ChicagoKoz)

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Mood – What a view! The windows on a 787 are the largest in civil aviation, bringing in more natural light and providing an unparalleled look at the heavens. During the flight, the color and tint of the windows changes, creating a soothing visual effect. Also unusual, Boeing has eschewed the window shade. Instead, a large button controls the light. However, when my seatmate wanted to nap and attempted to go “lights out,” we found it impossible to completely black out the window. Frustrating. I guess that’s what eye shades are for.

Bonus: Hands-free – I can’t resist mentioning this, because it does wow: In the lav, the toilet seat automatically closes and flushes, hands-free. Enough said.

Some say the 787 provides one of the best passenger experiences of any aircraft. What do you love about the Dreamliner? What not-so-much? Share your comments!

–-Nancy Branka 

Disclosure: Nancy was a guest of United Airlines on the SFO-Chengdu inaugural trip. 

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How to save $$ on pricey inflight wi-fi

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United’s new copy & paste MileagePlus program

A snarky version of Delta's SkyMiles site marked up with United changes announced today (Source: FlyerTalk- creator unknown)

A snarky version of Delta’s SkyMiles site marked up with United changes announced today (Source: Charles M. Kunz, CMK10 on Flyertalk)

It’s no surprise that United announced that it’s changing to a revenue-based frequent flyer program starting in March of 2015.

What is surprising, though, is how closely it mimics Delta SkyMiles’ proposed changes that go into effect in January 15. Jokes about it are flying around on social media sites (like the altered image above). Then there are  tweets like the one from fellow travel columnist Joe Brancatelli, “Proof positive that everyone in United C-suite wears W.W.D.D. (What Would Delta Do) bracelets.”

How similar can they be? Well, just look at the helpful new mileage calculator that United posted on its website today, and compare it to the one Delta posted in February.

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United's Mileage Plus conversion calculator

United’s MileagePlus conversion calculator posted today

Delta's SkyMiles conversion chart posted in February 2014

Delta’s SkyMiles conversion chart posted in February 2014

American

This space reserved for American Airlines 🙂

Many of my readers may not want to hear me say this, but I think what United and Delta (and Virgin America, Southwest, JetBlue) did makes a lot of sense and will improve the loyalty experience for true frequent business travelers in coming years. There’s little doubt in my mind that once the dust around the American and US Airways merger settles, it will adopt similar, if not identical, policies.

It never made good business sense for airlines to base programs on miles flown instead of dollars spent. That’s because airline fares are not based on distance flown; they are driven by market forces. This is why it can cost three times as much to fly from, say Atlanta to Nashville (215 miles), than it does to fly from Atlanta to New York (750 miles). As painful as this announcement is, it makes business sense for airlines to better reward their customers who spend the most…not those who fly the farthest.

To me, the airlines made a mistake when they started distributing applications for “frequent flyer” programs to everyone—even those who fly once or twice a year. That diluted the loyalty experience for the airlines’ best customers…the ones who pay the most (not those who flew the farthest). It opened the door to a wily generation of “gamers” who figured out how to snag more miles at very low fares by manipulating an admittedly imperfect system. With new, similarly mimicked spending tiers attached to elite status, those gamers can still earn mountains of miles and travel “for free” but over time I’m betting they won’t get those upgrades, shorter lines and other bennies bestowed on those who spend a lot.

The move to revenue-based programs realigns the system back to its initial premise: to reward truly frequent business travelers, those who fly 10+ times per year on non-discounted fares. I’m talking about the guy or gal whose company pays $6,000 for a business class ticket to London, or a $550 last minute fare between Portland and San Francisco.  If that’s not you, then sorry. If that is you, then get ready for things to get better. But it will take a while.

United MileagePlus

Link here for details from United

I’d love to hear your thoughts, feelings, comments and feedback about this massive change…. please leave them below! 

–Chris McGinnis

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Check out these popular recent TravelSkills posts: 

Flying on a brand new United 787 Dreamliner

The sad state of summer airfares to Europe

Tip: What exactly is “high tea?”

Feast your eyes on United’s new London lounges (PHOTOS)

Economy comfort gets an upgrade (for some)

Late summer airfare sale starts TODAY

5 key questions to ask at hotel check in

JetBlue goes transpac? + Seattle battle + More 787s + Dirty planes + Centurion Lounge at MIA + New hotels for ATL SFO

Biz Trip: New York City

The most unusual Virgin breakfast

5 insider groups for ultra-connected travelers

An update on email frequency – note from Chris

Please join the 25,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email per day updates!

More transpac + Slim-line seats slammed + More A321s + New SFO club + ATL free wi-fi + New Hilton brand

Seattle (pictured) nabs two new nonstops to Asia (Photo: Jim Glab)

Seattle (pictured) nabs two new nonstops to Asia (Photo: Jim Glab)

*Would you rather get TravelSkills Weekly instead of Daily? No probs! click here to sign up for TravelSkills Weekly.* 

AIRLINES

U.S. carriers launch new transpac routes. Transpacific travelers are getting several new options this month. Delta last week started daily non-stops from Seattle to Seoul, and on June 16 will add daily flights from SEA to Hong Kong. At San Francisco International, United plans a June 9 start for non-stop 787 service to Chengdu, China three times a week. (TravelSkills will be on the inaugural flight so stay tuned for our report!) And June 11 is the launch date for American’s new daily non-stops between Dallas/Ft. Worth and Shanghai Pudong. Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific last week added a fourth daily frequency to its LAX-Hong Kong route, and Etihad kicked off daily Los Angeles-Abu Dhabi transatlantic flights.

Survey slams slim-line seats. Those new slim-line seats that some airlines are installing in economy class aren’t a big hit with passengers, according to a new Tripadvisor survey of 4,300 flyers. Almost two-thirds said the slim-line seats are less comfortable than traditional seating. Uncomfortable seating remains air travelers’ top complaint (73 percent), followed by high fares and fees (66 percent), flight delays (45 percent), long waits at security (35 percent) and whiney kids (32 percent). Have you spent much time in slim-line seats yet? What did you think?

Delta's new A321s will be made in Mobile, Alabama (Airbus)

Delta’s new 195-seat Airbus A321s will be made in Mobile, Alabama (Airbus)

Airlines go for A321s. After years of adding Airbus A319 and A320 narrow-bodies to their fleets, U.S. carriers are now trending toward the larger A321. Delta just ordered 15 more (for a total of 45, starting in 2016); American selected specially-configured A321s for its new transcon fleet, and JetBlue will use them for its new premium-cabin (Mint) transcon service as well. What’s the attraction? They can carry many more passengers (e.g., 192 seats on Delta’s version, vs. 150 for its A320s) for almost the same amount of fuel burn.

Eagle getting new jets. American Airlines has taken delivery of the first of 30 new CRJ-900s that will fly under the American Eagle banner. They’ll have 12 first class, 32 Main Cabin Extra and 32 main cabin seats, and they’ll be equipped with Gogo Wi-Fi technology. No word yet on which routes get them first.

US Airways adds code-shares to Germany. American Airlines has long had code-sharing with oneworld partner airberlin, and now AA affiliate US Airways does too. US Airways’ code has gone onto airberlin flights from ORD, MIA and JFK to Berlin; and from MIA, JFK and Ft. Myers, Fla. to Dusseldorf.

2 most popular TravelSkills posts last week: 5 key questions to ask at hotel check in | Tip: What exactly is “high tea?”

AIRPORTS

Free Champers at the brand new United Club at SFO on opening day! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Free Champers at the brand new United Club at SFO on opening day! Stay tuned to TravelSkills for a slideshow! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

New UA Club at SFO. United recently opened a temporary 5,000-square-foot United Club at San Francisco International. It is located on the mezzanine level over the corridor connecting the new Boarding Area E with Boarding Area F. The temporary 100-seat club is expected to be open for only 16 months while a brand new United Club is being built nearby. It supplements existing Clubs in T3’s Boarding Area F Rotunda and the International Terminal. TravelSkills was there with a camera on opening day so stay tuned for a slideshow! 

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ATL offers free Wi-Fi. Travelers at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson can now access the Web anywhere, for no charge, using a system operated by ATL itself. Previously, a $4.95 fee applied. “The lack of free Wi-Fi put our airport at a competitive disadvantage and it was the number one complaint we would receive from our customers,” a spokesman said. Have you had a chance to try it yet? Let us know about your experience in the comments below! 

HOTELS

Hilton adds a new brand. Like Marriott’s Autograph Collection, Hilton Worldwide has created a new brand of independently owned and operated hotels that will participate in Hilton’s reservations and marketing networks and its HHonors program. Initial members of the new Curio-A Collection by Hilton are the SLS Las Vegas; Sam Houston Hotel, Houston; Hotel Alex Johnson, Rapid City, S.D.; and Franklin Hotel, Chapel Hill, N.C.

The brand new Park Hyatt Vienna is open! (Photo: Hyatt)

The brand new Park Hyatt Vienna is open! (Photo: Hyatt)

New hotels from Hyatt, Loews. Hyatt has opened its first hotel in Austria. The Park Hyatt Vienna, on Am Hof Square, is a rebuild of a 100-year-old bank. Meanwhile, an early July closing is expected for Loews Hotels’ acquisition of the Graves 601 Hotel Wyndham Grand in downtown Minneapolis; and the Radisson Plaza Hotel Minneapolis will be rechristened the Radisson Blu July 7 after a massive renovation.

In Case You Missed It…

>There are five questions you should always ask when checking into a hotel.

 >Take a tour of United’s first and business class lounges at London Heathrow’s brand-new Terminal 2.

>Pricing your summer trip to Europe? Be prepared for sticker shock!

>June 30 is the launch date for the reincarnation of 1980s low-fare carrier PEOPLExpress, operating three routes out of Newport News, Va.

–Jim Glab 

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P.S. Facebook is taking its sweet time merging our previous pages into the new TravelSkills Facebook page. If you like to stay in touch and get breaking news/deals updates that way, please visit the page and LIKE it. Thanks!

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Would you rather get TravelSkills Weekly instead of Daily? No probs! click here to sign up for TravelSkills Weekly. 

Check out these popular recent TravelSkills posts: 

Flying on a brand new United 787 Dreamliner

The sad state of summer airfares to Europe

Tip: What exactly is “high tea?”

Feast your eyes on United’s new London lounges (PHOTOS)

Economy comfort gets an upgrade (for some)

Late summer airfare sale starts TODAY

5 key questions to ask at hotel check in

JetBlue goes transpac? + Seattle battle + More 787s + Dirty planes + Centurion Lounge at MIA + New hotels for ATL SFO

Biz Trip: New York City

The most unusual Virgin breakfast

5 insider groups for ultra-connected travelers

An update on email frequency – note from Chris

Please join the 25,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email per day updates!

Flying on a brand new United 787 Dreamliner

You know you're on a 787 when you look out the window after take off and see the elegant swooping of the wing (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

You know you’re on a 787 when you look out the window after take off and see the elegant swooping of the wing (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

After a few technical difficulties early last year, Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner is rolling out quickly across many carriers. There are now about 140 flying around the world.

In the US, United is currently the only carrier flying the fuel-efficient, composite bird, with 10 in its fleet and 65 more on order. In November, American Airlines gets the first of 42 787s it has on order. Delta recently indicated that it is looking at the 787 along with newer generation A330s and 777s to replace its aging widebodies like the 747.

Have you flown on a 787 yet? If not, you likely will be very soon. Boeing currently has a whopping 900+ Dreamliner orders on its books from airlines around the world. For a taste of what it’s like to fly on this mod new bird, we turned to TravelSkills contributor Ramsey Qubein, who recently flew from London to Houston on a shiny new United 787.

See the swoop? Paint and the wing! (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

See the swoop? Paint and the wing tip, too! (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

Last month I took a United 787 on the London-Houston route in BusinessFirst, United’s business class cabin. When I arrived at the gate at Heathrow, the new plane certainly made a statement with its distinctive Dreamliner livery on the fuselage that United uses only for its 787 aircraft. (See the swoop!)

You could sense the excitement among many passengers who knew they were boarding a unique plane, with many standing at the gate windows snapping photos. Aviation geeks like me were in heaven at the sight of another Dreamliner from Qatar Airways parked next to ours and yet another one from Royal Brunei on the taxiway!

When I flew back in April, United was using two terminals at Heathrow, a relic of the United and Continental merger. But as of this week, it is operating from the flashy new, state-of-the-art Queen’s Terminal (T2). (Feast your eyes on United’s new lounges there)

Ironically, even though we were about to embark on a brand new plane, our flight was delayed nearly two hours for maintenance. And unfortunately, the staff handling the flight did not excel in providing the most informative updates, which got us off to a bad start despite our initial enthusiasm.

Once boarding opened, something odd and frustrating happened: Gate agents asked nonrevenue passengers (paged as United crew) to board the plane first. Regular paying passengers who walked up to board were curtly turned back and told this was just a crew call for boarding. However, none of the people who boarded were dressed that way. This could have been because of the mechanical delay, and staff chose to hold off on boarding paying passengers until things were sorted out… but we never really knew. Awkward!

Related: Chris’s trip San Jose to Tokyo on an ANA 787 | The sad state of summer airfares to Europe

Seat map United's Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Seat map United’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Once we boarded, I found that all the overhead bin space was full near my seat in row four despite the 787’s massive bins. Plus, I was unable to snag any really good photos of the cabin since it was so busy and full during boarding—all 36 seats were occupied. On the 787, United’s 2-2-2 configured flat-bed seats are angled slightly toward the window and have plenty of in-seat storage space and face large entertainment screens. Like BusinessFirst seats throughout United’s fleet, this one reclines to fully flat (no slope), and feels even more private because of the angle toward the window.

Service started out unevenly. For example, my aisle never received pre-departure drinks while those on the other side of the plane received them. Amenity kits and menus were already in the seat storage areas upon boarding, but my power outlet did not work. (Oh, the joys of flying in a new plane!) Unfortunately, the crew could do nothing about it, but at least they were extremely apologetic. My battery has a one-hour life left (yes, it’s an oldie), so I was unable to get much work done. I cannot say that I was too disappointed though—I had plenty to watch and report on!

photo4

Warm nuts are a nice touch (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

Once meal service began, I quickly forgot about my limited work ability (it should be noted that all other seats’ power plugs were functioning properly). Cheerful flight attendants quickly laid linens on tables with warm nuts (something I now appreciate since Delta no longer offers this inflight staple) and a lengthy wine list supplied ample entertainment for the flight.

One of my favorite features of United’s service on two-class (biz/economy) is the elegance and care flight attendants take in presenting meals—it really makes a big difference when you know that they are trying hard to do it “just right” and in this case, they were.

I have an admission to make: I’m an airline service cart freak—I even have one at home and I’m always observing how flight attendants use them. First observation: United FAs served appetizers and salads from a three-tiered cart (much nicer than the economy class carts that other airlines rattle through the business class cabin). On three-class aircraft (first/biz/economy), United does use an economy-class style cart and trays for meals, which in my opinion, cheapens the service experience. (Come on, tickets can cost as much as $8,000 for these seats!)

The meal began with spring rolls and spicy dipping sauce, continued with shrimp, and finished with salad topped with a tasty yogurt dressing (that I requested to have on the side). United serves appetizers, salads, and cheeses as separate courses, which results in a more personalized experience. Many airlines deposit all three courses on a tray at one time in front of the passenger while United spreads it out into a more restaurant-style experience—a really nice way to pass the time on a long flight if you are not working or watching movies. In my case, I was happy to have the meal service elongated since I didn’t have my laptop to distract me.

United business class

My Peruvian chicken breast with vegetable quinoa and spinach was piping hot and spiced just right (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

My Peruvian chicken breast with vegetable quinoa was piping hot and spiced just right, pairing well with the Au Bois d’Ardennes Pouilly-Fume 2012. An ice cream sundae and British cheeses finished the meal off nicely. Refills seemed to be on request (not automatic), but once I asked, they came and poured in a jiffy.

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Dreamliner manufacturer Boeing claims that the 787 has a more comfortable cabin (due to better pressurization and humidity due to the plane’s composite construction) that will help to reduce jetlag and headaches. Hmm. I can’t say that I really noticed a difference. I did feel that the aircraft was quieter and loved the oversized windows with electronic dimmers that allowed the bright sunlight to be reduced while still preserving the external view. Crew have the ultimate control though as they can dim the lighting on all windows with just one touch of a button.

Another unique feature of the Dreamliner is that it has turbulence sensors that can notice when bumps are ahead and give the aircraft time to compensate for it. While this does not mean zero turbulence, it should mean that it is less noticeable. I would agree with that, especially on my flight.

Hygienic touchless taps on the Boeing 787 (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

Hygienic touchless taps on the Boeing 787 (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

Germ freaks will like this: Dreamliner lavatories have motion sensors on the sink taps and toilet flushers, so there is no need to touch them. Plus, lightweight, single-panel doors swing in to make it easier to move through the aisle. United does not feature any snazzy extras I’ve seen on other 787’s—for example, there are no windows in the lavatories, like Chris saw on ANA’s 787 to Tokyo last year.

I have to say that United’s robust onboard entertainment systems with big screens and excellent audio quality, along with hundreds of audio and video programs place it as one of the industry’s best.

Prior to landing, flight attendants served a savory, warm chicken wrap, similar to what I’ve seen United serve on domestic flights. The side salad of marinated vegetables and chocolates for dessert was a welcome treat—I had worked up an appetite again after nearly nine hours of flying from London to Houston.

To sum it up: Despite a few service issues early on during this flight, I believe that United’s Dreamliner is the best U.S.-operated aircraft across the Atlantic with lie-flat seating in business, fantastic audiovisual programming in economy, and a quiet ride with turbulence-abatement features that ensure a delightful flight (even when departures are delayed).

Have you flown on a 787 yet? What did you think? How did it compare to other aircraft you’ve been on? Please leave your comments below! 

–Ramsey Qubein

Disclosure: RQ flew this trip on a paid (not comped) business class ticket. 

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Late summer airfare sale starts TODAY

Southwest 737 decked out in California state flag livery (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Southwest 737 decked out in California state flag livery (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

By now we all know this summer is toast when it comes to airfare deals. That means bargain hunters have had to wait around for any honest-to-goodness bargains.

Those deals arrived today.

This morning Southwest Airlines and AirTran kicked off a big three-day fare sale for late summer (and fall) trips starting Monday, August 25 and running through Wednesday, December 17 that other airlines are sure to match. (UPDATE: So far, we’ve seen matching sale fare pages posted from JetBlue, Virgin America , Delta, United, American )

To get the deals, you must book now through Thursday, June 5 at midnight in your time zone.

Get two free round-trips on Southwest! Click here for details

These deals are great for late summer…and pretty good for the slower fall season. You can bet your sweet bippy that those late summer fares will be snapped up in just the first few hours of this sale, so act fast.

Or, if you get stuck and can’t find a sale seat, check competing airlines that might be slow to match the sale, and have not sold out.

Examples:

$100 round-trip between Chicago and Memphis or Baltimore and Boston; San Francisco and Las Vegas

$200 round-trip between Atlanta and New York or Ft Lauderdale; Seattle and San Diego or Austin and Denver; Oakland to Denver or Phoenix

$260 round-trip between Washington DC  and Houston Hobby

$300 round-trip between Atlanta or Chicago and  Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Francisco

Find sale fares on Southwest Airlines website

There are restrictions: Sale fares are not available on Fridays or Sundays, the busiest days of the week for flying. Blackout dates are September 1 (Labor Day) and November 21-December 2 (Thanksgiving).

If you are planning to fly to/from Nevada or Florida, here’s a weird rule in Southwest’s fine print: “Travel to Florida or Nevada is valid Sunday through Wednesday only.  Additionally, travel from Florida or Nevada valid Tuesday through Friday only.  Travel between Nevada and Florida is valid on Tuesdays and Wednesdays only.”

Please join the 25,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email per day updates!

—Chris McGinnis

P.S. Facebook is taking its sweet time merging our previous pages into the new TravelSkills Facebook page. If you like to stay in touch and get breaking news/deals updates that way, please visit the page and LIKE it. Thanks!

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Would you rather get TravelSkills Weekly instead of Daily? No probs! click here to sign up for TravelSkills Weekly. 

Check out these popular recent TravelSkills posts: 

5 key questions to ask at hotel check in

JetBlue goes transpac? + Seattle battle + More 787s + Dirty planes + Centurion Lounge at MIA + New hotels for ATL SFO

Biz Trip: New York City

The most unusual Virgin breakfast

5 insider groups for ultra-connected travelers

An update on email frequency – note from Chris

Bigger, better RJs + Virgin website + More premium economy + ATL roadways + SFO on-airport hotel

Huge hotel mash-up in the works?

Marriott’s 4,000th hotel opens

Unusual collection: Airline amenity kits (photos)

Surviving “tourist season” at the airport: Chris on CNN

5 new business class hotels in Boston

Virgin Atlantic to fly to Atlanta!

Please join the 25,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email per day updates!

 

SAS arrival + Fight over Jersey + Taipei Delei + United woes

The first SAS A340 arrives at SFO to a water cannon salute (Photo: Joe D'Alessandro)

The first SAS A340 arrives at SFO to a water cannon salute (Photo: Joe D’Alessandro)

SKAL TO SAS. SAS touched down at SFO last Monday at around 2:30pm. While TravelSkills was unable to attend the airport arrival celebration, reader Joe D’Alessandro sent along the above photo of the first SAS A340-300 getting a water cannon salute. Within 10 minutes, we posted the photo on TravelSkills Facebook page and our sister column on SFgate. D’Alessandro is the head of San Francisco Travel, and was at SFO to give a welcome speech, during which he mentioned the quickly posted photo as an example of the power and reach of social media in the Bay Area! Cool! (TravelSkills’s onboard SAS this week bound for Copenhagen, so stay tuned for our review!)

Pete Cashmore (Mashable) and Richard Branson on the Virgin America Inaugural LAX-EWR flight.

Pete Cashmore (Mashable) and Richard Branson on the Virgin America Inaugural LAX-EWR flight.

VIRGIN AMERICA IN JERSEY. Another inaugural this week: Virgin America jets touched down in Newark, New Jersey, with Richard Branson and Mashable’s Pete Cashmore onboard in a Google+ Hangout, in which Branson shared that fares between California and Newark are down 40% since Virgin’s entry into the market. In later interviews, Branson talked about the possibility of filing an antitrust complaint against United for its overwhelming buildup of flights in response to Virgin’s entry into the market, which TravelSkills pointed out in early March.  United was quick to point out that its response was nothing more than business as usual. What do you think?

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TAIPEI DELEI. United has postponed the start of its nonstops between SFO and Taipei for a full YEAR– until March 2014. Originally, flights were to have started this month, but that was then pushed until June. Routes Online reports that the delay is due to “market seasonality and the availability of wide body aircraft as a result of the ongoing Boeing 787 delays…. Due to the 787 issue, the Boeing 777 that we would use on the SFO-TPE route is now needed to support other existing routes that we planned to transition to Boeing 787s.” Speaking of United’s 787’s, the currently grounded plane is now back on United’s schedule starting May 31, flying between Denver and Houston. However, the FAA has not yet given airline the green light to fly 787s, but it’s expected soon. (United’s new flights to Paris, announced at the same time as Taipei, crank up on April 26.)

United CEO Jeff Smisek

UNITED CEO PAY CUT. The Miami Herald reports that CEO of United Airlines saw his total 2012 compensation shrink 41 percent last year after stumbles in the airline’s merger with Continental. Compensation for Chairman and CEO Jeff Smisek was $7.9 million last year, down from $13.4 million after a cut in his incentive payments.

MEGA-MILEAGE BONUSES. Did you check out our post this week on two new sites offering big bonuses for hotel stays… how about 15,000 United Mileage Plus miles for a three night stay in NYC or Chicago? Not bad. But not for everyone. Read about it here.

Virgin America's newest A320's have sharklets on the wings. Seen em? (Photo: Virgin America)

Virgin America’s newest A320’s have sharklets on the wings. Seen em? (Photo: Virgin America)

BEST AND WORST OF TIMES. Interesting to note that the much-ballyhooed (but generally ignored by consumers) “2012 Airline Quality Rankings” came out this week with the Bay Area’s two largest airlines at opposite ends. Virgin America ranked #1… and United ranked dead last at #14. Virgins’ win was attributed to its smaller, more manageable size, newer planes, wi-fi, fun crews, etc. Most of the blame for United’s dismal showing was based on its computer switchover and consolidation with Continental woes. Do these survey results make you MORE likely to choose Virgin and LESS likely to fly United? Please leave your comments below.

Here’s how the airlines ranked in 2012, as well as their position the previous year.

1) Virgin America (new to the ranking this year*)
2) JetBlue (3)
3) AirTran (1)
4) Delta (6)
5) Hawaiian (2)
6) Alaska (5)
7) Frontier (4)
8) Southwest (7)
9) US Airways (8)
10) American (10)
11) American Eagle (15)
12) SkyWest (9)
13) ExpressJet (new to the ranking this year*)
14) United (12)
*In order to qualify for inclusion in the report, an airline must carry at least 1 percent of domestic passengers.

ELEGANT EVENING. On Tuesday, SAS threw an elegant dinner party for about 150 at the Asian Art Museum. Among the dignitaries on the dais,  SAS CEO Rickard Gustafson and ex-SF-mayor Willie Brown, who’s energetic and spot on speech brought the relatively buttoned up house down. What a show! Bay Area Traveler editor Chris McGinnis was honored to be among the attendees.

photo

—Chris McGinnis

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Boeing’s 787 grounded: My report from Tokyo

The view from the 47th floor of the Park Hyatt Tokyo (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The view from the 47th floor of the Park Hyatt Tokyo (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

(TOKYO, JAPAN) Here I sit at the Park Hyatt, Tokyo (the Lost in Translation hotel) watching the morning sun hit Mt Fuji, and watching the headlines and emails about the FAA’s grounding of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner spew forth from my laptop.

As you may know from previous posts, I flew to Tokyo last Saturday aboard one of the first Dreamliner flights to depart San Jose International airport. While there were operational issues with the aircraft at that time,  passengers I spoke with felt confident about flying the brand new 158-passenger bird across the Pacific. Our 10-hour flight to Tokyo was delightful and without incident.

I was traveling with a group of travel media, and during our interviews with ANA executives on Tuesday, we were assured that these were “teething issues” that fell within the band of normalcy for any new aircraft. They were still very excited about the aircraft with plans to buy several more.

While new at San Jose, ANA has been flying the 787 for a year and a half, with rave reviews from passengers, pilots and the media in general. We had heard US Transportation secretary Ray LaHood state a few days earlier that he’d feel confident flying on a 787.

Then, on Wednesday morning here in Tokyo, we heard that a Dreamliner had made an emergency landing at an airport in western Japan, and that all passengers had been evacuated. Apparently, an indicator light told pilots that there was a battery issue, and that there was an unusual odor in the cockpit. After that incident, ANA immediately grounded its fleet of 17 Dreamliners and launched an investigation into the cause. At that time in the US, the FAA said that it was looking into the incident.

Inspecting ANA's maintenance hangar at Haneda Airport on the day before the 787 was grounded. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Inspecting ANA’s maintenance hangar at Haneda Airport on the day before the 787 was grounded. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Half of our media group had reservations to fly out of Tokyo bound for San Jose on the 787 on Wednesday afternoon. However, thanks to the slower winter travel season and quick action on the part of ANA staff, there was enough room on Wednesday’s ANA flight to San Francisco to accommodate the group and they all got home safely. I was glad I had already booked my return trip to SFO on an ANA Boeing 777 (instead of the 787 into SJC) for later this week.

Last night, I pondered what all this meant as I sat having a meal in the Park Hyatt’s New York Grill & Bar, thinking about Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation drinking Suntory whiskey, listening to a “Sausalito”-like chanteuse croon while the Tokyo skyline twinkled 52 stories below.

I had a great night’s sleep (almost no jet lag on this trip…maybe due to the 787’s new cabin pressurization … or the Park Hyatt’s comfy beds?) and awoke to another bombshell: The US Federal Aviation Administration had grounded the 787 until it could determine the cause of the incident.

With sketchy information and investigations underway, it’s too early to conclude that the aircraft is fundamentally flawed. But the recent rash of incidents and media hype around them are certain to cause concern…

Here’s a list of what is swirling around in my head about this now. Conclusions will come later….

>First, I’m grateful to be safe and sound in a nice hotel in Tokyo, and not stuck at an airport due to a flight cancellation. I’m glad to have the chance to ride on the 787… and equally glad I have a reservation to get back to San Francisco an ANA 777.

>It’s tough to speculate on what this means for ANA’s new 787 flights between Tokyo and San Jose. The 158-passenger Dreamliner is perfect for a “long, thin” route like Tokyo-San Jose. I think it’s unlikely that ANA will substitute another aircraft on the route—such as a Boeing 777 or 767 because they are simply too big—there is not enough demand in the South Bay to keep a 200-300 seat aircraft full. (American Airlines used to have a 777 on the route, but discontinued the flight in 2006.) So if the grounding of the 787 is short term, the outlook for the route should be okay… is it’s a long-term affair, the future of the route is cloudy.

>ANA is handling cancellations on a day-to-day basis– for example, I’ve just learned that Friday’s flight between Tokyo and San Jose has been canceled, but no decision has been made for Saturday’s flight. On ANA alone, Dreamliner cancellations affect the plans of 4,800 passengers per day, according to a spokesperson.

>The impact of the controversy is likely felt most acutely here in Japan– ANA has a fleet of 17 Dreamliners, most of which are used for domestic flying, so re-accommodating passengers is causing some pain. Japan Airlines has grounded seven 787s. In addition, the lithium ion batteries in question are made in Japan. It’s difficult to watch all this come down on the gentle, polite Japanese who feel deeply embarrassed and apologetic about the whole affair.

>The current FAA grounding will affect flights on United’s 6 Dreamliners, however, none of them now fly into the Bay Area, so the local impact is minimal. United is the only US carrier now operating the plane.

>For perspective, I think it’s important to look at a similar incident regarding the giant Airbus A380 last year. If you recall, serious structural and mechanical issues (cracks in wings and an engine fire) forced Australian authorities to ground the plane until remedies were in place. The grounding was temporary, and the A380 was quickly back in the skies. Hopefully, engineers will be able to find a similar fix for the Dreamliner’s lithium-ion batteries, which seem to be the cause of the jet’s most severe problems at the moment.

>Even if the 787 gets back in the skies quickly, some business travelers will likely book away from 787 flights out of fear that future groundings or reliability issues could foul their travel plans.

>Regarding how the airlines might get this fixed, Hudson Crossing aviation analyst Henry Harteveldt told TravelSkills: “It’s possible the correction may be a multi-step process — a short-term ‘tactical’ fix followed by more in-depth corrections, which may be more complex. Short-term, we may see the FAA recommend airlines limit the types of routes where they operate the 787 — for example, flights that last no longer than a certain number of hours, flights that operate only over land (or close to it), or both. Longer term, the FAA may recommend adding a fire suppression system to the battery bays, replacing the lithium-ion batteries, or something else.”

>The big question remains: Is this plane truly safe to fly? At this point, no one really knows. It’s going to be interesting to watch this pan out.

I’m firmly in the “wait and see” category when it comes to the idea of booking flights on the 787 in the near future. What about you? How do you feel about the 787? Do you trust the airlines, manufacturers and government regulators to keep you safe? Please leave your comments below.

–Chris McGinnis

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