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Planespotting: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320 differences

Can you tell the difference between the 737 and A320 in this shot? (Angelo DeSantis / Flickr)

Can you tell the difference between the A320 and the B737 in this shot? (Angelo DeSantis / Flickr)

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

But it’s not so easy for the rest of us. To help TravelSkills readers confidently recognize what they see overhead or out on the runway, we offer up a series of posts dedicated to one of our favorite pastimes-Planespotting!

Today let’s look at two ubiquitous planes – the Boeing 737 family and the Airbus A320 family. How can you tell them apart? 

The Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 are two of the most popular single-aisle planes flying. They are about the same size and look quite similar to the untrained eye.

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See the pointy nose on the Boeing 737? The dorsal-like fin leading up to the tail? (Photo: Colin Brown / Flickr)

 

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See the more bulbous nose on the Airbus? (Aero Icarus / Flickr)

The 737 is Boeing’s most widely produced aircraft and has nine variants flown by almost all major domestic airlines, especially Southwest, which operates only 737s and has 725 of ’em! Delta flies about 150.

The Airbus A320 (along with the similar A318, 319 and 321) is more popular overseas, but in the U.S., they comprise 100% of Virgin America’s fleet and much of JetBlue’s. American Airlines has the largest Airbus fleet in the world, including 384 in the A320 family. United has about 160. Delta has 141 A319s, A320s and A321s.

(This is a blast from the past- a previously popular post we want to share again. Enjoy!)

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Note the Airbus nose and windows (PurplePoulpe / Flickr)

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Note the pointy nose and angular window in the Boeing (PurplePoulpe / Flickr)

One of the easiest ways to tell the difference between a 737 and an A320 is by looking at the nose of the plane. Boeing jets tend to have pointy noses compared to Airbus noses which are more rounded and bulbous.

You can also look at the outer edge of the cockpit windows. On a 737 (and most Boeing jets), the windows have a sharp diagonal corner while the A320s windows are more square.

Also, look at the tail of both jets. The 737 has tail has small dorsal- like fin that extends at a slight angle from the top of the fuselage to the tail. That’s absent on the A320’s smaller tail. See it? (scroll up)

The A320 also has a larger, more distinctive tail cone than the 737.

When flying the 737 or A320, do you notice much difference? Do you have a preference? Please leave your comments below. 

And don’t miss the TravelSkills Planespotting quiz— 7,000 readers have taken it! Why not you?

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Trip Report: Oakland-London, British Airways business class

BART

First stop on my journey to London: BART’s 24th Street station in San Francisco where I caught a train to Oakland International (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Last month I jumped on British Airways’ new Oakland-London Gatwick nonstop for a quick two-day business trip. I’ve never flown to Europe from Oakland, so I was eager to give it a go and share my experience here.

I was also eager to test taking BART from San Francisco to Oakland Airport. And in another test, I skipped my normal practice of taking sleep aids on this overnight flight. 

On the OAK-LGW route, British Airways is following in the contrails of Norwegian Air, which launched its Oakland-London Boeing 787 Dreamliner nonstops in May 2016 at rock bottom fares– as low as $400 round trip, but with many extra fees.

Currently, the cheapest BA fares on OAK-LGW are running about $975 for economy class roundtrips in June. These economy class fares pretty much match Norwegian’s fares when you add in all Norwegian’s extras. Premium economy runs about $1,450 roundtrip. The least expensive business class seats are going for about $3,700 roundtrip, but in some cases climb as high as $7,000. When BA first announced the nonstops it offered a special economy fare of just $500 round trip, but that fare is long gone now that peak summer season approaches.

British Airways’ new Oakland-Gatwick flights operate four days a week using a Boeing 777-200ER that seats 275 passengers: 203 in economy,  24 in premium economy and  48 in business class. British Airways’ premium economy (aka World Traveller Plus) is in a separate cabin, bigger seats with 38-inch pitch, in-seat power, and choice of meals from the business class menu. BA is the only carrier at OAK offering lie-flat business class seats to Europe.

BA Club World (business class) travelers flying out of Oakland receive up to five days of free parking in OAK’s Premier Lot, an added value of $190. They also get complimentary access to a new Escape lounge located in Terminal 1 near BA gates. One-time passes to the lounge go for $45.

Note: Chris McGinnis was a guest of British Airways for this trip to London to attend a press briefing. Here’s what that was all about!

BART’s Coliseum station is where passengers connect to the new BART Connector to Oakland Airport (Chris McGinnis)

When taking BART to Oakland International Airport, you get off at Coliseum station. From there you walk up the steps to the new Oakland Airport Connector station for the short spur ride to the front door of the airport. (Fares vary from your starting point, but run in the $10 range) Wanna see what that ride is like? Watch the video below!

Here’s the ride from BART Coliseum to Oakland Airport

British Airways check in counters are located in an unusual spot near airport security in Oakland’s Terminal 1 (Chris McGinnis)

British Airways operates out of Oakland’s Terminal 1. When I first walked in I could not find the British Airways ticket counter among all the other counters in the main corridor. When I asked,  I discovered that BA’s counter is in a new space (currently under construction) closer to the security screening lines.

I picked up my boarding pass at the counter, breezed through security– I did not get PreCheck for this flight, although it is available at OAK– but did not really need it since there were only about 10 people in line at midday.

Total transit time from the BART station in SF to the Escape lounge beyond security just 70 minutes. Not bad!

After security I headed straight to the new Escape Lounge– since I was flying business class, I had comp access to the lounge which was a nice quiet oasis from the hubbub of the terminal.

When I checked my watch, I was pleased to see that the entire journey from the BART station in SF, under the Bay in a train, connecting to the airport spur, checking in, going through security and walking to the gate took just 70 minutes! That’s faster and easier than I expected, and the ease of the trip probably had a lot to do with the time of day I was there (midday). If it had been morning or evening rush hours, it would have probably taken a bit longer.

Modern design, generous food and drink and views at Oakland’s new Escape Lounge (Chris McGinnis)

Last year Oakland International Airport opened a new Escape Lounge that’s open to all passengers for a $45 one-time-use fee. (British Airways business class passengers and Norwegian Air’s Premium passengers are comped.) It is located in Terminal 1 between gates 8 and 8A, across from gate 9. The 2,700-square-foot facility can accommodate 50 travelers, and has separate zones for relaxing, dining/drinking and work. It’s open daily from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m.

Warm mac and cheese, avocado toast, cheese and crackers at the Escape Lounge (Chris McGinnis)

When I was there around lunchtime, The Escape lounge buffet had a nice selection of hot and cold items, including these cute cast iron ramekins of yummy macaroni and cheese, avocado toast, soup, salad, fresh fruit, cold cuts, crackers, cheese and chips. There’s also a separate full complimentary bar with waiter service. Food and drink is service on china and glass. Nice tarmac views out big windows. I found this lounge almost as nice as any Amex Centurion Lounge I’ve visited recently, but only half as crowded.

Now let’s go jump onboard! BA 2278 was scheduled to depart at 3:10 pm but was delayed until 3:50 pm. Flight time to London is 10.5 hours, and is scheduled to land at 9:30 am.

British Airways deploys a Boeing 777-200ER on the Oakland-London Gatwich route (Chris McGinnis)

The Boeing 777-200ER deployed on this route is not a new plane, but the interior felt like it had been through a recent refresh. There were 48 business class seats in two cabins separated by a galley  and it felt airy and bright with huge overhead bins.

Luckily business class was only about 1/3 full so I was able to get a rear-facing window seat and did not have to face a fellow forward-facing passenger during take off and landing. To make life easier on the flight attendants, I left the translucent screen separating passengers down for the entire flight.

British Airways signature forward and rear facing business class seats (Chris McGinnis)

To me, the window seats in British Airways business class are the best because they are so private– you are really tucked away in your own cocoon over there (My seat is off to the right in the photo above- 3A). Aisle seats are much more exposed to activity in the aisle. Seats are configured 2-4-2.

The downside to this set up is that window seat passengers must step over the legs of the aisle seat passenger to get out. That’s long been a bone of contention among BA business flyers, however, that should be changing soon. The reason I was on this trip in the first place was to meet with BA’s CEO Alex Cruz– and during that meeting he revealed that the next generation business class section would offer 100% aisle access- what was less clear is if the new seats would be forward and rear facing.

British Airways seats 3A (mine by the window) and 3B (unoccupied) on OAK-LGW (Chris McGinnis)

Something interesting about those translucent screens– see below? When flight attendants look down from the aisle, the screen is transparent. But from the passenger level, it’s translucent, so when it’s up you can only see shadows of the passenger seated next to you.

The translucent divider separating business class passengers goes up and down (Chris McGinnis)

One interesting thing about taking off from Oakland Airport vs SFO… taxi time! From the time the door closed and we backed up, taxied and took off felt like about 10 minutes. Plus there were plenty of nice views of the marshes surrounding OAK from the windows.

A glass of Albarino and a bag of nuts to start the meal service (Chris McGinnis)

Shortly after take off, flight attendants came around with a drinks cart and nuts. On this flight, the Kendall-Jackson California chardonnay listed on the wine menu was not in stock, so I settled for an Spanish Albarino.

In-seat stowage space in BA’s business class is limited to this drawer by your feet– it’s big enough for a laptop, magazines, phone, headphones, camera, etc. Kinda difficult to access, but good to have.

British Airways does not currently offer in-flight wi-fi on any flights… which seems strange given its global reach and reputation. It was sorely missed on this flight. However, on this trip we learned that BA is aiming to have nearly all its fleet outfitted with wi-fi within two years.

In seat stowage space limited to a small drawer by your feet (Chris McGinnis)

First course was a fresh and colorful salad and as an appetizer I chose a “deconstructed Greek salad” of feta, black olive tapenade, tomatoes, carved cucumbers, onions and watercress.

Tossed salad and as an app: Descontructed Greek Salad with olive tapenade and pea shoots (Chris McGinnis)

I’m usually not much of a beef eater so I chose the haddock. While the presentation of the meal was lacking, it tasted really good– creamy, cheese-y and fishy with a nice side of fava beans and rice. I asked flight attendants if I could see what the steak looked like– and to snap a photo. They happily obliged. Shoulda chosen the steak!

Other mains included Pappardelle pasta tossed with kale pesto or a nicoise salad with grilled chicken.

Haddock in white wine herb risotto, fava beans with smoked bacon and chive beurre blanc (Chris McGinnis)

 

Seared fillet of midwest beef with red wine jus, chorizo potato rosti and roasted root vegetables (Chris McGinnis)

 

Triple mousse cake with chocolate sauce (Chris McGinnis)

Some nice American cheeses with a tomato jelly and oatmeal wafers for dessert. I passed on the chocolate mousse since I thought it might interfere with the sleep I hoped to get on this flight.

Krystal cave aged cheddar and Wisconsin blue with green tomato jam (Chris McGinnis)

After dinner I took a stroll through the plane and found it pretty empty. When I checked in, agents told me that there were only 95 passengers (out of 275 seats) in economy class. Not surprising considering this was during slow season, and only the first week of the flight.

In premium economy there were only four passengers. It’s a quiet, cozy cabin located between economy and business class. seats are configured 2-4-2. Passengers can choose from the business class menu. Downside: When seats are empty, you can’t lie down flat across the rows due to the fixed arm rests.

Premium economy on British Airways B777-200ER (Chris McGinnis)

At the back in economy, this British Airways B777 is configured 3-3-3– thankfully not the emerging 10-across (3-4-3) standard- but that could change. In our meeting with Cruz, he indicated that Gatwick flights, which are more leisure oriented and price driven, could soon see 10-across, too. Time will tell.

Since this flight was so empty, many coach passengers (who likely paid just $500 roundtrip) were able to snag what business class passengers pay dearly for: a long flat surface for sleeping. In the photo below, it may look like that middle cabin is empty, but there’s a body sprawled across each row!

Economy class seats configured 3-3-3 on BA’s B777-200ER (Chris McGinnis)

Back in my business class cocoon, I laid my six-foot frame flat and comfortably for 4-5 hours, but did not get much sleep. I experimented with not taking any sleep aids on this flight and learned my lesson! It did not help that flight attendants kept the cabin very warm for the overnight flight– for some reason nearly all European carrier flights are kept WAY too warm for good sleep. I would have loved to cuddle under the nice quilt provided, but used it as a pillow instead.

Our flight landed at London Gatwick about 30 minutes late at around 10 am. Unlike British Airways flights arriving at Heathrow, there is no Fast Track through customs and immigration for business class passengers. Since other flights were arriving at the same time and lots of passengers to process, this meant waiting in line for about 30 minutes.

If you want to avoid that wait, you can pay about $13 for Gatwick Premium access to get in a fast lane  which was empty when I was there. Had I known about this, I would gladly have paid the $13 to speed through!

Once I got through immigration, I sped through customs with my carry on bag and exited to the busy south terminal. Finding my way to the Gatwick Express train was easy– the service has recently been updated, so there’s a dedicated ticket line in the airport.

Gatwick express train

New Gatwick Express trains depart every 15 minutes for the 30 minute trip to Victoria Station (Chris McGinnis)

At Gatwick, BA uses the recently renovated South Terminal — recent improvements include a brand new business class lounge, and upgraded check in area, and easier access to the Gatwick Express.

Gatwick Airport (LGW) is 28 miles south of central London but still convenient and even preferred by many travelers. Why? Because the easy 30-minute, approximately $25 Gatwick Express train whisks you from the airport to Victoria Station in the heart of the city every 15 minutes. There’s free wi-fi onboard– which makes it easy to catch up on emails that have arrived overnight.

Clean, new and modern trains on the Gatwick Express (Chris McGinnis)

 

British Airways put us up at The Corinthia, one of my favorite London hotels, for two nights. It’s located on the banks of the Thames near the Embankment and Charing Cross stations. The taxi fare from Victoria station to the hotel was about $15.

Here’s my bedroom at the Corinthia, but check out the view from my window!

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

A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on

 

Have you flown British Airways before? What did you think? Would you give it a go on the new Oakland-Gatwick flight? Please leave your comments below! 

Disclosure: Chris McGinnis was a guest of British Airways for this trip, which included roundtrip air transportation and two nights hotel. TravelSkills covered all other costs related to the trip.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Most Popular: New deck + Cheap Europe + United B777 + Lie-flat + Delta 747

Dublin, Ireland was awash in smiles and greenery this week for St Patrick’s Day. With the euro low ($1.07), it’s a great time to go! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 Look! SFO gets public outdoor observation deck

2 Most deals expired, but likely to come back Rare business class fare war erupts 

3 Cheapest summer ever for Europe? New $149 California-Spain flights – and it’s not Norwegian

34 inches of pitch in United Economy Plus- 31 inches in regular economy (Chris McGinnis)

4 Behind the curtain: Reader Report: United Economy Plus on new B777-300ER

5 Super elite smiles: Marriott upgrades some United frequent flyers

6 Big news 13 new nonstops with Alaska Airlines’ big Bay Area bump

7 Routes: Norwegian, WOW, Emirates, United, Air China + more

8 Oh, come on! Delta’s new fees for earlier flights

9 California never saw it so good: Alaska Airlines adds 6 more California nonstops

10 Luxury on a long transcon: Boston basks in lie-flat comfort

Surprise hot samosas on Aer Lingus (Chris McGinnis)

Don’t miss one of our most popular Trip Reports ever: Aer Lingus New Business Class SFO-DUB

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

From the San Francisco Chronicle: The Bay Area’s busiest gathering of designers right now might be tucked inside a hangar on the outskirts of San Francisco International Airport. That’s where 200 or so architects, engineers and other kindred spirits gather each weekday to chew on the details of a $1.5 billion project that won’t be finished until the end of 2022. And the first tangible result of their efforts — to rebuild an entire terminal without ever closing it — is the room where they work each day, a 33,000-square-foot, free-standing structure that was conceived and constructed in less than nine months. Full story and more photos here:  Glimpse behind scenes as architects rebuild SFO terminal

SFO Terminal 1

Here’s the look of what’s to come at SFO Terminal 1 by 2022 (Photo: Gensler)

Say what? 87% of United revenue comes from those who fly just once a year

7 things you didn’t know about the ultra-exclusive Amex Black Centurion Card

China no longer needs Hong Kong as gateway, so Cathay Pacific suffers

Wanna get married inside a Delta 747? Now you can

Delta 747

Delta will open a special 747 exhibit later this month at its Atlanta Museum (Image: Delta)

United drops duty-free program

Passenger’s headphones catch fire in-flight

Boeing talks with airlines about what a 797 aircraft should look like

U.S. airlines’ passenger numbers hit a record in 2016

United doubles its planned capacity increase for 2017

Study: Southwest dominates rivals in social media presence

Trump budget would end subsidies for small-town air service

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

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

In the market for a new credit card? See our “Credit Card Deals” tab to shop around! It helps us help you.

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First look inside United’s newest jet: The Boeing 777-300ER [PHOTOS]

United B777-300ER

United’s brand new Boeing 777-300ER arrives at SFO for the first time (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

This week United put its newest bird, the Boeing 777-300ER, into service. Starting Thursday, February 16, the new 777 will fly domestically between SFO and Newark. With a United fare sale that started today, you can try out the new plane for as little as $252 round trip in March (that’s cheap!), but you’ll pay about $3,000+ in business class.

Right now, there’s only one United jet flying with the Polaris seats— the one you’ll see pictured below. While United has begun marketing all its business class tickets as Polaris, you’ll only find the seat on the B777-300ER for the time being. United will get 14 of these birds from Boeing this year.

United Polaris

A window seat in United’s new Polaris cabin on B777-300ER (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

United Polaris

Note the staggered configuration of window seats on United B777-300ER- best seats are closest to windows on odd numbered rows (Chris McGinnis)

 

United Polaris

Bulkhead center seats (rows 1 and 9) are the best choice for tall travelers- 80 inches long in full recline! (Chris McGinnis)

If you are on another type of aircraft, you’ll get United’s old business class seat, even if your booking and boarding pass say “Polaris” which has been confusing to many TravelSkills readers.  That’s because you are getting the Polaris “soft product”- which in airline terms means the food and beverage service (such as the wine flights or bloody mary cart), pillows, blankets, new amenity kits and white teddy bears (currently selling on eBay for $80!)

United Polaris Teddy Bear

Passengers on the first Polaris flights get cute teddy bears along with new amenity kits (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The “hard product,” meaning the reconfigured cabin and new Polaris seats will roll out slowly. Between now and May 4, United will fly the B777-300ER between San Francisco and Newark six days per week. On February 22, United gets another new B777-300ER which it will also deploy on SFO-Newark through March 8– which means there will be TWO Polaris planes flying the route for a short period of time.

Interested in flying on the new plane? When booking your SFO-EWR flight on United, click on “Detailed View” or “Details” and look for “Boeing 777-300ER.”

United

On March 25, the new aircraft will make its international scheduled service debut, replacing a 747-400 on the very competitive San Francisco-Hong Kong route, where United’s Polaris seat and service compete with two of the best in the business: Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

TravelSkills was at SFO to welcome the shiny jet and its payload of travel media invited along to try out the new Polaris business class seats. This flight operated as a charter and was not available for purchase.

A few observations about the B777-300ER after my brief tour and chat with a few of those on the media charter:

>Length of seat and comfort vary in the new Polaris cabin. Window seats offer the most privacy and best views, although with some neck craning, you can get a view out the window from some window-side aisle seats (even numbers). Due to the staggered configuration, an odd-numbered window seat should be your first choice. See B777-300ER layout on SeatGuru here.

>The bulkhead center business class seats (rows 1 and 9) are a remarkable 80 inches long in full recline— that’s enough room for a 6’8″ passenger! I’m 6 feet tall and had to point my toes to touch the wall in a regular mid-cabin window seat. The seat feels a little narrow, but in the few minutes I was in it, I was comfortable, and I’m sure I’d sleep well on my side snuggled in with a bear, a big pillow and a Saks Fifth Avenue blanket (plus eye shades and ear plugs!)

Chris McGinnis Polaris seat

Chris lying flat in a new United Polaris seat (Photo: J Guerin)

>Economy class is configured 10-across while United’s other 777s offer 9-across seating. I was prepared for the worst when I ventured beyond the curtain, but when I tried the premium economy seat, I was impressed with the seat legroom (34 inches pitch). Granted, I was seated alone in a center seat, but it just did not seem that bad. Time will tell what it’s like to be jammed into a center seat with two large passengers on either side. But the seat, the access to power, the seatback screen and knee room all seemed okay to me.

>There’s a clubby Economy Plus section (rows 19-22) just behind business class, the first row (19) of which are probably the very best economy seats on the plane due to the legroom. Plus this cabin is protected from the larger economy class cabin by bank of lavatories. Economy Plus row 24 offers a lot of legroom, too, but proximity to the lavatories could be a problem, and there’s a limited view out the window and no storage space for take off and landing.

Economy Plus United B777-300ER

Club-like Economy Plus rows 19-22 just behind business class and in front of a bank of lavs (Chris McGinnis)

 

United Economy B777-300ER

10-abreast economy class on United’s new B777-300ER- that’s a LOT of middle seats! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

>You can tell where Economy Plus ends and regular economy begins by looking at the color scheme of the seats, as well as the placards in the overhead bins. Regular economy was pretty tight (31 inches pitch), but I had a couple inches in front of my knees when the seat in front was not reclined. That would disappear as soon as the person in front reclined. (See below) Out of 10 seats across four are middle seats, six are windows or aisles.

United Economy B777-300ER

Knee room – 31 inches- in regular economy class on United B777-300ER (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Screen Shot 2017-02-14 at 11.50.17 AM

Knee room – 34 inches- in Economy Plus on United B777-300ER (Chris McGinnis)

 

Economy Plus United

Economy Plus on United’s B777-300ER has 34 inches of pitch. Seats are 17 inches wide (Chris McGinnis)

There are two crew rest areas on this plane. One is upfront for pilots, the other is accessed by a secret door by the rear galley and contains six soundproof sleeping berths for flight attendants. This get-away-from-it-all space is cherished by crew, especially on those 12-15 our transpac long hauls!

United said it expects to put all 14 of its new 777-300ERs into service during 2017. The aircraft will be configured with 60 Polaris business class seats in a 1-2-1 layout; 102 Economy Plus seats; and 204 regular economy seats.

So what do you think about this big new bird? Please leave your comments below!

–Chris McGinnis

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Popular: United’s new jet + Nowhere flight + Hilton bonus + Airport trains + Rain

United B777-300ER

United’s first Boeing 777-300ER with Polaris seats goes into domestic service this week (Photo: United)

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

1 Ugh! United’s 4-hour flight to nowhere

2 Time to pave the Bay? Why SFO suffers so during rainy weatherWeekend Edition

3 Better watch out Someone’s spying on your strange airport behavior

4 Here come the Vikings….again Ultra-cheap transatlantic fares for 2 new cities

5 Check out where this reader went after his Qantas flight: Reader Report: Best economy seat on Qantas A380

SUNDAY UPDATE: United adds NYC airports to Feb 12-13 winter weather waiver

The new Denver Airport rail station is under the Westin Hotel. (Image: Jim Glab)

The new Denver Airport rail station is under the Westin Hotel. (Image: Jim Glab)

6 Best & worst airport-to-city trains– some great comments! Thanks 🙂

7 Simmer down! Emirates says Delta tantrum led to a six-hour flight delay

8 Dirty birds How often are planes washed?

9 Routes: Delta, Frontier grow Cincinnati + Southwest, Alaska, Spirit

10 70 readers have done this– you? How to get $200 for booking on Upside before Feb 28

Don’t miss this! An eagle snatches a drone out of the sky in military exercise

We’ve found a new “favorite place” just 20 minutes south of San Francisco: Pacifica. Step back in time and enjoy seafood and salt air at Nick’s Rockaway— or take a hike along the new Devil’s Slide trail! 

Seafood, salt air & cocktails at the beach! #sf #travel #pacifica #restaurant

A photo posted by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on

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

Another Hilton promo: get 500 extra points for booking via Honors app– all year!

Emotionally distressed United pilot removed from SFO jet

Airports? Nah! Uber envisions new “vertiports” for flying cars

Air Canada’s got a classy new black-white-red look– like it? We do! But as usual with new liveries, there are a lot of naysayers.

Air Canada

Air Canada’s new black, white and red livery on a B787 Dreamliner (Image: Air Canada)

Regional carriers worst for mishandling bags

Ski train serving Denver-Winter Park with slopeside service

Most popular restaurants in 15 cities based on Uber drop off data- some interesting choices!

$200

Get $200 when booking your next trip: Use code: TS!

Major airlines’ new “basic economy” fares hitting Spirit hard

Alaska says decision on Virgin America branding is coming next month

Why are airline computers crashing so much these days?

Dealing with work emails after hours can be bad for your health

Schiphol tests new scanner that lets passengers keep their shoes on

Singapore Airlines orders 39 new widebodies from Boeing

China plans to scan fingerprints of foreign visitors

Delta has designs on its tray tables- this is one of my favorite of the 12 works. Yours?

Delta

One of several new tray table designed on a Delta jet- thoughts?

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

In the market for a new credit card? See our “Credit Card Deals” tab to shop around! It helps us help you.

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Inside look at Virgin Australia’s refurbed B777 (Photos, Streetview)

Virgin Australia

Media scramble up the red carpet leading to a Virgin Australia B777 parked at LAX (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

When we wrote about Virgin Australia’s fabulously re-furbed B777 in May, only one of five planes had undergone the transformation. The carrier put off the “official” launch until this week, hosting a big to-do in Los Angeles to which TravelSkills was invited.

As of this month, three of Virgin’s five B777s are re-done and the two remaining will be finished by September, said CEO John Borghetti at a press conference onboard one of the big birds parked out by the beach on the western edge of LAX. Virgin flies its B777s between Sydney, Brisbane and LAX and also on Sydney-Abu Dhabi.

What’s really nice about this refurb that Delta customers can earn and burn SkyMiles on when flying on this gorgeous bird. Rates can be freakishly high (or non-existent) when redeeming SkyMiles for Virgin Australia business class. Economy class roundtrips on Virgin go for around 90,000 SkyMiles. Virgin America Elevate members can also earn and burn points when flying Virgin Australia. Roundtrips go for 40K in economy, 60K in premium economy and 80K for business class.

Fares: Checking September roundtrips today, business class flights between LAX and Sydney (or Brisbane) are running around $5,300, premium economy is $2,100 and economy is $973.

Read: Virgin Australia’s “new” B777

Virgin Australia

The large mirrored emblem on the bulkhead is one of many visually striking features on Virgin Australia’s B777 (Chris McGinnis)

What I found most interesting about this look-see was the emphasis Virgin Australia puts on making a good visual impression— something that you see across nearly all Virgin brands.

At the onboard press conference, Borghetti described how Virgin’s design team strives to make a striking visual impact as soon as the passenger boards. He said that if the plane is pleasing to the eye right off the bat, and that there’s a certain “wow factor” when boarding, it puts the passenger in a positive “head space” which is likely to carry through the rest of the experience. See what he means when you see the Google Streetview below.

Take an interactive spin through the new cabin right here:

While we included most of the key details of the B777 in our previous post, this event provided the opportunity to get up close and personal with what Virgin says is now best in class among carriers serving the U.S.-Australia market.

Virgin was happy to spout plenty of superlatives about its new business class. For example, they said the seat is the widest (28 inches) and among the longest (80 inches), and its video screens are the biggest (18 inches).

Every seat offers aisle access. Regrettably, these planes won’t have onboard wi-fi until mid 2017.

Virgin Australia

New “The Business” section configured 1-2-1 on Virgin Australia’s B777 transpac flights (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In addition, we noticed plenty of easily accessible nooks and crannies for in-seat storage and a large flat workspace. An unusual electronic touch screen controls recline. Flight attendants provide memory foam mattress covers and turn down service while passengers change into pajamas in the lavs. Plus there’s a Nespresso coffee maker in the galley. Even better- there are 37 business class seats in the new configuration. Previously, there were only 34.

Unusual touch screen controls seat recline (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Unusual touch screen controls seat recline (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In addition to business class, Virgin offers three more seat types:

  • Premium class
  • Space+ economy
  • Regular economy

The new premium cabin offers 24 seats with 41 inches of pitch, two dedicated lavatories, “business class inspired” food and beverages served on china and glass. Seats are configured 2-4-2. This cabin also has its own self service snack bar and refrigerator.

Don't call it premium economy! On Virgin Australia, it's just "Premium" (Chris McGinnis)

Don’t call it premium economy! On Virgin Australia, it’s just “Premium.” 24 seats with 41 inches of pitch configured 2-4-2 (Chris McGinnis)

 

Economy Space+ Virgin Australia

Economy Space+ seats on Virgin Australia in a 3-3-3 configuration offer a few extra inches of knee room in the first five rows of economy section (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Virgin Australia Space+

Here’s a look at the knee space in Virgin’s Space+ Economy section with 36 inches of pitch (Chris McGinnis)

 

Virgin Australia Economy

Economy class on Virgin Australia configured 3-3-3 with 32 inches of pitch (Chris McGinnis)

Another interesting nugget from this news conference: Virgin’s B777 has more lavatories per passenger that any other plane in the market– a ratio is one lav per 12 passengers, which is important on those 14-hour LAX-SYD slogs. Both business and premium cabins have two each.

This plane also offers a “ladies only” lav, with a smart leather bench that folds down over the toilet where one can sit while changing into or out of the pajamas Virgin supplies to business class passengers. There’s is also a full length mirror in the ladies-only lav.

In business class, there's a ladies-only lav (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In business class, there’s a ladies-only lav (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Virgin Australia

In the ladies-only lav, a leather bench folds down over the toilet (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

And finally, here’s a look at the layout of the new version of Virgin’s B777-300ER

Virgin Australia 777-illustration

-Chris McGinnis

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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Trip Report: Turkish Airlines Business Class to Istanbul, Athens

Turkish Airlines

Checking in for a 6:10 p.m. departure from San Francisco to Istanbul (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I’ve dreamed of jumping on Turkish Airlines ever since I first began seeing images of its unusual business class lounge in Istanbul and hearing about its over-the-top inflight service. Most people who have flown Turkish said, “Get to Istanbul airport early so you can enjoy the lounge for a few hours before your flight.” Or, “Don’t eat for a day before flying Turkish- you won’t believe how much food they serve on the plane!”

Those dreams came closer to reality when Turkish started nonstop service between San Francisco and Istanbul last year. My interest was heightened even more when it launched nonstops from Atlanta last month because many TravelSkills readers hail from there.

Regrettably, unrest in Turkey has resulted in a decline in visitors to the country. So when Turkish offered to fly me from SFO to Istanbul (IST) for a TravelSkills Trip Report, I asked if I could fly to Athens instead and report on the experience using IST as a connecting airport, which I thought would be a much more likely scenario for our readers. Currently, about 60 percent of its passengers are transiting IST instead of starting or stopping trips there, and that number could rise.

As would be expected, flight attendants pass trays of Turkish delight candies during each flight (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

As you might expect, flight attendants pass trays of Turkish delight candies during each flight (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Since neither SFO or ATL have nonstops to Athens, connecting to Greece via Istanbul (IST) is an easy and convenient option for those headed there or to the popular Greek Isles. (Plus, Turkish and other carriers have deeply discounted business class roundtrips a few times this year to as little as $1,500 round trip, so set up your fare alerts and grab one if you can!) For September trips, business class fares run about $4,000 round trip. Economy is about $1,100. There is no first class or premium economy “comfort” class on the SFO flights.

Turkish is a member of the Star Alliance, so United Mileage Plus members can redeem miles for Turkish Airlines trips.

My trip to Greece and back was quick…just four days on the ground there, plus two days flying. The flight from SFO to IST runs about 13 hours. From Istanbul to Athens is a short hop– only about 90 minutes. So the entire journey, including a quick 90-minute layover in IST was about 15 hours.

Highlights of this Trip Report include:

  • Diverse, delicious and copious inflight dining that dazzled my eyes and filled my belly
  • The best and worst seats on the plane
  • Unusual touches like candle-light dining (see the gif!), hot towels served on small plates
  • Overheated cabins
  • Young, energetic and professional crew
  • Issues around booze
  • Two different B777s on the route
  • That lounge. Oh, that lounge! (Included in Part 2 of this report)

Check in at SFO was smooth and easy at about 4:30 pm. There were only three people in the business class line and a very friendly, talkative agent wearing a hijab checked me in and told me to proceed to the United Club on International Concourse G.

Flight 81 departs SFO at 6:10 pm, so the club was very busy since several flights depart at around this time. Good news: United has upgraded the food station in the club, offering a broad selection of cheeses, sausages, vegetables, hot soup, bread, crackers and cookies. Plus the spread now has a nice view! Other than that, the United Club has not changed much since my last visit.

United Club food

Newly expanded food offerings with a view at SFO International Terminal G (Chris McGinnis)

When I’m flying to write up a TravelSkills Trip Report, I usually ask if I can board a few minutes early to get some good photos of the cabin before passengers board. Thankfully, Turkish obliged and I snagged some great shots of both business and economy class cabins. I was unable to get an good image of the plane (a Boeing 777-300ER) from the gate area, so I’ve used one from the inaugural arrival at SFO in April 2015. 

Turkish Airlines inaugural flight with San Francisco mural arrives at SFO (Chris McGinnis)

Turkish Airlines inaugural flight with San Francisco mural livery arrives at SFO (Chris McGinnis)

Business class seats are configured 2-3-2. Since you get outstanding views of North America and nearly the entire continent of Europe during this flight, a window seat is my recommendation. Plus it’s quieter and less likely to be disturbed by movement in the aisle if you are sleeping– and that’s the main upside to the dreaded “middle seat” seen below. Those are the “E” seats.

Turkish Airlines

Seats are comfortable and spacious, and the cabin is nice and open…but there are 7 middle seats that you’ll want to avoid if possible (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Business class is split into two sections on this plane. What you see above is the forward cabin, which has four rows. The aft cabin, behind the galley, has three rows.

What I really liked about this cabin is its open floorplan. Low seatbacks make it very social and fun compared to other layouts which cocoon passengers in their own little worlds. Plus, in this cabin style, I could watch flight crews as they went about rolling out the elaborate inflight meal service. If you are like me, and like to watch what is going on, book a seat near the rear of the cabin. If you want to sleep or work, go for one near the front.

Big bright seatback touch screens, leather ottomans, plenty of nooks for storage (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Big bright seatback touch screens, leather ottomans, plenty of nooks for storage (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

There are miles of legroom between the seat and seatback. It’s tough to use those nice leather ottomans as footrests due to the distance, but it’s a perfect place to sit and visit with friends or colleagues face to face. Note the storage space for shoes and other items underneath the ottoman. When the seat is in full recline, the ottoman becomes part of the lengthy bed.

Turkish Airlines

Nice: Each seat comes with a lumbar support pillow (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Turkish Airlines

Gigantic overhead bin space easily accommodated my carryon bag (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Turkish Airlines

Economy class on the Turkish B777 configured 3-3-3 with rainbow colored leather headrests (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Unlike other Turkish Airlines B777 flights, the planes on the SFO run do not have a premium economy or “comfort” section.

Turkish Airlines

32 inches of pitch between economy class rows (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Turkish Airlines

Economy class on the Turkish 777 is 3-3-3. Each seat has a large IFE screen plus USB power.

See: Turkish Airlines B777-300ER V2 on SeatGuru.com

Okay, let’s get back up front and take a look at the service and the seat in business class. First thing you should do before boarding a Turkish flight is learn how to say THANK YOU in Turkish. You would not believe the big, surprised smiles you get from the crew when you say Tesekkurler when they help stow your bag, offer you a juice or help make your seat into a bed. It’s pronounced something like Teh-shay-koo-lahrd. Here’s how to say it! Just do it!

Turkish Airlines

Fun, friendly flight attendants offer 3 types of juice or water while boarding. Want champagne? Ask for it (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I’ve heard over the years that getting a cocktail on Turkish Airlines is complicated. That’s mostly due to the country’s (and current government’s) Muslim roots. For example, Turkish recently stopped offering alcohol on its domestic flights and on several international flights to other Muslim countries.

So for those who’d like to imbibe, here’s how it seems to work: During boarding, flight attendants pass through the business class aisles offering fruit juice and water from a silver tray, but no champagne, a common offering on most other airlines. If you ask for champagne, the flight attendant is more than happy to go get you a glass, but it’s not on the tray. I noticed the same thing during meal service, if you ask for wine with your meal, you’ll get it, albeit a relatively small pour. Flight attendants do not offer you more unless you ask for it– which is quite different from U.S. or European flights where flight attendants wander the aisles with bottles, looking for empty glasses 😉

Turkish Airlines

Business class recliner control (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Seats are comfortable, but I never really understood this recliner control. I still don’t know what the MR and M+ buttons do! Similar to what I experienced on Qantas (See our Qantas Trip Report), a flight attendant will make your seat into a bed at your request, covering the seat with a fitted quilt, offering a large pillow and a blanket. Turkish does not offer business class passengers pajamas for this 13-hour flight.

Turkish Airlines

Flight attendants make seats into cozy, quilt-covered beds at passenger request. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

One this B777 flight, there were 15 crew members, including three chefs and four flight attendants in business class.

Turkish Airlines

A small but very classy touch that I noticed: Hot towels are served on a china plate, not handed to you with tongs (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Turkish Airlines

Elaborate menus in English and Turkish are like menu origami– unfolding into beautiful shapes (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Turkish Airlines

3 chefs onboard our SFO>IST flight- this one is taking our dinner orders and explaining how each dish is served. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

On SAS, “Chefs” are really flight attendants who change clothes to serve meal. (See our SAS Trip Report) But on Turkish, these guys are dedicated to meal service throughout the flight– there were three onboard in both directions.

Turkish Airlines

A nut mixture that include pistachios, almonds, macadamias and hazelnuts– not a peanut in sight! Note the parsimonious pour of wine. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Prior to the full meal service, the chef and flight attendants wheel out a tiered cart full of all kinds of unusual and delicious appetizers– passengers can choose from about eight options that include: Prawns, smoked trout with horseradish cream, grilled crab cake with sweet chilis, avocado tomato salad, spiced chicken breast, beet & goat cheese salad, hummus, deep fried eggplant with green pepper and tomato sauce, romaine salad with cherry tomatoes and creamy tomato soup! (Sorry I don’t have good photos to share of this course.)

And that’s just the starters! After that, the main courses come. Thankfully, the beautifully orchestrated service takes a while, so it gives you time to assimilate all the food. And I can’t think of a better way to pass the time on a 13-hour flight that departs at dinner time. But I know that a lot of folks would rather just eat quickly and go to sleep and if that’s the case, you can order a open-faced salmon sandwich and cheese cake at any time.

Turkish Airlines

Even the bread plate is elaborate on Turkish Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

My experience on Turkish was replete with those “small things” that really make a big difference. For example, bread is served in a special cloth pouch to keep it warm and moist– have you ever noticed how fast bread dries out while flying? Not here. Also note that you get both butter and olive oil for your bread, and a small dish of Turkish spices in addition to real salt and pepper shakers. And get this…. they are magnetized so they stick to the plate!

Turkish Airlines

Magnetic salt and pepper shakers! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

By far the most noticeable small touch are the votive candles in tiny bags placed on each dining tray. While these are small electronic votives, they flicker just like the real thing, and add a warm and welcome ambience to the meal service. It’s quite a nice sight to see the entire cabin filled with these flickering lights. Good job!

Main dishes included grilled salmon with parsley butter and zucchini, filet of beef with arugula and roasted potatoes, or mushroom ravioli with leeks, tomatoes and parmesan.

Turkish Airlines

Mushroom ravioli on Turkish Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Turkish Airlines

Steak option on Turkish Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

After the main course, there is even more! A dessert and cheese cart including several baklava-type Turkish desserts plus apple pie, chocolate mousse and strawberry ice cream. Phew! I agree with the advice I’ve received from others: Do not eat at all before getting on the plane. You’ll regret it!

Turkish Airlines

Chef is back with the cart (for the fourth time) with a broad selection and explanation of tea blends and coffee (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Turks are really big on tea, and the tea selection was endless, including an anti-jet lag blend of melissa, camomille, sour cherry and lavender. For digestion, there’s a fennel, anise and caraway blend. And to help “resolve the edema, reduce the swelling,” there’s a blend of green tea, cherry stalk, cornsilk and close. For stomach relief, you get a cold blend of mint, fennel, lemon and date syrup. Seriously!

Turkish Airlines

When was the last time an airline served you tea like this? Talk about elaborate service! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

After a cuppa tea, it was time to start thinking about cooling off and bedding down for the rest of the flight. But the cooling down part was tough. Turkish, like most other European carriers, tends to keep cabins way too warm… to the point of feeling stuffy. Maybe it’s just an American thing, but to me, a cool cabin promotes sleep and is just more comfortable. I inquired about turning the temperature down a bit, but flight attendants pushed back, stating that they are instructed to keep the cabin at 23C – about 75F, and showed me the thermostat. But the cabin sure felt warmer than that, and as you can see below, fellow passengers slept in mostly uncovered. This is not the first time I’ve suffered through an overheated flight, and probably won’t be the last, but is it just me? Or do you feel like some airlines keep the heat up too high? Please leave your comments below.

Turkish Airlines

How do you know a cabin is too warm? When sleeping passengers don’t use their blankets! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Despite the warmth, I was able to get about six hours of sleep on this flight and woke up in late afternoon, Istanbul time, for a hearty breakfast that included a small greek-like salad, cold cuts, and eggs with potatoes and spinach, coffee. Then I took a walk through the plane cabin, and had some fun with the crew just before our 5 p.m. arrival.

Turkish Airlines

One of many small touches that impressed me: Fresh flowers in the galley corridor (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Turkish Airlines

Even breakfast included appetizers– a cheese and tomato salad and sliced turkey (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Turkish Airlines

Breakfast main: omelet with spinach, tomato and potatoes. Plus a smoothie, not pictured (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Turkish Airlines

The fun, young crew on this flight having some fun with me posing for a selfie (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Turkish Airlines

Inflight wi-fi was free for business class passengers... but the connection was relatively weak, allowing for texting, email and light surfing, but I was unable to upload photos, or access photo-dense websites.

Turkish Airlines

Seatback inflight maps and exterior cameras for views (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Turkish Airlines

Istanbul Ataturk Airport has clearly outgrown its space. How do I know? Every Turkish Air flight I was on parked at a remote pad, and passengers were bussed to and from the terminal. After a 13-hour flight, a 15-minute bus ride to the terminal is unwelcome, but did not take too long. Due to the growth, Istanbul is now laying plans for one of the largest airports in the world, to be called Istanbul New Airport, the first phase of which is to open in 2018.

My connection from Istanbul to Athens was only about two hours, so I hightailed it to a place I’ve been waiting to see for years, the famous CIP Lounge. It turned out to be everything I’d dreamt of, and more… and my only regret is that I did not have enough time to really soak up all it had to offer! Like pool tables, olive bars, fresh pizza, a driving range, two grand pianos and more!

This post is already long enough, so stay tuned for Part 2, which will include a good look at the lounge and my trip from Greece back to San Francisco. Thanks for reading this far!

Have you flown Turkish Airlines before…or dreamt about it? Please leave your comments below. 

Turkish Airlines

Here’s a sneak peak at the stunning and unusual CIP lounge in Istanbul. Stay tuned for a full report about my experience there! (Photo: Chris McGinnis

–Chris McGinnis

Disclosure: Turkish Airlines covered the cost of Chris’s airfare to Athens. TravelSkills paid for hotels, transfers, meals and other incidentals related to this trip.  

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: How to get the BEST summer fare deals | One airline fee fading fast | Trip Report: Aer Lingus Economy Class | 5 top jobs for frequent travelers  | First class phase out coming soon

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3 new China routes from United, American, China Eastern

American will begin LAX-Hong Kong flights in September. (Image: Hong Kong Tourism Board)

American will begin LAX-Hong Kong flights in September. (Image: Hong Kong Tourism Board)

Additional routes to China are springing up all over the place these days. And this week, there are three new ones from United, American and China Eastern.

At San Francisco International, United plans a July 13 launch (subject to government approval) for new non-stop service to Hangzhou, the capital city of China’s Zhejiang Province, located 102 miles southwest of Shanghai. United will fly the route three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Saturday westbound) using a 252-seat 787-9 Dreamliner with 48 seats in BusinessFirst and 204 in economy (including 88 Economy Plus seats). Hangzhou will be the fifth Chinese city served by United from San Francisco, along with Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu and Hong Kong. The airline also plans to offer seasonal service from SFO to Xi’an from May 8 to October 27. Hangzhou is located about 110 miles southwest of Shanghai. Its metropolitan area is China’s fourth largest with a population of nearly 9 million. Fare info won’t be available until the flights get government approval – but currently, United nonstops between SFO and nearby Shanghai are running as low as $535 roundtrip in economy, $4,300 in business class.

At Los Angeles International, American Airlines this week confirmed long-rumored plans to start flying to Hong Kong. The new daily non-stops will begin September 7 (subject to regulatory approvals), and American will use a 777-300ER on the route, offering eight first class, 52 business class, 220 regular economy and 30 Main Cabin Extra seats. The westbound flights out of LAX will have a rather unfortunate departure time of 1:55 a.m. The new LAX-Hong Kong service will be operated as part of AA’s joint venture with Japan Airlines. It’s part of American’s ongoing transpacific growth at LAX, which also includes new non-stops to Tokyo Haneda that started last month, LAX-Sydney flights that kicked off in December, and LAX-Auckland service that will begin June 23.

Screen Shot 2016-03-09 at 10.18.12 AM

Click for more info and a video of the China Eastern new B777

Finally, China Eastern Airlines – a member of Delta’s SkyTeam alliance – said it will launch new daily service on March 18 between Chicago O’Hare and Shanghai Pudong , where it offers scores of connections to other cities in China and Asia. The carrier said it will use a 777-300ER on the route, with first class, business class and economy seating, and Wi-Fi throughout. China Eastern said customers in first and business will be offered free luxury car transfers from the airport in Shanghai, and that similar transfers at O’Hare will be available “soon.”

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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Trip Report: Singapore Airlines’ NEW business class [PHOTOS]

Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER

Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER departs SFO for HKG in the wee hours (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In early October, Singapore Airlines invited me to give its new business class seat a try on a round trip flight between San Francisco and Hong Kong. I jumped at the chance because the Boeing 777-300ER on SFO-HKG is the only U.S. flight that currently has the newest version of the carrier’s business class seat.

TravelSkills was one of the first to see this seat (and plane!) when it rolled off the assembly line at the Boeing plant near Seattle in 2013. At that time, we were only able to check out the “hard product”– the new plane, seats, cockpit, galleys, lavatories and crew rest area. There was no trip involved… just a sneak-peek and photo op.

But jumping on board for a 14-hour transpacific flight provided a great opportunity to see how that hard product meshed with Singapore’s lauded soft product– the food and wine, the service, in-flight entertainment, pillows, blankets and other inflight amenities.

So, let’s take a look at the hard product in this post, and we’ll follow up with a post about the inflight dining and service. (UPDATE: Here’s a link to Part 2 of this Trip Report: FOOD!) 

Here we go!

Singapore Airlines flight #001 to Hong Kong departs SFO in the wee hours at around 1:15 am and arrives in HKG at around 6:30 am. On the return, SIA #002 departs Hong Kong at 11:30 pm and arrives in SFO at about 8 pm.

Due to the late departures, both of these flights are perfect for getting in a good night’s sleep, and I did just that. As a matter of fact, on the flight from SFO, I slept more than I’ve ever slept on a plane… and more than I typically do in my own bed at home!

Keep reading to find out how…

Singapore Air Silver Kris lounge at SFO (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Singapore Airlines’ Silver Kris lounge at SFO (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Before we get started on the flight, let’s peek in the Singapore Airlines Silver Kris lounge at SFO. Overall, it’s a good club, but nothing to write home about.

On the upside, it has excellent tarmac views, free fast wi-fi, showers, a well-stocked, self-service bar and a hot buffet. Downside? It feels a bit beige and dated, and lacks the “wow” factor you’d expect from Singapore Airlines.

Here’s a slideshow from the buffet at Singapore Air’s Silver Kris lounge at SFO.

Due to the late hour, I considered eating a light meal at the lounge, jumping on board and going right to sleep. But since I get so excited about trips like this, sleep was not a top priority. So I had a glass of chard, snacked on meat and cheese, avoided the stale hot items, checked email.

I sat and watched other business and first class passengers roll in the lounge bleary eyed and ready for some shut eye. As always, I wanted to interview each one, asking, “so why are you here and where are you flying off to tonight?” 🙂

Related: Cathay Pacific expands SFO lounge

Now let’s head to the gate:

Very late night/early morning departure for SIA Flight 001 to Hong Kong & Singapore (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Very late night/early morning departure for SIA Flight 001 to Hong Kong & Singapore (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Boarding a flight at 12:45 am is orderly and civil… everyone just wants to get on the plane and fall asleep! After checking boarding passes, business travelers walk through a dedicated jetway to the front of the plane, economy class passengers turn right to enter the aft cabins.

As I approached the door to the plane, a suited purser walked up to greet me, welcomed me on board and escorted me all the way to my seat asking if I need any help. Nice first impression!

It was at this point that the purser asked my name, and seemingly within minutes, the entire staff were calling me by name. It’s always amazing to me how Asian airlines and hotels can pull this off. But they nearly always do.

On Singapore Air’s B777-300ER there are eight first class seats, 42 business class seats, 228 economy seats, and 8 cozy sleeping berths upstairs in the crew rest area. Cabin colors are bronzy gold, beige and chocolate brown, with snazzy checked throw pillows.

Singapore Airlines business class

My window seat on Singapore Airlines B777 with new business class (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Note all the storage space over the left shoulder. Plus there’s a deep storage bin behind that pillow and another small bin in the seatback. I did not have enough stuff to fill all the nooks! Also, note the high walls between each seat which provide peace and quiet and separation from other passengers.

New business class aisle seat on Singapore Airlines B777 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

New business class aisle seat on Singapore Airlines B777 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

(UPDATE: Here’s a link to Part 2 of this Trip Report: FOOD!) 

Plenty of leg room and a nice ottoman along the side (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Plenty of leg room and a nice leather ottoman along the side (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

To convert the seat into a fully flat bed, the seatback folds forward and fits into the space where you see my knee in the photo above. Feet go in the small corner space, and the bed spreads out into a big wide expanse for your upper body. Ingenious design I must say!

Note how the seatback folds forward to create the flat bed (Chris McGinnis)

Note how the seatback folds forward to create the flat bed (Chris McGinnis)

In this photo, you can see how the seat in the background is in upright position.  The seat in the foreground has no seatback because it is folded forward to make the bed.

(For more images of the business, first and economy class seats cabins, see our slideshow from the factory visit in 2013.)

When folded down into a flat bed, the new business class seat is 78 inches (6′ 6″) long and 35 inches wide. It fit my 6-foot frame comfortably. Flight attendants helped make my bed with a large sleeping pillow and light duvet.

The only problem with this set up is that once you are committed to the bed, you are committed. If you wake up, you can prop yourself up to watch TV or work, but if you want to revert back to a regular seat, your bed is gone.

In my case, I waited until we were about 3 hours into the flight. I enjoyed a delicious light meal (stay tuned for my next post!), then took my sleeping pill, plugged in my Mack’s silicone earplugs, donned my Bucky eye mask, turned on my seat’s “do not disturb” sign,  and slept and slept and slept!

When I woke up, I could not believe my eyes when I looked at my watch and realized I had been out for eight full hours! That’s more sleep than I get at home! We only had about two more hours to go until Hong Kong. Wow.

One of the main reasons I slept so well is because flight attendants kept the cabin cool. For some reason, foreign carriers tend to turn up the heat on overnight flights, which drives me crazy. Don’t they know humans sleep better in a cool dark place? So I snuggled under the nice duvet and big pillow and dreamed all the way across the Pacific!

Here are a few more features about this flight that I really liked:

Lighted vanity mirror in the seatback. Nice touch! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

An easy access nook and lighted vanity mirror in the seatback. Nice touch! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Seat controls in Singapore Airlines new business class seat (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Seat controls in Singapore Airlines new business class seat (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

On Singapore Airlines, you use controls to recline the seat only. If you want a flat bed, you get out of the seat, and fold the seatback forward, which creates a big sleeping space.

Noise canceling headphones on Singapore Airlines new business class (Chris McGinnis)

Noise canceling headphones on Singapore Airlines new business class (Chris McGinnis)

Seats are configured 1-2-1 so everyone has easy aisle access.

What I really like about this new seat is the privacy… very high walls between seats so you feel all alone in your cozy cocoon. You can’t see or hear your neighbors– even those across the aisle are hidden due to the way the rows are staggered. If you want company, just stand up.

On the 777-300ER, seats are configured 1-2-1 (Chris McGinnis)

On the 777-300ER, seats are configured 1-2-1 (Chris McGinnis)

Inflight entertainment LCD screens are huge at 18″ across. A new feature I like on Singapore’s KrisWorld system is the ability to rate the movies you are watching, and see how other SIA passengers have rated them– although not that many movies had been rated.

Touch screen controls on a big 18 inch screen (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Touch screen controls on a big 18 inch screen (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The KrisWorld inflight entertainment (IFE) system is mind boggling in selections– it seemed like thousands. When you scroll through, you can mark your favorites, which helps make selections later on in the flight. Just scrolling through is a great way to pass time on this 14-hour odyssey.

Flight attendants explained that there are a two different versions of the IFE system out there. On my westbound flight, the viewing screen was a touch screen. But on the return flight, I was only able to manipulate the system using the touch screen on the hand held remote– a mirror image of what’s on the big screen. An little tough on a jet lagged mind, but I got the hang of it.

The hand held remote is also a touch screen controller (Chris McGinnis)

The hand held remote is also a touch screen controller (Chris McGinnis)

Each seat has power, USB, eXport and HDMI ports.

Fresh orchids in spotless lavatories (Chris McGinnis)

Fresh orchids in spotless lavatories (Chris McGinnis)

The lavatory was spotless as usual, decorated with nice purple orchids. My favorite feature of the lav? A pedal on the floor opens the waste bin. I usually try to avoid touching the spring loaded bins on most other airlines, but on SIA, push the foot pedal, the door swings open, toss in your waste, and go. I appreciate this nod to good hygiene!

Nifty, hygienic pedal opens waste bin in lavatory on Singapore Air (Chris McGinnis)

Nifty, hygienic pedal opens waste bin in lavatory on Singapore Air (Chris McGinnis)

 

Clean white washcloths vs paper towels supplied in lavatories. Nice touch! (Chris McGinnis)

Clean white washcloths vs paper towels supplied in lavatories. Nice touch! (Chris McGinnis)

 

Pulling up to the gate at Hong Kong's excellent airport Chek Lap Kok (Chris McGinnis)

Pulling up to the gate at Hong Kong’s excellent airport at Chek Lap Kok at 6:30 am (Chris McGinnis)

Overall, I’m very impressed with Singapore Airlines new business class seat– it provided a nice, big, quiet and cool space for me to get the best night’s sleep I’ve ever had on a plane.

Of course, what makes Singapore Airlines so special is its famous inflight service. Here’s part two of this Trip Report where I dive into the inflight dining experience. Here’s something to whet your appetite for that post!

Singapore Airlines

Click to read our post about the food on these flights!

–Chris McGinnis

(UPDATE: Here’s a link to Part 2 of this Trip Report: FOOD!) 

(Disclosure: I was a guest of Singapore Airlines on this round trip flight. Currently, business class fares on nonstop, roundtrip SFO-HKG flights run in the $4,500-$6,500 range.)

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

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Etihad vs “Jetihad”

One of very few photos provided by Etihad to welcome it's new SFO-Abu Dhabi flights (Photo: Etihad)

One of two photos of the provided by Etihad to welcome it’s new “Jetihad” SFO-Abu Dhabi flights (Photo: Etihad)

Last November, Etihad Airways launched new nonstops between San Francisco International and Abu Dhabi. But in an unusual twist, it did not launch the service using an Etihad aircraft. Instead, it substituted a Boeing 777 aircraft and inflight amenities from India’s Jet Airways, of which Etihad is part owner.

Etihad has made a big splash over the last year among frequent flyers by rolling out a new three-room cabin onboard its A380 last December. The Residence includes a “living room,” private bathroom with shower, a bedroom with a double bed and a suited, London-trained butler. The Residence is one of many firsts Etihad has brought to the premium flying experience in recent years.

The highbrow amenities, and the well-crafted media circus around their introduction has raised travelers’ expectations about flying one of UAE’s flag carriers.

Etihad uses a Jet Airways 777 on its new SFO-Abu Dhabi run (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

Etihad uses a Jet Airways 777 on its new SFO-Abu Dhabi run & one of two JFK flights (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

While it’s always exciting to get new nonstop service at SFO,  it was a bit of a letdown to learn that Etihad would launch the SFO-Abu Dhabi flights with a leased Jet Airways plane instead of a shiny new B777 of its own…just like the ones recently deployed from Los Angeles and Dallas.

Etihad has one of the youngest fleets flying, with the average aircraft age of just 5.5 years.

An Etihad B777-300ER flies between LAX and Abu Dhabi (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

An Etihad B777-300ER flies between LAX and Abu Dhabi (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

When I asked around about why SFO would get the Jet aircraft instead of a new Etihad B777, I learned that it was because the rapidly expanding airline simply did not have enough of its own aircraft to enter the market. Experts also said that the Bay Area does not have as robust a premium class market as LA, New York or Dallas.

Having never flown Jet Airways, or Etihad, I was eager to see photos of the plane. So were readers…over the last few months, I’ve been peppered with queries about the aircraft interiors, services and amenities on the SFO flight. However, despite multiple requests, Etihad couldn’t provide more than two original photos– the one at the top of this post, and another one showing a ribbon cutting inside the SFO International Terminal.

In December,  I heard from a longtime TravelSkills reader  (“S.P.”) who had just flown from Los Angeles to Abu Dhabi on a new Etihad B777 in first class and was returning to SFO (also in first) on the new “Jetihad” nonstop.

Perfect! I asked S.P. to help us with our new series of “Reader Reports” by taking some notes and photos from his journey so I could report them here. (Last month’s Reader Report “I have to sit where?”)

His first missive was regrettably full of disappointment about the Jet Airways plane from Abu Dhabi to SFO. So I asked him to balance it out by sharing his thoughts on the LAX-AUH flight on the Etihad flight, which he really liked.

Below are some excerpts from our emails and some photos to help compare the two trips. Keep in mind that S.P. only took photos on the Abu-Dhabi-SFO leg of the trip. I’ve done my best to include photos of Etihad interiors from other sources to help compare.

S.P.: Overall, the AUH-SFO leg of the trip was a big disappointment.  My expectations were sufficiently low, knowing that the Jet hard product wouldn’t be the same as Etihad, but the actual experience was significantly worse than those expectations.

I was surprised by how different this flight was than the one we took Los Angeles-Abu Dhabi on the outbound (on an actual Etihad aircraft).  I knew in advance that we’d be on a Jet Airways aircraft, but I thought everything else would be Etihad — entertainment, food, crew, etc.  But boy was I wrong.

UAE 2014 (358)

Here’s how Etihad explains to passengers why they are onboard Jet Airways aircraft instead of Etihad. (Photo: S.P.)

UAE 2014 (353)

Photo of Jet Airways first class seats (Photo: S.P.)

 S.P.: In first class, the suite is pretty similar in form to what you find on Etihad.  The finishes on the Jet seat were not nearly as nice as Etihad, the seat motors were loud and creaky like an old jalopy, and my seat wouldn’t even move in all the directions it was supposed to.  The controller for the seat was also much worse than Etihad, very hard to read and use. The Etihad aircraft had really nice mood lighting that adjusted throughout the flight — something about it was very cool and felt glamorous.  No such lighting on Jet.
(Courtesy: Ben Schlappig / OneMileAtATime

Photo of Etihad first class seats (Courtesy: Ben Schlappig / OneMileAtATime

S.P.: First class on Etihad from LAX was very luxurious feeling with beautiful finishes, especially the soft beige Poltrona Frau leather seat. Everything in my suite felt new, high end, and of course, was fully functioning. The entertainment system on Etihad has a few cool features that you don’t find on the Jet aircraft (even though it is the Etihad entertainment system on Jet).  I enjoyed being able to view two live cameras, one that looked straight down at the ground and the other that was a perspective from the flight deck, looking forward.  The other cool feature was the ability to watch live TV, which is great for getting a news update while you’re stuck flying for 15+ hours.  Jet didn’t have either of these features.

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

UAE 2014 (360)

First class amenity kit on Jet Airways operated flight (Photo: S.P.)

Etihad amenity kits feature colorful Sadou patterns pa centuries-old Abu Dhabi weaving craft. (Photo: Etihad)

Etihad amenity kits feature colorful Sadou patterns pa centuries-old Abu Dhabi weaving craft. (Photo: Etihad)

S.P.: The contents of the amenity kit on the Etihad flight were pretty basic, especially for first class, but I did like that the bag itself was somewhat “authentic” in that it was made of woven wool fabric that I read was some kind of UAE traditional design (as opposed to some generic high-end case like Givenchy or Ferragamo).  Much better than the cheap, black rubber bag given out on Jet.

UAE 2014 (366)

First class lavatory on the Jet Airways operated flight (Photo: S.P.)

S.P.: The bathroom situation on the Jet operated aircraft was also a clear step down.  Etihad had two lavatories in first, one large one and then a second smaller one.  But the Jet aircraft only had one and it was pretty ghetto. It was very rough around the edges and just didn’t feel clean. I really liked having two lavs for the first class cabin, which only has eight seats.  One of them was smaller, but perfectly adequate, and the second one was very large and easy to move around (great for changing clothes) with nice, high-end finishes
UAE 2014 (357)

Business class on the Jet Airways operated flight to SFO (Photo: S.P.)

Business class on Etihad (Photo: Etihad)

Business class on Etihad (Photo: Etihad)

Despite the addition of several new aircraft elsewhere in its network, an Etihad spokesperson at first told TravelSkills that there were no immediate plans to replace the Jet Airways B777 on the SFO to Abu Dhabi route. Update: As of April 25, 2016, Etihad will replace the Jet Airways plane with its own B777-200LR– see this post. 

Keep in mind that this reader is one of the few lucky ones to travel in first class– most TravelSkills readers will be flying in business class or economy, and their experiences could be completely different. So here are some other resources to help make your decision to fly Jetihad or not.

>Jet Airways on SkyTrax

>Jet Airways 777 first and business class seats on FlatSeats

>Jet Airways 777 seats maps/reviews on Seat Guru

>Jet Airways website

>Etihad business class page

Have YOU flown Etihad on a Jet Airways operated aircraft (there’s one on the two New York-Abu Dhabi flights, too). Please leave your comments below, or submit a Reader Report to us which we will consider for posting!

–Chris McGinnis

Post script: Etihad provided TravelSkills with the following statement regarding this post:

Our absolute commitment at Etihad Airways is to being the very best in the hospitality industry for our guests – whether you are comparing us with the best airlines, hotels and restaurants – and, also across every class of service.  We greatly appreciate the support and ongoing feedback from our guests within the San Francisco market, which we launched late last year using an aircraft leased from one of our partner airlines, Jet Airways and is operated by Etihad Airways. This feedback helps us constantly improve the travel experience for our guests as we always strive to offer the best in flight hospitality in the world. We value the feedback our guests have shared with you and with us which we will certainly take into account as we continue to further improve upon the product.

(Reader Report is a new series of posts from TravelSkills readers about their recent travel experiences. Would you like to submit a Reader Report on a recent travel experience? Let us know and we’ll send you some guidelines! We are looking for short, sweet, concise reports– no rants. Photos always appreciated! Email us!) 

 

Putting a wrap on airport security checkpoints

New jets SFO-LAX + Europe summer deals + United move at ATL + Delta wi-fi progress + Cathay biz class sale

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