TravelSkills

News and Tips For Your Trips

Routes: Hong Kong Airlines to LAX + Delta, Cathay Pacific, United, LATAM & more

Business class on a Hong Kong Airlines A350-900. (Image: Hong Kong Airlines)

In international route developments, there’s a new entrant in the U.S.-Hong Kong market; Delta will put a new aircraft on a China route and will beef up transpaciifc code-sharing; Cathay Pacific will add another U.S. gateway next year; United is eliminating first class on many routes and cuts back China service; a Lufthansa affiliate is adding a new business class; LATAM is coming to Las Vegas; San Jose gets more service to Mexico; Copa begins Denver service; an Italian airline plans new U.S. routes; Alaska ends its relationship with two European partners; and Norwegian revamps its U.S. schedules next summer, adding frequencies from the West Coast.

Hong Kong Airlines, a Hong Kong-based sister company of China’s Hainan Airlines, this week started service to the U.S. for the first time. The carrier is using a new Airbus A350-900 on the Los Angeles-Hong Kong route, configured with 33 lie-flat business class seats, 109 premium economy seats with 34-inch pitch, and 193 regular economy seats with 31-32 inch pitch. The new LAX-Hong Kong flights operate four times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday), with a 10:45 a.m. departure from LAX. Hong Kong Airlines plans to add San Francisco service in late March, and New York flights later next year.

So far, all of Delta’s Airbus A350-900s have been scheduled for routes out of Detroit or Atlanta, but now the airline is planning to operate one of the new planes out of Los Angeles. According to Routesonline.com, Delta plans to start flying the new plane from LAX to Shanghai Pudong on July 2, alternating days with a 777-200LR until July 18, when the A350 will go onto a daily schedule. Delta’s A350s – which feature the airline’s new Delta One suites and new international premium economy section – are already used on flights from Detroit to Tokyo Narita and Seoul Incheon, and are slated to start Detroit-Beijing service January 17; Detroit-Amsterdam and Atlanta-Seoul March 24; and Detroit-Shanghai April 19.

Meanwhile, Delta will expand code-sharing with its transpacific partner Korean Air on January 10, putting the DL code onto Korean’s flights to Seoul Incheon from Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

Cathay Pacific will fly a new A350-1000 to Washington Dulles. (Image: Airbus)

In other transpacific news, Cathay Pacific has unveiled plans to add another East Coast gateway in mid-September 2018, when it will start flying from Hong Kong to Washington Dulles. The carrier already serves Boston, New York JFK and Newark. Cathay reportedly plans to fly the route – which will be the longest in its system – four days a week with a brand-new Airbus A350-1000.

A couple of months ago, we reported on United’s plans to reconfigure its international long-haul 777-200s, putting in new lie-flat Polaris business class seats, taking out first class, and going from nine-across to 10-across seating in economy. A recent entry in Routesonline.com about United’s 2018 schedules shows where the reconfigured 777s will be deployed, based on the elimination of first class from seating availability. It shows the elimination of 777 first class in late April from San Francisco to London, and from Washington Dulles to Brussels, Frankfurt and Tokyo Narita; and at the end of August from Chicago O’Hare to Beijing, Hong Kong, Tokyo Narita, Shanghai, Sao Paulo, Frankfurt and Munich. Meanwhile, United’s seasonal summer route from San Francisco to Xi’An, China, which had previously been scheduled for three 787 flights a week from May 6 through September 4, has been eliminated for 2018.

Las Vegas is due to get its first non-stop service to South America next summer. LATAM Airlines Brasil has filed plans to operate a 767 three times a week between Las Vegas and Sao Paulo from June 21 through August 31.

We recently reported that Lufthansa’s lower-cost leisure affiliate Eurowings plans to launch new transatlantic routes in 2018, including JFK-Dusseldorf starting April 28, Dusseldorf-Miami as of May 4, and Dusseldorf-Ft. Myers beginning May 3. Now it appears that the airline will try to entice business travelers onto those flights by adding a new business class cabin. According to reports from Europe, the new Eurowings cabin, simply called Bizclass, will feature seats that recline fully and will include upgraded meals and other special amenities. Details of Eurowings’ new Bizclass are expected to be introduced in March at the big ITB Travel Fair in Berlin.

Mexico’s Volaris added two new routes out of San Jose. (Image: Volaris)

Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris, which already had service out of San Jose to Guadalajara, has now added two more routes. Volaris has started twice-weekly flights from SJC to Morelia on Fridays and Sundays, as well as twice-weekly service from SJC to Zacatecas on Mondays and Thursdays. Next summer, Aeromexico is due to begin SJC-Mexico City flights.

Panama’s Copa Airlines, a member of United’s Star Alliance family, has added Denver as its 13th U.S. gateway. The carrier has kicked off new non-stop service four days a week from Denver to Panama City, with Denver departures on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 10:16 p.m. Copa offers onward connections in Panama to 55 Latin American destinations.

Italian carrier Meridiana plans to add two U.S. routes next summer. On June 1, it will begin daily service from Milan Malpensa to New York JFK, followed up on June 8 by four flights a week from Malpensa to Miami.  The airline will use a 247-passenger, two-class Airbus A330 on both routes.

On April 30, 2018, Alaska Airlines will end its Mileage Plan partnership with Air France-KLM – not really a surprise considering that the European duo has a joint venture partnership with Alaska’s arch-rival Delta. Alaska and Delta ended their own mileage partnership last spring. The Alaskan carrier notes that it still has partnership agreements to Europe in place with British Airways, Finnair, Icelandair and Condor.

The latest schedule updates from Norwegian show the low-cost carrier plans to boost service on several U.S. routes in late March, increasing its weekly Barcelona frequencies from three to four out of Los Angeles, from three to five out of Oakland, and from four to six out of Newark. The carrier will also boost LAX-Copenhagen service from three flights a week to four. At Boston, Norwegian plans to increase London Gatwick service from four flights a week to seven starting June 12, but it will discontinue its seasonal Boston-Oslo and Boston-Copenhagen flights.

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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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Trip Report: Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 SFO-Hong Kong

Cathay Pacific A350-900

This beautiful new bird sails west across the Pacific overnight, departing SFO in the wee hours, arriving HKG in the morning (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

My body feels like it’s time to wind down and get ready for bed, but my brain is saying, “Perk up, buster! You need to get to the airport and catch a 13-hour ride on a shiny new plane to Hong Kong.”

That’s how I’m counting down the hours approaching the 12:55 am departure of Cathay Pacific flight 893 to Hong Kong. This new Airbus A350 takes off in the wee hours of Friday night/Saturday morning and arrives in Hong Kong at 8 am on Sunday.

My flight is one of three daily SFO-HKG flights Cathay now offers, but it’s the only one that’s an A350. The others, which depart at 11:45 am and 11:00 pm, use Boeing 777s.

Cathay Pacific A350 wing

You can spot an A350 by its blacked out cockpit window and curly wingtip (Photo: Cathay Pacific)

Cathay added the new Airbus A350 to its fleet in June 2016 but did not deploy any in the US until October 30, 2017, when one landed at San Francisco International and another at Newark Liberty International on the same day. The carrier now has 19 A350s in the fleet with 29 more on order.

To celebrate the arrival of the A350-900 to US shores, Cathay invited a group of media to fly from San Francisco to Hong Kong and back, including a two-day stay at the Peninsula hotel in Kowloon. (Check out my pushy post about the Peninsula here.)

Current fares on Cathay’s SFO-HKG nonstops for January trips are about $700 round trip in economy, $2,000 in premium economy and $5,900 in business class. First class fares (only available on B777 flights) are about $15,000 roundtrip.

Trip highlights:

  • Mishap at security
  • Noodles!
  • Planespotting the A350
  • Flecks of bright red
  • Photos of knee-room in all three classes
  • Charting an unusual course across the Pacific
  • How many hours of sleep did I get? My secret stash of sleep aids.
  • A posh pick up at HKG

Friday, 10 pm: Since I know that Cathay has such a stellar lounge at SFO, I decided get to the airport early and spend an hour or two soaking it up. I also had a hankering for a bowl of noodles made on-the-spot, and wanted to snap some photos of the lounge and the A350 as it arrived in the darkness.

Check-in for the flight was quick and easy due to my early arrival, and the airport was remarkably busy at 10:30 pm. The only holdup was at security. Cathay Pacific is a recent inductee into the PreCheck club, but unfortunately I did not get it this time. No probs, I thought; this is one of those times I’ll take advantage of my CLEAR membership. Regrettably I discovered that CLEAR lanes at SFO’s international terminal close at 10 pm, which makes little sense because so many flights depart around midnight and early morning.

Clear

At SFO’s international terminal, CLEAR lanes close at 10 pm– just before the midnight rush (Photo: Chris McGinnis

Once I cleared security, I took a nice long walk through the entire Boarding Area A, and then watched the the A350 roll in from Hong Kong.  It looks smaller than some of the giant B777s nearby, but holds about the same number of seats: A Cathay A350-900 holds 280 passengers (38-business, 28-premium, 214-economy) while the larger B777 holds 275 (6-first, 53-business, 34-premium, 182-economy).

Cathay’s lounge at SFO is one of my favorites for its design (rich Carrara marble, Solus chairs) and nice tarmac views. Now that there are two Cathay flights departing around midnight (11 pm and 1 am), the lounge is busy, but I had no problem finding empty seats. There’s a full bar, and a hot and cold buffet, but the most popular stop is the steamy noodle bar. A bowl of noodles at 11 pm sure is a nice way to slip into an overnight transpacific journey.

Cathay Pacific noodles

A comforting bowl of dan dan noodles is the perfect sendoff for a transpac flight (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Cathay Solus Chair SFO

Foster & Partners designed these cool Solus chairs for Cathay lounges around the world (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

When invited on trips like this, I always try to arrange an early boarding so I can get some good shots of the interior of the plane before passengers board. I get on with the wheelchairs, which gives me about five minutes to shoot all three cabins on this big bird. Phew!

First impression when you walk on board is the cool, calm and collected green, cream and beige color scheme, with flecks of bright red. For example, some (but not all) flight attendants wear bright red blazers or skirts. In business class seats, the interiors of in-seat storage bins are also bright red (a color that symbolizes good luck and happiness in Chinese culture). The green and red combo is almost Christmas-like to me.

Cathay Pacific A350 business class

Rows 11-19 in the fore business class cabin on Cathay Pacific’s A350 — this is a reverse herringbone layout and every seat has aisle access.  (Chris McGinnis)

Cathay Pacific business class

Row 18 in business class on a Cathay Pacific A350-900–note the red storage bins (Chris McGinnis)

Cathay Pacific A350 window business class

A window seat in business class on Cathay Pacific’s A350 (Chris McGinnis)

Cathay Pacific A350 business class boots

Plenty of room for the lower extremities on Cathay Pacific’s A350 in business class (Chris McGinnis)

 

Cathay Pacific Premium Economy A350

Premium economy on Cathay Pacific A350 is configured 2-4-2 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cathay Pacific A350

Plenty of legroom in premium economy on Cathay Pacific’s A350

Cathay Pacific Premium economy

Big screens and plenty of space in Cathay Pacific’s premium economy, especially for seats on the window side (Chris McGinnis)

Economy class on Cathay Pacific A350

Economy class on Cathay Pacific’s A350 is configured 3-3-3 with 32 inches of pitch (Chris McGinnis)

Economy class Cathay Pacific A350 screens

Economy class passengers on the A350 get nice big screens (Chris McGinnis)

Cathay Pacific A350 knees legroom

This is what 32 inches of pitch looks like to your knees on the A350 (Chris McGinnis)

There’s no first class section on Cathay’s A350s, but business class is almost as good an many first class seats I’ve seen. All seats in this reverse herringbone layout have aisle access. High side walls and blinders make the in-seat experience very private. If you are traveling with a companion it might be smarter (and easier to communicate) sitting across the aisle from each other due to the barriers between the middle seats.

Business class seat configuration is 1-2-1. Premium economy is 2-4-2. Economy is 3-3-3.

In business class, the seats to avoid are the first two center seats (oddly, the first row is Row 11, seats D&G). Noise and traffic from the galley is a factor, and when the curtains are pulled, it appears nearly impossible to get out of your seat without ruffling them.

At the back of the business class section, rows 20 and 21 are separated from the main business class cabin by a galley and lavatory area. This is where I sat, in seat 21D–the last row just in front of premium economy. I really liked the cozy feel and quiet of that small aft cabin. The bulkhead seats are not as exposed to the galley area as they are on row 11.

Check Seatguru for maps & seat tips: Cathay Airbus A350-900 | Cathay Boeing 777-300ER

At this hour of the night, passengers are boarding quickly with yawns and stretches. The flight is 100% sold out. Once we are all seated, I notice how eerily quiet everyone is. It’s late. You can tell that nearly everyone just wants the lights to dim so they can nod off.

All passengers are yawning except for me, of course. I’m someone who gets energized about being on a new plane no matter what the hour!

In my seat, I quickly I unload the contents of my briefcase into the two roomy in-seat storage bins. The lower one is big enough for my Macbook. Nice!

As we taxi and take off (in my aisle seat I can’t look out the window), I’m completely absorbed by the robust inflight entertainment system and the big bright touch screen. It can be controlled by touching the screen or via the corded tablet mounted on the wall next to my seat. There are way too many movies and TV shows to scroll through, so I just go to the inflight moving map, which is hypnotic to a geek like me.

This modern bird also has exterior cams– one on the tail and the other on the front, and you can toggle between views from your seatback. At night it’s not much of a show, but I look forward to seeing more when we get to HK in the morning!

Cathay Pacific map

At first our course was set northwest, but the pilot later switched to due west across the Pacific (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cathay Pacific business class

Over my right shoulder is the control panel for the seat recline, reading light and a handheld tablet that mirrors the big screen (Chris McGinnis)

Cathay Pacific tray table

I appreciated the easily accessed tray table (Chris McGinnis)

At about 1:35 am we are climbing up and straight out over the Pacific. Most flights to HKG take a northerly route toward the Aleutian Islands and then down over Japan. Tonight it’s a direct shot over the middle of the ocean, over the top of Taiwan and straight into Chek Lap Kok. The map says it will be 13 hours, 5 minutes. I jump up and go to the lavatory to change into a long sleeve t-shirt to lounge and sleep in. (Pajamas are not provided.) Flight attendants hang my shirt so I’ll be fresh as a daisy Sunday morning in Hong Kong.

Since this flight is so late, flight attendants offer a quick light meal shortly after takeoff. Since I’ve had my noodles in the lounge, I pick at the smoked duck salad, but polish off the hearty butternut squash soup served in a mug. Nice touch. (Main course selections included stir fry pork or beef tenderloin.) I watch “Rough Night” on the big screen for a few chuckles. (See current movie selections here.)

There is wi-fi on Cathay’s A350 (but not on its B777s or A330- but it’s coming soon via Gogo) but I only used it on the return flight. It was very fast and very cheap–just $13 for the whole flight.

Cathay Pacific soup

Mmmm. Butternut squash soup served in a mug (Chris McGinnis)

Cathay Pacific duck salad

A smoked duck salad and soup, plus a bowl of fresh berries comprised the light choice meal served quickly after take off (Chris McGinnis)

Cathay Pacific headphones

A nice nook for the noise cancelling headsets and my personal items like glasses, phone, charger, wallet located by my shoulder (Chris McGinnis)

Shortly thereafter the lights dim. The plane gets very quiet. I look at my watch and it’s 3:30 am in San Francisco and about 6:30 pm in Hong Kong. Everyone except me is snuggled in for the night in my mini-business class section. I take a melatonin and a big chug of water. My 6 foot body fits just fine in this lie-flat seat.  I put in my Mack’s earplugs, wrap my puffy Dream Essentials mask around my head, flatten the seat. Like a light, I’m out. Gone. Deep in dreamland. Zzzzz.

Later, deep in my sleep cocoon I wake up and wonder, “Hmmm I wonder what time it is?” I feel like I’ve slept well, had some good dreams and feel rested. But should I look at my watch? What if I’ve only slept hard for about two hours and there are seven more to go? I pull my mask up and drink the entire bottle of water a flight attendant has kindly left by my seat. It’s still dark and quiet in business class.

Okay. Time to look at the watch. I have not yet re-set it to HK time. I look and it says 1:00 pm. I shake my head and do a double take and look again. Yes, 1 pm in San Francisco. I fell asleep at about 4 am PT. That means I just slept on a plane for NINE hours. Wow. That must be a record for me. My combination of a lie-flat seat, ear plugs and eye mask has done the trick. I will conquer my first day in Hong Kong with gusto!

Cathay Pacific map hong kong

I went to sleep back of the coast of California and woke up over the South China Sea! (Chris McGinnis)

Fruit plate

Juicy fruit, coffee and croissant first course for breakfast (Chris McGinnis)

Cathay Pacific dim sum

Tasty dim sum and e-fu noodles with chilli sauce for breakfast (Chris McGinnis)

breakfast flight attendant Cathay Pacific

Ni how! How about some breakfast? (Chris McGinnis)

We still have about two hours to go, so I get up, stretch and go to the lavatory to freshen up, splash some water on my sleepy face, brush my teeth. Back at my seat flight attendants see me stirring and scurry over with more water and a hot towel.

I look at the inflight map and see that we are flying over the southernmost island of Japan (and wonder if those are the ones that China claims and is building a military base there). Then we fly right over the top of Taipei.

Other passengers begin to stir. The lights come up. God, I wish they’d open the windows so we could see the sunrise but they stay shut. Luckily the tail cam is working so I can see the morning sunrise over the South China Sea. It’s gorgeous out there.

Breakfast comes in three courses: first coffee or tea, and next a delicious fresh fruit plate and a selection of bread or pastries. Then cereal or yogurt. Then the hot meal. I always go native and chose the breakfast dim sum. But I could have had a shitake mushroom omelet or seafood congee.

Tail camera Airbus A350 Cathay Pacific

A beautiful sunrise as we approach Hong Kong International via the A350 tail cam! (Chris McGinnis)

Rolls-Royce peninsula hotel

This is how you get to The Peninsula Hotel from HKG- check out those suicide doors on this deep green Rolls! Dios mio! (Chris McGinnis)

Wow! What a way to fly to Hong Kong. And once we land, there are two dark green Roll-Royce limos waiting to pick up our group and whisk us to the Peninsula. Cars are stocked with water and wi-fi and lined in plush caramel leather.

Hello Hong Kong! Stay tuned for more about my stay and return flight.

How do you fly to Hong Kong? Have your flown Cathay? Please leave your comments below. 

Disclosure: I was a guest of Cathay Pacific Airways and the Peninsula Hotel for this trip.


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Emirates new first class is nice, but what about the rest of the plane?

Emirates’ new 777 first class suites have 40 square feet of space. (Image: Emirates)

First class cabins are on their way out at many international airlines, but the few carriers that keep them are constantly upgrading them, in order to differentiate the product from increasingly spacious business class seating. The latest entrant in the first class competition is Emirates’ 777 fleet. And this comes on the heels of Singapore Air’s big launch of its luxury first class suites last week. 

At the Dubai Air Show this week, the carrier rolled out new cabin designs for its 777s, turning to Mercedes-Benz and its S-Class cars for inspiration. The renovations will cover all three classes on the planes, and will include upgraded entertainment systems as well. Emirates’ first new-look 777s are due to start flying between Dubai-Geneva and Dubai-Brussels next month, but it will take a long time to refit the existing fleet: The carrier noted that it currently has 165 777s, and 164 more on order from Boeing. (On most US routes, Emirates flies its big Airbus A380, so US-based travelers will likely only see this on beyond-Dubai flights.)

The new first class cabin has six individual suites in a 1-1-1 layout, dropping a suite from the current 1-2-1 configuration. Suites offer 40 square feet of space, with privacy provided by a sliding door. The fully-reclining seat is 78 inches long and up to 30 inches wide. The seat and its components are fully adjustable, and the middle suites come with “virtual windows,” giving occupants real-time views from outside the aircraft. (Nice touch!) Suites also have 32-inch HD video screens, adjustable mood lighting, temperature controls, minibar, a full-length wardrobe and “chandelier-style lights.”

No word yet on fares, but for comparison purposes, SFO-Dubai round trip in first class currently runs about $15,000. In business class, it’s about $8,000. Economy class is about $900.

First class suite made up for bedtime. (Image: Emirates)

Emirates’ new 777 business class cabin has fully-flat seats that offer 72 inches of pitch in a 2-3-2 layout- nice but it means that some unlucky passengers may still get stuck in a middle seat. This seems odd for the likes of Emirates since most of the newer business class sections from other global carriers have done away with middle seats in favor of all-aisle access.

My experience flying in a middle seat on Emirates in business class was actually not all that bad. Why? Because it was an overnight flight and I felt quietly isolated there in the middle with no bumps from other passengers or service carts. I enjoyed looking up at the ceiling and seeing stars 🙂

Anyway, business class seat controls and inflight entertainment systems have touchscreen controls, and seats provide individual lighting controls, privacy panels between seats, an area to stow shoes, a footrest and a minibar (yes, seriously).

Emirates new economy class has the despised, shoulder-rubbing 10-across seating in a 3-4-3 configuration— something that United has taken a lot of heat for installing on its new B777-300s that include its new Polaris business class seats, and more recently on its B777-200s. On the bright side, Emirates says that its economy seats will have “up to 33 inches of pitch” which is more generous than average, but not all seats will get that much.

Here are more photos of Emirates new cabin designs:

Also, check out the cool and immersive interactive experience including 360 views here. 

First class suites have sliding doors. (Image: Emirates)

 

First class suite with seat upright for dining. (Image: Emirates)

 

The new business class cabin for Emirates’ 777s- note the middle seats. (Image: Emirates)

 

Business class has 2-3-2 seating- note the middle seats. (Image: Emirates)

 

Economy seating is 10-across on redesigned 777s. (Image: Emirates)

Have you flown Emirates lately? What did you think? Please leave your comments below. 

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Singapore Airlines unveils an awesome A380 makeover (photos)

Redesigned first class suite on Singapore Airlines’ A380s. (Image: Singapore Airlines)

Four years ago, Singapore Airlines’ design team started working on new interiors for its fleet of Airbus A380s, and their updated products have just been revealed, bringing additional elements of comfort to bolster the carrier’s reputation as one of the world’s best for passengers.

While many global airlines are eliminating first class from their long-haul aircraft, Singapore is sticking with the traditional premium cabin – but it is cutting the number of first class suites on the A380s from 12 to six, and moving them to the front of the upper deck. The rest of the upper deck will be occupied by 78 new business class seats, while the lower deck accommodates 44 premium economy seats and 343 regular economy.

The spacious first class suites will have more than just a big seat-bed – they’ll have an actual bed with adjustable recline and a comfortable leather chair, along with lots of storage space. What’s more, passengers in two adjoining suites can remove the wall in between them so the separate beds become a double bed. (When not in use, the first class beds can be stowed, freeing up even more space.)  The chairs can swivel and recline. Suites also come with a swiveling 32-inch HDTV monitor, full-sized wardrobe, and mood lighting. And the first class cabin has a pair of redesigned lavatories that may be the most spacious in the sky.

Window seat in the new A380 business class. (Image: Singapore Airlines)

Business class seats, configured 1-2-1 and forward-facing, are 25 inches wide and recline into a 78-inch bed. They come with an 18-inch high-def touch-screen monitor, USB and power ports, adjustable reading lights, mood lighting and a larger dining table. The seats’ larger back shell “creates a cocoon-like feel,” Singapore said, and the privacy divider between the two middle seats can be lowered to form double beds – “an ideal choice for customers such as families traveling together,” the airline said (although these are not enclosed suites like in first class, so the beds aren’t private).

Premium economy seats (configured 2-4-2) are 19.5 inches wide, recline eight inches, and offer 38-inch pitch, calf and foot rests, power ports and a pair of USB ports. Monitors are 13.3 inches, and passengers get noise-cancelling headphones. Regular economy seats (with a 3-4-3 layout) have 32-inch pitch, 18.5-inch width, and six-inch recline.  Video monitors measure 11.1 inches.

The airline has five new A380s on order; they’ll come with all the enhancements, and will start to enter service in December. Singapore’s existing fleet of 14 A380s will also get the refit, with work starting in 2018 and continuing into 2020. Singapore’s New York flight (via Frankfurt) is its only U.S. route currently served with an A380.

Below are more photos of the interiors. You can also check out Singapore’s website about the A380 redesign here, and read details of the new products here.

First class suites can be combined into a double-bedded unit. (Image: Singapore Airlines)

 

A middle seat in business class. (Image: Singapore Airlines)

 

Middle seat-beds in business class can also be combined. (Image: Singapore Airlines)

 

First class lavatories are bright and spacious. (Image: Singapore Airlines)

 

Premium economy seating is 2-4-2. (Image: Singapore Airlines)

 

Main cabin seating is configured 3-4-3. (Image: Singapore Airlines)

 

Entertainment system monitors have touch-screens. (Image: Singapore Airlines)

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United squeezes more seats into long-haul 777-200s

United Economy B777-300ER

10-abreast on United’s new B777-300ER — coming next to 777-200s. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

As United continues to retrofit its existing long-haul fleet with the carrier’s new lie-flat Polaris business class seating, its first overhauled 777-200 is due to start flying sometime this winter. And while front-cabin flyers might appreciate the Polaris refit, with direct aisle access at every seat, main cabin travelers will find a change they might not like: 10-across seating instead of nine.

News reports in Flightglobal.com  and in the Los Angeles Times say that United plans to configure its long-haul 777-200s with 50 Polaris seats and 242 economy seats – about two dozen more economy seats than the aircraft currently have, depending on the specific model.

United Polaris

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

By going from nine seats to 10-across in coach, United will be bringing its 777-200s to the same standard as its new 777-300ERs, in which it introduced its new Polaris cabin earlier this year.  While United now refers to all its business class cabins as Polaris, as of last month only 15 planes had the new lie-flat, angled seats in the front cabin – 14 new 777-300ERs and one retrofitted 767-300.

United’s total long-haul fleet includes some 200 aircraft. The first retrofitted 767-300 recently went into service on the Newark-London Heathrow route, and United expects to have 14 overhauled 767s in service by the end of next year. Most of the new 777-300ERs in service are on transpacific routes.

Unlike the larger 777s, the refitted 767-300s will still have seven-across economy seating after the retrofit. Some 90 United 777-200s are due to get the 10-across seating overhaul in the next few years, and on the plus side, they will reportedly preserve their existing seat pitch in the main cabin – 31 inches for regular economy seats and 34 for Economy Plus.

Economy Plus United

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

United already has 10-across seating in some 777s that are used mainly on domestic routes (those planes are not getting the new Polaris front cabin). In recent years, many of the world’s airlines have been shifting their 777 configurations from nine-across to 10 across.

There was no immediate word on how the new layout would affect seat width on the United 777-200s. According to Seatguru.com, United’s higher-density domestic 777-200s have 10-across coach seats that are 17.1 inches wide, vs. 18 or 18.3 inches on its nine-across international 777-200s. Its new 777-300ERs have 10-across seats that are 17 inches wide, so it’s probably a safe bet that the economy seats on the reconfigured 777-200s will also be 17 inches wide.

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Trip Report: Tweeting my way to Paris on Lufthansa

Lufthansa A340

Lufthansa flies three aircraft with staircases onboard. Can you name them? Answer at end of this post!
(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Last week I took on an unusual assignment: Lufthansa asked me to “take over” its Twitter account and post a series of observations about my trip from San Francisco to Paris via Munich.

Having never flown to or from Munich Airport (MUC), I was eager to have a look around since it’s considered Europe’s best airport by many frequent travelers. I was also interested in flying Lufthansa again– last time I took to the skies on LH was when it first deployed its Airbus A380 between Frankfurt and SFO— way back in 2012.

On SFO-MUC, it uses an Airbus A340-600 with a very unusual feature: a staircase leading to a below-deck bank of lavatories and the crew rest area. I’d often heard about this, but had never actually seen it, so as soon as I boarded, I went straight to the staircase for a photo shoot 🙂

What else made this an attractive offer? Oktoberfest of course! Alas, the day I departed the US (Oct 3) was the last day of Munich’s big celebration, so when I arrived the city was pretty quiet. But it was a big surprise to find the Lufthansa crew on this flight dressed in dirndls and lederhosen— something that Lufthansa surprises passengers with on flights from around the world to Munchen during the festival.

Disclosure: In exchange for my Twitter takeover, Lufthansa covered the cost of my roundtrip airfare. I paid for hotels, transfers, wi-fi, meals and everything else associated with the trip.

Come on along for the trip, check out my tweets and photos, and let me know what you think!

First, let’s take a look at the four cabins on this big long A340-600: First, business, premium economy and economy.

Lufthansa first class A340

First class on an A340 configured 1-2-1 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Lufthansa Business Class

Lufthansa business class on an Airbus A340-600. I was seated on a center-aisle. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Lufthansa premium economy

Premium economy onboard LH A340-600 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Lufthansa economy class

Economy class on the A340 is configured 2-4-2 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Stairway down to lavatories on #Lufthansa #340 #avgeek #aviation #lufthansatravels

A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on

 

Answer to the question in the caption at the top of this post: Lufthansa flies three planes with staircases: The Boeing 747, Airbus A380 and the Airbus A340.

Have you flown Lufthansa recently? Flown through Munich airport? What did you think? Comments below, please! 

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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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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!

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Reader Report: SAS new business class to Copenhagen

The 1-2-1 configuration provides ample room for each passenger. There are two cabins assigned to business class, with the first having eight rows and the second having two rows (Photo: RW)

This is a TravelSkills Reader Report submitted by RW.

Back in 2014, you wrote a trip report on the then-new SAS nonstop from SFO to Copenhagen (CPH).

My husband and I recently (April-May 2017) flew SFO-CPH and CPH-SFO nonstop on SAS in the new upgraded business classes seats on its Airbus 340-300 planes, so I thought you might want to know about the new service. Feel free to use any of this (or none of this) information on your blog. [Thanks, RW! We are using all of it 🙂 Great report!]

SAS business class passengers have access to the United Club lounge in the SFO international terminal, which is a nice respite from the terminal, but certainly is not in the same league as the SAS Star Alliance Gold lounges in Scandinavia (more about those lounges later).

The seat is adjustable to a completely 180-degree lie-flat bed. The side storage unit contains a reading light, a water bottle (stored behind the reading light panel), a hook for the provided headphones, and a small shelf for personal items. (Photo: RW)

The reconfigured A340-300s that SAS uses on SFO-CPH flights have 40 business-class seats with 180-degree recline, 28 “SAS Plus” seats with a 7-inch recline, and 179 standard economy seats with a 6-inch recline. [See SAS A340 on Seatguru]

SAS has a “business saver” fare for half of its full fare, but the tickets are nonrefundable. That said, for the leisure traveler or the business traveler with fixed plans, a roundtrip SFO-CPH business-class fare of $3,200 is quite reasonable, particularly when compared to nonstop flights to “major demand” cities such as London, Paris, or Frankfurt.

An SAS Airbus A340 with new business class seats (Image: SeatPlans.com

SAS has installed new business-class seats in at 1-2-1 configuration in two cabins. The forward cabin has eight rows and feels spacious and accommodating. The second business-class cabin has only two rows, so it has a sense Danish sense of hygge that you mentioned in your SAS review. [Hygge, pronounced hoo-gah, is roughly translated into English as “cozy.”] However, the second cabin was directly behind the galley, snack bar, and toilets, making is a very busy and noisy area.

The entertainment screen is large and can be controlled via touch or a wired remote tucked into the space in the side storage unit (Photo: RW)

The front of the plane appears to be the rest area and toilet for the crew, compounding the “busy-ness” at the galley/toilet area mid-plane and reducing the number of toilets for business-class passengers to only two.

The new business-class seats have ample room, large video screens, and a “side table” for storage of small items. There is still no in-seat storage space for hand luggage, but with the large cabin and new large overhead bins, there is plenty of room for luggage and the provided duvet, blanket, and pillows. The seat is quite comfortable with a large foot well. It favorably compares to many other airlines’ first or upgraded business class configurations.

In-flight entertainment provided some of the latest Hollywood films, as well as several “old favorites.” The television show offerings were nearly all American shows from the 2000s and early 2010s, e.g., Friends, Mike and Molly, and Two Broke Girls. I would have liked to have seen some Scandinavian entertainment offerings.

Related: 2014- SAS business class Trip Report SFO-CPH 

The amenity kit was quite basic, but contained the essentials of eye mask, socks, toothpaste and brush, ear plugs, lip balm, and moisturizer. The bag was small, but reusable for small items such as ear buds, a few electronics cords, etc.

Cocktails featured Danish vodka (Mikkeller), Norwegian gin (Harahorn), and Swedish whiskey (Mackmyra).

There is a special cocktail offered each season. The cocktail on the CPH-SFO segment was “A Taste of Norwegian Summer,” a combination of gin, rhubarb, tonic, and strawberry garnish (Photo: RW)

Wine offerings including Charles Heidsieck champagne from France, a verdicchio wine wine from Italy, a French sauvignon blanc, and, in the red category, there were a pinot noir and a corbières from France. A nice addition to the drinks menu was the nonalcoholic Gravenstein apple must from Norway, a rich, full-bodied, unfiltered apple juice.

The starter course for the dinner offering on the SFO-CPH leg included a mixed salad, plus a choice of either beet-cured salmon with cucumber and horseradish-chive crème or prosciutto with feta cheese, beets, and melon.

For my starter, I chose prosciutto with feta cheese, beets, and melon, along with ample choices from the frequently passed bread basket (Photo: RW)

Main course offerings included seared red snapper, grilled chicken breast, braised beef ribs, or vegetable ravioli.

The braised beef short ribs with Lyonnaise potatoes and roasted carrots was not particularly inspiring or tasty (Photo: RW)

Following a cheese course, passengers were offered dessert choices including a Bakewell tart with raspberry mascarpone, ice cream, or fruit.

On the return CPH-SFO flight, the starter course included a mixed salad, plus a choice of either salmon with picked root vegetables and mustard sauce or slices of dried pork, moose-and-juniper sausage, with a garnish of pickled onions and lingonberries (although the latter actually included only one pickled onion and one lingonberry).

My starter was slices of “dried pork” (prosciutto), moose-and-juniper sausage, and a picked onion and lingonberry. The dish was delicious (Photo; RW)

Arrival in Copenhagen was, as you described in your 2014 article, easy and efficient, with an efficient immigration/customs process, and a quick train trip to central Copenhagen. The only quirk in the arrivals area is finding where to pick up a Copenhagen Card, which provides transportation, admission to multiple museums and attractions, and discounts at restaurants and entertainment. Just look for the Tourist Information desk, and they have the Copenhagen Cards (either for pickup for those who purchased online ahead of their flight) or for purchase.

Fly through SAS’ new business class in this video

We took several internal Scandinavian flights during our trip, with all planes being configured in an “all economy seating” pattern. Even so, service was efficient and friendly.

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The SAS business-class lounge, available to Star Alliance gold members, has a wide array of food and beverage offerings, plenty of workspaces and chairs, all with easy access to an electrical outlet (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

We visited the SAS Star Alliance Gold lounge when we left Copenhagen to fly to Helsinki, as well as during our layover from Oslo before our CPH-SFO trip. The lounge is modern, the staff is friendly and professional, and the food offerings far exceed those of first-class lounges for U.S.-based airlines. Upstairs from the regular SAS lounge, the business-class lounge had multiple rooms for eating, resting, working, and a special play room for those traveling with children.

We also had the chance to visit the SAS lounge in Oslo, which was smaller than the one in Copenhagen, but still offering a wide array of food and beverage choices, along with work stations and comfortable seating options.

The SAS lounge in Oslo had a nice array of food and beverage options (Photo: RW)

Note that there is a new security procedure for passengers flying from Copenhagen to the United States. As noted on the SAS website, “United States authorities have tightened the security rules for entering US territory. As a result, an additional security check will be conducted at the gate when passengers board flights from Copenhagen Airport bound for US destinations. In particular, passengers must ensure that their smart phones, tablets, computers, digital cameras and other electronic devices are charged.” We found this process to be efficient, but be sure to allow time at the departure gate for this additional security procedure.

In conclusion, the business class experience on SAS was excellent. The staff on all our SAS flights were cheerful, courteous, friendly, and professional. In fact, given the savings we achieved by buying the “Business Saver” fare, we’re tempted to use CPH as our hub for future European travel.

Rich and Brad enjoy an outdoor lunch in Copenhagen at one of the restaurants along the Nyhavn waterfront, which was a 17th-century wharf that has been redeveloped into a trendy entertainment district, focusing mainly on restaurants and cafés. We had herring prepared in multiple ways in Heering, one of the outdoor cafés. While there were heaters, as well as blankets to cover our legs, we still kept our coats on all during their al fresco lunch – it was April and still chilly in Copenhagen (Photo: RW)

Have you flown on SAS in business class with the new seat yet? Let us know what you think in the comments below! 

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Reader Report: United Polaris (new seat) to Hong Kong

A window seat in United’s new Polaris business class- but where do you store all that stuff? (Image: United)

Earlier this year I received a query from a colleague who travels to Europe and Asia in business class around twice a year. She had a trip to Hong Kong coming up and was wondering if she should try out the new United Polaris flight (with the new seats). Since the service was brand new, she was concerned that it might not be up to par and had some concerns about flying in a brand new plane over all that water. She was weighing her options for SFO-HKG nonstops that include United, Cathay Pacific and Singapore Air. “Which one do you suggest?” she asked

My reply: “I would have to say go United this time. Based on what I saw at SFO plane is really nice. Avoid the aisles and get a good window seat (per instructions in this post) and  I think you’ll be happy. Plus you’ll be one of the first folks to try it, so will have lots of cocktail party material when you get back. As for safety concerns, the plane is brand new, but it’s a B777– a real workhorse and has been around long enough for any kinks to be worked out.”

She took the flight last month, for which her company paid the $5,500 roundtrip fare. Here’s her report with some notes from me…

Well Chris, I don’t think people are going to be too happy with this new plane. Several passengers, on both legs of my journey, were complaining at the end that the seats “weren’t comfortable”– that they are too hard and they really miss the storage space provided in the previous iteration. That was my main complaint too, there’s nowhere to put anything. That small compartment isn’t cutting it, especially with the two blankets and two pillows piled on your seat at boarding. Where are you supposed to put those things if you aren’t using them? I also noticed that window seats no longer have those nice spacious bins under the windows like they did on the 747s. [Note: United recently reduced the number of items left on the seat at boarding. Passengers should now request extra pillows or blankets.]

On the positive side, the blankets were both very nice and felt expensive. They were warm and comforting as was the pillow. The chocolate before and after the flight is a nice touch.

United Polaris

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

 

Unite 747 bin

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

When it came to the seat, I found the long armrest bar along the window to be strange and I banged my arm against it while sleeping more than one time. It’s the bar they have going across where you can control your seat. It’s strange as it sort of floats at the end of the window.

Click here for images of “old” United BusinessFirst seats

Also the configuration of the seat didn’t allow me to put both arms on the rest at the same time. I felt like I had to lean to the left to the armrest closest to where my drink was, but because it’s sort of angled my arm wasn’t on the other arm rest.

I don’t know, I wasn’t in love with it and the seats felt hard and I couldn’t find the right configuration while just watching a movie to be comfortable. I miss the ottoman that joined with the area where your feet go (on the old planes).

United Polaris

Seating controls include a simple dial for adjusting recline as well as buttons for more specific movements, lumbar support, lighting, and do not disturb light (Scott Hintz)

Am not sure how to describe it all but I felt like the seat wasn’t great and many other people said the same thing. They couldn’t figure out how to control it, as to me the only controls that made sense were the rolling button and the leg lift. When pressing the other buttons I had no idea what they did and if they were doing something but I didn’t feel anything happening.

As for service, on our way out this NEW plane didn’t have wi-fi. People were PISSED in business class. (But they did compensate us with miles in the end– and they offered it to everyone on the whole plane, not just business class. I received 8,750 miles.)

The United Lounge at SFO is under construction and the part that is still open is very crowded and seems like a mess.

Inflight service on the first SFO to HKG leg was terrible. Flight attendants made no personal greeting once we got on the plane (like before) and none of them offered us the PJs or extra cool pillow option (which I read about on TravelSkills). Guess you have to read a blog or your brochure in order to know about it– and ask specifically for it.

United Polaris

Wine flights offered on departures after noon (Scott Hintz)

I tried a wine flight on the way out just because I saw it on your post, but again, the FA didn’t offer or suggest it— they were just pouring wine in individual glasses like before. I saw the three glass wine flights on the bottom of the drink cart and asked for one as did the person behind me. But if I had not asked, neither of us would have been given the option. Plus, the flight attendant knew nothing about the wines we were trying, and could not pronounce what they were. When I asked for a suggestion to replace the Chardonnay (which they were out of), she had no clue what to offer, saying “I know it’s white, but…” So I’m not exactly sure what I was drinking.

MORE: Images of a brand new United 777-300ER with new Polaris seats

I’m not sure the new plane itself is great, either. Every time flight attendants made an announcement a loud ringing happened or you could hear other flight attendants chattering in the background. It just seemed weird and some of the older, seasoned travelers were NOT happy about the new plane. People did like being in their own seat with aisle access, but I heard grumblings of “I wish they didn’t change the seats” and “where is all the storage!” Oh, and the FAs kept telling us the aisles were narrower and that it was difficult for them to reach into our pods to get to the tray tables…so they seemed to be a bit uncomfortable too.

This is what she was expecting, but … (Image: Matthew Klint)

As for food, it was fine– I had the beef shortrib and it was good as always. But get this- on this flight we did not get the standard ice cream sundae bar.  Instead they plopped down a Haagen-Dazs cardboard container and said go for it! I asked about the sundae bar and the flight attendant said, “We don’t have that anymore, they took it away last month.” And I was like, “Huh? It’s right there on your menu.” [Note: United is having some teething issues with the new bowls which are cracking and breaking so the lack of ice cream sundaes is likely temporary.)

So I think I will go Cathay next time to check it out!

Have you flown United Polaris with the new seat yet? Let us know what you think in the comments below! 

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Third “real” United Polaris flight revealed

United B777-300ER

United’s third Boeing 777-300ER will go into service between San Francisco and Tokyo.(Photo: United)

As United takes delivery of more 777-300ERs, it will be bringing its new Polaris business cabin to additional international routes – and it just released word of a big transpacific change coming in a couple of months.

Routesonline.com reports that United will put a 777-300ER with the new cabin onto the San Francisco-Tokyo Narita route effective June 14. The new aircraft will be used for UA 837/838, replacing the current 747-400; United’s other daily SFO-NRT flight uses a 787-9.

The Tokyo service will be the third international route to offer United’s new premium cabin and service. Last month, the new aircraft started flying between San Francisco-Hong Kong, and in early May, it will be used for one of United’s two daily Newark-Tel Aviv flights. The aircraft going onto the Tel Aviv route is temporarily being used for Newark-San Francisco flights.

United Polaris

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

“Real” Polaris? United rebranded its entire business class experience (both old and new) last fall and now calls both Polaris. This has led to a lot of confusion and misplaced excitement when passengers book business class on United and see “Polaris” on their itinerary or boarding pass. Many mistakenly think that they are going to get the new seat (seen above) when in fact they will get the old business class seat, but the new “soft” Polaris products like upgraded pillows and blankets, more elaborate food & drink offerings like wine flights or bloody mary carts.

So remember that for now and the near future, you’ll only get the new or “real” Polaris business class seat if you are flying from SFO to Hong Kong or Tokyo, or from Newark to Tel Aviv. 

Current “old” business class onboard United’s new Boeing 787 Dreamliner is also called Polaris (Photo: United Airlines)

United has ordered 14 of the new 777-300ERs, all due for delivery this year, but it hasn’t yet said where they will be used beyond the routes mentioned above. They are expected to go mainly onto transpacific routes.

A few weeks ago, word came out that deployment of the new planes might be pushed back later than the original timetable because of a supply problem. Specifically, the European manufacturer of the new Polaris seats is having trouble producing them on time.

Here’s our first look at the interior of the 777-300ER, including all classes of seating, with plenty of photos. United eventually plans to remake the premium cabins of its other long-haul aircraft models with the same new Polaris lie-flat seats that are going into the 777-300ERs.

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British Airways’ posh plans for business class [PHOTOS]

British Airways 787

British Airways has posh plans for the pointy end of the plane (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

With $490 million in his pocket, British Airways’ CEO Alex Cruz has big plans to snag more business travelers with a massive product upgrade rolling out now.

To show off what he’s talking about, Cruz invited 40 travel writers, bloggers and media personalities from around the world to London for an action- and content-packed one-day event. TravelSkills was there! (Chris flew over on British Airways’ new Oakland-Gatwick nonstop–stay tuned for his Trip Report!)

In the morning, we met in BA’s newest lounge at Gatwick Airport. From there we boarded a brand new four-class Dreamliner for lunch and a press conference on a two-hour joyride over the bright green English countryside up to Scotland and back.

On board, BA offered a sneak-peek of its upgraded inflight food/beverage offerings, and Cruz revealed news about the airline’s new business class seat and its plans for a rapid roll-out of inflight wi-fi, among other juicy details. After that, we landed at Heathrow Airport for a chat in BA’s busy arrivals lounge (with a whopping 78 showers!) and then walked through its exclusive new “First Wing” located in the far right end of Terminal 5.

A most unusual boarding pass: Check the origin and destination! (Chris McGinnis)

Here are highlights:

BA has taken its lumps recently for implementing something that Americans have long been used to: Buy-on-board food, or “Bob” as Cruz called it. (See new menu and prices here.) Now that it does, the British are going bonkers. This day was Cruz’s chance to show how the cutbacks that economy class passengers may feel will not be felt at the front of the plane. He said, “We need to focus on enhancing premium – offering contemporary service, improved catering and lounges, and a consistent service experience. In economy, where we know that price is the driver, we need to focus our efforts on delivering more seats at the lowest fares and giving customers choices.”

British Airways First class

British Airways’ latest version of first class on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

New Planes: We took a ride on a brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner with four classes of service: First, business, premium economy and economy. The plane was gorgeous and quiet. It now flies to San Jose and Newark from London. But the biggest change in fleet will come when BA gets its new Airbus A350s this summer. These big wide-bodies will soon be the workhorses of BA’s long haul fleet, replacing the carrier’s much-loved but long-in-the-tooth Boeing 747s. Cruz said that with oil at $50 per barrel, there is less incentive to get rid of these gas-guzzlers; but nonetheless, they’ll likely be phased out in the next five years. The last 747s will disappear from U.S. carriers at the end of this year. (See Delta’s 747 Experience here.) It also sounds like BA will be moving to a 10-across economy configuration on its 777s. “A 10-across 777 is an incredibly competitive machine, especially on leisure routes out of Gatwick,” he said. Currently, the 777-200 on OAK-LGW is nine-across.

British Airways business class

At one time, British Airways’ forward- and rear-facing seats were considered innovative. They’ll soon be retired. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

New seats: The biggest news that Cruz broke is that BA will move away from its famous forward/rear-facing business class seats. To me, the seats are fine, but make for awkward moments during takeoff and landing when you feel weirdly in the personal space of your seatmate and his or her direct gaze. Cruz would not offer specifics (other that saying the new seats will offer 100% aisle access), but said, “The time has come for us to change. We are falling behind our competitors and intend to catch up with a new design.” BA was the first airline to introduce lie-flat business class seats in 1999, which revolutionized long-haul travel. In a veiled reference to United’s recent issues with the delayed roll-out of its new Polaris seats, Cruz told me, “We will not over-promise on our new seat like some of our competitors have done. Instead we intend to over-deliver.”

New flights: Last month IAG, which owns British Airways and Iberia, created a new low-fare carrier called Level, which will be based in Barcelona. This summer it will offer cheap non-stops to Oakland and Los Angeles. When Cruz and I discussed this, I told him I thought it was great to get non-stops from the Bay to Barcelona, but that Norwegian was already in that game. I said what we really need in the Bay Area is a non-stop to Italy. His reply? “I think Level will take care of that need very soon.” Stay tuned for more on that!

Metallic walls separate first class passengers from the riffraff at London Heathrow Terminal 5 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

New First Wing: These days nearly everyone is a super elite, business or first class passenger — or so it seems when you enter the so-called “fast” lanes at airport security. The same thing has been happening at British Airways’ big Terminal 5 at Heathrow. In order to better serve its paid first class passengers, gold-level Executive Club members and Oneworld Emeralds, BA has carved out a new, exclusive lane called the First Wing. After checking in, First and Gold members proceed to an adjacent sleekly designed private security area for screening. (Sorry, no photos: Photography not allowed.) After that, they walk a few hundred feet through a wood-paneled corridor and directly into BA’s first class lounge, where they can relax, eat, work or proceed directly to their flights. Nice touch! An executive told me that about 2,000 passengers per day will use the First Wing.

British Airways’ big, bright first and business class lounges–big views, high ceilings and a few pink crushed velvet chairs (Chris McGinnis)

New/Refurbished lounges: BA bragged about its new lounge at Boston, which I’ve not seen. But apparently it’s big, bright and has a horseshoe bar that passengers are raving about—not only for the drinks, but also for the fantastic sunset views through a wall of west-facing windows. Plus it has direct access to the plane. BA’s lounge at New York JFK is slated for a $65 million redo that should be completed in two years. BA’s lounge at SFO has been bursting at the seams since the carrier introduced its A380—there’s simply not enough room to accommodate all the business, first and elite flyers (from BA and partners) at peak times. BA execs told me that the plan is still to add a new mezzanine level, but they could not offer a firm date about when that might occur, or how they will accommodate passengers displaced when construction begins. “We are working with the airport to explore temporary accommodations,” said one. At Heathrow, BA’s massive lounge complex in Terminal 5 is now 10 years old—still nice, but due for a makeover, according to Cruz, although no timetable has been set for the upgrade.

Alex Cruz

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis and British Airways CEO Alex Cruz on a Dreamliner joyride (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

New Gatwick Lounge: BA recently moved from the north to the south terminal at London Gatwick and has opened a mod new two-level rooftop lounge with fantastic runway views, modern furnishings (including new pink crushed velvet chairs) and a generous buffet with a very British “Toast” bar (yes, a buffet line consisting of toast only. So Brrritish!). The lounge is 40% larger than the old one in the south terminal, but on the day we were there, it was quite full at around noon.

More wi-fi: Believe it or not, BA has only one aircraft outfitted with inflight wi-fi at the moment, but that will soon change. Cruz said that 90% of its short- and long-haul aircraft will get wi-fi in the next two years. He said that long-haul flights will use a satellite-based system and short-haul European flights will use a ground-based one. Similar to what we see at hotels, BA will offer two tiers of wi-fi–basic starting at 5 pounds per hour,  and full service for 8 pounds (including streaming).

There’s a nice heft to BA’s new cocktail tumblers (Chris McGinnis)

British Airways bread

Bread served in a small silver basket instead of a plate (Chris McGinnis)

Meals served from tier trolleys instead of boxy blue carts (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Dessert on British Airways

British Airways has teamed up with Do & Co for catering– it’s the same company that works with Turkish Airlines (Photo: Chrisi McGinnis)

Cheese

Cheeses served on slate-like plates (Photo: Chris McGinnis

Better food and drink: Cruz said that BA will invest heavily in business class food and drink, which passengers will begin to notice this summer. On our flight up to Scotland and back, we were served some of the new food—for example, instead of bread on a plate, you get a warm roll served in a small silver basket. Champagne is served from big bowls of ice. Instead of bulky carts, flight attendants roll starters and dessert options on tiered trolleys– a great show. (Reminds me of how Turkish Airlines does it.) Part of the upgrade includes all-new cups, glasses and cutlery, with larger wine glasses for fuller pours and hefty cut crystal-like tumblers for cocktails. (See photos above.) BA’s busy New York-London flights will be the first to see the upgrades as soon as this summer, and it will roll out to other routes later in 2018.

Better sleep: Also on the way: bigger pillows, new mattress toppers, duvets, ear plugs and eye masks as well as revised inflight service schedules designed to maximize good sleep (sounds like United Polaris to me!). Regrettably, none of these features were on our joyride, so no photos.

New self boarding gates at Heathrow use your boarding pass and facial recognition (Image: British Airways)

More self-boarding gates: Currently, BA has three automated boarding gates at Heathrow. These gates operate turnstile-like entry points activated by facial recognition and the bar code on your boarding pass. (At Heathrow, your photo is taken when you enter security, and is matched with another photo taken when you board. If they don’t match, you don’t board.) Cruz said that based on the success and positive feedback from business travelers, there will soon be more of these.

British Airways created a hashtag for the event and coverage of its new investment—check it out here” #BAinvesting4U

Are you a regular on British Airways? What do you think of the changes? Please leave your comments below.

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United’s Polaris business class rollout hits turbulence

United Polaris

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

If you’ve been eagerly awaiting a chance to try out United’s much-hyped Polaris business class on one of its new 777-300ERs, you might have to wait a bit longer than you expected.

The deployment of the new aircraft with the new front-cabin product is being held up by a supply-chain bottleneck – specifically, the failure of a European manufacturer to deliver the new Polaris seats on schedule.

United just put the new aircraft into service on its popular San Francisco-Hong Kong route, replacing a 747-400, and is due to start flying it May 5 on one of its two daily Newark-Tel Aviv flights (presumably using the aircraft that is currently flying between Newark and San Francisco).

United gate cake

United’s gate cake celebrating the first commercial B777-300ER flight SFO>HKG (Photo: United)

Beyond that we haven’t seen specific route assignments for the new planes yet, although it is speculated that United would use them mainly on transpacific routes starting this summer. United has ordered 14 new 777-300ERs with the Polaris cabins.

Last week, an aircraft-tracking website said that United has temporarily put two newly delivered 777-300ERs into storage pending delivery of new Polaris seats. United officials confirmed that two aircraft are facing “short delays” in deployment due to the seats issue.

The problem is with Zodiac Aerospace, a seat-maker based in France that has run into production delays at its plant in Wales. Last year, American Airlines had a similar problem with Zodiac, which was providing business class seats for AA’s new 787-9s. That prompted American to drop Zodiac and switch to another supplier, B/E Aerospace. Zodiac seat delays are also said to be affecting Airbus’ new A350 wide-bodies.

United Polaris

United’s marketing team has done a great job building up anticipation about the new Polaris business class. The company has been rolling out on its existing long-haul fleet the in-flight services and amenities that are part of the Polaris experience, and has started opening special Polaris lounges in key airports. But the full experience depends on the flat-bed seat-pods, and international business travelers could now face a longer-than-expected wait to try those out.

For a detailed look at the Polaris product, check out our three-part preview that ran last fall. Here’s Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3.

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

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

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

1 Look! SFO gets public outdoor observation deck

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

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

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

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

5 Super elite smiles: Marriott upgrades some United frequent flyers

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

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

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

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

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

Surprise hot samosas on Aer Lingus (Chris McGinnis)

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

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

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

SFO Terminal 1

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

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

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

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

Wanna get married inside a Delta 747? Now you can

Delta 747

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

United drops duty-free program

Passenger’s headphones catch fire in-flight

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

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

United doubles its planned capacity increase for 2017

Study: Southwest dominates rivals in social media presence

Trump budget would end subsidies for small-town air service

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

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Rare business class fare war erupts

Casa Batllo Barcelona

A rare summer business class fare sale! Pictured: Antoni Gaudi’s Casa Batllo in Barcelona (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

There’s a rare fare war brewing for business class flights across the Atlantic. We know this is a good deal because standard business class fares usually run in the $5,000-$8,000 range. Today they are running as low as $1,799 round trip. 

What we are finding today represents a savings of more than 50%– some business class round trips are in the <$2,000 range on a variety of airlines, although most seem to be on American or British Airways. However we are seeing several low fares on smaller carriers like Air Canada, Icelandair, Turkish and TAP, among others. Most fares require a stop enroute, but there are a handful of deals on nonstops, too.

What’s crazy about this sale is that many of these these fares are good from May all the way through January 2018. So if you have plans to fly over the pond, why not do so in lie-flat luxury (and earn those fat mileage bonuses)?

TIP: During the peak summer travel season (mid-June through mid-August) these business class fares will run only slightly above inflated economy class fares during that period. So why not bump up?

This is the Captain Kirk seat– one of the two best seats in Aer Lingus new biz class on its A330 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Ready to lie flat? Then check out these sample fares and head over to Google Flights for a look around! And keep coming back. This fare war seems to be just beginning and could expand to other carriers and routes. Or it could just go away.

Most of the best deals (e.g. those under $2,000) are from East Coast cities, however, a few good deals are popping up in the West, too, such as Phoenix-Dublin for just $1,940, or SFO-Zurich for $2,225.

Remember one of our most important travel skills: If you see a fare that looks good to you, BUY IT. Don’t wait around. 

Atlanta: London, Paris, Rome, Amsterdam $1,900; Lisbon, Madrid $2,300

Chicago: Barcelona, Madrid, Zurich $2,800

Dallas: Madrid, Barcelona, Rome $1799; London $2,009

Houston:  Paris, Madrid, Barcelona $1,800; Amsterdam $2,700

Los Angeles: Paris, Rome $3,600

Miami: Madrid $1,900

New York: Rome, London, Zurich $2,300

Phoenix: Dublin $1,940

San Francisco: Zurich $2,225; Copenhagen, Stockholm $2,900; Dublin $3,100; Helsinki $3,225 (Finnair nonstop)

San Jose: Barcelona $3,500; London $3,900

Seattle: Zurich $2,500; Madrid, Barcelona: $3,500 (On Icelandair, no lie-flat)

These fares were available Tuesday March 14 on Google Flights and are subject to change.

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Double beds in business class

Qatar’s new QSuite permits creation of private double-bedded accommodations. (Image: Qatar Airways)

A new business class design introduced this week by Qatar Airways uses movable privacy panels to create double beds or even four-person suites- and it will hit the skies this summer.

The new 42-seat “QSuite” cabin will first appear on a Qatar 777 between Doha and London Heathrow in June. It will also be going into all the carrier’s other 777s, and will be installed on Qatar’s new Airbus A350-1000s. Currently, round trip business class fares on London-Doha route in July are running about $5,274.00. Qatar is a member of the Oneworld Alliance.

If you ever wonder why international first class cabins are gradually disappearing from the skies, you only need to see the innovations in luxury and amenities that are coming to international business class these days. In many cases, layering first class on top of them would truly be gilding the lily.

Case in point: The new QSuite business cabin introduced at a Berlin trade show this week by Qatar Airways.

The keys to the creative configurations possible in QSuite are stowable privacy panels and movable video monitors. Two persons seated next to each other can deploy the privacy panels to create a private room with a double bed.

Four persons traveling together can share a private suite. (Image: Qatar Airways)

And four seats in the center of the cabin can be walled off together to create a four-person suite for business meetings, socializing and/or dining together.

“These new features provide the ultimate customizable travel experience that enables passengers to create an environment that suits their own unique needs,” Qatar said.

The new business seats themselves are crafted from hand-stitched Italian leather. The cabin also features the next generation of Oryx One, Qatar’s in-fight entertainment system, redesigned to permit easy surfing of content that includes 3,000 programming options. Here’s a video:

The QSuite food and beverage service has also been upgraded; in addition to new cuisine options served at the time of the passenger’s choice, the airline will also provide “sharing dishes” any time during the flight, so passenger can partake together. Qatar also is offering an express breakfast service for those who want to sleep late.

Private window suite for one. (Image: Qatar Airways)

Also coming are new business class “sleeper suits” and amenity kits from top international designers. And the airline announced that it will be deploying “best-in-class” Wi-Fi connectivity sometime this summer.

Doubles for couples or colleagues. (Image: Qatar Airways)

So what do you think? Would you fly Qatar to experience business class like this? Or would you stick to something more tried and true? Please leave your comments below. 

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Business class sale: US to Europe this spring

How about a lie-flat ride in a KLM 787 Dreamliner? (Photo: KLM)

How does springtime in Paris sound? A lark in lovely London? Or anywhere else in Europe in lie-flat business class?

Today SkyTeam airlines Delta, Air France and KLM launched a flash sale for business class tickets on many US-to-Europe routes. As we publish this post, we are seeing similar fares on American, United and other Oneworld and Star Alliance carriers, so we have a bit of a fare war on our hands…)

But you need to act fast because seats will sell out fast and you only have until February 28 to get the deal.

Roundtrip fares are in the $2,500 range from the east coast; about $3,000 from midwest cities and around $3,200 from the west coast. These fares represent a nice discount on business class, which usually runs in the $4,000 to $7,000 range. (Scroll down for sample fares on KLM and Air France)

Details:

>Book by February 28

>Travel from April 4 – April 27 (However, we see sale fares on many routes stretching into early June, so check) 

>Book directly at Delta, Air France and KLM. (Check business fares on other carriers for April flights because we don’t see fare sale pages posted yet) 

A press release states, “Air France’s Business Class cabins feature a fully flat bed, aisle access for every passenger, and a multipurpose area complete with a desk, restaurant table and bed. KLM’s World Business Class cabins also feature a reclinable bed, in addition to a personal entertainment system and comfort kits designed by Dutch designer Jan Taminiau.”

Business class on an Air France’s 787-9 (Image: Air France)

Have you flown KLM or Air France lately? What did you think? Did you get a true lie-flat seat, or an angled lie-flat seat? Please leave your comments below. 

Sample Fares provided by Air France / KLM:

Air France special fares are available on flights departing from:

New York – Dublin (from $2,642)                               Chicago – Paris (from $2,969)

New York – Frankfurt (from $2,493)                          Atlanta – London (from $3,123)

New York – Paris Orly (from $2,716)                         Salt Lake City – Amsterdam (from $3,142)

New York – Paris CDG (from $2,719)                         Seattle – Amsterdam (from $3,142)

New York – London ($2,873)                                        Portland – Amsterdam ($3,142)

Minneapolis – Amsterdam (from $2,892)               San Francisco – London ($3,420)

KLM special fares are available on flights departing from:

New York – Frankfurt (from $2,493)                          Chicago – Paris CDG (from $2,969)

New York – Dublin (from $2,642)                               Atlanta – London (from $3,080)

New York – Paris Orly (from $2,716)                         Salt Lake City – Amsterdam (from $3,142)

New York – Paris CDG (from $2,718)                         Seattle – Amsterdam (from $3,142)

New York – London (from $2,829)                             Portland – Amsterdam (from $3,142)

Minneapolis – Amsterdam (from $2,892)               San Francisco – London (from $3,421)

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On March 25, the new aircraft will make its international scheduled service debut, replacing a 747-400 on the very competitive San Francisco-Hong Kong route, where Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific both offer non-stop service.

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

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.

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American’s new amenity kits: Stylish and reusable

Trendy new amenity kits by American Airlines in collaboration with Cole Haan (Photo: Kim Grimes)

Trendy new amenity kits by American Airlines in collaboration with Cole Haan (Photo: Kim Grimes)

American Airlines and Cole Haan partnered on inflight amenity kits last year and now they’re back with a second edition for 2017.

By Kim Grimes

The carrier sent TravelSkills a handful of the fashionable new kits as a sneak peek, so let’s take a look:

Amenity kits for transcontinental flight passengers (Photo: Kim Grimes)

Amenity kits for transcontinental flight passengers (Photo: Kim Grimes)

There are two different transcon amenity kits, one for business class and one for first class.

This transcon kit looks nice, but isn't as substantial as the other kits (Photo: Kim Grimes)

This transcon business class kit looks nice, but isn’t as substantial as the others (Photo: Kim Grimes)

The business class kit features a diagonal-cut flap and brown button clasp. It’s the only amenity kit in the new line that has American Airlines branding directly on it, but it’s fairly discreet. This kit probably has the least reuse value out of the four since there are two large slits in the back that small items could slip out of, but it’s durable enough to keep things in during a flight.

Inside, passengers will find a toothbrush, Crest toothpaste, earplugs, an eye mask, and polyester socks. There’s also a C.O. Bigelow refreshing travel kit inside that includes lip balm and lime and coriander scented body lotion.

First class transcon kit features

First class transcon kit features Clark’s Botanicals instead of C.O. Bigelow (Photo: Kim Grimes)

The first class version of the transcon kit is very stylish and has a handy pocket in the front that can be used for notes or boarding passes. It could easily be reused as a pen or makeup case. This kit comes with all of the same things as the business class kit except for the C.O. Bigelow items. Personal care items in this kit are provided by Clark’s Botanicals and include ultra rich lip balm, moisturizing hand cream, and a refreshing hand wipe. The kit also includes a small packet of tissues.

International flight kits are super durable (Photo: Kim Grimes)

AA’s new international flight kits are super durable (Photo: Kim Grimes)

Two different amenity kits are provided for passengers flying business class or first class on international flights.

AA's international business class kit is spacious and resilient (Photo: Kim Grimes)

AA’s international business class kit is spacious and resilient (Photo: Kim Grimes)

The kit for international business class has a rectangular shape that feels really comfortable to hold. The embossed pattern on the bottom half acts as a nice grip. It comes with a toothbrush, Crest toothpaste, C.O. Bigelow mouthwash, earplugs, an eye mask, Bose headphone covers, polyester socks, a packet of tissues, and a pen. Also inside is the C.O. Bigelow refreshing travel kit including lime and coriander body lotion and a tube of lip balm.

Unfold this kit to reuse as a trendy tablet case! (Photo: Kim Grimes)

Unfold this international first class kit to reuse as a trendy tablet case! (Photo: Kim Grimes)

International first class passengers receive an amenity kit that can be reused as a clutch purse or tablet case. The kit looks nice folded in half showing off its contrasting colors, but when you lift the flap you’ll have a case big enough for your tablet with brown on one side and the patterned navy on the other.

Inside this amenity kit passengers will find a toothbrush, Crest toothpaste, mouthwash, earplugs, an eye mask, Bose headphone covers, polyester socks, a packet of tissues, and a pen. Luxury skincare brand 3LAB has provided their ultimate travel collection in these kits as well. It comes with their PERFECT Lips lip balm, PERFECT hand cream, and “M” Cream.

These new pajamas are soft and comfortable (Photo: Kim Grimes)

These new pajamas are soft and comfortable (Photo: Kim Grimes)

American Airlines has also come out with new pajamas for first class passengers. They’re surprisingly soft and comfortable with the airline’s eagle icon on the bottom of the shirt. The pajama set is pretty lightweight but still provides a nice amount of warmth. I wore them instead of my fleece pajamas for a few nights and slept soundly without having to turn up my heater.

You can check out these new items throughout 2017 on American Airlines’ transcontinental and international flights– and be on the lookout for slight changes in colors every quarter.

American Airlines hopes that you’ll reuse their amenity kits in innovative ways and invites you to share how you reuse your amenity kits using the hashtag #GreatestFlyers. Will you be picking up and reusing one of these fashionable kits this year? Are amenity kits even necessary? Let us know what you think in the comments below!

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United’s new Polaris cabin: More than just window dressing

United stuffed a plane into Saks' windows to promote its Polaris cabin. (Image: United)

United stuffed a plane into Saks’ windows to promote its Polaris cabin. (Image: United)

Why does New York City’s Saks Fifth Avenue have a United aircraft inside its windows?

The airline has teamed up with the famous retailer to promote its new Polaris Business Class by installing a mock-up of the cabin – along with part of a fuselage – in the windows of Saks’ flagship store facing Fifth Avenue between 49th and 50th streets.

Besides offering a public showcase for United’s new international business class cabin, Saks also provided custom-designed bedding for passengers.

The display features cutaways of the Polaris cabin. (Image: United)

The display features cutaways of the Polaris cabin. (Image: United)

The unusual window displays – titled “Now Arriving” — will remain in place through January 22, United said. The total display takes up 14 windows, with the six center windows showing the interior of a new business class cabin, with full-size seats (and the Saks bedding, of course).

United is beginning to roll out the new Polaris cabins on its 777-300ERs during the first quarter, and will eventually install it on other widebodies. The airline has also opened its first dedicated Polaris lounge at Chicago O’Hare, with additional lounges to follow at eight other key international airports.

United has set up a website with details on its new business cabin at www.united.com/Polaris. Here are a few more photos:

Saks is 15 blocks from the Empire State Building, seen in the distance. (Image: United)

Saks is 15 blocks from the Empire State Building, seen in the distance. (Image: United)

 

Polaris cabins have plenty of overhead storage space. (Image: United)

Polaris cabins have plenty of overhead storage space. Note the trendy footwear! (Image: United)

 

Saks is at Fifth Avenue and 49th Street. (Image: United)

Saks is at Fifth Avenue and 49th Street. (Image: United)

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Is a boom in supersonic travel coming?

Boom's SST design would be smaller than Concorde. (Image: Boom)

Boom’s SST design would be smaller than Concorde. (Image: Boom)

An executive at a company developing the next generation of SST airliners says more orders are coming in, and sees 500 global routes where the service could work.

Colorado-based Boom, which is developing a 45-seat supersonic passenger plane, already has a commitment from Virgin Group chief Sir Richard Branson for 10 aircraft, and last fall Virgin agreed to work with the manufacturer on technical aspects and flight testing of the plane.

And now an “unnamed European carrier” has optioned 15 aircraft from the manufacturer, Boom CEO Blake Scholl said in an interview with Routesonline.com.

Scholl said the initial interest in the new aircraft is likely to keep building among international carriers. He cited a recent independent analysis by The Boyd Group that projects a global demand for more than 1,300 passenger SSTs from 2023 to 2032.

He also said that more than 500 routes worldwide have the traffic potential to support faster-than-sound air travel and the time savings it brings.

The prototype of Boom’s XB-1, a smaller aircraft designed to test the company’s technology, is expected to make its first flight later this year.

Rendering of a passenger seat on the planned SST. (Image: Boom)

Rendering of a passenger seat on the planned SST. (Image: Boom)

The difference between Boom and the discontinued Concorde technology, he said, is that the new plane’s fuel economy is substantially better – allowing it to operate profitably at much lower fares. Boom is projecting a business class type of experience, both in the cabin and the fares that will be possible.

As for the time savings, he noted that Boom’s projected airspeed is 10 percent faster than Concorde’s Mach 2.0, making it possible to fly from San Francisco to Tokyo in 5.5 hours instead of 11, or from Los Angeles to Sydney in 6 hours and 45 minutes instead of 15 hours.

Readers: How much of a premium over business class fares would you be willing to pay for a supersonic flight that cuts your travel time in half or better?

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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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United Polaris rollout: What to expect

United Polaris

Starting now: A Bloody Mary cart on flights that depart before noon (Photo: Scott Hintz)

As you read this, United jets are taking off from Asia with the new Polaris business class product onboard- that eye-catching Bloody Mary cart is rolling down the aisle somewhere! And tomorrow, the same thing will be happening on all United long-haul international flights departing the U.S. Also tomorrow, business and first class passengers will be able to lounge in United’s first Polaris Lounge at Chicago, O’Hare.

“We have a hard cut over beginning on December 1. Over the past few months we’ve been designing, purchasing and shipping more than two million items which have been stored in warehouses around the world. It will all be ready to go on December 1,” United’s Polaris product lead Maria Walter told TravelSkills in an interview earlier this week.

For the time being, Polaris passengers will be seated in United’s regular business class seats, but the soft product surrounding them will be all Polaris, which includes a mattress cover for sleeping, Saks pillows and blankets, pajamas/slippers on ultra-long-haul flights, big new amenity kits including contoured eye masks and new inflight food and beverage service.

Don’t miss: New Polaris lounge shakes up SFO

United Polaris

Mock up of Polaris pod seating with alternating row seat arrangement (Scott Hintz)

The new Polaris seats are going to take a while to roll out— the first seats are not expected until late February on a new B777-300ER. United says it will take up to three years for the new seats to appear fleet-wide. Walter could not provide us with any further details regarding timing or which routes will be the first to get the new seats. But she did reveal a bit of behind-the-scenes color regarding the development of the seat.

“My entire staff has slept  in the new seat several times,” Walter said. “As soon as the seats became available at the Zodiac factory in Wales, we flew over and slept in them on the creepy factory floor. The seat functioned just fine, but there was no food and the entertainment system was not operational, so we watched a TV with a DVD player. The overnight exercise made us realize that it’s not just the seat that is important with Polaris, but the soft products and service as well.”

United Polaris

The new Polaris eyeshades contoured to fit your face (Photo: Scott Hintz)

In previous interviews with TravelSkills, Walter made it clear that United’s main focus for this product was on providing the best possible sleeping experience.  Through extensive customer research, United found that a good night of sleep is the one thing customers want the most, and UA has tried hard to deliver on that.  From the new Polaris lounge that provides the opportunity to eat a sit-down meal prior to the flight, allowing for maximum sleeping time on board, to a comfortable new fully-flat seat/pod with enhanced privacy, and all-new bedding including and mattress pad, multiple pillows and blankets, it does look like United has done a lot to make it easier for customers to arrive at their destination well-rested.

So what can you expect if boarding a Polaris flight starting today or tomorrow? Let’s recap from our previous Polaris series…

Bedding

In addition to the seat, United says that bedding is another critical ingredient for providing a good sleeping environment.  To that end, Polaris now includes a pretty impressive set of goods to help you get comfortable.

United Polaris business class

Polaris bedding includes small pillow, large pillow, light day blanket, and heavier duvet (Photo: Scott Hintz)

When you arrive at your seat, there will be four pieces of bedding waiting for you — a small pillow, a large pillow, a light day blanket, and a heavier duvet.  The airline says the advantage of all those pieces is that it makes it easier for customers to control their temperature, which is a common complaint.  

Once seated, if you are cold or tired, you can immediately use all four pieces to get warm and comfortable, without having to request anything from a flight attendant and possibly wait until after takeoff.  The drawback to this approach is that many customers won’t need all the pieces right away and they’ll have to find places to store everything as they settle in, but United says its research found that passengers didn’t have a hard time figuring this out.

United Polaris Pajamas

Polaris pajamas and slippers which can be requested on longer flights (Photo: Scott Hintz)

There will be a few additional items that customers may request from crew.  You can ask for a cooling gel memory foam pillow as well as a mattress pad.  Crews won’t actually turn down your bed for you, but they will at least give you a mattress pad so you can do it yourself.  I say hooray for that, as who wants to sleep with their face pressed up against seat upholstery that thousands of other people have also been intimate with?

On flights over 12 hours, you may also request pajamas and slippers.

United Polaris business class

Polaris pajamas and slippers which can be requested on longer flights (Photo: Scott Hintz)

The bedding materials prominently feature the Saks Fifth Avenue brand.  I told a product director that I thought the branding seemed a little gimmicky, as people don’t generally think of Saks and bedding and it just felt a bit forced.  But she told me that it’s not just Saks slapping their label on these product, it’s a true partnership that has allowed United to leverage the Saks supply chain to acquire this much-upgraded bedding at the same cost as their old bedding. She also said that they liked the idea of partnering with an upscale retailer because it allows room to extend the partnership into other areas like crew uniforms and dishware.

United apparently considered partnering with a hotel brand (as Delta has done with Westin) and easily could have done something with UA’s tight hotel partner, Marriott.  But they felt like this type of partnership is a bit tired and constraining, so United wanted to do something different here.

Amenity Kit

United Polaris amenity kit (Scott Hintz)

United Polaris amenity kit (Scott Hintz)

Waiting at your seat upon boarding will be a brand new amenity kit.  I have to say, I was pretty impressed with it. The case itself is beautiful and feels very high end with a nice textured exterior, a zipper closure, and a variety of pockets inside.  United will continue to leverage its partnership with Soho House to provide quality Cowshed products, including relaxing pillow mist, lip balm, hand cream, and towelette, as well as other standard items like eyeshade, ear plugs, socks, tissues, comb, hand sanitizer, mints, dental pick, toothpaste, and toothbrush.

United Polaris Amenity kit

United’s impressive Polaris amenity kit (Photo: Scott Hintz)

A couple of standout items were the pillow mist that is meant to be sprayed on one’s pillow or bedding to help you fall asleep more easily, as well as some really nice eyeshades that included a contoured foam back that fits more snugly against your eyes and blocks out more light than usual.

United Polaris

The new Polaris eyeshades are contured away from the eyes for more comfort (Photo: Scott Hintz)

 

United says it spent three years developing this new business class product and tried hard to be truly innovative, rather than just catching up and copying the competition.  While in many ways this new Polaris product does finally bring United up to par with major U.S. and international competitors, it is nice to see them going above and beyond in some small and even some more significant ways.

But time will tell! We look forward to hearing from travelers returning from their first Polaris voyages to see how the rubber is hitting the road. Anyone out there ready to reveal their first experience? Email us, or leave it in the comments.

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First look: Oakland’s spiffy new lounge (slideshow)

Oakland

Oakland’s new Escape Lounge boasts nice tarmac views and more! (Photo: K Taylor)

This month, Oakland International Airport opened a new Escape Lounge that’s open to all passengers for a $45 one-time-use fee. It is located in Terminal 1 (all airlines except Southwest, which operates out of Terminal 2) between gates 8 and 8A, across from gate 9. The 2,700-square-foot facility can accommodate 50 travelers, and will have separate zones for relaxing, dining/drinking and work. It’s open daily from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m.

The lounge is another of an increasing number of “common use” lounges found at other airports across the country. For example, MAG, the British company that runs Oakland’s lounge, also has outposts at Minneapolis-St Paul International and Bradley International in Hartford, CT. Similarly, there are 10 “The Club” lounges at airports across the US, including The Club at SJC, which which provides free access to business class passengers of international airlines operating there.

While the Escape lounge in Minneapolis offers access to holders of Priority Pass, the Oakland Escape lounge does not at this time.

The Escape lounge is best suited for business and first class passengers headed to Europe on Norwegian Air or British Airways (Photo: K Taylor)

The Escape lounge is best suited for business and first class passengers headed to Europe on Norwegian Air or British Airways (Photo: K Taylor)

Premium cabin customers of Norwegian Airlines flying non-stop from OAK to London-Gatwick, Oslo, Stockholm, and Barcelona will receive complimentary use of Escape Lounge. We are still awaiting final word on whether British Airways business class passengers will get comped access to the lounge when its London-Gatwick nonstops arrive at Oakland in April.

The lounge includes contemporary furniture and great runway and tarmac views. It also boasts, “An extensive complimentary locally inspired menu (see it below); a wide array of unlimited complimentary alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, including local coffee brand RoastCo;  flight information screens; free high-speed Wi-Fi and reading materials” according to a press release. The bar offers a wide range of complimentary beer, wine and booze plus higher end brands and craft beers for $5-$15.

Well-known local Oakland chef Chris Pastena has developed breakfast, lunch and dinner menus. Pastena owns Chop Bar, Lungomare and Calavera in Oakland.

Take a spin through our photos below:

Oakland Escape Lounge

Full bar (Photo: K Taylor)

 

(Photo: K Taylor)

(Photo: K Taylor)

 

Oakland Escape Lounge

Plenty of room to eat, work or relax, including semi-private booths (Photo: K Taylor)

 

(Photo: K. Taylor)

Breakfast, lunch and dinner is served (Photo: K. Taylor)

 

(Photo: Keonnis Taylor)

(Photo: Keonnis Taylor)

 

 

Chef Chris Pastena helped develop breakfast, lunch and dinner menus (Image: MAG)

Chef Chris Pastena helped develop breakfast, lunch and dinner menus (Image: MAG)

 

Oakland Escape Lounge

Oakland’s Escape Lounge is located in Terminal 1 across from Gate 9 (Photo: K Taylor)

Oakland has been on a roll lately, adding new international flights, offering bennies like free parking, a new all-rail BART link to downtown San Francisco, and now, a new lounge.

Have you used Oakland Airport lately? Would you now? Please leave your comments below. 

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Biz class holiday sale + Vegas + United Polaris rollout + Credit card deals + Ugly incident

United 787-9 Dreamliner

United & other carriers discounting business class across the pond for the holidays. (Image: United)

Before we get to the Top 10, let’s take a look at something exciting. Over the weekend, airlines have started to put business class on sale for Christmas/New Year’s flights. Since business travelers typically shy away from travel during the holidays, airlines will lower fares signficantly to fill up those empty flat beds. So if a lie-flat flight to Europe sounds nice, check out a few sample roundtrip business class holiday season fares that caught our eye when taking a spin through Google Flights on Saturday. Keep in mind that business class fares to Europe usually run in the $5,000+ range.

  • New York or Washington DC – Paris: $2,118 (United)
  • Atlanta-Paris: $2,368 (Air France)
  • San Francisco-Paris: $2,618 (United)
  • Seattle, San Francisco, San Jose-London $2,800 (British Airways, Virgin Atlantic) First class is $3,800
  • Boston-Paris, Amsterdam, Lisbon: $2,250 (Delta, KLM, TAP)
  • New York-Amsterdam, Frankfurt: $2,345 (KLM, Delta, Lufthansa)
  • Miami-London: $2,625 (British Airways, Virgin Atlantic)

British Airways also has a nice business class sale going on with fares from east coast cities at just under $2,000, but it’s a two-for-one sale. Details here.

Note: These fares available on Google Flights on Saturday, Nov 26 and subject to change.

United Polaris

United’s new Polaris business class rolls out December 1! Stay tuned to TravelSkills for details. Any guesses on the first route to get it? (rendering courtesy United Airlines)

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

1 This lucky post has topped our list for 3 weeks! 5 fabulously free things to do in Las Vegas

2 Deal Alert: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic to London

3 5 ways to find cheaper flights

4 On pins & needles for first look at ORD Polaris Club this week! Stay tuned Deep Dive: United Polaris business class (Part 1 of 3)

5 Time is right for a new credit card. Why?

Virgin America protein plate

One of my favorite meals: Virgin America’s economy class protein plate! (Chris McGinnis)

6 12 most tempting airline meals (slideshow)Weekend Edition

7 Fly thru new $1.3 billion concourse at LAX (VIDEO)

8 Routes: Easier to fly Korean + Norwegian, Aer Lingus, Air Canada, Fiji, more

9 Airport news: Newark, JFK, San Francisco, Baltimore, Miami

10 Should I tip my Uber or Lyft driver? [Poll]

UGLY: This happened on Delta this week- and has already received 2 million views on Facebook. Yuck. Delta has apologized for the incident. Foul language warning! Click on video below or see full Facebook post here. Interview with witness here.

Delta’s statement on the incident: “Our responsibility for ensuring all customers feel safe and comfortable with Delta includes requiring civil behavior from everyone….The behavior we see in this video does not square with our training or culture and follow up will continue so we can better ensure our employees will know they will be fully supported to make the right decisions when these issues arise.”

How would you react if a passenger went off the hook like this on your flight? Leave your comments below.

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

United to shift focus to domestic operations, starting with Newark Airport 

Cheap gasoline could be around a while> Mammoth Texas oil discovery biggest ever in USA

MSP has best airport bathrooms

Canadian airline to serve McDonald’s McCafe coffee onboard

London Design Museum

London’s spectacular new Design Museum opens in Holland Park

You go, Bettie! USA’s Longest-Serving Flight Attendant has some GREAT stories!

Guess what? Thanksgiving is NOT the busiest time of the year at the airport

Aer Lingus could return to Oneworld alliance next year

The airport of 2040–No more security screening lines?

San Francisco’s largest taxi company up for sale

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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New York City to Honolulu in lie-flat comfort

Hawaiian Airlines

The new Premium cabin is configured 2-2-2 (Photo: Hawaiian Airlines)

Hawaiian Airlines’ A330s equipped with lie-flat seats in a new business class cabin will be flying to their first official mainland destination starting in February. And it’s not on the West Coast.

The airline tells TravelSkills that its first mainland route to see the new seats on sale will be New York JFK-Honolulu. Hawaiian this week starts selling the new “premium” seats on its flights HA50 and HA51 for travel February 18-May 25; sales for later flights are TBD. A quick scan of JFK-HNL fares on HawaiianAir.com shows the lowest price for first class round trips to be about $1,600 on the low end to $4,000 on the high end.  

In early October, Hawaiian started selling the seats on routes from Honolulu to Asia/Pacific destinations for travel beginning in December. And as a suprise and delight feature, Hawaiian ran them between LAX and Hawaii a few times this summer.

Lie-flat seats in Hawaiian's new A330 Premium Cabins are now on sale. (Image: Hawaiian Airlines)

Lie-flat seats in Hawaiian’s new A330 Premium Cabins are now on sale for New York-Honolulu flights. (Image: Hawaiian Airlines)

 

Hawaiian Premium Cabin business class

Hawaiian Airlines’ new A330 Premium Cabin has lie-flat seats. (Image: Hawaiian)

 

Premium Cabin flyers will be served Hawaiian-inspired cuisine. (Image: Hawaiian Airlines)

Premium Cabin flyers will be served Hawaiian-inspired cuisine. (Image: Hawaiian Airlines)

The Premium Cabin has 18 lie-flat leather seats that are 20.5 inches wide and 76 inches long, in a 2-2-2 layout. Front-cabin travelers get new amenity kits, cotton quilts and lounging pillows, as well as two USB ports and one A/C outlet. The new in-flight entertainment system – with more than 100 hours of movie and TV programming – is available via 13-inch tablets that sit on a telescoping arm.  The Premium Cabin also offers new in-flight dining options with regional dishes from Hawaiian chefs.

Besides the new Premium Cabin, the planes will also get 28 more Extra Comfort seats – the carrier’s premium economy option.  The refit will trim total capacity on the widebodies from 294 seats to 278, including 18 in Premium Cabin, 68 in Extra Comfort and 192 in the main cabin (which will still provide 31-inch pitch, the airline notes).

Premium Cabin flyers will get bountiful amenity kits. (Image: Hawaiian Airlines)

Premium Cabin flyers will get bountiful amenity kits. (Image: Hawaiian Airlines)

Hawaiian is not part of any of the big three global airline alliances, but it maintains partnership agreements with seven airlines (including JetBlue and Virgin America, but no longer with American), which allow members of frequent flyer programs to earn and burn miles on Hawaiian flights.

Related: Trip Report: Hawaiian Airlines A330 SFO-HNL

It’s increasingly unlikely that we’ll see Hawaiian’s lie-flat seats on the West Coast over the long term because the carrier will soon begin to deploy its newest 190-seat Airbus A321 on these shorter routes where a lie-flat seat is likely superfluous.

Have you flown Hawaiian Airlines before? Would you pay more to lie-flat on your next trip to the islands? 

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Delta details plush premium economy plans

Delta's premium economy cabin will debut on its A350s in about a year. (Image: Delta)

Check out the waffle weave on Delta’s premium economy cabin which will debut on its A350s next year. (Image: Delta)

Last spring, a few months after American Airlines announced that it would put a new premium economy class of seating into its international fleet, Delta promised that it would do the same – but it offered no specifics except to say the product would debut on its new Airbus A350s. Well, today Delta unveiled the details of that new seating class.

Delta said the new cabin, called simply Delta Premium, will be introduced on select international A350 flights starting in fall of 2017; in 2018, Delta Premium will spread to the airline’s 777 aircraft, and “additional fleets may be added,” Delta said.

The new seating will provide “up to” 38 inches of pitch, 19 inches of seat width, and seven inches of recline, Delta said, along with adjustable leg and head rests and power ports. Seatbacks will have 13.3-inch high-res video screens, and Delta Premium passengers will get noise-canceling headphones, Westin Heavenly in-flight blankets and Tumi amenity kits.

Delta Premium

Delta’s A350s will have 48 premium economy seats- this one is in the recline position note footrest (Image: Delta)

At the airport, Delta Premium customers will be offered a pre-departure beverage service and the benefits of the airline’s Sky Priority service – faster check-in and security screening, priority boarding and expedited baggage handling. There’s no word yet on the pricing premium that Delta will charge for the new seating category.

The new Delta Premium cabin will be distinct from and superior to the airline’s extra-legroom Comfort+ economy seats, which it started selling earlier this year as a separate fare category. Speaking of Comfort+, will that option still be there in between regular economy and Delta Premium seating? “Comfort+ will not be available on the A350,” a Delta spokeswoman told TravelSkills.

Delta said the A350s will have 32 Delta One suites, 48 Delta Premium seats in a 2-4-2 layout and 226 main cabin seats. These are the same planes on which Delta will introduce its new Delta One suites, which it calls “the world’s first business class cabin to feature a sliding door at each suite.”

______________________________________________________________________________

Singapore Airlines also has premium economy seating on its new A350s, which started flying to San Francisco last month. See Chris’s first-person trip report plus images of SIA’s premium economy cabin.

______________________________________________________________________________

Delta's A350s will also debut its new Delta One business cabin. (Image:" Del;ta)

Delta’s A350s will also debut the new Delta One business cabin. (Image: Delta)

This is a busy time for new international cabin classes on U.S. carriers. American’s new premium economy product will make its first appearance starting this week on the airline’s new 787-9s flying from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Madrid and Sao Paulo.

And in just a few weeks – starting December 1 – United’s new Polaris international business class is due to start appearing on its 777-300ERs, and United officials will cut the ribbon on a new Polaris business class lounge at Chicago O’Hare — the first of nine new lounges coming to the airline’s primary international airports.

Delta’s announcement leaves United as the only one of the U.S. Big Three international carriers that has not yet issued any plans to add premium economy seating to its long-haul fleet.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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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

 

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts:

Kicking support animals off planes | Shocked passenger refuses to pay $3 for water | Marriott-Starwood: Higher prices, better rewards | The 10,000 points question! | Eye-catching maps explain state of the world | Test your planespotting skills!

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Airberlin’s new SFO & LAX nonstops to Berlin

Airberlin will add Berlin service from San Francisco and Los Angeles. (Image: Airberlin)

Airberlin will add Berlin nonstops using A330-200 from San Francisco and Los Angeles next summer- at decent prices. (Image: Airberlin)

Germany’s second largest airline, Airberlin, will launch new nonstops between San Francisco and Los Angeles and Berlin-Tegel airport four days a week starting next May. This marks the first time for a nonstop to Berlin from the Bay Area. Flight time between SFO and TXL is about 11 hours.

A quick glance at airfares on Google Flights for June and July 2017 show round trips in the $1,300 range in economy– a good price for peak season transatlantic flights. Business class flights are about $3,400 round trip. Airberlin also offers upgrades to XL economy seats with 20% more legroom for about $100 each way. (LAX fares are similar)

screen-shot-2016-10-18-at-10-45-01-am

AirBerlin also flies nonstop between San Francisco, LAX and Dusseldorf during summer months. Air Berlin is a member of the Oneworld Alliance and is 30% owned by Etihad Airways. Last month Airberlin announced a radical restructuring that will ultimately lead to more of a focus on business travelers- you can read all about that here: “The new airberlin; analyst presentation”

Airberlin will fly nonstop from eight US cities in summer 2017 to Dusseldorf and Berlin: San Francisco, New York (JFK), Boston, Chicago, Miami, Orlando (new), Fort Myers, and Los Angeles. The airberlin hubs in Berlin and Dusseldorf are conveniently connected with many airberlin destinations in Germany, Europe and beyond.

All Airbus A330-200 operating these flights are equipped with airberlin’s premium long-haul product: 19 seats in the exclusive full flat business class section (1-2-1 configuration) and 271 Economy Class seats, including 46 XL Seats, which offer around 20 per cent more legroom.

Read more about Airberlin’s new business class here.

Air Berlin

Air Berlin’s new lie-flat business class seat (Photo: Air Berlin)

Have you flown Airberlin? Would you? Please leave your comments below. 

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts:

Kicking support animals off planes | Shocked passenger refuses to pay $3 for water | Marriott-Starwood: Higher prices, better rewards | The 10,000 points question! | Eye-catching maps explain state of the world | Test your planespotting skills!

In the market for a new credit card?

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Big news for big spenders as banks roll out new bonuses and perks (Image: Pixabay)

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Deep Dive: United Polaris business class (Part 3 of 3) Bedding, Amenities, Service

Love your United FA, then say so via the carrier's website (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The key to the success of United’s glossy new Polaris business class is in the hands of flight crews (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In our first two Deep Dive: United Polaris posts, we covered the all-important new seat, food & beverage service and the new Polaris lounge. (ICYMI: Part 1 | Part 2)

In Part 3 below, we’ll look at how United plans give us a better night’s sleep with new bedding and amenities.

And after that we close out the series with a look at how United intends to bring together all the hard products with heightened inflight service– the true key to the success of the Polaris experience.

Bedding

In addition to the seat, United says that bedding is another critical ingredient for providing a good sleeping environment.  To that end, Polaris now includes a pretty impressive set of goods to help you get comfortable.

United Polaris business class

Polaris bedding includes small pillow, large pillow, light day blanket, and heavier duvet (Photo: Scott Hintz)

When you arrive at your seat, there will be four pieces of bedding waiting for you — a small pillow, a large pillow, a light day blanket, and a heavier duvet.  The airline says the advantage of all those pieces is that it makes it easier for customers to control their temperature, which is a common complaint.  

Once seated, if you are cold or tired, you can immediately use all four pieces to get warm and comfortable, without having to request anything from a flight attendant and possibly wait until after takeoff.  The drawback to this approach is that many customers won’t need all the pieces right away and they’ll have to find places to store everything as they settle in, but United says its research found that passengers didn’t have a hard time figuring this out.

United Polaris Pajamas

Polaris pajamas and slippers which can be requested on longer flights (Photo: Scott Hintz)

There will be a few additional items that customers may request from crew.  You can ask for a cooling gel memory foam pillow as well as a mattress pad.  Crews won’t actually turn down your bed for you, but they will at least give you a mattress pad so you can do it yourself.  I say hooray for that, as who wants to sleep with their face pressed up against seat upholstery that thousands of other people have also been intimate with?

On flights over 12 hours, you may also request pajamas and slippers.  The PJs I saw seemed fine, nothing special, although the slippers felt nice and plush, higher quality than I would have expected. They also appeared as though they might fit a large American foot.

United Polaris business class

Polaris pajamas and slippers which can be requested on longer flights (Photo: Scott Hintz)

The bedding materials all felt high quality, and all prominently feature the Saks Fifth Avenue brand.  I told a product director that I thought the branding seemed a little gimmicky, as people don’t generally think of Saks and bedding and it just felt a bit forced.  But she told me that it’s not just Saks slapping their label on these product, it’s a true partnership that has allowed United to leverage the Saks supply chain to acquire this much-upgraded bedding at the same cost as their old bedding. She also said that they liked the idea of partnering with an upscale retailer because it allows room to extend the partnership into other areas like crew uniforms and dishware.

United apparently considered partnering with a hotel brand (as Delta has done with Westin) and easily could have done something with UA’s tight hotel partner, Marriott.  But they felt like this type of partnership is a bit tired and constraining, so United wanted to do something different here.

Amenity Kit

United Polaris amenity kit (Scott Hintz)

United Polaris amenity kit (Scott Hintz)

Waiting at your seat upon boarding will be a brand new amenity kit.  I have to say, I was pretty impressed with it. The case itself is beautiful and feels very high end with a nice textured exterior, a zipper closure, and a variety of pockets inside.  United will continue to leverage its partnership with Soho House to provide quality Cowshed products, including relaxing pillow mist, lip balm, hand cream, and towelette, as well as other standard items like eyeshade, ear plugs, socks, tissues, comb, hand sanitizer, mints, dental pick, toothpaste, and toothbrush.

United Polaris Amenity kit

United’s impressive Polaris amenity kit (Photo: Scott Hintz)

A couple of standout items were the pillow mist that is meant to be sprayed on one’s pillow or bedding to help you fall asleep more easily, as well as some really nice eyeshades that included a contoured foam back that fits more snugly against your eyes and blocks out more light than usual.

United Polaris

The new Polaris eyeshades are contured away from the eyes for more comfort (Photo: Scott Hintz)

Service

Inflight service from flight attendants will make or break United's new Polaris business class (Photo: United)

Inflight service from flight attendants will make or break United’s new Polaris business class (Photo: United)

United knows that it can provide a great hard product, but if onboard service is lacking, it detracts from the entire experience. And service is an area where U.S. airlines generally lag considerably against the international carriers.  So United is doing a few things different to try to improve service quality with Polaris.

First, they heavily involved flight crews in the design of the product over the past three years.  I was surprised to hear that this is apparently a new way of doing things, as I would have assumed that crews were always included in the process, but I digress. Apparently flight attendants came up with some great input, such as identifying that the reset button at each seat (which is pressed if the seats becomes inoperable for some reason) was in a very hard-to-reach location, so the feedback was shared with the seating designer and the button was moved to a better location.  Similar for how catering carts are packed — flight crews pointed out that it’s much easier to unload heavy items if they are placed lower down to the floor than up high.

Next, United is doing a lot more training than usual.  The first phase already happened and had flight crews go through a half-day session giving them a high-level overview of Polaris — what the product is, why they are doing it, how it will impact customers, etc.  This is new for United and the thinking is that if crews understand why they have this new product, they will better understand the how to execute on it.  They want flight attendants to be excited about the new service and proud of the airline for stepping up and offering a world class experience.

United Polaris business class flight attendant

Inflight service key to the success of United’s Polaris business class (Image: United)

The next component involves a lot more executional training.  It sounds like in the past, training for a new product was largely done by computer and flight attendants simply had to answer some multiple choice questions to prove that they knew what to do.  Now, the training will be more interactive and will involve more instructional videos and real-world demonstrations. That includes having highly-trained supervisors on board Polaris flights for the first few months to oversee service delivery and to help crews work out the details.  Those supervisors won’t actually be working the flight, but rather are solely on board to make sure the service is delivered as designed.  This step is a first for United.

That’s it for part three of our Deep Dive series on United’s new Polaris business class. Don’t miss our previous posts about the new seat (Part 1) and the new food & beverage and Polaris Lounge (Part 2)!

So what do you think about United Polaris now that you’ve taken our deep dive? Please leave your comments below. We can’t wait to slip into the real thing this winter. Stay tuned for that Trip Report!

 

This series was written by TravelSkills contributor Scott Hintz. Check out Scott’s other amazing contributions here.

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts:

Kicking support animals off planes | Shocked passenger refuses to pay $3 for water | Marriott-Starwood: Higher prices, better rewards | The 10,000 points question! | Eye-catching maps explain state of the world | Test your planespotting skills!

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Deep Dive: United Polaris business class (Part 2 of 3) Food & beverage, lounge

United Polaris

New Polaris serving ware including the death star and the golf ball (Scott Hintz)

This is Part 2 of our Deep Dive series about United’s much anticipated new Polaris business class which will debut in December. The fleetwide rollout is expected to take about three years. In our previous post (Part 1), we focused primarily on the new seat.

In this post we’ll look at the new food and beverage offerings and take a peek at what Polaris business class lounges are all about.

Food and Beverage

United is making a big deal of its partnership with the Charlie Trotter group to come up with restaurant-inspired menus, although there weren’t many specifics in terms of the food that will be served.  It sounds like they partly want to keep it a secret, but also that the food is still being developed and hasn’t been finalized.  But apparently UA will introduce more variety into its menus, offering more regionally-specific meals than in the past.

For example, the airline previously considered China a single region and offered the same menu on all flights departing China, but now realizes that cuisine varies widely from city to city and will offer a different menu from each of the airports it serves in China.  It sounds like the entire U.S. will have the same menu for originating flights, but different food will be offered across various cities for European departures. When I asked about providing healthier options, a spokesperson said that they are definitely keeping that in mind, but couldn’t promise anything specific other than that they will begin offering a fifth entree option on all flights, which will be a salad with a warm protein.

For pre-departure beverages, Polaris will now have an integrated design where a plastic cup will be slid onto a post that’s part of the plate that will feature a welcome-aboard chocolate.  United will be serving real champagne from Pouilly-Fuissé in addition to water and juice choices.

Here are links to Part 1 (The new seat) and Part 3 (Bedding, Service) of this series…

United Polaris

Polaris pre-departure beverage cups and trays (note how they fit together to prevent spills) with welcome-aboard chocolate (Scott Hintz)

In terms of new, unique service features, United will begin offering a bloody mary cart for flights departing before noon. Flight attendants will wheel a cart down the aisle and allow customers to customize their bloody marys — in the words of a United product lead, “if someone wants 10 olives in their drink, they can have 10 olives.”  For flights departing after noon, in lieu of the bloody mary cart, Polaris will feature wine tasting flights.

United Polaris

Something new: A Bloody Mary cart on flights that depart before noon (Photo: Scott Hintz)

For wine selections, the airline says it will focus on offering some up-and-comers who you may not have heard of, in addition to some classics that are more familiar.  But the wine lineup will be consistent across the globe.  So if UA is featuring a Greek “up and coming” wine, that will be offered on all flights around the world.

United Polaris

Wine flights offered on departures after noon (Scott Hintz)

All the serving ware is being updated to be more stylish and incorporate a lot more United branding.  You’ll notice the pixelated globe design from the United logo will show up prominently in the ice cream dish, while more subtle nods to the design will adorn plates and cups.  Linens and glassware all felt upscale. (See photo at top.)

Introducing a little fun on the dinner tray, the salt and pepper shakers are both plastic globes that mimic the United logo design.  United folks jokingly refer to the pepper shaker as the “death star” and the salt as “the golf ball.”  I could see these as being great gifts to take home to loved ones after a big international trip.

United Polaris

Fun salt and pepper shakers dubbed the “death star” and “golf ball.” Notice the United logo design incorporated into salt and pepper as well as the bowls to their left (Scott Hintz)

Finally, United says that flight attendants are being trained much more extensively on the food and wine service so they are more knowledgeable about the offerings.  And they’ve also re-designed some of the service to be more efficient (such as serving the appetizer and salad at the same time on a single tray instead of as separate courses, as is done currently), for a couple of reasons.  First, that should make the meal service go faster and allow passengers more time for sleeping, a top priority of the Polaris experience.  Second, it should free up flight attendant time to spend more effort on new elements like the wine tasting flight, where the crew can chat with customers and tell them the story behind the wine and have it be more of an interactive experience.  Sounds great in theory, but will be interesting to see if this pans out in reality.

Here are links to Part 1 (The new seat) and Part 3 (Bedding, Service) of this series…

Polaris Lounge

Another important component of the Polaris experience involves a new business class lounge that will be offered at nine of United’s largest stations for international flights.  United says they believe they will be the only U.S. carrier with a true business class lounge.

United Polaris Lounge

Bar area in Polaris lounge (Scott Hintz)

The Polaris lounge will include a few features that do stand out from the competition.  First, as previously mentioned, customers can have a sit-down meal with waiter service if they wish to eat prior to the flight, so they can maximize sleep while on board.  There will also be an upgraded buffet of “premium” hot and cold food, although no specifics were given at this time.  The next is a series of sleep rooms that will include chaise lounges and offer a quiet place to relax between flights.

United Polaris Lounge

Polaris dining options include sit-down waiter service and buffet (rendering courtesy United Airlines)

A product spokesperson said that United actually considered adding a spa to its Polaris lounges, but ultimately decided it was a liability because so many customers are disappointed when they can’t get an appointment.  I actually agree with UA, as it’s nearly impossible to get into the British Airways spa as a business class passenger, and I’ve also has challenges when flying Etihad, Virgin Atlantic, and JAL, even as a first class passenger.

While I wasn’t able to see a real-world sample of what the lounges will look like, United was offering a very slick virtual reality tour of them during this press event.  And the virtual tour certainly did make the lounge look great, but I’d reserve final judgement until we see the real thing.

United Polaris Lounge

Sleep rooms in Polaris lounge (rendering courtesy United Airlines)

And speaking of seeing the real thing, the first Polaris lounge will open Dec. 1 at Chicago O’Hare.  There will be 9 lounges in total, including Chicago-ORD, Houston-IAH, Los Angeles-LAX, Newark-EWR, San Francisco-SFO, Washington Dulles-IAD, Hong Kong-HKG, London Heathrow-LHR, and Tokyo Narita-NRT.

That’s it for part two of our Deep Dive series on United’s new Polaris business class. Next up we will look at bedding, amenity kits, inflight service, and more. Come back!

Here are links to Part 1 (The new seat) and Part 3 (Bedding, Service) of this United Polaris Deep Dive series…

This post was written by TravelSkills contributor Scott Hintz. Check out Scott’s other amazing contributions here.

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts! Kicking support animals off planes | Shocked passenger refuses to pay $3 for water | Marriott-Starwood: Higher prices, better rewards | The 10,000 points question! | Eye-catching maps explain state of the world | Test your planespotting skills! )

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Deep Dive: United Polaris business class (Part 1 of 3)

United Polaris

Boarding the new Polaris cabin (rendering courtesy United Airlines)

This week I had a chance to preview United’s new “Polaris” business class in San Francisco.  The airline is putting a lot of effort into this new product, including a roadshow to its major hubs to show it off to press, top tier Global Services flyers, and major corporate accounts.

United built a mockup of the new cabin inside a studio in the edgy Dogpatch neighborhood of SF, which gave the whole event a hip, innovative vibe compared to a more traditional location like a hotel ballroom or even United’s large facilities at SFO airport.  And that was fitting for a product where United has clearly put a lot of thought into being different and not simply copying its competition.

Here are links to Part 2 (Food & Bev) and Part 3 (Bedding, Service) of this series…

United Polaris

United built a mock up of its new Polaris business class cabin in SF’s Dogpatch neighbhorhood (Scott Hintz)

Highlights

  • All of the features of the new Polaris product will roll out system-wide on December 1, except for the new seat, which will be retrofitted to the fleet over a 3-year period.  But the new food, bedding, and amenity kits will be on all business class flights later this year.
  • Innovative features include a new bloody mary service for morning flights and wine tasting flights for afternoon/evening departures
  • Enhanced flight attendant training in an effort to improve “soft” service levels, one of the major complaints customers often make when comparing U.S. carriers to international competitors
  • Big emphasis on delivering the best possible sleeping experience, including an option to dine prior to the flight at a sit-down waiter service in the Polaris airport lounge; high quality bedding including two pillows, two blankets, and a mattress pad; snazzy new eyeshades with foam that conforms to the eyes and blocks out more light; and on-request items such as a cooling gel memory foam pillow, pajamas, and slippers on select flights
  • A pod-like seat that felt spacious, comfortable, and private — much more in line with competitors and a big step up from UA’s current offering
  • A beautiful new amenity kit that felt luxurious, especially for business class
  • A nice upgrade to the airport experience with new Polaris business class lounges at major international hubs, including a buffet with premium food offerings, sit-down waiter service, and sleeping rooms
United Polaris

Something new: A Bloody Mary cart on flights that depart before noon.  (Photo: Scott Hintz)

Overview

United says they spent three years developing this new business class product and tried hard to be truly innovative, rather than just catching up and copying the competition.  And it shows.  While in many ways this new Polaris product does finally bring United up to par with major U.S. and international competitors, it is nice to see them going above and beyond in some small and even some more significant ways.

In speaking with the lead product director for Polaris, it was clear that United’s main focus for this product was on providing the best possible sleeping experience.  Through extensive customer research, United found that a good night of sleep is the one thing customers want the most, and UA has tried hard to deliver on that.  From a new airport lounge that provides the opportunity to eat a sit-down meal prior to the flight, thereby allowing for maximum sleeping time on board, to a comfortable new fully-flat seat/pod with enhanced privacy, and all-new bedding including and mattress pad, multiple pillows and blankets, and additional amenities, it does look like United has done a lot to make it easier for customers to arrive at their destination well-rested.

Let’s take a deeper dive into the details, starting with the seat itself. (In subsequent posts, we’ll inspect bedding, food and bev, inflight service and the new Polaris lounge so come back for more!)

The Seat

At last, United will be offering a lie-flat bed with all-aisle access, similar to what American and Delta already offer throughout most of their fleets.  While it’s nice to see UA catch up to its U.S. peers, it’s worth noting that this hard product will be better than what many international carriers, such as British Airways and Emirates, offer on all or most of their planes.

United Polaris

Polaris pod seating with alternating row seat arrangement (Photo: Scott Hintz)

United developed this seat in partnership with a design agency, Boeing, and a seat manufacturer.  They say that the unique layout allows them to fit the same number of business class seats into the cabin as their old/current product, without taking up any extra space.  They claim that if they had used a product similar to what American has on the 777-300 and Delta has on the A330, the wasted space of that design would have required United to remove 6-8 business class seats from the cabin, or 24-40 seats from the economy cabin, just to fit into the same amount of space.  If this is true, UA might have found the holy grail of delivering a seat that is a great customer experience at a cost/efficiency level that allows UA to offer it at lower prices than the competition and/or at higher margins.

My first impression of the seat was quite good.  Although it’s hard to say for sure how good the seat is when you only sit in it for 20 minutes versus 12 hours, it felt comfortable, private, and spacious (enough).  When Polaris was first unveiled a couple of months ago, reaction seemed to be centered around the seat layout looking very tight, and I shared that concern.  But sitting in the actual seat in a mock layout of two rows of the cabin, it felt more spacious than I was expecting.  However, the seats in the mock-up did not recline, so I don’t yet have an opinion about the lie-flat space. It certainly felt like more space than something like American’s updated 777-200 business class, and maybe about the same as the Delta A330 and American 777-300ER.  Polaris will have a 1-2-1 configuration, with each alternating row being a bit different.

Here are links to Part 2 (Food & Bev) and Part 3 (Bedding, Service) of this series…

United Polaris

Seat map for United Polaris on 777-300 (Image courtesy United Airlines)

For the single seats along the windows, one seat will be closer to the window and the next row will have the seat closer to the aisle.  It’s reminiscent of AA’s and DL’s updated 767-300 cabins in that way, but different in that the United seats still maintain the pod-like feel of the AA 777-300 and DL A330.  It’s similar for the two seats in the middle, where one row will have the seats closer to the aisles, and the next row will have the seats closer to the middle of the aircraft.  Those two seats in the middle section that are closer to the middle would be great for a pair traveling together, and both seats face forward and you can easily look at the person next to you, if you have the divider down.

I was pleased to see that the divider will be in the up position when you board, providing a nice amount of privacy and avoiding the social awkwardness one experience when having to keep putting the divider up in BA’s Club World cabin.

United Polaris

Movable divider between middle seats (in the “down” position in this photo) (Photo: Scott Hintz)

Looking at the cabin layout, it felt to me like the seats that are further away from the aisle (both the single seats along the windows and the side-by-side seats in the middle section) were more  private, so would be my preference if flying Polaris.

The seat has nice finishes and feels upscale.  United went with a cloth upholstery, as they found in their research that customers don’t like leather (they’re looking at you, Delta).  There was the standard assortment of power ports and lighting that one would expect.  Storage also feels fairly typical with a door that opens near your head to reveal a storage compartment, plus a few little pockets down lower.

United Polaris

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

A nice element is that the large monitor is in a fixed position facing you as you sit in the seat, which seems nicer than the type that you have to pop out of a wall on a hinge like you find on AA and BA.  Additionally, United says this setup will give customers gate-to-gate use of the entertainment system.

United Polaris

Fixed screen entertainment monitor; notice the tray table that slides out from underneath (Photo: Scott Hintz)

The pod includes several neat, novel features.  One of the side tables in the pod is finished with a real “stone” surface.  United says it’s a stone polymer composite, but it does indeed use real stone.  To me, it felt a bit more like plastic than stone, but kudos nonetheless for at least trying to incorporate some natural materials in the design.  

And from the no-brainer department, United has included a “do not disturb” sign at each seat, so you can let the flight attendant know not to bother you for anything.  It’s such a simple feature, I don’t know why all airlines aren’t doing this.  

United Polaris

Smart “do not disturb” sign (Scott Hintz)

Adjusting the recline of the seat is done primarily through a simple dial feature that worked well for me.  Finally, it’s nice that the tray table easily slides out from underneath the monitor in front of you, as opposed to some of the judo origami tricks it takes to unfold some trays from armrests without accidentally chopping off a finger.  Furthermore, United showed me how you can slide the tray forward far enough to get out of your seat even while you might have some used dishes still on your tray.  

At last, no more feeling like a hostage while you wait for the flight attendants to clear your plates!  The tray also has a little extendable “lip” near the back so you can easily prop up your iPad or other tablet if you’re using it to watch a movie — smart.

United Polaris

Stone polymer table (Scott Hintz)

 

United Polaris

Seating controls include a simple dial for adjusting recline as well as buttons for more specific movements, lumbar support, lighting, and do not disturb light (Scott Hintz)

United says that a unique characteristic of their Polaris seat is that it will be easy to get in and out of it even while it’s in the fully reclined position.  I did test that out and found it to be accurate, but it’s hard to recall if it’s really that much more difficult from competitors’ seats.  A United spokesperson said that you have to basically return the seat to the full upright position in order to get out of it on some other airlines.  I know this to be largely true on British Airways, especially if you are in a window seat and have walls on both sides of you, but can’t say how much more broadly this dynamic applies across the industry.

That’s it for part one of our Deep Dive series on United’s new Polaris business class. Next up we will look at bedding, amenity kids, food and beverage, inflight service, a new lounge and more. Come back!

Here are links to Part 2 (Food & Bev) and Part 3 (Bedding, Service) of this series…

This post was written by TravelSkills contributor Scott Hintz. Check out Scott’s other amazing contributions here.

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts! Kicking support animals off planes | Shocked passenger refuses to pay $3 for water | Marriott-Starwood: Higher prices, better rewards | The 10,000 points question! | Eye-catching maps explain state of the world | Test your planespotting skills! )

DONT MISS! The 100,000 points question!

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

Virgin Australia

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

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

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

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

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

Read: Virgin Australia’s “new” B777

Virgin Australia

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

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

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

Take an interactive spin through the new cabin right here:

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

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

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

Virgin Australia

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

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

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

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

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

  • Premium class
  • Space+ economy
  • Regular economy

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

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

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

 

Economy Space+ Virgin Australia

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

 

Virgin Australia Space+

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

 

Virgin Australia Economy

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

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

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

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

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

 

Virgin Australia

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

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

Virgin Australia 777-illustration

-Chris McGinnis

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

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Buying vs. hoping for upgrades

Delta says it is selling more first class seats these days. (Image: Delta)

Delta says it is selling more first class seats these days. (Image: Delta)

For decades, elite-level business travelers came to expect free upgrades to first or business class as part of their birthright. But in today’s changing environment, they often have to decide in advance whether they want to spend some money to guarantee a seat in a front cabin, or take their chances on getting a space available upgrade.

The New York Times took a look at the changing upgrade scene, and concluded that “the perks of being a frequent flyer are not as valuable as they once were.”

The report noted that airlines are finding new ways to gain some revenue from unsold front-cabin seats instead of just giving them away. Increasingly common tactics include pre-departure offers of low-priced upgrades; taking bids for unsold premium seats; and cutting fares for front-cabin seats in order to boost sales.

JetBlue's Mint class meals are excellent (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

JetBlue’s Mint class meals are excellent (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The newspaper interviewed a number of frequent travelers who bemoaned the changes and the new pre-departure calculations they must make in order to achieve the comfort level they want.

For example, should you just go ahead and buy that JetBlue Mint seat between California and NYC for $699, or pay United or Delta or American $499 for an economy seat and hope for the best? (Or pay just $399 each way for Mint seats on JetBlue’s new LAX-Ft Lauderdale flights!)

The NYT article also said that the airlines’ new strategies seem to be working, citing Delta’s prediction earlier this year that the percentage of paying passengers in its first class seats will increase from a little more than 50 percent in 2015 to 70 percent by 2018.

What about you, readers? What’s the best deal you’ve taken for an upgrade recently? What’s the most you’d pay for a transcon upgrade? Please leave your comments below. 

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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Be the first to try American’s premium economy cabin

American's new Premium Economy section will have leather seats in a 2-3-2 layout. (Image: American Airlines)

American’s new Premium Economy section will have leather seats in a 2-3-2 layout. (Image: American Airlines)

Last December, American Airlines said it would introduce an international premium economy cabin, and now it has set the date when customers will begin to see that new seating option. The move by American marks a new era for major U.S. carriers and is just one more step in the long-term reconfiguration of long-haul aircraft as the traditional first class cabin continues to disappear.

American said that on November 4, it will start flying 787-9 Dreamliners equipped with the new premium economy cabins on routes between Dallas/Ft. Worth-Madrid and DFW-Sao Paulo. Seats can be booked starting July 10 (so no fare info yet). The aircraft will have 30 lie-flat business class seats arranged 1-2-1; 21 premium economy seats in a 2-3-2 configuration; 21 Main Cabin Extra seats (up to six inches of extra legroom) arranged 3-3-3; and 207 regular economy seats, also in a 3-3-3 layout.

The premium economy section will offer leather seats with 38 inches of pitch; extendable foot, leg and head rests; and on-demand entertainment systems with larger touchscreens. Premium economy passengers will get to check one bag free, and will receive noise-reducing headphones, amenity kits, and an enhanced meal service with free alcoholic beverages of their choice. The new AA 787-9s will also offer international Wi-Fi. Besides the new 787-9s, American plans to retrofit its existing wide-bodies with the new cabin over time.

U.S. carriers are behind their foreign counterparts in adding true premium economy sections to their long-haul aircraft. According to Seatguru.com, which has compiled a comparison chart of premium economy seating worldwide, some 28 foreign carriers already offer the service.

Delta will introduce premium economy sections on new A350s in 2017. (Image: Delta)

Delta will introduce premium economy sections on new A350s in 2017. (Image: Delta)

American’s status as the only major U.S. carrier to offer international premium economy won’t last too long, however; Delta has already said it plans to introduce premium economy seating on the new Airbus A350s that it will start adding to its fleet in 2017, and then will extend the new cabin to its 777s as well.

All this is putting pressure on United Airlines to follow suit, but so far that carrier hasn’t said anything about premium economy. United’s last big announcement about its long-haul fleet was its plan to install an all-new Polaris Business Class product, which will start to appear in December on its 777-300ERs and then on its new 787-10s and A350-1000s; the new business cabin will also be deployed on United’s 767-300s and 777-200s as part of a three-year project that will also mean the gradual elimination of first class service on the airline’s long-haul fleet.

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

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

And United’s not alone in that respect; we recently noted that a number of the world’s leading airlines are moving to eliminate traditional first class as they buy new aircraft and retrofit their older ones. Think of it as a gradual recycling of cabin classes, with newer, plusher business classes replacing traditional first class, and improved premium economy seating taking the place of traditional business class.

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

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Trip Report: Turkish Airlines Business Class to Istanbul, Athens

Turkish Airlines

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Highlights of this Trip Report include:

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

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

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

United Club food

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

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

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

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

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

Turkish Airlines

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

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

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

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

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

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

Turkish Airlines

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

 

Turkish Airlines

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

 

Turkish Airlines

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

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

Turkish Airlines

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

 

Turkish Airlines

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

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

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

Turkish Airlines

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

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

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

Turkish Airlines

Business class recliner control (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

Turkish Airlines

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

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

Turkish Airlines

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

 

Turkish Airlines

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

 

Turkish Airlines

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

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

Turkish Airlines

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

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

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

Turkish Airlines

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

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

Turkish Airlines

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

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

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

Turkish Airlines

Mushroom ravioli on Turkish Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Turkish Airlines

Steak option on Turkish Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

Turkish Airlines

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

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

Turkish Airlines

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

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

Turkish Airlines

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

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

Turkish Airlines

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

 

Turkish Airlines

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

 

Turkish Airlines

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

 

Turkish Airlines

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

 

Turkish Airlines

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

Turkish Airlines

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

 

Turkish Airlines

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

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

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

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

Turkish Airlines

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

–Chris McGinnis

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

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

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Popular: Fare sale + Secret spaces + First class + New biz class + PreCheck

Turkish Airlines

On Turkish Airlines, flight attendants offer lemon, orange or raspberry juice as a pre-flight beverage. If you want Champagne, you have to ask for it (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Last week TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis took a quick trip to Greece via Turkish Airlines. Wow! You are not going to believe the inflight service on these flights. Stay tuned for his Trip Report!

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

1 Heads up: Crazy business class sale to Europe (fading, but still a few deals!)

2  Secret spaces on planes you’ve never seen before

3 First class phase-out picks up steam

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

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

4 United unveils new business class, dumps first

5 Routes: San Francisco, Portland, Atlanta, Houston, Washington D.C. + more

6 Transborder changes at SFO, Chicago, LAX, Houston, Minneapolis and SLC

Our famous photo of the updated men's room with a view at Singapore Changi Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Our famous photo of this unusual men’s room at Singapore Changi Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

7 Bay Area gains one new Asia route (SFO-SIN), loses another (SJC-PVG)

8 Is TSA PreCheck too expensive?

9 TSA explains confusion over PreCheck policies

10 Routes: American, Delta, United, Southwest

The New York Times did a nice job covering Delta’s new “innovation lanes” at Atlanta’s south security checkpoint. Based on what we’ve heard from TravelSkills readers, the new lanes are working and lines have been reduced significantly since the lanes opened last week. Have you tried ’em? (They are very similar to lanes we’ve seen at London Heathrow Terminal 5). No word yet on where these newer, fast lanes may turn up next.

Video of the week: Delta’s new innovation lanes open at ATL security checkpoints- see how they work!

The New York Times reports: In the United States, passengers going through airport security usually unload their belongings into bins one at a time, but with the innovation lanes, five fliers can unload their belongings in five different bins at the same time.

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

Airports put brakes on Delta’s plans to add CLEAR fast lanes at hubs

Marriott Rewards offers airline bonus miles

American dumping Gogo for ViaSat inflight wi-fi

American politics make you want to move to Canada? Air Canada wants YOU! VIDEO

Delta forces Qatar Airways to use de-ice pad instead of gate for inaugural ATL flight

Take a virtual flight with Nicole Kidman on Etihad

Turboprops set to make a comeback in US

Former Virgin Atlantic 747 goes up for sale — on eBay

AA chief: Airlines should price more like hotels

Flying over the Bosporous, where Europe and Asia meet, on Turkish Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis) CLICK to follow me on Instagram!)

Flying over the Bosporous in Istanbul, where Europe and Asia meet, on Turkish Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis) CLICK to follow me on Instagram!)

State Department issues warning about travel to Europe this summer

Saudis invest $3.5 billion in Uber

New law requires rental firms to fix recalled vehicles before renting them

Southwest Airlines bulks up in the Bay Area

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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United unveils new business class, dumps first

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

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

December 1 is the launch date for what United Airlines is calling a ”reimagined international travel experience” – the carrier’s long-awaited new business class, which will come with some new airport lounges as well.

United is calling the new cabins “Polaris Business Class” and they’ll start to appear in December on the airline’s 777-300ERs, and later on its new 787-10s and A350-1000s. United said its 767-300s and 777-200s will be retrofitted with the new cabins and that the fleet-wide retrofit is a “multi-year process” that we expect to take up to three years. United’s current first class product will disappear with the retrofit. So will those controversial rear-facing, four-across BusinessFirst seats.

Also on December 1, United will cut the ribbon on a new Polaris business class airport lounge at Chicago O’Hare, the first of nine such installations. Others will be coming at Los Angeles International, San Francisco, Houston Bush Intercontinental, Newark, Washington Dulles, Tokyo Narita, London Heathrow and Hong Kong, United said.

Related: First class phase out picks up steam

New business class seats will recline up to 180 degrees. (Image: United)

New business class seats will recline up to 180 degrees. (Image: United)

The new Polaris business seats, custom-designed for United, come in “forward-facing, suite-like pods,” the airline said. They all offer aisle access and 180-degree lie-flat recline. The seat dimensions are 6 feet 6 inches long and 22 inches wide. A spokesperson told TravelSkills that “bed length, width, side furniture and storage are all in line with Global First today.”

Passengers will find 16-inch high-def video screens, mood lighting, and the perfect level of seat recline achieved via a wheel instead of a button (something we first saw on the Hawaiian Air biz class rollout last week), along with multiple storage areas and surfaces for simultaneous working and dining.(Always a difficult feat to do both so will be interesting to try this!)

For those traveling with companions, the two seats in the center of the cabin will have electronic privacy dividers. And another nice touch: All seats have toggled do-not-disturb notifications.

Improved in-flight menus are designed by the Chicago-based Trotter Group. (Image: United)

Improved in-flight menus are designed by the Chicago-based Trotter Group. (Image: United)

Other enhancements to business class will include new custom-designed luxury bedding from Saks Fifth Avenue; free pajamas and “cooling gel filled pillows” on flights longer than 12 hours; new amenity kits; and upgraded in-flight menus and wine selections.

“In-flight service will also include made-to-order signature ice cream sundaes, a dessert cart with a variety of petit dessert options, chocolate truffles and wine flights. On daytime flights longer than eight hours and on all flights longer than 12 hours, hot mid-flight snacks such as lobster macaroni and cheese will be available,” United said.

Seats come with innovative storage spaces and new amenity kits. (Image: United)

Seats come with innovative storage spaces and new amenity kits. (Image: United)

The new Polaris airport lounges will feature new custom chairs, private daybeds, spa showers, and hot meals “served in a boutique restaurant setting” so travelers can dine before boarding if they want. Private seating stations in the lounges come with pull-out desks, induction chargers, AC/USB ports and table-mounted lamps.

Polaris lounges offer some private seating spaces for work and device recharging. (Image: United)

Polaris lounges offer some private seating spaces for work and device recharging. (Image: United)

The airline has created a special website at www.United.com/Polaris to introduce all the features of the new cabins and lounges. It also offers a virtual tour of the cabin via YouTube video.

Related: First class phase out picks up steam

So dear readers…. what do you think? What do you like…or not like about this? Please leave your comments below.

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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Heads up: Crazy business class sale to Europe

Istanbul

The view of the Bosporous where east meets west in Istanbul from my Turkish Airlines flight this week (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I’m fresh off the plane home from Greece and Turkey and have found business class fares for fall trips that look more like economy class. Seriously! We are talking about $1,500 round trip between the US and several cities in Europe for trips that start as early as August 21 and appear to go deep into September. If you are curious, just click over to Google Flights and see if you can find what we’ve just seen. It’s crazy.

Fall is by far the best time of year to head over the pond because the weather is soo much better, and the locals are sooo much happier to see you. And this year, there’s the extra added attraction of a very strong US dollar, so why not?

My eyes are spinning at these deals. So let’s take a look at what we found using September 6-September 13 as a sample. Fares will vary based on your exact dates and departure city. But my goodness this is good! And it won’t last.

Mykonos

Stay in a villa like this in the Greek Isles with the money you’ll save on your flight to Athens! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The cheapest flights are to Istanbul...which does not surprise me too much given weak demand for travel to Turkey due to recent bombings in Turkey. But the deals go well beyond Turkey. Athens is super cheap, too, and September is the best time to be there, according to what I heard on the ground there last week.

First let’s look at roundtrip business class flights from various cities with none or one stop en route (we don’t have all listed, so check around!)

San Francisco with 0-1 stops. 

Screen Shot 2016-06-01 at 6.16.18 PM

Istanbul $1,080 on Air France

Athens $1,622 on Air France

Munich $1,610 on Delta

Stockholm $1,545 on Delta

Lisbon $1,586 on Delta

Zurich $1,570 on Delta

From Los Angeles

Munich for $1,610 on Delta

Delhi for just $2,525 on Lufthansa

From New York: 

Screen Shot 2016-06-01 at 6.17.53 PM

Istanbul $1,160 on Delta

Athens $1,529 on Delta

Berlin, Frankfurt or Munich for $1,540

From Houston:

Munich $1,560 on Delta

Istanbul $1,283 on Delta

From Seattle: 

Screen Shot 2016-06-01 at 6.20.06 PM

Berlin, Munich $1,600 on Delta

From Chicago: 

Athens $1,722 on Air Berlin

Munich $1,610 on Delta

Check for yourself on Google Flights— and our apologies if these crazy fares evaporate faster than we can post them! Use this helpful page if you are not familiar with how to find deals and view calendars on Google Flights.

Here’s a look at the Google Flights map showing all sale fares from SFO to Europe for Sept 6-13 (Updated June 2):

Google Flights

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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Virgin Australia debuts a “new” 777-300ER

Virgin Australia's new business seats have 18,5-inch touchscreens. (Image: Virgin Australia)

Virgin Australia’s new 777 business class seats have 18-inch touchscreens. (Image: Virgin Australia)

Virgin Australia has rolled out the first of its five 777-300ERs – the model it uses on its transpacific service to Los Angeles – to complete a major overhaul, giving the aircraft a new business class cabin, a refreshed Premium Economy section, and new extra-legroom seating in the main cabin.

The aircraft’s new business class, which Virgin has branded “The Business,” has 37 seats in a 1-2-1 “reverse herringbone” layout, all with aisle access and a full recline that converts them into an 80-inch-long bed. The middle seats have privacy dividers that can be pulled back for communication with a seatmate, and all seats have side consoles with work and storage space. Business customers get turn-down service with cotton pillows, and seats come with an 18-inch high-definition touchscreen. Business class gets an improved food and beverage service as well, and it has a bar where passengers can get drinks, or where they can sit for breakfast if they want.

The middle seats in business class have a movable privacy divider. (Image: Virgin Australia)

The middle seats in business class have a movable privacy divider. (Image: Virgin Australia)

The airline has posted a Youtube video to display the features of its new  business class cabin.

Another nice new touch: a business class bar! (Image: Virgin Australia)

Another nice new touch: a business class bar! (Image: Virgin Australia)

The upgraded Premium Economy section on Virgin Australia’s 777-300ERs has 24 seats that are 19.5 inches wide, with a seat pitch of 41 inches and a recline of nine inches. Customers in Premium Economy will be served plated meals “inspired by business class,” the airline said, and will be offered business class wines. Seats have power and USB ports along with 10.6-inch seatback screens, and customers receive an amenity pack, priority boarding and baggage handling.

The new business class seat reclines into a fully flat bed. (Image: Virgin Australia)

The new business class seat reclines into a fully flat bed. (Image: Virgin Australia)

And that’s not all: The main economy cabin is getting a new product called Economy Space + that will be available for purchase on flights departing August 30 or later. Those seats will be in the first five rows and the exit rows of the main cabin, offering passengers extra legroom, noise-canceling headsets, a guaranteed first meal choice, and a dedicated check-in counter. Those seats will carry a surcharge of $97 to $119 (U.S.).

The overhaul of all five of Virgin Australia’s 777-300ERs is expected to be finished by the third quarter of this year.

Virgin Australia flies to Los Angeles daily from Sydney and Brisbane and has a partnership with Delta.

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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First class phase-out picks up steam

JAL's spacious leather and wood trimmed first class sanctuary (Photo: JAL)

Japan Airlines’ spacious leather and wood trimmed first class sanctuary (Photo: JAL)

Whenever we see news about international first class cabins these days, it’s usually that they are being discontinued.  This trend has been going on for at least 20 years, and it shows no signs of slowing down – which makes us wonder: Does international first class have a future?

In recent news:

Cathay Pacific has just decided it will not put a first class cabin  into its new Airbus A350-900s or the larger A350-1000s it has on order, instead configuring them with business class, premium economy and regular economy seating. News reports cite Cathay executives as saying the airline will still offer first class, but that the market for it is becoming a “niche segment” that will only allow it to work on key international business routes. Qatar Airways new A350s have no first class. Singapore Airlines’s new A350, which debuted in March, has none, either. Nor does the new Finnair A350.

Lufthansa, which has long been a defender of first class for international routes out of its Frankfurt hub, doesn’t feel the same way about its Munich hub. This coming winter, it plans to eliminate it on many intercontinental A330-300 flights out of Munich, including service to Charlotte, Montreal, Boston, Chicago, New York JFK and Washington Dulles.

Did you know: “First Class” has its own Wikipedia page

Row 1 on the main deck- I call these "windshield seats" because of the curvature of the plane in the nose (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

That big QANTAS 747-400 that Chris flew to Australia in March was all business class- even on row one in the nose of the plane pictured here (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Air India earlier this year decided to get rid of the first class cabin on the three 777-200LRs that it uses for its new Delhi-San Francisco route. Airline officials told the India Times that the occupancy rate for seats in the front cabin was only reaching about 25 percent.

Late last year, Emirates created the world’s largest passenger airliner – an Airbus A380 with 615 seats – by eliminating first class and reconfiguring the plane with 58 business class and 557 economy seats. Other A380s in Emirates’ large fleet have 489 or 517 seats in three classes.

Delta got rid of international first class a long time ago, and we reported a few months ago that United is gradually following suit, ordering new 787-8s, 787-9s and A350s that have no first class cabins. It also plans to end first class on its existing three-class 767-300s, although it will continue on some 777s and 747s for now. (UPDATE: With the introduction of Polaris business class, United will eliminate Global First.) American still has a few first class seats flying around, but will they be pushed out of the sky with it rolls out a new international premium economy seat later this year?

Korean Air's first class cabin flew empty from ICN to ATL (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Korean Air’s first class cabin was empty on a recent Seoul-Atlanta flight  (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

An analysis a few months ago by Airways News cited a few big reasons why first is falling out of favor with global business travelers.  There is the usual concern of corporate bean-counters that travelers shouldn’t be allowed too much luxury, making budgets for the big seats tighter or non-existent. But there’s also the fact that international business class has improved on many airlines to the point where buying a first class seat instead of business class would just be gilding the lily (e.g. seats that recline to a fully flat position and offer aisle access for everyone are becoming standard for international business class, whereas in previous decades you could only find them in first.)

And finally the analysis noted that C-suite business travelers who used to routinely fly in first around the world now have another option: private jets. New kinds of purchase plans are making the cost of private jet travel more affordable, and new technology is producing larger business jets that have a much greater range. Major private jet operators like NetJets are concentrating their new plane orders on these intercontinental business jets to meet a growing global demand.

The analysis noted that the “vast majority” of passenger demand for first class airline travel has retreated to routes linking just 15 global business centers, including London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dubai, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Frankfurt, Paris, Zurich, Beijing and Sydney.

Would it matter to you if first class disappeared completely? Why or why not? Please leave your comments below. 

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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Are you a business class seat expert? Take our fun quiz!

If you had fun with our business class quiz, test your airport smarts with our NAME THAT AIRPORT quiz! — Nearly 4,000 others have taken it so far!

Also! Did you hear about the new business class seat United Airlines introduced this week? Take a look and read our review here!

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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Act fast! British Airways business class sale

On BA's A380, business class is an upstairs-downstairs affair (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

On BA’s A380, business class is an upstairs-downstairs affair (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Planning to go to London for the year-end holidays? If you can act by May 12 (Thursday), you can score a real deal on British Airways premium seats. The three-day business class/first class sale also offers low prices for trips across the pond this summer.

Here are some sample prices: For Thanksgiving/Christmas trips (travel November 22-29 or December 18-January 2), roundtrip sale fares in Club World (business class) are $2,963 from Los Angeles, $2,964 from San Francisco and $2,995 from San Jose (where BA started service this week). Fares from other gateways include $2,038 from Boston, $2,202 from New York, $2,243 from Miami, $2,592 from Chicago and $2,595 from Dallas/Ft. Worth.

For travel this summer and beyond (June 20, 2016-March 31, 2017), Club World three-day roundtrip sale fares are $3,463 from LAX and SFO, $3,493 from San Jose, $2,338 from Boston, $2,502 from New York, $2,542 from Miami, $2,992 from Chicago and $2,993 from DFW.

First class sale fares range from $2,742 to $3,895 for holiday trips and from $3,042 to $4,393 for summer, depending on the gateway. All fares include taxes, fees and carrier charges. The airline is also offering hotel discounts.

For comparison’s sake, business class fares from US to London typically run in the $5,000 to $8,000 range, so these fares represent good value.

Sale fares are also available for travel beyond London to Athens, Barcelona, Birmingham, Madrid and Manchester, and for travel on BA partners American Airlines, Finnair and Iberia.

Now’s the time to keep an eye out for similar business class fare sales on other carriers-– as summer vacation season (and holidays) approaches and business travel demand declines, airlines freak out and lower prices for those big seats up front. Sometimes business class is not much more than overpriced economy class during peak season from mid June through mid-August, as well as winter holidays.

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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Briefs: Alaska/JAL, AA biz seats, BA Wi-Fi, Lufthansa in Silicon Valley

Japan Airlines has a new partnership with Alaska Airlines. (Image: JAL)

Japan Airlines has a new partnership with Alaska Airlines. (Image: JAL)

International carrier news briefs include a new transpacific partnership for Alaska Airlines, a look at American’s new long-haul business class seating, a Wi-Fi decision by British Airways and its siblings, and a move by Lufthansa to fund travel-related start-ups in Silicon Valley.

Starting this summer, members of Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan will be able to earn miles on Japan Airlines, thanks to a new partnership between the two carriers. The code-sharing and frequent flyer cooperation pact will mean seamless connections for travelers between Alaska’s flights and JAL’s transpacific services to Tokyo from San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Vancouver, as well as JAL’s LAX-Osaka service. While mileage-earning on JAL will begin this summer for Mileage Plan members, award travel redemptions on the Japanese carrier “will begin later in 2016,” Alaska said. Strategically, the tie-up with JAL is a logical step for Alaska; its merger partner Virgin America already has an interline partnership with JAL for connections at SFO and LAX, and Alaska recently started a big expansion of code-sharing with American Airlines, which has joint venture and Oneworld global alliance partnerships with the Japanese carrier.

Japan Airlines and Alaska will link up at four West Coast gateways. (Image: JAL)

Japan Airlines and Alaska will link up at four West Coast gateways. (Image: JAL)

American Airlines will turn to a next-generation “Super Diamond” business class seating configuration for its next-generation long-haul international aircraft, according to a report in Forbes. The new seats will all recline fully flat, will be enclosed in a kind of personal shell, and will offer aisle access from every seat. They’ll go into the new 787 Dreamliners and Airbus A350s that will be coming to American in the next few years, and will also be retrofitted onto some 777-200s. American recently broke off its ties to French-based seat manufacturer Zodiac and is turning to B/E Aerospace for the new business class seats.

American Airlines' new international business class seat. (Image: American)

American Airlines’ new international business class seat. (Image: American)

International Airlines Group, (IAG), the parent of British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus, has signed a deal with Wi-Fi vendor Gogo for installation of that firm’s next-generation 2Ku satellite-based Wi-Fi technology. Passengers should start to see the technology appearing on aircraft next year, and by 2019, IAG said, it should be on 90 percent of the airlines’ long-haul fleets. “In addition to providing faster access to web-based services, passengers will enjoy more entertainment options throughout their entire journey. In the future, inflight Wi-Fi will also transform the duty free experience, allowing travelers to order from their phones and tablets and arrange for items purchased on board to be delivered to their homes,” the company said. It will be installed in BA’s 747s, 777s, 787s and A380s as well as Iberia A330s and A340s and some Aer Lingus 757s.

Gogo will greatly increase broadband satellite Wi-Fi capacity in 2017. (Image: SES/Airbus Defence & Space)

Gogo will greatly increase broadband satellite Wi-Fi capacity in 2017. (Image: SES/Airbus Defence & Space)

Earlier this year, JetBlue announced the formation of a subsidiary that will invest in travel-related technology start-ups in Silicon Valley – and now Lufthansa is doing  the same. The airline said its Lufthansa Innovation Hub unit will team up with Plus and Play, a venture capital group in Silicon Valley. “The objective is to identify and promote innovative technologies and digital business ideas along the entire travel chain,” Lufthansa said. “Over the course of a twelve-week mentoring program, 20 to 30 selected start-ups will receive support for the further development of their business models. They will also make contact with companies in order to talk about partnerships and joint projects as well as investment.” The airline is backing up its interest in Silicon Valley with new San Jose-Frankfurt non-stops due to start July 1.

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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Popular: Delta discounts biz class + United to Europe + Hola, Southwest + Delta dumps fee + Car rental rates down

Delta's flat bed seating on a 767. (Photo: Delta Air Lines)

Sleep in a discounted Delta flat bed to Europe this summer! (Photo: Delta Air Lines)

Before we get started with this week’s most popular post, let’s take a look at an unusual opportunity. Late last week Delta trotted out some very nice discounts for SkyMiles award travel to Europe– in business class. This is the yet another sign that European bookings have taken a hit this summer.Weekend Edition The first was the fare sales we saw from United and SAS this week (our most popular post). And now, this. The discounts start at just 105,000 miles for Delta One (bidness) for roundtrips June 3 to October 29 (with lots of blackout dates). BUT, you must act fast– currently the deals are only good if you book by Thursday, April 21. Here are the details . Even if you don’t have a big stash of SkyMiles, keep in mind that you can convert your American Express Membership Rewards points to Delta miles. Stay tuned to TravelSkills in coming weeks as I think we’ll continue to see some very good deals across the pond this year.

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

1 Deal Alert: Deep summer sale to Europe

2 Southwest’s growing international game

3 Surprise! Delta drops an annoying fee

Air China will use an A330-200 between San Jose and Shanghai. (Image: Mehdi Nazarinia/Wikimedia Commons)

Air China will use an A330-200 between San Jose and Shanghai. (Image: Mehdi Nazarinia/Wikimedia Commons)

4 Routes: San Jose, San Francisco, Atlanta, Newark, Philadelphia, Miami

5 Rental car rates are down. But why? (Poll results show 50% of readers book fewer rental cars due to…)

6 Warning: Be careful pricing multi-leg trips

7 Americans love the air travel experience! Wait. What? (Poll results show that 65% of readers don’t agree…)

8 Takeover targets Starwood & Virgin America team up

9 Should I tip my Uber or Lyft driver?

10 TSA explains confusion over PreCheck policies

Two round trip business class tickets to Asia! Where? Stay tuned (Map image: US Central Intelligence Agency)

Two round trip business class tickets to Asia! Where? Stay tuned (Map image: US Central Intelligence Agency)

The BIG giveaway! Stay tuned to TravelSkills this week for our biggest giveaway EVER. Get this: We have TWO roundtrip business class tickets to give away on a new Asian route from SFO. Any guesses where? The big reveal comes this week. To win them, you’ll have to agree to write up a Trip Report for TravelSkills. Are you game? Stay tuned!

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

Virgin America paid $11 million to license Virgin name in 2015

5 new gates at Chicago O’Hare for American

BMW planning a new ridesharing service like Uber

No more tips for Charlotte airport’s old-school bathroom attendants

Virgin customers: Like, but not love when it comes to Alaska Airlines

Uber continues to disrupt ground transport with a new carpool sharing option (Photo: Uber)

Wait: I can’t get my Uber here? Come on! (Photo: Uber)

5 big cities that DON’T have Uber (yet)

Plane geek gets clipped by low flying plane VIDEO 

Now earn elite qualifying United miles on Brazil’s Azul airlines

New Beijing Airport looks like lady parts

All-you-can-fly airline in the northeast shuts down

AmEx Rewards points can be used for online tech purchases

Flyers’ rights group asks FAA to reconsider regulation of seat size

Atlanta’s airport eyes open market-style food concessions in Concourse E

Here’s a look at Southwest’s LAX Terminal 1 renovations

New forecast downgrades the outlook for business travel growth

Air France late-departing business class flyers from NYC can dine before boarding

First class seat design has 4K video, mood lighting, wireless charging and its own app

Airbus might move lavs, galleys below main deck on A350-1000

This hotel is located in an iconic clocktower building on Madison Square Park (Photo: Marriott)

This hotel is located in an iconic clocktower building on Madison Square Park (Photo: Marriott)

Headed to NYC soon? Don’t miss TravelSkills reviews New York’s five newest business class hotels. Did you see all of ’em? If not, here ya go:

 1 Hotel Central Park (Midtown)

The Baccarat (Midtown)

New York EDITION (Flatiron/Madison Sq Park)

The EVEN Hotel (Near Penn Station/Garment district)

The Knickerbocker (Times Square)

.

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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Trip Report: QANTAS 747-400 business class San Francisco – Sydney (Photos)

QANTAS 747 Sydney

A QANTAS 747-400 parked at Sydney’s Kingsford Smith International Airport. Note the Sydney skyline in the background! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Last month I took a dive to the land down under on a big QANTAS 747-400 in business class on its recently restored nonstops between San Francisco International and Sydney.

Highlights of this 14-hour flight include:

  • A business class lounge that exceeded my expectations
  • One of the best nights of sleep I’ve ever had onboard a plane
  • A spin through an empty 747 including the secret crew rest area
  • Bottled water that helps with jet lag
  • Pajamas worth changing into
  • Dramatic view from the cockpit on approach to SYD
  • A raucous greeting in Sydney that will make you smile
  • One of the easiest train rides from airport to city I’ve experienced in a while

Currently, QANTAS economy class roundtrip fares between San Francisco and Sydney are in the $1,400 range (but can dip as low as $1,000 during periodic fare sales). Premium economy fares are about $3,000 round trip, and business class roundtrips run from about $8,000 to $10,000. QANTAS does not offer first class on its SFO-SYD flights. United and QANTAS offer the only nonstops between SFO and SYD and their fares are identical.*

QANTAS covered the cost of my flights, but TravelSkills paid for hotels, meals and transfers related to this five-day trip.

QANTAS

So glad to be upstairs on the 747! Wow! (Chris McGinnis)

Checking in at SFO for an 11:25 pm departure was fast and easy. My ticket did not allow me to select a seat ahead of time, so I was worried that I’d be stuck in one of the few middle seats in business class. So I arrived at the airport early planning to spend a couple hours working in the lounge. Lo and behold, at check in there was one seat left upstairs in the “business class bubble” so I snagged it! Seat 14B is an aisle exit row, so I had miles of legroom. How much? See this.

Call me culturally confused: I'm headed to Australia, but the business class lounge says otherwise (Chris McGinnis)

Call me culturally confused: I’m headed to Australia, but the business class lounge says otherwise (Chris McGinnis)

At SFO, QANTAS passengers must use the Air France / KLM lounge. While I was hoping that I might be able to slip into the lounges of Oneworld partners such as British Airways or Cathay Pacific, I learned that due to crowding issues at night, QANTAS passengers are only provided access to the Air France / KLM Lounge.

QANTAS uses the Air France lounge at SFO- this is one of two rooms (Chris McGinnis)

QANTAS uses the Air France lounge at SFO- this is one of two rooms (Chris McGinnis)

My expectations for the lounge were set low– I had heard that there was nothing special about this lounge. But when I entered, I was greeted nicely by two fun and interesting agents who explained to me that I had to be sure and see BOTH rooms in the lounge. Apparently, many lounge visitors think the lounge is just the first room you see (above). But there’s a somewhat hidden door that leads to a much larger room with a big buffet, and plenty of tables and chairs. The back room was definitely where the action was.

A relic from its Northwest Airlines past- the Air France lounge still sports a fireplace (Chris McGinnis)

A relic from its Northwest Airlines past- the Air France lounge still sports a fireplace (Chris McGinnis)

This lounge used to belong to Northwest Airlines. Remember when most NWA lounges had fireplaces? This relic (not working) is still there, which adds a homey feel to the space. Apparently the fireplace will be removed next time this lounge is updated.

A friendly attendant passes around cups of fried rice that hits the spot at 10 pm (Chris McGinnis)

A friendly attendant passes around cups of warm fried rice that hits the spot at 10 pm (Chris McGinnis)

What the Air France / KLM lounge lacks in atmosphere is made up for in the service you get once inside. As I said, the door agents were fun and friendly (we joked about feeling French when flying to Australia). Inside the lounge, servers were all over the place, passing snacks, cleaning up and interacting with travelers. I arrived early, and the place was pretty empty, but as flight time approached, seat space became scant– it was a good thing that they had staffed up for the crunch.

A healthy hearty pre-flight plateful from the lounge buffet (Chris McGinnis)

A healthy hearty pre-flight plateful from the lounge buffet (Chris McGinnis)

I was impressed by the amount and variety of food and drink on offer at the KLM / AF lounge that QANTAS uses. The lounge also had a noisy and convivial feel– mostly Australians enjoying a beer and time with friends and colleagues on their way home.

Stairway to heaven: inside the business class bubble on a 747 (Chris McGinnis)

Stairway to heaven: inside the business class bubble on a 747 (Chris McGinnis)

Due to my status as a travel writer, I received a special favor– I asked if I could board five minutes early so I could get some good photos of the plane before it filled up with passengers. At the last minute my wish was granted, so I scrambled on board, up the “stairway to heaven,” threw my bags down and took off with flight attendant Jerry for a quick tour of the plane INCLUDING a look at the secret crew rest area in the aft section of the “bubble” with access via a special stairway from the main deck. See that here or scroll to the bottom for the video. This big bird has a crew of 14 flight attendants and four pilots and on a 14+ hour flight, they need a place to hide!

18 big business class seats upstairs on the QANTAS 747 (Chris McGinnis)

18 big business class seats upstairs configured 2-2 on the QANTAS 747 (Chris McGinnis)

There’s not a better place in the world than upstairs in business class on a Boeing 747-400. On QANTAS there are 18 seats up here configured 2-2 with a galley in the back and a lavatory and door to the cockpit up front. I was seated in 14B- the seat (seen below) with the suitcase in front of it. Not only is it in the cosy confines of the business class bubble, it’s an exit row seat. Upside of this seat: limitless legroom and no interference from your neighbor getting up. Downside: In seat storage is almost nil– window seat passengers get those nice big bins along the windows, but aisle seats don’t. Another downside with this seat: it’s tough seeing out the windows.

Row 15 upstairs on QANTAS 747 is exit row w endless leg room (Chris McGinnis)

Row 14 upstairs on QANTAS 747 is exit row w endless leg room (Chris McGinnis)

 

QANTAS business class massage

Seat controller for business class lie-flat seats- with massage! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

QANTAS 747-400 business class seats are the same ones you’ll find on its A380s– fully flat, lumbar controls and with a nice massage feature. The massage was nice, but controlling it via these buttons was difficult.

There is no wi-fi onboard QANTAS 747s.

Main deck business class on QANTAS 747-400 (Image: Seatguru)

Main deck business class on QANTAS 747-400 (Image: Seatguru)

 

Row 1 on the main deck- I call these "windshield seats" because of the curvature of the plane in the nose (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Row 1 on the main deck- I call these “windshield seats” because of the curvature of the plane in the nose (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

While upstairs is nice, downstairs in the nose of the 747 is a pretty nice space, too. Especially if you are seated in row 1– these seats are super private and quiet and insiders say that this is usually where QANTAS seats its superstar VIP guests.

QANTAS business class 747

Least desirable business class seat on QANTAS 747 are middle seat on main deck, rows 5, 6,7 & 8 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The best seats on the main deck are row 1 (for privacy) and also row 5 if you are traveling alone- that’s because these two seats (B&J) are solo seats– there’s no one seated next to you. See what I mean here on the 747-400 V2 three class layout on SeatGuru. Seats to avoid if possible would be the three middle seats on row 5, 6, 7 and 8.

QANTAS 747 Economy

Economy class on QANTAS 747 configured 3-4-3 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

There are 270 economy class seats on this big bird. One cabin is green (pictured), the other is pinkish maroon. The best seats are those in the mid-cabin area. Avoid seats at the front or the rear of the cabins due to lines that form near lavatories.

Economy class seat pitch is 31 inches on QANTAS 747 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Economy class seat pitch is 31 inches on the QANTAS 747 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

QANTAS also offers a distinct premium economy section with 26 seats configured 2-4-2 with wider seats and arm rests. Premium economy passengers also get a special menu, noise canceling headsets, preflight champagne, and special amenity kits.

QANTAS Premium Economy 747

QANTAS premium economy on 747 is configured 2-4-2- ask for the 2 side! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

QANTAS premium economy 747

Seat pitch in QANTAS premium economy is 38″ plus wider arm rests (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Back upstairs in business class… we took off on time at 11:25 pm. Shortly thereafter, a mad rush for the lavatory ensued as everyone was eager to change into pajamas for the long night ahead. This was also the time that flight attendants helped passengers position nice quilted cotton seat covers over cushions that really helped with the coziness factor of the cabin. (See below)

QANTAS SFO flight departs at 11:30 pm and arrives SYD about 14 hours later (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

QANTAS SFO flight departs at 11:25 pm and arrives SYD about 14 hours later at about 8:00 am two days later (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Soft and stretch pajamas improve sleep quality & preserve your clothing for arrival (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Soft and stretchy pajamas improve sleep quality & preserve your clothing for arrival (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I’m usually not one to fuss over pajamas, but on a 14+ hour flight it was very nice to change into a shirt I’d not spent the night in. Plus, you get to keep the PJs for use at home (or for gifting those who did not get to go on this trip).

Salmon with spinach & sauteed egglant (Photo: Chris McGinnis

Salmon with spinach & sauteed eggplant (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I was disappointed that we did not get any menus on this flight… I usually like to peruse and photograph them. But on this flight there was a snafu due to the change from February to March, and the menus did not get loaded. So my choice was made based on a description provided by the flight attendant. I chose to go with salmon and was not disappointed. It tasted delicious, and was a right sized portion. Not pictured is the bread– flight attendants roll out two big loaves of warm bread (sourdough and whole wheat) which they offer while serving the main course. Warm bread is always nice.

A delicious vanilla custard with raspberries for dessert (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A delicious vanilla custard with raspberries for dessert (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Since I knew I’d be trying to sleep on this flight, I ate about half my entree and a few bites of this cool and velvety vanilla custard. After that, it was time to hit the sack on my cozy quilted lie flat seat.

QANTAS business class cover

Quilted seat covers help! Flight attendants place them at passengers’ request before or after meal (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I tried to watch “The Intern” after my meal, but started to doze off. Once I put my seat down, Jerry was there with a bottle of flower-enhanced Balance water– supposedly to help with jet lag. You know what? It worked! No jet lag at all on this trip. But that might have more to do with the fact that I slept for 8 hours on this flight…. amazing because I rarely get 8 hours at home!

Here’s what worked for me: First, of course is the true lie-flat seat upstairs on a 747. Second, I made it a point to eat lightly and only had one glass of wine with dinner. Third, on this flight I tried using Mack’s Moldable Silicone Earplugs– each one is a small plug of translucent putty that covers up your entire ear canal and truly blocks out all sound. That, along with my Bucky eyemask and I was down for the count!

Special jet lag water provided to get you through the night (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Special jet lag water provided to get you through the night (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

On this flight I slept for nearly 8 hours — I remember falling asleep as we approached Hawaii and I woke up with only about 2-3 hours flying time left! Wow!

Fell asleep somewhere near Hawaii & woke up 8 hours later- almost there! (Chris McGinnis)

Fell asleep somewhere near Hawaii & woke up 8 hours later- almost there! (Chris McGinnis)

I could not believe my eyes when I woke up and looked at my watch at around 6 am Sydney time. Perfect time for a flat white!

QANTAS coffee

Woke up to a fine flat white prepared by flight attendant (Chris McGinnis)

I strolled back to the galley to find the second of two flight attendants plating breakfast and making toast in a big toaster– that burnt bread smell reminded me of breakfast at my Canadian Granny’s house!

A hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and (my fave) baked beans (Chris McGinnis)

A hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and (my fave) baked beans (Chris McGinnis)

After a full night of sleep and a flat white, I was raring to go. In that sharpened state, I asked our flight attendant if I could pass my camera to the pilots to take some shots of the approach to SYD. They agreed and took about 30 shots- the best of which I posted below. Very cool!

I handed my camera to pilots for some great approach shots- note Sydney skyline! (Photo: QANTAS Pilots!)

I handed my camera to pilots for some great approach shots- note Sydney skyline! (Photo: QANTAS Pilots!)

 

QANTAS 747 pilots

A quick thanks to the crew for helping me out with some photos (Chris McGinnis)

Arrival at Sydney was quick and easy via kiosk. No lines at all at 8 am.

Quick and easy entry via kiosk at SYD (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Quick and easy entry via kiosk at SYD (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Now this was a surprise: Sydney’s big Mardi Gras festival was taking place during the week I was there… and the airport had drag queens welcoming flights– which caused quite a stir as we filed past them. One of them looked at me and said, “Sir, you must have flown in business class because you are looking fresh as a flower this morning!” I had to agree– and pose for a few selfies 🙂

Since it was Mardi Gras in Sydney, our flight was greeted by some festive drag queens. What a welcome! (Chris McGinnis)

Since it was Mardi Gras in Sydney, our flight was greeted by some festive drag queens. What a welcome! (Chris McGinnis)

Getting into the city for my meetings was a cinch using the quick and easy Airport Link, which takes about 20 minutes to reach the Central Business District or “CBD” as Sydneysiders say.

A quick, easy, one-seat ride from airport to central business district or CBD (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A quick, easy, one-seat ride from airport to central business district or CBD (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Trains depart for city every 10 minutes from airport station- a 20 minute ride (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Trains depart for city every 10 minutes from airport station- a 20 minute ride (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Fares run about US$13 each way for the 20 minute ride to town– that’s pricey for two, but definitely beats the morning traffic. Taxicab fares run about US$35.

Plenty of room on the clean, modern & bright double decker trains to the city (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Plenty of room on the clean, modern & bright double decker trains to the city (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The train dropped me just a couple blocks from my Sydney hotel- easy! By the way, did you see my post: Trip Report: newest business class hotels in Sydney? Read up!

And stay tuned for a follow up post to this one where I’ll explore QANTAS’ flagship first and business class lounges at SYD!

Stay tuned for another post this- QANTAS first & business class lounges at SYD (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Stay tuned for another post this- QANTAS first & business class lounges at SYD (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Here’s the video of the crew rest area:

–Chris McGinnis

*(Fares checked for May flights using Google flights on March 28 and subject to change)

Disclosure: QANTAS covered the cost of Chris’ flights. TravelSkills paid for related hotels, meals and transfers.

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

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Trip Report: 5 newest business class hotels in Sydney (Photos)

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Sydney’s hotel scene is hot with plenty of new spots to bed down (Photo of Harbour Bridge: Chris McGinnis)

Sydney went through a big hotel boom in preparation for the Olympics way back in 2000 and since then has not added many big new hotels. But there have been plenty of refurbishments and re-brandings of larger properties. Plus, a handful of smaller properties have recently opened in and around Central Business District or “the CBD” as Sydneysiders refer to their downtown area.

I recently flew down to Australia from San Francisco to check out QANTAS’ new business class on its 747 SFO-SYD nonstops (here’s my Trip Report about that!). While I was there, I tried to see as many new business class hotels as I could for this report. I saw six and stayed at two of them. You know what’s nice? I discovered that due to the strength of the US dollar, you currently can snag a really nice, new 4-5 star hotel in Sydney for less than US$300 per night– that would have been unheard of a couple years ago before the US dollar’s ascent.

Keep reading to find out about an art deco gem in an old water works building, another in the executive offices of a brewery, a Starwood property poised to become Australia’s largest hotel, plus a great value in a converted mid-century mod office tower. 

At TravelSkills, we love new hotels. They smell better, work better, feel better, and are usually bigger, brighter and hipper than others. But new can also have its downside: Construction noise, service issues, and/or locations in sketchy or “upcoming” neighborhoods unfamiliar to cab or car drivers. Some are so new that TripAdvisor reviews are scant compared to more established hotels. In an ongoing feature, TravelSkills reports on the newest hotels in the world’s most important cities. When we say “newest” we have certain criteria around that: The hotels have to be brand new or deeply renovated within the last few years, 3+ stars and appropriate venues for business travel. See all our new hotels features here.

The Tank Stream Hotel

Tank Stream Hotel Sydney

My room on the 15th floor of the Tank Stream Hotel with a Sydney Harbour Bridge view! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Tank Stream Hotel Sydney

Step into The Tank Stream’s Le Petit Flot for a nice hot breakfast for US$18.00 (Chris McGinnis)

The 280-room Tank Stream Hotel opened in November 2015 in a converted a 1960’s style, 15-story office building in the heart of the city’s financial district and just two blocks from Circular Quay on Sydney Harbour.  It’s just a block from the Wynyard train station for easy airport access. The unusual name for this 4-star hotel comes from the natural springs running underneath the building, the source of fresh water when Sydney was first settled. Today, guided tours of The Tank Stream are conducted by Sydney Water as it is now part of the storm water system.

During my stint in Sydney, I stayed here three nights and found the hotel super-convenient, clean, quiet and a very good value- depending on demand, rates start at less than US$200 per night.  Rooms are small (about 200 square feet) but efficiently designed with desks, closets and bathrooms all within close proximity– perfectly fine for a single traveler but might be tight for two.

The best rooms are on floors 13, 14, and 15—they are bigger and brighter with king size beds, floor-to-ceiling windows and some even have views of Sydney Harbour bridge (ask for one!). Rooms to avoid are the handful of interior shaft-facing rooms versus a street view rooms– double paned windows throughout mean that street noise is not an issue.

I really like the hotel’s all-inclusive pitch to business travelers– there are no hidden charges or extras—the reasonable rate includes: wi-fi (superfast with a router in every room), minibar (no booze), Nespresso machine including coffee and milk, 42” TV with 20 Cable TV channels and a range of free “on demand” movies. A hot, hearty breakfast buffet is available in the hotel restaurant, Le Petit Flot (pictured above), for US$18.00.

Don’t miss: Ryan’s Bar inAustralia Square across the street from the hotel entrance—an open-air, wildly popular and social hotspot for professional men and women descending from office towers nearby on Friday afternoons.

The Old Clare Hotel

Old Clare Sydney

Hardwoods, bespoke “superking” beds and mid-century modern decor at The Old Clare hotel in Sydney (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Old Clare hotel sydney

A sexy rooftop pool & bar area rises above the Old Clare’s somewhat gritty surroundings (Chris McGinnis)

Sprouting up in Chippendale, a rough-and-tumble yet up-and-coming neighborhood near Sydney’s Central Station is the 62-room Old Clare Hotel. Even though I did not have a chance to stay there, this hotel made the biggest impression on me because it’s so unusual, yet possesses key features business travelers love such as a central location near transportation, big, bright, clean rooms, free wi-fi, three distinct in-house dining options and a fun corner pub/lobby bar. All rooms feature oversized king mattresses, bespoke linens and pillows and mid-century modern decor.

Plus, with a university across the street, it has a young, quirky hipster vibe that feels sort of like Brooklyn, NY.

One downside (for me, at least) is that there’s little separation between bedroom and bathroom in many of the rooms. Not a problem for a single business traveler, but could be awkward for two.

The hotel is housed in what was once two separate buildings: The Clare Pub and the Carlton United Breweries administration building, and there is plenty of evidence of its past preserved in common areas and rooms– for example, one suite sports massive porcelain mens’ urinals used when the space was a boardroom. And to top it all off, there’s a sexy rooftop pool and bar area with big views of the Sydney skyline and the massive vertical garden on the skyscraper next door.

The Primus Hotel Sydney

Primus hotel sydney

High ceilings, natural light and dramatic pinky-red scagliola columns set the tone in the lobby of the Primus Hotel Sydney (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Primus hotel sydney

Modern, comfortable, quiet rooms, free wi-fi & thoughtful bedside plugs in a heritage-listed art deco building in Sydney’s CBD (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The 172-room Primus Hotel Sydney opened in December 2015 in the former Sydney Water Board building on Pitt Street in the heart of the Central Business District. Taking Sydney’s easy-to-use airport train downtown, I found the hotel an quick, two-block walk from the Town Hall train station. It’s about a 10-minute walk to Circular Quay.

Originally built in 1939, developers gutted and transformed this heritage-listed, art-deco showpiece into a posh 5-star hotel with a dramatic, airy lobby, chic restaurant (The Wilmot– where I had a nice power breakfast with David Flynn, editor of the excellent Australian Business Traveler) and bar, and comfortable, quiet, well-appointed rooms. There’s even a resort-like open-air pool, deck and bar on the 7th floor roof of the building. In keeping with the building’s original purpose, you’ll find water fountains (known in Australia as “bubblers”) and other office-building-like elements preserved throughout the lobby and public areas.

Rates start in the US$220 per night range. But with the exchange rate so favorable, upgrade to one of the big bright corner rooms (numbers ending in 18 on floors 1-4) for about $80 more. While rooms facing an interior light shaft are nice and quiet (that’s what I had), you’ll likely feel more a part of the busy neighborhood with a street view. Wi-fi is fast and free, bathrooms include big tubs and walk in showers, there are thoughtful bedside plugs, plus there’s a Nespresso machine in each room. Even though it’s only three months old, the Primus currently ranks #7 among Sydney hotels on TripAdvisor.

Each morning I walked a block down Pitt Street to the popular Macchiato for my morning flat white (coffee) and pastry. It’s also a nice place for lunch or people-watching with a glass of wine.

Four Points by Sheraton Sydney, Darling Harbour

Four Points hotel sydney

Well-appointed, recently renovated rooms with outstanding views of Darling Harbour at the Four Points- soon there will be 222 brand new ones (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Four points sydney

The Four Points Sydney will soon be Australia’s largest hotel with 892 rooms. Until it’s complete in June, ask for a room away from construction noise (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

When I rushed over through a muggy morning to my morning meeting with the fine folks at the Four Points hotel on Darling Harbour, I could not believe my eyes. The hotel had set up a special room, catered with fresh fruit, smoothies and savory snacks (plus a spectacular water view) just for me– and you, dear TravelSkills readers. How about that?

I was eager to see this hotel because it’s a favorite among Starwood SPG members eager to earn or redeem points. It’s an SPG Category 4 property with award nights going for as few as 10,000 points.

Plus, it’s probably the nicest Four Points hotel I’ve ever seen. I was also eager to see it because later in June it will add 222 new rooms in a new tower, for a total of 892, making it Australia’s largest hotel. While the hotel opened in 1991, it went through a full renovation two years ago, so rooms feel bright and brand new. The best rooms in the house are those that face Darling Harbour, a beehive of activity scattered with cranes erecting new office buildings, hotels and a massive new convention center. Even better are those with balconies overlooking the water.

Another nice feature of this hotel is its location on the CBD side of busy, buzzy Darling Harbour— so it has access to all the activity around the harbour, and it’s a quick walk to the central city and the Town Hall train station for the 20 minute ride to the airport.

Wi-fi is free for SPG members. Depending on the season, rates start as low as US$175 per night. Until construction is finished in June 2016, be sure to request a room away from construction views or noise.

Look beyond the QT Bondi and you'll see the Pacific is only steps away (Chris McGinnis)

Look beyond the brand new QT Bondi and you’ll see the Pacific is only steps away (Chris McGinnis)

A big colorful king room at the QT Bondi on the beach- 20 minutes east of downtown (QT Hotels)

A big colorful king room at the QT Bondi on the beach- 20 minutes east of downtown (QT Hotels)

While one of the most talked about hotels in Sydney is the the showy, burlesque QT Sydney on Market Street in the CBD, it’s not one of the newest. But business travelers who’d rather spend their down time out by the beach should consider the brand new 69-room QT Bondi. That way you can work all day in town, then take a 20-minute Uber or cab ride through the city’s upscale eastern suburbs, to Australia’s most popular and iconic beach.

This luxurious, modern boutique hotel is part of a new mixed use development, which at the time I visited, did not have any bars or restaurants, but there are plenty of choices along the busy esplanade that runs parallel to the beach. Plus there’s a nearby grocery store and kitchenette in each room. Regrettably few rooms offer beach views, but no worries– the sand starts across the street from the hotel. Rates run as low as US$175 per night depending on the season. Surf’s up! (but remember that seasons are reversed down under).

I learned about the QT Bondi when I had lunch with executives from the rapidly expanding QT chain at Gowings Bar and Grill in the QT Sydney. It was by far the best meal I had during my quick visit (order the seafood pie or oysters Kilpatrick), and clearly THE place to power lunch in the CBD. Don’t miss it– and make a reservation because it regularly sells out.

A few more suggestions while I have your attention: The Ovolo Wooloomooloo, which started out as the W Hotel Sydney, then rebranded as the Blue Hotel Sydney, is putting the final touches on a major re-do after getting its new name. This unusual hotel is built over the water on an enormous industrial pier on the far eastern edge of the CBD- near the posh Potts Point neighborhood. It offers attractive rates starting at around US$220 that include breakfast, wi-fi, laundry, happy hour drinks, and in-room mini bar. Tip: Take a walk up the steps across the street from the hotel to Potts Point and have dinner at The Apollo, an upscale Greek restaurant that’s a huge hit with locals. If you are traveling alone, get there early and sit at the marble bar.

Two more hotels that deserve mention, but that I regrettably missed on this trip: The recently renovated, deeply luxurious Langham Sydney (previously the Observatory hotel in the historic Rocks area near Circular Quay) and the Hotel 57 in the trendy, leafy and residential Surry Hills district.

Have you been to Sydney lately? What’s your favorite hotel in town? Why? Please leave your comments below!

See our complete New Hotels series here!

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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5 newest hotels in New York City: 1 Hotel Central Park

A hotel where nearly everything is reclaimed or recycled, including this piece in the lobby (Chris McGinnis)

A luxury hotel where nearly everything is reclaimed or recycled, including this piece in the lobby (Chris McGinnis)

Last week I was in New York City to speak at the New York Times Travel Show. I extended my stay to spend a full day checking out five of the newest business class hotels in town, camera and notepad in hand. It was an exhausting day, but I loved every minute of it 🙂

There are many more than five new hotels in this burgeoning market, so I chose only among those that opened in 2015… and those that I thought would appeal most to TravelSkills readers.

In case you missed our previous posts in this series, here’s a look at all of them:

 1 Hotel Central Park (Midtown) see below for our review

The Baccarat (Midtown)

New York EDITION (Flatiron/Madison Sq Park)

The EVEN Hotel (Near Penn Station/Garment district)

The Knickerbocker (Times Square)

 

1 Hotel Central Park (on 6th Ave at 58th St, Midtown)

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

Of the five new hotels I checked out, the 1 Hotel Central Park (opened August 2015) was probably my favorite.

It combined a hip sense of eco-friendliness with deep luxury and well-thought-out design and details. I mean, just check out that gorgeous window seat overlooking Central Park (in slideshow above)- wouldn’t you love to snuggle in there with a good book on a snowy winter afternoon?

This converted office building has 229 rooms spread over 17 floors (there’s still a dentist’s office on the top floor whose lease is still in effect). You’ll notice the building when you see the green ivy that sheathes the first two floors and the hip and healthy diners through the big window panes in Jams, its organic restaurant.

The best rooms in the house are the “14” numbered rooms on the corner looking north over 6th Avenue to Central Park. Nearly everything in the hotel is recycled or reclaimed, from the wood paneling in rooms (from spent rooftop water tanks) and the mismatched marble in the showers (from old buildings), to the floor in the gym (old U of Wisconsin basketball court). Closet hangers are made of recycled cardboard. An hourglass next to the shower gently asks that you try to keep showers to just five minutes.

All the water in the building is “triple filtered and oxygenated” according to a spokesperson. There are plants and moss growing out of glass bottles, terrariums and epiphytes in all rooms and public spaces.

Wi-fi is free and rates start at around $400-$500 per night. Even thought the hotel is the brainchild of Starwood Hotels and Resorts’ one-time CEO Barry Sternlicht, it’s not possible to earn or redeem your SPG points at 1 Hotels.  Currently, there’s one other 1 Hotel in South Beach Miami, and another one coming later this year to Brooklyn.

Website: 1 Hotel Central Park (on 6th Ave ay 58th St)

Have you or would you stay at 1 Hotel Central Park? Let us know in the comments below!

In case you missed our previous posts in this series, here’s a look at all of them:

 1 Hotel Central Park (Midtown)

The Baccarat (Midtown)

New York EDITION (Flatiron/Madison Sq Park)

The EVEN Hotel (Near Penn Station/Garment district)

The Knickerbocker (Times Square)

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: This lie-flat seat is not all that

This row converts into a very cozy lie-flat bed, but... (Image: Nancy Branka)

This row converts into a very cozy lie-flat bed, but… (Image: Nancy Branka)

It was a fantasy, for sure: A fully horizontal night of sleep during the long flight from San Francisco to Auckland—at not much more than an economy fare. Last month, my husband Joe and I flew that route on an Air New Zealand Boeing 777, and I was admittedly smug about what I thought was a well-kept secret in the airline industry: the Skycouch.

(TravelSkills contributor Nancy Branka wrote this Trip Report) 

The Skycouch works like this: You buy two lowest-fare economy tickets, then pay a single upcharge (for us, $600). The lowest roundtrip economy fares for March trips between SFO and Auckland are currently around $1,200.

You now are guaranteed the middle seat will be empty, and the three seats in your row will fold out to create a bed. Note that the seatbacks do not move, but instead, a segment folds up by your feet like a recliner’s footrest to create the flat bed. You sleep together (recommended for couples only!) perpendicular to the aisle.

The Skycouch was going to get our trip off to a remarkable start, I thought giddily.

My elation about the prospects of the Skycouch—not to mention the fact that Joe and I were embarking on a much-anticipated 10 days without the cares of children, work or life—floated us through a pre-flight celebratory glass of wine and a relaxed boarding process. Then we arrived at our row. Hmm. I quickly sized up the seat pitch and could clearly see this was going to be neither as spacious nor romantic as the photos on Air New Zealand’s website made me think.

Air New Zealand's Skycouch (Image: Air New Zealand)

Air New Zealand’s Skycouch (Image: Air New Zealand)

When the cabin lights dimmed and we prepped the “couch,” we raised eyebrows at each other. Joe is 6′ and slim. I’m 5’4″ and relatively small. Yet this would be tricky. As we put up the footrests to create the bed, it didn’t take a scientist to calculate what a tight squeeze this would be. I’ll spare you the details of the acrobatics required to get in position, but 10 minutes and several tries later, we were wedged in a “spoon” position in the space, our four feet poking into the aisle, with my backside tight up against the seat backs and Joe’s nose about one inch from the tray table.

Now we had to attach the seat belt. Air New Zealand has very cleverly packaged special seatbelts for the Skycouch. We picked what they called the “cuddle belt” and Joe contorted himself to hook it to the special clip on our middle seat, then locked it into the hook below the middle seat in front of us.

An optimist by nature, at this point I thought, “OK, the hard part is done. Time to sleep.” I failed to take into account one very important factor: heat.

About 10 minutes later, warmed quickly by being wedged against the furnace of Joe, I was dying. I whispered, “I’m boiling up. I have to take off my sweater.” Since we had no wiggle room—literally–this would require new acrobatics. Joe contorted himself to unhook the cuddle belt. I inched myself into a sitting position—which couldn’t be accomplished without Joe doing the same. I peeled the sweater off. Acrobatics resumed and the cuddle belt was clicked back in.

Economy & Skycouch™ 777-300 from Air New Zealand USA on Vimeo.

It shouldn’t surprise you that about 15 minutes later, Joe was the one sweating, and we repeated the same maneuvers so he could remove his sweater. Humpf.

About two hours later, unable to even toss and turn, the only things asleep were our arms that were wedged beneath us. We decided to put two seats back into upright position to sleep sitting up. Which was actually much better.

The Skycouch is an example of a brilliant idea on paper. Or perhaps it was conceived (by the otherwise-admirable design firm, IDEO) when seat pitch was bigger. For us, though, it was so uncomfortable that it made sleeping sitting up seem like a pleasure. We had new appreciation for being in position to control the temperature, feel all our body parts and twist and turn at will.

Oh well. Another airline hope dashed. Happily, the Sky Couch experience was the only disappointment on what was an extraordinary trip. And, in fairness, our Air New Zealand experience was otherwise lovely. Flight attendants shared that special Kiwi hospitality, food and wine were excellent, and I was thankful to have real pillows and a biz-class-worthy blanket.

On our flight home, we embraced the current culture of gratitude mania and reveled in our fully-upright seats. Less sleep, more movies: that works, too.

This post first appeared on NancyBranka.com

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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Business class holiday fare sale

First class flight attendants pass pre-flight glasses of Laurent Perrier Grand Seicle Champagne (Chris McGinnis)

British Airways has slashed business class fares to London for the holidays. (Chris McGinnis)

For today only, British Airways is back with a fantastic deal on business class flights to London and other European destinations, “including Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and most other European cities,” according to BA. Update: American Airlines, Delta, KLM, and others have matched this deal. See below for links.

British Airways

SFO-London in business class on sale

This time, it’s for the holiday travel period only. Here’s the link to sale fares– if you don’t seen your airport listed on this splash page, just include it in a search.

When we checked, this morning were in the $2,300 to $2,600 range from its US gateway cities. Since this is a one-day sale, book your flights today (only) for travel between December 18, 2015 and January 8, 2016.

Note that there are many exclusions, especially for flights on Dec 18-19 and Jan 2-3, so be sure to read terms & conditions.

Screen Shot 2015-11-30 at 8.59.17 AM

Atlanta-London less than $2,500

(Recall that BA offered another fantastic business class sale  just a few weeks ago, with fares as low as $2,000 roundtrip for 2016 flights.)

Airlines are undoubtedly concerned about softer demand due to the recent terror attacks in Paris, so I expect competitors to match this deal today, so check around if BA is not your first choice- you might find similar deals elsewhere as the holiday and super slow “dead week” period approaches.

.

 

LINKS:

Delta Air Lines matching this sale (enter dates & search biz class)

American Airlines matching this sale

KLM matching this sale

Here’s the link to the British Airways sale. 

–Chris McGinnis

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: 5 ways to save using Uber/Lyft  + New overseas plan from Verizon + Trans-Pac fare war?

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

Singapore Airlines Boeing 777-300ER

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

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

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

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

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

Here we go!

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

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

Keep reading to find out how…

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

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

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

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

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

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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

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

Related: Cathay Pacific expands SFO lounge

Now let’s head to the gate:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Singapore Airlines business class

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fresh orchids in spotless lavatories (Chris McGinnis)

Fresh orchids in spotless lavatories (Chris McGinnis)

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

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

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

 

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

Singapore Airlines

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

–Chris McGinnis

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

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

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

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Deal alert: British Airways 2-day biz class sale

British Airways' business class sale is for two days only. (Image: Jim Glab)

British Airways’ business class sale is for two days only. (Image: Jim Glab)

For two days only — October 15 and 16 — British Airways has roundtrip business class travel to London for fares starting at $2,015  from several U.S. gateways.

(UPDATE: Other airlines are selectively matching British Airways on this sale, so be sure to shop around online or by calling airline reservationists.)

The $2,015 Club World sale fares apply from BA’s US gateways like San Francisco, Atlanta, New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington and Boston for travel from November 16, 2015 through August 31, 2016 (although some blackout dates apply on certain routes). The sale also applies on British Airways code-shared flights operated by American Airlines.

Even though promo materials are stating a fare of $2015, we found round trip business class fares as low as $1810 on SFO-LHR and ATL-LHR…. (UPDATE: We’ve now found biz class fares from SFO as low as $1616! Get ’em while they last, folks!) 

Screen capture from Oct 15

Screen capture from Oct 15

The sale fares include all taxes and fees. A $500 change fee applies. The sale fares can be booked through Friday at www.ba.com or through a travel agent.

Did you snag one of these remarkable bargains? If so, let us know! Leave your comments below. 

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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Cathay Pacific’s bigger, better lounge

Cathay's noodle bar chef Ivy Tran serves up steaming bowl of Dan Dan noodles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cathay’s noodle bar chef Ivy Tran serves up steaming bowl of homey goodness (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

On October 14, Cathay Pacific opens a major addition to its business and first class lounge at San Francisco International Airport. Cathay’s is one of SFO’s most beautiful lounges…. and also one of its busiest.

The Hong Kong-based carrier invited TravelSkills out to the airport this week for a sneak peek at the new space and lunch at its famous noodle bar.

(Here’s our review of the lounge when it opened in 2012)

Here’s what we learned:

The main entrance with its striking carrera marble desk and crystal curtain will remain unchanged (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The main entrance with its striking marble desk and crystal curtain will remain unchanged (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cathay is moving into adjacent space in the International Terminal (A side) once occupied by Air France/KLM. This means the lounge will nearly double in size from the current 5,500 square feet to a spacious 9,675 square feet, enough room for up to 175 guests.

Here's a look at the unfinished main addition to the Cathay lounge (Chris McGinnis)

Here’s a look at the unfinished main addition to the Cathay lounge (Chris McGinnis)

A wall of windows brightens the big space with views over the tarmac and up to the hills across Highway 101.

Cathay is adding three new shower suites for a total of 6 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cathay is adding three new shower suites for a total of six (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The number of Carrera marble and river-pebble sheathed shower suites will double from three to six, which should help with the evening rush when around 15 flyers opt to clean up before their flight.

A new deli counter along with an Italian espresso machine in the new space (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A new deli counter along with an Italian espresso machine in the new space (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Along with the expanded space comes an expanded menu and a new deli counter and espresso bar (manned by a barista).

Many guests opt to eat a full hot meal in the lounge, then sleep on the plane (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Many guests opt to eat a full hot meal in the lounge, then sleep on the plane (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

To handle the extra load, a new free wi-fi system is in place.

There will be 14 of Cathay's mod-yet-cozy Solus chairs in the new space- up from the current 3 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

There will be 14 of Cathay’s mod-yet-cozy Solus chairs in the new space- up from the current 3 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The extra space is definitely needed as airlines play musical lounges over the next few years– and share space with Cathay.

Currently, business and first class flyers on Etihad’s daily nonstop to Abu Dhabi use the Cathay lounge in the early morning hours. Around midday, the lounge is primarily populated by those on Cathay’s 1 pm departure to Hong Kong, as well as a few passengers from Alaska Airlines, which lost its lounge to construction in Terminal 1.

Later in the day the Cathay lounge takes in the overflow Oneworld partner British Airways, its lounge now straining for space due its new A380 flight with 111 biz and first class seats. (Also, BA’s lounge is due for closure and renovation later this winter).  And from about 9 pm until 1 am, the lounge hosts Cathay passengers traveling on its 1 am departure to Hong Kong– as well as overflow from the JAL lounge. 

Won Ton soup from the noodle bar. The perfect pre-flight meal! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Won Ton soup from the noodle bar. The perfect pre-flight meal! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

And although no decision has been made, we’ve heard that QANTAS is sniffing around for lounge space at SFO when its new Boeing 747 SFO-Sydney nonstops arrive in late December. I’m betting that QANTAS will squeeze in the barely used Emirates lounge due to their partnership. But stay tuned…

Have you had a chance to visit Cathay’s lounge at SFO or elsewhere? Did you try the noodles? What did you think? Please leave your comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: SFO could get world’s longest flight + PreCheck: Fewer free rides + Plight of the tall traveler + Photos: New United first class seat + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

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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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Like first class meals? Try serving one!

A highlight of the training day was sampling the results of the ice cream sundae exercise.

A highlight of the training day was sampling the results of the ice cream sundae exercise. (Photo: Nancy Branka)

Menus in first and business class cabins, especially on international flights, have come a long way. But have you ever thought about the subtleties of the service side of that meal?

I attended a United Airlines flight attendant training for new hires last week and sat in on one day of the class’s five-week, six-days-a-week training at the Inflight Training Center in Houston, Texas (courtesy of the airline). On this day, the group of 25 men and women trainees practiced international service—how to do everything from presenting an amenity kit to handling a passenger who wants two bowls of ice cream to gracefully discarding trash.

My big takeaway: It’s much, much more difficult than it looks, especially when it comes to serving those five- and six-course meals. Here are seven surprising things I learned about how these meals are served.

The cart is set up as carefully as the place setting itself. Here salt shakers are straightened into their designated place.

The cart is set up as carefully as the place setting itself. Here salt shakers are straightened into their designated place.

Your salt shaker has its place. Your flight attendant has been trained to set your tray very, very precisely, with each item in a specific location. One particular and humble landmark, though, has particular importance. The teeny tiny salt shaker is always placed just to the left of the water glass and to the right of the pepper, a universal setup to guide visually impaired passengers.

This left-handed trainee carefully maneuvered with her right hand, finger-walking the plate onto the tray.

This left-handed trainee carefully maneuvered with her right hand, finger-walking the plate onto the tray.

Serving the window seat requires yoga-like flexibility. A flight attendant must never turn his or her back to the passenger when serving. This can require particular dexterity, though. For example, to serve window seats on the right side of the plane (facing the cockpit), those who are right-handed must use the left hand, which can be tenuous with a long reach, a full plate, and bumpy air. The opposite is true on the other side of the plane. They make it look easy; it’s not.

Plates must be finger-walked. For cleanliness, the flight attendant must pick a plate up without any fingers touching the rim or top of the plate. This requires slipping fingers carefully underneath the plate, walking them towards the plate’s center to the palm, and only then lifting. Tougher than you would think.

Picking up small pieces of cheese with two knives is a small motor skills challenge.

Picking up small pieces of cheese with two knives is a small motor skills challenge.

Tongs are single-minded. On a cheese cart, there are two sets of tongs, one for the grapes and one for the biscuits (aka crackers) and bread basket. Never shall they mingle. As you may know, cheese is served from the cart with two knives, not tongs. Just try that one at home!

The secret of hot towels revealed: two cups of warm water.

The secret of hot towels revealed: two cups of warm water.

Hot towels are home-made. Your premium cabin meal service begins with a hot towel. I always imagined these were prepared by some sort of magic process. No. Here’s the recipe: Place 12 hot towels on a tray. Then pour two cups of hot water over them. Serve. This is the one aspect of meal service that, behind the curtain, is more straightforward than it looks.

Plates and bowls are removed under a very strict set of guidelines. For example, bowls of warm nuts may be removed two passengers at a time but following the main course, only one passenger’s plates and utensils may be removed at a time.

Each training day begins with an appearance check. Among other criteria, flight attendants must wear a working watch and may not have any visible tattoos.

Each training day begins with an appearance check. Among other criteria, flight attendants must wear a working watch and may not have any visible tattoos.

Crews eat well, but for a reason. Choice of main course is essential but it’s problematic when everyone wants the salmon. United flight attendants are instructed to ask, “What would be your first choice of a main course? And what would be your second?” instead of, “Which main course would you like?” That way you’ve been subtly cued that it’s possible they may not have your first choice. However, to hedge the supply issue, flight crews eat premium meals and, of course, only after the passengers–theirs are backup meals when a particular dish is especially popular. Or so they say.

Next time you’re up front on a flight, take a moment to observe the skillful dance of the flight attendants. I know I’ll never look at a cheese cart the same way again.

–Nancy Branka

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Avoiding long customs & immigration lines  + UberX, Lyft at LAX + The big Delta upsell+ ATMs are out + More!


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Getting a decent upgrade on United

Getting an upgrade on a flight to Paris is tough (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Getting an upgrade on a flight to Paris is tough- but possible! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A reader query…

Dear Chris:

I have been saving my miles to use for an upgrade from coach to business on round trip United nonstop SFO to Paris/CDG. Planned to travel beginning October.

I called and had the ticket all booked ($1289.00) and ready to go. Then the agent said, “you are aware that there is a $550 co-pay each way’?  So the ticket would have been $1289. 00, + the 20,000 miles each way, + $1,100 dollars. I said forget it.

Is it even possible to get a reasonable upgrade on these flights?

D.R.

Hey D.R. First off, congrats on getting that $1289 economy class roundtrip fare on SFO-CDG- that’s a good deal, especially if you can use your status to sit in economy plus. And September in Paris is spectacular! No crowds, great weather, friendly locals…

But getting a big, flat business class seat on United’s popular Boeing 767 SFO-Paris flight is a tough nut to crack. Especially in October when business travel is back in force and United can sell those seats at a premium.

We did a quick scan of business class fares on the SFO-CDG nonstop and found them in the $8,000 to $9,000 range.

United's business class fares SFO-CDG in early October

United’s business class fares SFO-CDG in early October

So that fare + copay of $2,389 plus 40,000 miles is still a lot cheaper than buying a ticket.

Even when you calculate your 40K United miles at about 1.5 cents per mile ($600, or $2,989 total), you still come out way ahead of the business class fare.

So it really depends on how badly you want this:

2-1-2 BusinessFirst class seats on United's 767-300ER

2-1-2 BusinessFirst class seats on United’s 767-300ER

Or are willing to sit through this:

Economy class on a United 767 (Photo: United)

Economy class on a United 767 (Photo: United)

What would YOU do? Please leave your comments below.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Two new nonstops to India + New Centurion lounge opens + Planespotting 101: Airbus + Pay to join loyalty programs? + More!


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Two new nonstops to India

Air India plans to start 777-200 flights to San Francisco. (Image: Mohit Purswani/Flickr)

Air India plans to start 777-200 flights to San Francisco. (Image: Mohit Purswani/Flickr)

Now that the Federal Aviation Administration has given a green light to Indian carriers to expand service to the U.S., the Economic Times of India reports that Air India is planning to start flying to San Francisco later this year.

The newspaper said the state-operated airline plans to begin service from New Delhi to both San Francisco and Toronto when its winter schedule takes effect, although the airline had no details yet on starting dates.

It is reportedly planning to use 777-200LRs on both routes, after they are reconfigured to add more economy class seats, remove some business class seats and all first class seats. The reconfigured planes could pack in as many as 310 passengers according to the Economic Times story.

The SFO-Delhi nonstop would be a super-long one at about 16 hours. Regrettably, its no-lie-flat business class seats on the 777s don’t rate highly on SkyTrax. (Note: Air India’s new 787s do have flat bed seats.)

Related: Etihad vs “Jetihad”

Air India is a member of the Star Alliance.

Air India’s only current U.S. routes are to Chicago and New York.

In April of this year, the FAA said it had determined that India is now in compliance with the International Civil Aviation Organization’s safety standards for air travel, and thus it reinstated a Category 1 safety rating for the country.

That change means India‘s airlines are once again permitted to add new flights to the U.S., something they hadn’t been able to do after the country was downgraded to Category 2. That happened following a 2012 FAA audit that found some deficiencies in India’s aviation system.

Would you fly Air India? Have you? Please leave your comments and experiences below.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: San Francisco hotels NOT most expensive + New Centurion lounge opens + Planespotting 101: Airbus + Pay to join loyalty programs? + More!


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Trip Report: A heaping helping of SWISS inflight food

First course: Marinated prawns, salad and cheese plate. (Chris McGinnis)

First course SFO-ZRH: Grilled shrimp w cilantro, anise daikon, celery & fuji apple salad, and cheese plate. (Chris McGinnis)

Last month I flew on the SWISS “Roche Coach” between San Francisco and Spain in business class. I posted my first report about that journey here.

But since I get such a kick out of the food and wine onboard (and taking photos of it) I’ve decided to start splitting my trip reports into two parts– one about the plane and service, and a separate one about the food.

See how I split up my SFO Dublin trip into two reports here: Aer Lingus flight | Aer Lingus food in flight

The SWISS inflight dining experience is, as expected, very European. It’s also very Swiss, which to me means it’s very filling and satisfying, heavy on cheese and cream, and served in a very sophisticated way.

Meals in both transoceanic legs were really outstanding, but I liked the service on the return (ZRH-SFO) flight best because it’s a long, spread out, relaxed and convivial experience. While the food on the flight to Zurich was great, I always feel in a bit of a hurry to eat lightly and try to get in some zzzz’s on the way to Europe.

So let’s take a look at these tasty morsels!

First off, take a look at that shrimp starter above… then move on to the next courses…

My economy class roundtrip fare was $1,380, but my contacts at SWISS were able to finagle last minute business class upgrades in both directions for this review.

Main course: Spaetzle. Heavy, hearty-- more sleep inducing than Ambien! (Chris McGinnis)

Main course: Swiss spaetzle gratin w mushrooms, leek, fried onions, Gruyere. Heavy, hearty– more sleep inducing than Ambien! (Chris McGinnis)

I chose to go native and have the spaetzle- but other main course choices were seared beef tenderloin or grilled chicken with mushroom cream sauce, rosti and green beans.

A nice light berry tart for dessert. (Chris McGinnis)