Chris McGinnis, Author at TravelSkills

Dear Readers: TravelSkills has moved to SFGATE

January 18, 2018

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis in Manhattan prepping for a speech in NYC

TravelSkills has moved over to a new platform and is now part of the SFGate/Hearst publishing empire. (See it here)

While this is a huge step for TravelSkills, readers should not notice much change. You’ll still get your TravelSkills email bulletins from us (although the cadence may vary).

And when you click on the links in posts or emails like this one, you’ll now be taken to a page on SFGate.com.

The blog archive– where you can always go to read our latest posts will now live here: TravelSkills with Chris McGinnis on SFGate Please save that URL in your browser menu or bookmarks for easy access to our content.

Our social feeds will remain the same– follow us if you don’t already to get the news as it happens:

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Our old content will remain here on TravelSkills.com, so you can always return and search for stories you’d like to read or reference again.

As with any big change, we’ll hit a few bumps along the way and we expect to get plenty of feedback. Please stick with us during the transition! That’s how we will learn to make TravelSkills even better and more relevant in the coming year. We welcome your comments and feedback– either here on the post, or directly to me chris@travelskills.com.

With a new platform comes a MUCH larger audience- content will be distributed throughout Hearst outlets, so you’ll notice that comments will be a mixed bag of the usual excellent, helpful and on-point stuff combined with a few crazies– ignore them, please…or enjoy them 😉

We’re pleased to have you along for the ride!

Sincerely,

Chris McGinnis, Founder, TravelSkills

TravelSkills posts from the last three weeks here

Popular: Delta sweet spots + River cruise review + United legroom squeeze + TSA Drivers license mess + more

December 31, 2017

Can you guess which city subway system I’m riding? Hint: It’s on the Danube river- see Viking post below for the answer (Photo: Barkley Dean)

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

1 5 Delta SkyMiles sweet spots

2 Trip Report: Viking River Cruise through Europe

3 United cramming more seats into its 757s

4 TSA extends deadline for driver’s license ID demand

5 Routes: End of Delta West Coast shuttles + Another carrier to Hawaii + Alaska, United, American

6 Airport news: Tasty upgrades at SFO, LAX + LaGuardia SkyClub + Newark rebuild + more

7 Hyatt tightens its cancellation policy

8 Japan Airlines eyes 5-1/2 hour San Francisco-Tokyo flights

9 Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

10 Routes: Hong Kong Airlines to LAX + Delta, Cathay Pacific, United, LATAM & more

Leavin on a jet plane! ✈️ #SFO #ATL #sanfrancisco #travel #united
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Dec 20, 2017 at 10:38pm PST

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

Airlines will try to squeeze passengers for every dollar in 2018

New lounge for business travelers at Toronto Pearson

New: Escape Lounge opens at Reno airport

How luggage manufacturers are reacting to ban on batteries in new “smart bags”

Oversupply in NYC resulting in slightly cheaper hotel rates

USA Today’s roundup of 2017 airport innovations

New federal report slams FAA’s oversight of U.S. regional airlines

Turkey resumes issuing visas for U.S. travelers and vice-versa

British Airways parent expected to take over Austrian carrier NIKI

Delta’s in-flight food ranks number one in annual study

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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5 Delta SkyMiles sweet spots

December 27, 2017

Here are a few bright spots when it comes to redeeming your Delta SkyMiles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The Delta SkyMiles program is known for being stingy, tricky to maximize and hard to understand since the airline doesn’t publish award charts and uses variable, revenue-based pricing. Nevertheless, the it does offer some solid redemption options—especially in domestic markets where it competes with Alaska Airlines. It also offers some nice bargains on intra-Latin-America and intra-Asia flights.

Here are five Delta SkyMiles redemption sweet spots to consider:

Continental US to Alaska

SkyMiles can be a great deal on flights to Alaska depending on where you’re flying from. Standard pricing on flights from anywhere in the Continental US to anywhere in Alaska starts at 25,000 miles round trip. If you’re flying from a city where Delta competes with Alaska Airlines, it might be even less – flights from California to Alaska start at just 19,000 miles. If you’re starting from the Pacific Northwest, flights could be as little as 15,000 miles round trip. For comparison, American Airlines charges 30,000 miles round trip and United charges 35,000 miles round trip, even though both have significantly less service than Delta. Delta is a clear winner here.

Delta Connection flights up and down the west coast go for as little as 10,000 SkyMiles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Short-haul Domestic Flights

Delta’s revenue-based award pricing algorithms offer some very compelling deals for economy flights within the US. There’s no transparency, but depending on the route, short-haul flights (for example, up and down the West Coast) can be available for as little as 10,000-15,000 miles round trip. Like flights to Alaska, you’re particularly likely to find great deals on routes where Delta competes with its rival Alaska Airlines.

Intra-South America

Flights between countries in South America can be notoriously expensive, especially if you need a one way ticket – for example, Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires, Argentina for a random weekday next August costs over $500 one way, and Santiago to Sao Paulo, Brazil costs over $700! Delta miles can offer a better solution than even booking a round trip ticket – their partners Aerolineas Argentinas and Gol Linhas Aereas tend to have excellent award availability, and a one-way flight is only 12,500 SkyMiles in economy (or 25,000 in business class) plus a nominal amount of taxes and fees (around $30 one-way for the cities mentioned).

Delta partner China Eastern offers some decent intra-Asia redemption options (Image: Airbus)

Intra-Asia

Delta has a lot of partners in East Asia – China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Garuda Indonesia, Korean Air, Vietnam Airlines, and Xiamen Air – and even operates a handful of its own flights between Tokyo and other major cities. This means that SkyMiles give you a lot of flexibility for flights within Asia, and some of the options available can actually be pretty solid. A one-way flight from Tokyo to Seoul only costs 7,500 SkyMiles in economy or 15,000 in business class, plus $26 in fees; longer trips like Tokyo to Bali will run you 22,500 in economy or 40,000 in business. These flights can be a great deal – especially if you’re able to snag a seat in business class on Garuda Indonesia.

US to Europe

Between Delta, Air France, Alitalia, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic, SkyMiles give you a good number of options for getting across the pond. Delta flights start at 60,000 miles roundtrip in economy; Air France, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic flights start at 75,000 miles roundtrip. Comfort Plus adds another 20,000 miles if you want slightly more legroom (yes, please!), and business class goes for 140,000. While these prices are slightly higher than most of the competition, availability tends to be pretty good and it still makes for a great use of SkyMiles. If you book a one way flight, try to book US>Europe because one-ways originating in Europe have extra fees.

No matter where you decide to go, the sweetest spot with SkyMiles is having a low balance – Delta has a long history of raising prices with zero notice, so holding onto SkyMiles for a long time is almost guaranteed to make them lose value.

Where will your SkyMiles take you in 2018? Or…what was the best SkyMiles redemption to took recently? Please leave your comments below.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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6 things frequent travelers must check by Dec 31

December 18, 2017

Here’s another list to tick so you don’t miss out on important benefits (Photo United B777 at LAX: Chris McGinnis)

With the end of the year rapidly approaching, here are some tips to help you feel like you’re going into the holiday season with your house in order.

1- Make sure you’ve used up all of your credit cards’ annual travel credits. Many premium travel cards, such as the Citi Prestige, American Express Platinum, and Chase Sapphire Reserve have annual travel credits that have to be used before the end of the year. Review your account history to make sure you’ve redeemed those credits – otherwise you’re leaving money on the table. Those travel credits help reduce the pain of those cards’ high annual fees.

2 – Double check your elite status qualification for airline and hotel programs. Now’s a good time to review your elite qualifying trackers and make sure you’re where you expect to be – if you have a flight or hotel stay missing from your account history, file a missing credit request to make sure it gets resolved before the end of the year. And if you’re close to qualifying for the next tier with a program, it’s not too late to get in a quick mileage run or mattress run, or rack up some spend if you have a credit card that offers elite qualifying miles or dollars at certain spending thresholds.

Going home for the holidays? Get a room! You’ll earn points and your family will love you for it…even if they don’t say so (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

3 – Review credit card spend towards annual bonuses. Many credit cards offer special perks for large amounts of spend – for example, the American Airlines Aviator Red MasterCard from Barclaycard has a $100 voucher if you spend $30,000 in a calendar year. Also, the Ritz-Carlton Visa Infinite card from Chase offers Marriott Platinum status if you spend $75,000 during your “account anniversary year” which means the year beginning with your account open date through the anniversary of your account open date, and each 12 months after that. If you had large purchases on one or more cards this year, it’s worth checking to see if you’re close to a spending threshold where it might make sense to spend a bit more on that card before the end of the year. 

4- Check your (and your family member’s) passport and Global Entry/TSA PreCheck expiration dates, especially if you have international travel planned soon. Many countries require that your passport have at least six months of validity beyond the dates of your trip. If you find that you or someone in your family has an expiring or expired passport, reach out to your nearest passport agency to see about getting it renewed – depending on your travel dates, next-day or even same-day service may be available for a fee.   For Global Entry and TSA PreCheck, you can start the renewal process up to a year before your card expires, so now may be a good time to get an appointment on the calendar if you need an interview – some enrollment centers get booked up weeks or months in advance!  (But remember, if you’ve been conditionally approved, you can take care of your interview when re-entering the country after your next overseas trip (Details here).

Carving out some time for Thanksgiving travel this year in 2018? Make those reservations soon (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

5 – Start planning 2018 holiday travel. Most airlines allow award bookings around 330 days in advance, so you’ll soon be able to make reservations for Thanksgiving 2018 travel, and you can already book for other major holidays and travel periods earlier in the year. If you know when you and/or your family will be free next year, planning ahead and getting some reservations confirmed can save you some serious miles or cash.– plus it will get you better seating choice and the flight times that you really want.

6 – Watch for end-of-year sales and promotions. Many websites will offer special deals in the next few weeks, like 12 days of discounted gift cards with the Swych app, TopCashBack’s Xmas Treats giveaway, and the Starbucks for Life contest. Taking advantage of these promotions can be an easy way to rack up some extra miles or savings.

And remember this, too: Relax, be kind to people, and enjoy the company of family and friends. Whether you’re spending the holidays at home or on the other side of the world, take some time to enjoy the company of whomever you’re with and extend some grace and kindness to those around you. The holidays can be a stressful time of year for retail workers, airline and hotel employees, TSA screeners, infrequent travelers, and everyone else, so a smile and a bit of patience can go a long way.

Is there anything else you’re going to make sure to do before December 31 rolls around? Let us know in the comments.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

Reassessing your card strategy? See our “Credit Card Deals” tab to shop around! It helps us help you!

Don’t miss out! Join the 185,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

Popular: United to South Seas + Delta cancels final 747 + New Australia nonstop + Merge PreCheck, Global Entry?

December 17, 2017

San Francisco International all lit up for the holidays! Pretty! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

BREAKING NEWS: Atlanta airport shut down until at least 7 pm Sunday Dec 17 due to power outage. Follow news here.

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

1 United adds new nonstops to Tahiti

2 Will TSA PreCheck and Global Entry be merged?

3 Airport news: SFO car share, LGA terminal shuffle + Oakland, O’Hare, Toronto

4 So long, Bob Hope. Hello Hollywood Burbank!

5 Hotel rewards: Not all chains are created equal

Last week Chris flew Turkish Air through Istanbul and snagged this gorgeous photo of the Bosporous on the way in… but he also got trapped in the airport. Stay tuned for an interesting Trip Report!

Istanbul out the window #travel #windowseat #avgeek #turkishairlines #myvikingstory
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Dec 10, 2017 at 5:53am PST

6 New twists coming for credit card transactions

7 Delta’s next narrowbody

8 Which airline has the best inflight wi-fi?

9 Qantas to fly San Francisco-Melbourne nonstop

10 Routes: United high-density 777s, Delta, Qantas, Air China, Air Canada, Aeromexico

Breaking: As we press the publish button, it appears that Delta has cancelled its “final” Boeing 747 flight between Detroit and Seoul. That’s kinda awkward for all the aviation and 747 geeks who bought tickets for the final flight. Hmmm. Appears flight is rescheduled for Monday. We’ll monitor, but here’s the Flight Aware status report. Reporter Zach Honig is in Detroit hoping to board the flight and its tweeting about the mishap.

I did it. For years I’ve reported on the boom on Europe’s river boat cruising biz….last week I finally took one! I’ll tell you all about it in an upcoming Trip Report! Have you been on one? Check out my Instagram to see more photos from the trip, but here’s the Viking Gullveig.

Now I know why Viking calls these “long ships” #myvikingstory #travel #cruise #austria
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Dec 5, 2017 at 3:06am PST

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

Inside the airport lounge business

Delta’s last 747 being “pressed into service” for two more days Delta shifts final 747 flight

Singapore will start charging economy flyers for advance seat reservations

Thirty airports worldwide are now included in Apple Maps

Silvercar plans to double all-Audi rental locations in 2018

More Silvercars coming for you (Silvercar/Facebook)

Hotels test use of Amazon Echo as in-room virtual concierge

Lufthansa Group carriers switch to spending-based rewards

New York investment group buys Minnesota’s Sun Country Airlines

Check out the world’s most-Instagrammed hotels

Two Parker Meridien hotels leaving Starwood

DOT drops rule requiring airline transparency on bag fees

American is installing larger overhead bins on Airbus A321

Business travel is bad for your health

Chilling Soviet-era maps of US cities

Delta passenger mistaken for human trafficking victim speaks out

Marriott’s weird innovation: Writing your ideas down on the shower door

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

Reassessing your card strategy? See our “Credit Card Deals” tab to shop around! It helps us help you!

Don’t miss out! Join the 185,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

Is now the time to get the new Uber Visa card?

December 14, 2017

When I flew into LAX, I was picked me up in this specially wrapped Suburban (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Uber, Visa and Barclays recently hosted an event in Los Angeles designed to promote the rich benefits of a new credit card. I accepted an invitation to fly in, dine with execs, spend the night at the SLS hotel and learn more about it. This occurred before Uber’s recent data breach was revealed, so I held off on publishing this post until the storm began to clear.

Uber’s is only the latest of many data breaches affecting frequent travelers in recent years. While the company says that the data hack only exposed user names, email addresses and phone numbers, it is still disconcerting.

So is your credit card application information safe with Uber? Well, after poking around a bit I found out that Uber does not actually store any credit card numbers or application information at all— it’s all handled by banks and payment processors according to a spokesperson.

So why in the world is a ride-share company getting into the credit card biz? Well, of course Uber wants to offer a practical and valuable product to its customers. But on its road to profitability, a key reason is money.

Despite some recent, well-publicized bumps, Uber has broad brand recognition and a loyal, lucrative and spendy customer base. Banks are eager to tap into that crowd, and are willing to pay Uber handsomely for access to them.

And how do they get to them? By wrapping up a lot of valuable benefits into a no-fee credit card that has pricked up the ears of frequent travelers from coast to coast.

With the new Uber Visa Card issued by Barclays, the ride-sharing company has jumped into the co-branded credit card space just like big travel brands like Delta or Marriott, which have earned millions (if not billions) of dollars with their co-branded cards. It’s a win-win-win situation: Banks get access to big spending frequent travelers, travel brands and processors (like Visa) earn money on each transaction, and travelers get a card with a rich roster of benefits.

The Uber Visa card earns points you can use for rides or cash back (Photo: Uber)

This new card is worth considering if you:

Don’t like paying annual fees for credit cards
Eat at restaurants or have food delivered often
Travel frequently
Use Uber
Watch Netflix, listen to Spotify or shop on Amazon Prime
Carry an expensive mobile phone
Use a credit card overseas
Don’t have time for tedious credit card applications

Sound like you? It sure sounds like me.

The new card has a $0 annual fee. That’s surprising considering its benefits. Use it to dine out and you get 4 percent back. Put your airline and hotel (or Airbnb) charges on the card and you get 3 percent back. Online shopping and Uber rides earn 2 percent cash back (a bit of a surprise to me… I would think they’d earn 4 percent since this is the Uber card).

In addition to what you get back, bennies include a $50 credit you can apply to your annual Netflix, Spotify or Amazon Prime (among other) subscriptions. Pay your phone bill with the card and you get $600 in insurance in case of loss or theft. For globetrotters, there are no irritating foreign transaction fees– very rare for a no-fee card. To get these add-ons, you must spend at least $5,000 per year on the card. As an incentive to sign up, if you spend $500 in the first 90 days and you get $100 (10,000 points) in credits.

But perhaps what is most interesting about this card is how you sign up for it. You can do it the old way of course. But get this: you can sign up for it within the Uber app, which pre-populates your application with pertinent info, leaving only a few key blanks for you to fill in. Uber suggests you sign up for the card during your next Uber ride, and says it’s likely you’ll be approved for it by the time you get out of the car. Try that and let us know if it worked!

Have you or would you get the Uber Visa card? Please leave your comments below.

Disclosure: The Uber Visa Card paid for my flight and one night hotel stay in Los Angeles.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

Reassessing your card strategy? See our “Credit Card Deals” tab to shop around! It helps us help you!

Don’t miss out! Join the 185,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

United adds new nonstops to Tahiti

December 13, 2017

Tahiti’s overwater bungalows will soon be accessible via nonstops from SFO (Image: Pixabay)

Today United announced that it will fly between San Francisco International Airport and Papeete, the capital of Tahiti, in 2018.

United will operate nonstop service, three times weekly with Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft between SFO and Fa’a’ā International Airport (PPT), beginning Oct. 30, 2018, through March 28, 2019, subject to government approval.

United’s announcement comes on the heels of French Blue, a new Paris based airline, announcing its intentions to fly between San Francisco and Tahiti starting in May 2018. (However, our contacts at SFO say that they have not heard officially from the airline yet.)

Currently, the only non-stop service to Tahiti from the U.S. mainland is out of Los Angeles on Air Tahiti Nui and Air France with economy fares in the $1,300 roundtrip range. Hawaiian Airlines also flies once a week between Honolulu and Papeete.

Paris-based low-cost carrier French Blue says it will begin San Francisco-Papeete flights in 2018 using a new Airbus A350. (Image: French Blue)

Until now, one stop fares from SFO via LAX have been in the $1,500. A quick search on United’s site today showed SFO-PPT fares of $1,467 roundtrip in the first week of Oct 2018. Searching for mileage redemptions, the cheapest we could find for October flights was 160,000 round trip.

Before this announcement, United Mileage Plus members did not have an easy way to fly to Tahiti using their miles.

Here’s the San Francisco – Papeete schedule, which still requires government approval.

Flight	City	Frequency	Depart*	Arrive*
UA 115	SFO – PPT	Tues/Thurs/Sun	2:45 p.m.	9:25 p.m.
UA 114	PPT – SFO	Tues/Thurs/Sun	11:45 p.m.	9:50 a.m. ^{next day}

Flight time between SFO and PPT is about nine hours. It is about 4,200 miles from SFO to PPT each way.

Tahiti is part of French Polynesia (see map), which is located on the eastern side of the International Date Line, so flights arrive on the same day they depart, not two days later as they do when flying to Asia.

“This route has been on a white board in my office for at least the last seven months,” United’s Patrick Quayle, VP International Network, told TravelSkills. “It’s a honeymoon, bucket list type destination…a unique life experience that we can offer to our customers.”

Tahiti lies just east of the international date line in the middle of the Pacific Ocean about 9 hours from SFO (Image: Google)

United says Tahiti is the “South Pacific’s gateway to more than 118 islands in French Polynesia including Bora Bora, Moorea, the Marquesas and Raiatea.”

Have you been to Tahiti or French Polynesia before? Do you dream of going there? Is there room for TWO airlines to fly nonstop from SFO to PPT? Please leave your comments below.

American Airlines glitch: “Never mind”

November 30, 2017

Don’t worry about your American Airlines flight this December (Image: American)

I guess we should not be surprised by yesterday’s breathless, widespread reporting about how an airline glitch (or shall I say grinch!) was going to ruin everyone’s Christmas. A negative airline story always plays well during peak holiday season when air travel is top of mind.

My pat answer when the media called for an opinion about the American Airlines scheduling mess? “I’m sure this will be worked out. Too much money is at stake during peak holiday season. And money talks!”

And sure enough, American’s debacle was worked out. And quickly. This morning the carrier released the following statement.

Out of the 200,000 flights American will operate in December, only a few hundred are currently unassigned to pilots. That number of open flights continues to decrease thanks to our pilots who are stepping up to the plate and picking up trips to ensure customers are taken care of. It’s another example of why we are thankful to have such an incredible team. In addition, we have more reserve pilots on hand in December than normal months and they provide us with the ability to fly many of the trips that are currently uncovered. We have not canceled any scheduled flights in December and will continue to work to ensure both our pilots and our customers are cared for.

Glitches happen. Companies fix them. As SNL’s Emily Litella says in this video, “Never mind.”

Airlines and travelers now have the holiday travel drill down. There were few if any horror stories over Thanksgiving– as a matter of fact, this week airlines are boasting about their best Thanksgiving performance ever!

About the only grinch that could steal holiday joy this year is a bad storm that hits a big hub airport, or New York City. We’ll be watching out for that!

Update: American Airlines pilots are now disputing the carrier’s claims that only a few hundred flights are unassigned. Their union says that the number is still in the thousands. However, American Airlines says that it does not expect any cancellations in December due to the mix up. This is starting to sound more like a public airing of grievances between the airline and its pilots union than an operational issue travelers need to worry about.

How to be a holiday travel pro

November 29, 2017

Washington Reagan National airport decked out for the holiday travel season (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Most air travelers sailed through the busy Thanksgiving week with few hiccups. Airlines reported their best Thanksgiving performance ever. That’s partly because travelers, airlines and airports have the holiday travel drill down pat these days.

But it’s mostly because the U.S. enjoyed fine weather on the weekends before and after the big feast.

Since Thanksgiving is primarily a driving holiday, with about 90 percent of all trips by car, the biggest bottlenecks were on the roads. But for the most part everyone made it across the state or across the country safe and sound.

Looking forward to the longer Christmas/New Years period, we can expect much of the same if the weather holds out. But watch out if there are winter storms on the horizon. It could get messy out there.

Why? Because with both Christmas and New Year’s Day falling on Mondays this year, the holiday season will be relatively compact, starting in earnest on Friday December 22 and ending on Wednesday, January 3.

Some news and advice:

Look out over the sparkly city from the Best Western Plus Chateau Granville in Vancouver (Photo: Best Western)

Demand is up. Advance bookings for the holiday season (Nov 15-Jan 15) are up 4.8 percent compared to the same time last year at Best Western’s 2,000+ hotels in the U.S. The number of nights booked is up 11 percent, which means those who are traveling are planning to stay longer. Also, bookings at hotels along major highways in the U.S. are up 13.3 percent, which is indicative of the higher number of travelers on the road this year. In Canada, advance bookings are up 8.9 percent and the number of nights booked is up 18.3 percent. Lower airfares are helping push up demand for holiday trips, and major airline trade group Airlines for America says that the number of travelers hitting the skies during the 2017 Christmas/New Year’s period will be up 3.5 percent over last year.

Keep an eye on the weather. Now that travelers and airlines have the holiday travel drill down, only Mother Nature can stand in the way of a smooth season. Be sure to sign up for flight alerts from your airline, and double check with sites like FlightAware or FlightRadar24. On the day of your flight, check in with the FAA’s map of airport delays and remember that a delay in a stormy city could affect your flight even if it’s sunny and warm outside. Thankfully, airlines have become a lot better and more liberal with change fee waivers when bad weather beckons.

Gasbuddy’s heat map for December shows highest gasoline prices out west, lowest in the southeast (Image: Gasbuddy)

Watch gasoline prices. This year’s hurricanes affected oil production and pushed up Thanksgiving gas prices to a three-year high of about $2.53 per gallon on average—that’s about 50 cents more than last year. All eyes are now on OPEC, which holds its annual meeting this month. Decisions made there will impact oil prices for the holidays and into the next year. As usual, if you are driving in the southeastern U.S. this year, you’ll enjoy the lowest gas prices—as low as 2.22 per gallon in Alabama. You’ll pay the most out west, with the average price per gallon well over $3 in California, according to GasBuddy.com.

Avoid traffic: During the busy holiday season, avoid surprise traffic jams by driving late at night or very early in the morning. Midday traffic in and around cities and malls, and on nearby freeways, can be stifling. Expect the unexpected when it comes to traffic on the weekend before Christmas, and again late on New Year’s Day. Use traffic apps like Waze to help steer around the worst of it.

This guy knows what he’s talking about! 😉 video here

Consider a hotel for the holidays. During the stressful holiday travel season, everyone needs his or her own space every now and then, right? Well, instead of risking a bad night’s sleep on a lumpy sofa bed or stuffy guest room, rent a nearby hotel room instead. Since business travelers stay home during the holidays, you’ll find deep discounts on hotels in downtown areas and near suburban office parks. Stay at a Best Western this winter, and you’ll get $10 off that already low rate—Here’s how.

Beware of airport traffic snarls: Many airports in the US are under various phases of construction, which means you should always allow a big cushion of time for getting stuck on airport roadways. Some of the busiest airports with construction on or near roads include New York La Guardia (where people reportedly got out of cars stuck in traffic and walked to terminals over Thanksgiving), Atlanta (curvaceous new canopies over drop-off areas coming soon), San Francisco (multi-billion dollar Terminal 1 construction) and Los Angeles LAX (always under construction).

New roadside canopies taking shape at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Pay a little, get a lot. This is the time of year when it’s a good idea to pay a little more to ensure a much better experience. For example, you might want to spring for premium economy for more space and early boarding. Consider waiting out a long delay at an airline lounge- many offer day passes for $50-$60. Take a car service to or from the airport instead of fighting traffic, parking in far away lots, or asking relatives to pick you up. Or, as mentioned above, get a great deal on a hotel for some peace of mind and personal space.

Book nonstop flights and know your rights. While you might save a few dollars by booking a one-stop flight instead of a nonstop, don’t forget that you are doubling your chances of encountering a delay or cancellation. Why risk ruining a holiday trip? Also, if your flight does get cancelled and the airline cannot find suitable alternatives, so you decide not to take the trip at all, the airline must offer you a cash refund. Ask for it!

Don’t discount the dead weeks. If you have the flexibility to travel during the slowest times of year, the so-called “dead weeks” of early December and early January, you can save 50-70 percent on airfare or hotels. Some ski resorts will discount lift tickets during dead weeks. It’s also a good idea to check out airline or hotel social media streams on sites like Twitter or Facebook to look for short-term, last-minute sales. And if you have a big pile of Best Western Rewards points stashed away, use them this winter when you can redeem just 10,000 points for a stay at some of the nicest Best Westerns in North America now through January 31. More details on how to do that here.

January is the cheapest month of the year in New York City (Image: Jim Glab)

Book business trips in January: Early January through early March is a great time to find excellent last-minute deals. Exceptions to this would be long weekends like Martin Luther King (Jan 13-15, 2018) and Valentines/Presidents Day (Feb 14-19, 2018). If you are between jobs, retired with no kids in school, and have the flexibility to travel during these weeks, you’ll see jaw dropping low prices. Hotel prices have become extremely expensive in big cities like New York and San Francisco this year, but you’ll find some good deals if you go during January. (See New York Hotel Week for some good ideas.) If you’ve been priced out of these cities, January would be a great time for cost-conscious business travelers to set up meetings with prospects and clients.

Prepare for a crazy busy spring break. Late March is usually the busiest time of year for collegiate spring break, and April is more popular with families traveling around Easter. But in 2018, Easter is early (April 1) so the last week in March will be crazy with both family and collegiate spring breakers hitting the roads and skies and bumping up airfares, hotels and rental car rates. It is probably a good time for business travelers to avoid trips if they can.

Where are YOU going for the holidays? Or will you sit the season out? Please leave your comments below.

This post originally appeared on Best Western’s YouMustBeTrippin.com blog

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! This post is sponsored by Best Western. We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel. Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication.

Mexico or Hawaii this winter? Both super-cheap right now

November 27, 2017

The European style Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico City is dotted with several elegant roundabouts (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

It looks like this winter’s going to be hot for those eyeing tropical vacations. Today we’re seeing deep discounts for January-March trips from several US cities to Mexican beach towns as well as to Mexico City.

Over the weekend, we uncovered deep discounting to Hawaii, and those $337 roundtrips are still available.

How low to Mexico? We are looking at $225-$250 round trip to Mexico City from New York, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, or San Francisco. The cheapest roundtrips are on Mexican discounters Volaris and InterJet, but Alaska, Aeromexico and United are pretty close.

How about New York to Cancun for $280 round trip on Delta or Aeromexico in mid-January? Si, viajero! New York to Cabo is just $300 round trip.

Baltimore/Washington to Puerto Vallarta (with a stop in Houston) is just $252 on United. Nonstop to Cancun from Dulles is just $234 on United.

Don’t miss our post on our recent trip to Mexico City here.

Off the coast of Cabo San Lucas in Mexico (Photo: Pixabay)

Los Angeles or SF Bay Area to Puerto Vallarta is in the $250 roundtrip range. (Volaris has roundtrips as low as $219)

Los Angeles to Cabo is just $199 roundtrip on Interjet, $222 on Delta and Alaska.

San Francisco or San Jose (SJC) to Cabo roundtrip is running around $242 roundtrip on United, Virgin America and Alaska Air. We note that Southwest’s fares to Cabo and Puerto Vallarta from Oakland are in the $300 range.

We used Google Flights and Kayak Explore to find these fares. Note that they are subject to change.

If you think you’ll have a hankering to head south this winter, now’s the time to book these flights… if you wait until it gets cold, wet and snowy, you’ll pay more.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Fare sale to Hawaii – $337 roundtrip from 7 cities

November 25, 2017

Fares for winter trips to Hawaii dip below $350 roundtrip…again (Photo of Hanalei Pier, Chris McGinnis)

If you are thinking about a dive down to the islands this winter, it might be time to pounce on the current round of cheap fares from many west coast cities.

UPDATE: Monday, November 27, 8:45 amPT – fares still available!

Over the last year or so, fares to Hawaii have remained stubbornly over $400 round trip– most of the time inching closer to $500.

But ever since last month when Southwest signaled that it would be jumping in the Hawaii market, fares have taken a tumble. They’ve gone up and down since then, but this weekend they are back down.

Roundtrip fares from the Bay Area to Hawaii as low as $337 (Image: Google)

How low? Well, as of today you can fly nonstop from San Diego, Los Angeles, Oakland, San Francisco, San Jose, Portland (mostly 1-stop) and Seattle in early December, January February and March for about $340-$380 round trip. That’s quite a deal for winter flights. And the deals are good to Honolulu, Maui, Kona, and Kauai.

From Chicago, roundtrips are about $525.

From Denver, mid winter weekend round trips are as low as $442. (we also found one for $362!)

SFO-HNL fares dipping to new lows according to this fare history chart from Fare Detective

Plus it appears that all airlines serving Hawaii are in on the deal, with Hawaiian and Virgin America as the most aggressive discounters.

To get the deals, you have to be a bit flexible with travel dates— for example, most of the cheapest fares require mid-week (vs weekend) flights. However, we even found deals on long weekend flights departing Thursday, returning Monday so shop around.

A sampling of cheap fares from the SF Bay Area on Google flights in early February

According to Google Flights, these fares are available for roundtrip in early December, January, February and early March. (Bookable Saturday, Nov 25 and subject to change).

Aloha! Will you go this year?

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ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

Popular: A350 Review + Cheap bag essentials + New first class + Delta final 747 + Perfect timing

November 20, 2017

Chris spoke in Chicago last week- and was at O’Hare for its first snow (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 Trip Report: Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 SFO-Hong Kong

2 4 cheap-but-indispensable things to pack in your “go-bag”

3 Emirates new first class is nice, but what about the rest of the plane?

4 Delta reveals details for final 747 flight

Don’t miss our latest Trip Report! SFO-HKG> A beautiful sunrise as we approach Hong Kong International via the A350 tail cam! (Chris McGinnis)

5 Frequent flyers say free flights are not enough

6 Routes: SFO-Tahiti + Lufthansa, AA, WOW, Aeromexico, Volaris

7 Perfect timing for the cheapest trips

8 Alaska Airlines flies away from Havana, Cuba in January

9 Trip Report: A sentimental journey aboard United’s final 747 flight

10 Coming to Washington, DC & SF: An anti-Trump hotel

Don’t miss: NEW hotels in New York, Dallas, Charlotte, Las Vegas and Cincy!

Wow! A big show up here today on #ORD > #LAX #travel #windowseat #avgeek #arizona #united
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Nov 18, 2017 at 3:24pm PST

Do you love NEW HOTELS as much as we do? Then don’t miss our NEW HOTELS archive tab at the top of this page. CLICK OR HOVER for a good look!

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

United’s next stop could be Tahiti

TripAdvisor to flag hotels with reported sexual assaults

Denver could be United’s #2 hub in two years, beating Newark & Houston

Should airline employees wear cameras to capture passenger disputes?

Why being near water makes you happier

Is this the end of the Airbus A380?

The new Qantas hangar at LAX offers a snug fit for an Airbus A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Lyft moves into Toronto- first city outside US

More Lyft Uber headaches at ATL

Google develops a new interface for its Google Flights searches

Updated American Airlines app can handle same-day flight changes

AirFrance-KLM’s loyalty program will change to spending-based in April

IHG Rewards members can earn points for using OpenTable and GrubHub

Surprised by light traffic at LAX for Sunday before thanksgiving rush. 1 p.m. #holidaytravel pic.twitter.com/cWmGWiayAq
— Chris McGinnis (@cjmcginnis) November 19, 2017

Thanksgiving travel volume will hit highest level in 12 years

Marriott’s ‘room of the future’ will rely on the ‘Internet of Things’

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Trip Report: Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 SFO-Hong Kong

November 16, 2017

This beautiful new bird sails west across the Pacific overnight, departing SFO in the wee hours, arriving HKG in the morning (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

My body feels like it’s time to wind down and get ready for bed, but my brain is saying, “Perk up, buster! You need to get to the airport and catch a 13-hour ride on a shiny new plane to Hong Kong.”

That’s how I’m counting down the hours approaching the 12:55 am departure of Cathay Pacific flight 893 to Hong Kong. This new Airbus A350 takes off in the wee hours of Friday night/Saturday morning and arrives in Hong Kong at 8 am on Sunday.

My flight is one of three daily SFO-HKG flights Cathay now offers, but it’s the only one that’s an A350. The others, which depart at 11:45 am and 11:00 pm, use Boeing 777s.

You can spot an A350 by its blacked out cockpit window and curly wingtip (Photo: Cathay Pacific)

Cathay added the new Airbus A350 to its fleet in June 2016 but did not deploy any in the US until October 30, 2017, when one landed at San Francisco International and another at Newark Liberty International on the same day. The carrier now has 19 A350s in the fleet with 29 more on order.

To celebrate the arrival of the A350-900 to US shores, Cathay invited a group of media to fly from San Francisco to Hong Kong and back, including a two-day stay at the Peninsula hotel in Kowloon. (Check out my pushy post about the Peninsula here.)

Current fares on Cathay’s SFO-HKG nonstops for January trips are about $700 round trip in economy, $2,000 in premium economy and $5,900 in business class. First class fares (only available on B777 flights) are about $15,000 roundtrip.

Trip highlights:

Mishap at security
Noodles!
Planespotting the A350
Flecks of bright red
Photos of knee-room in all three classes
Charting an unusual course across the Pacific
How many hours of sleep did I get? My secret stash of sleep aids.
A posh pick up at HKG

Friday, 10 pm: Since I know that Cathay has such a stellar lounge at SFO, I decided get to the airport early and spend an hour or two soaking it up. I also had a hankering for a bowl of noodles made on-the-spot, and wanted to snap some photos of the lounge and the A350 as it arrived in the darkness.

Check-in for the flight was quick and easy due to my early arrival, and the airport was remarkably busy at 10:30 pm. The only holdup was at security. Cathay Pacific is a recent inductee into the PreCheck club, but unfortunately I did not get it this time. No probs, I thought; this is one of those times I’ll take advantage of my CLEAR membership. Regrettably I discovered that CLEAR lanes at SFO’s international terminal close at 10 pm, which makes little sense because so many flights depart around midnight and early morning.

At SFO’s international terminal, CLEAR lanes close at 10 pm– just before the midnight rush (Photo: Chris McGinnis

Once I cleared security, I took a nice long walk through the entire Boarding Area A, and then watched the the A350 roll in from Hong Kong. It looks smaller than some of the giant B777s nearby, but holds about the same number of seats: A Cathay A350-900 holds 280 passengers (38-business, 28-premium, 214-economy) while the larger B777 holds 275 (6-first, 53-business, 34-premium, 182-economy).

Cathay’s lounge at SFO is one of my favorites for its design (rich Carrara marble, Solus chairs) and nice tarmac views. Now that there are two Cathay flights departing around midnight (11 pm and 1 am), the lounge is busy, but I had no problem finding empty seats. There’s a full bar, and a hot and cold buffet, but the most popular stop is the steamy noodle bar. A bowl of noodles at 11 pm sure is a nice way to slip into an overnight transpacific journey.

A comforting bowl of dan dan noodles is the perfect sendoff for a transpac flight (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Foster & Partners designed these cool Solus chairs for Cathay lounges around the world (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

When invited on trips like this, I always try to arrange an early boarding so I can get some good shots of the interior of the plane before passengers board. I get on with the wheelchairs, which gives me about five minutes to shoot all three cabins on this big bird. Phew!

First impression when you walk on board is the cool, calm and collected green, cream and beige color scheme, with flecks of bright red. For example, some (but not all) flight attendants wear bright red blazers or skirts. In business class seats, the interiors of in-seat storage bins are also bright red (a color that symbolizes good luck and happiness in Chinese culture). The green and red combo is almost Christmas-like to me.

Rows 11-19 in the fore business class cabin on Cathay Pacific’s A350 — this is a reverse herringbone layout and every seat has aisle access. (Chris McGinnis)

Row 18 in business class on a Cathay Pacific A350-900–note the red storage bins (Chris McGinnis)

Cathay Pacific A350 window business class

A window seat in business class on Cathay Pacific’s A350 (Chris McGinnis)

Cathay Pacific A350 business class boots

Plenty of room for the lower extremities on Cathay Pacific’s A350 in business class (Chris McGinnis)

Premium economy on Cathay Pacific A350 is configured 2-4-2 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Plenty of legroom in premium economy on Cathay Pacific’s A350

Big screens and plenty of space in Cathay Pacific’s premium economy, especially for seats on the window side (Chris McGinnis)

Economy class on Cathay Pacific’s A350 is configured 3-3-3 with 32 inches of pitch (Chris McGinnis)

Economy class Cathay Pacific A350 screens

Economy class passengers on the A350 get nice big screens (Chris McGinnis)

This is what 32 inches of pitch looks like to your knees on the A350 (Chris McGinnis)

There’s no first class section on Cathay’s A350s, but business class is almost as good an many first class seats I’ve seen. All seats in this reverse herringbone layout have aisle access. High side walls and blinders make the in-seat experience very private. If you are traveling with a companion it might be smarter (and easier to communicate) sitting across the aisle from each other due to the barriers between the middle seats.

Business class seat configuration is 1-2-1. Premium economy is 2-4-2. Economy is 3-3-3.

In business class, the seats to avoid are the first two center seats (oddly, the first row is Row 11, seats D&G). Noise and traffic from the galley is a factor, and when the curtains are pulled, it appears nearly impossible to get out of your seat without ruffling them.

At the back of the business class section, rows 20 and 21 are separated from the main business class cabin by a galley and lavatory area. This is where I sat, in seat 21D–the last row just in front of premium economy. I really liked the cozy feel and quiet of that small aft cabin. The bulkhead seats are not as exposed to the galley area as they are on row 11.

Check Seatguru for maps & seat tips: Cathay Airbus A350-900 | Cathay Boeing 777-300ER

At this hour of the night, passengers are boarding quickly with yawns and stretches. The flight is 100% sold out. Once we are all seated, I notice how eerily quiet everyone is. It’s late. You can tell that nearly everyone just wants the lights to dim so they can nod off.

All passengers are yawning except for me, of course. I’m someone who gets energized about being on a new plane no matter what the hour!

In my seat, I quickly I unload the contents of my briefcase into the two roomy in-seat storage bins. The lower one is big enough for my Macbook. Nice!

As we taxi and take off (in my aisle seat I can’t look out the window), I’m completely absorbed by the robust inflight entertainment system and the big bright touch screen. It can be controlled by touching the screen or via the corded tablet mounted on the wall next to my seat. There are way too many movies and TV shows to scroll through, so I just go to the inflight moving map, which is hypnotic to a geek like me.

This modern bird also has exterior cams– one on the tail and the other on the front, and you can toggle between views from your seatback. At night it’s not much of a show, but I look forward to seeing more when we get to HK in the morning!

At first our course was set northwest, but the pilot later switched to due west across the Pacific (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Over my right shoulder is the control panel for the seat recline, reading light and a handheld tablet that mirrors the big screen (Chris McGinnis)

I appreciated the easily accessed tray table (Chris McGinnis)

At about 1:35 am we are climbing up and straight out over the Pacific. Most flights to HKG take a northerly route toward the Aleutian Islands and then down over Japan. Tonight it’s a direct shot over the middle of the ocean, over the top of Taiwan and straight into Chek Lap Kok. The map says it will be 13 hours, 5 minutes. I jump up and go to the lavatory to change into a long sleeve t-shirt to lounge and sleep in. (Pajamas are not provided.) Flight attendants hang my shirt so I’ll be fresh as a daisy Sunday morning in Hong Kong.

Since this flight is so late, flight attendants offer a quick light meal shortly after takeoff. Since I’ve had my noodles in the lounge, I pick at the smoked duck salad, but polish off the hearty butternut squash soup served in a mug. Nice touch. (Main course selections included stir fry pork or beef tenderloin.) I watch “Rough Night” on the big screen for a few chuckles. (See current movie selections here.)

There is wi-fi on Cathay’s A350 (but not on its B777s or A330- but it’s coming soon via Gogo) but I only used it on the return flight. It was very fast and very cheap–just $13 for the whole flight.

Mmmm. Butternut squash soup served in a mug (Chris McGinnis)

A smoked duck salad and soup, plus a bowl of fresh berries comprised the light choice meal served quickly after take off (Chris McGinnis)

A nice nook for the noise cancelling headsets and my personal items like glasses, phone, charger, wallet located by my shoulder (Chris McGinnis)

Shortly thereafter the lights dim. The plane gets very quiet. I look at my watch and it’s 3:30 am in San Francisco and about 6:30 pm in Hong Kong. Everyone except me is snuggled in for the night in my mini-business class section. I take a melatonin and a big chug of water. My 6 foot body fits just fine in this lie-flat seat. I put in my Mack’s earplugs, wrap my puffy Dream Essentials mask around my head, flatten the seat. Like a light, I’m out. Gone. Deep in dreamland. Zzzzz.

Later, deep in my sleep cocoon I wake up and wonder, “Hmmm I wonder what time it is?” I feel like I’ve slept well, had some good dreams and feel rested. But should I look at my watch? What if I’ve only slept hard for about two hours and there are seven more to go? I pull my mask up and drink the entire bottle of water a flight attendant has kindly left by my seat. It’s still dark and quiet in business class.

Okay. Time to look at the watch. I have not yet re-set it to HK time. I look and it says 1:00 pm. I shake my head and do a double take and look again. Yes, 1 pm in San Francisco. I fell asleep at about 4 am PT. That means I just slept on a plane for NINE hours. Wow. That must be a record for me. My combination of a lie-flat seat, ear plugs and eye mask has done the trick. I will conquer my first day in Hong Kong with gusto!

I went to sleep back of the coast of California and woke up over the South China Sea! (Chris McGinnis)

Juicy fruit, coffee and croissant first course for breakfast (Chris McGinnis)

Tasty dim sum and e-fu noodles with chilli sauce for breakfast (Chris McGinnis)

breakfast flight attendant Cathay Pacific

Ni how! How about some breakfast? (Chris McGinnis)

We still have about two hours to go, so I get up, stretch and go to the lavatory to freshen up, splash some water on my sleepy face, brush my teeth. Back at my seat flight attendants see me stirring and scurry over with more water and a hot towel.

I look at the inflight map and see that we are flying over the southernmost island of Japan (and wonder if those are the ones that China claims and is building a military base there). Then we fly right over the top of Taipei.

Other passengers begin to stir. The lights come up. God, I wish they’d open the windows so we could see the sunrise but they stay shut. Luckily the tail cam is working so I can see the morning sunrise over the South China Sea. It’s gorgeous out there.

Breakfast comes in three courses: first coffee or tea, and next a delicious fresh fruit plate and a selection of bread or pastries. Then cereal or yogurt. Then the hot meal. I always go native and chose the breakfast dim sum. But I could have had a shitake mushroom omelet or seafood congee.

A beautiful sunrise as we approach Hong Kong International via the A350 tail cam! (Chris McGinnis)

This is how you get to The Peninsula Hotel from HKG- check out those suicide doors on this deep green Rolls! Dios mio! (Chris McGinnis)

Wow! What a way to fly to Hong Kong. And once we land, there are two dark green Roll-Royce limos waiting to pick up our group and whisk us to the Peninsula. Cars are stocked with water and wi-fi and lined in plush caramel leather.

Hello Hong Kong! Stay tuned for more about my stay and return flight.

How do you fly to Hong Kong? Have your flown Cathay? Please leave your comments below.

Disclosure: I was a guest of Cathay Pacific Airways and the Peninsula Hotel for this trip.

4 cheap-but-indispensable things to pack in your “go-bag”

November 15, 2017

A dry cleaner bag is the cheapest thing I pack in my go-bag! What else is in there? (Image: CNN)

As a travel writer and all around travel geek, it’s important for me to be able do drop everything, pack and take off on a trip across the country or around the world on a moment’s notice.

For that reason, I always have my bags partially packed and ready to go. With only a few last-minute additions, I can be out the door in about five minutes with enough stuff to keep me comfortable, connected and looking sharp for a few days or a whole week.

What do I keep in my go-bag? Let’s take a look:

First off, let’s talk about my bag (or bags). I typically travel with two, a briefcase, which serves as my office on the go, and my carry on spinner, which contains everything else.

My go-bag on the gorgeous wooden floors at Copenhagen airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Both my briefcase and roller bag come from Briggs & Riley. Over the years, I’ve found that this luggage brand makes a product that can stand up to the rigors of the road and comes at a decent price point (mine costs about $300). It’s not cheap, but I’ve found that you almost always “get what you pay for” when it comes to luggage. A broken bag can definitely slow down a fast-paced trip.

When I walk out the door, I stack my briefcase on top of my B&R Transcend Widebody carryon, and I’m off. Those four wheels make navigating the airport or the airplane aisle (turn it sideways!) a cinch. Perhaps the best thing about Briggs & Riley is its no-nonsense lifetime guarantee: If your bag breaks, they will repair it for free, no questions asked.

A 12W charger is faster! So buy one for your Anytime bag! (Image: Apple)

Did you know that your iPad charger can charge your iPhone about two times faster than the one that comes with your phone? That’s because the iPad charger is 12W vs the 5W charger that comes with your iPhone. (Details here.)

Since iPhone and iPad chargers are the one thing I most frequently leave behind, I have recently decided to keep one 12W charger in my bag for travel and another 12W charger at home. That way I’m never without a charge. And I don’t beat myself up in the car on the way to the airport when I forget it, and then have to borrow or spend a fortune on a new one at my destination. With two, I know I’ll always get a good charge!

So just buy an Apple 12W USB Power Adapter ($15) online now, pack it in your go-bag and leave your other one at home or in your office. (Another tip: Your phone charges even faster when you put it in Airplane Mode.)

The cheapest thing in my go-bag is one of those clear plastic covers you get from the dry cleaners (see photo at top). Since I’m a frequent business traveler, I need to arrive for meetings sans wrinkles. When I first started traveling for work, my boss taught me to “hang, wrap and roll.” This means leaving your pressed clothing on hangers, wrapping them in the dry cleaner bag, and then rolling them up to pack in your suitcase.

Somehow, the plastic wrap prevents clothing from bunching up, which is what causes wrinkles, so when you get to your destination, just pull them out, give ’em a shake, and voila! No wrinkles! The cleaner bag also serves as the perfect receptacle for dirty clothes or soiled shoes for the trip home. See this tip come to life in this CNN segment (fast forward to about :36 seconds).

A Bucky contoured eye mask is a key part of my go-bag (Image: Bucky)

Getting a good night’s sleep on the plane or at the hotel is essential to a successful trip. I’m a light sleeper and have tried nearly every potion, drug, contraption or device out there, and have come to rely to two primary items that ensure good rest: A Bucky or Dream Essentials eye mask and Mack’s silicone earplugs.

The cheap eye masks provided by most airlines are uncomfortable, don’t keep all the light out, and leave marks on my face and temples. So every year I invest in new Bucky Contoured Blockout Shades ($13 on Amazon), which block out all light, have thick adjustable bands that don’t leave marks, are contoured so they don’t smush your eyeballs, and offer big velvety cushioning that is soft and cozy on my face. Plus, they are washable. I also like this cushy contoured mask from Dream Essentials.

Mack’s moldable putty plugs cover the ear canal (Image: Mack’s)

Thankfully, a swimmer friend turned me on to Mack’s earplugs. They are designed to keep water out of swimmers’ ears, but they also do a masterful job of keeping out unwanted noise! Those cheap expandable foam plugs that you stick into your ear canal can hurt, plus they do a minimal job of keeping out the noise on a plane…or a snoring bed partner.

Macks Pillow Soft Silicone Earplugs are disks of moldable silicone that cover the opening to your ear canal– and they block out nearly all noise. Ever since I switched to Mack’s, I’ve never slept better on planes, hotels or in any noisy environment. And they are cheap- just $7 on Amazon. (Warning: You might sleep through an alarm clock with these on!)

And based on the current brouhaha surrounding which states have Real ID compliant licenses, and which don’t, I now simply store my passport in my go-bag.

What would you or do you keep in YOUR go-bag? Please leave your suggestions below.

Alaska Airlines flies away from Havana, Cuba in January

November 14, 2017

Sun is setting on Alaska Airlines nonstop flights to Cuba (Photo at Havana’s Jose Marti International: Chris McGinnis)

Today Alaska Airlines announced that it will scuttle its daily nonstop flights between Los Angeles International Airport and Havana, Cuba on January 22, 2018. That’s slightly over a year since the carrier launched flights on January 5, 2017.

Alaska’s John Kirby told TravelSkills that demand for LAX-HAV had declined precipitously in recent months after a relatively strong spring and summer. “We think pent up demand for travel to Cuba has been satisfied,” he said. In spring and early summer Kirby said Alaska’s load factor was in the 70-80 percent range, but after that it declined to under 50 percent.

Then last week, the Trump administration reversed Obama’s more relaxed rules for travel to the island, making it more unwieldy and difficult for Americans to get there. That seems to have been the nail in the coffin for the service.

Don’t miss: TravelSkills Trip Report from the inaugural LAX-HAV flight on Alaska Air

Despite recent changes in regulations, cruise ships from US ports will still sail to Cuba (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

For those still interested in making the trip, LAX-HAV fares are currently running at about $323 round trip— not bad for a 4-5-hour, 2,300 mile flight in each direction. Kirby said that Mileage Plan program redemptions (starting at 35,000 miles round trip) for flights to Havana were insignificant over the last year.

The Boeing 737 used on the Havana flights will be re-deployed on a West Coast run (likely Seattle-Orange County) where the carrier is experiencing strong demand.

In a statement, Alaska Air said, “About 80 percent of Alaska’s flyers to Havana visited under a U.S. allowance for individual ‘people-to-people’ educational travel. Changes to U.S. policy last week eliminated that allowance. Given the changes in Cuba travel policies, the airline will redeploy these resources to other markets the airline serves where demand continues to be strong.”

It remains to be seen how or if the Trump administration will enforce the new rules. Some think that the move to tighten rules might only be window dressing to placate the mostly pro-Trump Cuban American community in South Florida. Stay tuned– “don’t ask, don’t tell” could be the new reality for American’s hoping to travel to Cuba.

As the slow winter months approach, I expect we’ll see even more reductions on nonstop flights between the US and Cuba.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Delta reveals details for final 747 flight

November 14, 2017

If you miss Delta’s low key send off to the 747, you can always see this 747 Experience at the Delta Museum near Atlanta Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

We’ve been getting emails nearly every day asking what we know about Delta’s final Boeing 747 flight in December. These of course came to a head during United’s big send off when the questions naturally turned to, “That’s great for United but what is Delta going to do for its final 747 flight?”

The short answer is that it sounds like it will not be as big a production as United’s send off which included a special flight to Hawaii, a big social media campaign, parties in both San Francisco and Honolulu. And a lot of sentimentality for the exiting Queen.

Up inside the bubble at the 747 Experience in Atlanta, check out the rear galley wall with glass so you can look down into the main deck. So cool! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The final final international commercial flight will be Sunday Dec 17 from Seoul to Detroit, and according to Google Flights and Delta.com, seats are still available. We found DTW-ICN-DTW round trips in economy in the $1,500 range. Looking at the seat map for the final flight on Delta.com shows about 50 seats in economy and 4 in business class- although the biz class seats don’t show up for booking. Wanna go?

We found one-way flights in economy for about $1070, round trips for about $1500. We were unable to book business class seats even though 4 appear available in the seat map

Here’s what the airline has revealed on its blog about its final flights:

There will soon be more chances to see and perhaps take part in some of the last Delta 747 flights – the last to be flown by any U.S. passenger airline. Here are seven things to know about Delta’s big goodbye to the 747:

Delta is operating the Boeing 747-400 on daily scheduled service between its Detroit hub and its partner hub at Seoul-Incheon.
Here are the final regularly scheduled flights of the Delta 747:
- Final U.S. departure: Flight 159 at Detroit to Seoul-Incheon at 12:31 p.m. on Dec. 15
- Final Asia Pacific arrival: Flight 159 at Seoul-Incheon from Detroit at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 16
- Final Asia Pacific departure: Flight 158 at Seoul-Incheon to Detroit at 11:15 a.m. on Dec. 17
- Final U.S. arrival: Flight 158 at Detroit from Seoul-Incheon at 10:14 a.m. on Dec. 17
Delta will take the 747 on an employee farewell tour from Detroit to Seattle on Dec. 18, Seattle to Atlanta on Dec. 19 and Atlanta to Minneapolis-St. Paul on Dec. 20.
Customers can bid for a spot on these farewell flights via SkyMiles Experiences using their SkyMiles. The Farewell Tour begins after the final commercial flight touches down in Detroit from Seoul. The Tour includes three flights and after-party celebrations in Detroit, Seattle, Atlanta and Minneapolis.
Employees and retirees can purchase a seat on these flights on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at noon ET Nov. 20 at a discounted rate, with all proceeds going to the Airloom Project, the organization behind the 747 Experience exhibit at the Delta Flight Museum.
The 747 will fly a handful of sports team and ad-hoc charter flights through Dec. 31.
Delta will fly its final 747 to its retirement place in Arizona in early January. This ferry flight will not be open to passengers.

From Delta’s farewell tour bidding page

Delta will be celebrating the iconic and revolutionary 747 throughout December in all of its channels and encourages customers, enthusiasts and employees to share their own tributes and remembrances using the #DL747Farewell hashtag.

Don’t miss: First look inside Delta’s 747 Experience

Perfect timing for the cheapest trips

November 13, 2017

This Friday Nov 17 will be the busiest day of the Thanksgiving holiday- use good timing to find the best deals (Image of Cathay Pacific A350 at SFO, Chris McGinnis)

Want a great travel deal? Then you need to focus on your timing.

While everyone is moaning about high holiday fares, I’m going to let you in on a secret: Smack in the middle of what’s typically the most expensive time of year to travel lies the CHEAPEST time of year to travel.

How’s that? Well, let’s take a walk thru the calendar and I’ll show you when to pounce on deals—and when you should be prepared for sticker shock. It’s a bumpy ride of highs and lows, so stick with me and you’ll eventually find a perfectly timed deal that works for you.

November-December

Viking River Cruises are about 45 percent less expensive in winter months (Photo: Viking)

Travel prices are relatively cheap in the early part of November but spike around Thanksgiving. However, travel patterns have been changing lately. Traditionally, the one of the busiest days of Thanksgiving holiday is the Wednesday before. But in recent years, the FRIDAY before Thanksgiving has emerged as one of the two busiest days at most major airports. The other busiest day is of course the Sunday after.

While it’s likely too late to find many deals during Thanksgiving week, keep an eye out for some last-minute deals on Thursday, Friday and Saturday– the slowest days. You’ll also find good downtown hotel rates in many cities this week since business travelers are home- your relatives will thank you 😉

Another silver lining for bargain hunters? An early Thanksgiving (Nov 23) means that the so-called “dead weeks” will begin earlier. These typically begin during the first week of December, but this year they’ll start around Tuesday, November 28. This holds true nearly everywhere except in NYC when prices begin to soar in December due to holiday shopping frenzy that grips Manhattan- airfares rise slightly, but hotel rates, especially on weekends in December, spike. (Good luck finding anything decent for less than $500.)

This is also a great time to consider one of those super-popular European river cruises which frequently sell out months or even years in advance. For example, a November week-long sailing on the Danube in Viking River Cruises starts at $1,999 per person – which is approximately 45 percent less than a peak summer, which starts at $3,649 per person. (I’ll be sailing the Danube on Viking this December so stay tuned for a Trip Report!)

January-February:

New York’s Central Park puts on a spectacular show in the fall – but rate hotel rates don’t fall til January (Chris McGinnis)

When everyone goes home after New Years, travel demand plummets and we fall into another short period of “Dead weeks” — the slowest (and cheapest) time of year for bargain hunters.

Early January through the early March is a great time to find excellent last-minute deals. Exceptions to this would be long weekends like Martin Luther King (Jan 13-15, 2018) Valentines/Presidents Day (Feb 14-19, 2018).

If you are between jobs, retired with no kids in school and have the flexibility to travel during these weeks, you’ll see jaw dropping low prices….and also lots of good last-minute deals on sites like Hotwire.com or LastMinuteTravel.com or apps like Hotel Tonight.

New York and San Francisco hotels have become freakishly expensive this year, but you’ll find some good deals if you go during January. (See New York Hotel Week for some good ideas.) If you’ve been priced out of these cities, January would be a great time for cost-conscious business travelers to set up meeting with prospects and clients.

Winter is also a very nice time to visit California Wine Country, especially if the sun is out. And the region could definitely use your help this winter- you’ll find a broad welcome mat and cheaper hotel rates, too. See The 29 Napa for ideas. I’ll be there in March to watch the beautiful mustard bloom yellow across the valleys!

March-April

This is what springtime looked like last year near my sister-in-law’s house near Lake Tahoe (Photo: N Dean)

This is spring break and you need to be on alert for high prices and surprise crowds at airports, especially if you live in or near a college town OR if you are headed to a warm weather destination like Florida, Mexico or the Caribbean. Find out when the university nearest you has spring break (see calendar by school here) and stay home that weekend!

Late March is usually the busiest time of year for collegiate Spring break, and April is more popular with families traveling around Easter. But in 2018, Easter is early (April 1) so the last week in March will be crazy with both family and collegiate spring breakers hitting the roads and skies and bumping up airfares, hotels and rental car rates.

If you feel priced out of skiing this winter, consider taking a trip in early April (after Easter) when you’ll find cheaper fares, deals on lift tickets, and lots of end-of-season fun and festivities. (One day lift tickets at Vail this year are $164. At Squaw Valley: $158. Ouch) And if it’s like last year was in the West, you’ll find some of the best ski conditions of the year (but don’t count on it!).

April-June

There’s a silver lining to an early Easter, though, which is a much longer “shoulder season” when demand dips along with prices. Shoulder season in 2018 will run almost 10 weeks from early April until mid-June when peak summer pricing and crowds kick in. (Except of course Memorial Day weekend, May 26-28, 2018).

Shoulder season is not as cheap as the dead weeks, but it’s not anywhere near the peak of what you’ll pay during July or August. This is probably the very best time of year to travel to Europe because the weather is getting warmer and summer crowds have not arrived. This is when new low fare carriers like Norwegian and WOW Air offer super low fares which are frequent matched by the majors. Hotels are cheaper, too. And there are flowers blooming!

It’s also a very nice time to see Mexico– especially Mexico City- here’s my take on the magnificent Mexican megalopolis!

June-August

Paris is sure pretty, but very pricey during peak summer months. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The peak of the peak summer season does not start until mid-June, so you’ll find significantly lower prices in early June compared to later in the month. Prices soar after that, especially on and around July the 4^th and stay high mid August when kids go back to school. The also spike for Labor Day.

Keep in mind that late August is still technically summer so if you can time your vacation then, you’ll save a bundle. Keep an eye out for summer fare sales that roll out in the spring that offer the best deals to those willing to travel before about June 15 and after about August 15.

September-November

Fathom ship Adonia entering the harbor at Santiago de Cuba- cruise ships can still call on Cuban ports and the cheapest time to go is autumn (Photo: Fathom)

What’s best about shoulder season is that there are TWO of them! The second one starts in September and lasts all the way to Thanksgiving.

Fall is a slow (and very cheap) time for cruising because kids are back in school and people are fearful of hurricanes. But the reality is that modern cruise ships are fast enough to navigate around storms.

Leisure travelers should keep in mind that this is convention season in many major US cities, so mid-week rates at big city hotels can soar to freakish levels, and then crash on weekends when conventioneers leave town.

Last year Marriott created a helpful infographic with some great ideas for taking advantage of the off-season.

When do you find the best travel deals? Do you have the flexibility to travel during the slower shoulder season or dead weeks? Please leave your comments below.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Popular: 747 goodbye + New low-cost carrier + Hawaii flights + Hong Kong + more

November 12, 2017

Chris took a two-day trip to Hong Kong last week- check out his post about The Peninsula and stay tuned for his Cathay Pacific A350 Trip Report (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 Emotional goodbye to United’s Boeing 747

2 A new US-based low-cost carrier in the wings?

3 Singapore Changi’s amazing new terminal (photos)

4 Trip Report: A sentimental journey onboard United’s final 747 flight

The final final UA 747 flight HNL to SFO & then likely to a warm desert retirement in Victorville boneyard #UA747Farewell https://t.co/9yg83vE752 pic.twitter.com/9yArkFZGy3
— Chris McGinnis (@cjmcginnis) November 8, 2017

5 Routes: Etihad at DFW, El Al, Southwest, and lots of Mexico news

6 Pushing the Peninsula’s buttons

7 A Lyft bump and Uber slump – especially in San Francisco

8 A look inside Delta partner China Eastern Airlines

9 Travel restrictions are back for Cuba-bound Americans; 80 hotels off limits

10 Southwest Airlines eyeing Hawaii inter-island flights

Here’s something you may not know about Hong Kong:

Surprise: in a bustling modern city like Hong Kong taxis and MTR Metro don’t accept credit cards ? pic.twitter.com/As0UAheQvV
— Chris McGinnis (@cjmcginnis) November 7, 2017

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

How travel has changed in the age of Trump (Mic)

Hotels donating used furniture to Hurricane Harvey victims (AJC)

Is basic economy worth it? (LA Times)

Subtle but important distinctions between US carriers (Air Transport World)

New roadside canopies taking shape at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Why it’s such a pain to use Uber and Lyft at Atlanta Hartsfield- and it’s getting worse (AJC)

Boeing might resume production of 767s (Reuters)

Qatar Airways buys 10 percent stake in Cathay Pacific (Bloomberg)

Thrillist picks the top airport restaurants nationwide

Hong Kong famous egg tart from Hoover’s #china #hk #china #lifewelltravelled #travel #foodporn #penmoments
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Nov 6, 2017 at 12:46am PST

Tests show TSA screeners are still missing most weapons (NBC)

Uber hopes to have flying taxis in Los Angeles by 2020 (The Verge)

BA/Iberia’s Avios program will adopt ‘dynamic pricing’ for award travel (Business Traveller)

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

Reassessing your card strategy? See our “Credit Card Deals” tab to shop around! It helps us help you!

Don’t miss out! Join the 185,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

Pushing the Peninsula’s buttons

November 9, 2017

View of Victoria Harbour from my room on the 22nd floor at the Peninsula Hong Kong, a hotel that pushed all my buttons (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Last week I took a two-day trip on Cathay Pacific’s new A350 between San Francisco and Hong Kong. While the airline has had the plane for two years, the SFO-HKG flight is the first A350 nonstop to/from the US. (Stay tuned for my Trip Report about that flight.)

One of the nice things about jumping on one of these inaugural flights is that the airline usually teams up with a local hotel to accommodate media guests– and show off their properties.

In this case, the hotel partner was the renowned Peninsula Hong Kong, the hotel in which I stayed on my first trip to Asia in 1992.

While it’s the oldest hotel in town, it has definitely kept up with the times. For example, this ever-evolving grande dame added a brand new tower with a hip club in the penthouse and a helipad on the roof back in 1994. It had to in order to keep up with the frenetic pace of the city’s luxury hotel market.

This Peninsula has also kept up with in room technology– so much so that I’m going to devote a whole post to all the buttons I pushed in my room on the 22nd floor overlooking Victoria Harbour. Rooms at the Peninsula typically go for about $500 per night, but I was a guest of the house there for two nights.

I’m a lifelong button pusher. Just ask my parents. I was the kid who could not get in the car without pushing all the buttons or turning all the dials just to see what happened. In electronics stores, I poked and pulled every button I could find. And at the grocery store, the button on top of a can of shaving foam was irresistible.

So I was immediately hooked as I walked into my room at the Peninsula this time and counted about 20 buttons to push. Seriously. All of them quietly, elegantly beckoning me. Here’s a rundown– and a look at my plush room:

Entry with key

A big round button read my room key (Chris McGinnis)

Light switch at entry

Right by the door is the button for the foyer light, the master switch for the entire room, plus buttons for housekeeping, messages, do not disturb, a service call, and even a quick check of the weather as you head out the door. (Chris McGinnis)

Shoe bin

Next to the door is a bin where guests place their shoes to be shined. Attendants access the bin from a separate door in the hallway when you press this button to alert them (Chris McGinnis)

Bathroom light switch.

What’s nice about this switch is its simplicity– just what you need when waking up in the middle of the night. Even better is that the switch is a rheostat- lights turn on dim, and the longer you hold the button down, the brighter it gets (Chris McGinnis)

The Bathroom

The Peninsula’s luscious all-marble bathroom has two sinks, an oval tub, separate shower & toilet, lots of mirrors and buttons, too! (Chris McGinnis)

Sink switches

Mounted on the mirror next to the sink is a control panel that does all kinds of things for you like brightening the light, turning off the bathroom TV or radio, adjusting volume. You can turn off the phone if you’d like and turn on do not disturb if you can’t answer the door. Time and date, too for early jetlagged risers who can’t remember what day it is 🙂 (Chris McGinnis)

Hands free phone

Above the sinkside control panel is this hands free phone just in case that call to close the deal comes in while you are brushing your teeth (Chris McGinnis)

Bathtub video– watch and listen to what happens when I push the SPA button

Bathtub buttons

Endless array of buttons next to the bathtub, including time/date, privacy, a full suite of music selections, a dimmer, the all important SPA button and an emergency call button (Chris McGinnis)

I could have had room service delivered at the touch of a button but opted instead for a mango parfait by the dramatic pool deck (Chris McGinnis)

Vanity/magnifying mirror button for day and night

The button on the vanity mirror switches between daylight and evening light settings (Chris McGinnis)

Toilet buttons

While it does not come close to the number of buttons on a Japanese toilet, you can control phone, room privacy and make an emergency call (Chris McGinnis)

Safe buttons

Nothing special about the safe, but it’s more buttons to push! (Chris McGinnis)

Room main switch

Enter the bedroom, and there’s a simple switch by the door for room lights, air conditioning fan and temperature controls. Again, what I like here is that it’s easy to understand- no electrical engineering degree required (Chris McGinnis)

The room

A cushy king bed with the softest pillows ever. Each room has a delicate laser cut bronze peach blossom work in the wall – each one is different (Chris McGinnis)

Bedside tablet- there are two of these tablets in the room- one by the bed, the other on the desk. Both can be removed from their docks to be used anywhere.

This bedside tablet controls everything in the room accessed by menu buttons at the top. It can open and close curtains, operate the 46-inch flat screen TV, set wake up calls, moderate temperature, call the valet, check the weather and choose from a broad in-room music menu. It can be customized into 11 languages. It’s also the bedside clock. Next to that is the cordless phone. (Chris McGinnis)

Bedside light switch

A switch like this on both sides of the bed controls reading lights and overhead lights (Chris McGinnis)

A nice, easy to understand TV remote is nice, but duplicative since the tablet controls the TV, too (Chris McGinnis)

Make up mirror up and down on and off.

Across from the bed a shiny wooden vanity has a pop-top button- push it and a mirror pops up. Push it again and it goes back down (Chris McGinnis)

Nail dryer buttons!

Tucked into a drawer in the vanity is this portable nail dryer. Push the button on the top, slip your fingers underneath and you’ll feel a nice gentle breeze. (Chris McGinnis)

Coffee maker

Push this button for a quick cup of espresso to beat back the jet lag! (Chris McGinnis)

Desk power

This power and data bar pops up and retracts into the desktop when you push the button on the top (Chris McGinnis)

Curtains sheers/black outs

There are two of these curtain buttons- one opens and closes the sheers, the other opens and closes a black out screen that rolls down from the ceiling (Chris McGinnis)

Two buttons for two functions: sheers and black out both show here (Chris McGinnis)

Phew! That’s a lot of buttons. And a very nice stay. Thank you, Peninsula Hong Kong!

Looking up at old and new at the Peninsula Hong Kong, overlooking Victoria Harbour on the Kowloon side (Chris McGinnis)

What’s the most high-tech hotel you’ve ever stayed at? Your favorite Hong Kong hotel? Please leave your comments below.

Disclosure: I was a guest of the house at the Peninsula Hong Kong for two nights.

Emotional goodbye to United’s Boeing 747

November 7, 2017

Today’s flight is United’s final journey for the Boeing 747 pictured here loading up for the trip SFO to Honolulu (Image: United)

Not everyone could be on United’s final Boeing 747 flight today, including me. But I’ve been watching the event unfold on social media while flying across the Pacific on a brand new wi-fi equipped Cathay Pacific A350 by following #UA747Farewell on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. (Click on the links to see the stream).

And we’re off! #UA747Farewell #QueenOfTheSkies pic.twitter.com/iYFWWEBnmj
— Robbi Hamida (@pilotual) November 7, 2017

It looks like a fun trip, which included toasts by United CEO Oscar Munoz and a cast of lucky passengers and flight attendants (mostly) dressed up in 70’s garb.

United flight attendants lining up for a pre-flight photo opp at the airport (Image: United)

The trip got off to a rocky start with a maintenance delay (not unexpected for a plane destined for a desert retirement!), but then took off and made a dramatic exit right over the top of San Francisco, and then a low run over the Golden Gate Bridge before turning out over the Pacific for the final 2,500-mile flight to Honolulu. Check out the flight path here.

UA747 #ua747farewell #sfo #planespotting
A post shared by Simon Leong (@_simon_leong_) on Nov 7, 2017 at 4:19pm PST

While I was unable to make this trip, our writer Nancy Branka is onboard and will have a full report on her experience later this week.

The flight included a special meal catered by Trader Vic’s…and plenty of mai-tais!

A special Hawaiian style menu for United’s final 747 flight to HNL (Image: United)

United says, “From a 1970s-inspired menu to retro uniforms for flight attendants to inflight entertainment befitting of that first flight, the ‘Queen of the Skies’ is being sent off in style. Seats for this flight sold out in less than 90 minutes when this farewell celebration was announced in September.”

Delta will retire its Boeing 747s in December while other international carriers such as British Airways and Qantas (as well as many cargo carriers) will be flying them for many more years. Also, the newer Boeing 747-8 flown by Lufthansa, Korean Air and Air China should be around for decades.

There was also a very nice goodbye to the graceful Queen of the Skies on CBS This Morning on Sunday. Here’s the 5-minute clip in case you missed it.

What will you miss most about the Boeing 747? What do you think about the new generation of planes taking over long distance flying, such as the Boeing 777-300 or 787 Dreamliner…or the Airbus A350 and A380? Please leave your comments below.

Popular: Mexico City surprise + 747 love + Hawaii deal + Singapore suites + United app

November 5, 2017

Chris expected the worst when this behemoth pulled in next to his plane in Mexico City. Didn’t happen! (Photo: Chris McGinnis

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

1 Excellent, helpful reader comments. Gracias. Vamos! Trip Report: Mexico City, North America’s best-kept travel secret

2 Lots of nostalgia this week “Fond farewell to our 747”- a tearjerker video from United

3 Reader Report: Final 747 flight from London

4 Routes: United’s longest + Delta Comfort+ American to China + more

5 Fares now back up to around $400- -nice while it lasted! Sneak sale: Hawaii $325 roundtrip from 5 west coast cities

A lot of folks got a great deal to Hawaii this winter and they’ll likely be seeing this: Hilton Hawaiian Village (Chris McGinnis)

6 Swish suites! Singapore Airlines unveils an awesome A380 makeover (photos)

7 New MileagePlus award travel pricing starts today

8 United app gets an upgrade

9 Remember Upside Travel? They’ve found a big partner Trying out the new Wall Street Journal travel service

10 Some pretty pix! 10 most Instagrammable airports, airlines

A beautiful fall day for flying from Munich to Paris! #travel #germany #travelskills #lufthansatravels #airbus
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Oct 5, 2017 at 12:28am PDT

Easy! National Car Rental beefed up its popular “One Two Free” promotion with a Twitter sweepstakes- it offers a chance to earn bonus points toward a free rental day. All you have to do is tweet about how you plan to use the free rental day using the hashtag #OTFSweepstakes– five winners will be randomly selected to get 600 points– enough for a free day. Registration required.

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

Don’t miss! United’s new interactive website for the big 747 farewell

United’s interactive page for the big United 747 farewell this week (Image: United)

New Terminal 4 for Korean & Cathay at Singapore Changi

Cost to ride Uber/Lyft from Sea-Tac airport increases

Get ready: An army of Chinese millennials is going to change the face of travel

AirlineRatings.com names world’s top 10 carriers in various categories

Here’s how airlines decide who gets an upgrade

Oak Tree Inns’ 44 hotels will convert to various Wyndham brands

Ontario Airport TSA ads warn against traveling with pot after Jan. 1 legalization

Forbes lists the world’s 10 longest non-stop flights

Finnair will weigh passengers at Helsinki Airport

Best Western adds a new brand

New Air France app provides publications, videos, music

Innovative concept for new Virgin cruise ship venture: No kids allowed

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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7 factors in finding the best travel credit card

November 3, 2017

Not all chip cards are created equal. Know the difference? (Image: Pixabay)

Right now is one of the BEST times of year to consider getting a new credit card. Why? Because with the holiday season ahead of us, it’s easier than ever to meet minimum spend requirements in order to get those fat sign-up point bonuses that can quickly lead to a vacation in Hawaii or an upgrade to business class.

But remember, there’s no such thing as the single best credit card, but there is definitely the best credit card for you.

Eager to sign up affluent, free-spending business travelers, banks have been rolling out a steady stream of new cards, perks and promotions that you should be paying attention to.

While there aren’t as many of those rare 100,000 mile or point bonuses as we saw in recent years, you can still score 50,000 to 60,000 miles if you play your cards right and meet those initial spending requirements.

Tempted? Before you make the switch and sign on the dotted line, be sure you do your homework and consider the following factors.

^^Looking for a new card? Then be sure and click on our “Credit Card Deals” tab at the top of this page^^

Some cards will pay for valuable benefits like Global Entry, which helps reduce wait time at immigration lines (Photo: CBP)

1- Annual fee
You get what you pay for — which is not much — when using cards with a low or no annual fee. So for frequent travelers, it’s usually worth paying a premium for benefits that can improve your travel experience. For example, fees for the American Express Platinum Card, Citi Prestige and other ultra-premium cards run a steep $450-$550 per year, but the cards are rich with traveler benefits such as airport lounge access and reimbursement for all-important Pre-Check or Global Entry fees, among others. If a $500 fee is more than you can pay, remember that the less expensive airline affiliated cards (at around $95 per year) offer some nice perks, too, such as waived baggage fees, early boarding and airline club passes- nice perks if you don’t fly enough to attain elite status.

2- Transaction fees
Frequent international travelers should consider the rapidly growing number of cards that have nixed those irritating 2% to 3% “foreign transaction fees”. While 3% may not sound like much, if you are spending $50,000 a year on overseas travel then you are paying $1,500 a year in transaction fees. Generally you’ll find these fees waived for cards aimed at frequent travelers, but you’ll pay a higher annual fee. Cheaper cash-back or no annual fee cards typically don’t waive foreign transaction fees.

3- Signing bonus
Many cards offer outstanding sign-up bonuses in the form of airline or hotel loyalty points. While these offers are tempting, read the fine print to determine what you must do to get the bonuses — most require spending a few thousand dollars within the first three months to qualify. Also keep in mind that there is a difference between cards that offer miles or points in specific airline or hotel programs, and those that offer points in their own programs. Most credit card gurus suggest that the banks’ own points programs (such as American Express Membership Rewards, Citi Thank You Rewards or others) are more valuable because you can redeem points across a broad spectrum of airline or hotel partners, not just one.

4- Chip and PIN technology
Recently US banks have begun adding chips to credit cards to reduce fraud and make them easier to use overseas where chip and PIN technology is more prevalent. However, it’s important to keep in mind that there are two different types of chip cards these days– chip & PIN and chip & signature. True chip & PIN cards are more valuable to frequent travelers because they can be used at unmanned ticket kiosks (at train stations for example) while chip & signature cards require human being to be present to get your signature. Ask your bank specifically about this before you head overseas. Read more about the PIN vs Signature issue here.

^^Looking for a new card? Then be sure and click on our “Credit Card Deals” tab at the top of this page^^

Some cards offer helpful travel or concierge services (Image: Pixabay)

5- Benefits and affiliations
If you don’t have a corporate travel agency to rely on, choose a card that offers travel planning or concierge services or can help get you out of a jam — like when you get bumped from a flight or walked from a sold out hotel, or can’t get a reservation at a hot new restaurant. To maximize benefits like waived baggage fees, airport lounge access or early boarding privileges, the card you choose should be affiliated with the loyalty program of the airline or hotel chain you use most.

Don’t miss: 10 Most instragrammable airports, airlines

6- Charge card vs credit card:
If you are the type of traveller who submits expense reports on time… and works for a company that processes and pays them on time, then a charge card (such as American Express or Diners Club), which requires payment in full each month, should work for you. However, if you need a bit a wiggle room when it comes to paying off your bill each month, a credit card (typically Visa and MasterCard) is probably a better option- but expect to pay steep interest rates if you don’t pay bills in full.

7- Insurance
Frequent travelers should choose a card that, at a minimum, offers collision damage coverage when renting cars and baggage loss and/or damage protection. But if you rely on collision damage protection when travelling internationally, be sure you know about any country-specific exceptions before you get to the rental car counter. Remember that primary collision coverage is more valuble than secondary coverage, which only kicks in if your personal policy does not. Some cards also offer roadside assistance protection, trip cancellation insurance and more, so be sure to look into the specifics depending on your travel habits.

What type of credit or charge card is in your wallet and why? Have you considered changing it? Please leave your comments below.

In the market for a new credit card?

^^Scroll up to our “Credit Card Deals” tab at the top to shop around! It helps us help you!^^

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Trip Report: Mexico City, North America’s best-kept travel secret

November 2, 2017

Mexico City’s bustle is back along the Paseo de la Reforma and the St Regis Hotel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Back in early September I took a quick trip to Mexico City and came away as impressed as I was when I visited five years ago to write this story for BBC. I know it may sound crazy coming from someone who has traveled to a LOT of cities, but Mexico City is one of my favorite places in the world. Seriously. Go there, or talk to someone who has recently visited and you’ll find out why.

I was all set to sit down and write this Trip Report when the earthquake struck Mexico City on September 19. According to my sources there, in the six weeks since the tragic 7.1 temblor, the city has quickly recovered and there is very little visible evidence of the disaster.

Officials report that nearly all the big 3- to 5-star hotels used by business travelers are open and unscathed by the quake. And demand for hotel rooms has been remarkably resilient. Mexico City hotelier Michael Chiche told me, “It’s fair to say that the city is back to business as usual.” He said that most of the severe damage was in residential areas, but that the central touristic areas, including popular Polanco where his Las Alcobas hotel is located, are fine.

The bustle is back at the slick St Regis Mexico City (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

As a matter of fact, hotel occupancy in the city dipped only 4.4% in the the third quarter of this year. Mexico City Tourism authorities report that the hotel occupancy rate is running at 86.4 percent, which is actually higher than this time last year. A crowd of 300,000 turned out for the Day of the Dead parade last Saturday. And the city just hosted the huge Formula 1 Grand Prix, which drew close to a million spectators. The NFL’s Oakland Raiders and New England Patriots will play in Mexico City on November 19th. The airport has been open and operational since the day after the quake.

The big, bustling, diverse and fast-paced metropolis is moving on.

Here’s my story, advice and photos:

Our best Mexico City meal was lunch at the big, bright, noisy and delicious Contramar in the Condesa neighborhood (Photo: Barkley Dean)

In early September, I flew Alaska Airlines from San Francisco to Mexico City for Labor Day weekend. It had been about five years since my last visit, and once again, I came away impressed.

CDMX, as the city now refers to itself, has an incredibly diverse and sophisticated food scene. While there are few brand new hotels, the existing stock is impressive, continually updating and inexpensive— a quick scan of rates shows five-star hotels going for as little as $220 per night this fall and winter. It’s insanely busy and frenetic– since CDMX is the country’s capital city, financial center, technological & industrial heart, and its “Hollywood,” the city feels like a combination of New York, Washington and Los Angeles with a little chili pepper tossed in.

Ahi tuna tostada with dried onion, lemon mayo, sea salt and lime juice. OMG good at Contramar in Mexico City (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In Mexico City, locals drink Palomas, rarely margaritas (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Getting around town is an inexpensive cinch now that Uber is there. And the downtown core is cleaner, and feels safer, than most U.S. cities I’ve visited recently. From the ride from airport to city, to my walks along the Paseo de la Reforma and the hip neighborhoods of Condesa, Roma, and Polanco, I saw almost no litter and few homeless, and I felt as safe or safer than walking around Union Square in San Francisco, Midtown Atlanta or Manhattan. To me, Mexico City felt like Europe without the jet lag, high prices and tourist throngs.

Most of the business travel scene takes place on the western side of the central core, where the action is in and around Polanco and the broad, tree-filled, European-style Paseo de La Reforma and Chapultepec Park. Take a stroll through this clean, green well-tended park and you’ll find yourself catching your breath since Mexico City lies at 7,200 feet above sea level. If you have time, see Chapultepec Castle where Maximiliano lived (I regrettably missed this due to a late start).

New nonstops between San Francisco and Mexico City on Alaska Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

AIR: Nonstop flights between the US and Mexico City are proliferating, which means more flight choices and lower fares. San Francisco is a perfect example of that. As of last summer, there are four airlines serving SFO-MEX nonstop: Aeromexico, Alaska Air, United and Volaris. (San Jose recently announced new nonstops, too. Seattle did, too.) As a result of all that competition, round trip fares between the two cities have dipped as low as $225 round trip this fall and winter-– which makes a trip to Mexico City even more of a bargain than it already was. Checking today, I found roundtrip fares on Volaris, a Mexican discounter, at $224; other carriers are in the $300 range. I flew Alaska Airlines over Labor Day weekend when fares were about $350 round trip. First class fares are a relative bargain, too, at about $600 round trip (for a four-hour flight). Arrival, customs and immigration in Mexico City were easy and uneventful. Even with an Air France A380 from Paris unloading at the same time, we only spent about 20 minutes in the immigration line (there are no fast track lanes).

Uber is super cheap, super easy and super clean. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

GROUND: Uber is cheap, easy, safe and plentiful in Mexico City. We never waited more than three minutes for a car. While Mexico City’s cheap-but-efficient Metro trains now run to the airport, it would be a challenge to take a comfortable ride with baggage since the trains are so jam packed. For airport runs, I recommend a car or taxi– just be aware of roadway rush hours– 8-10 am, 6:30 – 8:30 pm. UberX costs only about $12 for the ride from the airport to the city center; Uber Black is about $30. (Uber’s new tipping function does not work in Mexico.) Lyft does not operate in Mexico City. Since Uber was so easy, I did not use taxis at all. Most of our center-city rides cost less than $5. But I spent most of my time on foot– my Fitbit recorded a whopping 20,000 steps per day for the three days I was there.

The St Regis Mexico City is part of a dramatic glass and steel residential tower on the Paseo de la Reforma (Chris McGinnis)

Exquisite rooms with lots of local color and a fantastic location at Las Alcobas in Polanco (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

HOTELS: We stayed at the St Regis Mexico City on Paseo de la Reforma, where rates ran $290 per night. (Disclosure: I accepted a 50% off media rate.) The hotel is part of a gorgeous glass and steel residential tower with commanding views of the environs. Inside, it is swathed in rich marble and wood, spritzed with aromatherapy, decorated with fresh flowers and manned by a pleasant, professional staff. A brand new veranda overlooking a busy roundabout offers lots of fun, talented mixologists, and a see-and-be-scene among hotel guests and wealthy “Chilangos,” as Mexico City residents call themselves. Rates start at around $250 per night—quite a deal for a property that regularly vies for the top spot among luxury hotels with Las Alcobas, an SPG-affiliated 35-room, 5-star gem located in the posh Polanco district on Avenida Masaryk—“the Rodeo Drive” of Mexico City.

Note that since Mexico City is a huge business travel destination, upscale hotel rates are higher (sometimes much higher) on weekdays than on weekends.

Most American business travelers stay nearby among the four giant hotels on the edge of Polanco overlooking Chapultepec Park–there you’ll find the InterContinental, W, Hyatt and JW Marriott. More adventurous travelers may choose to stay in the non-brand hotels in the hip neighborhoods of Roma or Condesa. (Regrettably, these older districts were saw more earthquake damage than newer areas like Polanco.) On one of my long walks, I ducked into the popular Condesa DF and the unusually beautiful El Parque Mexico (no in-room TV or A/C). Other popular smaller hotels: La Valise, Habita or the mod, colorful, mid-century modern El Camino Real Polanco.

The unusual Parque Mexico is sure cool to look at both inside and out but it gets trashed on TripAdvisor (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

WEATHER: The “wet” season in Mexico runs from May to September, with a little rain expected every day. The dry season runs November to May with the warmest months of the year being April and May. Overall, due to the high altitude, the climate is cooler than you might expect. Also, with all those clouds scrubbing the air during rainy season, air pollution is not that bad during wet months (and in general, the air is much better than it use to be). It’s worse during the colder, drier winter months when there’s an inversion in the valley where the city lies.

PHONE: My Verizon phone worked just fine– $5 per day for unlimited calls and data using Verizon TravelPass. Other major carriers offer similarly cheap and easy plans — just be sure to set them up before you depart the US. (See all options here)

Pujol is one of the most sought after reservations in Mexico City- just be prepared to pay up and eat weird. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

EATING AND DRINKING: Mexico City is one of the hottest foodie cities in the world now. The breadth and sophistication of the scene surprised me. The best meal I had in Mexico City was lunch at Contramar. Note: Lunch in Mexico starts late at 2 pm. When I arrived at 1 pm, the place was deserted. By the time I left Contramar at 3 pm it was packed. Reservations are required. At my table we enjoyed a whole grilled red snapper with green and red salsa, but the best thing I ate on the entire trip was the tuna tostada with dried onions, lemony mayonnaise and a slice of avocado (See photo up top). After lunch I followed the lead of locals asked for a carajillo—a shot of coffee with Licor 43 and cream. If you miss out on Contramar, try Entremar, its sister restaurant on Polanco.

Tamarindo margarita with worm salt, a pickled carrot sprinkled with dried, crushed ants, and an ant larvae tarte on the menu at Pujol. Yes, I ate it all and liked it! (Photo: Chris McGinnis

We also dined at the Omikase bar at the super hot and super expensive Pujol (see above). We ducked into the very upscale and modern Biko (in Polanco) where the focus is on the food– the small bites are plated to perfection, and the visual show on the table is magnified due to the cool gray drab interior.

Small bite with big flavors plated to perfection at Mexico City’s Biko restaurant (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

One of the most memorable meals was Sunday brunch on the big bright new veranda of the Restaurant Diana at the St Regis. The diverse spread is outstanding with multiple stations, lots of locals, big views off the new veranda and only about $45 per person without wine or champagne ($75 with). Dinner in the same space is an excellent choice for entertaining… a young talented chef turns out a diverse menu that blends local food and spices with European classics.

Sunday Brunch at the St Regis Mexico City on a veranda overlooking the Paseo de la Reforma (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Something I learned from a bartender at the St Regis: Chilangos don’t drink margaritas— they are considered a beach drink. The most popular drink in town is the paloma, a combination of tequila and lime juice topped off with a grapefruit soda like Squirt or Fresca.

Check out my video of a Mexico City taco-making master as he shows off his talents.

A word about street food: Having had my bouts with Montezuma’s Revenge in previous trips to Mexico, I admit I was at first hesitant to try street food in Mexico City, but I ended up giving in with no ill effects. Best advice: Ask locals where THEY eat off the street and go there. Or look for long lines and lots of steam at the many taco stands. Ask around and you’ll find out where to go.

Mexico City’s Metro system is clean and cheap–and very crowded at peak times with cars reserved for women and children. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

MONEY: Mexico City is always a nice bargain for Americans, and it’s recently become even more of one as the dollar has strengthened against the peso, reaching nearly 20 pesos per US dollar in recent weeks. Combine that with inexpensive 4-5 star hotels, reasonably priced dining and cheap airfare.

LAY OF THE LAND: See a map of Mexico City here.

The city is laid out east-west along the Paseo de la Reforma as its spine. On the western edge of the city is the new Santa Fe enclave of office towers, luxury hotels and shopping malls. A lot of US companies have set up shop in Santa Fe. Its distance from the central city and traffic issues (it can take over a hour to get there by Uber in bad traffic) make it a nice upscale island, but does not feel much like Mexico.

Moving east, you’ll find the trendy Polanco district, “the Beverly Hills” of Mexico City. This is where the city’s corporate, governmental and diplomatic elite hang out and/or reside. It’s also where you’ll find the trendiest restaurants, late night bars, and exuberant youth. It’s also an excellent place for a stroll with several stops at the many outdoor cafes.

The European style Paseo de la Reforma is dotted with several elegant roundabouts (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Next up along “el Paseo” is Chapultepec Park and a series of European style roundabouts adorned with fountains and gleaming gold statues. It’s where you’ll find the newest, tallest skyscrapers and nicest hotels like the St. Regis, the Four Seasons and a new Ritz-Carlton coming in 2019. On the southern side of the Paseo are the hip neighborhoods of Roma and Condesa where you’ll find the best bars, outdoor cafes and younger, hipper set.

Looking out from the Sears department store veranda coffee shop at Mexico City’s gorgeous Centro de Bellas Artes (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Continue on to the east and you’ll find the Centro Historico—the old center of town. Here you’ll find the statues, cathedrals, plazas and monuments of a 500-year-old capital city. It’s definitely worth seeing, but there’s not a lot of business taking place there. If you have time, be sure to saunter into the Sears Department store across the street from the spectacular Bellas Artes, go up to the 8th floor for a cup of coffee and a view that will blow you away (See above). And about 20-30 minutes east of that is Benito Juarez International. And beyond that is the massive NEW Mexico City airport that has already broken ground. The first phase is expected to open around 2020.

There you have it! Four days well spent in what I think is the biggest sleeper destination in the western hemisphere. Among the other Americans I spoke with on this trip, there was a conspiratorial smile and wink that said something like, “Let everyone back home think this place is dangerous and squalid. It’s too bad that’s the perception, but we’ll keep coming back until the secret is out!”

Don’t miss plenty more excellent photos from this trip that I could not fit here. See my Google photo album: Mexico City Sept 2017

Have you been to Mexico City lately? Would you consider a trip there? Please leave your comments below.

Disclosure: I covered all expenses for this trip except for a special 50% off media rate from the St Regis Mexico City. CDMX Travel paid for my airfare on Alaska Airlines.

Trying out the new Wall Street Journal travel service

October 31, 2017

If you don’t have a corporate travel department behind you, this could help snag discounts and perks. (Image: Jim Glab)

Now this is interesting. The Wall Street Journal has teamed with Upside Travel and launched “The Wall Street Journal Business Travel Service” which it says is designed “exclusively for the 200 million do-it-yourself business travelers.” Primarily, these are travelers who don’t work for large corporations with tight travel policies and entire departments or agencies set up to enforce them, and reap the savings of bulk buying. They are also known as unmanaged travelers or rogue travelers.

We’ve written about Upside Travel before (see post). It’s the new service started by Jay Walker (the guy who invented Priceline) that works like this: Instead of booking your usual first-choice airline, flight time and hotel, you let the Upside website put together an air-hotel package for you. Once you decide if the alternatives work, and if the discounts and gift cards offers are enticing enough, you book the trip. Gift cards come from 50 different retailers, including Amazon.com and Whole Foods, so they are pretty much as good as cash rebates.

Unlike traditional travel agencies, neither Upside or the WSJ Business Travel Service charge fees. Users earn frequent flyer miles for bookings, but do not earn the all-important elite qualifying miles. Delta and Southwest are not participants in the program. Users do not always earn hotel program points. A customer service rep I spoke with said that they will take your program number and call the hotel and try to get the points, but that does not always happen. Also, these bookings do earn points with credits cards and are coded as travel-related purchases for bonuses.

Front page of the new WSJ Business Travel Service site

While Upside has pushed the discounts and gift card aspect of the service, the WSJ seems more focused on the service aspect. It says, “With this new service, any business traveler now has the level of comprehensive service and access previously only available to employees of the very largest companies, with no fees, commitments or corporate approvals required. Business travelers can connect with travel experts for instant service via phone, chat or email.”

Since anyone can use the Wall Street Journal Travel Service (no membership, subscription or other fees required) I’m wondering if there’s any difference in using it or the Upside site. Customers booking through the WSJ service get day passes to airport lounges via a deal it has with LoungeBuddy. A spokesperson added that Wall Street Journal subscribers ($400-$500 per year) who use the service get a set of Bose QuietComfort II headphones ($350) after their first trip

I put the new WSJ service to the test and it did produce some substantial savings for a two day trip to New York City from San Francisco in mid November. Here’s what I found.

When I fly to New York, I usually like to fly Delta (for the service, the miles and elite perks) and stay at at Marriott branded hotel for the points and the recognition my elite status brings.

When I enter my dates on the WSJ site, it comes back with flights on American, Alaska/Virgin, JetBlue, United. It also offers up the Marriott Courtyard on Fifth Avenue (rated 4.0 on TripAdvisor). Total package price: $786.78.

If I accepted the site’s first offer of a United roundtrip and stay at Marriott Courtyard, my company would save $15, and I’d get a gift card worth $30. Not bad!

But here’s where this service is different. It also offered me three other alternatives for hotel stays in NYC. If I chose to stay at the NH Jolly Madison hotel (rated 3.5 on TripAdvisor and only a few blocks away) instead, my company would save $42 and I would get a gift certificate of $130. Hmmm. Now that seems worth the switch to me, even with the loss of my Marriott points.

First offer is a United flight and a Marriott Courtyard stay for $786.78

The most valuable alternative is a combo of the same United flights and a stay at the Jolly Madison hotel for $758.99, plus I get a $130 gift card to use at Amazon or Whole Foods or other retailers.

Have you or would you try The Wall Street Journal Business Travel Service? Have you tried Upside? Please leave your comments below.

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

October 29, 2017

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.

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?

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
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Oct 28, 2017 at 8:36am PDT

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.

#UA892, @united’s final regularly scheduled 747 service is about an hour from touchdown at @flySFO. #UA747Farewell
? https://t.co/VuEJoC1erg pic.twitter.com/MWuWndexyM
— Flightradar24 (@flightradar24) October 29, 2017

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

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Reader Report: Final 747 flight from London

October 28, 2017

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

As United’s 747s sail off into the sunset of a well-deserved retirement, stories of final flights are starting to pour in from readers. Here’s a heartfelt report from TravelSkills reader J.K. who was on the final 747 flight from London to San Francisco this week:

I was on the last United 747 out of London yesterday up on top in the bubble. Wonderful flight- I will especially miss the nimble handling of the plane when in flight.

United final LHR-SFO flew over the northern end of Greenland (Image: JK)

We took an unusual path across Greenland about halfway up the island from the south. As you probably know, the typical route is across the southern tip of Greenland. At any rate, on this trip, the clouds parted for a bit so we could peer down at the east coast of Greenland– the flight attendant woke me up to see the sight. There was much more snow and ice than I’ve seen flying over the southern tip.

The clouds parted for a nice clear look at Greenland on United’s final London-SFO 747 flight (Photo: JK)

As we descended into the Bay Area, the path was from the north and directly over the Peninsula. The plane had to take a tight right turn towards the ocean to line up for the typical flight path along the shore of the San Francisco Bay on the east side of the Peninsula. It felt like a small regional jet when it made its turn. It was beautiful.

You could tell that the crew was very excited to be part of this flight. It was a SFO based crew and they mentioned the passing of an era on the PA a few times. United prepared special commemorative amenity kits with “747” embroidered on the socks and printed on the eye shades.

Commemorative 747 socks on final United 747 flight LHR-SFO (Photo: JK)

At the end of the flight, the flight attendant mentioned that one of the passengers on the bubble deck had proposed to his wife there many years ago– the lucky guy got a cockpit tour as everyone else was disembarking.

Special 747 amenity kits on this final flight from London (Photo: JK)

All in all, a low key but memorable flight. I will miss the 747. There is nothing like climbing a flight of steps inside the plane to know that you are on a special ship.

–J.K.

The ? of the skies received the royal celebration today @HeathrowAirport as she made her final journey over the pond #UA747Farewell pic.twitter.com/MjQQpEsuyt
— United (@united) October 28, 2017

Tell us about your final 747 flight! We might post it as a reader report! What will you miss most about this beautiful bird?

Another outdoor observation deck for San Francisco International

October 27, 2017

San Francisco International’s new outdoor observation deck will be located at the end of Boarding Area G (Image: Google Maps)

Remember when we wrote about the new public, outdoor observation deck going into the space where SFO’s control tower used to be? Here’s that post.

Well, that idea was so well received that the airport will add a second deck… but this one will actually open first.

Look at the photo above and you’ll see a tan area at the end of the terminal– that’s where the new deck will be located.

The new outdoor observation deck will be located at the end of the International Terminal Boarding Area G (United/Star Alliance side). What’s really cool about this location is that you’ll be able to almost reach out and touch the noses of the A380s that dock there– look at the photo and you’ll see the telltale sign of an A380 jetway– it’s really three jetways in one, which is necessary to load and unload the big bird.

The new deck will not only offer great views of big planes, runways and the South San Francisco sign on San Bruno Mountain– airport spokesperson Doug Yakel tells TravelSkills that it will also include a “food and beverage concept.” He said that the airport is simply reconfiguring for public use a deck that is already there.

The new deck should open next year- December 2018. The public deck atop Terminal 2 (image below) won’t open for two more years– December 2019.

Rendering of Terminal 2 – see the observation deck in the lower right? (Image: SFO)

Do to its location beyond security, the Boarding Area G deck will only make sense for passengers ticketed on flights departing United’s Terminal 3 or boarding area G, unlike the Terminal 2 deck which will have pre-security access for non-ticketed passengers. For reference, see a full airport map here.

What a great place to cool your heels as you wait for your flight? All the more reason to get to the airport early, right?

Don’t miss: Take a bus to your plane at SFO

The swank outdoor terrace at the new Star Alliance lounge at LAX (Chris McGinnis)

Outdoor spaces have been gaining popularity in recent years at US airport, but they’ve been built to delight members of airport clubs for the most part. For example, Delta has outdoor space at its Sky Clubs in Atlanta and New York. The Stay Alliance lounge in Los Angeles has a nice outdoor space– with fireplaces!

Earlier this year, Alaska Air hinted that it may open a new Alaska Club with an outdoor deck space atop T2 terminals, but we’ve heard less and less about that effort in recent months.

What’s your favorite outdoor airport space? Please leave your comments below.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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

October 26, 2017

South Florida is one of the most popular fall & winter travel destinations- and fares are CHEAP (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Fares are tumbling to warm weather destinations this winter from California! If you could not take advantage of the rare fare sale to Hawaii this week, then you may want to consider a flight in the other direction– to Miami, Ft Lauderdale or Orlando. Or perhaps Floridians are looking for a nice escape to the West Coast?

American, Virgin America, JetBlue and United are all offering some remarkably low fares between the Bay Area and South Florida– as low as $251-$267 round trip! That’s an especially good deal considering you’ll be flying during the the Bay Area’s cold, wet months of January and February. These super low fares are also available in November and early December, but do not include peak holiday weeks. Sacramento is included in this sale, with one stop flights to FL. San Jose is in there, too, at $234 round trip to Orlando.

Even better, most of these ultra-low fares are not those irritating “Basic Economy” fares– they fare regular economy fares with all the benefits that come with that. Frontier is also in this sale, with insanely low fares, too, with fares as low as $152 round trip, but with lots of extra fees. See fee menu

It’s very rare to see fares under $300 for transcon flights— and this one is a whopper at about 2,500 miles in each direction.

Click here to see an example of Google Flights search for a mid January trip between SFO and Miami and Ft Lauderdale.

Check out these great deals on fall winter flights to Fort Lauderdale or Miami from SFO (Image: Google Flights)

As always during the slower fall and winter months, it’s important to act fast on these un-publicized sales. If you see a fare that works for you, grab it because it likely will not last.

NOTE: These fares were available on Thursday Oct 26 and subject to change. We found them on Google Flights, but they are also available on airline websites.

What’s a “good” deal to you when it comes to Florida-California flights? What’s the least you’ve ever paid to fly between the two coasts? Please leave your comments below.

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ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Brush up on your travel skills in Chicago, Nov 18

October 26, 2017

Johnny Jet & Chris McGinnis will be speaking at Frequent Travel University in Chicago on Nov 18 (Photo: Natalie DiScala)

Way back in the dark ages of the 1990’s I got my start in the travel biz by offering “traveler training” seminars to new recruits at Fortune 500 companies. Eventually my career path veered into the media world, but my company and this blog still retain the name TravelSkills, reflecting our origins.

So I’ll be going back to my roots next month when I speak at the popular Frequent Travel University Expo at the Marriott Chicago O’Hare over the weekend of November 17-19.

I’ll be sharing the stage with Johnny Jet for our presentation, “Travel Like a Rock Star,” which is packed with news, advice, insight and experience that you find here on TravelSkills or on Johnny Jet’s newsletter. The last time we did this presentation together was at the New York Times Travel Show (pictured above)– FTU organizers were there and thought our content would be a good fit for their new Expo.

Classroom at previous Frequent Travel University meeting (Image: FTU)

Organizers are expecting a crowd of around 3,000 in Chicago for two days of presentations from a lot of bright and interesting travel personalities like Rudy Maxa, Nomadic Matt, Gary Arndt and Chris Guillebeau. What’s new about this FTU is the broad and diverse array of speakers presenting. In the past, these events were geared primarily for miles and points geeks or travel hackers, but this event will be much broader. There are 28 speakers covering a wide range of topics– such as travel photography, choosing the best credit cards or travel gear, or getting the most out of United’s MileagePlus program.

Might you be in Chicago on November 18? Then get registered for the event, drop by, say hey and bone up on your Travel Skills! Johnny and I speak at 9 am.

The fee for the Nov 18 Expo is just $39 for full day admission. Register here. You can also register for the broader, multi-day Signature Event here.

Need more reasons to go? FTU suggests the top 10 things you can learn how to do at the Travel Expo –

1. Earn hundreds of thousands of miles in a year with travel rewards credit cards.
2. Earn miles through everyday activities from restaurant dining to your business expenses.
3. Beat the airlines and win at frequent flyer miles
4. Experience the world’s most lavish airlines in first and business class on miles
5. Enjoy the world’s best airline lounges prior to your flights
6. Stay in luxury hotels around the world on points.
7. Get VIP treatment at hotels with credit card benefits and status matches.
8. Find incredible airfare deals for when you just want to get away
9. Take ‘trips of a lifetime’ every year, soon you’ll need a new travel bucket list
10. Do all this on an economy class budget

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Are TSA’s new “automated” security checkpoints really better?

October 25, 2017

Screening lane like this one have rolled out in airports across the country. Are they better? (Image: United)

We’ve been getting a lot of pitches from airlines and the TSA bragging about the new “automated” security checkpoints popping up at airports across the country since last year. You know, the ones with the conveyor belts that deliver bins underneath a steel counter. Some refer to them as “smart lanes.”

In theory they should work well, but in practice, it sounds like it might be another story. We’ve heard from many readers (and friends) who question whether or not the automated lanes are an actual improvement.

Here’s one email from TravelSkills reader FF:

Chris, do you have any opinion on the new Delta initiated TSA “automated” checkpoints in ATL? In my experience (I go thru 2x / week), they are an unmitigated disaster. Even the TSA agents are disgusted with it.

I was told by an agent a few weeks ago, it was a UK-devised system (RED FLAG!!) that was being pushed by Delta. He also said that it required two extra agents per line to facilitate getting the passengers through due to the confusion/awkwardness created by the system. I heard another agent on Monday night saying that it takes so much longer than the old way.

In the past, I would ask an agent when the TSA was going to phase out the boondoggle, but I noticed a couple of weeks ago that the system is now being installed at MSP. I told an agent there to get ready, because it was a real cluster**** and she said she’d heard the same from several passengers. I wonder if Delta even beta tested it before rolling out?

Here’s a video United created to help roll out the new lanes at Newark Liberty airport.

The idea for the new lanes is that the TSA can process multiple people at one time. It’s designed so that experienced, streamlined passengers can easily get around slower passengers by just walking up to another slot. But it does not always work that way. From what I’ve seen, people feel like they are “breaking” in line if they choose a slot closer to the screening machine. So they wait. And then the TSA agent overseeing the operation shouts at them to go ahead and take the empty lane.

The lanes most recently went into operation at Minneapolis St Paul airport, and the TSA sent out a press release extolling the following virtues:

The automated screening lanes offer several new features designed to improve the screening process for travelers going through the security checkpoint including:

Stainless steel countertops designed specifically to enable several passengers to place their items in bins simultaneously;
Automated conveyor belts that move bins into the X-ray machine tunnel and return the bins to the front of the security checkpoint;
Automatic diversion of any carry-on bag that may contain a prohibited item; this diversion to a separate location allows other bins containing other travelers’ belongings to continue through the screening process uninterrupted;
Bins that are 25 percent larger than a typical bin and are able to hold a roll-aboard bag;
Unique Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) tags that are attached to each bin, allowing for additional accountability of a traveler’s carry-on property as they move throughout the security screening process;
Cameras that capture photographic images of the contents of each bin and are linked side-by-side to the X-ray image of a carry-on bag’s contents.

It sounds good in theory, but in practice, we are not so sure.

So the question is…is this just a learning curve thing, or a failure in design? What do you think? Please leave your comments below.

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

October 24, 2017

Fares to Hawaii take a dip. Need to act fast, though. Kauai pictured here. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

UPDATE! 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 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. And there’s even more: How about SFO-LAX for just $73 roundtrip in basic economy, $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.

>>Here’s the original post from last week.

Whenever we see fares to Hawaii from the west coast dip below $400, we jump. Over the last year it has been rare to see anything below $399. That changed this week when roundtrip fares dipped quietly closer to $300.

The airlines are not making a big deal about this, but we are!

Today we are seeing some very nice deals for winter travel to the islands– most at around $325 round trip between the Bay Area, Portland, Sacramento, San Diego, Seattle and Honolulu, Maui, Kauai and Hawaii. (This applies to both nonstop and one stop flights.) Interestingly, this does not apply (yet) to flights from LAX where fares remain above the $400 mark, but not by much, at around $410.

UPDATE #2: As of 3 pm on Oct 24, these fares are already drifting higher– most $325 fares are now closer to $350.

UPDATE #3: We are now finding flights available for deep peak summer for just $325-$345, mostly SFO-HNL in late August and early September

UPDATE #4: Weds Oct 25 7 am– the lowest roundtrip fares are now in the $375 range- not $325 any more, but still a good deal for winter trips to Hawaii. Most remaining discounts appear to be on flights to Maui (OGG).

Update #5: Weds 5 pm This sale appears to be slowing down however we are still finding SFO-Honolulu or Maui on Virgin America for $345 Nov-May and also in late August. That’s a very good deal.

Fares for mid-Late November between SFO and Hawaiian Islands (Google Flights)

What’s even better about this is a nice big window for travel– it starts in November and goes all the way to May. Of course this does not include the Christmas/New Year’s holiday period, but it does include spring break months of March and April (excluding the week before Easter). First class fares from the west coast are at about $1,000 roundtrip.

As of today, its mostly United and Hawaiian that are offering the low fares, but keep an eye out for matches from Alaska Air and Virgin America.

As of this morning (Tues Oct 24) we have found the following deals on Google Flights and as always clicked thru to airline sites to confirm:

San Francisco or San Jose to Maui: $325
San Francisco to Honolulu or Kauai: $333
San Diego to Honolulu, Maui or Kauai $338
Sacramento to Honolulu or Maui: $366 (one stop in SFO)
Seattle-Honolulu $348 (one stop in LAX)
Portland to Honolulu $333 (one stop)

San Francisco to Maui nonstop for just $325 in February is a great deal. Go grab it! (Google Flights)

Right now it appears that United is leading this sale with the most sale fares. Keep in mind that this could change rapidly– the airlines might just be “testing the waters” to see how low they must go to stimulate demand.

As always during the slower fall and winter months, it’s important to act fast on these un-publicized sales. If you see a fare that works for you, grab it because it likely will not last.

What’s a “good” deal to you when it comes to Hawaii? What’s the least you’ve ever paid to fly there? Please leave your comments below.

Get that $325 roundtrip fare nearly every day in cold dark Jan and Feb and get to paradise! (Google Flights)

Aloha!

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Popular: 747 Tears + Delta’s new jet + United burger + Dreamliner + Madrid nonstop

October 22, 2017

Nostalgia for the 747 is booming as the Queen’s retirement nears. United flight attendant wearing a maxi-skirt in the 747 upper deck lounge (Image: United)

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

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

2 Delta unveils new seats on new Airbus A350 & sets routes

3 Passport needed for domestic travel? Come on!

4 United bags a new cheeseburger for $10

United’s new smoked gouda cheeseburger from seat 7A (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

5 Routes: Aeromexico at SJC, Southwest, Air New Zealand, BA, United, AA, Etihad + more

6 Qantas unwraps its Dreamliner, coming to LAX soon (photos)

7 Iberia adds San Francisco – Madrid nonstops

As we boarded this sleek Embraer plane, you could look east and see the San Jose International terminal across the runways (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

8 New Hotels: Hilton LAX, Nikko SF, Mondrian NYC, Marriott Denver, Ritz Chicago, Hilton DC

9 Shocking bomb simulation at Singapore Changi Airport [VIDEO]

10 The newest Embraer jet you may never fly on

Don’t miss: Kimpton Karma and IHG Rewards finally hook up

Rooftop pool deck at Kimpton’s Hotel Wilshire in Los Angeles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

Former United CEO selling his Trump Tower condo

United Clubs doing away with paper passes

Did you hear about this attempt to bomb Asheville Airport?

Apple iOS 11 adding more indoor airport maps

Here’s a first look a Beijing’s gorgeous, largest airport in the world

Will rising jet fuel costs lead to higher fares? Not for a while

More debate on how “Southwest effect” will change Hawaii market

Moving photos from behind the scenes at Virgin America

As with the 747, nostalgia for Virgin America is building as the airline approaches extinction (Photo: Virgin America)

Baller! Former GE CEO Immelt reportedly used TWO corporate jets on some trips

JetBlue revises boarding procedure

FAA wants airlines worldwide to ban electronic devices from checked luggage

Singapore Airlines expected to order 39 Boeing wide-bodies for $13 billion

JetBlue stops selling tickets through several online travel agencies

Delta offers meal pre-selection for international Delta One passengers

After Brexit, EU passenger protection rules will no longer apply for U.K. flights

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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The newest Embraer jet you may never fly

October 20, 2017

Chris McGinnis checking out the new Embraer Legacy 500 business jet at San Jose Airport

You probably know Embraer by its line of smaller so-called “regional” jets that typically fly short distances and feed into major airline hubs. These are the popular E175s and E195s that have displaced the cramped CRJs in the regional jet space.

But did you know Embraer is also in the business of building private or “business” jets for companies or high net worth individuals?

In October, the Brazilian aerospace company jetted its executives into Mineta San Jose Airport to show off its new private jet, the Legacy 500, which seats 8-12 passengers, and costs around $20 million. It’s considered a “midsize” private jet, falling between the smaller Phenom (which it also makes) and the better known larger models like Gulfstreams and Learjets. (Scroll down for slide show)

Built in Melbourne, Florida, the Legacy 500 is considered a “stand up” jet, which means it has a flat floor and passengers can stand up in the aisle- I could do that when onboard, but at 6 feet, my hair grazed the ceiling. The jet’s flight range is about 3,000 miles, which means it can make nonstop cross-country and Hawaii trips, but can’t cross oceans.

In addition to showing the Legacy 500 off to Silicon Valley tech companies (or their billionaire owners or investors) Embraer invited a few media types down for a look and a quick spin out over the Pacific Ocean at sunset.

Come along with me and take a peek at how the other half of business travelers live!

At SJC, business and private jets are handled on the west side of the runways. In this case, Embraer used Atlantic Aviation.

When flying private, the airport concourse looks like this- your car drops you off and you walk to your plane- no security, no hassles, muss or fuss. This is smooth as silk! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Inside the Atlantic Aviation Terminal on the west side of San Jose International, passengers and pilots walk through this well-appointed terminal, check in and then walk out to the tarmac. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

As we boarded the plane, you could look east and see the Mineta San Jose International terminals across the runways (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

This brand new $20 million plane’s curves and shine are hard to resist. I want one! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

There are plenty of luxury touches on this bird, like gorgeous wood veneer, leather and even lightweight marble floors in the galley area which I noticed as soon as we boarded (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Embraer design executive Jay Beever was onboard to show us around and explain how his masterpiece works (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Passengers can control cabin temperature, music and dim lights from an iPad (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I walked to the back of the plane for a look at the semi-private lavatory, which includes this nice sink area on one side, and the loo on the other (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The lavatory is separated from the cabin by a sliding door. A nice leather cover hides the toilet- if you did not lift it up, you’d think it was just another seat (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Here’s the toilet with the cover down. Note that it has a seatbelt, so it could serve as a passenger seat if needed (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Once we boarded and doors closed, we taxied for about two minutes and took off into the sunset over the Pacific Ocean. The G-force of the plane taking off felt exhilarating- and so quiet. Flying on this smooth and quiet jet felt “like buttah!” I could so easily get used to this!

Monitors at the front and rear of the cabin had a fantastic, frequently updated image of the plane’s position. It’s a spectacularly crisp and colorful show, almost as good as what you can see out the window! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Gorgeous view of the Pacific coastline of central California out the window during our 45 minute ride (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Editor Chris McGinnis enjoying his 45 minutes of feeling like a billionaire- Embraer served passengers Veuve Clicquot during the ride

Looking out Embraer’s trademark square windows reminded me of my many rides on its E175 or E195 regional jets (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

As we made our way back to SJC, I took a walk up to the cockpit for a chat with pilots– who clearly love flying this plane. On the Embraer, like the Airbus, there is no “yoke” or steering wheel. Pilots use small sticks– almost like video games– to guide the plane when autopilot is off.

Another benefit of flying private- the cockpit door is wide open and passengers can go take in the view. The Embraer 500 glass cockpit is gorgeous (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Looking out at the California Coast from the cockpit (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Note the small stick on the right which pilots used to guide the Embraer 500 versus the “yoke” you’ll find on Boeing jets (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Wow! What a ride. It was tough to leave this beautiful jet behind (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Once we deboarded our sleek little bird, we walked across the ramp to the Atlantic Aviation terminal, jumped in an Uber, and went home. What a way to fly! (Photo: Chris McGinnis

Have you ever been lucky enough to fly on a private or business jet? What do you think about the Embraer planes you’ve flown on? Please leave your comments below.

United bags a new cheeseburger for $10

October 19, 2017

United’s new smoked gouda cheeseburger on a square bun should appeal to the hipster palate! (Image: United)

Remember when United rolled out its inflight cheeseburger for $12 last year? It quickly became an in-flight favorite with more than 2,000 served every day. Back then we reported that first class passengers were passing up their plated lunches and instead asking for the cheeseburger served in a brown paper bag from the back of the plane.

Based on that success, United food scientists went back to the drawing board to create a new cheeseburger that it will roll out starting November 1.

Here’s how United is describing the new square-bunned, smoky-tasting cheeseburger it will serve on domestic flights of more than 3.5 hours:

“It started with the great burger you like and we found a great, new bread by, Brooklyn-based Company, “Brooklyn Bred” (you’ll recognize some of their breads if you frequent Starbucks …) and we are partnering with Sir Kensington’s – on new condiments too. The new burger patty comes from the same place as the current one – it’s all beef! The cheese is Smoked Gouda, with condiments and Sir Kensington mustard, ketchup and mayo.

We tested 25-30 variations of the cheeseburger on flights and asked customers and flight attendants for feedback. Swiss and Smoked Gouda were the final two cheese choices and Smoked Gouda won unanimously in the feedback. Research was conducted inflight over the course of one month.”

Here’s another look at the burger from United’s fall bistro-on-board menu (Image: United)

United’s new Smoked Gouda Cheeseburger is $10 and with chips, it’s $12.00 (Image: United)

Were any TravelSkills readers on those taste-testing flights? If so, we’d like to hear from you. What did you think?

And if you are in downtown San Francisco today, THURSDAY (Oct 19), you can give the new Gouda burger a try yourself. Sir Kensington will have a food truck parked at 400 California Street (at Sansome) dishing out free burgers, fries and swag to celebrate its #BurgerOnBoard partnership with United. The truck will be downtown for 10:30 am and 1 pm, then it will head to SFO so passengers and United employees can bite into the burgers– and try out those fancy new condiments.

If you go, please take photos and sent them to us! We’ll post them here and on our social media stream.

Here’s the ingredient list for United’s new burger.

Fancy condiments? Ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard? Well, yes, according to this video from Sir Kensington’s, it’s almost artisanal. Mayonnaise is made from “certified humane free range eggs.” Ketchup comes from “fresh tomatoes, not concentrate. ”

Don’t miss our in-depth look at United’s original cheeseburger

Starting November 1, the new smoked gouda cheeseburger will replace the original one on US flights. However, the original, served on a pretzel bun, will remain on Canada-originating flights through next March.

Note that the new burger is almost 2 oz. smaller than old one — 5.95 oz. vs. 7.45– which appears to be a downgrade to those with healthy appetites. However, a spokesperson tells TravelSkills the the reduction in weight is due to the switch away from the dense pretzel roll to the lighter, thinner Brooklyn Bred bun. The weight of the meat and cheese remains the same, he said.

So give the burger a try and let us know what you think in the comments. And also let us know what you think about United’s current cheeseburger offering.

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Shocking bomb simulation at Singapore Changi Airport [VIDEO]

October 17, 2017

A gorgeous garden wall at Singapore’s magnificent Changi International Airport belies the scary scene on Tuesday (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Today Singapore Changi Airport released a shocking video of a simulated terrorist bomb attack in the airport’s ticketing area.

In the video, mock gun toting terrorists advance from the airport trains, and then a mock terrorist blows himself up in the ticketing hall. Wow. It’s intense, noisy and frightening.

Here’s the video:

This all happened in the wee hours of Tuesday morning as part of a drill. According to the Straits Times, Tuesday’s simulated attack “saw six gunmen and a suicide bomber strike the packed terminal on what was supposed to be a busy Saturday afternoon.”

This simulated attack is part of Exercise Northstar, which Channel News Asia says is “part of ongoing efforts to test a multi-agency response towards possible terrorist attacks in Singapore.”

Don’t miss TravelSkills walk-thru of Singapore’s stunning Changi International

The entire episode was covered by the media and even witnessed by Singapore’s Prime Minister, according to this story (with more details and videos) in The Straits Times.

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Iberia adds San Francisco – Madrid nonstops

October 17, 2017

New nonstops between California and Madrid coming next spring on Iberia (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In May 2018, Spain’s Iberia will launch regular non-stop service between Madrid and San Francisco, the first ever nonstop flight between the two cities.

Oakland was the first Bay Area airport to snag nonstops to Spain last year when two airlines, Level and Norwegian kicked off nonstops to Barcelona. Both Level and Iberia are owned by IAG, the airline conglomerate that also owns British Airways.

The Iberia flights will operate only three days per week (Mon, Weds, Fri). It will use an Airbus A330-200 on the route, with business (19 seats) and economy class (269 seats) only, no premium economy or first class. Iberia says that initially, the service will only be seasonal, running May-September.

Fares for midweek trips in mid May seem high right now

While it’s now possible to buy tickets on these flights, Iberia is not offering any introductory deals as of today— fares for May trips are in the $1,400 round trip range. Typically, May is a slow month for US to Europe travel and I expect we’ll soon see sale fares dip below $1,000 for SFO-MAD roundtrips. Business class is running about $4,400 round trip.

By comparison, Oakland-Barcelona fares for next May are currently running about $531 roundtrip on Norwegian Air, plus baggage and other fees.

Check out the seat map of Iberia’s A330-200 on Seatguru.com

Iberia is part of the Oneworld Alliance, which includes American Airlines and British Airways. Tickets are onsale now at www.iberia.com.

Have you or would you fly Iberia to Spain? And which is your favorite Spanish city: Madrid or Barcelona? Why? Please leave your comments below.

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Popular: Cheaper Hawaii? + Sleeper hotel program + Paris find + Delta app + 747 tears

October 15, 2017

Fly Southwest to Hawaii while burning off some SPG points at the St Regis Princeville on Kauai? Coming soon! (Photo: Barkley Dean)

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

1 Still plenty of questions- Confirmed: Southwest to fly to Hawaii. Unconfirmed: Lower fares

2 Expired, but more on the way as winter approaches- Another big fare sale starts today

3 4,100 hotels- The best hotel loyalty plan you might not be using

4 Routes: American, United, JetBlue, Southwest, OneJet, Frontier

5 Airport news: Portland, Vancouver, LaGuardia, Miami, Nashville + Buh-bye Airberlin

6 This was fun! Come along for the ride- Trip Report: Tweeting my way to Paris on Lufthansa

Fresh oysters, charcuterie and Sancerre on the sidewalk Sundays at Le Baron Rouge near the Bastille in Paris (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

7 Good comments on both sides- Delta app eliminates flight check-in

8 American Express changes Centurion lounge access policy

9 Deal: $945 SFO/LAX-Auckland roundtrip on United, Air New Zealand

10 The end is near- A real tearjerker from United: Fond farewell to our 747

We’ll be hearing a lot more about this fine flying machine in coming weeks! (Image: YouTube/United)

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

Alaska Air first class passengers to pre-order meals

NZ Deal: United SFO-LAX to Auckland just $945 round trip now thru Mar 2018

Chris’ new favorite website: Brilliant Maps

Are you a map freak like me? Then check out Brilliant Maps (Image: Whidbey Sounder/Brilliant Maps)

United packing more seats on its B777-200

Lufthansa taking over most of Air Berlin routes

United lets customers book Singapore Airlines award travel online

A Singapore Airlines Airbus A350 at SFO (Image: Singapore Air)

Survey: Most road warriors enjoy their business travel

Biz travelers’ biggest headaches: transit time, layovers, booking changes

Dubai airport will replace security checks with walk-through, face-scanning tunnel

A 747 pilot reminisces about his favorite aircraft

TSA expands rollout of new checkpoint procedure

A hotel run by robots in Japan: Would you?

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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

October 14, 2017

Screenshot from a beautifully produced sayonara to the Queen of the Skies (Image: YouTube/United)

We held this post until the weekend so readers would have time to enjoy the full six minutes of the beautiful tribute video United has made for the retirement of its 747.

Highlights of the video include the mod, colorful 70s interiors of Continental’s early 747s that flew between Chicago, Los Angeles and Honolulu. Several gorgeous shots of the beautiful bird in nearly every United livery. The big reveal of the very first 747 “to a collective gasp” in Seattle in 1968. Interview with pilots saying how easy it was to fly. United flew it’s first 747 to SFO-HNL– flight attendants talk about chef-made meals and the lounge up the spiral staircase.

Sit back, relax, remember and soak it all in. And let us know if you get a little misty eyed at the end like we did. Enjoy!

Here’s what United wrote on its blog about the 747 this week:

Since her induction into our fleet, the Boeing 747 aka the “Queen of the Skies” has been one of our most recognizable aircrafts with a unique upper deck, giving her an instantly recognizable hump silhouette. Over the years, she’s built up a considerable fanbase, winning the hearts of customers and employees alike. Before she flies into the sunset next month, join us as we pay homage to the Queen of the Skies after 47 years of service with United. #UA747Farewell

I’m sure this will be one of many odes to the 747 we’ll see in coming weeks as United’s final 747 flight date approaches: November 7.

These are the storage bins on United 747s – enjoy them while you can! 747s fly away in October (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

What do you remember most about the 747? What will you miss most? For me, I will definitely miss its graceful beauty, but from a practical standpoint, I’m going to miss those big beautiful bins under the windows upstairs in the business class bubble! So convenient.

Watch the full video and then leave your thoughts and comments below, please.

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The best hotel loyalty plan you might not be using

October 13, 2017

The Best Western Plus Sunset Plaza in West Hollywood, California. (Image: best Western)

When it comes to hotel frequent guest programs, research indicates that their biggest attraction are the free room nights they can earn. But do you know which one has the quickest and easiest path to free nights?

When business travelers contemplate the biggest lodging chains, they might not think of Best Western, even though it has more than 4,100 properties under its brand, located in more than 100 countries and divided into seven brands targeting the needs of specific market segments.

Best Western Rewards is currently (through November 30) offering double points on every stay, and from November 1 through January 31, it has a special offer of free nights for just 10,000 points each at any of its North American properties– including some of the nicest hotels in the chain (see post).

While a US News & World Report study shows that Best Western Rewards has the lowest redemption rate threshold in the industry, it discovered in a recent consumer survey that ease of redemption is also very important to customers. And among survey respondents who belong to several hotel loyalty programs, 74 percent said it was easier to redeem Best Western points than other programs’, vs. 68 percent for Marriott Rewards and 67 percent for Hilton Honors.

(Chart: Best Western)

That survey found that travelers’ biggest complaint about hotel loyalty program is expiring points. Not only do points never expire in Best Western Rewards, but there are no blackout dates for free night redemptions. What’s more, members of Best Western Rewards are entitled to rate discounts of at least 10 percent when booking paid rooms, and elite-level members (Platinum and above) get a 10 percent point discount when booking reward nights.

Speaking of elite status, elite-level members of other hotel companies’ programs can get their status matched instantly thanks to Best Western’s quick and easy “Status Match…No Catch” feature.

All these factors explain why Best Western Rewards ranked near the top of the 12 loyalty plans ranked in WalletHub’s 2016 study of best hotel rewards programs. The program got even better recently when Best Western introduced a new digital membership card that gives participants easy access to their membership number, point balance, tier level and exclusive deals.

Click here to find out more about Best Western Rewards.

Are you a member of Best Western Rewards yet? If not, why not? Please leave your comments below.

This post is sponsored by Best Western Hotels & Resorts and originally appeared on its YouMustBeTrippin.com blog

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel. Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication.

Confirmed: Southwest to fly to Hawaii. Unconfirmed: Lower fares

October 12, 2017

Southwest officials announced new Hawaii service at an employee conference. (Image: Southwest)

Southwest Airlines has confirmed that it plans to fly to Hawaii, probably beginning next year – a decision that could bring sharply lower fares for all travel to the islands. Or maybe not…

Since the airline started to take delivery of new Boeing 737MAX 8 aircraft, there has been widespread speculation that it would use the planes – which can fly 500 nautical miles farther than its 737-800s – to begin service.

And now the company has announced its intention to do just that. Southwest said it will seek FAA approval to gain ETOPS certification for its new 737s – a regulatory requirement for flying them to Hawaii. ETOPS stands for Extended-range Twin-engine Operational Performance Standards.

Assuming it gains that approval, Southwest said it “plans to begin selling tickets in 2018 for service to Hawaii.” It’s not clear yet if flights will also begin in 2018.

However, the company hasn’t yet said which airports will get the new flights – only that “service details are to be announced at a later date.”

Southwest’s new 737MAX aircraft will provide the extra range needed for Hawaii flights. (Image: Southwest)

Will Southwest bring lower fares to the islands? Maybe. But don’t get too excited yet. Atlanta expected the so-called Southwest Effect to reduce fares when Southwest took over AirTran’s hub there. Instead, fares went up and the number of flights went down. “Airfares have gone up so much that Atlanta had the largest year-over-year increase in average domestic fares in the country,” reported the Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2014.

However, the move should provide a boost to Southwest’s Rapid Rewards program, which has always suffered from not having the reach of other airline programs that can fly members to Hawaii or around the world.

My best guess is that we’ll enjoy a temporary decrease in fares as airlines compete with Southwest on introductory fares, but in the long run the lowest fares will remain about the same, currently, stubbornly, rarely sinking below the $400 average roundtrip. Why? Because it’s not cheap to fly to Hawaii— it’s about 2,500 miles from the US west coast, a route that requires more fuel and more expensive planes. And increasingly, Southwest’s recent moves have shown that it’s not always a low fare leader.

Southwest officials made the announcement to a gathering of its employees in southern California. Joining the conference via satellite from Honolulu were Hawaii Governor David Ige and Southwest president Tom Nealon, who predicted that the carrier’s entry “will be a game-changer in the US. to Hawaii market.”

That statement is probably a reference to something called the Southwest Effect – a concept introduced in the 1990s in a Transportation Department analysis of domestic airline competition. Back then DOT found that whenever Southwest enters a new market, it tends to result in an increase in traffic and a reduction in fares for all competitors in that market.

Hawaii is way WAY out there– bout 2,500 miles from the west coast. (Image: Google)

In a recent detailed analysis of the likelihood that Southwest would start flying to Hawaii, the financial website Seeking Alpha predicted this would likely lead to a fare war. “In our opinion, the most important impact of the Southwest Effect in Hawaii is that it tends to lead to a dramatic reduction in fares, given that we believe travel demand to Hawaii is relatively inelastic (so passengers are unlikely to increase much),” the website said.

Seeking Alpha predicted that Southwest “could easily add at least 10 daily flights to Hawaii, to start with.” Based on the amount of market share that Southwest controls, it suggested that likely airports to host Hawaii flights would include Los Angeles, San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle and Portland.

What do YOU think will happen to Hawaii fares when Southwest enters that market? Leave your comments below.

An image tweeted out by Southwest Airlines announcing new flights to Hawaii

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Deal: $945 SFO/LAX-Auckland roundtrip on United, Air New Zealand

October 11, 2017

Air New Zealand flies a 777-300 like this on its LAX-AKL run (Photo: Air New Zealand)

When fares to New Zealand dip below $1,000, it’s time to prick up your ears. Especially if you can go when it’s winter here and summer down there!

Today United and Air New Zealand announced a very good deal for flights between San Francisco SFO or Los Angeles LAX to Auckland AKL with fares from just $945 roundtrip. (Plus when booking on United you’ll earn a cool 13,000 MileagePlus miles for this looong roundtrip.)

What’s best about this sale is the timing… you’ll travel during the dark cold days of fall winter in the US to the sunny summer shores of New Zealand in late October, November, early December, late January and almost all of February, March.

Act fast: To get the deal, you must book your trip by Thursday Oct 12.

United:

A quick check of United’s fare calendar shows tons of availability in Feb and Mar for SFO-AKL (Image: United)

Air New Zealand:

Screenshot from Air New Zealand’s sale page

Qantas offered similarly low fares with a fare sale between SFO or LAX and Sydney last month– which has since expired.

Find the deals here: UNITED | AIR NEW ZEALAND

What’s the lowest price you’ve seen or paid for a round trip ticket to Australia or New Zealand? Will you take on this deal? Please leave your comments below.

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Another big fare sale starts today

October 10, 2017

Southwest Airlines kicked off a fall winter fare sale good for trips thru Feb (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Travel demand and fares typically tumble during the slower fall and winter months, and this year is no exception– we saw some remarkably low fares from United last week, and as expected, there’s more to come…

Today, Southwest Airlines kicked off the first big late fall and winter fare sale, and I expect other airlines to start matching these low fares in the next 24-48 hours. (see below for links)

So if you felt priced out of peak summer season, take a look at what Southwest has on offer during the “dead weeks” between Thanksgiving and Christmas, and into the cold, dark early winter months.

Southwest kicked it off today with with fares starting at $100 roundtrip. From there, roundtrip fares rise in several steps to around $260-$280. Many of these fares are about $30-40 cheaper than a similar sale Southwest offered in October 2016– good evidence that fares are trending downward.

While these fares are slightly higher than those we’ve seen in previous un-announced spot sales, what’s better about this is the big window for travel, which extends all the way through the end of February.

UPDATE: Several readers report finding even lower fares than the ones publicized by Southwest, so be sure to check around.

Sample approximate round trip fares include:

$100: All intra-California and CA-Las Vegas flights, Atlanta-Chicago, Raleigh or Richmond; Washington DC-Boston

$160: SFO/OAK/LAX-Denver, Atlanta-most cities in Florida, New York LGA-Chicago,

$185: SFO/OAK/LAX to Dallas or Denver; Atlanta-Boston, Chicago, Dallas or New York

$240: Houston-Phoenix, Atlanta-Los Angeles/Las Vegas; Denver-Atlanta; New York to Chicago or New Orleans; SFO/OAK-Chicago

$280: Most transcon flights between New York, Baltimore, Atlanta or Boston and LAX, SFO/OAK, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle

There are also several good deals on flights to Mexico in the $200-$250 round trip range.

Expect other major airlines to match these low fares over the next 24 hours. (We’ll update this page with competitive matches as they roll out…see below). Keep in mind that even with matches, Southwest’s fares are cheaper if you plan on checking baggage- it offers two bags for free.

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You can party on the rooftop of the new Virgin Hotel in Chicago this fall or winter (Nancy Branka)

This sale is good for flights during what’s known in the biz as the “dead weeks” when travel demand plummets to annual lows– this means that hotel and car rental costs are also at annual lows, so it’s a great time to take a cheap trip. It’s also a good time to get home and see the family if pricey peak holiday season fares keep you grounded.

For business travelers who have not been able to get out and see clients due to this year’s high fares, this is a great opportunity save by traveling when most folks are staying at home. You can take off for a quick visit just before Christmas or drop by during the cold dark months of January and February.

Details of Southwest’s 72-hour sale:

>Must buy your tickets between now and Thursday, October 12 at 11:59 p.m. (in originating city).

>Travel windows: October 31-December 19; January 3-February 14, 2018

>Not available on Fridays or Sundays (bummer for business travelers or weekenders)

>Black out dates: Christmas/New Years peak season from December 20- January 3

>Very limited time: Only a handful of seats on each flight are on sale- you snooze, you lose.

>See Southwest website for other rules and restrictions, or to book trips.

Stay tuned for UPDATES: Airlines matching this sale so far include: Alaska Air, Delta, United (with slightly higher fares), JetBlue added a deeply discounted 24 hour sale good for late Oct/Early Nov trips only.

–Chris McGinnis

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Trip Report: Tweeting my way to Paris on Lufthansa

October 9, 2017

Lufthansa flies three aircraft with staircases onboard. Can you name them? Answer at end of this post!
(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Last week I took on an unusual assignment: Lufthansa asked me to “take over” its Twitter account and post a series of observations about my trip from San Francisco to Paris via Munich.

Having never flown to or from Munich Airport (MUC), I was eager to have a look around since it’s considered Europe’s best airport by many frequent travelers. I was also interested in flying Lufthansa again– last time I took to the skies on LH was when it first deployed its Airbus A380 between Frankfurt and SFO— way back in 2012.

On SFO-MUC, it uses an Airbus A340-600 with a very unusual feature: a staircase leading to a below-deck bank of lavatories and the crew rest area. I’d often heard about this, but had never actually seen it, so as soon as I boarded, I went straight to the staircase for a photo shoot 🙂

What else made this an attractive offer? Oktoberfest of course! Alas, the day I departed the US (Oct 3) was the last day of Munich’s big celebration, so when I arrived the city was pretty quiet. But it was a big surprise to find the Lufthansa crew on this flight dressed in dirndls and lederhosen— something that Lufthansa surprises passengers with on flights from around the world to Munchen during the festival.

Disclosure: In exchange for my Twitter takeover, Lufthansa covered the cost of my roundtrip airfare. I paid for hotels, transfers, wi-fi, meals and everything else associated with the trip.

Come on along for the trip, check out my tweets and photos, and let me know what you think!

Tonight I’m @cjmcginnis flying a big beautiful Lufthansa A340 SFO>Munich! C’mon and follow along as I take over this Twitter feed! pic.twitter.com/lD7U0JQCPy
— Lufthansa USA (@Lufthansa_USA) October 4, 2017

First, let’s take a look at the four cabins on this big long A340-600: First, business, premium economy and economy.

First class on an A340 configured 1-2-1 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Lufthansa business class on an Airbus A340-600. I was seated on a center-aisle. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Premium economy onboard LH A340-600 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Economy class on the A340 is configured 2-4-2 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Celebrating the last day of #Oktoberfest with SFO>MUC A340 crew in dirndl & lederhosen ??? pic.twitter.com/iSMXj6frOz
— Lufthansa USA (@Lufthansa_USA) October 4, 2017

Lacto-ovo special meal + a cool crisp Riesling overnight on SFO>MUC in A340 business class. Now time to lie flat & ??? pic.twitter.com/ZkrJe2G7cS
— Lufthansa USA (@Lufthansa_USA) October 4, 2017

Stairway down to lavatories on #Lufthansa #340 #avgeek #aviation #lufthansatravels
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Oct 4, 2017 at 9:52am PDT

Good night from LH 459 SFO>MUC ? see you for breakfast over the North Sea! pic.twitter.com/YwSQnckSFE
— Lufthansa USA (@Lufthansa_USA) October 4, 2017

Guten morgen! @cjmcginnis is back taking over this Twitter account. Strong tailwinds = 9 hrs SFO>MUC. 6 hrs lie flat sleep? pic.twitter.com/WACCitbmK0
— Lufthansa USA (@Lufthansa_USA) October 4, 2017

Fond farewell from LH crew dressed in dirndls & lederhosen for #Oktoberfest SFO MUC pic.twitter.com/CGZDxR0Tpj
— Lufthansa USA (@Lufthansa_USA) October 4, 2017

Moving on to another mode of transport: The S-Bahn to central Munchen. 40 minute ride? pic.twitter.com/sUpc0EU7sK
— Lufthansa USA (@Lufthansa_USA) October 4, 2017

Germany arranged a gorgeous sunset over the Munchen Hauptbahnhof for my arrival ? #lufthansatravels @cjmcginnis pic.twitter.com/5BMVHUD4DB
— Lufthansa USA (@Lufthansa_USA) October 5, 2017

My room at the @BestWestern Atrium hotel in central Munich. Easy walk from Hauptbahnhof ? pic.twitter.com/OQyITCev4P
— Chris McGinnis (@cjmcginnis) October 4, 2017

My 12-hour layover in Munich includes a hearty German meal and beer at Augustiner! Yum! #lufthansatravels pic.twitter.com/iFss0istrD
— Lufthansa USA (@Lufthansa_USA) October 5, 2017

Now I know why Munich Airport #MUC is a business traveler favorite ? light, bright lovely #lufthansatravels ? pic.twitter.com/xHlGqbtL3B
— Lufthansa USA (@Lufthansa_USA) October 5, 2017

Quick look at Lufthansa business & senator lounges at Munich terminal 2 – see 4 photos #MUC #lufthansatravels pic.twitter.com/BgC2ABJMts
— Lufthansa USA (@Lufthansa_USA) October 5, 2017

A great day for flying Lufthansa from Munich to Paris! #lufthansatravels pic.twitter.com/U9fuyhzz5n
— Lufthansa USA (@Lufthansa_USA) October 5, 2017

A farewell until next week when @cjmcginnis takes over Lufthansa’s handle again for CDG-FRA-SFO #lufthansatravels au revoir pic.twitter.com/DOh7oa0csv
— Lufthansa USA (@Lufthansa_USA) October 5, 2017

Answer to the question in the caption at the top of this post: Lufthansa flies three planes with staircases: The Boeing 747, Airbus A380 and the Airbus A340.

Have you flown Lufthansa recently? Flown through Munich airport? What did you think? Comments below, please!

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Popular: Centurion lounge changes + United miles + Fall fare deals + Upgrade bidding

October 8, 2017

It’s rare to see a Centurion lounge with this many seats available- AMEX is working to change that. (Image of Miami lounge: American Express)

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

1 American Express changes Centurion lounge access policy

2 What are a million United miles worth?

3 Fall fare deals flourishing on United today

4 Will Southwest Airlines go to Hawaii with its new plane?

5 A United Club closes at SFO, another reopens

Clusters of egg chairs lend a mod feel to the temporary mezzanine club at SFO (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

6 A look inside Delta partner China Eastern Airlines

7 Bidding for upgrades proves a success

8 Routes: Air France, China Airlines, Aer Lingus, Scoot, Finnair, Seattle seaplanes

9 Don’t miss these 10 hottest ‘hoods in the U.S.

10 American Airlines eyes new perks – and packs in more seats

Did you hear about these Virgin America flights that will soon be disappearing?

Virgin America’s A320 flights to disappear first (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Don’t miss out on this new promotion from Best Western that’s twice as nice!

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

Lyft & Budweiser offering free weekend rides

The world’s shortest scheduled flight lasts just 80 seconds

New Google earbuds offer instant language translation

Hilton decides that 14 brands just isn’t enough

Twelve-passenger electric-powered jet expected to fly in five years

Icelandair’s new Economy Light fares have checked bag fees of up to $95 one way

Germany’s Eurowings lets passengers vote on preferred new routes

Survey: The way an airline treats customers is more important than price

Chris flew to Germany and France on Lufthansa this week– and was eager to check out the unusual staircase down to a bank of lavatories in the belly of the A340 flying SFO-MUC. Seen ’em before? Stay tuned for a Trip Report!

Stairway down to lavatories on #Lufthansa #340 #avgeek #aviation #lufthansatravels
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Oct 4, 2017 at 9:52am PDT

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A look inside Delta partner China Eastern Airlines

October 6, 2017

China Eastern’s first class cabin offers a center cabin that folds down into a nice double bed (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

China Eastern Airlines is one of the growing number of Asian carriers that you have probably heard of, but may not know much about. If you are like me, you likely confuse it with China Southern and wonder what the difference is.

Last week, the Shanghai-based carrier worked to change that with a behind-the-scenes media tour of Los Angeles International Airport, and an up-close-and-personal look at its big B777-300ER parked at the gate.

During a media tour we crawled inside and outside a China Eastern Boeing 777-300ER parked at LAX. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

First a few of the basics…

While it’s the second largest airline in China, China Eastern ranks among the 10 largest in the world in terms of revenue, fleet size (nearly 500 planes), and passengers flown.

From North America, it flies to its Shanghai (PVG) hub from Los Angeles (2x), San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Honolulu, Vancouver and Toronto. China Eastern’s two-letter code is MU.

Current round trip fares between Los Angeles or San Francisco and Shanghai for November flights are about $750 (an okay deal, but other carriers offer fares as low as $500), and $2,900 in business class (a very good deal). First class is steep at about $15,000 round trip.

The China Eastern logo resembles a swallow, considered to bring good luck, and also includes the letters C & E (Chris McGinnis)

On most US-China routes, China Eastern flies the Boeing 777-300ER, which is pretty much the standard when it comes to long-haul flying these days. (It also uses A330s on Honolulu, Vancouver flights as well as on SFO-Qingdao.) Its average fleet age is very young– less than seven years old. Its B777-300ERs are all less than two years old.

China Eastern is a member of the SkyTeam alliance and has a code share partnership with Delta Air Lines. This means you can buy a Delta ticket (and earn Delta SkyMiles) to Shanghai from from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles or San Francisco, but you’ll fly on a China Eastern jet. (To make things even more confusing, China Southern is also a member of SkyTeam.)

To help distinguish the two airlines, keep this in mind: China Eastern is based in Shanghai– on the eastern side of China. China Southern is based, as you might have guessed, in the southern part of the country in Guangzhou, near Hong Kong.

China Eastern is based in Shanghai; China Southern is in Guangzhou (Image: China Tours)

Each China Eastern 777-300ER has three classes: first, business and economy. There is no premium economy. There are 316 seats: Six in first class, 52 in business class and 258 in economy class. Check out the layout and ratings of its 777-300ER on Seatguru.

China Eastern 777-300ER (Image: SeatPlans)

ECONOMY: China Eastern is one of the growing number of airlines (including United) that uses the high-density 10-across (3-4-3) configuration in economy class. While that’s tight at the shoulders (each seat is 17 inches wide), the good news is that it offers slightly higher-than-average seat pitch at 32-33 inches.

Economy class on China Eastern B777-300ER is 10-abreast (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

BUSINESS: The biggest portion of the B777 is the business class section, with a whopping 52 seats set in a reverse herringbone configuration 1-2-1, offering aisle access from every seat. (Made by Zodiac, the seats are similar to those seen on B777s from American and Cathay Pacific.)

There are 52 big beautiful business class seats on China Eastern’s B777-300ER (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

FIRST: First class cabin is very intimate with just six seats– all with sliding “doors” for privacy. In the middle is a single pair of seats that fold down into a double bed (or two singles with privacy screen). There are no overhead bins in the first class cabin, which gives is a big airy feel, but it does not feel as sumptuous as what I’ve seen up front on the likes of Singapore Air or Cathay Pacific.

No overhead bins in first class on China Eastern’s B777-300ER (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

All its U.S. flights have Wi-Fi– however, since this is a government-run Chinese carrier, using it is reportedly a somewhat unwieldy experience, with access to vital sites like Google blocked.

China Eastern first and business class passengers use the KAL/SkyTeam Lounge at LAX. It’s nice and roomy with a big deck overlooking the shopping mall, but surprisingly for its age, furniture is looking a little worn out. First class passengers get special private suites to relax in while waiting to board flights. At SFO, China Eastern shares space with SkyTeam partners in the Air France/KLM lounge, which gets mixed reviews.

At LAX, China Eastern business and first class passengers use the Korean Air lounge at the Tom Bradley International Terminal (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Business and first class passengers get free limo service to and from the airport in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Shanghai.

During our LAX tour, we saw plenty of progress on the new Midfield Satellite Concourse, which will connect to the Tom Bradley terminal via an underground tunnel. It should open in 2019 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

First class passengers have access to special private suites in the KAL Lounge at LAX (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The KAL business class lounge at LAX is light, bright and airy with a deck overlooking the new TBIT shopping area (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A nice bar set up at the front of the first class section on a China Eastern Boeing 777-300ER (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

52 business class seats in reverse herringbone on China Eastern’s B777-300 ER (Chris McGinnis)

Note the mood lighting in the business class section of the B 777-300ER (Chris McGinnis)

I tried an aisle seat in economy class with 32 inches of pitch (Chris McGinnis)

Decent knee room in economy class, but no opportunity to upgrade to premium economy on China Eastern B777 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Nice big screens and power at all China Eastern economy class seats on B777-300ER- note the rear rows with only two seats abreast (Chris McGinnis)

Read more about China Eastern on its website

Have you ever flown China Eastern Airlines? How was it? Please leave your comments below.

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What are a million United miles worth?

October 3, 2017

TravelSkills reader CK feeling fresh after a United Airlines flight to Sydney, Australia

I have been a loyal United Airlines flyer for over 10 years. This loyalty has been driven primarily by the fact that I live in San Francisco – a United hub. However, I have clearly bought into the various perks that United puts in place to keep me coming back. I appreciate being able to board in Zone 1. I am happy to chill out in the Gold lounges across the globe. I am thrilled with the upgrades to business class – in fact, six of my last seven flights were upgraded. Pretty hard to beat that.

(This is a guest post from TravelSkills reader C.K.)

Yet, despite all the focus United has on paying extra special attention to its most loyal flyers, I was disappointed with an experience that happened on my last flight.

I was flying in business class from Sydney, Australia to San Francisco – returning from a quick week-long trip catching up with family and friends. I had been monitoring my Mileage Plus account and I knew that I was getting pretty close to hitting my 1 Million miles flown with United. For those familiar, you’ll know that United celebrates this event by awarding the flyer (and a companion) with lifetime Gold status. Meaning, forever lounge access on international flights; forever fast track; forever priority boarding. Pretty cool!

Various levels of United Million Milers- and the corresponding lifetime status awarded (Image: United)

As I was settling in for the 13-hour flight back to San Francisco, the Inflight Service Manager came over and welcomed me by name to the flight. She then noted that my name had a gold star next to it. These days, United flight attendants are using mobile devices connected to the Wi-Fi onboard to access real-time flight information, including passenger details. In this way, the flight attendant was able to click and find out why my name had been marked with a gold star. Her device confirmed for her that in the course of this flight, I would hit my 1 million miles with United. She turned to me and said, “You’re hitting your million miles. High five!”. We exchanged a high five and she then said, “I’m not too sure what that gets you…”. Nonetheless, she welcomed me again and then continued on with her work greeting other passengers.

United sends Million Milers a lucite plaque like this (Image courtesy Matthew Klint)

Now, I don’t want to be a diva about this. But I would have thought that hitting a million miles would warrant more than a high five. Further, shouldn’t the Inflight Service Manager actually know what it gets you? And even if she didn’t know, you would think that she could make it up. For example, offering a glass of champagne (okay, this one they already do as part of business class), or asking the pilot to come by and say congratulations and thank you, or even offering you a photo with the pilots in the cockpit to commemorate this milestone.

CK enjoying a few extra glasses of champers on a recent United flight

I wasn’t expecting them to have a cake in my honor, or a card with my name on it, or anything like that – since I realize the logistics of doing that are far too complicated. However, since they are now arming flight attendants with the information that a passenger has reached this milestone, they should also arm flight attendants with guidance on how to thank the passenger for all those years of loyalty.

Click here for a rundown of United’s Million Miler benefits

For an airline obsessed with going the extra mile to build loyalty, this was a simple fail in my book. I’m not too sure what I was expecting and nor do I know how often passengers reach this milestone. Perhaps these days it’s no big deal given the amount people fly. In my case, not content with my high-five, I decided I would create my own celebration by enjoying many glasses of champagne over the course of those next 13 hours

–C.K.- new member to United’s Million Mile Club

So readers, what do you think? Is a high-five enough recognition for a newly minted United Million Miler? If you are a million miler, are you satisfied with the level of recognition you get (or got) from United? Please leave your comments below.

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A new offer from Best Western that’s twice as nice

October 3, 2017

Warm up this winter for just 10K Best Western Rewards points at The Dana on Mission Bay in San Diego (Image: Best Western)

Nearly every hotel chain has pushed out a fall promotion recently. One of the most unique and valuable this year is Best Western’s two-pronged offer.

Prong #1: Best Western Rewards members earn double points on all stays between now and November 30. You earn 20 points per dollar spent (up from the standard 10), so you’ll see your points balance skyrocket after just a few stays. Plus there is no limit to the number of eligible stays or points that can be earned during this timeframe.

Prong #2: Best Western has reduced the number of points needed for redemptions to just 10,000 at all its hotels in North America for stays between November 1 and January 31, 2018. That means all those points you earned in the fall (or before) can be redeemed at deeply discounted levels– 10,000 points is cheap when you consider that the average Best Western redemption goes for about 16,000 points. And at many of its very best Premier hotels, rooms typically go for a lot more.

You saw that right! Just 10,000 Rewards points for a stay in NYC in January.

To get the deal, members must first register here.

What’s remarkable about this promotion is the breadth of that redemption offer– you can get a free night for just 10,000 points at some of the nicest Best Western Hotels & Resorts out there where rooms typically go for close to 40,000 points per night. How nice? Well, we’ve cherry picked some of the best below– some are perfect for business travel, others might be better suited for a mid-winter long weekend.

View from my room at the new Best Western Herald Square in NYC (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

New York City: The Big Apple has become freakishly expensive this year, so a room for just 10,000 points per night is quite a deal at two of the highest rated Best Westerns in the area: The Best Western Premier Herald Square (on West 36th Street) and over in New Jersey, the new Best Western Premier NYC Gateway.

San Diego: Soak up the SoCal sun overlooking Mission Bay and Marina at The Dana on Mission Bay, BW Premier Collection (pictured at the top). From there you can jump in your car for a long walk on the beach, or hop into town for meetings or dinner.

A big bright lobby on the street level at the Best Western Blake Hotel (Photo: Best Western)

New Orleans: Slide into the Big Easy at the Blake Hotel New Orleans, BW Premier Collection located in the center of the action at St. Charles Avenue and Poydras Street. The hotel was recently redone from top to bottom- and some rooms overlook historic Lafayette Square.

Snuggle in next to the lobby fireplace at the Best Western Cartwright hotel near Union Square (Image: Best Western)

San Francisco: Like New York, San Francisco hotels have become painfully expensive- especially when there’s a big convention in town. You can stay in the thick of things at the The Cartwright Hotel, Union Square, BW Premier Collection and walk everywhere… Moscone Center is about 10 minutes away (downhill from the hotel). The Financial district and Embarcadero are about 15 minutes away. And it’s also an easy walk from the Powell Street BART station.

The iconic Stratosphere n Las Vegas is now a Best Western Premier hotel (Photo: Stratosphere Hotel)

Las Vegas: The 2,427-room Stratosphere Hotel, Casino and Tower, BW Premier Collection is located on the north end of The Strip, close to the Convention Center and downtown Las Vegas. Opened in 1996, it’s the tallest structure in Vegas, rising 1,149 feet above the ground and includes a spectacular observation deck with sweeping 360-degree views of the Vegas strip and surrounding areas.

Look out over the city from a Superior King Room at the Best Western Plus Chateau Granville in Vancouver (Image: Best Western)

Vancouver: Enjoy recently updated rooms and suites with views from balconies overlooking the center of this vibrant and diverse Canadian city at the Vancouver Best Western Plus Chateau Granville.

Yes, that’s just 10,000 points for stay this winter in Vancouver

You can check out all of Best Western’s high-end Premier and Premier Collection Hotels on this helpful map.

To get the deal, members must first register here.

What’s your favorite Best Western? Please leave your comments below.

This post originally appeared on Best Western’s YouMustBeTrippin.com blog

Fall fare deals flourishing on United today

October 2, 2017

United sneaking in plenty of deep discounts this fall (Image: Jim Glab)

When the weather cools off and kids go back to school, travel demand dips and airlines cut fares– sometimes drastically– to keep all those planes full.

Remember last week when we saw $57 round trips in the California corridor?

Well, this week I’m uncovering similar deeeeep discounts. How about just $75 round trip between San Francisco and Dallas? Or $99 round trip between San Francisco and Chicago?

And that’s on United Airlines, not one of the ultra-low-cost carriers like Spirit or Frontier.

SFO-DALLAS

SFO-CHICAGO

That’s what I’m seeing from United this week.

Granted, those $75 or $99 round trip fares are those distasteful “basic economy” fares. That might work for someone who is not carrying on a big bag or someone who does not want to book a specific seat.

But you can “upgrade” to a regular economy fare for just $40 more, or just $119-$139 round trip. Regular economy fares include carry on bags and seat selection and frequent flyer miles.

SFO-DALLAS

SFO-Chicago

And $119-$139 roundtrip between SFO and Dallas or Chicago is a remarkable deal! It’s currently available for trips during the last week of October and the first week of November.

That fare (and many others like it) may not be there when you go to book– that’s just the way it is during the “shoulder season” when demand is low. If you see a fare that looks good BOOK IT because it’s not going to last.

Check out all these low round trip fares between SFO and Chicago on United! Crazy! (Source: Google Flights)

We’ll keep an eye out for more low fares like this in the coming fall and winter months… so sign up to TravelSkills email alerts to get the deals first! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

We used Google Flights and Kayak to find these fares…what do you use?

Note: Fares available on Oct 1 and subject to change

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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American Express changes Centurion lounge access policy

October 2, 2017

American Express opens a new lounge in Hong Kong today- but fewer cardholders are invited (Photo: Amex)

This week American Express announced that non-Platinum-card members will no longer have the option of paying a $50 fee for day passes to its network of popular Centurion Lounges. At the same time, it announced the opening of two new lounges this month.

Confirming the access change, a spokesperson told TravelSkills: “Access is an exclusive benefit for American Express Platinum Card and Centurion Members. In an effort to support Card Member’s questions surrounding overcrowding concerns, American Express has updated its policy to no longer offer day passes to other American Express Card Members.”

Updated page on the Amex website no longer mentions access for non Platinum members (Source: American Express)

In the past, any American Express cardholder could enter the lounges for a $50 fee. It was a popular feature– especially for those cardholders who did not visit lounges enough to warrant the Platinum card annual fee of $550 (up from $450 this year).

Side view of the new Centurion Lounge at Hong Kong airport Terminal 1 (AMEX)

While this is too bad for non Platinum members who relied on this access, it’s a step in fixing a big complaint about the lush Amex lounges: Overcrowding. Nearly every time I’ve visited the lounge in SFO, for example, almost every seat is taken and its tough for staff to keep the buffet sufficiently stocked at peak times.

Current lounge locations include Las Vegas McCarran International Airport (LAS), Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), San Francisco International Airport (SFO), Miami International Airport (MIA), Houston’s George Bush International Airport (IAH) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). The Centurion Lounge is part of the broader American Express Global Lounge Collection which provides cardholders with access more than 1,100 lounges, in 120 countries– including Delta Sky Clubs.

Food and beverage area at Hong Kong’s new Centurion Lounge (Image: AMEX)

The Centurion Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport (HKG)—opening today October 2^nd—is the first Centurion lounge in Asia, and will feature a unique selection of premium amenities, food and beverages inspired by the local culture. The Centurion Lounge at Philadelphia International Airport (PHL)—opening in late October—will make it the 8^th U.S. location. In addition to the two new locations, The Centurion Lounge at the Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) will be relocating to a larger space in Terminal D, opening in the first half of 2018.

Front door to the new American Express Centurion lounge at HKG (Image: AMEX)

The Centurion Lounge in Hong Kong International Airport is located in Terminal 1. Covering approximately 8,000 square feet, Amex says, “the lounge offers an expansive escape for Card Members to relax, refresh and reboot. The space features a unique selection of premium amenities, food and beverages inspired by the local culture.” Shower suites are also available.

See updated lounge access policies on AMEX website here.

What do you think of the changes in access to Centurion lounges? Will this help with overcrowding? Please leave your comments below.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Popular: Big fare sale + Delta devaluation? + TWA hotel + Final 747 flights + Uber at airport

October 1, 2017

Roundtrip fares between Norcal & Socal plummeted to just $57 this week- did you get one? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 Deal expired but more to come: Deal Alert: California Corridor goes dirt cheap

2 Two sides to this issue- see comments: Delta Diamond status just got a lot harder to earn

3 So that’s why! Airport Lyft & Uber pickups get faster. Why?

4 Routes: More Hong Kong from SFO, Delta to London, Virgin 747 flights, Lufthansa + more

5 Airport updates: O’Hare, LAX, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Boston

Do you follow Chris on Instagram? Come on and jump onboard here

Daytrip SFO-LAX in 6 hours #travel #california #sf #la #embraer @americanair #avgeek
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Sep 27, 2017 at 9:19pm PDT

6 This is so remote: New: Take a bus to your plane at SFO

7 Anyone old enough to remember? See comments! TWA Hotel takes shape at JFK & in Manhattan (slideshow)

8 Bye bye big bird: United’s final 747 flight sells out in hours

9 Ugh! American Airlines eyes new perks – and packs in more seats

10 Nice: Delta debuts free in-flight text messaging

This is a lot of fun if you have 15 minutes to watch: In Worth It: Lifestyle, a spin off of BuzzFeed’s hit series Worth It, host Steven Lim and his buddies embark on a new adventure, setting out to try different experiences at three different price points: affordable, middle tier, and luxury–from airplane seats to cars to videos games. (JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, SurfAir) At the end of the episode, the gang decides which experience is the most “worth it” at its given price.

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

Amex Platinum adds access to Lufthansa lounge at Munich Airport

More congestion coming to ATL curbside due to canopy construction

In July at SFO: 300,000 car service rides vs 100,000 taxi rides

Uber out of Montreal from Oct 14

Not much swoon for Air France’s new airline, Joon

Don’t forget: You can earn Delta SkyMiles for your Lyft rides

Lyft is a Delta’s SkyMiles partner- did you know? (Image: Delta/Lyft)

American Airlines CEO: “We’ll never lose money again.”

Elon Musk’s New Vision: Anywhere on Earth in Under One Hour

United exec discusses better sleep, social media at APEX conference

Hotels take in record amounts of revenue from guest fees

American introduces new sleep products for long-haul, transcon customers

Study: Airline revenues from Wi-Fi could grow from $1 billion to $30 billion

Canada’s Westjet will launch Calgary-based low-cost carrier

Netflix will help airlines improve their in-flight streaming technology

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Don’t miss out! Join the 185,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

Airport Lyft & Uber pickups get faster. Why?

September 28, 2017

Airport rides getting faster. Have you noticed? (Photo: Lyft)

When I got off the plane late last night at SFO and called up Lyft for a ride home I was surprised when the app told me that the driver was only one minute away. I was still deep in the terminal and had to hustle to get to the curbside to keep him from waiting.

When calling up Lyft or Uber at the airport, have you noticed that your car shows up a lot faster these days? Well, there’s a good reason for that.

Starting last month both Lyft and Uber rolled out something called “Rematch” at four California airports: San Francisco International, Oakland International, Mineta San Jose International and Los Angeles International. This new functionality allows drivers to drop off AND pick up passengers simultaneously at the airport.

In the past drivers could enter airport grounds to pick up OR drop off passengers, but they could not do both. That meant passengers had to wait 5-8 minutes for the driver to get to the airport from a remote lot.

Uber and Lyft pick-ups at LAX changing (Image: Thomas Hawk/Flickr)

Officials at LAX said that they allow the practice to further reduce traffic in the central terminal area. In a press release, they said:

“Rematch works by increasing the number of persons who can be picked up during a single TNC [ridesharing] driver’s trip into LAX. Under regular TNC operating policies, TNC vehicles can enter the airport only to pick-up or drop-off passengers, but not both. For TNC companies authorized to use Rematch technology, following a drop-off trip, drivers may see a Rematch notification informing them of a passenger pick-up before exiting. If there is no Rematch notification, then the driver will exit the terminal area following his/her drop-off. Rematch requests will only be issued within the airport, and only to vehicles with confirmed drop-offs.”

Sounds like a good plan to me. Now if they can only do something about all the crowding at the designated pick up areas at LAX and SFO. It’s getting crazy congested curbside at peak hours. Have you noticed? Please leave your comments below.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Deal Alert: California Corridor goes dirt cheap

September 27, 2017

Fares have plummeted for fall and winter flights as airlines battle for Golden State (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

UPDATE: This fare sale expired at midnight Weds Sept 27. Roundtrip intra-California fares are now in the $100 range. Not bad, but not $57! As competition continues in the battle for the Golden State, we expect more fare sales like this during slower fall and winter months so stay tuned to TravelSkills.

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There’s a good old fashioned fare war happening in the California Corridor this week with roundtrip fares on several airlines as low as $51 on most NorCal-SoCal routes.

It appears that the war got started when Southwest Airlines deeply discounted round trips between its big Oakland hub and southern California cities. Spirit jumped in, too with its low fares and high fees.

Then it moved across the Bay to San Francisco and San Jose, where United and Alaska Air jumped into the fray in the battle for the Golden State.

Here’s how Southwest is pushing its sale which sparked a fare war in California

How low are we talking? Here are some examples- but there are so many that you need to check yourself. I’ve posted roundtrip fares, but the sale applies to one-way fares, too.

Note that these roundtrip fares are available on the morning of Sept 27 and subject to change:

SFO-Burbank on United: $55 roundtrip
SFO-LAX on United: $57
San Jose-LAX/Burbank on Alaska Air: $57
LAX-Orange County on United: $57
SFO-San Diego on United: $57
Oakland-LAX on Spirit: $57
Oakland-Long Beach on JetBlue $57
SFO-Burbank, LAX, Orange County, San Diego on Southwest: $57
Oakland/San Jose-Burbank, Los Angeles, Orange County, Ontario, San Diego on Southwest: $57
Sacramento-Los Angeles, San Diego, Ontario, Burbank on Southwest or United $57

It appears that the $57 roundtrips are only available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Fares apply to flights now through mid-February. The are not available for peak holiday season flights. We found these fares on Southwest.com and Google Flights.

Note that the lowest United fares could be low-frills basic economy– awful, but acceptable for such short flights.

When roundtrip fares between SFO and LAX go below $100 round trip, it’s time to pay attention. But just $57 round trip? Wow. $57 is less that what many of us pay for a ride to or from the airport in Lyft, Uber or taxicab.

Will you take advantage of this sale? What’s the lowest fare you’ve ever seen in the California Corridor? Leave your comments below.

Deal> Australia or New Zealand: $949 round trip on Qantas

September 26, 2017

Fares between the US and Australia tumble for 2018 trips- Qantas A380s sunbathing at LAX (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

When fares to Australia or New Zealand dip below $1,000, it’s time to sit up and take notice.

Today Qantas announced a very good deal for flights from the US to Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane– with fares from San Francisco and Los Angeles starting at just $949 roundtrip. You can fly to Auckland, New Zealand from California for $999. From Dallas, fares are running at about $1,100 round trip. One stop flights from New York-JFK are just $1049 round trip.

What’s best about this sale is the timing… you’ll travel during the dark cold days of winter in the US to the sunny shores of Oz between February 5 and June 23. To get the deal, you must book your trip by Monday, October 2.

Fare chart from Qantas for economy roundtrips

For business travelers, premium economy fares are also discounted for this sale to around $2,300 round trip. Business class remains a steep $7,000+ round trip.

So far, United and Air New Zealand have not matched this sale, but stay tuned… it could happen in the next 24 hours.

We checked and these fares are indeed available on the Qantas sale website, but keep in mind that you’ll pay more to choose your seat ahead of time.

Link to sale here: https://www.qantas.com/us/en/flight-deals.html/sfo/au/economy/all/lowest

What’s the lowest price you’ve seen or paid for a round trip ticket to Australia? Will you take on this deal? Please leave your comments below.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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New: Take a bus to your plane at SFO

September 26, 2017

Remote stands are common in Europe, like this one a Istanbul Ataturk Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

To help meet the feverish demand for gate space, Virgin America and Alaska Airlines started using a remote stand at San Francisco International last month.

Remote stands are a lot more common overseas than they are in the U.S. where nearly every flight loads and unloads passengers via enclosed jetways at each gate. Instead, passengers take a bus (usually crowded) across the airport apron to or from a plane parked at a remote “stand.” At the plane, passengers use portable (or built-in) stairs to get to or from the doorway.

Remote stands are different from open air boarding at the gate seen at many smaller airports. These stands are usually located far from the gate and require a sometimes lengthy bus ride. (Last year at Heathrow, I was on one for about 20 minutes!)

Remote stands require a bus ride to or from the airport terminal (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

When flying down to Los Angeles last week I peered out the window of the plane and saw an Alaska Air Embraer parked at a remote stand with a passengers boarding via a staircase leading up to the door. A low-slung SFO bus was parked next to it.

Doug Yakel confirmed to TravelSkills that a remote stand has been in use at SFO since mid-August. “Right now, it’s being used by Alaska on a scheduled basis…about 4-5 of their Embraer aircraft per day are operating remote. This is due to the Alaska/Virgin growth, and their efforts to operate more in a single terminal, along with the fact that Terminal 1 is under construction right now.”

The bus runs from SFO’s gate 59 in Terminal 2.

In Greece, this Ryanair 737 uses its own built-in stairs for passenger access at the front, and portable stairs at the back. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Most travelers dislike remote stands since since they add a delay to the airport boarding/deboarding experience. I’m not sure how they comply with ADA requirements. Plus wind and rain can make using them less than comfortable. However as an aviation geek I find it exhilarating to be out on the ramp on a clear day with engines roaring and the smell of jet fuel in the air… but that’s just me 🙂

On the upside, remote stands do allow airlines to add new service or flights, and reduce the increasingly frequent and irritating “wait for the gate” type delays upon arrival.

What are your thoughts on remote stands? Have you used one at SFO yet? Anywhere else? Please leave your comments below.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Popular: Final 747 flights + LA Tips + New routes + Elite tiers + more

September 24, 2017

Did you get a seat on United’s final 747 flight to Honolulu? Hilton Hawaiian Village (Chris McGinnis)

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

1 United’s final 747 flight to HNL sells out in 2 hours

2 Trip Report: 3 exciting days in Los Angeles

3 Routes: Frontier at SJC, Alaska/Virgin, Delta, AA, Sun Country

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

5 Aloha Delta 747

6 5 ways to prevent “shoulder surfing”

Worried about wandering eyes when you travel? Here’s some help (Photo: 3M)

7 Reader Report: Air France Premium Economy to Paris, Airbus A380

8 Show U.S. Customs the contents of your phone…or else!

9 Like Delta, United to implement bump auctions

10 Comparing airlines’ elite status tiers

Can you still get you UBER on in LONDON? Yes, but….

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

Are Basic Economy fares messing up the boarding process at United? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Is this the real reason United scaled back its Basic Economy fares?

About time> Gmail finally adds conversion of phone numbers & addresses to links

A really interesting guide to Chicago O’Hare by Curbed

Red Roof adds gift cards and consumer products to its guest rewards perks

Some big changes on tap for Red Roof Inn’s rewards program (Image: Red Roof)

Hilton Honors members can now shop on Amazon with points

New app lists bag fees on 79 airlines

Airline fee revenues hit $44 billion

InterContinental offers details on its new mid-scale brand, Avid Hotels

China ends its ban on using electronic devices in-flight

CBP plans new website for Global Entry applications, management

Like my new O’Keeffe traveling shoes? Picked these up last week in Los Angeles 🙂

New Italian shoes ? getting first #airport workout ? #style #shoes #fashion #travel #travelskills
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Sep 22, 2017 at 10:57am PDT

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Like Delta, United to implement bump auctions

September 22, 2017

When checking in for your next United flight, you might get a surprise in October (Image: United)

Starting in October, when you check in for your United flight online or at a kiosk, you might be asked how much you’d be willing to take to give up your seat.

Following Delta’s lead (again), United is set to implement a new bidding process for bumps.

So when you check in for an overbooked flight, you’ll be asked if you are interested in being put on a list of potential volunteers– and if so, for how much. You’ll then be offered three different dollar amounts (in travel credits, not cash) to volunteer your seat.

If United is forced to involuntarily bump passengers, it will choose from the list of lowest bidders. But don’t get your hopes up for much of a jackpot. After the David Dao dragging incident, involuntary bumpings are down at United (and all carriers).

This week Brian Sumers from the Skift travel website tweeted an image of what that screen could look like:

(Image: Brian Sumers)

This probably sounds like deja vu to Delta fliers who know that the airline rolled out a similar plan six years ago.

Here’s what we wrote on TravelSkills about the introduction of Delta’s bidding for bumps process way back in 2011:

Have you tried Delta’s new bidding for bumps process at check in? Instead of the old process where Delta would ask for volunteers and start the bidding over the PA system at the gate, the carrier now asks passengers as they check in (online or at kiosks) if they’d be willing to give up their seat and take a later flight. Once you say yes, you are then asked for the minimum amount you’d be willing to accept in exchange for your seat.

Your offer is then sent to gate agents and added to a list of other volunteers, with the lowest bids at the top. If your bid is accepted, gate agents will call you to the podium to discuss the flight options they can offer (standby or confirmed), as well as extras like meal vouchers or upgrades. At that point, you can accept or refuse their offer. If you refuse, they just move on to the next lowest bidder (if there is one).

Delta has had bump auctions in place since 2011 (Image: JohnnyJet)

Last April, PBS News Hour did a special report on How Delta Masters the Game of Overbooking Flights, which could have been the impetus for United to get on board with a similar plan.

What’s the most money (or credit) you’ve ever scored from a voluntary or involuntary bumping? Please leave it in the comments.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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5 ways to prevent “shoulder surfing”

September 21, 2017

Worried about wandering eyes when you travel? Here’s some help (Photo: 3M)

Whether sitting in a cramped middle seat at the back of the plane or on a comfortable aisle in first class, you’ve undoubtedly noticed nosy neighbors staring at your laptop screen. As a matter of fact, 87 percent of mobile workers have experienced the intrusive glances of “shoulder surfers” according to a 2017 study by the Ponemon Institute[1]. Perhaps they look out of idle curiosity or maybe it’s the natural lure of bright or colorful screens. But have you ever considered that those looky-loos could be competitors or thieves capturing sensitive information without your approval?

We all have data stored on our devices that we don’t want anyone else to see. It could be sensitive financial information, competitive R&D reports, top-secret marketing plans or legally protected emails. Companies spend millions of dollars each year on cybersecurity software, services, and hardware to prevent the theft of sensitive data. But these costly technological efforts prove useless if someone can quickly and surreptitiously snap a photo of your sensitive screen.

At minimum, shoulder surfers are annoying, but they can also lead to more serious repercussions, depending on the data they capture. For example, under new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) in the European Union, a company could be fined for exposing the personal data of E.U. citizens. In the U.S., exposure of personal medical records by health care executives or physicians could be considered a violation of HIPAA regulations.

You never know who is looking over your shoulder (Image: 3M)

There are a few ways to prevent the low-tech threat of visual hacking. Some tips:

Tilt your screen away from the person next to you
Use a privacy screen on your computing devices
Create a physical barrier between your screen and prying eyes – using a pillow, your notebook or whatever else you have at your disposal
Stop working in crowded airplanes, trains, airports, cafes, hotel lobbies and other public spaces
Work with your back to a wall preventing others from getting behind you and looking over your shoulder

One of the best first lines of defense against this type of data breach is a privacy screen, which helps prevent side views. Similar to the way vertical blinds work, 3M Privacy Filters use “black out” technology that darkens side views, so that the screen appears black when viewed at an angle. So, if you’re sitting in the middle seat on an airplane, in an Internet café or even working in a hotel lobby, your laptop will look like it’s off to the people on either side of you.

3M Privacy filters block side views of your laptop screen (Image: 3M)

The filters fit directly over laptop screens and are easily removed for collaboration — when you actually want others to view your work from the side. They come in a variety of sizes to fit nearly every laptop.

If your company has numerous employees who travel frequently, consider packages you can find on Amazon, such as 3M’s Traveler 2-pack for 14” laptops or 15” Apple MacBook Pro; and the Business 5-packs for 14” laptops or 15.6” laptops.

How do YOU handle (or avoid) shoulder surfers? Please leave your comments below!

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! This post is sponsored by 3M. We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel. Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication.

[1] Ponemon Institute, “Public Spaces Interview Survey,” 2017. Sponsored by 3M. Study based on responses from 46 professional mobile workers.

Trip Report: 3 exciting days in Los Angeles

September 20, 2017

Looking north to the Hollywood sign from the 14th floor of the Kimpton Everly Hotel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Booming Los Angeles has seen a bloom in new hotel construction in recent years. As readers may recall, I was there in June for the opening of the city’s tallest hotel– the InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown. (See our review)

Last week, I checked in to check out the brand new-from-the-ground-up, 216-room Kimpton Everly Hotel, located a few blocks uphill from the famous intersection of Hollywood and Vine. Plus I was there for a handful of meetings and to see other new hotels and hotspots.

The brand new Kimpton Everly is located uphill from the famous Hollywood & Vine intersection (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

What’s best about The Everly (aside from the fact that it’s a Kimpton, and only about six weeks old) is its location.

If like me, you have business meetings all over town, it’s perfectly positioned. Need to head up to the Valley for a healthy business lunch at Hugo’s in Studio City? Just jump on the 101 freeway– the entrance is a block away from the front door. Need to go downtown to the Convention Center or poke around DTLA? Just walk down to Hollywood and Vine and jump on the Metro Red Line.

Meeting with your agent for breakfast in West Hollywood (at Butcher, Baker, Cappuccino Maker) or lunch in Beverly Hills (at Jean-Georges)? Maybe you’ll get invited to have dinner with a member of the showy, private Soho House. Or a little late night fun at Giorgio’s at MMHMMM at the Standard hotel. Lyft or Uber is easy to call (about $12 with tip between Hollywood and WeHo)– just budget enough time to be stuck in the area’s famous traffic jams where a 15-minute ride can easily bloat into a 45-minute slog.

(I did all of the above packed into a busy three-day trip! See photos below.)

Kimpton Everly sits just north of Hollywood and Vine- Smack in the middle of everything (Image: Everly Hotel)

Rates at the Everly are decent for a four-star hotel in a good location– they start at around $259 per night and vary based on demand. (I accepted a media rate of $190 per night for my stay.)

What else did I like about this hotel? It’s full of tall windows, high ceilings and plenty of light. Which brings me to another big plus: the views! Wow! I stayed at the Everly for two nights. On the first night from the 9th floor I looked south over the cranes and construction of Hollywood and the W Hotel tower. On the second night from the 14th floor I looked north over Beachwood Canyon with the clearest view of the Hollywood sign I’ve ever had. Wow! So if you like views, be sure to ask for a room on a high floor.

View from the 9th Floor looking south toward Hollywood Boulevard (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

There’s an outdoor pool on the fifth floor looking out over Hollywood, which gets southern exposure, perfect for picking up some rays- so pack your sunglasses.

Cool at the pool before morning fog burns off (Photo: Kimpton Everly)

The lobby is bright and lively, filled with mid century modern vibe, comfy furniture, a pool table and a big busy bar. It’s a nice place to spend a few hours in the late afternoon when the wine is on the house and tasty snacks are lined up on the bar.

Well designed, fun lobby bar space (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

As usual for most Kimpton hotels, the Everly gets all the little things right. Wi-fi is fast, easy to sign on and free for Karma members. Members also get a $10 “Raid the Bar” credit for mini bar purchases. In the bathroom, there are full sized bottles of shampoo, conditioner and shower get that are plainly marked. Lights are bright and beds are covered in Frette linen.

Something new I saw on this trip– a new type of thermostat that has a haptic touch… when you push it to raise or lower the temperature, it vibrates. And thankfully, it felt like it was not motion sensitive, and did not turn off in the middle of the night. The only thing I did not like about the room set up was the sliding barn door to the bathroom— these are fine when traveling alone, but do a poor job blocking sounds and smells when someone else is in there!

Plenty of goodies in the mini-bar (Chris McGinnis)

Big comfy bed covered in Frette linen (Chris McGinnis)

Big bright bathroom with walk in shower- and a sliding barn door (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Full sized, plainly labeled potions and lotions (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A new thermostat with haptic controls (Chris McGinnis)

I flew into Burbank and I had a rental car for this trip, which proved expensive (parking is $42 per night + tip) and a bit of a hassle as getting in and out of the entrance is a little counterintuitive.

Breakfast is a quick, easy and casual affair at the hotel’s perky Jane Q restaurant on the street level– great coffee (I just went for the drip variety, which is free for hotel guests) plus there’s plenty of pastries and egg dishes to choose from while taking in the view out onto the street.

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Breakfast at Jane Q at the Kimpton Everly (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

For my morning walk around the ‘hood I headed down Argyle Avenue four blocks to Hollywood Boulevard to see the famous stars embedded into the sidewalk. Down there the neighborhood feels a bit sketchy. I was fine walking around there in the morning, but would probably avoid being on foot at night.

Down on Hollywood Boulevard it’s a little gritty (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

While there, I was lucky enough to have time to check out the spectacular new Waldorf-Astoria Beverly Hills (where rates start at about $600/night), located next door to the Beverly Hilton on the triangle where Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards intersect. While the lobby of the hotel is gorgeous, the real show is up on The Rooftop— take a ride up for lunch and soak up the spectacular views (of the city and the people watching).

Also new on the hot LA hotel scene is the recent opening of the 286-room Jeremy Hotel on Sunset Boulevard on the western edge of West Hollywood– it was first going to open as The James hotel, but that fell through and the showy property sat vacant for months. Now it’s the Jeremy, but not for long– word on the street is that the hotel will soon be the first West Coast outpost of Barry Sternlicht’s popular new One Hotels.

Plus, Kimpton is not done with LA yet… in a few months it will open the new 105-room La Peer Hotel between Santa Monica and Melrose in West Hollywood. Details here.

Entrance to the Everly hotel along Yucca Street (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

No photos are allowed inside the members-only Soho House so I had to grab this one from its website. It’s located on the top of an office building on Sunset Boulevard on the western edge of West Hollywood.

The latest outpost of the Jean-George Vongerichten empire at the Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (Chris McGinnis)

Don’t miss the ahi tuna tartare at Jean-Georges– tastes great and looks beautiful! (Chris McGinnis)

Power lunch at Jean-Georges with Tom Kiely, President & CEO of the West Hollywood Convention and Visitors Bureau (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Up on the rooftop of the new Waldorf-Astoria Beverly Hills– perfect perch for people watching! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The new Waldorf-Astoria Bev Hills is located on the triangle where Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards intersect- next to the Beverly Hilton (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Valet circle at the Waldorf-Astoria is a luxury car circus! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Don’t miss an outdoor breakfast at Butcher, Baker and Cappuccino Maker on Sunset Boulevard in West Hollywood! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I’ve been flying into Burbank’s Bob Hope Airport instead of LAX lately. You? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Fred’s restaurant at Barney’s Beverly Hills #travel #shopping #la #california #fashion #design
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Sep 17, 2017 at 12:58pm PDT

I flew Southwest Airlines SFO-Burbank on this trip. It canceled my 11 am flight, and rebooked me on the 3 pm flight (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

What’s your favorite place to stay or play in LA?? Please leave your comments and suggestions below.

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United’s final 747 flight sells out in hours

September 18, 2017

This bird’s about to go extinct in the US (Image: United)

United is running its final 747 flight between San Francisco and Honolulu on Tuesday, November 7 to commemorate the retirement of its 747 fleet. Only economy tickets were intially available on the flight– business class seats in the upper deck or “bubble” were not sold so everyone can climb up the stairs for a final look-see.

United says this journey will serve as “the ultimate throwback for customers, employees and invited guests as it recreates the first 747 flight operated by United in 1970. From a 1970s-inspired menu to retro uniforms for flight attendants to inflight entertainment befitting of that first flight, passengers will help send the Queen of the Skies off in true style. The original United 747 aircraft that first made this journey from San Francisco to Honolulu was named the “Friend Ship,” the same name bestowed on this farewell flight.”

Seats on this special, one-way trip, United flight 747, were available for purchase now at united.com — roundtrip fares (returning four days later) were going for $521 today (not bad!). Award seats were going for 45,ooo miles one way. You could have gone for 62,500 round trip (returning on a different plane). UPDATE: In the course of writing this post, fares soared to over $1,000 round trip for the final 747 flight, so keep checking– and let us know what you are finding in the comments below…) UPDATE #2: Within an hour of this posting, the United 747 flight was sold out and no longer appearing on United.com.

The Nov 7 flight (aptly numbered UA 747) departs SFO at 11:00 am and arrives Honolulu at 2:45 pm

Seat chart from United’s final 747 flight on Nov 7– still somewhat open!

Those lucky enough to sit in first or business class will be selected by a drawing that will take place at the gate prior to boarding for an opportunity to occupy one of a select number of seats in the upper deck during the flight.

From United: “The journey will begin with a gate celebration at 9 a.m. local time at San Francisco International Airport, featuring a Boeing 747 gallery, remarks from United employees and executives, as well as refreshments. The flight will depart San Francisco International Airport at 11 a.m. local time, landing at Honolulu International Airport at 2:45 p.m. local time. Upon landing in Honolulu, local employees will welcome the aircraft with final festivities to close out the historic day. Customers and fans of the Queen of the Skies are encouraged to use the #UA747Farewell hashtag in social media posts.”

United’s final international 747 roundtrip will take place a week earlier between San Francisco and Seoul. It departs SFO on Saturday, October 28 and returns from Seoul on October 29. United’s 747s are still flying between SFO and Shanghai, London and Frankfurt until the end of October.

United’s final international 747 roundtrip.

Will you go? Please leave your comments below.

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Aloha Delta 747

September 18, 2017

Delta’s final 747 flight to LAX from Honolulu SEE VIDEO AT BOTTOM OF PAGE (Image: Delta)

Remember Delta’s final domestic 747 flight from LAX to Detroit a few weeks back? You know, the same beautiful bird that was looking forward to retirement, but was put back into duty to help evacuate Florida as Hurricane Irma approached? Yes, that one.

Well before that plane arrived in Los Angeles, it received the royal treatment in Hawaii, and Delta made a fun video about the affair. What many of you may not know is that Delta has been running a 747 between Honolulu and Japan for many years. There’s a lot of love for the old bird in Hawaii as you’ll see in the video above where Delta employees made her a giant lei for big send off. There were gate and Sly Club lounge parties including food, drink and dancing. Also, a group of Delta Diamond Medallion flyers bought out the entire business class section (including the upper deck or “bubble”) for the trip.

A gate party including cake celebrating the final domestic 747 flight (Image: Delta)

Here’s what Delta’s News hub wrote about the flight:

Employees in Honolulu paid tribute to the aircraft, which regularly operated the Honolulu-Narita route, with traditional Hawaiian customs by fashioning a maile lei big enough to fit over the top of the aircraft as a sign of respect. The team also held a gate celebration, and several employees held back tears as the group sang Aloha Oe and watched the aircraft depart Honolulu for the last time.

The Los Angeles team also had a chance to say their goodbyes to the “Queen of the Skies.” Employees lined the ramp at LAX and waved orange wands as it made its late-night departure to Detroit. Employees in Detroit met the aircraft when it landed, though the 747 will continue flying through Detroit for a few more months.

First look deep inside a Delta 747- parked in Atlanta!

Final flight touching down in LA (Image: Delta)

A group of 50 Delta Diamond Medallion customers joined in on the festivities as well. When one member of a Diamond Medallion Facebook group saw that the 747 would be flying two domestic legs, he notified other members of the group, who jumped at the chance to take one last flight on the aircraft. The group booked nearly the entire Delta One cabin and some of the Main Cabin as well, and they flew in from all over the country to catch one last ride on the 747.

Additionally, employees in Los Angeles hosted a reception for the group in the Delta Sky Club, and each member of the group received model 747 aircraft as a parting gift. All customers on the flight received commemorative ear buds in celebration of the final scheduled domestic flight.

SEE THE VIDEO HERE

Delta 747 (and Porsche!) at LAX (Image: Delta)

Delta expects the remaining 747s in its fleet to be retired by the end of 2017. The retiring aircraft will be replaced by the Airbus A350, which will be Delta’s flagship international aircraft and the first to feature the airline’s all-new Delta One Suite, the world’s first business class cabin to feature a sliding door, as well as Delta Premium Select, a new premium economy experience. Delta will take delivery of five A350s in 2017 with more coming in 2018.

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Popular: Cell phone searches + LA hotel scene + Polaris update + Air France + TWA hotel

September 17, 2017

In Los Angeles checking out the new hotel scene this week. Rooftop of the spectacular new Waldorf-Astoria Beverly Hills (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

This week Chris was in LA to have a few meetings and check out what’s happening on the hotel scene. Last time I was in LA was for the opening of the dramatic new InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown, housed in the top floors of the city’s newest, tallest skyscraper. This week, I stayed at the brand new Kimpton Everly hotel in Hollywood, and will have a full report about my stay shortly. I was lucky enough to have time to check out the spectacular new Waldorf-Astoria Beverly Hills, located next door to the Beverly Hilton on the triangle where Santa Monica and Wilshire Boulevards intersect. While the lobby of the hotel is gorgeous, the real show is up on The Rooftop— take a ride up for lunch and soak up the spectacular views. Also new on the hot LA hotel scene is the recent opening of the 286-room Jeremy Hotel on Sunset Boulevard on the western edge of West Hollywood– it was first going to open as The James hotel, but that fell through and the showy property sat vacant for months. Now it’s the Jeremy, but not for long– word on the street is that the hotel will soon be the first West Coast outpost of Barry Sternlicht’s popular new One Hotels. Stay tuned!

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

1 Show U.S. Customs the contents of your phone…or else!

2 Reader Report: Air France Premium Economy to Paris, Airbus A380

3 Polaris business class seats now on 15 United jets

4 Are Basic Economy fares a bust?

5 United adds 4 new nonstops to Europe

New United nonstops between SFO and Zurich, Switzerland (Chris McGinnis)

6 Award travel prices: United’s are up, Delta’s down

7 The busiest air routes you’ll probably never fly

8 Hotel news: Ritz in Atlanta, Marriott in Chicago, Hilton in NYC + Los Angeles, Austin

9 New transatlantic routes: Delta, American, BA, Lufthansa, United, WOW

10 Airport news: Denver, Boston, DFW, Newark, Pittsburgh

This week TravelSkills was invited to a preview of the new TWA Hotel at JFK– this banner describes what’s in store- CLICK for more info

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

Mexico City’s new airport gets bogged down in mud

Add TWA Lounge at WTC from email.

American completes business class retrofit on its 47 777-200ERs

AA, United impose ‘gate service fees’ on some Basic Economy passengers

Delta passenger gets $4,000 for giving up seat

Alaska Airlines stakes a claim in San Francisco with Giants livery

Starting early next year you’ll see an Alaska Air A321 painted in Giants livery (Image: Alaska Airlines)

Group raises safety concerns about shrinking airline seat sizes

Europe’s Ryanair will bid to acquire Alitalia (but not Airberlin)

Apple iPhone X’s Face ID seen boosting use of facial recognition for travelers

TSA approves testing of next-generation airport bag scanners

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Polaris business class seats now on 15 United jets

September 13, 2017

United’s Polaris business class seat on a Boeing 767-300 (Image: United)

By now nearly every United frequent flier has heard about its new Polaris Business Class product.

But what a lot of those flyers don’t realize (according to the emails I get) is that the new Polaris Business class seat is only on a handful of planes in its long haul fleet.

As of this week there are there are 15 United jets flying with the new Polaris business class seat: 14 B777-300ERs and 1 B767-300. (That’s 15 out of about 200 planes in United’s long haul fleet.)

So if you book a “Polaris business class” ticket on United, it’s still much more likely that you’ll get the old seat than the new one. But you will get the new Polaris service and soft product such as the Bloody Mary bar and blankets/pillows from Saks Fifth Avenue.

Odd-numbered window seats are more private on in United’s B767 Polaris business class (Image: United)

But that dearth of the new seats is changing slowly. Last week United announced that it has deployed the first retrofitted Boeing 767-300 with the new seat. It’s now in service between Newark and London Heathrow.

The retrofitted 767 widebody has larger overhead bins, new lavatories with better lighting and what United says is its “largest economy seat” at 18.5 inches wide. United has taken a lot of heat for installing tight 10-across seats (at 17 inches wide) on its 777-300ERs, so if you are flying economy, you’ll likely appreciate the space you’ll get on the 767.

United says that by the end of 2018, it should have 14 retrofitted B767s with the Polaris seats, the larger economy seats and new cabin design.

United’s retrofitted B767-300 has 30 business class seats, 46 economy plus and 138 in economy (Image: United CLICK for more)

Economy class seats on United’s retrofitted 767s are 18.5 inches wide, configured 2-3-2(Image: United)

A spokesperson told TravelSkills that the 767-300 retrofits will be placed onto routes that currently use 767s—which are mostly transatlantic. Right now, most of its newer B777-300ERs are on transpacific routes.

The business class cabin on a retrofitted 767 has 30 Polaris business class seats, all with direct aisle access. Flattened, the seat is about 75 inches long (big enough for someone who is 6’3”) and 21 inches wide.

The new leather economy class seat (configured 2-3-2) is 18.5 inches wide, with in-seat power and an on-demand seatback entertainment system.

Don’t Miss: Reader Report- United Polaris business class to Hong Kong

United’s new Polaris configuration on a Boeing 767-300ER. United calls this a 1-1-1 configuration, but it looks more like 2-2-2 to me (Image: United)

Overall, United’s new Polaris business class is a big step up from its current business class…but it still gets mixed reviews from flyers. What do YOU think? Please leave your comments below.

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Reader Report: Air France Premium Economy to Paris, Airbus A380

September 11, 2017

Air France flies an Airbus A380 between San Francisco and Paris (Photo: Jason Vaudrey)

In June, I experienced Air France’s Premium Economy class from San Francisco (SFO) to Paris- Charles De Gaulle (CDG). I was heading to Athens and exploring Crete in Greece and wanted to see Berlin also.

During summer, Air France flies both an Airbus A380 and a B777 on the SFO-CDG route. United flies a Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Paris from SFO.

When pricing out various European carriers in which I could accrue miles on Alaska Airlines, I narrowed my choices to British Airways (through London), KLM (through Amsterdam), and Air France (through Paris) – all of which are Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan partners. I also included Virgin Atlantic, knowing I could earn points on Virgin America, which then would eventually transfer over into Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program. KLM did not offer a premium economy product and between British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Air France, Air France had the best airfare for Premium Economy.

On Air France, a round trip economy airfare was approximately $1,250 between SFO and CDG and its Premium Economy was just $400 more at $1,650. I purchased my ticket in mid-March 2017 for my June trip. I felt $200 extra each way to sit in Premium Economy was worth it.

I spent a few days in Paris, onwards to Berlin via Air France, and from Berlin I flew to Athens (via Aegean Airlines) and then flew to Crete for approximately two weeks. While I knew my experience in Premium Economy would not be the same I experienced on Singapore Airlines this past December, I was quite pleased with Air France and what they offered.

This is a TravelSkills Reader Report by Jason Vaudrey, a frequent contributor to TravelSkills. Thanks, Jason! Would you like to submit your own Reader Report? We’d love to hear from you. Check out our guidelines.

Premium economy on Air France’s A380 is on the upper deck with business in front and economy behind (Image: Air France)

My primary reason for choosing Premium Economy is the comfort of the seat and seat pitch. The other perks such as dedicated priority check-in lane, lounge access [for a fee – further explanation below], and alternative meal service options were just icing on the cake. I took Air France’s flight 83, an A380, that departs SFO in the mid-afternoon and arrives in Paris the following midmorning. The flight time was approximately 9 hours 30 minutes. (On the return, I flew an Air France B777.)

Arriving at SFO, Air France has a dedicated lane for Sky Priority, which includes Premium Economy, Business Class, and elite level SkyTeam members. Premium Economy passengers are allowed to bring two bags (a small backpack, handbag or laptop case and a wheelie bag) for a combined weight of 40 pounds. The combined weight limit for economy class passengers is 27 pounds. While Air France does charge to check luggage within Europe, you may check two bags for free on transatlantic flights. I brought a wheelie bag that met the size dimension restrictions for Air France and a backpack. Even with my laptop and my wheelie bag full, my weight was slightly more than 40 pounds, but the ticketing agent said, “that’s close enough” and allowed me to bring both bags on board the aircraft.

At SFO, KLM, Delta, and Air France share a lounge space and for $35, they allow Premium Economy passengers access. I did not have much time upon checking in and the time the flight boarded, so I did not use the lounge.

However, when I returned I had many hours in Charles DeGaulle, I was able to access the Air France/Sky Priority lounge in terminal 2E for no fee. The agents scanned my boarding pass and welcomed me in and did not ask for me to pay. Nice! [NOTE: Despite Jason’s luck at getting in the lounge for free while flying premium economy, the Air France website shows that he should have been charged.]

The food and free beverages (including alcohol), the seating, the peace and quiet, plus views of the runways and fast, free Wi-Fi made my connection between my flight from Athens to CDG and my departure to SFO very enjoyable. Here are some photos from that visit:

Air France lounge at Paris CDG terminal 2E (Photo: Jason Vaudrey)

Free booze at the bar at the Air France lounge at CDG (Photo: Jason Vaudrey)

A nice meal in the Air France lounge at CDG (Photo: Jason Vaudrey)

Okay… back to boarding at SFO: Sky Priority members also get a dedicated security screening lane (both at SFO and CDG) which allowed me to skip the large queue for all the international passengers. Good news because at the time I cleared security, the queue was quite long. The shorter security line saved me approximately 30 minutes at the security checkpoint at SFO.

Premium Economy boards with Business Class passengers in Zone 1, and on the A380, the Premium Economy cabin is located on the upper deck. There are four rows in Premium Economy with bulkheads and curtains sectioning off the intimate cabin space. Seats are configured 2-3-2. I was seated in an aisle, 84K. (The layout in regular economy is 2-4-2 in the upper deck of the A380– on the main deck its 3-4-3.) On the B777, premium economy is configured 2-4-2.

Seated upstairs on an Air France A380 in seat 84K (Jason Vaudrey)

The cabin on the SFO-CDG leg was full, except I had the good fortune of having the one empty seat in the cabin by me. With families occupying the middle section, there was not a single person in the middle section who wanted to take advantage of having a window seat and break up their party. On the A380 (but not on the B777), there are compartment bins next to window seats located under the windows, that allow you to store a purse, laptop bag or small backpack leaving you room underneath the seat in front of you.

The seat reclines downwards and out with a leg rest that also swings out. The seat is a fixed-back shell, and your space is never intruded on by the passenger in front of you nor are you intruding into the passenger behind you. I have read mixed reviews about the fixed-back shell (which I experienced on Cathay Pacific in their Economy section on their B747 in 2011), but I found it very comfortable. The premium economy seat pitch in the cabin is a generous 38”.

There is a metal bar that serves as a foot rest that comes down, but there is no midpoint stopping mechanism that allows you to set it to the height you would like. It is either all the way up and stored, or completely down to rest your feet. Because my legs are short, my legs could not reach the foot rest. But they did have the lower portion of the seat that extended and raised providing a nice rest for your legs. I just kept the foot bar stored.

Foot rest on the Airbus A380 (Photo: Jason Vaudrey)

There is also a small reading light that is right next to your shoulder that is not so bright and intrusive as the overhead lights on the panel above you. Passengers also are given noise cancelling headphones.

After we pushed back from the gate, I decided to occupy the window and take some photos of our takeoff and the beautiful views of flying over San Francisco before heading northeast to Paris.

Gorgeous view of SF out the starboard windows on an Air France A380 (Jason Vaudrey)

Inflight entertainment is available and in premium economy, the screen is larger than the one in the economy cabin. There are a variety of movies, television programs, and an in-flight map with cameras for outside views, but France’s media system felt inferior compared with Cathay Pacific, Emirates or Singapore Airlines.

After takeoff, the cabin crew passed around amenity kits and a Premium Economy menu. Meal menus come with two options: chicken in an olive tomato Catalan sauce or a Conchiglie pasta in Marinara sauce with tomatoes and olives. I chose the chicken dish.

Air France premium economy amenity kit (Photo: Jason Vaudrey)

Prior to dinner, the cabin crew came around with a beverage cart offering drinks including champagne. Meals are served with plastic utensils there is no difference between the meals offered in economy versus premium economy. I was under the impression that we were being offered different meals than economy, but I observed the cabin crew, during meal service, offer the same meal options to the small Economy section that is located behind Premium Economy on the upper deck of the A380.

Dinner outbound from SFO to CDG in premium economy on Air France (Jason Vaudrey)

My dinner in SFO-CDG (above) was average in terms of taste and presentation. In addition to the plastic utensils, I was surprised to find a small plastic container of Mott’s applesauce included on the tray, along with an unappetizing, flavorless chocolate mousse. After dinner, they offered coffee, tea, and liqueurs, then dimmed the lights and I managed to sleep for four hours.

On the return from CDG to SFO, the fish with pasta was fantastic and the side items were tastier and had a better presentation. (See below)

A much better meal and presentation on the return flight from Paris to SFO on Air France in premium economy (Photo: Jason Vaudrey)

In between meal service in both directions, light snacks included: mini sandwiches, fruit, and packaged cookies and crackers, which are set out in the galley for Economy and Premium Economy passengers to help themselves.

The cabin crew was very pleasant and helpful in responding to the call buttons. As with most overnight flights I have been on, whether they have been to Europe or Asia, I find the temperature of the cabin to be warmer than I would like and definitely a blanket is not required.

About two hours prior to landing in Paris, a warm breakfast was served. Again, the presentation and taste was lacking. The breakfast was not very appetizing and it included a dried-out frittata with two tater tots, a plastic dish of canned fruit and a cold blueberry muffin. See below

Mediocre breakfast served just before landing in Paris on Air France (Photo: Jason Vaudrey)

Upon landing at CDG, Sky Priority members are also given a special lane to clear immigration and customs and that also saved approximately 30 minutes.

In a nutshell: Despite my disappointment with the outbound flight’s meal options, I found the seat to be comfortable, the convenience of having a dedicated check-in lane for the flight, a special lane for security, clearing customs at CDG, and the surprise of being able to access the Sky Priority lounge at CDG (for free!), made Premium Economy worth it.

The cabin crews on both flights were amazing, friendly, and worked really hard to make sure everyone was comfortable and received what they were needing. I would definitely choose Air France again when flying to Europe.

Another beautiful view out the window as we approach Paris CDG from an Air France A380 (Photo: Jason Vaudrey)

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Popular: 747 final flights + Fall hotel bonuses + New routes + New cards + Planespotting

September 10, 2017

Delta’s grand old 747 flew in to rescue Floridians from Irma’s wrath this week. Photo from Delta Museum’s 747 Experience at ATL. (Chris McGinnis)

Did you catch the hoo-hah surrounding Delta’s final domestic Boeing 747 flight earlier this week? The big jet flight originated in Honolulu, landed at Los Angeles LAX, and then flew its final commercial leg to Detroit. But as Irma strengthened in the Caribbean, and airlines took heat for price gouging and not doing enough to help travelers escape its path, Delta made a smart move– it pulled the Queen of the Skies out of her short retirement, and send it to Orlando several times over the weekend to help last minute evacuees get out of the way. Here’s our late Thursday tweet about this move, which proved to be one of our biggest tweets so far this year!

Good on @Delta! Putting the QUEEN back to work to help Floridians escape #Irma #747 MCO-DTW https://t.co/VmATtMPKhW #TravelSkills pic.twitter.com/MHuhCQwfPx
— Chris McGinnis (@cjmcginnis) September 8, 2017

Delta’s Boeing 747 is not done yet— it will continue to fly between the US and Asia until December. United’s final Boeing 747 flights will happen in October. Although neither airline has committed to a firm date, it’s expected that there will be some sort of ceremonial end for this beautiful bird. Stay tuned.

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

1 U.S. routes: Southwest, United, Alaska, AA, Delta, JetBlue + more

2 New transatlantic routes: Delta, American, BA, Lufthansa, United, WOW

3 Across the Pacific: Battle for Hong Kong + Flock of new A350s + lots more route news

4 New no-fee credit cards from Delta, United

5 Catching up after time off: What happened in August

6 A new way to Australia on United

7 Airberlin keeps operating – but for how long?

8 United, Delta 747 schedule: final flights

9 Planespotting: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320 differences

10 Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

Chris holed up at the fabulous St Regis Mexico City last month- don’t forget to sign up for SPG’s fall bonus! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

It’s time to get signed up for all the new fall promotions from hotel chains— in order to take advantage of these deals to help boost fall and winter bookings, you have to register to get the special bonuses— don’t miss out on bonus points or free nights by not registering because you never know when you might end up at one of these hotel chains:

Starwood’s SPG Explore More

Marriott Megabonus

Hilton Honors

IHG Rewards

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

As Delta and Aeromexico get closer, Alaska Air gets shoved out (Image: Delta)

Alaska Airlines and Aeromexico break up

United Airlines won’t be fined for dragging Dr Dao

United and Star Alliance launch new “Connection Service” at O’Hare

Google enhances air, hotel price-searching tools

Unruly passenger ordered to pay airline $98,000

Study finds that the “Southwest Effect” on air fares still works

Will driverless cars be followed by pilotless planes?

Number of “bumped” passengers hits an all-time low

Investors seek to revive Milwaukee-based Midwest Express Airlines

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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A new way to Australia on United

September 7, 2017

Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia– you can now get there from Houston on United. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

United will launch new nonstops between Houston and Sydney, Australia on January 18, 2018 using one of its new long-range Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.

The ultra-long-haul flight is 8,596 miles and will take 16-17 hours, but it’s still shorter than United’s (and Singapore Air’s) San Francisco-Singapore flights launched last year.

United also serves Australia with nonstops from both San Francisco (Sydney) and Los Angeles (Sydney & Melbourne) with 787-9 Dreamliners.

United ‘s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (Image: United)

This flight will be Texas’ second nonstop to Australia after Qantas’ Dallas service, which uses a Airbus A380. Air New Zealand flies Houston to Australia via Auckland using a Dreamliner.

Flights are already on sale on United.com. Economy class is running about $1,300 roundtrip for February flights. Business class is about $8,400. For redemptions, we found a few “saver” awards at 40K each way in economy and 70K each way in business. But it’s tough to find them at that level in both directions.

See United’s clever infographic below for more info on this new flight>>

How will this change the way United fliers get down under? It will mostly help those in cities that currently don’t have United nonstop service to SFO or LAX. For example, United says its “customers originating in Charlotte have to fly to Chicago to connect to San Francisco to get to Sydney. With United’s new schedule at Houston, they now have just one stop at Houston to get to Sydney – saving hours off the journey by reducing the number of connections.”

United’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft has a total of 252 seats – 48 flat-bed seats in United Polaris business class, 63 Economy Plus seats and 141 seats in United Economy. Regrettably, when the service starts in January, business class passengers will likely get the old style seat with the new Polaris amenities as the carrier focuses on getting the new Polaris seat on its B777-300 aircraft first.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

In the market for a new credit card? See our “Credit Card Deals” tab to shop around! It helps us help you!

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Catching up after time off: What happened in August

September 5, 2017

I spent the last week of my summer break on assignment in Mexico City. Photo taken at Contramar where I had my best meal

I’m baaaack! Tanned and relaxed after a nice, long late summer vacation. Hope you’ve been able to take the time to have a good one, too!

Our break ended with a quick trip to Mexico City– a remarkably upscale, interesting, inexpensive and easy trip– stay tuned for our full report later this week.

Even when I’m taking time off, I can’t keep my eyes off what’s happening in the travel world. Over the last few weeks I’ve trolled the headlines, and taken some time today to catch up on what I missed.

Here’s a roundup of important stories and deals that caught my eye- in no particular order. Lemme know if I missed anything!

Delta’s newest baby: The Airbus A350 (Photo: Airbus)

DELTA’S NEWEST PLANE: Delta has taken delivery of its first shiny new A350 and will put it to work in Asia later this fall> Delta’s first Airbus A350 routes

PARTNERS: Now you can earn Alaska miles when flying Singapore Air (and vice versa). Redemptions will come later> Alaska Airlines and Singapore Airlines partner up

STATUS MATCH: In its battle for the hearts and wallets of California flyers, Southwest is currently offering to match your elite status with other carriers. Want to get on Southwest’s A-list? Register here.

VOICE ACTIVATION: A cool new addition- especially helpful with those early morning flights> Hey Alexa: What’s the status of my United flight?

MORE SPACE: A nice upgrade for Alaska Air elites… Virgin’s Main Cabin Select is a very nice upgrade on a long flight> AlaskaAir elites flying Virgin America get free upgrades to Main Cabin Select

Cabin offers sleep pods for overnight trips. (Image: Cabin)

SLEEPER BUS: LA Times reporter liked the experience. But I wonder about sleep quality. And the $115 price. Still I need to give it a try. Would you?> Review of Cabin, the new sleeper bus service between SF & LA

$1 BILLION: That’s what restaurants and shops at the world’s busiest airport grossed last year! PF Chang’s is at the top of the heap> Busiest restaurants at ATL gross $5-$10 million per year

CHINA: Since it’s located just down the road a piece from Shanghai, we wondered why United added this one in the first place. Wondering if Xian might see same fate> United exits SFO-Guangzhou

GERMANY: SJC has paid many airlines (via reduced fees) to serve Silicon Valley. Now that those discounts are drying up will airlines flee?> San Jose-Frankfurt on Lufthansa goes seasonal only

RENTAL CAR REWARD: National’s popular One Two Free promo is back for the fall/winter. You get one free rental day for every two rentals now thru Feb 28,2018. Book 3x and you get bonus points. Register here

Special lanes marked by floor signs at SFO (Photo Chris McGinnis)

FASTER ARRIVALS. Global Entry is not just for Americans– citizens or nationals from 10 countries can participate> Indian citizens to get access to US Global Entry

SOUTHWEST STEPS IT UP AT SJC: Battle for California continues bringing more flights at lower prices to the Golden state> Southwest adds 8 new cities from San Jose

EARN MONEY FOR FLEXIBILITY: If you are a “rogue traveler” and make your own travel arrangements, you’ll save by using these> 3 new incentive platforms reward business travelers for taking cheaper options

DEATH BY 1000 CUTS: I’ve been writing about this for 30 years and the story remains the same. Our only hope is that a downturn in the economy will force airlines to use programs as marketing tools again> Another Delta SkyMiles devaluation

HILTON BONUS. Now thru the end of the year, Hilton Honors member get double points. Diamond members get even more> Register here

A mock up of Qantas’ new upper deck lounge on its A380 (Image: Qantas)

NICER A380s: As Qantas slowly phases out its 747s, A380s are becoming its new flagship- check out the upgrades its making to these big birds> Upgrades in 4 classes coming to Qantas A380 fleet

BEST RESTAURANTS: Our favorite new restaurant recommendation site. We agree with all its SF recos and will use it when on the road this fall> The Infatuation: Our favorite new restaurant recommendation site

DARK SHADES. Remember our review of the new AC Hotel Atlanta where we mentioned it’s new electrochromatic windows? Or the first time we saw them on an ANA Dreamliner? Now the same tech is coming to SFO’s new Terminal 1> Electro-chromatic glass on Dreamliners coming to SFO Terminal 1

LITTLE BUSES UNDER THE AIRPORT. Once again, United is running out of space at SFO’s Terminal 3. Where to go? Back to Terminal 1> United adding gates at SFO to accommodate growth

Is your inclination to tip drivers changing? (Photo: Uber)

TIPPING ON UBER. If you’ve been wondering why your Uber drivers seem more friendly these days, consider this> Uber drivers have already bagged $50 million in tips

HOW TO NOT TICK OFF YOUR UBER DRIVER. Since the departure of Uber’s embattled CEO this summer, it’s been getting a lot more driver-friendly. First we saw tipping added. Now drivers don’t have to accept unusually long rides> Uber to notify drivers when customer requests “long trip”

A BETTER WAY TO GO? The Wall Street Journal reports on why flying Air Canada via its international hubs makes sense for bargain hunters from the US> Why Air Canada’s the best way to get to Europe or Asia

Flying out of Mexico City last week, I saw the outline of its new spider-like airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

AIRPORT LOVERS: At TravelSkills we love a big new airport and we know you do, too. Here are a handful that are coming relatively soon> 3 new airports to get excited about

RETIRING QUEEN: This week Delta is celebrating its final domestic Boeing 747 flight on a leg between LAX and Detroit. EVA retired its Queen in August> EVA Air retires its last Boeing 747

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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7 ways to handle dastardly delays & cancellations

August 8, 2017

Recently CNN invited me out to the airport to talk about how travelers can best deal with delays and cancellations- here’s the nut of my seven tips- watch the video [below] for the full story.

1) Book the first flight of the day. The first flight usually spent the night at the airport, and does not need to fly in from somewhere else. Early flights are usually cheaper and less crowded, too. Plus they are less likely to be hampered by afternoon thunderstorms.

2) Learn to live out of a carry on bag. I know this is easier said than done, but doing so can make or break a trip. TIP: Wear (and pack) all black! Thinking about shipping luggage ahead of time? Read this first!

3) Be sure airline has your updated contact info. When was the last time you updated your personal profile info? How will the airline reach you?

(TravelSkills is on vacation, so please enjoy this reprise of one of our most popular posts)

4) Be sure you have the latest version of the app of your airline downloaded to your phone. Also, use apps like Tripit, FlightStats, FlightAware, LoungeBuddy and HotelTonight if stranded. Note that most airlines no longer pay for hotel stays due to weather-related cancellations.

5) Buy day or one-time pass to an airline airport club. Best $50-$60 you can spend. However, ask to take a peek into the club before you fork over the fee- many times clubs are more crowded than terminals! Use the LoungeBuddy app to locate your options.

6) Don’t stand in line if your flight is canceled! Get online or on the phone instead.

7) Know when to ask for a FULL REFUND! Did you know that airlines must refund your money if they cancel your flight for any reason? This only applies to cancellations or extreme delays.

Please take a watch for my tips and advice! How do YOU handle (or avoid) delays? Please leave your comments below!

–Chris McGinnis

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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When tipping trips you up

August 3, 2017

To tip, or not to tip. That’s the question for a lot of frequent travelers. Do you tip hotel housekeepers? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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. (This was especially the case on my recent trips to Cuba where $1 is a day’s wage.)

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.

Good news: Uber joins Lyft in making tipping drivers easier

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 from Conde Nast 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.

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.

Note: TravelSkills is on vacation this month. We hope you enjoy this previously popular post!

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

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).

Related: How to tip properly in Asia

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

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Reader Report: Singapore Airlines premium economy to Hong Kong

July 31, 2017

The view of Hong Kong Island from the Tsim Sha Tsui Promenade at night (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

I recently had the pleasure of traveling from San Francisco to Hong Kong and back in Singapore Airlines’ new Premium Economy cabin with my mom thanks to Chris and the wonderful people at Singapore Airlines.

Note: This Trip Report is written by TravelSkills reader Lacie Rhodes who won two roundtrip tickets to Hong Kong on Singapore Airlines as part of this contest. Thank you Lacie for a thorough, honest and helpful report about your Singapore Air experience and your time on the ground in Hong Kong!

SUMMARY

Highlights of the flights:

Incredibly comfortable seats due to the calf and footrest, greater pitch, and wider seat
Quiet cabin
Great entertainment options on a large and very clear screen

Lowlights of the flights:

No lounge access
Shared bathrooms with economy
Difficulty reclining seat; accessing bulkhead TV from the armrest was a comedy of errors

BOOKING

We booked our flights a little over two weeks before departing. I decided to check the Singapore Airlines website to see what Premium Economy would have cost had we been paying. Singapore Airlines typically offers an Economy Saver fare, an Economy Flexi Saver, an Economy Flexi, and a Premium Economy fare.

The various ticket types on Singapore Air (Image: Singapore Airlines)

This close to the departure date, only Economy Flexi and Premium Economy were available, so the price difference was negligible.

Economy vs. Premium Economy flight costs ~2 weeks before departure (Image: Singapore Airlines)

However, Premium Economy was a huge saving as compared to Business.

Premium Economy vs. Business Class flight costs ~2 weeks before departure (Image: Singapore Airlines)

I took a look at what costs would look like for the Economy vs. Premium Economy on several different dates, and my overall finding was that Premium Economy was just slightly more expensive than Economy, if not cheaper when booking within a month of departure, as the Economy Saver fares were no longer available. However, if you’re booking over a month out, Premium Economy is several hundred dollars (~$600+) more expensive than the Economy Saver fare.

THE WEEK BEFORE

About a week before departing, Mamma Rhodes and I scoped out our meal options via the Book the Cook option which allows you to reserve a main course prior to the flight and has a larger number of options than you’d get onboard. We both chose the grilled chicken option for dinner. For some reason, we couldn’t select a breakfast option for the departing flight, but we could for the return flight.

Utilizing the Book the Cook option to select our meals a few days before take off (Image: Singapore Airlines)

PRE-FLIGHT

A few days later, it was go time! We arrive at the airport at 11:30pm on Sunday, July 23.

We’d decided to check bags, so we headed straight for the Premium Economy lane. There wasn’t a single person in front of us, so we breezed right through.

Premium Economy Check-In at SFO (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

Our bags received priority tags, and then we were off to security.

Premium Economy bags are tagged with priority tags (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

We flew through security thanks to my good friend TSA PreCheck, which, fortunately Singapore Airlines is a part of.

Unfortunately, Premium Economy doesn’t qualify you for any lounge access, so we took a seat by the gate and waited to board.

With Premium Economy, we received priority boarding.

Travelers in Premium Economy board with those who have status (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

THE FLIGHT

Once onboard, we headed for the Premium Economy section, which consists of 28 seats in a 2-4-2 setup.

The Premium Economy cabin on Singapore Air Flight 1 (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

By the time we booked our tickets, all of the 2s except for the ones at the bulkhead had been booked up. Luckily, Singapore Airlines agreed to let us take two of the bulkhead seats, even though they are considered premier seats due to the extra legroom. Premier seats in Premium Economy. That’s a mouthful. We took seats 31H & K.

Premium Economy Cabin on Singapore Airlines from SFO to HKG (Image: Seatguru)

I took the aisle seat, while my mom took the “window” seat. I say “window” in quotes, because this seat doesn’t actually have a window, hence the red rating on Seatguru.

I noticed that many seats, including the D and G aisle seats had metal bars down the middle of the foot space. This wouldn’t be bothersome if you have your feet up on the footrest, but you wouldn’t be able to store a bag under the seat in front of you.

Bars in the foot space of many of the seats (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

I took my seat and immediately decided to test every widget.

Highlights of the seats:

38’’ seat pitch
8’’ recline
19.5’’seat width
Calf and leg rests – While most of the seats have a calf rest and separate foot rest, the bulkhead has a combined calf and foot rest
13.3’’ entertainment screen
Personal reading lights
Multiple chargers for electronics
Noise canceling headphones
Separate arm rests

Premium Economy bulkhead seats from SFO to HKG (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

Overall, our bulkhead seats were incredible. There was tons of room and because there is no bathroom or galley near the bulkhead, people don’t end up congregating there, which I’ve always found to be an issue with bulkhead seats. I would highly recommend these seats if you’re flying premium economy as the people in other seats looked quite a bit more cramped.

Enjoying the calf and footrest in the bulkhead of the Premium Economy Cabin on Singapore Airlines from SFO to HKG (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

My only complaints about the seats themselves are that getting the seat to recline and getting the screen out of the armrest was way more challenging than it should have been. To get the seat to recline, I had to put my footrest up and have my feet fully planted on the ground to get enough leverage to push the seat back.

Shortly after take-off, flight attendants came around with water bottles and amenity kits containing socks and a toothbrush and toothpaste. Nothing special, and I left mine onboard unused.

Amenity Kit (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

I turn into a pumpkin by 10:00pm, so the 1:15am takeoff was pretty brutal for me. Let’s not even talk about the fact that I had just left my bachelorette party weekend hours before the flight. Needless to say, I was not feeling my best.

Though all I wanted to upon taking my seat was sleep, I didn’t think you’d find a post about how I slept for 14 hours to be particularly entertaining or useful. It would have gone something like this:

Step 1: Take Tylenol PM

Step 2: Secure neck pillow

Step 3: Wake up in Hong Kong

For the benefit of the TravelSkills readers, I persevered. 🙂

In an attempt to stay awake, I decided to peruse my entertainment options. The screens were large, the picture was high quality, and I had more options than I could possible take advantage of.

I decided to watch Big Little Lies.

Ready to watch Big Little Lies on the big screen (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

About two hours into the flight the first meal service began. Though a sticker had been placed on my seat with my Book the Cook selection, they initially offered me the standard inflight options and I had to remind them I’d ordered the grilled chicken.

Sticker on my seat indicating my Book the Cook selection of grilled chicken (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

The appetizer was smoked chicken with roasted corn and borlotti bean salad, the main course was my previously selected grilled chicken, there was a roll and butter, and dessert was mango mousse. Dinner was by far the standout meal.

A dinner of grilled chicken (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

It was much more similar to an Economy meal than a Business Class meal, but the food on Singapore Airlines is always a cut above typical airline food. With the exception of the chicken and corn appetizer, which I just could not get behind, the meal was perfectly fine.

The Premium Economy cabin is located behind business class, and in front of regular old Economy. However, the cabin shares the restroom with Economy. As someone who makes it my personal mission in life to stay hydrated on long flights, I would have loved to have a bathroom dedicated to the Premium Economy cabin to minimize wait time, but I guess you can’t have it all!

Finally, it was time for some post-bachelorette party relaxation. You know what happened next. Step 1: secure neck pillow….

Given the small size of the cabin, it was incredibly quiet the entire time making it very easy to sleep.

I woke up right at snack time where I was able to choose between a vegetarian tortilla wrap with roasted eggplant and sundried tomato hummus spread or a jerk chicken sandwich. I selected the vegetarian wrap, had about half a bite, and trashed it. Not their finest dish.

An unappetizing eggplant wrap (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

About two hours before arrival, breakfast was served. I had the omelette, which was slightly better than a typically Economy breakfast.

Breakfast was an omelet with fruit and yogurt (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

About 13 hours later. We arrived in Hong Kong. After clearing immigration, we headed to baggage claim. Given that our bags had been given a priority tag, they were already circling the carousel by the time we got there.

HONG KONG

Next, we headed to our hotel.

As I mentioned, our flight left SFO at 1:15 am on Monday. This had us arriving in Hong Kong around 6:30 am. I typically avoid flights like this at all costs, because then you’re stuck with all of your stuff, tired from a long flight and time change, with no hotel room until about 2-3PM. Between the bachelorette party and flight, I knew I’d be exhausted by the time we arrived, and that the thought of hitting the town right away would be miserable, so we decided to bite the bullet and got a hotel room for Monday night so we knew we’d be able to rest as soon as we got in.

We took a taxi to the Hyatt Tsim Tsa Shui, where we stayed for the duration of the trip. Thanks to the combination of points I had from my Chase Sapphire Reserve card and an award night I had from my Hyatt credit card, the entire stay was free.

The lobby of the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

A deluxe room at the Hyatt Regency Tsim Sha Tsui (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

We spent four nights in Hong Kong. Highlights included:

The view from Victoria Peak

Looking out over Hong Kong from Victoria Peak (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

Eating the world’s cutest dim sum

Adorable dim sum at Yum Cha Central (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

The ruins in Macau

Ruins of St. Paul Macau (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

Climbing up to the Tian Tan Buddha

Tian Tan Buddha on Lantau Island (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

THE RETURN TRIP

Five days later, it was time to head home. Our return flight was scheduled to depart HKG at 11:30pm.

Once we checked in and passed through security, we decided to head over to the Plaza Premium Lounge, which we had access to courtesy of the Priority Pass I have via Chase Sapphire Reserve card. I swear, nobody asked me to promote the CSR, I just really love it!

Entryway of the Plaza Premium lounge at HKG (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

Lots of seating and not many people in the Plaza Premium lounge at HKG (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

Hot dishes including sautéed veggies and fried rice at the Plaza Premium lounge at HKG (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

We were especially glad that we had lounge access when we found out our flight had been delayed until 12:15am.

At around 11:30 we headed to the gate.

Singapore Airlines Flight 2 before departing HKG for SFO (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

We were told the boarding time was now 12:05 am and estimated departure was 12:15 am. I’m pretty sure anyone who has ever been on a plane knew that it would be impossible for the entire plane to board in 10 minutes, and I found the lack of a realistic departure time frustrating.

The board showed an estimated boarding time of 12:05 am and and estimated departure time of 12:15 am (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

At 12:05am we boarded the plane. We took off around 12:45 am.

We had the same seats as we did on the way to Hong Kong, and we enjoyed them once again.

This time, I pre- selected the cashew chicken for dinner, and vermicelli and dim sum for breakfast.

Dinner was served at around 1:30 am. I wasn’t very hungry so just had a few bites. It wasn’t as good as my grilled chicken but was a decent option.

Dinner of cashew chicken (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

I then slept and woke up for snacks and a movie about five hours later.

There was a basket full of snacks including sandwiches, chips, chocolate bars, and granola bars in the galley for Economy and Premium Economy passengers.

Snack baskets in the galley (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

Breakfast was served two hours prior to landing. They definitely have some kinks to work out around Book the Cook as I was initially served the wrong meal despite having a sticker with my selections clearly placed on my seat.

I had the dim sum, though was supposed to have a noodle and dim sum dish. The steward brought the other dish about 20 minutes into the meal service, by which time I’d already eaten my first meal, so turned I turned it down.

Dim Sum for breakfast. Not the dish I ordered. (Photo: Lacie Rhodes)

Before I knew it, we were home sweet SFO.

All in all, Premium Economy is a significant upgrade from Economy, and is worth the price of admission. The real draw here is the more spacious and comfortable seats, in a small and therefore quiet cabin. To me, everything else from the amenity kits to using Book the Cook are just gimmicks with some marginal benefits.

I think I can sum up our experience with one anecdote. It was the flight from SFO to HKG. We were about 2 hours from landing and breakfast was about to be served. My mom woke up, looked at me and said “Did I miss dinner?” to which I responded, “Yes, Mom, it was 9 hours ago.” So, if you want 9 hours of undisturbed sleep for a fraction of a Business Class ticket, Singapore Airlines Premium Economy is the way to go!

Thanks again to Chris and Singapore Airlines for selecting me for this trip! I am confident that I’ll be telling the story of how I won a trip to Hong Kong for the rest of my life, and am so grateful to have been able to share this experience with my mom. I would have gladly sat in the lavatory the entire flight for the opportunity to take such an incredible trip with her, but Premium Economy was far more luxurious.

Lacie’s flight departed Hong Kong at 12:30 am and arrived SFO about 20 minutes late at 9:15 pm (Image: Flight Aware)

Have you flown on Singapore Airlines lately? Traveled to Hong Kong? Please share your experiences and advice below. Or give kudos to Lacie for a great job on this Trip Report!

Disclosure: Singapore Airlines provided air transportation in premium economy class for Lacie and a companion as a prize in this contest. Lacie paid for all other components of this trip.

Popular: United 747 + Delta boarding + TSA screening + Bootleg booze + Cheaper fares

July 30, 2017

United-s 747s disappearing soon. Have you taken a final ride? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 Act fast to fly on a domestic United 747 See below for a link to TV coverage of the flight

2 United messing with MileagePlus awards

3 Airport news: LAX, LaGuardia, JFK, Salt Lake, Boston +

4 TSA phases in tougher domestic screening procedures

5 TravelSkills: Staying safe while abroad [Infographic]

6 Routes: United, Norwegian, Thomas Cook, Alitalia, BA, Level, Air France, Scoot

Bootleg booze is not just a problem in Mexico! 1/3 of world production could be illicit (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

7 Tainted alcohol and travel: What you need to know

8 Cheaper one-way or roundtrip? The old rules are changing

9 Another airline plans $99 U.S.-Europe flights

10 NYC: 4 ways to snag cheap Broadway tickets

Lots of great comments on our story about Delta’s latest attempt to speed up boarding. Did you read it yet?

Check out this ABC7 story on United’s Chicago-SFO 747 flight

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

Judges order FAA to review airplane seat sizes – CNNMoney

Lyft expects to start offering driverless rides by year’s end

Study of 100 U.S. cities rates San Francisco as the worst place to drive

NASA’s supersonic aircraft design could cut flight times in half

New study compares the cost of airport taxi rides worldwide

American updates its app with rebooking, other functions

Europe’s Ryanair might make a bid for Alitalia

New study details U.S. business travel spending

Chris spent the weekend tramping around the coastal hills south of San Francisco. What did you do? Follow Chris on Instagram!

Cool new tunnel on pacific coast highway near #sanfrancisco #sf #california #pch #roadtrip #travel #engineering
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Jul 29, 2017 at 4:13pm PDT

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Tainted alcohol and travel: What you need to know

July 28, 2017

Tainted alcohol is not just present in Mexico. It is a global problem- traveler beware (Image: Pixabay)

>In this post: Bootleg or tainted booze not confined to Mexico; tips for drinking abroad; State Dept warning

It’s the scary sort of travel story that sizzles in the summer heat. A young woman from Wisconsin passed out in a five-star hotel pool near Cancun, Mexico (and later, tragically, died) after having a few shots of allegedly tainted tequila. Her brother, who also had shots by the pool, lost consciousness but did not die.

Later, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel posted an investigative story about the incident. Soon after, other travelers who’d visited nearby resorts reported similar experiences of having a few drinks, passing out, then waking up in their hotel rooms, or worse, in the hospital. They suspect, but cannot prove, that they were served tainted or drugged alcohol. Iberostar, which runs the resorts where these incidents occurred, told the newspaper that it only purchases, “sealed bottles that satisfy all standards required by the designated regulatory authorities.” The issue remains unresolved.

Based on that brouhaha, the State Department chimed in this week with an update to its alerts and warnings page about travel to Mexico: “There have been allegations that consumption of tainted or substandard alcohol has resulted in illness or blacking out. If you choose to drink alcohol, it is important to do so in moderation and to stop and seek medical attention if you begin to feel ill.”

Mexican authorities have since said that the country will work on improving inspections and controls for tainted alcohol at big resorts.

Drinking and traveling go together like gin and tonic- but don’t overdo it. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

While it’s tragic that travelers have been sickened or died at these resorts in Mexico, it’s important to know that tainted food or alcohol are global problems, and not just happening in Mexico. For example, in the Czech Republic 30 people died from drinking tainted vodka in 2012. The problem is so common in the UK that London’s Daily Mirror recently warned New Year’s partiers to be aware of drinks that “smell like nail varnish.” Bootleg booze can even turn up in duty free stores. I’m convinced I was once served tainted or drugged booze in Brazil and luckily had a travel companion along to get me back to our hotel to sleep it off.

And get this: The chief executive of Brown-Forman, one of the world’s largest distillers told the Financial Times, “A third of the world’s alcohol is estimated to come from what we call illicit production. It can be very dangerous to the point of being poisonous.”

Here’s a dose of my own advice that I’ll be following when I travel to Mexico City next month. You should consider it, too!

Travelers everywhere should always be alert to the possibility of being served tainted booze. Give your drinks the “sniff test.”
Don’t drink alone in unfamiliar surroundings
When traveling in another country, don’t overdo it and let your guard down. Avoid shots.
Stick to drinking from bottles or cans you can open yourself.
Be aware of your surroundings when drinking in public places.
At the first signs of nausea, dizziness or drowsiness, stop drinking and let someone know.
Don’t leave your food or drink unattended.
Have a good travel insurance policy in effect and its emergency number in your wallet.
Get out in the world, have fun and be safe this summer.

What do you think about the incident in Cancun? What precautions would you suggest to your fellow travelers?

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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TravelSkills: Staying safe while abroad [Infographic]

July 24, 2017

Relaxed, fun-loving selfie takers should remain wary of cell phone snatchers on summer trips (Photo: Whitey Blustein)

Travelers are popular targets for thieves because they carry large amounts of money and expensive electronics, and tend not to keep their guard up when relaxing or exploring a fun new place. They are more vulnerable in physical and social spaces that are not their own. And the probability of a visitor reporting a crime and sticking around to testify is very low.

Peak summer travel season is here. With low transoceanic airfares and a strong U.S. dollar, more Americans than ever have summer plans abroad. Does that include you? Or someone you love? Then it’s time to spend a few minutes to consider the new risks of international travel, and familiarize yourself with the customs, and potential dangers, of where you are going.

Don’t let these warnings scare you away from seeing the world… remember, you are likely as much at risk in your home town as you are in another country.

This morning Mike’s Gear Reviews sent us a helpful infographic that should help get you started in preparing for international trips. It’s packed full of helpful TravelSkills, such as:

>Check country specific information and alerts at the US State Department’s website for travelers travel.state.gov. I also like the reports from the CIA World Factbook, the U.K. Home Office Travel Abroad site (which also offers specific country advice) and Australian Foreign Affairs Office SmarterTraveller site.

>You might get harassed by locals in Middle Eastern countries if you are perceived as not being conservative and sensitive to Islamic culture.

>It’s not on Mike’s list, but never leave your mobile phone, tablet or laptop exposed on an outdoor cafe table in Europe. I’ve seen so many of them snatched, sometimes violently.

>In Central and South America criminals may use drugs to temporarily incapacitate victims, so don’t leave food or drink unattended.

>In Asia, you might be scammed into having tea with a “friendly” local, and then be left with an exorbitant tab. (I’ve heard of this one before… typically the friendly local says that he or she would like to practice English with you.)

>If confronted by criminals in Africa, always clearly display your hands and don’t make sudden moves that could be interpreted as resistance.

>Emergency phone numbers vary around the world. While we dial 911 in the U.S. and Canada, in Europe it’s 112, in Australia, 000. In Mexico, it’s 060. Know the number before you go!

What safety tips would you offer international travelers this summer? Please leave them in the comments.

Source: https://www.mikesgearreviews.com/safety-tips-traveling-infographic/

What safety tips would you offer international travelers this summer? Please leave them in the comments.

Popular: Cheaper fares + Hilton penalty + Airline fees + JD Power surprise + Global Entry

July 23, 2017

All Hilton brands move to 48-hour cancellation policy, including the slick new Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (Image: Waldorf Astoria Hotels)

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

1 Cheaper one-way or roundtrip? The old rules are changing

2 Hilton joins Marriott in restrictive 48-hour cancellation rule

3 Which airlines earn most from fees, frequent flyer programs?

4 Routes: More JetBlue Mint + Southwest, Delta, American, Alaska

5 Major Frontier expansion at San Jose, Denver, 19 other airports

Frontier shook up the airline industry last week with plans for big expansion. (Image: Frontier)

6 Routes: Delta to China, Mexico deals, Cathay upgrades, Saudi, WOW, United

7 Surprises in new JD Power hotel survey

8 Seriously: An airline for Millennials

9 Have dinner in a 70’s-era Pan Am 747

10 How to get Global Entry faster

Have you ever been on a flight that got a “wet salute? Share your story!

United Airlines getting a wet salute for inaugural SFO-Tampa flight last winter (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

Alaska likely to stick to all Boeing fleet- but Virgin’s Airbus fleet will fly away slowly

Delta is better at taking your money

Get your $25 airline bag fees back with new BestWestern promo

How to earn 2x or 3x points at Holiday Inn Express this summer

Near disaster at SFO worse than expected- see animation

Hungry? Grab a juicy Gott’s burger at its new SFO location in International Terminal A (Image: Gotts)

A better burger lands at SFO: Gott’s Roadside opens in International Terminal A

Atlanta hoping to land nonstop flight to India

DHS says world’s airlines have complied with its stricter security standards

SkyTeam adds two-stop option to its round-the-world pass fare

Avis upgrades its mobile app with new features, services

The Ritz-Carlton Chicago finishes a $100 million overhaul

Follow Chris on Instagram!

Big changes in the #SF skyline #travel #travelskills #california #skyscraper #sanfrancisco
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Jul 21, 2017 at 3:03pm PDT

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Giving airlines the fingerprint

July 21, 2017

Delta’s biometric test at Washington Reagan National uses fingerprints. (Image: CLEAR)

You can now use your fingerprints instead of your boarding pass to access Delta flights at Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

Soon, you’ll be able to use fingerprints to board any domestic Delta flight. And if other airlines continue to copy Delta’s moves, we’ll likely see fingerprints-as-boarding-passes become commonplace.

Back in May Delta launched a test at DCA’s Sky Club where passengers could use their fingerprints to get into the lounge. Today it expanded the option to gates where those enrolled in CLEAR can forego a boarding pass and use their fingerprints as proof of identity to board. Later this summer passengers will be able to use their fingerprints to check bags.

For now, this is just a pilot test (and is optional), but Delta says, “customers throughout our domestic network could start seeing this capability in a matter of months – not years.”

A Delta fingerprint-reading kiosk at the gate (Image: Delta)

During the pilot, SkyMiles members who are also enrolled in CLEAR are eligible for the biometric boarding pass experience. CLEAR will capture and use both biometric and SkyMiles information to identify customers at bag drop, Delta Sky Club entry and boarding.

If you were wondering why Delta made an investment in CLEAR last year, you now have an answer. If you’ve not signed up for CLEAR, what are you waiting for? CLEAR membership discounts are now offered to Delta SkyMiles members, based on their status. Standard membership in CLEAR is $179 per year. Delta Diamond Medallion members get complimentary CLEAR enrollment, while Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallion members it for just $79. Even general members get a nice discount: annual membership for just $99. Interested? You can sign up with your Delta SkyMiles status here.

“We’re rapidly moving toward a day when your fingerprint, iris or face will become the only ID you’ll need for any number of transactions throughout a given day,” said Gil West, Delta’s chief operating officer.

Thoughts?

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Airlines: Are watery welcomes drying up?

July 20, 2017

Wait. What? A wet salute in California? (Photo: SJC)

Instead of rolling out a red carpet to welcome a new or special flight, airports frequently greet planes with blasts of water from their fire trucks. These are known as “wet” or “water” salutes.

Have you ever been on a plane when this happens?

These salutes occur when an airport gets a brand new airline, an important new route or when an existing route gets a shiny new plane. Airports will also douse a jet in honor of a retiring pilot on his or her final flight, or to welcome home a winning team.

I imagine we’ll see a few water salutes later this year when Delta and United 747s make their final flights.

Here’s a video I made for Air France when its first A380 landed at SFO back in 2011, which warranted a wet salute.

I’m lucky enough to have experienced several of water salutes over the years as I frequently cover inaugural or special flights for TravelSkills.

But those opportunities have dwindled recently at airports near my home base in San Francisco.

Why? Because of the California drought. As the state began to dry out five years ago and water restrictions were put into place, California airports switched from wet to less showy “dry salutes” that usually involved fire trucks and flags, but no water.

Oakland welcomes Level Airlines’ first flight from Barcelona with a celebratory escort bearing the Spanish flag (Photo: Oakland International)

Thankfully, after a sopping wet year, the California drought has been called off and watering restrictions have been lifted. I had not seen a wet salute until last week when San Jose welcomed a new Aeromexico nonstop from Guadalajara. (see top)

So I reached out to the airport to determine if wet salutes were back in vogue…and found out that SJC had come up with a unique way to continue the salutes even during the drought.

SJC spokesman Jon Vaden said, “Our fire trucks are required to do a weekly discharge test where they run water through the hoses, so for this water arch salute they planned ahead and made that their weekly test. We’ve done the same thing for our inaugurals the past couple years, allowing us to continue them even when the drought was at its worst. Of course, now that the drought has eased there’s not as much intense scrutiny on the subject, but they have maintained the same procedures as an ongoing water-saving measure.”

Copa Airlines first flight from Panama City, Panama greeted with fire trucks and hand salutes – but no water- at SFO’s International Terminal (Photo: SFO)

So will wet salutes come back to SFO or Oakland? Sounds like that won’t be happening any time soon.

Oakland International spokesperson Keonnis Taylor told TravelSkills: We have done wet salutes in the past, however, due to recent drought conditions, we’ve been opting for ceremonial vehicle escort of inaugural landing flights with the U.S. and originating country flags waving. In addition to internal discussion/coordination here at the airport, OAK always prioritizes the wishes of the airline in this regard. Water arches have been requested during the recent drought period, however, the airlines have been very understanding and receptive of alternative ceremonial activities such as vehicle escorts, in the effort to conserve water.”

And it sounds like restrictions on wet salutes will remain in place at SFO. Spokesperson Doug Yakel told us: “Although the state is no longer in a drought, we continue in our water conservation efforts, which include refraining from using water during salutes. Our Fire Department conducts a ‘dry’ salute, in which firefighters perform a hand salute for the aircraft receiving the honor.”

Over the last few years, we have seen air travel boom in the Bay Area as the economy heated up and airlines fought to get their piece of the lucrative pie. Down in Silicon Valley, San Jose has added seven new carriers in less than two years and now has multiple nonstops to the East Coast, Europe and Asia. Across the Bay in Oakland, international carriers are lining up for first-time ever nonstops to cities all over Europe. And so many new airlines (and flights) have jammed into San Francisco International in recent years that gate space (and long tarmac waits to park planes) are becoming increasingly common.

That’s a lot of salutes, wet or dry!

Have you ever taken an inaugural or other type of special flight? Tell us about it in the comments!

Hilton, Marriott, IHG impose restrictive new cancellation rules

July 18, 2017

New cancellation policy coming to all Hilton brands later this month (Image: Hampton Inns)

Starting July 31, you’ll have to cancel your Hilton hotel reservation a minimum of two days ahead of time or face paying full price for that first night. That’s right. All Hilton brands will soon join Marriott/Starwood in this restrictive new 48-hour cancellation policy.

The new last-minute cancellation policies are going into effect at Hilton at the end of this month.

We checked today and found the 24-hour policy still in effect at some hotels, so we assume this applies to all reservations made on July 31 and beyond. Hilton already has restrictive cancellation policies of 2-3 days in effect in high demand cities like San Francisco or New York.

A Hilton spokesperson told TravelSkills: “…we have proposed an update to our policy guidance for US and Canada hotels that will begin at the end of the month (July 31). We have proposed updating the default house cancellation policy to 48-hours (72-hours in select locations) for our managed properties and have suggested the same for franchised hotels (this decision will be made at the property level). As always, the cancellation policy associated with any reservation is made clear to our guests throughout the booking process and in the confirmation emails they receive…We regularly review guest booking and cancellation patterns across our 5,000+ properties, and have seen cancellation rates rise the last few years These insights have led to the proposed update, which will allow us to maximize the number of available rooms for guests seeking accommodation. Both guests and hotel owners will benefit from rooms that would previously have gone unused.”

Listen to Chris discuss this with KCBS anchor Rebecca Corral.

Some observers suspect that hotel chains impose these rules to prevent travelers from booking a standard rate, then canceling the reservation at the last minute and re-booking at a cheaper rate using popular new last-minute booking sites and apps.

UPDATE: July 25: InterContinental Hotels Group brands (Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, etc) imposed a 24-hour cancellation policy effective this August. (It’s only a matter of time before it moves to a 48-hour policy, we expect)

In high demand cities, Hilton already imposes a 2-3 day cancellation penalty (Image: Hilton Parc 55 San Francisco)

This sucks for business travelers because our schedules can change on a dime, and frequently do so with much less than 48 hours advance notice. Remember the good old days when you could cancel without penalty up to 6 pm on the day of arrival? In 2015, both Marriott and Hilton did away with that, upping the deadline to 24 hours- which did not sit well with TravelSkills readers at all (see post). Now this.

Now that both Marriott and Hilton are imposing the new policies, we’ll likely see the rest of the industry follow suit. Also keep in mind that several brands or individual properties have their own policies in place, so always check before you buy!

Another tip: Many hotels will work with travelers individually on these fees, so try to work it out with the hotel if you can. It can’t hurt to ask for an exception, especially if the cancellation is beyond your control, such as bad weather or flight cancellation. A polite plea might do the trick.

See New York Times story here.

How do you feel about a 48 hour cancellation policy? Please leave your comments below.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Popular: Busiest summer days + Global Entry + Bumping + Hawaiian + Deltalina + SFO catastrophe

July 16, 2017

Beware: Fridays & Saturdays during summer can be busier than holiday peak days at airports! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 Wait. What? You don’t have this yet? How to get Global Entry faster

2 Drama continues Dr. Dao breaks silence: United messed up my brain

3 Be sure to check the update! Mystery solved. What the heck? Mystery papered plane

4 Let’s go to the islands Trip Report: Hawaiian Airlines economy class to Honolulu

5 Routes: Hong Kong, LOT, United, Aeromexico, British Airways, Air India + more

6 Sounds like a brilliant idea. Let’s see… United to alter the airline bumping game

7 JD Power loves JW Marriott Surprises in the new JD Power hotel survey

What is it about Drury hotels that keeps it at the top of JD Power surveys? An historic building in downtown Cleveland is now the Drury Plaza Hotel. (Image: Drury Hotels)

8 Finally! But beware of locations… 4 brand new hotels for San Francisco

9 Sounds like a cluster Newark Airport dodges transportation bullet

10 Why not? Don’t miss: JetBlue will match your elite status

Chris McGinnis on a Delta 747

Would you like to learn a little more about Chris McGinnis, editor? See this informative interview!

TIP! With peak summer travel season here, remember the FRIDAY and SATURDAY can be busier at the airport than the day before Thanksgiving. Plan accordingly! Here’s evidence: ATL sets all time screening record Friday before July 4 weekend

Tragedy struck this week Princess Juliana airport on St Maarten (Aero Icarus / Flickr)

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

United changes online check-in rules for Basic Economy passengers

Aviation catastrophe narrowly averted at SFO

Silvercar’s slick Audi sedans now available in Seattle, Orlando

Air India goes vegetarian to save money, avoid waste

Delta enlists famous finger-wagging Deltalina in fight against Qatar Airways

Delta enlists Deltalina in new video (Image: Delta)

Iran Air has appoints its first-ever female CEO

United CEO snags Oprah’s old condo in Chicago’s Water Tower Place

Trump wants facial scans of all Americans traveling overseas

Super-swank Hotel de Crillon reopens in Paris after major re-do

Use Delta Skymiles to upgrade on Virgin Atlantic

Study ranks Wi-Fi, cell speeds at major airports

House committee rejects Trump plan to hike TSA fees

Small New Orleans airline GLO suspends operations

Amazon Echo users can book hotels by voice through Kayak

Tourist killed by jet blast from plane at St. Maarten’s airport

Survey: Business travelers would rather be on the road than in the office

United changes online check-in rules for Basic Economy passengers

Customer data compromised at Trump Hotels

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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What the heck? Mystery papered plane

July 12, 2017

A 747 all wrapped up and ready to go. But for whom? (Image: Matt Cawby / Paineairport.com)

Up near Seattle, there’s a feast for the eyes of aviation geeks at Paine Field. It’s a small airport located next to the Boeing Everett factory, which is the primary assembly location for Boeing’s biggest jets, the 747, 767, 777 and 787.

It’s also the place where Boeing “delivers” its big jets to airline customers with great fanfare.

When you are dealing with flying behemoths like 747s it’s tough to keep secrets. But based on the photo above, which has been circulating in aviation circles for the past few days, it appears that Boeing has something under wraps.

What could it be?

Don’t miss: Russian mystery plane at SFO

Paine Field (PAE) is located next to Boeing’s massive Everett factory north of Seattle (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Clearly what we see in the photo is a Boeing 747-8, the only 747 variant that Boeing still manufactures at Everett. This one is the -8f meaning it’s a freighter vs the -8i for passengers. (You can tell by looking at the shorter, non-extended bubble.)

But why the brown paper wrapping? Is it a gift for someone? Perhaps a big new cargo jet appropriately destined for the United Parcel Service fleet?

I reached out to a Boeing spokesperson to inquire about this, and he said, “We are making some adjustments to our 747 Everett paint process, and this airplane has been partially painted and awaiting the next paint phase. The wrap is to protect the exterior of the airplane.”

Who’s it for, I asked. “We can’t disclose the customer,” he said.

So I asked Matt Cawby, who took the photo and put it on the PaineAirport.com website if he knew. His reply: “The airplane was in the paint hangar last, today it’s at the fuel dock. I have no idea why it is entirely masked off.”

In the end, it’s likely true that we’ve just caught a 747 in the middle of a paint job, but it sure makes you wonder!

So….what do YOU think? Would love to hear your comments and speculation about this strange brown bird!

UPDATE!! Mystery solved when United Parcel Service tweeted about its new big bird:

A #UPS7478F wrapped up like a package during painting. A gift that will keep giving … 60,000 global customers at a time! pic.twitter.com/OG9IeHY0Wp
— UPS Airlines (@UPSAirlines) July 13, 2017

(Check out my Trip Report when Cathay Pacific took delivery of a shiny new B777from Boeing’s Everett factory here.)

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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4 brand new hotels for San Francisco

July 12, 2017

The trendy new Proper Hotel opens in San Francisco’s Mid-Market area in August with “bunk rooms” (Image: Proper Hotels)

It sounds crazy, but very few new-from-the-ground-up hotels have opened in booming San Francisco since the InterContinental by Moscone Center opened in 2008. The city’s “newest” boutique property, the perennially pricey (and popular) Hotel Vitale is now nearly 12 years old. About the only “new” hotel that’s opened recently is the Hampton Inn on a seedy stretch of Mission Street.

That nearly decade-long drought of new hotels will end in a splash with at least four new hotels opening in the next year (and up to 12 more on the way) according to a real estate story in Sunday’s San Francisco Chronicle.

The newspaper points out that none of these properties fall into the hotel behemoth category that dominated the city’s hotel scene in the 80s and 90s with the opening of giants like the 1,362 room Marriott Marquis (known locally as “the jukebox”.) Instead, these are newer, smaller more “neighborhoody” hotels built near tech hubs, and focused on the younger millennial set. Keep in mind that some of the neighborhoods where these hotels are popping up are where the city’s homeless problem has been most intractable. It remains to be seen if the new projects will change that.

Here’s what’s new:

The 159-room, new-from-the-ground-up Hotel Via opened last month across the street from AT&T Park in the South Beach/Mission Bay area of town, a few blocks southeast of the financial district and Embarcadero area. In keeping with the tech focus, guests’ mobile phones can double as room keys. Rooms have Illy coffee makers and mini-fridges and wi-fi is free. Rates start at around $300 per night.

The Park Suite, Room 1205, at San Francisco’s new Hotel Via overlooking AT&T Park (Photo: Hotel Via)

On August 14, the new San Francisco Proper will open in the gritty Mid-Market Street area, which as been enjoying a bit of a renaissance as big tech companies like Twitter, Uber, Square, Dolby and several new residential high rises have moved in. The triangular flatiron shaped hotel inhabits the shell of the old, dilapidated Renoir Hotel, and will have four restaurants and bars, including a new venue on the roof. Rates will start in the $400 per night range– but cheaper “bunk rooms” (yes, with bunk beds) will start at around $250. More about rooms here.

Later in 2017 or 2018, a new-from-the-ground-up, 196-room Virgin Hotel will open South of Market on Fourth & Folsom Streets near Moscone Center– and eventually across the street from the new Central Subway Station which opens in two years. I don’t have a good image of the building exterior yet, but below is a rendering of what the rooftop deck will look like. Currently, there is no firm opening date (only “this winter”), and there’s no hotel website. To get a good idea of the vibe of Virgin hotels where rooms are called “chambers,” check out the Virgin Chicago website.

Rendering of rooftop lounge at Virgin Hotels;’ new San Francisco property. (Image: Virgin Hotels)

Also opening later this year: the new Yotel San Francisco at Market and 7th Streets in the mid-Market area. The hotel is built in the historic Grant building, which survived the 1906 earthquake. What I have heard about the Yotel brand is that those who’ve stayed at its New York City property don’t mind the capsule-like, but cleverly designed rooms (referred to as “cabins”) since it usually offers such good rates. At the SF property, guests can check in via kiosk and rooms sport monsoon rain showers, adjustable mood lighting and copious power outlets. Plus guests will enjoy great views from, you guessed it, a rooftop lounge. Another brand new Yotel just opened in Boston’s Seaport district last month. (Rates for the SF Yotel not yet available.)

Here’s a look at a Yotel “premium queen” Cabin in its brand new Boston property- intro rates around $120 (Photo: Yotel)

UPDATED INFO: We previously wrote about a new Marriott Hotel that was reportedly opening this winter in the Mission Bay – China Beach area near AT&T Park. Upon conversing with the architectural firm involved in the project, we found that this hotel is hoping to break ground this year, but will not be open for two more years. It is expected to be a full service, four star hotel, but we still don’t know which Marriott brand flag it will fly.

This is just the beginning of the boom– the Chronicle found 12 more hotels (totaling 4,000 rooms) working their way through the city’s labyrinthine approvals process. (Including a new Waldorf-Astoria near the Transbay Center.) Most of these are slated for the once-blighted, now hot SOMA or South of Market area of the city.

Link to the SF Chronicle’s full story here.

What’s your go-to San Francisco hotel? Why? Please leave your comments and tips below!

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Mexico fare war erupts- great summer deals from California

July 11, 2017

Mexico City’s magnificent Bellas Artes (Photo: Pixabay)

New flights to Mexico City and Guadalajara from Bay Area airports are bringing in some great fares– perfectly timed for summer vacation. (But you need to act fast.)

Update: This fare war is spreading to Los Angeles airports where we are seeing similar low fares.

Both cities are fun cosmopolitan capitals with much to see and do– rich history, robust food scenes, nice hotels and even nicer people. Plus, you’ll find cool weather due to high altitudes- Guadalajara’s elevation is 5,140 feet above sea level. Mexico City is even higher at 7,350 feet.

In early August, Alaska Airlines jumps into the SFO-Mexico City market, and it’s offering introductory fares of just $320 round trip. That’s quite a good deal during peak summer travel season. Volaris and Aeromexico are offering similar $300-ish roundtrip fares. First class fares on Alaska are $637.

UPDATE! Today Alaska Air launched a one day fare sale, with fares as low as $240 round trip between the Bay Area and Mexico City! And this is during peak summer travel season in August. Check this out… only good today, Tuesday, July 11 til midnight.

This week Aeromexico kicks off new nonstops between San Jose and Guadalajara. It’s an increasingly crowded route– Aeromexico’s nonstop joins Alaska Airlines and Volaris (a Mexican low-fare carrier) on the route.

San Jose International welcomes a new nonstop from Guadalajara, one of many new destinations added this year. (Photo: SJC)

All that competition means cheap fares from all Bay Area airports– as low as $291 round trip from SFO or SJC. First class fares are relatively cheap, too, at just $566 round trip.

UPDATE: Volaris has dropped fares on SJC-GDL or SFO-GDL to as low as $221 round trip. Delta SkyMiles members should keep an eye on those Aeromexico fares- you’ll only earn 50% mileage (about 1,500 miles) on the cheap fares- but hey something’s better than nada.

Note: Fares were available on Google Flights on Monday, July 10 and subject to change.

And if you are looking for even better deals, keep an eye on these routes as we enter the slower fall months. More competition could lead to lower fares.

I flew down to Mexico City for a BBC story four years ago and fell in love with the place. I wrote: “Despite headlines about drug-related violence along its northern border, Mexico’s capital is quietly evolving into a modern, cosmopolitan and convenient city that will surprise visitors who arrive with pre-conceived notions. For business travelers with adventurous palates, Mexico City’s vibrant dining scene recently had the Wall Street Journal wondering if it could be “the world’s greatest food city”. Its dynamic and diverse stock of hotels also provides something for every business travel budget, from sparkling five-star skyscrapers to minimalist or historical luxury boutiques.”

I’m ready to go back! Have you or would you fly to Mexico City or Guadalajara?

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Most popular: New lie-flat seats + Low fares to Europe + United Polaris + Dr. Dao interview + Hertz program

July 9, 2017

San Jose International welcomes a new Aeromexico nonstop from Guadalajara, with a wet water cannon salute. SJC-GDL also served by Alaska and Volaris. Nonstop August fares around $300 roundtrip! (Photo: SJC)

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

1 Overnight sleep pods for $115 between L.A.-San Francisco

2 Even more super-low fares, new routes to Europe

3 Planespotting: Boeing 767, 777 & Airbus A330 differences

4 Routes: More United Polaris from SFO + Etihad, ANA, Asiana, SAA, El Al (Including news about delayed opening of Polaris Lounge at SFO.)

5 Best Western adds iconic Las Vegas hotel

Chris lucked out with a brand new Lincoln Continental from National’s Emerald Aisle in ATL

6 New Hertz program takes a page from National

7 Bummer: Alaska, American dial back partnership

8 Alaska’s Horizon Air faces ‘crisis’

9 United messing with MileagePlus awards

10 When travel breaks your heart

Don’t miss: Now that you can tip on Uber, will you? And how much? How to tip on Uber & Lyft

Last week new video footage of the Asiana 214 crash at SFO in July 2013 emerged. It’s tough to watch, especially at about 2:14 when the camera zooms in and you see passengers begin to escape after what feels like a very long delay. Dazed and confused, many of them remain close to the plane despite the risk of explosion. Look closely and you’ll see many who escaped with their lives and their rollaboard suitcases. It’s very sad that three passengers died, and miraculous that many more did not perish.

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

Dr Dao breaks silence for first time since United dragging incident in lengthy interview

Delta to purchase part of India’s Jet Airways?

Wait. What? TSA missing 95% of prohibited items during screening

Demand at United’s new O’Hare Polaris lounge is already exceeding capacity

KLM “care tag” will dispense real-time travel tips for visitors to Amsterdam

Emirates passengers say $4,000 in cash was stolen from their first class compartment

Which airline site is most popular in each state? United.com is only popular in three!

Interesting map showing which airline sites most popular in each state (Source: Similarweb)

TSA PreCheck passes the 5 million member mark

Heathrow plans to open a post-security fitness club in Terminal 2 this fall

Here’s a look at the latest “smart luggage” developments

Colombian carrier plans to explore “vertical seating” concept

AT&T teams with Tumi to offer constant, real-time baggage tracking product

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Planespotting: Boeing 767, 777 & Airbus A330 differences

July 6, 2017

Bladed tail. Three wheels. No winglets. Slanted cockpit windows. It’s a B777, right? (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Pilots, planespotters and aviation buffs can quickly recognize nearly every aircraft type from the ground or in the air.

But it’s not so easy for the rest of us. To help TravelSkills readers confidently recognize what they see overhead or out on the runway, we offer a series of posts dedicated to planespotting.

The Boeing 777, 767 and the Airbus A330, three of the most-used, two-engine widebody jets flying around out there look VERY similar to the untrained eye. But there are differences that help make them easy to distinguish.

First let’s look at the largest of the three, the Boeing 777. It’s most distinguishing feature is its size…it’s a big one— significantly larger than the 767 or A330. Its engines alone are enormous- some are as wide as the fuselage on a 737!

Huge engine. Slanted cockpit window. No winglet. It’s a Boeing 777! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Depending on configuration, the 777 carries around 375 passengers. Smaller 767s and A330s fall in the 250 passenger range.

But relative size is not always easy to determine when the plane is alone on a runway or in the air, so you must look for other features.

The distinguishing flat or bladed tail of the Boeing 777 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Another most distinguishing feature of a B777 is its flattened or bladed tail– which is quite different from the conical shapes found on the back end of a 767 or A330.

Winglets? Yes. Square-bottomed cockpit window? Check! Conical tail. Yep! Two wheeled landing gear? Yes! That’s an Airbus A330 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Plus, B777s don’t have winglets, while all A330s and some 767s do.

You can also look at the outer edge of the cockpit windows. On Boeing jets, the windows have a sharp diagonal corner while Airbus windows are more square along the bottom edge.

Two wheels. Check! Conical tail. Check! Slanted cockpit window. Check! It’s a 767! (Photo: Boeing)

And finally, look at the wheels– each of the main landing gears on a big Boeing 777 have three sets of wheels, while A330’s and B767s only have two.

Boeing cockpit windows slant up at outer, lower edge (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Lower, outer edge of Airbus windows are square, not slanted up like Boeing windows. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I must admit that spotting these three widebodies is tough…even for me, and even after writing this post.

Please share your planespotting tips or advice in the comments below! How do YOU tell the difference between a 777, 767 or A330? Please leave your tips or comments below.

Here are our other popular planespotting posts!

Planespotting: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

Planespotting: A320 family differences

Planespotting: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320 differences

Planespotting: Boeing 757, 767

And don’t miss the TravelSkills Planespotting quiz— 10,000+ readers have taken it! Why not you?

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Even more super-low fares, new routes to Europe

July 5, 2017

A Norwegian Air 787 Dreamliner parked at Oakland International Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Norwegian Air announced yet another another disruptive move in the transatlantic air travel market today.

Starting in Spring 2018, it will launch new nonstops from Oakland (4/10), Newark (2/28) and Boston (5/2) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Checking today for flights next spring, we are finding roundtrips in the $400-$500 range, which is a very good deal for nonstops between US cities and Paris.

Norwegian also announced that it would bring its low fares to two new U.S. cities next spring: Austin (3/27) and Chicago (3/25) with nonstops to London-Gatwick.

With these additions, the Scandinavian low-fare powerhouse will soon fly nonstop between 15 U.S. and 13 European cities.

This is exciting news, but it’s important to remember a few things about Norwegian: First, don’t think those low fares don’t come with some steep fees. For example, checking a bag between Oakland and Barcelona will run you an additional $130 roundtrip– double that ($260 roundtrip) if you change planes. To reserve a specific seat, you’ll pay a whopping $90 roundtrip on transatlantic flights. See Norwegian’s fee schedule here.

Norwegian Air Premium cabin seats on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner recline, but don’t lie-flat. (Photo: Nancy Branka)

You should also know that Norwegian rarely operates its flights on a daily basis— many U.S.-Europe flights only run 3-5 times per week. If for some reason your flight is delayed or canceled, you are in for quite a long wait for the next Norwegian flight. It will not put you on another carrier’s flight during irregular operations. For more on this, see our post The Problem with Low-Fare Flying.

In addition, Norwegian Air is not part of any of the big three airline alliances, so there is no opportunity to earn or burn frequent flyer flyer miles with U.S. partner airlines.

Despite these drawbacks, Norwegian is growing like crazy in the U.S. It flies new Boeing 787 Dreamliners on its current transatlantic runs– and generally earns high marks from travelers. (See Norwegian’s Dreamliner seatmap on Seatguru here.) For those who want a little separation from the vacationing masses, it offers a nice premium cabin at a higher price point with fewer fees.

See Norwegian Air press release about new flights here and check fares or book flights here.

What about you? Have you flown Norwegian yet? Would you? Please leave your comments below!

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Best Western adds iconic Las Vegas hotel

July 5, 2017

The iconic Stratosphere Casino hotel in Las Vegas will soon be a Best Western Premier hotel (Photo: Stratosphere Hotel)

Until this month, the only Best Western option on the Las Vegas Strip was the Casino Royale- a low slung hotel easily missed in the cacophony of Las Vegas Boulevard. While there are a few other Best Westerns in town, they are located by the airport or non-central locations.

In the largest deal in its history, Best Western joined up with the iconic Stratosphere Casino Hotel and Tower in late June. In the same deal, it also joined with the Aquarius Casino Resort, located in Laughlin (about 100 miles south). Both will become part of Best Western’s upscale Premier Collection.

The addition will allow Best Western Rewards members with the opportunity to earn and burn points whether they are there for a weekend of fun, or at a big convention.

A double room at the Stratosphere Casino hotel in Las Vegas (Photo: Stratosphere Hotel)

The 2,427-room Stratosphere Hotel is located on the north end of The Strip, close to the Convention Center and downtown Las Vegas. Opened in 1996, it’s the tallest structure in Vegas, rising 1,149 feet above the ground and includes an spectacular observation deck, which provides sweeping 360-degree views of the Vegas strip and surrounding areas. It also boasts a bunch of thrill rides at the top.

A spokesperson tells TravelSkills that rooms at both the Stratosphere and Aquarius hotels can be booked for cash or Best Western Rewards points on BestWestern.com starting on July 31. Currently, midweek all-in rates (including taxes and um, resort fees) for July stays start at around $100 per night.

On TripAdvisor, the Stratosphere has over 11,000 reviews and earns 3.5 stars, ranking #114 out of 262 Vegas hotels.

Where do you stay when visiting Vegas, baby? Please leave your comments and suggestions below.

Disclosure: Best Western is a frequent sponsor of the TravelSkills.com blog

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When travel breaks your heart

July 3, 2017

Let's face it- being away is tough on the heartstrings (Photo: Nature Therapy / Flickr)

Let’s face it- being away is hard on the heartstrings (Photo: Nature Therapy / Flickr)

I am leaving on a red-eye tonight and my husband and son have mentioned numerous times that they’re going to miss me. As I get out of the car and hoist my bag onto the curb, I look back to see my son’s sad eyes through the back window, and then he forms a heart with his hands. And mine cracks a little. Being missed can be painful when you’re a business traveler.

(This post was written by TravelSkills contributor Nancy Branka)

I’m only to be away for three days. But I feel guilty. Guilty that I’m leaving, but mostly guilty because I won’t miss them. It’s not because I don’t share their feelings. It’s because for the next three days I will be barraged with meetings and social events, problems to solve and victories to celebrate, and the stress of being in a noisy, bustling, unfamiliar city. I won’t have the time or energy to miss them like they miss me.

When I first began to travel for work, my children were very young. Each time I’d go on a trip and my husband would tell me he missed me, I’d translate this to, “Your travel makes more work for me.” That was a mother’s guilt talking. And after all, we’d always split everything 50/50, so I was my 50. With each trip, I would add one more layer of simplicity so his additional child care responsibilities while I was gone would be less onerous. But each time when I returned, he would tell me he missed me. Finally, I said, “I’ve put every detail in place so you basically have no difference in lifestyle whether I’m home or away.” He looked at me almost in disbelief and answered, “I really appreciate that. I do. But child care has nothing to do with it. I missed you because there’s a big void when you’re not here.”

My heart broke with shame that I had somehow interpreted this as a tactical issue, but then again at how sweet it was that my absence was felt.

I’m trying to get OK with being missed. I know it means I have people in my life that care a lot if I’m around or not. But some gifts are harder to receive than others. Now, my flight is boarding and there will be no looking back for three days. I text my son a simple heart emoji. That will have to do for now.

This item first appeared on nancybranka.com

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Popular: $115 flat bed + United program changes + Laptop ban lifted for + Airport security overhaul

July 2, 2017

LA-SF sleep pods are private and stacked on two levels (Photo: Cabin)

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

Before we jump into last week’s news, here’s an important story: Today Etihad announced that the laptop ban is no longer in effect on its flights to the U.S. Why? The Abu Dhabi carrier said the lifting of the ban follows “the successful validation of security measures at the US Preclearance facility at Abu Dhabi airport”, according to Gulf News. Etihad currently operates 45 flights a week between Abu Dhabi and New York, Washington, Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, and San Francisco.

1 Lie flat beds for $115 between L.A.-San Francisco

2 United messing with MileagePlus awards

3 Get ready: Huge security overhaul for international flights

4 Passenger tosses coins into airplane engine

5 Airport news: Houston, LAX, Newark, Ft. Lauderdale, Seattle

6 Lucky TravelSkills reader wins 2 Singapore Air tickets to Hong Kong!

Breakfast congee overlooking Hong Kong Harbour at the InterContinental (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

7 Kayak: please return what you took away

8 TSA could expose your books, magazines or newspapers

9 Tallest hotel in the West opens: InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown

10 Alaska’s Horizon Air facing crisis

Happy Independence Day from the USA! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

California has a travel ban — 8 states, including Texas, are now on the list

Summer stoners: Here are the rules for traveling with pot

Ex Delta CEO Richard Anderson takes on Amtrak

Semi-private SurfAir launches in London

Roman Empire Roadways imagines as subway map (marvelous!)

Don’t miss this excellent map of Roman Empire Roads (Image: Colossal.com)

How Facebook will help you find free wi-fi

United wins an injunction against satire website Untied.com

Study rates credit cards for their rental car coverage

New consumer law in Mexico bars airlines from charging a fee for first checked bag

Mastercard thinks it can estimate passengers’ weight based on their purchase history

Observers say foreign airlines, airports might not meet new DHS security requirements

FAA funding bill in the Senate would let DOT block “unreasonable” airline fees

New high-tech lie detector could bolster airport security efforts

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Lucky TravelSkills reader wins 2 Singapore Airlines tickets to Hong Kong!

June 30, 2017

Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER departs SFO for HKG in the wee hours (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

And we have a winner!

After reading through each and every one of the hundreds of entries we received for the Singapore Airlines Premium Economy contest, I feel immense pride that we have such a fun, interesting, worldly and engaged audience on the TravelSkills blog. You all are awesome! Seriously, we appreciate the thought and creativity put into every entry. While I feel wonderful for our winner, there’s a tinge of regret that we could not offer everyone a trip to Hong Kong.

Making the final decision was painstaking. Seriously! But here we are:

Lacie R lives in Silicon Valley and works in marketing for Facebook. She’s a frequent traveler, and even better, a long-standing TravelSkills reader. What we liked most about her entry is that was well-written, funny, had a clever personal edge, and made it clear that she would write up a great Trip Report about her Premium Economy flight on Singapore Airlines. Her words made us really look forward to hearing about the experience from her perspective.

Lacie will be flying to Hong Kong on Singapore Airlines in premium economy seats like these (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Here’s her entry:

I am the Queen of Coach. Trademark pending. At 5’ 2’’, I can snuggle right into a coach seat, pull down my eye mask, and sleep for twelve hours straight. This is both a blessing and a curse. I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve given up an economy plus or business upgrade to a travel companion on account of my size. It’s hard to enjoy the luxury of a premium seat when your 6’3’’ fiancé has his knees up to his chin in the back of the plane. Alas, I find myself in coach every single time.

But not this time! This is my time. My time to experience the luxuries of premium economy- the legroom, the food, the large TV screens, and maybe if I’m lucky, fancy soaps in the bathroom!

As for my travel companion, my fiancé just started a new job and can’t take time off, which means I’d have the privilege of traveling with my mom. Don’t wor