AirTran Archives - TravelSkills

Southwest’s growing international game

April 14, 2016

Southwest is a major player on international routes. (Image: Southwest)

Southwest has become a major player on international routes. (Image: Southwest)

This week Southwest Airlines kicked off new daily service from Los Angeles International to Liberia, Costa Rica – not major news in itself, but the latest reminder that what was once a strictly domestic airline has gradually developed an international network of significant proportions.

From zero international destinations in June 2014, Southwest now flies to 11 of them, all in Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, with flights from a dozen domestic gateways. The airline started out by absorbing international routes from its acquisition of AirTran Airways and then added its own.

Destinations include Cancun, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos in Mexico; Belize City, Belize; Liberia and San Jose in Costa Rica; Nassau, Bahamas; Montego Bay, Jamaica; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; and Aruba. (It also serves San Juan, but that’s not an international destination.) By June of 2015, Southwest was operating a Saturday schedule of more than 100 flights to those points.

Last fall, Southwest added an international concourse at Houston Hobby. (Image: Houston Airports System)

The biggest bump in Southwest’s international service came last fall, when the airline added flights from Houston Hobby to all four of the airports it serves in Mexico and to both Costa Rican cities, as well as Montego Bay, Jamaica and seasonal flights to Aruba and San Juan. That big increase was made possible by Hobby’s opening of a new international concourse for Southwest. The airline now has a dedicated international section on its website.

If Southwest has its way, it will soon add another big destination to its growing international route map. The company has applied to three points in Cuba from Ft. Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando. But it has lots of competition from other big U.S. airlines eager to crack the Cuba market.

In other news – in case you haven’t already noticed – Southwest last month quietly raised the fee for its Early Bird Check-In option from $12.50 to $15.

Have you flown Southwest lately? How’d that go for you? Would you fly Southwest south of the border? 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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My two favorite airlines. Yours?

January 28, 2015

(Photo: Berit Watkin)

Last week a travel blogger for Forbes asked me to comment on what I feel are the two best U.S. airlines for business travelers.

You’ll find a snippet of what I told him here. But I thought my full answer would make for a good TravelSkills post.

So here’s what I wrote about my two current faves (which I’m sure will change over time):

I’m originally from Atlanta and have flown Delta extensively for the last 25 years (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Over the last 5-10 years, Delta has worked really hard to be the best US airline for business travelers and I think that it has succeeded. It finally has a world class terminal in New York City at JFK…. that old Worldport was something that was really holding Delta back from being world class.

It has upgraded and standardized Sky Clubs. Nearly all Delta jets have wi-fi– something near and dear to most business travelers and being able to count on having it on your flight (instead of wishing or wondering) is key. (Related: Delta’s progress on international fleet wi-fi)

Plus, it’s pretty easy to get into Economy Comfort with miles or dollars, which makes the economy flying experience better.

And even though everyone is groaning about new spend requirements for elite status, I think it’s going to make the experience better for frequent business travelers in the long run.

6 tips for better plane pics

I’m one of the lucky travelers living in a Virgin America hub. Love those US flag winglets! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Those business travelers lucky enough to be based in a city with service from Virgin America should take advantage of the carrier’s stellar inflight product and outstanding service. It has nice new planes, decent legroom, good inflight entertainment, 100% wi-fi, all of which is now Gogo’s faster ATG-4 variety.

Something about flying Virgin America makes you feel good– not worn out or abused like you might feel on other carriers. Its terminal facilities at SFO, JFK and Dallas Love are state of the art– really nice, bright, modern, etc.

The problem is that most business travelers are hesitant to fly Virgin because they don’t want to give up on earning their legacy airline frequent flyer program miles, and they don’t see Virgin’s Elevate program as overly generous.

Another drawback is lack of frequency between some key city pairs (hello SFO-ORD currently 1x per day!) but that could be fixed with a slew of new planes coming over the next few years bought with IPO money.

How Emirates welcomes a new plane [Photos]

An outstanding, fresh & healthy meal in JetBlue’s Mint class (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I spread my airline business around quite a lot, so even though I have favorites, I don’t get to fly them all the time.

For example, I was super impressed on a recent JetBlue Mint flight to New York (Trip Report coming soon), and would love to fly JetBlue more if it had more Bay Area flights. (It would likely be one of my favorites if I lived in NYC.)

United is the largest airline at my hometown airport (SFO) and I fly it a lot but my experiences, and those of many of my readers, have been uneven. Over the last year, I must say that my positive experiences have tipped in United’s favor, and I’m a fan of its lie-flat international business class product- especially upstairs on a 747. I’m also a fan of its new terminal at SFO.

I’m excited to see what American/US Airways are doing, but I barely fly them at all. I used to fly AirTran quite a lot when it was cheap and easy to upgrade to their business class seats. But now that upgrades are no longer possible on Southwest, I’ve shied away from the carrier, especially on long haul flights.

Everyone has an opinion about which U.S. airline is best. What’s yours? Why? Please leave your comments below.

–Chris McGinnis

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AirTran is over + SkyTeam priority perks + Hotel wi-fi standards + AMEX lounge for SYD

December 28, 2014

It's all Southwest, all the time at ATL these days. AirTran is no longer visible (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

It’s all Southwest, all the time at ATL’s North Terminal these days. AirTran is no longer visible (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

AIRLINES

AirTran’s legacy for Southwest. With Southwest subsidiary AirTran Airways due to fly off into the pages of aviation history this week as its last remnants are fully absorbed into its parent airline, Forbes takes a look at just what AirTran has brought to the larger carrier. Besides making Southwest the largest U.S. airline (in passengers flown), AirTran has given it international routes, a bastion in Delta’s fortress hub at ATL, and set the stage for new domestic growth. The magazine also notes that Southwest’s integration of AirTran was one of the smoothest mergers of the past several years. Here’s a good WABE/NPR report on AirTran’s final flight. What do you remember most about AirTran? What will you miss most? Please leave your comments below.

More summer Europe routes: UA, DL. United and Delta have both announced additional seasonal summer service to Europe. United plans to fly from Chicago O’Hare to Rome from June 3 to September 23, using a three-class 777. Delta will begin 767-300 flights from Atlanta to Dublin five days a week on March 29, increasing to daily June 1; 757-200 service from New York JFK to Stockholm four times a week as of June 5, increasing to five a week June 15; and 757-200 flights from JFK to Malaga, Spain beginning with five weekly frequencies June 4 and increasing to daily on June 29. Good news: More summer flights to Europe usually means better award seat availability.

Guest using Wi-fi at Hyatt Regency Chicago (Photo: Hyatt)

HOTELS

Hyatt’s free Wi-Fi: Everyone, everywhere. Just days after Starwood Hotels matched Marriott by saying it would offer free standard Wi-Fi systemwide to members of its Preferred Guest program who book directly through a Starwood channel, Hyatt has upped the ante on those two lodging giants. Starting in February, Hyatt said, it will offer free Internet in all guest rooms and public spaces of all its brands worldwide — and you don’t have to book through a Hyatt channel or even be a member of Gold Plus Rewards to get it. “Internet connectivity is no longer an amenity. It has become an integral part of travelers’ daily lives and a basic expectation,” said Kristine Rose, Hyatt’s VP for brands. “Travelers shouldn’t have to remember which brands or locations offer it for free or the strings attached to get it.” Currently, free Wi-Fi at Hyatt is limited to certain brands and to elite Gold Passport members. The company noted that where it is available, Gold Passport Diamonds and Platinums will get a free upgrade to premium Wi-Fi service.

Lounge at Marriott’s AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon (Photo:: Marriott)

Free hotel Wi-Fi: Great perk or gimmick? Now that Marriott, Starwood and Hyatt have all announced plans to offer free Wi-Fi systemwide in the weeks ahead — launching a bandwagon that other chains are likely to jump on — travelers will have to judge whether the free version is fast and reliable enough. In each case, the three hotel companies will also provide “premium” Internet access for free to the top elite members of their loyalty programs. As Starwood defines it, “Standard Internet access is sufficient for web browsing and emailing. Premium Internet access allows for streaming content and downloading large files.” But those are fairly vague definitions. With increasing numbers of travelers carrying more and more devices, all siphoning data through that same “standard” Wi-Fi pipe, will current hotel systems be sufficient for the demand? Gary Shapiro, president of the Consumer Electronics Association, suggested in a USA Today column last week that it’s time for the lodging industry to develop common standards for the levels of Wi-Fi connectivity hotels offer their guests, with clear guidelines as to who gets what, and for what cost (if any). In our own reader poll, conducted after Marriott started the free standard Wi-Fi ball rolling in October, only 28 percent were happy with a basic Wi-Fi connection, while 54 percent said they would use it, but it was “frustrating,” and 18 percent preferred to pay for a faster link. What’s your opinion on this issue? Share your comments below.

Openings, rebrandings: Marriott, Starwood, Four Seasons, etc. The first U.S. property in the AC Hotels by Marriott brand — which has 75 locations in Europe — opened this month in New Orleans. The AC Hotel New Orleans Bourbon is in the old cotton exchange building on Carondelet Street at the edge of the French Quarter … Also newly opened in The Big Easy is Starwood’s 410-room Le Meridien New Orleans, a remaking of the former W Hotel … There’s a second new Le Meridien in the South: Le Meridien Charlotte, close to that city’s Uptown Business District, is a transformation of the hotel previously known as the Sheraton Charlotte and the Charlotte City Center Hotel … Philadelphia will lose its Four Seasons Hotel in June, when the property is due to close for renovations before reopening under an as-yet-unnamed brand … Newly opened in the heart of downtown Miami is the YVE Hotel Miami, an upscale concept property that will, for instance, offer its guests bikes, scooters and Car2Go vehicles to get around town … Outside the U.S., the former Four Seasons Hotel in Dublin, Ireland, will become the InterContinental Dublin on January 1 … In Colombia, Starwood has cut the ribbon on the 168-room W Bogota in the center of town, its third W property in Latin America.

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AIRPORTS

SkyTeam aligns priority perks. Delta’s SkyTeam global alliance — which includes Air France, KLM and 17 other carriers — said last week it has become the first alliance “to deliver aligned priority services worldwide” for Elite Plus, first and business class customers at some 1,000 airports. And at the world’s top 60 airports, SkyTeam said, it is currently rolling out SkyPriority Fast Track lanes at security checkpoints (already at 39 locations) and immigration (now available at 21 airports) for its premium flyers. The global program offers premium customers priority check-in areas and baggage drop-off, priority service at ticketing and transfer desks, and priority boarding and baggage handling. Readers: What’s your experience with finding common procedures and policies in place when you connect across global alliance partners? Any problems?

Sydney gets two new lounges. The International Terminal at Sydney, Australia’s airport has added two new lounges for weary travelers. American Express has cut the ribbon on a new Lounge that seats 60 and offers Wi-Fi, power outlets, food and beverages and more. It’s open to AmEx Platinum and Centurion cardholders for free, and to other AmEx cardholders for $55. Meanwhile, Delta’s SkyTeam alliance also has a new lounge at SYD, with seating for 150 travelers as well as showers, massage chairs, food and beverage service and Wi-Fi. It’s available for business class passengers on SkyTeam carriers, and for elite members of their loyalty programs.

In Case You Missed It…

American ups the mileage ante for premium flyers.

Evaluating new hotel discount websites.

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Ebola-mania + First class transcon fares soar? + Southwest: we’re sorry + Sidecar worth a look

October 18, 2014

Some good common sense advice about Ebola from the World Health Organization

This is Part 1 of our weekend TravelSkills News Roundup… did you read Part 2?

All ebola, all the time. The relentless saturation news coverage of ebola may not bother veteran road warriors, but it is having an impact on the general public. In a new Reuters-Ipsos survey, almost half of the 1,577 respondents said they plan to avoid international air travel. Meanwhile, Frontier Airlines keeps re-cleaning that plane — now out of service — that an ebola victim flew on a week ago, and tracking down some 800 passengers who were on that flight or subsequent ones on that aircraft. The Centers for Disease Control issued guidelines to airlines about dealing with sick passengers and cleaning planes. And other parties are taking their own steps, from the Air Canada flight attendants who said they will start wearing plastic gloves in-flight to individual travelers who are donning everything from face masks to homemade hazmat suits. This in spite of the fact that experts say catching ebola on an aircraft is extremely unlikely.

ATL-California first class fares to soar? Southwest told TravelSkills that the final two-class AirTran flight departs SFO as a redeye to Atlanta on Nov 1, 2014. After that it’s all Southwest-all-the-time with its one class of service for the four-hour flight. With only United and Delta offering first class seats on the route, you can bet those front-of-the-plane fares are going to swell. We’ll keep an eye on it. Right now, you can buy a first class, round trip seat on AirTran, Delta or on SFO-ATL or LAX-ATL for about $1,000-$1,200 round trip. Let’s see how long that lasts post-AirTran. Peering into January, Delta’s first class fares on ATL-SFO are already at about $1,500.

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A Southwest B737 outfitted in a State of California flag livery. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

AirTran/Southwest loyalty merger due soon. You don’t hear much about AirTran any more since Southwest has been relentlessly absorbing the routes of its subsidiary into its own system, but a significant date in the merge is coming up soon. On November 2, the two airlines’ frequent flyer programs — Rapid Rewards and A+ Rewards — will be fully combined. Here’s a handy guide to the things members should know about protecting all their program assets. A Southwest spokesperson told TravelSkills that the AirTran brand will be completely gone by December 28th– by that date all operations will be under the Southwest name and not a single AirTran liveried plane will remain in service.

Southwest says ‘We’re sorry.’ In an unusually frank letter to its best customers, Southwest Airlines has admitted it hasn’t been doing so well with on-time performance lately, and pledged to take steps that will improve the situation — from making sure its first flights of the day leave on schedule to lengthening turnaround times. TravelSkills reader DL received the note and sent us this comment via email: Today I got a letter from Southwest’s “Senior Vice President, Customers.” It was a form letter that described Southwest’s recent troubles with on-time performance, which have stung me for much of 2014 and caused me to consider using other airlines when booking important flights. (I would say that half of my Southwest flights in 2014 were delayed by more than 30 minutes, sometimes by as much as 3 hours.) The letter explained that Southwest was spacing out the time between flights to boost its on-time performance. One wonders whether these new airfare deals [posted earlier this week] are designed to lure back customers who had drifted away. Regardless, I still like the airline and fly them a lot.”

Stay tuned…More important airline news coming TOMORROW in our second installment of Catching up on Travel News with TravelSkills!

CARS

The Sidecar app

Ride-finding service wins SFO approval. While larger competitors Uber and Lyft still await an official nod to start operating at San Francisco International Airport, a smaller firm called Sidecar already has one, and will start airport rides within 30 days. Sidecar will pick up and drop off passengers in the departures area, and its drivers will use the cell phone lot to wait for requests. The firm agreed to pay the airport a per-ride fee similar to the ones regular taxis pay. Interesting: Sidecar drivers set their own prices for each ride and will inform you of the total price BEFORE the ride. Currently, Sidecar operates in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, Seattle, Chicago, Charlotte NC, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Have you used Sidecar? Would you use it if it were cheaper than Uber? Please leave your comments below.

Flightcar in Seattle. Meanwhile, Flightcar (see our recent post: How to park free at the airport) — which lets business travelers rent out their cars to others while they’re away — has started operating at Seattle-Tacoma International; it already does business at SFO, ATL and BOS.

This is Part 1 of our weekend TravelSkills News Roundup… did you read Part 2?

In Case You Missed It…

>The intersection of America’s obsession with food and travel.

>Virgin America’s cutting-edge ad agency issued a mind-dulling six-hour online video about a fictional “BLAH Airlines” to show how boring its competitors are.

>Frequent travelers are getting some new perks and facilities at SFO.

>AT&T has a new plan for international calling.

>See Virgin America’s new facilities at Dallas Love Field.

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

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ATL Valet Parking + IHOP + SkyMiles downgrade + 717 delay + Double miles + Hot Nuts

October 24, 2013

The first ever airport IHOP opened last month at ATL (Chris McGinnis)

FIRST AIRPORT IHOP LOCATION OPENS IN ATLANTA…Need a maple or boysenberry syrup-drenched griddle before takeoff or a carb reload after landing? Well, ATL can now proudly proclaim that it is the first airport to offer an IHOP at its terminal. The restaurant is dubbed “IHOP Express,” and it’s open 24 hours a day. It’s located before security in the main terminal atrium with seating for 100. A “to go” section will be available for those that prefer their pancakes on the plane instead of having them in the restaurant to enjoy. IHOP says it plans to open other airport locations in the near future.

VALET PARKING ARRIVES AT ATL. Have you noticed the flurry of men and women in green blazers on the lower level passenger pick up areas at ATL? They are new parking valet attendants from GreenCoat Auto Concierge & Valet service. For $20 per day, you can now drive to the airport, leave your car with a GreenCoat at the terminal, and head off on your trip. The valet will drive your car to a secure, indoor, off-airport lot and park it. When you return, just call GreenCoat and let them know you’re coming, and an attendant will bring your car back to the airport terminal, hand it over to you, and you drive home. Nice! GreenCoat has just signed on as a sponsor of The TICKET so you’ll be hearing more about the service in coming months. Give it a try and let us know how it goes! NOTE: ADVANCE RESERVATIONS ARE REQUIRED. Special for TICKET readers: First timers get 1000 Delta SkyMiles! >>See ad…click on ad>>

DELTA BOEING 717 DELAYS DUE TO CERTIFICATION ISSUES…The Boeing 717s coming from AirTran to the Delta fleet were originally supposed to enter service in September, but snags with FAA certification of the aircraft have pushed the first flight into late October. (First flight to Newark was on Friday Oct 25) One of the problems that had arisen involved tray tables in the emergency exit rows, which needed to be reworked before approved. The rows were readjusted to accommodate for Delta’s Economy Comfort seating. The updated 717s will eventually replace many of Delta’s ancient DC-9s and cramped CRJs.

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SKY MILES AWARD BOOKING HOLDS BITE THE DUST…Delta quietly discontinued its policy for 48-hour courtesy holds on award bookings for elite members. This change was proposed to be a positive for customers since it will make more award space available rather than having it tied up in “holds” for customers. However, for many passengers, the reverse is true since it means that travelers will have to lock in their trip right away, and using the clunky delta.com reservation process makes that even more cumbersome since finding connecting flights on award partners and organizing hotels make things more complex. Just when you thought the Delta award booking process could not get more difficult, it got worse. If you don’t have free mileage redeposit as a Diamond or Platinum Medallion, how will this change affect you? Please leave your comments below.

Progress on Delta’s installation of flat bed seating

MORE DELTA UPDATES: Delta will soon add new flat bed business class seats on its 767-300 flights between ATL and Zurich. Currently 69% of Delta’s international fleet have lie-flat biz class seats. Delta’s once per week nonstops between ATL and Freeport, Bahamas starting Dec 19. Delta will test the waters in Haiti with a new nonstop 737 flight between ATL and Port-au-Prince starting next June, but the seasonal service will only run through August.

DELTA’S HOLIDAY SAFETY VIDEO. It’s not even Halloween yet! But with everyone already talking about the holiday travel season, Delta’s just released its new holiday themed pre-flight safety video. Check it out for a few cameos from familiar faces…and the same kinda cute ‘n corny antics from the current pre-flight video collection. Insiders say that Delta’s already working on a new round of in-flight safety videos…we’ve heard that some of Delta’s top brass ordered the update… stay tuned! What do you think? Please leave your comments below.

DOUBLE SOUTHWEST RAPID REWARDS POINTS…Between now and Nov. 21, Rapid Rewards members will receive double points on Southwest flights. To register for the promotion, visit www.southwest.com/nationwidedouble. New Southwest flights from ATL to Jacksonville, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Boston, and San Antonio crank up next April (replacing AirTran service), and sale fares as low as $99 one way are in place to kick off the new schedule. Travelers to or from San Juan can enjoy triple Rapid Rewards points for travel between now and Dec. 12 no matter what their destination or origination.

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No more hot nuts on Delta’s overseas flights (Photo: SFO777/FlyerTalk)

NO MORE HOT NUTS?…Delta has revamped Business Elite meal service again, and some customers may have strong feelings about the changes. In the new service, hot nuts have been eliminated from the cocktail service, and customers are pushed right into the appetizer along with their first drink. (However, packaged nuts are offered with pre-flight beverages before take off.) In addition, drinks and trays are delivered from an economy class-style cart cleverly disguised with a cloth to hide its industrial side. The soup and salad course are now served together. The overall change is meant to speed up meal service to allow for more sleeping time, which some customers may appreciate, but for others…the change could be perceived as a downgrade to the more robust offerings that the Business Elite brand was based upon when launched. What do you think about these changes? Have you noticed them yet? Please leave your comments below.

AMERICAN EXPRESS CENTURION LOUNGE OPENS AT DFW…Following a recent opening in Las Vegas, Amex has opened another Centurion Lounge; this time, at Dallas-Fort Worth’s international terminal D. The airport lounge is swankier than most facilities in the U.S. because it features its own spa (offering 15-minute treatments to all entrants for free), more substantial food menus in partnership with Dean Fearing of Fearing’s restaurant in Dallas, signature cocktails by Jim Meehan, and concierge services that go beyond just airline issues to extend to destination assistance. The best news of all is that American Express Platinum (Note: NOT SkyMiles Platinum) cardholders now receive free access to the Centurion lounge system (previously, it was reserved only for Centurion or “black” cardholders). Access comes with two guests or one’s spouse and children and includes all Centurion lounges in the system including Las Vegas. Day passes for $50 are open to cardholders of other American Express cards. Our sister publication The B.A.T. reports that a new Centurion Lounge will open at San Francisco International next summer, located in United’s Terminal 3. (Delta, Southwest & AirTran fly out of Terminal 1)

$100 HOTEL ROOMS IN NYC? YEP. Anyone who has traveled to New York recently has felt the pain of some of the highest hotel rates in the country. But that will change during the cold dark weeks of early January. From Jan 3-12, you’ll find rates of $100, $200 and $300 available at a variety of properties, (many of which currently go for nearly $500 a night), so the savings can be substantial. For example, the popular Affinia Manhattan is going for $100 per night; the hip and brand new Refinery Hotel (garment district) and Jade hotel (Greenwich Village) are going for $200 per night. For $300 you can squeeze in the trendy new Thompson LES (Lower East Side) for $300. For a full listing of participating hotels and how to get the discount see this.

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DELTA MOST PUNCTUAL U.S. AIRLINE IN SEPTEMBER…Would it surprise you to learn that Delta had the most on-time flights of any major U.S. airline in September? We here at The Ticket have been impressed with the smooth operation of our Delta flights over the past few months, and Delta’s 89.3 percent of on-time arrivals in September, according to FlightStats, is not surprising. On-time flights are defined as those that arrive within 15 minutes of schedule. Behind Delta was Alaska with 86.8 percent and Virgin America with 84.8 percent. Southwest had a poor showing with only 76.6 percent of its flights arriving on time in September. What have been your recent experiences?

DELTA DOUBLES UP TO SAO PAULO…Beginning in March 2014, Delta will place a second aircraft on the daily service rotation to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Like all other Sao Paulo flights, the second flight will feature full flat-bed seats in Business Elite and Economy Comfort seating in the main cabin. Delta secured the extra landing slot from the Brazilian authorities, and it is made even more beneficial for travelers thanks to the codeshare possibilities with Brazilian airline partner GOL

—Ramsey Qubein & Chris McGinnis

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5 ways inflight wi-fi could improve

September 16, 2013

What a groovy idea for better inflight wi-fi! See below for explanation (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

It’s not here yet, but the promise of faster, more reliable in-flight wi-fi is on the horizon. We’ll have to wait and see how all this pans out, but for now, here’s the news:

This month Gogo announced that it will roll out a new in-flight wi-fi product that will be 20 times faster than its original product, and six times faster than its upgraded ATG 4 system rolled out last year. The hybrid system (called GTO for “Ground to Orbit”) will use its existing ground-based network of antennae as well as a new satellite system.

Here’s what’s under the radome on the roof of planes with Gogo’s new “Ground to Orbit” wifi solution (Chris McGinnis)

Virgin America will be the first airline to add the new system starting in late 2014. Gogo also powers domestic in-flight wi-fi on AirTran, Delta, American, US Airways and on United’s p.s. flights between California and JFK. Apparently Delta and Gogo are working on a new satellite-based solution for overseas flights, but those plans still seem to be just plans.

TIP for using Gogo: Did you know that if purchased during flight, a Gogo all-day pass now costs as much as $26? To get around that, you can by an all-day pass from the Gogo site in advance for just $14.

In addition to internet access, Southwest’s satellite based system from Row 44 is now streaming live TV to passengers’ personal devices, free (for now at least). Row 44 is now on about 450 Southwest jets—about 80% of its fleet. The current cost for wi-fi is $8 per flight. Row 44 also provides wi-fi on several international carriers.

JetBlue, which currently does not offer wi-fi, announced that it would start adding a fast new satellite-based system from ViaSat to its flights later this year. All its 180 planes could be wi-fi friendly by 2015.

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United is slowly rolling out a new satellite-only wi-fi system from Panasonic on select domestic and overseas flights. Currently it’s on about 60 A319 and A320 aircraft and 13 747s. Pricing is per segment and varies (from $4 to $20) by flight length. I was eager to give the new system a try on a United A319 last week, but after a few system re-sets, flummoxed flight attendants said that it was inoperable on that flight.

How frequently do you log on using Gogo on Delta or AirTran? Have you tried United’s new wi-fi system yet? Streamed live TV on Southwest? How did that go for you? Please leave your comments about inflight wi-fi below.

WHY DIDN’T I THINK OF THAT? Last week I attended the Airline Passenger Experience Expo in Anaheim—a very cool show for airline geeks. It’s a gathering of all the suppliers for everything on the inside of an airplane—from carpet and lights to seats, wi-fi systems and inflight catering. What a sight to behold!

My “aha moment” came when I saw a simple solution to a problem that likely frustrated millions of frequent travelers every day… how to keep your tablet or phone standing up on the airline tray table. A company called Smart Tray International has patented a rather simple solution—carve a grove into the tray tabletop into which the tablet or smart phone can be inserted. Brilliant, simple solution.

And, since we are moving to a BYOD (for “Bring Your Own Device”) world when it comes to inflight entertainment, the idea’s especially prescient.

Would you use it? Please leave your comments below!

—Chris McGinnis

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Delta backs down + Better food? + New ATL lounge + New Delta plane

July 28, 2013

DELTA BACKS OFF SAME-DAY CHANGE RESTRICTIONS…But just barely. Following significant feedback from customers, Delta has made the decision to soften the blow of recent changes to same day rules. Now, same-day confirmed changes can be made any time 24 hours prior to flight time. No fee will be required for Gold, Platinum, and Diamond Medallion members, but the same booking class must be available. This booking class restriction remains in place from the initial change, but the window for free changes has been extended to 24 hours (rather than within the previous three hour window). If your same fare bucket is not available, the free standby option remains. If you were upgraded on the original flight, going standby only puts you in the running for a seat in coach since the upgrade list is generally cleared first. This new policy is expected to be fully in place by late August. How do you feel about this slight “giveback”? Please leave your comments below!

Hugh Acheson of Empire State South

DELTA HOLDS COOKOFF FOR NEXT CHEF…Delta is teaming up with Food & Wine magazine to look for the next celebrity chef to provide input on meals for Atlanta-departing flights. The culinary video series, named “Cabin Pressure Cook Off,” features four contestants including two Atlanta stars: Hugh Acheson of Empire State South and Linton Hopkins of Restaurant Eugene and Holeman & Finch Public House. The Cabin Pressure Cook Off, which will air in October on Delta flights, will feature culinary challenges filmed at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York. Delta prepares more than 110,000 inflight meals daily.

NEW LOUNGE OPENS IN ATLANTA… As mentioned on The TICKET Facebook page, The Club at ATL lounge on Concourse F has opened. It welcomes Lufthansa and British Airways premium passengers in addition to full Priority Pass members. Other passengers can buy a day pass for $35, which is cheaper than the Delta Sky Club $50 fee for general one-day access. Complimentary beverages (including wine and beer) in addition to light snacks and free wi-fi will be on offer, but the lounge is still little competition for the flashy new Sky Deck at the neighboring Delta Sky Club. Similar The Club lounges are located at airports in Raleigh-Durham, Las Vegas and Dallas. Have you visited one yet? Thoughts?

FIRST CLASS SNACK BASKET CHANGES…Noticed a few changes in the Delta snack basket recently? Delta is now stocking Fritos chips instead of SunChips (some flights may still have the latter until stocks run out). Other new items include Pirouette cookies and Hershey’s chocolate bars. Luckily, fresh fruit and Biscoff cookies are still here to stay in addition to other favorites like Pretzel M&Ms, Quaker granola bars, and peanuts. What’s your snack basket pick? Please leave your comments below.

Some of the firearms found in hand luggage and confiscated by the TSA

TSA FINDS MORE GUNS AT ATL THAN OTHER AIRPORTS…Atlanta TSA agents discovered more travelers attempting to pass through security with guns than any other U.S. airport last year. TSA didn’t keep statistics on guns intercepted before 2011, but the government agency says there is an upward national trend in recent years. In the first six months of the year, screeners found 894 guns nationwide either on people or inside carry-on baggage. Atlanta set the record last year with 96 guns found. Do these people not watch the news? The help build awareness, the TSA now has an Instagram page with photos of confiscated weaponry. Take a peek— you won’t believe what you see.

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O’HARE CREEPS UP ON ATLANTA’S TITLE…Since Atlanta stole the title of world’s busiest airport from Chicago O’Hare in 2005, the race has been fierce, and O’Hare is finally gaining traction again. This year, Chicago’s largest airport has seen an increase in flights, and according to a recent Chicago Tribune article, many believe it may steal back the title with the most flights in the coming years. In the first half of 2013, Atlanta handled 453,800 takeoffs and landings, while O’Hare accommodated 426,800 flights, a preliminary FAA tally shows. Atlanta carries also more passengers than O’Hare. In 2012, Atlanta was the busiest airport in the world for total passengers, and O’Hare clocked in at number five. But just wait…airports in China should supersede ATL or ORD any day now…just wait.

Southwest B737 at ATL. (Chris McGinnis)

ATLANTA A WEAK PERFORMER FOR SOUTHWEST? In a recent earnings call Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly included ATL among cities where it’s struggling. Here’s the quote: “In terms of what I think we would be comfortable sharing for competitive reasons, the markets that are in more of a transition from AirTran through some step process into Southwest, those are the ones that are in more development. So, if you sort of think about the Atlanta, Baltimore, Milwaukee where there’s a lot of change taking place. Those markets are not performing as strong as markets that aren’t affected by that kind of transition, that’s very clear.” How would you gauge Southwest’s performance in Atlanta so far? Have you tried Southwest? Why or why not? Please leave your comments below.

Buh-bye Pinnacle, hello Endeavor Air

ENDEAVOR AIR FLIES FOR DELTA CONNECTION…Never heard the name? Troubled Pinnacle Airlines has rebranded as Endeavor Air with a fresh logo. The Delta Connection carrier, a subsidiary of Delta following its investment in the bankrupt Pinnacle, will continue flying about 1,000 flights daily. The airline had its headquarters in Memphis, but it has since moved to Minneapolis. Only a handful of Endeavor’s flights touch Atlanta, and most flights are operated by CRJ-900s. The airline also operates CRJ-200s, but these are being phased out quickly.

WATCH YOUR MOVIES LONGER…Notice something different on your last Delta flight with inflight entertainment? Delta has decided to switch on the entertainment system upon boarding rather than after takeoff to allow people to watch live TV, movies, and other programming from the moment they sit in their seat. This will ease some of the stress from summer weather delays although it will be difficult to sell headsets in the main cabin before takeoff so stash a pair in your carry-on. Have you noticed the change?

Simulated look at a Delta Boeing 717 (NBflightsim.com)

DELTA DEPLOYS NEW AIRCRAFT TYPE. Remember the news last year when Delta agreed to buy all of AirTran’s Boeing 717s from Southwest? The first of those planes will be deployed on Delta’s ATL-Newark route starting Sept 19. By the end of October, all flights between ATL and Newark will be on the 717. The aircraft will feature Gogo wifi, 12 first class seats, 15 Economy Comfort seats, and 83 economy seats. More 717 destinations will be coming online soon.

UNITED TEAMS UP WITH MARRIOTT…United copied Delta’s move to team up with a hotel brand. While Delta offers Crossover Rewards with Starwood allowing flyers to earn hotel points and hotel elite status (Starwood elites earn Delta benefits too), Marriott and United now provide similar benefits. Marriott Rewards Platinum Elite and Platinum Premier Elite will receive complimentary United Premier Silver status. Good advice from reader LH: “This may offer ATL AirTran business travelers, that meet the Marriott Rewards Platinum-level qualification, an elite status option over the pending switch to all-coach class Southwest. While it may be United’s lowest tier, the instant elite status will provide an alternative for those not wanting to start from the bottom with Delta. United Silver status brings complimentary upgrades, 25% mileage bonus and free Economy Plus seating within 24 hours of departure. Register here. United elites will also benefit from special benefits and elite status with Marriott as well; United Gold Premiers and above get automatic Marriott Gold Elite status, which offers club access, free breakfast, late checkout and more. What do you think about these instant elite partnerships? Are they fair to people who work to earn status the hard way? Please leave your comments below.

SEATTLE TO HEATHROW NONSTOP…Delta has announced nonstop Seattle to London Heathrow nonstop service beginning March 29, 2014. The flight will be operated using a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with lie-flat seats in the pointy end of the plane. The flight is part of the new code share with Virgin Atlantic.

SOUTHWEST ON ATL-DCA. Southwest will operate one of the six daily Atlanta to Washington Reagan National flights beginning Feb. 13 with AirTran continuing to fly the rest.

Can you ID this plane type? Please leave your comments below!

DELTA HERITAGE MUSEUM GETS A MAKEOVER…Delta is investing in memories and updating the Heritage Museum located near the Atlanta airport and corporate headquarters. The $6.3 million in renovation funds are coming from The Delta Air Lines Foundation and corporate sponsors and will restore the historic hangars, which house significant amounts of important airline memorabilia. Its most popular items on display are the Spirit of Delta, a Boeing 767-200 aircraft purchased through employee contributions in 1982 as a sign of appreciation and now housing an interior cabin mockup display, and Delta’s first 1940s era Douglas DC-3 aircraft. Tours, event space, and a gift shop will all be part of the revitalized facility when it reopens in the summer of 2014. Have you ever taken a look a the Delta Heritage Museum? Why or why not?

—Chris McGinnis & Ramsey Qubein

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Fewer Sky Club freebies + JFK Extension + New PreCheck lane at ATL

May 30, 2013

Delta’s Sky Club Luxury Bar on Concourse E (Chris McGinnis)

FEWER FREEBIES AT SKY CLUBS. With little notice, Delta has moved several beverages from the Sky Club complimentary bar menu to the Luxury Bar pay menu. You’ll now be asked to pay for beers like Heineken or local brews, liqueurs such as Bailey’s and other popular pops. We contacted Delta to determine what it still offers at no charge at Sky Clubs and a spokesperson sent over this list of the free stuff: Vodka – Gordon’s; Gin – Gordon’s; Rum – Myers’s Platinum; Scotch – Scoresby; Bourbon – Jack Daniel’s; Sweet & Dry Vermouth – Martini & Rossi; Beer- Budweiser & Miller Lite; Wine- no changes. Delta also sent us the new Luxury Bar Menu, effective May 15. Which of your favorite adult beverages has disappeared from the “complimentary” list and what are the new prices? Please leave your comments below.

Delta now operates from T4 and T2 at JFK. The old Pan Am Worldport will soon be gone.

DELTA’S JFK EXTENSION. On May 24, Delta took the wraps off its new digs at New York- JFK, which will replace the now shuttered vintage Pan Am Worldport, or Terminal 3. Delta is currently demolishing that leaky old Mad-Men-era terminal to allow easier movement and more parking between terminals 2 and 4. It’s important to note that Terminal 4 is not brand new—it’s been around since 2001– but Delta has completely remodeled and lengthened the B-side space adding nine new gates to the existing seven. The new terminal also features TSA PreCheck, something that many international terminals do not have presently. New dining options include an outpost of Manhattan’s favorite burger joint, Shake Shack. T4’s opening also gives Sky Club members their first look at a new SkyDeck, an open-air, glassed-walled terrace overlooking the tarmac—great for spotting all those exotic tails that float around JFK runways. Outdoor seating and umbrellas are a great way to get some fresh air. A similar SkyDeck will open later this year in Atlanta’s F concourse. The Sky Club at JFK’s T4 is now Delta’s largest. Many domestic flights and nearly all Delta Connection flights will continue to use Terminal 2 (JFK’s oldest), while most Delta transcons and all international flights will now use T4. By 2015, Delta will add an additional 11 gates to T4.

DELTA WAITS IT OUT. Earlier this month CEO Richard Anderson said that Delta is in no hurry to order new aircraft like the Boeing 737 Max or Airbus A320neo. He said Delta would rather have other airlines test them first to work through any kinks such as the recent battery issues exhibited by the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. He said that not only does this allow for a more efficient rollout of aircraft within its fleet, but it also allows for more affordable pricing when it comes time to upgrade a fleet. Delta is, however, taking new Boeing 737-900s in the coming years, but these are already being flown by a number of airlines including United, Delta’s closest domestic rival at the moment.

MORE PRECHECK AT ATL. Atlanta’s north security checkpoint now has a TSA Pre-Check lane for expedited security. The north checkpoint is used primarily by non-Delta flyers, which means Southwest/AirTran travelers will eventually enjoy speedier access once it joins in on the PreCheck fun. Southwest will only say that it is working on getting into PreCheck…nothing certain yet. If it wants to compete with Delta for business travelers in Atlanta, it frankly needs to get on the stick and become part of PreCheck. Agree?

FLAWS IN RECENT AIRLINE SURVEY. IdeaWorks’ fourth annual survey of airline award seat availability ranked Delta dead last. But to be fair, we must point out that the survey only used airline websites to gauge availability, and we all know that Delta’s is pretty dismal when it comes to redemptions. IdeaWorks searched for two tickets on 280 different dates, at the restricted award levels. Southwest clocked in at first place, and Delta tied with US Airways for the worst among domestic airlines. By picking up the phone (after doing significant research via other websites like AirFrance.us via its Flying Blue program), Delta flyers usually find much more open space. But, the survey does not reveal that. What was accurate and fair about the survey was that it ranks Delta much higher for close-in availability as award seats are often released more freely within two weeks of departure.

ON THE OTHER HAND, KUDOS. On a brighter note, Delta ranked as the top legacy carrier in the recent JD Power survey. It also ranked second best (after Southwest) among majors in a recent Consumer Reports survey. It’s easy to pick on the dominant, hometown carrier…but compared to its peers, Delta’s sitting pretty these days.What do you think? Do Atlantans whine too much about Delta when they might have the best of the bunch in their own backyard? Please leave your comments below.

Love the rocking chairs a Charlotte Douglas Airport (Francesco Mucio)

Love the rocking chairs (but hate the high fares) at Charlotte Douglas Airport (Francesco Mucio)

NEW GOUGE: CHARLOTTE. From TICKET reader JJ: “Has anyone noticed that since Southwest and AirTran left the Atlanta-Charlotte market that Delta fares (a few weeks ago were $200 or a little more) are now over $600 no matter how far out you book? This used to be the case before AirTran went into Charlotte and now that they have left, good old gouge you Delta is at it again. Oh well I guess I’ll have to go back to driving to Charlotte – hate that drive.” (Agreed! That drive up truck infested I-85 is awful!)

THOUGHT DELTA WAS SNEAKY? Delta is not the only airline monetizing its upgrade programs. For example, passengers can bid how many miles or how much money they are willing to spend to upgrade on long flights. Air New Zealand, Austrian, Etihad, and Virgin Atlantic are all offering this type of program. Customers can still use miles for business class seats, but this new auction system allows the demand to ratchet up the price on busy flights putting more money in the airline coffers. It also helps to fill seats that would otherwise go empty making low bidders quite happy (although the cheapest fares are often restricted). Could Delta be next? What do you think about such an idea? Please leave your comments below.

NEW SOUTHWEST FLIGHTS. Atlanta will see additional Southwest flights to New Orleans, New York LaGuardia, St. Louis, West Palm Beach beginning Nov. 3. Also on that date, AirTran’s Atlanta to San Juan flight will switch to Southwest instead of an AirTran plane with business class.

CURTAIN CALL FOR AIRTRAN BUSINESS CLASS. AirTran regulars may have noticed that there are no longer curtains between business and coach class. This removal is part of the alignment with the Southwest model and preparation for operating with a single cabin of service. So its buh-bye business class…but at least it’s a long buh-bye!

WE NEED YOUR HELP! Dearest Devoted TICKET readers: The TICKET needs more readers! Can you help us out? Please forward this link to at least three frequent traveling friends, travel agents, travel managers, travel bloggers and tell them why you love The TICKET and encourage them to sign up! THANKS!

An Alaska Airlines 737 at Atlanta Airport (Atlanta Airport)

PLUS PORTLAND. MINUS SEATTLE. Delta partner Alaska Airlines will add a new Boeing 737-800 nonstop between ATL and Portland, Oregon on August 26. When the Portland-Atlanta route begins Aug. 26, Alaska Air will reduce its Seattle-Atlanta route to once daily.

FLINT. With AirTran/Southwest out of the picture on the ATL-Flint, Michigan route, Delta is deploying a larger A319 on the route, adding 60 extra seats between the two cities starting in June. Delta is currently using an RJ on the route. With Delta as the only nonstop in the market, you can only guess which direction prices have gone recently….

Join Chris McGinnis & JohnnyJet for the #travelskills chat on Friday mornings!

Join Chris McGinnis & JohnnyJet for the #travelskills Twitter chat on Friday mornings!

SEEKING SUMMER TRAVEL DEALS AND ADVICE? Join in the #TravelSkills chat with @JohnnyJet and me every Friday at noon Eastern! Our new chat has been trending in the US on Twitter on nearly every Friday, so stop by and join the fun. And learn something, or uncover a summer travel deal! See www.travelskills.com/chat

–Chris McGinnis

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Checking in on new AirTran A+ Rewards card

March 12, 2013

Here’s an interesting discussion between TICKET reader N.G. and Southwest’s Director of Rapid Rewards regarding recent changes in the AirTran A+ Rewards card.

Dear Chris: I just opened my mail and received the new rules for AirTran’s Juniper/Barclay card that is moving over to Chase.

First, they are changing the annual bonus. I used to receive two $50.00 certificates each anniversary. Now it will be 2,000 A+ reward dollars which get transferred to two A+ Reward Credits. Remember, you need eight credits to get a one way flight; so the hundred dollars is changing to one quarter of a one way flight. That stinks!

Two credits sounds good but they are not flight credits. It takes eight to fly (one way).

They still say every $8,000 charged on the card gets another credit bonus (above the one credit per $1,000 spent). But the Chase site says it will take $9,600 charged to get the AirTran credit bonus.

They are just trying to make me leave…

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I now have over 10 years of Elite status with AirTran and have only flown Delta once (Brazil) in the last five years. I never could get past Silver with Delta because I only fly short hops…

But now Southwest is the new owner and bad things are happening. Like no more business class. And a lot of standing in the cattle yard to board.

And, we still have no idea about Elite reciprocity over at Southwest…

Regards;

NG (Half million Delta; quarter million AirTran; none on Southwest yet)

The TICKET contacted AirTran/Southwest with N.G.’s letter. Here’s what they said:

Dear N.G.:

We’re very sorry for your disappointment in receiving the recent communication regarding your Barclays A+ Rewards Credit Card change in ownership letter. We truly value your loyalty and welcome the opportunity to respond to your concerns.

Southwest B737 at ATL. (Chris McGinnis)

As we combine the operations of AirTran and Southwest, we want to ensure you continue to get the most value from your A+ Rewards Credit Card program. Over time, A+ Members may have fewer opportunities to use the certificates as our terminals change from AirTran to Southwest. [Full integration is expected by end of 2014.] By changing your Anniversary Bonus to 2,000 A+ Rewards Dollars, which is equal to two A+ Rewards Credits, you’ll be able to redeem them towards AirTran flights and upgrades or transfer them to your Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Member account program. Plus, the 2 A+ Rewards Credits are valid for 24 months as opposed to the certificates which were only valid for one year. We hope that this will give you more flexibility and give you opportunities to fly more on our extended network.

In regard to the information you saw on Chase’s website concerning the amount you’ll need to spend in order to receive your credits, the information you relayed in your note is information for Customers that apply for a new card, not existing Cardholders. You’ll continue to receive one A+ Rewards Credit for every 1,000 A+ Rewards Dollars you earn. The way you earn rewards will improve with the transition to Chase. While you’ll continue to earn two A+ Rewards Dollars per $1 for purchases made directly with AirTran Airways, you’ll now also earn two A+ Rewards Dollars per $1 for Southwest Airline purchases and purchases made with Southwest Airlines Rapid Rewards Hotel and Car Rental Partners. For all other purchases, you’ll continue to earn one A+ Rewards Dollar per $1 spent on all other purchases. The complete Program rules and regulations will be included in your welcome package along with your new card.

We know our Customers are anxiously awaiting for integration updates. If you’d like for your A+ Rewards Elite Status to be reciprocated on Southwest Airlines, we’d be happy to accommodate that request for you. [Emphasis added] Please provide us with your account information so we can take care of that or feel free to call A+ Customer Service (1-888-327-5878) directly to request through one of our A+ Customer Service Representatives. Again, we value your loyalty and would welcome the opportunity to discuss further with you.

Sincerely,

Jonathan Clarkson, Director of Rapid Rewards, Southwest Airlines

We presented N.G. with that note, and he swung back with a final word that reflects a lot of the frustration frequent flyers are feeling with not just Southwest, but all loyalty programs.

Thanks, Chris.

The point they still miss is I am used to receiving $100.00 each year and the new system will give me 1/4 of a one way ticket; which is worth about $40.00 since you can only use them on cheap segments and have to double up to get the more desirable flights…

But, I guess everyone is squeezing the programs.

Hilton just made some changes that take away from the Diamond members. What are these guys thinking?

Regards,

How do YOU feel about the current state of frequent travel loyalty programs? Are they taking away more than they are giving us? Please leave your comments below.

How we use inflight wi-fi [Infographic]

March 9, 2013

Gogo tower in remote Nevada location

Wired frequent flyers living in Atlanta are lucky– both Delta and AirTran are industry leaders when it comes to having inflight wi-fi available on planes. It’s a rare occasion that an Atlantan jumps on jet at ATL that doesn’t have the service. That’s not the case for the poor souls in other airline hubs where getting inflight wi-fi is a hit or miss proposition.

But the situation is getting better nationally.

For example, Southwest now has wi-fi on 75% of its fleet. United says that it should have 300 wi-fi equipped aircraft by the end of this year. JetBlue is talking about adding a newer, faster version of satellite based wi-fi and offering it for free to all passengers. Delta is adding wi-fi to its international fleet.

This week Gogo, the major purveyor of inflight wi-fi produced some interesting numbers around how we use their service– see below for an interesting infographic.

From Gogo:

When it comes to staying connected at 36,000 feet, tablets and smartphones now make up a whopping 67% of the devices being used to connect to Gogo. Tablets are the most preferred device at 35%, followed closely by laptops (33%) and smartphones (32%).

Apple devices are still reigning above the clouds, following the tablet trend with the iPad being the device of choice. Among all mobile devices being used to connect through Gogo, 84 percent carry Apple’s iOS operating system while 16 percent carry the Android operating system. If you look only at the smartphones our customers are using, the iPhone makes up 73 percent and all Android devices make up 26 percent, with Blackberry and Windows based devices each making up less than 1 percent of devices being used in air.

So, what are our passengers doing once they connect at 30,000 feet? It’s no surprise that general Web surfing ranked as the number one in air, online activity users want to do. Besides Web surfing, passengers spend their time in flight accessing personal email, engaging in social media, checking sports scores and shopping. Business travelers ranked accessing their work email and finalizing reports as the most frequent activity above the clouds. Passengers also utilize Gogo to explore their final destination’s weather, entertainment options and directions upon their arrival.

Airline update: Delta, Southwest, ATL news

October 24, 2012

Having fun at the new Southwest Airlines Porch at Piedmont Park (Photo: Southwest Airlines)

SOUTHWEST PORCH AT PIEDMONT PARK. Southwest Airlines has just opened a “Southwest Porch” at Park Tavern overlooking the southeast corner of Piedmont Park in Midtown Atlanta. Visitors can relax in lounge chair, enjoy a beer or a snack, and take part in fun Southwest events and giveaways while taking in park and skyline views. Later this winter, they can watch ice skaters on the adjacent Southwest Rink. Southwest opened the Southwest Porch at Bryant Park in midtown Manhattan in 2009—and it’s now a popular hangout with 3.5 stars on Yelp. Denver’s Southwest Porch at Skyline Park opened in September 2010 and has morphed into a seasonal operation called the Southwest Rink at Skyline Park. Last month, the Southwest Porch at Strauss Square opened in the Arts District in Dallas. Southwest, which arrived in ATL last February, now has 29 daily nonstop flights to 15 cities from Atlanta. Will any of you Delta die-hards stop by the Southwest porch for a beer and some brand building?

DELTA’S DOING JUST FINE. In its third quarter financials released today, Delta reported that it has $5.1 billion in cash on hand. Nice. It’s load factor for the quarter was a very packed 86.4%, slightly higher than last year. It’s still cutting capacity, though, stating it plans to cut 1-3% more in the fourth quarter, even after cutting out 2% in the third. We could only find one foreboding statement in this report, “However, we are in the process of implementing a $1 billion program of structural initiatives that we anticipate will generate significant savings in the second half of 2013, while maintaining the high quality product, network and operation we have built.” Hmm. “Structural initiatives.” What do you think that is? Please leave your comments below.

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RANKING TSA THEFT BY AIRPORT. Here’s an interesting story from ABC News, which obtained figures from the TSA via a Freedom of Information Act request, ranking airports based on the number of TSA employees fired for theft. No surprise that Miami came in numero uno with 29 firings, followed by New York-JFK (27) and Los Angeles-LAX (24). Atlanta took the #4 position with 17 firings. The idea to obtain the numbers on TSA firings was initially sparked by an investigative report showing how an iPad was planted and “lost” at airport security in Orlando, and then tracked to the home of a TSA officer.

SEATTLE GETS A BOOST. Seattle/Tacoma was an important gateway for Northwest and is now an important (and very profitable) gateway for Delta. At a recent event that included CEO Richard Anderson’s presence in Seattle (that’s how you know something is really important!), Delta announced major upgrades for its SEA-TAC gateway such as new Boeing 747-400 service to Tokyo (more seats compared to the current A-330), lie-flat Business Elite seats on all international flights including Seattle-Paris, Amsterdam and Osaka, an application to begin nonstop flights to Shanghai and Tokyo- Haneda (the latter switching from Detroit), and new upgraded transcon Business Elite service on the quartet of daily Seattle-JFK flights. This focus on the Seattle gateway shows that Delta is shifting focus away from Atlanta as its primary “Worldport.” In addition to its already strong JFK hub, the larger Delta is now taking advantage of market opportunities in all corners of the country.

DELTA-ALASKA AIR BENNIES. The major Seattle announcement put Delta’s Alaska Airlines codeshare partnership in the spotlight again. In case you didn’t know, Delta passengers get on upgrade waitlists for Alaska Airlines flights 24 hours before departure. All Alaska MVP elites will clear ahead of Delta flyers, but several TICKET readers report good success on upgrades on certain routes. Alaska elites can upgrade on Delta too, but only after all Delta Medallions have had a shot (yes, even suffering Silvers). Also, Sky Club members can access Alaska Board Room clubs in Seattle, Portland, Anchorage, San Francisco, and Los Angeles in conjunction with an Alaska flight. Be sure to take advantage of these perks!

EARNING DELTA MQMs. Running low on Medallion Qualification Miles as we approach the end of the year? Delta and Hilton have partnered up with a promotion allowing guests who stay at Hilton to earn 250 MQMs in addition to double miles. A two-night stay is required anytime between now and December 15, 2012. It is important to make sure your Hilton HHonors setting is switched to earning miles (some people have it switched to earning additional HHonors points instead). Sign up for the promotion here. Hertz is offering a similar 250 MQM promo for rentals of three days or longer—details here.

NEW AIRTRAN/CHASE CARD. When Southwest took over AirTran, it dumped Barclays as a card provider, and recently switched over to Chase to offer the new AirTran A+ Rewards Credit Card. Get the new card and spend $1,000 in the first three months and you’ll receive 16 award credits and two upgrades to AirTran’s business class. The award credits equate to one free roundtrip—and the upgrades? Well, enjoy them while you can because (as revealed in a recent interview) business class is set to disappear completely by 2015. New AirTran/Chase cardholders get the $69 annual fee waived for the first year. Plus, cardholders get two credits at the end of every year they hold the card. Another nice perk: Cardholder credits are good for two years on AirTran vs just one for non-cardholders. Not bad—and don’t forget that credits can now be redeemed on AirTran or Southwest. (Note: Chase targeted certain members of A+ in September, offering whopping 32 credits for $2000 spend…the deal expired Oct 4. Did you get the offer?)

Opening day at the new iTravel store at ATL. (Photo: Myrna White)

APPLE DETHRONES BLACKBERRY AT ATL. Have you noticed that the Blackberry store near gate B-17 at ATL has turned into an Apple store? The new iTravel store (an Apple authorized re-seller) opened last month, offering a full array of Apple products…and experts on hand to answer any questions you may have about your new iPhone or iPad Mini or Mac. Interesting: The US Patent Office recently awarded Apple ownership of a new concept called iTravel, which will eventually use Near Field Communications (NFC) so iPhones can be used as e-wallets or e-tickets—along the lines of Apple’s new Passbook application, which stores loyalty program credentials, airline boarding passes, etc in iPhones. Do you still use a Blackberry? Are you considering a switch to a new device? Which one?

NEW BANK AT ATL. Have you noticed all the construction by the old car rental counters at the top of the arrivals escalators at ATL’s main terminal? Word from airport officials is that the space will soon be a new Wells Fargo bank branch.

Airlines ranked by 2Q 2012 baggage fee revenue, dollars in thousands (000)

BIG ON BAG FEES. While most TICKET readers cringe at the thought of ever paying to check a bag on Delta (due to their elite status), it’s interesting to note that Delta leads the pack when it comes to bag fees. In the first half of this year, Delta collected nearly half a BILLION in bag fees—which are what keeps airlines in the black these days. While business travelers like to think it’s their high fares and loyalty that keep airlines afloat, the emergence of bag fees, which are primarily paid by INfrequent travelers, could be switching up that equation.

(Have you scored your 500 Delta SkyMiles bonus for using TICKET sponsor Peachy Airport Parking yet? Click here for the coupon!)

MORE PARIS. With Delta’s recent transatlantic flight reductions, it’s increasingly likely that Europe-bound travelers will be making a stop at Paris CDG on the way to their final destination. Combined, Delta and Air France now offer four daily nonstops between ATL and Paris. Delta has announced it will add new nonstops to Paris from Newark and Boston. Charles de Gaulle Airport has recently expanded and enhanced its new S4 satellite terminal (slideshow) with big bright business class lounges and nicer gate areas, which should make even the most vociferous CDG-haters feel a little better about making transfers there. (Don’t forget that you can always transfer at Amsterdam Schipol on SkyTeam partner KLM.) With Europe racked by a recession, which is depressing demand for air travel, it’s likely going to be a while until we see the return of the raft of nonstops between ATL and smaller European cities. Bon voyage! UPDATE: Air France is expecting a strike on Oct 26– while it says it will transport all passengers, it also advises them to check for updates at www.airfrance.us

EUROPEAN ECONOMY COMFORT. Economy Comfort seats (similar to Delta’s) will be available on KLM’s Boeing 737 flights within Europe departing December 1 onwards. (EC was previously only available on KLM’s intercontinental flights.) The carrier is reportedly considering the possibility of adding the roomier coach seats to its KLM Cityhopper fleet, too.

Do you know which brand new Chicago hotel is inside this wavy building?

BUSINESS TRIP. What are the top five hottest hotels and restaurants in Chicago…and what condiment should always be left OFF a Chicago-style hot dog? Do you know the names of the four brand new 5-star hotels that have opened in Toronto the last year? Take a peek at the latest in my BBC Business Trip series to learn the answers!

>Are you signed up for our Facebook page yet? We frequently break news on our Facebook page that eventually makes it into our monthly roundups. So if you want news when it happens, come on and get on our Facebook page.

STRANGE BEDFELLOWS. In a move that seems to foreshadow something interesting, the highly-reputed Etihad Airways (based in Abu Dhabi, UAE) along with Air Berlin have signed a partnership deal with Air France-KLM. The deal comes on the heels of Qatar Airways announcement that it plans to join the American Airlines-led Oneworld Alliance. This is especially interesting because until now, the three main Gulf carriers (Etihad, Emirates, and Qatar) were firm in their commitment to remain independent rather than hook up with global alliances. Qatar’s move may prompt the others to follow. For now, the partnership is strictly a codeshare agreement and not an opportunity for Delta/SkyTeam flyers to earn and burn miles—for now. But things change rapidly in the world of airline alliances, so sit tight and let’s see what happens… Have you flown a UAE-based airline yet? What did you think? Leave your comments below…

AN UNSAVORY MIX AT SKYCLUBS. In recent years, TICKET readers have raved about the new array of sweet and savory snack mixes from Montego Bay to Mesa Rosa on offer at Sky Clubs. But those raves have turned to rants as club attendants have started to dump new mixes on top of the old, leading to stale snacks and random surprises like spicy cheese chips and crunchy corn kernels in an almond-cranberry nut mix. Noticed it?

AIRPORT WHEELCHAIR ABUSE? According to the New York Times, some sneaky travelers hoping to avoid airport security hassles are asking to be wheeled through airports and cutting in security lines in wheel chairs…even if they are not disabled. Here’s a snippet from the story: “Once cleared [at security], the woman suddenly sprang up from her wheelchair, hoisted two huge carry-on bags from the magnetometer’s conveyor belt and plopped back in the wheelchair. She gave a nod to the person pushing her, and they rolled off to the gate.” Hmm. Have you noticed this yet? Leave your comments below.

>Do you follow TICKET editor Chris McGinnis on Twitter? Every day I sift through all the business travel news out there and tweet items that I think would interest my readers most.

Silver Airways routes from ATL

SILVER AIRWAYS PICKS UP ATL ROUTES. For years, Delta (like many other airlines) flew to smaller cities that were funded by the federal government as Essential Air Service (EAS) routes. This program guarantees that smaller communities get connections to the same global airline networks as larger cities– subsidized by the federal government. Delta recently decided to drop many of these routes on its own and forfeit the payments it was receiving from the government. Silver Airways has stepped in to offer new air service (using 19-34 seat propjets) to these communities from Atlanta including Tupelo, Hattiesburg, Meridian, and Greenville in Mississippi and Muscle Shoals in Alabama. Silver also serves Gainesville, Florida and Greenbrier Valley, WV from Atlanta. Have you flown Silver Air? What did you think? Please leave your comments below.

DELTA MUGS MILWAUKEE. Once the domain of Northwest and then AirTran, Delta is aggressively inserting itself into this important Midwest market by nabbing naming rights to its main convention center The Delta Center (formerly the Midwest Airlines Center). Delta’s name will also be added to the US Cellular Arena and Milwaukee Theatre.

OBRIGADO. Delta’s prolific “immediate help service” on Twitter now speaks Portuguese at @DeltaAjuda. Delta’s real-time customer service channel on Twitter is staffed during business hours from Monday through Friday, offering something other airlines lack. Have you used DeltaAssist or Ajuda to help solve a travel issue? What was your experience?

RECHARGE. Those popular recharging stations that have appeared at many airports like Atlanta, Boston, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, JFK, Norfolk, Omaha, and Seattle are coming to even more airports. Four gates at Tokyo Narita have been upgraded and you’ll soon see the stations in: Anchorage, Austin, Denver, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston Intercontinental, Kansas City, Milwaukee, New Orleans, Ontario, CA, Philadelphia, Phoenix and Syracuse.

EASY 500+ SKYMILES BONUS. You gotta park at the airport anyway, so why not help out The TICKET, and our newest sponsor, Peachy Airport Parking, on your next trip? You’ll help yourself, too, since Peachy is offering TICKET readers 500 SkyMiles plus three SkyMiles per dollar spent. If you are tired of worrying about on-airport lot sellouts, long, dark walks to your car or the congested mess that is Camp Creek Parkway, just exit I-85 south at Sylvan Road, one mile north of the airport, and follow the signs to Peachy. Once there, you’ll find extra wide spaces in a secure, climate controlled indoor lot, afree car wash and a short two-minute shuttle ride to the airport. Daily rates are just $6.99 outdoor or$8.99 indoor. COME ON! Help keep The TICKET free by clicking on this link or on the ad to the right to learn more about ATL’s newest parking option. Note: You have to click on the link and print the page to get the SkyMiles!

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>Do you follow TICKET editor Chris McGinnis on Twitter? Every day I sift through all the business travel news out there and tweet items that I think would interest my readers most. Come on! Follow me!

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AirTran & Southwest launch big fare sale

October 9, 2012

Wowza! ATL to the west coast for less than $200? You betcha! (Southwest Airlines fare displayed on 10/9)

Southwest and AirTran have launched a nationwide sale offering some eye-poppingly good deals for fall and winter travel. How about Atlanta to San Francisco and back for just $184 all in? ATL to New York-La Guardia for $150? Or ATL all the way to Denver and back for just $198? These are just a few samples of hundreds of really good deals on offer.

BUT, there’s a catch, as always… so don’t get your hopes up for a great deal during the peak holiday travel season. The fares on Southwest are only good during what I call the “dead weeks.” These are the slowest travel days of the year—Wednesday, November 28 through Wednesday, December 12, 2012, and then again from Monday, Jan. 7 through Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013. On AirTran, the fares are good through March 1.

These fares are excellent choices for business travelers who can schedule their meetings during these dips in demand when fares plummet.

They are also good for those who cannot afford peak holiday pricing and don’t mind postponing family visits or vacations.

They are also great options for skiers headed to the Rockies during January or February.

The details, dates and blackout dates vary slightly between Southwest and AirTran, so be sure to check both if they both fly to the city you are interested in.

Note that Southwest and AirTran launched this fare sale today… and you can count on other airlines matching the sale later today with similar fares on competitive routes.

Here are the details for Southwest:

>Book your trip at southwest.com by midnight on Thursday October 11, 2012.

>To get these deals, you must enter the discount code BigDeal40 in the Promo Code box on southwest.com or SWABIZ.com in order to receive the discount.

>Act fast. The sale is good for travel Wednesday, November 28 through Wednesday, December 12, 2012, and then again from Monday, Jan. 7 through Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013 (Not good on Sundays and certain other blackout dates). The cheapest seats will sell out fast.

>Here are all the terms and conditions for the Southwest sale.

AirTran Details:

A similar sale, but without the gimmicky discount code is also underway at Southwest subsidiary AirTran—check sale fares at www.airtran.com.

The deals on AirTran are a little different… no discount code is required. Keep in mind AirTran charges for checked bags while Southwest does not.

>One-way fares can be purchased today through Oct. 11, 2012, 11:59 pm Pacific.

>Travel must take place Nov. 28 through Dec. 18, 2012, or Jan. 4 through Mar. 1, 2013.

>Travel valid all days of the week– including Fridays and Sundays, which are usually excluded from sales.

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Southwest launches big fare sale

October 8, 2012

Southwest Airlines has launched a nationwide sale offering some eye-poppingly good deals for fall and winter travel. How about SFO to Chicago and back for just $175 all in? Oakland to Denver for just $150? Or SFO all the way to Atlanta and back for less than $200? These are just a few samples of hundreds of really good deals on offer.

BUT, there’s a catch, as always… so don’t get your hopes up for a great deal during the peak holiday travel season. The fares are only good during what I call the “dead weeks.” These are the slowest travel days of the year—Wednesday, November 28 through Wednesday, December 12, 2012, and then again from Monday, Jan. 7 through Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013

These fares are excellent choices for business travelers who can schedule their meetings during these dips in demand when fares plummet.

They are also good for those who cannot afford peak holiday pricing and don’t mind postponing family visits or vacations.

They are also great options for skiers headed to the Rockies if the snow is not up to snuff in the Sierra in January.

Here are the details:

>Book your trip at southwest.com by midnight on Thursday October 11, 2012. Note that Southwest and AirTran launched this fare sale today… and you can count on other airlines matching the sale later today with similar fares on competitive routes.

>To get these deals, you must enter the discount code BigDeal40 in the Promo Code box on southwest.com or SWABIZ.com in order to receive the discount.

>Here are all the terms and conditions for Southwest.

A similar sale, but without the gimmicky discount code is also underway at Southwest subsidiary AirTran—check sale fares at www.airtran.com.

>by Chris McGinnis

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What you need to know about AirTran

October 3, 2012

Southwest’s takeover of AirTran progressing at a measured pace. (Photo: Southwest Airlines)

Since AirTran was swallowed up by Southwest Airlines last year, it seems to have fallen off the radar of many TICKET readers. To get caught up with what’s up with Atlanta’s second largest carrier, we scored an interview with AirTran president Bob Jordan. Take a read through the Q&A and you’ll learn why the transition from AirTran to Southwest is moving so slowly, what Southwest loves about AirTran, plans for a combined loyalty program, an update on wi-fi availability, and what business travelers should like about Southwest.

Q: What’s the current status of the integration of AirTran into Southwest? Are you pleased with the results of the purchase so far?

A: The integration is progressing well and has been successful because all of our employees have stepped up to make it happen. AirTran’s corporate culture focuses on providing great customer service, running a great operation, and offering low fares, which are obviously things Southwest is very passionate about as well. So it was a great fit. We are very pleased with the purchase so far, and are very excited about the future.

AirTran President Bob Jordan

Q: Do you still think that AirTran is a viable brand? Why or why not?

A: Absolutely – just look at our record 84.2% combined [Southwest + AirTran] load factor we experienced in August! We would not have hit that milestone without AirTran’s exceptionally strong performance. This is a successful company that fits well within our philosophy and business strategy. You know this in Atlanta and so do we — AirTran has a loyal customer base, and we want to continue to earn their business while growing the Southwest brand at Hartsfield-Jackson and giving them more itineraries.

Q: What is (or are) the most important lesson(s) you’ve learned from AirTran? From a consumer perspective, is there anything that AirTran did or does better than Southwest?

A: The biggest difference between the two airlines is obviously AirTran’s international service. What better way for Southwest to expand into international service than to bring in-house an entire company that has done that successfully? AirTran has launched several new international routes to new destinations in Mexico. Customers are responding well to new leisure markets that connect Orange County with nonstop service to Los Cabos, and we now offer nonstop flights from both San Antonio and Austin to Cancun. Mexico City is also a new AirTran destination and we’re carrying a lot of business customers there with daily flights from both Orange County and San Antonio. For now, these flights are under the AirTran brand, and we intend to keep it that way through the integration. But eventually, all international routes will be flown under the Southwest brand. By 2015, Southwest will be offering international flights from a new facility at Houston Hobby airport and it will be easy for Atlantans to plug into that as well.

(Have you scored your 500 Delta SkyMiles bonus for using TICKET sponsor Peachy Airport Parking yet? Click here for the coupon!)

Q: How many AirTran jets have been converted into Southwest jets? What’s the schedule for conversion?

A: These conversions are more than just repainting, so it takes some time. So far, we’ve converted eight of about 50 AirTran 737-700s and that will continue at a very measured pace (one or two each month). It is important to us that we do this in the right way with the right timing. The brand conversions will unfold route-by-route, so customers could see a gradual shift in current all-AirTran routes to mixed AirTran and Southwest service, and eventually all Southwest service. But we are talking in terms of years, not months. We’re aiming to the have the vast majority of this done by 2015.

Q: When do you think the AirTran brand will disappear completely? Why not just integrate operations, paint the planes and be done with it like other airlines have done in recent mergers? What’s the value in keeping AirTran around for so long?

A: It’s hard to know at this point, a lot of factors will determine that. The key thing to remember is that with the AirTran purchase, we didn’t cherry-pick a failing airline to scoop up and rescue. We found a successful partner that provides Southwest with the ability to serve markets we’ve wanted to serve for a long time, such as Atlanta and the international markets. Because we have been historically a domestic carrier, we couldn’t immediately transition all AirTran service to Southwest. Even if we could, it still wouldn’t have made sense. AirTran is successful, provides great service and low fares, and that allows us to integrate in a way that is not rushed or hurried.

Southwest Airlines all-coach cabin (Photo: Southwest Airlines)

Q: Is it smarter for a frequent traveler in Atlanta to choose Southwest or AirTran when they both serve the same route– such as ATL-LAX or ATL-SFO (which started Sept 30)?

A: Loyalty points easily flow back and forth between the two brands, so there is no advantage to taking one brand over the other. We’ve seen Southwest customers transferring points to fly in Business Class on AirTran’s international flights, for example. And we are seeing a lot of AirTran customers engaging in Rapid Rewards by converting their banked points for Southwest flights, remembering that Southwest offers six times as many flights every day as AirTran. While we don’t have a firm launch date yet, work is underway and eventually there will be a single loyalty program with every bit of AirTran-earned credit available to use in a larger Southwest Airlines.

Q: How do you think business travelers will react to not having AirTran’s business class on long haul flights like ATL-LAX or SFO?

A: Southwest has a great product for business travelers and has built a lot of loyalty within the business sector over the years. In fact, Southwest carries more domestic business travelers than any other airline. Southwest offers low last-minute (walk-up) fares, which we know business travelers are much more likely to use. We’ve seen a great response to our Early Bird product, where travelers to pay a $10 fee for early boarding privileges.

We are making some additional changes in the cabin to improve the business customers’ experience on Southwest. For example, we continue to install wi-fi on Southwest aircraft and have been offering an introductory price point of just $5 per device—good for all-day access. People love it. We now have more than 320 wi-fi enabled aircraft with our satellite-based technology that will be a brand differentiator for us as we expand our horizon. We’re now providing pre-trip emails letting our customers know that their flight has been scheduled with a wi-fi equipped aircraft. We are purposefully deploying those aircraft on longer flights so passengers can be productive in the air. We’re also testing live streaming TV onboard these aircraft and have seen positive customer reaction so far. I am confident AirTran’s best customers will see the benefits of flying Southwest, but we have to be sure we clearly explain all that it offers so that those customers will make the transition.

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Deal Alert: Late summer/fall fare sales start early

June 12, 2012

If peak season fares will keep you grounded this summer, here’s some great news: Southwest and AirTran have kicked off a decent late summer/early fall fare sale, but you’ve got to act fast. That’s because the sale only lasts 72-hours and only a handful of seats on each plane are selling at the discounted prices. Here are the specifics:

>Travel dates: Travel must take place between Monday, August 13 and Wednesday, November 14.

>Roundtrip fares range from $100 to $280 roundtrip (all in), based on flight length. For travel up to 500 miles, fares are $100 round trip. For travel 501 to 1,300 miles, fares are $200 round trip. For travel 1,301 or more miles, fares are $280 round trip. (Fares are available one-way.)

>This is a 72-hour sale, so tickets must be purchased online at Southwest.com or AirTran.com between today and midnight Thursday, June 14.

>Sale fares are NOT available on Fridays or Sundays. Blackout dates: Aug. 18, Aug. 30, Sept. 3, and Sept. 4, 2012.

>I expect Delta and other carriers to match most of these fares, so shop around if you don’t find the fare you want.

>Based on what we’ve seen fare-wise this summer, these are some great deals. Sample roundtrip AirTran fares from ATL include:

$100: Charlotte, Dayton, Jacksonville, Memphis, Orlando, St Louis

$200: Austin, Boston, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Washington DC

$280: Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Francisco, Seattle

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Deal ALERT: Late summer/fall fares sales start early

June 12, 2012

If peak season fares will keep you grounded this summer, here’s some great news: This morning, Southwest.com and AirTran.com kicked off a decent late summer/early fall fare sale, but you’ve got to act fast. That’s because the sale only lasts 72-hours and only a handful of seats on each plane are selling at the discounted prices. Here are the specifics:

>Travel dates: Travel must take place between Monday, August 13 and Wednesday, November 14.

>This is a 72-hour sale, so tickets must be purchased online at Southwest.com or AirTran.com between today and midnight Thursday, June 14.

>Sale fares are NOT available on Fridays or Sundays. Blackout dates: Aug. 18, Aug. 30, Sept. 3, and Sept. 4, 2012.

>I expect United, Delta and other carriers to match most of these fares by later today, so shop around if you don’t find the fare you want.

>Based on what we’ve seen fare-wise this summer, these are some great deals. Sample roundtrip Southwest or AirTran fares from SFO/OAK/SJC include:

$100: Burbank, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Ontario, Orange County, Reno, San Diego

$200: Albuquerque, Denver, Phoenix, Portland, Seattle

$280: Atlanta, Austin, Chicago, Houston

If this information was helpful to you, please subscribe to TravelSkills via e-mail— and tell your friends about it, too!

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How new AirTran – Southwest point conversion will affect you

April 23, 2012

Current Southwest Airlines Route Map

Today Southwest Airlines announced that members of AirTran A+ Rewards and Southwest Rapid Rewards can now transfer points between the two programs.

Key points to remember:

>Members of both programs now have access to a total of 97 destinations in the two airlines’ combined networks. (See above for all Southwest destinations. Click here for AirTran route map.)

>The two programs remain separate for now—today’s announcement is about point conversion between the two programs. It’s not about a merger of the two programs. Eventually, the AirTran program will disappear, but Southwest would not commit to any specific date for this. (Last we heard, AirTran will be around until at least 2015!)

>In order for the conversion to work, you’ve got to be a member of Southwest Rapid Rewards—if you’ve not joined yet, here’s how.

>Southwest says that the new conversion site is similar to online banking sites where users can transfer money between multiple accounts online and in real time.

>Unfortunately, transferring AirTran points to the Southwest program won’t extend their life. Southwest says, “When transferring A+ Rewards Credits into Rapid Rewards Credits, the expiration date of the newly created Rapid Rewards credits will remain the same as the original expiration date of the A+ Rewards Credits converted.”

>Points transfers will not count toward elite status in either program. Points or credits earned by qualifying flight or partner activity will count toward elite status in the program in which they were earned.

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>While Southwest would not reveal specific membership numbers, it’s safe to say that the Rapid Rewards membership base is exponentially larger than AirTran’s. All those Southwest Rapid Rewards members will (for the first time ever) be able to redeem points for international flights—meaning AirTran flights to Mexico and the Caribbean. With that in mind, AirTran members with plans to redeem A+ points for trips to these destinations should act fast—there is going to be a run on award flights by the zillions of members of Rapid Rewards, and the award seats are capacity controlled.

>Along the same lines as the above blurb, the zillions of Southwest Rapid Rewards members will now have access to those nice AirTran business class seats using their converted points for upgrades or awards…so it’s going to get tougher to sit up front on the dwindling number of AirTran business class seats out there…

>The points conversion site will live on Southwest.com—AirTran members will find links to the new conversion site from the AirTran.com A+ Rewards page.

>One A+ Rewards credit will convert into one Southwest Rewards credit, which means it will take 16 AirTran A+ Reward credits to equal one standard roundtrip award on Southwest.

>In the Southwest program, once your account reaches 16 credits, one standard roundtrip award credit is automatically generated, which expires in one year. So if you transfer 16 A+ Rewards into Southwest credits, a standard roundtrip award is automatically generated, which is valid for one year. (Note: Southwest’s Standard Award can be split into two in order to use for two separate one-way flights. But you cannot generate a one-way award with only eight credits, as you can now do on AirTran.)

Got questions? Comments? Please leave them below and we’ll do our best to get them answered!

Southwest’s first Atlanta flights landing in February

August 22, 2011

The red bellies are coming! The red bellies are coming! At long last, Southwest Airlines has announced that it will begin flying between Atlanta and five cities starting in February.

Below you’ll find its press release announcing the new flights.

Stay tuned for more news and analysis in a future issue of The TICKET. For now, we just wanted to get the news out.

Please take a moment and leave your comments and thoughts about Southwest.…have you flown it before? Are you happy or sad that it will be replacing AirTran? What are you most looking forward to with Southwest? What will you miss the most about AirTran? Please leave your comments in the space below.

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Southwest Airlines Announces Fares and Flights to/from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport

– Initial Schedule of Fifteen Daily Departures Begins Feb. 12, 2012
– Fares starting as low as $79 one-way
– Southwest, AirTran Take First Steps to Blend Frequent Flyer Programs

Southwest Airlines is launching new service to Atlanta (ATL) on Feb. 12, 2012, bringing greatly reduced fares and new flexibility for both business and leisure Customers. With initial fares for nonstop travel as low as $79 one-way, the first Southwest flights to and from Georgia will also mark a significant and eagerly anticipated milestone in the carrier’s acquisition of AirTran Airways.

Southwest President, Chairman, and CEO Gary Kelly revealed details of Southwest’s first Atlanta schedule during a luncheon with the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce.

“We’re bringing especially great value to those of you who travel last-minute,” Kelly told the audience of business leaders. “Here in Atlanta, our fully refundable, walk-up fares will be, on average, more than 30 percent lower than anything currently in these markets. And we are bringing the flexibility Southwest Customers already enjoy in other cities because we don’t charge a $150 fee simply to change your plans.”

From Atlanta, Southwest initially will offer 15 nonstop departures each day to five destinations: Baltimore/Washington (BWI), Chicago Midway (MDW), Denver (DEN), Houston Hobby (HOU), and Austin, Texas (AUS)–a route not previously served by AirTran Airways.

NEW ATLANTA SERVICE BEGINNING FEB. 12, 2012 (open today for purchase on southwest.com):

$99 each way between Atlanta and Austin – two daily roundtrips

$79 each way between Atlanta and Baltimore/Washington- four daily roundtrips

$99 each way between Atlanta and Denver – two daily roundtrips

$99 each way between Atlanta and Houston Hobby – three daily roundtrips

$79 each way between Atlanta and Chicago Midway – four daily roundtrips

The nonstop flights make possible additional direct or connecting service between Atlanta and 48 destinations on Southwest Airlines.

The inaugural schedule also brings, for the first time, one-stop/no change-of-plane service between Atlanta and Dallas’ Love Field on Southwest Airlines.

In a first step toward blending frequent flyer programs, Kelly announced top-tier members of both carriers’ frequent flyer loyalty programs– A-List Members of Southwest’s All New Rapid Rewards and elite A+ Members of AirTran’s A+ Rewards–will enjoy some, limited reciprocal benefits when flying on either carrier beginning today.

A-List benefits include extra Rapid Reward points, Priority Boarding, access to priority security lanes, and more. On the flip side, Southwest A-List and A-List Preferred Members booking on AirTran will get Free Business Class upgrades, no baggage fees, and all other benefits that AirTran’s elite Members enjoy.

Visit southwest.com/travelexperience to learn more about Southwest’s legendary Customer Service with No Hidden Fees. Southwest doesn’t charge a fee to check a first or second bag; there’s no charge for onboard sodas or snacks; there’s never a fee to speak with one of our Agents on the phone; and Southwest does not charge a fee to change a reservation.

In its 40th year of service, Southwest Airlines continues to differentiate itself from other low-fare carriers–offering a reliable product with exemplary Customer Service. Southwest Airlines is the nation’s largest carrier in terms of originating domestic passengers boarded and has acquired AirTran Airways, now a wholly owned subsidiary of Southwest Airlines Co. With the addition of Atlanta, Southwest will serve 73 cities in 38 states and remains one of the most honored airlines in the world known for its commitment to the triple bottom line of Performance, People, and Planet. To read more about how Southwest is doing its part to be a good citizen, visit southwest.com/cares to read the Southwest Airlines One Report(TM). Based in Dallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,400 flights a day and has more than 35,000 Employees.

Introductory Fare Rules

Southwest Airlines sale fares are available for purchase Aug. 22, 2011, through Sep. 5, 2011, 11:59 p.m. PDT, and travel must take place between Feb. 12, 2012, and March 9, 2012. Fares are available only on southwest.com or swabiz.com. Fares do not include a federal excise tax of $3.70 per takeoff and landing. Fares do not include airport-assessed passenger facility charges (PFC) of up to $9.00 and U.S. government-imposed September 11th Security Fee of up to $5.00 one-way. Seats are limited. Fares may vary by destination, flight, and day of week, and won’t be available on some flights that operate during very busy travel times and holiday periods. Fares are available for one-way travel. Fares may be combined with other combinable fares. Fares are not combinable with Senior Fares. When combining fares, all rules and restrictions apply. Fares are nonrefundable but may be applied toward the purchase of future travel on Southwest Airlines. Fares are not available through the Group Desk. Any change in the itinerary may result in an increase in fare. Standby travel requires an upgrade to the Anytime fare. Fares are subject to change until ticketed. Fares are valid on published, scheduled service only.

No major changes for AirTran in near term

May 2, 2011

The following is a statement provided by AirTran regarding the closing of its purchase by Southwest Airlines today. In a nutshell, not much will change for AirTran customers until next year. We’ve emphasized the most important parts of this statement:

Southwest and AirTran will immediately begin the work to integrate AirTran into Southwest Airlines. However, AirTran will continue to operate under the AirTran brand with its same policies, procedures, and product features for a period of time. Southwest plans to integrate AirTran into Southwest Airlines over time by transitioning the AirTran fleet to the Southwest Airlines livery, developing a consistent Customer Experience, and transitioning the operations of the two carriers onto a Single Operating Certificate. Southwest currently expects it will obtain a SOC in the first quarter of 2012 and estimates it will take several years to fully transition AirTran into Southwest Airlines to become one airline.

In the near term, Customers can expect to interact with each carrier as they always have. Customers flying on AirTran will continue to make reservations or check in at airtran.com or by calling 800-247-8726, and visit AirTran kiosks and ticket counters. AirTran Crew Members (employees) will assist on scheduled AirTran flights. Customers flying on Southwest will continue to make reservations or check in at southwest.com or by calling 800-435-9792, or at Southwest kiosks and ticket counters. Southwest Employees will assist on scheduled Southwest flights. Customers will continue to earn and redeem through the respective frequent flier loyalty programs, as they do today, until those programs are combined over time.

Southwest plans to provide the ability for Customers to connect across the networks and integrate key Customer Service policies for a more consistent Customer Experience, in the fall or early next year, depending on both companies’ readiness. Any changes to the Customer Experience on either carrier will be communicated in advance via southwest.com, airtran.com, and in direct Customer communications.

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Airline News

February 18, 2011

TICKET editor Chris McGinnis

CHRIS PREDICTS: BIG RISE IN AIRFARES. You can kiss all those rock bottom, dirt cheap fares that we’ve seen over the last few years goodbye as the economy warms up and demand rises faster than anyone expected. Add in higher fuel prices due to instability in the Middle East and airlines’ new-found discipline around capacity increases, and you’ve got the recipe for BIG fare increases, especially this summer when demand peaks. So far this year, airlines have been successful in pushing through several fare increases targeting mostly business travelers. So get ready for a pricey ride this year, especially if you are flying on routes where there’s no low-fare competition. If you’ve got summer plans to fly during July or August, it’s probably time to go ahead and buy tickets now…you’ll find prices already extraordinarily high, but they won’t be coming down. For example, we priced summer round-trip coach fares to Europe from ATL this week, and they are already averaging around $1200.

SKYMILES EXPIRATIONS EXPLAINED. This week Delta ditched the frustrating, consumer un-friendly (yet widespread) practice of putting an expiration date on miles earned. Until now, SkyMiles members had to show some sort of activity in the program at least once every 24 months, or face losing their earnings. While this is not much of a problem for the frequent traveling TICKET reader, it does come into play for less frequent-flying retirees sitting on big banks of miles or those who may have moved away from a Delta hub. When Delta starts scrapping with Southwest later this year, you can bet it’ll pull this arrow out of its PR quiver since Southwest Rapid Reward miles expire after 24 months of inactivity. And don’t think that this is permanent– Delta once promised its Frequent Flyer miles would never expire (remember?), and it they changed the rules. It could always happen again!

AIRTRAN+SOUTHWEST. We’ve hammered our contacts at both AirTran and Southwest to get the scoop on when the proposed deal will close and the Southwest Red Bellies will soar over Atlanta skies. But no one is saying a peep as long as antitrust regulators are snooping around. Stay tuned! All we’ve heard is that the deal could close in “late spring.”

Delta borrowed the Economy Comfort idea from SkyTeam partner KLM

DELTA’S NEW ECONOMY COMFORT. As hinted late last year in The TICKET, Delta has unveiled its newest class of service on international routes and dubbed it Economy Comfort. This small subset of rows at the front of the economy cabin will be available on more than 160 Boeing 747, 757, 767, 777 and Airbus A330 international aircraft. Similar to United’s Economy Plus, passengers in these rows (designated by a special headrest cover) will pay a small premium to sit here and will benefit from up to four additional inches of legroom and 50 percent greater recline than standard Economy seats. (We’re a little concerned about what it may be like to sit behind someone with 50 percent more recline…but we’ll see…) The buy-up fee will average between $80-160 each way, but Diamond and Platinum Medallions (and up to eight people traveling in the same record) will have complimentary access to these seats. Customers who purchase full-fare economy tickets will also have access to these seats but Gold and Silver Medallion members on discounted fares will have to pay a fee. Delta’s Economy Comfort section has one additional benefit that United’s Economy Plus does not: free booze. All Delta international passengers enjoy free beer and wine, but Economy Comfort and Business Elite passengers have a complete open bar. On a similar note, the “New United” announced that it’s popular Economy Plus seats found on both its domestic and international planes will be a permanent part of the combined operations of United and Continental going forward.

BIG SPRING BREAK. With Spring Break just around the corner, Americans are opening up their pocketbooks and investing in travel. According to an AOL survey, 72% of respondents said they have more (31%) or the same amount (41%) of money to spend on spring break this year compared to last. So get ready to share your airport and airplane space with the shorts and flip-flops crowd if you are traveling anytime between early March and Easter (late, on April 24 this year).

PFC’s COULD RISE. Part of President Obama’s new budget plan could bump up ticket prices later this year. Currently, airport Passenger Facilities Charges (PFC’s) that airports use to fund improvements, are capped at $4.50 per segment. The budget proposal would move the cap to $7 per segment, potentially adding $14 to the cost of a nonstop round trip, $28 for one-stop roundtrips.

FREE FLYING FACEBOOK. From February 1 – 28, Delta, AirTran and five other airlines’ customers can access Gogo Inflight Internet to connect to Facebook without purchasing a flight pass, courtesy of Ford Motor Company. Just fire up your laptop or smartphone inflight and click on the ad from the Gogo landing page. And if you’ve not done so already, be sure to LIKE The TICKET’s Facebook page.

AIRTRAN OVERSEAS. AirTran cranked up its new flights to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic this week—and will add new daily flights to Bermuda from Baltimore/Washington beginning April 7 and from Atlanta on May 26. AirTran now flies to sandy destinations such as: Aruba, Cancun, Mexico, Montego Bay, Jamaica, Nassau, Bahamas, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

SkyTeam lounge at London Heathrow

LOUNGE ACCESS FOR GOLDS. Remember that as of March 1, all SkyMiles Gold Medallion members are welcomed into the fold of SkyTeam Elite Plus meaning they gain access to all SkyTeam lounges overseas (even when flying coach). Since this is a new alliance-wide policy, confrontations between uninformed lounge staffers can be expected so always carry your Delta SkyMiles Gold Medallion card.

FEEDBACK? COMMENTS? Email us or leave your comments in the space below!

DELTA FLEET ENHANCEMENTS. Delta has announced the expedited retirement of more than 100 regional and aging mainline aircraft from its fleet as capacity growth is trimmed. Rising fuel prices have played a role in the move. First to go will be the remainder of the DC-9 fleet over the next 12-18 months. By late 2012, those gas-guzzlers will be long gone (good riddance). Also on the chopping block are the 26 Saab 340s (buh-bye!) inherited with the Northwest merger. The remainder of cuts comes from the removal of about 60 50-seat CRJ-100s, which is certain to bring applause from frequent travelers tired of the cramped Barbie Jets. This news comes on the heels of Delta’s recent request to review a narrow body replacement for its fleet to begin later in the decade. Keep watching The TICKET for any major aircraft orders that may be on the way.

CANADA’S SOUTHWEST AIRLINES. A new interline agreement is now in effect between Delta and Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet. The partnership is similar to that launched recently between Delta and Brazilian carrier Gol permitting passengers to connect between the two carriers’ flights, but SkyMiles earning/burning potential is not part of the deal yet. Calgary-based WestJet handles a third of Canadian domestic flying.

LEAK SCANNER IMAGE, GO TO JAIL. Even though the TSA insists that new body scanners cannot capture and store images, two U.S. senators propose criminalizing the dissemination of airport full body scanner images. Chuck Schumer (NY) and Ben Nelson (NE) are hoping to add an amendment to the aviation spending bill that would prohibit anyone with access to the images from copying and distributing them. If they do, they’ll face fines of up to $100,000 and a prison term.

ANDROID APP. If you’ve been feeling left out of the Delta smartphone app craze because you’ve got an Android device, your wait is over. Now, in addition to Blackberry and iPhone app, Delta’s Android app is ready for downloading from the Android Market. With the app, you can get your flight status and gate info, search schedules, get eBoarding passes, check SkyMiles balances and even set a reminder about where you are parked at the airport. Eventually, these apps could help customers stuck in winter weather situations, allowing them to view and choose flight alternatives.

HEY JAVA JUNKIES. Delta has announced a partnership with Seattle’s Best Coffee (a subsidiary company of Starbucks) to serve their coffee on board. This premium coffee brand will be served in all three classes worldwide. Quietly, Delta conducted actual taste tests aboard select flights with passengers to determine which blend would have the best taste at altitude. The winner? Level 4 (based on a scale of 1 to 5 of roast intensity). Level 4 will begin appearing on Delta mainline and Delta Connection flights in March. (We’ve just learned to travel with a handy pack of Starbuck’s VIA, a TICKET sponsor, to avoid the possibility of bad travel coffee!)

SEPTUAGENARIAN. Delta recently reached its 70^th birthday serving Atlanta and celebrated with a big bash. As “Georgia’s hometown airline,” Delta deployed a new Boeing B777-200LR and christened it the “Spirit of Atlanta.” It will fly mainly on routes between ATL and Tokyo, Johannesburg, or Dubai.

NEW LOOK, BUT… The SkyMiles booking tool at delta.com may have a new look, but feels as clunky as ever. Delta made a big splash about new options to filter, modify, and sort flight search results. However some available flights are now hidden unless searching by schedule (rather than price). Also, the site still displays crazy itineraries priced at 375,000 for a Business Class ticket. To be fair, Delta does offer some “low-category” mileage tickets around the globe, especially when traveling with partner airlines, but they can never be found on delta.com due to the consistently poor search engine. As always, to score the very best award deals you have to call a Delta agent. (And remember, you don’t pay the fee for the call unless you book a ticket.)

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! What do you think about The TICKET? What’s great or not so great about this issue? What else should we be doing to make it better? Email your comments to us or leave them below. WE LIVE FOR FEEDBACK! So come on! Let us know.

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Silver lining for weather-weary travelers?

January 12, 2011

The new “three-hour rule” that forbids holding passengers on board grounded aircraft for more than three hours is forcing airlines to change the way they deal with winter storms.

In the past, airlines hesitated to cancel flights hoping that weather might quickly change for the better and allow them to resume operations.

But with the threat of heavy fines for holding passengers on planes over three hours (now $27,500 per passenger) or having them stuck at the airport, airlines are now much more likely to cancel flights hours or even days ahead of time. Affected passengers are instructed to stay away from the airport until operations are up and running.

I think this is a good thing, because with ample warning, fewer passengers are likely to be marooned at airports for hours waiting for flights to take off. When airlines pre-cancel thousands of flights, as they’ve done during recent winter storms, they’ve done a relatively good job of letting affected passengers know to just stay home and stay warm.

Early notification of flight cancellations is also allowing more travelers to take advantage of an option airlines rarely trumpet: that passengers on canceled flights can opt out of any alternatives the airlines offer and get a FULL REFUND. That’s right. For example, let’s say you were booked on a flight from ATL to New York this past Monday for a Tuesday meeting, returning on Wednesday. If your flight was canceled on Monday and it no longer made sense to go to New York at all, you could refuse alternate flights and get a full refund.

The downside of this is that airline websites are still rather weak when it comes to handling the re-booking process, forcing many travelers to phone overburdened call centers and wait endlessly on hold. As a result of this weakness, I expect airlines to double up on current efforts to develop and roll out mobile applications that will allow passengers to re-book themselves on canceled flights from their smart phones.

Overall, despite all the recent bad weather and delays, there’s good new for air travelers here. I’d rather wait out a storm at home or in a hotel rather than at the airport. Plus, I’d be willing to accept a slightly longer delay to do so.

What about you?

Speaking of being weather weary, home bound or sick with cabin fever, we thought we’d share this short trailer from The Shining. It makes you realize that you don’t have it THAT bad. Right??

(Hat tip to ice-bound TICKET reader Jeff M for sending this our way!)

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Big changes for AirTran A+ Rewards members

January 7, 2011

Attention AirTran A+ Rewards members: Your frequent flyer program is going to change. Big time.

This week Southwest Airlines announced a complete revamp of Rapid Rewards, its frequent flyer program. With the impending takeover of AirTran by Southwest, we’ll all be Rapid Rewards members late this year or in early 2012.

Let’s take a look at some key components of the new Rapid Rewards program and compare them to the current A+ Rewards plan and speculate a bit on how the transition from A-Plus to Rapid Rewards might play out.

On March 1, Rapid Rewards is changing from a flight-credit based program very similar to that of AirTran to a points-based program. Points earned are based more on how much you spend than how often or far you fly.

The new program is more appealing to business travelers, who typically pay more for less restrictive fares. It’s less appealing to those who typically fly on very low discounted fares.

So if you are a frequent business traveler who tends to fly more at the last minute and pays higher fares, you will probably like Rapid Rewards. If you are a bargain-hunter and stick to the lowest fare categories, the new Rapid Rewards program is probably going to have less appeal than AirTran’s A+ Rewards.

>EARNING. With AirTran’s A+, members earn one flight credit per segment no matter how much it costs. 16 segments equal one free roundtrip. With the new Rapid Rewards, members earn points based on fare paid. For example, on a Southwest deeply discounted $100 “Wanna Get Away” one-way fare you’ll earn 600 points– six points per dollar. If you choose to pay the $200 “Anytime” fare, you’ll earn 2000 points– 10 points per dollar. And if you choose the most expensive “Business Select” fare of $220, you’ll earn 2,640 points– 12 points per dollar.

>REDEEMING. With AirTran’s A+, you redeem your credits for an award certificate. When you book your award flight using that certificate, you are subject to availability and blackout dates. With the new Rapid Rewards program, you use your points like currency to “buy” any available seat listed on Southwest.com—there are no blackouts or availability issues. So if you find and book the least expensive “Wanna Get Away” one-way fare that normally sells for $100, it will cost 6000 points. The less restrictive $200 “Anytime” fare will cost 20,000 points. Business Select fares ($220) would cost 26,400 points. TIP: AirTran members should go ahead and redeem credits for long-distance and/or business class awards this year while the going is good.

>EXPIRATION. One of the most frustrating features of AirTran’s A+ program is the short shelf life of flight credits— one year for regular members or two years for elites and those holding the A+ Visa card. With the new Rapid Rewards program, points expire only if you don’t have any earning activity within a 24-month time period.

>INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS. Just like AirTran’s A+ Rewards program, Southwest has teamed up with a third party travel agent allowing members to use their points to “buy” tickets on other carriers. (Details are somewhat sketchy here, but if the program is similar to that of AirTran, tickets for international flights will require a hefty redemption of points . . . but at least it’s an option for members who’ve banked lots of points.) The option differs from AirTran’s by requiring those who want to take advantage of it to hold a $59/year Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card.

>ELITE LEVELS. AirTran offers just one level of elite status to those who earn at least 25 flight credits in a rolling calendar year or 10 credits in a 90-day window. To maintain elite status, A+ members only have to earn 12 credits in a rolling 12 month period. The new Southwest program will offer two elite levels: A-List, A-List Preferred, plus the popular Companion Pass. Members have to fly 25 one-way segments or earn 35,000 “tier qualifying points” to qualify for the A-List. For the A-List Preferred tier, you must fly 50 one-way segments or earn 70,000 tier qualifying points. To help build point banks faster, A-List members get a 25 percent booking bonus; Preferred members get a 100 percent bonus. (AirTran does not offer any flight credit bonuses to elite members.) Members who fly at last 100 one-way segments or earn 110,000 points (even if they are just standard points from Southwest credit card purchases, not the “tier qualifying” points needed for A-List or Preferred) get a “Companion Pass,” allowing one designated person to fly free with the member for a year.

>UPGRADES. AirTran A+ Elite members can use their credits and status to upgrade to business class. Southwest has stated that it will replace AirTran’s business class with its all coach product. While Rapid Rewards elites won’t be able to upgrade to a big business class seat, they do get other perks such as access to special lines at check-in and airport security, early boarding and standby priority.

>FREE WI-FI. With the new Rapid Reward program, those near top of the heap, A-List Preferred and Companion Pass members, will get free Wi-Fi access on all Southwest flights. Currently Southwest has close to 100 planes with Wi-Fi with plans to have it fleet wide within two years. As TICKET reader know, all of AirTran’s planes are equipped with Wi-Fi, but with a different system (Gogo) than the one Southwest has chosen. Time will tell how that part of the transition works!

>TRANSITION. Southwest is hesitant to address transition to the new program until the transaction to buy AirTran closes. I assume that it will offer AirTran A+ members the same deal it’s offering Rapid Rewards members: current banked flight credits will retain their value until they are used or expire. If you don’t have enough credits for a free flight, you’ll be able to “buy” them for 1200 points. Fair enough. I also assume that Southwest will honor AirTran elite status, but the jury’s out on how it will determine which level of Rapid Rewards elite they’ll get.

For a peek and more details of the NEW Rapid Rewards program, check out the new site here: www.newrapidrewards.com

So, what do you think? Is this good or bad news for A+ Reward members?

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10 things you need to know about Southwest + AirTran

September 27, 2010

Today Southwest Airlines announced that it would buy AirTran, Atlanta’s second largest air carrier. This comes as little surprise to The TICKET…we talked to Southwest CEO Gary Kelly about a move in to Atlanta last year!

Here’s what you need to know:

1. GOODBYE AIRTRAN. This is not a merger or a partnership. Southwest is buying AirTran for $1.4 billion, so AirTran will disappear. It will not be operated as a subsidiary. Signage, airplane paint, uniforms, everything will be Southwest. Headquarters will be in Dallas, TX, but flights to/from AirTran’s largest hub, Atlanta, should remain mostly unchanged.

2. BE PATIENT. The deal requires approval from the government, and it will take a while to close, so don’t expect overnight changes. The two airlines will operate separately for many months to come—probably for at least one year.

3. NO BAGGAGE FEES. While AirTran charges fees for checked baggage, Southwest does not charge for the first or second bag and has said this policy will remain in effect. Delta charges non-elite flyers $25 for the first checked bag, $35 for the second. That’s an extra $120 round trip if you check two bags. To remain competitive at ATL, I expect Delta to offer more ways to get around that fee, similar to the current promo that waives the fee for those who charge tickets on certain American Express cards.

4. GOODBYE AIRTRAN BUSINESS CLASS. Many frequent travelers have come to know and love AirTran’s business class product. (Including me!)

It offered relatively easy and cheap upgrades to some big seats at the front of the plane. Southwest offers ONLY coach seating, and has said that it will continue to offer only a one-class product. That means we’ll have to kiss those big seats goodbye. Too bad.

5. PREMIUM FARES WILL SOAR. If you’ve enjoyed discounted first class fares on Delta on routes to the West Coast (or elsewhere) where it competed with AirTran, you can expect those to evaporate. For example, AirTran charged about $1000 round trip for a business class seat to LAX, SFO and SEA and Delta matched it for its first class. I would not be surprised to see those premium fares climb up to $2000+ without a competitive product in the market.

6. CATTLE CALL BOARDING. UGH! It’s going to take some time for AirTran flyers to get used to Southwest’s boarding process, derisively known as the “Cattle Call.” Southwest does NOT offer advance seat assignments. So it’s first come, first served. This means travelers must check in online exactly 24 hours before their flight to be among the first groups allowed to board. (Big hassle!) Those who check in late, board late and get stuck with middle seats and limited overhead bin space. Not fun. To appeal to business travelers, Southwest recently introduced “Business Select” fares, which cost more, but get you into the first group allowed to board. You can also pay an extra $10 each way “Early Bird” fee to get to the front of the line.

7. NO CHANGE FEES! One of the most beautiful things about Southwest is that it does NOT charge change fees. (But it does ask travelers changing tickets to pay any fare differential.) AirTran charged $75 to change a ticket, plus the fare differential. Southwest says this onerous fee will go away.

8. WATCH ATL-DFW FOR FARE INCREASES. Once the deal closes, CEO Kelly says Southwest will not offer nonstops between Atlanta and Dallas. This will leave ATL-DFW in the hands of just Delta and American. Expect fare increases.

9. FREQUENT FLYER PROS & CONS. Southwest says that it will ultimately merge the AirTran A+ program with Southwest Rapid Rewards. Luckily, both programs are based on flight credits, and not miles flown. The combining of the two programs is probably better news for current members of Southwest’s program because they will now be able to earn and redeem their points on flights AirTran routes to Mexico and the Caribbean. However, Southwest Rapid Reward points are good for TWO years as opposed to AirTran’s 12 months, so that’s a positive for A+ members.

Wondering where you can fly? Compare route maps here:

AirTran route map
Southwest Route map

10. >THE NEWARK CARD. Southwest recently announced that it would serve Newark, an airport AirTran left last year. This resulted in Delta and Continental raising mid-week fares to $800+ round trip. If Southwest launches ATL-Newark flights, travelers should expect reasonable fares to return.

UPDATE: One more important thing to know: Southwest does NOT participate with online fare comparison sites such as Expedia or Travelocity, or with metasearch sites like Kayak. Its fares are ONLY listed on southwest.com. So Atlanta travelers are going to have to get used to doing TWO online fare searches— one on a comparative site, another on southwest.com.

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