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New facial scans of air travelers trigger controversy

Here’s a look at Delta’s facial recognition scanners at gates (Image: Delta)

As the Department of Homeland Security continues to expand the use of facial recognition cameras at U.S. airports, and as more airlines test the technology at boarding gates, a new report has cast doubt on the effectiveness and legitimacy of the entire project.

DHS is already using biometric facial scanning of some travelers departing the U.S. at several airports, including Boston, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Miami, New York JFK, Washington Dulles, Chicago O’Hare, and Houston’s two airports. The agency has been planning to expand it to all major U.S. international gateway airports this year. The scans verify the identity of departing travelers by comparing facial images to a DHS biometric database.

But a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators has asked DHS to stop expanding the program after a new report from the Georgetown University Law School questions the accuracy of the scans, and notes that Congress has never authorized the collection of facial scans from U.S. citizens by DHS.

The Georgetown University Law School’s Center on Privacy and Technology issued the report, which says that the so-called “biometric exit” project could end up costing taxpayers $1 billion. “Yet, curiously, neither Congress nor DHS has ever justified the need for the program,” the report said.

Tech vendors like NEC specialize in facial recognition systems. (Image: NEC)

It also charged that the facial scanning program “stands on shaky legal ground.” Although Congress has given DHS a green light to collect biometric data from foreign nationals at U.S. entry and exit points, it has “never clearly authorized the border collection of biometrics from American citizens using face recognition technology,” the report said. “Without explicit authorization, DHS should not be scanning the faces of Americans as they depart on international flights – but DHS is doing it anyway.”

The Georgetown study also charged that the DHS facial recognition program has a relatively high error rate, misidentifying as many as one out of every 25 travelers. “At this high rate, DHS’ error-prone face scanning system could cause 1,632 passengers to be wrongfully delayed or denied boarding every day at New York’s JFK International Airport alone,” the study said. You can see the full report here.

British Airways self-service boarding gates include facial scans. (Image: British Airways)

After the report came out, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators wrote to DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen asking the agency to stop expanding the program at U.S. airports, “and provide Congress with its explicit statutory authority to use and expand a biometric exit program on U.S. citizens.” They also cited the Georgetown Law report’s figures about the program’s error rate in verifying identities.

Last month, Delta started working with DHS to begin facial scans of passengers departing Atlanta as they board flights to Paris out of Gates E10 and E12 at ATL, allowing travelers to decide whether or not they want to participate. And British Airways recently announced it is incorporating facial scanning technology into tests of “self-service biometric boarding gates” at Los Angeles International, similar to technology the airline already uses at London Heathrow’s Terminal 5.

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

Flying the Delta California Shuttle from SFO to LAX on an Embraer jet (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In domestic route news, Delta puts an end to the Shuttle brand for key West Coast routes; Alaska adds a pair of new San Diego markets; United expands Hawaii service from its Denver hub; American is adding regional/seasonal service next summer from O’Hare, DFW and elsewhere; Sun Country comes to Hawaii; JetBlue adds a New England route – and a new fee; OneJet takes on an intrastate market in New York; and Spirit grows at Ft. Lauderdale.

Starting next week, Delta plans to phase out its specially-branded West Coast Shuttle service, which operates on the San Francisco-Seattle, SFO-Los Angeles and Seattle-Los Angeles routes. It’s not taking the flights away – although it might trim some frequencies – just folding them into its regular schedules, and and starting next summer, switching from its Delta Connection fleet of Embraer aircraft to Delta mainline jets. It will likely end some of the little perks that the Shuttle branding promised, like free drinks in the main cabin, gates close to the security checkpoint, special check-in counters, local craft beers and free Luvo snacks. Why is Delta making the change? A spokesperson said this was “based on several factors, including a review of the competitive landscape, customer survey data and ongoing facility improvements at LAX and Sea-Tac, these changes will allow Delta to offer a more consistent experience, which is highly valued by our customers.” The change will not affect Delta’s East Coast Shuttle operation out of New York LaGuardia to Boston, Washington D.C. and Chicago – although those flights recently moved from LGA’s Marine Air Terminal to Terminal C.

In the latest phase of its growth plan at San Diego, Alaska Airlines this month launched new daily flights from SAN to both Kansas City and St. Louis. In the past four months, the airline has boosted its San Diego presence with new daily flights to Omaha, Austin, Albuquerque, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. In mid-February, Alaska will add daily service from SAN to Dallas Love Field.

United is boosting Hawaii service from Denver International. (Image: Jim Glab)

United is boosting schedules to Hawaii from its Denver hub. It already offered daily flights from DEN to Honolulu, but in the New Year it will expand frequencies to other islands as well, offering daily non-stops year-round from DEN to Kahului, Maui; to Kona on the Big Island; and to Lihue, Kauai. Previously, United’s schedules offered daily or almost-daily service on those routes during some winter and summer months, but frequencies varied at other times of the year, ranging from six flights a week to one a week to none at all.

The latest schedule filings from American Airlines show new service coming on several domestic routes next summer, all using regional jets operated by partners Envoy Air, ExpressJet, Republic and PSA. The new service includes six daily roundtrips between Philadelphia and New York JFK starting April 3; seasonal daily service from Miami and Chicago O’Hare to Savannah, Ga., starting June 7; twice-daily O’Hare-Burlington, Vt. Service from June 7-Septeber 4; daily service from O’Hare to Charleston, S.C., starting May 4; daily O’Hare-Missoula, Mont. flights from June 7-September 4; twice-daily service from O’Hare to Portland, Me., from June 7-October 3; and a daily flight from O’Hare to Wilmington, N.C., from June 7-September 4. Also on the schedule is new daily service from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Missoula starting June 8.

A Sun Country Airlines 737. (Image: Sun Country)

Just after its acquisition this month by a New York-based investment group, Minnesota’s Sun Country Airlines announced plans to begin service to Honolulu, although on a limited basis. The carrier will offer service from its Minneapolis-St. Paul home base to Honolulu via a stop in Los Angeles, but only four days a week, and only from May 19 through August 19. Sun Country will also introduce new service from MSP to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, operating twice a week from April 6-June 4.

Although Worcester, Mass., isn’t all that far from Boston, it does have its own airport, which is served by only one carrier – JetBlue.  In addition to its existing flights from Worcester Regional Airport to Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, JetBlue said it will add daily Embraer 190 flights between Worcester and New York JFK on May 3. In other news, JetBlue has added a new $75 fee for travelers who want to stand by for a seat on a flight earlier or later in the day than their schedule departure.

For the past seven years, it hasn’t been possible to fly non-stop across New York State from Buffalo to Albany. But that possibility will return on February 1 when public charter operator OneJet plans to begin twice-daily service on the route with ERJ-135 regional jets – larger aircraft than the seven- or eight-seat Hawker 400XP business jets that OneJet usually uses.

Spirit Airlines has announced plans for an expansion at Ft. Lauderdale, beginning new daily service to Columbus, Ohio, on February 15, followed by daily flights from FLL to Richmond, Va., starting March 15, and seasonal daily service from FLL to Seattle beginning April 12.

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

tartine lemon tart

Don’t miss the lemon cream tarts at Tartine Bakery at SFO…or in the Mission (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In airport news, San Francisco travelers can look forward to some enticing new food and beverage options in the international terminal; American opens its latest Flagship Lounge at Los Angeles International; there’s a new Delta Sky Club at New York LaGuardia; funds are approved for a rebuild of Newark’s Terminal A; and Dallas/Ft. Worth gets a big new duty-free area.

A summer 2018 debut is expected for a new Manufactory Food Hall in San Francisco International’s International Terminal, with airport versions of three renowned local eateries. Located before security and close to Boarding Area A, the new outlets in the 3,200 square foot food hall will include Cala, Kin Khao, and Tartine. The Mexican cuisine at chef Gabriela Camara’s Cala will feature breakfast tortas, tacos, tostadas and salads using local produce.  The new airport outpost of downtown San Francisco’s Michelin-starred Kin Khao, from chef Pim Techamuanvivit, will include Thai specialties like rice bowls, noodle dishes, and both meat and vegan options. Tartine (one of my favorites!) will be a sibling of the Tartine Bakery & Cafe in the Mission District, specializing in baked goods – but also offering a cocktail bar and a coffee bar. (If they have lemon tarts, get one! Best pastry ever!)

American’s new Flagship Lounges have hot and cold self-service buffets. (Image: American)

American Airlines has opened its newest Flagship Lounge at Los Angeles International, following similar openings in recent months at New York JFK, Chicago O’Hare and Miami International. The LAX facility is in Terminal 4, with the same entrance as the Admirals Club; and like the other Flagship Lounges, it is intended for use by international first and business class travelers on American and its Oneworld partner carriers. It has a big buffet dining area, a self-serve bar and lots of champagne – all at no charge. Comfortable chairs have USB and AC power plugs, and the facility has free Wi-Fi throughout. There’s also a business zone with computers and printers, a TV viewing area, and a quiet zone. The LAX Flagship Lounge also features a Flagship First Dining area with table service, for first class international and transcontinental passengers.

Following the recent consolidation of its operations at New York LaGuardia’s Terminals C and D, Delta has cut the ribbon on a new Sky Club in Terminal C. It’s located next to Gate C28, just past security. Delta also has another Sky Club in Terminal C and one in Terminal D. The new Sky Club has a bar with free drinks (and premium brands for a fee) and a selection of food offerings, along with plenty of seating and good runway views. “Further enhancements to the new Club are planned,” Delta said.

The big new TRG Duty Free facility at Dallas/Ft. Worth’s Terminal D. (Image: CBI Retail Ventures)

Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport’s Terminal D has a brand new duty-free shopping venue. The new TRG Duty Free is a 19,000 square foot, two-level store developed by CBI Retail Ventures, which modestly calls it “the single largest and most technologically advanced duty-free store in the Western Hemisphere.” The facility has a pair of executive mezzanine lounges, lots of digital displays, dozens of iPads, several tasting bars, and all kinds of luxury branded products like Estee Lauder, Dior, Armani, Prada, Gucci, Chanel, Omega, Burberry and more. VIP concierge services are also available.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey this month approved almost $500 million in funding for the start of work on a major (and much needed!) reconstruction of Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport, plus another $250 million for aircraft parking areas and AirTrain station construction at the new terminal. The total rebuilding project is expected to cost $2.3 billion. By the time it partially opens in 2021, the terminal will be called Terminal One instead of Terminal A. The 1-million-square foot terminal will have 33 aircraft gates, and will include “a more efficient roadway network and parking for about 3,000 vehicles,” the Port Authority said. The agency also approved spending $8 million on a feasibility study for a consolidated rental car facility at EWR. The first phase of the terminal project will include “extensive paving work and the milling of existing pavement; the demolition of buildings, concourses and satellites; installation of a new drainage system; construction of four new bridge structures, and taxi lane lighting and new curbing,” the Port Authority said.

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

Business class on a Hong Kong Airlines A350-900. (Image: Hong Kong Airlines)

In international route developments, there’s a new entrant in the U.S.-Hong Kong market; Delta will put a new aircraft on a China route and will beef up transpaciifc code-sharing; Cathay Pacific will add another U.S. gateway next year; United is eliminating first class on many routes and cuts back China service; a Lufthansa affiliate is adding a new business class; LATAM is coming to Las Vegas; San Jose gets more service to Mexico; Copa begins Denver service; an Italian airline plans new U.S. routes; Alaska ends its relationship with two European partners; and Norwegian revamps its U.S. schedules next summer, adding frequencies from the West Coast.

Hong Kong Airlines, a Hong Kong-based sister company of China’s Hainan Airlines, this week started service to the U.S. for the first time. The carrier is using a new Airbus A350-900 on the Los Angeles-Hong Kong route, configured with 33 lie-flat business class seats, 109 premium economy seats with 34-inch pitch, and 193 regular economy seats with 31-32 inch pitch. The new LAX-Hong Kong flights operate four times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday), with a 10:45 a.m. departure from LAX. Hong Kong Airlines plans to add San Francisco service in late March, and New York flights later next year.

So far, all of Delta’s Airbus A350-900s have been scheduled for routes out of Detroit or Atlanta, but now the airline is planning to operate one of the new planes out of Los Angeles. According to Routesonline.com, Delta plans to start flying the new plane from LAX to Shanghai Pudong on July 2, alternating days with a 777-200LR until July 18, when the A350 will go onto a daily schedule. Delta’s A350s – which feature the airline’s new Delta One suites and new international premium economy section – are already used on flights from Detroit to Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon, and are slated to start Detroit-Beijing service January 17; Detroit-Amsterdam and Atlanta-Seoul March 24; and Detroit-Shanghai April 19.

Meanwhile, Delta will expand code-sharing with its transpacific partner Korean Air on January 10, putting the DL code onto Korean’s flights to Seoul Incheon from Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Cathay Pacific will fly a new A350-1000 to Washington Dulles. (Image: Airbus)

In other transpacific news, Cathay Pacific has unveiled plans to add another East Coast gateway in mid-September 2018, when it will start flying from Hong Kong to Washington Dulles. The carrier already serves Boston, New York JFK and Newark. Cathay reportedly plans to fly the route – which will be the longest in its system – four days a week with a brand-new Airbus A350-1000.

A couple of months ago, we reported on United’s plans to reconfigure its international long-haul 777-200s, putting in new lie-flat Polaris business class seats, taking out first class, and going from nine-across to 10-across seating in economy. A recent entry in Routesonline.com about United’s 2018 schedules shows where the reconfigured 777s will be deployed, based on the elimination of first class from seating availability. It shows the elimination of 777 first class in late April from San Francisco to London, and from Washington Dulles to Brussels, Frankfurt and Tokyo Narita; and at the end of August from Chicago O’Hare to Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo Narita, Shanghai, Sao Paulo, Frankfurt and Munich. Meanwhile, United’s seasonal summer route from San Francisco to Xi’An, China, which had previously been scheduled for three 787 flights a week from May 6 through September 4, has been eliminated for 2018.

Las Vegas is due to get its first non-stop service to South America next summer. LATAM Airlines Brasil has filed plans to operate a 767 three times a week between Las Vegas and Sao Paulo from June 21 through August 31.

We recently reported that Lufthansa’s lower-cost leisure affiliate Eurowings plans to launch new transatlantic routes in 2018, including JFK-Dusseldorf starting April 28, Dusseldorf-Miami as of May 4, and Dusseldorf-Ft. Myers beginning May 3. Now it appears that the airline will try to entice business travelers onto those flights by adding a new business class cabin. According to reports from Europe, the new Eurowings cabin, simply called Bizclass, will feature seats that recline fully and will include upgraded meals and other special amenities. Details of Eurowings’ new Bizclass are expected to be introduced in March at the big ITB Travel Fair in Berlin.

Mexico’s Volaris added two new routes out of San Jose. (Image: Volaris)

Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris, which already had service out of San Jose to Guadalajara, has now added two more routes. Volaris has started twice-weekly flights from SJC to Morelia on Fridays and Sundays, as well as twice-weekly service from SJC to Zacatecas on Mondays and Thursdays. Next summer, Aeromexico is due to begin SJC-Mexico City flights.

Panama’s Copa Airlines, a member of United’s Star Alliance family, has added Denver as its 13th U.S. gateway. The carrier has kicked off new non-stop service four days a week from Denver to Panama City, with Denver departures on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 10:16 p.m. Copa offers onward connections in Panama to 55 Latin American destinations.

Italian carrier Meridiana plans to add two U.S. routes next summer. On June 1, it will begin daily service from Milan Malpensa to New York JFK, followed up on June 8 by four flights a week from Malpensa to Miami.  The airline will use a 247-passenger, two-class Airbus A330 on both routes.

On April 30, 2018, Alaska Airlines will end its Mileage Plan partnership with Air France-KLM – not really a surprise considering that the European duo has a joint venture partnership with Alaska’s arch-rival Delta. Alaska and Delta ended their own mileage partnership last spring. The Alaskan carrier notes that it still has partnership agreements to Europe in place with British Airways, Finnair, Icelandair and Condor.

The latest schedule updates from Norwegian show the low-cost carrier plans to boost service on several U.S. routes in late March, increasing its weekly Barcelona frequencies from three to four out of Los Angeles, from three to five out of Oakland, and from four to six out of Newark. The carrier will also boost LAX-Copenhagen service from three flights a week to four. At Boston, Norwegian plans to increase London Gatwick service from four flights a week to seven starting June 12, but it will discontinue its seasonal Boston-Oslo and Boston-Copenhagen flights.

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

SFO Christmas lights

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!

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.

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

Popularity of Uber and Lyft is costing airports money

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

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Is Norwegian Air growing too fast?

Norwegian Air will use 787-9s on four new U.S. routes next year. (Image: Norwegian)

Fast-growing, low-cost European carrier Norwegian just announced four more new U.S. routes coming in 2018, leading some to wonder if the ambitious airline is growing too fast for its own good.

The company’s latest plans include new service from Los Angeles to Milan Malpensa starting June 16; and from LAX to Madrid beginning July 15. It will operate four flights a week on both routes. From New York JFK, Norwegian will operate new service to Amsterdam starting May 7, with four weekly flights; and to Madrid July 18, with three flights a week. All the new routes will be served with 787-9s.

No-frills fare, high fee fares from LAX will start at $229 one-way, while New York fares will begin at $199 to Amsterdam and $229 to Madrid. Premium cabin fares start at $729 and $739 from LAX to Madrid and Milan respectively, and at $619/$649 to Amsterdam and Madrid from JFK.

These four routes are just a part of new Norwegian service already announced for 2018. Other new routes and starting dates include Oakland to Rome (February 6); Newark to Paris (February 28); Chicago to London (March 25); Austin to London (March 27); Denver to Paris (April 9); Oakland to Paris (April 10), and Boston to Paris (May 2);

Norwegian’s current and upcoming U.S. routes. (Image: Norwegian)

All that is on top of 25 U.S. routes that the carrier inaugurated in 2017. And look for more new service in the months ahead: Norwegian said it has just acquired another 28 weekly takeoff and landing slots at London Gatwick, available starting next summer. “Planning work is now underway to allocate the newly acquired slots, and will be announced at a later stage,” the company said.

This explosive growth is leading some investors in the company to worry that the airline might be overextending itself, considering its financial performance. A recent analysis in the Financial Times noted that Norwegian’s fleet is adding 32 aircraft in 2017, for a total of 145; and will keep growing to 193 planes by the end of 2019. The report said Norwegian had a second-quarter operating loss of $104 million, while its unit costs rose by 6 percent in the third quarter. The company’s share price has plunged 40 percent this year, the report said, while its European competitors’ stock has been rising sharply.

One analyst quoted in the article said Norwegian has new aircraft coming online so fast that it can’t absorb them all, so it has started leasing some to other companies and selling older ones. It also quoted a senior banker in Norway as saying that Norwegian is “in trouble. They are over-extended and it’s clear that they have to do something.”

Have you flown Norwegian…or benefitted from its impact on transatlantic fares this year? Please discuss. 

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Qantas to fly San Francisco-Melbourne nonstop

The Qantas kangaroo gets a modernized redesign on the tail of its new 787-9s. (Image: Qantas)

Qantas this week introduces a brand-new 787-9 Dreamliner on its Los Angeles-Melbourne route, and now the Australian airline says it will bring the Dreamliner to San Francisco as well.

The airline doesn’t have a firm start-up date yet, but said it expects to begin new San Francisco-Melbourne flights with the 787-9 Dreamliner in “late 2018.” Seats should go on sale early in the New Year. There is currently no non-stop service in the SFO-MEL market.

Initially operating six days a week on the LAX-Melbourne route, the 14-hour 787-9 flights will complement Qantas’ existing daily A380 service, a spokesperson said– which means it will fly SFO Melbourne a few days a week, and LAX-Melbourne a few days a week.

Why split the route up like that? My best guess is that the LAX-Melbourne flights have not been selling as well as hoped, so Qantas will try and beef up revenues by adding SFO legs.

New 787-9 business suites are an update of the business cabins on Qantas’ A330s. (Image: Qantas)

Here’s our preview of the new Qantas aircraft, which will have 42 business class seats configured 1-2-1; 28 in premium economy, with a 2-3-2 layout; and 166 in economy, configured 3-3-3 and offering 32-inch pitch.

The San Francisco schedule is still undetermined. “Capacity between the U.S. and Melbourne will be rebalanced to match demand from the two California cities, meaning that the Dreamliner will fly from Los Angeles some days of the week and San Francisco other days,” the spokesperson said.

Qantas CEO Alison Webster said in Melbourne this week that the company is seeing “strong demand” for San Francisco-Melbourne service, “both from a tourism perspective and because of the business links between Silicon Valley and Melbourne. As well, a significant number of our Melbourne passengers flying to Los Angeles already connect on to San Francisco.”

Qantas unveiled its new Premium Economy seats, which will go on its new 787-9s. (Image: Qantas)

Qantas’ only current San Francisco service is a 747-400 non-stop to Sydney, a route also flown by United.

The LAX-Melbourne route is being operated with the airline’s first newly delivered 787-9. The second will go into service in March, providing the first non-stop flights between Australia and Europe on a Melbourne-Perth-London routing. The airline expects to take delivery of eight 787-9s by the end of 2018, with four based in Melbourne and four in Brisbane.

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So long, Bob Hope. Hello Hollywood Burbank!

Burbank Airport got a new identity this week. (Image: Hollywood-Burbank Airport)

Burbank’s Bob Hope Airport is no more.

Well, the airport is still there. But it’s no longer called Bob Hope Airport.

Following up on a change approved by airport officials earlier this year, the Bob Hope Airport signage came down this week, replaced by the facility’s new name: Hollywood Burbank Airport.

Located northwest of downtown Burbank, the airport is about the same distance from Beverly Hills as LAX is. But it’s even closer to Hollywood, and hence its new name.

Burbank’s airport, formerly called Bob Hope, is 16 miles northwest of downtown LA. (Image: Hollywood-Burbank Airport)

“The Hollywood Burbank Airport identity was selected in order to give passengers, especially those originating from east of the Rockies, a stronger sense of where the Airport is geographically located,” a spokesperson said, noting that the airport had been known as Hollywood Burbank from 1967 to 1978. After that, it was called Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport before picking up the Bob Hope moniker in 2003.

Most Burbank routes are in the California Corridor, with service from Southwest, United, Alaska and JetSuiteX. But it also has flights from more distant airports, including New York JFK, Austin, Seattle, Portland and Salt Lake City.

The airport’s existing terminal is due to be replaced with a new 14-gate facility in a $400 million construction project that should take place from 2018 to 2022.

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United adds new nonstops to Tahiti

Tahiti bungalows

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.

FlightCityFrequencyDepart*Arrive*
UA 115SFO – PPTTues/Thurs/Sun2:45 p.m.9:25 p.m.
UA 114PPT – SFOTues/Thurs/Sun11:45 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.”

SFO Papeete

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. 


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San Jose gets another NYC non-stop

Headed to NYC? San Jose flyers will get new JFK non-stops from Delta. (Image: Jim Glab)

A year and a half ago, only one airline offered Silicon Valley travelers daily non-stop service from Mineta San Jose International to New York City. By next summer, there will be four.

Delta just announced it will begin daily service from SJC to its New York JFK hub on June 8, operating one daily roundtrip with a 737-800.

That means San Jose travelers will be able to fly non-stop to Newark on United or Alaska Airlines, and soon on either JetBlue or Delta to JFK. JetBlue started its SJC-JFK service in 2004, while Alaska and United both launched SJC-Newark flights last March.

Delta 737

Delta will use a 737-800 on its new SJC-JFK non-stop. (Chris McGinnis)

The new Delta flight will operate as a red-eye from San Jose, with a 10:35 p.m. departure time and a 7:15 a.m. JFK arrival. The return flight leaves JFK at 8:15 a.m. and gets to SJC at 11:45 a.m. JetBlue’s service is also an eastbound red-eye, while the eastbound United and Alaska flights depart SJC at 6:20 a.m. and 9:14 a.m. respectively.

“We’re hopeful that as they (i.e. Delta) experience success with the red-eye, they will then ultimately feel confident about the revenue potential of adding more daytime service,” an SJC spokesman told Travelskills. “That’s exactly what Delta did in the case of Atlanta service, where 18 months ago we had only a red-eye non-stop to Atlanta, but that was so successful that they now have added two additional daytime non-stops to ATL.”

Still, he added, “In Delta’s case, we’re very pleased that the westbound JFK flight operates in the morning, allowing business travelers to arrive in time for lunch in Silicon Valley. JetBlue’s westbound flight is in the evening, so Delta’s new flight does increase the menu of options available through the day.”

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

East Bay travelers can now use GIG Care Share for trips to SFO Airport. (Image: GIG)

In airport news, a Bay Area car-sharing service has added a presence at San Francisco International; six airlines relocated operations at New York LaGuardia; Oakland cuts the ribbon on an expanded international arrivals area; Chicago may add express trains from downtown to O’Hare; and Air Canada opens a new lounge at Toronto.

East Bay travelers have a new option for trips between San Francisco International and Oakland/Berkeley. GIG Car Share, a one-way rental service sponsored by AAA of Northern California, Nevada and Utah, has added a parking zone at the SFO Park ‘N Fly lot at 160 Produce Ave., South San Francisco, with shuttle service to and from the terminals. Those who download the app from GIG can pick up a car at the lot for trips to the East Bay, leaving the vehicle anywhere in the GIG “Home Zone,” or from Oakland/Berkeley to SFO. There’s no sign-up fee. GIG rates for a Toyota Prius C trip are $2.50 a mile or $15 an hour, including gas, insurance and parking. Click on the above GIG link for all the details. GIG already had parking at Oakland International’s Park ‘N Fly.

This past weekend was moving time for several airlines at New York LaGuardia, who relocated some or all of their operations to accommodate the ongoing massive reconstruction of the airport. By all accounts, the moves went smoothly, with new signs installed and employees on hand to direct passengers. Delta consolidated its operations in Terminals C and D, with Delta Shuttle flights to Chicago and Washington relocated from Terminal A (the Marine Air Terminal) to Terminal C.  American Airlines and its Shuttle moved from Terminal C to Terminal B (the Main Terminal), while Alaska and JetBlue moved from Terminal B to Terminal A. Spirit and Frontier, formerly in Terminal B, now use Terminal C for departures and Terminal D for arrivals.

The new terminal locations at LaGuardia. (Image: Port Authority of New York/New Jersey)

Oakland International Airport this week will celebrate a ribbon-cutting for its International Arrivals Building following the end of work on a major expansion that doubled its capacity by adding 13,000 square feet of additional space. The final phase included replacing the old baggage carousel with a pair of new ones, completing renovation work, and renovating U.S. Customs and Border Protection facilities. The first phase of the project, completed last summer, gave OAK eight more Automated Passport Control kiosks, for a total of 16; four more passenger processing booths, for a total of 14; and a pair of Global Entry kiosks. The airport has added a number of international flights in the past year and a half, now offering 32 weekly departures to Europe (mostly from Norwegian).

Ever take the Blue Line trains to or from Chicago O’Hare? They have a lot of stops between the airport and downtown. But now Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Chicago Infrastructure Trust has started taking proposals from companies that want to work with the city in creating express train service between the airport and downtown, cutting the trip time from 40 minutes to 20. The project is looking at three possible routes using existing rail lines, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. The city wants the trains to run at least every 15 minutes at a fare that’s well below the cost of a taxi or Uber. City officials suggested that one possible partner might be Elon Musk’s futuristic, high-speed Hyperloop.

Air Canada’s new Signature Suite at Toronto Pearson. (Image: Air Canada)

The latest luxurious airport lounge facility for premium international travelers is the newly opened Air Canada Signature Suite at Toronto Pearson. The 6,400-square-foot facility, near Air Canada’s Terminal 1 international departure gates, is open to full-fare international business class customers (not including upgrades or reward travel). With space for 160 passengers, the suite has a sit-down restaurant with free a la carte dining, a full bar with snacks, a sitting area, and a concierge service.

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Will TSA PreCheck and Global Entry be merged?

Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry kiosks speed up the arrivals process. (Image: CBP)

There’s already considerable overlap between membership in the Transportation Security Administration’s PreCheck program and Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry. So does it make sense to keep operating the programs separately?

That’s what the federal government is starting to wonder.

According to recent press reports, TSA chief David Pekoske said in an appearance before airport executives that he and CBP Acting Commissioner Kevin McAleenan are taking a “good hard look” at merging the two trusted traveler programs.

Pekoske said that the two agencies could make passenger processing much more efficient by combining their separate enrollment infrastructures, which currently represent ”a big duplication of efforts.”

Currently, members of CBP’s Global Entry program are afforded expedited security inspections for domestic trips as automatic participants in TSA PreCheck, but PreCheck members do not have reciprocal Global Entry privileges.

Together, the two programs have about 12 million current members. A combined trusted traveler program could also save money for participants: The five-year fee to join CBP’s Global Entry – which speeds up the arrivals process for international travelers – is $100, while PreCheck costs $85 for a five-year membership.

The TSA chief said that combining the two programs would also make sense in adopting new security-related biometric technologies like the facial recognition effort that CBP is testing for Global Entry.

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

A United 777-200. (Image: Aero Icarus/Wikimedia Commons)

In international route developments, United will start using high-density 777s on some Europe routes; Delta aims to make things smoother for transborder flyers with a new partnership; Qantas kicks off its 787-9 service to LAX next week; Air China begins a new LAX route; Air Canada adds another Australian destination; and Aeromexico tacks on an Atlanta route.

Travel to Europe for some United Airlines passengers is going to get more crowded next year as the airline starts to deploy high-density 777-200s on a few routes out of its Newark hub. The aircraft in question are normally used on domestic routes. According to Airlineroutes.com, United will put the 777s into service between Newark and Barcelona April 23, Newark-Dublin March 10 and Newark-Madrid May 23. (Low-fare Norwegian started EWR-Barcelona flights last summer, and British Airways/Iberia sister company Level plans to begin cheap flights from Boston to Barcelona next spring.)

United has four configurations for its 777-200s, according to Seatguru.com. The three versions previously designated for international routes have 266 to 269 total seats, while the high-density aircraft have 364 (234 economy, 102 Economy Plus and 50 Polaris business class). They manage this difference thanks in part to 10-across seating in economy and Economy Plus instead of the nine-across in the other versions.

A WestJet 737 in special Walt Disney World livery. (Image: WestJet)

As if Delta didn’t have enough joint venture partnerships already (Virgin Atlantic, Air France-KLM, Aeromexico, and a new one recently approved with Korean Air), it’s now planning yet another. The carrier said it has entered into a preliminary memorandum of understanding with Canada’s WestJet to form a new joint venture for transborder service. Joint ventures also imply antitrust immunity, meaning the two carriers would be able to cooperate on pricing and scheduling.

Delta says the JV with WestJet will mean “coordinated flight schedules for new nonstop flights to new destinations, expanded codesharing, and seamless and convenient connections on the airlines’ extensive networks in the U.S. and Canada,” along with “enhanced frequent flyer benefits including reciprocal benefits for top-tier members of both airlines.”

Qantas’ first 787-9 will enter service to LAX next week. (Image: Qantas)

December 15 is the scheduled starting date for Qantas to put a brand new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner into service on its Melbourne-Los Angeles route. It’s the first route for the new Qantas aircraft, and it will replace an Airbus A380. Next March, Qantas will use a new 787-9 to begin the first non-stops between Australia and Europe, on a London-Perth routing. The Qantas 787-9s will have 42 business class seats configured 1-2-1; 28 in premium economy, with a 2-3-2 layout; and 166 in economy, configured 3-3-3 and offering 32-inch pitch.

Speaking of Australia, Air Canada just added its third route to that country, beginning service this week between Vancouver and Melbourne. The carrier uses a 787-9 for the 16-hour flight. Air Canada already flies from Vancouver to Sydney with a 777-200LR, and last summer it began Vancouver-Brisbane service with a 787.

Another new transpacific route that just started this week is Air China’s service between Los Angeles and Shenzhen, a tech-heavy city in China’s Guangdong Province. Air China will use a three-class 787-9 to fly the route three times a week (Monday, Thursday, Saturday), with a 10:50 p.m. departure from LAX. Air China also has three daily flights from LAX to Beijing.

Delta’s joint venture partner Aeromexico has started flying a new route from Delta’s Atlanta hub. The carrier kicked off daily service between ATL and Merida, using a 99-passenger Embraer 190 with business class and regular economy seating.

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Routes: Hawaiian, Alaska to Hawaii + American, JetBlue, Spirit

First class cabin on Hawaiian’s A321neo, coming to a new San Diego-Maui route in 2018. (Image: Hawaiian)

In domestic route news, Hawaiian Airlines will increase service to the islands from the West Coast next year; Alaska Airlines is about to begin a new Hawaii route from San Francisco; American adds Oakland as a spoke from a major hub, and plans several other new routes; JetBlue adds more transcontinental Mint service this month; and Spirit unveils 10 new domestic route starting next spring.

Hawaiian Airlines, which is on the verge of beginning commercial service with its new Airbus A321neos, said it will use the planes to expand service from the West Coast next year. The airline will add a new route on May 1 between San Diego and Kahului Airport on Maui using an A321neo, and will begin extra seasonal summer flights with the aircraft (in addition to its regular schedule) between San Francisco and Honolulu from May 26 through July 31, and between Oakland and Kona from May 26 through September 2. The carrier has also scheduled an extra seasonal flight between Los Angeles and Kahului, Maui from June 1-August 31, using an A330.

According to FlightGlobal.com, Hawaiian will actually start flying the new A221neos on December 19, deploying them on inter-island routes to familiarize its flight crews with the aircraft. The carrier is due to put the planes into mainland service starting January 8 from Oakland to Maui, and on January 18 from Portland to Maui.

Speaking of Hawaii, Alaska Airlines next week will start flying the last of several new Bay Area routes that it announced earlier this year. On December 14, the carrier will inaugurate daily service between San Francisco and Kona, on the Big Island, using a Virgin America aircraft. The SFO departure time is scheduled for 11 a.m.

American will use an A320 on its new Oakland-DFW route. (Image: Jim Glab)

American Airlines will kick off new Bay Area service next spring. The carrier plans to start daily flights on April 3 between Oakland and its Dallas/Ft. Worth hub, with an 11:50 a.m. departure from OAK and a 9:10 a.m. departure from DFW, using an A320. American also announced some new domestic routes out of its Chicago O’Hare hub starting next spring, including twice-daily ORD-Charleston, S.C. flights beginning May 4; and weekend-only service from ORD to Bangor, Maine and Myrtle Beach, S.C., starting June 7, using American Eagle/Envoy Air CRJ700s. At Phoenix, American will kick off daily flights to Amarillo, Tex. and Oklahoma City on April 3, using Mesa Airlines CRJ900s. On the same date, it will add twice-daily LaGuardia-Portland, Maine service with Enviy Air ERJ140s.

Elsewhere, American’s 2018 schedule includes some new Saturday-only seasonal routes, all flown with regional jets, including DFW-Asheville, N.C., DFW-Myrtle Beach, DFW-Wilmington and Los Angeles-Bozeman, Mont., all operating June 9-August 18; LAX-Flagstaff, Ariz., May 5-September 1; and New York LaGuardia-Traverse City, Mich., June 23-September 2.  Finally, on February 14, the company will terminate its American Eagle/SkyWest service from Phoenix to Bullhead City, Ariz./Laughlin, Nevada, due to a lack of passenger demand.

JetBlue’s lie flat Mint class comes to San Diego-Boston this month. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

The next step in JetBlue’s ongoing expansion of its premium-cabin Mint service, with lie-flat seats, comes on December 10, when the carrier is slated to introduce a Mint-equipped aircraft on one of its daily San Diego-Boston flights, adding a second daily Mint flight on the route starting December 20. It already offers Mint cabins on two daily San Diego-New York JFK flights. Last month, JetBlue added Mint service on two daily New York JFK-Las Vegas flights.

Spirit Airlines unveiled a bunch of new domestic routes that will kick off next spring, including daily year-round service from Baltimore/Washington to Denver beginning March 22; daily year-round flights between Tampa-Los Angeles, Tampa-Las Vegas and Orlando-Las Vegas starting April 12; daily seasonal service from Seattle to Ft. Lauderdale, Chicago O’Hare, Dallas/Ft. Worth and Minneapolis-St. Paul beginning April 12; and daily seasonal flights from Detroit to San Diego and Portland kicking off April 23.

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Some airports facing longer Customs waiting times

Customs lines for International arrivals at San Francisco’s airport are among the nation’s longest. (Image: San Francisco International Airport)

A new analysis of Customs and Immigration waiting times for travelers arriving at U.S. airports had some bad news for Bay Area residents: San Francisco International ranks among the nation’s worst, and lines at Mineta San Jose International are getting longer instead of shorter.

The study by MileCards.com looked at Customs and Border Protection data from October 2016 to September 2017, studying the average wait times at U.S. airports handling at least 500,000 international passengers a year.

The bad news: San Francisco International posted the second-worst results in the nation, with an average waiting time of almost 22 minutes for arriving passengers to clear Customs and Immigration. Just under one-third of SFO arrivals had to wait more than 30 minutes, and the maximum average waiting time was more than 55 minutes. The worst arrival time at SFO in terms of Customs waits is between 4 and 5 a.m., the study found.

“At some airports the worst wait times are in the early morning hours, when no flights are scheduled to arrive. Instead, flights arriving late or early can leave passengers in limbo during times when customs lines aren’t planned to be staffed,” said Brian Karimzad, director of MileCards.com.

SFO’s poor performance was topped only by Orlando International, with an average waiting time of almost 24 minutes, and an average maximum wait of 52 minutes. Rounding out the top five longest waiting times were New York JFK (20.2 minutes), Miami (19.9 minutes) and Houston Bush Intercontinental (19.5 minutes).

The study found that the biggest increase was at Mineta San Jose, where Customs waiting times during the summer months jumped by 117 percent over the previous year. The average wait time at SJC topped 22 minutes, MileCards said, and one-third of arrivals had to wait more than half an hour. The airport expanded its international arrivals building earlier this year, but it has also been adding more international flights, and maybe Customs and Border Protection staffing hasn’t kept up..

By contrast, the nation’s shortest average waiting time was at Phoenix Sky Harbor, with an average duration of just 7.4 minutes to clear arrivals formalities, and an average maximum wait of 22.6 minutes. Charlotte ranked second, with an average of 8.9 minutes, followed by Minneapolis-St. Paul (10 minutes), Atlanta (11.7 minutes) and Philadelphia (12 minutes). But Atlanta — the nation’s largest airport in passenger numbers—also showed a maximum average waiting time of more than 50 minutes – about twice as long as the three airports that ranked above it.

The report noted that California’s Orange County Airport had “the biggest reduction year over year, with wait times dropping 68 percent to an average of under 8 minutes.”

Here’s a summary of the best and worst waiting times:

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Routes: Air Canada to SFO/Sacramento, AA, Aer Lingus, Norwegian, WOW, Copa + more

Air Canada Express will add new U.S. routes with regional jets. (Image: Air Canada/Skyregional)

In international route news, Air Canada and American have both announced plans to expand service between the U.S. and Canada; Aer Lingus comes to Seattle next year; low-cost carriers Norwegian and WOW will increase capacity to the U.S. in 2018; Copa boosts West Coast frequencies; Lufthansa’s Eurowings subsidiary sets more U.S. routes; and Thomas Cook Airlines comes to New York JFK.

Air Canada has unveiled plans to add new service to six U.S. cities next spring, including San Francisco and Sacramento. All the routes will be operated as Air Canada Express, with 76-seat or 50-seat regional jets. On May 1, the airline will kick off daily flights between San Francisco and Edmonton with a 76-seat aircraft, as well as daily Omaha-Toronto service, using a 50-seat plane. May 17 is the launch date for 76-seat regional jet service between Sacramento and Vancouver as well as daily roundtrips between Baltimore/Washington-Montreal and Pittsburgh-Montreal, both served by 50-passenger aircraft. All those routes will operate year-round. Air Canada will also begin seasonal service on May 17 between Providence and Toronto.

American Airlines is also increasing its transborder service to Canada. It will boost its Phoenix-Edmonton schedule from one flight a day to two effective December 15 to April 2. Next spring, American will launch new daily year-round 737 service from its Chicago O’Hare hub to Vancouver starting May 4, and seasonal daily flights from O’Hare to Calgary June 7-September 4, with an American Eagle/Envoy Air E175.  On February 15, American will increase frequencies between New York LaGuardia-Toronto from four a day to five, and on May 4 it will boost its Washington Reagan National-Toronto schedule from two flights a day a day to three. Also on May 4, the airline will lay on a third daily roundtrip between Philadelphia and Ottawa.

Ireland’s Aer Lingus, now a part of International Airlines Group along with British Airways and Iberia, will add a new U.S. West Coast gateway next year when it starts Dublin-Seattle service. The carrier plans a May 18 start for the new route, using a 265-passenger, two-class Airbus A330-200 to operate four flights a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday). Passengers flying back to Seattle will be able to pre-clear U.S. Customs at Dublin. Aer Lingus previously announced plans to start Dublin-Philadelphia service four days a week next March.

Norwegian will put larger 787-9s on U.S.-Barcelona routes next year. (Image: Norwegian)

Faced with new and growing competition from British Airways/Iberia’s Level affiliate, Norwegian plans to increase capacity between the U.S. and Barcelona next year by switching to larger aircraft – specifically, from the current 291-passenger 787-8 to the 344-seat 787-9. The changeover will take place in late March, affecting Norwegian’s two weekly flights from Barcelona to Ft. Lauderdale, three flights a week to Los Angeles and Oakland, and four a week to Newark.

Another low-cost carrier – Iceland’s WOW – will also add more U.S. seats next year, increasing frequencies on its route between Newark Liberty International and Reykjavik from seven flights a week to 13, effective May 29 through September 16. That’s in addition to the airline’s new daily flights out of New York JFK starting April 28.

Panama’s Copa Airlines plans to increase its West Coast capacity this winter. The airline will boost its Panama City-San Francisco schedule from twice-daily service to 18 flights a week starting March 1, and its Panama City-Los Angeles frequencies from three a day to 25 a week effective January 2.

Lufthansa’s Eurowings unit will add U.S. routes in 2018. (Image: Eurowings)

When Lufthansa announced its recently-launched New York JFK-Berlin service (taking over for the defunct Airberlin), it said the route would be turned over next summer to Eurowings, its fast-growing, leisure-oriented subsidiary. Now it has even more transatlantic plans for Eurowings. The carrier will start a new route between JFK and Dusseldorf starting April 28, using a Brussels Airlines A340-300 to operate six flights a week. Lufthansa said Eurowings will also begin Dusseldorf-Miami service three times a week as of May 4, and Dusseldorf-Ft. Myers flights three times a week starting May 3.

Thomas Cook Airlines has launched new service between New York JFK and Manchester, operating three flights a week with an Airbus A330 and fares starting as low as $209 one-way – including a checked bag and in-flight meals. And JetBlue will kick off its fourth Caribbean route from Newark next spring, beginning daily service to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on May 3.

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Even more cheap flights to Europe coming in 2018

Level operates two-class A330s to Europe. (Image: IAG)

Europe just keeps getting cheaper. British Airways/Iberia’s low-cost Level affiliate will expand transatlantic service in 2018, adding flights from Paris, but a sister company already on that route will cease operations.

Citing the “incredible success” of the Barcelona flights started earlier this year by its low-cost Level subsidiary, International Airlines Group (the parent of British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus) said it will begin Level service out of Paris Orly next summer, including two routes to North America. The carrier will also add another U.S. route to Barcelona.

Plans call for Level to base two A330-200s at Paris Orly, starting service July 2 to Montreal three times a week, and adding Newark-Orly service four times a week beginning September 4. The company said it will also begin new Boston-Barcelona flights on March 28, operating up to three times a week through the summer, starting at $149 each way.

IAG said the Newark-Paris flights will also start at $149 one-way. Level already flies to Barcelona from Oakland, and from Los Angeles in the summer. But the decision to open a base for Level at Paris Orly comes with a cost: IAG said it plans to discontinue operations of its OpenSkies airline at the end of next summer.

Don’t miss: Iberia adds new nonstops between SFO and Madrid

An OpenSkies business class seat-bed.(Image: OpenSkies)

OpenSkies, which calls itself a “luxury boutique” airline, flies from both Newark and New York JFK to Paris Orly, targeting business travelers with specially-configured, 100-passenger 757s that have three seating classes. The carrier started flying in 2008 as a subsidiary of British Airways, taking advantage of then-new Open Skies rules allowing European airlines to fly routes between the U.S. and Europe that didn’t require a stop in their home country.

Level’s A330s have two seating classes – economy and premium economy. The airline has five pricing levels with varying services and amenities included, ranging from the most basic fare – which provides only one cabin bag – to its Premium Flex level, which provides a seat in the front cabin, two checked bags and one cabin bag, meal service, seat selection, and the ability to change travel dates or obtain refunds.

Economy seating in a Level A330-200. (Image: Level)

IAG created Level in part as a response to new low-cost competition from airlines like Norwegian and Iceland’s WOW. IAG’s British Airways unit is also striking back at Norwegian by adding higher-capacity aircraft on transatlantic routes to London Gatwick from some U.S. cities served by Norwegian.

In addition to the new Paris-Newark and Paris-Montreal service, Level will also add flights from Orly to the Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe and Martinique starting on July and September respectively.

Don’t miss: Fare war to Paris? 

Even if you don’t plan to fly Level, the move will put pricing pressure on all carriers flying between Europe and the U.S. So maybe getting to Europe will be cheaper next year than it was this year… and this year was pretty cheap!

Have you flown Level yet? Would you? Why or why not? Please leave your comments below. 

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Airport news: AA’s Miami flagship + LAX security + Kansas City revamp + SkyTeam Vancouver + Burger joints

The new SkyTeam lounge at Vancouver International (Image: Delta)

In recent airport news, Delta’s SkyTeam alliance opens a new lounge at Vancouver; American debuts another new Flagship Lounge; Kansas City voters approve a big airport construction project; Los Angeles’ Bradley Terminal gets automated TSA lanes; and Atlanta and Denver get popular new upgraded burger joints.

The SkyTeam global alliance –Delta, Air France-KLM and partners – has opened its first dedicated lounge in North America, at Vancouver International. The 5,600-square-foot facility is in the international terminal close to Gate 53 by the duty-free area. It offers a hot and cold buffet service with locally-sourced cuisine; a made-to-order noodle bar; showers; beverages including local wines and beers; and seating for 126 with a work area and a separate TV room. It’s the seventh SkyTeam lounge worldwide; others are at Dubai, London Heathrow, Hong Kong, Sydney, Istanbul and Beijing. It’s open to Elite Plus, first class and business class customers.

American Airlines has cut the ribbon on its latest Flagship Lounge, this one at Miami International. Located near Gate D30 in Concourse D, it’s open to first class and business class customers on long-haul international flights, as well as qualifying AAdvantage Executive Platinum, Platinum Pro and Platinum members; AAdvantage ConciergeKey members; and Oneworld Emeralds and Sapphires. The Miami lounge has showers, upgraded food offerings, plenty of outlets for charging personal devices, lounge-style seating and quiet areas. Other new Flagship Lounges opened earlier this year at New York JFK and Chicago O’Hare, and another is due before year’s end at Los Angeles International. (See leaked images)

Rendering of the new design for Kansas City International. (Image: Edgemoor Infrastructure & Real Estate)

Kansas City International’s unusually designed three terminals will be replaced by a single large structure following a referendum this month in which voters approved the city’s plan to spend $1 billion on a major airport reconstruction project. The city’s plan calls for the existing 45-year-old, three-terminal structure to be replaced with an H-shaped building that has two passenger concourses and 35 aircraft gates. The new design will allow for an increased number of retail concessions, more bathrooms, and more efficient security screening, and will give the airport separate levels for arriving and departing passengers, along with close-in parking. No timetable was given for construction of the new terminal.

Los Angeles International already had those new TSA automated screening lanes in Terminals 7, 2 and 4, and now it has opened five of them in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, with nine more coming there in the months ahead. The new lanes allow up to five persons to load their personal items into security bins simultaneously, and the belts automatically pull the bins into the x-ray device and return them back to the starting point. Items that need additional inspection are shunted off to a separate belt to keep the flow going, and bins are 25 percent larger than before. By the time all the new lanes are operating in the TBIT next spring, LAX officials said, the number of passengers that can be screened in an hour will increase by almost 1,000, to 3,220.

But do those lanes really work? If you are wondering, don’t miss this post (and comments): Are automated security checkpoints better? 

A Bobby Flay’s Burger Palace is coming to Atlanta International. (Image: Bobby’s Burger Palace)

As airports keep upgrading their food and beverage options, more of them are turning to burger joints that are a cut or two above the traditional fast-food franchises. The latest examples are Atlanta International and Denver International.  At ATL, celebrity chef Bobby Flay has been tapped to bring a new Bobby’s Burger Palace to Concourse B, with its opening expected early in 2018. Flay already has 17 of the high-end burger restaurants around the U.S., but the ATL location will be his first in an airport. DEN, meanwhile, has turned to Denver-based Smashburger for two new locations. A 2,300-square-foot Smashburger just opened in the airport’s C Concourse, open daily until 10 p.m. It also serves breakfast, and will soon open a full bar with local craft beers. Next spring, a second and larger Smashburger will open in DEN’s B Concourse.

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Popular: Hawaii sale + More United + Real ID + Delta first class + Cathay A350 + SFO-Tahiti

Virgin America flat honolulu

Fares to Honolulu take a dive on Virgin America & other airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis

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

 

1  Fares still available Sunday 9 am PT> Fare sale to Hawaii – $337 roundtrip from 7 cities

2 Routes: United beefs up + Alaska adds PIT + American in DC + Spirit’s newest city

3 Relax> Frequent flyers may need a new driver’s license – but when?

4 Another player in the wings> More competition landing in the California Corridor?

5 Delta upgrades first class on some domestic routes

Global Entry

Remember: If you are conditionally approved for Global Entry, you can do your interview upon arrival! No long waits or extra trips to the airport. Easy! Pictured: SFO arrivals hall (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

6 C’mon along for a nice ride> Trip Report: Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 SFO-Hong Kong

7 Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis offering up some travel tips for the holidays on ABC 7 – KGO in San Francisco


8 4 cheap-but-indispensable things to pack in your “go-bag”

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

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

On the way to #LAX #roadtorewards #lufthansa #A380 #travel #uber #avgeek

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Routes: United beefs up + Alaska adds PIT + American in DC + Spirit’s newest city

United is adding several regional routes in 2018 using Embraer aircraft like this . (Image: United)

In domestic route developments, United announced plans to serve a bevy of new regional markets next year; Alaska will add a big spoke from its Seattle hub; American will expand at Washington Reagan National in 2018; and Spirit grows at Columbus and New Orleans.

United plans to launch new service in 2018 from five major airports to several smaller ones. At its Chicago O’Hare hub, United will begin year-round twice-daily service starting April 9 to El Paso, Tex., and to Wilmington, N.C. (By the way, United said that starting next February, it will implement an “enhanced bank structure” at O’Hare that will mean “shorter connection times and better access to more destinations” for connecting passengers.)

Also beginning April 9 for United will be a daily Denver-Jacksonville flight, and twice-daily service from Los Angeles to both Redmond and Medford, Oregon; from Newark to Elmira, N.Y.; and from Washington Dulles to Wilmington, N.C.

New seasonal service from United, beginning June 7, includes daily flights from O’Hare to Fresno, California; and from LAX to Kalispell and Missoula, Montana (all located near major national parks). All the above flights will use regional jets operated by United Express partners.

Routesonline.com turned up some additional smaller new markets for United Express next year. It said United will launch service on January 30 from Denver to Scottsbluff, Nebraska, twice a day; on February 1 from Denver to North Platte, Nebraska, twice a day; and on February 6 from Denver to Pueblo, Colorado and Liberal, Kansas six times a week. United had previously announced new service from Denver to Moab, Utah starting May 1 and to Vernal, Utah beginning June 1.

Alaska Airlines 737 New Livery

Alaska Airlines is coming to Pittsburgh next year. (Image: Alaska Air)

Alaska Airlines will begin service in September 2018 to the 90th destination from its Seattle hub when it adds a daily 737 flight to Pittsburgh, with an 8:25 a.m. eastbound departure and a return flight leaving Pittsburgh at 5:20 p.m. Currently, there is no non-stop service in the Seattle-Pittsburgh market.

American Airlines plans to add service in various domestic markets next year, including three new routes from Washington Reagan National. New DCA service for American will include a daily CRJ900 flight to Tallahassee starting February 15, and six CRJ200 flights a week to Montgomery, Alabama, as of June 7, both operated by PSA Airlines; and a daily E175 flight from DCA to Little Rock, operated by Republic Airlines. American will also expand its weekend-only service to daily between DCA and Destin/Ft. Walton Beach, Florida starting May 4; and between DCA and Myrtle Beach, S.C. as of April 3.

Elsewhere, American will begin twice-daily flights in April between New York LaGuardia and Portland, Maine, with 50-seat regional jets. And on February 15, American will begin mainline A320 service between its Charlotte hub and Tucson, Arizona, with a very-late-night (12:30 a.m.) eastbound departure time.

Spirit Airlines will add Columbus, Ohio to its system. (Image: Spirit Airlines)

Spirit Airlines announced plans to add Columbus, Ohio to its network on February 15, offering daily, year-round service to Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale and Las Vegas, as well as seasonal daily flights to Tampa and Ft. Myers that will end April 11 and resume November 8. On March 22, Spirit will add seasonal service three times a week from Columbus to New Orleans and Myrtle Beach, continuing through November 7. On March 15, Spirit will also begin daily flights from Richmond, Virginia to Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale. Earlier this month, Spirit launched new daily service from New Orleans to Boston, Newark, Tampa and Minneapolis-St. Paul.

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More competition landing in the California Corridor?

California Pacific Airlines plans to fly regional jets on intra-California routes. (Image: California Pacific Airlines)

A new airline could start operating in the busy California Corridor as soon as next spring, flying regional jets flying from the San Diego area to the Bay Area, and also to a few vacation destinations.

The carrier is called California Pacific Airlines (CPA). It’s been stumbling along in the planning stages for several years as the brainchild of a 96-year-old multi-millionaire named Ted Vallas, but it just took a big leap toward reality.

Vallas and his team told stockholders last week  that CPA has acquired an existing small airline called SkyValue Airways, giving it the FAA certification it needs to start commercial service. SkyValue currently flies a lot of sports charters as well as a few scheduled routes from Denver to small Midwestern towns.

The new plan calls for California Pacific Airlines to base a fleet of five Embraer E145s at Carlsbad, California’s McClellan-Palomar Airport, probably starting next April, offering scheduled flights to Oakland, Sacramento, San Jose, Las Vegas, Phoenix and Cabo San Lucas in Mexico.

The upstart airline has a rudimentary website at www.flyCPAir.com. 

Carlsbad’s airport is in between Oceanside and Encinitas (Image: Google Maps)

The company sees big potential from population and business growth in the region around Carlsbad, which is about halfway between Orange County and metro San Diego. It reportedly plans to reconfigure the E145s it has acquired from 50 seats to 44, and has options to buy a pair of larger E170s as well.

CPA has tried unsuccessfully for several years to get its own FAA certification, and has announced start-up plans in the past that never came to fruition. But officials seem confident that this time they can get the airline off the ground with a pre-existing certification from their acquisition of SkyValue Airways.

Does the California corridor need another airline to join the majors along with niche carriers like Blackbird, JetSuiteX and SurfAir? Do you think California Pacific is going to get off the ground this time around? Please leave your comments below. 

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

Chicago O'Hare airport

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

Tail camera Airbus A350 Cathay Pacific

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

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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?

Qantas Airbus A380 LAX Hangar

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

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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Frontier’s big challenge to Basic Economy fares

Frontier Airlines is planning a massive fleet expansion. (Image: Jim Glab)

Now that United, Delta and American have all rolled out no-frills Basic Economy fares on domestic flights to compete with the prices charged by ultra-low-cost carriers, are those carriers running scared?

Frontier Airlines isn’t. Quite the opposite: Frontier this week announced plans for a massive purchase of new aircraft. Combined with its earlier aircraft orders that haven’t yet been delivered, the deal would triple the size of Frontier’s fleet in 10 years, from 70 planes today to more than 200.

The company said it intends to purchase 100 new A320neos and 34 A321neos from Airbus, for delivery from 2021 to 2026. That’s in addition to 67 A320neos already in the purchase pipeline, and an existing order for 18 A319neos that Frontier is converting to A320s.

“By 2026, we will be in a position to deliver ‘Low Fares Done Right’ to more than 50 million passengers a year,” said Frontier CEO Barry Biffle in announcing the fleet expansion. In 2016, the airline carried 15 million passengers.

Frontier plans to acquire 134 new A320neos and A321neos. (Image: Airbus)

Frontier’s route network is constantly shifting as it adds and drops markets. But a few months ago, the airline announced plans to add 21 cities to its system by next spring, and to add more frequencies on other routes that it already serves. That includes a larger presence at its Denver base and at San Jose, among other cities.

Frontier’s fortunes have been rising in recent years. The Denver Post said that in filings related to an impending public stock offering, Frontier reported that its net income increased from $140 million in 2014 to $200 million last year as its fuel costs have been dropping and its ancillary revenues have been increasing.

Frontier’s ultra-low-cost carrier business model relies on ancillary fees from all kinds of amenities and services to supplement its low fares. A July 2017 report from Ideaworks said that in 2016, more than 42 percent of Frontier’s revenues came from ancillary fees – compared with just 7.7 percent in 2011, before it changed its business model.

The airline’s ambitious growth plan will initially focus on its Denver hub, where it will add most of the new routes announced last summer. That could mean a big battle for market share at DEN, since United Airlines also has plans to enlarge its hub there, and Southwest has grown rapidly at Denver in recent years as well.

Denver International will get 39 more gates in the next few years. (Image: Jim Glab)

According to FlightGlobal.com, United’s chief pilot in Denver said in a letter to other pilots last week that United plans to increase its Denver operations from the current 363 daily departures to 400 in 2019, and that DEN could eventually become United’s second-largest hub (after Chicago O’Hare).

Fortunately, Denver should be able to accommodate plenty of growth. Airport officials recently said that their plans to expand the passenger concourses have been revised: Instead of building 26 new aircraft gates in the next four years, they now plan to build 39.

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

Paris-based low-cost carrier French Blue will begin San Francisco-Tahiti flights in 2018. (Image: French Blue)

In international route developments, a low-cost French airline plans to fly from San Francisco to Tahiti next year; Lufthansa starts a new non-hub route from New York; American targets Iceland in the face of new competition; Iceland’s WOW will add a new U.S. gateway and expand at another; Aeromexico sets a new seasonal Denver route; and Mexico’s Volaris plans more service to California.

A one-year-old French low-cost airline called French Blue – which currently flies from Paris Orly to the island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean – plans to add another long-haul route next year: Paris to Papeete, Tahiti via a stop in San Francisco. The carrier plans to use an Airbus A350-900 on the route, which will begin in May with two flights a week, eventually increasing to three. Currently, the only non-stop service to Tahiti from the U.S. mainland is out of Los Angeles on Air Tahiti Nui, Air France and Qantas. The airline has a website at www.frenchblue.com, although currently it is only in French.

Lufthansa is using an A330 on its new JFK-Berlin Tegel route. (Image: Lufthansa)

Lufthansa last week started its promised new non-stop service from New York JFK to Berlin’s Tegel Airport – bypassing its Frankfurt and Munich hubs — following the recent demise of Airberlin. Lufthansa is using a three-class Airbus A330-300 to fly the route five days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday). It’s the first time in 16 years that the German carrier has operated a long-haul aircraft out of Berlin. Next summer, Lufthansa plans to transfer the JFK-Berlin route to its Eurowings subsidiary.

In recent weeks, new 2018 service from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Reykjavik, Iceland, was announced by both Icelandair and low-cost competitor WOW. And now DFW’s hometown airline is jumping on the Iceland bandwagon as well. American Airlines announced it will operate seasonal daily flights from DFW to Reykjavik from June 7 through October 26, using a 176-seat 757-200.

Wow Air will use an A321 on its new JFK-Iceland route. (Image: Wow Air)

Speaking of WOW, the low-cost Icelandic airline plans to add another U.S. gateway next year, kicking off daily flights to Reykjavik from New York JFK as of April 26. WOW will operate an Airbus A321 on the route. The carrier already offers daily flights out of Newark Liberty International, which will continue. Elsewhere, WOW plans a significant increase in capacity from Baltimore/Washington International next summer, boosting its BWI-Reykjavik schedule from daily departures to 11 flights a week from May 18 through September 16,

Aeromexico, now a joint venture partner of Delta, has been adding more U.S. service as the two coordinate their schedules, and now the Mexican carrier has unveiled plans to revive another U.S. route – but only for a limited time. The carrier said it will offer seasonal service between Denver and Monterrey, but only twice a week (Saturdays and Sundays), and only from December 16 through January 14, using a 76-seat E175. Aeromexico already offers DEN-Mexico City service year-round.

Another Mexican carrier, Volaris, plans to add three California routes next month, but only offering two flights a week on each of them with Airbus single-aisle aircraft. Volaris will start San Jose-Zacatecas flights on December 18, San Jose-Morelia service on December 15, and Fresno-Morelia on December 16.

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Trip Report: Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 SFO-Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific A350-900

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.

Cathay Pacific A350 wing

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.

Clear

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.

Cathay Pacific noodles

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

 

Cathay Solus Chair SFO

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.

Cathay Pacific A350 business class

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)

Cathay Pacific business class

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)

 

Cathay Pacific Premium Economy A350

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

Cathay Pacific A350

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

Cathay Pacific Premium economy

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 A350

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)

Cathay Pacific A350 knees legroom

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!

Cathay Pacific map

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

Cathay Pacific business class

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)

Cathay Pacific tray table

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.

Cathay Pacific soup

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

Cathay Pacific duck salad

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

Cathay Pacific headphones

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!

Cathay Pacific map hong kong

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

Fruit plate

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

Cathay Pacific dim sum

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.

Tail camera Airbus A350 Cathay Pacific

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

Rolls-Royce peninsula hotel

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.


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

Hong Kong Junk

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

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:

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)

Atlanta Airport Canopy

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

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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)

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Airport news: DFW, Denver, Chicago, Miami, San Luis Obispo

Coca-Cola opened two new lounges at DFW. (Image: DFW Airport)

In airport news, an Admirals Club shuts down at Dallas/Ft. Worth, and some new amenities open; Denver International plans an even larger expansion than previously announced; construction starts on a big project at Chicago Midway; Miami International gets those automated TSA checkpoint lanes; and San Luis Obispo gets a new passenger terminal.

American Airlines is notifying members of its Admirals Club airport lounge program that the Club in Dallas/Ft. Worth International’s Terminal A has closed for renovations. American’s website didn’t say when it will reopen, but the airline has other Admirals Clubs in DFW’s Terminals B, C and D. In other DFW news, Coca-Cola has cut the ribbon on a pair of “Entertainment Zones” at the airport, located near Gates A13 and E13. The sponsored lounges, called The Bubble, offer charging stations, TVs, open seating, and vintage Coca-Cola decor (and Coca-Cola branded beverages, of course). And pancake provider IHOP has opened an IHOP Express in Terminal E – the first one in a post-security airport location. It offers all-day breakfasts and provides both sit-down and take-out service.

Denver International’s big plans to expand its passenger concourses by adding 26 more aircraft gates has now gotten a lot bigger. Airport officials say they have revised that expansion project and now expect to add 39 more gates within four years. The construction is expected to cost $1.5 billion, according to the Denver Post – and that is in addition to the proposed $1.8 billion overhaul of DEN’s central passenger facility, the Jeppesen Terminal, which calls for the relocation of TSA security screening to the building’s upper level. The expansion should allow DEN to handle 80 million annual passengers. It was built to accommodate 50 million, but last year passenger numbers topped 58 million.

Rendering of Chicago Midway Airport’s new security hall. (Image: Midway Airport)

At Chicago Midway, Mayor Rahm Emanuel and other officials recently broke ground on a $104 million construction project that will give the airport a new 80,000 square foot security checkpoint pavilion and an expanded pedestrian bridge above South Cicero Avenue. The new centralized security checkpoint will be seven times wider than the existing security hall, and will allow for the addition of more lanes. “This development, combined with new TSA automated lanes, is expected to increase the hourly throughput from 2,500 to 5,000 passengers per hour—double the existing capacity,” a spokesman said. It’s just a part of a $223 million Midway Airport improvement project that is expected to bring many more passenger concessions as well.

Miami International is the latest airport to install those new automated TSA security screening lanes that are designed to move passengers through the process faster. The two new lanes will process American Airlines passengers in MIA’s Terminal D. Like the automated lanes already in place at other airports, the MIA lanes will allow five passengers at once to put their belongings in bins for x-raying, and will use motorized belts to move bins through the x-ray and empty ones back to the beginning of the line. Bins are larger than previous ones, and have RFID tags for tracking purposes.

A portion of San Luis Obispo’s new passenger terminal. (Image: San Luis Obispo Airport)

San Luis Obispo County Airport (SLO), the gateway to California’s Central Coast, may just be a regional airport, but it just opened a new 56,000 square foot passenger terminal that is several times larger than the old facility. It has lots of room for expansion: SLO expects to handle 500,000 passengers this year, but the new terminal can accommodate 1.2 million. Besides intrastate travel, the airport has been adding more interstate flights like new service from Seattle and Denver. The new terminal features enhanced security screening technology and new food-and-beverage outlets.

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Cheaper rates making car rental customers happier

Car rental customers are feeling better about things this year. (Image: Jim Glab)

Travelers who rent cars at airports are showing higher levels of satisfaction this year, according to J.D. Power and Associates – but not because they’re less frustrated with the logistics of booking and picking up a vehicle.

They’re more satisfied with the rental experience mainly because they’re not paying as much.

“Lower prices are having a positive effect on perceived value for renters, which is raising overall levels of satisfaction, but several other key quality measures—notably, wait times and problems with the pick-up and return processes—have not improved over the past four years,” said Michael Taylor, the executive in charge of travel surveys at J.D. Power. “But cheaper daily rental rates overcome those negatives for most renters.”

The company found that the average reported daily price for renting a car fell by $11 a day in 2017, which was the major factor in driving up customer satisfaction by 22 points to 826 on J.D. Power’s 1,000-point scale.

The consolidated car rental center at San Diego’s airport. (Image: San Diego International Airport)

But a continuing increase in the number of travelers is leading to delays in picking up cars, and the explosion of major construction and renovation projects at many major airports isn’t helping either.

J.D. Power said that from 2013 to 2017, the average waiting time for customers to pick up a vehicle increased by two minutes. “Of customers who experienced a problem, 20 percent reported a problem with the pick-up process and 17 percent reported a problem with the return process, a phenomenon that is largely attributable to increased passenger volume and construction at airports,” J.D. Power said.

While customers are generally happy to see rental prices drop this year – perhaps as a result of ride-sharing services continuing to steal market share from rental companies – the survey found that renters who focus only on price in selecting a vendor and vehicle may regret it.

“Renters who choose rental car brands based on price alone are the least satisfied (787), while customers who choose a rental car brand based on features and benefits are the most highly satisfied (889),” the company noted. Advice: You get what you pay for when renting cars! 

Source: J.D. Power and Associates- note that Enterprise, Alamo & National all owned by same company

The survey also found that rental car customers expect to get a response from their vendor when they post something on social media about their rental experience. Seven out of 10 car renters expressed that view in the survey – a rate much higher than the 45 percent of airline and hotel customers who have similar expectations.

And rental companies should reply to posts if they want to keep customers happy. “When a rental car company simply responds to a post, satisfaction increases 63 points on average. If the issue is resolved, the satisfaction score jumps 95 points,” the company said.

For the fourth consecutive year, Enterprise ranked in the top spot for customer satisfaction with a score of 851. National was second, Alamo came in third– and note that all three are part of the same company, Enterprise Holdings. Hertz (which also owns Dollar and Thrifty) ranked fourth. Avis, which also owns Budget, ranked fifth.

Which car rental company do you use most often? Have your rental car habits changed much lately? Noticing cheaper rates? Please leave your comments below. 

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

747 lei

A giant lei welcomes United’s final 747 flight to Honolulu (Photo: Nancy Branka)

A few of us gathered at the airport gate window, looking out at the Boeing 747 being readied for its final passenger flight and snapping some photos. I admit to being a little choked up.

This week United Airlines retired the Queen of the Skies with a special commemorative flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL), the carrier’s very first route using the bubble-topped bird. The aircraft has had a long and storied history with United since the summer of 1970. At the time she was an engineering marvel and a cultural sensation—the very first wide-bodied aircraft. But today’s more fuel-efficient aircraft have made her history.

I felt a weird déjà vu at the window. This flight was personal. Late that summer of 1970, I stood at another window at SFO, looking out at what was then a brand new airplane: the 747 that would take me, my parents and brothers to Honolulu. My brothers and I sized it up, and we all wondered out loud whether it could actually take off with that girth.

Note: This Trip Report is written by TravelSkills contributor Nancy Branka. United covered the cost of air transport, Nancy covered all other expenses related to the trip. 

business traveler 747

Business travelers onboard a United 747 in the 1970s (Photo: United)

This was an extravagant trip for our family of six, and my parents played it up, requiring each kid (I was the oldest at 14) to earn money to contribute to the plane tickets. (Now, as a parent, I suspect it was more of a life lesson requirement than financial necessity.) The trip made an impression: At least a couple times a year it comes up in family conversation—yes because it was an exotic destination for us, but also because we had to work for it, and then of course, there was that plane. So when TravelSkills’ Chris McGinnis was going to be out of the country and miss this November 7 flight, I jumped at the chance to sub in. Even better, I was assigned a rear-facing business class seat- something else that will soon disappear on United.

United Champagne

A post-departure champagne toast on United’s final 747 flight to Honolulu (Photo: United)

I was not the only one feeling nostalgic today. The festivities at SFO’s Gate 86 were crazy–shoulder to shoulder people, many dressed in their ’70s finest. From plaid jackets to Pucci dresses to faux fur vests, it was That 70s Show on steroids. Kitschy United memorabilia abounded: plastic carry-on bags, a mechanics uniform, old timetables. My own bellbottoms and ’70s era top were subtle in this crowd.

Passengers were promised gate festivities at both SFO and HNL, flight attendants in retro uniforms, and retro meals. All that indeed happened. But what surprised me were the unexpected moments of sentimentality.

They came before we even left San Francisco. When we finally pulled back from the gate, a cheer went up. That was when my seatmate and I turned to the window and saw that our baggage handlers were lingering and all had their cameras out. Perched on a nearby gate’s Jetway stairs, a crew of flight attendants were taking selfies with our plane behind. Then, as we slowly taxied to the runway, ground crews all along our path stopped what they were doing to watch us pass—cameras in hand, of course. At one point, a group of about 50 took a group selfie, with the 747 in the background. The plane was like a beloved dignitary, on parade. This was incredibly moving.

United flight attendants onboard wore flowers in their hair…and leis around their necks (Photo: Nancy Branka)

A similar scene unfolded as we landed and pulled up to our gate in Honolulu. A large crew stood by waving the “hang loose” shaka sign. Then, after disembarking we watched from the gate windows as ground crew members operated a crane to lower a 120-foot orange lei on the Queen. Perhaps because the 747’s shape brings to mind a face more than other planes, the lei seemed a totally natural honor. Again, that choked up feeling.

Meanwhile, passengers from other arriving flights also stopped to watch the spectacle, alerted to the historic moment by their pilots, and we chatted about the revered 747.

Perhaps coolest was the unexpected gesture to the Golden Gate Bridge, an icon in its own right. As we lifted off over San Francisco Bay, a takeoff I’ve experienced countless times, something seemed different. Suddenly, a gasp ran through the cabin as we swept lower than I’ve ever flown over the bridge—it was breathtaking. At which point the pilot gently tipped the aircraft’s wings, in a final wave goodbye to the Golden Gate. You don’t get many moments like that in air travel.

United certainly brought on lots of fun touches with the inflight service. United CEO Oscar Munoz walked through the plane and clinked Mai Tai glasses with each passenger. (He did not take the flight.) Once airborne, the entire plane raised champagne glasses to toast the Queen. When appetizers were served, our purser brought by a bottle of Trader Vic’s salad dressing, which she said was the very dressing served when she began her FA career more than 40 years ago. After dinner a cart of Grasshoppers was served with all the steamy drama of dried ice (after similar service with ice cream sundaes).

Grasshoppers all around to finish a vintage meal onboard United’s final 747 flight (Photo: Nancy Branka)

 

United 747 hula

Gate celebration in Honolulu included ukulele music and hula dancers (Photo: Nancy Branka)

More than the retro accoutrement, the stories people brought on board made the flight distinctive. My seatmate, who flies hundreds of thousands of miles each year on United (and as many or more on other airlines), called the 747 his favorite aircraft, having flown it a hundred-plus times over the years. He loves its quiet feel and roomy first class seats. He reminisced about the upper deck when it was a lounge, and then when it later was converted to first class seating. He even once slept on the floor at the rear of the upper deck, a pilot having left a blanket and pillow behind there.

Many shared memories. Our gate emcee reported that she’d just met a woman who was on the very first United 747 flight. Her father was a United mechanic and she herself worked for United. Her son was born at 7:47, and they named him Boeing. No kidding.

As one flight attendant passed us hot towels, she said she had flown the 747 on the SFO-HNL route since her first day on the job. And she just couldn’t bear that it would be flying back empty to San Francisco the next day, then delivered to Victorville, CA on Thursday to be checked into the giant plane boneyard there. “So much fun happened on this plane,” she said. “Crazy stuff. Like right in your seats, right there,” she said pointing to my seatmate and me. Unfortunately, she turned and left before I could get details.

Marriage proposal

Up in the bubble a young couple agreed to get married! (Photo: United)

One couple even became engaged on the flight today! I’m not sure if United was in on the surprise, but the flight attendant announced that United would be picking up their honeymoon air travel costs. Several others celebrated birthdays. One gentleman had been on the very first 747 commercial flight—on Pan Am—and he had the framed documentation to prove it.

If I hoped the flight would reinforce the nostalgia of my family’s trip to Hawaii in 1970 and bring me back to what it felt like to be 14, it surpassed my expectations. But perhaps the biggest surprise was that sharing this nostalgia with 373 other passengers who had similar affection and memories would be so moving. United, which has had a challenging year in some respects, deserves full credit for sensing the zeitgeist and tapping into the deep feelings passengers have towards this plane.

See United’s excellent 4-minute compilation video from the final flight.

The big bird’s lonely, empty flight back to California and retirement in the Victorville boneyard:

Do you have a special 747 memory on United or any other airline? What do you think of United’s big send-off? Please leave your comments below. 

Disclosure: United covered the cost of air transport, Nancy covered all other expenses related to this trip. 


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Emotional goodbye to United’s Boeing 747

United 747

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).

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

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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. 


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Singapore Changi’s amazing new terminal (photos)

T4’s Heritage Zone has traditional Singaporean storefronts. (Image: Changi Airport Group)

Singapore’s Changi Airport is consistently rated in passenger surveys as one of the world’s best – if not the best in the world. When an airport has a reputation like that to uphold, you expect a lot when it opens a brand new passenger terminal – and Changi does not disappoint.

The airport just opened its new Terminal 4, characterized  by sweeping, open design; innovative passenger diversions; and a whole bunch of creative dining and retail options. Example: T4’s “Heritage Zone” is a string of retail and dining concessions that all have the facades of traditional Singapore shops; restaurants there serve up regional specialties like kaya toast, mee siam and kopi, and there’s a live chef’s station where Indian prata pancakes are prepared on the spot.

Overall, T4 has 81 concessions, including 62 stores and service establishments and 19 food and beverage options. That includes a big duty-free shopping zone.

The terminal also boasts the latest in passenger processing technology, including a vast self-bag-drop area, speedy security and customs processing, and so on. And what would a new terminal be without visual diversions like innovative art displays and huge LED walls.

Airlines operating out of T4 include Cathay Pacific, Korean Air, Cebu Pacific, Spring Airlines, the four AirAsia Group carriers, and Vietnam Airlines.

Here’s a sampling of images from the new T4.

T4’s spacious check-in area has plenty of self-service bag drops and kiosks. (Image: Changi Airport Group)

 

The high-ceilinged arrivals hall at T4. (Image: Changi Airport Group)

 

T4 has plenty of huge windows with airfield views. (Image: Changi Airport Group)

 

Passengers can relax in glass-walled pods with views of the terminal below. (Image: Changi Airport Group)

 

T4 has a large duty-free shopping zone. (Image: Changi Airport Group)

 

A local band entertains travelers in T4. (Image: Changi Airport Group)

 

Self-service bag drops help speed up passenger processing. (Image: Changi Airport Group)

Have you ever flown through Singapore Changi? Do you think it’s the best airport in the world? Comments below, please!

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

Etihad 777-200

Etihad ended its 777 flights from San Francisco to Abu Dhabi last month- now another city gets dropped (Photo: Peter Biaggi / SFO)

In international route developments, Etihad drops another U.S. gateway and blames American; El Al comes back to Miami; Southwest adds three Latin America/Caribbean destinations from Ft. Lauderdale; and there’s new service to Mexico from Delta/Aeromexico, Alaska, Volaris, Interjet and Viva Aerobus.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways continues to struggle in the U.S. market. Late last month, it ended its San Francisco route, and it recently announced plans to trim its Los Angeles schedule from seven flights a week to four from mid-January through April. And now the carrier said it will suspend its daily flights from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Abu Dhabi, effective March 25. The airline said the Texas route “will become commercially unsustainable following American Airlines’ unilateral decision to terminate its codeshare agreement ” with Etihad. Company officials said almost half the passengers on its DFW flights were connecting from AA domestic code-shares. Etihad said that depending on how its summer bookings go, “further changes” are possible in its U.S. route network.

El Al uses a 777-200 on new Miami flights. (Image: El Al)

Nine years ago, Israel’s El Al ended its Tel Aviv-Miami service — but now it’s back. Last week, El Al started flying the route once again, operating three flights a week with a 777-200. The Israeli carrier also flies from Tel Aviv to New York JFK, Newark, Los Angeles, Boston and Toronto.

Southwest continues to expand its international schedule from Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport, where earlier this year it opened an expansion of Terminal 1 to accommodate those flights. This week, Southwest started daily service to three new destinations from FLL –Providenciales in the Turks & Caicos; San Jose, Costa Rica; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. At Houston Hobby, meanwhile, Southwest just announced plans to start service next June to Grand Cayman.

There’s lots of activity in the U.S.-Mexico market these days. Alaska Airlines, which started flying to Mexico City from San Francisco and Los Angeles in August, has now kicked off San Diego-MEX flights. Alaska partner SkyWest operates the daily flights with an E175.

Aeromexico just started Seattle-Mexico City 737 flights. (Image: San Jose Airport).

Meanwhile, Delta and Aeromexico continue to develop their joint venture partnership. They just opened up new daily service between Delta’s Atlanta hub and Queretaro, Mexico, flying the route with a two-class Aeromexico E190. And last week, Aeromexico launched service from Delta’s growing Seattle hub to Mexico City, using a 737-800 for the daily year-round flights.

Mexican carriers are also adding new service.  Low-cost carrier InterJet is adding three routes out of Los Angeles International this month. On November 23, it will begin daily flights to Leon/Guanajuato (close to popular San Miguel de Allende) and three flights a week to Los Cabos, followed on November 24 by four weekly roundtrips from LAX to Puerto Vallarta. On December 19, Volaris will inaugurate weekly service from LAX to Acapulco. And on December 16, vivaAerobus plans to launch daily A320 flights between Mexico City and Las Vegas.

Finally, Southwest Airlines said it will expand service to Cancun on June 9 of next year by adding seasonal Saturday flights from Pittsburgh and Raleigh-Durham. That means that on Saturdays next summer, Southwest will be operating 27 flights to Cancun from 16 U.S. cities.

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Southwest adds more Oakland routes in 2018

Image: Southwest

Southwest Airlines’ 2018 schedule will give East Bay business travelers new daily flights to five domestic destinations that currently have no regular non-stop service from Oakland International – including two transcon routes.

In its 2018 summer schedule announcement, the airline said it will introduce daily non-stops on July 8 from Oakland to San Antonio, and on July 15 from OAK to Orlando, Minneapolis/St. Paul and Indianapolis. (Saturday-only non-stops from OAK to Orlando begin April 8.)

Earlier this year, Southwest started offering non-stop seasonal service from Oakland to Newark Liberty International, but based on the success of those flights, the airline now plans to convert that into year-round service, with daily flights due to start April 8, 2018.  (The only other non-stop service from Oakland to the New York City area is on JetBlue, which goes to JFK Airport.)

The new service will give Southwest 33 non-stop destinations out of Oakland.

Southwest at Oakland

Southwest Airlines jets at Oakland International Airport (Photo: Port of Oakland)

Southwest has been steadily ramping up its California operations in recent months, and it has a new promotion for Rapid Rewards members who live in the state. Called California Millions, it will give away millions of Rapid Rewards points to winners. It remains in effect through November 30. Here’s a link to participate.

The airline’s summer schedule for next year also includes new daily non-stops between San Antonio and Ft. Lauderdale starting July 8. On June 6, Southwest will end its daily service between Flint, Michigan and Chicago Midway.

On June 7, Southwest will resume daily seasonal service between Denver-Charleston, S.C., Chicago-San Juan and Omaha-Orlando. And on June 9, it will start new Saturday-only seasonal flights between Boise-Dallas, Denver-Panama City, Fla., and Tulsa-Orlando.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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

Air France A380 Mexico City

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

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

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!


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

Mexico City CDMX Paseo St Regis

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. 

St Regis Mexico

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:

Chris McGinnis Contramar Mexico City

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)

 

Paloma cocktail

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).

Alaska Airlines Mexico

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).

Mexico City Uber

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.

St Regis Mexico City Exterior

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

 

Las Alcoba Mexico City

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.

Parque Mexico Hotel

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 Mexico City

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.

Pujol

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.

Biko Mexico City

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.

St Regis Mexico City brunch

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 Metro

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.

Roundabout Mexico

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.

Bellas Artes Mexico

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.


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Most Instagram -able airports, airlines

United and SFO both rank third in popularity among Instagram users- click to go to my Instagram!

Are you a big Instagram user? Plenty of travelers are these days (especially younger or younger-at-heart ones like me), and they often post pictures before, during and after their trips. But which airports and airlines are most popular among them?

That’s what TravelBank – an automated expense reporting specialist – wondered, so it reviewed Instagram data to find out, basically by looking at the number of followers each airport and airline have on their accounts.


Los Angeles International grabbed the number one spot in airport popularity, perhaps because a paparazzi mindset permeates the passenger terminals. (Ever try to grab a selfie with a passing celebrity?) TravelBank writes: “Currently in the middle of a $1.6 billion renovation, LAX will not only continue to be the place where people snap pics with the rich and famous, but it’s bound to keep flyers happy with its endless amenities and its Instaworthy locale.”

Ranking second was Chicago O’Hare (maybe just by virtue of its size). In addition to its colorful underground passageways, TravelBank says O’Hare’s public art collection and multiple restaurants that overlook the runways make for shareable moments on Instagram.

Terminal 3, Hall of Flags. (?: @ashleythepetite ) #chooseohare

A post shared by O’Hare International Airport (@flyohare) on

Coming in third place was my very own San Francisco International. TravelBank says “SFO is a major travel hub for the app-loving millennials of tech-savvy San Francisco and Silicon Valley. Add in a selection of Instagrammable dining options serving local favorites (we’re looking at you Napa Farms Market) and a $2.6 billion expansion, and it’s easy to see why SFO comes in at #3.” My favorite spot for plane spotting and then post pics on Instagram is out at gate 66 in United’s new(ish) T3E terminal. Plus the airport regularly posts some great archival photography from its outstanding SFO Museum.

#tbt (1962) @united Douglas DC -8 jets

A post shared by SFO International Airport (@flysfo) on

While flying through Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International which ranks #9, I snagged this Instagrammable moment on the stairs to Delta’s new Sky Club in Concourse B.

Remember when bag tags were pretty? #travel #delta #skyclub #atl #avgeek

A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on

Here’s a look at the top 10 most popular U.S. airports on Instagram:

Source: TravelBank

As for airlines, there were no big surprises, with American, Delta and United ranking first through third, and the number of their Instagram followers reflecting their total passenger numbers:

At the top of the heap with nearly 650,000 followers is American Airlines— as the largest US carrier, sheer size is in its favor here. TravelBank adds:  AA has raised the bar and reaffirmed its commitment to passenger satisfaction with its investment in new aircraft, improvements to its business class product, the overhaul of its hub airport lounges and much more. It’s no wonder that American passengers have been eager to follow along with the company’s Instagram journey more than any other airline on our list!

Here’s a nice Instagrammable moment with #2 Delta showing off it’s popular outdoor deck at JFK. TravelBank adds: Delta’s onboard product is regarded as the best among the big 3 airlines, and upgrades to its fleet — like serving award-winning food options and craft beer — along with tech-friendly improvements like in app luggage tracking and auto check in make Delta a favorite among the Instagram crowd.

Last year #3 ranked United had some fun with with rainbow colors to celebrate National Coming Out Day in October and Gay Pride Month in June.

Today and every day, show your true colors. #NationalComingOutDay

A post shared by United (@united) on

Last Spring Delta invited me to Atlanta for the launch of its new 747 Experience at the Delta Museum by the airport. I scrambled all over the vintage 747 and snagged a bunch of snaps like this which I posted on Instagram. Are you following me? Why not! Get cracking!

Northwest Airlines flight attendant hat by Yves St Laurent circa 1973 #travel #avgeek #delta #747 #atl

A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on

Source: TravelBank

I saw this spooky sight out my window flying over Dallas, Texas at night– it’s been one of my post popular window seat posts.

Dallas thru winter clouds #dfw #dallas #windowseat #clouds @united #ATL > #SFO #travel #avgeek #texas

A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on

See TravelBank’s full report on this here

Are you on Instagram? Why or why not? Leave your comments below. I find it fun and a nice way to pass time when stuck in a line, riding in an Uber and at other slow moments in my crazy busy life.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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

United 787-9 Dreamliner

United will use a 787-9 Dreamliner on its new Los Angeles-Singapore non-stops. (Image: United)

In international route developments, United has inaugurated the longest U.S. non-stop service and has revived Auckland flights; Delta starts selling its Comfort+ seats on transatlantic flights and launches its first A350 flights; American begins a new China route; Air France replaces Delta on a Paris route; Air Canada adds capacity to India from the West Coast; and Pakistan’s national carrier drops a U.S. route;

New non-stop service launched last week by United between Los Angeles and Singapore takes the number one spot as the longest flight from the U.S. at 8,700 miles. That surpasses the 8,446-mile route that United started up last year from San Francisco to Singapore, and tops Qantas’ 8,576-mile Dallas/Ft. Worth Sydney route. As with its San Francisco route, United is using a 250-passenger 787-9 for the LAX-Singapore flights. The new flight departs LAX at 9:25 and takes almost 18 hours. Don’t miss: Chris’ Trip Report on SFO-SIN from last year 17 moments in 17 hours on Singapore Airlines

In other news, United just revived its seasonal service between San Francisco and Auckland, New Zealand, which is also served by Star Alliance partner Air New Zealand. United will fly the route six days a week from now through December 17, boosting the schedule to daily service through March 22. The carrier’s Auckland flights are using a 777-300ER fitted out with United’s new Polaris business cabin, featuring lie-flat seats that all have aisle access. United and Air New Zealand have created a new website at www.united.com/airnz that provides information on both carriers and destination tips about New Zealand.

Delta’s Comfort+ seating is now on sale for transatlantic flights. (Image: Delta)

Delta has just started selling its Comfort+ product – extra-legroom main cabin seating – on transatlantic flights effective for travel January 22 and beyond. That includes all its flights from North America to Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Delta started selling Comfort+ seating two years ago for travel within North America, and by earlier this year had expanded it to Asia/Pacific and Latin America/Caribbean flights. (Nice for those who buy it, but less nice for those hoping to get comp upgrades.)

Meanwhile, Delta this week put its first new Airbus A350 into commercial service on its Detroit-Tokyo Narita route. The new plane features a new Delta One front cabin with lie-flat seats in private suites, as well as the airline’s new international premium economy cabin called Premium Select, which is being installed in Delta’s A350s instead of Comfort+ seating. As of this week, Delta is now using the 747 on a single route, Seoul-Detroit and that is only through December 17 when it will be replaced by a shiny new Airbus A350.

American will use a 787-8 on its new LAX-Beijing route. (Image: American)

After months of negotiations with Chinese officials to secure commercially viable slot times, American Airlines is finally due to kick off its newest route to China in a few days. November 5 is the launch date for American’s daily flights from Los Angeles to Beijing, which it will initially operate with a 787-8, switching to a 787-9 next spring. Delta had also filed for the route, but lost out when the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the rights to American in December of last year.

Air France said it will step in and replace joint venture and Skyteam partner Delta this winter on the Chicago O’Hare-Paris CDG route.  Air France will use an Airbus A330 to fly the route up to five times a week.

Air Canada has foiled plans for a schedule increase this winter on its Vancouver-Delhi route. The carrier will increase frequencies on the route from five a week to daily service effective December 9 through at least December 23. Air Canada uses a 787-9 on the route.

Over the past weekend, Pakistan International Airlines ended its service between Karachi/Lahore and New York JFK, which it had been serving with a 777-200LR via a westbound stop in Manchester, U.K. PIA had been flying to New York since 1961.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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

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

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

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

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

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

SFO OGG

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

JetSuite

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

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

8 Prepare for more security scrutiny at overseas airports

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

10 No more Starwood credits for Uber rides

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

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

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

A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on

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

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

United award price hike starts November 1

Oracle’s Larry Ellison buying Lake Tahoe resort

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

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

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

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

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

United app now issuing partner airline boarding passes

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

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

Would you use a hammock headrest?

Delta will add a thousand new flight attendants next year

British Airways offers double Avios points through year’s end

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Reader Report: Final 747 flight from London

United 747

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.

Greenland

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.

Unitd 747 kit

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.

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

 


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Another outdoor observation deck for San Francisco International

SFO outdoor deck

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.

T2 observation deck

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

Star Alliance Lounge LAX

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

JetSuiteX will add another California Corridor route next month. (Image: JetSuite)

In domestic route news, JetSuiteX adds service in another California Corridor market; JetBlue grows at Boston but cuts back flights to a key Caribbean destination; Alaska Airlines adds service at Albuquerque but reduces it at Portland; Sun Country unveils details of its new low-cost business model; and United will add a spoke at its Denver hub.

Niche carrier JetSuiteX plans to jump into another intra-California market in mid-November when it starts flying between Oakland and Burbank, using private terminals at both airports. The company – which operates public charter flights using 30-passenger E135 jets – said that it will offer three roundtrips every day except Saturday, with one-way fares starting at $129 (including up to two pieces of baggage). Last month, JetSuiteX kicked off new service between Burbank and San Jose with 12 flights a week. The company said its flights offer free drinks and snacks, wi-fi, business class-equivalent legroom, and minimal waiting time at the airport because it uses private terminals. JetSuiteX’s Oakland terminal is located at 9351 Earhart Road, Oakland, CA 94621

Did you know that JetSuite is partially owned by JetBlue? Read our post about that here.

Flying over San Juan’s Condado neighborhood; JetBlue is slashing service to SJU.  (Chris McGinnis)

JetBlue will add its 65th non-stop destination from Boston Logan next spring when it begins service to Minneapolis-St. Paul. It will operate three daily roundtrips in the market starting May 3, and is currently offering fares starting at $89 each way. It noted that MSP is the biggest domestic market not currently served by JetBlue. (It’s also the second big Delta hub JetBlue has infiltrated this year.) In other news, JetBlue is planning a big reduction in service to Puerto Rico due to damage on the island from two major hurricanes. San Juan is a big piece of JetBlue’s network, accounting for about 6 percent of its total capacity. But the carrier said it expects to cut capacity to San Juan by 33 percent, a reduction that will likely last through the end of 2018. The extensive hurricane damage and the resulting publicity mean that leisure travel to Puerto Rico is unlikely to recover for many months. By this year’s December holidays, JetBlue plans to shift a lot of that capacity to other Caribbean islands, but it hasn’t yet said which ones.

 Alaska Airlines has launched new daily service from San Diego to Albuquerque as part of its continuing West Coast expansion. The carrier is using three-class, 76-seat E175s operated by its Horizon Air unit. At the same time, Alaska has added a second daily Albuquerque-Seattle non-stop. At Portland, meanwhile, Alaska is converting two routes from year-round service to seasonal: it will suspend Portland-Kansas City flights from December 1 to March 10, and will eliminate Portland-St. Louis service from November 28 through March 10.

A Sun Country Airlines 737. (Image: Sun Country)

As it converts its business model to that of an ultra-low-cost carrier, Twin Cities-based Sun Country Airlines has come out with details of new fares and fees, which are effective now for travel beginning January 19. The airline’s new product is called Bundle & Go pricing; the lowest fare level, called Grab & Go, allows travelers to carry on one personal item to stow under the seat, but no carry-ons (stowed in the overhead bin) or checked bags. The next level up, Check & Go for an extra $20, provides for one personal item and one checked bag, but no carry-ons. Store & Go fares, for an extra $30, include one personal item and your choice of one checked bag or one carry-on. Only first class fares are all-inclusive, providing for a personal item, a carry-on and two checked bags.

Got business in Scottsbluff, Nebraska? You can’t fly to its Western Nebraska Regional Airport right now, but the facility will regain airline service on February 1 when SkyWest is due to start flying there from Denver with 12 flights a week. SkyWest, which will operate under the United Express banner, recently won a federal Essential Air Services contract for the route.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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

TSA screening security checkpoint

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.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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

United 747 flight attendant maxi-skirt

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 smoked gouda cheeseburger

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

Kimpton Wilshire hotel LA

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

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!


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Airport news: United lounges, LaGuardia, Boston, Cleveland, Pittsburgh, DFW

United is testing food upgrades at its lounges, like a lobster roll at Boston. (Image: United)

In airport news, United is testing enhanced food service at four of its airport lounges; Delta, American and JetBlue are moving operations at New York LaGuardia; shared-use lounges expand at Boston Logan and move at Pittsburgh; Cleveland makes bag checking easier; and automated TSA lanes come to Dallas/Ft. Worth.

Forbes reports that United Airlines has started market-testing a big upgrade to the food service at a handful of its United Club airport lounges. The testing is going on in United Clubs at Boston, Orlando, Las Vegas and Houston Bush Intercontinental, Forbes said. Besides introducing regional favorites like New England lobster rolls and Boston cream pies at Logan, the airline is adding new hot breakfast items, soups, salads and a “Mediterranean board,” the article reported.

LaGuardia’s Marine Air Terminal is a short ride from the Central Terminal. (Image: LaGuardia Airport)

With all that construction going on during the massive rehabilitation of New York LaGuardia’s passenger terminals, Delta, American and JetBlue are shifting their operations there. Delta said that as of December 9, it is taking its Delta Shuttle flights to Chicago and Washington out of the Marine Air Terminal and moving them to Terminal C, where its LGA-Boston shuttles already operate. American said that by December 9, it will consolidate its LGA operations in Terminal B (the Central Terminal). “Since December 2013, (American’s) flights have been split between Terminals B and C. This consolidated operation means all customers will check in at Terminal B and American will operate flights from each of the terminal’s four concourses,” a spokesman said.

JetBlue, meanwhile, has decided to pull up stakes and move from the Central Terminal to the airport’s historic Marine Air Terminal. The art deco terminal opened in 1940, and during its history it has served as a seaplane terminal, a base for Northeast Corridor shuttle flights, and a facility for private jets. JetBlue has several flights a day between LGA and Boston, as well as non-stop service from LGA to Orlando, Ft. Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Fla. The airline said it should be in place at the new facility before the holidays in December, occupying four gates there. Most of JetBlue’s New York flights are at JFK Airport.

Airport Lounge Development, which operates lounges open to any passenger on a fee basis, has some news at Boston Logan and at Pittsburgh. The company said its Boston Club in Terminal E has just finished an extensive expansion, and now occupies more than 3,500 square feet with seating for 82. It also added new restrooms and shower facilities, new furniture and an enhanced food menu. (Besides The Club in Terminal E, the company also operates The Lounge in Boston’s Terminal C.) At Pittsburgh, meanwhile, The Club has shifted from a temporary location on Concourse C to a permanent one, also on Concourse C just off the Center Core. The temporary site started accepting guests in June. Day passes at both clubs cost $40.

Airport Lounge Development now has 17 locations open to all on a day pass basis. (Image: Airport Lounge Development)

The struggle may soon end for many passengers at Cleveland Hopkins, who have been required to lug their checked luggage after check-in to a separate TSA bag screening drop-off location. The airport this week started live testing of a new in-line baggage screening system on the south end of the ticketing lobby that will eliminate that step for passengers of United, JetBlue, Southwest and Air Canada. Previously, only United had an in-line baggage system at CLE. “If all system testing is successfully completed by mid-November, the free-standing bag security screening machines on the south end of the ticketing level will be removed by the busy Thanksgiving holiday weekend,” the airport said.

The latest major airport to get some of those new automated TSA screening lanes is Dallas/Ft. Worth, which has added four of them at checkpoints in Terminals A and D (checkpoints A21 and D22). Up to five travelers at a time can load their belongings into bins; items needing extra screening are shunted off to a separate conveyor belt so they won’t slow things down, and empty bins are sent back to the start via a separate automated belt to free up TSA officers from carrying them. Bins are 25 percent larger than before, and RFID tags are on each bin, “matching travelers to their property as they move throughout the security screening process,” DFW said. Over time, DFW expects to install 10 of the automated checkpoint lanes throughout the airport.

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!

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The newest Embraer jet you may never fly

Embraer Legacy 500

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.

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)

 

Embraer Legacy 500

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)

 

Embraer 500 toilet

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)

 

Embraer 500

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!

Embraer 500 inflight map

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)

 

Embraer Chris McGinnis champagne

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

 

Embraer 500 window

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.

 

Embraer 500 cockpit

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)

 

Embraer 500 cockpit

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

 

Embraer Legacy 500 cockpit

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)

 

Embraer Legacy 500

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

 

Atlantic Aviation San Jose

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.

 


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

San Jose International welcomes a new 737 nonstop from Mexico City next summer. (Photo: SJC)

In recent international route developments, Aeromexico will add seasonal service at San Jose; Southwest drops plans for two Mexico markets; Air New Zealand brings a new aircraft to Houston; British Airways adds high-density 777 flights to Gatwick; United and Delta drop Europe flights while KLM adds one; American plans new code-shares to and within China; Etihad trims its Los Angeles schedule and terminates San Francisco service; and LATAM adds a Boston route.

Aeromexico, now a joint venture partner with Delta, plans to expand its presence at Mineta San Jose International next summer by offering seasonal flights to Mexico City. The carrier will use a 737-800 on the route, offering daily flights from June 1 through August 31. The southbound flight will depart SJC at 1:40 p.m. In July of this year, Aeromexico started service from San Jose to Guadalajara.

Speaking of Mexico City, Southwest Airlines has scaled back its plans to expand service to the Mexican capital. The Dallas Morning News reports that Southwest has changed its mind about adding new service to MEX from Los Angeles and Ft. Lauderdale next summer. The carrier has given up the slots at Mexico City that it had acquired for those routes, and DOT assigned them instead to VivaAerobus, a Mexican low-cost carrier. When Delta and Aeromexico won approval for their joint venture, they had to give up some slots at MEX, and Southwest picked up enough for four flights a day there, which it initially used to add two flights a day from Houston Hobby.

Premium economy seats on the new version of Air New Zealand’s 787-9.(Image: Air New Zealand)

The new Qantas 787-9 that starts flying from Melbourne to LAX in December won’t be the only new Dreamliner service from Down Under.  Air New Zealand plans to deploy the newest version of its 787-9 on its two-year-old Auckland-Houston route in December. The Kiwi carrier also plans to boost frequencies on that route next year, from the current five weekly flights to six or seven from March 25 through October 27. The new Air New Zealand 787-9 increases capacity in the front of the plane, from 18 business class seats to 27 and from 21 premium economy seats to 33. The airline currently flies a 777-200 to Houston.

British Airways has been planning to introduce “high density” 777-200ERs on long-haul flights out of London Gatwick Airport, partly in response to low-cost interlopers like Norwegian, and its plans for those planes are starting to emerge. Unlike its existing 275-seat 777-200ERs, the new version will cram 336 seats into the planes, according to Routesonline.com – 32 in business class, 52 in premium economy and 252 in regular economy. BA plans to put the new version of the plane into service for one weekly flight between Orlando and Gatwick as of May 11, 2018, increasing to daily by October 6; one flight a week between Ft. Lauderdale and Gatwick starting September 13 of next year, increasing to three a week October 8; and daily service between New York JFK and Gatwick effective July 8 of next year.

Looking ahead to other transatlantic markets for 2018, United had been planning to offer seasonal service from Chicago O’Hare to Shannon, Ireland from late May through early September, but now it has canceled those plans.  And Delta is giving up on its Newark-Amsterdam service – which operates four days a week this winter – as of March 23. However, Delta partner KLM will expand service between New York JFK and Amsterdam next year, adding a third flight six days a week effective March 26. In another development, Delta will code-share on daily A330-200 Alitalia flights from Rome to Delhi, India, effective October 29.

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

American Airlines, which acquired a small equity stake in China Southern Airlines this year, is planning a substantial code-sharing program with that carrier, according to Air Transport World. It said AA has filed plans with the Transportation Department to put its AA code onto China Southern flights from San Francisco to Wuhan and to Guangzhou, as well as its New York JFK-Guangzhou service. The AA code would also go onto 14 China Southern routes from Beijing to other destinations in China. It didn’t say when the code-sharing is expected to begin. Last month, American moved its operations at Beijing’s airport from Terminal 3 to China Southern’s base at Terminal 2.

Etihad Airways plans to reduce its schedule between Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi this winter. From January 15 through April 30, it will trim frequencies from daily to four a week, switching aircraft on the route from a 777-200LR to a 777-300ER. (And don’t forget, as we reported last summer, Etihad will discontinue its San Francisco-Abu Dhabi service on October 29 after cutting it back earlier this year from daily frequencies to just three flights a week.)

To Latin America, LATAM has filed for regulatory approval to begin the first non-stop service between Boston and Sao Paulo, Brazil next summer, although a schedule and starting date haven’t yet been determined.

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Delta unveils new seats on new Airbus A350 & sets routes

Airbus A250

Delta’s newest baby: The Airbus A350- easy to spot with those mod black framed cockpit windows (Photo: Airbus)

We’re getting close to the commercial launch of Delta’s first Airbus A350 wide-body, and the carrier has unveiled more of its route plans for the new aircraft – including its first Europe route. It has also introduced a brand new “real” premium economy seat. 

As previously reported, the first Delta A350 route will be from Detroit to Tokyo Narita, starting October 30. The airline is focusing on its Detroit hub for the A350 rollout, with plans to begin flying the plane from DTW to Seoul Incheon on November 16, followed by DTW-Beijing flights as of January 17. (DTW is also the airport that will see the end of Delta’s Boeing 747 service later this year.)

Now Delta has announced two more routes  for the A350. It will use the plane for one of its four daily Detroit-Amsterdam flights beginning March 31 of next year, followed by its introduction on Detroit-Shanghai service starting April 19. Atlanta-Seoul will get the A350 treatment starting March 24.

See the Seat Map for Delta’s new A350 here. 

Delta’s A350s will debut its new Delta One business cabin. (Image:” Delta)

In addition to Delta’s new Delta One front cabin, which features innovative passenger “suites,” the aircraft will also debut the Delta Premium Select seating category – the airline’s new international premium economy product.

The new Premium Select (true premium economy) seats will be up to 19 inches wide, with pitch of up to 38 inches, up to seven inches of recline, and adjustable leg and head rests. Premium Select travelers will get noise-cancelling headphones, pre-departure drink service, upgraded meal service, free in-flight entertainment selections on a 13.3-inch screen, in-seat power ports, and Delta’s Sky Priority treatment (expedited check-in, baggage and security screening, and premium boarding).

Delta’s B777s are also slated to get the new Premium Select seats next year.

Delta’s new international premium economy seats will debut on the A350. (Image: delta)

As Delta’s long-haul aircraft get the new Premium Select seating, they will no longer offer Comfort+ extra-legroom economy seating. Only “preferred” economy seats will be available. This means it could be tougher for elites to get “good” economy seats on long haul flights.

In its Premium Select FAQs Delta offers these options for upgrading to the new Premium Select seats:

There will be three ways to upgrade into Delta Premium Select:
1. Purchase an upgrade with cash through delta.com or Reservations
2. Purchase an upgrade with miles through Reservations
3. Use a Global Upgrade Certificate, and if not cleared prior to check-in, monitor the airport standby list to see if your certificate clears. Global Upgrade Certificates are only available to Diamonds as a Choice Benefit option.

With customer anticipation running high for the new A350s, especially among SkyMiles elites, Delta posted a message on Flyertalk to ”clear up any confusion” about upgrades to the aircraft’s Delta One (business class) suites. “Diamond Medallion Members can use one Global Upgrade Certificate to upgrade directly to a Delta One suite from any cabin of service offered on the flight – including Main Cabin (excluding Basic Economy),” a Delta rep said.

Delta celebrated the A350 with a “media day” this week– check out the busy social media stream the event produced— plenty of great photos.

What do you think about Delta’s new plane? And new seats? Please leave your comments below. 

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Shocking bomb simulation at Singapore Changi Airport [VIDEO]

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

Qantas’ Dreamliners feature an updated kangaroo logo. (Image: Qantas)

It’s a little late to the Dreamliner game, but Qantas has just unveiled the interiors of the new Boeing 787-9s that are coming to its international fleet soon – including to the U.S.

In fact, the very first route for Qantas’ newest wide-body will be Melbourne to Los Angeles, beginning in December. The second will be a very long haul from Perth to London – the first non-stop service linking Australia with Europe — starting next March. (Currently fares on the LAX-Melbourne route are just $787 round trip— quite a good deal!)

Will the Qantas Dreamliner find its way to San Francisco next year? Qantas hasn’t said; it is currently flying a 747-400 on the SFO-Sydney route, while United already uses a 787-9 in that market. Qantas said it will have eight Dreamliners in its long-haul fleet by the end of next year, allowing it to retire five of its 747s. (Qantas currently uses A380s on its Los Angeles flights from Melbourne and Sydney.) Read what Qantas CEO told TravelSkills about SFO-SYD flights in an interview here. 

Qantas plans to use the Dreamliner for its longest nonstop flight, Perth to London, starting next March.

The new Qantas 787-9. (Image: Qantas)

In any case, the Qantas 787-9s will offer “more space and a lower passenger count than most of its competitors,” the airline said. They will have large windows, improved cabin air quality, and “ride dampening technology to minimize the effects of turbulence,” Qantas said.

The Qantas 787-9s will have 42 business class seats configured 1-2-1; 28 in premium economy, with a 2-3-2 layout; and 166 in economy, configured 3-3-3 and offering 32-inch pitch.

That’s a total of 236 seats. A year ago, when Qantas first revealed its 787-9 seating plans, the publication Australian Business Traveler compared that to Qantas’ competitors, noting that Air New Zealand’s three-class 787-9s have 302 seats, while Air Canada’s have 298 and United’s have 252.

The 787-9s also come with Qantas’ new livery, which includes the fifth update of its traditional Flying Kangaroo logo.

Here’s a first look at the Qantas 787-9 interior:

The plane has 1-2-1 business class seating. (Image: Qantas)

 

Here’s business class from another angle. (Image: Qantas)

 

Premium economy is configured 2-3-2. (Image: Qantas)

Regular economy has 32-inch pitch and 3-3-3 seating. (Image: Qantas)

Have you flown Qantas to Australia before? What did you think? Please leave your comments below. 

Check out how Boeing turned over this beautiful ship to Qantas at a ceremony this week in Seattle:

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

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.

Related: Is Southwest really a low fare carrier? 

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.

Southwest Airlines Hawaii

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

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

Rendering of Portland’s expanded Concourse E. (Image: Hennebery Eddy Architects)

In airport news, Portland International’s (PDX) Concourse E is getting a big expansion; Air Canada opens a new lounge at Vancouver; faster security screening comes to New York LaGuardia; Miami’s Centurion Lounge is getting bigger; Nashville takes the wraps off a billion-dollar growth plan; and some U.S. airports lose Germany service as Airberlin moves up its shutdown.

The next step in Portland (Ore.) International’s long-term $1.3 billion overhaul is an expansion of its Concourse E. The Port of Portland has just hired Skanska as the contractor to lengthen the concourse by 820 feet, constructing a two-story extension that will add six gates to the facility. The existing portion of PDX Terminal E will also be renovated, and its baggage system will be overhauled.  The $151 million project – which will enlarge Concourse E by 14,000 square meters — is expected to take three years. Concourse E is used by United, although long-term plans call for Southwest to move into the concourse, with United moving to the south side of the airport.

Air Canada’s new Vancouver Maple Leaf Lounge has a big periodicals library. (Image: Air Canada)

Air Canada has cut the ribbon on its newly renovated and expanded Maple Leaf Lounge at Vancouver International Airport. Open to qualifying Air Canada and Star Alliance customers, the lounge now occupies 1,250 square meters, with space for 258 persons. The two-level lounge has a business zone with desktop computers, printing and scanning services; hot and cold dining options and a chef’s station where custom dishes can be prepared; shower facilities; a TV area; a quiet zone with recliners; and free Wi-Fi. The new facility is decorated with the works of Canadian artists, and furnishings were created by Canadian designers.

Delta and the Transportation Security Administration have teamed up to bring a pair of new automated security lanes to Terminal C at New York LaGuardia. The airline said four of the new lanes will also be in operation by the end of this month at LGA’s Terminal D. The new security lanes – which are gradually coming to airports all over the country – allow several passengers to load their belongings into bins simultaneously. The bins are 25 percent larger than before, and empty bins are automatically returned to the beginning of the line by separate conveyor belts. The new design is estimated to move travelers through security checks up to 30 percent faster than before.

At Miami International, the airport’s board of commissioners has given a green light to American Express to expand its Centurion Lounge in Concourse D (near Gate D12 on the fourth floor). The project will give the lounge an additional 4,000 square feet of space. That will be taken up by a larger food buffet and beverage area, a new wine bar, more seating, a larger “tranquility area,” additional restrooms, and a pair of private telephone rooms. AmEx just opened a new Centurion Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport, and is due to cut the ribbon on another at Philadelphia International this month. It also changed its admission policy; the lounges are now open only to AmEx Platinum Card holders and Centurion members; other cardholders can no longer buy day passes for the lounges.

Nashville’s overhaul includes an outdoor plaza and a new hotel. (Image: Nashville Airport)

Officials at Nashville International have released details of a five-year, $1.2 billion plan to make over the airport. It calls for an overhauled terminal, an outdoor plaza area, and a big central entrance with lots of natural light. New construction in the plan includes a 288-room on-site hotel, a 2,000-space parking garage, an expanded Concourse D with more retail concessions, and additional short-term parking areas. The airport plans also allow for the eventual addition of a light rail link to downtown Nashville, although that is a separate city project. Officials said BNA is growing faster than any other U.S. airport of its size, with passenger numbers jumping by more than 11 percent last year.

Say good-bye to Airberlin. (Image: Airberlin)

Several U.S. airports will lose some service to Germany in the next few weeks as financially-troubled Airberlin has decided to halt its operations no later than October 28. Earlier, the carrier had hoped to keep most of its flights going until it could negotiate the orderly sale of its assets to other airlines, but it has decided that was an unrealistic goal. In August, Airberlin filed for insolvency in Germany following a decision by Etihad Airways, one of its major owners, to stop putting money into the company. Airberlin’s U.S. destinations from Berlin include Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco. From Dusseldorf, its U.S. schedule includes flights to Boston, Ft. Myers, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando and San Francisco. However, it recently stopped its SFO-Berlin, LAX-Berlin, Chicago-Berlin and Boston-Dusseldorf flights. Lufthansa has already announced plans to start flying New York JFK-Berlin on November 7 and Miami-Dusseldorf on November 8.

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

American operates out of Philadelphia’s Terminal B. (Image: American)

In domestic route news, American grows its Philadelphia hub and expands transcon wide-body flights there; United adds spokes to its O’Hare and Denver hubs; JetBlue revives a California route for the holidays; Southwest drops a Washington D.C. route; and Frontier keeps rearranging its network.

American Airlines is expanding access to its Philadelphia hub by adding several new routes there. On February 15, American will add daily A319 flights between PHL and San Antonio, followed on May 4 by new daily E175 American Eagle service between PHL-Madison, Wis.; and twice-daily roundtrips between PHL-Des Moines, Iowa; and PHL-Omaha, Neb. The airline also said that beginning March 25, it will deploy a wide-body Airbus A330 on one of its daily flights between Philadelphia and Los Angeles International, “offering West Coast customers better access to PHL and American’s transatlantic service.” Meanwhile, the A330 that American just started flying on one of its daily PHL-San Francisco flights will now be extended until at least March 4 instead of ending on December 14 as previously scheduled.

Moab, Utah is the gateway to Aches National Park. (Image: Discover Moab)

Effective December 1, United is due to add a couple of spokes out of Chicago O’Hare, with six flights a week to Quincy. Ill., and to Cape Girardeau, Mo., using CRJ-200s. At its Denver hub, meanwhile, United is looking at a May 1, 2018 start for new service to the outdoor activities mecca of Moab, Utah, offering 12 flights a week via Skywest CRJ200s; followed on June 1 by new service from DEN to Vernal, Utah, also running 12 times a week with Skywest CRJ200s.

For the third year in a row, JetBlue plans to lay on special holiday-season service between its New York JFK hub and Palm Springs, California. The daily flight will operate from December 21 through January 3, and it will use an Airbus A321 that features JetBlue’s premium-class Mint service with lie-flat seats.

November 4 is the final day for Southwest Airlines’ three-year-old route between Indianapolis and Washington Reagan National. A Southwest official told a local business publication in Indiana that the route just wasn’t attracting enough business to make it profitable.

OneJet uses small Hawker 400XPs on short-haul routes. (Image: OneJet)

The former CEO of Milwaukee-based Midwest Express Airlines – which disappeared in 2011 – is behind an effort to bring new service to MKE from OneJet, a business jet operator that offers scheduled service on underserved business routes out of Pittsburgh (including daily Pittsburgh-Milwaukee service). On November 1, OneJet is due to start twice-daily roundtrips from Milwaukee to both Columbus, Ohio and Omaha, Nebraska, using seven-passenger Hawker 400XP jets.

It’s difficult to keep up with all the route news from ultra-low-cost Frontier Airlines, but we’ll try. The carrier just kicked off new daily flights from San Jose to Denver, to be followed by four flights a week from SJC to Las Vegas November 1, and less-than-daily departures to five other cities next April.  At Cleveland, meanwhile, Frontier has axed the four weekly CLE-San Diego service that it just launched last spring, as well as seasonal flights from Cleveland to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta, Houston And Charlotte. But the airline is expanding at Denver, starting less-than-daily frequencies to Omaha November 2; to Grand Rapids December 10; to Charleston, S.C. February 20; to Little Rock March 1; and to Tulsa March 15. The carrier plans to add daily Orlando-Phoenix service November 1 and three weekly Orlando-Memphis flights November 2. On December 16, Frontier will start three flights a week between San Francisco and Las Vegas. At Colorado Springs, Frontier plans new flights to San Antonio and Seattle starting April 8 and to San Jose and Minneapolis-St. Paul as of April 9. Seasonal service from Philadelphia to Charleston, S.C. three days a week starts February 20, followed by less-than-daily service from PHL to Jacksonville February 14, to Madison April 8, and to Memphis and Omaha April 9. Twice-weekly Frontier service from Chicago O’Hare to Charleston, S.C. starts May 11, and limited-frequency service from Omaha to Las Vegas starts April 8, followed by Omaha-San Francisco June 4.

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Trip Report: Tweeting my way to Paris on Lufthansa

Lufthansa A340

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!

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

Lufthansa first class A340

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

 

Lufthansa Business Class

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

 

Lufthansa premium economy

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

 

Lufthansa economy class

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

Stairway down to lavatories on #Lufthansa #340 #avgeek #aviation #lufthansatravels

A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on

 

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

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 A320

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

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

Air France will start 777 flights to Seattle next year. (Image: Air France)

In international route developments, Air France adds a new West Coast gateway; China Airlines will fly to an unlikely California airport; Aer Lingus adds a new transatlantic route in 2018; Singapore’s Scoot plans its first U.S. route; Finnair returns to Miami; and Seattle-Vancouver travelers could get downtown-to-downtown service.

Air France has scheduled a March 25 start for new U.S. service between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Seattle – a route where its joint venture partner Delta already offers daily year-round service. Air France said it will initially fly the route three days a week, increasing to five days a week from June 19 through September 2, using a 777-200ER with business class, premium economy and regular economy seating. The new flight will depart SEA at 4:30 p.m.

Taiwan-based China Airlines already flies from Taipei to Los Angeles and San Francisco, and now it plans to add a third California gateway starting in the spring of next year. Could it be San Diego? San Jose? Nope. It’s Ontario International Airport, 35 miles east of downtown Los Angeles – an airport that currently has just 62 flights a day to 15 cities. China Airlines reportedly expects to carry more than 80,000 passengers a year in each direction on the new route, which it will initially serve four days a week with a two-class, 358-seat 777-300ER.

Aer Lingus is adding a Philadelphia route next year. (Image: Aer Lingus)

Aer Lingus, now a sister company of British Airways as part of International Airlines Group, has announced plans to add new U.S. service on March 25 when it will start flying between Dublin and Philadelphia. The Irish carrier will use a 757 to fly the new route four days a week – a route already operated by BA’s joint venture partner American. Aer Lingus’ summer U.S. schedule for 2018 also includes two flights a day from New York JFK, Boston and Chicago; daily service from San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Hartford; four flights a week from Orlando; and three a week from Miami.

Scoot, the low-cost affiliate of Singapore Airlines, has opened the books for reservations on its first U.S. route. The carrier plans a December 19 launch of flights from Singapore to Honolulu via a stop in Osaka, Japan. Scoot will use a 787-8 on the route, which it will fly four days a week. The Scoot 787-8 has 335 seats in a two-class configuration, although some economy seats are offered with extra legroom for an additional fee.

Finnair this week resumed seasonal service to Miami International, operating three flights a week to Helsinki with an Airbus A330. The flights will continue through March.

Vancouver’s Harbour Flight Center is right downtown. (Image: Harbour Air)

Business commuters who travel between Seattle and Vancouver could soon have a new flight option that avoids the two cities’ big airports. The Seattle Times reports that a pair of small regional carriers – Kenmore Air and British Columbia’s Harbour Air – are planning to introduce new seaplane service, possibly by the end of this year.  The Seattle departures would be from Lake Union, convenient to Amazon headquarters. Harbour Air operates out of downtown Vancouver’s Harbour Flight Center.

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A United Club closes at SFO, another reopens

United Club

The at one time very busy entrance to the United Club at SFO’s International Terminal is now shut (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

United Club members or MileagePlus Gold+ members accustomed to using the United Club just past security in SFO’s International Terminal G will have to change their plans for a while. Unless of course they are flying on a paid business or first class ticket.

That lounge, near Gate G92, has been closed as United proceeds with construction that will convert that space into a new Polaris Club for premium-class international travelers. The adjacent Singapore Air Silver Kris lounge, which will become part of the newer, larger Polaris lounge, has closed as well. United says that the new facility should be ready by next summer (2018).

Singapore Air’s Silver Kris lounge is now shut, too. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In the meantime, the old Global First Lounge in the International Terminal (way out near gate G98) is serving as a temporary lounge for United Polaris first and business class departing customers and Star Alliance international first and business class departing customers (including United).

However, be aware that this temporary lounge will not be able to accommodate Star Gold customers, United Club members, one-time pass holders, military, etc. (Customers holding Star Gold status who visit the temporary lounge will not receive their +1 guest privileges at the temporary Global First Lounge as this is not a Star Gold lounge with Star Gold benefits. Customers bringing a guest who would not otherwise be eligible for the temporary lounge will need to visit one of the United Club locations in domestic Terminal 3.)

For the time being, Star Alliance Gold and United Club members will have to schlep back to any of the three United Club locations in Terminal 3 via the post-security walkway that connects the International Terminal and Terminal 3.  To handle the increased traffic, United has re-opened another club across from Gate 71A on the mezzanine level (take elevator) above the main concourse. Customers should plan on a 5-10 minute walk in each direction.

Here’s a look at the mezzanine United Club when it opened in 2014-2016.

United First Polaris lounge SFO

Entrance to the United First lounge, which is now used by United and Star Alliance first, business flyers (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Chris McGinnis United

Editor Chris McGinnis checking out the dated Chinoiserie in the United First lounge

United Club SFO

The United First lounge on a Tuesday evening in October- busy, but not overcrowded (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The SFO construction is just one of several United Club improvement projects around United’s system. At Newark, part of the United Club near Gate C120 in Terminal C is being converted to a new Polaris Lounge, so seating in that lounge is “significantly limited” for now. At Houston Bush Intercontinental, the United Club in Terminal E is due to reopen this month after a renovation project.

Big blue glass doors at the entry to United’s brand new Club (Chris McGinnis)

At Chicago O’Hare, the Club near Gate C16 in Terminal 1 is closed for renovations until sometime this winter. And the United Club at Ft. Lauderdale is closed for an overhaul, although United has opened a temporary location in Terminal 1 between Gates C1-C3.

Here’s United’s latest list of United Club locations.

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American Express changes Centurion lounge access policy

American Express Centurion

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).

Centurion Lounge

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.

Related: Are airport lounges getting too crowded?

Centurion Lounge Hong Kong

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 2nd—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 8th 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.

American Express Centurion

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. 

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Popular: Big fare sale + Delta devaluation? + TWA hotel + Final 747 flights + Uber at airport

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

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

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TWA Hotel takes shape at JFK & in Manhattan (slideshow)

Reception desk at the TWA Hotel pre-opening sales office at the World Trade Center. (Image: Emily Gilbert)

The foundations have been laid and construction is proceeding on the new TWA Hotel at New York JFK Airport, a 505-room property that incorporates the original 1962 TWA Terminal as its centerpiece.

A pair of guest room structures will soon rise on either side of the old terminal, which is being preserved and restored, and will also be linked to JetBlue’s Terminal 5 at the airport. The hotel construction and terminal restoration is a project of MCR Development.

Designed by renowned architect Eero Saarinen, the terminal – also known as the TWA Flight Center — is distinguished by its sweeping curves, a striking example of the Midcentury Modern style. The TWA Hotel – the only on-site hotel at JFK – will also offer 40,000 square feet of meeting and event space, eight food and beverage outlets, and a 10,000 square foot observation deck where plane spotters can watch aircraft take off and land.

The hotel this week cut the ribbon on a pre-opening sales office on the 86th floor of the World Trade Center in lower Manhattan. The office has many design elements taken from the TWA Flight Center, along with TWA memorabilia. A press release states: “With views from Manhattan to JFK Airport 12 miles to the east, the TWA lounge at 1WTC on the 86th floor, designed by Lubrano Ciavarra Architects, is informed by key design features of Eero Saarinen’s iconic TWA Flight Center.”

Wanna see the lounge at WTC in Manhattan? While it’s not really open to the public, here’s what a spokesperson told TravelSkills: We are thrilled to welcome partners, friends, and fans of the TWA brand at the TWA lounge.  We will be hosting special opportunities to visit the space so stay tuned. For now, appointments can be made by emailing 1WTC@TWAHotel.com.

The hotel already has a website at www.twahotel.com.

Here’s a look at both projects:

Carpeting inside the TWA Flight Center at JFK is still “TWA Red.” ((Image: Max Touhey)

 

The sweeping curves of the TWA Terminal’s exterior. (Image: Max Touhey)

 

The spacious interior of the TWA Flight Center. (Image: Max Touhey)

 

The foundation for the TWA Hotel is complete. (Image: MCR)

 

View of the construction zone from the JetBlue Terminal next door. (Image: Max Touhey)

 

Reception desk at the TWA Hotel pre-opening sales office at the World Trade Center. (Image: Emily Gilbert)

 

The TWA Lounge at the World Trade Center reflects the design from the TWA Flight Center. (Image: Jesse David Harris)

 

Vintage uniforms are on display at the TWA Lounge. (Image: Emily Gilbert)

Readers: Did you ever use the TWA Terminal at JFK? Are you glad it’s being preserved? Do you miss TWA?

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Airport Lyft & Uber pickups get faster. Why?

Lyft

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.

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Routes: More Hong Kong from SFO, Delta to London, Virgin 747 flights, Lufthansa + more

Delta One a330

Delta One (business class) on an A330 is a new option to London (Image: Delta)

In international route developments, Hong Kong Airlines details its plans for San Francisco service; Delta will increase London Heathrow capacity next year with bigger aircraft; Virgin Atlantic will put 747s onto two U.S. routes; Lufthansa moves into Airberlin markets; Norwegian adds an ultra-long haul low-fare route; Hawaiian switches code-share allegiance to Japan Airlines; and American and United alter their Cuba services.

Delta is making some changes to its London Heathrow service next year, giving it a lot more capacity from key hubs. The company said that effective March 24, it will change equipment on its LHR routes out of New York JFK, Atlanta and Detroit from the current 208-passenger 767-300s to 293-seat Airbus A330s. Delta One flat-bed seats in the A330s have that herringbone layout with aisle access for all. Delta will also slightly alter its JFK joint venture schedule with Virgin Atlantic; the current schedule of five Virgin and three Delta flights a day will change to six Virgin and two Delta departures.

While Delta recently publicized some new Europe routes it is adding in 2018, it did not publicize some that it is dropping. That includes seasonal summer service from New York JFK to Moscow Sheremetyevo and to Stockholm Arlanda, and from Philadelphia to Paris CDG.

Hong Kong Airlines, partly owned by China’s Hainan Airlines, will begin service between Hong Kong and Los Angeles in mid-December. A few weeks ago, we reported that the airline also has its eye on other U.S. gateways, and it has just revealed it plans for Hong Kong-San Francisco service. The carrier plans to start flying HKG-SFO on March 25 with four flights a week, increasing to daily frequencies by August 18, according to Routesonline.com. Both LAX and San Francisco flights will use A350-900s with 33 fully-reclining business class seats, 108 in “Economy Comfort” class, and 193 in regular economy. Will a new entrant be able to compete in a crowded SFO market against Cathay Pacific’s three daily flights to Hong Kong, plus service from United and Singapore? We’ll see…

Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic also has some good news for fans of the fast-disappearing Boeing 747. On March 26, Virgin will put a 747-400 onto its daily Manchester-Atlanta service twice a week, increasing to three a week May 26. And on May 22, it will start using a 747-400 on four of its seven weekly JFK-Manchester flights. The other flights on both routes use A330s.

Lufthansa will fly A330 on two U.S. routes–but not to its hubs. (Image: Lufthansa)

Germany’s bankrupt Airberlin keeps limping along as it negotiates the sale of its assets to competitors, but that hasn’t stopped Lufthansa from targeting a couple of Airberlin routes. Lufthansa just announced a pair of new U.S. routes starting this fall – neither one to its hubs at Frankfurt or Munich. On November 7 Lufthansa will kick off New York JFK-Berlin service five days a week with an A330-300 (its first Berlin wide-body service in 16 years), followed on November 8 by Miami-Dusseldorf A330-300 flights three days a week. Next summer, both routes will be transferred to Lufthansa’s Eurowings subsidiary. (Meanwhile, the Oneworld alliance has suspended mileage earning and spending privileges on Airberlin flights for members of other Oneworld airline frequent flyer programs.)

What is the world’s longest route operated by a low-cost airline? As of this week, it’s London Gatwick-Singapore, just launched by Norwegian – its first route to Asia. The carrier is using a 787-9 to fly the 6,764-mile route (12 hours 45 minutes) four times a week, with one-way base fares starting as low as 150 pounds ($201) (plus lots of fees, of course). Norwegian flies to London Gatwick from several U.S. cities – most recently adding Denver-Gatwick and Seattle-Gatwick flights.

Norwegian officials celebrate new London-Singapore flights. (Image: Norwegian)

Hawaiian Airlines and Japan Airlines have announced a new code-share partnership that starts March 25, subject to government approval. “The two carriers also intend to establish a joint venture designed to provide even more choices, convenience and enhancements to the traveling public to/from Japan and beyond to multiple Asian markets,” Hawaiian said. Specific code-shared flights and routes haven’t yet been announced, but Hawaiian said its passengers will have “full access to Japan’s domestic network,” including Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sendai and Aomori. The pact also includes reciprocal mileage earning and spending on code-shared flights, as well as mutual airport lounge access. Hawaiian is moving into JAL’s Terminal 2 at Tokyo Narita to facilitate easy connections. The deal also means the end of Hawaiian’s code-sharing partnership with ANA.

U.S. carriers continue to adjust their Cuba services as they get a better handle on consumer demand for flights to the island nation. American Airlines plans to terminate its daily Miami-Cienfuegos E175 flights on January 7, and United has applied for government approval to increase its service from Houston Bush Intercontinental to Havana from weekly Saturday-only flights to daily frequencies. It didn’t specify a start date for the increase.

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Deal> Australia or New Zealand: $949 round trip on Qantas

QANTAS LAX

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. 

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New: Take a bus to your plane at SFO

Remote stand Turkish Airlines

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!)

Airport bus stands

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.

Ryanair stairs Mykonos

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.

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Airport updates: O’Hare, LAX, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Boston

American’s new Flagship Lounges have hot and cold self-service buffets. (Image: American)

In airport news, American Airlines opens a big new lounge at Chicago O’Hare; Los Angeles International travelers can now use an app to speed up re-entry after international trips; Pittsburgh International will get a massive makeover; Minneapolis-St. Paul gets faster TSA screening lanes; and facial-recognition boarding is a hit with JetBlue passengers at Boston.

At Chicago O’Hare, American Airlines has cut the ribbon on its second new Flagship Lounge; the first was opened at New York JFK some months ago. At ORD, the lounge is in Terminal 3, in the crosswalk between Gates H6 and K6. Hours are 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Targeted for AA’s international travelers at its primary gateway airports, the 17,000 square foot O’Hare Flagship Lounge is open to qualifying first and business class passengers, AAdvantage Executive Platinums, Platinums and Platinum Pros; AAdvantage ConciergeKey members; and Oneworld Emerald and Sapphire travelers. American said it expects to open additional Flagship Lounges before year’s end at Los Angeles International and Miami International, and in 2018 at Dallas/Ft. Worth, Philadelphia and London Heathrow. The O’Hare lounge can handle up to 300 passengers. It has showers, “quiet rooms,” a self-service wine bar, create-your-own cocktail service, hot and cold buffets and a chef to prepare customized offerings.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Mobile Passport Control app is now available for travelers going through Customs at Los Angeles International’s Tom Bradley International Terminal as well as Terminals 2, 4 and 7, airport officials announced. Available free at the Apple App Store and Google Play Store, the app lets passengers create a profile and submit passport information and answers to CBP inspection questions via their smartphone or tablet. The app will then send users a receipt and an encrypted bar code to show to CBP agents at the airport. LAX is a little slow in rolling out the CBP Mobile Passport Control app – 22 other airports have already done so.

Rendering of the spacious atrium planned for Pittsburgh’s new landside building. (Image: Pittsburgh International Airport)

Pennsylvania’s Allegheny County Airport Authority has unveiled a major redevelopment plan that calls for construction of a new landside building for Pittsburgh International’s Midfield Terminal and scaling back the terminal’s number of gates from 75 to 51. Besides new security, ticketing and baggage facilities in the $784 million landside building – which would be between the airside C and D concourses – the project also includes an overhauled international arrivals area, 3,000-space parking garage and other improvements. The X-shaped Midfield Terminal was built 25 years ago to serve as a hub facility for US Airways, but since the carrier downsized that operation and then was merged into American, the terminal now handles less than half the traffic that it once did. The terminal was built to accommodate up to 32 million passengers a year, but it currently handles only 8.3 million; the new facility’s capacity would be 18 million. The $1.1 billion plan calls for razing the existing landside building and the people-mover that carriers travelers from that building to the airside concourses. Construction is planned for 2019 to 2023.

Minneapolis-St. Paul is the latest airport to install those new automated security lanes that are said to speed up the TSA screening process by as much as 30 percent. (Although we’ve heard from many frequent travelers who would disagree with that assessment.) MSP now has four of the new lanes at the Terminal 1 south checkpoint, and will expand them to the north checkpoint next year. The lanes allow several travelers to load their belongings into bins simultaneously; the bins are larger than before, and if a bag raises the concerns of the TSA agent manning the x-ray machine, it can be shuttled off on a separate conveyor belt for further examination without slowing down everyone else. Empty bins are sent back to the starting point by a separate conveyor belt, freeing up TSA agents for inspection duties.

Here’s how JetBlue’s facial recognition system works. (Image: JetBlue)

Some months ago, we reported on JetBlue starting to test facial recognition technology for passenger boarding at its Boston Logan hub. Instead of having to show a boarding pass, passport or anything else to the gate agent, passengers simply stand in front of a camera and proceed on board. After four months, SITA — the technology company that provided the new system — said its biometric scanning proved to be quite accurate in the tests, with a success rate of almost 100 percent matching passengers’ facial images to those in government databases to verify identity. The company said a majority of JetBlue passengers on the airline’s Boston to Aruba flights used the camera option to board.

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Airport experience at all-time high. Why?

Orlando Airport’s new Club at MCO is open to all on a day pass basis. (Image: Airport Lounge Development)

A new survey of passenger satisfaction with North American airports found that flyers’ happiness with the airport experience is at “an all-time high” with airports like Orlando, Detroit and Las Vegas emerging as favorites. However, The J.D. Power survey points to big frustrations at facilities undergoing major construction projects.

I have to agree with those findings when I think about how much airports have improved in the last 10-20 years compared to the cold, institutional spaces I trundled through in the 80s and 90s.

On the company’s 1,000-point satisfaction scale, the overall airport rating jumped 18 points this year, to a record score of 749. The biggest increase – 25 points – came for the security screening process, as TSA has increased staffing and continues to deploy new automated screening lanes that move passengers through the process about 30 percent faster than before.

J.D. Power notes that passengers also report significantly higher satisfaction levels with check-in/baggage check – thanks largely to technological improvements like self-service bag checking – and in the food, beverage and retail concessions available at airports.

SFO

Not much left of SFO’s old control tower- a new open-to-the-public runway overlook is coming soon to the space (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

However, the survey found that the hassles created for travelers by construction projects at some major airports – like Newark, Los Angeles, New York LaGuardia and Chicago O’Hare — are an obstacle to passenger satisfaction. Those airports “are still fighting the headwinds of traveler disruption and access challenges that are handicapping their overall satisfaction scores,” the company said.

Despite its overall low score, improvements at United’s Terminal C have pushed Newark to near the top of my personal favorites— especially with the (usually) quick and easy rail connections to Penn Station. (However its A & B terminals are still pretty awful) LAX is getting better, but it’s going to be a while until Delta makes improvements on its new hand-me-down digs there at Terminals  2 and 3. Everyone still loves to hate LaGuardia, but you can’t beat its proximity to Midtown Manhattan.

Now in is 12th year, the J.D. Power survey for 2017 recorded the opinions of more than 34,000 travelers. They were asked to rate their airport experience in several areas, including terminal facilities, airport accessibility, security screening, baggage claim, check-in/baggage check, and dining/retail concessions.

The results separated airports into three categories based on size: mega, large and medium. Ranking first among “mega” airports in passenger satisfaction was Orlando International, followed by Detroit Metro and La Vegas McCarran.

2017 rankings for “mega” airports. (Source: J.D. Power and Associates)

California airports took top honors in the other two categories. The highest-rated large airport was John Wayne/Orange County, just edging out Tampa International and Dallas Love Field. Among medium-sized airports, Sacramento finished in first place, followed by Indianapolis and Anchorage.

Sacramento ranked first among medium-sized facilities. (Image: Sacramento International Airport)

San Francisco International finished in the middle of the pack – 9th out of 18 – in the mega category. Newark was dead last in that category, just below LAX and O’Hare. In the large airport category, San Diego finished eighth and Oakland came in at 15th, while LaGuardia – in the early phases of a massive reconstruction – finished last in 20th place. Among the 21 medium-sized facilities, San Jose was in 15th place, just below Hollywood Burbank Airport (formerly called Bob Hope Airport). Ranking last in the medium category was Connecticut’s Bradley International, just below Cleveland Hopkins.

Airports are facing significant challenges in maintaining satisfaction levels, J.D. Power said, as passenger numbers at many of them are straining capacities. However, “technology is helping to directly address these issues,” the company noted. “For example, Sacramento International Airport has developed a smartphone app that tells travelers where they can find a parking spot, and virtually every airport in the country has invested heavily in improving phone-charging stations and internet access in their terminals.”

What are your most and least favorite airports… or airport terminals? Where have you seen the most dramatic improvements? Please leave your comments below. 

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Like Delta, United to implement bump auctions

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. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

Norwegian Air 787 Dreamliner

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Routes: Frontier at SJC, Alaska/Virgin, Delta, AA, Sun Country

Frontier is adding more new routes at Mineta San Jose- including an Atlanta nonstop. (Image: Frontier)

In domestic route news, ultra-low-cost Frontier announced even more new service at San Jose; Alaska kicks off its big bump in Bay Area service, and deploys more Virgin A321neos; Delta adds new flights to ski destinations; American expands its schedule to Vail; and Twin Cities-based Sun Country Airlines moves to a new business model.

Two months ago, Frontier Airlines announced plans to add service from Mineta San Jose to four cities – Denver, Las Vegas, Austin and San Antonio. Now Frontier is adding three more cities to its SJC schedule: Atlanta, Cincinnati and Colorado Springs. Atlanta and Colorado Springs flights will operate four days a week starting April 9, 2018, while Cincinnati service will fly three days a week as of April 8.  Daily SJC-Denver service kicks off October 5, followed by SJC-Las Vegas four days a week beginning November 1, SJC-San Antonio three days a week as of April 8 and SJC-Austin three times a week starting April 9.

Take a streetcar ride through New Orleans to see how it’s changed since Katrina (Image: Pixabay)

Back in March, Alaska Airlines/Virgin America unveiled plans for a big expansion of activity in the Bay Area, and this fall those new flights are finally starting to operate. Alaska recently started new daily mainline service (using A320-family planes from Virgin’s fleet) from San Francisco International to Philadelphia and to Nashville, to be followed by daily flights from SFO to New Orleans beginning September 21, to Indianapolis September 26, to Baltimore-Washington October 16, to Raleigh-Durham October 19, and to Kona, Hawaii December 14.

Also part of Alaska’s Bay Area expansion are new E175 flights out of Mineta San Jose, including four flights a day to Los Angeles beginning September 20, and recently-launched daily service to both Austin and Tucson.  At its Seattle hub, meanwhile, Alaska plans to drop its existing daily Horizon Air non-stops to Colorado Springs effective November 4.

Virgin America’s new Airbus A321neos will hold 24 percent more passengers than its A320s. (Image: Airbus)_

Alaska subsidiary Virgin America is getting more new Airbus A321neos, and has revealed the markets where they will begin to operate. Virgin will use an A321neo for one daily Los Angeles-Honolulu flight beginning November 5 (moved up from January 4, 2018); two daily San Francisco-LAX flights beginning November 5; a daily San Francisco-Seattle flight as of November 6; daily SFO-Kona service starting December 14; daily LAX-Maui flights as of January 14 and flights once a week from SFO to San Diego and SFO-Las Vegas beginning January 14 and February 11 respectively. The A321neo (which stands for New Engine Option) is the largest aircraft in Virgin’s fleet, with 185 seats, vs. 146-149 for its A320s.

Delta is beefing up its winter schedule to ski destinations this year. Beginning December 21, Delta will offer daily flights from Salt Lake City to Eagle, Colorado (the airport for Vail) and to Montrose, Colorado (the gateway for Telluride), plus flights once or twice a week from Atlanta to Vancouver, B.C. (the gateway to Whistler). From December 21 through April 2, Delta will also increase frequencies this year from its hubs to its existing ski destinations including Aspen, Vail, Steamboat Springs and Montrose, Colo.; Sun Valley, Idaho; Bozeman and Kalispell, Montana; Reno/Tahoe; Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Calgary/Banff, Alberta and Vancouver/Whistler. You can click here  and scroll down to see the full Delta ski schedule.

Speaking of Vail/Eagle, Colorado, American Airlines plans to extend its seasonal service from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Vail, making it a year-round daily operation next year. Currently, only United Express has year-round Vail flights.

A Sun Country Airlines 737. (Image: Sun Country)

Ever fly Sun Country Airlines? That Twin Cities-based niche carrier recently hired a new CEO named Jude Bricker, who formerly worked at ultra-low-cost Allegiant Air. And according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the new chief plans to move Sun Country over to the same ultra-low-cost business model used by Allegiant, Frontier and Spirit Airlines. Citing a memo to employees at Sun Country, the newspaper said the changes will mean “more seats on airplanes” and a plethora of new passenger fees, including one for overhead bin space. It also means diversifying Sun Country’s route network away from its heavy reliance on MSP, where it is caught in a squeeze between legacy carriers and ultra-low-cost competitors. There’s no word yet on how soon flyers will see those changes.

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Aloha Delta 747

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.

Related: Reader Report- Final ride on a Delta 747

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

Pool Waldorf-Astoria Beverly Hills

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

Alaska Air Giants

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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The busiest air routes you’ll probably never fly

Korea’s Jeju Island is a tourist hot spot. (Image: Visit Korea)

Have you ever been to Jeju Island? Probably not, unless you’re Korean. But travelers who go there are flying the world’s busiest air route.

Jeju is off the southern tip of the Korean peninsula; it’s got lots of beach resorts, a dormant volcano and a miles-long natural cave. It’s a favorite vacation spot for Koreans who want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the capital city, and in July 2017, almost 1.3 million persons flew between Jeju and Seoul (not Seoul Incheon, but Seoul Gimpo, nine miles west of the city).

A new study by Routesonline.com found that those passengers were accommodated on more than 5,800 flights between the two airports during July, or an average of 189 flights a day.

The study determined the world’s busiest air routes in terms of passenger numbers, and of the top 20, exactly none were in North America, Europe or South America. Almost all of them were in the Asia-Pacific region, mostly on domestic routes.

Chart: Routesonline.com

Ranking a distant second behind Seoul-Jeju was a domestic Japanese route, Tokyo Haneda to Sapporo New Chitose. (You might remember Sapporo, on Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, as the site of the 1972 Winter Olympics – or as the name of a popular Japanese beer.)

The third-busiest route worldwide during July was one more likely to see Western travelers: Melbourne to Sydney’s Kingsford Smith Airport.

Rounding out the top 10 routes in passenger numbers were Tokyo Haneda-Fukuoka in Japan; Delhi-Mumbai in India; Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)-Hanoi in Vietnam; Shanghai Hongqiao-Beijing in China; Hong Kong-Taipei; Okinawa-Tokyo Haneda; and an Indonesian route, Jakarta-Surabaya.

What are the busiest routes in the US? We could not find a study that showed just July numbers like the one above, but World Atlas provides this list of the USA’s busiest over the full year from Aug 2014-Aug 2015– in millions of passengers. It’s probably not changed much since then.

Top 10 busiest air routes (in millions of passengers) in the US Aug 2014-Aug 2015 (Source: World Atlas)

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United adds 4 new nonstops to Europe

United will fly from San Francisco to Zurich next summer. (Image: Zurich Tourism)

You wanted to book award travel to Europe this summer but couldn’t find any available seats? The earlier you start, the better, and United Airlines has just opened the books on several new seasonal routes to Europe for summer 2018.

The new schedule includes one route from San Francisco – a daily 787-8 flight to Zurich that will operate from June 7 to October 27. Onward connections at Zurich are available on Swiss, United’s Star Alliance partner. (United also offers year-round service to Zurich from Newark and Washington Dulles.) Currently, Swiss flies year-round using its flagship B777-300ER nonstop between SFO and ZRH.

As of today, round trip economy airfares on United’s SFO-ZRH nonstops are about $1,280. Business class is in the $4,400 range.

While there are award seats available on the new route, regrettably I could not find any at the lower “saver” level on the nonstops— a quick scan showed United charging a whopping 130,000 miles roundtrip in economy or 300,000 in business while rates were much lower for one-stop flights. Since these flights were just loaded today, keep an eye out for changes.

I thought United would have added nonstops between SFO and Rome or Milan to go up against the new Norwegian nonstops to Rome across the Bay at Oakland. SFO-Amsterdam would make sense, too, since there’s currently not a Star Alliance partner offering nonstops. We’ve asked United about this and are awaiting a reply.

Will United ever fly between SFO and Rome? Hope so! (Photo: Pixabay)

Other new seasonal routes on the 2018 schedule include:

  • Washington Dulles to Edinburgh, Scotland with a 757 operating daily from May 23 through October 4.
  • Newark to Porto, Portugal, with a daily 757 flight from May 4 through October 4.
  • Newark to Reykjavik, Iceland, also with a 757 flying daily from May 23 to October 4.

In addition to the new routes, United said it will extend some seasonal Europe routes for a longer period in 2018. San Francisco-Munich and Chicago-Edinburgh service next year will operate from May 4 through October 26; and Chicago-Dublin and Washington Dulles-Lisbon flights will be available from April 9 through October 26.

See all details about United’s new summer schedules here. 

In addition to United’s new summer offerings to Iceland, Portugal, Scotland and Switzerland, the airline will start daily service between Los Angeles and Singapore and between New York/Newark and Buenos Aires in October 2017 and in January 2018, will begin daily nonstop service between Houston and Sydney.

Where would YOU like to see United fly next?

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Reader Report: Air France Premium Economy to Paris, Airbus A380

Air France A380

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.

Air France A380 Premium economy

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.

Air France premium economy

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

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)

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.

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Popular: 747 final flights + Fall hotel bonuses + New routes + New cards + Planespotting

Delta 747

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!

 

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

St Regis Mexico City

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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Airport news: Denver, Boston, DFW, Newark, Pittsburgh

Denver International will get more gates, new concessions. (Image: Jim Glab)

In airport news, Denver will add more gates and several new vendors; Boston may charge a fee from drivers who are picking up or dropping off passengers; work is finally finished on a major overhaul of Dallas/Ft. Worth’s Terminal E; Pittsburgh will allow non-travelers into the airside of its terminals; and United has a very exclusive restaurant at Newark.

A Denver city council committee has approved a plan to start adding more gates to the three terminals at Denver International Airport. Assuming approval by the full council, the proposal calls for construction of a total of 26 new passenger gates – four on the west end of Concourse B by 2019, along with 12 more gates on the west end of Concourse A and 10 on the east end of Concourse C by 2020. The gates would accommodate both international and domestic flights. Meanwhile, airport officials said travelers will see 17 new restaurants and stores in the terminals next year. New entrants include six coffee shops across all three terminals (three Starbucks and three Dazbogs); a new Denver Central Market on Concourse A with a bakery, a sushi outlet, a bodega and other food options; a sports bar from Colorado’s New Belgium Brewery on Concourse B; and a new barbecue restaurant and sandwich shop on Concourse A.

How can you reduce traffic congestion at a major airport? The Massachusetts Port Authority, which runs Boston Logan, is studying a proposal to start imposing fees on all individual drivers who are picking up or dropping off friends or relatives. Taxi and ride-sharing services already pay airport fees that are passed along to their customers, and the Port Authority sees the imposition of fees on non-commercial drivers as a logical next step, according to the Boston Globe. The report notes that the number of flights at Logan has jumped by more than 15,000 a year since 2015, and the number of non-commercial vehicles dropping off or picking up travelers has reached an estimated 20,000 a day. There was no estimate of how much such a fee might be, or how it would be collected, but the report notes that more than a dozen airports in the U.K. already have similar fees.

Dallas/ Ft. Worth’s Terminal E has been thoroughly renovated. (Image: DFW Airport)

At Dallas/Ft. Worth International, airport officials said work has been completed on a major rehabilitation of Terminal E. The project included the installation of device charging stations for passengers at each of the terminal’s 36 gates. Free wi-fi is available throughout the terminal, and travelers can use the DFW mobile app to check flight information, order food, and find retail locations. Terminal E also got 21 new retail and dining concessions including a 7-Eleven, ice cream bar shop, barbecue restaurant, Dunkin’ Donuts, Chick-fil-A, Auntie Anne’s and more. In addition, the number of parking spaces at Terminal E’s garage increased from 4,036 to 5,941, and new overhead LED beacons alert drivers to open spaces.

United’s “secret” restaurant at Newark is by invitation only. (Image: United)

United Airlines’ latest special perk for special passengers is an invitation-only restaurant in Terminal C at its Newark Liberty International hub, according to a report in Travel + Leisure magazine. The airline reportedly notified select customers in an email that they qualify for dining privileges at the exclusive eatery, which is called ‘CLASSIFIED.” MileagePlus elites who are lucky enough to gain access won’t even be told the location of the restaurant until they book a table, the magazine said, although it is reportedly hidden behind Alain Ducasse’s Saison restaurant. Entrees at the 36-seat restaurant reportedly start at $29 and range up to a maximum price of $98 for a 42-ounce (!) steak.

Pittsburgh International this week became the first domestic airport since 9/11 to allow members of the public into its secure airside facilities even if they are not ticketed passengers, according to Air Transport World. A TSA official told the publication that PIT is the only airport that has such a program, and there are no plans to expand it to others. Non-ticketed persons who want to access the airport’s restaurants and shops, or escort a relative or friend to their gate, must show a driver’s license or passport and have their name checked against the government’s no-fly list. Then they’ll get a stamped “myPITpass” and will have to go through security screening to access the terminals.

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New transatlantic routes: Delta, American, BA, Lufthansa, United, WOW

How you gonna keep ’em down on the farm? Delta will fly Indianapolis-Paris in 2018. (Image: Jim Glab)

Continuing with our route news updates, this time we’ll focus on transatlantic.  Delta is adding a pair of non-hub routes to Europe and a new route to Africa; American will introduce some new routes to Europe next year but drop others; British Airways adds a U.S. gateway to Heathrow and some high-density 777 service to Gatwick; Lufthansa ends year-round San Jose flights; United makes an aircraft change on SFO-London; and Iceland’s WOW will fly to more U.S. cities;

Delta has set a May 24, 2018 start for new daily non-stop flights to Paris CDG from … Indianapolis? Yep. It’s not a hub, but Delta does operate 37 fights a day there and has a Sky Club as well. Another new non-hub route for Delta will be the only non-stop service between Orlando and Amsterdam, operating daily starting March 30 of next year. The airline will use 767-300ERs on both routes, with Delta One, Comfort+ and regular economy seating. Delta’s only other international route from Orlando is to Sao Paulo.

On March 24, 2018, Delta will kick off another transatlantic route, from New York JFK to Lagos, Nigeria. The carrier already flies to Lagos from Atlanta four times a week, and the JFK flights will operate three times a week (eastbound on Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday). That route will get an Airbus A330-200 with lie-flat Delta One seats as well as Comfort+ and regular economy.

Look for some changes in American Airlines’ transatlantic summer schedules next year. The airline has announced it will add new daily seasonal service May 4-October 27 from Philadelphia to both Prague and Budapest, using 767-300s; and from Chicago O’Hare to Venice with a 787-8. (American already flies to Venice from Philadelphia.) According to schedule updates in Routesonline.com, American also plans to add daily service starting March 25 from Philadelphia to Zurich, a route it last served in September 2016. Seasonal service getting the ax from AA next year, effective March 25, includes Boston-Paris, JFK-Zurich and JFK-Manchester.

British Airways will use a Dreamliner on its new route to Nashville. (Image: British Airways)

Nashville hasn’t had non-stop flights to London since the 1980s, but it will get them again on May 4, 2018, when British Airways is due to begin five flights a week to Heathrow from the Music City with a 787-8 Dreamliner. Tennessee is reportedly offering BA incentives worth $1.5 million to fly the route. From Philadelphia, meanwhile, British Airways will boost its LHR schedule from seven flights a week to 10 starting in April with the addition of second departures on Mondays, Fridays and Sundays, also with a 787-8. And on May 8, BA will replace one of its two daily 747-400 flights between Chicago O’Hare and London with an Airbus A380 – the first regularly-scheduled A380 service at O’Hare.

British Airways has also been converting some of its 777-200ERs to a higher-density configuration to compete with low-cost competition like Norwegian from London Gatwick, and it will put the aircraft onto some U.S. routes next year. The three-class 777s will have 32 business class seats, 52 in premium economy and 252 in regular economy. They’ll fly once a week to Gatwick from Ft. Lauderdale starting September 13, daily from New York JFK beginning July 8, once or twice a week from Orlando as of May 11, and twice a week from Tampa starting June 7.  BA will also beef up its Las Vegas service on March 27, adding three weekly Las Vegas-London Gatwick 777 flights a week to its 11 weekly LAS-LHR flights.

Lufthansa uses an A340-300 on its San Jose-Frankfurt route. (Image: BriYYZ/Wikimedia Commons)

The San Jose-Frankfurt non-stops introduced last year by Lufthansa will no longer operate year-round. The German carrier had been planning to keep flying the route five times a week, but now has decided to scrap the service for the winter. The SJC-FRA A340-300 flights will be suspended from October 29 through March 24.

Flying United from San Francisco to London? From October 28 through December 19, United plans to make an equipment change on the route. Instead of using 777-200ERs on both daily departures, it will switch one of them (UA900/901) to a 787-9.

Iceland’s ultra-low-cost WOW Air plans to add service from more U.S. cities next spring, offering four Airbus A321 flights a week to Reykjavik (with connections to lots of European cities) from Detroit starting April 26, from Cleveland May 4, from Cincinnati May 10 and from St. Louis May 17. The carrier will also begin Dallas/Ft. Worth service May 24 with three flights a week. One-way fares on the new routes will start as low as $99 (with plenty of extra fees for various amenities and services).

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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A new way to Australia on United

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.

Related: 17 moments in 17 hours on Singapore Air’s SFO-SIN

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Across the Pacific: Battle for Hong Kong + Flock of new A350s + lots more route news

Hong Kong Airlines Airbus A350

Hong Kong Airlines, among others, adding more A350 flights across the Pacific (Photo: Airbus)

Let’s keep catching up with recent route developments with a look at what’s happening across the Pacific. Hong Kong Airlines, which plans to begin Los Angeles flights later this year, now has its eye on San Francisco and New York as well – a threat to Cathay Pacific, which said it will soon upgrade aircraft on its SFO and Newark routes; American Airlines finally nails down a launch date for its long-planned LAX-Beijing flights; Delta will bring a new plane to its Atlanta-Seoul route, and expands code-sharing to China; United drops a China route and expands capacity to New Zealand; Hainan Airlines will add a new U.S. route, and Air China sets a start for an LAX route.

Hong Kong Airlines, which is partly owned by China’s Hainan Airlines, said last month it plans to begin daily Hong Kong-Los Angeles flights in mid-December with its first new Airbus A350. And now it looks like that will just be the beginning: Hong Kong Airlines said that as it takes delivery of more new A350s – it has ordered 21 of them – the carrier plans to start flying from Hong Kong to New York and San Francisco in 2018, as well as Hong Kong-London “and other European and American destinations.” The carrier said its A350s will have 33 fully-reclining business class seats, 108 in “Economy Comfort” class, and 193 in regular economy. It didn’t provide any schedule information for next year’s new routes.

The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post suggested that Hong Kong Airlines’ ambitious expansion plans couldn’t come at a worse time for Hong Kong’s major carrier: “The airline’s push poses a fresh challenge to Cathay Pacific, which has already suffered huge losses in recent years, caused by competition from mainland and Middle Eastern carriers,” the newspaper said.

Cathay Pacific A350

Cathay Pacific’s first U.S. A350s are coming to Newark and SFO this fall (Photo: Cathay Pacific)

For its part, Cathay Pacific recently announced  plans to start flying its own A350s on select U.S. routes. The carrier said that effective October 29, it will replace the 777-300ER currently used on its Hong Kong-Newark route with an A350, and will also put an A350 onto one of its three daily San Francisco-Hong Kong fights on the same date. Cathay has 16 A350-900s, with six more on order. Cathay’s A350s also offer business, premium economy and regular economy seating.

Have you flown an A350 yet? I did last fall on Singapore Airlines inaugural 17-hour SFO-SIN flight. Read the Trip Report here.

After months of delays as it negotiated with China for acceptable takeoff and landing slot times, American Airlines has now settled on November 5 for the inauguration of service on its new Los Angeles-Beijing route. The carrier had to secure DOT’s approval for the late start, and had to fend off regulatory challenges from Delta, which had sought the same route. American had originally said it would use a 777-200 for the LAX-Beijing service, but Routesonline.com now reports that American will begin flying the route with a 787-8, then switch to a 787-9 on March 25 of next year.

Delta’s new international premium economy seats will debut on the A350. (Image: delta)

Delta Air Lines has started taking delivery of its own new Airbus A350s, which it previously announced will start flying October 30 between Detroit and Tokyo Narita. Now Delta says it will also deploy one of the new wide-bodies on its Atlanta-Seoul Incheon route starting March 24 of next year- but the first A350s will fly between Detroit and Tokyo starting this fall. In other transpacific news, Delta this week expanded its code-sharing arrangement with China Eastern, putting the Delta code onto the Chinese carrier’s flights from Shanghai Pudong to Chiang Mai, Ningbo and Urumqi; from Beijing to Chongqing, Haikou and Wuxi; and on its San Francisco-Qingdao-Kunming route. Delta’s code will also go onto the flights of Shanghai Airlines (a China eastern subsidiary) from Pudong to Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur and Weihai.

United has been flying from San Francisco to Hangzhou, China three times a week with a 787-9, but the carrier plans to discontinue that route on October 14, according to a notice in Routesonline.com. Elsewhere, United will make an aircraft change on its San Francisco-Auckland route, which is now seasonal, operating from October 29 through March 22. Instead of a 787-9, United will put a 777-300ER on the route, and will trim frequencies from seven a week to six through December 17, and from 10 a week to seven from December 18 to March 22.

China’s Hainan Airlines plans an October 26 start for new service between New York JFK and Chengdu, flying the route twice a week with a 787-9. And Air China, which had originally planned a mid-summer start for Los Angeles-Shenzen service, has now set December 7 as the launch date; it will fly the route three days a week with a 787-9.

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Airberlin keeps operating – but for how long?

Airberlin’s days are numbered and its assets are for sale . (Image: Airberlin)

Financially troubled Airberlin went bankrupt last month after one of its biggest investors – Abu Dhabi-based Etihad – decided to stop pumping funds into the money-losing airline. And now the carrier is living on borrowed time – and money – as it starts to wind down its operations.

Among the schedule changes: Airberlin has moved up the seasonal cessation of service on some U.S. routes by about a month. It is now due to stop flying to Berlin Tegel on October 1 from San Francisco and October 3 from Los Angeles, and will halt Chicago-Berlin flights September 30 and Miami-Berlin November 2. An October 1 termination is also set for the airline’s Boston-Dusseldorf service.

The airline currently plans to keep flying this winter to Berlin from New York JFK, and to Dusseldorf from JFK, Chicago, Los Angeles, Orlando and San Francisco, according to Routesonline.com, although those plans could change.

This is especially tough on SFO because it offered the airport’s only nonstop to Berlin. We’ve reached out to Lufthansa to see if it would be taking that slot, but have not heard back.

The European Commission this week approved the German government’s proposal to extend a $179 million bridge loan to the troubled airline. “The measure will allow for the orderly wind-down of the insolvent airline Airberlin without unduly distorting competition in the single market,” the EC said in a statement.

“The purpose of the loan is to allow Air Berlin to continue operations in the coming months, with the aim of maintaining its services while it concludes ongoing negotiations to sell its assets,” the EC statement added. “At the end of the process, Airberlin is expected to cease operating and exit the market.”

Airberlin is looking for investors interested in buying its assets, and has set a September 15 deadline for bids. According to press reports, European carriers interested in buying assets include Lufthansa, Ryanair, TUI and possibly Easyjet.

Last winter, Lufthansa agreed to lease about three dozen A319s and A320s and crews from Airberlin, to be used by Lufthansa’s Eurowings and Austrian Airlines subsidiaries.

On its website, Airberlin thanked government officials for approving the bridge loan as it looks for buyers. “Without guaranteed financial support at this time, Airberlin would have had to shut down operations immediately,” the company said.

Airberlin has posted a page of frequently asked questions for passengers.

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Catching up after time off: What happened in August

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!

Airbus A250

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

Global Entry

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

 

QANTAS

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 

Mexico City

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

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U.S. routes: Southwest, United, Alaska, AA, Delta, JetBlue + more

San Jose Airport

Southwest Airlines is adding new San Jose routes next spring. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

We have a lot of airline route news to catch up on following our August break, so we’ll start with domestic developments. Southwest’s spring schedule additions include several new routes out of San Jose and Sacramento; Alaska also starts new service at San Jose; United will join Alaska in flying out of a new Pacific Northwest airport, and adds a seasonal ski market from San Francisco; American will start new service from Denver, and will put a wide-body on a San Francisco transcon route; Delta’s Salt Lake City hub gets a new spoke, and Las Vegas gets more Hawaii flights; JetBlue grows at Atlanta and Boston; Spirit adds a Las Vegas transcon route; and Frontier expands at San Antonio.

The battle for California is paying off for Golden State travelers with tons of new routes and low fares. Southwest Airlines last week unveiled plans for significant expansion in California next spring. On April 8, the airline will kick off new daily service from San Jose to Boise, St. Louis, Austin, Spokane and Houston Hobby, along with new daily flights from Sacramento to Austin and St. Louis. Southwest will follow that up on May 6 by launching new daily service to Orlando from both San Jose and Sacramento. Officials at SJC said Southwest will also expand existing routes there starting April 8, adding a second daily roundtrip to both Chicago Midway and Dallas Love Field, a fifth to Seattle, a sixth to Phoenix, and a fifth and sixth daily flight from SJC to Portland., along with new Sunday-only service to Albuquerque and New Orleans.

In Florida, Southwest on April 8 will add three daily roundtrips between Ft. Lauderdale and Jacksonville and daily non-stops between Milwaukee and Houston Hobby. On March 8, Southwest is due to discontinue its non-stop flights between Dallas Love Field and Milwaukee, and between Philadelphia and West Palm Beach, and will seasonally suspend service between Oakland-Tucson, Washington Reagan National-Ft. Myers, and Minneapolis/St. Paul-Ft. Lauderdale.

United will join Alaska in flying out of Washington State’s Paine Field next year. (Image: Alaska Airlines)

Travelers in San Francisco and Denver will get a new option for flights to the Seattle area next year with United’s announcement that it will add service from those cities to Paine Field, 23 miles north of Seattle. Starting in the fall of 2018, United said, it plans to start offering six flights a day from Paine to its SFO and DEN hubs. Last spring, Alaska Airlines announced plans to begin the first commercial airline service from Paine Field in the fall of next year, although it didn’t say which routes it would serve. In other route news, United will begin twice-weekly seasonal  service on December 18 between San Francisco and Vail/Eagle, Colorado, with CRJ700s operated by SkyWest. Elsewhere, United/SkyWest on November 1 will begin service six days a week to Clarksburg, West Virginia, from both Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles with CRJ200s.

Speaking of Alaska Airlines, that carrier last week kicked off new routes at San Jose, adding daily flights to both Austin and Tucson, using the popular Embraer E175 regional jets. That gives Alaska 31 daily departures at SJC to 18 destinations.

San Jose gates

SJC is expanding, adding two new gates (29 & 30) at the southern end of the Terminal B for use by Alaska Air (Image: SJC)

On October 5, American Airlines is planning to replace the A321 currently used on one of its daily Philadelphia-San Francisco flights (AA722/723) with a wide-body Airbus A330-200. The bigger plane is currently scheduled to keep flying the route through December 14. Next year, beginning June 7, American plans to operate a daily summer flight between Denver and New York JFK with a 737-800. In other news, The Dallas News reports that American will offer 2-4-2 premium economy seating on its Hawaii routes from Dallas/Ft. Worth, using retrofitted 777-200s. The roomier seats are available from DFW to Honolulu and Maui starting in December, and from DFW to Kona beginning next June.

On December 21, Delta plans to begin new daily service between its Salt Lake City hub and Milwaukee, using an E175 operated by SkyWest. Delta is also extending its planned Las Vegas-Honolulu 757 service, which was originally scheduled for daily holiday flights from December 21 to January 14. Now they will continue as Saturday-only service from January 15, increasing to three flights a week February 16.

JetBlue is adding three more Atlanta routes. (Image: Jim Glab)

JetBlue finally broke into the Atlanta market last March, when it started flying five times a day from ATL to its Boston focus city. And now JetBlue has plans to double its Atlanta presence by adding five more daily flights there. Effective March 8, 2018, JetBlue will start flying from Atlanta to New York JFK twice a day, to Ft. Lauderdale twice a day, and to Orlando once a day. Elsewhere, JetBlue announced it will begin new service between Boston and Syracuse on January 4, offering one daily roundtrip with an Embraer 190.

In the ultra-low-cost carrier arena, Spirit Airlines on November 9 will begin daily A320 service between Las Vegas and Newark.  And Frontier Airlines will start operating four flights a week from San Antonio to Washington Dulles on October 6, followed by four a week between San Antonio and Ontario, California beginning October 13.

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Hurry up & wait at airport immigration lines this summer

International passengers arriving at SFO can now use faster Mobile Passport kiosks at customs (Photo: SFO)

We are in the midst of an international travel boom this summer. And that means one thing is certain: much longer lines at airport customs and immigration on both ends of your trip. Are you prepared? Have you built the possibility of immigration delays into your schedule?

By now, every frequent international traveler should have Global Entry which helps speed you through immigration via a kiosk instead of an agent. It’s cheap ($100), many high end credit cards will reimburse that fee, it includes PreCheck and it’s good for five years. And as we reported last month, it’s now easier than ever to get your Global Entry appointment, too. So what are you waiting for?

Still, some of you may not get Global Entry in time for your international trip this summer. In that case,  take advantage of Mobile Passport,  a handy smartphone app to speed up Customs and Border Protection processing. The app is FREE, available from Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store, and is almost as good as Global Entry. Currently, it is only available to U.S. and Canadian passport holders. Download the app before you take off on your trip!

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is using technology to reduce lines. (Image: CBP)

Despite all that preparation, you can still run into hassles at immigration. Sometimes the kiosks go on the fritz. Many times there are staffing issues. And the sheer volume of travelers is bound to slow things down during peak summer season.

If you are worried about the possibility of immigration delays, you can try to avoid arriving at peak times. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) tracks wait times and posts the data on this website— but it’s a LOT of data, and not very helpful.  CBP does not track Oakland or San Jose lines, so we relied on advice from airport PR folks for those airports below.

Keep in mind that immigration lines are subject to irregular/off schedule airline operations, and it’s always possible that four or five jumbos could unload at the same time.

Here’s our post with a list of airports that experienced the longest immigration lines last summer. Below is a listing of peak times at Bay Area airports.

San Francisco International: 

SFO has two different customs halls, one in International Terminal A (primarily SkyTeam & Oneworld airlines) and one in International Terminal G (primarily United and Star Alliance).

Terminal A peaks from 10:00 am -1:00 pm and then 5:00 pm – 7:00 pm on weekdays when maximum wait times regularly exceed 45 minutes. On weekends, the peak lasts longer– until about 3:00 pm and 8:00 pm.

Terminal G peaks from 6:00 am – 10:00 am on weekdays, but on weekends, the peak shifts to 12:00 noon – 5:00 pm.

kiosks

16 kiosks help speed up lines at Oakland’s expanded international arrivals building (Photo: Keonnis Taylor)

Oakland International:

Last month Oakland expanded its International Arrivals Building adding 13,000 sq. ft. of additional space incorporating a new baggage carousel and an expanded passenger primary processing room. Before the expansion, international arrival operations had been limited to approximately 300 passengers per hour, the equivalent of one widebody aircraft. However, with the expanded facility, approximately 600 passengers per hour can be accommodated, meaning two widebody aircraft can be processed simultaneously. Additionally, the new space accommodates 16 automated passport control kiosks, doubling availability from eight previously. That’s great news considering OAK’s international arrivals are up 106% over last summer.

Since many of Oakland’s international flights are not daily, peak times can vary from day to day.

Mondays & Tuesdays: 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Wednesdays: 5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

Thursdays: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm

Fridays: 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Saturdays & Sundays: 5:00 pm – 7 pm

SJC San Jose International

San Jose’s slick new international arrivals facility opened in early 2017. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

San Jose Mineta International:

Last spring, SJC finished a renovation of its International Arrivals Building adding 5,600 square feet along with a second baggage carousel and an enclosed waiting area.

Similarly, many international flights at SJC are not daily so wait times vary.

Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 9:00 am – 2:00 pm and 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 pm

Tuesdays & Thursdays: 9:00 am – noon, 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm

What’s the longest you’ve ever had to wait in a customs or immigration line? Please leave your experiences and advice below. 

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Routes: Hawaiian, Alaska, Delta, United, Southwest

Hawaiian will start deploying new single-aisle Airbus A321neos later this year. (Image: Airbus)

In domestic route news, Hawaiian Airlines will add new West Coast routes as new aircraft come online; Alaska eyes more expansion in the months ahead; Delta grows again at Seattle; United adds two routes in the west;