TravelSkills

News and Tips For Your Trips

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)

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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

Tourists London

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

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

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

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

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

Chris McGinnis

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

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

5 More Mint: JetBlue sets next wave of Mint expansion

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

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

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

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

10 Contro: Airplane lavatory seats: Up or down?

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

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

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

United will move 787s from Houston to Washington Dulles routes

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

Delta extends Porsche transfers to Delta Private Jet customers

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

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

Wallethub ranks best and worst U.S. airlines

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

United getting new coach seats

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Most popular: Delta 747 + Aircraft noise + New routes + SFO runways + Hyatt points

Flight attendant hat

Flight attendant wore uniforms from the 70s at the Delta 747 Experience last week. Hat designed by Yves St Laurent (Image: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 What a sight! First look deep inside a Delta 747-400 [PHOTOS]

2 Causing consternation: Ugly aircraft noise, beautifully displayed

3 Routes: Delta, Alaska, AA, JetBlue, United, JetSuiteX

4 Virgin’s new moves Routes: Seattle and SFO; Delta, WOW, AA, Emirates, United, BA + more

5 Airport news: San Diego, Newark, Atlanta, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland

6 Chris flies to London this week from OAK> Deal: $503 roundtrip Oakland-London on British Airways

Marriott Residence Inn

My fave hotel in Boston: Marriott’s popular Residence Inn Downtown Seaport (Chris McGinnis)

7 Fares still available on FOUR carriers: Full-on fare war: Atlanta-Boston $80 economy, $335 first

8 Flatter seats, fewer upgrades: Delta, JetBlue lay on more lie-flat seats, but…

9 ICYMI My most jaw-dropping window seat view…ever [VIDEO]

10 Still a hot issue: Alaska Airlines reveals fate of Virgin America

Don’t miss: Working around the laptop ban

Listen up! TravelSkills sponsor Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection recently created a podcast interview about the latest travel news with editor Chris McGinnis! Listen for yourself by clicking below, or find it on Soundcloud — Chris’s bit starts at the 10:30 minute mark:

Coyote runway

Fake, or decoy, coyotes are used to scare birds off the runway at SFO (Image: Chris McGinnis)

Runway repairs will cause 9 week(ends) of delays at SFO

Richard Branson: Alaska Air must pay for Virgin brand thru 2040!

American Express increases Platinum sign up bonus to 60,000 (keep scrolling!)

San Jose airport manager moving south

Very helpful: How to travel with an Alzheimers or dementia companion

Boeing’s new Skyview window (Boeing)

Largest airplane windows of all time offer pano views

Hyatt rolls out new double points promotion

Virgin Atlantic reveals new Upper Class design for A330s

New jacket for travelers has 10 functions

Silvercar sold this week (Facebook photo: Than Maung)

Audi plans to acquire 100 percent of U.S. specialty rental firm Silvercar

Hilton’s digital room key app now available in 1,000 hotels

U.S. company plans to build 150-passenger electric-powered aircraft

These airlines are most likely to bump you

The 10 U.S. cities ranked best for business travel

How Lyft is like a “better boyfriend”

Get the app and get $10 off your first Lyft ride!

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Delta’s new fees for earlier flights

Want to get an earlier flight? It’ll cost more on Delta. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

It just got a little more expensive to get on an earlier Delta flight.

The airline this week boosted its fees from $50 to $75 for same-day confirmed flight changes and for standbys. That brings Delta’s fees into line with United’s and American’s.

The higher fee applies to SkyMiles Silver Medallions as well as non-elites and non-members. The fees continue to be waived for SkyMiles Gold, Platinum and Diamond Medallions. H/T Points Miles & Martinis

The relatively steep fees at the major legacy carriers bring them into sharper contrast with Southwest’s no-fee policy for changes or cancellations. Earlier this month, Southwest also relaxed restrictions on free standby privileges for its A-List and A-List Preferred customers.

(Image: Jim Glab)

Even if you’re not on Southwest, it might be possible to get on an earlier flight without paying a fee, whether or not you’re an elite-level frequent flyer or a full-fare ticket holder. The key is to be able to show the gate agent that it is in the airline’s best interest to accommodate you on an earlier flight.

  • If you get to the airport in time to grab an earlier departure, check the arrival status of the inbound aircraft that will become the outbound flight you’ve booked. (Instead of looking at the airline’s arrivals board, use FlightAware’s mobile app for greater accuracy.) If it’s coming in late, it means your departure will likely be delayed – and you might miss a connection downline. That makes it in the airline’s interest to put you on an earlier departure, especially if your connecting flight is overbooked or the last one of the day.
  • If you’re flying out of a connecting hub and have a chance for an earlier departure than the one you’ve booked, ask the gate agent about the likelihood of “miss-connects” on that earlier flight. These are connecting passengers whose inbound flights are coming in late enough that they might miss the next segment (i.e., the one you want to get on). If the airline will accommodate your request, it will not only make you a happy passenger, but will also open up a seat on the later flight for someone who missed their connection.
  • Remember that your attitude in talking to the gate agent can make all the difference – and gate agents have all the power in these situations, especially when it comes to waiving fees. These employees are busy and frequently abused by irate travelers – so taking a high-handed approach won’t get you anywhere. Don’t be overbearing, but don’t be obsequious either. Just be pleasant and seem like you’re trying to be helpful rather than demanding or annoying.
  • If you have a good reason for wanting to get home earlier, it might be worth mentioning – especially if it involves your family. Would an earlier flight get you back in time to attend your kid’s Little League game or recital? Gate agents have families, too, and it could make them a little more sympathetic to your request.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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

United 747

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

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

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

2 Spring breaker beware- Reader Report: Shakedown in Mexico

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

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

5 Biz traveler favorite- Burbank loses Hope but gains flights

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

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

San Jose SJC Terminal B

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

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

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

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

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

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

Getting a good cocktail at airport or plane getting easier

Qantas rainbow themed livery for Sydney Mardi Gras

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

American’s revised boarding procedure has nine passenger groups

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

Korean Air takes delivery of its first 787-9 Dreamliner

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

Delta’s first Airbus A350 takes shape

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

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

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

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

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

#cocktails #martini #decatur #atlanta #travel

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Business class sale: US to Europe this spring

How about a lie-flat ride in a KLM 787 Dreamliner? (Photo: KLM)

How does springtime in Paris sound? A lark in lovely London? Or anywhere else in Europe in lie-flat business class?

Today SkyTeam airlines Delta, Air France and KLM launched a flash sale for business class tickets on many US-to-Europe routes. As we publish this post, we are seeing similar fares on American, United and other Oneworld and Star Alliance carriers, so we have a bit of a fare war on our hands…)

But you need to act fast because seats will sell out fast and you only have until February 28 to get the deal.

Roundtrip fares are in the $2,500 range from the east coast; about $3,000 from midwest cities and around $3,200 from the west coast. These fares represent a nice discount on business class, which usually runs in the $4,000 to $7,000 range. (Scroll down for sample fares on KLM and Air France)

Details:

>Book by February 28

>Travel from April 4 – April 27 (However, we see sale fares on many routes stretching into early June, so check) 

>Book directly at Delta, Air France and KLM. (Check business fares on other carriers for April flights because we don’t see fare sale pages posted yet) 

A press release states, “Air France’s Business Class cabins feature a fully flat bed, aisle access for every passenger, and a multipurpose area complete with a desk, restaurant table and bed. KLM’s World Business Class cabins also feature a reclinable bed, in addition to a personal entertainment system and comfort kits designed by Dutch designer Jan Taminiau.”

Business class on an Air France’s 787-9 (Image: Air France)

Have you flown KLM or Air France lately? What did you think? Did you get a true lie-flat seat, or an angled lie-flat seat? Please leave your comments below. 

Sample Fares provided by Air France / KLM:

Air France special fares are available on flights departing from:

New York – Dublin (from $2,642)                               Chicago – Paris (from $2,969)

New York – Frankfurt (from $2,493)                          Atlanta – London (from $3,123)

New York – Paris Orly (from $2,716)                         Salt Lake City – Amsterdam (from $3,142)

New York – Paris CDG (from $2,719)                         Seattle – Amsterdam (from $3,142)

New York – London ($2,873)                                        Portland – Amsterdam ($3,142)

Minneapolis – Amsterdam (from $2,892)               San Francisco – London ($3,420)

KLM special fares are available on flights departing from:

New York – Frankfurt (from $2,493)                          Chicago – Paris CDG (from $2,969)

New York – Dublin (from $2,642)                               Atlanta – London (from $3,080)

New York – Paris Orly (from $2,716)                         Salt Lake City – Amsterdam (from $3,142)

New York – Paris CDG (from $2,718)                         Seattle – Amsterdam (from $3,142)

New York – London (from $2,829)                             Portland – Amsterdam (from $3,142)

Minneapolis – Amsterdam (from $2,892)               San Francisco – London (from $3,421)

 

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Popular: Fare deal | United headsets | Cuba clock ticks | Alaska>Virgin tips | Trump bump | Cathay sale

Alaska Airlines

Chris flew on an Alaska Airlines 737-900 to Cuba last week (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 Deal alert: West Coast to Europe for $69

2 United passengers test a new way of looking at thingsWeekend Edition

3 Clock ticking on your chance to see Cuba? Maybe

4 Alaska Airlines helping Virgin flyers make the transition

5 What “Do Not Disturb” really means at hotels

Polaris cabins have plenty of overhead storage space. (Image: United)

Polaris cabins have plenty of overhead storage space. Passengers have strange footwear 😉 (Image: United)

6 United’s new Polaris cabin: More than just window dressing

7 United to kick out The Queen earlier than expected

8 Routes: Delta at Seattle, Alaska at Portland + AA, JetBlue, Spirit

9 Deal Alert: Australia/New Zealand for less than $900

10 Southwest announces 22 new routes

Don’t miss: Big new Marriott in Houston, Starwood in NYC + more new hotels

Delta's premium economy cabin will debut on its A350s in about a year. (Image: Delta)

You’ll likely be paying more for your Delta flights this year…thanks to Trump?  (Image: Delta)

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

Delta gets a Trump bump; expects fares to rise

How to get 15% off Qatar Airways flights

Airlines added 8 new routes PER DAY last year. No word on how many they dumped, tho

Plans set for a new Concourse G at ATL– adding 10 new international gates

Cathay Pacific Year of the Rooster sales- great deals to Asia from US East & West coasts

The entrance to Manhattan's new 34th Street-Hudson Yards subway station. (Image: Metropolitan Transportation Authority)

The entrance to Manhattan’s new 34th Street-Hudson Yards subway station. (Image: Metropolitan Transportation Authority)

Wi-fi and cell phone signal now at all New York City Subway stations

Oakland now has the most flights…ever

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta is #1– but not for what you might expect…

Uber/Lyft pick ups on LOWER level of ATL Hartsfield-Jackson

Carlos Slim gets contract to build Mexico City’s $4 billion new airport

How to Use Your 100,000 Chase Sapphire Reserve Bonus Points

United updates its menu

United menu

Sample menus on United domestic flights

BA makes plans to deal with three-day cabin crew strike starting January 19

JetBlue completes fleetwide rollout of Fly-Fi Wi-Fi

TSA found nine guns a day at airport checkpoints during 2016

FedEx package drop-offs, pick-ups coming to Walgreens

Loaded guns are legal in these 11 major U.S. airports

World’s airlines with the best and worst on-time performance

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Delta dives into deal with Aeromexico

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

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

For Delta flyers, a new deal with Aeromexico means it could get a lot easier to earn and burn SkyMiles for transborder trips- but such deals also limit competition, which could lead to higher fares.

The Transportation Department gave its tentative approval to a grant of antitrust immunity for a joint venture between Delta and Aeromexico – subject to certain conditions. Final approval of the application would mean that the two airlines can “coordinate their network planning, pricing, and sales activities, as well as enhance the alignment of their respective frequent flyer programs,” DOT said.

Delta has a similar joint venture across the Atlantic with Air France, KLM and Alitalia.

But in order for Delta and Aeromexico to win final approval, the agency said they would have to sell off enough takeoff and landing slots to accommodate 24 new daily transborder flights from Mexico City and six from New York JFK.

“The Department tentatively finds these conditions are necessary to prevent harm to consumers resulting from the carriers’ dominant positions at MEX and JFK, and the inability of new entrant carriers to access slots at the airports,” DOT said. The agency also said it wants to limit the grant of antitrust immunity to five years. DOT said it would issue a final ruling after a comment period that runs through November 30.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Deal Alert: Major domestic fall winter fare sale

Southwest Airlines recently painted a 737 based on the Colorado state flag.

Southwest Airlines kicked off a good fall winter sale- including flights to Colorado for ski trips! (Photo: Stephen Keller/Southwest Airlines)

Travel demand and fares always tumble during the slower fall and winter months, and this year is no exception.

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

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

Southwest kicked it off today with with fares starting at $100 roundtrip. From there, roundtrip fares rise in several steps to around $300. These fares are about $10 more than a similar sale Southwest offered in October 2015.

Sample approximate round trip fares include:

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

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

$200: SFO/OAK/LAX to Dallas or Denver; Atlanta-Boston, Chicago, Dallas or New York

$260: Houston-Phoenix, Atlanta-Los Angeles/Las Vegas; Denver-Atlanta;  New York to Chicago or New Orleans; SFO/OAK-Chicago

$300: Most transcon flights between New York, Baltimore, Atlanta or Boston and LAX, SFO/OAK, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle

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

Don’t miss out on TravelSkills fare alerts! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

Party scene on the roof of the brand new Virgin Hotel Chicago

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

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

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

Details of Southwest’s 72-hour sale:

>Must buy your tickets between now and Thursday, October 6 at 11:59 p.m. (in originating city).

>Travel windows: November 30-December 20; January 4-February 15, 2017

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

>Black out dates: Christmas/New Years peak season from Thursday December 21- Wednesday, January 4

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

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

Stay tuned for UPDATES: Airlines matching this sale so far include: Virgin America | United | Delta (Dec. only) | JetBlue

–Chris McGinnis

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts:

Kicking support animals off planes | Shocked passenger refuses to pay $3 for water | Marriott-Starwood: Higher prices, better rewards | The 10,000 points question! | Eye-catching maps explain state of the world | Test your planespotting skills!

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What Delta, Korean Air fence-mending means for SkyMiles

Korean Air KAL 747 747-8

Soon it will be much easier to earn Delta SkyMiles on Korean Air flights like the new 747-8 flying SFO-Seoul (Image: Korean Air)

Delta frequent flyers will get a lot more opportunities to earn and burn Delta SkyMiles on trips to Asia starting later this year. The carrier is planning a big expansion of its code-sharing partnership with Korean Air, followed next year by the addition of a new Delta flight from Atlanta to Seoul Incheon.

This is great news for flyers affected by the previously chilly relationship between the two SkyTeam partners which greatly diluted (or eliminated) the ability to earn Delta SkyMiles (including MQMs) when flying Korean Air. When Delta places its code on Korean Air flights, you buy the ticket from Delta, which means that you earn SkyMiles just like any other Delta flight. But when you get to the airport, you board a Korean Air flight.

Delta and Korean Air have been partners in the SkyTeam global alliance since it was founded 20 years ago. But that partnership got a little rocky in recent years when the two carriers could not agree on a potential joint venture.

With the big code-share expansion, subject to government approvals, Delta’s code will go onto Korean’s flights from San Francisco and Houston to Seoul, and on Korean Air flights beyond Seoul to 32 Asia destinations including Taipei, Osaka, Singapore, Nagoya, Okinawa and others.  Korean will put its code onto Delta’s new Atlanta-Seoul flights and on Delta flights beyond Atlanta, Los Angeles and New York to 115 destinations in the U.S. and Canada.

Related: Trip Report- Korean Air Boeing 747-8 SFO-Seoul

The Delta-KAL codeshare lets you buy a ticket from Delta, but fly KAL (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The Delta-KAL codeshare lets you buy a ticket from Delta, but fly on KAL metal (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

“Combined, Delta and Korean will offer round-trip connectivity to 142 destinations in the Americas and 33 destinations across Asia between their joint Atlanta-Seoul schedules,” the airlines said.

Delta said its new ATL-Seoul flight — set to launch on June 3 of next year using a 291-seat 777-200LR – will complement Korean Air’s existing daily service in the market. The flight will have 37 Delta One seats, 36 in Delta Comfort and 218 regular economy seats. Korean’s ATL-Seoul flight uses a 777-300ER with eight seats in First Class, 42 in Prestige business class and 227 in economy. The Delta flight will depart Atlanta at 1:05 p.m.; Korean’s flight leaves Atlanta at 12:20 p.m.

If you had to chose Delta or KAL to fly to Asia, which would you pick? Why? Please leave your comments below. 

(We’re back from summer vacation! In case you missed our other recent round-up posts, here they are: Domestic Routes Roundup | Tips from a Hawaiian Vacation | August’s most important travel news)

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

Delta Atlanta rains

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Relax. No combined Marriott-Starwood loyalty program until 2018

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

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

How to get the best flight deal to Europe

Delta shuts down, moves @DeltaAssist Twitter handle

Confessions of an airport thief

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

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

World’s two busiest air routes? Surprising answer

United, Delta drop plan for JFK-Newark slot swap

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

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

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

These design innovations could improve the air travel experience

New study rates airports’ Wi-Fi performance

Survey finds road warriors are stressed out by international trips

Company develops 21-inch seatback touchscreens

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

Click to follow Chris on Instagram!

Click to follow Chris on Instagram!

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

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Fly through Atlanta’s dramatic new airport canopy (VIDEO)

Screen Shot 2016-03-10 at 5.36.40 PM

This week Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport officials reveal plans for a $6 billion renovation and expansion that will last nearly 20 years.

The most dramatic new addition will be a giant, translucent canopy that covers the roadways that run between the north and south terminals and adjacent parking lots. Scroll down for a look at renderings of how the iconic new canopy will look, inside and out. And don’t miss the full video if you have a few minutes to watch it.

In addition to the canopy, the airport plans to update all domestic terminals, adding bigger windows for more light and tarmac views. Terminal renovations start later this year, and after that (starting 2021) a massive project to demolish and replace the airport’s parking decks commences.

Add to that a new 450-room hotel (located in the current west parking lot), a new terminal (G) and a sixth runway, and you have one whopper of a project that we’ll be living with for the next 20 years.

(All images courtesy Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport)

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Screen Shot 2016-03-10 at 5.35.59 PM

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Screen Shot 2016-03-10 at 5.37.09 PM

To see the dramatic fly-through video rendering, click here or view below:

ATLNext Canopy Animation from Hartsfield-Jackson on Vimeo.

Here’s a full rundown of key features of the project:

Airport main terminal

  • Terminal modernization, now-2018, $393 million
  • Concourse T extension, 2016-2021, $200 million
  • Plane Train people-mover turnback relocation, 2016-2027, $307 million
  • Concourse G, 2016-2023, $983 million
  • Concourse D gate area expansion, 2019-2025, $50 million

Parking

  • ATL West parking deck next to Georgia International Convention Center, 2016-2017, $150 million
  • Sullivan Road Park-Ride Lot, 2016-2018, $7.6 million
  • Domestic garage enabling work, 2016-2021, $100 million
  • South garage teardown and replacement, 2021-2024, $420 million
  • North garage teardown and replacement, 2024-2027, $245 million

Hotel

  • Hotel, travel plaza, mixed-use commercial complex, 2016-2018, $500 million

Airfield

  • Taxiway/runway pavement replacement, 2016-2017, $24 million
  • End-around taxiway, 2017-2021, $58 million
  • Runway pavement replacement, 2021-2023, $35 million
  • Other airfield renewal/replacement, 2016-2035, $310 million
  • Sixth runway, 2023-2034, $943 million

 


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Delta’s painful “buy MQM” offer

Delta's buy MQM plan this year is downright Grinchy. (Image: Delta/YouTube)

Delta’s buy MQM plan this year is downright Grinchy. (Image: Delta/YouTube)

At this time of year, emails like this one start to pile up in the TravelSkills inbox:

Dear Chris: Any word this year if Delta is going to let FF’s buy some MQM’s at year end ?  I need a couple of thousand and would rather not have to take a last minute trip during the holidays. Thanks! Love the blog — L.H. 

If you are short of Delta Medallion Qualifying Miles (MQMs) for the year, the carrier is repeating its annual year-end opportunity to buy access to elite status… at ridiculously high prices.

The deal was a lot better in leaner times! Back in 2011, you could buy 5,000 MQMs for about $500, or 10,000 for about $900. Remember this? When times were really tough back in 2009, Delta offered up to 15,000 MQMs for those who donated to charities like AID Atlanta or Grady Hospital? Those were the days!, right?

This year, Delta is selling those cherished MQMs for three times as much– almost $3,000 for 10,000 miles.

Anyway… for flyers who are still missing MQMs, buying them is rarely the answer unless time is of the essence.   Delta knows that many customers will come up short at the end of the year and has traditionally cashed in on those that need that slight nudge to the next level– albeit at painfully high prices. Better idea? Get a Delta Reserve card for $450, and get 10,000 MQMs for your first purchase, and then spend $30K in a year and get 15,000 more. Delta’s Amex Platinum offers 5,000 MQMs after spending just $1,000.

Delta

Qualification and rates vary depending upon your mileage balance (must be within 10K miles of the next level) and Medallion status, so hold your nose and at least go check this link. See if you qualify, and in the comments below, let us know your status and how much Delta wants to sell you MQMs for this year. Will you bite? 

h/t  Rene’s Points blog

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

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Soothing words + Surge pricing + A new plane + 500 easy HHonors points + Verizon

Chris's soothing seatmate Lillian (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Chris’s soothing seatmate Lillian. Read about her below (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 Headed home? Worst airlines/airports/flights for Thanksgiving travel

2 Room for more: Routes: Delta mini-hub? + Alaska Air in Calif + Spirit in Seattle + More

3 Have some fun! Name that airport! [Quiz]

Almost 4,000 airport geeks have taken our quiz- have you? The most MIS-identified airport in the quiz so far is: FRANKFURT. And the average score is 65%. Are you an airport master or novice?

4 Deal-seekers licking their chops Trans-Pacific fare war in the wings?Weekend Edition

5 Get $20 off first Lyft ride! 5 ways to avoid surge pricing from Uber & Lyft

6 Finally! How to save money using Google Maps overseas

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

8 Boorish behavior Air travel: It’s great, except for the other passengers

9 Hello! We’ve been waiting for this one Verizon’s new plan for international travelers

10 Build it and … New hotels: Starwood in Vegas, SF + Hyatt in Houston + NYC, Austin, more

Survey says: United and Delta are tied for most flown airlines by TravelSkills readers! Have you taken our survey yet? 440 readers have! We want YOU, too: TAKE THE TRAVELSKILLS READER SURVEY

LILLIAN: Back in the dark days of the great recession around 2010, I was out flying around, freaking out like everyone else, wondering if we were headed into the Great Depression. The world was filled with angst, the future seemed bleak and dark; uncertainty ruled. It feels like that this weekend due to the horrific events we’ve seen unfold in Paris. Back in 2010, I was on a business trip to Phoenix trying to save some business. After my stressy meetings I rushed to PHX and jumped on a Southwest flight home. I was late and the only seat left of the plane was next to Lillian, the wonderful woman in the orange crown you see in the photo above. I could not resist jumping into a conversation with her as a way to forget everything else on my mind, and boy did she work some magic. We talked about her life as a nurse in Oakland, how to fry okra, how to improve on Jiffy cornbread mix, God, healing, her babies, Darius Rucker’s music and her Irish great grandfather. She also told me that I looked like I could use a nap and that I needed to stop worrying so much about things out of my control. About halfway through the flight, I could tell that everyone within earshot was absorbing her soothing words and ways, too. I got off the plane in a much better mental place than when I got on thanks to her. And at times like these, I’m glad I can go back to that conversation to get my mind off whatever is worrying me and know that everything will eventually be alright.

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

HHonors

Easiest 500 Hilton points ever! Just sign in. (limited time)

Buskers wanted at Atlanta Airport

My $120,000 vacation on the Four Seasons jet

Special lounges in SF and NJ for United Explorer credit card holders

United’s on-time performance is showing improvement.

The MRJ: A new regional jet made in Japan (Image: Mitsubishi)

The MRJ: A new regional jet made in Japan (Image: Mitsubishi)

New passenger jet made in Japan. And China, too! 

Here’s a progress report on Gogo’s transition to faster in-flight Wi-Fi.

Singapore Airlines and Lufthansa form a new joint venture for Europe-Asia traffic.

Starwood kicks off a cyber sale November 23 with discounts of 20-40 percent.

Florida eyes a new intrastate train system linking Miami and Orlando.

.

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

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New ATL-Bay Area flight + SIA trip report + Global Entry + Airfares fall

New Southwest Airlines nonstop flights between Atlanta and Oakland start today (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

New Southwest Airlines nonstop service between Atlanta and Oakland starts today (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Today Southwest Airlines begins new nonstop service between Oakland and Atlanta. The Boeing 737-700 flight departs OAK at 12:25 pm arriving in Atlanta four and a half hours later at 7:55 pm. The flight to Oakland departs Atlanta at 8:35 am and arrives at 11:10 am. Southwest no longer flies nonstop between SFO and ATL leaving the route to Delta and United. Will Virgin America move in? See below…

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

1 Gotta see this: Trip Report: Singapore Airlines’ NEW business class [PHOTOS]

2 Airline updates: Alaska Air’s new partner + United trims Mideast + Lufthansa Denver + London

3 Shorter lines, please! Global Entry gets more global

4 We see the future: Stunning new airport designs: FRA, SLC, PDX (images)Weekend Edition

5 Airport expansion: How to unclog Chicago O’Hare

6 New routes: New Southwest routes + Virgin expands at Dallas + Alaska, AA add more

7 A war of words: Delta dumps Dubai, blasts Mideast carriers

8 Great reader comments here: Want more business trips?

9 Nothing official yet, but Will Hyatt buy Starwood?

10 Most readers want New Orleans Where will Virgin America fly next?

Did you choose a custom background yet?

Did you choose a custom background yet?

Did you know that you can choose the background on the new United. com website? I chose “random for each visit.” Which one did you pick? And what do you think about the new site? Leave your comments below!

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

Here’s an inside look at how United prepares in-flight meals.

New carry-on bag design has link to phone, Wi-Fi, battery pack, USB port and more

JetBlue will introduce a new co-branded credit card in 2016.

United expands code-sharing with Brazil’s Azul.

Airfares coming down slightly. Here’s why

FlyteNow, the Uber of private aviation, fighting court order

The real reason Delta dumped Dubai

Why federal air marshals should be grounded

Parking at ATL will be a hassle for next 8-10 years!

Delta to exit big airline trade group

United losing momentum due to C-suite drama?

Delta vs United in New York City

Lyft beats Uber to the airport in Las Vegas 

Get your flu shot at the airport- multiple locations 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Global Entry gets more global + New York’s lowest ranked hotels +Best/worst hotel programs for awards + More flat seats

twitter-floowmeDo you follow us on Twitter? It’s a great way to keep up with the latest news!

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Big fall-winter airfare sale takes off

A Southwest Airlines 738 in new livery takes of from Midland, Texas (Photo: Felipe Garcia / Flickr)

Southwest Airlines big fall/winter fare sale starts right now! Other airlines will soon be matching (Photo: Felipe Garcia / Flickr)

Travel demand and fares always tumble during the slower fall and winter months, and this year is no exception.

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

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

Southwest kicked it off today with with fares starting at $100 roundtrip. From there, roundtrip fares rise in several steps to $300.

Sample approximate round trip fares include:

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

$150: Atlanta-most cities in Florida, New York LGA-Chicago,

$200: SFO/OAK or LAX to Dallas, Chicago or Denver; Atlanta-Boston, Chicago, Dallas or New York

$260: Atlanta-Los Angeles (very good deal!); Denver-Atlanta;  New York to Chicago or New Orleans

$300: Most transcon flights between New York, Baltimore, Atlanta or Boston and LAX, SFO/OAK, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle

Expect other major airlines to match these low fares over the next 24 hours. (We’ll update this page with competitive matches as they roll out…see below)

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

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

Details of Southwest’s 72-hour sale:

>Must buy your tickets between now and Thursday, October 15 at 11:59 p.m. (in originating city).

>Travel windows: December 2-December 16; January 5-February 10 2016

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

>Black out dates: Christmas/New Year peak season from Thursday December 17- Monday, January 4

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

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

Stay tuned for UPDATES: Airlines matching this sale so far include: Alaska Airlines | American | United

–Chris McGinnis

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: New Two brand new United Clubs + Jennifer Aniston needs a shower + Best Megahub? + Big Hilton/SkyMiles bonus 

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Your favorite megahub?

Delta Atlanta rains

Atlanta, with hundreds of thousands of possible connections, tops the list of megahubs. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

What’s a megahub? It’s an airport that has a lot more options for flight connections than just a run-of-the-mill hub. That’s important when you’ve missed your scheduled connecting flight and need another one soon, or when your itinerary suddenly changes mid-trip.

If these things matter to you, you’re lucky you live in the U.S., which boasts more megahubs than any other country, according to a new study by air travel data giant OAG — including the most mega- of all megahubs, Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson. One a single day, the report said, as many as 570,000 connections were possible at ATL.

OAG crunched the numbers (i.e., “the total number of all possible connections between inbound and outbound flights within an eight-hour window”) to determine the world’s 50 biggest megahubs. Of those 50, 22 are in the U.S. — including eight of the top 10. Not a huge surprise considering it has the largest domestic aviation market, but still….

“Contributing to the growth of megahubs are low-cost carriers and the rise in self-connecting passengers,” OAG noted. “While connections have traditionally been made between airlines through code sharing agreements, today, passengers are increasingly self-connecting between low-cost carriers. In fact, many airports, such as Chicago Midway (MDW), Baltimore Washington International (BWI) and Las Vegas McCarran International (LAS), are beginning to facilitate connections between low-cost flights for the traveler.”

The report also observed that partly as a result of industry consolidation, U.S. megahubs are tending to be dominated by a single carrier — e.g., Delta at Atlanta (80 percent of all flights), American at Dallas/Ft. Worth (81 percent), United at Houston Intercontinental (76 percent) and American/US Airways at Charlotte (88 percent). The U.S. has six low-cost carrier megahubs, the report said, and all of them are dominated by Southwest.

You can download a copy of the full report here.

megahubs

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: New hotel openings + Cathay Pacific’s new lounge + Joining PreCheck gets easier + Air India’s San Francisco plans + New perks from United, Virgin America

twitter-floowmeDo you follow us on Twitter? It’s a great way to keep up with the latest news!

Please join the 100,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

 


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Routes: AA adds ATL + New Alaska transcon + JetBlue to Nashville + More

American's Atlanta-Washington flights will use E175s with 12 first class seats and 64 in economy. (Image: American)

American’s Atlanta-Washington flights will use E175s with 12 first class seats and 64 in economy. (Image: American)

In domestic route news, American will start a new route out of Atlanta; Alaska Airlines adds another transcontinental route; a new air carrier offers regional service from New Orleans; JetBlue brings a new city into its network; and Frontier adds new rotues.

  • Atlanta travelers will get another option to the nation’s capital on January 5. That’s when American Airlines is due to begin new service from ATL to Washington Reagan National Airport, operating five flights a day with E-175s. Delta dominates the ATL-DCA market with 15 daily roundtrips, and Southwest has six. In June 2016, American plans to launch new seasonal service from Washington Reagan National to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket, Mass.
  • Although ultra-low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines has been neglecting its home base of Denver in the past year as it moved into a number of new markets elsewhere, it is apparently getting back to its roots next March, when it will begin service from Denver to Charlotte and Denver to Philadelphia.
  • A new company called GLO said it will start regional airline service out of New Orleans‘ Louis Armstrong International Airport next month, operating on a public charter basis and using 30-passenger Saab 340B twin-engine turboprops provided by Corporate Flight Management. The initial schedule calls for twice-daily flights on weekdays to Little Rock, Memphis and Shreveport. “GLO was born out of the recognition that travel options in the South are incredibly limited by existing air carriers,” said company founder Trey Fayard. For details, go to www.FlyGLO.com.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: New hotel openings + Cathay Pacific’s new lounge + Joining PreCheck gets easier + Air India’s San Francisco plans + New perks from United, Virgin America


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Delta and Donald make another TV commercial

Delta's newest TV ad features a voice-over from a famous Donald (Image: Delta)

Delta’s newest TV ad features a voice-over from a famous Donald (Image: Delta)

Donald Sutherland is at it again– with a smooth voice over for Delta’s latest, and perhaps darkest, TV ad titled “Take Off: Why We Go.”

Dark, yes, but certainly engaging. It’s hard not to watch it until the very end. (See below for the one-minute video)

Can you guess where it’s filmed?

Delta has used Sutherland’s voice in several recent campaigns, including “Up” which aired during Superbowl 2014.

In a break from previous Sutherland ads, this one is in color… but barely!

Interesting fact about Sutherland? He’s Canadian and has a degree in engineering.

What do you think of the video? Please leave your comments below.

What do you think of the video? Please leave your comments below.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: TSA PreCheck: No more free rides + Plight of the tall traveler + Photos: New United first class seat + Save money on calls from other countries + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

twitter-floowmeDo you follow us on Twitter? It’s a great way to keep up with the latest news!

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New routes: Southwest, United, Spirit, American, JetBlue

Atlanta will get new service to Washington D.C. and Boston. (Image; Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport)

Atlanta will get new service to Washington D.C., Ft. Myers and Boston. (Image: Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International)

In domestic route news, Southwest Airlines is adding a pair of  destinations from Washington D.C., United will start a key business route from San Francisco, Spirit expands at Atlanta and Los Angeles, American will deploy A321s on more Hawaii routes and will provide 787 sampler flights between two hubs this fall, and JetBlue adds a transcontinental winter route.

  • Southwest Airlines will shift its Washington D.C. schedules around this winter. On March 9, the airline is due to launch new twice-daily flights between Atlanta and Washington Dulles, as well as one daily roundtrip between Omaha and Washington Reagan National. At the same time, Southwest will drop its existing Chicago Midway-Washington Dulles service, and will cut back San Diego-Washington Dulles to seasonal service only.
  • Bay Area companies that do business with Walmart and Sam’s Club will get a new non-stop option this fall. United Airlines is planning to begin new service starting October 25 from San Francisco to Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport, the gateway for Walmart’s Bentonville, Ark. headquarters. United will use a CRJ700 for the 3.5 hour (yeesh!) flight.
So, what do you think of Spirit Airlines flamboyant new livery? Comments below, please! (Photo: Spirit)

So, what do you think of Spirit Airlines flamboyant new livery? (Photo: Spirit)

  • Low-cost Spirit Airlines will expand its growing presence at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson next month, and will add a new west coast route this fall. On September 10, Spirit is due to kick off new daily service from Atlanta to Boston and to Ft. Myers, Fla.; and on November 12 it will add Los Angeles-Oakland flights.

Don’t miss: Virgin America giving away 6 free tickets to Hawaii. Want one? 

  • More new planes from American: The carrier is taking delivery of Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners, and according to airlinerouite.net, it will deploy one of them on a key domestic route for a couple of weeks this fall. AA is due to fly the 787 between Los Angeles and Dallas/Ft. Worth from November 5 through November 22. Meanwhile, after putting Airbus A321s into service this month from Los Angeles to Honolulu, American is due to add the planes to other Hawaii routes this fall — specifically, Los Angeles-Kona starting September 9, LAX-Maui beginning October 5, and LAX- Kauai as of November 5.
  • JetBlue is smacking Virgin America (again) with new seasonal service this winter between its New York JFK base and Palm Springs, California, operating the route five days a week (not Tuesdays or Wednesdays) from January 14 through May 1.  

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Delta’s new Sky Club at San Francisco International + LAX will allow Uber, Lyft pick-ups + British Airways coming to San Jose + Airbnb draws corporate customers 


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Big, bright, new Delta Sky Club at SFO (SLIDESHOW)

Delta's new Sky Club offers Amelia Earhart a permanent runway view (Oil on canvas by Alexi Torres)

Delta’s new Sky Club offers Amelia Earhart a permanent runway view (Oil on canvas by Alexi Torres)

At long last Delta has opened its new Sky Club inside security near Delta gates at San Francisco International Terminal 1.

Delta built the new club in an entirely new space on the roof of the existing terminal– the high perch offers sweeping tarmac, runway and tower views through a huge wall of windows that cover the entire eastern side of the 9,900 square foot space. (Pack your sunglasses!)

Panoramic east-facing view over SFO Terminal 3 & out to runways (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Panoramic east-facing view over Virgin jets at SFO Terminal 2 & out to runways (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Due to its location above the terminal, members enter via an elevator or a blindingly bright, sugar-white staircase leading up to the new space. (Tip: Take the staircase for the most dramatic entry.)

Upon reaching the top of the stairs, you are confronted with some of the best views of runways and airplanes at the airport. Turn around and you’ll seen a colorful portrait of Amelia Earhart taking in the same view, forever. (See above)

First glimpse as you come up stairs from SFO Terminal 1 (Chris McGinnis)

First glimpse as you come up stairs from SFO Terminal 1 (Chris McGinnis)

Turn left and enter the club where you’ll find room for 187 members (up from just 81 at the old low-ceilinged space). As usual these days, nearly every chair or seat has access to a power outlet. Wifi is free, with no password required.

Looking into the main seating area (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Looking into the main seating area (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Take a window seat too look at at SFO's iconic new control tower (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Take a window seat too peer up at SFO’s iconic new control tower (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Three big “rooms” (separated by loopy dividers) are tricked out in colorful artwork by six artists (each piece with a link to San Francisco) anchored by a huge multimedia mural of the Golden Gate Bridge. The art was chosen and placed by Delta’s very own curator Susan Gibbs.

A new mural by Cheris Tsevis at Delta's new SFO Sky Club- stay tuned for our full report

A huge new mural by Cheris Tsevis spans an entire wall at Delta’s new SFO Sky Club (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Be sure to check out the 10 multimedia art pieces paying homage to Bay Area companies such as Google, Airbnb, Apple, Lucas Films and others. Or try to find the teeny Delta logo in one of the paintings in the rear corridor.

Chairs for privacy or conversation-- all with power nearby (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Chairs for privacy or conversation– all with power nearby (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The club includes the standard bar area with long communal tables, a large seating area with chairs set up for privacy or interaction with others. A buffet station includes Delta’s standard spreads of complimentary food and drink. At the bar are standard and local craft beers (from Anchor Steam) and a selection of local wine chosen by Delta’s sommelier, Andrea Robinson, who lives nearby.

Local beers on tap include two from Anchor Steam (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Local beers on tap include two from Anchor Steam (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A healthy Asian Chicken Salad available for purchase - $9 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A healthy Asian Chicken Salad available for purchase – $9 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Members can also sit at set tables and order “food for purchase” items (from iPads) prepared in the onsite kitchen and served by waitstaff on real china. Much of the food on offer is influenced by local Vietnamese chef Mai Pham– such as pho, banh mi sandwiches or pot stickers— along with a full array of flat bread pizzas, sandwiches and salads, all priced from $8-$12 (not bad considering you are in San Francisco!).

A big flat bread pizza margherita (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A big flat bread pizza margherita- a steal at $9 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Two types of Vietnamese pho on on the menu- $9 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Two types of Vietnamese pho on on the menu- $9 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

These food for purchase items are a welcome addition to the limited fare available in Delta’s Terminal 1-c at SFO— unless of course you want to take the walk through the new behind security corridor to the fantastic food selections at Terminal 2 (Virgin America & American)

Near the back is a quiet space dedicated to business– with tall communal tables and private carrells with outlets for those working on laptops.

Bright red sinks in restrooms & shower suites at Delta's new SFO Sky Club (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Bright red sinks in restrooms & shower suites at Delta’s new SFO Sky Club (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Continue on toward the back of the club where you’ll find restrooms and shower suites (2) equipped with the biggest, reddest sinks you’ll find anywhere. Even if you don’t have to go, it’s worth going in just for a look at the sinks!

Next up for Sky Club? A new club at Seattle-Tacoma International in the main terminal (not the satellite) which Delta says will be one of the largest in the Sky Club system. But first, we’ll see a new Sky Club rise from the roof of Atlanta’s Terminal B. Both are expected to open in mid to late 2016.

Here's a look at Delta's old Crown Room-style Sky Club on its last day of operation. Soon it will be SFO's USO lounge (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Here’s a look at Delta’s old Crown Room-style Sky Club on its last day of operation. Soon it will be SFO’s USO lounge (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Delta’s old Sky Club, a vintage relic of the Crown Room Days and inconveniently located before security, will soon become SFO’s new USO Lounge.

What do you think? Have you had a chance to see the new Sky Club yet? Please leave your comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Delta’s new Sky Club at San Francisco International + LAX will allow Uber, Lyft pick-ups + British Airways coming to San Jose + Airbnb draws corporate customers 

 


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10 most popular: Trip Report + La Guardia + $25 off + Delta upgrade + TravelSkills Vacation

TravelSkills will be in vacation mode during August (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The boys of summer at Ocean Beach in San Francisco (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Quick note: TravelSkills will be in vacation mode during August, with only periodic posts. We’ll be back at full steam in September so stay tuned! And enjoy your summer. –Chris

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order)… plus a few newsy nuggets we missed.

1. Flying cozy: Trip Report: Air Canada B767 lie-flat business class

2. Coming soon: First look at the new $4 billion LaGuardia (photos)

3. What a deal! How to get $25 off your next car rental

4. There’s a difference: Direct or nonstop flight? You tell me!

Weekend Edition5. New routes for American, Alaska, JetBlue, Frontier

6. Don’t be afraid to ask: How to avoid worn out hotel rooms

7. Are you up for it? Delta’s ultimate upgrade: private jets

8. Employers take the heat: Binge drinking, sleeping around on business trips

9. A plane makeover: Delta unveils revamped Airbus

10. Big surprise: Is Kimpton abandoning San Francisco?

(Photo: Jason Tester Guerilla / Flickr)

(Photo: Jason Tester Guerilla / Flickr)

Guess what? No UberX or Lyft at LAX in August after all. Grrr.

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

>At LaGuardia: Nice new terminal, but same old delays

>Uber is OK at Oakland International!

>Plan emerges for Uber/Lyft at ATL, but it’s going to be a while

>IHG eyeing Fairmont after Starwood rumors die

>Delta and China Eastern hook up, Delta gets Shanghai

>Atlanta on-airport hotel to break ground in early 2016

>British Airways adopts smaller bag size that other airlines dismissed

>Toronto gets underwater tunnel to airport

twitter-floowmeDo you follow TravelSkills on Twitter? It’s a great way to keep up with the latest news!

 


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Direct or nonstop flight? You tell me!

Southwest Airlines recently painted a 737 based on the Colorado state flag.

Is that Southwest flight to Denver direct or nonstop? (Photo: Southwest Airlines)

Now that we are in peak summer travel season and everyone is flying somewhere, it’s a good time to point out the difference between nonstop and direct flights. Why? Because so many people get it wrong.

Would you choose a “nonstop” or a “direct” flight between Atlanta and San Francisco? What about a “connecting” flight?

Your choice could have a big impact on the price, length and comfort of your trip.

I’m constantly amazed at how many frequent travelers, airlines, agents and even fellow travel writers tend to think that “direct” and “nonstop” are interchangeable terms. They are not. (At least in the U.S.)

If you are wondering which type of flight is best for you, consider these definitions:

Nonstop:

A nonstop flight is just what is says: a single flight between two airports with no stops. Business travelers prefer nonstop flights because they are the fastest. Unfortunately they are frequently the most expensive.

Direct:

While a direct flight might sound like a nonstop flight, it’s not. A direct flight makes at least one intermediate stop along the way to its final destination, but has only one flight number.

For example, if you choose a direct flight between Atlanta and San Francisco you’d fly on one plane the whole way to SFO. But that plane would make a stop in, say, Dallas, or Denver, where it would drop off and pick up more passengers, like a bus. Due to these stops, direct flights can add an hour or more to your total travel time.

I recently took a Southwest Airlines flight from Oakland to Phoenix for a meeting. My flight from Oakland to Phoenix was a nonstop. However, the plane continued on to St Louis. The passengers who stayed on the plane in Phoenix and continued flying to St Louis on the second leg were on a direct flight.

Often, direct flights are less expensive than nonstop flights– but not always. If you have a choice between a direct or a nonstop and the price is the same, take the nonstop!

Connecting:

A connecting flight will take at least two different planes with two different flight numbers to reach your final destination.

For example, a connecting flight from Los Angeles to New York would mean first flying from LAX to Dallas/Ft Worth where you would get off the plane. At DFW you’d board another plane (with another flight number) for the flight to New York.

Connecting flights are almost always less expensive than nonstop flights, but they are not always the best option for travelers who place a premium on time.

Why? First, when you take off and land, you double your chances of encountering delays due to weather or air traffic control. Connecting flights can also take significantly longer than direct or nonstop flights due to long layovers.

Also, you’ll have to bring your carryon bags on and off the plane multiple times in each direction. Connections often mean landing in one terminal, then having to take a train or a long walk to another.

For these reasons, connecting flights are always the least desirable in terms of convenience… but likely the most desirable in terms of price.

What type of flight will you be taking next time? Nonstop, direct or connecting? If you get it wrong, I’ll cringe!

–Chris McGinnis

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Avoiding long customs & immigration lines  + Fingerprint as boarding pass? + Hotel rate shocker  + More!


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10 most popular: Sleeping around + Delta fare sale + hotel rate shock + Avoiding airport lines

TravelSkills took off for Toronto on Air Canada last week. Stay tuned for our Trip Report! (Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills took off for Toronto on Air Canada last week. Stay tuned for our Trip Report! (Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order)… plus a few newsy nuggets we missed.

1. Employers take the heat: Binge drinking, sleeping around on business trips

2. Can you guess the rates? Super Bowl shock: San Francisco hotel prices soar

3. New routes: American heads south + BA upgrades Austin + Sydney skeds + Delta to Paris + New Delhi nonstop

4. Well, is it? Illegal to disobey fasten seat belt sign?Weekend Edition

5. Spend your miles: Delta’s fall fare sale — with a twist

6. Straight from your phone: A new way to recover from delays & cancellations

7. This free app saves you time: Avoiding long customs & immigration lines

8. More ways to earn: Alaska expands mileage options

9. Cute? Or creepy? Watch this video. And then this one.

10. Branding matters: Delta: ‘Up-selling’ is working

Spectacular view from the lovely Colette Restaurant at the Thompson Toronto hotel (Chris McGinnis)

Spectacular view from the lovely Colette Restaurant at the Thompson Toronto hotel (Chris McGinnis)

Mini-review: The Thompson Toronto hotel. 

This five-year-old hotel offers an excellent location in the trendy, leafy King West neighborhood near some of the city’s best dining and nightlife, but it’s a good 15-20 minute walk from city center. (I walked there from Union Station with my roller bag.) Rates start at around $200 (US) per night. Rooms are bright & modern with hardwood floors, big bright bathrooms with roomy walk-in showers and Keurig coffee makers (wish they offered in-room cream, tho!). Strangely, some of the floor-to-ceiling windows are covered with a frosting that’s there for privacy, but I found it a little claustrophobia inducing. Ask for a room with a view of the CN Tower, or head up to the rooftop pool deck for a great view. Basic in-room wi-fi is free, but you’ll pay $15 for premium speeds. I arrived late, and was pleased to see that the hotel “Diner” was still open– and busy doling out gigantic burgers and a famous truffle mac & cheese- it’s open 24 hours, which is convenient. On the other side of the busy lobby is Colette, a beautiful pale-blue-white-gray indoor-outdoor dining room that’s currently one of the hottest tables in town. Perfect for a business lunch. More…

A few helpful nuggets of news from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week:

Plush New York-JFK Terminal….for animals

Alaska Air adds new Mileage Plan partner

T-Mobile adds free calls/data to/from Mexico or Canada to US plans

A handy guide to complicated Uber/Lyft airport pick up rules

Teeth whitening at the airport is now a thing?

 


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10 most popular: United bags + Delta upsell + SFO Sky Club + Inside the A350 + Snow in Hawaii

United socks

What is it about airline amenity kits that we find so interesting? (Photo: Kim Grimes)

TravelSkills’ 10 most popular posts over the last week (descending order)… plus a few newsy nuggets we missed.

1. Take a sneak peak: In the bag: United’s new amenity kits (Photos)

2. Branding matters: Delta: ‘Up-selling’ is working

3. Who’s in control? Fewer choices, higher airfares + SFO’s new #2 carrier

4. Heads up: Preview: New Delta SkyMiles changes + SFO Sky Club opening date

5. New routes: Delta to Shanghai + Air France upgrades + Air China adds Newark + AA aircraft changes Weekend Edition

6. Airlines are raking it in: No end in sight to frustrating airline fees

7. Another line you can avoid: How to avoid long customs and immigration lines

8. Worth the copay? Getting a decent upgrade on United

9. You might need this: How to buy the best travel insurance by InsureMyTrip

10. Will you be visiting? Atlanta airport’s exclusive new lounge (photos)

 

Hawaii

Image: East Asian Observatory / Twitter

A few helpful nuggets of news from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week:

See this? Summer snow in Hawaii

Jeb Bush hails Hillary-voting Uber driver in San Francisco

Careful what you say! Novelist bases book on conversations overheard at #ATL airport

Inside an Airbus A350 (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

Inside an Airbus A350 (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

Here’s what Delta’s & United newest plane, the Airbus A350, will look like

Meet the man who flies around the world for free (and hates this headline)

Delta’s $1 billion quarterly profit

Going to extremes to avoid airline fees

Okay to bring pot to this airport – And it’s not Bob Marley International 🙂

AA/US switchover begins this weekend. Why you should worry…

 


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Atlanta airport’s exclusive new lounge (photos)

USO ATL

Atlanta’s newest lounge is available to a select few (Image: Atlanta Airport / Vimeo)

Atlanta’s newly refurbished USO lounge is open to active duty military and their families, only. The 3,200 square foot lounge on the third floor of the main terminal atrium (pre-security) has been in the works for about a year.

An Atlanta Business Chronicle reporter attended the grand opening and wrote that the new lounge “now includes a food and beverage hospitality suite, a Skype-only dedicated computer for video conferencing, ample electrical outlets, and furniture upgrades on par with airline clubs throughout the airport.” See full slideshow of the lounge here

USO ATL

A nice place to kick back and soak up some American TV before deployment (Photo: Atlanta Airport / Vimeo)

ATL USO

Plenty of space to relax and get in a few emails on the way out or on the way back from deployment (Photo: Atlanta Airport / Vimeo)

ATL USO

The kiddie play area looks as nice as the ones we’ve recently seen at American Express Centurion Lounges. (Photo: Atlanta Airport / Vimeo)

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: This guy got 1 million United miles  + More changes to Delta SkyMiles+Airline fees: No end in sight + ATMs are out + More!


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Preview: New Delta SkyMiles changes + SFO Sky Club opening date

Rendering of Delta's new lie flat seating on transcon 757s. Been on one yet?

Use upgrade certificates to fly in lie-flat comfort on Delta transcons (Image: Delta)

Today we received the following update from Delta about upcoming changes to the SkyMiles program. (Since this news is so fresh, some links may not work until later today…)

Take a read through this and share your thoughts about the changes below, please!

COAST TO COAST COMFORT

For Diamond and Platinum members we are introducing greater flexibility with your Medallion Choice Benefits. Effective July 21, 2015 you can use Regional Upgrade Certificates in addition to Global Upgrade Certificates for a Delta One™ seat on eligible transcontinental flights between New York – JFK and Los Angeles – LAX or San Francisco – SFO.  Regional Certificates are part of the wide array of Choice Benefits Diamond and Platinum Medallion members are able to select upon status qualification.

OUR LOWEST AWARDS

When we announced the SkyMiles 2015 program we committed to making more award seats available at the lowest prices and compared to last year, we’ve increased Award availability by more than double at the lowest prices to make it easier to use your miles. You’ll also find One-Way Awards starting at just 7,500 miles (plus taxes and fees) now through February 2016. To see the best availability and deals, search at least 21 days prior to departure and use our Award Calendar by selecting “flexible days” when searching for a flight.  For more information visit: http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/shop/deals-and-offers/north-america/flights-to-north-america.html?icid=FS_US

HEADS UP FOR SUMMER 2016

We know your miles are important, so we want to provide the most notice possible regarding Award price changes. For travel on or after June 1, 2016, the number of miles needed will change based on destination, demand and other dynamics.  Most Award prices will remain unchanged. Miles needed to upgrade under the Mileage Upgrade Award program will increase, and to provide greater access to these upgrades, we’ve expanded the eligible types of fares.  Learn more about Mileage Upgrade Award changes: http://www.delta.com/content/www/en_US/skymiles/use-miles/mileage-upgrade-awards.html

New quilted seat covers on Delta's rebranded Comfort+ cabin (Photo: Delta)

Earn miles when purchasing upgrades to Delta comfort+ seats like these (Photo: Delta)

MORE WAYS TO EARN

Starting July 21, 2015, you can now earn MQDs and miles when purchasing Preferred Seats, Delta Comfort+, and paid upgrades to the Premium cabin.

EASIER WAYS TO REDEEM

It’s easier to use your miles with the ability to book Awards at delta.com on more partner airlines than ever (22 total now). We are working to add more partner airlines over time.

Delta's Sky Club at SFO during week of May 18 (Image: Chris McGinnis)

Delta’s Sky Club at SFO during week of May 18 (Image: Chris McGinnis)

Also, we learned today that the tentative opening date for Delta’s long awaited new Sky Club at SFO is slated for August 28, but it subject to change.

Okey doke–  what do you have to say about the changes? Please sound off in the comments!

 


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Atlanta airport to get half-billion dollar facelift

Rendering of proposed new atrium at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson. (Image: City of Atlanta)

Rendering of proposed new main terminal atrium at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson. (Image: City of Atlanta)

We’ve always thought that Atlanta’s sprawling Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport airport looks and works a lot like a Xerox machine- not too pretty, but efficient, reliable and easy to understand.

But this week airport officials announced plans to spend nearly half a billion dollars to overhaul the main domestic terminal and concourses T, A, B, C and D.

From what we’ve seen, it appears that the entire airport will eventually look a lot like the new International concourse F with plenty of smooth lines and more light.

Lots of light and designer touches inside ATL's new Terminal F (Chris McGinnis)

Lots of light and designer touches inside ATL’s new Terminal F (Chris McGinnis)

The airport is currently asking for bids from companies that can do the work (now estimated at $430 million now, but you know what that means…), which will make the facilities brighter and airier, with larger windows and an airport atrium in the main terminal that offers lots of live plants and trees.

Besides the modernization, the project will also include the replacement of about half the existing jetways.

The three-year project is not expected to mean any disruptions for travelers or flight operations.

Below is a look at some more renderings of the remade facility. What do you think? Does the airport really need a makeover or does its current utilitarian look and feel work for you? 

The new baggage claim area. (Image: City of Atlanta)

The new baggage claim area. (Image: City of Atlanta)

The terminal's new and improved ticketing area. (Image: City of Atlanta)

A new and improved ticketing area. (Image: City of Atlanta)

Curbside at the revamped domestic terminal. (Image: City of Atlanta)

Curbside at the revamped domestic terminal includes a canopy. (Image: City of Atlanta)

What do you think? Does the airport really need a makeover or does its current utilitarian look and feel work for you?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Trip Report: SWISS Roche Coach + San Francisco mistakes + CLEAR goes cardless + Cool gasoline price heat map + More!

Do you need travel insurance? Probably! Start your search for the right plan at InsureMyTrip.com!

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12 most popular travel stories: United + Easy 5K Hilton points + Clean Asian carriers + Free parking

Korean Air business class upstairs on an Airbus A380 (Chris McGinnis)

Fewer Korean Air business class seats like these on a Seoul-Atlanta A380 (Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills’ 12 most popular posts over the last week (descending order)… plus a few newsy nuggets we missed.

1. Giving up on JFK: United shifts p.s. flights to Newark; leaves JFK

2. The good and the bad: 6 reasons why now is travel’s golden age

Weekend Edition3. More better transcons: Airlines quickly fill JFK vacuum

4. Or which one is slowest: Which airline flies the fastest?

5. While the economy’s humming, they keep coming: New routes: Dallas, Orlando, SFO, Atlanta, LAX, Houston

6. Not a speck! World’s cleanest airlines are Asian

7. An Asian capital without nonstops from US: You can’t get there from here

8. What a deal! How to get free airport parking

9. So-long Barbie jets: Bigger, better jets for Alaska, United

10. Airline collusion? Discipline: A secret airline code word?

11. No need to buy new bags after all: As expected: Airline bag size proposal flops

12. Still festering: Delta’s Love Field fight down to the wire

Hughes Airwest go-go boots on display at SFO (Image: SFO)

Hughes Airwest air hostess boots 1970 Designed by Mario Zamparelli, Los Angeles (Image: SFO)

The San Francisco Aviation Museum has raided its ample stores to put on a fabulous exhibition of kitschy, colorful airline memorabilia from the 1950s to the 1980s at SFO’s International Terminal, Level 3 (pre-security). Don’t miss it! Details (and more photos!) here.

Juicy nuggets of news from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week:

>Hilton HHonors boost: 5,000 Bonus Points at any hotel, thru July 6th. Registration req

>Korean Air confirmed to TravelSkills that it has temporarily switched from daily A380s on Seoul-ATL to just 3x per week A380 & 4x per week B777 (Trip Report)

>United flight attendants to wish you happy birthday. Creepy?

>Based on 18 million consumer responses, Skytrax names the world’s top 10 airlines.

Imagine this on a B777 (Image: B/E Aerospace)

Imagine this on a B777 (Image: B/E Aerospace)

>Seat designer creates a new office suite in the sky.

>California ruling could disrupt Uber’s business paradigm.

Hainan Air arrives at SJC with 787 nonstops to Beijing (Photo: SJC)

Hainan Air arrives at SJC with 787 nonstops to Beijing (Photo: SJC)

>Hainan Air starts 5x weekly nonstops between San Jose and Beijing

>Virgin America brings on new first class snacks.

>American delays delivery of some new planes.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Free airport parking? + Fastest airlines  + CLEAR goes cardless + Cool gasoline price heat map + More!

This month’s TravelSkills sponsor is InsureMyTrip.com!

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Two new United Clubs open, more coming

Newly renovated United Club at Washington National Airport (Photo: United)

Newly renovated United Club at Washington National Airport (Photo: United)

United recently completed renovations of its United Clubs at Washington (Reagan National) and Hong Kong. It says that it will complete similar renovations or add new clubs at Tokyo (Narita), Atlanta (T-gates) and San Francisco later this year. 

The carrier says its new Club at Washington National stands out for its new furnishings with the art deco design. In Hong Kong, loads of  natural light bathe the loft-style room design.

“We are making investments of more than $100 million in our clubs around our network and have made great progress this year in opening two brand new clubs at Reagan National and Hong Kong,” said Premium Services Managing Director Mike Landers. 

Related: United Clubs upgrade food and renovate

Freshly renovated United Club at Hong Kong International (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Freshly renovated United Club at Hong Kong International (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

United says that the new clubs reflect the look and upgraded amenities found at its most recently renovated ones at Chicago O’Hare, London Heathrow,  San Diego, Boston and Seattle. 

At SFO’s Terminal 3, United currently operates two United Clubs– a nice, new but temporary and windowless one on the mezzanine level of main part of the terminal, and an older facility out by the gates. The brand new state-of-the-art United Club will open this fall near the entry to the new T3 Boarding Area 1 gates.

In Atlanta, United’s Club on Terminal D is now closed. United has said that a new club will open in the desirable T-gates area of the airport, but has not revealed a specific location.

Have you visited a renovated United Club? What did you think? How do they compare to others?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: First class summer fare sale + Bumped out of first class by air marshall? + Newest Centurion Lounge + My favorite travel pants


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Big summer-fall fare sale- 3 days only

A Southwest Airlines 738 in new livery takes of from Midland, Texas (Photo: Felipe Garcia / Flickr)

Southwest Airlines big fall fare sale starts right now! Other airlines matching (Photo: Felipe Garcia / Flickr)

Travel demand and prices are bound to tumble after what could be the busiest summer travel season…ever.

So if you’ve been priced out of peak summer season, or have plans for trips in late summer or fall, Southwest Airlines has an airfare sale for you. 

Southwest kicked it off today with with fares starting at $100 roundtrip. From there, roundtrip fares rise in three more steps: $200, $260 and $300.

What’s nice about this sale is that it’s good for late summer trips starting as early as August 24— keep in mind that Labor Day is not until Monday, September 7 this year.

And summer is not officially over until September 21. That’s a nice window for a late summer trip!

Sample round trip fares include:

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

$200: Atlanta-Boston, Chicago, Dallas or New York; SFO or LAX to Denver

$260: Denver-Atlanta; LAX or SFO to Dallas, Chicago, Austin; New York to Chicago or New Orleans

$300: Most transcon flights between New York, Baltimore, Atlanta or Boston and LAX, SFO, Las Vegas, Phoenix, San Diego Seattle

Expect other major airlines to match these low fares over the next 24 hours. (We’ll update this page with competitive matches as they roll out…see below)

Details of Southwest’s 72-hour sale:

>Must buy your tickets between now and Thursday, June 4 at 11:59 p.m. (in originating city).

>Travel window: August 24- December 16

>Not available on Fridays or Sundays

>Black out dates: Labor Day: September. 3-5 and 7. Thanksgiving: November 20 through December 1

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

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

**UPDATES: Airlines matching this sale so far JetBlue | Virgin America | American | United (limited) | Delta 

–Chris McGinnis

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: A lie-flat seat to avoid! + 10 more airports get immigration pre-clearance + Hotel chains’ Wi-Fi service ranked +  Toronto Airport’s new rail link

 


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Top 12: U.S Customs + Aer Lingus meals + Last chance 50K miles + Airline routes + Expensive hotels

Elon Musk's hyperloop back in news with plans to develop test track (Hyperloop Technologies)

Elon Musk’s hyperloop back in news with plans to develop test track (Hyperloop Technologies)

TravelSkills’ 12 most popular posts over the last week… plus a few newsy nuggets we missed. 

1. Nice! 10 more airports to get U.S. customs pre-clearance

2. Trip Report: Aer Lingus business class meals best in class

3. 3 easy ways to snag 50,000 miles this month (expired)

4. Lots of new airline routes rolling out

5. Most expensive hotels: Can you afford them?

Weekend Edition6. Airlines playing games on West Coast

7. Extinguish airport smoking for good?

8. Delta swapping terminals at Heathrow

9. O’Hare’s big new construction project

10. Toronto opens airport-downtown rail link

11. United’s big plans for LAX (Photos)

12. Uber progresses, one airport at a time

The Montage hotel Kapalua on Maui is the 5th most expensive hotel in the world. Click to see the rest! (Montage Resorts)

The Montage Kapalua Bay hotel on Maui is the 5th most expensive hotel in the world. Click to see the rest! (Montage Resorts)

Updates: Most expensive hotels in the world | Airlines playing games in West Coast

Our favorite comment on the TravelSkills blog this week: On our post Extinguish airport smoking for good? gayineastbay wrote… “Perhaps we should set up judgement lounges for people to sit inside and pass judgement on those passing by. They can judge appearance, weight, relationship status, luggage, children clothing choices and much more. We could provide special ventilation to spread the rarefied air they exhale.”

Be sure to check out all the other fired up comments about airport smoking from TravelSkills readers!

Juicy nuggets of news from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week:

Hyperloop concept of superfast trains in tubes back in the news

New nonstop: SFO to Panama City, Panama on Copa

Nevada legislature passes bill authorizing Uber, Lyft to operate there.

Photo tour of awesome Turkish Airlines lounge in Istanbul

Delta shakes up Asia routes

Firms selected to design and build new LaGuardia terminal

Aww. Bucket list trip for terminally ill pet

Love locks coming of Paris famous bridge 

Uber closes in on last frontier

Silicon Valley residents rant against SFO aircraft noise caused by NextGen 

 


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Delta swapping terminals at Heathrow

The spa at Virgin Atlantic's London Heathrow Clubhouse (Photo: Josh Friedman)

The spa at Virgin Atlantic’s London Heathrow Clubhouse (Photo: Josh Friedman)

To the surprise and consternation of Delta regulars at London Heathrow, Delta recently re-shuffled its flights between Terminal 3 and Terminal 4, affecting access to Virgin Atlantic’s Clubhouse lounge. 

The goal of the recent reshuffling was to co-locate as many Delta and Virgin Atlantic flights as possible, but flights to Atlanta and Seattle have moved from Virgin’s Terminal 3 back to Terminal 4. A notice was placed on delta.com this spring, but there appears to still be some confusion with passengers going to the wrong terminal.

The change means that Atlanta and Seattle-bound passengers can no longer access Virgin’s much-touted Clubhouse in Terminal 3. Instead, they must use the branded SkyTeam lounge in Terminal 4.

But is that all bad news? Not necessarily. For example, Delta Sky Club members are not permitted to use the Clubhouse lounge while they are given access to the SkyTeam lounge. For them, this is a positive change. SkyTeam Elite Plus Platinum and Diamond Medallion members were permitted to use Virgin’s lounge, but not Gold Medallions. The move back to terminal 4 gives SkyTeam lounge access back to Gold Medallions (they were specifically excluded from the Virgin agreement in terminal 3 unless traveling in a premium cabin).

Related: Delta Sky Club at SFO | New Centurion lounge opens in June!

SkyTeam lounge at London Heathrow Terminal 4 (Photo: SkyTeam)

All business class passengers on a SkyTeam carrier departing terminal 4 receive access to the Skyteam lounge, which has a small spa, oxygen bar, self-service bar and buffet, work areas, and napping rooms. While not as elaborate as Virgin’s lounge, it is only a minor disappointment and comes with the tradeoff of providing more lounge access to qualifying passengers. The vertical garden/living wall made up of 60 specially selected plants designed by botanist Patrick Blanc is not bad to look at either!

When it comes to arrivals lounges, those arriving at Terminal 3 can use the Delta Arrivals lounge located outside of baggage claim. Those arriving in Terminal 4 are given vouchers to make use of a room and shower at the landside Yotel.

As of now, Delta flights between London and to Boston, New York JFK, Newark, and Los Angeles use Terminal 3. All others (Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Philadelphia, and Seattle/Tacoma) use Terminal 4.

Have you used either the SkyTeam or Virgin Clubhouse at Heathrow? Which one do you prefer…and why?

–Ramsey Qubein

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Largest hotel you’ll likely never visit + Delta accused + Starwood Hotels’ new tech touches + Southwest adds Oakland-Atlanta service


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Voluptuous tower + Delta experiment + World’s largest hotel + United’s most popular plane?

Gazing up at SFO's new control tower is vertigo-inducing! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Gazing up at SFO’s new control tower is vertigo-inducing! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills’ 12 most popular posts over the last week… plus a few newsy nuggets we missed. 

1. A TravelSkills exclusive and oh, what a view! First look: Inside SFO’s brand new control tower (photos)

2. Have you smelled it? Delta experiments with boarding & aromatherapy

Weekend Edition3. Unless you are Muslim: The largest hotel you’ll likely never stay in

4. Special tags for right-size bags: Another carry-on crackdown coming?

5. Bay to ATL Southwest adds Oakland-Atlanta, other nonstops

6. Holdover from last week: Ugly Chinese worse than ugly Americans?

7. Bad news after huge build up at ATL, elsewhere: Frontier’s CEO dismissed as complaints soar

8. The dancing baby is back! Selected highlights of Delta’s clever new safety video

9. Get group discounts without being part of the group: Trip Report: A new kind of travel package

10. Airlines keep adding new flights: New routes: JetBlue + United + Delta + SAS + Air Canada + Southwest

11. Will all these new flights lead to lower fares? Don’t hold your breath Airfare war in the wings?

12. More evidence that there’s no single site that’s best for airfare shopping: Delta accused of blocking key data

Update: Delta Sky Club at SFO + Miami Centurion lounge opens in June

Singapore Airlines premium economy coming...but not for a while (Chris McGinnis)

Singapore Airlines premium economy coming…but not for a while (Chris McGinnis)

Juicy nuggets of news from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week:

Singapore Airlines’ new premium economy seat- Coming Dec 15 at JFK. LAX & SFO in 2016

First new flights for Eastern Airlines from Miami to…

Except for Dreamliners, United’s remodeled 767s are its most popular widebody.

Roundup of Uber acceptance at airports

Nice gig if you’re a “people person”

Which airlines fare worst in on Twitter?

Supersonic business jet goes on sale. Cost? $120 million.

Oakland Airport offers free parking for travelers flying on new routes.

Best view of the week: Big bright and beautiful Barcelona El Prat airport. Wow! 

Barcelona El Prat (Chris McGinnis(

Barcelona El Prat (Chris McGinnis).


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Delta Sky Club SFO + Amex Centurion Lounge MIA

Delta's Sky Club at SFO during week of May 18 (Image: Chris McGinnis)

Delta’s Sky Club at SFO’s Terminal 1 boarding area C during week of May 18 (Image: Chris McGinnis)

It sounds like progress toward completion of Delta’s new Sky Club at SFO has stalled.

When the project began, Delta expected the new airside club would open in May, but this week the carrier revealed to TravelSkills that it “won’t open before August.”

From the inside of Delta’s Boarding Area C in Terminal 1, you can’t miss the big construction wall hiding the entrance to the new Sky Club as you enter the terminal just after security.

Since the club will be located one floor above the gate area, I assume we’ll access it by an elevator or escalator.

The current Delta Sky Club at SFO (see its mixed Yelp reviews) is inconveniently located outside the T1 Boarding Area C checkpoint, a location that has long been a sore point among Sky Club members.

Entrance to SFO's Centurion Lounge in Terminal 3 (Chris McGinnis)

Entrance to SFO’s Centurion Lounge in Terminal 3 (Chris McGinnis)

In related news, American Express is poised to open its new Centurion Lounge at Miami International Airport’s North Terminal in early June. Stay tuned for full coverage and updates from a media preview TravelSkills will attend on June 2!

As it has done at other Centurion lounges, Amex chose Miami celebrity chef Michelle Bernstein (of Delta fame) to inspire the food at the 8,000 square foot lounge. Here’s a blurb about that from the Miami Herald:

Bernstein’s buttermilk-brined fried chicken and Greek-style local watermelon salad will be available at MIA’s Centurion, located in the North Terminal that services American Airlines and Qatar Airways. She said she leaned toward lighter items, like a green goddess salad and a vanilla panna cotta dessert, to “make sure people are comfortable as they board their flights.”

If the lounge is anything like Amex’s most recent addition at SFO T3, frequent flyers will be wowed with fab locally inspired design, food and drink.

Next up on the list of airports getting the new Centurion lounge: Seattle!

About the only downside to these lounges is their popularity– crowding can sometimes be an issue.

So who gets in the Centurion Lounge? Here’s a link that explains who gets in— basically, it’s free for Amex Platinum and Centurion card holders only- this does not include Delta/Amex Platinum card holders. Anyone else with any type of Amex Card gets in for $50.

Have you been to one yet? Leave your comments below!

–Chris McGinnis

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Largest hotel you’ll likely never visit + Delta accused + Starwood Hotels’ new tech touches + Southwest adds Oakland-Atlanta service

 


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Delta experiments with boarding & aromatherapy

Delta's boarding experiment at ATL (Photo: GH)

Delta’s boarding experiment at ATL (Photo: GH)

Delta is experimenting with a new boarding process in Atlanta that looks a lot like the process United implemented a few years ago. It’s also apparently adding an olfactory element to the jetway. 

While pundits joke that United execs wear WWDD wristbands when it comes to decision making (“What Would Delta Do”) it now seems that Delta might be taking some cues from United… or Southwest when it comes to boarding.

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Delta’s experimental boarding area lanes (Photo: G.H.)

While Delta has not confirmed this to TravelSkills, we’ve heard from readers about an experimental boarding process that has Medallion (elite) level members line up for boarding in labeled lanes. It appears very similar to Southwest’s infamous “cattle call” that’s equally loved and derided. And even more similar to United’s new boarding process- see image below and compare it to what you see above.

United's new boarding area queues at SFO (Chris McGinnis)

United’s new boarding area queues at SFO (Chris McGinnis)

Here’s what TravelSkills reader GH said in an email:

“Have you seen this?   I had a flight to DFW on Monday night but they had these lanes set up for Premium,  Sky and Zone 1 at gates B7 and B8 at ATL. As Zone 1 boards they change the signs to Zone 2, etc.  I was like ‘is this Southwest’?   If it’s to get traffic out of the main spine walkway I kind of agree with it but ended up standing in my ‘lane’  for hour and a half due to a weather related delay.  As we boarded they told us they were test gates and to provide survey feedback. Interesting…” 

GH also send us an image of a Delta sign asking for feedback by going to this URL: www.delta.com/B7

There we found a survey that asked a lot of questions about the experimental boarding process, but the questions that stuck out were those about a new scent:

Screen Shot 2015-05-18 at 5.14.19 PM

Screen Shot 2015-05-18 at 5.14.34 PM

Both are referring to the scent in the jet bridge. G.H. told us: “Now that I think of it there was some kind of smell.   Almost like it was a brand new jet way.   The jetway also seemed a little narrower than usual.” 

Which means that Delta is probably pumping in some sort of olfactory sensation designed to calm us down or make us feel better.

Have you boarded a Delta flight at ATL’s B7? What do you think of the idea of airlines copying the now standard hotel industry practice of using aromatherapy in public spaces? Please leave your comments below. 

-Chris McGinnis

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: A new type of travel package + Southwest adds Oakland-Atlanta nonstop + More power in your pocket at Marriott + Airline CEO dismissed + Delta’s first class summer sale


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Frontier’s CEO dismissed as complaints soar

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Delta’s first class fare sale  + Chinese tourists on notice + Fast trains in Spain + United’s 787 Dreamliner plans + New Oneworld lounge at LAX +

Frontier's CEO is gone as consumer complaints skyrocket. (Image: Jim Glab)

Frontier’s CEO is gone as consumer complaints skyrocket. (Image: Jim Glab)

Explosive growth at ultra-low-cost Frontier Airlines — including lots of new routes out of Atlanta  this spring — has come with a cost for travelers: Lots of flight delays, unanswered calls at its reservations center, and other operational problems. And now it may have cost the airline’s CEO his job as well.

The official word from Frontier was that CEO David Siegel resigned this week for “personal reasons,” but carrier officials also stressed that a reorganization is underway to get operational problems under control.

Siegel’s resignation came just a few days after the Transportation Department released its latest consumer report, which showed that complaints against Frontier skyrocketed more than 500 percent from March 2014 to March 2015. During the same period, the airline’s monthly passenger load increased more than 17 percent to more than 1 million.

It was about a year ago that Frontier, under Siegel’s guidance, started its conversion from a mere low-cost carrier to an ultra-low-cost carrier, driving down its operating costs — and its base fares — as much as possible, while tacking on more passenger fees, like one for carry-on bags.

Also released this week was the latest Airline Satisfaction Ranking from J.D. Power and Associates, which showed that Frontier ranked last among low-cost carriers — tied with WestJet and AirTran, well below JetBlue and Southwest.

In summarizing its 2015 findings, J.D. Power noted that overall satisfaction among travelers who select an airline based on its reputation or its customer service is much higher (812 on a 1,000-point scale) than it is among those who pick an airline to get the lowest fare (732).

Hmmm. Would you fly Frontier? Have you? Please leave your comments below. 

 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Delta’s first class fare sale  + Chinese tourists on notice + Fast trains in Spain + United’s 787 Dreamliner plans + New Oneworld lounge at LAX +


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First class airfare sale for summer

New quilted seat covers for Delta's first class flyers (Photo: Delta)

New quilted seat covers in Delta’s domestic first class flyers (Photo: Delta)

As the summer rolls in, business travel demand wanes and leisure travel demand booms.

That means the inventory of available seats at the front of the plane expands since most vacationers don’t think they can afford first class.

But with airlines putting first and business class seats on sale, the gap between coach and first class prices is becoming narrower.

A good example of this is Delta’s first class sale launched today. Delta says it is offering first class, domestic round trip fares for as little as $226 to $750 round trip.

Some examples:

Mid-June fares between New York LaGuardia and Atlanta: Cheapest coach: $336 round trip, cheapest first class: $416. So that means you can sit up front for just $80 more roundtrip. I’d do that.

This is pretty remarkable: Along the California Corridor between LAX and San Francisco,  July fares in first class are running about $250 round trip, while coach fares are $212. I’d pay $40 more for a first class seat.

Other examples: Los Angeles LAX – Seattle in July. First class is $407, economy is around $300. I’d pay $100 or so more for a big seat up front for a that two-hour 45-minute flight.

Denver to Atlanta in coach during July is about $350 round trip. In first we found a few seats for just $506. $150 more to sit up front? Sure.

New York-Orlando is $456 roundtrip in first while coach fares are in the $250 range. That fare differential pretty much holds true for nearly all NYC-FL nonstops. Not bad!

NOTE: These fares were checked on May 14 and subject to change, unavailability. 

I was hoping to see some nice discounts on transcon first class fares but they are still in the $1,000 range between SFO, LAX and Atlanta for example.

The details:

  • Fares are available during the peak summer season: June 3 to August 7
  • You must buy tickets 21 days in advance, and no later than May 27.
  • A Saturday night stay is required. As usual, blackout dates apply- they vary by city and most are in June. .
  • Here’s a link to Delta’s first class sale page

We’ve seen transatlantic business class sales this spring, now they are coming to domestic flights.

Here’s a link to Virgin America’s first and main cabin select summer sale. I expect other airlines to match Delta’s fares shortly, so shop around!

Related: Here’s Chris’s big summer outlook report from TravelSkills HQ! Please tune in for a look-see 🙂

–Chris McGinnis

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s brand new website breaks out + Chinese tourists on notice + Fast trains in Spain + United’s 787 Dreamliner plans + New Oneworld lounge at LAX +

 


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Factory flight + Drenched flight attendant talks + Star Alliance fast lanes + Best coach food + Frequent flyers fed up + more

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis flew SWISS to Madrid this week! Stay tuned for several reports (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis flew SWISS from SFO to Madrid this week! Stay tuned for several reports (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills’ 12 most popular posts over the last week… plus a few newsy nuggets we missed. 

1> Not many flyers get to experience this: From factory to Hong Kong on a brand new B777

2> Yuck. Just yuck: Drenched in raw sewage at the airport- twice Flight attendant Tina Brock (the one who was drenched) emailed us with this comment– we have not verified its authenticity, but assume it is legit:

Dear Chris – I  personally would like to thank you for writing your report – I  would like the media to know that I only asked for an apology and my medical bills to be covered – after 2 years – no one did so – They wanted to shove it under the rug – Other reports mention that I sued due to lack of sex with my husband – these people are very sick who twist things around – you did not do so and I  appreciate you as a wonderful human – The media can be very cruel – My insurance company says that workers comp should pay my medical bills – workers comp refuses to pay  – I  have had to pay all of my medical bills out of pocket for almost 3 years – The real reason for my personal lawsuit was due to no apology and not covering my medical bills – I  want to  save and fight for others who get abused by the system – People blog such horrible things – These people have no clue what we are going through and have no respect for other humans – I  strongly believe in Karma – Thank you for telling the real story without trying to hurt the ones that hurt most – I  admire and appreciate you – Tina Brock.

3> Special treatment for Stars: Star Alliance adds fast lanes

4> What’s notably missing? Airlines with best economy class food

Weekend Edition5> Why do we keep going back for more? More frustration with frequent flyer miles

6> Now that’s a long flight: Boston to Hong Kong now 16 hours nonstop

7> Can’t beat this bonus- won’t last: United’s 50,000-mile bonus is back

8> We all love more room, right? Roomier widebodies on domestic flights? We hope so

9> Nice new additions New routes: Aer Lingus, SWISS, Air France-KLM, Air China, Turkish

10> Two new Hyatts plus more: 5 shiny new hotels in Washington, DC

11> Hotel size suite on a plane: The most outrageous luxury suites in the sky

12> American gets a big new plane: A big news day for American Airlines

Our favorite reader comment this week:

Note the double arm rests between seats in Cathay's premium economy (Cathay Pacific)

Note the double arm rests between seats in Cathay’s premium economy (Cathay Pacific)

From reader C.C. regarding Cathay Pacific’s premium economy section: “Did you notice the nice double armrests in premium economy? Delta PLEASE give us those on the long hauls!!!”

Juicy nuggets of news from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week: 

These airports make arriving a pleasure

Air Canada adds PreCheck

Hawaii’s Island Air sputtering

Profile: How does TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis like to travel? 

New Godzilla themed rooms in Tokyo 

SF taxi driver video: What it’s like to compete with Uber

United sued for not disclosing wi-fi limitations

New York Times special business travel section

–Chris McGinnis


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Drenched in raw sewage at the airport- twice

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Star Wars invade DEN + United’s new 50,000 mile bonus + Secret stash of hidden hotel deals + Big new carrier for ATL + Roomier widebodies on domestic flights! 

Ceiling pipes (Photo: Michael Coghlan / Flickr)

Ceiling pipes at airports in London and Atlanta break and spew raw sewage (Photo: Michael Coghlan / Flickr)

I remember reporting on a nasty incident at London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5 in 2012 where a sewage pipe broke in the ceiling of the baggage claim, contaminating a few hundred suitcases in the Terminal 5.

“The smell was absolutely foul, as was the mood of the passengers who had to leave without their bags,” one passenger told The Sun.

The airport had to send the bags out for professional cleaning before returning them to passengers.

Passengers with bags damaged or soiled beyond repair were paid up to $1600 per bag. Yuck! Imagine getting off a plane after a 12 hour journey and ready for a big meeting only to be told that you would not be getting your bag because it had been sprayed with sewage? Yikes!

That was in 2012.

This week yet another airport sewage-spewing incident emerged in a lawsuit.. this time it took place underneath the A Concourse at Atlanta’s Hartsfield Jackson International Airport… at about the same time in 2012. 

The Atlanta Journal Constitution reports:

Delta Air Lines flight attendant Tina Brock was dozing in a sleep room in the flight attendants’ layover lounge at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson International Airport one morning when she and her colleagues heard a loud gushing sound and saw a cascade of liquid suddenly pouring through the ceiling tiles onto the floor.

As Brock got out of a recliner and scrambled to move her suitcase and other personal items from the area she realized it wasn’t water that was flowing down.

It was raw sewage, Brock says in a new lawsuit — urine and feces — and it wasn’t just soaking her things; it was getting all over her, too, splashing on her hair, face and mouth, and then completely dousing her.

Yikes! But it gets even worse…. The AJC reports that the flight attendants were stuck in the room where the sewage soon became about a foot deep. They reportedly hid in a closet where they began to gag and vomit due to the stench. They escaped by wrapping themselves in plastic bags.

Brock is now suing Atlanta Airlines Terminal Corporation, the body responsible for airport maintenance, for damages from the incident. In the days following the incident, the AJC reports that she became depressed and had the feeling of “bugs eating away at her skin” and is claiming severe psychological damage, PTSD and fear of crowded spaces at airports.

–Chris McGinnis

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Star Wars invade DEN + United’s new 50,000 mile bonus + Secret stash of hidden hotel deals + Big new carrier for ATL + Roomier widebodies on domestic flights! 

 


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Qatar Airways eyes Atlanta, Boston, LAX routes

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s new 50,000 mile bonus + Secret stash of hidden hotel deals + The most outrageous luxury suites in the sky + Roomier widebodies on domestic flights! 

Qatar Airways plans to bring the new Airbus A350 XWB to Boston and New York. (Image: Qatar Airways)

Qatar Airways plans to bring the new Airbus A350 XWB to Boston and New York. (Image: Qatar Airways)

As U.S. airlines continue lobbying the U.S. government to rein in the ambitious expansion of the Big Three Mideast carriers, one of them — Qatar Airways — just announced plans to add three more U.S. gateways in 2016, giving it a total of 10.

Qatar said it intends to begin daily flights from Doha to Los Angeles on January 1, using a two-class Boeing 777; daily flights to Boston on March 16, operating a two-class A350 XWB (Airbus’s new widebody); and daily service to Atlanta starting July 1, also with a 777.

Qatar also said it will double its service between Doha and New York JFK effective March 1, adding a second daily flight with an A350 XWB; the existing JFK-Doha flight uses a 777.

Qatar is a member of the Oneworld Alliance–while Emirates and Etihad have shied away from alliances.

The three Mideast airlines — Dubai’s Emirates, United Arab Emirates’ Etihad and Qatar — have dismissed allegations by the U.S. carriers that they are competing unfairly thanks to billions of dollars in subsidies from their governments. If the U.S. airlines’ share of the market is slipping, they say, it’s because the Mideast airlines offer superior comfort and service.

Still, Qatar’s announcement of such an ambitious expansion of capacity is certain to draw even more howls of outrage from the big U.S. airlines. It remains to be seen whether Congress and/or the Obama Administration will let the U.S. carriers get what they want — although historically, they usually do.  Qatar’s early announcement could be an effort to nail down as much U.S. access as possible before the government slams the door to more.

Besides JFK, Qatar currently flies to Washington Dulles, Philadelphia, Chicago, Houston, Miami and Dallas/Ft. Worth.

Have you flown on Qatar Airways or any of the other UAE carriers (Emirates, Etihad)? Would you? Why or why not…

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s new 50,000 mile bonus + Secret stash of hidden hotel deals + The most outrageous luxury suites in the sky + Roomier widebodies on domestic flights! 


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United bonus + Outrageous sky suites + Faster airports + $99 to Europe + Name the coyote + more!

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s new 50,000 mile bonus + Secret stash of hidden hotel deals + The most outrageous luxury suites in the sky + Roomier widebodies on domestic flights! 

View from my hotel room in Los Angeles last month. Can you name the hotel? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

View from my hotel room in Los Angeles last month. Can you name the hotel? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills’ 12 most popular posts over the last week… plus a few newsy blurbs we missed. 

1- Ready for a free trip to Hawaii? United’s 50,000-mile bonus is back

2- Dream away: The most outrageous luxury suites in the sky

3- New tech solving age old airport delay issue: Atlanta airport getting faster, bigger. SFO, too

Weekend Edition4- Loss leader: Wow Air’s $99 cheap seats to Europe. Would you?

5- What did we miss? 13 air travel experiences to have before you die

6- Great deals for flexible travelers: Nationwide airfare sale for early/late summer

7- Which airline is the most generous? 5 key findings from Consumer Report on frequent flyer programs

8- This should bouy your mood: These countries make me smile

9- Can it be? Eastern Airlines back in the sky (Earned most Facebook LIKES)

10- What a whopper of a loyalty program this would create! Starwood-InterContinental merger in the works?

11- Bummer- Fewer 787 Dreamliners. Nice- more domestic widebodies United revamps fleet- for the better?

12- Nonstops from SEA to the South: Alaska Airlines invades The South. Watch out, Delta

(Photo: Visions Photographiques / Flickr)

(Photo: Visions Photographiques / Flickr)

Best reader comment this week re our post on World’s happiest countries: “I am struck by the correlation between language and happiness. Of the Top 10 happy countries, nine speak Germanic languages. (Three-quarters of Swiss citizens speak German, and three-quarters of Canadians speak English.) The only non-Germanic language in the Top 10 is Finnish. Of the Top 25 happy countries, twenty speak Indo-European languages. Correlation does not imply causation, but it’s interesting nevertheless!”- DL

Juicy nuggets of news from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week: 

Which US airline CEO makes more than the others? 

Mural of kids at the top of ATL arrivals escalator removed

Virgin America revenue down almost 20% in Dallas. Ouch. 

Alaska Air ads flights to Costa Rica

Sheraton is a tired brand

Virgin America’s Q1 profit beats forecast

World’s 10 most expensive airline tickets

Help name our TravelSkills mascot; win United Club pass! (Click on image for details)

Help name the TravelSkills mascot and you could win a United Club day pass! CLICK for details

Help name the TravelSkills mascot and you could win a United Club day pass! CLICK for details

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s new 50,000 mile bonus + Secret stash of hidden hotel deals + The most outrageous luxury suites in the sky + Roomier widebodies on domestic flights! 


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Frontier expands, slashes fares in Atlanta, Cincinnati

With its ultra-low-cost formula, Frontier is growing fast.

With its ultra-low-cost formula, Frontier is growing fast. (Image: Jim Glab)

Ultra-low-cost airline Frontier continued on its growth streak last week, adding new routes and flights at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson and Cincinnati.

At ATL, Frontier launched nonstop service to New York LaGuardia, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, New Orleans, Minneapolis and Cincinnati.

The carrier now flies to 16 cities non-stop from Atlanta, and officials told local media that they see room for even more new routes there. Rival Spirit Airlines has also been adding Atlanta markets in recent months, making the busy airport a new battleground between ultra-low-cost carriers and the dominant Delta and Southwest.

Atlanta-area travelers can benefit from ultra-low fares on the upstart companies — Frontier was promoting one-way fares of $19 to $99 on its new routes — if they’re willing to pay all the ancillary fees.

Besides new Cincinnati-Atlanta service, meanwhile, Frontier also started flying last week between Cincinnati-Ft. Myers, and boosted schedules on other Cincinnati routes, increasing Ft. Lauderdale service from three flights a week to seven, Orlando from four a week to seven, and Las Vegas from one a day to two.

Have you flown Frontier? Would you? 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s new 50,000 mile bonus + Secret stash of hidden hotel deals + The most outrageous luxury suites in the sky +Virgin’s new LAX Clubhouse! 


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Surprise: Deep discounts on summer fares to Europe

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s new 50,000 mile bonus + Which airline is most generous? + Starwood-InterContinental merger? + Delta bumps up summer seats to Europe! 

A shiny new British Airways A380. Clean as a whistle! (Photo: British Airways)

A shiny new British Airways A380. Clean as a whistle! (Photo: British Airways)

The strength of the US dollar is great for Americans headed to Europe, but it’s clearly having an impact on demand from the other side of the pond. 

That’s the only explanation I can come up with for why British Airways deeply discounted its economy class fares for August to Europe yesterday.

BA’s lowest fares are currently running toward the END of August, as low as $800-$900 roundtrip— see our research below.

A quick run through some fares found some outstanding bargains. I do not expect these fares to last… I’m already seeing “1-3 seats left” on the lowest fares.

Keep in mind that Labor Day is September 7 this year, so these still fall into the standard definition of peak summer season.

NOTE: The euro and the pound have strengthened against the dollar this week– euro is up to $1.12 and the pound is $1.52 as I write this.

How low did they go? Check out these round trip fares:

Click here for the sale page

Boston-London in late August: $825 roundtrip

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New York-London in August: $973 roundtrip

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Chicago-London in August just $1033 roundtrip

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Atlanta-London in late August: $1191 roundtrip

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Los Angeles-London late August/early September: $1126

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San Francisco-London in late August $1224

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NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s new 50,000 mile bonus + Which airline is most generous? + Starwood-InterContinental merger? + Delta bumps up summer seats to Europe! 


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Delta bumps up summer seats to Europe

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s new 50,000 mile bonus + Easy 1,000 AAdvantage miles + The most outrageous luxury suites in the sky +Virgin’s new LAX Clubhouse! 

Delta's summer schedule includes more flights to Rome and other European cities. (Image: Jim Glab)

Delta’s summer schedule includes more flights to Rome and other European cities. (Image: Jim Glab)

Delta has unveiled plans for a seasonal summer expansion of its routes to Europe.

This additional capacity should make it somewhat easier to find award seats across the pond…right? At least we can hope so. How’s your luck been so far?

Among the additions:

  • To Italy, Delta will resume daily Detroit-Rome service on May 2 with a 767-400, and will add a second Atlanta-Rome flight May 23, operating up to six times a week with a 767-300. (Delta also flies to Rome from New York JFK.)  June 2 is the relaunch date for daily summer flights from Atlanta to Venice, using a 767-300; and starting June 16, Delta will lay on six 757-200 flights a week between New York JFK and Pisa, Italy. The carrier will supplement its current JFK-Milan service starting June 17 with a daily 767-300 flight from Atlanta to Milan.

New: United’s sweet 50,000-mile bonus is back

  • May 2 is also the starting date for daily service from JFK to Reykjavik, Iceland, with a 234-seat 757-300; now in its fifth year, the Iceland service will continue through September.  (A new option for Iceland trips is that country’s ultra-low-cost carrier Wow Air, with Boston-Reykjavik fares starting at $99.)

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s new 50,000 mile bonus + Easy 1,000 AAdvantage miles + The most outrageous luxury suites in the sky +Virgin’s new LAX Clubhouse! 


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New, free arrivals app speeds up customs

Customs and Border Protection's new arrivals app will reduce waiting time.

Customs and Border Protection’s new arrivals app will reduce waiting time (Image: CBP).

International travelers returning to the U.S. through Chicago O’Hare — a major entry point for United MileagePlus and American AAdvantage members — can now take advantage of a handy smartphone app to speed up Customs and Border Protection processing.

The Mobile Passport Control (MPC) app, available from Apple’s App Store and the Google Play Store, serves a function like those automated passport control kiosks that are springing up in various airports.

The app is currently only available to U.S. and Canadian passport holders.

Passengers use the app to submit their passport data and customs declaration form before arrival, and they’ll get back a receipt with an encrypted QR code that a customs officer will scan.

Customs and Border Protection first deployed the app last summer for travelers flying into Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson. Since then, the app has become available for travelers returning to the U.S. through Miami International and Seattle-Tacoma International.

New: United’s sweet 50,000-mile bonus is back

“MPC is expected to expand to more airports later this spring and CBP has committed to expand the program to the 20 airports with the highest volumes of international travelers by the end of 2016,” CBP said.

Of course, O’Hare has offered the automated passport control kiosks for more than a year. “In the first full year of operation for APC kiosks, average wait times at O’Hare were cut in half to just 15 minutes,” the agency said.

Have you tried this new app… or used a kiosk to re-enter the US yet? How’d that go for you? Please leave your comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Nationwide summer fare sale + Outrageous luxury suites in the sky +Virgin’s new LAX Clubhouse! 


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Eastern Airlines back in the sky

Eastern Airlines B737 touching down in San Juan (Eastern Airlines / Twitter)

Eastern Airlines B737 touching down in San Juan (Eastern Airlines / Twitter)

The first time I flew to San Juan, Puerto Rico was on Eastern Airlines way back in 1985 when I was working on a consulting project there.

Ironically, the last time I flew Eastern Airlines involved a trip to San Juan. That was January 1991. Eastern was mired bankruptcy. The US was in the first Gulf war. The economy was tanking. But Eastern had super cheap fares to the islands and I jumped at the chance to escape winter in Atlanta.

Rumors had been swirling for months about a possible shut down, but I did not believe them. We took off from Atlanta, and by the time we landed in San Juan, Eastern was out of business. Grounded. The plane I was on flew back to Miami where it was parked for good.

I was stuck in San Juan (not a bad place to be stuck in January, mind you). Luckily, Delta accommodated (gratis) all passengers stranded by the shut down, so I made it back to Atlanta.

So when I saw the above photo today of Eastern landing at SJU, it brought back all those memories.

The original incarnation of Eastern disappeared for good in 1991.

Fast forward to 2015. A new Eastern Airlines has been formed, and while it is not affiliated with the original Eastern, the new group acquired the old carrier’s intellectual property, including the name, branding and old slogans such as “Wings of Man” according to the Miami Herald.

Take a look at what you may have missed on TravelSkills this week! Here’s the full rundown of posts

The new Eastern Airlines first class of flight attendants in Miami (Photo: Shelly Gerrish)

The new Eastern Airlines first class of flight attendants in Miami last week(Photo: Shelly Gerrish)

The Herald reports that the new carrier will operate as a charter carrier, has a headquarters at Miami International Airport, and 47 employees. It has just one 737 now, but has ordered 10 more, and has raised $15 million to get started.

A charter airline does not sell individual seats… it’s in the business of selling an entire aircraft to tour operators. So you won’t be able to buy a ticket on Eastern, but you could end up flying Eastern if you buy a ticket from a tour operator that has chartered the Eastern plane. 

Eastern has already started training flight attendants and pilots, and is performing its FAA proving flights (like the one to San Juan) in order to get its operating certificate. The plane has also been spotted recently at Dallas Love Field. It’s hoping to make its first revenue generating flights in May, but that’s still uncertain.

You can follow Eastern’s progress via its Twitter feed and website.

Eastern Airlines's only plane: A Boeing 737 purchased from Kenya Airways (Photo: Shelly Gerrish)

Eastern Airlines’s only plane: A Boeing 737 purchased from Kenya Airways (Photo: Shelly Gerrish)

Do you remember Eastern Airlines? What do you think about this attempt to bring back an old airline brand?

Please leave your comments below.

–Chris McGinnis

Take a look at what you may have missed on TravelSkills this week! Here’s the full rundown of posts

 

 


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Atlanta airport getting faster, bigger. SFO, too

NextGen technology is speeding things up at Atlanta's busy Hartsfield Jackson

NextGen technology is speeding things up at Atlanta’s busy Hartsfield Jackson

If flight operations in and out of Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson seem to be running more smoothly these days, that’s because air traffic control improvements resulting from the FAA’s new NextGen technology are allowing more flights to take off and land at the busy airport.

The new procedures let aircraft fly closer together on approach, and opened up an additional parallel flight path for departures.

This means shorter taxi times, and even shorter flights, which saves airlines big buck on fuel costs– for example, Delta is expecting to save $13-18 million due to the improvements. See video (It’s really good!)

The airport can now handle 112 to 134 departures per hour during periods of peak activity, up from 96 to 130 previously.

The same technology will soon be deployed to help delay-plagued San Francisco International Airport according to the FAA. See FAA video. 

Have you noticed? 

Flying upstairs in biz on the only A380 jumbo now calling on Atlanta- Korean Air (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Flying upstairs in biz on the only A380 jumbo now calling on Atlanta- Korean Air (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Meanwhile, ATL is taking bids on a a plan to modify Gate F3 in the new international terminal’s F Concourse so it can accommodate super-jumbos like the Airbus A380.

Currently, only two E Concourse gates can do so.

And right now, only one A380 calls on ATL, Korean Air’s daily nonstop from Seoul. 

Related: Trip Report- Seoul-Atlanta on Korean Air’s A380

ATTENTION READERS: Be sure to click on the TravelSkills homepage to see all the posts we’ve created for you this weekend. TRAVELSKILLS DAILY EMAIL READERS: These posts are also included in your daily email, so please be sure and scroll through entire email (don’t stop at the first item) so you won’t miss out!!

Weekend Edition

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>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

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Turkish Airlines pinging Silicon Valley (VIDEO)

Turkish Airlines inaugural flight with San Francisco mural arrives at SFO (Chris McGinnis)

Turkish Airlines inaugural flight with San Francisco mural arrives at SFO (Image: San Francisco International Airport)

This week, San Francisco International welcomed Turkish Airlines inaugural Boeing 777 flight from Istanbul, and TravelSkills was there on the runway to capture the moment. (I was there broadcasting live using the new Periscope app in my iPhone. Are you on it yet? If so, be sure and follow me!)

Turkish is pushing hard for the Bay Area tech crowd, and even created a special livery (above) to commemorate the new flight. The B777 on the route sports a colorful mural of San Francisco in the left side of the plane, and a similar mural of Istanbul on the right side.

The right side of Turkish Airlines B777 is a mural of Istanbul (Chris McGinnis)

The right side of Turkish Airlines B777 is a mural of Istanbul (Chris McGinnis)

>Clearly hoping to appeal to techies, Turkish created a clever riff on HBO’s Silicon Valley TV series with a video (see below) and a sponsored post on BuzzFeed about why SF and Istanbul are two long lost sister cities.

Recent: Is United’s food getting better? 

>San Francisco is the carrier’s seventh U.S. destination. It also flies to: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington DC. Atlanta is rumored to be its next destination, and it did not go unnoticed on us that the carrier’s newly appointed PR company is located there.

>Turkish is fast growing, with a modern fleet and easy (but crowded) hub in Istanbul. It’s an excellent new option for travelers headed to Greece (one stop SFO-Mykonos!), or elsewhere in Eastern Europe. It’s also competing with the big UAE carriers like Emirates and Etihad for tech travelers headed to India. For example, it competes with Etihad and United for the shortest flight times (21-23 hours each way, one stop) between SFO and Mumbai.. 

Recent: Brand new(ish) hotel brand in New York, San Francisco

>The flight time between LA or San Francisco and Istanbul is around 12-13 hours depending on winds. From the east coast, flight time is around 10-11 hours.

>On its Boeing 777-300ER serving SFO, Turkish offers 300 economy seats,  and 49 flat bed business class seats, but no premium economy, as you’ll find on LAX-IST. All seats  are leather and have individual on-demand video entertainment screens at every seat on its 777s. Plus there’s wi-fi onboard and it’s free in business class.

>Turkish is a member of the Star Alliance. Business class passengers get access to United’s business class lounge at SFO’s International Terminal G.

Here’s our previous TravelSkills report on Turkish Airlines in the US.

Have you flown Turkish Airlines yet? What did you think? Please leave your comments below.

–Chris McGinnis

 


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Delta hub in China? + Lufthansa lie-flat + AA points promo + Delta mileage sale + SAS new biz class

Shanghai Pudong PVG airport a new Delta hub? (Photo: Matt_Weibo / Flickr)

Shanghai Pudong PVG airport a new Delta hub? (Photo: Matt_Weibo / Flickr)

Delta eyes Shanghai hub. Delta said last week it will relocate its operations at Shanghai Pudong Airport from Terminal 2 to Terminal 1 on April 13 in order to be close to its codeshare partners China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines, and Delta CEO Richard Anderson suggested in a message to employees that Shanghai could be Delta’s next hub as it builds up the China-U.S. market with its partners. He compared it to the existing link between Delta and partner KLM at Amsterdam Schiphol. Delta currently flies to Shanghai from Seattle, Detroit and Tokyo Narita, and if it wins government approval, will add Los Angeles-Shanghai Weekend Editionservice in July, giving it a total of 28 flights a week from the U.S. The code-sharing pacts with China Eastern and Shanghai Airlines give Delta access to 30 destinations beyond Shanghai. And Delta’s customers will have access to a new SkyTeam Lounge that China Eastern plans to open in the airport’s Terminal 1 later this year.

AA accelerates elite points. Members of American Airlines’ AAdvantage program can get on the fast track to elite status by buying pricey premium cabin tickets this year. The company said members who buy full-fare first and business class tickets (fare categories J and F) from now through December will earn 3.0 elite-qualifying points per mile — the usual 1.5 per mile plus a new bonus of an additional 1.5. For discount first and business fares (R, D, A, I, P), the regular 1.5 points per mile is supplemented with an extra 0.5 points for total of 2.0. The bonus applies for travel on American, US Airways, British Airways, Iberia, Finnair, Qantas and Japan Airlines. Hmm. That’s starting to sound like a revenue-based frequent flyer program to us…

original_Lufthansa_New_Business_Class_Rollout_Dates_Routes

Lufthansa’s new lie-flat seat (Lufthansa)

Lufthansa lies flat. Thankfully Lufthansa is rapidly shedding its old-school angled lie flat seats, and they will be completely gone in a few months. A Lufthansa spokesperson confirmed that, for example, the carrier’s A380s between Frankfurt and SFO now feature the new business class product. “The Business Class retrofit process of the entire Lufthansa long-haul fleet will be completed in the second quarter of this year,” he said.

Related: Business class on sale for summer! 

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

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

Delta mileage sale. Delta, which recently changed its SkyMiles rules to make some domestic/Latin America/Caribbean award flights available starting at 10,000 miles one-way, is greatly expanding the number of markets in that deal in a new promotion for spring travel (April 30-June 20). The purchase deadline is April 23. Sample markets include Atlanta-New Orleans, New York LGA-Orlando, Seattle-Phoenix, New York JFK-Bermuda, Atlanta-Nassau and Los Angeles-Mazatlan. among others.

American’s merger milestone. Although they’ve been operating under common management for some time, American and US Airways were technically separate airlines — until last week, when the FAA finally granted the company a single operating certificate for the two carriers, a step that American called “a major milestone” in the merger process. Although that makes a difference to air traffic controllers (all flights will now go by the AA call sign “American”), the change will be transparent to passengers, who will still check in at aa.com or usairways.com or their respective check-in counters. American recently started merging the frequent flyer accounts of the two carriers into a single AAdvantage program, but it still has to combine the two airlines’ reservations systems — a big job that has caused problems for some earlier airline mergers.

Popular: Heyo paleo travelers– check this out

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

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New routes: Southwest, Delta, JetBlue. Southwest Airlines last week kicked off the latest expansion of its growing network out of Dallas Love Field, adding daily non-stop service to Columbus, Indianapolis, Memphis, Milwaukee, Panama City Beach (Fla.), Portland, Sacramento, San Jose and Seattle. On April 11, Southwest will add Saturday-only service from DAL to Charleston, S.C. Southwest also started new daily service last week between Kansas City and New York LaGuardia … Delta said it will add two new South American spokes from its Atlanta hub on December 19, including daily service to Medellin, Colombia and three flights a week to Cartagena, Colombia … JetBlue plans a December 10 start for new flights from Albany, N.Y. to Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, with one daily roundtrip in each market.

SAS using Google's Street View technology to show off it's new cabins (SAS)

SAS using Google’s Street View technology to show off it’s new cabins (SAS)

SAS ‘Street View’. SAS is using Google Street View’s technology to give customers a look at the interiors of its newly upgraded long-haul A330/340 aircraft. Users can navigate their way through the plane to look at the features of SAS Go, Plus and Business classes, checking out the entertainment systems, the seats and even the bathrooms. You can try it out here. But it will be a while before you can actually sit in the new seats. A spokesperson told TravelSkills, “We are upgrading a total of four 340s and the upgrade is should commence just after the summer.”

In Case You Missed It…


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Time to pay for PreCheck

Screen Shot 2015-04-06 at 1.53.30 PM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

tsa_precheck_whosflying

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

–Chris McGinnis

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

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

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

In Case You Missed It…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

United's newest beer.

United’s newest beer.

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

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

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

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

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

Readers sound off! Check comments: New Marriott/Hilton cancellation policy irks (Reader Report)

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

Have you checked out TravelSkills new advertising partner Personal Capital yet? The site is designed to help busy people manage finances– and we’ve noticed that hundreds of TravelSkills readers have clicked on the links provided on the blog… and we are wondering what you think of the service. Please leave your comments below or email chris@travelskills.com. Thanks!

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

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

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

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

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

Weekend Edition

Did you miss yesterday’s TravelSkill Weekend Edition? Not a problem! Here’s the link:

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

 

In Case You Missed It…

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

::

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

+++

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

facebook like

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

Please join the 85,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

 


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

Keep yawning in check at the airport! (Photo: Natalia Lobato)

Keep yawning in check at the airport! (Photo: Natalia Lobato / Flickr)

Don’t do this at the airport. We recently reported on a lawsuit filed by the ACLU that seeks to put an end to TSA’s controversial SPOT program — Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques, in which TSA agents are trained to look for travelers exhibiting “suspicious” behaviors. Now a website called The Intercept has obtained a list of the specific behaviors that TSA agents are taught to watch for, like excessive yawning or throat-clearing, “widely open staring eyes,” or a face that appears “pale from recent shaving of beard.” Check out the list to see if you might be mistaken for a terrorist. Have you ever been singled out as “suspicious” by TSA personnel? Why?

Weekend EditionBig Hilton HHonors bonus. The Hilton HHonors Surpass/Amex card is offering a fat 80,000 HHonors Bonus Points if you spend $3,000 within the first three months of membership. If you are a Hilton regular, this card is a good one with automatic HHonors Gold status, plus you earn 12 points per dollar spent at Hilton brands. Annual fee: $75.  Details here

New lounges at Sea-Tac. Airport Lounge Development, which operates pay-per-use passenger retreats at several facilities, has opened a pair of them at Seattle-Tacoma International. An individual day pass to the facilities costs $35 (vs $50 at most major airline clubs), and the company also seeks out partnerships with international carriers who might want to offer the amenity to premium passengers. Known as ‘The Club,’ the Seattle locations are in Concourse A near Gate 11, and in the South Satellite near Gate 59. You’ll find similar clubs at seven other airports in the US (such as ATL, SJC), all with free snacks and beverages, Wi-Fi, workstations and showers.

Your CLEAR card will get you in the fast last at SF Giants games this season (Image: CLEAR)

Your CLEAR card will get you in the fast last at SF Giants games this season (Image: CLEAR)

CLEAR’s got game. After testing the concept last fall, airport trusted traveler company CLEAR will broaden its scope, setting up shop May 1 at the San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park. Members will use biometric ID verification to gain expedited entry to the ballpark via a Fast Access lane located at the Willie Mays gate. (They will still be subject to bag checks, however.) CLEAR has identified major sports venues as a natural market for its product. (More on SFgate.) This spring, CLEAR says it will be adding service at Baltimore Washington and Miami International Airports. What do you think about CLEAR?

New entrance at ATL. Drivers heading for Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson’s domestic terminal can take advantage of a newly opened northbound entrance from Riverdale Road, made evident by a new 35-foot-tall sign. The new entrance means the previous airport access point from Riverdale Road, at the south end of Terminal Parkway, has been permanently closed. The change is made possible by the opening of the Riverdale Road-Airport Boulevard intersection. Airport officials said the change should mean safer trips for travelers by “eliminating short weaves and merges.” What’s more, “The improved roadways will also reduce congestion caused by traffic leaving the airport from the Rental Car Center and simplify airport access from Riverdale Road,” officials said.

Orange County OKs ride-sharing. Officials of southern California’s Orange County have approved passenger pick-ups by ride-sharing companies Uber and Wingz at John Wayne Airport. Both were due to start last week, under terms of a new agreement with the county that calls for the ride services to pay a fee of $2.25 per airport pick-up. Ride-sharing services were already allowed to drop off passengers at the airport, and Uber’s premium services like UberBLACK and UberSUV had been permitted to make pick-ups under a separate agreement.

Did you miss this? Coyotes (and other rare sights) on the runway

HOTELS

(Image: Hyatt)

(Image: Hyatt)

Room service/minibar costs rated. You’ve finished a long day of meetings and just want to crash in your hotel room with a club sandwich. But how much are you willing to pay for that sandwich? How about $24.15? That’s the typical cost of a club sandwich delivered by room service at New York City hotels — the most expensive in the country, according to a new TripAdvisor survey. How about just a snack, like peanuts from the minibar? That’ll cost $12.78 in Boston. A nice minibar vodka cocktail? New York wins again, at $16.76. In Denver, by contrast, the club sandwich is $11.65 and the vodka $7.17. And everything costs a lot less at hotels in foreign destinations, the survey found. Readers: What’s the most you ever paid for a hotel room service order or a minibar selection?

Wyndham revamps Rewards. Wyndham Hotel Group, which has 7,650 properties worldwide across a number of brands, plans to launch a “re-imagined” version of its Wyndham Rewards loyalty program on May 11. The company said the “core features” of the new Wyndham rewards include earnings of 10 points per dollar spent or a minimum of 1,000 points per stay, whichever is more; “Go Free” awards that let members claim a free night for 15,000 points with no blackout dates; and “Go Fast” awards, which allow members to book a night for 3,000 points plus cash. For details, go to www.wyndhamrewards.com.

In Case You Missed It…

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

::

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

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Turkish Airlines newest US route

Turkish flights to SFO start in April. Rumors swirl around ATL, too. (Photo: Eric Salard / Flickr)

Turkish flights to SFO start in April. Rumors swirl around ATL, too. (Photo: Eric Salard / Flickr)

Turkish Airlines is set to launch new nonstops between Istanbul and San Francisco on April 13. SFO is one of nearly a dozen airports the carrier serves in North America. Its meteoric rise on the air travel scene has been mesmerizing, and the airline can now claim that it serves more countries (108) than any other airline in the world.

Its route map is staggering with 265 destinations across Africa and Central Asia that many frequent travelers may have never even heard of, and its coverage of Europe goes beyond serving national capitals to connecting secondary and tertiary cities like Bilbao, Spain; Friedrichschafen, Germany; and Vilnius, Lithuania.

Turkish flies to more countries than any airline in the world.

Turkish flies to more countries than any airline in the world.

Turkish will compete with the big three Middle Eastern carriers (Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways) thanks to its well-positioned hub that allows it to connect north to south as well as east to west traffic. The airline is a bullish competitor with European airlines too, often pricing fares between the US and Europe well below the competition.

For example, we found roundtrip coach fares SFO-IST in May for just $917. Business class roundtrips are just $3,900. (A press release states that there are coach fares as low as $699 roundtrip, but we’ve been unable to find them.)

Turkish Airlines is a member of Star Alliance and is known for providing a decent amount of award space to travelers interested in redeeming miles. Stateside, partner United Airlines almost always has plenty of Turkish seats available, which are searchable via united.com.

Turkish has a fleet of new Airbus and Boeing aircraft coming online at a steady pace, and as a result of this growth, its main hub is beginning to see the strain of the airline’s growth. Plans to open a new Istanbul airport are in the works with the first phase of construction set for 2019. This will increase the airport’s capacity to 90 million passengers and give Turkish Airlines the ability to stretch its wings as far away as South America and Australia, the only two significant white patches in its route network.

Even economy class meals like this one are impressive on Turkish (Photo: Sergey Melkonov / Flickr)

Even economy class meals like this one are impressive on Turkish (Photo: Sergey Melkonov / Flickr)

Frequent travelers with the airline will recognize its onboard cuisine to be one of the best. Designed by catering company Do & Co, there is always a wide selection of Turkish cuisine on board. All passengers are treated to Turkish Delight (a pistachio-stuffed sweet) after boarding, no matter where they are seated. And most flights feature an onboard chef in the business class cabin that prepares the meals.

The inflight experience is not without its drawbacks, though. The Muslim influence of the Turkish government sometimes puts pressure on the airline to not be as free with alcohol as other airlines. Turkish used to provide champagne upon boarding, now it is only upon request. And receiving a refill on wine or cocktails often requires a friendly reminder to the flight attendant who may not offer it automatically.

Turkish Airlines lie-flat business class seat (Photo: Turkish Airlines)

Turkish Airlines lie-flat business class seat (Photo: Turkish Airlines)

Another issue: aircraft cabins are typically kept so warm that North Americans get uncomfortable. Over several recent flight experiences, I noticed the cabin temperature set to 78 degrees, and many of the airline’s long-haul planes lack individual air vents.

The new SFO flight will use the 777 aircraft, which Turkish has equipped with true lie-flat business class seats and free (!) wi-fi on most of its birds. Turkish Flight 80 will depart SFO at  6:10PM and arrive in Istanbul at 5:05PM the next day. Flight 79 departs IST at 1:15 PM and arrives SFO at 4:25 PM on the same day. Turkish will use a Boeing 777-300ER on the 13-hour flight with business class in a 2-3-2 configuration and coach in a 3-3-3 configuration and no first class.

Not to be missed: Turkish Airlines two-level lounge at Istanbul Ataturk. Wow. (Photo: James Cridland / Flickr)

Not to be missed: Turkish Airlines two-level lounge at Istanbul Ataturk. Wow. (Photo: James Cridland / Flickr)

Not to be missed: Turkish Airlines’  double-decker business class lounge which is the envy of most airlines and a conversation point among savvy frequent travelers. Roaming masseurs, self-playing pianos, self-serve beverage stations, private napping rooms, video game stations, a golf simulator, billiard table, and even a kids’ playing area are among the special amenities. Live cooking stations at every turn produce fresh pizza, pasta and omelets made to order, an array of fresh salads and Turkish appetizers, Turkish sweets, coffee, fresh lemonade, and grilled meats. Planning a long connection in Istanbul is worth the extra time to take advantage of the lounge’s unending space.

Rumors swirl of potential new service to Atlanta although nothing has been announced.

There is no doubt that when Turkish touches down at San Francisco in April that long-haul flyers will find a worthy competitor. Just be ready to ask repeatedly for booze and to fight your way through a congested Istanbul airport upon landing.

–Ramsey Qubein

Did you miss this our recent Weekend Editions? No probs! Here they are for ya:

Better Virgin seats for Delta elites + AA US program merger + Fastest airlines + Delta shrinks at CVG + Lufthansa A380s

United schedule changes + Easy 1,000 HHonors points + Virgin 2-4-1 + New United gates + Lyft beats Uber

In Case You Missed It…

  • Here’s what you should know about Spring Break and its travel impact.

Why you should change the credit cards you carry

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Delta ekes out some good SkyMiles news

Flying the Delta California Shuttle from SFO to LAX (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Flying the Delta California Shuttle from SFO to LAX (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

It seems that every time Delta has announced updates to its SkyMiles program recently, we all braced for bad news. 

But today, Delta rolled out come changes for the good…for a change. Here’s what’s in store:

  • New one-way award tickets for 10,000 miles plus taxes and fees, available through Dec. 31, 2015 for travel in select U.S., Mexican and Caribbean markets– these appear to be only short-haul markets like Atlanta-Florida, Los Angeles-Las Vegas, or San Francisco-Los Angeles. Catch: there’s a 21-day minimum advance purchase for most of these awards. But still this is good news since the previous minimum was 12,500 miles– too much for a short flight.
  • Delta is now offering MQDs, regardless of ticketing carrier, for travel on most of its airline partners. And it’s making the MQD offer retroactive back to January 1 of this year. Delta says that MQD earning varies based on carrier, percentage of distance flown as determined by Delta and fare class paid.

 

Here’s how Delta detailed and expanded upon its press release on FlyerTalk today:

Increased award availability
When we announced the SkyMiles 2015 program we committed to making more award seats available at the lowest prices and since the start of 2015 we have expanded award availability at the lowest prices by greater than 50%. We are seeing a double digit increase in award redemptions since January and other customer-positive award redemption trends in terms of the average number of miles redeemed, partner awards, and one-way award usage.

New (lower) One Way Award
In 2015 we will be offering One Way Award tickets beginning as low as 10,000 miles (plus taxes and fees) in select markets in the contiguous 48 United States and between the 48 contiguous United States and select Mexico/Caribbean destinations. Travel will be valid through December 31, 2015 with a 21 day advance purchase.

Bloodbath for airlines a boon for travelers

Award shopping calendar additions
We are pleased to confirm that we have added four new airline partners to our award shopping engine over the past few weeks following a quiet soft launch. You can now book awards online with China Airlines, China Southern, China Eastern and Gol. We will be adding more partners in the coming weeks and even more by summer of 2015.

Mobile award shopping
In January, we added the ability to book Awards from your smartphone. You can shop for our new One Way Awards, our new partners and other Award Tickets using the Fly Delta mobile app. We are seeing great usage of this new and easy to use feature right out of the gate.

Restrictions on free-flowing airport booze?

Earn MQDs on most partner-ticketed flights, exception fares
New for 2015 when you travel on flights ticketed by most of our airline partners you will now earn MQDs, which will help you qualify for Medallion status faster. This change will be retroactive to January 1, 2015 to include your travel from this Medallion year. Flights marketed and ticketed by partners may earn MQDs based on a percentage of distance flown as determined by the fare class paid. You can visit www.delta.com/partnerairlines for details by carrier. It’s going to take us a little bit of time to process retroactive credit for past flight activity, but they should post to your accounts between now and March 20. You can also earn MQDs on most exception fares, such as bulk, consolidator and group tickets. Learn more by visiting www.delta.com/exceptionfares. In addition to the MQD changes we’ve also made minor changes to the way you earn Medallion status on Alaska Airlines flights, effective April 1.

Diamond Medallions now board first
Many of you have caught on to this already, but as part of our branded products experience that launched on March 1, we are pleased to confirm that Diamond Medallion members are now invited to board the aircraft with customers in Delta One or First Class as part of our Premium boarding zone.

So what do you think? Does any of this make you feel better about SkyMiles?

–Chris McGinnis

Why you should change the credit cards you carry

In Case You Missed it…

>Which cities worldwide have the best (and worst) quality of life?

>United renovates airport clubs, boosts food quality.

>Virgin Atlantic will boost San Francisco schedule with a 787.

>Hilton finally jumps on the free Wi-Fi

 

Did you missed TravelSkills Weekend editions? No probs! Here they are:

Don’t buy Gogo onboard + Virgin to Hawaii? + Clever Delta ad + LaGuardia slots

$64,000 roundtrip + Bevy of new flights + Southwest bag fee + Lufthansa update + Kimpton nightcap

 


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World’s 10 highest (and lowest) quality cities

I was lucky enough to take a biz trip to highly ranked Vancouver in 2013 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I was lucky enough to take a biz trip to highly ranked Vancouver in 2013 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Vienna has the world’s best quality of living, according to the Mercer 2015 Quality of Living rankings. Overall, European cities dominate the top of the ranking along with Zurich, Auckland, and Munich in second, third, and fourth places respectively.

How many of the top 10 highest quality cities have you been to or lived in?

(Image: Mercer)

(Image: Mercer)

In North America, Canadian cities rank highest, with Vancouver landing in the top 10, followed by Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal. San Francisco is the highest ranking US city, coming in at 27th place. Boston (34) and Honolulu (36) were the other US cities that ranked highly. Chicago, New York City, Seattle, Los Angeles and Washington DC all landed in the top 50. Atlanta came in at 66.

Singapore (26) is the highest-ranking Asian city, whereas Dubai (74) ranks first across the Middle East and Africa. Montevideo in Uruguay (78) takes the top spot for South America.

Baghdad comes in at the bottom of the list, along with several cities in Africa. Have you been to any of the lowest ranking cities?

Why you should change the credit cards you carry

The view from my room at the Radisson Blu Royal hotel in Copenhagen (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The view from my room at the Radisson Blu Royal hotel in Copenhagen (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I’m lucky enough to have traveled to nearly every city in the top 10– with one painful exception: Vienna! It’s at the top of my European bucket list! I lived in Sydney as a management consultant in the 1980s and would move back in a heartbeat if I was not already located in top ranked San Francisco 🙂

Which cities have you traveled to or lived in? And which one would you most like to live and work in? Among the top 10, I’d probably choose Copenhagen, which I recently wrote about for BBC.

Mercer conducts its Quality of Living survey annually to help multinational companies and other employers compensate employees fairly when placing them on international assignments. What factors contribute to a city’s ranking? Here’s what Mercer says:

Mercer

–Chris McGinnis

Breakfast scones and "bagel sticks" are part of the new breakfast menu coming to United Clubs (Photo: United)

United Clubs upgrade food & renovate

6 practical, protective or fun phone cases

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United Clubs upgrade food & renovate

Breakfast scones and "bagel sticks" are part of the new breakfast menu coming to United Clubs (Photo: United)

Breakfast scones and “bagel sticks” are part of the new breakfast menu coming to United Clubs (Photo: United)

Have you grown weary of same old spread of carrots, crackers, hummus triangles and shrink wrapped cheese at United Clubs? Then get ready for an overhauled complimentary menu launching this week, as well as several major Club renovations in coming months. United is even talking about adding a new food-for-purchase option at its Clubs. 

Hummus, sliced peppers, olives and pretzel crisps for afternoon snacking (Photo: United)

Hummus, sliced peppers, olives and pretzel crisps for afternoon snacking (Photo: United)

The all-new complimentary food menu, from a Greek yogurt bar, scones, and hot oatmeal station to hummus with pretzel crisps, soup, salad, salami, and peppers debuts today at Chicago O’Hare and will be rolled out Houston, Denver, Newark, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Washington Dulles by the end of summer. All United Clubs worldwide will feature the new food by the end of the year.

United's new complimentary food menu will replace current offerings. (United)

United’s new complimentary food menu will replace current offerings. (United)

United also says it will launch an upgraded beverage-for-sale program of premium wines, beers and spirits including Champagne Laurent-Perrier and Trinchero Family Estates Wines. Although there are few details, United says that is also plans to test a new food-for-sale pilot program later this year as well.

See all of United’s new Club food photos here.

Here’s what breakfast looked like the last time I was at the United Club at SFO:

Breakfast at the United Club at SFO (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Breakfast at the United Club at SFO (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Renovations:

In the coming year, the airline will renovate all clubs in Chicago O’Hare, Washington Reagan, Hong Kong and Tokyo Narita. It will also build new clubs in Atlanta (T-gates) and San Francisco, and “begin major changes in Los Angeles.”

United says that these new Clubs will reflect the new look that you may have already seen at the airline’s recently revamped Chicago O’Hare, Boston, London Heathrow, San Diego and Seattle Clubs.

Related: Feast your eyes on United’s new London Lounges | First look: United’s Newest Club at SFO

So…whaddya think? Please leave your comments below.  

—Chris McGinnis

(Image: Crafic)

(Image: Crafic)

6 practical, protective or fun phone cases

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New transcon biz class + United mistake + Seattle + Cruise for miles + Marriott expiring

Lie-flat comfort on Air Canada's new Business Class Transcon flights (Photo Air Canada)

Lie-flat comfort on Air Canada’s new Business Class Transcon flights (Photo Air Canada)

DOT excuses United on fare errors. A couple of weeks ago we reported on the controversy that erupted after United Airlines refused to honor some ridiculously low transatlantic air fares that many people booked through its website — if they switched their country of origin to Denmark. Although we disagreed with them, many observers felt that United should be held accountable for its mistake and should let those lucky travelers keep their bargain purchases. But now the U.S. Department of Transportation has weighed in, ruling that United didn’t have to honor the fares because to find them, consumers had to “manipulate the search process” by switching home countries to take advantage of a currency conversion glitch.

New Air Canada transcon biz class. March 1 is the launch date for a new Air Canada product it calls Business Class-Transcontinental, to be offered on widebody flights from San Francisco and Los Angeles to Toronto, as well as on intra-Canada service linking Calgary-Toronto, Vancouver-Toronto and Vancouver-Montreal. The airline said it will bring the comforts of its international business cabin to the transcon routes, including seats that recline fully flat, large pillows and duvets, noise-canceling headsets, priority check-in and boarding, Maple Leaf Lounge access and more. It will be on 787s, 777s, 767s and A330s.

United's new digs in the "T-gates" Concourse- no train ride required (Photo: Atlanta Airport)

United’s new digs in the “T-gates” Concourse- no train ride required (Photo: Atlanta Airport)

United at ATL. A United spokesperson confirmed to TravelSkills that a new United Club is indeed underway at Atlanta’s T-gates concourse adjacent to the main terminal, although she could not comment on the exact location. It’s expected to open “this fall.” Additionally, nearly Weekend Editionall United operations have moved to the much more convenient T-gates from Concourse D.  From ATL, United offers nonstops to Newark, Washington Dulles, Chicago, Denver, Houston and San Francisco. This TravelSkills post of United’s newest club at SFO should give you an idea of what the ATL and other planned renovations will look like.

Delta grows at Seattle. Delta’s next round of expansion at Seattle will come on December 19, when it plans to add new daily service to Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island — a route already served by Alaska Airlines. On the same date, Delta will add a second daily flight from SEA to Palm Springs and will begin daily seasonal service from SEA to Tucson, up from the current weekly flight. Starting in May 2015, meanwhile, Delta said it will extend its seasonal SEA-Fairbanks and SEA-Juneau service to year-round daily flights.

hdr_alaska_qq

Cruise with MileagePlus miles. Got a ton of United miles burning a hole in your pocket? The airline said last week that MileagePlus members can now book cruise vacations through its loyalty program and pay with miles. The ships of some two dozen cruise lines are available, United said, with itineraries worldwide. Sample prices: We saw a seven-night western Caribbean sailing on Princess cruises at 70,471 miles for an ocean-view cabin or 129,294 miles for a suite (mileage prices are per person based on two in a cabin). A new web page has been created at https://cruises.mileageplus.com/ where members can search all the cruises available. Not enough program credit? You can also combine miles and money to buy cruises, United said.

HOTELS

1,000 Easy (?) Hilton Points. Last week you read about how to earn 1,000 Hilton HHonors points for simply changing your password, but the promo was put on hold due to a technical glitch. Well, it seems the glitch is still hampering the bonus, but a spokesperson assures TravelSkills that it will indeed come back. So stay tuned.

Marriott gets tough on expiring points. According to the View from the Wing blog, Marriott is telling Marriott Rewards members that effective in February 2016, it will start enforcing a clause in its program rules that says all of a member’s points will expire without any qualifying activity in the program within 24 months.

Popularity contest: Here are the most read TravelSkills posts this past week, in descending order of popularity. Did you read them all?

  1. Why you should change the cards you carry
  2. Bloodbath for airlines a boon for travelers
  3. West Coast – New York LaGuardia flights on horizon?
  4. How to enjoy dining alone
  5. Does Virgin America need lie-flat seats to compete?

And our most popular post of all time? See it here.

Did you miss yesterday’s issue of our Weekend Edition? No probs! Here ya go: 

Southwest growth spurt + Better food? + Wi-fi on Delta + Hilton double + Whatever!

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Bloodbath for airlines a boon for travelers

Frontier freshened it's look last year

Frontier freshened its look last year- but kept the cute animal tails (Image: Frontier Airlines)

Atlanta is turning into the newest test market for the hottest trend in the airline business — the ultra-low-cost carrier. Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines are both planning significant expansion at ATL: Spirit said last week that it is adding nine new routes there this coming spring and summer, and Frontier announced today that it will fly nonstop to 10 more cities from ATL, for a total of 16. 

On April 30, Frontier will launch a daily nonstop between Atlanta and:  Cincinnati, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York LaGuardia, New Orleans and Minneapolis/St. Paul. To celebrate, the airline is offering one-way fares as low as $19 between ATL and New Orleans or Orlando. It should not go unnoticed that nearly every one of these cities is a key Delta hub or focus city, so it’s clear that low-frills Frontier has Delta in its crosshairs (Southwest, too).

A Frontier spokesperson told TravelSkills, “Frontier is going from six destinations to 16 from ATL by April 30.  We will be ATL’s third largest carrier in terms of departures this summer. Denver is still our largest hub, followed by Chicago O’Hare, then Atlanta.”

Just last week, Delta and Southwest faced another significant threat by another “ultra low cost” carrier. As we reported on TravelSkills, Spirit Airlines announced nine new nonstop routes from ATL, giving it a total of 15 destinations out of Atlanta.

Frontier previously announced that it will launch nonstops from ATL to Austin, Indianapolis, Miami and Philadelphia in March.

It will be interesting to see how the established players respond. Equally interesting will be to see how these two ultra-low cost entrants will fight since many of these new routes overlap. In either case, it likely means lower fares in Atlanta and elsewhere. But stay tuned… both carriers have a history of moving in and out of markets very quickly. 

Highly restricted, but quite a good deal if you can get one

Highly restricted, but quite a good deal if you can get one, and avoid all the extra fees. But will you?

Let’s compare these two ultra-low cost contenders:

The two airlines have some strategic similarities. With their focus on keeping basic fares to an absolute minimum, they charge more kinds of ancillary fees than other airlines (most notoriously for carry-on bags that go in the overhead bin). They also tend to have limited schedules, rarely more than one flight a day in a given market, and often only a few flights a week — hardly ideal for business travelers who value schedule frequency above all else. That’s because these airlines are going after extremely price-sensitive customers, nibbling around the edges of the larger market.

Why you should change the credit cards you carry

And from a bottom-line standpoint, it’s a formula that works: Spirit has become a darling of Wall Street, with better profit margins than its larger competitors and ambitious growth plans. Spirit’s total capacity rose by 18 percent last year, and is expected to increase an amazing 30 percent in 2015, making it — in percentage terms, at least — the fastest-growing airline in the country. But Spirit, which has been flying scheduled passenger service since 1992, is also the only U.S. carrier to hold a lowly two-star rating from Skytrax, the big airline quality monitor.

Frontier has been around even longer if you count the original Denver-based carrier that started up in 1950 but went bust after the airline deregulation wars. The modern incarnation of Frontier dates back to 2001, and it was acquired — after it went bankrupt — by Republic Airlines Holdings, an operator of regional carriers, in 2009. After a few years of trying, Republic couldn’t make Frontier work in a highly competitive Denver market (where United was dominant and Southwest was moving in fast), or in the other various markets where it tried to establish a niche, so in 2013 it sold Frontier to new investors — the private equity firm Indigo Partners, which turned Frontier into an ultra-low-cost carrier. That wasn’t really a surprise, since the man who runs Indigo Partners — William Franke — pioneered the concept when he ran Spirit Airlines.

Spirit Airlines A320s offer a tight 28 inches of space between each seat- the tightest in the industry (Photo: Bernal Saborio / Flickr)

Spirit Airlines’ A320s offer a tight 28 inches of space between each seat- the tightest in the industry (Photo: Bernal Saborio / Flickr)

So how do these two ATL interlopers stack up against each other? Both rely on one-class, single-aisle Airbus planes. The standard seats on Spirit’s A319s, A320s and A321s have a knee-crunching 28-inch pitch and seats that are less than 18 inches wide (“We’re a cozy airline,” Spirit admits on its website). The planes also offer a few better seats (four on A320/321s; 10 on A319s) called “Big Front,” with 36-inch pitch and 20-inch width, and of course they’ll cost you extra. At Frontier, standard seats have a more generous (by ultra-low-cost carrier standards) 30-31 inch pitch and seat width of 18 inches. Frontier’s planes also offer 30 (on A319s) or 36 (A320s) “Stretch” seats at an extra cost, with 36-38 inch pitch and 18-inch width.

Fares on Spirit are transportation-only, or as Spirit calls them, “fully unbundled.” If you want anything more than a seat and storage under the seat for a small personal item, you’ll pay more. At Spirit, that even includes water. If you don’t print your boarding pass at home, Spirit charges you $10 to do it at the airport. At Spirit, the cost for a carry-on bag ranges from $26 (if you pay online when you book) to $100 (if you wait until you’re at the gate to pay).

Business travelers may want to consider Frontier's "Stretch seats" which offer more legroom (Image: Frontier Airlines)

Business travelers may want to consider Frontier’s “Stretch seats” which offer more legroom (Image: Frontier Airlines)

And checked bags carry fees as well, ranging from $21 to $100 for the first one. Want to select your seat before check-in? That’ll cost you from $1 to $50 for standard seats, or $12 to $199 for Big Front seats.

At Frontier, the fee for a carry-on bag ranges from $30 to $50 depending on when you pay, although Frontier does offer bundled fares that cost more but include some services. So for those who buy these Classic Plus fares (which allow full refundability, same-day standbys and no change fees) there’s no extra charge for a carry-on (nor is there one if you’re a Summit or Ascent-level member of Frontier’s Early Returns loyalty program). A checked bag costs $25-$30, again with exemptions for Classic Plus buyers and loyalty elites. Extra-legroom Stretch seats on Frontier are available free to Classic Plus fare buyers and to Summit and Ascent-level loyalty members; other passengers can upgrade for fees that start at $15. (Frontier also offers “Select” seats for fees starting at $5. These are just regular coach seats that happen to be closer to the front of the plane than the others.)

Both airlines also have loyalty programs that are pretty basic. Spirit’s is called Free Spirit and Frontier’s is EarlyReturns. Free Spirit is quite limited in its partner companies — just one hotel group, for instance (Choice Hotels International). Frontier’s plan is more traditional in that it offers tier levels that carry fee-waiving benefits, starting with Ascent level at 15,000 miles or 20 segments a year; Summit is 25,000 miles/30 segments.

So, frequent traveler… what do you think? Would you venture to fly on an “ultra-low cost carrier?” How do you think Delta will respond in Atlanta, or other legacies will respond in other cities? Please leave your comments below. 

Did you miss Saturday’s issue of our Weekend Edition? No probs! Here’s the link:

United changes + SFO Sky Club + Southwest devalues + New Virgin route + Beijing bird!

In Case You Missed It…

>Should airports restrict the sale of alcohol to passengers?

>Fortune magazine designates “most admired” travel-related companies.

>San Francisco’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel will change hands next month.

>Planespotting: The 757 vs. 767.

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

Planespotting 101: Boeing 757, 767 (latest)

Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

Planespotting 101: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

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Flurry of new flights + Amex pickle + Delta in Dallas + Easy 1,000 HHonors points update

Spirit plans to make big inroads at ATL. But would you fly Spirit?

Spirit plans to make big inroads at ATL. But would you fly Spirit?

Flush with cheap fuel profits, airlines are rapidly expanding their footprints in cities across the U.S. To wit: 

Spirit grows at Atlanta, LAX. Two ultra-low-cost, fee-heavy airlines have new growth spurts coming up. Spirit Airlines is aiming to grab a bigger piece of the seemingly impenetrable Atlanta market from Delta and Southwest by adding nine new routes there. Keep in mind that Spirit offers a knee-numbing 28 inches of non-reclinable seat pitch– the least in the industry. Plus, you pay extra to carry on a bag or reserve an aisle or window. (See fee schedule here.)New flights include Cleveland, Las Vegas and Orlando starting May 7; Baltimore/Washington, Philadelphia and Tampa beginning June 18; Los Angeles as of August 20 and Boston and Ft. Myers starting September 10. (Will Delta and/or Southwest match those low fares? Hopefully they won’t match Spirit’s fees.) Spirit also announced two other new routes out of Los Angeles — Baltimore/Washington and Kansas City, both beginning July 9 …

WeekendEditionMeanwhile, Frontier Airlines said it will launch new seasonal service out of Philadelphia April 30 to Houston and Minneapolis. On April 14, Frontier will begin new Chicago O’Hare service to Los Angeles and Austin, followed by new non-stop beginning April 30 from ORD to San Francisco and Raleigh/Durham. Would you ever use an ultra-low-cost airline? Under what circumstances?

New routes: Southwest, AA, Delta. Southwest plans to add four new domestic routes on August 9, including Oakland-Columbus, Boston-Columbus, Orange County, Calif.-Portland and Washington Reagan National-Ft. Lauderdale … Subject to Transportation department approval, American Airlines plans to take over Alaska Airlines’ Los Angeles-Mexico City route on June 4, boosting frequencies from one to two a day, according to the trade journal Travel Weekly … Delta is set to launch daily service between Boston and Milwaukee June 5, using a two-class, 76-seat CRJ-900, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Predicting spring-summer airfares

Higher merchant fees help American Express fund popular benefits like Centurion Lounges (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Higher merchant fees help American Express fund popular benefits like Centurion Lounges (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

American Express in a pickle. Last week Amex lost its fight to prohibit merchants from encouraging customers to use other credit cards. The court ruling handed down this week means that merchants can now convince customers to use Visa or Mastercard plastic instead of Amex, something which was prohibited (and enforced) before. Why would a merchant want to do this? Because the fees American Express charges merchants are around twice as much as other cards. Amex has long been able to get away with this because it claims that it brings higher value customers to merchants, and uses the higher fees to fund the popular Membership Rewards program, and offers bennies like the popular Centurion lounges.

JetBlue offers The Wall Street Journal. A new partnership between JetBlue and The Wall Street Journal will give the airline’s passengers free unlimited access to the newspaper’s WSJ.com website content through the Fly-Fi Hub, JetBlue’s lineup of free media offerings via its in-flight Wi-Fi system to passengers’ personal electronic devices.

Court fight over Love gates. Southwest Airlines is going to federal court to challenge a Transportation Department advisory that essentially told Dallas airport officials to find some way to allow airlines currently using Love Field to keep using it. The airline in question is Delta, which is currently operating its DAL-Atlanta flights with a pair of gates subleased from United. However, United last month transferred those gates to Southwest, which has said only that it will let Delta keep using them through July 6.

IHG Rewards bonus + Kimpton purchase = interesting!

HOTELS

Just in time for SXSW the enormous new JW Marriott Austin (Rendering: Marriott)

Just in time for SXSW the enormous new JW Marriott Austin (Rendering: Marriott)

Austin’s biggest hotel opens. Marriott officials have cut the ribbon on the 1,012-room JW Marriott Austin, which they said is the city’s largest hotel — it takes up the whole block bounded by Second and Third streets, Brazos Street and Congress Avenue, within walking distance of the convention center and State Capitol. It has 112,000 square feet of event space and 42 meeting rooms, along with a fifth-floor pool deck and bar, three restaurants and a full-service Starbucks.

Best new credit cards for frequent travelers

Easy 1,000 HHonors points UPDATE. This week Hilton sent TravelSkills an announcement that the login process for all Hilton HHonors members was being updated. PIN numbers will no longer be accepted and members will have until March 25, 2015, to create a new password or update their existing password. It said that those who update the password by by March 8, 2015 get 1,000 bonus points as a thank you. BUT, since getting this, we’ve learned that there is a technical issue with this process right now and the deal has been put “on hold.” A Hilton confirmed to TravelSkills that the bonus will indeed come back as soon as the tech glitch is fixed. So standby.  Eventually (and hopefully) once the issue is resolved, you will log in to your Hilton HHonors account, then go to “personal information” to change your password.

Did you miss yesterday’s issue of our Weekend Edition? No probs! Here’s the link:

United changes + SFO Sky Club + Southwest devalues + New Virgin route + Beijing bird!

In Case You Missed It…

>Should airports restrict the sale of alcohol to passengers?

>Fortune magazine designates “most admired” travel-related companies.

>San Francisco’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel will change hands next month.

>Planespotting: The 757 vs. 767.

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

Planespotting 101: Boeing 757, 767 (latest)

Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

Planespotting 101: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

+++

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<
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United changes + SFO Sky Club + Southwest devalues + New Virgin route + Beijing bird!

United MileagePlus changes go into effect on March 1 (Photo courtesy Robbie Plafker)

United MileagePlus changes go into effect on March 1 (Photo courtesy Robbie Plafker)

First Delta, now United. Several weeks ago, Delta made the big changeover in its SkyMiles program to a spending-based model, and now it’s United’s turn. March 1 is the effective date for United’s previously announced changes in MileagePlus — changes essentially the same as Delta’s. Under the new system, MileagePlus members’ earnings will be on a graduated scale, ranging from five points per dollar spent on air fare for basic program members, up to 11 points per dollar for Premier 1Ks. So basically, low-level, low fare travelers will earn less for their trips than before, while front-cabin, WeekendEditionhigher-level elites will earn more. The big unanswered question at this point: Will American do the same when it finally merges the AAdvantage program with US Airways’ Dividend Miles this year? MileagePlus members: Will you be better or worse off under the new system? Post your comments below.

Rapid Rewards devaluation? Without releasing any specific details, Southwest Airlines said on its Rapid Rewards page last week that it plans to make some changes to its award travel starting April 17. On that date, the number of points needed for award travel on some routes “will vary based on destination, time, day of travel, demand, fare class, and other factors,” the airline said, adding that “many flights…will stay at the current redemption rate.” The blog Travel Summary adopted a skeptical attitude toward the cryptic announcement, referring to it as a “devaluation” of Rapid Rewards points. “While some prices may get cheaper, you can bet they’re making this change to increase a majority of prices,” the blog said.

Restrictions on free-flowing airport booze?

Delta's making progress on the new Sky Club at SFO's Terminal 1 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Delta’s making progress on the new Sky Club at SFO’s Terminal 1 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

San Francisco Sky Club. A Delta spokesperson has confirmed to TravelSkills that the brand new Sky Club, inside security at SFO’s Terminal 1, is set to open in May. We’ll share more specifics when we get them!

Double miles at Alaska; Delta’s bag guarantee. Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan members who register online can earn double miles from now through May 15 on eight routes to and from Salt Lake City, and on 19 Seattle routes. There’s no limit to the amount of extra miles that can be earned with this new promotion … Delta is offering SkyMiles members a bonus of 2,500 miles if they have to wait more than 20 minutes for a checked bag on any domestic flight to reach the carousel after arrival. All you have to do is fill out an online form within three days of arrival.

Trip Report: JetBlue Mint class [photos]

Screen Shot 2015-02-20 at 4.50.31 PMSouthwest adds Passbook. It took a while, but Southwest Airlines passengers who are checking in electronically for their flights can now have boarding passes sent to Passbook on Apple devices using iOS6 or later versions. Look for a new button on the bottom of the boarding pass screen that says “Add to Passbook.”

Virgin adds intra-Texas route. Southwest Airlines’ lock on the market between Dallas Love Field and Austin — where it operates 10 daily non-stops — is being challenged by Virgin America, which announced plans to begin flying the route five times a day as of April 28. Virgin already flies to AUS from San Francisco.

A bright new bird to spot flying over the Bay Area starting June 15 (Photo: ByeAngel / Flickr)

A bright new bird to spot flying over the Bay Area starting June 15 (Photo: ByeAngel / Flickr)

New China route for Silicon Valley. It’s all systems go for Hainan Airlines’ planned new non-stop service from San Jose to Beijing’s Capital International Airport. SJC officials said last week that Hainan’s new service will begin June 15, operating five days a week with a 213-seat, two-class 787 Dreamliner. Economy roundtrips are in the $1,500 range while business class is in the $3,500 range—reasonable. The only other transpacific service out of San Jose is ANA’s daily flight to Tokyo Narita — but more could be coming, as the airport expects to finish construction of two new international gates by this summer. 

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

Planespotting 101: Boeing 757, 767 (latest)

Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

Planespotting 101: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

+++

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Southwest Big Love + Hidden Delta rules + Remarkable Atlanta deal + SFO Centurion chef

AFLaPremieresuite

Air France’s swank new first class suite arrives in the US. See below for details (Photo: Air France)

Southwest sets next round of Love expansion. Southwest Airlines last week revealed details of a big schedule expansion at Dallas Love Field, with plans to add non-stop service to 10 cities starting April 8. New destinations to be served from DAL include Charleston (S.C.), Columbus, Indianapolis, Memphis, Milwaukee, Panama City Beach, Portland (Ore.), Sacramento, San Jose and Seattle/Tacoma. (Charleston service will start April 11 and will operate only on Saturdays; Panama City Beach flights will begin with once-a-week service, increasing to daily May 8, but will be seasonal.) Also on April 8, Southwest will boost frequencies on routes from DAL to Ft. Lauderdale, OaWeekendEditionkland and Santa Ana/Orange County. The airline will also add other new service at Santa Ana/Orange County June 28, including non-stops Chicago Midway, Seattle and Austin.

Southwest woos Atlanta flyers. Pulling out its biggest marketing guns to date, Southwest Airlines this week launched a new promotion in the Atlanta market only, offering Rapid Rewards members a pass good for free companion travel through the end of the year. To get it, members must register online at www.southwest.com/atlanta and complete at least three roundtrips out of Atlanta from now through May 17.  The only other way to get coveted companion pass status on Southwest is to amass 110,000 Rapid Rewards points. This is quite a remarkable deal, especially if you are the type of traveler who likes to mix business with pleasure and bring along the spouse or significant other from time too time. T&Cs state that you must be an Atlanta resident living in one of these zip codes to get the deal.  Delta loyalists….will you bite? 

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Talk about being in the right place at the right time! A rare Etihad sighting along with Air Force One at SFO. (Photo credit: Touch n Go Aviation Photography)

Etihad jet at SFO? We did a double-take when we saw the image of this Etihad jet at SFO floating by on Twitter this week. We thought maybe our post Etihad vs Jetihad had forced positive change 🙂 In the end, we learned from an airport spokesperson that Etihad substituted one of its own aircraft for the normal Jet Airways 777 on the route due to “operational issues.” It’s nice to see that beautiful bird at SFO…and even nicer to see it on the same day that President Obama was in town— see his 747 in the background? What a shot!

Delta said to tighten award rules. First, Delta angered SkyMiles members by taking down the awards chart from its website. And now — according to the Crankyflier blog– the airline has taken another step backwards with its loyalty program by quietly introducing new advance-purchase rules for low-level domestic award travel. Cranky says that SkyMiles now requires members to book those award trips at least three weeks in advance, but it didn’t bother to announce the change. And SkyMilers now have to go through the award booking process online before they can find the true mileage cost of a trip. (So…about that offer from Southwest mentioned above…)

Predicting spring-summer airfares

Air France brings new luxury to JFK flights. The first U.S. flights to introduce Air France’s new La Premiere first class suites are AF 010/011 between New York JFK and Paris CDG. The 32-square-foot suites have a seat that transforms into a bed that’s six and a half feet long and 30 inches wide, along with a 24-inch table and an ottoman that can serve as a guest seat. And four (count em!) windows– see top.

SFO Centurion Lounge loses chef. Michelin-starred chef Christopher Kostow (from Meadowoods in Napa) only lasted three months in a gig where he oversaw the kitchen at American Express’s popular new Centurion Lounge at SFO’s Terminal 3. According to EaterSF, which broke this news, “Kostow declined to comment on the reason for the severed ties, but some industry types assume that the differing desires of a Michelin-starred chef and an airport food service provider have something to do with it.” Too bad because the spread Kostow prepared for the opening night was deeelicious, and TravelSkills was there with a full report!

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The DOT’s official announcement regarding the United ticketing scam

Smart traveler or fraudster? The TravelSkills post (Should United pay for its mistakes) this week about the folks who snapped up supercheap fares by misrepresenting themselves received a TON of great comments. Check em out here. In a related story….remember the Skiplagged site, where a college kid exposed the longstanding practice of “hidden city ticketing” – a similar practice of the traveler misrepresenting where he or she is actually flying in order to get a cheaper fare? Both United and Orbitz filed a lawsuit against the kid, and this week, Orbitz reached a settlement, but United’s case is still active. Full story from USA Today

Alaska adding preferred seats. The next carrier to add a paid preferred seating option will be Alaska Airlines, which will reportedly start selling extra-legroom bulkhead and exit row seats sometime later this year. The airline is said to be eyeing preferred seating fees ranging from $15 to $50 depending on the length of the flight. Buyers will also get a free drink and priority boarding.

JetBlue will take Apple Pay. JetBlue Airways said its flight attendants will soon start accepting Apple Pay for in-flight purchases of food and beverage items, extra-legroom seats and other amenities. The new Apple Pay technology is offered with Apple’s iPhone 6 and 6s models. The carrier plans to give iPad minis and NFC-enabled cases to flight attendants so they can handle the Apple Pay transactions. The devices will also have a new iOS app that provides flight data and other information, and will let flight attendants “easily identify TrueBlue and Mosaic loyalty members by name,” JetBlue said.

Best new credit card bonuses for frequent flyers

icelandairaurora

Icelandair offers “aurora” flights. For passengers who don’t get to see the real aurora borealis, Icelandair is trying to offer the next best thing. It has painted the exterior of one of its 757s in a Northern Lights simulation, and even brought the same feeling to the cabin interior with a special mood lighting display. The plane is on a varied international schedule. Watch this gorgeous plane take shape in this excellent VIDEO

In Case You Missed It…

>American sets schedules for first 787 Dreamliners.

>Chris tries out (and photographs) JetBlue’s new Mint Class.

>InterContinental’s loyalty plan adds Kimpton hotels, new signup bonus.

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

Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

Planespotting 101: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

+++

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

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KAL’s new biz class + Cheap biz class to London + Airline scents + Busiest airport? + Spate of new hotels

KALnewbizseat

Korean Air updates biz class. New “Prestige Suite” business class seats are coming at Korean Airlines, offering 180-degree recline, privacy panels that can be raised or lowered, 17-inch video screens with smartphone-style touch-screen handsets, and a configuration that lets window seat passengers get into the aisle without disturbuing their neighbor. The new seats will first appear on KAL’s A330-300s between Seoul and Guangzhou, Singapore and Hanoi, and will be installed on all of the airline’s new long-haul planes, including A330-300s, 777-300ERs, 747-8s and 787-9s. Meanwhile, Korean and American Airlines have announced a new code-share pact; although it only affects one route — with KAL’s code going onto AA’s Seoul-DFW flights — it has some observers wondering about the Korean carrier’s intentions regarding its membership in the SkyTeam alliance, since American is part of the competing Oneworld group.

10am PST on Sunday (Doppler)

10am PST on Sunday (AccuWeather – Doppler)

Stormy travel. A new winter storm is bearing down on the Northeast and airlines have started issuing waivers for flights through Tuesday Feb 10. Delays at Boston Logan are already in the two-hour range. Heavy rain in the Bay Area is having a huge impact on San Francisco flights, too, with delays approaching 2.5 hours. Plan accordingly! See FAA Airport Delay map

Related: Why SFO suffers so much during rain

JetBlue-Icelandair code-share. JetBlue has filed for government approval to begin code-sharing with Icelandair. The airlines’ plans call for JetBlue’s code to go onto seven Icelandair routes from the U.S. to Reykjavik as well as eight connecting routes from there to Europe, while Icelandair would put its code on a number of JetBlue’s domestic routes from New York JFK and Boston.

How does your airline smell? From the Wall Street Journal regarding so-called airline signature scents: “Delta’s offering is Calm, a [lavender-and-chamomile mixture] that it sprays in airplane cabins and infuses in the hot towels it gives out in premium classes. It has been spreading Calm for about two years, joining a handful of other carriers vying for olfactory distinction by developing their own individualized odors. The fragrant fliers include United, Turkish and Air Canada’s low-cost Rouge. Spain’s Iberia is close to launching its own aroma, and Alaska Airlines is working on one.” Full story.

Lacompagnie757

La Compagnie now flying nonstop Newark-London (Luton). Photo: La Compagnie

 

Business airline flies Newark-London. La Compagnie, which introduced all-business-class service last summer between Newark and Paris, is adding another aircraft, and that will allow it to kick off Newark-London flights on April 24. But it won’t fly into Heathrow or Gatwick — instead, La Compagnie will operate from London’s Luton Airport, about 32 miles north of the city center. The airline’s 757-200s have 74 seats in a 2×2 configuration. The London service will initially operate four times a week, increasing to six by June, and La Compagnie is offering an introductory fare of just $1,007 roundtrip for travel through June 30; purchase deadline is April 24- that’s quite a deal for business class across the pond. Would you bite?

The CLEAR Card’s six-month gift card is specially priced this week only (thru Feb 14) at just $49– that’s nearly half off the standard price of $90. Read all about it here: 8 things every frequent flyer wants

Look for the unpainted outline near the top of the T on the 717

The easiest way to tell the difference between at MD-80/90 and a Boeing 717? The 717 has an unpainted outline near the “stabilizer” at the top of the tail’s T shape. See it above? Check our Planespotting 101 series for more tips!

AIRPORTS

Mine’s bigger (or busier) than yours. Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson airport officials have long been proud of holding the title for “world’s busiest airport”, which they have held since 1998 and retained again in 2014 — but only in terms of passenger count. Measured by flight activity, Chicago O’Hare beat out Atlanta last year with 884,586 scheduled flights vs. ATL’s 846,777 — no doubt helped by ORD’s addition of a new runway in late 2013. Atlanta still reigns supreme in passengers, however, with 96.1 million in 2014, a gain of 1.9 percent. But to be safe, the city has formed a committee of business leaders to figure out how Atlanta can hold onto its number one ranking. Meanwhile, Dubai last year surpassed London Heathrow for the first time in international passengers (70 million vs. 66 million), claiming the title of world’s busiest international airport.

8 things every frequent flyer wants

HOTELS

The new Hilton Munich Airport (Photo: Hilton)

The new Hilton Munich Airport (Photo: Hilton)

Hotel news: Hilton, Four Seasons, Hyatt etc. In news of hotel openings and rebrandings this month, Hilton has cut the ribbon on the 389-room Hilton Munich Airport, providing direct access to the terminal building; it’s a rebranding of the former Kempinski … A pair of Bogota, Colombia properties have closed for renovations in preparation for reopening later this year, both as new Four Seasons hotels. They are the historic Hotel Casa Medina Bogota and the modern Hotel Charleston Bogota … Hyatt opened its third hotel in Istanbul; the five-star Hyatt Regency Istanbul Atakoy is in the upscale Atakoy residential area, not far from the airport and from Taksim Square … Another new Hyatt has made its debut in Manila. The twin-towered Hyatt City of Dreams is less than two miles from Ninoy Aquino International Airport and not far from the SMX Convention Center … Fairmont Hotels has a new location in Indonesia — the 380-room Fairmont Jakarta is in the Senayan Square complex in the heart of the central business district.

Hilton comes to Love Field. The former Wyndham Hotel at Dallas Love Field, just a quarter of a mile from the airport, is now the DoubleTree by Hilton Dallas-Love Field. The 244-room hotel went through a $2 million renovation prior to rebranding; it offers free Wi-Fi and a shuttle service to the airport or anywhere within five miles of the property.

In Case You Missed It…

Did you miss Saturday’s issue of our weekend edition? Here ’tis:

United discounts awards + Delta eliminates chart + More Starbucks + United packs 777s + Southwest challenges Delta

 

New breed of hotel discount sites

End of the hotel room phone?

5 key questions to ask at hotel check-in

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

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United discounts awards + Delta eliminates chart + More Starbucks + United packs 777s + Southwest challenges Delta

You can now get this new business class seat from Singapore at a discount using United miles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

You might now get this new business class seat from Singapore Air at a discount using United miles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

AIRLINES

Here's the part of the discounted award chart most appealing to North American flyers (United)

Here’s the part of the discounted award chart most appealing to North American flyers- rates are one way (United)

United discounts partner awards. Travelers may not be getting much of a break on airfare these days, but this week we saw some nice discounts pop up on United for award redemptions with partners. What’s nice about this is that it nearly always costs more miles to fly on United partners than it does to fly on United. What this latest sale does is bring partner award prices inline with United award prices. So for all the TravelSkills readers who complain about the state of United, here’s your chance to see what it’s like to live outside the United bubble for a while. Fly Aer Lingus’ new business class, try out Singapore Air’s new B777 between SFO and Hong Kong (if you are lucky), try ANA to Japan! To get the discounts, you must book by February 28, but you can travel anytime between now and the end of the year! 

Delta SkyMiles award chart disappears. This week, Delta once again ticked off its most valuable customers by taking down its (admittedly broken) online award chart. That means there is no longer a baseline or standard for award prices….SkyMiles members can no longer quickly check the award chart to determine if you may (or may not) have enough SkyMiles for an award trip. Now, the only way to do that is to enter dates and destinations and see what the (admittedly broken) Delta award booking site presents on its calendar. Maybe this is the way Delta thinks it can reduce the bitter complaints that rates posted on the award chart don’t reflect reality? Who knows, but this just seems like another takeaway by Delta. Grrr. Thoughts please!

Get $30 off your first Uber ride! Click here.

Some interesting stats about the Delta Starbucks partnership… esp the one about serving 68 million cups of coffee this year!

Delta goes all-Starbucks. A couple of years ago, Delta introduced Starbucks as its in-flight coffee of choice on West Coast shuttle flights between Los Angeles and San Francisco as well as transcon flights to both cities from New York JFK. Passengers must have liked the brew, because Delta is now rolling out Starbucks systemwide. The specific varieties will be Starbucks Pike Place Roast and Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Italian Roast decaf. Have you ever had a “good” cup of coffee on a plane? Do you think Delta’s brew will taste much different now that it’s Starbuck vs Seattle’s Best, Delta’s previous purveyor (which ironically, is owned by Starbucks)?

8 things every frequent flyer wants

More seats in United 777s? The trade journal Aviation Daily reports that United Airlines is “considering” a refit of some 777s that would add nearly 100 seats to each aircraft by making its regular economy seating 10-across instead of the current nine. The nine-across configuration would be retained for Economy Plus, the report said, adding that it was unclear how many of the airline’s 74 777-200s might be affected if United decides to go ahead with the plan. Stay tuned…

Southwest ads challenge Delta in Atlanta. Now that it has fully absorbed AirTran’s routes and obliterated its identity, Southwest Airlines is seeking to boost its market share in the former AirTran hub market of Atlanta with a new ad campaign. Southwest also targeted Atlanta travelers with a fare sale through the middle of this month. One of the TV ads in Southwest’s new “Heartlanta” campaign assures business travelers that they’ll all get friendly treatment no matter what their status — “We don’t care if you’re diamond, platinum or pewter.”

American has collectible amenity kits. First class and business class flyers on American Airlines’ international and transcontinental flights will soon start seeing retro-themed collectible amenity kits that pay tribute to the various airlines that have become a part of American over the years, including AirCal, Allegheny, America West, Piedmont, PSA, Reno Air, TWA and US Airways. The amenities come in a felt case “sized specifically to be re-used as a mini-tablet computer case,” American said. Related on TravelSkills: Unusual collection of retro amenity kits!

Do you know how to tell the difference between a Boeing 717 and MD-80/90? See our Planespotting series!

Blackjet

LAX-SFO private jets. BlackJet, a ride-sharing service of sorts for private jets, has started offering trips between Los Angeles and San Francisco for around $1,500 per seat each way, citing “strong demand” from its members for the route. Taking a page from the Uber playbook, BlackJet says it uses “proprietary technology to set flights and departure times according to customer demand instead of a rigid published preset schedule.” In addition to the fare, members must pay a $5,000 membership fee. Would you? Could you? Please leave your comments below.

Our recommendations for the two best all around credit cards offering 40K bonus miles are …. 

New Latin America routes. American Airlines will inaugurate several new Latin America routes during the first week of June, including daily service from Los Angeles to Guadalajara, Mexico and from Miami to Barranquilla, Colombia, as well as six flights a week from Miami to Monterrey, Mexico, all starting June 4; twice-weekly flights from LAX to Belize City, Belize, and once-a-week service from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Managua, Nicaragua and from DFW to Grand Cayman, all beginning June 6 … Aeromexico set a March 26 launch date for new daily service from Miami to Monterrey, and a June 1 start for Boston-Mexico City flights operating six days a week … On June 24, Copa Airlines will kick off new service from New Orleans to Panama City four times a week.

New breed of hotel discount sites

End of the hotel room phone?

5 key questions to ask at hotel check-in

+++

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

facebook like

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

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New jets SFO-LAX + Europe summer deals + United move at ATL + Delta wi-fi progress + Cathay biz class sale

Delta 717

Delta’s new Boeing 717s used to belong to AirTran (Photo: Delta)

AIRLINES

Delta eyes 717s for LAX-SFO. Delta will put larger Boeing 717s onto eight daily Los Angeles-San Francisco “California Shuttle” flights starting June 4, retaining Embraer 175s on the other seven of its 15 daily flights, according to the website Airlineroute, which tracks planned service changes across the industry. Delta obtained scores of former AirTran 717s from Southwest and has been phasing them into service; last fall, it replaced some of the 76-seat E175s on its LaGuardia-Boston shuttle with 110-seat, two-class 717s. And Delta plans to put 717s onto its LAX-Portland and LAX-Las Vegas routes in June as well. Been on a Delta 717? What did you think?

Screen Shot 2015-01-31 at 9.52.44 AM

Storm warning. Yet another big winter storm (this time named “Linus”) is expected to hit a wide swath of the northern US and could affecting flying this week. Details. Plan accordingly.

United on the move at ATL. United is moving its Atlanta operations from distant Concourse D to close-in Concourse T at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson. The T-gates are located alongside the main terminal building, which means that passengers can walk from the curb to the plane without having to descend into the giant airport’s bowels for a ride on the “Plane Train.” A United spokesperson told TravelSkills that the United Club on Concourse D closes this weekend and that it is “in the process of evaluating potential opportunities to build a new United Club in the T Concourse.” From ATL, United flies to Newark, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington Dulles and Houston.

United bows out in Dallas Love battle. Southwest Airlines has nabbed two more highly contested gates at Dallas Love Field, giving it 18 of the small airport’s 20 gates. It subleased the gates from United, which will move out of Love to concentrate its operations at Dallas Ft Worth. (United used the Love gates for a handful of regional jet flights to Houston.) Delta currently has temporary authority to serve Love Field with five daily nonstops to Atlanta, but only until July 6. Southwest plans to use the new gates to add nonstops to Memphis, Milwaukee and Seattle and beef up frequencies to cities it already serves.

The noodle chef at Cathay Pacific's business class lounge at SFO (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The noodle chef at Cathay Pacific’s business class lounge at SFO (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cathay biz class sale. Cathay Pacific is offering some decent discounts for business class flights from the US to several cities across the Pacific. Examples: West coast US to Australia in biz class is running about $8,000 round trip. From the US to most cities in Asia, business class is running around $5,200. Worth a look if you or your company can spring for biz class. The catch: You must book 90 days in advance.

Must see reader comments on this TravelSkills post! My two favorite airlines. Yours?

Fares to Europe are not as high as we expected, but probably won't stay this low for long

Fares to Europe are not as high as we expected, but probably won’t stay this low for long

Europe fares for Summer. We keep hearing about how expensive it’s going to be to fly to Europe this summer due to high demand from Americans with fists full of strong US dollars. BUT, we’ve seen some very good deals for summer trips if you book now. Using the new FLYR site we found these examples: Aer Lingus nonstops between New York and Dublin were running at just $762 for June roundtrips this week, and just $1050 in the peak month of July. From San Francisco Bay Area, SAS or Norwegian Air are currently the cheapest way to get to Europe this summer– Norwegian out of Oakland is pressuring all carriers to discount fares, and we are seeing some roundtrips to Europe running as low as $1,000 to $1,200 during peak summer months. Considering Europe this summer? Might want to check fares now because US-Europe roundtrips during peak summer could easily exceed $2,000 in coming months.

In Hong Kong, coffee is mixed with tea to make yuanyang (Photo: Calvin / Flickr)

In Hong Kong, coffee is mixed with tea to make yuanyang

Drink coffee like a local, or seek out Starbucks when overseas? Tell us! 

Alaska extends free entertainment. Passengers on many Alaska Airlines flights will continue to get free premium movies and TV shows streamed via their personal electronic devices for another two months — i.e., through the end of March. (That’s in addition to the usual no-fee list of some 100 titles.) More than half of the airline’s fleet is currently equipped with streaming technology, and all aircraft should have it by April, Alaska said. And on its long-haul flights, the company has started renting Microsoft In-flight Entertainment tablets (available free to first class flyers and MVP Gold 75Ks) with a selection of films, games, magazines, music and Internet access. The fee is $8-$10.

From Delta regarding international wifi progress

Here’s the latest on Delta’s rollout of inflight wifi on its international fleet, which is progressing more slowly than expected. Among US carriers, Delta has about 37% of its international fleet outfitted with wi-fi—  primarily on its 747s and A330s but coverage is sparse on its much larger fleet of 777s and 767s.

In-flight innovations: Southwest, Virgin Atlantic. Airlines have been known to host band performances at the airport — JetBlue does this regularly at its JFK terminal — but in the air? Southwest is carrying the band Imagine Dragons on a four-city tour, and as part of the hoopla, the group will perform an in-flight concert later this month aboard a flight from Las Vegas to Atlanta. If your in-flight preferences are more cerebral, Virgin America this month started offering in-flight audio and video academic lectures on a variety of subjects, provided by The Great Courses. The curriculum covers everything from cosmology to cooking, history to music. Readers: What’s your in-flight preference? Rock concerts or learning enhancement?

Qantas Samsung VRheadset

New fangled inflight entertainment aboard Qantas.

Qantas tests VR headsets. Virtual reality (VR) is primed to be the next big thing in entertainment technology, providing an immersive, 3D experience. Qantas is getting a jump on the trend by offering Samsung VR headsets to first class passengers on some of its Los Angeles flights starting in March, and at its first class lounges in Melbourne and Sydney.

BA revamps mileage plan. British Airways is coming out with a big overhaul of its Executive Club loyalty program effective April 28. Among the changes: The number of Avios earned (that’s Executive Club’s “currency”) will basically be increased for passengers in business and first class — especially in the higher fare classes — and decreased for those flying on the lowest economy fares. The cost of reward travel is also being restructured with the introduction of peak and off-peak pricing. You can see all the details on the airline’s website

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

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

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

AIRLINES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

AIRPORTS

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

CARS

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

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

HOTELS

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

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

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

In Case You Missed It…

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Delta rebrands cabins, classes of service

New quilted seat covers for Delta's first class flyers (Photo: Delta)

New quilted seat covers for Delta’s first class flyers (Photo: Delta)

SkyMiles members who are thoroughly versed in all of Delta’s cabin and seating options will have to do a little re-education following the airline’s announcement that it is “redefining” and rebranding its products into five categories.

The new cabin/seating regime takes effect March 1, 2015, with the following designations:

>What is currently BusinessElite becomes Delta One, available on long-haul international routes and prime transcontinental routes (JFK-LAX/SFO). The company said that by next spring, it should have fully-flat beds in Delta One as well as the new Comfort+ seat upgrades on those two lucrative domestic routes.

>The front cabin on short-haul international and domestic routes is designated First Class — although Delta notes that “select international flights may offer Business Class service in lieu of First Class,” with amenities that vary by flight and aircraft.

>The current Delta Economy Comfort seating option is being rebranded as Delta Comfort+. It will include free booze (domestic and international), better snacks and dedicated overheard bin space.

>Regular economy seating on Delta is split into two tiers: Main Cabin and Basic Economy. The Main Cabin is for travelers flying on most economy class fares. Delta’s Basic Economy is for those on unadorned fares of the same name, which the airline introduced two years ago to stay competitive with low-cost carriers, and has been expanding to more routes in recent months. Available now in dozens of markets out of Atlanta, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Salt Lake City, those fares do not allow changes, refunds or advance seat selection.

New quilted seat covers on Delta's rebranded Comfort+ cabin (Photo: Delta)

New quilted seat covers on Delta’s rebranded Comfort+ cabin (Photo: Delta)

Effective February 1, Delta’s Basic Economy fares will no longer include some things they offer now.

When flying on a Basic Economy fare, Medallions will still get waived baggage fees, priority check-in and boarding and Medallion mileage bonuses. However, “Medallion members will not receive paid or Complimentary Upgrades or Preferred Seats, or paid, complimentary or discounted Economy Comfort when flying on a Basic Economy fare on or after February 1, 2015,” Delta noted.

What are the two best all-around credit cards? Both currently offer 40,000 mile sign up bonuses!

Also on February 1, Basic Economy travelers will no longer be able to purchase “Trip Extra” priority boarding, nor will they be eligible for paid or complimentary Preferred Seats or for same-day confirmed or same-day standby travel.

Except for those booked in the new Basic Economy, SkyMiles Diamonds and Platinums will still get free upgrade eligibility to First Class, as well as free access to the renamed Comfort+ seating at the time of booking– sorry Golds, you don’t get that perk anymore. Delta added: “On March 1, 2015, Gold and Silver Medallion members will continue to enjoy complimentary upgrade eligibility to First Class as well as complimentary access to Delta Comfort+ seats starting 72 hours and 24 hours prior to departure, respectively.”

Currently, the extra-legroom Economy Comfort seats are available at a 50 percent discount prior to check-in for Silvers on domestic and short-haul international flights, and at a 25 percent discount for Silvers and 50 percent for Golds on longer international flights. (Delta’s current Economy Comfort comparison chart)

Delta has created a chart displaying the amenities and services (see below) that come with each of its five cabin/fare categories; scroll down on that page and you’ll see the specific markets where Basic Economy is currently offered. The airline has also put up a video on YouTube to illustrate the new cabin categories.

Perhaps the most tactile change is that Delta will install new quilted seat covers on all Delta One, First Class and Delta Comfort+ seats through the middle of next year.

DLCC-100 Branded Products Chart_v4

 

As usual, we’d love to get your take on these changes. Please leave your comments below. 

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5 smart mileage redemption tips

Feelin' like Fiji? Then check out Alaska Air! (Photo: KenC1983 / Flickr)

Feelin’ like Fiji using AAdvantage miles? Then check out AlaskaAir.com! (Photo: KenC1983 / Flickr)

Don’t let frequent flyer miles burn a hole in your pocket because they always lose value over time.   The longer they sit there, the more expensive the awards become.

In the past year, we have seen three major airlines adjust their award charts downward, with United Airlines’ moves being the most drastic. United nearly doubled the cost of some of their Star Alliance partner awards. For example, if you booked a trip on Lufthansa from the U.S. to the Middle East in first class in 2013, it would have cost 150,000 miles. Today, it costs 280,000 miles– almost double! And then there’s the bad Mileage Plus news we reported last month.

If the thought of endlessly searching for award tickets gives you hives, there are numerous award booking services that will do it for you. We recently discovered Award Advocate, which is one of the most affordable booking services. You simply give them the range of dates you want to travel, your destination of interest, and any other necessary parameters. Then, they do all the searching of tickets available for you. Once you approve the itinerary, they book it and handle all of the details for you. Domestic award trips cost $75 and international trips are $100. This is a bargain especially if you value your time.

When Award Advocate called to let us know about their service, we asked them to provide five useful mileage redemption tips. Here’s what they came up with:

-Australia: This can be a difficult business class award ticket to find, but Delta gives flyers some breathing room through its partnership with Virgin Australia. Often, there is great availability from LAX to SYD in business class using Delta points and very low taxes. You can obtain Delta points with various credit cards as well as transfer them from AMEX Membership Rewards.

-Fiji/South Pacific: Getting to the South Pacific can be tricky since many airline websites do not show partner availability. Fiji Airways is a partner with American Airlines, which has decent availability for getting to that region. The best way to research award tickets is not via American’s website, but through Alaska’s! AlaskaAir.com shows Fiji Airways award availability with just a few clicks. Once you find the space on Alaska’s site, simply call American to book your ticket using your AAdvantage miles.

-Free changes in some situations: If you are booking an international trip and the long haul segments are available in business class and the short haul ones are not, don’t worry. Go ahead and book it with points. Both American and United will almost always allow you to upgrade to business class if the award seat space becomes available on those flights before you travel.

During off season, Paris is possible for just 20,000 miles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

During off season, Paris is possible for just 20,000 miles each way (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

-Discounted awards: During American Airlines’ off season (October 15 and May 15), you can go to Europe for 20,000 miles each way versus 25,000. Take advantage of these bargains, and there are many itineraries where you can save points by thinking outside of the box and saving miles by breaking bigger trips up into smaller parts.

Using a mileage redemption service like Award Advocate can help take the stress out of finding the award space, save you miles, and most important for busy business travelers– save you time. Have you used an award booking service before? Would you? Please leave your comments below. 

BUY DELTA MQMs. Every year at about this time, Delta trots out an opportunity to buy your way into Medallion status for the coming year.

Over time, we’ve seen the value of this offer decline dramatically– at one time Delta actually donated the proceeds of these end-of-year sales to charity, but now they just go into Delta coffers. In any case, buying MQMs could still make sense for you if you are in the “close but no cigar” range of attaining or maintaining Medallion status– and you don’t have time or inclination to make a “mileage run.”

What’s new this year is that the dollars you spend buying MQMs count as Medallion Qualification Dollars (MQDs), and will be posted to your 2014 MQD balance and will also apply toward your 2015 status. The (steep) prices for miles vary based on your current Medallion status, so hold your nose and go check the prices here. This is a limited time offer– it expires December 31. Details. Will you take advantage of this expensive offer? Or not? Leave your comments about it below!

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36 most/least frustrating airports

Did you know that there's a five star hotel (with a great bar) inside Vancouver Airport? Photo: Chris McGinnis

Did you know that there’s a five star hotel (with a great bar) inside Vancouver Airport? Photo: Chris McGinnis

Just in time for the holiday crunch, Bloomberg/BusinessWeek has put together a spot-on ranking of the 36 largest airports in the US and Canada.

What’s best about this ranking is that it is based on a survey of 3,000 frequent travelers who know a thing or two about airports, plus a full analysis of drive time to/from airports, and airport on-time data.

Let’s start on a positive note and look at the those that come out at the top of the list for being LEAST frustrating overall:

#1 Vancouver YVR

#2 Portland PDX

#3 Austin AUS

#4 Calgary YYC

#5 Phoenix PHX

Every one of these top five airports puts a smile on my face. I love Vancouver for its indoor creek and 5-star hotel on the premises. I’m in awe of Portland’s glassy rain canopy that connects the airport to parking lots. Austin has live music, rocking chairs and BBQ!

Portland's glass canopy and great public transport give it high marks (Port of Portland)

Portland’s glass canopy and great public transport give it high marks (Port of Portland)

One thing that jumped out at me about this study was that Canadian airports rank so high. In addition to Vancouver and Calgary, Ottawa ranked #8 overall. However, Toronto Pearson (YYZ), Canada’s busiest, ranked near the bottom of the pack at #30– just ahead of the reviled LAX and JFK. I can relate– nearly every time I fly to or from Toronto or pass through Pearson, I get lost. The first step Toronto could take toward a better airport would be better directional signage.

The bottom of the list should be familiar territory to all TravelSkills readers…these airport laggards nearly always fall at the bottom of every list, so there are few surprises here:

#32 New York Kennedy JFK

#33 Chicago O’Hare ORD

#34 Washington Dulles IAD

#35 Newark Liberty EWR

#36 New York LaGuardia LGA

Here's how Bloomberg described LaGuardia airport

Here’s how BusinessWeek described LaGuardia airport

Why the disdain for NYC area airports? Probably because they are dinosaurs– and most are too busy to make way for many improvements. Although I think it’s fair to say that there have been some improvements in New York. And there are more on the way… but it’s going to take a while…

For example, Delta’s new Terminal 4 operation at JFK is a dramatic improvement over its old digs at the long gone PanAm Worldport. The biggest downside are the unusually long walks required to get to gates at the far end of the concourse. I was just in JetBlue’s big, bright and happy JFK Terminal 5 last week and was impressed. And United’s operations at Newark are slated for improvements as we reported on TravelSkills this week.

Washington Dulles Airport's curves are sure lovely. Bu not its commute! (Photo: Joe Wolf / Flickr)

Washington Dulles Airport’s curves are sure lovely. Bu not its commute! (Photo: Joe Wolf / Flickr)

Another thread among the most frustrating airports is drive time. Washington Dulles is the most dramatic example of this… there is little worse than a five-hour transcon flight to Dulles, then another hour or two fighting traffic to get into downtown DC. Thankfully we have Washington National, which came in at #13. The top three airports in terms of drive time to/from during rush hour are: Boston BOS, Atlanta ATL and San Francisco SFO.

What are the two best all-around credit cards? Both currently offer 40,000 mile sign up bonuses! 

Some other interesting notes from the study: Delta’s big hubs at Detroit and Atlanta came in at #11 and #12 respectively- well into the top half. While both are big and always busy, they work well. When I lived in Atlanta, people would say, “Atlanta Airport is about as pretty as a Xerox machine. But it works like one, too,” referring to the overall efficiency of the world’s busiest airport.

My hometown airport San Francisco International ranked #17– firmly middle of the pack. While SFO has some award winning terminals, organic food and excellent runway views, I’m sure its poor on-time performance in rain and fog likely pushed it down in the rankings.

Bloomberg airports

Click to see the full report!

Take a look at this fascinating report!  and leave your comments about it below. Were there any surprises in it? 
-Chris McGinnis
 
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Extra Bonus! Here’s an easy way to top off your Chase Ultimate Rewards balance with 20,000 points!

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Delta push at Seattle + Seat pitch compared + Southwest “Swagger” + Delta’s newest jets +

Delta & Alaska Air battle for Seattle (Photo: Jim Glab)

Delta & Alaska Air battle for Seattle (Photo: Jim Glab)

AIRLINES

Delta’s big(ger) Seattle plans. Last week Delta’s CEO told employees the company wants to expand from its current 11 gates to 30 gates at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, making it “a huge international gateway.” With those gates, Delta could operate up to 240 flights a day. Delta has been steadily adding transpacific and domestic flights at SEA, to the dismay of its erstwhile partner Alaska Airlines, which is following its own growth plan at its hub airport. Alaska currently controls about 40 percent of SEA’s traffic. Meanwhile, Delta announced another round of expansion at SEA next May and June, adding Delta Connection service to Denver (five flights a day), Sacramento (four a day) and Boise (four a day), plus seasonal service to Ketchikan and Sitka, Alaska.

Even with the cuts, JetBlue has a chart showing that it's legroom will still be better than others. (Image: JetBlue)

Even with the cuts, JetBlue has a chart showing that its standard legroom will still beat other carriers. (Image: JetBlue)

JetBlue overhauls fares, seating. Only two major U.S. airlines let all passengers check a bag for free — JetBlue and Southwest (Southwest allows two free bags) — but that will fall to just one in the first half of 2015. That’s when JetBlue will revamp its pricing into three “branded fare bundle options.” The lowest fares will be for “customers who do not plan to check a bag,” JetBlue said; the others will include one and two checked bags respectively, plus other perks. The airline also will “refresh” its A320s by installing “lighter, more comfortable seats” that will let it increase the number of seats per plane — and reduce its current (very generous) standard seat pitch, although it will still exceed pitch on major competitors according to the chart above (supplied by JetBlue). The airline pledged that its Wi-Fi will still be offered for free (at least through 2015). Meanwhile, a JetBlue exec said in an interview the airline is likely to expand its Mint premium seating product to transcon flights from Boston in the future.

Within days of JetBlue’s announcement, wily Southwest Airlines launched a retro-hipster, captivating new TV ad campaign focusing on its free checked bag option. This 30-second spot, called “Swagger” is worth a watch and listen! See below.

Delta places big widebody order. In a blow to Boeing, Delta said it will turn to Airbus for the next big phase of its fleet renewal program, placing an order for 50 twin-engine widebody jets to replace its aging 747s and 767s. The company has ordered 25 of Airbus’ next-generation A350-900s, to be delivered starting in 2017; and 25 A330-900neo aircraft, to arrive starting in 2019. The A350s will be used on transpacific routes, and the A330s will go onto medium-haul transatlantic routes and some west coast-to-Asia routes. Earlier this year, TravelSkills got an inside look at the A350, which claims to be the widest of widebodies. Check out our report and PHOTOS of the new A350.

Cheaper upgrades. Delta is offering winter travelers the opportunity to upgrade at a discount for flights now through February. A nice way to avoid some holiday travel hassles, yes, but (as usual) there are some important points in the fine print: The markets NYC to/from LAX / SFO / SEA will be excluded from this offer.  This promotion does not include any fares purchased in Delta’s cheapest E, V, or Y class.

Popular: Did you hear about the latest wave of downgrades at United MileagePlus? Read this! 

Watch those Wi-Fi charges. When you sign up for in-flight Wi-Fi, do you keep a close watch on how much data your device is eating up? One transpacific traveler found himself unexpectedly facing a bill for almost $1,200 from Singapore Airlines, and web site Skift examined just what went wrong for him– providing an object lesson for others. (P.S. Sounds like the guy’s not getting his money back…)

KLM's new economy seat (Image KLM)

KLM’s new economy seat (Image KLM)

KLM overhauls 777-200s. Delta’s SkyTeam partner KLM has started renovating the passenger cabins of its 777-200 fleet, following up on a similar overhaul of its 747s. The new World Business Class is getting fully-flat seats with more personal space for passengers and new 16-inch seatback monitors with upgraded entertainment options. In the 777-200 economy class, new seats will provide extra legroom, ergonomic headrests, power outlets and a new entertainment system with hundreds of programming options.

Route news: Alaska, JetBlue, Frontier, Spirit. Alaska Airlines said it will introduce daily Seattle-Washington Dulles service on March 11 … JetBlue last week started daily non-stops between Salt Lake City and Orlando … Spirit Airlines has big expansion plans at Houston Bush Intercontinental, where it will add 10 new routes next spring, including Tampa, Baltimore/Washington and Oakland as well as three points in Mexico and four in Central America … Frontier Airlines told employees that it plans to slash 15 flights a day at its Denver home base next year due to rising taxes and fees at that airport.

Extra Bonus! Here’s an easy way to top off your Chase Ultimate Rewards balance with 20,000 points!

Bottled cocktails on VX.  A new cucumber vodka mojito from Austin Cocktails, a line of bottled, craft cocktails, is now available fleetwide onboard Virgin America. The new pre-mixed drink is made with vodka, natural flavors and sweetened with organic agave and priced at $8.25. Culturemap Austin says this about the Mojito:  “For anyone watching her girlish figure, what may be most noteworthy is that all the drinks ring in at less than 100 calories a serving….and has a refreshing, lime-heavy flavor that gets better with subsequent sips. With its hint of cucumber, it reminds us of the cucumber-infused water you get at a spa.”

STAY TUNED! Part 2 of Catching Up on the week’s most important travel news comes tomorrow!

In Case You Missed It…

  • Olefactory stimulants: Chris lists his favorite travel smells. What are yours?
>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

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Extra Bonus! Here’s an easy way to top off your Chase Ultimate Rewards balance with 20,000 points!

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Virgin’s next moves? + NYC + New Lufthansa seat + Eastern Airlines + More A380s

A brilliant fall day in NYC from the top floor of the Parker Meridien hotel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Greetings from New York City on a beautiful fall day peering out from the Parker Meridien hotel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

AIRLINES

Virgin shares soar in IPO. And the airline could, too. This is going to be really fun to watch. Virgin America shares hit the market Virgin Americaon Friday morning at $23 each, and took off to reach $30 by the end of the day. That makes Virgin worth about $1.3 billion. Now, with about $220 million in net proceeds, Virgin is going to add new planes, new routes and hopefully more frequencies in key business markets. CEO David Cush said that Virgin will add five new planes in 2015 and another five in 2016. He also said the SF-based carrier has a few other “tricks up its sleeve.” Talk of new flights to Hawaii has re-emerged. With Southwest taking AirTran’s business class seats out of the SFO-ATL market, I’d love to see two-class Virgin dive in. Where would YOU like to see Virgin America (see current destinations) expand? And would you be willing to give up your legacy carrier frequent flyer miles to try it? Please leave your comments below. 

Lufthansa’s premium economy starts this week. That new Premium Economy Class at Lufthansa is opening up nine days sooner than expected. The carrier said that starting November 22, the new section will be available on all of its 747-8 routes, including Frankfurt to Chicago, LAX and Washington Dulles. Besides the extra in-flight comforts, passengers will get twice the free checked bag allowance of regular economy, and for a 25 euro fee ($31), Premium Economy passengers can access the business class lounge before departure. Currently, United does not allow redemption of MileagePlus miles for Lufthansa (or any Star Alliance) premium economy. Lufthansa is offering a 15 percent discount on Premium Economy bookings until December 9. Take a look at Lufthansa’s new seat in this TravelSkills post: 20 different business class seats in one room

etihadTheResidenceFclass

One of three rooms in the Etihad First Class “Residence” onboard its A380s (Etihad)

$20,000 first class suites going fast. Would you pay $20,000 one way to fly in a private first class suite the size of some Manhattan apartments? Etihad Airways says these super-premium accommodations on its A380s — called The Residence — are selling out, in spite of the stratospheric price tag. Each one has a private shower, living area, bedroom — and the services of a butler. Meanwhile, other leading international carriers have upgraded their own front cabins to meet strong demand from global business moguls.

I captured this image of the Asiana B777 wreckage when my Delta flight from Atlanta landed the day after the crash (Chris McGinnis)

I captured this image of the Asiana B777 wreckage when my Delta flight from Atlanta landed  at SFO the day after the crash (Chris McGinnis)

Asiana SFO flights suspended. The South Korean government has ordered Asiana Airlines to halt its daily service to San Francisco from Seoul Incheon for 45 days as a penalty for the airline’s crash of a 777 during its landing at SFO in July 2013, in which three passengers died and scores were injured. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board blamed the crash on errors by one of the pilots, who was unfamiliar with all the automated systems on the 777. Asiana said it will appeal the suspension, which could delay implementation of the order.

Related: Korean Air Trip Reports- SFO-Seoul on a B777  &  Seoul-Atlanta on an A380 

International route news: Etihad Airways, which begins daily San Francisco-Abu Dhabi non-stops November 18, said its upcoming Dallas/Ft. Worth route, beginning with three flights a week on December 3, will increase to daily on April 16; Etihad is a code-share partner with American …

>Emirates will put a fourth daily flight, using an A380, onto its Dubai-New York JFK route on March 8, timed to maximize connections with partner JetBlue. The carrier also said it intends to put the A380 super-jumbo onto more U.S. routes; it introduced the plane on its DFW route last month, and will do the same in December with San Francisco and Houston. Emirates will have 68 A380s in operation by the end of 2015 compared with 55 today according to Bloomberg …

>British Airways will replace the 777 on its Denver-London route with a four-class 747 starting in March (including its new 14-suite first class design) …

>El Al will introduce Boston-Tel Aviv service three times a week starting in June 2015 …

>On May 1, Aer Lingus will begin new seasonal service from Washington Dulles to Dublin four times a week …

>Lufthansa will add Tampa to its route network in September 2015, using an A340-300 for flights to Frankfurt.

Popular: 20+ TravelSkills readers have signed up for these oddball credit card offers that reap big rewards. Have you? 

The new Eastern Airlines has painted its first jet. Brings back memories, no?

The new Eastern Airlines has painted its first jet, a 737-800. Brings back memories, no?

Something old, something new: PEOPLExpress, Eastern. The new incarnation of PEOPLExpress Airlines appears to be in trouble: Media reports indicate officials at Virginia’s Newport News/Williamsburg Airport are trying to evict the carrier from its home base, citing $100,000 in unpaid bills … The old Eastern Airlines name is also being revived in Miami. The “new” Eastern has started recruiting flight attendants, although it doesn’t yet have FAA certification. The company said it plans to operate 737-800s, but will initially serve only as a charter airline.

United’s holiday shopper lounges. Chase and United Airlines will soon open special VIP lounges for holiday shoppers in San Francisco and New Jersey. Available to Chase United cardholders, they’ll offer gift wrapping, refreshments, TVs, Wi-Fi and more, with locations at the Westfield San Francisco Centre (November 24-December 24) and The Mall at Short Hills (November 22-December 24).

Lake Tahoe at sunset (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Lake Tahoe at sunset (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Love Lake Tahoe? Then come chat about it! TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis will be talking about his favorite place to get away from it all MONDAY at 3 pm ET. Take a cool virtual tour here and come chat with us and FlipKey today! On Twitter, look for the #TakeMeThereTahoe hashtag at 3 pm ET, Noon PT today!

In Case You Missed It…

Stay tuned! Part 2 of this weekly “Catch Up” will post tomorrow morning…

 

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

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Trip Report: Korean Air A380 Seoul-Atlanta (Part 2)

Flight attendants are eager to help take photos of folks like me crossing scenes like sitting in KAL's Celestial Lounge off the bucket list

KAL flight attendants are eager to help take photos of folks like me eager to cross a scene like this off the ole bucket list. (Chris McGinnis)

It takes three jetways to load up an A380 here at Seoul's Incheon Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

It takes three (clear glass) jetways to load up an A380 here at Seoul’s Incheon Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Last month I finally crossed this off my bucket list:  Flying from Seoul to Atlanta on a Korean Air A380. KAL’s big blue A380 is Atlanta’s one and only double decker and I’ve wanted to float into my old hometown on it since the service started in September 2013.

The first leg of that journey started in San Francisco where I boarded a KAL B777 for the trip to Seoul. I was a guest of Korean Air and wrote about that part of the trip here.

In the first post, I concluded that there was not much difference between business class on the two planes once you are in your seat. But the differences do become evident when you walk around and explore the enormity of the big A380 bird.

See Part 1

Upstairs in business class on KAL's A380 feels big, bright and spacious (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Upstairs in business class on KAL’s A380 feels big, bright and spacious (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

There are 94 lie flat business class seats on the upper deck of KAL's A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

There are 94 lie flat business class seats on the upper deck of KAL’s A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The key feature of Korean Air’s A380 is its dearth of seats. I know that sounds crazy, but did you know that there are fewer seats, just 407, on a KAL A380 than on any other commercial A380? On most other carriers, the number is closer to 500, or well over it in some cases. (Lufthansa, for example, squeezes in 526 seats on its A380.) This means that there is a lot more room for passengers…for onboard lounges (two of them)…for two staircases….and even for a duty free store.

Ninety-four (94) lie-flat business class seats configured 2-2-2 fill the entire upper deck of this bird. On the main deck there are 12 first class “suites” up front configured 1-2-1, and 301 economy class seats configured 3-4-3 with a generous pitch of 33-34 inches. Korean Air does not offer a premium economy section. See the KAL A380 on SeatGuru.

Nice big storage bins reserved for window-seat flyers (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Nice big storage bins reserved for window-seat flyers on the A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

To me, the best business class seats on the A380 are window seats. That’s mostly because I really like looking out the window. But it’s also because of storage space. Due to the curvature of the plane, there is room for a good sized storage bin between the seat and the window. The bin is big enough to hold the contents of a briefcase, and that really comes in handy on a long flight (in this case about 14.5 hours). These bins are not available on the B777. The downside of the window seat is that you have to skirt around your neighbor to get to the aisle. Not a big deal to me but I know some folks don’t like that. All the other business class seats offer direct aisle access.

Roundtrip business class fares between Atlanta and Seoul run about $4,800. Economy class is about $2,100 in mid December. First class round trips? $18,000.

If you redeem Delta SkyMiles for the ATL-ICN roundtrip, you’ll pay a minimum of 70,000 in economy and 190,000 in business class. KAL first class is not available to SkyMiles members redeeming miles. (Based on a search for nonstops in mid January.)

Mood lighting in business class onboard KAL A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Mood lighting in business class onboard KAL A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Another feature that I noticed on Korean Air was the mood lighting which varied in brightness and color throughout the trip. I think flight attendants were trying to re-create morning and evening with the lights. Regrettably, I was on a different schedule and every time I opened my window shade for a peak out at the view, I was asked by flight attendants to close it. Nice: When window shades are up, business class seats enjoy quite a show out of two or three windows for each row.

Related Trip Report:  British Airways A380 on the “Red Carpet Route”

Korean Air

KAL’s Celestial Lounge at the rear of the upper deck business class section (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

This is the lounge at the front of the business class section adjacent to the staircase to the main deck (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

This is the lounge at the front of the business class section adjacent to the staircase to the main deck (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Here’s a look at the “Celestial Lounge” at the rear of the upper deck business class cabin. There is room to sit down and strap in if it gets turbulent. Those high cushions you see are for leaning if it gets a little bumpy. On my flight, business class was only half full, so the lounge never attracted a big convivial crowd…on my two trips back there I smiled through my bleary eyes at a few other bleary-eyed travelers checking out the space like I was. Flight attendants were eager to take photos of passengers saddled up to the bar or on the sofa. There’s another smaller lounge with similar catering at the front of the business class section.

Korean Air

Here’s part of the spread offered in the Celestial Lounge. Korean Air has partnered with Absolut, so there’s a icy well full of various flavors of vodka, wine and Champagne (Perrier Jouet). Snacks (which few passengers ate) consisted of a plate of nice canapes, some nuts, a big bowl of kettle fried potato chips and these colorful Korean-style dessert lollipops or gosibol— fermented cookies made of sweet rice and various freeze-dried fruits and grains. Since this flight departed Seoul at around 9 a.m. and arrived in ATL at about 9 am, it felt like morning to me throughout the (mostly sleepless) 14.5-hour flight, so I never partook of the boozy bevs.

Korean Air

Here’s a view down the rear staircase– this one is spiral while the one up front is not. Both staircases were roped off during the flight to prevent mixing of the classes. But I noticed several other curious travelers (like me) ignoring the ropes and taking self-guided tours of the plane.

Korean Air

A spacious and cushy first class “Kosmo Suite” on the main deck of KAL’s A380 (Chris McGinnis)

Korean Air's first class cabin flew empty from ICN to ATL (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Korean Air’s first class cabin flew empty from ICN to ATL (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

When I snuck downstairs to check out the first class section, I was surprised to find the the entire cabin empty. All that beautiful real estate just sitting there so lonely. Does this have something to do with Delta not allowing SkyMiles members to redeem miles for KAL first class? Probably. Especially on this route. But it made it much easier for me to take photos– which is usually something that first class passengers don’t appreciate. Korean Air calls its big seats “Kosmo Suites” and they are super spacious (79 inches long by 27 inches wide) and plush. Unlike a lot of carriers that wall off first class passengers into compartments, the KAL A380 open plan would be a lot more convivial if there had been more passengers. Korean Air is one of the few carriers that still serve caviar in first class.

Related Trip Report: Lufthansa’s inaugural A380 flight

Economy class on the A380 is configured 3-4-3 and seats have a generous 33"-34" of pitch and oversized seatback screens (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Economy class on the A380 is configured 3-4-3 and seats have a generous 33″-34″ of pitch and oversized seatback screens (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Korean Air

Korean Air flight attendant serving the first course of one of two meal services on the 14.5 hour flight from Seoul to Atlanta (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

KAL serves two meals (both lunch or dinnerish…no breakfast) on this 14-hour flight that departs Seoul at around 9 a.m. and arrives in Atlanta at about 9 a.m. on the same day. My jetlag counselor Bill Ashton (www.stopjetlag.com) suggests getting as much sleep as possible as early as possible in the flight, I postponed my first meal until later into the flight. Flight attendants were happy to oblige.

Korean Air

Roasted red snapper with paprika sauce served with squid ink spaghetti and braised zucchini (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

"Chinese style bean curd with minced beef and xo fried rice" (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

“Chinese style bean curd with minced beef and xo fried rice” in business class (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Korean Air

Korean Air’s duty free store is located at the rear of the economy class section near the circular staircase up to business class. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Americans are typically not big fans of duty free shopping. That’s because our government does not impose heavy excise taxes on luxury goods like booze, watches, cosmetics or cologne. But duty free is HUGE business in Asia. This is made very clear when you see the queue to get into the duty-free Louis Vuitton boutique at Seoul-Incheon airport. Korean extends similar discounts in its well stocked onboard duty-free store located at the rear of the main deck economy class section. From what I saw, Americans were there to gawk and pass the time….but the Asians were buying.

Related: 20 different business class seats in one room

Even the lavatories felt more spacious on KAL's A380- note the counter space (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Even the lavatories felt more spacious on KAL’s A380- note the wide counter space (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Korean Air

See Part 1 of this trip… my KAL flight from SFO to Seoul on a Boeing 777.

Disclosure: I was a guest of Korean Air on this trip

–Chris McGinnis

New extra bonus offer: Get a whopping 50,000 Rapid Rewards points by signing up for Southwest’s Premier card – that’s enough for TWO free tickets. 

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

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New options for Delta flyers at SFO

Delta flyers can now enjoy the mod design and amenities of SFO's Terminal 2 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Delta flyers can now enjoy the mod design and amenities of SFO’s Terminal 2 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Delta flyers at SFO can now take a yoga break, partake of local organic food and wine or check out a cool museum space at SFO.

That’s because there’s a brand new airside (behind security) connector between Terminal 1, Boarding Area C or “T1C” (used by Delta) and the world famous Terminal 2, designed by the San Francisco design firm Gensler, where Virgin America and American are located. Starting in January, US Airways flyers can join the fun when its SFO operations move alongside Delta’s in T1C.

So next time you are stuck at SFO’s rather prosaic Terminal 1 due to fog…or maybe if you arrive a bit early, take a 10-minute stroll through this new 500-foot, glassed-in, “sterile connector” to Terminal 2 and you can enjoy what many people think is the best airport terminal in America.

Here's a rendering of the new connector viewed from the ramp (Fentress Architects)

Here’s a rendering of the new connector viewed from the ramp with T1 to the left and T2 to the right (Fentress Architects)

(See airport map here to get your bearings)

What’s so cool about it? Well, for one, there’s a new yoga room. I’m not sure how many travelers actually use it for yoga (the original one has been empty every time I’ve peered in) but it can also be used for naps, prayers or quiet time. To make room for the new connector entrance, SFO relocated the original yoga room from T2 to the connector.

Scroll to the bottom for a photo from INSIDE the connector.

SFO's famous yoga room has moved to the new corridor. (Photo: SFO)

SFO’s famous yoga room has moved to the new corridor. (Photo: SFO)

What else is great about T2? Well, the food! About the only decent place to get a meal in Delta’s T1C space is Perry’s, a sit down restaurant. In T2, options multiply– there are 11 outlets and the food is outstanding… there are Burritos (Andale), Tapas & cocktails (Cat Cora), sushi & noodles (Wakaba), fresh healthy soups, salads and sandwiches (Pinkberry/The Plant), a wine bar (Vino Volo) and even rotisserie chicken (Napa Farms) or steak/seafood (Lark Creek). There’s a Kiehl’s store, too.

On of my favorite stops at T2 is the excellent maps exhibit. Endlessly fascinating to see maps old and new depicting the growth of San Francisco over the last 150 or so years. In addition, T2 is one of the best perches at the airport for plane spotting. Just go sit a big red egg chair facing out to the runways and gaze. T1 does not offer views like these!

Popular: Oddball card offers reap big rewards

T1 redevelopment

Some other important points about what’s going on at SFO:

>Frontier Airlines, which used to operate out of T1C, has moved into Boarding Area B in T1, which does not have access to the new sterile connector.

>Airport spokesman Doug Yakel said that plans for a similar sterile connector between T2 and T3 (United) are in discussion, but “no schedule has been established for this as of yet.”

>Alaska Airlines has moved from T1 to the International Terminal Boarding Area A. Lucky Alaska Boardroom members now get to use Cathay Pacific’s outstanding business/first class lounge nearby.

>SFO’s iconic new 220-foot control tower, which is rising between T1 and T2 should be completed by mid-2015. The new tower is built to withstand an 8.0 earthquake with 215 piers embedded in bedrock 140 feet deep and anchored by 2,700 cubic yards of concrete, according the Fentress Architects which designed the tower and the new connector.

>A complete re-do of SFO’s Terminal 1 is already in the works and should be complete by 2024.

Here's a look down the new sterile corridor connecting T1 and T2 (Fentress Architects)

Here’s a look down the new sterile corridor connecting T1 and T2 (Fentress Architects)

–Chris McGinnis

New extra bonus offer: Get a whopping 50,000 Rapid Rewards points by signing up for Southwest’s Premier card – that’s enough for TWO free tickets. 

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

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Trip Report: Korean Air B777 & A380 (Part 1)

Korean Air

Business class seats on Korean Air’s B777 are nearly identical to those on its A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Ever since Korean Air launched its Airbus A380 service between Seoul and Atlanta in September 2013, I’ve longed to take a seat on that 14.5-hour whopper of a flight.

Last month, I finally got my chance when Korean Air invited me over to Seoul for a look at the fast-growing, modern-yet-quirky South Korean capital.

The first leg of my journey was an 11.5-hour Boeing 777 flight from San Francisco to Seoul. I was in Seoul for three busy days, then boarded an A380 for the trip to Atlanta.

I was especially excited to be able to compare the business class experience on two different planes in a single trip. What did I discover? Well, it’s that business class on Korean Air is very consistent across these two planes. Except for the unbelievable business class lounges onboard KAL’s A380 (tune in to my next post for details/photos), nearly everything else was identical. There’s no need to be too disappointed if you can’t ride on an A380 because once you are in your seat, there’s very little difference– the seats, service, food, inflight entertainment, lavs… it’s all pretty much the same. And in both directions, the planes were squeaky clean– even down to the floor of the lavatories (see below).

Today, let’s take a look at that B777 flight from San Francisco to Seoul. Tomorrow I’ll post about my experience on KAL’s big A380 to Atlanta and we’ll explore the slight differences between the experiences.

At SFO, Korean Air uses British Airways Terraces lounge for first and business class flyers (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

At SFO, Korean Air uses British Airways’ Terraces lounge for first and business class flyers (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

At SFO, Korean Air new uses British Airways Terraces lounge for first and business class passengers. Luckily the KAL flight and the BA flights are timed well apart from each other so the lounge did not feel overcrowded.

Direct access to the plane from the lounge (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Direct access to the plane from the lounge (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Nice touch: When boarding KAL’s B777 from the Terraces lounge, business and first class passengers walk directly onto the plane from the lounge… the jetway is just beyond the door in the photo above.

Now, let’s jump onboard.

Korean Air

Carpet in the lavs on Korean Air’s B777 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

On the B777 flight from SFO to Seoul, I noticed something I’ve never seen on any aircraft: Carpet in the business class lavatories! My first thought was “eeuuww, what if this gets wet?” But upon closer inspection, I noticed that the carpet was actually a rug that was velcroed to the floor. If it gets wet, it’s removed and replaced with another. Based on how many times I noticed the hard working KAL flight attendants enter the lavs for cleaning during the flight, I was certain that it would get switched out if needed. But in any case, I have to say that it added a cozy or homey feel to the lav– much better than the black rubber floor I’m used to. It’s one of those “little things” but I noticed and appreciated it.

Korean Air

Buttonholes in the napkins on Korean Air (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Another one of the “little things” I noticed on this flight…. napkins with button holes. I’ve seen this on a handful of other carriers and always appreciate it… especially when I’m wearing a light colored shirt and eating things that easily spill… like soup or salad dressing. It shows that someone has really thought through inflight dining… a good sign. (And a shirt saver!)

Popular: Oddball card offers reap big rewards

Korean Air

The dinner starter on SFO>Seoul: Seared tuna (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Meal service on the flight from San Francisco (which departed at 2 pm) started with seared tuna– accompanied of course by the ever present Korean chili paste gochujang and a two servings of kimchee-like pickles with an unusual rubbery crunch.

Korean Air

KAL’s famous bibimbap (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Next up for dinner was the popular Korean specialty bibimbap. Korean Air is famous for this… and even serves it from a truck at promotional events like its recent launch in Houston… it even offers it the Aspen Food & Wine Classic. It’s delicious and healthy. To eat it, you squirt that tube of chili paste over the top and then mix all the ingredients together. Yum!

Economy class on Korean Air B777 offers 33-34 inches of pitch (Chris McGinnis)

Economy class on Korean Air B777 offers 33-34 inches of pitch (Chris McGinnis)

Economy class on Korean Air’s B777s offers a roomy 33-34 inches of seat pitch– that’s very generous compared to other carriers (United, for example, only offers 31 inches on its B777). Seats are configured 3-3-3. Korean Air does not offer a premium economy seat.

Stay tuned! My next post will be about my 14.5 hour journey on KAL’s A380 to Atlanta! Here’s a teaser photo… explanations coming soon! 

Korean Air

–Chris McGinnis

Disclosure: I was a guest of Korean Air on this flight

New extra bonus offer: Get a whopping 50,000 Rapid Rewards points by signing up for Southwest’s Premier card – that’s enough for TWO free tickets. 

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

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Delta bumps bennies + BART-Oakland sets date + LAX airlines move + Hilton HHonors hacked + W in Beijing

Delta has expanded its popular Porsche pick up service to three more airports (Photo: Delta)

AIRLINES

Delta expands Porsche transfers, expedites at Heathrow. Delta continues to lead the way when it comes to adding new services for its best customers. For example, last week it announced an expansion of its Porsche tarmac transfer program to three more airports — New York LaGuardia, Seattle-Tacoma and Detroit Metro. The program offers gate-to-gate rides in Porsche vehicles for select SkyMiles Diamond Medallion members who have tight connecting times. It’s already offered at Atlanta, New York JFK, Los Angeles and Minneapolis-St. Paul. (Here’s a video showing how it works.) At London Heathrow’s Terminal 3, meanwhile, Delta BusinessElite passengers arriving by private car service can now take advantage of an expedited greeting service in which Virgin Atlantic concierge staffers will meet them curbside with boarding passes, take their luggage, and speed them through security to the Virgin Clubhouse. Delta says, “On arrival at London Heathrow Terminal 3, Delta Air Lines BusinessElite customers can now enjoy a seamless and stress-free transfer from car to lounge in less than 10 minutes via the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing.” Keep in mind that many of Delta’s flights at Heathrow (including those to/from Detroit and Minneapolis) use Terminal 4 where this service is not available. Delta’s Atlanta-London flights switched to Terminal 3 from Terminal 4 on October 26.

The AirBART station is located at the front door of Oakland International

The AirBART station is located at the front door of Oakland International

BART-Oakland Airport sets date. Bay Area Rapid Transit officials have finally announced an opening date for the new BART rail link to Oakland International Airport. On Saturday, November 22 the new automated trains will transport riders from BART’s Coliseum station to the new Oakland Airport station every five minutes during peak hours; the ride takes eight minutes. The ride from the Coliseum station to/from downtown SF takes about 25 minutes. BART fares between the new Oakland Airport station and downtown San Francisco will be $10.05. That’s a nice break from cab fares which run as high as $75-$80. Are you more likely to use Oakland Airport now? Leave your comments below. 

Virgin America posts another profit. After dipping back into the red in the first quarter of 2014, Virgin America was solidly profitable in the third quarter, reporting net income of $41.6 million and a healthy operating margin of 12.9 percent. After years of operating in the red since its founding in 2007, Virgin has been profitable now for five of the last six quarters, putting it in a good position for its upcoming initial public offering. Virgin said in an SEC filing last week that its IPO shares will be priced at $21 to $24, valuing the company at up to $1 billion. The anticipated $320 million from the share sale should allow Virgin to move ahead with an ambitious expansion plan to buy new planes and add new routes.

Sneeze alarm. With all the concern about disease lately, especially as it affects travelers, you might get a little paranoid when a fellow passenger on your flight sneezes. Did you ever wonder just how far that sneeze can travel? Check out this video — if you dare.

American adds Europe routes. American Airlines has unveiled plans to add a pair of new routes to Europe next spring. On May 7, AA will inaugurate new daily narrowbody 757 flights from New York JFK to Birmingham, England. And on May 14, the company will kick off daily 767-300 flights from its Miami hub to Frankfurt.

AIRPORTS

The nice new Star Alliance lounge at LAX's new Tom Bradley International Terminal (Air New Zealand)

The nice new Star Alliance lounge at LAX’s new Tom Bradley International Terminal (Air New Zealand)

Air New Zealand, US Airways move at LAX. Effective December 3, Air New Zealand will set up shop in Los Angeles International’s refurbished Tom Bradley International Terminal 3, moving out of Terminal 2. That will give premium customers easy access to the new Star Alliance Lounge at LAX, which Air New Zealand manages. The carrier operates twice-daily service to Auckland (to be increased next summer to 17 a week) and one flight a day to London from LAX. Meanwhile, American Airlines affiliate US Airways last week moved from Terminal 3 to Terminal 6, gates 60-63, “with convenient access to connections on flights operated by American Airlines at Terminal 4 through an underground connector,” American said. “Shuttle service is also available to Terminal 4 and the Remote Terminal for American Eagle flights.”

Featured: Our latest credit card bonus offers

New airside connector at SFO. We’ve heard (but not confirmed) that the new airside connection between SFO’s fabulously famous Terminal 2 (Virgin America & American) and the more prosaic Terminal 1C (Delta’s boarding area) has opened. This means that Delta flyers socked in by delays now have some exciting new dining and retail options once they are behind security.

Outdoor spaces are the craze these days. Here's what JetBlue's will soon look like at JFK (Image: JetBlue)

Outdoor spaces are the craze these days. Here’s what JetBlue’s will soon look like at JFK (Image: JetBlue)

JetBlue’s JFK terminal grows. On Wednesday (November 12), JetBlue will open a $200 million extension of its home base, Terminal 5 at New York JFK, to be used for international flights. (The airline’s international arrivals currently use leased gates at Terminal 4.) The new six-gate expansion offers full federal inspection facilities in an arrivals hall and 40 automated passport readers. JetBlue plans to develop a public outdoor area on the new facility’s rooftop, akin to the popular High Line park in Manhattan. Meanwhile, Air France has finished a complete renovation of its two-level lounge at JFK’s Terminal 1.

Popular: Oddball credit card offers reap big rewards

HOTELS

Hackers hitting HHonors accounts. How safe are your points in Hilton’s HHonors loyalty program? Recent online reports indicate that hackers have been raiding some accounts, not only stealing points — and in some cases selling them — but also gaining access to members’ credit card information.

Related: Hilton’s newest hotel in Honolulu

Hotels roll out keyless entry apps. Starwood and Hilton last week both announced new app functionality that will allow guests to open their room doors with smartphones. The Starwood Preferred Guest app’s new SPG Keyless feature is available now at 10 select Aloft, W, and Element hotels, with more to come in the months ahead; it allows SPG members who book directly with the company to bypass the front desk and go directly to their preassigned room, where a tap of their Bluetooth-enabled phone will unlock the door. Hilton said keyless entry will be available through its HHonors mobile app starting in 2015 at its Hilton, Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and Canopy brands, and at all 11 of its brands in 2016. The app will also work with other locked areas in Hilton’s hotels such as executive floors, fitness centers and garages.

A room at the new W Beijing located near the Forbidden City (Photo: Starwood)

A room at the new W Beijing located near the Forbidden City (Photo: Starwood)

Openings in Beijing, Sydney, Paris. The newest hotel in China’s capital city is Starwood’s 349-room W Beijing-Chang’an, located close to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Each room is equipped with a digital tablet that controls its lighting, 48-inch TV and Bluetooth sound system… InterContinental Hotels Corp. has cut the ribbon on the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay Hotel a few miles from that city’s central business district; the 140-room property is a luxury remaking of the former Double Bay Hotel … Hilton scheduled a January opening for the 268-room Hilton Paris Opera in the heart of the French capital; the company spent $50 million restoring and improving the 125-year-old building, formerly the Concorde Paris Opera.

In Case You Missed It…

>Check out these two airline credit cards for bonus benefits.

>American Express has opened a Centurion Lounge at San Francisco International.

>Two airlines offer free in-flight Wi-Fi.

>Here are six tips for securing the best air fare.

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

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Delta hubs suffer + Shuttle moves at LGA + Oakland BART connection + Double Hilton points

The long awaited BART link to Oakland airport expected to open this month (Photo: BART)

The long awaited BART link to Oakland airport expected to open this month (Photo: BART)

AIRLINES

Demand keeps driving fares upward. When the price of oil goes up, air fares go up. So when oil prices fall as much as they have in recent months, air fares go down, right? Not in a period of strong demand for air travel. Jet fuel prices are down 22 percent this year, but an ongoing series of small increases has kept air fares above 2013 levels. According to the federal Bureau of Transportation Statistics’ latest report (for the second quarter of 2014), the average U.S. air fare rose 2.5 percent year-over-year to $396. Delta is a big beneficiary of the higher fares; Its Cincinnati hub once again had the highest average domestic fare at $523, and its Atlanta hub recorded the biggest average fare increase of any major airport — up 11.3 percent to $435. Have you noticed? Please leave your comments below– what’s the most painfully high fare you’ve paid this year? 

Delta Shuttle moves at LGA. A reminder to frequent flyers in the Northeast Corridor: Sunday (November 2) is moving day for Delta’s New York-Boston Shuttle flights at LaGuardia. The hourly LGA-BOS flights will move from LGA’s remote Marine Air Terminal to Delta’s recently-renovated Terminal C. The airline has also switched the flights to two-class 717 aircraft with 12 First Class, 15 Economy Comfort and 83 economy seats. Delta’s Chicago and Washington Reagan National Shuttle flights continue to use LGA’s Marine Air Terminal with Delta Connection/Shuttle America E-175s.

Southwest quickly absorbing last remnants of AirTran. This just in from Southwest: “As of today, all flights previously flown by AirTran between seven international destinations and nine domestic gateway cities are now flown exclusively by Southwest. Additionally, Southwest is proud to announce that we have finalized the integration of Southwest.com and AirTran.com. Effective today, Customers attempting to access AirTran.com will be routed to an informational page on Southwest.com where they can book travel, view integration-related FAQs, and find loyalty program information.”

Air Canada changes loyalty plan. Air Canada is the latest major carrier tighten up the rules of its frequent flyer program. For 2015, the minimum flight requirement to reach Altitude status levels is increasing and the minimum 500-mile earning per flight will end. On March 15, the number of eUpgrade credits to upgrade to business class will rise, but members will also be able to use those credits to upgrade to Premium Economy.

Some say that business class on American's B777-300ER is the best in the US. What do you think? (Photo: American Airlines)

Some say that business class on American’s B777-300ER is the best among US carriers. What do you think? (Photo: American Airlines)

Route news: AA, JetBlue, Alaska. Faced with new competition from Delta between Los Angeles and London Heathrow, American said it will add a second daily non-stop on the route in March, using another of its popular 777-300ERs (giving it a total of four a day in combination with joint venture partner British Airways) … JetBlue keeps growing at Ft. Lauderdale. In its latest expansion last week, it added flights to Cartagena, Jacksonville, Las Vegas and Pittsburgh … On March 5, Alaska Airlines will begin service three times a week between San Diego and Kona on Hawaii’s Big Island.

AIRPORTS

Oakland prepares for BART launch. An extension of Bay Area Rapid Transit rail service to Oakland International Airport is expected to start passenger service sometime this month, and testing of the trains is already under way. The 3.2-mile extension will link Oakland’s Coliseum Station to the airport, and will replace the buses currently used for that purpose, with trains running every four to five minutes. Here’s a video of the pre-launch testing of the new OAK trains. In typical municipal fashion, BART is not willing to offer up a hard date for opening…but says it might be up and running before the holidays. (See photo above.)

DOT probes ‘interference’ in new Georgia airport. The Transportation Department is looking into a complaint that Delta may have interfered in efforts to develop a second Atlanta-area airport. The complaint was filed by county commissioners in Paulding County, who said they want to see commercial low-cost air service at Silver Comet Field, about 40 miles northwest of Atlanta. Atlanta is the only one of the 10 largest U.S. metro areas that doesn’t have a secondary airport. UPDATE: DOT is not investigating Delta per se, according to FORBES. 

Customs kiosks come to Denver. Denver International is the latest U.S. airport to install Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosks for U.S. citizens returning from international trips. The 16 new BorderXPress APCs — which passengers can use to provide passport and customs declaration information and to verify identities — are expected to speed up processing, especially during the busy 4-7 p.m. period. The APCs are now in 17 U.S. airports.

POPULAR this week: How often do planes get washed? Surprising answer

TRENDS

Do your eyes glaze over when you hear or read about yet another report, panel discussion or product launch focusing on millennial travelers? This young demographic cohort is getting so much attention that other important segments of the population might be getting overlooked. In this post for the Switchfly blog, Chris examines the full spectrum of US generations and exposes their traits when it comes to travel. First of all, he labels them. (Age ranges are estimations.)

  • GenZ or iGen (under 15)
  • Millennial or Gen Y (14-34)
  • GenX (35-49)
  • Boomer (50-69)
  • Silent (70-84)
  • Greatest (85+)

CARS

Uber wins a legal round in Las Vegas. A Nevada judge last week turned down the state attorney general’s request for a temporary restraining order to block ride-sharing service Uber from launching service in Las Vegas. The operation is being opposed by the Nevada Taxicab Authority and the state transportation authority. It’s just the beginning of the legal battle; a hearing on a requested preliminary injunction is set for November 14. But in the meantime, Uber is operating in Las Vegas. Viva!

HOTELS

The Grand Premier Suite at the new Moskva hotel in Moscow

The Grand Premier Suite at the new Four Seasons Hotel Moscow (Photo: Four Seasons)

Four Seasons debuts in Moscow. The old Hotel Moskva, located close to Red Square on central Moscow’s Manezhnaya Square, was reborn last week as the Four Seasons Hotel Moscow. The historic facade was preserved, but the interior was remade, including the hotel’s 180 rooms and suites. It has a 24-hour business center, a fleet of Wi-Fi-equipped BMWs, and a signature Italian restaurant; a spa will open early next year.

Double points at Hilton. Last week, Hilton unveiled a new promotion for HHonors members who sign up online: They can earn double points from now through January 31, beginning with their second stay.

Have you voted in our hotel wi-fi speed poll yet? Read our post about Marriott’s big move this week… Check out the results below after you vote!

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In Case You Missed It…

Look closely and you'll see the "space ship" part of this aircraft in the middle-- it detaches from the larger aircraft to shoot into space. That's the part that crashed. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Look closely and you’ll see the “space ship” part of this aircraft in the middle– it detaches from the larger aircraft to shoot into space. That’s the part that crashed on Friday. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

>Our disturbingly up-close-and-personal photos & video of Virgin Galactic’s spaceship that crashed on Friday.

>Marriott is expanding free basic Wi-Fi for Rewards members who book direct.

>American Airlines revealed plans for merging frequent flyer programs with US Airways.

>JetBlue’s new Mint service drives down JFK-SFO premium fares.

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

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Big United-Hertz deal + Uber in Vegas? + Virgin in Atlanta + Biz class sale + Holiday Inn NYC

Virgin Atlantic's brand new Dreamliner touched down at ATL this week (Photo: Hartsfield-Jackson)

Virgin Atlantic’s brand new Dreamliner touched down at ATL with Richard Branson onboard this week (Photo: Hartsfield-Jackson)

This week! Uber getting scrappy in Las Vegas – A Virgin 787 lands in Atlanta – Big changes for United flyers who rent cars – United & KLM discount holiday business class….

AIRLINES

Virgin Atlantic in Atlanta. Last Thursday Virgin Atlantic loaded up its newest plane, a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, with two rock bands and Sir Richard Branson for a promotional trip to Atlanta, touching down at Hartsfield-Jackson on Thursday. Virgin’s new daily nonstop service (using an Airbus A330) cranks up this Sunday. The new Virgin flight replaces Delta on one of the latter’s three daily Atlanta-LHR roundtrips. Simultaneously, Delta is taking over one Virgin Atlantic’s two daily LAX-LHR flights. This is just one of several new flights Virgin has planned for Atlanta– Virgin’s Chris Rossi said that within 6-8 months the airline will launch nonstops to Manchester, England and will add a second daily Atlanta-London nonstop.

United/Hertz ink exclusivity deal. Big changes are in store for United’s MileagePlus members who rent cars. On November 1, the loyalty program kicks off an exclusivity agreement with Hertz Corp. and its three brands (Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty), making them the only ones that earn MileagePlus miles. Members will generally earn more miles for Hertz rentals than before — using a per-rental basis rather than the current per-day basis, on a sliding scale ranging from 500 miles for general members up to 1,250 for top-tier elites. (Dollar and Thrifty earning levels are unchanged.) In January, top-level elites will also be able to sign up free for Hertz’s President’s Circle. A United spokeswoman confirmed to TravelSkills that the deal means members won’t be able to earn miles with other rental companies currently listed as MileagePlus partners — Avis, Alamo, Budget, National and Sixt. Does this mean similar deals might be forthcoming from American and Delta with Avis/Budget and Enterprise/National/Alamo?

KLM's new lie-flat business class seat-- on sale for holiday trips (Photo: KLM)

KLM’s new lie-flat business class seat– on sale for holiday trips (Photo: KLM)

Watch for holiday biz class sales. If you don’t mind taking business trips around the holidays (or are looking for a cushy ride home or on vacation), you might score some great deals on premium-cabin fares, since business travel normally drops off then. E.g., United is offering discounted BusinessFirst travel to South America in late December, with roundtrip fares like $2,473 from Chicago to Santiago and $2,944 from Houston to Sao Paulo. KLM has business class sale fares to Europe for travel December 15-January 3 including $1,803 roundtrip from New York to Barcelona and $2,651 from Washington to Amsterdam.

New overseas routes begin. It’s a big weekend for new international routes. Delta on Sunday (October 26) launches a daily Los Angeles-London Heathrow non-stop with a 767-300ER.  Meanwhile, United is launching a pair of new transpacific routes on the same day, including daily San Francisco-Tokyo Haneda 777 flights (in addition to its SFO-Narita flights), and service six times a week between LAX and Melbourne, using a new 787-9 Dreamliner (that one’s 15 hours 45 minutes westbound, about an hour less eastbound).

European court rules on flight delays. Is an aircraft’s arrival time determined by when its wheels touch down or when the door is opened? It makes a difference in Europe, where consumer regulations assign levels of compensation based on how long a passenger has been delayed — up to $800 on transatlantic flights. According to a firm called Flightright, which tracks these matters, the court has ruled that a flight’s arrival time is determined by when the cabin door is opened — not when it lands.

Codeshare, interline pacts announced. American Airlines on October 26 starts code-sharing with Jetstar Japan, putting the AA designator on domestic flights from Tokyo Narita to Fukuoka, Matsuyama, Osaka (Kansai) and Sapporo. Jetstar’s owners include Oneworld carriers Qantas and Japan Airlines. Meanwhile, Alaska Airlines has inked an interline pact with Florida’s Silver Airways, permitting single ticketing for connecting itineraries. Silver serves multiple destinations in Florida and the Bahamas.

Please join the 80,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

CARS

Uber now in Vegas, maybe

Uber now in Vegas, maybe

Uber in Vegas, baby. At long last, Uber is operating in Las Vegas as of this weekend according to its company blog. That’s great news to Uber addicts who could never believe that the ride sharing company did not operate there. The service got off to a rocky start, however, and its future is now uncertain (at least in the short term) since a federal judge blocked Uber from operating in Nevada just four hours after its launch. Despite the block, an Uber spokesperson told TravelSkills that as of Saturday morning (Oct 25) Uber is operating and its cars are on the road. Currently Uber is the only rideshare service with the will and deep pockets to go up against the powerful and well-connected taxicab industry in the state- Lyft, Sidecar and others are not in the market. Stay tuned… In the meantime, an interesting read about why Vegas is ripe for ridesharing from the Cato Institute.

UPDATE 4:30PM Saturday: Uber is still operating in Las Vegas. The court order applies to rides in Carson City only and Uber expects an apology from the Attorney General according to The Las Vegas Review Journal.

SFO comes to terms with UberX, Lyft. San Francisco flyers who worried about using UberX or Lyft for airport rides that were technically illegal can relax. SFO officials said last week they have forged agreements with both ride-finding companies that will allow their drivers to pick up and drop off riders at airport terminals. The announcement comes a week after the airport inked a similar deal with Sidecar. “Both companies are expected to begin operations at the airport within the next 30 days,” a spokesman said. Terms of the agreements were not disclosed, but they could lead to similar deals at other airports where the companies have been at odds with local officials and taxicab operators.

(Disclosure: If you sign up for Uber via our links, you get a free ride, up to $30,  and so do we. Thanks for your support!)

The tallest Holiday Inn. Photo by architects GKAPC in NYC

The tallest Holiday Inn. Photo by architects GKAPC in NYC

HOTELS

World’s tallest Holiday Inn debuts. A 50-story, 490-room hotel said to be the world’s tallest Holiday Inn was due to open last week in lower Manhattan’s Financial District. Located at the corner of Washington and Rector streets, it has Executive Club Level rooms, many with great city or river views.

Openings in China. Newly opened business hotels in China this month include the Rosewood Beijing, a five-star, 293-room property from Texas-based Rosewood Hotels located in the city’s Chaoyang central business district across from the iconic CCTV Tower; the 386-room Haikou Marriott, in the capital city of southern China’s Hainan Province; and Starwood’s Castle Hotel, a Luxury Collection property in Dalian, in northeast China.

In Case You Missed It…

>Understanding your Tokyo airport options.

>What to expect at American Express’ new SFO Centurion Lounge.

>The Apple iPad Air 2’s SIM card offers carrier flexibility.

>The U.S. is seeing a boom in hotel construction.

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

Like what you just read? Then say so! Scroll back up to the top and  LIKE the post on Facebook, post it on Linked In and/or tweet it! 

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

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Cadillacs on the tarmac + 2nd Ebola case in US + Dallas Love Field recap + Virgin hotels splash

This is Part 2 of this week’s Catching up on Travel News with TravelSkills! Here’s Part 1.  (Sorry if you get this email more than once today…we are still getting the hang of our email distribution system)

AIRLINES

American will soon be picking up its best passengers at LAX in Caddies.

American will soon be picking up its best passengers at LAX in Caddies like this one. (Source: GM)

American Airlines teams up with Cadillac. Following the lead of Delta’s partnership with Porsche and United’s with Mercedes-Benz, American Airlines is teaming up with Cadillac to provide rides across the tarmac to connecting flights — starting at Los Angeles International — for ConciergeKey members with tight transfer times. AA said it will expand the service next to Dallas/Ft. Worth and New York’s LaGuardia and JFK, using Cadillac CTS, SRX or Escalade models. Also, as part of the promo AAdvantage members can earn 7,500 miles for test-driving a new Cadillac.

Breaking news: A health care worker in Dallas has contracted Ebola according to health officials there. If confirmed by CDC, this would be the first case of Ebola transmitted in the US. Hmm. I’m wondering how many TravelSkills readers (including yours truly) might want to change their answer to our recent Ebola fear poll from “not fearful” to “somewhat fearful” after hearing this news. One thing you can count on: Increased Ebola screening at airports that could cause long lines.

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Love Field route recap. October 13 marks the end of the Wright Amendment at Dallas Love Field, and here’s a reminder of what’s happening there route-wise.

  • Virgin America, which moves operations from DFW to DAL, will have three daily flights starting Monday, October 13 from DAL to SFO, LAX and DCA, adding four daily DAL-LGA roundtrips October 28. (Still no word on when it will add flights to Chicago.)
  • Southwest on Monday starts five daily roundtrips between DAL and Chicago Midway; three each to LAX, Baltimore, Denver, Las Vegas and Washington National; and two to Orlando.
  • On November 2, Southwest adds one more daily frequency to Midway, Las Vegas, LAX and Orlando, and boosts DAL-DCA to six a day. Also on November 2, Southwest begins service from DAL to Atlanta (4x/day), LGA (3x), PHX (4x), Ft Lauderdale (2x), Nashville (2x), San Diego (2x), Orange County (1x) and Tampa (2x).

All-you-can-fly airline comes to OAK. California’s Surf Air, which charges a flat fee starting at $1,750 a month for unlimited flights in its Pilatus turboprops, is expanding to two more airports — Carlsbad’s McClellan-Palomar (CRQ) north of San Diego on November 18 and Oakland (OAK) on December 15, with flights to Hawthorne, Santa Barbara and other locations. “Both markets were added based on the high current and potential member demand–with more than 100 deposits already placed for membership in these regions and relatively limited service by other carriers to either market,” Surf Air said.

Love your United FA, then say so via the carrier's website (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Love your United FA, then say so via the carrier’s website (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Thank your flight attendants. Members of the flight crew seem to be regularly bashed by frequent fliers more times than they are appreciated. Here is a way you can quickly send your message praising a flight attendant who served you well on a recent flight via United’s web site. Although this topic is primarily for passengers of United Airlines, other airlines are discussed in this MilePoint string as well. Have you thanked a flight attendant lately?

HOTELS

The brand new Conrad Seoul hotel is on the south side of the Han River which bisects the city (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The brand new Conrad Seoul hotel is on the south side of the Han River which bisects the city (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis just returned from a business trip to Seoul, South Korea with a big batch of great pics and news about this burgeoning, modern, high-tech (and quirky) Asian city. Stay tuned for a few fun trip reports and another in our series of new hotel updates. Have you been to Seoul recently? What did you think? Please leave comments below or email Chris. 

The first Virgin Hotel will be located in this Chicago building.

The first Virgin Hotel will be located in this Chicago building. (Virgin Hotels)

First Virgin Hotel opening soon. Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group has been working for years on a hotel subsidiary, and its first property — in downtown Chicago — is set to open January 15. The 250-room property (including 42 suites) is in the Old Dearborn Bank Building at 203 N. Wabash. Rooms start at $209 and bookings are open now through a new website at http://virginhotels.com.

In Case You Missed It…

>Looks like a major renovation is in store for New York’s iconic Waldorf-Astoria following its sale by Hilton to a Chinese insurance company for nearly $2 billion.

>Airline lounge memberships: Why they’re not for everyone.

>Try these tips for catching some Zs in your hotel room.

>Eight essential tips for business trips to San Francisco.

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

Like what you just read? Then say so! Scroll back up to the top and  LIKE the post on Facebook, post it on Linked In and/or tweet it! 

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

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

Please join the 80,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

 


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Delta raises bar for Medallions + More LAX flights + Ebola poll results + Delta back in Love

This is part one of this weekend’s Catching Up on Travel News (part 2 comes tomorrow)

AIRLINES

Delta keeps making moves to improve the ride for it's customers with deepest pockets.

Delta keeps making moves to improve the ride for it’s customers with deepest pockets. (Photo: Jim Glab)

Delta tightens SkyMiles rules — again. Will United? In the latest tweak to its ever-changing SkyMiles program, Delta is increasing by 20 percent the minimum spend required during 2015 to achieve 2016 Medallion status — e.g., Medallion Qualifying Dollar requirements go from $2,500 to $3,000 for Silver status and so on, up to $15,000 for Diamond from the current $12,500. Delta says it is upping the ante to increase exclusivity of higher status– much like it’s done with more restrictions on guests allowed in Sky Clubs to control crowding. And keep an eye on United, which in keeping with it’s WWDD (What Would Delta Do) policy of mimicking every Delta move, could impose similar higher spending requirements. Is it working to make the experience more exclusive? We frequently hear from both sides of this issue, so please leave your comments below.

Another Delta squeeze. In another change, Delta will downgrade its Basic Economy fares (E fares). Effective February 15, passengers on those low-cost fares (typically on fares where the carrier competes with the likes of Spirit or Frontier) will not be able to get free Medallion upgrades, paid upgrades or advance seat selection; no refunds, changes or same-day standbys are allowed; and Preferred and Economy Comfort seats are off-limits.

Delta gets more time at DAL. Instead of being forced out of Dallas Love Field on October 13 as reported earlier, Delta will now get a reprieve at least until January 6 to keep operating its five daily DAL-ATL flights. What changed? Southwest Airlines — which controls 16 of DAL’s 20 gates — agreed to let Delta use one of them for a few months, and United anted up ticket counter space as well. Delta has been subleasing two gates from American Airlines, but those will be transferred to Virgin America this week.

An American Airlines B737-800 will soon fly ATL-LAX (Photo: BriYYZ / Flickr)

An American Airlines B737-800 will soon fly ATL-LAX (Photo: BriYYZ / Flickr)

American adds another key ATL route. A week ago, American revealed plans to revive LaGuardia-Atlanta service on January 6. And now AA announced another stab at the heart of Delta’s network: It will begin three flights a day between Atlanta and its Los Angeles International hub on March 5, and is already taking reservations. LAX-ATL will be a mainline AA route, operated with 737-800s. So for those of you who say you are ready to dump Delta for a carrier that (so far) has not made the move toward revenue-based frequent flyer rewards, you now have more options.

Ebola fears in check. Based on our recent Ebola Fear Poll and post, it sounds like frequent travelers are not too alarmed about the possibility of contracting Ebola. With nearly 500 votes from TravelSkills readers in so far, 68% say that they are not fearful about Ebola, 22% say they are somewhat fearful and just 10% say that they are very fearful. Have you participated in the poll? In case you missed it, here’s one of the most viral travel videos this week showing hazmat crews entering a plane where a passenger joked about having ebola. VIDEO

How fearful are you of the possibility of contracting ebola?

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wipesSpeaking of germs, we got a kick out of this email from TravelSkills reader MM about a recent flight where she was seated next to one of the 10% who are very fearful of Ebola: Dear Chris: I had to share an inflight experience I had tonight traveling from DFW to the ATL.  So I am seated on a three seat row, when a passenger seated beside me (I was stuck in the middle seat) gets to her aisle seat to settle in. I said a quick hello and continued looking at my phone.  She then began to pluck what I appeared to be antibacterial wipes from a container…they were ALCOHOL wipes—big ones!!  She proceeded to stand up and wipe down her entire seat…every inch…seat belt included..straps too.  Then she wiped down her tray table, light and ac controls, arm rests…the whole kit-kat and caboodle!  By this time, I am having flashbacks to having my ears pierced in seventh grade at Rich’s department store where they doused you in alcohol.  Then she neatly sat down.  There were so many fumes that I felt like I needed the pull down the oxygen mask before take off!  This is what happens when the fear of germs affects the quality of flight I thought to myself. Then I smiled and thought…I couldn’t wait to email TravelSkills about this!  I am anti-germy myself but keep my hand sanitizer neatly tucked away.  This woman was ready to do battle with bacteria!  Oh, the stories that will emerge from all this…”

HOTELS

Marriott's new wireless charger

Marriott’s new Kube wireless charger

Marriott tries a new tech amenity. if you see an odd black box in a Marriott lobby, don’t hesitate to put your phone on it — that’s what it’s for. Marriott installed Kube Systems wireless charging stations in the lobbies of 29 hotels, acting on a suggestion from customers at its idea website, www.TravelBrilliantly.com. Besides the wireless charging surface, the boxes have built-in connectors to power up to six devices.

In Case You Missed It…

>Looks like a major renovation is in store for New York’s iconic Waldorf-Astoria following its sale by Hilton to a Chinese insurance company for nearly $2 billion.

>Airline lounge memberships: Why they’re not for everyone.

>Try these tips for catching some Zs in your hotel room.

>Eight essential tips for business trips to San Francisco.

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

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Delta doesn’t do Dallas + New ATL-LGA flights + Virgin America goes east + More JetBlue @ SFO

San Francisco gets a new nonstop to Vegas, baby with low intro fares (Photo: Jim Glab)

San Francisco gets a new nonstop to Vegas, baby, with low intro fares (Photo: Jim Glab)

This is part 2 of our weekend catch up! Here’s part 1. 

AIRLINES

Virgin America bets on winter leisure routes. Stepping away from its bases at SFO and LAX, Virgin America will add a pair of new seasonal routes this winter — daily New York JFK-Ft. Lauderdale flights from mid-December through April, and four weekly Boston-Las Vegas roundtrips from January 8 through April; it will also boost JFK-LAS frequencies from seven to nine a week January 5-April 28. To free up aircraft, Virgin will make what a spokesman calls “a temporary reduction” in SFO-Chicago O’Hare and LAX-ORD to just one daily roundtrip apiece, down from three and two respectively. And last week, Virgin terminated its daily Philadelphia flights from SFO and LAX.

JetBlue taps SFO-LAS. Maybe Virgin America thinks its seven daily SFO-Las Vegas flights are plenty, but rival JetBlue sees an opening there; it will jump into the market January 5 with two daily roundtrips, and introductory fares as low as $76. Speaking of SFO, we’re getting close to the launch of JetBlue’s premium-cabin Mint service on its SFO-JFK route, set for October 26. JetBlue will boost SFO-JFK frequencies from three a day to five by early next year. JetBlue is also growing at LAS, adding daily non-stops to Ft. Lauderdale October 29.

No love for Delta in Dallas. Delta’s five daily flights from Dallas’ close-in Love Field to Atlanta will end on October 13. That’s when the Wright Amendment expires, and when American Airlines’ two gates at DAL — which Delta has been subleasing — will be transferred to Virgin America. With all the expansion at DAL, not only by Southwest and Virgin America, but also by United — which plans to double its daily DAL-Houston Intercontinental schedule to 10 flights — there was no room left for Delta. The change doesn’t affect Delta’s operations at DFW. Virgin CEO David Cush said this week that the carrier might fly to two more cities from DAL– while we are hoping one might be Atlanta, Cush wouldn’t say.

American Airlines CRJ flights between ATL and La Guardia are coming back (Photo: David Montiverdi)

American Airlines CRJ flights between ATL and La Guardia are coming back (Photo: David Montiverdi)

AA revives LGA-ATL. American Airlines, which abandoned LaGuardia-Atlanta service earlier this year as part of a reshuffling related to its merger with US Airways, plans to revive that key business route January 6, with four daily American Eagle roundtrips. AA said the new Eagle service will use CRJ-700s with nine first class and 54 economy seats, operating out of ATL’s North Terminal T Concourse. American also announced new service starting March 5 from Miami to Austin, Kansas City, Salt Lake City and San Antonio. And last week, American started new Eagle service between Chicago O’Hare-Bismarck, N.D. and DFW-Bismarck, while affiliate US Airways Express kicked off new routes from Charlotte to Evansville and Ft. Wayne, Ind.; and Philadelphia-Ft. Wayne, and US Airways began mainline Phoenix-Cleveland service.

Delta point transfers capped. if you’re sitting on hundreds of thousands of American Express Membership Rewards points that you plan to transfer into your Delta SkyMiles account, better act fast. Effective January 1, Delta is limiting the amount of point transfers into SkyMiles accounts from partner companies to 250,000 a year. See the announcement on Delta’s website (click on General Program Updates/Transferring points from SkyMiles partners).

The Qantas A380 DFW-SYD nonstop is now the longest flight from the US (Photo: Qantas)

The Qantas A380 DFW-SYD nonstop is now the longest flight from the US (Photo: Qantas)

Double A380s at DFW. Qantas last week replaced the 747 on its Dallas/Ft. Worth-Sydney route with an Airbus A380 super-jumbo, giving it 10 percent more seats in the market, which Qantas flies six days a week (except Tuesdays). The aircraft has 14 first class seats, 64 in business, 35 in premium economy and 371 in regular coach. The 7,452 nautical mile, nearly 14-16 hour DFW-SYD flight is now the longest from the US, bumping Delta’s ATL-Johannesburg nonstop to #2 at 7,329 nautical miles. Qantas is a partner in American Airlines’ Oneworld alliance. Two days later, Emirates brought DFW its second A380, with daily nonstop service to Dubai.

Related: Emirates to fly A380s to San Francisco and Houston in December!

Frontier keeps adding new markets. It seems like almost every week, Frontier Airlines announces more new routes. In its latest volley, the airline said it will start flying out of Miami December 20/21 to Chicago O’Hare, Denver, LaGuardia and Philadelphia, all with one or two flights a day. It will also launch PHL-Orlando and PHL-Tampa flights December 20, followed in the spring by new service from PHL to ATL, CLT and ORD. Other new O’Hare routes starting December 20 are Las Vegas and Tampa.

Please participate in this week’s poll on how fearful you are about ebola:

How fearful are you of the possibility of contracting ebola?

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In Case You Missed It…

>Are you ready for BYOD (bring your own device) in-flight entertainment?

>Tracking the ebola risk for air travelers.

>Chris explains what’s new at Hawaiian Airlines.

>Direct flight? Non-stop? What’s the difference

New: A limited time 70,000 point sign up bonus from Chase

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>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

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Big day in big D + New carrier for ATL? + New LAX lounge + NYC grand dame facelift

Will Turkish Airlines land in Atlanta any time soon? (Photo: Turkish Airlines)

Will Turkish Airlines land in Atlanta any time soon? (Photo: Turkish Airlines)

AIRLINES

Big day approaches in Big D. In two weeks — on October 13 — the Wright Amendment expires, opening up Dallas’ close-in Love Field to a new era of long-haul domestic routes, and the major players are getting ready. Virgin America teamed up with ride-finding service Uber and with HotelTonight to offer discounts and digital promotions at a special website, www.ShareTheLoveDallas.com. Southwest has scheduled a series of concerts and a golf tournament, and will give away prizes in-flight to passengers during the first week of service. Southwest set up a website detailing its new DAL routes at www.nonstoplove.com.

Turkish Airlines eyes ATL service. In an interview with Bloomberg News, Turkish Airlines CEO Temel Kotil said the fast-growing carrier plans to start flying from Istanbul to Atlanta, although he gave no date for the service. The airline already announced it will begin San Francisco flights next April. Kotil said the carrier also plans to add more frequencies to Chicago, Washington Dulles and LAX. Turkish is part of the Star Alliance, and its other U.S. routes include New York, Boston and Houston. Turkish giving the fast growing Gulf carriers like Emirates or Etihad a run for their money competing for passengers headed to the Middle East, India and Africa. A new carrier in ATL might help the airport retain its title as “world’s busiest,” which this NPR story says might be in jeopardy.

Air France strike ends. According to AP, the painful Air France strike has ended.  Meanwhile, Lufthansa braces for it’s own pilots to strike by canceling a raft of transatlantic flights.

Big smiles at Delta. If  you notice that your Delta flight attendants or gate agents have a bit more spring in their step in coming months, it could be because Delta is giving all employees a nice 5% profit-sharing payout for 2014 and has promised a 3-4% payout next year. Forbes reports: “Delta will report record profitability in 2014, while its stock is a top twenty S&P 500 performer and its operational reliability and customer satisfaction are at the top of the industry.” In similar news, United Airlines announced Monday that it will offer its thousands of flight attendants an early and voluntary buyout option, a lump-sum payout worth up to $100,000. Time reports that United would not disclose the criteria needed to earn the maximum buyout but is hoping at least 2,100 employees take advantage of the offer. 

Frontier Airlines is expanding from its Denver stomping grounds with new nonstops in SFO & PHX. (

Frontier Airlines is expanding from its Denver stomping grounds with new nonstops in SFO & PHX. (Phot0: Jim Glab)

Frontier grows at SFO, PHX. Frontier Airlines — whose strategy as a new ultra-low-cost carrier (along the lines of Spirit Air) is to nibble at the edges of major business markets — plans to start flying from San Francisco International to Houston Bush Intercontinental and Phoenix November 20. Technically, the service will break up United’s SFO-IAH monopoly and could impact its high fares, but it’s hardly a big threat since Frontier plans one flight a day vs. United’s 10 — and since Frontier levies some heavy fees, like a carry-on bag charge for low-fare passengers. SFO-Phoenix is dominated by Southwest and American/US Airways, with dozens of daily flights vs. Frontier’s planned single departure. Also on November 20, Frontier will add once-a-day flights between PHX-Houston and PHX-Salt Lake City.

People Express suspends service. After a big kick off last summer, Virginia-based People Express is already hitting hard times. According to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, the carrier suspended service suddenly last week. But it said that it might crank up again by Oct 16 according to a press release. Hmm.

Cost of a disrupted trip: $1,475. The most common “travel mishap,” according to a new survey of 500 business travelers, is a flight disrupted by a delay, cancellation or missed connection (like those entangled in the Chicago air traffic shutdown on Friday) — and the average cost to the traveler caught up in the problem is $1,475 in missed work and out-of-pocket expenses, according to the Global Business Travel Association. If the mishap occurs overseas, the average cost jumps to $2,148. When a mishap causes the traveler to miss work, the average time lost is 2.3 days. What was your worst ‘travel mishap’ and how did it impact your schedule?

Plan now: How to get a free trip home for the holidays

AA plans DFW-Beijing flights. American Airlines wants to add Beijing as the newest transpacific spoke from its Dallas/Ft. Worth hub. The carrier last week filed for government approval to begin daily 777-200ER flights from DFW to Beijing’s Capital International Airport sometime next summer. AA already flies from DFW to Hong Kong, Seoul, Shanghai and Tokyo, and it serves Beijing from Chicago O’Hare.

JetBlueFlyFilogoWi-Fi progress at JetBlue, Virgin Atlantic. JetBlue has only installed its super-speed Fly-Fi Internet service on 70 planes thus far — and is adding a dozen aircraft a month — but it said more than a million devices have already connected to the free Ka-band satellite service. “On JetBlue we see 40 percent of customers logged on, while other airlines get single-digits only,” a JetBlue official said. Fly-Fi claims data speeds of 12 to 20 Mbps …. Wi-Fi provider Gogo said Virgin Atlantic has signed on to become the first European carrier to install its satellite-based 2Ku Wi-Fi service fleetwide, offering “unprecedented bandwidth.”

Lower fares at ATL thanks to Spirit. Ultra low-fare carrier Spirit Air’s entry into the Atlanta-Detroit market has resulted in lower fares on not just Spirit, but on Delta and Southwest, which had significantly jacked up fares over the last two years, according to the Detroit Free Press. In related news, when United announced a big downsizing of its Cleveland operation several months back, Frontier started beefing up its presence there, and now Spirit Airlines is doing the same. Spirit will begin new CLE service in mid-January to Orlando, Tampa and Ft. Myers; on February 5 to Ft. Lauderdale, DFW and Las Vegas; and April 16 to Los Angeles and Myrtle Beach.

Please join the 80,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

AIRPORTS

Southwest's expansion at Denver

Southwest’s expansion at Denver International’s Terminal C (Photo DIA)

Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse at LAX. In airport news this week, Virgin Atlantic will build its own Clubhouse for Upper Class passengers at Los Angeles International. No details yet, but it will occupy 4,000 square feet and open next spring. Currently, the airline’s premium flyers use Virgin America’s and Air New Zealand’s LAX lounges …Los Angeles International has installed 40 of those new automated passport control kiosks for arriving passengers in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, and Delta opened up 10 of the devices in Terminal 5 .

Uber, Lyft, Sidecar back in hot water. Ride sharing companies are facing a new round of legal threats from city officials in San Francisco and Los Angeles. Seems like a never ending story… and thankfully, Uber and others seem to just ignore the threats and continue hauling business travelers around town and to the airport. In a related note, Uber has reportedly reinstated it’s flat $65 fare between San Francisco and SFO. TravelSkills riders in Pacific Heights had complained loudly about airport trips costing $95 or more… apparently Uber heard the squawks and fares are back down. Have you noticed? 

Southwest grows at DEN.Denver International cut the ribbon on a five-gate expansion of Terminal C, allowing Southwest Airlines to expand…pushing Frontier into other cities and keeping United on its toes.

Free wi-fi at Houston airports. Houston started rolling out free Wi-Fi at its airports; it’s now available in all terminal areas at Hobby, and in Terminals A and D at Bush Intercontinental; it should be in all IAH spaces by year’s end …

Speeding up at Ft Lauderdale Flight delays at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International should ease up considerably following the opening last week of a new 8,000-foot runway there.

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

HOTELS

The grand old InterConti is going dark for an extensive (and much needed) 18-month facelift.

Manhattan’s  grand old Barclay InterContinental is going dark for an extensive (and much needed) 18-month facelift. (Photo: IHG)

NYC property closes; new Ritz-Carlton in Florida. The InterContinental New York Barclay Hotel in Midtown Manhattan has closed its doors for a much needed,  18-month, $175 million renovation. (The Barclay is located alongside another NYC grand dame that needs the same type of loving restoration…which hotel are wer referring to?? Leave your guesses and comments below!) In other hotel news: Florida’s One Bal Harbour Resort north of Miami Beach will become The Ritz-Carlton Bal Harbour, Miami effective October 2 … A former Sheraton a mile from Washington’s Reagan National Airport in Arlington, Va., is now the Westin Crystal City.

In Case You Missed It…

>Here’s how to save money on overseas mobile roaming.

>The latest on the great in-flight voice calling debate. (Check out your comments! They’re great. Thanks!)

>Try these tips for making free or low-cost calls from overseas.

–Jim Glab & Chris McGinnis


>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

Like what you just read? Then say so! Scroll back up to the top and  LIKE the post on Facebook, post it on Linked In and/or tweet it! 

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Taxi usage down 65% + Newark, LAX upgrades + Plush transfers at DEN + TSA wait times decline

United's upgraded terminal at Newark could soon look a lot like this one-- which is Delta's a La Guardia. (Photo: OTG)

United’s upgraded terminal at Newark could soon look a lot like this one–> Delta’s Terminals C&D  at La Guardia. (Photo: OTG)

Terminal renovations at Newark. United Airlines is teaming up with OTG Management for a $120 million overhaul of Newark Liberty’s Terminal C over the next 18 months. UA’s hub terminal will get 55 new dining venues, and passengers will have free access to thousands of iPads “to track their flight, order from chef-created menus, and purchase travel amenities for delivery directly to their seat in the terminal while browsing the Internet,” United said. (This set up should sound very similar to Delta flyers who use New York La Guardia airport frequently– it’s the exact same concept.)

LAX upgrade. Meanwhile, LAX officials last week marked the groundbreaking for a $508 million makeover of Southwest’s Terminal 1 at that airport. It will get a new 12-lane security checkpoint, automated checked bag system, new and expanded dining and retail concessions; and relocation of the terminal entrances to the west end of the building.

Air France Update: Over the weekend, Air France pilots extended their crippling strike until Sept 26. The French carrier is flying about 40% of its flights.

SF Taxi biz down a whopping 65% (Photo: Athan / Flickr)

SF Taxi biz down a whopping 65% (Photo: Athan / Flickr)

Taxi usage in SF down 65%! Ride-finding apps like Uber and Lyft have become so popular in tech-savvy San Francisco (where Uber launched in 2009)  that the city’s traditional taxi business is in a downward spiral. A new report presented to city transportation officials said that the number of taxi trips in San Francisco has plummeted by 65 percent over the past 15 months. Have you switch away from cabs in favor of Uber, Lyft or other services in SF or elsewhere? Please leave your comments below. For me, I’m currently stuck in Las Vegas, a surprisingly non-Uber city, and feel lost without it! (Want $30 off your first Uber ride? Click here!)

Mercedes tarmac transfers at DEN. United’s best customers (Global First flyers and Global Services members) now have the opportunity for Mercedes-Benz SUV tarmac transfers to their connecting flights at Denver International. The service is already available at Chicago, Houston, Newark, San Francisco, LA and Dulles. (Something else that should be familiar to Delta’s ultra-elites who get tarmac transfers in Porsches.)

Runway closure at ATL. The northernmost runway at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson closed down last week for paving work that will continue through October 15. Four runways remain open, and because September and October are slow traffic months, “the runway closure is not expected to significantly affect flight traffic,” a spokesman said. However, TravelSkills reader RD begs to differ: On Sunday morning he wrote: “Just landed this morning at ATL and this is already creating a mess for arrivals. It added about 10 minutes to our taxi time.”

Inside the first class section of a United E175 (Embraer)

Inside the first class section of a United E175 (Embraer)

United adds more 76-seat jets. United Airlines is broadening its commitment to the Embraer 175 by ordering another 50 of the two-class, 76-seat aircraft for United Express, to be operated by a subsidiary of Republic Airways Holdings. The carrier is already taking delivery of its first batch of 70 E175s; the next 50 will come online from 2015 through 2017. The aircraft offer first class, Economy Plus and regular economy seats. Next year, United Express will start to remove 31 Q400 turboprops from its fleet. Last week, United Express started deploying the E175 at San Francisco, on the SFO-St Louis route; on October 26, it will put the planes on SFO-Austin, Dallas and Minneapolis flights.

Please join the 50,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

WestJet, Air Canada add bag fees. Canadian carrier WestJet, which flies to a number of U.S. cities and has code-sharing pacts with Delta and American, is ending its “first checked bag free” policy for passengers who buy its bottom-tier Econo fares. The new $25 fee for the first checked bag is effective for travel starting October 29. The carrier also launched a new WestJet Rewards tier program with three levels — teal, silver and gold — starting October 29; it’s based on spending rather than miles flown. In response, Air Canada — which already has a first-bag fee on transborder flights — said it would impose a similar $25 bag fee starting November 2 on domestic passengers traveling on its economy class Tango fares.

Routes: DL grows in Texas; Frontier comes to ORD. Delta Connection/Compass Airlines will begin four daily LAX-DFW flights on November 3; add a third daily LAX-Austin roundtrip November 2; and start twice-daily LAX-San Antonio flights April 7, 2015 … Frontier Airlines started flying out of Chicago O’Hare last week, with six flights a week to Washington Dulles.

So, what do you think of Spirit Airlines flamboyant new livery? Comments below, please! (Photo: Spirit)

So, what do you think of Spirit Airlines flamboyant new livery? Comments below, please! (Photo: Spirit)

AIRPORTS

TSA: Line times are down. The TSA says it is meeting its goal of getting all travelers through security after a wait of less than 20 minutes. From June through August of this year, the agency said, 99.6 percent of all travelers waited in security lines less than 20 minutes — and 99.98 percent of those in the expedited PreCheck lanes “moved through the checkpoint in less than 10 minutes.” And that’s with a total of 173 million persons screened during those summer months. Do TSA’s numbers about waiting times sound right to you, based on your experience?

SFO encourages networking, brainstorming. The newest public facility at San Francisco International is oddly called “#Converge@flySFO” — an 850-square-foot space in the International Terminal, boarding area G, on Level 3 near Gate G93. Equipped with tables, chairs, power outlets, Wi-Fi and a wall-sized white board with markers, “the space is designed to allow travelers to meet and exchange thoughts on technology, shared economies, and ideas that could make the world a better place,” a spokesman said. Persons who want to use it should post their topic, date and time via social media channels using the hashtag #Converge, and tagging @flySFO so the airport can repost it.

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

HOTELS

Marriott wants maids tipped. In thousands of Marriott hotel rooms across the group’s various brands, guests will soon start seeing envelopes encouraging them to tip their maid. Housekeeping workers reportedly receive tips less often than other hotel staff, and the company wants to make sure they’re not forgotten. It suggests $1 to $5 a night, depending on the room rate. We’d love to hear you sound off about hotel tipping and Marriott’s moves. Please leave your comments below.

In Case You Missed It…

>Nostalgia buffs can have dinner in a Pan Am 747.

>New airport concept: Park for free, rent your car while you’re away.

>Here’s a credit card for travelers with big bonuses and easy redemptions.

>Here’s how to find widebodies on domestic routes

–Jim Glab & Chris McGinnis

CLICK>>Take a scroll thru what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <CLICK

Like what you just read? Then say so! Scroll back up to the top and  LIKE the post on Facebook, post it on Linked In and/or tweet it! 

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

Please join the 50,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

 


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