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Final Delta 747 flies into history

Iconic Delta 747 made its last commercial flights this week. (Image: Delta)

It was a day late due to an unforeseen cancellation, but Delta’s final commercial 747 flight from the U.S. took off on Monday, December 18 from Detroit to Seoul Incheon.

Delta said the Sunday departure had to be scrubbed “due to an inability to fully staff the flight with its required four pilots.” Unhappy passengers who had booked the Sunday flight were provided with meals and hotel rooms, and rebooked on the extra Monday departure if they still wanted to go.

“While there was disappointment in (Sunday’s) cancellation, dozens of Delta customers and employees stopped by a 747 historical display near the McNamara Terminal’s signature fountain to share stories and remembrances of the 747,” the airline said.

The Seoul flight took off from DTW on Monday and returned from Seoul to Detroit on Tuesday – and that was the final commercial 747 flight for any U.S. carrier.

Delta 747

All of Delta’s 747s first belonged to Northwest, which merged with Delta. These are vintage Northwest uniforms from 70s on display at the Delta Museum in Atlanta– the red one designed by Yves St Laurent (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Meanwhile, another Delta 747 was taking a domestic “farewell tour”, flying on Monday from Detroit to Boeing’s Paine Field in Everett, Washington – the home of the Boeing factory where it was manufactured. Passengers on that flight were mostly Delta employees and retired, along with some SkyMiles elites who had successfully bid to take part.

From Paine Field, the aircraft went on an eight-minute flight to Seattle-Tacoma International – “one of the shortest 747 flights ever,” according to passenger Enrique Perrella, publisher of Airways Magazine.

Perrella was one of several posters on Twitter who have been tracking the farewell tour, which was due to continue on from SEA this week to make stops in Atlanta, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Los Angeles for final viewings by employees. A Delta 747 is still due to fly a few NFL charters in December before its final retirement by the end of the month.

Don’t miss: An emotional journey onboard United’s final 747 flight

Delta 747

Delta has a 747 on exhibit at its museum near ATL. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

If you still want to see a Delta 747, you can always visit the Delta 747 Experience, a walk-through exhibit of a retired Delta aircraft. It’s located near Atlanta Hartfield Jackson Airport at the Delta Museum. Here’s Chris’s report from his trip to the Delta 747 Experience earlier this year.

What are your thoughts and feeling about the retirement of the 747? What do you think of it’s replacements, such as the A350, B787, B777 and A380? Favorite or least favorite? 

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A middle seat to love on Lufthansa

Lufthansa’s new business class design includes some extra-wide single middle seats. Calling Captain Kirk! (Image: Lufthansa)

Lufthansa won’t start flying new Boeing 777-9s for another three years, but it just revealed some details of its new business class for those aircraft, and the cabin has some unique innovations.

For one thing, the new design gives future business class customers a choice. “Depending on their personal needs, customers can choose between seats with more desk space or a higher degree of privacy,” Lufthansa said.

Window seats also have a choice of configurations. (Image: Lufthansa)

The seats in the new design are laid out on alternate rows of 1-2-1 and 1-1-1. The single middle seats have about twice as much desk space as other seats. Some observers are referring to them as “throne seats” but we’ve called them “Captain Kirk” seats, too.

The cabin also provides what Lufthansa claims will be “the best possible sleep up above the clouds.” Seat-beds are 86.6 inches long, and “the construction of the back rest makes it possible for the shoulder to sink in when you are lying on your side,” the company said. “This keeps the spine straight and makes it possible for side sleepers to also benefit from ideally healthy and relaxing sleep.”

Lufthansa said the new seat and cabin designs were created after conducting in-depth research with more than 500 of its regular customers.

Even before the new business class seating is introduced in 2020, Lufthansa said, it will deploy new business class mattresses, duvets and pajamas starting early next year.

Rendering of a Lufthansa 777-9. (Image: Boeing)

The next-generation 777-9, which has also been referred to as the 777X, will be the largest-ever twin-engine jetliner. Lufthansa is a launch customer for the new Boeing plane.

Bloomberg News is reporting that Lufthansa has ordered 34 of the 777-9s, and that they will eventually replace its 747-400s and A340-600s – although unlike those two aircraft, the new 777-9s will not have a first class cabin. The 777-9s will reportedly have 45 to 60 business class seats, but the final seating configuration of the new planes hasn’t yet been finalized.

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Delta reveals details for final 747 flight

Delta 747

If you miss Delta’s low key send off to the 747, you can always see this 747 Experience at the Delta Museum near Atlanta Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

We’ve been getting emails nearly every day asking what we know about Delta’s final Boeing 747 flight in December. These of course came to a head during United’s big send off when the questions naturally turned to, “That’s great for United but what is Delta going to do for its final 747 flight?”

The short answer is that it sounds like it will not be as big a production as United’s send off which included a special flight to Hawaii, a big social media campaign, parties in both San Francisco and Honolulu. And a lot of sentimentality for the exiting Queen.

Delta 747

Up inside the bubble at the 747 Experience in Atlanta, check out the rear galley wall with glass so you can look down into the main deck. So cool! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The final final international commercial flight will be Sunday Dec 17 from Seoul to Detroit, and according to Google Flights and Delta.com, seats are still available. We found DTW-ICN-DTW round trips in economy in the $1,500 range. Looking at the seat map for the final flight on Delta.com shows about 50 seats in economy and 4 in business class- although the biz class seats don’t show up for booking. Wanna go?

We found one-way flights in economy for about $1070, round trips for about $1500. We were unable to book business class seats even though 4 appear available in the seat map

Here’s what the airline has revealed on its blog about its final flights:

There will soon be more chances to see and perhaps take part in some of the last Delta 747 flights – the last to be flown by any U.S. passenger airline. Here are seven things to know about Delta’s big goodbye to the 747:

  1. Delta is operating the Boeing 747-400 on daily scheduled service between its Detroit hub and its partner hub at Seoul-Incheon.
  2. Here are the final regularly scheduled flights of the Delta 747:
    • Final U.S. departure: Flight 159 at Detroit to Seoul-Incheon at 12:31 p.m. on Dec. 15
    • Final Asia Pacific arrival: Flight 159 at Seoul-Incheon from Detroit at 4:30 p.m. on Dec. 16
    • Final Asia Pacific departure: Flight 158 at Seoul-Incheon to Detroit at 11:15 a.m. on Dec. 17
    • Final U.S. arrival: Flight 158 at Detroit from Seoul-Incheon at 10:14 a.m. on Dec. 17
  3. Delta will take the 747 on an employee farewell tour from Detroit to Seattle on Dec. 18, Seattle to Atlanta on Dec. 19 and Atlanta to Minneapolis-St. Paul on Dec. 20.
  4. Customers can bid for a spot on these farewell flights via SkyMiles Experiences using their SkyMiles. The Farewell Tour begins after the final commercial flight touches down in Detroit from Seoul. The Tour includes three flights and after-party celebrations in Detroit, Seattle, Atlanta and Minneapolis.
  5. Employees and retirees can purchase a seat on these flights on a first-come, first-serve basis beginning at noon ET Nov. 20 at a discounted rate, with all proceeds going to the Airloom Project, the organization behind the 747 Experience exhibit at the Delta Flight Museum.
  6. The 747 will fly a handful of sports team and ad-hoc charter flights through Dec. 31.
  7. Delta will fly its final 747 to its retirement place in Arizona in early January. This ferry flight will not be open to passengers.

From Delta’s farewell tour bidding page

Delta will be celebrating the iconic and revolutionary 747 throughout December in all of its channels and encourages customers, enthusiasts and employees to share their own tributes and remembrances using the #DL747Farewell hashtag. 

Don’t miss: First look inside Delta’s 747 Experience 


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Trip Report: A sentimental journey aboard United’s final 747 flight

747 lei

A giant lei welcomes United’s final 747 flight to Honolulu (Photo: Nancy Branka)

A few of us gathered at the airport gate window, looking out at the Boeing 747 being readied for its final passenger flight and snapping some photos. I admit to being a little choked up.

This week United Airlines retired the Queen of the Skies with a special commemorative flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Honolulu (HNL), the carrier’s very first route using the bubble-topped bird. The aircraft has had a long and storied history with United since the summer of 1970. At the time she was an engineering marvel and a cultural sensation—the very first wide-bodied aircraft. But today’s more fuel-efficient aircraft have made her history.

I felt a weird déjà vu at the window. This flight was personal. Late that summer of 1970, I stood at another window at SFO, looking out at what was then a brand new airplane: the 747 that would take me, my parents and brothers to Honolulu. My brothers and I sized it up, and we all wondered out loud whether it could actually take off with that girth.

Note: This Trip Report is written by TravelSkills contributor Nancy Branka. United covered the cost of air transport, Nancy covered all other expenses related to the trip. 

business traveler 747

Business travelers onboard a United 747 in the 1970s (Photo: United)

This was an extravagant trip for our family of six, and my parents played it up, requiring each kid (I was the oldest at 14) to earn money to contribute to the plane tickets. (Now, as a parent, I suspect it was more of a life lesson requirement than financial necessity.) The trip made an impression: At least a couple times a year it comes up in family conversation—yes because it was an exotic destination for us, but also because we had to work for it, and then of course, there was that plane. So when TravelSkills’ Chris McGinnis was going to be out of the country and miss this November 7 flight, I jumped at the chance to sub in. Even better, I was assigned a rear-facing business class seat- something else that will soon disappear on United.

United Champagne

A post-departure champagne toast on United’s final 747 flight to Honolulu (Photo: United)

I was not the only one feeling nostalgic today. The festivities at SFO’s Gate 86 were crazy–shoulder to shoulder people, many dressed in their ’70s finest. From plaid jackets to Pucci dresses to faux fur vests, it was That 70s Show on steroids. Kitschy United memorabilia abounded: plastic carry-on bags, a mechanics uniform, old timetables. My own bellbottoms and ’70s era top were subtle in this crowd.

Passengers were promised gate festivities at both SFO and HNL, flight attendants in retro uniforms, and retro meals. All that indeed happened. But what surprised me were the unexpected moments of sentimentality.

They came before we even left San Francisco. When we finally pulled back from the gate, a cheer went up. That was when my seatmate and I turned to the window and saw that our baggage handlers were lingering and all had their cameras out. Perched on a nearby gate’s Jetway stairs, a crew of flight attendants were taking selfies with our plane behind. Then, as we slowly taxied to the runway, ground crews all along our path stopped what they were doing to watch us pass—cameras in hand, of course. At one point, a group of about 50 took a group selfie, with the 747 in the background. The plane was like a beloved dignitary, on parade. This was incredibly moving.

United flight attendants onboard wore flowers in their hair…and leis around their necks (Photo: Nancy Branka)

A similar scene unfolded as we landed and pulled up to our gate in Honolulu. A large crew stood by waving the “hang loose” shaka sign. Then, after disembarking we watched from the gate windows as ground crew members operated a crane to lower a 120-foot orange lei on the Queen. Perhaps because the 747’s shape brings to mind a face more than other planes, the lei seemed a totally natural honor. Again, that choked up feeling.

Meanwhile, passengers from other arriving flights also stopped to watch the spectacle, alerted to the historic moment by their pilots, and we chatted about the revered 747.

Perhaps coolest was the unexpected gesture to the Golden Gate Bridge, an icon in its own right. As we lifted off over San Francisco Bay, a takeoff I’ve experienced countless times, something seemed different. Suddenly, a gasp ran through the cabin as we swept lower than I’ve ever flown over the bridge—it was breathtaking. At which point the pilot gently tipped the aircraft’s wings, in a final wave goodbye to the Golden Gate. You don’t get many moments like that in air travel.

United certainly brought on lots of fun touches with the inflight service. United CEO Oscar Munoz walked through the plane and clinked Mai Tai glasses with each passenger. (He did not take the flight.) Once airborne, the entire plane raised champagne glasses to toast the Queen. When appetizers were served, our purser brought by a bottle of Trader Vic’s salad dressing, which she said was the very dressing served when she began her FA career more than 40 years ago. After dinner a cart of Grasshoppers was served with all the steamy drama of dried ice (after similar service with ice cream sundaes).

Grasshoppers all around to finish a vintage meal onboard United’s final 747 flight (Photo: Nancy Branka)

 

United 747 hula

Gate celebration in Honolulu included ukulele music and hula dancers (Photo: Nancy Branka)

More than the retro accoutrement, the stories people brought on board made the flight distinctive. My seatmate, who flies hundreds of thousands of miles each year on United (and as many or more on other airlines), called the 747 his favorite aircraft, having flown it a hundred-plus times over the years. He loves its quiet feel and roomy first class seats. He reminisced about the upper deck when it was a lounge, and then when it later was converted to first class seating. He even once slept on the floor at the rear of the upper deck, a pilot having left a blanket and pillow behind there.

Many shared memories. Our gate emcee reported that she’d just met a woman who was on the very first United 747 flight. Her father was a United mechanic and she herself worked for United. Her son was born at 7:47, and they named him Boeing. No kidding.

As one flight attendant passed us hot towels, she said she had flown the 747 on the SFO-HNL route since her first day on the job. And she just couldn’t bear that it would be flying back empty to San Francisco the next day, then delivered to Victorville, CA on Thursday to be checked into the giant plane boneyard there. “So much fun happened on this plane,” she said. “Crazy stuff. Like right in your seats, right there,” she said pointing to my seatmate and me. Unfortunately, she turned and left before I could get details.

Marriage proposal

Up in the bubble a young couple agreed to get married! (Photo: United)

One couple even became engaged on the flight today! I’m not sure if United was in on the surprise, but the flight attendant announced that United would be picking up their honeymoon air travel costs. Several others celebrated birthdays. One gentleman had been on the very first 747 commercial flight—on Pan Am—and he had the framed documentation to prove it.

If I hoped the flight would reinforce the nostalgia of my family’s trip to Hawaii in 1970 and bring me back to what it felt like to be 14, it surpassed my expectations. But perhaps the biggest surprise was that sharing this nostalgia with 373 other passengers who had similar affection and memories would be so moving. United, which has had a challenging year in some respects, deserves full credit for sensing the zeitgeist and tapping into the deep feelings passengers have towards this plane.

See United’s excellent 4-minute compilation video from the final flight.

The big bird’s lonely, empty flight back to California and retirement in the Victorville boneyard:

Do you have a special 747 memory on United or any other airline? What do you think of United’s big send-off? Please leave your comments below. 

Disclosure: United covered the cost of air transport, Nancy covered all other expenses related to this trip. 


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Emotional goodbye to United’s Boeing 747

United 747

Today’s flight is United’s final journey for the Boeing 747 pictured here loading up for the trip SFO to Honolulu (Image: United)

Not everyone could be on United’s final Boeing 747 flight today, including me. But I’ve been watching the event unfold on social media while flying across the Pacific on a brand new wi-fi equipped Cathay Pacific A350 by following #UA747Farewell on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. (Click on the links to see the stream).

It looks like a fun trip, which included toasts by United CEO Oscar Munoz and a cast of lucky passengers and flight attendants (mostly) dressed up in 70’s garb.

United flight attendants lining up for a pre-flight photo opp at the airport (Image: United)

The trip got off to a rocky start with a maintenance delay (not unexpected for a plane destined for a desert retirement!), but then took off and made a dramatic exit right over the top of San Francisco, and then a low run over the Golden Gate Bridge before turning out over the Pacific for the final 2,500-mile flight to Honolulu. Check out the flight path here.

UA747 #ua747farewell #sfo #planespotting

A post shared by Simon Leong (@_simon_leong_) on

While I was unable to make this trip, our writer Nancy Branka is onboard and will have a full report on her experience later this week.

The flight included a special meal catered by Trader Vic’s…and plenty of mai-tais!

A special Hawaiian style menu for United’s final 747 flight to HNL (Image: United)

United says, “From a 1970s-inspired menu to retro uniforms for flight attendants to inflight entertainment befitting of that first flight, the ‘Queen of the Skies’ is being sent off in style. Seats for this flight sold out in less than 90 minutes when this farewell celebration was announced in September.”

Delta will retire its Boeing 747s in December while other international carriers such as British Airways and Qantas (as well as many cargo carriers) will be flying them for many more years. Also, the newer Boeing 747-8 flown by Lufthansa, Korean Air and Air China should be around for decades.

There was also a very nice goodbye to the graceful Queen of the Skies on CBS This Morning on Sunday. Here’s the 5-minute clip in case you missed it.

What will you miss most about the Boeing 747? What do you think about the new generation of planes taking over long distance flying, such as the Boeing 777-300 or 787 Dreamliner…or the Airbus A350 and A380? Please leave your comments below. 


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Qantas unwraps its Dreamliner, coming to LAX soon (photos)

Qantas’ Dreamliners feature an updated kangaroo logo. (Image: Qantas)

It’s a little late to the Dreamliner game, but Qantas has just unveiled the interiors of the new Boeing 787-9s that are coming to its international fleet soon – including to the U.S.

In fact, the very first route for Qantas’ newest wide-body will be Melbourne to Los Angeles, beginning in December. The second will be a very long haul from Perth to London – the first non-stop service linking Australia with Europe — starting next March. (Currently fares on the LAX-Melbourne route are just $787 round trip— quite a good deal!)

Will the Qantas Dreamliner find its way to San Francisco next year? Qantas hasn’t said; it is currently flying a 747-400 on the SFO-Sydney route, while United already uses a 787-9 in that market. Qantas said it will have eight Dreamliners in its long-haul fleet by the end of next year, allowing it to retire five of its 747s. (Qantas currently uses A380s on its Los Angeles flights from Melbourne and Sydney.) Read what Qantas CEO told TravelSkills about SFO-SYD flights in an interview here. 

Qantas plans to use the Dreamliner for its longest nonstop flight, Perth to London, starting next March.

The new Qantas 787-9. (Image: Qantas)

In any case, the Qantas 787-9s will offer “more space and a lower passenger count than most of its competitors,” the airline said. They will have large windows, improved cabin air quality, and “ride dampening technology to minimize the effects of turbulence,” Qantas said.

The Qantas 787-9s will have 42 business class seats configured 1-2-1; 28 in premium economy, with a 2-3-2 layout; and 166 in economy, configured 3-3-3 and offering 32-inch pitch.

That’s a total of 236 seats. A year ago, when Qantas first revealed its 787-9 seating plans, the publication Australian Business Traveler compared that to Qantas’ competitors, noting that Air New Zealand’s three-class 787-9s have 302 seats, while Air Canada’s have 298 and United’s have 252.

The 787-9s also come with Qantas’ new livery, which includes the fifth update of its traditional Flying Kangaroo logo.

Here’s a first look at the Qantas 787-9 interior:

The plane has 1-2-1 business class seating. (Image: Qantas)

 

Here’s business class from another angle. (Image: Qantas)

 

Premium economy is configured 2-3-2. (Image: Qantas)

Regular economy has 32-inch pitch and 3-3-3 seating. (Image: Qantas)

Have you flown Qantas to Australia before? What did you think? Please leave your comments below. 

Check out how Boeing turned over this beautiful ship to Qantas at a ceremony this week in Seattle:

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“Fond farewell to our 747”- a tearjerker video from United

United 747

Screenshot from a beautifully produced sayonara to the Queen of the Skies (Image: YouTube/United)

We held this post until the weekend so readers would have time to enjoy the full six minutes of the beautiful tribute video United has made for the retirement of its 747.

Highlights of the video include the mod, colorful 70s interiors of Continental’s early 747s that flew between Chicago, Los Angeles and Honolulu. Several gorgeous shots of the beautiful bird in nearly every United livery. The big reveal of the very first 747 “to a collective gasp” in Seattle in 1968. Interview with pilots saying how easy it was to fly. United flew it’s first 747 to SFO-HNL– flight attendants talk about chef-made meals and the lounge up the spiral staircase.

Sit back, relax, remember and soak it all in. And let us know if you get a little misty eyed at the end like we did. Enjoy!

Here’s what United wrote on its blog about the 747 this week:

Since her induction into our fleet, the Boeing 747 aka the “Queen of the Skies” has been one of our most recognizable aircrafts with a unique upper deck, giving her an instantly recognizable hump silhouette. Over the years, she’s built up a considerable fanbase, winning the hearts of customers and employees alike. Before she flies into the sunset next month, join us as we pay homage to the Queen of the Skies after 47 years of service with United. #UA747Farewell

I’m sure this will be one of many odes to the 747 we’ll see in coming weeks as United’s final 747 flight date approaches: November 7.

Unite 747 bin

These are the storage bins on United 747s – enjoy them while you can! 747s fly away in October (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

What do you remember most about the 747? What will you miss most? For me, I will definitely miss its graceful beauty, but from a practical standpoint, I’m going to miss those big beautiful bins under the windows upstairs in the business class bubble! So convenient.

Watch the full video and then leave your thoughts and comments below, please.

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A look inside Delta partner China Eastern Airlines

China Eastern B777 first class

China Eastern’s first class cabin offers a center cabin that folds down into a nice double bed (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

China Eastern Airlines is one of the growing number of Asian carriers that you have probably heard of, but may not know much about. If you are like me, you likely confuse it with China Southern and wonder what the difference is.

Last week, the Shanghai-based carrier worked to change that with a behind-the-scenes media tour of Los Angeles International Airport, and an up-close-and-personal look at its big B777-300ER parked at the gate.

China Eastern B777 LAX

During a media tour we crawled inside and outside a China Eastern Boeing 777-300ER parked at LAX. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

First a few of the basics…

While it’s the second largest airline in China, China Eastern ranks among the 10 largest in the world in terms of revenue, fleet size (nearly 500 planes), and passengers flown.

From North America, it flies to its Shanghai (PVG) hub from Los Angeles (2x), San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Honolulu, Vancouver and Toronto. China Eastern’s two-letter code is MU.

Current round trip fares between Los Angeles or San Francisco and Shanghai for November flights are about $750 (an okay deal, but other carriers offer fares as low as $500), and $2,900 in business class (a very good deal). First class is steep at about $15,000 round trip.

China Eastern logo

The China Eastern logo resembles a swallow, considered to bring good luck, and also includes the letters C & E (Chris McGinnis)

On most US-China routes, China Eastern flies the Boeing 777-300ER, which is pretty much the standard when it comes to long-haul flying these days. (It also uses A330s on Honolulu, Vancouver flights as well as on SFO-Qingdao.) Its average fleet age is very young– less than seven years old. Its B777-300ERs are all less than two years old.

China Eastern is a member of the SkyTeam alliance and has a code share partnership with Delta Air Lines. This means you can buy a Delta ticket (and earn Delta SkyMiles) to Shanghai from from New York, Chicago, Los Angeles or San Francisco, but you’ll fly on a China Eastern jet. (To make things even more confusing, China Southern is also a member of SkyTeam.)

To help distinguish the two airlines, keep this in mind: China Eastern is based in Shanghai– on the eastern side of China. China Southern is based, as you might have guessed, in the southern part of the country in Guangzhou, near Hong Kong.

China map

China Eastern is based in Shanghai; China Southern is in Guangzhou (Image: China Tours)

Each China Eastern 777-300ER has three classes: first, business and economy. There is no premium economy. There are 316 seats: Six in first class, 52 in business class and 258 in economy class. Check out the layout and ratings of its 777-300ER on Seatguru.

China Eastern 777-300ER (Image: SeatPlans)

ECONOMY: China Eastern is one of the growing number of airlines (including United) that uses the high-density 10-across (3-4-3) configuration in economy class. While that’s tight at the shoulders (each seat is 17 inches wide), the good news is that it offers slightly higher-than-average seat pitch at 32-33 inches.

China Eastern Economy class

Economy class on China Eastern B777-300ER is 10-abreast (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

BUSINESS: The biggest portion of the B777 is the business class section, with a whopping 52 seats set in a reverse herringbone configuration 1-2-1, offering aisle access from every seat. (Made by Zodiac, the seats are similar to those seen on B777s from American and Cathay Pacific.)

China Eastern Business class

There are 52 big beautiful business class seats on China Eastern’s B777-300ER (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

FIRST: First class cabin is very intimate with just six seats– all with sliding “doors” for privacy. In the middle is a single pair of seats that fold down into a double bed (or two singles with privacy screen). There are no overhead bins in the first class cabin, which gives is a big airy feel, but it does not feel as sumptuous as what I’ve seen up front on the likes of Singapore Air or Cathay Pacific.

China Eastern first class

No overhead bins in first class on China Eastern’s B777-300ER (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

All its U.S. flights have Wi-Fi– however, since this is a government-run Chinese carrier, using it is reportedly a somewhat unwieldy experience, with access to vital sites like Google blocked.

China Eastern first and business class passengers use the KAL/SkyTeam Lounge at LAX. It’s nice and roomy with a big deck overlooking the shopping mall, but surprisingly for its age, furniture is looking a little worn out. First class passengers get special private suites to relax in while waiting to board flights. At SFO, China Eastern shares space with SkyTeam partners in the Air France/KLM lounge, which gets mixed reviews.

Korean Air lounge LAX

At LAX, China Eastern business and first class passengers use the Korean Air lounge at the Tom Bradley International Terminal (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Business and first class passengers get free limo service to and from the airport in Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Shanghai.

Midfield Satellite Concourse LAX

During our LAX tour, we saw plenty of progress on the new Midfield Satellite Concourse, which will connect to the Tom Bradley terminal via an underground tunnel. It should open in 2019 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

KAL lounge LAX First class

First class passengers have access to special private suites in the KAL Lounge at LAX (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

KAL business class lounge

The KAL business class lounge at LAX is light, bright and airy with a deck overlooking the new TBIT shopping area (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

China Eastern first class

A nice bar set up at the front of the first class section on a China Eastern Boeing 777-300ER (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Business class China Eastern

52 business class seats in reverse herringbone on China Eastern’s B777-300 ER (Chris McGinnis)

 

Note the mood lighting in the business class section of the B 777-300ER (Chris McGinnis)

Economy Class China Eastern B777

I tried an aisle seat in economy class with 32 inches of pitch (Chris McGinnis)

china eastern B 777

Decent knee room in economy class, but no opportunity to upgrade to premium economy on China Eastern B777 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Nice big screens and power at all China Eastern economy class seats on B777-300ER- note the rear rows with only two seats abreast (Chris McGinnis)

Read more about China Eastern on its website

Have you ever flown China Eastern Airlines? How was it? Please leave your comments below. 

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Will Southwest Airlines go to Hawaii with its new plane?

Southwest had a full load on its inaugural 737 MAX 8 flight. (Image: Southwest)

Two U.S. airlines have started to take delivery of the next generation of Boeing’s iconic 737 jetliner. One of them just started flying it in commercial service, and there is speculation that airline could use the plane to shake up the Hawaii market.

The aircraft is the 737 MAX. The two airlines are Southwest and American.

Southwest, the U.S. launch customer for the aircraft, put its first nine 737 MAX 8s into service this week. It expects to have 14 of them in operation by year’s end, and has placed firm orders for 200 of the new planes, including MAX  7s and MAX 8s.

The new Southwest 737 MAX 8s have 175 seats in a single-class configuration, offering 32 inches of pitch and the Boeing Sky interior with LED lighting sequences. Southwest’s existing 737-800s also have 175 seats and 31-32 inches of pitch, while its 737-700s have 143 seats and 31-inch pitch.

If the seat count is the same, what’s the difference between Southwest’s 737-800s and its new 737 MAX 8s (other than the new-plane smell)? The new aircraft are quieter, 14 percent more fuel-efficient and can fly 500 nautical miles farther than the -800s.

Southwest’s 737 MAX 8. (Image: Southwest)

“Our new seats feature an adjustable headrest; it’s the widest economy seat in the 737 market with a lower-profile arm rest, advanced cushion support, a raised information pocket, and elevated rear seat beam that together allow for additional space for personal devices,” Southwest said.

If you wind up on one of Southwest’s new MAX 8s, it will probably be by chance, because the airline plans to deploy them here and there on scores of routes over the next few months. You can see a full listing here.

The initial scheduled deployment of Southwest’s MAX 8s only mentions domestic routes, but the company’s executives have said they might use the aircraft’s longer range to begin service to Hawaii. They didn’t say when, but the financial publication Seeking Alpha said recently it believes “that Southwest is likely to enter the Hawaiian market by 2018, and a formal announcement could come at any time.”

If that happens, the publication said, it could usher in a major fare war on mainland-Hawaii routes. “We think the only reason that Southwest’s entry (to Hawaii) hasn’t already been announced is due to Hurricane Harvey,” the publication said.

Analysts noted that the new planes’ greater range could also allow Southwest to fly deeper into Latin America and even from the East Coast to northern Europe, a market where Norwegian has introduced the planes.

A 737 MAX 8 in American livery. (Image: Boeing)

American, meanwhile, took delivery of its first 737 MAX 8 from Boeing last week. It should receive four of the planes by year’s end, followed by 16 more next year and 20 in 2019. American will put the first aircraft into service on November 29 between Miami and New York LaGuardia. It has ordered a total of 100 737 MAX models from Boeing.

American’s version of the MAX 8 has 172 seats, but with three seating categories – 16 in first class, 30 in Main Cabin Extra and 126 in regular economy. By comparison, American has two versions of the 737-800, one with 160 seats in three classes and one with 154.

Earlier this year, American caused a stir when it said a few rows of economy on the new aircraft would have 29-inch pitch, a new low in legroom for a major U.S. carrier, and the rest would have 30-inch pitch. But after negative feedback from customers, the airline changed its mind and said all economy seats would offer 30-inch pitch, causing it to ditch one row of Main Cabin Extra in the planes. (That compares with 31-inch pitch on AA’s 737-800s.)

Neither American nor Southwest will offer seatback video monitors on the new planes, citing a growing passenger trend toward streaming entertainment via personal electronic devices.

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United’s final 747 flight sells out in hours

This bird’s about to go extinct in the US (Image: United)

United is running its final 747 flight between San Francisco and Honolulu on Tuesday, November 7 to commemorate the retirement of its 747 fleet. Only economy tickets were intially available on the flight– business class seats in the upper deck or “bubble” were not sold so everyone can climb up the stairs for a final look-see.

United says this journey will serve as “the ultimate throwback for customers, employees and invited guests as it recreates the first 747 flight operated by United in 1970. From a 1970s-inspired menu to retro uniforms for flight attendants to inflight entertainment befitting of that first flight, passengers will help send the Queen of the Skies off in true style. The original United 747 aircraft that first made this journey from San Francisco to Honolulu was named the “Friend Ship,” the same name bestowed on this farewell flight.”

Seats on this special, one-way trip, United flight 747, were available for purchase now at united.com — roundtrip fares (returning four days later) were going for $521 today (not bad!). Award seats were going for 45,ooo miles one way. You could have gone for 62,500 round trip (returning on a different plane). UPDATE: In the course of writing this post, fares soared to over $1,000 round trip for the final 747 flight, so keep checking– and let us know what you are finding in the comments below…) UPDATE #2: Within an hour of this posting, the United 747 flight was sold out and no longer appearing on United.com. 

The Nov 7 flight (aptly numbered UA 747) departs SFO at 11:00 am and arrives Honolulu at 2:45 pm

Seat chart from United’s final 747 flight on Nov 7– still somewhat open!

Those lucky enough to sit in first or business class will be selected by a drawing that will take place at the gate prior to boarding for an opportunity to occupy one of a select number of seats in the upper deck during the flight.

From United: “The journey will begin with a gate celebration at 9 a.m. local time at San Francisco International Airport, featuring a Boeing 747 gallery, remarks from United employees and executives, as well as refreshments. The flight will depart San Francisco International Airport at 11 a.m. local time, landing at Honolulu International Airport at 2:45 p.m. local time. Upon landing in Honolulu, local employees will welcome the aircraft with final festivities to close out the historic day. Customers and fans of the Queen of the Skies are encouraged to use the #UA747Farewell hashtag in social media posts.”

United’s final international 747 roundtrip will take place a week earlier between San Francisco and Seoul. It departs SFO on Saturday, October 28 and returns from Seoul on October 29. United’s 747s are still flying between SFO and Shanghai, London and Frankfurt until the end of October.

United’s final international 747 roundtrip.

Will you go? Please leave your comments below.

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Polaris business class seats now on 15 United jets

United Polaris 767

United’s Polaris business class seat on a Boeing 767-300 (Image: United)

By now nearly every United frequent flier has heard about its new Polaris Business Class product.

But what a lot of those flyers don’t realize (according to the emails I get) is that the new Polaris Business class seat is only on a handful of planes in its long haul fleet.

As of this week there are there are 15 United jets flying with the new Polaris business class seat: 14 B777-300ERs and 1 B767-300. (That’s 15 out of about 200 planes in United’s long haul fleet.)

So if you book a “Polaris business class” ticket on United, it’s still much more likely that you’ll get the old seat than the new one. But you will get the new Polaris service and soft product such as the Bloody Mary bar and blankets/pillows from Saks Fifth Avenue.

Odd-numbered window seats are more private on in United’s B767 Polaris business class (Image: United)

But that dearth of the new seats is changing slowly. Last week United announced that it has deployed the first retrofitted Boeing 767-300 with the new seat. It’s now in service between Newark and London Heathrow.

The retrofitted 767 widebody has larger overhead bins, new lavatories with better lighting and what United says is its “largest economy seat” at 18.5 inches wide. United has taken a lot of heat for installing tight 10-across seats (at 17 inches wide) on its 777-300ERs, so if you are flying economy, you’ll likely appreciate the space you’ll get on the 767.

United says that by the end of 2018, it should have 14 retrofitted B767s with the Polaris seats, the larger economy seats and new cabin design.

United’s retrofitted B767-300 has 30 business class seats, 46 economy plus and 138 in economy (Image: United CLICK for more)

 

United 767

Economy class seats on United’s retrofitted 767s are 18.5 inches wide, configured 2-3-2(Image: United)

A spokesperson told TravelSkills that the 767-300 retrofits will be placed onto routes that currently use 767s—which are mostly transatlantic. Right now, most of its newer B777-300ERs are on transpacific routes.

The business class cabin on a retrofitted 767 has 30 Polaris business class seats, all with direct aisle access. Flattened, the seat is about 75 inches long (big enough for someone who is 6’3”) and 21 inches wide.

The new leather economy class seat (configured 2-3-2)  is 18.5 inches wide, with in-seat power and an on-demand seatback entertainment system.

Don’t Miss: Reader Report- United Polaris business class to Hong Kong

United 767 Polaris

United’s new Polaris configuration on a Boeing 767-300ER. United calls this a 1-1-1 configuration, but it looks more like 2-2-2 to me (Image: United)

Overall, United’s new Polaris business class is a big step up from its current business class…but it still gets mixed reviews from flyers. What do YOU think? Please leave your comments below. 

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A new way to Australia on United

Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia– you can now get there from Houston on United. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

United will launch new nonstops between Houston and Sydney, Australia on January 18, 2018 using one of its new long-range Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.

The ultra-long-haul flight is 8,596 miles and will take 16-17 hours, but it’s still shorter than United’s (and Singapore Air’s) San Francisco-Singapore flights launched last year.

United also serves Australia with nonstops from both San Francisco (Sydney) and Los Angeles (Sydney & Melbourne) with 787-9 Dreamliners.

United ‘s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner (Image: United)

This flight will be Texas’ second nonstop to Australia after Qantas’ Dallas service, which uses a Airbus A380. Air New Zealand flies Houston to Australia via Auckland using a Dreamliner.

Flights are already on sale on United.com. Economy class is running about $1,300 roundtrip for February flights. Business class is about $8,400. For redemptions, we found a few “saver” awards at 40K each way in economy and 70K each way in business. But it’s tough to find them at that level in both directions.

See United’s clever infographic below for more info on this new flight>>

How will this change the way United fliers get down under? It will mostly help those in cities that currently don’t have United nonstop service to SFO or LAX. For example, United says its “customers originating in Charlotte have to fly to Chicago to connect to San Francisco to get to Sydney. With United’s new schedule at Houston, they now have just one stop at Houston to get to Sydney – saving hours off the journey by reducing the number of connections.”

United’s Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft has  a total of 252 seats – 48 flat-bed seats in United Polaris business class, 63 Economy Plus seats and 141 seats in United Economy. Regrettably, when the service starts in January, business class passengers will likely get the old style seat with the new Polaris amenities as the carrier focuses on getting the new Polaris seat on its B777-300 aircraft first.

Related: 17 moments in 17 hours on Singapore Air’s SFO-SIN

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What the heck? Mystery papered plane

747 paper

A 747 all wrapped up and ready to go. But for whom? (Image: Matt Cawby / Paineairport.com)

Up near Seattle, there’s a feast for the eyes of aviation geeks at Paine Field. It’s a small airport located next to the Boeing Everett factory, which is the primary assembly location for Boeing’s biggest jets, the 747, 767, 777 and 787.

It’s also the place where Boeing “delivers” its big jets to airline customers with great fanfare.

When you are dealing with flying behemoths like 747s it’s tough to keep secrets. But based on the photo above, which has been circulating in aviation circles for the past few days, it appears that Boeing has something under wraps.

What could it be?

Don’t miss: Russian mystery plane at SFO

Paine Field (PAE) is located next to Boeing’s massive Everett factory north of Seattle (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

Clearly what we see in the photo is a Boeing 747-8, the only 747 variant that Boeing still manufactures at Everett. This one is the -8f meaning it’s a freighter vs the -8i for passengers. (You can tell by looking at the shorter, non-extended bubble.)

But why the brown paper wrapping? Is it a gift for someone? Perhaps a big new cargo jet appropriately destined for the United Parcel Service fleet?

I reached out to a Boeing spokesperson to inquire about this, and he said, “We are making some adjustments to our 747 Everett paint process, and this airplane has been partially painted and awaiting the next paint phase.  The wrap is to protect the exterior of the airplane.”

Who’s it for, I asked. “We can’t disclose the customer,” he said.

So I asked Matt Cawby, who took the photo and put it on the PaineAirport.com website if he knew. His reply: “The airplane was in the paint hangar last, today it’s at the fuel dock. I have no idea why it is entirely masked off.”

In the end, it’s likely true that we’ve just caught a 747 in the middle of a paint job, but it sure makes you wonder!

So….what do YOU think? Would love to hear your comments and speculation about this strange brown bird!  
UPDATE!! Mystery solved when United Parcel Service tweeted about its new big bird:

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(Check out my Trip Report when Cathay Pacific took delivery of a shiny new B777from Boeing’s Everett factory here.)

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Planespotting: Boeing 767, 777 & Airbus A330 differences

Bladed tail. Three wheels. No winglets. Slanted cockpit windows. It’s a B777, right?  (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

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 a series of posts dedicated to planespotting.

The Boeing 777, 767 and the Airbus A330, three of the most-used, two-engine widebody jets flying around out there look VERY similar to the untrained eye. But there are differences that help make them easy to distinguish.

First let’s look at the largest of the three, the Boeing 777. It’s most distinguishing feature is its size…it’s a big one— significantly larger than the 767 or A330. Its engines alone are enormous- some are as wide as the fuselage on a 737!

United B777-300ER

Huge engine. Slanted cockpit window. No winglet. It’s a Boeing 777!  (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Depending on configuration, the 777 carries around 375 passengers. Smaller 767s and A330s fall in the 250 passenger range.

But relative size is not always easy to determine when the plane is alone on a runway or in the air, so you must look for other features.

The distinguishing flat or bladed tail of the Boeing 777 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Another most distinguishing feature of a B777 is its flattened or bladed tail– which is quite different from the conical shapes found on the back end of a 767 or A330.

Airbus A330

Winglets? Yes. Square-bottomed cockpit window? Check! Conical tail. Yep! Two wheeled landing gear? Yes! That’s an Airbus A330 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Plus, B777s don’t have winglets, while all A330s and some 767s do.

You can also look at the outer edge of the cockpit windows. On Boeing jets, the windows have a sharp diagonal corner while Airbus windows are more square along the bottom edge.

Two wheels. Check! Conical tail. Check! Slanted cockpit window. Check! It’s a 767! (Photo: Boeing)

And finally, look at the wheels– each of the main landing gears on a big Boeing 777 have three sets of wheels, while A330’s and B767s only have two.

Boeing cockpit windows slant up at outer, lower edge (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Lower, outer edge of Airbus windows are square, not slanted up like Boeing windows. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I must admit that spotting these three widebodies is tough…even for me, and even after writing this post.

Please share your planespotting tips or advice in the comments below! How do YOU tell the difference between a 777, 767 or A330? Please leave your tips or comments below. 

Here are our other popular planespotting posts!

Planespotting: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

Planespotting: A320 family differences

Planespotting: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320 differences

Planespotting: Boeing 757, 767

And don’t miss the TravelSkills Planespotting quiz— 10,000+ readers have taken it! Why not you?

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Most popular: Marriott policy change + Domestic 747 + Cheeseburgers + American inch

Le Meridien Atlanta

Starting June 15 a new cancellation policy went into effect at all Marriott and Starwood properties like the Le Meridien in Atlanta (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 Marriott/Starwood confirms restrictive new cancellation policy

2 United adds 11 new nonstops to Hawaii

3 Routes: United, Domestic Delta 747 flight, Virgin America, Southwest, Frontier

4 Alaska’s new double miles partner promotion

5 Cheeseburgers, pizza take off in economy class

A back of the bus burger on United– very good! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

6 Another Mideast carrier cuts U.S. service

7 Airport news: Denver, LAX, San Diego, Houston, Las Vegas

8 American gives back an inch

9 Delta, TSA test fingerprints as boarding passes

10 Reader Report: Final ride on a Delta 747

Watch Boeing show off its sleek and nimble new jets in this video released for this week’s Paris Air Show.

 

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

Beware when connecting through Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport! Here’s a tip from reader D.M.:

You may have addressed this earlier and I missed it but Europe travelers need to know to avoid connections at CDG at all costs. I recently went to Venice, via CDG, and even though it was through Delta (and adhered to their minimum connection times at CDG) it still took nearly two hours to connect to an Air France flight into VCE. Needless to say, we missed the original connection and had to take a later flight. Upon returning to ATL, I discussed this with three other frequent Europe travelers who confirmed that they had the same recent experiences in CDG. Part of the problem is the layout and part is the fact that, with about 200 people attempting to connect to other concourses, the French police only had two agents checking passports and documents for intra-airport passengers.

Air France’s bhub at Paris Charles de Gaulle. (Image: Parisinfo.com)

Trump’s new travel ban- on Americans

“Manspreading” banned in Spain

Take a look at Delta’s newest bird: The Airbus A350

Expansion plans Atlanta’s popular Concourse T, housing United, American & Delta gates

Oy: United flight attendants to earn $50 for hawking Chase cards on planes

United: More than 30 percent of main cabin customers are buying Basic Economy

DOT saw a spike in passenger complaints after release of United ‘dragging’ video

Southwest tests dual-door deplaning at two California airports

See a United 767 spewing fuel from a wing just before takeoff at Newark

First look: Cabin designs for El Al’s new Dreamliners

How hotels are upgrading their fitness facilities

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Reader Report: Final ride on a Delta 747

A Delta 747-400 preparing to take off from Seoul (Photo: Jeff)

Last month I was glad to have the opportunity to fly on The Queen of the Skies before her wings are clipped by the U.S. carriers later this year. I flew upstairs in business class on Delta 158 from Seoul Incheon (ICN) to Detroit (DTW). Upstairs in Delta One on the 747 is only way to fly!!  My initial seat assignment was 11A downstairs, but through close monitoring of seats on the Delta app, I snagged a ride upstairs instead in seat 74K. 

To me, Seoul Incheon is one of the best airports in the world if not the best. On this trip, I stayed at the Grand Hyatt Incheon adjacent to the airport. I’ve also stayed at the nearby Best Western Premier, and both have easy access to the airport, which makes either a must when staying over the evening before your flight. Both offer regular shuttles for the 10-minute ride to the airport. 

TravelSkills reader Jeff submitted this Reader Report- He bought a fully refundable $4,800 economy class roundtrip for his ATL-SEA-ICN-DTW-ATL trip and used global certificates to upgrade. Here he reports on the leg from Seoul to Detroit. Since Jeff took this trip, Delta has launched new nonstops between Seoul and Atlanta using a Boeing 777. 

Seoul Incheon is one of the world’s best airports (Photo: Jeff)

Finding your carrier is a little tricky with the poor signage in ICN’s main terminal but just ask and you will be directed promptly. I checked in at the SkyPriority line and was immediately attended to, then headed to security. I’m in the Korean Smart Entry Service (SES) program (like Global Entry). It used to be good but now is overcrowded as they have not increased the machines available for processing. Saying that, if you travel to Korea often it may be worth it especially if you arrive in ICN when all of the flights from China arrive also and immigration lines can be swamped.

Security screening can be a bit of a mosh pit, but not always. Warning- wear cool clothing. The concept of air conditioning is different than in U.S. You will sweat everywhere at the airport, especially in the security line.  Rarely do they weigh the bags now but if it looks overstuffed they have people just before you enter security kinda watching out.

I cleared security in about 15 minutes. I carry all kinds of things cables, small tools, meters but the thing that freaks them out are my keys every time. Go figure.

I had a pass to the Korean Air Prestige lounge, and there are two to choose from at ICN. I think the lounge in the main terminal is the best one (less crowded, more comfortable, but still a little warm by my standards), but I went to the one in the international terminal because I was a little short on time. There is a train from the main concourse to the international carriers concourse (gates 100+). 

I loved the walk to the departure gate, looking out at the elegance of aviation through huge windows.

Looking out the window at the elegance of aviation (Photo: Jeff)

 

Boarding at ICN’s international terminal (Photo: Jeff)

 

Stairway to heaven aboard Delta 747-400 (Photo: Jeff)

 

Inside the business class bubble in the upper deck of a Delta 747 (Photo: Jeff)

 

Row 74 on the upper deck (Photo: Jeff)

 

Seat map of Delta’s 747-400 (Image: SeatGuru)

I boarded the plane and climbed the stairway to the upper deck. I found the overhead bins a little small so if you have an overstuffed bag they won’t fit but there is ample closet space at the back. 

On this flight is seemed like it took the flight attendants forever to start the preflight refreshments. Had to actually go back to the galley for a second glass of champagne.

Champagne and warm nuts after take off (Photo: Jeff)

Pushback was right on time.

As we departed, I peeked out my right side window and watched the engines as the captain scrolled the turbo fans up. Four engines given full thrust, release brakes, and rumble down the 10,000-foot runway. 60 seconds later we are in the sky looking forward to 12 more hours. 

The captain immediately makes a hard right turn (due east) which isn’t typical but I’m sure it’s to navigate well south out the DMZ.

The view was wonderful. Incheon (the city) then Seoul, past the mountainous country side and then to the beach lined coast.

Flying over South Korea, then a hard left north (Photo: Jeff)

 

Looking down at Seoul ICN shortly after take off (Photo: Jeff)

 

Flying over Korea’s mountains and beaches enroute to Detroit (Photo: Jeff)

I love the upper deck with the view and solitude. It harkens me back to travel when I was a kid (not that we ever flew in first but we did fly). It never feels crowded up here. Even in business class on other planes I always feel cramped and jostled. Not so when riding in the bubble! Travel seems elegant again. Pardon, but the 4th glass of champagne has made me nostalgic. They actually just gave me the bottle to save time and to stop me from ringing the call button I think.

The meal came about 20 minutes later. I selected the beef as I have been in Korea for 14 days and was desirous of the bovine.  The asparagus soup was very good and hot. The salad which was quite tasty with a good mix of leafy greens, pistachio nuts and citrus. I added the vinaigrette dressing which I really enjoy on Delta. The smoked duck was pleasant but the vegetable wrap had a sweet taste to it which threw me off. Not bad but not how I wanted to end the appetizers course.

Mixed salad, smoked duck to start (Photo: Jeff)

 

Main course beef (Photo: Jeff)

Delicious!

Meal arrived. I’m not sure if it was me or what but I could not eat it at all. Took one bite and stopped. It may have been my pallet with the Korean food all week but everything on the plate tasted odd.

Had another glass of champagne just in case. Odd thing was the FA’s didn’t even ask me why I ate so little.  Well no sense in worrying as the desert cart was rolling out. The selections were vanilla ice cream, chocolate cake and fruit/cheese. I had the chocolate cake and fruit/cheese. I always find the ice cream rock hard. These tasted absolutely fine!  No offer of wine or port…so I rang the call button and got a nice 10-year-old Port. 

Dessert, cheese platter, Champagne! (Photo: Jeff)

Sleep eludes me even on long flights. Half way through the flight flight attendants served a grilled chicken sandwich with Gouda cheese, grilled onions and mushrooms on rye. Quite good. We departed The Land of Morning Calm and flew over The Land of the Rising Sun.  The Queen continued to reach her full stride in full trim. Sadly, my hopes of seeing Mount Fuji were not realized on the route.  I settled back to the thrum of the Pratt & Whitney power plants moving us through the stratosphere. Soon after crossing Japan we were in a 100 mph tailwind jetting the USA on the greatest aircraft ever produced.  

On our way to Detroit, I looked down at Alaska, The Yukon Territory, Alberta, Manitoba with our entry in the the lower 48 at Minnesota. Breakfast is Served! Quiche with chicken sausage. As a note, if God had intended chickens to be used for sausage He would not have created the pig. But the sausage was good.

About 12 hours between ICN and DTW (Photo: Jeff)

 

Jeff enjoying one more glass of Champagne upstairs in the business class bubble! Will it be the last? (Photo: Jeff)

We arrived on a cloudy day in Motor City. Landing was perfect. Touch down almost undetectable on this graceful bird. We made our long slow taxi to gate 36. The two dings, and I rose from my seat, bags in hand, then walked out and looked back at one of the most beautiful sights in aviation: the elegant curves of a Boeing 747. I’ll miss that!

Would you like to submit a Reader Report to TravelSkills? We’d love to hear from you, and so would readers! They are some of our most popular posts! Here are guidelines to submitting a report.

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United’s longest flight won’t have this

United’s new nonstop LAX-SIN will take about 18 hours (Image: United)

United will introduce daily nonstop flights between Los Angeles (LAX) and Singapore’s Changi Airport (SIN) on October 27, 2017 using a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.  

The flight between LAX and SIN will set the new distance record for any airline operating a flight to or from the United States, at 8,700 miles. Flying times will be approximately 17 hours, 55 minutes westbound and 15 hours, 15 minutes eastbound.

Fare info is currently not available since the flights still require government approval. But for an idea of what they may be, let’s look at SFO-SIN. Currently, the lowest roundtrip economy fares for July flights are about $850. Business class is about $4,200.

Even though this will be United’s looooongest flight, business class passengers will not fly in the new Polaris business class seat. Eventually United will get around to installing the new seats on its Dreamliner fleet, but for now, the new seat is only found on its newest Boeing 777s, currently deployed on SFO-Hong Kong, Newark-Tel Aviv, and soon, SFO-Tokyo.

United will use a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner on LAX-SIN. (Image: United)

United’s existing service between San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and SIN started one year ago and holds the current record for the longest scheduled 787 Dreamliner flight operated by any airline and is currently the longest scheduled flight operated by any U.S. carrier, at 8,446 miles. 

With the launch of SIN-LAX nonstop, United will terminate its service between Hong Kong and Singapore.

UA 37 will depart Los Angeles at 8:55 p.m. daily, arriving in Singapore at 6:50 a.m. two days later (all times local). The return flight, UA 38, will depart Singapore’s Changi Airport at 11:00 a.m. daily, arriving at Los Angeles International Airport at 10:15 a.m. the same day.

United will have flat bed business class seats like this (configured 2-2-2) between LAX and SIN starting in October (Photo: Nancy Branka)

Sneaky: It’s important to note again that United will NOT offer its much ballyhooed new seat on this flight. We’ve written before about the confusing way United markets its Polaris business class. Last fall it rebranded all its business class as “Polaris business class.” This means that when you see “Polaris” when booking your flight, or on your boarding pass, you will not necessarily fly on a plane with the new Polaris seats– as a matter of fact, for the next several years, it’s more likely that you WON’T fly in the new seat.

Here’s the wording from United’s press release about the LAX-SIN flights… sneaky or not?

United’s 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will feature a total of 252 seats – 48 United Polaris business class, 204 United Economy, including 88 Economy Plus. United Polaris business class, a reinvention of the airline’s international premium cabin travel experience, offers elevated comfort and service for a restful night’s sleep in the air.

Singapore Airlines now flies nonstop between San Francisco and Singapore using a new Airbus A350. TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis was on that inaugural flight, so check out how he survived the 17 hour flight in a business class playpen!

Eventually, Singapore Airlines will also offer nonstops between LAX and Singapore, as well as New York and Singapore when it get’s its newest, longest range Airbus A350.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Quiz: Test your planespotting skills

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A320 family differences

Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320 differences

Boeing 757, 767

Boeing 717, MD-80/90

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

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

NAME THAT AIRPORT quiz

BUSINESS CLASS SEAT quiz 

–Chris McGinnis

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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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.

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 3.58.40 PM

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

 

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 4.00.53 PM

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!)

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 4.16.17 PM

Note the Airbus nose and windows (PurplePoulpe / Flickr)

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 4.15.47 PM

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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JetBlue-backed startup eyes short-haul aircraft revolution

A start-up is working on 10- to 50-passenger hybrid electric aircraft. (Image: Zunum Aero)

There are hybrid electric cars, so why not hybrid electric passenger aircraft? A start-up company backed by JetBlue says new technology could revolutionize travel to smaller airports.

The company is Zunum Aero, which has funding from both Boeing and JetBlue Technology Ventures, the airline’s subsidiary that invests in travel-related innovation. The company is working on new 10- to 50-passenger aircraft using hybrid electric technology that could have planes in the sky within a few years, serving routes of up to 700 miles.

“These aircraft, as part of new regional electric air networks, will offer a fast, flexible and affordable alternative to highways and high-speed rail, operating point-to-point and as feeders to hub airports,” the company said.

Zunum envisions an air travel system that shifts traffic from the bottlenecks of giant hubs to one that takes advantage of under-utilized regional airports, eliminating the need for connections and/or long drives for many travelers. The company said the aircraft it is developing could serve markets of up to 700 miles by the early 2020s, and more than 1,000 miles by 2030.

Zunum says its planes could be flying by the early 2020s. (Image: Zunum Aero)

“Designing aircraft for walk-on, walk-off travel from nearby airports addresses the major pain points of modern air transit while filling a vast regional transport gap,” Zunum said. “For example, passengers can expect to travel from regional airports in the Boston area to Washington, DC for half the fare and in half the time it takes today door-to-door. For those on the West Coast, Silicon Valley to the LA area drops to two and a half hours door-to-door, from over five hours today, or to Lake Tahoe in just two hours at a fraction of today’s cost.”

Besides cutting door-to-door travel times by 40 to 80 percent, the company said, its technology would reduce operating costs enough to permit a 40 to 80 percent cut in fares. It would also greatly reduce aircraft emissions and noise.

“As a company that is also deeply committed to innovation in sustainable travel, we believe that Zunum and its quiet, environmentally-friendly aircraft will light up a vast network of underutilized airports and reinvent regional travel,” said Bonny Simi, president of JetBlue Technology Ventures.

Wright Electric and EasyJet are considering a 150-passenger electric-powered plane. (Image: Wright Electric)

Zunum and JetBlue aren’t the only ones exploring new ways to power aircraft. Another U.S. start-up, Wright Electric, is in discussions with U.K.-based low-cost carrier EasyJet about the development of a battery-powered or hybrid plane that could carry 150 passengers on flights of up to 300 miles.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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First look deep inside a Delta 747-400 [PHOTOS]

The Delta 747 Experience as seen from the road near Delta HQ (Chris McGinnis)

This week Delta opened a fantastic new exhibit near runways at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

The new “747 Experience” at the Delta Museum features a retired Delta/Northwest Boeing 747 (Ship 6301) that’s been spiffed up, hollowed out, peeled back and lovingly restored for up-close-and-personal interaction with the public.

This year Delta and United will retire their 747 fleets. So if you’ve ever flown on this graceful bird and would like to see it again, or if you’ve never been on one and always wondered what it’s like, here’s your chance!

Delta flew TravelSkills to Atlanta for the grand opening and a look-see before the crowds arrive– here’s what we saw!

Chris (seated on stairs to “the bubble”) was one of the first to take a scramble through the new 747 exhibit at the Delta Museum in Atlanta

The ‘747 Experience’ provides a look into the history and magic of the iconic Queen of the Skies, which Delta will retire from its fleet by the end of 2017. (No details of final flights have been revealed yet. Currently Delta’s 747s fly from Detroit and Honolulu to Asia.)

For those United loyalists who want to book a seat on the airline’s last 747 flights, the carrier has set the schedule for the plane’s retirement later this year. All the affected routes are out of San Francisco. The last 747-400 departure from SFO will be a flight to Seoul on October 28, returning October 29.

TIP: Delta’s closer ties to Korean Air means that you’ll still be able to fly on a 747 using your Delta SkyMiles, but you’ll be flying on one of Korean’s new 747-8 birds- what a treat!

The end of the 747 era will usher in the beginning of the Airbus A350 era for Delta— the first new 306-passenger widebodies arrive this summer and should be on proving runs by the fall. Delta has 25 A350s on order, and should get the first five by the end of this year. The new planes will be used primarily on Delta’s transpacific routes.

General admission to the Delta Museum (including the 747 Experience) is $15 for adults, $12.50 for seniors (65 years or older), $10 for children under 18 and free for children under 5. The exhibit is open noon – 4 p.m. on Thursday – Tuesday. Tickets can be purchased at tickets.deltamuseum.org.

Let’s take a look- and be sure to read the captions! 

Delta 747

Two permanent staircases and and elevator provide access to the big bird (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Delta 747

Rear staircase to enter and exit ship 6301 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Delta 747

You’ve got to get up under one of these ships to realize its enormity (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Delta 747 wheel

Part of the 747 experience is crawling around and under the plane, touching the landing gear and peering up inside the underbelly (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Delta 747

I walked up the rear staircase, walked in and saw the entire aft economy class section cleared of seats, with a glass floor and open ceiling for a full view. Very cool! Amazing how much space there is without the seats. Delta plans to rent this space for private events like weddings or meetings. Great idea! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In the renovated area, the exhibit gives visitors a unique look behind the scenes. An exposed ceiling and glass floor reveal the insulation, wires, air conditioning ducts and more that are essential for the operation of a commercial airliner. The walls are lined with historic achievements in aviation, specific 747 graphics and statistics and a video screen capable of projecting various multimedia displays.

Delta 747

Delta flight attendants stationed at the event in vintage uniforms from the 1970s (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

747 Crew Rest Area

Did you know that there are two staircases on the 747? The one in the back goes to the crew rest area. Regrettably, you can only look at the rest area thru a plexiglass pane, but you can climb the tight staircase (Chris McGinnis)

 

Glass floor allows views into the guts of the plane (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Delta 747

On one side of the plane you can walk out on the wing for a fantastic, unique view of the 747’s beautiful curves (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Delta 747

Unusually up-close exterior views from the wing walk (Chris McGinnis)

 

Delta 747

It’s important to point out that this 747 first belonged to Northwest Airlines, which merged with Delta. These are vintage Northwest uniforms from that era– the red one designed by Yves St Laurent (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Delta 747

Vintage pilot and maintenance uniforms from the 1970s. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Delta 747

Up inside the bubble, Delta has removed the rear galley and replaced the wall with glass so you can look down into the main deck. So cool! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Delta 747

Looking forward in the bubble, Delta has preserved the Delta One cabin (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Delta 747 cockpit

Visitors can enter the cockpit, and peer at the seats and controls through plexiglass (Chris McGinnis)

 

747 crew rest area

Looking back from the cockpit, you can look into the pilot crew rest area (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Delta red coat

A Delta Red Coat from back in the day. Remember those coats? (Chris McGinnis)

 

Delta 747

! An unusual view of the nose of this beautiful aircraft from the fore entry/staircase- click for Instagram! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Delta says that Ship 6301 logged more than 61 million miles, enough to make 250 trips from the Earth to the moon, between its first flight with Northwest Airlines December 1989 and its last with Delta in September 2015.

Did you ever get a chance to ride on a Delta or Northwest 747? What do you think of its impending retirement? Please leave your comments below! 

–Chris McGinnis

Disclosure: Delta provided TravelSkills with an economy class ticket between San Francisco and Atlanta to attend this event.

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New: Oakland-London on British Airways

777 Oakland

British Airways Boeing 777 landing at Oakland International Airport (Photo: Port of Oakland)

Brexit does not seem to be having much impact on British Airways’ plans for the booming San Francisco Bay Area.

Today the airline launches nonstops from Oakland to London-Gatwick. The new flights are in addition to BA’s recently deployed daily 787 Dreamliner nonstop between San Jose International and Heathrow, as well as its two dailies between SFO and Heathrow using an Airbus A380 or Boeing 777.

This means that you can now fly BA to London from all three Bay Area airports- no other carrier offers that. It also means that British Airways now flies about 1,250 seats per day, each way, between the San Francisco Bay Area and London.

The new Oakland flight allows BA to tap into the populous and wealthy East Bay suburbs full of travelers who don’t (or won’t) cross the Bay for a flight out of the more congested SFO. BA is the only carrier at OAK offering lie-flat business class seats to Europe— essential if you want to hit the ground running after an overnight flight!

See a slideshow of BA’s inaugural flight event at Oakland International!

British Airways’ signature forward & rear facing business class seat- now flying from SFO, SJC and OAK.  (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Checking fares for April and May, British Airways has OAK-LGW for about $500 round trip in economy. Premium economy is running about $1,200. Business class is about $4,000 round trip. Unlike other carriers flying to Europe from Oakland, British Airways does not charge a fee for the first checked bag in any class of service.

Fares available on BA.com & Google flights on Tues March 28 & subject to change. Sale good through March 31

The new Oakland-Gatwick flights will 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. That’s a lot of room for upgrades or award flights! 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 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.

Don’t miss! Trip Report: British Airways Boeing 787 Dreamliner San Jose-London

Oakland

BA business class passengers now have access to Oakland’s new Escape Lounge (Photo: K Taylor)

On Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays the flight departs London Gatwick’s South Terminal at 10:20am and arrives into Oakland at 1:15 pm. From Oakland, the flight departs at 2:45 pm and arrives London Gatwick at 9:25 am the next morning. On Tuesdays, the flight departs at 11:25 am from London Gatwick and arrives Oakland at 2:20 pm, returning at 3:50 pm with an arrival into London at 10:30am the next morning.

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 can whisk you from the airport to Victoria Station in the heart of the city every 15 minutes. London’s Heathrow Express, while speedier, drops you off at Paddington Station, which may not be as convenient. On the flip side, those traveling into Oakland from London can now get to downtown San Francisco via a new BART spur that connects the the airport to the city in about 30 minutes for about $10 each way.

London’s three primary airports. The Gatwick Express train connects the airport with Victoria Station (Image: Visit London)

BA seems to be on something of a roll recently. In addition to the new Oakland flight, British Airways is adding new nonstops to Ft Lauderdale and New Orleans  from London this spring.

Do you have plans to fly to Europe this spring or summer? Where will you go and how will you get there? Please leave your comments below!

–

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically create posts or send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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Alaska Airlines reveals fate of Virgin America

Alaska Airlines

Alaska Airlines light blue mood lighting will replace Virgin’s deep purple (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

After months of speculation about the fate of the Virgin America brand and product under Alaska Airlines ownership, Alaska’s management has finally decided: The Virgin name will gradually disappear, but many of passengers’ favorite Virgin features will migrate into Alaska’s aircraft – and vice-versa.

Alaska’s brand and logo will creep into Virgin’s fleet and facilities over time, with the Virgin identity phased out by 2019. But the combined mainline fleet of Alaska’s 737s and Virgin’s Airbus planes “will adopt many of the brand elements that Virgin America enthusiasts love.”

Here are the details of the plan offered up in a TravelSkills interview with Sangita Woerner, Alaska Airlines’ VP of marketing, and Andrew Harrison, chief commercial officer, who said that their goal is to create “a warm and welcoming West Coast-inspired vibe.” Richard Branson couldn’t have said it any better 😉

Alaska Airlines Havana

Alaska Airlines nonstop from LAX to Havana arrives at about 5 pm- just in time for sunset (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

FLEET: The fleet of the combined mainline carrier will be Airbus/Boeing for at least the next six years. Alaska plans to take ten Airbus A321 NEOS over the next two years. But this arrangement may not last forever. A spokesman told TravelSkills: “We are working through a process with both Boeing and Airbus to arrive at a decision later this year as to whether we will remain all Boeing or move forward with a duel fleet strategy for future purchases.”

Alaska Airlines new first class seat – SCROLL DOWN FOR MORE PHOTOS (Photo: Alaska Airlines)

SEATS/UPGRADES: Virgin’s eight-white-leather-seat first class section will be retired. In its place Alaska will install 12 first class seats. Virgin’s Main Cabin Select (premium economy) product will also go away, replaced by 18 of Alaska’s Premium Class seats. The new first class seats will have 41-inch pitch, footrests, personal power outlets, cup holders and more seatback storage space, while the 18-seat Premium Class section will have 35-inch pitch. Alaska has no plans to move to lie-flat seating on transcon flights. And upgrades will be more generous, Alaska said: “With 50 percent more premium seats being introduced to the Airbus fleet, elite loyalty members will enjoy the most generous complimentary upgrades in the industry. Mileage Plan MVP Golds and above are upgraded to First Class or Premium Class 75 percent of the time…Complimentary upgrades to first class on Airbus aircraft (something Virgin never offered) will debut for the first time ever in late 2019.”

See bottom of this post for slideshow of Alaska Air’s new look coming in 2018>>>

Alaska Airlines’ new rooftop lounge will be located in the same structure as SFO’s new observation deck (Image SFO)

LOUNGES: At San Francisco International’s Terminal 2, Alaska Airlines may construct a completely new rooftop Alaska Club, which could include an outdoor deck. Looking at the renderings from SFO, I’m guessing the new Alaska Club will be on the opposite end of the structure that will contain the airport’s new observation deck, expected to open in 2019. In the meantime, Alaska is working on getting Alaska Lounge members access to American’s Admiral’s Club on the main floor of T2. (Right now, Alaska Airlines is in the International Terminal at SFO and club members use the Cathay Pacific lounge.) There will also be a new Alaska Club at New York JFK, but its location is TBD. Alaska also promises “refreshed and expanded” airport lounges by early 2019 in Seattle, Portland and Los Angeles.

Don’t miss: SFO’s new observation deck

Alaska Airlines IFE

Alaska Airlines allows passengers to watch movies on their own devices, or on tablets it rents onboard (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

INFLIGHT ENTERTAINMENT: Sangita said that Alaska is leaning toward pursuing a “bring your own device” strategy for inflight entertainment. She said passengers who don’t have their own device can get one onboard, distributed by flight attendants. Without seatback entertainment systems, Virgin’s famous (but kinda irritating) pre-flight safety video will also go by the wayside. Effective immediately, passengers on its Boeing aircraft can now stream Alaska’s in-flight entertainment catalogue of 200 movies and TV shows to their personal electronic devices at no charge, making permanent an innovation that started as a temporary promotion in January. This will be extended to Airbus aircraft via their Red entertainment system in August of this year.

CONNECTIVITY: Alaska will also install high-speed satellite Wi-Fi in its 737s starting late next year, followed by the Airbus fleet. “Both fleets are expected to be fully satellite-equipped by the end of 2019,” Alaska said. Whether or not Gogo will continue to provide inflight Wi-Fi for Alaska will be determined by this summer. Alaska said it will also extend its in-flight “Free Chat” feature to the Airbus fleet in August.

Alaska Air

Pay $10 for healthy “signature fruit and cheese plate” like this on Alaska Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

FOOD/DRINK: Virgin’s popular seatback food/drink ordering system will likely go away. “We are currently exploring a new way of doing this via passengers’ mobile devices instead,” said Sangita. Instead of unlimited free food and drink, Main Cabin Select will switch to the Premium Class policy of a free boxed meal and unlimited beverages. By June of this year, Alaska said, first class passengers will be able to pre-select meals before departure, and by early 2018, main cabin flyers will be able to prepay for meals before departure. Pre-ordering meals will be available for Airbus flights “sometime in the future.”

See this! Richard Branson’s letter to the Virgin America team 

Virgin America

The Virgin America look: black leather & mood lights. ( Photo: Chris McGinnis)

MOOD LIGHTING: Virgin’s famous deep purple mood lighting will fade away and be replaced by Alaska’s cool blue, which Sangita said is more “modern, warm and welcoming.”

LOYALTY: Virgin’s Elevate program will disappear in 2018– all members will fold into Alaska’s Mileage Plan program. The best part about Mileage Plan is that it still rewards a mile flown with a mile earned, unlike other programs (including Virgin America’s) that reward based on how much money you spend. Alaska’s program will become even more generous with upgrades as more first and premium economy seats are added. Plus, Mileage Plan’s intricate web of partnerships provides access to 900 destinations worldwide. For now at least, it appears that Alaska will stick to its mileage-based program as a marketing tool that separates it from competitors. Will it last? Who knows…

So what do you think? If you are a current Virgin America flyer, will you stick with Alaska Airlines? If you fly another carrier, will you be willing to make the switch? Please leave your comments below. 

Here are some images of Alaska Air’s new look coming in 2018:

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

 


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Reader Report: United Economy Plus on new B777-300ER

Economy Plus

United’s Economy Plus on the new Boeing 777-300ER packs ’em in at 10-abreast (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

United has done a great job promoting the posh Polaris business class product on its brand new Boeing 777-300ER jets. But what’s going on behind the curtain in economy class is probably more important to a larger group of flyers.

This week we heard from a TravelSkills reader who flew Economy Plus between Newark and San Francisco on the new bird and sent us some thoughts on the experience.

First a little background:  United currently has two Boeing 777-300ERs and says it will put a total of 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 in a 3-4-3 layout; and 204 regular economy seats also in a 3-4-3 layout. Yes, that is 10-across, which seems to be the emerging economy class standard on new B777s at many carriers, including Air France, American, Cathay Pacific, Emirates, Qatar, and SWISS, among others.

United is rumored to be considering a “true” premium economy seat since both Delta and American have announced their intentions to do so. But there is nothing definitive from United so far. For now, Economy Plus on United is an economy seat with three extra inches of legroom.

If you have not read it already, here’s our first look at all three classes on United’s B777-300ER.

United Economy Plus

First three rows of United Economy Plus on a B777-300ER- does not appear that bad when it’s empty (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Between now and May 4, United will fly a B777-300ER between San Francisco and Newark six days per week. Late last month it deployed a second B777-300ER on SFO-Newark which means there are now two flying the route (but only through March 8). On March 25,  the aircraft will replace a 747-400 on the very competitive San Francisco-Hong Kong route (also serve by Cathay Pacific and Singapore Airlines).

Here’s United’s B777-300ER on Seatguru.com

So, what’s that Economy Plus section like? Here what our reader (who asked to remain anonymous) had to say:

I’m a regular reader of TravelSkills based in SF (thanks Chris for the interesting and helpful columns!) and after your post, I decided to try to new 777-300ER for a flight from EWR to SFO [5-6 hours]. Business class looked great, but I flew in Economy Plus, so here’s my review from the cheap seats.

Pros: The lighting is great. The seats are new and outfitted well (including power at every seat). Wifi actually worked pretty well on this flight.

Economy Plus United

Economy Plus on United’s B777-300ER has 34 inches of pitch (Chris McGinnis)

Cons: The economy seats are just too narrow, making the flying experience miserable. I’m not a large person, and I’ve generally enjoyed UA E+, even on long trips. (For example, I flew on a UA 787 Dreamliner SFO-SYD last month in E+ and thought it was actually quite nice.) But my experience in E+ on the 777-300ER was awful.

I found it very difficult to work, and my neighbors and I got to know each other much better than I think any of us would have wanted. You are literally pushed up against the next passenger. Admittedly, my flight was full, and I expect that it would have been a very different experience with an open seat next to me. But with high load factors these days, you can’t count on an open seat next to you.

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

Bottom Line: I understand that United is going to add these planes to its SFO-Hong Kong route and other long haul flights. I flew SFO-HKG on a UA 747 last year, and I thought it was fine (although a bit aged and admittedly not nearly as nice as United’s 787). But I absolutely would not fly a UA 777-300ER in E+ on a long route [14.5 hours] like that.

In fact, based on my experience yesterday, I will actively avoid the UA 777-300ER in E+ on any route and would pay a premium to take a different plane, make a stop, or take another carrier to avoid these absurdly cramped seats.

Economy Plus United B777-300ER

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

Thanks for your Reader Report! If you would like to contribute a Reader Report to TravelSkills, check out our Reader Report guidelines.

If you have not read it already, here’s our first look at all three classes on United’s B777-300ER.

Have you flown in a 10-abreast configuration on a B777 yet? Would you fly in United’s? Please leave your comments below. 

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Seriously! United flies Boeing 747 SFO-LAX

United 747

United called in The Queen of the Skies to mop up a mess at SFO (Photo: United)

Who ya gonna call to mop up a big rainy mess at the airport? The Queen of the Skies, of course!

And that’s exactly what United Airlines did last Friday when a record-setting deluge hit the West Coast and gummed up the works along the busy California Corridor.

The airline sent in a Boeing 747 to shuttle hundreds of displaced passengers for a one-hour flight from San Francisco International to Los Angeles International.

Here’s what happened…

Last Friday, a big storm blew in off the Pacific causing delays and cancellations up and down the West Coast.

That afternoon we received an email from TravelSkills reader (and contributor) Dan Erwin, who saw something peculiar when he was flying SFO-LAX that day — a giant 747 positioned to fly as United flight #937 departing SFO at 12:15 p.m. He tried to switch flights to get on board (and what travel geek wouldn’t!), but there was no space available.

We both assumed that it was some sort of anomaly…maybe a random repositioning for a charter or something along those lines. The 747 had just flown in from Tokyo Narita, according to FlightAware.

Don’t miss! “Trump slump” means more travel deals!

United flight 937 SFO>LAX was hit by storms on both ends on Friday Feb 17 (Image: FlightAware)

But I reached out to my United contacts to find out, and discovered this was indeed a revenue flight…and it flew full!

A spokesperson said that United called in The Queen to accommodate all the passengers who had been on delayed or canceled flights that morning– and you can bet that on a busy Friday morning, there were a lot.

Imagine their surprise when passengers who thought they’d be boarding the standard Airbus A320 for the flight to LAX saw a Boeing 747 pull up to the gate instead. I’m sure there were a lot of frustrated, late passengers cursing the airline and the weather that morning, but I’ll bet many of them smiled at the sight of a bubble-top out the window!

What a rare opportunity to fly one of United’s 747s before they retire later this year! (Details on United’s final 747 flights here.)

It turned out that this replacement flight — filled to the gills with 374 passengers — was also delayed by rain, but still… I’d have taken the delay for the rare experience!

UPDATE! Scroll down into comments to see read about one lucky reader who was actually on this rare 747 flight!

What about you? Have you ever ended up on another plane when the airline had to “upgauge” or “downgauge?” How that go for you? Please leave your comments below!

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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

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United, Delta 747 schedule: final flights

A United 747-400. (Image: United)

A United 747-400. (Image: United)

For those United loyalists who want to book a seat on the airline’s last 747 flights, the carrier has set the schedule for the plane’s retirement later this year.

All the affected routes are out of San Francisco. According to Routesonline.com, the last 747-400 departure from SFO will be a flight to Seoul on October 28, returning October 29.

The schedule for other 747 retirement flights includes San Francisco-Beijing, SFO-Frankfurt, SFO-Taipei and SFO-Tokyo Narita, all set for October 28; a seasonal SFO-London flight through October 27; and SFO-Shanghai service through October 5.

Except for a 787-9 going onto the Shanghai route, the United 747s will be replaced by 777-200ERs. Routesonline notes that the schedule is subject to change.

Like many other airlines, Delta is starting to get rid of these graceful, gas guzzling old birds. (Photo: Delta)

Delta is also due to phase out its 747s this year. (Photo: Delta)

For nostalgia buffs, the website also posted a “flashback” to United’s January 1979 timetable, showing that the big plane was used on a number of domestic routes at the time. It flew from San Francisco to Honolulu, Newark (via Chicago), and New York JFK; from LAX to JFK, Honolulu and Denver; and from Chicago O’Hare to LAX, JFK, Toronto, Honolulu, Detroit and Denver.

Delta Air Lines is also due to take its remaining 747s out of service later this year, but has not yet issued a schedule, other than saying it will happen in the fourth quarter. For a final ride on a Delta 747, you can fly from Detroit to Tokyo or Seoul. And from Honolulu, Delta is still running the big bird nonstop to Kansai (KIX) near Osaka, Japan.

Korean Air, KAL, 747, 747-8

Korean Air 747-8 (Photo: Korean Air)

United and Delta are the last U.S. airlines to fly 747s. But the iconic wide-body will still be available from other carriers. British Airways, for instance, recently overhauled the interiors of its 747-400 fleet, and Lufthansa and Korean Air are flying the newer version of the aircraft, the 747-8. Air China flies a 747-8 between SFO and Beijing.

Chris flew on a Qantas 747-400 last year between SFO and Sydney- check out his Trip Report here.

How do you feel about the retirement of this grand old bird? Please leave your comments below.

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No Dreamliners for Delta

Delta's canceled 787 order was originally placed by Northwest. (Image: Boeing)

Delta’s canceled 787 order was originally placed by Northwest. (Image: Boeing)

Delta Air Lines has finally given up on a longstanding order for Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

Delta has plenty of Boeing wide-bodies in its fleet, including a handful of remaining 747s as well as dozens of 767s and 777s. But this week it canceled an order it had on the Boeing books for 18 787 Dreamliners.

That order dated back to 2005 – a couple of years before the first 787 was even produced — when it was placed by Northwest Airlines. Delta inherited the order when it merged with Northwest in 2008.

Delta had been hedging on the Dreamliner order for quite a while. Six years ago, it deferred deliveries on the order to at least 2020. And now it has decided it doesn’t want the 787s at all.

The airline said it still has a good relationship with Boeing, noting that it is continuing to take delivery of 120 737-900ERs from the manufacturer through 2019.

Besides A350s, Delta also has ordered A330neos from Airbus. (Image: Airbus)

Besides A350s, Delta also has ordered A330neos from Airbus. (Image: Airbus)

But Delta’s long-term plans for long-haul aircraft have shifted to Airbus. It has orders in place for a total of 50 new wide-bodies from the European manufacturer, including 25 A350-900s and 25 A330-900neos. Delta will use some of the A350s to replace its aging 747s on transpacific routes.

When Delta puts the first A350s onto international routes sometime next year, it will introduce a new premium economy class of service, with seats offering 19 inches of width and up to 38 inches of pitch. It will be marketed as Delta Premium. The A350s will also feature a new Delta One business cabin.

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United reveals first Polaris business class routes

United Polaris

Polaris pod seating with alternating row seat arrangement goes domestic first, then transpac (Photo: Scott Hintz)

United Airlines has revealed the initial schedule for introduction of the 777-300ERs equipped with its new Polaris business class cabin, and San Francisco figures prominently in the rollout.

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 16 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

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.

But United Polaris flyers in SFO won’t get the full experience when the new 777-300ER lands there– a spokesperson tells TravelSkills that phase 1 of the Polaris lounge will be complete by midyear, with the lounge renovation complete by the end of 2017. More details on the SFO lounge scene here.

The new Polaris business class provides seating in a “suite-like pod,” United said, with direct aisle access for all passengers. Seats recline 180 degrees, and are 6 feet 6 inches long and 23 inches wide, with one-touch lumbar support, A/C power, two USB ports, a 16-inch high-def video screen, privacy dividers for the middle seats, mood lighting, and an electronic “do not disturb” sign.  The front cabin also has a marble-topped bar where passengers can get drinks and snacks.

United Polaris

Polaris seat storage cubby, noise cancelling headphones, and power ports, amenity kit (Photo: Scott Hintz)

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.

No word yet on what the other Polaris outfitted routes will be.

Satellite Wi-Fi will be available for purchase, and the economy cabin will offer on-demand entertainment via seatback screens or streaming to personal electronic devices.

United this month started to deploy the new Polaris amenities and services for its business class flyers; here’s a post we ran last month detailing the changes. Of course, the full effect of Polaris won’t be felt until the new seats debut in February.

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Countdown is on for United’s final Boeing 747 flights

United-s 747s disappearing sooner than expected (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

United’s 747s disappearing sooner than expected (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

United Airlines had been hinting for a while that it might speed up the retirement of the venerable Boeing 747 from its long-haul fleet. This week company officials confirmed that October 2018 is the target date for the end of the airline’s 747 flights.

United execs said in an investor conference call that all 20 of the aging wide-bodies should be permanently grounded by then, as the airline relies on 777s and 787 Dreamliners to take over its long-distance routes.

The newer long-haul aircraft in United’s fleet can’t carry as many passengers as the 747. Its 777-200s accommodate 266 to 364, and Dreamliners can seat 219 (787-8) or 252 (787-9), vs. a passenger capacity of 374 for United’s remaining 747-400s.

United will likely be the last U.S. airline to fly the 747, since the only other one that has the plane in its fleet – Delta – expects to retire the last of its few remaining 376-passenger 747s by the end of 2017. Delta is turning to Airbus jets as long-haul replacements, including the A330 and the new A350.

Don’t miss: Is the 747 nearing its end? 

Newly refurbished economy section in a British Airways 747. (Image: British Airways)

Newly refurbished economy section in a British Airways 747. (Image: British Airways)

The U.S. carriers are not alone in turning away from the 747 . Boeing recently said that because of a lack of new orders, it plans to reduce production of the 747 – its current model is the 747-8 – from 12 a year to just six. Competitor Airbus is seeing a similar shrinking of demand for its competing jumbo, the A380.

Economics are at the heart of the trend. The four-engine 747 can’t compete on fuel efficiency with the newer twin-engine wide-bodies from both manufacturers. Other international airlines have also been taking the 747 out of their fleets over the past several years, although a few – like Lufthansa and Korean Air – are using the newer 747-8, and British Airways has been overhauling its 747s to keep them flying for the years ahead.

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Sneak peek at new Alaska-Virgin plane?

Is this the look of things to come for the combined Alaska Airlines and Virgin America?

The Instagram photo of a shiny red, purple gradient and blue Boeing 737-900 with the words “More to Love” along the fuselage has circulated among aviation geeks over the last few days. The image, which appears to be in an aircraft hangar, also clearly shows the Alaska Airlines Eskimo face on a navy blue tail.

The Puget Sound Business Journal came across the photo and surmised: “The photograph appears to be an aircraft painted to promote the airline combination to travelers and employees of the airlines, rather than be a new livery for all Alaska and Virgin airplanes.”

We’ve reached out to Alaska Airlines for a comment about the image, but have not heard back.

New aircraft liveries always draw plenty of commentary, most of it negative. But I’ll take a stand on this one: I like it and would not mind seeing it as the permanent new livery of the combined carrier. What about you? Please leave your comments below.

In the meantime, the whole Alaska Airlines-Virgin America deal still seems to be stuck in limbo at the Justice Department. The latest rumors about the deal emerged yesterday on The Street, with an insider stating that the combined carrier would have to give up gates at SFO and LAX and terminate code sharing agreements with Delta and American to close the deal.

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A new look & feel for Qantas

The Qantas kangaroo gets a modernized redesign on the tail of its new 787-9s. (Image: Qantas)

The Qantas kangaroo gets a modernized redesign on the tail of its new 787-9s. (Image: Qantas)

Qantas will start taking delivery of new 787-9 Dreamliners late next year, and it has just unveiled details of the passenger cabins for the new planes – which will gradually take over the long-haul routes now served by 747s. It’s also got a new, more streamlined look.

The update to its iconic Kangaroo logo is only the fifth time the red-and-white image on the tail of Qantas aircraft has been updated since it was first introduced in 1944. The last update was in 2007 to coincide with the introduction of the Airbus A380 to the national carrier’s fleet.

Among the changes you’ll see in coming years:

  • A streamlined Kangaroo on the tail of the aircraft, with shading to give it a sense of depth and movement. The Kangaroo itself has been simplified for a cleaner, more modern look.
  • A silver band has been added to the rear of the aircraft, flowing from the tail through to the rear of the fuselage for a more premium feel and more contrast between the red tail and the rest of the aircraft.
  • A new, slimmer font for the world ‘Qantas’ on the side of the aircraft and the color made slightly lighter.
  • The word Qantas is added to the belly for increased visibility when aircraft are flying overhead.
  • Adding the Kangaroo to the inside curved edge of the wingtips so that they are in-flight and meaning they will also appear in pictures people take out the aircraft windows.
History of the Qantas logo

History of the Qantas logo

The new 236-passenger Qantas Dreamliners (not due on runways til late next year) will offer 42 business class suites in a 1-2-1 layout; 28 seats in the premium economy section, configured 2-3-2; and 166 regular economy seats, with a 3-3-3 layout.

The business and the economy cabin will each have a self-service bar where passengers can pick up drinks and snacks. The new planes will also have a redesigned, more streamlined kangaroo image on their tails.

New 787-9 business suites are an update of the business cabins on Qantas' A330s. (Image: Qantas)

New 787-9 business suites are an update of the business cabins on Qantas’ A330s. (Image: Qantas)

Business seats will recline fully flat to a bed that’s 80 inches long – and passengers will have “the ability to stay reclined during takeoff and landing,” Qantas said. The two middle seats will have an adjustable privacy screen in between them, and all business seats will be 23 to 24 inches wide, offering power and USB ports along with a personal entertainment device with a 16-inch touchscreen.

Qantas described the business suites as the “next generation” of the business cabin recently installed on its A330 fleet.

“The direct flights on these routes will have a lot of premium traffic, so we think it will be very heavily patronized by business class and premium economy customers,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce told Australian Business Traveler. “We’re also redesigning the in-flight experience for the Dreamliner, from rethinking our menus to making better use of the self-service bars during different phases of flight.” He also told the publication the airline hasn’t yet decided whether the new Dreamliners will offer in-flight Wi-Fi.

Dreamliner economy cabins will offer nine-across seating.(Image: Qantas)

Dreamliner economy cabins will offer nine-across seating.(Image: Qantas)

The economy cabin will have a new seat design that comes with a “personal device holder” and an individual USB port, increased storage areas, a high-def 12-inch touchscreen, and “a seat-back mood light designed to minimize disturbance for other passengers.” The economy seats will also provide an additional inch of pitch compared with Qantas’ A380s, for a total pitch of 32 inches; six-inch seat recline; and an improved “footnet” that cradles the legs during sleep.

Qantas said details on the aircraft’s premium economy cabin won’t be released until early next year, but it promised that cabin will offer “a class leading experience and a revolutionary new seat.” The airline said it will soon announce the initial routes where the 787-9 will be deployed- we would not be surprised to see the lucrative SFO-SYD run on the short list for those flights since the 747s on the route will be phased out.

Check out our Trip Report: Qantas 747-400 San Francisco-Sydney in business class

 

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Airlines increasingly narrow-minded about seat width

Cathay Pacific Boeing 777

Cathay Pacific will switch to 10-across coach seating on the 777-300ERs it flies to the U.S. (Image: Cathay Pacific)

How can an airline increase passenger capacity when it can’t add more flights? One way is to add more seats in each aircraft, and we’re seeing that emerging as a trend in some carriers’ Boeing 777 fleets. The latest airline to announce such a change is Cathay Pacific, which flies 777-300ERs on its routes to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston and New York JFK.

Cathay chief executive Ivan Chu Kwok-leung told the South China Morning Post that the airline is faced with a shortage of takeoff and landing slots at its Hong Kong base, and the only way to boost revenue is by adding more seats per slot. So Cathay will start reconfiguring its 777 economy cabins from nine-across to 10-across seating, although the job might not be finished until 2018.

He said Cathay wants to preserve its 32-inch seat pitch, so it will shrink seat width from 18.5 inches to 17. He noted that 3-4-3 seating on Boeing 777s is becoming the “standard” among international carriers.

Say good-bye to nine-across seating on Cathay Pacific's 777s. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

Say good-bye to relatively spacious nine-across 3-3-3 seating seen here on Cathay Pacific’s 777s. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

And he might have a point about that. Boeing has noted that about half of the 777s it delivered in 2015 were had 10-across coach seating; in 2008, only 30 percent had that configuration.

Among U.S. carriers, American has 10-across seating on some 777s, and United earlier this year confirmed it is installing the tighter configuration on 19 777s that it uses mainly for domestic routes. Delta currently has 9-abreast on its B777s.

Other international airlines with 10-across seating on at least some of their 777s include Emirates, Etihad, China Airlines, China Eastern, ANA, Air New Zealand, Swiss, KLM and Air France. A few months ago, Taiwan’s EVA Air said it would switch from nine-across to 10-across seating on its new 777s.

Readers: Would you pay more to fly nine-across vs. 10-across seats in economy? Avoid airlines with 10-across? Please leave your comments below

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts:

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Would you fly a 737 transatlantic for $69?

A Boeing 737 MAX in Norwegian livery. (Image: Boeing)

A Boeing 737 MAX in Norwegian livery. (Image: Boeing)

Odds are you haven’t flown a small single-aisle aircraft like a 737 or an Airbus A320 across the Atlantic. But you could get your chance in the next couple of years – and one airline is promising one-way fares as low as $69 on the new planes.

The few 737s and A320s currently going over the pond either have a sharply reduced number of seats so they can exceed their normal range, or they’re between two points as close as you can get over the Atlantic, like WestJet’s flights between far eastern Canada and Scotland/Ireland. But the new generation of these aircraft will make longer flights possible with a full load.

Boeing’s 737 MAX and Airbus’ A320neo can fly about 500 miles farther than earlier versions, and use 15 percent less fuel. That will permit flights up to 3,000 miles between the eastern U.S. and western Europe. The initial operators of the planes will include Norwegian Air, JetBlue, and TAP of Portugal.

And a Norwegian Air executive this week told Business Insider UK that his airline plans to use the new aircraft to offer $69 transatlantic fares – about half the level of its current lowest fares. Norwegian has ordered 100 Boeing 737 MAX 8s, and it should start to take delivery sometime next year.

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The Airbus A320neo. (Image: Airbus)

The Airbus A320neo. (Image: Airbus)

“I can promise you that you will see trans-Atlantic flights on the 737 MAX next year,” Norwegian’s chief commercial officer Thomas Ramdahl told the publication in an interview, “and that’s when you will see the $69 fares.” The airline has also ordered 30 A320neo LRs for delivery starting in 2018 – a plane with slightly more capacity and longer range than the new 737s. He did not say which routes might offer the super-cheap fares.

Norwegian currently relies on Boeing 787 Dreamliners for its fast-growing transatlantic network, like its recently announced new service to Barcelona from Oakland, Los Angeles, Newark and Ft. Lauderdale.

JetBlue has ordered 30 A321neos, some of them likely to be the long-range version, prompting a lot of speculation about the carrier’s transatlantic intentions, although JetBlue has not said definitively that it will fly to Europe.

How would you feel about flying a 737 across the ocean? Please leave your comments below!

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts! Shocked passenger refuses to pay $3 for water | More Delta SkyMiles for Asian trips | Tips from a Hawaiian Vacation | JetBlue-Delta slugfest means lower fares | Test your planespotting skills! )

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Are double-decker jumbo jets doomed?

An Airbus A380 an an air show with an A350 approaching. (Image: Airbus)

An Airbus A380 an an air show with an A350 approaching. (Image: Airbus)

Effective this month, Boeing has cut back production of its iconic 747 to just six planes a year, as we noted several months ago when we speculated that the big plane might be on its way out of the aviation scene altogether in the months and years ahead. And now there is talk that the 747’s only double-decker rival, the Airbus A380, might be nearing a similar fate.

The latest blow to the A380 came from Singapore Airlines, which has decided not to renew a lease for one of its A380 after it expires about a year from now. The airline operates 19 of the planes.

The Wall Street Journal noted that the rejection of a single leased plane isn’t a huge blow to Airbus, but represents “a symbolic hit” for the A380, for which it said Airbus has been struggling to find customers.

The manufacturer said recently that its A380 production will be reduced from 27 planes a year in 2015 to just 12 a year by 2018. “The backlog of A380s to be delivered has eroded during years of no or few orders,” the Journal noted. It said that Airbus was expected to start losing money on the A380 once again under the lower production rate, and suggested that not even the manufacturer’s existing backlog of scheduled production is completely safe since some airlines are canceling their earlier orders.

Don’t miss: How Emirates glamorously welcomes a new plane (photos)

Emirates' new version of the A380 has 617 seats. (Image: Emirates)

Emirates’ new version of the A380 has 617 seats. (Image: Emirates)

A recent article in TheStreet.com cited one aerospace expert who noted that the international aviation market’s interest has shifted from ultra-large passenger jets like the 747 and A380 to somewhat smaller, newer twin-aisle jets like the 787 and A350 that are more fuel-efficient and can be deployed more profitably on longer non-stop routes. He said the sweet spot now is for planes that carry 300 to 370 passengers.

The Airbus A380s currently in use carry from 400 to 538 passengers in a three-class configuration, although the plane is certified to carry up to 853 in a one-class layout, and Emirates has come out with a 615-passenger version with two classes.

Manufacturers are turning to larger versions of the 787, 777 and A350 for the years ahead, a trend that could siphon even more business away from the double-deckers from airlines that want aircraft with more capacity, the article noted.

Readers: Could you live comfortably in a world without double-decker jumbo jets? What do you think of the A380?

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts! Shocked passenger refuses to pay $3 for water | More Delta SkyMiles for Asian trips | Tips from a Hawaiian Vacation | JetBlue-Delta slugfest means lower fares | Test your planespotting skills! )

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Test your planespotting skills with our new quiz!

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

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

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

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

 

Longtime TravelSkills readers may remember our Planespotting 101 series. If you’d like to bone up on your skills before you take the quiz, here are links to those posts:

Planespotting 101: Boeing 757, 767

Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

Planespotting 101: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

Planespotting 101: Airbus A320 family differences

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

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

NAME THAT AIRPORT quiz

BUSINESS CLASS SEAT quiz 

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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: United BusinessFirst to Xi’an, China

Biking on the city wall (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Our lucky United/Xian contest winner Dan E. biking on the city wall (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Hi there! It’s Dan, the lucky guy who won the TravelSkills contest for two free round trip United BusinessFirst tickets to Xi’an, China. I just returned from the trip! This was my first time to China and first time in BusinessFirst on the 787 so I have a lot to share.

I traveled a few days after United’s new business class, Polaris, was announced so it was fun comparing and contrasting what they have planned versus what the reality is now. Here’s a quick summary of my observations about the trip:

  • This was my first time on United’s 787-8 and it was great! The large shade-less windows, quieter cabin, and higher humidity really does make a noticeable difference in both the flight and post-flight jet lag experience. I felt more rested once I arrived and didn’t deal with significant jet lag on either end of the trip.
  • The flight crew on our outbound SFO – XIY was probably the best I’ve had in my adult life. They made our trip so much fun and those 13 hours just zipped by.
  • Towards the end of our flight to Xi’an, I was surprised to see that the BusinessFirst lavatories weren’t cleaned/serviced at all throughout the flight. That said, this is about the only critical comment I could make about the overall service.
  • Lounge access in Xi’an leaves much to be desired and I was completely underwhelmed.
  • On the return leg, I found the ground staff in Xi’an to be very pleasant but there was a definite language barrier. Although ultimately successful, getting baggage checked through to Chicago took about 20 minutes and six desk agents.

[Currently, United fares between SFO and Xi’an are as low as $586 roundtrip in economy, and $2,960 in business class. On the Dreamliner flight, there were 36 BusinessFirst seats, 70 in Economy Plus and 113 in economy. See SeatGuru for United’s 787-8 Dreamliner]

United’s New Service to Xi’an: “Good morning sir, where are you traveling today…”

Although I was unable to fly on the first flight to Xi’an, United let me join in on the inaugural festivities at SFO on May 8.  There was palpable energy around the gate but I also couldn’t help but notice the dozens of both Chinese and western passengers who seemed unaware of what the hullabaloo was all about. Nonetheless, the food, music, and live Terracotta warriors were a nice touch.

United Xian

The inaugural crew & clever Terracotta Warriors on May 8, 2016 SFO>Xi’an (Photo: Dan Erwin)

I originally assumed United launched the route because of strong industry/business ties in Xi’an but learned it’s actually being tested for the leisure market. I found this interesting since most people I’ve encountered can’t place this city on a map. Here’s where it is! 

On my departure day in early June, I arrived at SFO a bit early to check out the new United Club in Terminal 3, Concourse E, which I had yet to visit. Despite several international departures leaving around the same time as Xi’an, check-in was smooth and seamless. When handing over my passport, the agent asked, “Good morning sir, where are you traveling today?” I said, “Hi there, I am going to Xi’an” and she responded, “oh wooooow” — like generally surprised. Maybe this was her first day working the Xi’an flight but I found it kind of funny. It took about 10 minutes to check-in and get through security and I was on my way to the United Club.

International Premium Check-in at SFO (Photo: Dan Erwin)

International Premium Check-in at SFO (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Since I won two tickets, I invited my best friend to go with me. She was flying in from Chicago, so we met up near the domestic gates and and headed to the United Club there for a celebratory drink. The desk agent was pleasant but quickly informed us that we also had access to the club in the international terminal. I said, “don’t worry, we’ll be going there too.”  

Cheers! (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Cheers! (Photo: Dan Erwin)

The club was packed and almost every seat was taken. Nonetheless, I love the upgrades underway at various United Clubs (especially Heathrow’s) and appreciate the update at SFO.

The crowded United Club in Concourse E at SFO (Photo: Dan Erwin)

The crowded United Club in Terminal 3 Concourse E at SFO (Photo: Dan Erwin)

After our prosecco we made our way to the international terminal and grabbed some snacks and another glass of bubbles at the United Club there while we waited for boarding to begin.

(Photo: Dan Erwin)

View from our visit to the United Club at SFO’s International Terminal G (Photo: Dan Erwin)

UA853 to Xi’an (Photo: Dan Erwin)

UA853 to Xi’an (Photo: Dan Erwin)

At 12:45 pm we headed down to gate 96 and arrived just as priority boarding was being called. Agents scanned boarding passes checked our visas and we walked right on to 1A and 1B (I was in HOG HEAVEN since this was my first international flight being in 1A, which is usually Global First).

The 787! (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Stepping aboard United’s 787 Dreamliner! (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

1A! (Photo: Dan Erwin)

My seat:  1A! (Photo: Dan Erwin)

I’ve flown BusinessFirst on the 747, 777, and the 757 p.s. configurations but this my first time on the 787. I found the seat to be basically the same as the P.S. configuration but the noticeable differences are in other cabin features. The windows are much larger than any other aircraft and have that awesome tinting feature. The overhead bin space is quite large as well. Overall, I loved the feel of the forward cabin because once you board it’s very mellow as no other passengers are coming through.

(Photo: Dan Erwin)

Peering out the 787’s huge tinted windows (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Forward cabin during boarding (Photo: Dan Erwin)

BusinessFirst cabin during boarding (Photo: Dan Erwin)

I can say without a doubt that on this flight we had the most energetic and pleasant group of flight attendants I’ve ever flown with. The service manager came by shortly after each passenger was settled and warmly welcomed each of us individually. He asked us why were were traveling to Xi’an and encouraged us to ask if he could make our trip more comfortable. The standard amenity kits were distributed shortly after that, which are nice to have on long flights but not anything to write home about.  

Standard Leather Amenity (Photo: Dan Erwin)

United’s standard leather amenity (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Once we got settled, my new favorite flight attendant of all time, Momo, greeted us with champagne. She really made our flight. It felt like we were close friends and she was having us over for drinks and dinner at her house. She was super attentive but not overwhelmingly so. About 45 minutes after takeoff I realized that my earbuds were stuck in the seat. I kid you not, she literally got on the floor in her dress and stuck half of her body under the seat as she fiddled to get them out.  The other FAs were friendly and personable as well. I learned from them that 787 crew are mostly former Continental FAs, which I thought was interesting. Many of my experiences in BusinessFirst with mainline United crew paled in comparison to this.

Overall, the service on the flight was efficient and pleasant! The main meal service was pretty standard and consistent with my other BusinessFirst experiences.

Main meal service appetizer (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Main meal service appetizer prosciutto and melon with garnishes (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Main meal service Salad (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Main meal service seasonal greens with parmesan cheese (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Main meal service entrée: Tenderloin of beef with gnocchi and asparagus (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Main meal service entrée: Tenderloin of beef with gnocchi and asparagus (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Main meal service cheese and port (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Main meal service cheese and port (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Dessert! (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Dessert is United’s standard ice cream sundae (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Dinner service wrapped about two hours into the flight at which point I reclined and caught some shut-eye. I did notice how much quieter these planes seem to be than other United aircraft.

I slept for a bit and woke just in time for the mid-flight snack service, which was a nice way to break up the 13-hour journey.

Some people were NOT interested in sleeping and wanted to see the sun. (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Some people were NOT interested in sleeping and wanted to see the sun. (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Chinese Style Soup and Tea (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Mid-flight snack: Chinese Style Soup and Tea (Photo: Dan Erwin)

After a couple movies we were about 90 minutes from Xi’an and the final meal service began, which was pretty standard.

Pepper Jack Cheese Omelette (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Breakfast prior to landing: Pepper Jack Cheese Omelette (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Approaching Xi’an (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Approaching Xi’an- note the curved wingtip of the 787! (Photo: Dan Erwin)

We landed in Xian right on time and taxied straight to the gate. We said our goodbyes to the lovely crew and proceeded through immigration to baggage claim and out to ground transportation, all of which took about 15 minutes. The airport felt pretty deserted.  

Xi’an Airport (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Taxiing into Xi’an Airport (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

United’s ad in baggage claim (Photo: Dan Erwin)

United’s Chinese ad promoting San Francisco in baggage claim (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Xian as a Destination:

We spent a total of four full days in Xi’an, which felt like enough time. (We also spent a few days in Beijing.) You can definitely tell that Xian is not as popular for westerners/Americans as other Chinese cities might be because we were probably asked by at least 100 different locals to pose in photos with them. You don’t see many Americans cruising around town (I think we saw four the entire time) so I guess we were exotic. English was not widely spoken in our experience, which yielded some interesting communication barriers but made the trip more fun!

It seems like most tourists come in for one or two days just to see the Terracotta Warriors and although that was definitely an amazing site to see, there is much more to Xi’an.

Bell Tower of Xi’an (Photo: Dan Erwin)

The dramatic, and frequently photographed Bell Tower of Xi’an (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Some of the Terracotta Warriors (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Some of Xian’s famous Terracotta Warriors- about one hour outside of downtown (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

View of Xi’an from the city wall (Photo: Dan Erwin)

View of Xi’an from the city wall (Photo: Dan Erwin)

An acquaintance of ours owns the Xi’an Brewery, which along with Lost Plate Food Tours, was coincidentally featured in United’s Hemisphere magazine a few months ago in March. We checked out both and LOVED them.

RETURNING: XIY – SFO: “Your ear… I need to see your left ear… Turn to your right…”

The day of our departure we arrived at the airport nearly three hours early due to the post-traumatic stress I experienced the day before when we missed our flight from Beijing to Xi’an. I haven’t missed a flight in almost 10 years so the scar was REALLY fresh that day! ☺

Check-in at XIY (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Check-in at Xi’an Airport XIY (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Despite spending about 20 minutes getting my friend’s bagged checked through to Chicago, check-in was straightforward and only one person was in the premium line when we arrived.

Next stop, immigration… After standing in front of the immigration officer for a solid five minutes with nothing but silence, he asked me to turn to my right so he could “see my ear.” I thought I misunderstood him (again, the language barrier), and asked “pardon?” He responded with, “your ear. I need to see your left ear. Please turn to your right.” I complied and he stamped my documents waived me through. It was VERY odd but I didn’t ask questions and proceeded through security without any trouble.

My only real disappointment with the overall experience on our return is with the lounge in Xi’an. This is not a United lounge, but instead a SBC-VIP lounge that serves several different airlines. The airport is shiny and new but the lounge kind of feels like your grandma’s living room. There are oversized chairs and doilies everywhere. The food and beverage selection was poor and they were constantly running out of things.   

Lounge Entrance (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Lounge Entrance (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

First & Business Class Lounge in Xi’an (Photo: Dan Erwin)

First & Business Class Lounge in Xi’an (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

 

First & Business Class Lounge in Xi’an (Photo: Dan Erwin)

First & Business Class Lounge in Xi’an- Doily city! (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

30 Xian Lounge Food-1

Food Options in the Xi’an First & Business Class Lounge- mostly flavorless steamed buns, hard boiled eggs, rolls, congee (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Food was sparse for the entire hour we were there (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Food was sparse and not replenished for the entire hour we were there (Photo: Dan Erwin)

We were told twice by the lounge agent that our flight was boarding at a different time than it was so we ended up showing up a bit late and missing Group 1.

The plane taking us home! (Photo: Dan Erwin)

The Dreamliner taking us home! (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Despite boarding with Group 3, it all went fairly fast and we were through the second round of US security and in our seats, 1K and 1L, in no time. Although not the same as the outbound flight, we were warmly welcomed by the crew and the inflight service manager. Flight attendants distributed the new Team USA version amenity kits, which I thought was cute.

(Photo: Dan Erwin)

Seat 1K for the return flight (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Team USA amenity kits (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Team USA amenity kits (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Team USA Socks and Mask (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Team USA Socks and Mask (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Despite the updated amenity kits, the safety video was the old version rather than the new, Team USA version. I also noticed that the Hemispheres magazine was the May version even though we were well into June. Minor inconsistencies but inconsistencies nonetheless.

Overall, the service on this flight was professional and pleasant. I think we were spoiled by the crew on the outbound so although I felt disappointed at the time, I realize that it was still very nice.

Beef role with yam (Photo: Dan Erwin)

United XIY-SFO business first lunch: Beef roll with yam (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Nice serene lighting for a mid flight nap (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Nice serene lighting for a mid flight nap (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, and potatoes (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Scrambled eggs, chicken sausage, mushrooms, and potatoes- tasted much better than it looks in this photo! (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Almost home! (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Almost home! (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Foggy arrival at SFO (Photo: Dan Erwin)

Foggy arrival at SFO (Photo: Dan Erwin)

We landed in SF about 10 minutes early, deplaned, and passed through immigration quickly. The whole process took about 20 minutes from the time we stepped off the plane until I walked out to grab my Uber. I expected immigration and baggage claim to be a mess given the multiple international arrivals coming in at the same time but it was surprisingly easy.

Overall, both flights were pretty seamless. The outbound experience was amazing because of our fantastic crew but the return flight was just fine. I am super excited for Polaris to launch so we can all see how United steps up their game.

(Photo: Dan Erwin)

One final look at United’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner at Xi’an (Photo: Dan Erwin)

 

Thanks, Dan, for an excellent Trip Report! And thanks United for providing this opportunity for one of our readers to experience what it’s like to attend an inaugural event and be one of the first passengers on a brand new flight to an exotic city. And thanks to all the readers who participated in this fun contest– check out some of the best entries in this post. 

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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KLM’s first 787 Dreamliner route to U.S. (photos)

The Bay Area is getting yet another on of these shiny new birds (Photo: KLM)

The Bay Area is getting yet another one of these shiny new birds (Photo: KLM)

It becoming increasing difficult to find a flight out of the Bay Area that’s not on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Today, KLM announced that it, too, will deploy its first US Dreamliner between Amsterdam and San Francisco International on May 4.

KLM will offer 787-9 Dreamliner flights twice weekly throughout the summer season in addition to its daily flight, currently operated by a Boeing 747-400 from San Francisco-SFO to Amsterdam-AMS. KLM told TravelSkills that “after the summer season the Dreamliner could remain on the AMS-SFO route based on demand.”

KLM Dreamliner flight schedule – on Wednesdays and Sundays only:

KL610: Departs San Francisco-SFO at 4:45 p.m., arrives at Amsterdam-AMS at 12:15 p.m. the following day;

KL609: Departs Amsterdam Airport Schiphol-AMS at 12:40 p.m., arrives at San Francisco-SFO at 2:45 p.m.

KLM is the only carrier offering nonstop flights between SFO and Amsterdam. I’m surprised to see that fares are currently extremely high on its nonstop flight compared to one-stop options. According to Google Flight, business class SFO-AMS roundtrips in May are about $10,000 roundtrip. Economy Comfort is around $3,000 and  economy is about $1,700. (One stop business class on other airlines is running as low as $4,000, economy is at about $1,200)

Related: The #1 Boeing 787 Dreamliner hub in the US

KLM 787

Business class seats on KLM’s 787 Dreamliner (Photo: KLM)

The Dreamliner will be a far cry from the ancient MD11 that KLM only recently removed from regular service on the SFO route. The 306-passenger jet will offer a state-of-the-art inflight entertainment system, Wi-Fi for all passengers, and new World Business Class (WBC), Economy Comfort, and Economy class cabins designed by renowned Dutch Designer Hella Jongerius. It’s also outfitted with inflight Wi-Fi. And like other Dreamliners, the plane will have larger windows, a higher cabin pressure and special LED-lighting.

There are 42 seats in business class, 48 in economy comfort (35 inches of pitch) and 216 standard economy seats (with 31 inches of pitch). See SeatGuru layout here. All business class seats have direct aisle access– no middle seats on this bird. Interestingly, every seat is a slightly hue of blue or gray and gets a 16-inch entertainment screen- as well as a smaller handset that mirrors the image on the main screen. Oh, and there’s inflight espresso, too.

Cool! Track all Boeing 787 Dreamliners in flight right now

Economy class seats on KLM's new 787 (Photo: KLM)

Economy class seats on KLM’s new 787 (Photo: KLM)

KLM says its economy class seats recline 40 percent more than previous models and have access a power outlet. There are also new 11-inch HD entertainment touchscreens, interactive 3D maps, and the option to communicate via Seat Chat with fellow passengers who are not seated nearby.

Take a virtual tour of the new plane here. 

KLM is a member of the SkyTeam alliance.

Have you flown KLM before? What did you think? Please leave your comments below. 

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

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A look inside Delta’s newest jet (photos)

Screen Shot 2016-03-20 at 7.40.34 AM

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

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

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

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

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

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

First class on a Delta A321

First class on a Delta A321 (Photo: Delta)

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

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

Delta A321

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

 

Delta A321

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

 

Delta A321

Delta’s A321 arrives (Photo: Delta)

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

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

Related: Learn to spot the difference between Airbus A319, A320 and A321

..

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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One easy, last chance to ride a United 747?

United 747 Chicago

A United 747 at Chicago O’Hare (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Although United won’t confirm it, it’s now being widely reported that the carrier is planning to retire its aging fleet of 747s earlier than expected. This could mean that its current fleet of 22 “queens of the sky” could fly away by the end of 2018– two years ahead of schedule.

But there’s one easy way you can jump on a United 747 on a rare domestic run…but more on that in a minute…

Delta has followed a similar, accelerated path to retiring its gas guzzling 747s. Last April it put six out to pasture, and plans to retire the final six by the end of next year, to be replaced by the newer, more efficient Airbus A350. Just last month, Air France celebrated the final flight of its last 747 after flying the plane as the mainstay of its intercontinental fleet for almost 46 years.

Brian Sumers, who first reported the United news, wrote: “For now, United flies 747s from San Francisco and Chicago. But this week, United also told pilots it will remove the 747 from Chicago in February 2017, leaving only San Francisco with 747 service.”

If you are feeling reminiscent about this beautiful bird, and fly frequent between Chicago and San Francisco, consider picking up a leg or two on an one of the few domestic 747 flights United is running this spring.

TravelSkills reader Daniel E emailed us this week with this tip: “Everyday from March 3 there is a 747  leaving SFO at 8:35am (UA1570) to Chicago, O’Hare. Then I dug around some more and there is another one returning from ORD to SFO, UA1213 leaving at 4:05 pm also from March 3. I’ve flown back and forth between San Francisco and Chicago A LOT in the last 10 years and wide bodies are rare, let alone a 747.”

We checked and sure enough, we found the 747 flights on SFO-ORD– and United confirmed to TravelSkills that it “will operate daily 747 service between March 3 – March 25 and then again from April 6 – May 25, 2016. The flights are loaded and available for purchase.”

Screen Shot 2016-02-23 at 3.03.22 PM

Screen Shot 2016-02-23 at 3.22.15 PM

Wouldn’t it be nice to ride on a gorgeous and graceful 747 instead of the standard 737s or A320s United normally flies on this route? Maybe upgrade for a sweet ride upstairs in the business class bubble?

Still plenty of business class seats on the flights we selected (Image: United.com)

Still plenty of business class seats on the flights we selected (Image: United.com)

What do you think about the retirement of the 747… on United or other airlines? Will you miss it, or have you found a newer, younger more efficient favorite? Please leave your comments below.

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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Deal alert: $499 roundtrip to Asia on Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines' new Boeing 777 can't fly to Singapore from the US (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Rock-bottom rates on flights to Seoul & Singapore on a B777 like this (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Say what? Round trip across the Pacific for less than $500? On Singapore Airlines?

Yep, and you found it here…and it’s only here on the TravelSkills.com blog: SFO to Seoul for $499, SFO to Singapore for $699.

TravelSkills has teamed up with Singapore Airlines on private sale that includes one the lowest transpacific fares I have ever seen: Just $499, including all taxes and fees, for roundtrips between San Francisco and Seoul on Singapore Airlines.

$499 for an 11,320-mile round trip. That works out to just four cents per mile!

And you are flying on one of the top-ranked airlines in the world to one of the world’s coolest, hippest, most up-and-coming destinations. (I’ll be writing more about the Seoul’s burgeoning food and hotel scene later this week!)

And the deal doesn’t end with SFO-Seoul. You can fly all the way to Singapore for just $100 more each way, so a total of just $699 roundtrip from SFO. Wait, what? 

Get this special deal here

Taking a look at the infinity pool atop the famous Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore

Taking a look at the infinity pool atop the famous Marina Bay Sands hotel in Singapore (Chris McGinnis)

I was in Singapore a couple years ago for BBC, and here’s what I saw– quite an amazing place! Hotels, like the Marina Bay Sands (pictured) are built to knock your socks off. The food scene, especially the outdoor “hawker stalls” are fun, healthy and super-diverse. If cold weather’s got you down, you’ll warm up in Singapore as its equatorial location means warm, tropical weather year-round. And Changi Airport itself is worthy of a trip! See this to find out exactly what I mean.

Seoul reminds me a lot of Tokyo— super modern and efficient. Wealthy. Clean. Gorgeous new hotels. A chic fashion-and-design-forward and super friendly population. Unusual food. And a nice climate in the Spring, which can range from 45-75 degrees F on average in March and April. Plus, Korea’s Cherry Blossom season in early April rivals what you see in Tokyo!

Get this special deal here

Unbelievable sights, sounds and flavors at Seouls indoor/outdoor food markets (Chris McGinnis)

Unbelievable sights, sounds and flavors at Seoul’s indoor/outdoor food markets (Chris McGinnis)

 A trip to either of these destinations would be an awesome way to spend a spring break vacation! 

UPDATE Feb 18: Response to this sale has been enormous, and many flights are now sold out. But if you are flexible with dates, you can still grab the deal.

Details of this exclusive offer are available to anyone using this link to our private sale:

  • Only available in economy class
  • The $499/$699 deal is only available via links found on this page
  • Book between now and February 21
  • Travel between March 1 and April 14
  • Not available on Fridays or Saturdays on outbound portion from SFO
  • Tickets are booked in K class, which earns 10% of miles flown in Singapore’s KrisFlyer program. K fares do not earn United MileagePlus or other airline miles

What’s so great about Singapore Airlines? It’s famous inflight service, of course! It also has more spacious 3-3-3 seating in economy class  while others have moved to a tighter 3-4-3 configuration. And there’s an unending supply of inflight entertainment via the Krisworld seatback system. (Don’t miss our Trip Report about Singapore’s renowned business class.)

Here’s a good video showing what it’s like to fly in economy class on Singapore Airlines between SFO and Seoul.

Seoul or Singapore for Spring Break? Why not? Conde Nast just wrote about Seoul’s coolest neighborhood.

Singapore Screen Shot 2016-02-09 at 5.13.42 PM

Are you ready to book your trip? Here’s how!

Get this special deal here

 

Disclosure: Thank you for reading TravelSkills! We will periodically send out messages like this one from commercial partners about topics relevant to frequent travel.  Our sponsors’ support, and yours, help us keep TravelSkills a free publication. 


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Is the Boeing 747 nearing its end?

Boeing's iconic 747 is gradually flying off into the sunset. (Image: Jim Glab)

Boeing’s iconic 747 is gradually flying off into the sunset. (Image: Jim Glab)

The Boeing 747 has been a popular intercontinental aircraft since its first commercial passenger flight in 1970, but now the iconic jumbo jet’s days may be numbered.

Boeing said it plans to cut back production of the four-engine 747 from 12 a year to just six starting in September, not only because airlines continue to prefer more fuel-efficient twin-engine planes like the 777 and 787 for their long-haul needs, but also because a slowdown in global cargo demand has hurt orders for 747 freighters. The same trend has restricted orders for Airbus’ rival jumbo, the A380.

Major global airlines have been phasing the 747 out of their fleets for several years, with more to come. Just this month, Air France celebrated the final flight of its last 747 after flying the plane as the mainstay of its intercontinental fleet for almost 46 years.

Related: Trip Report- Korean Air 747-8 ICN-SFO

According to Airways News, other airlines that retired all their 747s in recent years include Air New Zealand, Air Canada, All Nippon, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines and Singapore Airlines. Delta and United are phasing out their remaining jumbos as well.

But 747s will continue to be seen at airports worldwide as some carriers still find them useful for their needs. Lufthansa recently started flying the newest version of the aircraft — the 747-8 — on some U.S. routes; Korean Airlines last year started flying its first new 747-8 and has several more on order; and British Airways last summer started to refit the interiors of a number of its 747s to keep them going for the immediate future.

Newly refurbished economy section in a British Airways 747. (Image: British Airways)

Newly refurbished economy section in a British Airways 747. (Image: British Airways)

Readers: Where does the 747 rank on your list of preferred international aircraft? Will you be sorry to see them go?

 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  United packages Economy Plus with amenities + Ride-sharing firm goes out of business + Bucket list for air travelers + Useless travel gadgets + ‘Uber of the Skies’ dies 

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Trip Report: Korean Air 747-8 First Class

Korean Air

Macadamia nuts (thankfully) served in a bowl. (Photo: J.S.)

In November, Korean Air deployed a shiny new Boeing 747-8 Intercontinental on the busy San Francisco-Seoul run, replacing the 777 it previously used. (See our KAL Trip Report about that flight here.)

Luckily, TravelSkills reader J.S. booked a trip on the new bird in December and shared his experience (and photos) with us, which we’ve formatted into one of our Reader Reports.

First, a little background on the 747-8:

Lufthansa was the first airline to fly the Boeing 747-8 back in 2012. Since then, this gorgeous aircraft has had sluggish sales. Korean Air has 10 of the jets on order. While the jet is constructed with aluminum alloys and carbon composites, it’s still seen as an inefficient four-engine aircraft by many. So far the only other commercial airline using it is Air China. Most 747-8s flying today are freighters.

This plane is known in the industry as the 747 “dash eight.” Don’t make the common mistake of calling it the “747-800.” It’s the largest version of the 747– about 18 feet longer than the 747-400, and currently the longest commercial aircraft flying.

(Image: Boeing)

(Image: Boeing)

The KAL version has 368 seats, and features a brand new enclosed-with-sliding-door version of Korean Air’s plush “Kosmo Suite” in which J.S. was lucky enough to fly. There are only six Kosmo suites on this bird, on the main deck in the nose. Each seat gets an enormous 24-inch HD screen for inflight entertainment.

A quick check of fares on SFO-ICN show economy class round trips as low as $800, business class at around $4,000 and first class at around $10,000 for February flights.

J.S. is an avid points and miles hobbyist and paid for his trip by transferring Chase Ultimate Rewards to Korean Air SkyPass. He told us: “As you probably know it’s incredibly easy to find first class space on Korean since so few people in the U.S. either have those miles or know about the transfer process from Chase.  In addition, even though Delta and Korean are both members of SkyTeam, Delta members cannot redeem their miles for first class on other SkyTeam carriers.”

What follows is the rest of his trip report:
Korean Air 747-8

(Image: Korean Air- click for larger view)

I flew on Korean Air in its first class Kosmo Suites 2.0 on their new 747-8.  The first class cabin has only six suites. (Lufthansa has eight seats on their 747-8, Cathay has 9 suites on their three remaining 747-400s, Thai has nine in their most recent configuration and British crams 14 suites into the nose of their 747s)

My Suite 1A:

Korean Air 747

Suite 1K taken from 1A below.  1A and 1K are perfect for folks flying together because they’re in the nose, close to one another and extremely private.  Suites 2A and 2K are the largest, followed closely by 3A and 3K. 

Because there was only one other person in First besides me I asked my flight attendant to make up my bed in 1K and I used 1A for lounging and eating. 

I LOVE having the nose cone of a 747 to myself.  I’ve had that happen on Qantas, British, Thai, Lufthansa, Korean and Asiana now.  Just lucky, I guess!

Korean Air 747-8

<<front of the plane is that way <<

First Class cabin taken from the nose backwards.  A cheerleading squad could easily perform a few maneuvers in the middle there:

Korean Ai 747-8

 

image010

I had eaten lunch at the hotel in Seoul and had a little food in the Korean Air First Class Lounge, so the plan was to just have caviar and go to sleep.  My flight attendant seemed utterly dejected that she could not serve me more so I felt obligated to continue:

Caviar service:

Korean Air 747-8

Prawn starter

image004

I watched The Eichmann Show (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4163668/). 

Suite with doors closed:

image008

Verdict: Aside from the Etihad Apartments (and Residence), you can’t get any more space in the air when flying First Class.  The new Korean Air Suites are just as large as the Singapore A380 Suites.  It’s extremely comfortable for both lounging and sleeping.  And I just love flying in the nose of a 747. 

With the rapid retirements we’re seeing of the 747-400s, there are only three ways you’re going to be able to fly in the nose of a 747 in the coming years: Korean and Lufthansa in First and Air China in Business.

–J.S.

Korean Air provided the photos below of the stairway to the upper deck (business class), and the new business class seat.

Picture1

(Image: Korean Air)

 

Picture3

Business class on Korean Air’s 787-8i (Photo: KAL)

Check out all our reader reports here. Interested in submitting one? Here are our Reader Report Guidelines. We’d love to hear from YOU.

…

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  United packages Economy Plus with amenities + Ride-sharing firm goes out of business + Bucket list for air travelers + Useless travel gadgets + ‘Uber of the Skies’ dies 

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Etihad upgrades aircraft on San Francisco, New York routes

An Etihad Boeing 777-3FX (Photo: Etihad)

This Etihad Boeing 777-3FX is similar to the one soon to be deployed at SFO (Photo: Etihad)

Ever since it started flying to San Francisco from its Abu Dhabi home base more than a year ago, Etihad Airways has been using a 777 leased from India’s Jet Airways on the route instead of one of its own planes. The move lead to snickers that the service should be called “Jetihad” instead.

But those snickers will soon turn into smiles: Effective April 25, Etihad said it will replace the Jet Airways plane with the real deal: Its own 777-200LR.

It has also been using a Jet Airways 777 on one of its two daily New York JFK flights (EY 101/100), but on June 1 it will replace that aircraft with its own 777-300ER. The other JFK flight will continue to use an A380 super-jumbo.

The new San Francisco aircraft will be outfitted with eight first class seats, 40 in business class and 191 in economy for a total of 239 seats.

Its larger 777-300ER on the New York run will have eight seats in first, 40 in business and 280 in economy for a total of 328 seats.

Link to Etihad’s business class page

Business class on Etihad (Photo: Etihad)

Business class (Photo: Etihad)

TravelSkills reader SP commented, “I’m happy to see that it’s the same plane they fly to LAX, which is a great product. I was hoping maybe we’d get the 380 to rival Emirates, but that was probably wishful thinking! Still, I’m very happy to see real Etihad service finally coming to the Bay Area.  It’s a great option for the AA loyalists of us around here.”

Etihad has made a big splash recently 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.

Last month, Etihad cut the ribbon on a new premium lounge at New York JFK — its second in the U.S. after Washington Dulles. The 7,000 square foot facility for first class and business class passengers has showers, a bar, a sitting area, and floor-to-ceiling windows. In San Francisco, Etihad passengers have access to Oneworld partner Cathay Pacific’s stellar, and recently expanded, lounge at SFO.

Etihad also operates daily flights to Chicago, Washington Dulles and Los Angeles, and three weekly flights to Dallas/Ft. Worth.

Have you or do you plan to fly Etihad one day soon? Please leave your comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  United packages Economy Plus with amenities + Ride-sharing firm goes out of business + Bucket list for air travelers + Useless travel gadgets + ‘Uber of the Skies’ dies 

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‘Don’t seat me next to Trump’ + United snacks + Gogo’s new $3 pass + Holiday travel forecast

Here are some newsy nuggets from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week:

What's a stroopwafel? Find out soon on United. (Image: United)

What’s a stroopwafel? Find out soon on United. (Image: United)

United will bring back free snacks for economy passengers in February.

Gogo introduces new “messaging only” Wi-Fi pass for just $3.

Legroom, disruptive travelers top “passenger peeves” poll.

Air New Zealand tries facial recognition technology for bag drops at Auckland.

Business traveler survey identifies Trump as “worst seatmate.”

Odd video of the week: Artist fashions miniature Singapore Airlines seats out of paper.

Congressman files legislation to protect airline passengers’ bathroom rights.

Japan Airlines introduces a new domestic air pass for foreign visitors.

Airline group issues traffic forecast for a busy holiday travel period.

Airbus creates a design for “stacked seats” in A350 economy cabin.

Boeing rolls out the newest version of its popular 737.

Kuala Lumpur Airport tries to locate owner of three abandoned 747s.

KLM will use a robot to guide passengers around Schiphol Airport.

Starwood adds some members of Design Hotels group as its newest brand.

 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  New Oakland-London route + Big hotel acquisition + Uber at Las Vegas McCarran + American’s international Premium Economy service + Healthy eating for travelers

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#1 Boeing 787 Dreamliner hub in the U.S.

United is concentrating its 787 fleet at San Francisco International. (Image: United)

United is concentrating its 787 fleet at San Francisco International. (Image: United)

With recent announcements of even more Dreamliner routes out of San Francisco International, United’s current and future routes at that airport will make it the biggest 787 hub in the U.S., according to a report in TheStreet.com.

United currently has 22 787 Dreamliners in its fleet and expects to take delivery of three more by the end of 2015.

Over the last several days, the carrier announced new 787 service from San Francisco to Xi’an, China as well as new upcoming routes to Auckland, New Zealand and Tel Aviv, Israel.

As we reported a couple of months ago, United is also planning to redeploy some 787s onto other transpacific routes from SFO, including Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo Haneda.

Related: Flying on a brand new United 787 Dreamliner

TheStreet.com noted that when all the route plans are in operation, United will be flying 787s from San Francisco to nine global destinations — more than any other U.S. airport.

A United executive told the publication that the economics of the 787 work best for routes out of the airline’s San Francisco hub. He said they are “the longest stage length flights in our system and the airplane will benefit you the most where you fly the longest flights, which offer the greatest fuel burn savings, and also {because} the West Coast is really competitive, so we are offering our best airplane product on the most competitive routes.”

Virgin Atlantic is one of several carriers putting 787 Dreamliners onto Bay Area routes. (Image: Virgin)

Virgin Atlantic is one of several carriers putting 787 Dreamliners onto Bay Area routes- starting this month. (Image: Virgin)

At SFO, United is currently using Dreamliners across the Pacific to Osaka, Japan and Chengdu, China; China Southern has 787 flights to Guangzhou; and Virgin Atlantic is poised to begin SFO-London Heathrow flights with a new 787-9 beginning October 24.

European budget carrier Norwegian has started flying Dreamliners from Oakland to both Oslo and Stockholm. And at San Jose, Dreamliners are available on flights to Tokyo Narita with ANA; to Beijing with Hainan Airlines; and next spring to London Heathrow with a new British Airways 787-9.

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

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More 787 Dreamliners headed west

Don’t miss! Our full report & slideshow of Delta’s new SFO Sky Club! Wow!

Look for more United 787s on transpacific routes next year. (Image: United)

Look for more United 787s on transpacific routes from California next year. (Image: United)

United has announced that it will be shifting most of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet from Houston to its West Coast hubs at San Francisco International and Los Angeles starting in Spring 2016.

When the redeployment is complete, it will fly the 787-9 on routes between SFO and Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo Haneda. In addition, it will fly SFO-Seoul with a 787-9 between Aug. 1 and Oct. 21, 2016.

From LAX it will fly new Dreamliners to Melbourne (Australia), Tokyo Narita,  Shanghai, Sydney and London Heathrow.

The Houston routes that it previously flew with the 787-9 will be replaced with Boeing 767s and Boeing 777s, and the 777s displaced from LAX and SFO will be re-assigned primarily to Newark, Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles.

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

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

Have you inhaled that new airplane smell on your own first Dreamliner flight yet?  Frequent flyers who want to experience Boeing’s newest widebody will find their best odds at the mega-gateways of Los Angeles and New York — but the Bay Area isn’t far behind.

The website Airlineroute.net recently compiled a handy listing of every route worldwide where the 787 is now flying, or is about to start flying soon. By our count, it includes 16 routes out of New York (JFK and Newark) and 16 out of Los Angeles International, with the Bay Area (San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose) currently in third place among U.S. gateways with nine (not counting United’s plans mentioned above).

At SFO, United is currently using Dreamliners across the Pacific to Osaka, Japan and Chengdu, China; China Southern has 787 flights to Guangzhou; and Virgin Atlantic is poised to begin SFO-London Heathrow flights with a new 787-9 beginning October 24.

European budget carrier Norwegian has started flying Dreamliners from Oakland to both Oslo and Stockholm. And at San Jose, Dreamliners are available on flights to Tokyo Narita with ANA; to Beijing with Hainan Airlines; and soon to London Heathrow with a new British Airways 787-9.

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

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

Don’t miss! Our full report & slideshow of Delta’s new SFO Sky Club! Wow!


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Trip Report: Air Canada B767 lie-flat business class SFO-Toronto

Air Canada

Flight attendants say seat 8A on Air Canada’s B767 is the best seat on the plane. Why? Read on! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Nearly every frequent traveler knows about those fancy flat bed seats flying between California and New York.

But did you know that you can also fly flat between San Francisco and Toronto-Pearson (YYZ) on Air Canada? (LAX-YYZ, too)

Last March, the Canadian carrier deployed a single daily B767 round trip on SFO-YYZ. It departs SFO at 11:35 a.m. and arrives in Toronto at about 7:30 p.m. The widebody departs Toronto at 8:00 a.m. and arrives SFO at 10:25 a.m.

While it would be nice to take advantage of those roomy lie-flat seats on an overnight flight, Air Canada has its 767 timed for connections at its Toronto hub. The flight from SFO arrives in Toronto just in time to meet several evening departures for Europe and Asia, which means business travelers can connect to another lie-flat flight for the transoceanic portion of their trips.

Fares: Since Air Canada and United have a code share (and monopoly) on this route, you can buy your ticket from either airline– but you’ll pay a premium for the lie-flat 767. Business class round trip fares for mid September run $3,200 on the B767, and $2,800 on its four other daily flights on A320s or A321s. Economy class round trips for mid-September are now about $885. (Virgin America and United both bailed on this route in 2011 and 2012, respectively.)

Regrettably, there is no wi-fi on this 767, but it does have it on some of its A320s on the route, including my return flight to SFO.

Air Canada invited me to check out the service last week on a two-day jaunt to Toronto. The airline covered the cost of my flight, and I paid hotel, meals and transfers. (Stay tuned for another Trip Report about my ride on Toronto’s new airport-to-city center train!)

Let’s jump onboard!

Air Canada

Air Canada B767-300ER(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Air Canada’s flights depart from the “A” side of SFO’s international terminal, which seemed odd since it is a Star Alliance and code sharing partner with United, which is on the “G” side.

Air Canada

Air Canada Boeing 767-300 business class cabin (Chris McGinnis)

The Boeing 767-300 ER has 24 business class seats in rows 1-8. Seats are configured 1-1-1. Seats along the left side window have their own aisle, which offers more privacy, while seats on the right share an aisle. If you are traveling alone, try to get the A side. Those traveling with someone else should sit across the aisle from each other on the F-K side to facilitate conversation.

Air Canada

Business class on Air Canada B767 (Chris McGinnis)

Seats are large, well-cushioned and very private. Headphones were (unusually) hardwired into the seats and could not be removed or replaced with personal headphones. High walls between seats make conversation with seat mates difficult. And due to the herringbone configuration, it’s tough to get a good view out the window.

Air Canada

Old school overhead bins on Air Canada’s B767 (Chris McGinnis)

The 767 is an older plane with smaller overhead bin space. These bins could barely accommodate a standard rollaboard carryon turned sideways. Since Air Canada plans to replace these old birds with new 787s, its unlikely that overhead bins will be replaced before they are retired. Nonetheless, there was no problem fitting all passenger carryons in the space provided.

Air Canada

The A side of business class offers the most privacy (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

These A seats along the right side window in business class are best for solo travelers.

Air Canada

Seat 8A is the best seat on Air Canada’s B767 (Chris McGinnis)

So here we are at seat 8A again. Why do flight attendants say this is the best seat on the plane? First, it’s very private, in it’s own cubby hole at the back of the section with a closet separating it from economy class. What’s even better is that it is the first seat in the cabin to get flight attendant service– just two flight attendants service the entire cabin, and those seated on the right side may miss out on the entree of choice.

Air Canada

Lie-flat comfort- sadly not enough time on this 4-5 hour flight to truly enjoy it (Chris McGinnis)

Air Canada

Air Canada’s business class seats are 21 inches wide (Chris McGinnis)

Business class seats are nice and wide and long enough to accommodate my 6′ frame comfortably. Downside is that all that space for your body takes up valuable storage space for your stuff, which means lots of getting up and down to get into the backpack or briefcase. Nonetheless, my biggest regret is that I was not able to spend the night in this nice cozy blue cocoon!

Air Canada

Seat in full recline (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Air Canada

A three course meal with mains to choose from on SFO-YYZ lunchtime flight  (Chris McGinnis)

Air Canada

(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Warm  nuts to start.

Air Canada

Starter salad (Chris McGinnis)

Air Canada

Chicken breast with tagine sauce (Chris McGinnis)

Air Canada

A choice of two whites and two reds (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Air Canada

Beef tenderloin (Chris McGinnis)

Air Canada

Pan seared Atlantic salmon (Chris McGinnis)

Air Canada

Light gelato and fruit for dessert (Chris McGinnis)

Overall, the inflight dining experience was excellent, with pleasing portions and very good flavor. However, the presentation is a bit bland compared to what we’ve seen recently in premium cabins on JetBlue (see Trip Report) or Virgin America (See Trip Report) transcons. My suggestion would be for flight attendants to primp the dishes a bit before serving, and maybe add a sprig of parsley or other garnish. Otherwise, the food comes out looking factory-made even though it does not taste that way.

Air Canada

Economy class on Air Canada B767 (Chris McGinnis)

Economy class seats are configured 2-3-2 and appeared to be very comfortable. Plus each seat has a big screen, USB port and power outlet.

Air Canada

Economy class on Air Canada B767 (Chris McGinnis)

Air Canada

Economy class on Air Canada B767 (Chris McGinnis)

View from the roof of the Thomspon Hotel Toronto (Chris McGinnis)

View from the roof of the Thomspon Hotel Toronto (Chris McGinnis)

After landing at YYZ, I stayed at the hip Thompson Hotel Toronto for two nights, then flew back to SFO on an Air Canada A320. Here’s a mini-review of the Thompson hotel. 

–Chris McGinnis

Check out all recent TravelSkills Trip Reports!

Disclosure: Air Canada covered the cost of Chris’s roundtrip airfare to Toronto

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


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SWISS schedules brand new Boeing 777s (photos)

First class seats on SWISS's new 777-300ERs have 32-inch video monitors. (Image: SWISS)

First class seats on SWISS’s new 777-300ERs have 32-inch video monitors. (Image: SWISS)

Lufthansa subsidiary SWISS will make a big upgrade to its long-haul fleet next year with the delivery of nine new Boeing 777-300ERs. San Francisco and Los Angeles are among the routes where the planes will first be deployed.

SWISS said the new widebodies will start flying from Zurich to both West Coast cities when its summer 2016 schedule takes effect; it currently operates A340-300s on both routes. The new 777s will carry 340 passengers, with eight seats in first class, 62 in business and 270 in economy.

First class seating transforms into a private suite with a 32-inch video screen, electrically-adjustable window blinds and a “personal wardrobe,” the airline said. Business class seats convert into a fully flat bed six feet seven inches long and have cushions whose firmness can be set to the passenger’s preference. Economy class will get new seat cushion technology and big touch-screens.

Economy class is fitted with 10-abreast seating arranged 3-4-3, a tighter but increasingly common configuration on new B777s.

Business class seats recline to fully flat beds. (Image: SWISS)

Business class seats recline to fully flat beds. (Image: SWISS)

“In addition to the regular cabin service, all SWISS Economy guests will be able to make use of a self-service kiosk offering a wide range of drinks and snacks,” a spokesperson said. And the new 777s will have Wi-Fi throughout.

In addition to its LAX and SFO routes, SWISS will operate the new 777-300ERs to Hong Kong, Bangkok, Sao Paulo and Tel Aviv.  A SWISS representative told TravelSkills that the SFO-Zurich route will initially get the new plane three times a week, offering an A340 on the other four days, while the 777-300ER will fly the LAX route seven days a week .

Passengers will also get the benefit of SWISS’s incredible in-flight cuisine. See our recent Trip Report on what that’s like. And scroll down to see more of the interiors on the new 777-300ERs.

A first-class dining experience in first class.. (Image: SWISS)

A first-class dining experience in first class. (Image: SWISS)

Economy class on SWISS's new 777-300ER. (Image: SWISS)

Economy class on SWISS’s new 777-300ER configured 3-4-3.  (Image: SWISS)

Another view of business class seating. (Image: SWISS)

Another view of business class seating. (Image: SWISS)

Here’s a video fly-through of the nice new bird:

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Upgrades on United + TripAdvsior punked + Hotel resort fees okayed + 80,000 Marriott points + More!


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You can’t get there from here

Singapore Airlines' new Boeing 777 can't fly to Singapore from the US (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Singapore Airlines’ newest Boeing 777-300ER can’t fly nonstop to Singapore from the US (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Today’s long-range aircraft technology makes it possible to fly non-stop almost anywhere in the world. So what’s wrong with Singapore? It’s a financial and commercial powerhouse in the Asia/Pacific region, but you can’t fly there from the U.S. without an intermediate stop.

Singapore Airlines used to offer non-stop flights from both Los Angeles and Newark, using 100-seat all-business-class Airbus A340-500s, but it discontinued both routes in the fall of 2013, and now offers only one-stop service from the U.S. But the airline’s CEO told Bloomberg News he wants to see a revival of non-stops.

According to the Bloomberg report, Singapore is in discussions with both Boeing and Airbus regarding the development of “a new plane with new technology that would allow it to fly non-stop to the U.S.”

Obviously the airline’s old A340-500s were capable of that feat, but the plane’s four engines burned too much fuel to make the service viable from a profitability standpoint.

Related: First look at Singapore Airlines’s newest jet

The Newark-Singapore non-stops were the longest in the world, at 9,000 nautical miles, and the LAX-Singapore route was the second-longest, at 7,500. Modern long-range jets have two engines and are more fuel-efficient. Boeing’s 777-200LR can fly 8,625 nautical miles, Bloomberg said, and Airbus’ new A350 is rated at up to 8,200.

But the airline’s CEO also told Bloomberg that Singapore has had trouble securing so-called Fifth Freedom rights, which would allow it to carry passengers between the U.S. and an intermediate country.

Singapore Airlines currently flies from Los Angeles and San Francisco to Singapore via Tokyo, Hong Kong and Seoul; from New York via Frankfurt and from Houston via Moscow.

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

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Watch this Dreamliner soar! (VIDEO)

Have you ever seen a passenger jet take off almost vertically? Wow (Image: Boeing)

Have you ever seen a passenger jet take off almost vertically? Wow (Image: Boeing)

This week Boeing released a video of its newest 787-9 Dreamliner practicing some graceful maneuvers in preparation for this week’s Paris Air Show.

Must see this for the awesome near vertical take off!

Watch this bird soar!

How would you like to be onboard for this flight? I would!

Here BBC explains how planes can take off at near vertical angles like this.

More about the Paris Air Show here— it’s one of the largest aviation gatherings in the world where industry professionals as well as the general public get to see what’s new in the sky.

Related: Boeing Dreamliner grounded: My report from Tokyo

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Gogo prices rise 50 percent  + Virgin America adds seatback Pac-Man + Big Delta aircraft purchase

 


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Delta plans big aircraft purchase

Delta 737-900ER. (Image: Boeing)

Delta 737-900ER. (Image: Boeing)

Delta said it will add 60 new aircraft to its domestic fleet once its rank-and-file pilots ratify a labor agreement already endorsed by the pilots’ leadership council.

When that happens, Delta said, it will move ahead with aircraft acquisitions including 20 Embraer E190s and another 40 Boeing 737-900ERs.

The E190s are currently held by Boeing after being previously operated by another airline. Delta said these 98-seat planes will be part of its mainline fleet, and will enter service late next year. The airline noted that the addition of these larger regional aircraft will “continue the shift of flying away from inefficient 50-seat regional jets as part of the company’s successful up-gauging strategy.”

Related: Planespotting B737 vs A320

The order for 40 more 737-900ERs will bring Delta’s total order for that model to 140 planes. They’ll be used to replace other single-aisle aircraft as they are retired from the fleet through 2019, Delta said.

Delta’s 737-900ERs have 20 seats in first class, 21 in Delta Comfort and 139 in the main cabin, and a range of 2,870 miles.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Gogo prices rise 50 percent  + New hotels in Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle + Delta’s facelift at LAX + Netflix coming to Marriott guest rooms + Will carry-on bags shrink? + Big red tail back at SFO


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What the near future holds for Delta

Will Delta eventually get the Boeing Dreamliner? (Image: Boeing)

Will Delta eventually get the Boeing Dreamliner? (Image: Boeing)

Delta CEO Richard Anderson recently sat down with AP travel reporter Scott Mayerowitz for a wide ranging interview that’s a great read for TravelSkills readers, many of whom use the airline frequently. 

Some highlights:

>Despite a very heavy summer travel season ahead, Anderson is confident that Delta’s operational stats will be off the charts– he’s proud of the fact that Delta has improved significantly in flight delays, pointing to a recent 95-day run without a single mainline cancellation. (However, regional operations are a different story, as you’ll see here.)

>Anderson is confident that cheap oil will be the norm in the near term and is basing his decisions on oil prices remaining well under $100 for a while. He thinks the US will be completely petroleum independent by 2020 due to enhanced drilling techniques (like fracking).

Chatting with Delta CEO Richard Anderson (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

TravelSkills chatting with Delta CEO Richard Anderson last year in Atlanta (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

>Delta plans to continue its conservative fleet management program by refurbishing older planes and buying used ones instead of new ones. However, Delta is looking closely at the yet-to-be-produced stretch version of the Boeing’s Dreamliner, the 787-10.

>Anderson thinks Cuba’s infrastructure is going to keep it from being a major travel industry player any time soon, although he does predict that Delta will fly there. (I agree that it’s going to be a slow road for tourism in Cuba.)

>He’s more gung-ho about building up Delta operations in Shanghai, Mexico City and Sao Paulo. He’s big on expanding partnerships with China Southern and China Eastern in Shanghai and Beijing

Here’s the link to the full story from AP. 

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

 


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Trip Report: Factory to Hong Kong on a new Cathay Pacific 777

(Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

(Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

Do you ever wonder how an airplane makes its way from the factory to the airport? Well, we found out recently when Cathay Pacific invited TravelSkills aboard the “delivery flight” of its fiftieth Boeing 777-300ER aircraft flying from the factory in Seattle to Hong Kong.

The sneak peek flight was a special experience for invited media, travel agents, and top Cathay customers to sample the carrier’s products while also witnessing an important milestone for both Cathay Pacific and Boeing.

With the largest fleet of 777s among Asian carriers (67 in total), and the second largest in the world (behind Emirates), Cathay Pacific is an important Boeing customer. In fact, Cathay Pacific launched its newest route from Hong Kong to Boston on the day after the delivery flight.

Related: Boston to Hong Kong in 16 hours

The ceremonial handing over of keys from Boeing to Cathay (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

The ceremonial handing over of keys from Boeing to Cathay (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

All airlines handle their delivery flights differently, and Cathay wanted to make this a special occasion given this was their fiftieth 777-300ER. Also parked nearby during the ceremony was a Lufthansa Boeing 747-800 aircraft and a Turkish Airlines Boeing 777-300ER. Both planes were making their own delivery flights that day, but with decidedly less fanfare.

It was especially interesting to learn that new aircraft are delivered to airline customers almost daily, sometimes two or three per day. That’s why Boeing built this special Boeing Delivery Center building with two jet bridges, numerous meeting and banquet spaces, and a Boeing collectibles shop. The space is often the location for celebratory events, and full catering facilities are in place.

Before boarding, a Boeing executive thanked Cathay Pacific for a strong partnership over the years and spoke briefly to the crowd waiting to board the plane. With the giant Boeing 777-300ER in the background, Boeing gave Cathay executives a ceremonial key. More like a car or house key, the symbolic gesture signals the official ownership by the airline.

Economy class on Cathay Pacific's new B777 (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

Economy class on Cathay Pacific’s new B777 (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

On the tarmac, all those that were traveling aboard the flight gathered around for a ribbon cutting ceremony. Most unique was that all received boarding passes with the city name “Boeing Paine Field” to Hong Kong.

With only about 50 passengers on board a plane designed for 330 people, the delivery flight was like having your own personal plane. Following a tarmac tour of the plane and plenty of photo opportunities, passengers went through a security check.

The Boeing Delivery Center is equipped with two short jet bridges making the experience similar to an airport, but far more festive.

Related: Sadly, 747s are flying away

Business class on a brand new Boeing 777-300ER- with that "new plane" smell (Photo: Ramsey Qubein(

Business class on a brand new Boeing 777-300ER- with that “new plane” smell (Photo: Ramsey Qubein(

All of us were seated in the herringbone-style business class cabin, which features enormous entertainment screens and flat-bed seating. The back of the plane was empty, almost eerie to see, but everyone was free to wander around the aircraft at any time.

Cathay has had strong success with its new premium economy cabin, and after testing it out, it is clear why. The recline is almost double that of the standard economy seat, and since it is situated in its own mini cabin behind business class, it seems quieter and more intimate.

Cathay's premium economy seats are located in a small, intimate section behind business class (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

Cathay’s premium economy seats are located in a small, intimate section behind business class (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

Other than the free reign that travelers had on board, everything else was standard procedure. The safety video played as the aircraft taxied to the runway with Boeing employees standing on either side of the taxiway to wave goodbye.

Cabin crew, specially selected to work this important flight, were as gracious and hospitable as can be. And that is not easy on a flight like this one where passengers spend hours wandering up and down the aisles, enjoying cocktails and wine while chatting with other passengers, and poking around all parts of the plane in exploration.

Many passengers donned Cathay’s pajamas distributed prior to take off, which was a special treat since they are typically reserved only for first class passengers.

Cocktail service from two tiered cart (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

Cocktail service from two tiered cart (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

Cathay began the first meal service with cocktails delivered from a two-tier cart and warm cashews. This is followed with an appetizer and salad tray. The main course is served from the same two-tier cart with all of the options on display. This is a really nice way to allow passengers to choose their meal since they can see what everything looks like before ordering. A cheese and fruit course follows with cordials and chocolates.

Business class meal on Cathay Pacific delivery flight (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

Business class meal on Cathay Pacific delivery flight (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

Throughout the flight, snacks were available from the menu, and two hours before landing another hot meal was served. Many passengers enjoyed themselves so much that the 13-hour flight passed too quickly– with only a few frequent naps and snacks in between.

Since this was a special experience, Cathay allowed us into the cockpit during flight to chat with the pilots and get a birds-eye view of the Pacific Ocean on this mostly daytime flight. Photos were not allowed, but on landing, passengers were permitted to snap photos of the crew bunks. They are located in the back of the plane up a steep climb of stairs. Having to duck down to pass through the narrow corridor, there are nearly a dozen bunks with curtains for privacy.

Cathay's crew rest area located over economy seats at the rear of the B777 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cathay’s crew rest area located over economy seats at the rear of the B777 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Upon arrival in Hong Kong our shiny new 777 pulled up to a standard gate on arrival, and passengers deplaned like any commercial flight.

Cathay Pacific really impressed us with the detail they took to make this iconic delivery a special experience for everyone involved.

–Ramsey Qubein

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


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United revamps fleet- for the better?

United is giving up on 10 new 787-9s it had ordered.

United is giving up on 10 new 787-9s like this one it had ordered. (Photo: Jeffrey S./Flickr)

In announcing its quarterly results last week, United Airlines revealed plans to make some major changes in the makeup of its fleet.

For starters, the airline will swap out an existing order with Boeing for 10 787-9 Dreamliners to 10 777-300ERs instead. United also said it will extend the lifespan of 21 767-300s that had been slated for retirement by adding winglets to them to save fuel; those aircraft will replace some 757s on medium-haul international routes. As nice as a new 777 is, they don’t come with those nice big Dreamliner windows and curvy wings.

Related: Flying on a shiny new United Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Also, 10 of United’s existing 777-200s will be pulled off international service and overhauled to fly regularly scheduled domestic routes — something you don’t see very often with twin-aisle aircraft. (That’s good news for domestic flyers– wider is almost always better.)

And like its rivals, United will continue to pull 50-seat jets out of its United Express fleet — 130 of them by the end of this year — as the industry trend to larger regional jets continues.

ALSO…According to Airlineroute.net, which tracks planned changes in airlines’ route networks, United will switch from single-aisle 757s to twin-aisle 767s on four Europe routes out of Newark, including Berlin starting in June, and Hamburg, Madrid and Barcelona effective October 25 …

Weekend Edition

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Turkish Airlines pinging Silicon Valley (VIDEO)

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

Turkish Airlines inaugural flight with San Francisco mural arrives at SFO (Image: San Francisco International Airport)

This week, San Francisco International welcomed Turkish Airlines inaugural Boeing 777 flight from Istanbul, and TravelSkills was there on the runway to capture the moment. (I was there broadcasting live using the new Periscope app in my iPhone. Are you on it yet? If so, be sure and follow me!)

Turkish is pushing hard for the Bay Area tech crowd, and even created a special livery (above) to commemorate the new flight. The B777 on the route sports a colorful mural of San Francisco in the left side of the plane, and a similar mural of Istanbul on the right side.

The right side of Turkish Airlines B777 is a mural of Istanbul (Chris McGinnis)

The right side of Turkish Airlines B777 is a mural of Istanbul (Chris McGinnis)

>Clearly hoping to appeal to techies, Turkish created a clever riff on HBO’s Silicon Valley TV series with a video (see below) and a sponsored post on BuzzFeed about why SF and Istanbul are two long lost sister cities.

Recent: Is United’s food getting better? 

>San Francisco is the carrier’s seventh U.S. destination. It also flies to: Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, and Washington DC. Atlanta is rumored to be its next destination, and it did not go unnoticed on us that the carrier’s newly appointed PR company is located there.

>Turkish is fast growing, with a modern fleet and easy (but crowded) hub in Istanbul. It’s an excellent new option for travelers headed to Greece (one stop SFO-Mykonos!), or elsewhere in Eastern Europe. It’s also competing with the big UAE carriers like Emirates and Etihad for tech travelers headed to India. For example, it competes with Etihad and United for the shortest flight times (21-23 hours each way, one stop) between SFO and Mumbai.. 

Recent: Brand new(ish) hotel brand in New York, San Francisco

>The flight time between LA or San Francisco and Istanbul is around 12-13 hours depending on winds. From the east coast, flight time is around 10-11 hours.

>On its Boeing 777-300ER serving SFO, Turkish offers 300 economy seats,  and 49 flat bed business class seats, but no premium economy, as you’ll find on LAX-IST. All seats  are leather and have individual on-demand video entertainment screens at every seat on its 777s. Plus there’s wi-fi onboard and it’s free in business class.

>Turkish is a member of the Star Alliance. Business class passengers get access to United’s business class lounge at SFO’s International Terminal G.

Here’s our previous TravelSkills report on Turkish Airlines in the US.

Have you flown Turkish Airlines yet? What did you think? Please leave your comments below.

–Chris McGinnis

 


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Planespotting 101: Boeing 757, 767

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Are lower fuel costs resulting in lower airfares?

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to find roomy domestic widebody flights

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

(Photo courtesy Robbie Plafker)

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

–Chris McGinnis

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

Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

Planespotting 101: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

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Where will American fly its shiny new 787 Dreamliners?

American Airlines 787 - Business Class

Note the forward and rear facing seats on American’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliner (Photo: AA)

American Airlines has started taking delivery of its first Boeing 787 Dreamliners, and just announced it will put the planes into commercial service for the first time this spring, starting with domestic flights in May and international routes in June.

That will make American the second major U.S. carrier to put the Boeing widebodies into service; United is already flying more than a dozen 787s, and has about 60 more on order. There are no 787s at Delta right now, or in its immediate future.

If you’re an AA regular and would like to be among the first to sample the new aircraft, here are the details: The first American 787 flight will operate between Dallas/Ft. Worth and Chicago O’Hare starting May 7; international routes on the 787 deployment schedule include DFW-Beijing starting June 2 and DFW-Buenos Aires beginning June 4. More routes will be added during 2015 as additional Dreamliners join the fleet, American said.

Nasty! Watch flu particles disperse on plane

American Airlines 787 - Main Cabin

Economy class on American’s new Dreamliners. Love that blue ceiling! (Photo: AA)

The American Airline 787-8s will have business class and economy cabins, providing 28 fully-flat Business Class seats in a 1-2-1 configuration; 48 Main Cabin Extra seats; and 150 regular economy seats. The Main Cabin Extra and regular economy seating will have a 3-3-3 layout. (No first class on these birds.)

Business class will feature both forward- and rear-facing seats to allow direct aisle access for all passengers, and AA’s 787 business cabin will offer a walk-up bar with snacks and drinks. The aircraft will be equipped with satellite-based WiFi, and all seats in both cabins will have AC power outlets and USB jacks.

American has ordered 42 787s, with options for another 58. Although American is well behind United in deploying the new wide-bodies, it is perhaps fortunate in another way: It didn’t have to go through all the angst and schedule disruptions that United and other early customers suffered due to the problems of 787 batteries overheating and sparking fires — a situation that took months to correct.  See our Trip Report: ANA’s 787 Dreamliner to Tokyo

8 things every frequent flyer wants

Screen Shot 2015-02-11 at 11.27.09 AM

Flying onboard a brand new United Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Click to read post (Photo: Ramsey Qubein)

United currently operates 787s on some routes linking its U.S. hubs, and on select intercontinental routes, mostly between the U.S. and Asia, like Denver-Tokyo, Los Angeles-Tokyo and Los Angeles-Shanghai. Most recently, United deployed the newest Dreamliner model — the 787-9 — onto its LAX-Melbourne route, making it the world’s longest Dreamliner flight.

Check out our popular report from last year about flying on a brand new United 787.

There was some speculation last year that Delta might turn to Boeing for an upcoming order of new widebodies, including 787-9s and 777-300ERs, but instead Delta went with Airbus. The Atlanta-based carrier ordered 25 Airbus A350-900s — the manufacturer’s newest twin-aisle aircraft — and 25 A330-900neos, a deal worth an estimated $6 billion.

Trip Report: ANA’s 787 Dreamliner to Tokyo

 

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

Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

Planespotting 101: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

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Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

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 are going to offer up a series of posts dedicated to Planespotting 101. (Here’s last week’s post about the Boeing 717 and MD80/90 series)

Today let’s look at two ubiquitous planes – the Boeing 737 family and the Airbus A320 family. 

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 3.58.40 PM

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

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 4.00.53 PM

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

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.

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 665 of ’em! Delta flies about 100.

The Airbus A320 (along with the similar A318, 319 and 321) is more popular overseas, but in the US, they comprise 100% of Virgin America’s fleet and much of JetBlue’s. US Airways has the largest Airbus fleet in the world, including nearly 270 in the A320 family. United has about 160. Delta has 105 A319s and A320s.

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Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 4.16.17 PM

Note the Airbus nose and windows (PurplePoulpe / Flickr)

Screen Shot 2015-02-09 at 4.15.47 PM

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

The easiest way 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, 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? 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. 

(Here’s last week’s planespotting post about the Boeing 717 and MD80/90 series)

–Chris McGinnis

In Case You Missed It…

Did you miss Saturday’s or Sundays issues of our weekend edition? Here ya go: 

United discounts awards + Delta eliminates chart + More Starbucks + United packs 777s + Southwest challenges Delta

KAL’s new biz class + Cheap biz class to London + Airline scents + Busiest airport? + Spate of new hotels

 

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Planespotting 101: MD-80/90 & Boeing 717

The good old DC9 was the model for a long line of modern jets (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

The good old DC9 spawned a long line of modern jets (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

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

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

To help TravelSkills readers confidently recognize what they see overhead or out on the runway, we are going to offer up a series of posts dedicated to Planespotting 101.

Today, let’s start small and take a look at the Boeing 717, MD-80/90 series. All were based on the good old DC-9 (built between 1965 and 1982), which means they all look very similar to the untrained eye.

Here’s a look at the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737

Delta retired its last DC-9 in January 2014.

Boeing 717 (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

Boeing 717 (Photo: Aero Icarus / Flickr)

Hawaiian and Delta are the only two US airlines operating Boeing 717s (Prayitno / Flickr)

Hawaiian and Delta are the only two US airlines operating Boeing 717s (Prayitno / Flickr)

The most distinguishing feature of Boeing 717s, the smallest Boeing plane, is its T-shaped tail with engines at the back flanking either side of the tail.

717s are operated in the U.S. only by Hawaiian Airlines and Delta Air Lines. (AirTran’s 717s were retired at the end of 2014).

A Delta MD-80 (Mr.TinDC / Flickr)

The fuselage on an MD-80/90 tends to be longer than the 717  (Mr.TinDC / Flickr)

A Swiss MD-83 (Aero Icarus / Flickr)

A Swiss MD-83 (Aero Icarus / Flickr)

The MD-80 family (mostly flown by Allegiant, American and Delta) and MD-90 planes (mostly flown by Delta) have similar features like the T-shaped tail with smaller, thinner engines on either side, and a “pinched” tailcone. (See the “pointy” cone on the DC-9 at the top to compare.) No other commercial aircraft has a T-shaped tail, with the exception of regional jets.

Look for the unpainted outline near the top of the T on the 717

Look for the unpainted outline near the top of the T on the 717

The easiest way to tell the difference between at MD-80/90 and a Boeing 717? The 717 has an unpainted outline near the “stabilizer” at the top of the tail’s T shape. See it on the Hawaiian Airlines 717 to the right? It’s not there on the MD80/90 series. Also, check the engines. The 717 engines are fatter compared to most MD80/90 engines which are narrower and have more tapered ends. Also, the fuselage on the MD-80/90 series tends to be longer than the 717.

What’s best about flying on one of these plane? I’d have to say sitting in first class– with the engines so far away from the front, all you can hear is the wind whistling by your window and the ice cubes tinkling in your cocktail 🙂

Please share your planespotting tips or advice in the comments below! How do YOU tell the difference between a 717 and MD-80 or 90? 

Here’s a look at the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737

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4 comfortable classes on JAL’s Sky Suite 777

Check out the knee room in economy class on Japan Airlines' new Sky Suite 777 (photo: Chris McGinnis)

Check out the knee room (34 inches) in economy class on Japan Airlines’ new Sky Suite 777 (photo: Chris McGinnis)

Japan Airlines is making a big push to win back the hearts and wallets of frequent travelers, and in the US it is deploying its slick new Sky Suite 777 to do so.

Just this week, it added the newly configured aircraft to the busy San Francisco-Tokyo Haneda run, replacing the Boeing 787 Dreamliner on the route. JAL also flies the newly configured B777-300ER Sky Suite to New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

When I first heard that JAL’s Boeing  787 Dreamliner being pulled off SFO-HND, I thought a downgrade was in store. But in fact, JAL’s new four-class, 232-seat Sky Suite 777 offers much, much more on this lucrative transpac route. JAL’s 186-seat B787 only offered only two seats: an unpopular angled lie-flat seat business class and a standard economy seat.

I learned all about this when JAL threw an elegant reception last month to introduce the new plane to San Francisco business travelers. Under a big tent at the Hyatt Regency near the airport, JAL had seats from all four classes on display.

Here’s what I saw:

JAL's new business class Sky Suite offers direct aisle access from every seat. This is what you'd see if peering in the window. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

JAL’s new business class Sky Suite offers direct aisle access from every seat. This is what you’d see if peering in the window. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The best part about this new service is JAL’s business class Sky Suite. The 2-3-2 configuration is staggered allowing direct aisle access from each of the 49 seats. This means that the middle seat is now probably the BEST seat on the plane– it has two access points to either aisle, lots of space to spread out and work in near total privacy. (These are the E seats in rows 5-12) Business class seats have big 23-inch entertainment screens and Panasonic noise canceling headsets. There is also On-Air wi-fi throughout the plane. Business class fares between SFO and Tokyo are currently at about $6,000 round trip for December trips.

If $6,000 is too much for your travel budget, you can now opt for Sky Premium economy class. This new class offers an extra four inches of seat pitch, plus seats have fixed backs and slide forward to recline, so you don’t have anyone reclining into your space. (My photos of this seat at the event did not turn out well, so here are JAL’s photos.) Sky Premium economy passengers get airport lounge access (nice!) and priority check-in lines. There are 40 premium economy seats that are selling for about $2,500 round trip on SFO-HND for mid-January trips.

Helpful: How to get from Haneda Airport to Tokyo

JAL's new Sky Wider economy class seat feels a lot more comfortable than it looks in this photo (Chris McGinnis)

JAL’s new Sky Wider economy class seat feels a lot more comfortable than it looks in this photo (Chris McGinnis)

I was very impressed with JAL’s economy class– the new Sky Wider seats feel a lot better than they look in this photo– they are wider than average at 18.5 inches, and offer 34 inches of pitch– roomy by current standards. I’m six feet tall and you can see how much room there is between my knees and the seat ahead in the photo at the top of this post. Entertainment screens are 10.6 inches across (12.1 in premium economy) and there are USB ports for charging mobile devices. Economy roundtrip fares for mid-January trips SFO-HND are currently about $1,200.

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JAL's spacious leather and wood trimmed first class sanctuary (Photo: JAL)

JAL’s spacious leather and wood trimmed first class sanctuary (Photo: JAL)

With the up-gauging of aircraft, JAL brings back a nice first class product on the route. From what I saw at the event, the JAL Suite is a nice wide, leather and wood trimmed sanctuary– one of the largest I’ve seen and with a humongous entertainment screen and Bose noise canceling headsets. But you’ll pay dearly for these seats: On JAL’s website, first class roundtrip fares on SFO-HND are about $20,000 for mid-January trips.

In addition to the new plane on SFO-HND, the schedule has changed. Now, flights depart both San Francisco and Haneda at around midnight– which is great for those hoping to get a good night’s sleep on the flight.

Related: United moves one Tokyo flight to Haneda 

JAL 001 departs SFO at 12:35 a.m. and arrives at Tokyo Haneda at 5 a.m. the following day. What’s nice about this is that flyers can now easily connect to a bank of JAL flights headed to other Japanese or Asian destinations. Plus, if you can get a good night of sleep in on the overnight flight, you’ll be good to go for business meetings in Tokyo on the day you arrive.

JAL 002 departs Haneda at 12:05 am and arrives SFO at 4:15 pm a day earlier– just in time for an early dinner and bed if you don’t get a chance to sleep well on the flight. Or if you are like me and you’d rather stay awake on the flight, enjoy the service and enjoy all the bells and whistles of the plane.

Have you flown Japan Airlines recently? Would you choose the new Sky Suite 777 over nonstop service from other airlines? What’s your preferred airline when flying to Japan? Please leave your comments below. 

–Chris McGinnis

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How to find roomy domestic widebody flights

Economy class on a United 767 (Photo: United)

Check out all that space in economy class on a big, wide United 767 (Photo: United)

Are the golden days of flying domestically on spacious widebody, twin-aisle aircraft gone? Not necessarily, if you know where to look.

All four major US international airlines — American, Delta, United and US Airways — still operate a handful domestic widebody flights.  These big birds are either providing a lot of seats on high-demand routes, positioning planes from hub to hub, offering premium products on valuable flights, or adding temporary capacity for special events. Sometimes widebodies are deployed for short periods of time, like Air Canada’s positioning of a Boeing 767-300ER on SFO-Toronto for four months this winter. Hawaiian Airlines flies only widebodies from the mainland to Hawaii.

Whatever the reason, it’s a bonus for passengers, since widebodies tend to give you more room (or at least the perception of more room) than single-aisle narrowbodies, no matter where you’re sitting in the plane. And internationally-equipped widebodies often offer more robust on-demand entertainment, power outlets, USB sockets, bigger bins and other bells and whistles.

Delta's domestic first class section on a 767-300 (Photo: Delta)

Delta’s domestic first class section on a non-Business Elite 767-300 (Photo: Delta)

Up front on a widebody, you could find a fully flat bed seat à la international business class to stretch out — usually for no extra fee over domestic first.  But not all domestic widebodies offer big new seats up front… notably, US Airways’ 767-200s have older cradle-style sleeper seats, and Delta’s domestic 767-300, coded as 763s, have standard domestic first class seats (see photo).

But how do you find them? Savvy travelers know where they are, but the airlines don’t make it easy when hunting for a flight.

One good tool for finding widebody flights is Routehappy, the half flight search, half data source startup that matches aircraft types to flights and scores them by comfort and amenities. (Disclaimer: an author of this post used to work there.)

We asked Routehappy to show us all the widebody planes jetting around the US on a given day: October 1st, in this case. Here’s what they found. Note that the big birds are on not on every flight, every day– just a chosen few. Also, there are no consistent trends showing that airlines price widebody flights higher than narrowbody flights.

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American Airlines

AA’s domestic widebodies are almost exclusively hub-to-hub.

You’ll find DFW-LAX and Miami-SFO flights using a 767-300ER.

LAX-Miami has a variety of 767-300ERs and 777-200s.

And passengers on Miami-Orlando get a nice, wide 767-300ER for the one-hour ride across the Everglades.

Delta Air Lines

Delta's 767's flying between LAX and JFK sport Business Elite seats up front. (Photo: Delta)

Delta’s 767’s flying between LAX and JFK sport Business Elite seats up front. (Photo: Delta)

(Note: Delta recently stopped allowing Routehappy to display its inventory on the site, which is too bad. But we’ve located a few here anyway…)

Delta is the sole remaining airline to fly 767 widebodies (76w) on its transcontinental flights between New York and LAX and upfront on that route you’ll find its Business Elite seats. There’s also a 767 between JFK and Detroit with Business Elite up front.

You’ll also find Delta 767s (with domestic first class) on flights between Atlanta and Las Vegas, LAX, Orlando, Portland, San Diego, Seattle, SFO, Salt Lake City and Tampa. Atlanta to LAX passengers can also hop on the ultra-long-haul 777-200LR, which positions to LA from its ATL home for the Sydney flight.

Related: American Airlines’ brand new A321 Transcon Trip Report

Hawaiian Airlines unusual front-of-the-plane setup has first and premium economy in the same cabin (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Hawaiian Airlines unusual front-of-the-plane setup on its A330s has first and premium economy in the same cabin (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Air flies both Airbus A330 and Boeing 767s between the mainland and Hawaii– a standout as several carriers are now sending their single aisle planes down to the islands. Hawaiian’s A330s offer domestic style recliners in first class, as well as premium economy (“Extra Comfort”) seating in the fore cabin of the plane. Note: Hawaiian has single aisle Airbus A321s on order that will eventually replace some widebodies from the west coast.

United Airlines

United is the only airline to fly the Boeing 787 Dreamliner within the USA. You’ll frequently find those on flights between Houston and Denver, LAX, and SFO. (The Houston-LAX flights will even get the brand new stretched 787-9 Dreamliner!)

United 767-300ERs jet between Houston and Washington Dulles, Newark and Chicago O’Hare. You can also find them between Newark and Dulles or SFO.

Serendipity intervened last week when TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis went out to SFO last week expecting to board a United 757 for the four-hour flight to Houston, but ended up in a internationally configured 767 with an upgrade to Business First. 🙂

US Airways

Before US Airways and its rather elderly 767-200 planes disappear — it’s the only US carrier still using the stubby little widebodies — you can find them between Charlotte and Orlando or Philadelphia, and on Orlando-Philadelphia, but less frequently than the other airlines.

What’s your favorite domestic widebody flight? Which ones did we miss in our quick round up? Please leave your comments below!

–John Walton & Chris McGinnis

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British Airways to spruce up its 747s

A British Airways 747 prepares for takeoff at San Francisco International (Photo: Angelo Angelo - Flickr)

A British Airways 747 prepares for takeoff at San Francisco International (Photo: Angelo Angelo – Flickr)

Good news for passengers used to flying British Airways’ Boeing 747 jets from San Francisco, New York and elsewhere. BA is helping the “Queen of the Skies” age gracefully with plans to outfit eighteen 747-400s with new entertainment throughout, and upgrade seats in the economy and premium economy cabins.

BA admits these “much-loved” planes, which “have a special place in the heart of many of our customers” need sprucing up to compare favorably with the draw of younger birds, such as its big new A380s, 787 Dreamliners, or its shiny new 777s like the ones recently put into service on the Atlanta-Heathrow run.

The big news for passengers, especially those whose travel budgets don’t stretch to the airline’s business class cabin, is an upgrade to the entertainment and power systems on board. BA’s “next-generation” entertainment system will offer  twice as much content and a brand new tablet-style interface. BA’s introduced its unusual forward-and-rear-facing business class seats in 2000, but the current version dates to 2006.

Most of BA’s 747s have seen refurbs of the first class section in recent years, and the airline isn’t currently selling the “old” First cabin as First Class. Instead, lucky high-status business class flyers will get to sit in what used to be first class, though they’ll see the business class service. British Airways confirmed to TravelSkills that the very small number of 747s that still carry the “old” first cabin will be withdrawn from service next year.

Related: British Airways adds a new A380 in the US

British Airway's inflight entertainment getting an upgrade in coach (Photo: John Walton)

British Airway’s inflight entertainment getting an upgrade in coach (Photo: John Walton)

British Airways has been concentrating on its inflight entertainment recently, with the addition of content from HBO and the Discovery Channel, with new programming like a “paws and relax” section for the pet lovers, or a video showing the relaxing monotony of the sights you’d see on a Norwegian train journey.

Also in the cards: a full universal (UK, US, EU, etc) power outlet in premium economy, and a USB socket in economy. That’s a big step up from the annoying (and aged) EmPower port in premium economy and a big fat nothing down the back.

As for the seats, unfortunately there’s no upgrade planned to bring the seats up to the standard set in BA’s newer A380 or 777-300ER planes — see here— although the airline will try to make them look similar.

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BA's premium economy seats (British Airways)

BA’s premium economy seats (British Airways)

They’ll still be the same seats, but “new seat foams will be installed in World Traveller and World Traveller Plus to increase customer comfort and new style seat covers fitted to improve appearance and match those on the A380 and 787,” BA says.

Related: Boeing 747s slowly disappearing from US

The refurb is going to take a while: British Airways says 18 refits won’t begin until August 2015, and will be completed a year later, in August 2016. Unfortunately, since the seats are a like-for-like refit, it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to tell if you’ll have a refurbished bird when booking.

The airline has nearly 50 747s still in use, though as more Airbus A380, Boeing 787 and particularly Airbus A350 aircraft reach the fleet the older planes (which date back as far as 1989) will be retired. According to Flightglobal, BA will speed up the retirement of older planes as larger 787-9 planes and the bigger A350s start arriving from 2017.

In the meantime, hope is not lost for a more modern experience on British Airways, which has finished taking delivery of a fleet of 12 Boeing 777-300ER planes with new seats and all the mod cons. These new planes started flying on BA’s Atlanta flights just this month. And of course, there’s BA’s new A380s from LAX, soon from Washington, Dulles, and from San Francisco next April.

-John Walton

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Trip Report: ANA’s 787 Dreamliner to Tokyo

ANA's gets its shiny new Boeing 787-9 (Photo: The Boeing Company)

ANA’s gets its shiny new Boeing 787-9 (Photo: The Boeing Company)

This week, Japan’s ANA (All Nippon Airways) announced that it will be the first airline to launch a new “stretch” version of the popular Boeing 787 Dreamliner on August 7.  The new 787-9 is “stretched” 20 feet longer than the original 787-8, allowing for up to 40 additional passengers. 

With this delivery, ANA will have 29 787s in its fleet, more than any other airline in the world. 

It's breathtaking to see the elegant bow of the 787's wing during flight. (Chris McGinnis)

It’s breathtaking to see the elegant bow of the 787’s wing during flight. See the Japanese sun symbol on the wing? (Chris McGinnis)

ANA inaugurated the Dreamliner flights between San Jose and Tokyo Narita in January 2013 , but put the service on hold shortly thereafter due to the plane’s well-publicized battery issues. Thankfully, the SJC-NRT nonstops resumed on June 1 last year. And since then, the 787 has been enjoying a honeymoon stage in the US and around the world as passengers praise its big tinted windows, giant overhead bins, smooth ride and more humid cabins. 

Among US carriers, only United currently flies the 787, but Boeing says that there are 160 Dreamliners now in operation around the world, and that sixty customers have ordered more than 1,000 of the fuel efficient, composite birds. The third iteration of the the Dreamliner, the 787-10, will be stretched another 10 feet and assembled in Charleston, SC. 

In case you haven’t had a chance to ride on one, here are some photo highlights of my ANA Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner flight between San Jose International and Tokyo-Narita last year.

(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Tinted windows (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

>The windows on the 787 really are bigger (by 20%)– it’s the first thing you notice when stepping on the plane. Instead pulling shades up and down, those in window seats can adjust the tint electronically– sort of like Transitions Lenses. The downside is that they never completely black out like you you get with a regular window shade.

>Lower pressure and higher humidity in the 787 cabin are detectable– for one thing, your eyes and lips don’t dry out as fast. I’m not sure how to describe the feeling other than to say that cabin air just felt softer. And I felt better when I got off the plane.

(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Gigantic workspace- enough room for your laptop and meal (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

>The plane exudes spaciousness with higher ceilings and a wider fuselage– there just feels like there is more space, even in economy class. The extra-large business class section (46 seats) seems to take up half the plane. And I’ve never seen a larger tray table in all my years of flying. (See above and below.)

Check out all the "spread out" space you get in the middle of the middle row (Chris McGinnis)

Check out all the “spread out” space you get in the middle of the middle row (Chris McGinnis)

>In ANA’s business class, the BEST seats are odd numbered window seats, and even numbered center seats– check out the photo above and you will see how a center seat on this plane is like sitting at the helm of Starship Enterprise. If you can put up with the commotion around the galleys and lavatories, bulkhead seats are the best of the best seats on the plane in terms of personal space. See Seatguru for the 787’s cabin layout.

The traditional Japanese dishes were a little fishy, but good! (Chris McGinnis)

The traditional Japanese dishes were a little fishy, but good! (Chris McGinnis)

Related: TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis recounts his unusual experience in Tokyo during the grounding of the Dreamliner in early 2013

I loved this homey and tasty snack of udon noodles in broth and topped with dried seaweed served mid-flight (Chris McGinnis)

I loved this homey and tasty snack of udon noodles in broth and topped with dried seaweed served mid-flight (Chris McGinnis)

>Inflight dining in business class blew me away– the food and drink menu is 24 pages long (!), well suited to both western and Japanese palates. (I went native and ordered off the Japanese menu…Oishii!)

Business class was full, but it sure did not feel that way (Chris McGinnis)

Business class was full, but it sure did not feel that way (Chris McGinnis)

Economy class on ANA's B787-8 (Chris McGinnis)

Economy class on ANA’s B787-8 is 2-4-2(Chris McGinnis)

>ANA’s 787-8 is relatively small plane: Only 158 passengers (46 business, 112 economy), which makes it the right size for smaller markets like San Jose-Tokyo. Compare that to a Boeing 747 which holds 350-400 passengers. End result? Boarding is fast and easy– it feels like a less crowded domestic flight.

Talk about true lie flat in business class! Looks like Kansas! No tilt or angle at all (Chris McGinnis)

Talk about true lie flat in business class! As flat as Kansas! No tilt or angle at all (Chris McGinnis)

Nice touches: Window in the lav, and the toilet seat is warm! (Chris McGinnis)

Nice touches: Window in the lav, and the toilet seat is warm! (Chris McGinnis)

>Finally, there’s a window in the lavatory– and the Toto toilet has a heated seat with sprayer–  see above.

>ANA’s roundtrip coach fares between SJC and NRT are about $1,500… Business class fares are in the $4,000 range,  pretty much the same as Tokyo fares out of SFO. ANA is a Star Alliance partner, which means opportunities for earning and burning Mileage Plus miles on these flights.

Thank you note from my sweet flight attendant (Chris McGinnis)

Thank you note from my sweet flight attendant who taught me that “Oishii” means “delicious!”  (Chris McGinnis)

>Memorable: Flight attendants write sweet thank you notes to passengers.

So whaddya think? Have you flown on a B787 with ANA or other airline? Please leave your comments below! 

–Chris McGinnis

Disclosure: ANA covered the cost of my trip to Tokyo.

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5 ways Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner still wows

The crew on my 787 Dreamliner flight from San Francisco to Chengdu (and back!). (Photo: Nancy Branka

The crew on my 787 Dreamliner flight from San Francisco to Chengdu–and back (Photo: Nancy Branka)

The shine has not come off Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner.

It’s been almost four years since ANA, the inaugural customer for the 787-8, took possession of the first aircraft and flew its first commercial flight from Tokyo to Hong Kong. Yet, while 150 or so Dreamliners are currently in service, the plane is used primarily on international routes. And United Airlines is the only U.S. carrier to own the aircraft, with just 10 in the fleet right now. That means the number of North American passengers who have experienced the 787 remains small. I had flown on the 787 twice, three years before, but when I boarded the Dreamliner for United’s inaugural 14-hour flight from San Francisco to Chengdu, China (CTU), it thrilled me.

Over time, as more and more 787s go into service, it will be just another aircraft. But in the meantime, here are five things still worth getting excited about on this pretty plane:

Humidity – One of the big benefits for passengers of the 787’s 50-percent-composite-material construction is that the cabin can be pressurized to allow higher humidity. That lovely humidity is what I heard most about from passengers and crew on my SFO-CTU-SFO 787 flights. In the moister air, nasal passages do not get that burning, dried-out feeling. Eyes feel less irritated. Another benefit of higher humidity: It may lessen your chances of getting sick because germs “stick” more in dry nasal areas. Some say the lower pressure and higher humidity may reduce jet lag, but that’s a hard one to measure and I didn’t speak with anyone who experienced a noticeable difference.

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The 787’s birdlike wings that bow up during flight capture the imagination. (Photo: United Airlines)

Wings – There’s absolutely no passenger comfort benefit to the wing design, but it’s what I love most about the aircraft. For aviation aficionados, it’s breathtaking to see the shape of the 787’s wings change as the plane takes off. Positively birdlike! In fact, during our return flight, two experienced aviation journalists and I took turns gaping at the window when the angle of lift was particularly striking. If you can, take a look out the window during turbulence and see how the wings respond. A search on YouTube yields lots of passenger videos, too, of the wing flex during turbulence and takeoff.

Related: TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis recounts his unusual experience in Tokyo during the grounding of the Dreamliner in early 2013

Spaciousness – The 787’s overhead bins sport a groundbreaking design. Strangely, overhead bins have become the battleground of the passenger experience. But these bins are exceptionally roomy, easily able to accommodate standard rollaboards. Even better is the fact that their deep curve and the way they fold into the ceiling create unusually spacious headroom in the aisle seat. Even if you’re not sitting in the aisle, the sense of roominess makes you feel like you have more headroom and even more legroom (that one’s an illusion). The fellow next to me, who was 6’3”, could easily stand in the aisle seat area. I have noticed similar design on other aircraft models as their cabins are refreshed.

Quiet – The Dreamliner is substantially quieter than its aircraft relatives, and it’s a noticeable difference. My seatmate, who was a frequent international flier, had never flown a 787 before and commented on that. Reduction in noise, besides all the environmental benefits, is a stress-reducer for passengers.

The size and lighting of the Dreamliner's windows add to the visual comfort of the flight. (Photo: Flickr/ChicagoKoz)

The size and lighting of the Dreamliner’s windows add to the visual comfort of the flight. (Photo: Flickr/ChicagoKoz)

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Mood – What a view! The windows on a 787 are the largest in civil aviation, bringing in more natural light and providing an unparalleled look at the heavens. During the flight, the color and tint of the windows changes, creating a soothing visual effect. Also unusual, Boeing has eschewed the window shade. Instead, a large button controls the light. However, when my seatmate wanted to nap and attempted to go “lights out,” we found it impossible to completely black out the window. Frustrating. I guess that’s what eye shades are for.

Bonus: Hands-free – I can’t resist mentioning this, because it does wow: In the lav, the toilet seat automatically closes and flushes, hands-free. Enough said.

Some say the 787 provides one of the best passenger experiences of any aircraft. What do you love about the Dreamliner? What not-so-much? Share your comments!

–-Nancy Branka 

Disclosure: Nancy was a guest of United Airlines on the SFO-Chengdu inaugural trip. 

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Boeing 747 flying away from SFO?

A United 747-400 enroute to Osaka (Photo: InSapphoWeTrust / Flickr)

A United 747-400 enroute to Osaka (Photo: InSapphoWeTrust / Flickr)

Do you love watching elegant Boeing 747s lumber over the Peninsula or the Bay as they approach SFO? Maybe you’ve been lucky enough to occasionally ride upstairs in “the bubble” in business class on the way to Asia or Europe?

Well, enjoy it while you can.  As more airlines worldwide opt to retire their 747s and replace them with 777s, SFO will see fewer of this iconic aircraft. The phasing out is already well underway…

Air China is the latest to delete the 747 from its SFO schedule. Last month it replaced the big bird with a 777 on the SFO-Beijing run. It now flies the 777 exclusively between China and the US.

Cathay Pacific has scheduled its last 747 flight between SFO and Hong Kong for August 31, to be replaced by three-class 777 service (economy, premium economy and business, but no first class).

Air New Zealand is scheduled to fly its last 747 from Auckland to SFO in September, having phased in the 777.

EVA Air's 747s flew away from SFO in 2012 (Photo: Danny Fritsche / Flickr)

EVA Air’s 747s flew away from SFO in 2012 (Photo: Danny Fritsche / Flickr)

EVA Air’s 747 flights flew away in November 2012. And of course, we lost QANTAS’ daily red tail 747 flight back in 2011 when the carrier moved the flight to Dallas Ft Worth.

United, whose SFO-based 747 fleet dominates other carriers’, is on a similar bandwagon. In 2012 the airline announced it would shift its 747 focus to SFO. However, after a year or so, it did an about-face and schedules show it replacing many Asia- and Australia-bound routes with other aircraft.

For example, a new 787 Dreamliner is coming to United’s SFO-Osaka run. On March 27 United will deploy newly refurbished three-cabin 777-200ERs on SFO-Sydney, replacing the 747s it currently uses. (Photos of 777-200 interiors here) The best news about having 777 on SFO-SYD is that coach passengers will soon have individual seatback screens for the 14-hour haul…something the 747 sorely lacked. For the time being, United will continue to fly 747s from SFO to: Beijing, Frankfurt (2x/day), Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul and Tokyo-Narita (2x/day).

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A couple of airlines are taking the opposite approach and going big. Lufthansa will fly the A380 from SFO beginning in April and plans to use it year-round…not just seasonally.

Previously the German carrier alternated between a 747 and A380 on the route.  And Air France will bring back the behemoth double-decker aircraft for seasonal service on SFO-Paris, April through October.

Business class up in the nose of a Boeing 747-400- coming to SFO this month! (Photo: KLM)

Business class up in the nose of a KLM Boeing 747-400- coming to SFO this month! (Photo: KLM)

But it’s not all bad news on the 747 front. KLM will replace its A330 and MD-11 jets on SFO-Amsterdam with a 747-400 later this month. The very best news is that the 747 will have KLM’s new lie-flat business class seat. A KLM spokesperson told TravelSkills that the 747 would remain on the route “until at least the end of the summer.”

By year’s end, it looks like SFO’s 747 flights will be limited to United, British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, Philippine Airlines and China Airlines.

The 777 is seen by airlines as being right-sized for Asia and west-bound markets from the Bay Area due to its combination of capacity, range and fuel efficiency. The 747 family seats 400-500 passengers, depending on airline configuration, while the 777 family’s capacity is in the 300-390 range. The 747, with its four engines, is a fuel hog, and airlines have found it’s more profitable to fly smaller aircraft like the twin-engine, fuel-efficient 777 more times per day if necessary, than a single mega-aircraft flight.

There are other factors to consider in the complex world of route/aircraft strategy, too. When a United route executive was asked why the company was not investing in the new 747-8 to update its 747 fleet, he noted (off the record) that the aircraft is so large that its resale market is limited. If the aircraft/route does not pan out, there is limited opportunity to unload the aircraft in the secondary market. (Likely the same reason United is not buying A380s.)

First class onboard on of Pan Am's first 747s (Photo: Tim Graham / Flickr)

First class onboard on of Pan Am’s first 747s (Photo: Tim Graham / Flickr)

Boeing’s 747 “Jumbo Jet” made history at its inception in 1970: it was the world’s first widebody aircraft. The manufacturer allowed Pan Am, its inaugural customer, to have significant input in the aircraft design, and the plane’s commercial debut was a Pan Am flight from New York to London Heathrow on January 22, 1970. Since then its distinctive design and upper deck have captured the imagination of passengers. Will Bay Area travelers lose access to this iconic aircraft? Only time will tell.

Does the 747 hold a special memory for you or a preferred experience? Please leave your comments below.

–Nancy Branka

BAT contributor Nancy Branka

BAT contributor Nancy Branka

We are pleased to welcome Nancy Branka as a contributor to TravelSkills! She’s covered the business travel beat for years as managing editor of Executive Travel magazine and is now turning her talents toward helping keep TravelSkills Readers informed.  Nancy lives in the East Bay and primarily flies out of Oakland International– we’ll rely on her to expand our coverage on that side of the Bay! Today she’s jetting across the country on American Airlines’ brand new A321T and will provide a report on her trip next week. –– Chris

 

 

 

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A look inside Singapore Airlines newest jet (SLIDESHOW)

First look at a brand new B777-300ER at Boeing's slick new delivery center (Chris McGinnis)

First look at a brand new B777-300ER at Boeing’s slick new delivery center (Chris McGinnis)

Last week Singapore Airlines (SIA) invited TravelSkills up to Seattle to a look inside its new Boeing 777-300ER as it rolled off the assembly line. In the airline industry, this is known as a “delivery.” And when an airline spends $200-$300 million on a new plane, Boeing makes sure that the delivery is a big deal. As a matter of fact, Boeing just opened a brand new, multi-million-dollar, 180,000 square foot “delivery center” for the sole purpose of showing off its jumbo birds at the moment the keys are turned over to its airline customers.

The Boeing name plate inside the front door of a brand new 777-300-ER (Chris McGinnis)

The Boeing name plate inside the front door of a brand new 777-300-ER (Chris McGinnis)

Singapore Airlines flew us up to see the first of eight new Boeing 777-300ERs that are outfitted with its new interiors– everything from seats, lights, lavs, seatback video screens, fabric and trim is “new generation.” Seeing this plane was especially exciting to me because SFO is one of just two cities in the US served by Singapore’s fleet of 777s– the other being Houston. (Its other US gateways are served by A380s.) That means it’s likely that SFO will be the first airport in the US to see this posh new plane in service.

Alas, the beautiful bird I saw was bound for Singapore, and later this month deployed on the lucrative Singapore-London route. And although Singapore officials were coy about my direct questions regarding exactly when SFO will see a next-generation B777-300ER, my hopes are high that it will be sooner than later. Currently, Singapore has eight of the new planes on order, so we’ll see!

On Singapore Air’s B777-300ER there are eight first class seats, 42 business class seats, 228 economy seats, and 8 cozy sleeping berths in the crew rest area (see the slideshow for a peek at this hidden cabin!).

For a full look at this big bird, see the slideshow! 

Singapore Air's new first class seat in chocolate brown leather trimmed in bright pumpkin orange (Chris McGinnis)

Singapore Air’s new first class seat in chocolate brown leather trimmed in bright pumpkin orange (Chris McGinnis)

Highlights of new first class:

When folded down into a bed, the new seat is a lengthy 82 inches long.

The new seat (designed by BMW Group/DesignworksUSA) is tricked out a sexy chocolate brown leather with a classy diamond-patterned stitching, which is brightened by pops of bright pumpkin orange in the trim, pillows, and inside the multiple cubbyholes used for storage of person items. I loved that!

Inflight entertainment screens seem impossibly large at 24 inches across. In first as well as other cabins, a new notification system is used to communicate flight info to passengers, reducing the need for intrusive onboard announcements.

For a full look at the seat, see the slideshow! 

BAT editor Chris McGinnis testing out Singapore's new business class seat

BAT editor Chris McGinnis testing out Singapore’s new business class seat

Business class:

When folded down into a flat bed, the new seat is 78 inches long and 35 inches wide.

Inflight entertainment LCD screens are huge at 18″ across. A new feature on Singapore’s KrisWorld system is the ability to rate the movies you are watching, and see how other SIA passengers have rated them.

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

Key for long haul flights is the abundance of personal storage space in various areas in the seat area.

For a full look at the seat, see the slideshow! 

Economy class seats have 11.1 inch LCD screens (Chris McGinnis)

Economy class seats have 11.1 inch LCD screens (Chris McGinnis)

Economy class:

The pitch in economy class is the standard 32″. (No premium economy seats.) Seats are made in cool fabric with adjustable leather headrests.

New seatback video screens  are giant a 11.1 inches across, plus they are touch screens for easier entertainment selection and viewing. Economy class passengers have access to over 1,000 on demand entertainment options– the same choices found in business and first class. Nice!

Each economy seat has a thoughtful makeup mirror built into the tray table, and special nooks in the mesh seatback pocket for smartphones, tablets and water bottles.

For a full look at the seat, see the slideshow! 

While this new 777 was built for Singapore Airlines, it’s important to see because so many other major airlines take their design and comfort queues from SIA. So eventually what you see here is what you might see on other carriers in years to come…

I NEED YOUR FEEDBACK: Do you like the Google+ slideshows I have been posting recently? Is this a good way for me to deliver photos to you? Or would you rather have a standard embedded slideshow? Please let me know which one you prefer!

—Chris McGinnis


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More 787 Dreamliners flock to Bay Area + Loss of LAN

Norwegian will fly a brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner between Oakland, Oslo and Stockholm next year.

Norwegian will fly a brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner between Oakland, Oslo and Stockholm next year.

The Bay Area has several Boeing 787 Dreamliners headed our way in coming months.

Today, Norwegian Air Shuttle, the Scandinavian low-fare juggernaut, announced that it would add nonstop Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights to Oakland from both Oslo and Stockholm starting next May.

Premium Economy seats on Norwegian

Premium Economy seats on Norwegian

Nonstops between Oakland and Oslo will run three times per week (Mon,Wed, Fri); Oakland-Stockholm flights will run two times per week (Tues, Sat).

Norwegian, the third largest low-fare carrier in Europe says that it can offer fares as low as $236 each way (all in) due to the lower operation costs of the new 787, eight of which it has on order from Boeing.

However, upon checking briefly for Oakland-Oslo flights in May 2014 at www.norwegian.com/us, I could only find the $236 economy fare for the Oakland-Oslo portion. The cheapest fare for the Oslo-Oakland run is $357.50, for a total of $600.50. Not bad, but not $236 each way as promoted in Norwegian’s press materials.

Economy class seating on Norwegian

Economy class seating on Norwegian

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Fares for summer travel (2014) are in the $1000 roundtrip range. Premium economy fares are around $975 each way, or about $2000 round trip.

On Norwegian’s new Dreamliner, premium economy (38 seats) is configured 2-3-2 with larger cradle style seats that recline, but do not go completely flat. All leather coach seats (259) are laid out 3-3-3, with individual seatback video, and touchscreen snack ordering, similar to what we’ve seen on Virgin America.

According to Seatguru, Norwegian’s premium economy seats are 19 inches wide with 46 inches of pitch. Economy class seats are narrow, at 17.2 inches with the standard 31-32 inches of pitch.

Features of the 787: The Boeing 787 Dreamliner has much larger electrochromatic windows that dim like sunglasses if there’s a glare… they can also be electronically blacked out if you want to sleep. There’s mod LED lighting. It also has larger overhead bins. Because of the Boeing’s use of composite materials, cabin pressure can be set at about 6000 feet– most other aircraft are only able to set cabin pressure at about 8000 feet– Boeing says that on those long hauls, the pressure difference along with better ventilation will help reduce passenger discomfort and jet lag.

More 787’s in the wings…

Japan Airlines 787 now touching down at SFO

Over Labor Day weekend, Japan Airlines launched new 787 flights between SFO and Tokyo’s close in and convenient Haneda Airport, located just 30 minutes south of the center of town. Narita is located 90 minutes to the east.

As you know from previous BAT posts, ANA has a 787 flying between San Jose and Tokyo-Narita.

Starting next April, United will fly a 787 between SFO and Osaka-Kansai.

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Have you flown on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner yet? What did you think? Please leave your comments below. 

LAN inaugural Boeing 767 gets a water cannon salute at SFO in 2010

Adios! LAN inaugural Boeing 767 gets a water cannon salute at SFO in 2010

LAN CANS SFO FLIGHTS. After a four-year run, LAN will suspend its nonstop Boeing 767 SFO-Lima flight on April 1, 2014. That’s too bad because the LAN flight was SFO’s only nonstop to South America. SF-based travelers hoping to stick with LAN can now connect with its flights from LAX. But I imagine most of us here in the Bay Area will likely fly United through Houston when headed to South America. Have you flown LAN to Lima or beyond? How was it? How do you get to South America? Please leave your comments below.

—Chris McGinnis

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United shifting some 747s away from SFO

United 747-400s departing Sydney's Kingsford-Smith airport (Aero Icarus)

United 747-400s departing Sydney’s Kingsford-Smith airport (Aero Icarus)

United could be watering down its strategy of making SFO its Boeing 747 hub, based on summer 2014 schedules released earlier this month.

For example, starting April 1, 2014, United will switch out its aging 747-400s on the SFO to Sydney and Melbourne flight and deploy newly refurbished, three-cabin 777-200ER’s on the route. It’s also taking the 747 off the SFO-London Heathrow route and will use only 777s. And it’s replacing the 747 on the SFO-Osaka route with SFO’s first scheduled United 787 Dreamliner.

Economy class on United's refurbished 777 configured 3-3-3 (Chris McGinnis)

New economy class Recaro seats on United’s refurbished 777 configured 3-3-3 (Chris McGinnis)

AUSTRALIA: The switcheroo on the Australia flights is good news for economy class passengers who suffer through the 14-hour odyssey to Oz at the back of the plane on United’ old 747’s from both SFO and LAX. The newly refurbished 777’s are more comfortable at the back with a 3-3-3 configuration (vs the 747’s 3-4-3), and individual seatback video screens. United says that the 777s will offer its new satellite-based wi-fi and in-seat power outlets, too.  (See this BAT post for a slideshow of the refurb and updated 777 interiors.)

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For those flying in business and first class, the switchover will not be as dramatic– the flatbed seating on the 777 is similar to the 747.  But it will be sad lose those nice biz class seats upstairs in the bubble of the 747. That’s one nice ride up there, especially for long overnight flights.

Which aircraft would you prefer for the long flight down under… the 777 or the 747? Why? Please leave your comments below…

Upstairs in biz class on United's 747 (Transworld Productions)

Upstairs in biz class on United’s 747 (Transworld Productions)

The move represents a significant reduction in capacity on the route—those big ole 747s hold 374 passengers, while the 777s only carry 269, with eight in first class, 40 in business, 117 in Economy Plus and 104 in economy.

With Qantas gone, and United reducing capacity, brace for some painful price hikes for nonstops from SFO to Sydney and Melbourne. Currently, roundtrip economy fares on SFO-SYD are in the $1,500 range, business class is running close to $9,000 and first is around $17,000. Fares typically run cheaper if you are willing to stop in LAX on the way down.

Where are those 747’s going to go? Well, some are going back to Chicago, where United will run the big birds nonstop from O’Hare to Frankfurt, Shanghai, Tokyo-Narita starting next spring. United will also deploy two 747s per day on the SFO-Tokyo (Narita) run. (H/T to Routes Online)

What does this mean for United’s recently announced strategy to make SFO its 747 hub? That seems a little murky at the moment. When TravelSkills asked, a spokesperson would only say: “Most of our 747 flights will continue to operate to and from SFO,” but would not comment on whether these moves represent a shift away from the 747 hub strategy.

Which aircraft would you prefer for the long flight down under… the 777 or the 747? Why? Please leave your comments below…

—Chris McGinnis

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787 issues affecting United SFO flight plans

United's Boeing 787 Dreamliner (Photo: United Airlines)

United’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner (Photo: United Airlines)

The ongoing technical issues and grounding of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner are having multiple repercussions for TravelSkills Readers (BATs).

In addition to the cancellation of ANA’s flights between San Jose and Tokyo (currently through at least May 31), United is having to alter its plans to add new transoceanic nonstops from San Francisco International (SFO) this spring due to the grounding of its six 787s.

Last year, United announced that it would add new nonstop flights between SFO and both Paris and Taipei this spring. Initially, its Boeing 777-200ER nonstops to Taipei were to have started on April 9. Nonstops to Paris (using a 767-300ER) were to have started April 11.

Since the aircraft United was planning to use on those routes are being used to plug holes in its flight schedule due to the 787 grounding, those dates have been pushed back to April 26 for Paris, and June 6 for Taipei.

In a statement to TravelSkills, United said, “While the grounding of Boeing 787 aircraft worldwide is delaying the launch of United’s service from San Francisco to Paris and Taipei as we reallocate aircraft, we remain committed to that service and believe they will both be successful when they launch on April 26 and June 6, respectively. We will work to offer alternate flight options to ticketed customers.”

Currently, the period to take advantage of United’s 50%-100% Mileage Plus bonus offers on these new flights reflects the original start dates…United has not yet made any changes to effective dates on the promotional pages, but told TravelSkills:  “We will be adjusting the promotions and will accommodate those that have already registered accordingly.” Keep an eye on that here:  Paris bonus page.   Taipei bonus page.

We also asked United if the start dates for this service could be pushed back again if the 787 is still not flying by late April or May– so far, no response.

Have you been inconvenienced by the grounding of the 787 yet? Please leave your experiences or comments below!

–Chris McGinnis

 

 


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Boeing’s 787 grounded: My report from Tokyo

The view from the 47th floor of the Park Hyatt Tokyo (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The view from the 47th floor of the Park Hyatt Tokyo (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

(TOKYO, JAPAN) Here I sit at the Park Hyatt, Tokyo (the Lost in Translation hotel) watching the morning sun hit Mt Fuji, and watching the headlines and emails about the FAA’s grounding of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner spew forth from my laptop.

As you may know from previous posts, I flew to Tokyo last Saturday aboard one of the first Dreamliner flights to depart San Jose International airport. While there were operational issues with the aircraft at that time,  passengers I spoke with felt confident about flying the brand new 158-passenger bird across the Pacific. Our 10-hour flight to Tokyo was delightful and without incident.

I was traveling with a group of travel media, and during our interviews with ANA executives on Tuesday, we were assured that these were “teething issues” that fell within the band of normalcy for any new aircraft. They were still very excited about the aircraft with plans to buy several more.

While new at San Jose, ANA has been flying the 787 for a year and a half, with rave reviews from passengers, pilots and the media in general. We had heard US Transportation secretary Ray LaHood state a few days earlier that he’d feel confident flying on a 787.

Then, on Wednesday morning here in Tokyo, we heard that a Dreamliner had made an emergency landing at an airport in western Japan, and that all passengers had been evacuated. Apparently, an indicator light told pilots that there was a battery issue, and that there was an unusual odor in the cockpit. After that incident, ANA immediately grounded its fleet of 17 Dreamliners and launched an investigation into the cause. At that time in the US, the FAA said that it was looking into the incident.

Inspecting ANA's maintenance hangar at Haneda Airport on the day before the 787 was grounded. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Inspecting ANA’s maintenance hangar at Haneda Airport on the day before the 787 was grounded. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Half of our media group had reservations to fly out of Tokyo bound for San Jose on the 787 on Wednesday afternoon. However, thanks to the slower winter travel season and quick action on the part of ANA staff, there was enough room on Wednesday’s ANA flight to San Francisco to accommodate the group and they all got home safely. I was glad I had already booked my return trip to SFO on an ANA Boeing 777 (instead of the 787 into SJC) for later this week.

Last night, I pondered what all this meant as I sat having a meal in the Park Hyatt’s New York Grill & Bar, thinking about Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson in Lost in Translation drinking Suntory whiskey, listening to a “Sausalito”-like chanteuse croon while the Tokyo skyline twinkled 52 stories below.

I had a great night’s sleep (almost no jet lag on this trip…maybe due to the 787’s new cabin pressurization … or the Park Hyatt’s comfy beds?) and awoke to another bombshell: The US Federal Aviation Administration had grounded the 787 until it could determine the cause of the incident.

With sketchy information and investigations underway, it’s too early to conclude that the aircraft is fundamentally flawed. But the recent rash of incidents and media hype around them are certain to cause concern…

Here’s a list of what is swirling around in my head about this now. Conclusions will come later….

>First, I’m grateful to be safe and sound in a nice hotel in Tokyo, and not stuck at an airport due to a flight cancellation. I’m glad to have the chance to ride on the 787… and equally glad I have a reservation to get back to San Francisco an ANA 777.

>It’s tough to speculate on what this means for ANA’s new 787 flights between Tokyo and San Jose. The 158-passenger Dreamliner is perfect for a “long, thin” route like Tokyo-San Jose. I think it’s unlikely that ANA will substitute another aircraft on the route—such as a Boeing 777 or 767 because they are simply too big—there is not enough demand in the South Bay to keep a 200-300 seat aircraft full. (American Airlines used to have a 777 on the route, but discontinued the flight in 2006.) So if the grounding of the 787 is short term, the outlook for the route should be okay… is it’s a long-term affair, the future of the route is cloudy.

>ANA is handling cancellations on a day-to-day basis– for example, I’ve just learned that Friday’s flight between Tokyo and San Jose has been canceled, but no decision has been made for Saturday’s flight. On ANA alone, Dreamliner cancellations affect the plans of 4,800 passengers per day, according to a spokesperson.

>The impact of the controversy is likely felt most acutely here in Japan– ANA has a fleet of 17 Dreamliners, most of which are used for domestic flying, so re-accommodating passengers is causing some pain. Japan Airlines has grounded seven 787s. In addition, the lithium ion batteries in question are made in Japan. It’s difficult to watch all this come down on the gentle, polite Japanese who feel deeply embarrassed and apologetic about the whole affair.

>The current FAA grounding will affect flights on United’s 6 Dreamliners, however, none of them now fly into the Bay Area, so the local impact is minimal. United is the only US carrier now operating the plane.

>For perspective, I think it’s important to look at a similar incident regarding the giant Airbus A380 last year. If you recall, serious structural and mechanical issues (cracks in wings and an engine fire) forced Australian authorities to ground the plane until remedies were in place. The grounding was temporary, and the A380 was quickly back in the skies. Hopefully, engineers will be able to find a similar fix for the Dreamliner’s lithium-ion batteries, which seem to be the cause of the jet’s most severe problems at the moment.

>Even if the 787 gets back in the skies quickly, some business travelers will likely book away from 787 flights out of fear that future groundings or reliability issues could foul their travel plans.

>Regarding how the airlines might get this fixed, Hudson Crossing aviation analyst Henry Harteveldt told TravelSkills: “It’s possible the correction may be a multi-step process — a short-term ‘tactical’ fix followed by more in-depth corrections, which may be more complex. Short-term, we may see the FAA recommend airlines limit the types of routes where they operate the 787 — for example, flights that last no longer than a certain number of hours, flights that operate only over land (or close to it), or both. Longer term, the FAA may recommend adding a fire suppression system to the battery bays, replacing the lithium-ion batteries, or something else.”

>The big question remains: Is this plane truly safe to fly? At this point, no one really knows. It’s going to be interesting to watch this pan out.

I’m firmly in the “wait and see” category when it comes to the idea of booking flights on the 787 in the near future. What about you? How do you feel about the 787? Do you trust the airlines, manufacturers and government regulators to keep you safe? Please leave your comments below.

–Chris McGinnis


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Inflight: ANA’s Boeing 787 from San Jose to Tokyo [PHOTOS]

[pb_slideshow group=”2″] SLIDESHOW TEMPORARILY DISABLED. SORRY!

(Tokyo, Japan) Wow. I’ve just flown across the Pacific on the world’s most advanced commercial jet– the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. It is the  only 787 currently flying out of the Bay Area (United’s 787 to Houston was only temporary), and the only transoceanic flight out of San Jose International Airport. And despite the recent concerns about the 787, I felt completely safe on this plane, as did all other passengers I spoke with.

Now I’m sitting in a Tokyo hotel loading up some great slideshow photos of the trip and recounting the flight. Some thoughts:

>I live in San Francisco, so I imagined that the 45-60 minute drive (depending on traffic) down to San Jose would be a pain– however, the quick and easy check-in, security and boarding process at SJC made up for time I felt I’d lost on the trip down.

>The windows on the 787 really are bigger (by 20%)– it’s the first thing you notice when stepping on the plane. Instead pulling shades up and down, window seaters can adjust the tint electronically– sort of like Transitions Lenses.

>Lower pressure and higher humidity in the 787 cabin are detectable– for one thing, your eyes and lips don’t dry out as fast. I’m not sure how to describe the feeling other than to say that cabin air just felt softer. And I felt better when I got off the plane.

>I felt slightly more vibration from the engines on this flight, likely due to the plane’s composite structure. Also, seat cushions seemed harder than average.

>The plane exudes spaciousness with higher ceilings and a wider fuselage– there just feels like there is more space, even in economy class. The extra-large business class section (46 seats) seems to take up half the plane.

>Seatback inflight entertainment screens are big– 17 inches in business, 11 inches in economy. Both classes have 160 channels to choose from.

>In business class, the BEST seats are odd numbered window seats, and even numbered center seats– check out the slideshow and you will see how a center seat on this plane is like sitting at the helm of Starship Enterprise. If you can put up with the commotion around the galleys and lavatories, bulkhead seats are the best of the best seats on the plane in terms of personal space.

>Inflight dining in business class blew me away– the food and drink menu is 24 pages long (!), well suited to both western and Japanese palates. (I went native and ordered off the Japanese menu…See the slideshow above to learn which was my favorite dish. Oishii!)

>The Dreamliner is relatively small plane: Only 158 passengers (46 business, 112 economy), which makes it the right size for smaller markets like San Jose. Compare that to a Boeing 747 which holds 350-400 passengers. End result? Boarding is fast and easy– it feels like a less crowded domestic flight.

>ANA’s roundtrip coach fares between SJC and NRT are about $1,500… Business class fares are in the $4,000 range,  pretty much the same as Tokyo fares out of SFO. ANA is a Star Alliance partner, which means opportunities for earning and burning Mileage Plus miles on these flights.

>Finally, there’s a window in the lavatory– and the Toto toilet has a heated seat with sprayer–  you’ve got to flip through the slideshow above to see it!

So whaddya think? Would you be willing to drive down to San Jose to give ANA’s 787 a try? If you live in the South Bay, will you be able to break out of your habit of driving to SFO to fly to Asia? Would you consider flying ANA to points beyond Tokyo? Please leave your comments below! 

Disclosure: ANA covered the cost of my trip to Tokyo.

 


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ANA’s B-787 Dreamliner at San Jose Airport [PHOTOS]

A water cannon salute for the arrival of ANA’s first flight from Tokyo (Photo: San Jose Int’l Airport)

ANA’s B787 Dreamliner unloading at San Jose International Airport. (Photo: San Jose Int’l Airport)

ANA’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner prepares for takeoff as media look on. (Photo: San Jose Int’l Airport)

Sayonara to ANA’s first departure from San Jose at 11:45 am. Plane arrives Tokyo tomorrow at 4:10 pm. (Photo: San Jose International Airport)

Here’s the press release from San Jose Airport about the arrival of ANA’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner today.

I’ll soon be on this big bird across the Pacific, and then return on an ANA Boeing 777  into SFO…and I’ll compare the ride. Which one do you think I’ll prefer??

 


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More United 747’s coming to SFO

A United 747 (Photo: United Airlines)

Starting in April of 2013, United plans to turn its San Francisco International Airport base into a 747 hub of sorts.

In an internal memo obtained by TravelSkills, United tells employees it’s doing this to concentrate all the 747 parts, tools and spares at one hub, resulting in a more reliable 747 fleet. Maintenance for United’s internationally configured 767s and 777s will be consolidated at Chicago, O’Hare.

This means in addition to current 747 flights from SFO to places like Sydney, Hong Kong or Tokyo, it will soon be all-747s-all-the-time between SFO and Frankfurt, Heathrow, Osaka and Taipei (starting in Oct). United’s new flights to Paris, which begin April 11, will use a B767.

It also means using 747’s on its Honolulu-Tokyo NRT flight. The 747s on the LAX-Sydney route will remain in place.

While some fliers may consider the 747 the “Queen of the Skies,” many airlines have begun to dump the plane recently in favor of the more fuel efficient Boeing 777 and 787. For example, Singapore Airlines, which at one time operated more 747’s (37) than any other airline, retired the big bird last Spring.

Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Korean Air and Malaysian have already or will soon phase the 747 out of their fleets. British Airways is now the largest 747 operator, with 55 in its fleet. Among US carriers, only United and Delta operate the 747. Delta recently did a nice job re-doing interiors (business and coach) on its fleet of 16 747’s.

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At an average age of 17 years, United’s 747 fleet is getting a little long in the tooth. For business and first class passengers, seats have been upgraded to true lie-flat seats — and it does not get much better than a nice lie-flat seat upstairs on a 747 (see photo above).

But the situation is a bit different at the back of the plane– Unlike its revamped 777s and 767s, there is no seatback entertainment in economy or premium economy classes on United’s 747s. Even United CEO Jeff Smisek has said that economy class on United’s 747s is “unacceptable.”

Brett Snyder, who runs the Cranky Concierge service told TravelSkills: “The good news is that having the 747 operation focused on SFO where maintenance is will help improve reliability.  The 747 fleet isn’t exactly the best operational performer for United, and I assume that’s why they’re making this change.  The bad news is that coach still sucks.  They still have overhead video screens back there and the 3-4-3 configuration isn’t going to be a favorite for many.  They say they are putting in some wireless streaming video that people can use on their own devices, but good luck finding a device with a battery that will last all the way to Hong Kong.”

What do YOU think about United’s fleet of 747s? Is a 747 base at SFO a good thing…or not? What’s your preferred bird for transoceanic flights? Why? Please leave your comments below.

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SFO gets United Boeing 787 Dreamliner after all

United’s new baby: The Boeing 787 Dreamliner is coming to SFO! (Photo: United Airlines)

United will deploy its shiny new Boeing 787 Dreamliners on get-acquainted runs between domestic hubs and Houston for two months this fall, including one route to/from San Francisco International. Eventually, the planes will fly off on previously announced international routes. But in November and December, they’ll be making calls here at SFO.

From November 4 through December 2, a United Dreamliner will depart SFO at 12:15 am, arriving Houston at a painful 5:41 am five times per week. The return flight from Houston will depart at 5:45 pm, arriving SFO around 8 pm. From December 3 through January 3, the flights will be daily.

Yes, you read that correctly, United is positioning its shiniest, newest plane on a red-eye flight from SFO to Houston. Yuck. The upside is that there will be plenty of room in business class to lie flat and sleep (if you get upgraded to one of the 36 true lie flat seats). But if you are sitting in the back, looking out of those 30% larger windows, all you will see is the black of night. The same goes for the return flight from Houston… at that time of year, the sun has set by 5:45 pm.

A United spokesperson did not have a ready answer when I asked about this owly-bird scheduling for SFO flights. Dreamliner debut flights between Houston and Los Angeles (LAX), Chicago (ORD), Cleveland, Denver and Dulles are all during daylight hours, so it seems odd that SFO’s are all at night. Too bad. (United’s release does say that scheduling is subject to change, so maybe we’ll get lucky…)

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Nonetheless, the allure of the new 787 is definitely going to draw interest among die-hard aviation geeks. However, flying between SFO and Houston is not cheap– mid November round trip fares are currently running about $480. For those interested in booking a seat on the new bird, these 787 flights will go on display on United.com starting September 1.

United has 50 Dreamliners on order– it will get five of them by the end of this year.

Below is an interesting infographic about United’s new bird.  Will you go out of your way to fly on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner? Please leave your comments below. 

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United reveals routes for new Boeing 787 Dreamliner

You’ll be able to spot United’s new 787 by the serrated edge of its jet engines. (Photo: United Airlines)

But unfortunately, none of the new routes are to or from United’s big hub at San Francisco International.

Here’s the statement from United about where it’s positioning its shiny new bird:

United Airlines today announced the first international routes for the airline’s newest addition to its fleet, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. In addition to the previously-announced service from its Denver hub to Tokyo Narita, starting March 31, 2013, the airline will operate nonstop 787 service five days a week between its Houston hub and Lagos, Nigeria, beginning Jan. 7, 2013. United will also operate daily, nonstop 787 service between its Los Angeles hub and its Narita hub, beginning Jan. 3, 2013, and Los Angeles to Shanghai, beginning March 30, 2013.United will also operate daily, nonstop 787 service from its Houston hub to Amsterdam and London Heathrow on a temporary basis. Houston to Amsterdam service begins Dec. 4, 2012, and Houston to London Heathrow service begins Feb. 4, 2013.

Gosh, why do B.A.T.s (Bat Area Travelers) feel so left out? As it stands right now, SFO is not scheduled to get Dreamliner service from ANY airline as of today. As I reported here earlier this week, ANA has announced that it will bring the Boeing 787 Dreamliner to the Bay Area when it introduces new flights between San Jose and Tokyo Narita in January 2013.

When TravelSkills called United and asked, “Hey, what about SFO?” spokesperson Mary Ryan said, “Please keep in mind that today’s route announcement is only the first of several routes that will ultimately be flown using the 787. We also have yet to announce 787 domestic service…With 50 787s on order, United customers around the world can expect to see the aircraft on both existing and new long-haul routes in the future.”

Business class onboard United’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliner– note the “dimmer switch” under the window? (Photo: United Airlines)

Of course, most frequent travelers from the Bay Area would love to give the new bird a try. It’s got much larger electrochromatic windows that dim like sunglasses if there’s a glare… they can also be electronically blacked out if you want to sleep. There’s mod LED lighting. It also has larger overhead bins. Because of the Boeing’s use of composite materials, cabin pressure can be set at about 6000 feet– most other aircraft are only able to set cabin pressure at about 8000 feet– Boeing says that on those long hauls, the pressure difference along with better ventilation will help reduce passenger discomfort and jet lag. However, after an overnight 787 flight in Asia a Wall Street Journal reporter wrote that the ride was “a modest improvement, not dramatic difference.”

In terms of size, the Boeing 787 is about the size of a Boeing 767…the plane only holds 219 passengers and is configured with 36 seats in BusinessFirst, 72 seats in Economy Plus and 111 seats in Economy. By comparison, United’s internationally configured Boeing 777 holds about 250 passengers. A big Boeing 747 holds 374.

For a detailed view of United’s rollout of its new B787 earlier this month, check out this slideshow from USA Today. 

What’s your favorite long haul aircraft? Why? Would you fly a United Boeing 787 Dreamliner from SFO? Please leave your comments below.