bid Archives - TravelSkills

How to ride on United’s very first real Polaris flight

January 30, 2017

United’s first 777-300ER will debut February 13. (Image: United)

If you want to be among the very first to experience United’s Polaris business class on its first new 777-300ER, your miles can make it possible – but you must act fast.

As TravelSkills readers know, United introduced its new Polaris business class service late last year– but it has yet to roll out a plane with the new Polaris business class seat. United’s first Boeing 777-300ER with the new seats makes its domestic debut later this month.

The airline has scheduled a gala inaugural flight for the new aircraft – dubbed ‘New Spirit of United’ — on Monday, February 13, from Chicago O’Hare to San Francisco, and it has started an online auction where MileagePlus members can bid miles to win a pair of seats in the Polaris cabin.

The bidding deadline is noon CST on Monday, February 6, and at this writing the minimum bid is 241,000 miles. New bids can only be made in increments of 1,000 miles.

A window seat in United’s new Polaris business class. (Image: United)

What you’re bidding on is not only two Polaris tickets for the ORD-SFO maiden flight, but an entire package that also includes a pair of economy tickets to Chicago, two more for a flight home from San Francisco, and a hotel stay in San Francisco the night of February 13. You’ll also have access to United’s new Polaris lounge at O’Hare.

You must be 21 or older to participate, and you can’t check any bags – carry-ons only.

To see all the details and to submit a bid, click here.

The first scheduled service of a Polaris-equipped 777-300ER will be on a domestic route, linking United’s San Francisco and Newark Liberty International hubs. The new aircraft will fly six days a week from February 13 through May 4, the airline said.

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 Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific both offer non-stop service.

Seatmap of United’s newest bird: The Boeing 777-300ER CLICK for details

The Boeing 777-300ER will have 60 business class seats— that’s up from around 50 in its 747s and 777-200s. Both Economy Plus and regular economy seating will be 10-across, configured 3-4-3. Economy Plus will offer 34 inches of pitch vs. 31 inches for regular economy. Currently, United’s 777s are 9 across in economy class.

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!

Don’t miss out! Join the 150,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

How I bid on a transcon upgrade and won

November 11, 2016

My last “real” Virgin America flight in seat 1A! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

>In this post: How I bid my way to a first class upgrade on Virgin America and a Trip Report (with photos) about my experience…

Last week I used my Virgin America Elevate points (26,000 of ’em!) to buy a roundtrip economy class ticket between San Francisco and Washington, DC– and I lucked out in both directions.

Here’s what happened:

About a week before my trip, I received an email from Virgin America inviting me to bid on an upgrade to first class for the return leg (DCA-SFO) of the trip. Since I knew I’d be tired and ready to kick back after an very busy three-day trip, I thought “hmmm I deserve this, let’s check it out.” It had been a long time since I had enjoyed a transcon flight in Virgin’s big marshmallow white seats, and I knew I’d appreciate the space, service, meal and cocktails on the evening return flight.

Plus, I thought that it could be the last time I’d fly on the “real” Virgin America since its takeover by Alaska seems imminent.

I was psyched to receive the upgrade offer because I’d booked my economy class roundtrip a little late, and the seat selection was poor. I had aisle seats, behind the wing, in both directions. Yuck. So I bit. And I clicked on “Make an offer” and found out that I could only get the upgrade on the return flight. Still, an upgrade in one direction is better than no upgrade at all, right?

The click led to a screen that asked me to name my price for the return flight– but it would not allow me to submit a bid for less than $400. It included a helpful little toggle switch that helped gauge my “offer strength” and also showed a photo of those big leather marshmallows to tempt me.

$400 seemed high to me, so I had to think about it. A few hours later, I decided, once again, “I deserve this.” So I went back and made a bid at the cheapest possible price: $410. If I got it, fine, if I did not, no biggie. I’d suffer at the back of the plane. This was a “free” ticket anyway since I’d used my points, right? What’s another $410? Plus, when I checked, roundtrip first class flights were running at about $3,000 roundtrip on Virgin America.

Once I submitted my bid, I received another email saying that my bid was under consideration- and that I could modify it or cancel it at any time. I liked that. I did not feel like I was stuck. I could up my bid, or I could bow out completely. Virgin said that my credit card would only be billed if my bid succeeded, and that they’d email to let me know if I’d won.

This all took place on Tuesday. My outbound flight departed Thursday morning, and the return was Sunday evening.

When it became time to check in for my flight on Wednesday, I took a quick look to see if any better coach seats have opened up. Lo and behold, one had: a non-reclining exit row window seat 9F– yes! Since it does not recline, Virgin does not charge extra for it, and I don’t ever recline in economy anymore, so I grabbed it. I also noticed that the middle seat next to mine was empty and hoped it stayed that way.

And you know what? It did stay empty! When the door to the plane closed, the guy in the aisle seat and I did a fist bump 🙂 An empty seat next to you on an exit row is almost as good as first class, right? Well, kinda. But I was able to stretch out, get some work done, use the middle seat tray table for overflow. The 4-5 hour flight passed quickly, I had a nice fast Gogo internet connection, a protein plate for lunch (my favorite Virgin meal) ordered from the seat back.

Dear Alaska Airlines: Figure out a way to preserve and expand Virgin’s seatback food and drink ordering system. After eight years, no other airline has copied it and it works so well– for both passenger and crew.

I hope Alaska Air keeps Virgin’s protein plate on the menu- it’s my favorite meal! (Chris McGinnis)

When I arrived in DC, I want straight to the most controversial hotel in the world. You can read about that here…

I was in DC for a meeting on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As I struggled through a sunny bright DC Saturday morning stuck in a windowless conference room, I remembered my bid for first class on the flight home. A few minutes later, my phone buzzed with an email:

Wooo hooo! I got it! I won the bid! I went to check my options and settle on seat 1A. I felt like standing up in the middle of the meeting and giving myself a high five! I’d be flying home in style. My favorite hometown airline had come through for me. So here’s how that went:

Virgin's cushy first class seats look like big white marshmallows (Virgin America)

Virgin’s cushy first class seats look like big white marshmallows- I sat in 1A (Virgin America)

Boarding the flight was fast and easy at Washington Reagan National. There are only eight seats in Virgin’s first class. Only one was empty for the the flight to SFO.

First thing I noticed was how old the plane felt. It must have been one of Virgin’s original A320s. I could tell by the older version of inflight entertainment, the scuffs and scrapes on that big white seat and surrounding area. (It did not look as pristine as the Virgin-supplied photo above.) Looking out the unpolished, murky window, I could see paint chips on the big red engine under the wing. While still nice, the hippest, coolest airline in the world looked a little long in the tooth. Alaska Air is going have to give some of these planes a nip and tuck here and there to keep up the Virgin image.

A little work with my bloody mary and mixed nuts (Chris McGinnis)

Service was great as usual. One of my favorite things about flying Virgin is how the pilots, in their black uniforms, stand at the head of the cabin to make pre-flight announcements. It’s interesting and reassuring, and I hope it’s a touch that Alaska Airlines keeps.

Three choices for dinner in Virgin America first class (Chris McGinnis)

Flight attendants helped stow my carry on since I was in the bulkhead. They also distributed huge black pillows and comforters– these are seriously large and cozy. I declined, however, since I knew I’d be working on this flight.

Citrus and Persian cucumber with prosciutto starter salad- nice but the sections of lime were too sour (Chris McGinnis)

Main course: Persian chicken with basmati right- regrettably overcooked and dry, but edible! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A pear tart for dessert (Chris McGinnis)

A pear custard tart for dessert (Chris McGinnis)

Overall, I feel like that $410 was money well spent. I got plenty of work done on the flight. Once again, I had a speedy Gogo connection— fast enough to upload photos, which is rare. I arrived back in SFO in good shape after the 5 hour slog.

I’m going to miss Virgin America. It will be tough to say goodbye to our fun, sassy, innovative, high-style airline. But I believe it will be in good hands with Alaska, which seems to have an open mind about integrating the best parts of the Virgin experience.

What do you think about losing Virgin America? Did you ever get to fly upfront? Ever play the upgrade bidding game? Please leave your comments below.

CYMI, 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!

Don’t miss out! Join the 150,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

Star(wood) Wars, Part IV: Anbang strikes back

March 28, 2016

Will Anbang Insurance thwart Marriott's latest bid to buy Starwood? (Image: Marriott)

Will Anbang Insurance thwart Marriott’s latest bid to buy Starwood? Will China’s government block Anbang? Stay tuned. (Image: Marriott)

Just when it looked like Marriott International had once again secured a deal to acquire Starwood Hotels & Resorts by sweetening Its original offer, a revised proposal has been submitted by Marriott’s counter-bidding nemesis, China’s Anbang Insurance and its co-investors.

Feeling a bit weary of all the back-and-forth? We are! Anyway, here’s the latest….

Starwood’s board said today that the latest offer from Anbang & company – an all-cash bid of $82.75 per share for all Starwood stock, and the fourth bid to be made in this see-saw battle – is “reasonably likely” to be superior to Marriott’s latest bid, which was estimated to be worth $79.53 per share. That last Marriott bid included $21 per share in cash and the rest on Marriott stock. (Starwood said Anbang’s newest bid, made on March 26, was $81 per share, but in discussions over the past two days, the bidders raised their price to $82.75.)

Once again, Starwood’s board said it would closely examine and discuss the new Anbang bid, and would continue to discuss “non-price terms related to the (Anbang) consortium’s revised proposal.” The board added: “there can be no assurance that discussions will result in a binding proposal from the consortium,” or that it will result in an agreement to sell Starwood to Anbang and friends.

Breakfast overlooking Hanalei Bay at Starwood’s St Regis Princeville (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The Starwood board also reaffirmed that it “has not changed its recommendation in support of Starwood’s merger with Marriott.”

Meanwhile, there were reports that China’s government might also toss a monkey wrench into Anbang’s overseas buying spree. Caixin Online, a Chinese business news website, reported that the government’s China Insurance Regulatory Commission could be on the verge of blocking Anbang’s bid for Starwood and a separate Anbang offer for Strategic Hotels – a U.S.-based group that own several high-end hotels and resorts.

The problem, Caixin Online said, is that Chinese regulations bar the nation’s insurance companies from investing more than 15 percent of their assets abroad, a limit that would apparently be exceeded by either of the two proposed acquisitions.

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

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

Please join the 125,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

Developing: Starwood + Marriott on the rocks?

March 18, 2016

Marriott's acquisition of Starwood is suddenly far from a done deal. Sheraton Chicago (Photo: Sheraton)

Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood is suddenly far from a done deal. Pictured: Sheraton Chicago (Photo: Sheraton)

Unless Marriott International can come up with a much better offer, its deal to acquire and merge with Starwood Hotels & Resorts is off.

Earlier this week, just as the Marriott-Starwood deal was sailing toward completion, an uninvited consortium of bidders led by Chinese insurance giant Anbang stepped in with a new offer for Starwood. At the time, both Starwood and Marriott expressed confidence that their merger would likely go through as planned. But now Starwood has changed its mind.

Starwood said its board of directors, after closely examining the offer from Anbang and its co-bidders – an offer which has been increased rom $76 to $78 in cash per share – has decided that the Anbang consortium’s offer is “superior,” so it “intends to terminate the Marriott merger agreement” and enter into one with the Anbang group. The board found that Marriott’s offer, which is mostly in the form of Marriott stock, is only worth $71 a share.

Marriott’s acquisition of Starwood is suddenly far from a done deal. (Image: American Express)

Marriott’s only hope of salvaging the merger is to come up with an offer better than the Anbang group’s bid by midnight March 28.

“Starwood will negotiate in good faith with Marriott during this period, and the Starwood board will consider in good faith any changes to the Marriott agreement that Marriott may propose during this period,” Starwood said.

In view of these new developments, Starwood has canceled a special stockholders’ meeting which had been scheduled for March 28 to vote on the Marriott bid. And here’s one odd note in Starwood’s announcement: It said that in spite of the superior offer from Anbang and company, “Starwood’s Board has not changed its recommendation in support of Starwood’s merger with Marriott.”

After Starwood’s announcement, Marriott said it “continues to believe that a combination of Marriott and Starwood is the best course for both companies and offers the best value to Starwood shareholders.” Marriott added that it is “in the process of reviewing the Anbang consortium’s proposal and is carefully considering its alternatives.”

Stay tuned. How do YOU think this will play out? Do you care? Please leave your comments below.

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

Please join the 125,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!

Surprise: New bid for Starwood emerges

March 14, 2016

The new Westin at Denver's airport is a short walk from the terminal. (Image: Jim Glab)

Starwood’s brand new Westin at Denver’s airport is a short walk from the terminal. (Image: Jim Glab)

Just when it looked like Marriott International’s planned acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts was sailing along toward completion – with board votes at both companies just weeks away and a recent green light from U.S. antitrust regulators – a new Starwood suitor has suddenly emerged with a higher bid.

The unsolicited bid for Starwood comes from an investor group led by Anbang Insurance Group, a Chinese company that made headlines last year when it bought the Waldorf-Astoria in New York for almost $2 billion. The Beijing-based company has also reportedly made a deal to buy Strategic Hotels & Resorts from the Blackstone Group for $6.5 billion. Strategic owns 16 U.S. luxury properties, including some Four Seasons and Ritz-Carlton resorts as well as the JW Marriott Essex House in New York and the Hotel del Coronado in San Diego.

Other investors participating in the Anbang-led bid include a private equity firm called J.C. Flowers & Co. and a Chinese investment company called Primavera Capital Group, according to Bloomberg News. The news comes as more Chinese investors are are dumping investments in the Chinese economy and moving money to safer markets like the U.S.

A Chinese firm that bought the Waldorf-Astoria is leading a new bid to acquire Starwood. (Image: Waldorf-Astoria)

The Chinese firm that bought the Waldorf-Astoria is leading a new bid to acquire Starwood. (Image: Waldorf-Astoria)

The new bidders are offering $76 per share in cash for all Starwood stock, according to Starwood. Bloomberg said that puts a $12.9 billion value on the bid; Starwood estimated the current value of Marriott’s bid at $63.74 a share, based on Starwood’s recent stock price. The Marriott bid includes $2 a share in cash and the rest in Marriott stock. Another factor that Starwood’s board will have to weigh is that its agreement with Marriott provides for Starwood to pay Marriott a $400 million termination fee if the deal falls through.

Starwood said its board of directors will consider the new offer from the Anbang-led group in order to “determine the course of action that is in the best interest of Starwood and its stockholders.” The Starwood board also said that at this point, it “has not changed its recommendation in support of Starwood’s merger with Marriott.” Starwood and Marriott have entered into a definitive merger agreement, but Marriott has given Starwood a waiver effective through March 17 to look into the Anbang-led bid. Both Marriott and Starwood stockholders are expected to vote on the merger proposal on March 28.

Marriott said on Monday it is “confident that the previously announced merger agreement is the best course for both companies.”

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

Please join the 125,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!