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United adds 11 new nonstops to Hawaii

June 13, 2017

Cruising into Lihue Airport on Kauai from SFO on United will get easier with two flights per day (Chris McGinnis)

United is making a big grab for the lucrative Hawaii market, adding 11 new nonstops from the mainland, and adding even more lie-flat seats on overnight flights. It is also making its Denver hub a major, year-round gateway to Hawaii from the midwest.

More flights usually results two things important to frequent travelers: lower fares and more opportunities to redeem points to get to paradise. However, demand for Hawaii trips has increased so much recently that the additional capacity might not result in significantly lower fares or redemptions. Time will tell. However, it never hurts to set up fare alerts and keep an eye out for cheaper mileage redemptions in light of this announcement.

With the addition of the 11 flights, United says that it now offers the most flights between the mainland and Hawaii than any other carrier.

But flights to Hawaii are not cheap! Looking at August roundtrips in United economy class, Chicago-Maui and Denver-Maui are running a cool $1,400. Houston-Maui is $930. Cheapest SFO-Maui is $460, and LAX-Maui is about $570.

United adding more lie-flat seats on Hawaii flights (Chris McGinnis)

Starting this summer, all overnight flights between Hawaii and Chicago, Denver, Houston, Newark and Washington will have lie-flat seats up front. (Hawaiian Airlines is now offering lie-flat seats on some of its mainland-to-Hawaii flights. American recently added lie-flat seats on flights between Honolulu, Los Angeles and Phoenix. Delta flies lie-flat between ATL and Honolulu. United has had lie-flat seats on its SFO-Lihue 757 flights for a while now, but it appears that those flights, as well as most all non-Honolulu flights will be be served with 737s from SFO.)

Here’s what’s coming starting December 20 (these are in addition to existing Honolulu flights):

Denver’s seasonal flights to Kona, Lihue and Maui will convert to daily, year-round service.
From San Francisco, Maui nonstops increase from three to five times per day. Lihue increases to two per day. Kona increases from twice to three times per day.
Chicago-Maui service increases to 5x per week, up from 3x.
From Los Angeles, Kona and Maui get three flights per day, up from two and Hilo gets daily roundtrips

United’s expanded service to Hawaii starting Dec 20 (Image: United)

How do you fly to Hawaii? Have you been lately? How much did you pay…or how many miles did you redeem to get there? I recently snagged SFO-LIH for 45,000 United miles, which felt like a steal. You?

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Quiz: Test your planespotting skills

May 27, 2017

A Delta 767 taking off from SFO (InSapphoWeTrust / Flickr)

Did you know that’s a Boeing 767? Take our quiz to hone those planespotting skills! (Photo: InSapphoWeTrust / Flickr)

Over the last week we ran our popular planespotting series. Did you pay attention? Now it’s time for a fun TravelSkills quiz!

We ran this quiz last year and over 7,000 people took it. Did you? How’d you score? Feel free to take it again!

This time, we are testing your ability to identify the planes you see in the skies or at the airport. Can you tell the difference between a Airbus A320 and Airbus A321? A Boeing 757 or 767? What’s the most distinguishing feature of a Boeing 777? Take our easy 3-minute, 10-question quiz below.

(Scroll down for some help studying for the quiz if you need it. (We offer plenty of planespotting tips!) If you can’t see the embedded quiz below, here’s a link to it.

If you’d like to bone up on your skills before you take the quiz, here are links to our recent planespotting posts:

A320 family differences

Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320 differences

Boeing 757, 767

Boeing 717, MD-80/90

Take the quiz and get your score! Based on your performance, you’ll be named Aviation Geek, Aviation Nerd, Aviation Enthusiast, Pretty Good Plane Spotter or Novice Plane Spotter. Which one are you? Share your status and YOUR best planespotting tips with us in the comments below!

If you have fun with this, take our previous quizzes, too!

NAME THAT AIRPORT quiz

BUSINESS CLASS SEAT quiz

–Chris McGinnis

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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United’s 4-hour flight to nowhere

February 9, 2017

United flight 1111 from San Francisco to Kauai on Tuesday, Feb 7 (Image: FlightAware)

United flight 1111 from San Francisco to Lihue, Kauai on Tuesday, Feb 7: a four hour loopdy loop (Image: FlightAware)

On Tuesday morning at 9 a.m., United flight 1111 took off from San Francisco International with a likely load of gleeful passengers bound for paradise.

Then something happened and the flight had to return to San Francisco…. after circling over the Pacific Ocean for four hours, arriving at about 1 pm.

I was not on this flight, but have been able to piece together what happened.

UA1111 departed on time at around 9 a.m. bound for Lihue, Kauai, but experienced a maintenance issue shortly after take off which required a return to SFO.

To make it to Kauai safely (2,540 miles away), a Boeing 757 is loaded down with a LOT of very heavy fuel. It’s so heavy in fact, that the plane cannot land with that much fuel onboard.

Don’t miss: First look inside United’s newest jet: The Boeing 777-300ER [PHOTOS]

United flight 1111 preparing for take off to Lihue- I took this flight last summer ! (Chris McGinnis)

In many cases like this, the pilots would quickly jettison the fuel at a high altitude. Once the fuel is offloaded, the plane could return and land. (Jettisoned fuel disperses into the atmosphere and does not come raining down to earth. See: Fuel Dumping)

However, a Boeing 757 is not able to dump fuel, according to my aviation geek buddies with whom I had a Twitter chat about this.

So… this meant that pilots had to fly the plane in circles for four hours off the coast to burn off fuel and lighten up before returning to SFO for a safe landing at 1 pm.

I can only imagine the groans from passengers when the pilot had to inform them that they’d be flying around for four hours, landing back in rainy SFO instead of sunny Kauai. In Kauai, there were undoubtedly people to meet, cars to rent, meetings to attend and hotel rooms reserved. These folks were ready to get their toes in the sand, no doubt!

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View of Hanalei Bay from a room at the St Regis Princeville in Kauai (Chris McGinnis)

I contacted United to find out how this all played out, and it sounds like the airline did a good job recovering from this mishap. A spokesperson told TravelSkills that when the plane landed back at SFO, United offered passengers drink and meal vouchers. Another plane was called into service to re-accommodate passengers, and took off at 4:30 pm and arrived in Lihue 6 hours later at about 9 p.m.

UPDATE: A lot of readers are wondering why United didn’t just fly the plane to Hawaii if they were going to circle for a few hours. The reason is that United did not want to fly a faulty aircraft thousands of miles out over the ocean. Instead, pilots circled within a few hundred miles of SFO so they could land if they had to. Here’s an image of how far the flight is to Hawaii… and how close the plane stayed to SFO.

Mid point to Hawaii is 1,250 miles from the nearest airport– no place to be flying a faulty plane! (Image: FlightAware)

Phew! Has this ever happened to you? What’s the worst or most painful delay or cancellation you’ve had to deal with? Please leave your comments below.

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A look inside Delta’s newest jet (photos)

March 21, 2016

Delta’s first Airbus A321 arrives (Photo: Delta)

Last week Delta welcomed a brand new aircraft to its fleet, the Airbus A321. This narrow-body aircraft seats 192 passengers– about as many as Delta’s workhorse 757s. In coming years, Delta’s new 737-900s as well as the A321s will replace its old and unloved fleet of Boeing 757s, which seat around 185 passengers, depending on configuration.

Delta will take on a total of 15 A321s this year, and 30 more by 2018. Initially the planes will come from Airbus’ assembly facility in Hamburg, Germany, but later on, deliveries will come from a new Airbus plant in Mobile, Alabama.

Initially the A321s will be deployed on routes between Atlanta and Florida cities, but eventually they will be used on longer haul domestic flights.

The A321 is super popular among US carriers these days– for example, both American and JetBlue use the A321 for their transcontinental flights between New York and California. American alone flies about 180 Airbus A321s.

Delta currently has about 125 Airbus A319’s and A320s– so how can you spot the difference between an Airbus A319, A320 and an A321? Read this TravelSkills planespotting post to find out! (Hint: Look at the doors.)

First class on a Delta A321 (Photo: Delta)

Delta’s A321 will seat 20 in first, 29 in Comfort+ and 143 economy. Delta says seats on the A321 are “among the widest in the industry.” All seats get live seatback satellite TV, wi-fi and 110v power outlets.

The plane also features larger, high-capacity overhead bins, LED ambient lighting, Delta’s new textured seat design.

Seatback entertainment and power plugs at every seat on Delta’s new A321 (Photo: Delta)

Comfort+ on Delta’s new A321 (Photo: Delta)

Delta’s A321 arrives (Photo: Delta)

UPDATE April 29: Today Delta announced that it has ordered 37 more Airbus A321s, and now has 82 of the new birds on the books.

Readers: What do you think of Delta’s newest jets? Are they better than its tatty 757s– most of which are more than 20 years old? Please leave your comments below.

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Trip Report: United p.s. business class SFO>EWR

December 3, 2015

Only a select few see behind the frosted glass of United’s Global Services lounge (Chris McGinnis)

In October, United moved its transcontinental p.s. flight operations from JFK to its hub at Newark Liberty International.

Shortly after the switchover, United invited TravelSkills on a quick turnaround trip (Thurs-Sat) to check out the new route, and experience what it’s like to fly p.s. BusinessFirst into Newark instead of our well-worn path to JFK.

Checking fares on United.com today (Dec 3, 2015) for trips this coming January– we found them as low as $1,050 round trip in BusinessFirst, and as low as $247 round trip in economy class. January is typically one of the slowest months of the year for travel so these low fares will not last.

C’mon and take a ride with us…

United's exclusive Global Service entrance in Terminal 3 (Chris McGinnis)

United’s exclusive Global Services entrance in Terminal 3 (Chris McGinnis)

Even though I’m Premier Gold with United, on this trip the airline set me up to travel as if I were Global Services, which meant access to the secret lounge behind the frosted glass next to SFO T3 Premier security lines, and a lot of personalized attention.

Inside the Global Services check in area (Chris McGinnis)

Global Services passengers enter TSA Security through a special door (center, above) that provides access to the front of the line– whether or not they have TSA PreCheck.

Big new views from TSA security checkpoint now that construction walls are down.

Big new views from SFO’s Terminal 3 TSA security checkpoint now that construction walls are down.

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

I arrived at the airport later than expected, so was unable to check in the new United Club at SFO… luckily I had seen it two days before for the grand opening. You can see it, too, in this TravelSkills “first look” post.

My ticket to ride up front in United’s p.s. BusinessFirst cabin (Chris McGinnis)

This p.s. flight departed from gate 81 in the old part of Terminal 3 (Chris McGinnis)

I was surprised that this p.s. flight departed out of the older Gate 81 at SFO- I thought United would consolidate its p.s. flights out of the much nicer new T3E boarding area. Nonetheless, there was a United agent at the gate waiting for me (due to my temporary GS status)- she thanked me for my business and made sure I got on board with no hassles. Since I was late for this flight, I was the last to board– which is why the gate area looks so deserted 🙂

United uses only Boeing 757-200s on its p.s. flights from SFO and LAX to Newark. But there are two versions. The original United version has 28 BusinessFirst seats, the other (old international Continental 757) has just 16. See Seatguru for 24 seat p.s. version and 16 seat international version. The 28 seat version is equipped with Gogo inflight internet. The international version has United’s own Panasonic wi-fi, which is confusing.

Always a welcome sign when boarding (Chris McGinnis)

On this United flight, I forgot to follow my own advice about buying a $16 Gogo day pass to redeem once I got on board. That mistake ended up costing me $40 to get wi-fi on this five hour flight. If you don’t know about the $16 pre-pay option, read this TravelSkills post, How to Save $$ on inflight wi-fi!

United B757-200 with 24 BusinessFirst seats- mine was 1E

United p.s. BusinessFirst seats 1E & 1F (Chris McGinnis)

Business first seats are big, wide. comfortable and clean with oversize video screens, and lie-flat functionality. I really like this seat, and to me its only fault is the awkward over-the-shoulder position of the power outlets. For those who want to sleep, flight attendants provide duvets, big fluffy pillows and eye masks.

United breakfast menu for p.s. BusinessFirst cabin (Chris McGinnis)

On the SFO>EWR flight, passengers chose from a printed menu. On the return EWR>SFO, no menus were provided.

Hot towel service before meals (Chris McGinnis)

Coffee, juice and mimosas on this early morning flight (Chris McGinnis)

Map showing trip progress from SFO to EWR (Chris McGinnis)

One of the best things about United’s BusinessFirst is the huge inflight entertainment screen and a broad range of good movies and TV shows to watch. Its colorful moving map is my primary entertainment option. I can watch it for hours 🙂

The shiniest lav bowl ever on this United 757 (Chris McGinnis)

In my experience, a quick trip to the lavatory always provides a glimpse into how an airline is run. In this case, I was greeted with the shiniest lav bowl I’ve ever seen. I asked a United PR contact if shiny lav bowls are a new “little thing” designed to surprise and delight customers. He was not sure. But I have to say I was pretty impressed! Have you ever seen one this shiny? I could not help but snap a photo!

New Cowshed inflight potions and lotions (Chris McGinnis)

New Cowshed inflight potions and lotions in business first lavatories (Chris McGinnis)

The forward BusinessFirst cabin on United p.s. 757 (Chris McGinnis)

Economy class on United p.s. 757 (Chris McGinnis)

SkyMall is back- now part of United Hemispheres magazine (Chris McGinnis)

Flipping through Hemispheres, I found that SkyMall is back! And now an insert at the back of the magazine.

SkyMall is a special section in the back of Hemisheres mag (Chris McGinnis)

Breakfast starters on United p.s. BusinessFirst (Chris McGinnis)

Meal service started somewhere over Utah with fruit and yogurt. Not pictured are hot biscuits and jam or cinnamon rolls offered from a basket.

Rustic quiche and potatoes on United p.s. (Chris McGinnis)

Rustic quiche, sausage and potatoes on United p.s. (Chris McGinnis)

I chose the rustic quiche for my main. As with most United business class meals I’ve had recently, it was very good, well-portioned and satisfying.

Waffles with blueberries and whipped cream and ham on United p.s. SFO-EWR (Chris McGinnis)

My seatmate ordered the waffles and allowed me to take a photo of his plate. (I’m sure the guy thought I was a freak since I was taking photos of everything…everything… on this flight.)

Screenshot of Gogo sign on page (Chris McGinnis)

As stated above, I forgot to pre-purchase a Gogo all day pass before we took off. What’s irritating here is that I was only provided with two pricing options. We were already two hours into the flight when I fired up the laptop, so I felt ripped off paying $40. I felt equally ripped when asked to pay $11 for a half hour. What happened to the option to buy just one hour? Who knows. In any case, the connection was nice and fast, so I can’t complain too much.

Hot cookies on United p.s. SFO EWR (Chris McGinnis)

A nice final touch to a very easy flight: Hot chocolate chip cookies that filled the plane with an amazing aroma. But that’s too much sugar for me, so I had to pass. A savory end-of-flight snack option would be a nice addition.

United Global Services agents greet GS member as the get off the plane (Chris McGinnis)

United Global Services agents greet GS member as they get off the plane (Chris McGinnis)

Remember how I said I was set up as a Global Services member for this flight? When I got off the plane at Terminal C in Newark, this agent was there to greet me and ask if I needed any assistance with bags or transportation or directions. I asked her how to get to the AirTrain and connect to the train to Manhattan/Penn Station. She provided concise and easy directions, and I was on my way with carryon wheeled bag and briefcase in tow.

New dining and retail outlets under construction in EWR Terminal C (Chris McGinnis)

United’s Terminal C at Newark is still a big construction zone, with the center of many corridors walled off to accommodate work on new dining and retail options which will soon open in areas once inhabited by moving sidewalks. (Stay tuned to TravelSkills for Part 2 of this Trip Report– we’ll take an in depth look at United’s facilities at EWR Terminal C)

Newark’s intra-terminal rail system is called AirTrain (Chris McGinnis)

The first step toward Manhattan is getting on the intra-terminal AirTrain for a slow ride over to the NJ Transit station to catch a train to Penn Station on 34th Street in Manhattan near Madison Square Garden. Train fare from Newark Airport to Penn Station is $12 each way, and you buy tickets from kiosks in the station.

Inside a car on Newark’s AirTrain system (Chris McGinnis)

Thankfully, United’s Terminal C is the last airport stop as the AirTran makes its way to the car rental center and finally, the Newark International Airport station where you change trains for the trip to Manhattan. (It’s quite a long ride to the station if you arrive at United’s Terminal A.)

New Jersey Transit trains take passengers from Newark Airport to Penn Station in Manhattan (Chris McGinnis)

While the journey from EWR Terminal C to Penn Station required a lot of walking, stairs, turnstiles and elevators, it was relatively painless and seemed much faster than the traffic clogged arrivals I’ve experienced when taking Uber from JFK. (I’ve yet to try the train option from JFK.)

My flight from SFO arrived EWR at 4 p.m. on a rainy Thursday and I was in Manhattan’s Penn Station by 5 pm. That’s fast, considering it was rush hour…and raining. That rain messed with arrival at my final destination: the Parker Meridien hotel on 56th Street in midtown.

When came up out of the station at 34th Street, getting a cab in the rain was impossible, so it was back down to the subway, then a wait in line to buy a fare card, then another wait in line for a train during rush hour, a packed ride to 59th St, and then a wet walk to the hotel. So total time from plane door to hotel room door ended up at about two hours.

My return trip to EWR was much better. I got up on a sunny Saturday morning, grabbed an Uber to the airport, and made amazing time: From hotel curb on 56th Street to EWR United Club front door in just 35 minutes!

Stay tuned for Part 2 of this Trip Report for a look at my ride from Manhattan to Newark, my United Club experience and the flight on United’s other version of p.s. on the EWR-SFO leg.

–Chris McGinnis

Disclosure: United covered the cost of Chris’s BusinessFirst flight to EWR; TravelSkills covered transfers, inflight wi-fi, hotels and meals on the two-day trip.

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Planespotting 101: Boeing 757, 767

February 18, 2015

A Delta 757-200 landing at Princess Juliana airport on St Maarten (Aero Icarus / Flickr)

A Delta 757-200 landing at Princess Juliana airport on St Maarten- note the beak & landing gear (Aero Icarus / Flickr)

Pilots, planespotters and aviation buffs can quickly recognize nearly every aircraft type from the ground or in the air.

But it’s not so easy for the rest of us.

To help TravelSkills readers confidently recognize what they see overhead or out on the runway, we are going to offer up a series of posts dedicated to Planespotting 101. (Here are the two previous post about the Boeing 717 and MD80/90 series and Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320)

Nearly everyone has an opinion about the Boeing 757. Most economy class passengers loath the narrow body because of the tight 3×3 seating and length of the fuselage. (Have you ever had to squeeze into row 48? Ick.)

However, airlines love the 757 for its ability to haul large numbers of passengers (around 200) across long distances using as little fuel as possible. Some airlines even use 757s on transatlantic runs these days. First class passengers like the 757 because of the relative isolation and peace of the first class cabin, which is separated from economy by a galley or lavatory.

The 767 is more beloved because it is a wide body (two aisles) which gives it a much more open feel on the inside. Depending on version, it carries around 250 passengers. United flew the first 767 in 1982, and in 1985, it was the first two-engine aircraft allowed to fly transoceanic routes.

Are lower fuel costs resulting in lower airfares?

A Delta SkyTeam 767 taking off from SFO (Courtesy Robbie Plafker)

A Delta SkyTeam 767 landing at JFK-note the landing gear and chubbiness (Courtesy Robbie Plafker)

On the outside, the 757 and 767 look similar and can be easy to confuse, unless of course you see them side-by-side as you can here.

Why so easily confused? Well, both have two underwing engines and similar conical tail cones. Some airlines have installed tall winglets on both 757s and 767s, so that’s no longer a distiguishing feature.

As to the the differences, the narrow body 757 appears thinner and longer than the wide body 767, which of course is fatter.

The 757 has a “dolphin” shaped nose (see the beak?) compared to the 767’s more conical nose.

How to find roomy domestic widebody flights

See the dolphin shaped nose and the location of landing gear on this Thompson 757? (Photo: Andrew Thomas / Flickr)

Note the position of the front landing gear and conical shape of the nose on this 767? (Photo: Simon_Sees / Flickr)

The front landing gear on a 767 is far forward– almost underneath the cockpit, while on the 757 it is much further back– underneath the first passenger doorway. The 757 also has longer stork-like “legs” and appears to ride higher off the ground.

Boeing stopped making the 757 in 2005, but there are still 1,030 still in service. The aircraft most likely to replace the Boeing 757 seems to be the new Airbus A321. The Airbus equivalent of the Boeing 767 is the A330, plus there is Boeing’s own 787 Dreamliner, both of which we will examine in future Planespotting 101 posts.

Now that you’ve boned up on your Boeing 757 and 767- can you identify the plane below?

What is it? A Boeing 757 or 767? (Photo courtesy Robbie Plafker)

–Chris McGinnis

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

Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

Planespotting 101: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

+++

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New Delta Shuttle SFO LAX + Aer Lingus returns + Problems in China + Expensive cities

August 1, 2013

A Delta Embraer 175. Photo: Christopher Ebdon

DELTA’S NEW SFO-LAX SHUTTLE. Today Delta announced that it will begin hourly, nonstop Delta Shuttle service between Los Angeles International and San Francisco International airports on Sept. 3, 2013. The Delta Shuttle operation will include 14 daily flights in each direction and a product tailored to business travelers operating similarly to its New York Shuttle. Flights will depart at the top of the hour beginning at 7 a.m. Monday through Friday and will be operated by Delta Connection partner, Compass Airlines using 76-passenger E-175 aircraft with 12 First Class, 12 Economy Comfort and 52 Economy seats. A Delta spokesman told TravelSkills that unlike the carrier’s NY Shuttle, the California operation will not have aircraft on standby, nor can passengers walk up and purchase tickets from a kiosk at the airport. The California corridor is getting HOT and super competitive. Delta’s product, using a two-class Embraer (with Wifi) is a comfy ride compared to some other airlines in this market. Delta’s boarding area at Terminal 1 now has PreCheck, too, which helps ease the journey. Hmm. Would you give up on your currentl mileage program and switch over to Delta to use this new shuttle product? Please leave your comments below.

An Aer Lingus A330 at Washington Dulles (Photo: Stephen White)

BIG GREEN PLANE BACK AT SFO. Aer Lingus announced that it will bring back its nonstop between Dublin and San Francisco starting April 2, 2014. The Irish carrier will use an Airbus A330 on the route, which will run 5x per week. Air Lingus business class seats are of the less desirable “angled lie-flat” variety which are not as easy to sleep in as United’s true lie flat product. MileagePlus members should be happy to know that Aer Lingus and United have a code sharing alliance. Air Lingus nixed the SFO-DUB route in 2009 as the global economy sputtered.

(This is part two of a big “Catching up on Bay Area Travel News” post I’ve been working on this week. Here’s Part 1 of that roundup!

A United 737-900 in Orlando (DolceLuxury)

UNITED RETIRING 757’s. United is taking an aggressive approach to retiring its fleet of aging 757-200s according to a post this week on FlightGlobal.com. United currently has 129 757-200s in its fleet and has plans to retire 73 of them over the next two years, replacing them with new, more efficient Boeing 737-900’s. However, United spokesperson Karen May told TravelSkills that it intends to continue using its p.s. configured 757’s on the SFO-JFK run for the time being. Which aircraft do you prefer, the B757 or the B737? For me, the 757 is a torture chamber if stuck in standard coach. It’s a bit better in Economy Plus. First is okay, but still pretty tight for first class. On the other hand, on a recent short flight to Denver, I was lucky enough to ride on a brand new United B737-900 with 20 first class seats… and it was nice! What about you?

ROCKETMILES OVERSEAS. Remember when we wrote about Rocketmiles, the new site that offers mega-mileage bonuses for upscale hotel bookings in major cities in the US? This month, it expanded to 100 cities overseas such as London, Paris and Tokyo. Good news for SF-based flyers, Rocketmiles offers miles in United’s MileagePlus program and points in Virgin’s Elevate (and seven other airline programs). Customers earn an average of 7,000 miles per booking while paying roughly the same rates those found on other hotel booking sites. Have you checked it out yet? (Note: Join the 214 TravelSkills reader who have signed up for Rocketmiles via TravelSkills—we earn bonus miles when you book for the first time.)

RIDE/CAR SHARING BREAKTHROUGH? Just in time for another BART strike, the California Public Utilities Commission has proposed a way to calm the waters in the crazy ride/car sharing market that is disrupting public transport in the Bay Area and across the country. The commission has created a new category called “Transportation Network Company” (TNC) for companies like Lyft, SideCar, InstantCab, and UberX that connect passengers with drivers using their personal vehicles via smartphone applications. This new type of transport company must apply for permits from the state, obtain insurance, provide driver training, and impose strict no drug or alcohol requirements on drivers. SFO authorities, who have been arresting drivers issued a press release stating: “Such companies are currently prohibited from operating at SFO, but the CPUC’s proposed decision is a necessary first step in paving the way for safe, legal operations at the Airport. This proposal will ensure that ride-sharing is safe for the public, by requiring companies to screen drivers, inspect vehicles, and carry adequate insurance.” The CPUC issued the proposed decision on July 30, 2013. It’s not yet clear how the new rules might affects new companies at SFO such as RelayRides or FlightCar that are disrupting the airport rental car business. Stay tuned

FREE WIFI SAN JOSE-LAX. Virgin America is offering a free 30-minute snippet of Gogo wi-fi on its flights on the hypercompetitive SJC-LAX market. Details here. Southwest, the only other carrier with wifi in that market, charges $8 for access.

Big, beautiful Beijing Capital Airport is getting hammered by delays. (Tomasz Wagner Mananetwork)

TORTUOUS DELAYS IN CHINA. And we thought delays at SFO were a headache…consider what it’s like to travel frequently from Beijing or Shanghai, where delays are so bad that riots are taking place at airports. In June only 18% of flights at Beijing Capital Airport departed on time, making it the worst airport in the world for punctuality according to FlightStats.com. Shanghai was only slightly better at 24% on time. The problem has become so bad that the Chinese have coined a new phrase for the angry mobs that form at airport gates: “kong nu zu”, or “air rage tribe.” (You MUST see this video of gate area anger antics. Wow!) The most significant delays seem to hit mostly domestic flights, so it’s probably smart to avoid using these airports as connecting hubs until the issues are straightened out. Instead, consider Seoul, Tokyo or Hong Kong.

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PRECHECK FOR EVERYONE. Starting this fall the TSA will open up PreCheck to anyone willing to pay the $85 fee (good for five years) and submit to a background check, which includes an onsite interview and fingerprinting. Previously, you had to be nominated by an airline, or participate in the Global Entry program to use PreCheck lanes, which do not require travelers to take off shoes or coats, remove laptops from carry on bags, or submit to full body scanners. Currently, more than 12 million travelers are part of PreCheck, which is available at 40 airports nationwide. The TSA expects the expanded access to add another 383,000 travelers to the PreCheck rolls within a year. We are big fans of PreCheck… what about you? Do you use it? What’s been your experience? Have you ever been declined use of PreCheck lanes? Please leave your comments below.

Emirates Team New Zealand Waka lounge at Pier 32 in San Francisco (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

EMIRATES’ AMERICAS CUP LOUNGE. Have you been by Pier 32 on the San Francisco Embarcadero and seen that large boat-like structure out on the docks? That’s the hospitality lounge that Emirates Airline has set up for Team New Zealand. Last week Emirates invited TravelSkills to the lounge and out on the water to catch some Louis Vuitton Cup action. But I knew some TravelSkills reader would love to see what’s inside that big boat, known as a “Waka” in Maori. Check out my Google+ slideshow and let us know what you think!

MOST EXPENSIVE CITIES. What’s the most expensive city in the world for business travel? I would have thought it would be one of the perennial picks, such as London or Moscow…but Australia has taken over! Brisbane is now the most expensive city in the world for business travelers followed by Tokyo, then Sydney and Perth. Melbourne comes in at #7. In the US, only New York City ranks in the top 10. Here’s the list. What’s them most expensive city you’ve ever traveled to?

GOTTA SEE THIS. Take a Google Maps Tour INSIDE an Emirates Airbus A380 parked at Dubai International airport… and let us know what you think!

United’s new Scimitar split winglet (United)

UNITED SCIMITARS. Look out your window next time you are flying United to see if the plane wing sports the sleek new “split scimitar” winglet, which is designed to help to reduce drag and improve the planes fuel efficiency. United says the new winglet will cut energy use by 2%, saving to $200 million per year. Currently only one United 737-800 has the new winglet, but starting next year, it will go on its fleet of Boeing 737, 757 and 767 aircraft.

PREMIUM ECONOMY PERK ON CATHAY. If you are flying in Premium Economy on Cathay Pacific to Hong Kong this fall, be sure to snag a certificate good for $100 off in-flight duty-free shopping here. Flights must be booked by August 22 for flights Sept 1- Oct 31.

—Chris McGinnis

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United’s transition to “new” p.s. flights

April 4, 2013

United’s new p.s business class seats on the SFO-JFK run. (Photo: United Airlines)

Do you jump on United Airlines p.s. service flights to New York much? If so, take a look at this document produced by United that clearly spells out how it plans to make the transition from the current “old” p.s. service to the “new” p.s. service that debuted last month (covered by TravelSkills– right here.)

Some highlights and new information from the document:

>Prepare for “a mix of aircraft configurations” on the SFO-JFK route as aircraft are taken out of service for their revamps– these can include: two-class internationally configured 757, three-class “old p.s.” 757, or “new p.s.” two-class 757. For a while it is going to be tough to determine exactly which aircraft you’ll get (even on United’s website) until a few days before each flight.

>The transition will last through the end of this year, at which time all 13 Boeing 757 aircraft with new p.s. will be in service.

>New configuration will have a newer, faster version of Gogo inflight internet, and 110v power outlets in all seats (no adapter required).

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>In addition to new seats, these old 757’s are getting new lavatories, flooring, sidewalls, galleys, closets.

>Starting June 6, all flights will operate as 2-class cabins (business and economy), even if you fly on an “old p.s.” plane. Former United First seats in rows 1-3 of non-reconfigured aircraft will be sold as United Business.

>Who gets those first class seats at a business class price? The doc below says, “Seats will be available for advance assignment for the following Mileage Plus Premier members, confirmed in United Business: Global services, Premier 1K, Premier Platinum, Premier Gold at any time after booking.” Premier Silver members can ask for one at time of check in.

Here’s a PDF of the United document:

UnitedAirlinesNewPSclass

Have you flown on a newly configured p.s. 757 yet? How was it? If not, what do you think about the new configuration? How will it compare to Virgin, Delta, JetBlue and American? Which one do you prefer on the SFO-JFK run? Please leave your comments below.

—Chris McGinnis

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Catching up on Bay Area Travel News (March 3, 2013)

March 3, 2013

Big seat with a big smile from London to SFO in United Business Class last summer (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

LIE-FLAT SEATS ON UAL. United said this week that 87% of its international fleet now has true lie-flat business class seating, and it should reach 100% lie-flat seats by the end of March—beating out competitors in the race to all-flat biz class. Hooray for that! I think United’s new business class seats are some of the best out there—comfortable, roomy, excellent entertainment, plenty of room (and power) to get work done. What do you think?

IMPROVING ON-TIME PERFORMANCE. After a year of performance issues, United says that it’s improving, especially here by the Bay. As a matter of fact, employees received $100 bonuses when more than 80% of United flights (domestic and international) clocked in on time during February. Among United hubs, Cleveland performed best during February at 87%. SFO came in second at 83%. (So do you credit United… or Mother Nature? In February, we enjoyed record dry, non-foggy conditions in Northern California.)

New configuration for United P.S. 757’s between SFO and JFK.

NEW PS FLIGHTS COMING TO SFO-JFK. After many fits and starts, it now seems that United’s newly configured PS flights may take off from SFO starting in June (at least according to the UAL website—PR is not committing to a date yet). The newly configured 757s will have 28 lie flat business class seats, 48 Economy Plus seats and 66 standard coach seats. The currently shabby-yet-comfortable P.S. 757 fleet offers only Economy Plus seats, which will be a big loss for non-Elite level flyers who’ve enjoyed the extra space at no extra cost.

DOUBLE POINTS ON SOUTHWEST. Sign up for Southwest’s double-tier-qualifying points promo and you’ll get 12 points (vs just six) on its cheapest fares, 20 points on its standard “anytime” fares and 24 points on business select fares. The promo is good for flights all the way through May 15! This is a no brainer, so get registered now.

SAS Airbus A340 (Drewski2112)

SAS COMING TO SFO. Scandinavian Star Alliance partner SAS kicks off new nonstops between SFO and its main hub at Copenhagen on April 8. The 11-hour-20-minute flight using an Airbus A340 will depart SFO six days a week (not on Tuesdays). It offers angled lie-flat biz class, premium economy and standard economy seats (see map). Current coach fares are as low as $813 round trip in April. To celebrate the arrival of a new carrier, San Francisco International is sponsoring a free ticket sweepstakes on Facebook. Have you flown SAS lately? How was it? Please leave your comments below.

Amex “black” card.

NEW AMEX “CENTURION” LOUNGE AT LAS. American Express told TravelSkills that it is “experimenting” with a new airport lounge concept for its super-spendy “black card” or Centurion cardmembers at Las Vegas McCarran Airport. The new Centurion Lounge is located in next to gate D4 in Concourse D (the one that floats between Terminals 1 and 3) used primarily by United, Delta and American. AMEX says that lounge guests enjoy dishes prepared by a celeb chef (like: polenta waffles with pumpkin compote, or roast chicken with baby potatoes, shallots, and rosemary) and specialty cocktails prepared by a “mixologist.” Guests also enjoy free wi-fi and shower suites. While Centurion cardholders get in for free, any AMEX cardholder can pay a $50 fee to enter. Pay-to-play lounges are becoming de rigueur at McCarran—for example, if you are flying Virgin America (in the new Terminal 3) you can use Club at LAS for a daily fee of just $35. There’s also a Club at LAS in Terminal D. Which one will you pick?

AIRPORT LOUNGES AT SFO. Speaking of posh lounges, have you been inside the new Emirates or Cathay Pacific lounges at SFO? Your BAT editor Chris McGinnis recently convinced CNN to come out to SFO for an interview and a look inside. Take a watch! TravelSkills on CNN! How about that? See below!

PLEASE, RECRUIT YOUR FRIENDS. If you like TravelSkills, would you please tell your friends and colleagues about it? The ONLY way we grow is via word of mouth from happy readers. Like every online publication, we need more eyeballs and appreciate your support. Here’s something you can copy and paste into an email TODAY!

Have you ever heard about TravelSkills—TravelSkills– for frequent travelers? It’s a free local travel blog that I subscribe to. It’s full of helpful news and advice for frequent travelers who live in the Bay Area…just like us. For example, I first learned that PreCheck was coming to SFO, or that Virgin America was matching United Premier status from TravelSkills. I think it’s definitely something you could use. See “Subscribe” in the upper right margin of the blog, or just sign up right here. Thanks! ADD: *Your signature*

TSA PRECHECK EXPANDS: If you love PreCheck at Terminals 2 and 3 at SFO, you’ll be pleased to know that you can leave your shoes on when passing through security in five more airports: Austin, Memphis, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham. PreCheck is now available at 40 US airports—however, it’s not in every terminal, and it’s still a random selection—you cannot count on getting it. What’s been your batting average with PreCheck? Please leave your comments below.

–Chris McGinnis

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