Delta Archives - TravelSkills

In domestic route news, Delta puts an end to the Shuttle brand for key West Coast routes; Alaska adds a pair of new San Diego markets; United expands Hawaii service from its Denver hub; American is adding regional/seasonal service next summer from O’Hare, DFW and elsewhere; Sun Country comes to Hawaii; JetBlue adds a New England route – and a new fee; OneJet takes on an intrastate market in New York; and Spirit grows at Ft. Lauderdale.

Starting next week, Delta plans to phase out its specially-branded West Coast Shuttle service, which operates on the San Francisco-Seattle, SFO-Los Angeles and Seattle-Los Angeles routes. It’s not taking the flights away – although it might trim some frequencies – just folding them into its regular schedules, and and starting next summer, switching from its Delta Connection fleet of Embraer aircraft to Delta mainline jets. It will likely end some of the little perks that the Shuttle branding promised, like free drinks in the main cabin, gates close to the security checkpoint, special check-in counters, local craft beers and free Luvo snacks. Why is Delta making the change? A spokesperson said this was “based on several factors, including a review of the competitive landscape, customer survey data and ongoing facility improvements at LAX and Sea-Tac, these changes will allow Delta to offer a more consistent experience, which is highly valued by our customers.” The change will not affect Delta’s East Coast Shuttle operation out of New York LaGuardia to Boston, Washington D.C. and Chicago – although those flights recently moved from LGA’s Marine Air Terminal to Terminal C.

In the latest phase of its growth plan at San Diego, Alaska Airlines this month launched new daily flights from SAN to both Kansas City and St. Louis. In the past four months, the airline has boosted its San Diego presence with new daily flights to Omaha, Austin, Albuquerque, and Minneapolis-St. Paul. In mid-February, Alaska will add daily service from SAN to Dallas Love Field.

United is boosting Hawaii service from Denver International. (Image: Jim Glab)

United is boosting schedules to Hawaii from its Denver hub. It already offered daily flights from DEN to Honolulu, but in the New Year it will expand frequencies to other islands as well, offering daily non-stops year-round from DEN to Kahului, Maui; to Kona on the Big Island; and to Lihue, Kauai. Previously, United’s schedules offered daily or almost-daily service on those routes during some winter and summer months, but frequencies varied at other times of the year, ranging from six flights a week to one a week to none at all.

The latest schedule filings from American Airlines show new service coming on several domestic routes next summer, all using regional jets operated by partners Envoy Air, ExpressJet, Republic and PSA. The new service includes six daily roundtrips between Philadelphia and New York JFK starting April 3; seasonal daily service from Miami and Chicago O’Hare to Savannah, Ga., starting June 7; twice-daily O’Hare-Burlington, Vt. Service from June 7-Septeber 4; daily service from O’Hare to Charleston, S.C., starting May 4; daily O’Hare-Missoula, Mont. flights from June 7-September 4; twice-daily service from O’Hare to Portland, Me., from June 7-October 3; and a daily flight from O’Hare to Wilmington, N.C., from June 7-September 4. Also on the schedule is new daily service from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Missoula starting June 8.

A Sun Country Airlines 737. (Image: Sun Country)

Just after its acquisition this month by a New York-based investment group, Minnesota’s Sun Country Airlines announced plans to begin service to Honolulu, although on a limited basis. The carrier will offer service from its Minneapolis-St. Paul home base to Honolulu via a stop in Los Angeles, but only four days a week, and only from May 19 through August 19. Sun Country will also introduce new service from MSP to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, operating twice a week from April 6-June 4.

Although Worcester, Mass., isn’t all that far from Boston, it does have its own airport, which is served by only one carrier – JetBlue. In addition to its existing flights from Worcester Regional Airport to Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, JetBlue said it will add daily Embraer 190 flights between Worcester and New York JFK on May 3. In other news, JetBlue has added a new $75 fee for travelers who want to stand by for a seat on a flight earlier or later in the day than their schedule departure.

For the past seven years, it hasn’t been possible to fly non-stop across New York State from Buffalo to Albany. But that possibility will return on February 1 when public charter operator OneJet plans to begin twice-daily service on the route with ERJ-135 regional jets – larger aircraft than the seven- or eight-seat Hawker 400XP business jets that OneJet usually uses.

Spirit Airlines has announced plans for an expansion at Ft. Lauderdale, beginning new daily service to Columbus, Ohio, on February 15, followed by daily flights from FLL to Richmond, Va., starting March 15, and seasonal daily service from FLL to Seattle beginning April 12.

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Airport news: Tasty upgrades at SFO, LAX + LaGuardia SkyClub + Newark rebuild + more

December 28, 2017

Don’t miss the lemon cream tarts at Tartine Bakery at SFO…or in the Mission (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In airport news, San Francisco travelers can look forward to some enticing new food and beverage options in the international terminal; American opens its latest Flagship Lounge at Los Angeles International; there’s a new Delta Sky Club at New York LaGuardia; funds are approved for a rebuild of Newark’s Terminal A; and Dallas/Ft. Worth gets a big new duty-free area.

A summer 2018 debut is expected for a new Manufactory Food Hall in San Francisco International’s International Terminal, with airport versions of three renowned local eateries. Located before security and close to Boarding Area A, the new outlets in the 3,200 square foot food hall will include Cala, Kin Khao, and Tartine. The Mexican cuisine at chef Gabriela Camara’s Cala will feature breakfast tortas, tacos, tostadas and salads using local produce. The new airport outpost of downtown San Francisco’s Michelin-starred Kin Khao, from chef Pim Techamuanvivit, will include Thai specialties like rice bowls, noodle dishes, and both meat and vegan options. Tartine (one of my favorites!) will be a sibling of the Tartine Bakery & Cafe in the Mission District, specializing in baked goods – but also offering a cocktail bar and a coffee bar. (If they have lemon tarts, get one! Best pastry ever!)

American’s new Flagship Lounges have hot and cold self-service buffets. (Image: American)

American Airlines has opened its newest Flagship Lounge at Los Angeles International, following similar openings in recent months at New York JFK, Chicago O’Hare and Miami International. The LAX facility is in Terminal 4, with the same entrance as the Admirals Club; and like the other Flagship Lounges, it is intended for use by international first and business class travelers on American and its Oneworld partner carriers. It has a big buffet dining area, a self-serve bar and lots of champagne – all at no charge. Comfortable chairs have USB and AC power plugs, and the facility has free Wi-Fi throughout. There’s also a business zone with computers and printers, a TV viewing area, and a quiet zone. The LAX Flagship Lounge also features a Flagship First Dining area with table service, for first class international and transcontinental passengers.

Following the recent consolidation of its operations at New York LaGuardia’s Terminals C and D, Delta has cut the ribbon on a new Sky Club in Terminal C. It’s located next to Gate C28, just past security. Delta also has another Sky Club in Terminal C and one in Terminal D. The new Sky Club has a bar with free drinks (and premium brands for a fee) and a selection of food offerings, along with plenty of seating and good runway views. “Further enhancements to the new Club are planned,” Delta said.

The big new TRG Duty Free facility at Dallas/Ft. Worth’s Terminal D. (Image: CBI Retail Ventures)

Dallas/Ft. Worth Airport’s Terminal D has a brand new duty-free shopping venue. The new TRG Duty Free is a 19,000 square foot, two-level store developed by CBI Retail Ventures, which modestly calls it “the single largest and most technologically advanced duty-free store in the Western Hemisphere.” The facility has a pair of executive mezzanine lounges, lots of digital displays, dozens of iPads, several tasting bars, and all kinds of luxury branded products like Estee Lauder, Dior, Armani, Prada, Gucci, Chanel, Omega, Burberry and more. VIP concierge services are also available.

The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey this month approved almost $500 million in funding for the start of work on a major (and much needed!) reconstruction of Terminal A at Newark Liberty International Airport, plus another $250 million for aircraft parking areas and AirTrain station construction at the new terminal. The total rebuilding project is expected to cost $2.3 billion. By the time it partially opens in 2021, the terminal will be called Terminal One instead of Terminal A. The 1-million-square foot terminal will have 33 aircraft gates, and will include “a more efficient roadway network and parking for about 3,000 vehicles,” the Port Authority said. The agency also approved spending $8 million on a feasibility study for a consolidated rental car facility at EWR. The first phase of the terminal project will include “extensive paving work and the milling of existing pavement; the demolition of buildings, concourses and satellites; installation of a new drainage system; construction of four new bridge structures, and taxi lane lighting and new curbing,” the Port Authority said.

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5 Delta SkyMiles sweet spots

December 27, 2017

Here are a few bright spots when it comes to redeeming your Delta SkyMiles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The Delta SkyMiles program is known for being stingy, tricky to maximize and hard to understand since the airline doesn’t publish award charts and uses variable, revenue-based pricing. Nevertheless, the it does offer some solid redemption options—especially in domestic markets where it competes with Alaska Airlines. It also offers some nice bargains on intra-Latin-America and intra-Asia flights.

Here are five Delta SkyMiles redemption sweet spots to consider:

Continental US to Alaska

SkyMiles can be a great deal on flights to Alaska depending on where you’re flying from. Standard pricing on flights from anywhere in the Continental US to anywhere in Alaska starts at 25,000 miles round trip. If you’re flying from a city where Delta competes with Alaska Airlines, it might be even less – flights from California to Alaska start at just 19,000 miles. If you’re starting from the Pacific Northwest, flights could be as little as 15,000 miles round trip. For comparison, American Airlines charges 30,000 miles round trip and United charges 35,000 miles round trip, even though both have significantly less service than Delta. Delta is a clear winner here.

Delta Connection flights up and down the west coast go for as little as 10,000 SkyMiles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Short-haul Domestic Flights

Delta’s revenue-based award pricing algorithms offer some very compelling deals for economy flights within the US. There’s no transparency, but depending on the route, short-haul flights (for example, up and down the West Coast) can be available for as little as 10,000-15,000 miles round trip. Like flights to Alaska, you’re particularly likely to find great deals on routes where Delta competes with its rival Alaska Airlines.

Intra-South America

Flights between countries in South America can be notoriously expensive, especially if you need a one way ticket – for example, Santiago, Chile to Buenos Aires, Argentina for a random weekday next August costs over $500 one way, and Santiago to Sao Paulo, Brazil costs over $700! Delta miles can offer a better solution than even booking a round trip ticket – their partners Aerolineas Argentinas and Gol Linhas Aereas tend to have excellent award availability, and a one-way flight is only 12,500 SkyMiles in economy (or 25,000 in business class) plus a nominal amount of taxes and fees (around $30 one-way for the cities mentioned).

Delta partner China Eastern offers some decent intra-Asia redemption options (Image: Airbus)

Intra-Asia

Delta has a lot of partners in East Asia – China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, Garuda Indonesia, Korean Air, Vietnam Airlines, and Xiamen Air – and even operates a handful of its own flights between Tokyo and other major cities. This means that SkyMiles give you a lot of flexibility for flights within Asia, and some of the options available can actually be pretty solid. A one-way flight from Tokyo to Seoul only costs 7,500 SkyMiles in economy or 15,000 in business class, plus $26 in fees; longer trips like Tokyo to Bali will run you 22,500 in economy or 40,000 in business. These flights can be a great deal – especially if you’re able to snag a seat in business class on Garuda Indonesia.

US to Europe

Between Delta, Air France, Alitalia, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic, SkyMiles give you a good number of options for getting across the pond. Delta flights start at 60,000 miles roundtrip in economy; Air France, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic flights start at 75,000 miles roundtrip. Comfort Plus adds another 20,000 miles if you want slightly more legroom (yes, please!), and business class goes for 140,000. While these prices are slightly higher than most of the competition, availability tends to be pretty good and it still makes for a great use of SkyMiles. If you book a one way flight, try to book US>Europe because one-ways originating in Europe have extra fees.

No matter where you decide to go, the sweetest spot with SkyMiles is having a low balance – Delta has a long history of raising prices with zero notice, so holding onto SkyMiles for a long time is almost guaranteed to make them lose value.

Where will your SkyMiles take you in 2018? Or…what was the best SkyMiles redemption to took recently? Please leave your comments below.

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

December 22, 2017

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 13^th 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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Final Delta 747 flies into history

December 19, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Popular: United to South Seas + Delta cancels final 747 + New Australia nonstop + Merge PreCheck, Global Entry?

December 17, 2017

San Francisco International all lit up for the holidays! Pretty! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

BREAKING NEWS: Atlanta airport shut down until at least 7 pm Sunday Dec 17 due to power outage. Follow news here.

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

1 United adds new nonstops to Tahiti

2 Will TSA PreCheck and Global Entry be merged?

3 Airport news: SFO car share, LGA terminal shuffle + Oakland, O’Hare, Toronto

4 So long, Bob Hope. Hello Hollywood Burbank!

5 Hotel rewards: Not all chains are created equal

Last week Chris flew Turkish Air through Istanbul and snagged this gorgeous photo of the Bosporous on the way in… but he also got trapped in the airport. Stay tuned for an interesting Trip Report!

Istanbul out the window #travel #windowseat #avgeek #turkishairlines #myvikingstory
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Dec 10, 2017 at 5:53am PST

6 New twists coming for credit card transactions

7 Delta’s next narrowbody

8 Which airline has the best inflight wi-fi?

9 Qantas to fly San Francisco-Melbourne nonstop

10 Routes: United high-density 777s, Delta, Qantas, Air China, Air Canada, Aeromexico

Breaking: As we press the publish button, it appears that Delta has cancelled its “final” Boeing 747 flight between Detroit and Seoul. That’s kinda awkward for all the aviation and 747 geeks who bought tickets for the final flight. Hmmm. Appears flight is rescheduled for Monday. We’ll monitor, but here’s the Flight Aware status report. Reporter Zach Honig is in Detroit hoping to board the flight and its tweeting about the mishap.

I did it. For years I’ve reported on the boom on Europe’s river boat cruising biz….last week I finally took one! I’ll tell you all about it in an upcoming Trip Report! Have you been on one? Check out my Instagram to see more photos from the trip, but here’s the Viking Gullveig.

Now I know why Viking calls these “long ships” #myvikingstory #travel #cruise #austria
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Dec 5, 2017 at 3:06am PST

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

Inside the airport lounge business

Delta’s last 747 being “pressed into service” for two more days Delta shifts final 747 flight

Singapore will start charging economy flyers for advance seat reservations

Thirty airports worldwide are now included in Apple Maps

Silvercar plans to double all-Audi rental locations in 2018

More Silvercars coming for you (Silvercar/Facebook)

Hotels test use of Amazon Echo as in-room virtual concierge

Lufthansa Group carriers switch to spending-based rewards

New York investment group buys Minnesota’s Sun Country Airlines

Check out the world’s most-Instagrammed hotels

Two Parker Meridien hotels leaving Starwood

DOT drops rule requiring airline transparency on bag fees

American is installing larger overhead bins on Airbus A321

Business travel is bad for your health

Chilling Soviet-era maps of US cities

Delta passenger mistaken for human trafficking victim speaks out

Marriott’s weird innovation: Writing your ideas down on the shower door

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Delta’s next narrowbody

December 14, 2017

An A321neo in Delta livery. (Image: Delta)

Delta started taking delivery of single-aisle Airbus A321s early last year, and it must like them, because it just placed a big order for a bunch of the newest version of that plane.

The company said it has come to terms with Airbus to place firm orders for 100 A321neos, with options for another 100 beyond that. Deliveries are due to start in 2020.

According to Delta’s website, it now has 26 A321-200s in its fleet. Those planes carry 192 passengers – 20 in first class, 29 in Comfort+ and 143 in economy, or about the same number as the 757s they are replacing.

The A321neos will have 197 seats, Delta said, including 20 in first, 30 in Comfort+ and 147 in economy. The A321s will replace “smaller, less technically advanced aircraft,” Delta noted. According to FlightGlobal.com, the new jets will replace Delta’s aging A320s, B757s and MD80s.

The higher-tech A321neos will feature high-speed, satellite-based Wi-Fi and on-demand entertainment, with power ports and streaming video content available at each seat through Delta Studio, the airline said. Cabins’ overhead bins will be 25 percent larger, and cabin lighting will be full-spectrum LED.

Delta reportedly chose the Airbus narrow-bodies over Boeing’s 737MAX-10s. Currently, Delta’s single-aisle fleet includes 148 aircraft from Airbus (A319s, 320s and 321s) and 171 from Boeing’s 737 group (-700s, -800s and -900ERs).

Take a deep dive into a new Delta A321 here.

The interior of Delta’s current Airbus A321. (Image; Delta)

The A321neo (the “neo” stands for “new engine option”) is also popular at other U.S. airlines. For instance, Alaska’s Virgin America unit is currently deploying them on several Hawaii and mainland routes; Hawaiian Airlines is about to start flying them from mainland cities to the islands; and Frontier Airlines recently placed an order for 134 A320neos and A321neos.

According to Airbus, the single-aisle planes in its “neo” group are about 20 percent more fuel-efficient than regular A319/20/21s. Airbus said “typical” seating for an A321neo would be 206 in a two-class layout – although the aircraft could have as many as 240 seats. The A321neo has a range of 7,400 km. (about 4,600 miles or 4,000 nautical miles) vs. 5,900 km. for a regular A321 – or about 25 percent more.

Have you flown on an A321 yet? How’d you like it? How does it compare to your favorite Boeing plane?

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Which airline has the best inflight wi-fi?

December 13, 2017

A new study ranks JetBlue’s inflight wi-fi as the best in the industry. (Image: JetBlue)

How do the major U.S. airlines compare in their in-flight Internet service? That’s what the folks at HighSpeedInternet.com were wondering, so they studied Wi-Fi availability, speed and cost for the seven largest carriers to find out.

Capturing first place in their overall rankings was JetBlue, partly for its speed, but mainly for its cost: There is none.

“JetBlue is the only airline in America that offers free in-flight Wi-Fi,” HighSpeedInternet.com said. “Along with being the most affordable, JetBlue’s in-flight Wi-Fi is also among the fastest; it’s tied with Delta and Virgin America at 15 Mbps.”

Ranking second overall was Southwest, with a cost of just $8 a day for in-flight Internet and a speed of 10 Mbps. (Cheap, yes, but I hear that you get what you pay for with Southwest inflight wi-fi. I don’t fly SWA enough to know…do you? Comment below, please.)

Source: HighSpeedInternet.com

As for availability, Virgin America was tops, with Wi-Fi offered on 100 percent of its available seat-miles. Delta was second at 98 percent availability, followed by Southwest at 90 percent. Virgin America also had a speed of 15 Mbps, but its superior Wi-Fi comes at a high price — $25 a day, the most expensive in the industry, the study noted.

Keep in mind that the cheapest way to buy Gogo is to purchase hourly ($7) or day ($19) passes ahead of time. When you purchase on the plane, the cost can soar to as high as $50.

Virgin’s owner, Alaska Airlines, didn’t fare as well, with Wi-Fi available on just 75 percent of its capacity – the lowest of the seven airlines – and speed well behind Virgin America at 9.8 Mbps.

(We should note that as Alaska continues to integrate its operations with Virgin’s, it recently decided to overhaul their Wi-Fi products. Alaska said a few months ago that it plans to install Gogo’s 2Ku satellite-based broadband Wi-Fi in both its Boeing aircraft and its Airbus fleet — i.e., Virgin’s planes. Installations will start next year on Alaska 737s, and the whole job should be finished by 2020. Alaska also recently extended its free in-flight texting to Virgin’s aircraft as well.)

At the bottom of the company’s overall rankings was United, with availability of 85 percent, speed of 9.8 Mbps, and a cost of $20. United was just below American, which had similar numbers. HighSpeedInternet.com noted that Hawaiian, Spirit and Frontier Airlines don’t have in-flight Wi-Fi. As a frequent United flier, this finding surprised me— When the system is actually working, United’s inflight wi-fi is relatively fast and stable. But the problem is reliability– over the last year, I would estimate that United’s inflight wi-fi system was down on about 40% of my flights.

Also, with Gogo-equipped planes, speed varies based on the type of system installed on the plane. For example, 3,000 planes now have Gogo wi-fi, but only 500 of them have the speediest satellite-based product. (More on that here.)

Source: HighSpeedInternet.com

The rankings changed significantly in looking at the best Wi-Fi service for business travelers, with the assumption that the cost is irrelevant because the traveler’s employer will cover it. If that’s the case, HighSpeedInternet.com gives top honors to Virgin America for its top speed and 100 percent availability, followed by Delta and JetBlue.

In conducting their research, HighSpeedInternet.com staffers discovered that some of this information wasn’t as easy to find as they had thought.

“Some airlines don’t publish their in-flight Wi-Fi information. So, to get it, our team spent days contacting various departments at some of these airlines—hounding them via email, phone, and social media,” the company said. “We think airlines could go a long way to reduce consumer frustration by making this information more readily available.”

Any report on airline Wi-Fi quality and cost should also note that this is all subject to change in the months and years ahead as carriers continue to upgrade their products due to consumer demand. For instance, we just reported on how Gogo is shifting much of its in-flight Wi-Fi service from ground-based to satellite-based links, which will greatly increase speed and data capacity. And we also reported that Air Canada will soon make inflight wi-fi free for its elite level members.

Do you use inflight wi-fi much? How is the service on the airline you fly most? Does it align with these findings?

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San Jose gets another NYC non-stop

December 12, 2017

Headed to NYC? San Jose flyers will get new JFK non-stops from Delta. (Image: Jim Glab)

A year and a half ago, only one airline offered Silicon Valley travelers daily non-stop service from Mineta San Jose International to New York City. By next summer, there will be four.

Delta just announced it will begin daily service from SJC to its New York JFK hub on June 8, operating one daily roundtrip with a 737-800.

That means San Jose travelers will be able to fly non-stop to Newark on United or Alaska Airlines, and soon on either JetBlue or Delta to JFK. JetBlue started its SJC-JFK service in 2004, while Alaska and United both launched SJC-Newark flights last March.

Delta will use a 737-800 on its new SJC-JFK non-stop. (Chris McGinnis)

The new Delta flight will operate as a red-eye from San Jose, with a 10:35 p.m. departure time and a 7:15 a.m. JFK arrival. The return flight leaves JFK at 8:15 a.m. and gets to SJC at 11:45 a.m. JetBlue’s service is also an eastbound red-eye, while the eastbound United and Alaska flights depart SJC at 6:20 a.m. and 9:14 a.m. respectively.

“We’re hopeful that as they (i.e. Delta) experience success with the red-eye, they will then ultimately feel confident about the revenue potential of adding more daytime service,” an SJC spokesman told Travelskills. “That’s exactly what Delta did in the case of Atlanta service, where 18 months ago we had only a red-eye non-stop to Atlanta, but that was so successful that they now have added two additional daytime non-stops to ATL.”

Still, he added, “In Delta’s case, we’re very pleased that the westbound JFK flight operates in the morning, allowing business travelers to arrive in time for lunch in Silicon Valley. JetBlue’s westbound flight is in the evening, so Delta’s new flight does increase the menu of options available through the day.”

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Gogo accelerates shift to higher-speed Wi-Fi

December 12, 2017

The external antennas for Gogo’s 2Ku satellite Wi-Fi should reduce drag on the aircraft. (Image: Gogo)

As passengers demand more broadband capacity and faster in-fight Internet service, Gogo is moving as fast as it can to change its airline Wi-Fi service from ground-based to satellite-based links.

The company said this week that the number of commercial aircraft equipped with its 2Ku broadband satellite technology has just passed the 500 mark, up from 100 at the beginning of this year. That’s out of a total of 3,000 Gogo-equipped planes. Orders for 2Ku installations now exceed 2,000 aircraft, the company said.

Where is 2Ku being installed, and how do you know if your aircraft has it?

“In the US, most of these are with Delta, and they inform passengers before boarding through their app and email notifications,” a spokesman tells Travelskills. “They also have ‘high speed Internet’ signs at the boarding door, as well as branding on their portal. With other airline partners like GOL, 2Ku is the only technology offered.”

On Delta jets, you’ll know you have a satellite based connection when you see this sign by the boarding door (Photo: Gogo)

Gogo said it takes about 30 hours to install the satellite-based technology on an aircraft – less than half the time it normally takes to install a broadband link.

In recent months, the company installed 2Ku on Delta’s first new Airbus A350; won regulatory approval to install 2Ku technology on Boeing 777s; signed a deal with Alaska Airlines to put 2Ku on all of the airline’s Airbus and Boeing aircraft; won a contract from LATAM Airlines Brazil to put satellite connections on 100 of its A320s; finished installing satellite Wi-Fi links on all of Virgin Atlantic’s A330s, A340s and 747s; and finalized an agreement with Cathay Pacific Group to put the technology on Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon wide-bodies, including A330s and 777s.

The dome atop this Delta A350 means it has 2Ku satellite Wi-Fi. (Image: Jujug Spotting/Gogo)

By the way, there’s one other way to tell if your aircraft has Gogo 2Ku Wi-Fi: There’s a distinctive little dome on top of the plane.

“2Ku is the best performing connectivity solution in the market and that performance has resulted in the technology becoming the most rapidly adopted broadband satellite connectivity solution in the history of commercial aviation,” said Michael Small, Gogo’s president and CEO. “While we continue to grow our backlog of 2Ku aircraft, we are also focused operationally on making sure 2Ku also becomes the most rapidly deployed technology in commercial aviation history.”

Has your inflight wi-fi experience improved in recent months? Please leave your comments below.

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Routes: United high-density 777s, Delta, Qantas, Air China, Air Canada, Aeromexico

December 8, 2017

A United 777-200. (Image: Aero Icarus/Wikimedia Commons)

In international route developments, United will start using high-density 777s on some Europe routes; Delta aims to make things smoother for transborder flyers with a new partnership; Qantas kicks off its 787-9 service to LAX next week; Air China begins a new LAX route; Air Canada adds another Australian destination; and Aeromexico tacks on an Atlanta route.

Travel to Europe for some United Airlines passengers is going to get more crowded next year as the airline starts to deploy high-density 777-200s on a few routes out of its Newark hub. The aircraft in question are normally used on domestic routes. According to Airlineroutes.com, United will put the 777s into service between Newark and Barcelona April 23, Newark-Dublin March 10 and Newark-Madrid May 23. (Low-fare Norwegian started EWR-Barcelona flights last summer, and British Airways/Iberia sister company Level plans to begin cheap flights from Boston to Barcelona next spring.)

United has four configurations for its 777-200s, according to Seatguru.com. The three versions previously designated for international routes have 266 to 269 total seats, while the high-density aircraft have 364 (234 economy, 102 Economy Plus and 50 Polaris business class). They manage this difference thanks in part to 10-across seating in economy and Economy Plus instead of the nine-across in the other versions.

A WestJet 737 in special Walt Disney World livery. (Image: WestJet)

As if Delta didn’t have enough joint venture partnerships already (Virgin Atlantic, Air France-KLM, Aeromexico, and a new one recently approved with Korean Air), it’s now planning yet another. The carrier said it has entered into a preliminary memorandum of understanding with Canada’s WestJet to form a new joint venture for transborder service. Joint ventures also imply antitrust immunity, meaning the two carriers would be able to cooperate on pricing and scheduling.

Delta says the JV with WestJet will mean “coordinated flight schedules for new nonstop flights to new destinations, expanded codesharing, and seamless and convenient connections on the airlines’ extensive networks in the U.S. and Canada,” along with “enhanced frequent flyer benefits including reciprocal benefits for top-tier members of both airlines.”

Qantas’ first 787-9 will enter service to LAX next week. (Image: Qantas)

December 15 is the scheduled starting date for Qantas to put a brand new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner into service on its Melbourne-Los Angeles route. It’s the first route for the new Qantas aircraft, and it will replace an Airbus A380. Next March, Qantas will use a new 787-9 to begin the first non-stops between Australia and Europe, on a London-Perth routing. The Qantas 787-9s will have 42 business class seats configured 1-2-1; 28 in premium economy, with a 2-3-2 layout; and 166 in economy, configured 3-3-3 and offering 32-inch pitch.

Speaking of Australia, Air Canada just added its third route to that country, beginning service this week between Vancouver and Melbourne. The carrier uses a 787-9 for the 16-hour flight. Air Canada already flies from Vancouver to Sydney with a 777-200LR, and last summer it began Vancouver-Brisbane service with a 787.

Another new transpacific route that just started this week is Air China’s service between Los Angeles and Shenzhen, a tech-heavy city in China’s Guangdong Province. Air China will use a three-class 787-9 to fly the route three times a week (Monday, Thursday, Saturday), with a 10:50 p.m. departure from LAX. Air China also has three daily flights from LAX to Beijing.

Delta’s joint venture partner Aeromexico has started flying a new route from Delta’s Atlanta hub. The carrier kicked off daily service between ATL and Merida, using a 99-passenger Embraer 190 with business class and regular economy seating.

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Basic Economy fares go global

December 7, 2017

Delta is introducing Basic Economy pricing on transatlantic routes. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Now that the Big Three U.S. airlines have rolled out bare-bones Basic Economy fares in their domestic networks, they’re starting to take aim at international markets.

Both Delta and American are bringing the controversial lowball pricing option to some international flights, and some foreign carriers – specifically, Aer Lingus and Scandinavian Airlines – are doing the same as the transatlantic competition from carriers like Norwegian starts to bite.

Six weeks ago, Delta broadened its transatlantic fare lineup when it started selling Comfort+ seating on transatlantic flights for travel starting January 22. And this week Delta announced that Basic Economy fares are now available on more than half of its flights to Europe for travel starting April 10.

And it’s not just Delta. The airline said that on the same date, its partners Air France-KLM and Alitalia will each introduce “a similar basic fare product across the Atlantic.”

“As part of its Basic Economy expansion, Delta is introducing a Basic Economy first checked bag fee for trans-Atlantic routes only,” the company said. “The fee will be standard for Air France-KLM and Alitalia, along with no seat assignments and tickets not being changeable.”

Forbes is reporting that Delta’s new fee on a first checked bag for international Basic Economy travelers will be a stiff $60, and a second checked bag will cost $100.

Basic economy purchasers won’t get a seat assignment until they check in, and they will board last, Delta said. Tickets can’t be changed or refunded, and purchasers can’t get paid or complimentary upgrades, even with Medallion status (although they will still earn Medallion-qualifying miles and dollars).

Delta said it would closely align its international Basic Economy fare restrictions with its domestic rules, which allow purchasers to carry on a bag that can be stowed in the overhead bin. American’s and United’s domestic Basic Economy prices only allow buyers to carry on an item that fits under the seat.

United’s website warns customers about the shortcomings of Basic Economy. (Image: UNited)

Reports out of Dallas this week said that American Airlines is now offering its own similar no-frills Basic Economy pricing on select international routes – specifically, to most of its destinations in Mexico and the Caribbean. There are a few exceptions, including service to Cuba, to San Juan, and to a couple of Mexican destinations. American apparently hasn’t yet put the Basic Economy option on transatlantic flights.

While the big U.S. airlines introduced Basic Economy fares in domestic markets ostensibly to offer pricing levels competitive with fast-growing ultra-low-cost carriers like Spirit and Frontier, critics allege that the airlines’ real intention is to lure customers in with a low fare but then up-sell them to a regular economy seat with a few more frills. In fact, some allege that airlines have simply re-labeled their previous lowest economy fares as Basic Economy.

SAS is adding new ‘Go Light’ low-frills fares in U.S. markets this month. (Image: SAS)

Delta isn’t the first to bring new low- or no-frills fares to the transatlantic market. A few months ago, Aer Lingus rolled out a new pricing category called Saver fares on flights between Dublin and the U.S. The only things included in that fare are a seat, an in-flight meal and a 10 kg. (22 lbs.) hand luggage allowance.

And effective December 14, SAS will start offering discounted “Go Light” fares on its routes between Scandinavia and the U.S., designed for customers who only have carry-on bags. The new category was introduced on the airline’s intra-European routes in 2015. Except for a checked bag, Go Light fare buyers get the same treatment and service as purchasers of the airline’s regular economy pricing, called Go fares.

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Airlines’ new safety target: Passengers’ ‘smart bags’

December 4, 2017

Smart bags are the latest generation of high-tech luggage. (Image: Bluesmart Luggage)

Savvy business travelers always try to carry on everything they’ll need on their trips. But if there are occasions when you go on a longer trip and need to check a bag, watch out for brand-new airline rules banning a specific kind of checked luggage: smart bags.

The latest generation of products from luggage manufacturers is incorporating various new technologies into an item that was previously very low-tech. So modern smart bags can provide things like tracking technology, built-in scales, and power ports to juice up your electronic devices on the go. But those functions all require a power source, and that source is generally a lithium-ion battery in the luggage.

The problem with lithium-ion batteries is that they sometimes spontaneously combust – and that means airlines don’t want to take the chance of having them in a baggage hold.

In the past few days, Delta, American Airlines and Alaska Airlines have all issued advisories warning customers that effective January 15, smart bags powered with a lithium-ion battery that cannot be removed will no longer be accepted as checked luggage. If the passenger can take the battery out of the luggage and carry it on, no problem. Otherwise, he has a real problem if he shows up at the airport with one of the now-banned bags.

Airlines don’t want lithium-ion batteries in their luggage holds. (Image: Jim Glab)

“If the customer is able to take the bag into the cabin with them, the customer will be able to leave the battery installed,” American’s advisory said. But Delta said that smart bags with non-removable batteries will not be accepted as a checked or carry-on bag. Likewise at Alaska, “Smart bags will be allowed as carry-on baggage, if they meet carry-on size limits and if it’s possible to remove the battery from the bag if needed,” the company said.

Other airlines are likely to follow suit. So if any of your loved ones are planning to buy a new smart bag as a holiday gift for their favorite frequent traveler, make sure they get one with a removable battery.

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Delta upgrades first class on some domestic routes

November 20, 2017

Delta One cabin on an international Delta A330. (Image: Delta)

Delta said it plans to extend its Delta One service—the premium front-cabin experience on its international routes – to additional domestic markets next year, and to make more free upgrades available.

The perks and amenities of service include a fully-flat seat-bed with Westin Heavenly Bedding; upgraded dining and wine options; in-seat power and USB ports; free in-flight entertainment; noise-cancelling headsets; a Tumi amenity kit; free Sky Club lounge access on the day of travel; and priority check-in, boarding, security access and baggage handling.

The airline already offers the upgrades first class service on a few select transcontinental routes, including New York JFK-San Francisco/Los Angeles; Boston-San Francisco; and Washington Reagan National-Los Angeles.

Rendering of Delta’s new lie flat seating on transcon 757s. Been on one yet?

On April 1, the carrier will introduce Delta One service on two of its three daily BOS-LAX flights; two of its four daily JFK-Seattle flights; one of its three daily JFK-San Diego flights; and on its daily service from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Honolulu and Atlanta-Honolulu. On May 1, Delta One will be introduced on one of its four daily JFK-Las Vegas flights.

“Delta One will be offered during strategic flight times on select routes as the airline works to customize the service offering to align with times when customers are seeking the Delta One experience,” a spokesman said. “First Class service may be available on alternate flights on the route.”

Also on April 1, SkyMiles Medallion members will be eligible for unlimited day-of-departure free upgrades on all domestic routes where it is offered, including Hawaii, the airline said. And perhaps that April 1 launch date is appropriate because you’d be a fool to think that you’ll actually snag one of those upgrades!

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Popular: A350 Review + Cheap bag essentials + New first class + Delta final 747 + Perfect timing

November 20, 2017

Chris spoke in Chicago last week- and was at O’Hare for its first snow (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 Trip Report: Cathay Pacific Airbus A350 SFO-Hong Kong

2 4 cheap-but-indispensable things to pack in your “go-bag”

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

4 Delta reveals details for final 747 flight

Don’t miss our latest Trip Report! SFO-HKG> A beautiful sunrise as we approach Hong Kong International via the A350 tail cam! (Chris McGinnis)

5 Frequent flyers say free flights are not enough

6 Routes: SFO-Tahiti + Lufthansa, AA, WOW, Aeromexico, Volaris

7 Perfect timing for the cheapest trips

8 Alaska Airlines flies away from Havana, Cuba in January

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

10 Coming to Washington, DC & SF: An anti-Trump hotel

Don’t miss: NEW hotels in New York, Dallas, Charlotte, Las Vegas and Cincy!

Wow! A big show up here today on #ORD > #LAX #travel #windowseat #avgeek #arizona #united
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Nov 18, 2017 at 3:24pm PST

Do you love NEW HOTELS as much as we do? Then don’t miss our NEW HOTELS archive tab at the top of this page. CLICK OR HOVER for a good look!

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

United’s next stop could be Tahiti

TripAdvisor to flag hotels with reported sexual assaults

Denver could be United’s #2 hub in two years, beating Newark & Houston

Should airline employees wear cameras to capture passenger disputes?

Why being near water makes you happier

Is this the end of the Airbus A380?

The new Qantas hangar at LAX offers a snug fit for an Airbus A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Lyft moves into Toronto- first city outside US

More Lyft Uber headaches at ATL

Google develops a new interface for its Google Flights searches

Updated American Airlines app can handle same-day flight changes

AirFrance-KLM’s loyalty program will change to spending-based in April

IHG Rewards members can earn points for using OpenTable and GrubHub

Surprised by light traffic at LAX for Sunday before thanksgiving rush. 1 p.m. #holidaytravel pic.twitter.com/cWmGWiayAq
— Chris McGinnis (@cjmcginnis) November 19, 2017

Thanksgiving travel volume will hit highest level in 12 years

Marriott’s ‘room of the future’ will rely on the ‘Internet of Things’

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Delta reveals details for final 747 flight

November 14, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

From Delta’s farewell tour bidding page

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

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

Routes: Etihad at DFW, El Al, Southwest, and lots of Mexico news

November 7, 2017

Etihad ended its 777 flights from San Francisco to Abu Dhabi last month- now another city gets dropped (Photo: Peter Biaggi / SFO)

In international route developments, Etihad drops another U.S. gateway and blames American; El Al comes back to Miami; Southwest adds three Latin America/Caribbean destinations from Ft. Lauderdale; and there’s new service to Mexico from Delta/Aeromexico, Alaska, Volaris, Interjet and Viva Aerobus.

Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways continues to struggle in the U.S. market. Late last month, it ended its San Francisco route, and it recently announced plans to trim its Los Angeles schedule from seven flights a week to four from mid-January through April. And now the carrier said it will suspend its daily flights from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Abu Dhabi, effective March 25. The airline said the Texas route “will become commercially unsustainable following American Airlines’ unilateral decision to terminate its codeshare agreement ” with Etihad. Company officials said almost half the passengers on its DFW flights were connecting from AA domestic code-shares. Etihad said that depending on how its summer bookings go, “further changes” are possible in its U.S. route network.

El Al uses a 777-200 on new Miami flights. (Image: El Al)

Nine years ago, Israel’s El Al ended its Tel Aviv-Miami service — but now it’s back. Last week, El Al started flying the route once again, operating three flights a week with a 777-200. The Israeli carrier also flies from Tel Aviv to New York JFK, Newark, Los Angeles, Boston and Toronto.

Southwest continues to expand its international schedule from Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood Airport, where earlier this year it opened an expansion of Terminal 1 to accommodate those flights. This week, Southwest started daily service to three new destinations from FLL –Providenciales in the Turks & Caicos; San Jose, Costa Rica; and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. At Houston Hobby, meanwhile, Southwest just announced plans to start service next June to Grand Cayman.

There’s lots of activity in the U.S.-Mexico market these days. Alaska Airlines, which started flying to Mexico City from San Francisco and Los Angeles in August, has now kicked off San Diego-MEX flights. Alaska partner SkyWest operates the daily flights with an E175.

Aeromexico just started Seattle-Mexico City 737 flights. (Image: San Jose Airport).

Meanwhile, Delta and Aeromexico continue to develop their joint venture partnership. They just opened up new daily service between Delta’s Atlanta hub and Queretaro, Mexico, flying the route with a two-class Aeromexico E190. And last week, Aeromexico launched service from Delta’s growing Seattle hub to Mexico City, using a 737-800 for the daily year-round flights.

Mexican carriers are also adding new service. Low-cost carrier InterJet is adding three routes out of Los Angeles International this month. On November 23, it will begin daily flights to Leon/Guanajuato (close to popular San Miguel de Allende) and three flights a week to Los Cabos, followed on November 24 by four weekly roundtrips from LAX to Puerto Vallarta. On December 19, Volaris will inaugurate weekly service from LAX to Acapulco. And on December 16, vivaAerobus plans to launch daily A320 flights between Mexico City and Las Vegas.

Finally, Southwest Airlines said it will expand service to Cancun on June 9 of next year by adding seasonal Saturday flights from Pittsburgh and Raleigh-Durham. That means that on Saturdays next summer, Southwest will be operating 27 flights to Cancun from 16 U.S. cities.

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Routes: United’s longest + Delta Comfort+ American to China + more

October 30, 2017

United will use a 787-9 Dreamliner on its new Los Angeles-Singapore non-stops. (Image: United)

In international route developments, United has inaugurated the longest U.S. non-stop service and has revived Auckland flights; Delta starts selling its Comfort+ seats on transatlantic flights and launches its first A350 flights; American begins a new China route; Air France replaces Delta on a Paris route; Air Canada adds capacity to India from the West Coast; and Pakistan’s national carrier drops a U.S. route;

New non-stop service launched last week by United between Los Angeles and Singapore takes the number one spot as the longest flight from the U.S. at 8,700 miles. That surpasses the 8,446-mile route that United started up last year from San Francisco to Singapore, and tops Qantas’ 8,576-mile Dallas/Ft. Worth Sydney route. As with its San Francisco route, United is using a 250-passenger 787-9 for the LAX-Singapore flights. The new flight departs LAX at 9:25 and takes almost 18 hours. Don’t miss: Chris’ Trip Report on SFO-SIN from last year 17 moments in 17 hours on Singapore Airlines

In other news, United just revived its seasonal service between San Francisco and Auckland, New Zealand, which is also served by Star Alliance partner Air New Zealand. United will fly the route six days a week from now through December 17, boosting the schedule to daily service through March 22. The carrier’s Auckland flights are using a 777-300ER fitted out with United’s new Polaris business cabin, featuring lie-flat seats that all have aisle access. United and Air New Zealand have created a new website at www.united.com/airnz that provides information on both carriers and destination tips about New Zealand.

Delta’s Comfort+ seating is now on sale for transatlantic flights. (Image: Delta)

Delta has just started selling its Comfort+ product – extra-legroom main cabin seating – on transatlantic flights effective for travel January 22 and beyond. That includes all its flights from North America to Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Delta started selling Comfort+ seating two years ago for travel within North America, and by earlier this year had expanded it to Asia/Pacific and Latin America/Caribbean flights. (Nice for those who buy it, but less nice for those hoping to get comp upgrades.)

Meanwhile, Delta this week put its first new Airbus A350 into commercial service on its Detroit-Tokyo Narita route. The new plane features a new Delta One front cabin with lie-flat seats in private suites, as well as the airline’s new international premium economy cabin called Premium Select, which is being installed in Delta’s A350s instead of Comfort+ seating. As of this week, Delta is now using the 747 on a single route, Seoul-Detroit and that is only through December 17 when it will be replaced by a shiny new Airbus A350.

American will use a 787-8 on its new LAX-Beijing route. (Image: American)

After months of negotiations with Chinese officials to secure commercially viable slot times, American Airlines is finally due to kick off its newest route to China in a few days. November 5 is the launch date for American’s daily flights from Los Angeles to Beijing, which it will initially operate with a 787-8, switching to a 787-9 next spring. Delta had also filed for the route, but lost out when the U.S. Department of Transportation awarded the rights to American in December of last year.

Air France said it will step in and replace joint venture and Skyteam partner Delta this winter on the Chicago O’Hare-Paris CDG route. Air France will use an Airbus A330 to fly the route up to five times a week.

Air Canada has foiled plans for a schedule increase this winter on its Vancouver-Delhi route. The carrier will increase frequencies on the route from five a week to daily service effective December 9 through at least December 23. Air Canada uses a 787-9 on the route.

Over the past weekend, Pakistan International Airlines ended its service between Karachi/Lahore and New York JFK, which it had been serving with a 777-200LR via a westbound stop in Manchester, U.K. PIA had been flying to New York since 1961.

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American adds more premium economy seats- will United follow?

October 24, 2017

American’s premium economy cabin on its 787-9s has 2-3-2 seating. (Image: American)

As American Airlines brings more new 787-9s to its long-haul fleet, it is making its international premium economy cabin available on additional routes – starting with Australia and New Zealand.

American’s new 787-9s are being delivered with premium economy seating already installed. The airline is also busy at work putting the new middle cabin into its 47 777-200s, a job that should be finished by next March; and its A330-200s, expected to be finished by this December. AA’s 20 777-300ERs should have the extra cabin by June of 2018, and its 787-8s will also get the refit next year.

It’s too early to say when those other wide-body models with new premium economy seating will start flying in specific markets (with a few exceptions – see below), but when a 787-9 is scheduled to start on a route, the new middle cabin automatically comes with it. American’s 787-9s also feature a business class with 30 new lie-flat seats, all with direct aisle access.

On November 8, American is due to introduce the premium economy option on its Los Angeles-Sydney flights when it replaces the 777-300ER on that route with a 787-9.

And this month—after a two-month hiatus on the route – American started flying a 787-9 on its daily Los Angeles-Auckland service, replacing a 787-8. (American has decided to convert LAX-Auckland into a seasonal route, operating only from October through March.)

Amenities that come with an AA premium economy seat. (Image: American)

American introduced the premium economy-equipped 787-9s out of its Dallas/Ft. Worth hub last fall and winter, putting it on routes to Sao Paulo, Madrid, Paris and Seoul.

On November 5, American is due to inaugurate its long-awaited Los Angeles-Beijing daily service with a 787-8. But according to Routesonline.com, American has plans to replace that aircraft on March 25 of next year with a 787-9, offering premium economy seating in the market.

American is expected to put the 787-9 into service early next year on a pair of Japan routes — Los Angeles-Tokyo Haneda and LAX-Tokyo Narita — both beginning January 8. They will replace 777-200ERs on those routes.

Looking at American’s recent schedule filings, we can see 787-9s scheduled to begin flying between Dallas/Ft. Worth and Shanghai Pudong on March 4, replacing a 787-8; and LAX-Shanghai Pudong starting March 25, also replacing a 787-8.

The schedule filings also show AA taking the 787-9 off its DFW-Paris and DFW-Madrid routes starting March 25, replacing them with 777-200ERs. However, those 777s are listed as three-class aircraft, so they presumably have the premium economy option. The schedule also shows a three-class 777-200ER replacing a 777-300ER on AA’s DFW-London Heathrow route starting March 25.

Although it is reconfiguring its wide-bodies with premium economy seating, American is planning to keep offering a Main Cabin Extra option as well – i.e., its extra-legroom seating in the economy cabin. While Main Cabin Extra provides up to six inches of extra seat pitch, AA’s premium economy product will offer slightly more – 38 inches, along with extendable foot, leg and head rests; larger touch-screens; and additional services and amenities including one checked bag free. Seating is in a 2-3-2 layout on the 787-9s.

Delta’s premium economy cabin will debut on its A350s. (Image: Delta)

Delta is also introducing a new international premium economy seating option, called Premium Select, as it puts its new Airbus A350s into service. The first one starts flying next week (October 30) on Delta’s Detroit-Tokyo Narita route. Last week, we detailed other Delta routes that will have new A350 service coming in the weeks and months ahead.

All this of course leads us to the question of when or if United is going to follow American and Delta down the path to real premium economy. Right now it sounds like they are not ruling it out– when we asked directly about this, a spokesperson said, “At this time we do not have details to share regarding Premium Economy. We’re always looking at ways to improve the customer experience and the choices we offer our customers for their travels with United.”

Have you or will you try the new American versions of Premium economy? Will United add one, too? Leave your comments below.

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Popular: 747 Tears + Delta’s new jet + United burger + Dreamliner + Madrid nonstop

October 22, 2017

Nostalgia for the 747 is booming as the Queen’s retirement nears. United flight attendant wearing a maxi-skirt in the 747 upper deck lounge (Image: United)

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

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

2 Delta unveils new seats on new Airbus A350 & sets routes

3 Passport needed for domestic travel? Come on!

4 United bags a new cheeseburger for $10

United’s new smoked gouda cheeseburger from seat 7A (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

5 Routes: Aeromexico at SJC, Southwest, Air New Zealand, BA, United, AA, Etihad + more

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

7 Iberia adds San Francisco – Madrid nonstops

As we boarded this sleek Embraer plane, you could look east and see the San Jose International terminal across the runways (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

8 New Hotels: Hilton LAX, Nikko SF, Mondrian NYC, Marriott Denver, Ritz Chicago, Hilton DC

9 Shocking bomb simulation at Singapore Changi Airport [VIDEO]

10 The newest Embraer jet you may never fly on

Don’t miss: Kimpton Karma and IHG Rewards finally hook up

Rooftop pool deck at Kimpton’s Hotel Wilshire in Los Angeles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

Former United CEO selling his Trump Tower condo

United Clubs doing away with paper passes

Did you hear about this attempt to bomb Asheville Airport?

Apple iOS 11 adding more indoor airport maps

Here’s a first look a Beijing’s gorgeous, largest airport in the world

Will rising jet fuel costs lead to higher fares? Not for a while

More debate on how “Southwest effect” will change Hawaii market

Moving photos from behind the scenes at Virgin America

As with the 747, nostalgia for Virgin America is building as the airline approaches extinction (Photo: Virgin America)

Baller! Former GE CEO Immelt reportedly used TWO corporate jets on some trips

JetBlue revises boarding procedure

FAA wants airlines worldwide to ban electronic devices from checked luggage

Singapore Airlines expected to order 39 Boeing wide-bodies for $13 billion

JetBlue stops selling tickets through several online travel agencies

Delta offers meal pre-selection for international Delta One passengers

After Brexit, EU passenger protection rules will no longer apply for U.K. flights

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Routes: Aeromexico at SJC, Southwest, Air New Zealand, BA, United, AA, Etihad + more

October 19, 2017

San Jose International welcomes a new 737 nonstop from Mexico City next summer. (Photo: SJC)

In recent international route developments, Aeromexico will add seasonal service at San Jose; Southwest drops plans for two Mexico markets; Air New Zealand brings a new aircraft to Houston; British Airways adds high-density 777 flights to Gatwick; United and Delta drop Europe flights while KLM adds one; American plans new code-shares to and within China; Etihad trims its Los Angeles schedule and terminates San Francisco service; and LATAM adds a Boston route.

Aeromexico, now a joint venture partner with Delta, plans to expand its presence at Mineta San Jose International next summer by offering seasonal flights to Mexico City. The carrier will use a 737-800 on the route, offering daily flights from June 1 through August 31. The southbound flight will depart SJC at 1:40 p.m. In July of this year, Aeromexico started service from San Jose to Guadalajara.

Speaking of Mexico City, Southwest Airlines has scaled back its plans to expand service to the Mexican capital. The Dallas Morning News reports that Southwest has changed its mind about adding new service to MEX from Los Angeles and Ft. Lauderdale next summer. The carrier has given up the slots at Mexico City that it had acquired for those routes, and DOT assigned them instead to VivaAerobus, a Mexican low-cost carrier. When Delta and Aeromexico won approval for their joint venture, they had to give up some slots at MEX, and Southwest picked up enough for four flights a day there, which it initially used to add two flights a day from Houston Hobby.

Premium economy seats on the new version of Air New Zealand’s 787-9.(Image: Air New Zealand)

The new Qantas 787-9 that starts flying from Melbourne to LAX in December won’t be the only new Dreamliner service from Down Under. Air New Zealand plans to deploy the newest version of its 787-9 on its two-year-old Auckland-Houston route in December. The Kiwi carrier also plans to boost frequencies on that route next year, from the current five weekly flights to six or seven from March 25 through October 27. The new Air New Zealand 787-9 increases capacity in the front of the plane, from 18 business class seats to 27 and from 21 premium economy seats to 33. The airline currently flies a 777-200 to Houston.

British Airways has been planning to introduce “high density” 777-200ERs on long-haul flights out of London Gatwick Airport, partly in response to low-cost interlopers like Norwegian, and its plans for those planes are starting to emerge. Unlike its existing 275-seat 777-200ERs, the new version will cram 336 seats into the planes, according to Routesonline.com – 32 in business class, 52 in premium economy and 252 in regular economy. BA plans to put the new version of the plane into service for one weekly flight between Orlando and Gatwick as of May 11, 2018, increasing to daily by October 6; one flight a week between Ft. Lauderdale and Gatwick starting September 13 of next year, increasing to three a week October 8; and daily service between New York JFK and Gatwick effective July 8 of next year.

Looking ahead to other transatlantic markets for 2018, United had been planning to offer seasonal service from Chicago O’Hare to Shannon, Ireland from late May through early September, but now it has canceled those plans. And Delta is giving up on its Newark-Amsterdam service – which operates four days a week this winter – as of March 23. However, Delta partner KLM will expand service between New York JFK and Amsterdam next year, adding a third flight six days a week effective March 26. In another development, Delta will code-share on daily A330-200 Alitalia flights from Rome to Delhi, India, effective October 29.

American’s customers will get access to new destinations on China Southern. (Image: China Southern)

American Airlines, which acquired a small equity stake in China Southern Airlines this year, is planning a substantial code-sharing program with that carrier, according to Air Transport World. It said AA has filed plans with the Transportation Department to put its AA code onto China Southern flights from San Francisco to Wuhan and to Guangzhou, as well as its New York JFK-Guangzhou service. The AA code would also go onto 14 China Southern routes from Beijing to other destinations in China. It didn’t say when the code-sharing is expected to begin. Last month, American moved its operations at Beijing’s airport from Terminal 3 to China Southern’s base at Terminal 2.

Etihad Airways plans to reduce its schedule between Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi this winter. From January 15 through April 30, it will trim frequencies from daily to four a week, switching aircraft on the route from a 777-200LR to a 777-300ER. (And don’t forget, as we reported last summer, Etihad will discontinue its San Francisco-Abu Dhabi service on October 29 after cutting it back earlier this year from daily frequencies to just three flights a week.)

To Latin America, LATAM has filed for regulatory approval to begin the first non-stop service between Boston and Sao Paulo, Brazil next summer, although a schedule and starting date haven’t yet been determined.

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Delta unveils new seats on new Airbus A350 & sets routes

October 18, 2017

Delta’s newest baby: The Airbus A350- easy to spot with those mod black framed cockpit windows (Photo: Airbus)

We’re getting close to the commercial launch of Delta’s first Airbus A350 wide-body, and the carrier has unveiled more of its route plans for the new aircraft – including its first Europe route. It has also introduced a brand new “real” premium economy seat.

As previously reported, the first Delta A350 route will be from Detroit to Tokyo Narita, starting October 30. The airline is focusing on its Detroit hub for the A350 rollout, with plans to begin flying the plane from DTW to Seoul Incheon on November 16, followed by DTW-Beijing flights as of January 17. (DTW is also the airport that will see the end of Delta’s Boeing 747 service later this year.)

Now Delta has announced two more routes for the A350. It will use the plane for one of its four daily Detroit-Amsterdam flights beginning March 31 of next year, followed by its introduction on Detroit-Shanghai service starting April 19. Atlanta-Seoul will get the A350 treatment starting March 24.

See the Seat Map for Delta’s new A350 here.

Delta’s A350s will debut its new Delta One business cabin. (Image:” Delta)

In addition to Delta’s new Delta One front cabin, which features innovative passenger “suites,” the aircraft will also debut the Delta Premium Select seating category – the airline’s new international premium economy product.

The new Premium Select (true premium economy) seats will be up to 19 inches wide, with pitch of up to 38 inches, up to seven inches of recline, and adjustable leg and head rests. Premium Select travelers will get noise-cancelling headphones, pre-departure drink service, upgraded meal service, free in-flight entertainment selections on a 13.3-inch screen, in-seat power ports, and Delta’s Sky Priority treatment (expedited check-in, baggage and security screening, and premium boarding).

Delta’s B777s are also slated to get the new Premium Select seats next year.

Delta’s new international premium economy seats will debut on the A350. (Image: delta)

As Delta’s long-haul aircraft get the new Premium Select seating, they will no longer offer Comfort+ extra-legroom economy seating. Only “preferred” economy seats will be available. This means it could be tougher for elites to get “good” economy seats on long haul flights.

In its Premium Select FAQs Delta offers these options for upgrading to the new Premium Select seats:

There will be three ways to upgrade into Delta Premium Select:
1. Purchase an upgrade with cash through delta.com or Reservations
2. Purchase an upgrade with miles through Reservations
3. Use a Global Upgrade Certificate, and if not cleared prior to check-in, monitor the airport standby list to see if your certificate clears. Global Upgrade Certificates are only available to Diamonds as a Choice Benefit option.

With customer anticipation running high for the new A350s, especially among SkyMiles elites, Delta posted a message on Flyertalk to ”clear up any confusion” about upgrades to the aircraft’s Delta One (business class) suites. “Diamond Medallion Members can use one Global Upgrade Certificate to upgrade directly to a Delta One suite from any cabin of service offered on the flight – including Main Cabin (excluding Basic Economy),” a Delta rep said.

Delta celebrated the A350 with a “media day” this week– check out the busy social media stream the event produced— plenty of great photos.

What do you think about Delta’s new plane? And new seats? Please leave your comments below.

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Delta app eliminates flight check-in

October 13, 2017

Delta passengers with iPhones no longer have to check in. (Image: Delta)

The newest version of Delta’s iPhone app has added a handy new feature that ends the need to check in for your flight.

The airline said that with the new version 4.6 of its iOS app, “We’ve eliminated the check-in process. Your boarding pass will automatically appear 24 hours before your flight.”

Other enhancements to the app include the ability for the user to toggle between trips when he has several of them on the same day, and the ability to join SkyMiles from the app. The latest enhancements aren’t available for Android devices yet.

What’s unclear is how long Delta will tell its gate agents to wait for a no-show passenger who has been automatically checked in before releasing that seat to someone else, assuming there are stand-bys.

Earlier this year, Lufthansa developed a new website at AirlineCheckins.com that also provides automatic check-in – not just for Lufthansa, but for any airline that offers online check-in. Users who register with the website, providing personal details (including seating preference) and loyalty program information, will get a special email address to use when they book a flight. They will then be automatically checked in when the airline opens the flight for check-ins, with the boarding pass sent via email or SMS.

LOT Polish also has automated check-in. (Image: LOT Polish)

LOT Polish Airlines has an automated system that checks passengers in 36 hours before their scheduled departure time, sending the boarding pass to their phone or email address. It’s available to passengers who register at least 37 hours before departure, or with no registration required for business class and premium economy passengers as well as Star Alliance Gold and Silver members.

What do you think about not having to check in for flights? Does that make you happy or nervous? Please leave your comments below.

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Airport news: Portland, Vancouver, LaGuardia, Miami, Nashville + Buh-bye Airberlin

October 11, 2017

Rendering of Portland’s expanded Concourse E. (Image: Hennebery Eddy Architects)

In airport news, Portland International’s (PDX) Concourse E is getting a big expansion; Air Canada opens a new lounge at Vancouver; faster security screening comes to New York LaGuardia; Miami’s Centurion Lounge is getting bigger; Nashville takes the wraps off a billion-dollar growth plan; and some U.S. airports lose Germany service as Airberlin moves up its shutdown.

The next step in Portland (Ore.) International’s long-term $1.3 billion overhaul is an expansion of its Concourse E. The Port of Portland has just hired Skanska as the contractor to lengthen the concourse by 820 feet, constructing a two-story extension that will add six gates to the facility. The existing portion of PDX Terminal E will also be renovated, and its baggage system will be overhauled. The $151 million project – which will enlarge Concourse E by 14,000 square meters — is expected to take three years. Concourse E is used by United, although long-term plans call for Southwest to move into the concourse, with United moving to the south side of the airport.

Air Canada’s new Vancouver Maple Leaf Lounge has a big periodicals library. (Image: Air Canada)

Air Canada has cut the ribbon on its newly renovated and expanded Maple Leaf Lounge at Vancouver International Airport. Open to qualifying Air Canada and Star Alliance customers, the lounge now occupies 1,250 square meters, with space for 258 persons. The two-level lounge has a business zone with desktop computers, printing and scanning services; hot and cold dining options and a chef’s station where custom dishes can be prepared; shower facilities; a TV area; a quiet zone with recliners; and free Wi-Fi. The new facility is decorated with the works of Canadian artists, and furnishings were created by Canadian designers.

Delta and the Transportation Security Administration have teamed up to bring a pair of new automated security lanes to Terminal C at New York LaGuardia. The airline said four of the new lanes will also be in operation by the end of this month at LGA’s Terminal D. The new security lanes – which are gradually coming to airports all over the country – allow several passengers to load their belongings into bins simultaneously. The bins are 25 percent larger than before, and empty bins are automatically returned to the beginning of the line by separate conveyor belts. The new design is estimated to move travelers through security checks up to 30 percent faster than before.

At Miami International, the airport’s board of commissioners has given a green light to American Express to expand its Centurion Lounge in Concourse D (near Gate D12 on the fourth floor). The project will give the lounge an additional 4,000 square feet of space. That will be taken up by a larger food buffet and beverage area, a new wine bar, more seating, a larger “tranquility area,” additional restrooms, and a pair of private telephone rooms. AmEx just opened a new Centurion Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport, and is due to cut the ribbon on another at Philadelphia International this month. It also changed its admission policy; the lounges are now open only to AmEx Platinum Card holders and Centurion members; other cardholders can no longer buy day passes for the lounges.

Nashville’s overhaul includes an outdoor plaza and a new hotel. (Image: Nashville Airport)

Officials at Nashville International have released details of a five-year, $1.2 billion plan to make over the airport. It calls for an overhauled terminal, an outdoor plaza area, and a big central entrance with lots of natural light. New construction in the plan includes a 288-room on-site hotel, a 2,000-space parking garage, an expanded Concourse D with more retail concessions, and additional short-term parking areas. The airport plans also allow for the eventual addition of a light rail link to downtown Nashville, although that is a separate city project. Officials said BNA is growing faster than any other U.S. airport of its size, with passenger numbers jumping by more than 11 percent last year.

Say good-bye to Airberlin. (Image: Airberlin)

Several U.S. airports will lose some service to Germany in the next few weeks as financially-troubled Airberlin has decided to halt its operations no later than October 28. Earlier, the carrier had hoped to keep most of its flights going until it could negotiate the orderly sale of its assets to other airlines, but it has decided that was an unrealistic goal. In August, Airberlin filed for insolvency in Germany following a decision by Etihad Airways, one of its major owners, to stop putting money into the company. Airberlin’s U.S. destinations from Berlin include Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco. From Dusseldorf, its U.S. schedule includes flights to Boston, Ft. Myers, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, Orlando and San Francisco. However, it recently stopped its SFO-Berlin, LAX-Berlin, Chicago-Berlin and Boston-Dusseldorf flights. Lufthansa has already announced plans to start flying New York JFK-Berlin on November 7 and Miami-Dusseldorf on November 8.

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A look inside Delta partner China Eastern Airlines

October 6, 2017

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

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

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

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

First a few of the basics…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

China Eastern 777-300ER (Image: SeatPlans)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Read more about China Eastern on its website

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

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Popular: Big fare sale + Delta devaluation? + TWA hotel + Final 747 flights + Uber at airport

October 1, 2017

Roundtrip fares between Norcal & Socal plummeted to just $57 this week- did you get one? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 Deal expired but more to come: Deal Alert: California Corridor goes dirt cheap

2 Two sides to this issue- see comments: Delta Diamond status just got a lot harder to earn

3 So that’s why! Airport Lyft & Uber pickups get faster. Why?

4 Routes: More Hong Kong from SFO, Delta to London, Virgin 747 flights, Lufthansa + more

5 Airport updates: O’Hare, LAX, Pittsburgh, Minneapolis, Boston

Do you follow Chris on Instagram? Come on and jump onboard here

Daytrip SFO-LAX in 6 hours #travel #california #sf #la #embraer @americanair #avgeek
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Sep 27, 2017 at 9:19pm PDT

6 This is so remote: New: Take a bus to your plane at SFO

7 Anyone old enough to remember? See comments! TWA Hotel takes shape at JFK & in Manhattan (slideshow)

8 Bye bye big bird: United’s final 747 flight sells out in hours

9 Ugh! American Airlines eyes new perks – and packs in more seats

10 Nice: Delta debuts free in-flight text messaging

This is a lot of fun if you have 15 minutes to watch: In Worth It: Lifestyle, a spin off of BuzzFeed’s hit series Worth It, host Steven Lim and his buddies embark on a new adventure, setting out to try different experiences at three different price points: affordable, middle tier, and luxury–from airplane seats to cars to videos games. (JetBlue, Singapore Airlines, SurfAir) At the end of the episode, the gang decides which experience is the most “worth it” at its given price.

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

Amex Platinum adds access to Lufthansa lounge at Munich Airport

More congestion coming to ATL curbside due to canopy construction

In July at SFO: 300,000 car service rides vs 100,000 taxi rides

Uber out of Montreal from Oct 14

Not much swoon for Air France’s new airline, Joon

Don’t forget: You can earn Delta SkyMiles for your Lyft rides

Lyft is a Delta’s SkyMiles partner- did you know? (Image: Delta/Lyft)

American Airlines CEO: “We’ll never lose money again.”

Elon Musk’s New Vision: Anywhere on Earth in Under One Hour

United exec discusses better sleep, social media at APEX conference

Hotels take in record amounts of revenue from guest fees

American introduces new sleep products for long-haul, transcon customers

Study: Airline revenues from Wi-Fi could grow from $1 billion to $30 billion

Canada’s Westjet will launch Calgary-based low-cost carrier

Netflix will help airlines improve their in-flight streaming technology

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Routes: More Hong Kong from SFO, Delta to London, Virgin 747 flights, Lufthansa + more

September 28, 2017

Delta One (business class) on an A330 is a new option to London (Image: Delta)

In international route developments, Hong Kong Airlines details its plans for San Francisco service; Delta will increase London Heathrow capacity next year with bigger aircraft; Virgin Atlantic will put 747s onto two U.S. routes; Lufthansa moves into Airberlin markets; Norwegian adds an ultra-long haul low-fare route; Hawaiian switches code-share allegiance to Japan Airlines; and American and United alter their Cuba services.

Delta is making some changes to its London Heathrow service next year, giving it a lot more capacity from key hubs. The company said that effective March 24, it will change equipment on its LHR routes out of New York JFK, Atlanta and Detroit from the current 208-passenger 767-300s to 293-seat Airbus A330s. Delta One flat-bed seats in the A330s have that herringbone layout with aisle access for all. Delta will also slightly alter its JFK joint venture schedule with Virgin Atlantic; the current schedule of five Virgin and three Delta flights a day will change to six Virgin and two Delta departures.

While Delta recently publicized some new Europe routes it is adding in 2018, it did not publicize some that it is dropping. That includes seasonal summer service from New York JFK to Moscow Sheremetyevo and to Stockholm Arlanda, and from Philadelphia to Paris CDG.

Hong Kong Airlines, partly owned by China’s Hainan Airlines, will begin service between Hong Kong and Los Angeles in mid-December. A few weeks ago, we reported that the airline also has its eye on other U.S. gateways, and it has just revealed it plans for Hong Kong-San Francisco service. The carrier plans to start flying HKG-SFO on March 25 with four flights a week, increasing to daily frequencies by August 18, according to Routesonline.com. Both LAX and San Francisco flights will use A350-900s with 33 fully-reclining business class seats, 108 in “Economy Comfort” class, and 193 in regular economy. Will a new entrant be able to compete in a crowded SFO market against Cathay Pacific’s three daily flights to Hong Kong, plus service from United and Singapore? We’ll see…

Meanwhile, Virgin Atlantic also has some good news for fans of the fast-disappearing Boeing 747. On March 26, Virgin will put a 747-400 onto its daily Manchester-Atlanta service twice a week, increasing to three a week May 26. And on May 22, it will start using a 747-400 on four of its seven weekly JFK-Manchester flights. The other flights on both routes use A330s.

Lufthansa will fly A330 on two U.S. routes–but not to its hubs. (Image: Lufthansa)

Germany’s bankrupt Airberlin keeps limping along as it negotiates the sale of its assets to competitors, but that hasn’t stopped Lufthansa from targeting a couple of Airberlin routes. Lufthansa just announced a pair of new U.S. routes starting this fall – neither one to its hubs at Frankfurt or Munich. On November 7 Lufthansa will kick off New York JFK-Berlin service five days a week with an A330-300 (its first Berlin wide-body service in 16 years), followed on November 8 by Miami-Dusseldorf A330-300 flights three days a week. Next summer, both routes will be transferred to Lufthansa’s Eurowings subsidiary. (Meanwhile, the Oneworld alliance has suspended mileage earning and spending privileges on Airberlin flights for members of other Oneworld airline frequent flyer programs.)

What is the world’s longest route operated by a low-cost airline? As of this week, it’s London Gatwick-Singapore, just launched by Norwegian – its first route to Asia. The carrier is using a 787-9 to fly the 6,764-mile route (12 hours 45 minutes) four times a week, with one-way base fares starting as low as 150 pounds ($201) (plus lots of fees, of course). Norwegian flies to London Gatwick from several U.S. cities – most recently adding Denver-Gatwick and Seattle-Gatwick flights.

Norwegian officials celebrate new London-Singapore flights. (Image: Norwegian)

Hawaiian Airlines and Japan Airlines have announced a new code-share partnership that starts March 25, subject to government approval. “The two carriers also intend to establish a joint venture designed to provide even more choices, convenience and enhancements to the traveling public to/from Japan and beyond to multiple Asian markets,” Hawaiian said. Specific code-shared flights and routes haven’t yet been announced, but Hawaiian said its passengers will have “full access to Japan’s domestic network,” including Nagoya, Fukuoka, Sendai and Aomori. The pact also includes reciprocal mileage earning and spending on code-shared flights, as well as mutual airport lounge access. Hawaiian is moving into JAL’s Terminal 2 at Tokyo Narita to facilitate easy connections. The deal also means the end of Hawaiian’s code-sharing partnership with ANA.

U.S. carriers continue to adjust their Cuba services as they get a better handle on consumer demand for flights to the island nation. American Airlines plans to terminate its daily Miami-Cienfuegos E175 flights on January 7, and United has applied for government approval to increase its service from Houston Bush Intercontinental to Havana from weekly Saturday-only flights to daily frequencies. It didn’t specify a start date for the increase.

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Delta debuts free in-flight text messaging

September 27, 2017

Delta is launching free in-flight texting service. (Image: Delta)

Delta is rolling out a nice new benefit for travelers next month: free in-flight text messaging service on all its aircraft equipped with Gogo Internet.

The only other U.S. carrier that currently offers this handy freebie is Alaska Airlines, which introduced it last winter.

Although Alaska has exclusively offered the free texting for almost nine months now, Delta’s decision to match that amenity could put big pressure on United and American to do the same. It’s ideal for passengers who need to send a quick message to someone on the ground but don’t want to sign up for a paid Wi-Fi session.

Delta’s free texting service, which begins October 1, is available for users of iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. Gogo-equipped Delta aircraft include all those with at least two cabins. To access the free texting, passengers should use Delta’s Wi-Fi portal at airborne.gogoinflight.com. It’s for sending and receiving text only – no photo or video files. In the past, this benefit was reserved for T-Mobile customers— now all passengers will enjoy it.

Delta is upgrading its Gogo Wi-Fi to faster satellite-based technology. (Image: SES/Airbus Defence & Space)

Delta’s offer is basically the same as Alaska’s Free Chat service, which also works with iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger via Gogo Internet. The free texting offer should help Delta in its ongoing market share battle for customers at Alaska’s Seattle hub.

The airline is gradually upgrading its inflight Wi-Fi service to Gogo’s high-speed 2Ku satellite-based technology. Over the next two years, Delta said, the faster Wi-Fi will be installed on more than 600 of its domestic and international aircraft. About 200 planes already have it.

Will you use the new feature? Please leave your comments below.

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Delta Diamond status just got a lot harder to earn

September 26, 2017

Diamond status is getting a lot harder to come by(Image: Delta)

Delta flyers who want to reach SkyMiles’ ultra-elite Diamond Medallion status have to fly 125,000 qualifying miles or 140 segments annually, and they have to rack up at least $15,000 in spending (i.e., Medallion Qualifying Dollars or MQDs) on Delta and its partners. Or they can avoid that last requirement by spending a certain amount on a Delta American Express credit card.

But that so-called “MQD Waiver” for Diamond status will soon be a lot harder to achieve.

Currently, the waiver requires spending $25,000 a year on a qualifying credit card. But as of January 1, that minimum spend will jump to an eye-popping $250,000 in a calendar year for aspiring Diamond Medallion elites. That might be OK if you’re planning to make a down payment on a new house with your card, but it’s quite a stretch for just about anyone else.

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Showing a talent for understatement, the carrier said on its website that “We understand this is a significant increase.” But it noted that the minimum annual card spending level for earning a MQD Waiver toward its other elite levels (Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallion) will remain at $25,000. And it reminded members that the change will not affect their 2017 efforts to gain Diamond status for 2018.

Why such a huge bump in required spending to gain a waiver from the Diamond MQD requirement? Delta really doesn’t explain that. All it says is: “This qualification change will allow us to deliver on expectations for Diamond Medallion status so members can maximize elite benefits like Complimentary Upgrades and Sky Club access.”

Outrage over the move has become frothy on social media:

Time to cancel @Delta @Amex cards now that Diamond MQD waiver increased 25k to 250k!! The disrespect from #Delta #Amex to fliers is crazy.
— DailyTravelTips (@DailyTravelTips) September 26, 2017

TravelSkills reader ES comments: “It would be $250K overall on the Delta/AmEx card to get a waiver, or $15,000 on tickets. For me, it means I won’t be using the Delta/AmEx card exclusively anymore.”

On our TravelSkills Facebook page, reader JD said: “This is good news to the passengers that put in the miles (apposed to buying miles). They fly a lot and want those upgrades!”

To see the announcement and some FAQs about the change, click here, then click into Medallion Program Updates.

What about you, readers? Will this change affect your plans to reach 2019 Diamond status?

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Popular: Final 747 flights + LA Tips + New routes + Elite tiers + more

September 24, 2017

Did you get a seat on United’s final 747 flight to Honolulu? Hilton Hawaiian Village (Chris McGinnis)

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

1 United’s final 747 flight to HNL sells out in 2 hours

2 Trip Report: 3 exciting days in Los Angeles

3 Routes: Frontier at SJC, Alaska/Virgin, Delta, AA, Sun Country

4 Routes: Delta at LAX, More Mexico for United, BA 747s, Norwegian, Icelandair,

5 Aloha Delta 747

6 5 ways to prevent “shoulder surfing”

Worried about wandering eyes when you travel? Here’s some help (Photo: 3M)

7 Reader Report: Air France Premium Economy to Paris, Airbus A380

8 Show U.S. Customs the contents of your phone…or else!

9 Like Delta, United to implement bump auctions

10 Comparing airlines’ elite status tiers

Can you still get you UBER on in LONDON? Yes, but….

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

Are Basic Economy fares messing up the boarding process at United? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Is this the real reason United scaled back its Basic Economy fares?

About time> Gmail finally adds conversion of phone numbers & addresses to links

A really interesting guide to Chicago O’Hare by Curbed

Red Roof adds gift cards and consumer products to its guest rewards perks

Some big changes on tap for Red Roof Inn’s rewards program (Image: Red Roof)

Hilton Honors members can now shop on Amazon with points

New app lists bag fees on 79 airlines

Airline fee revenues hit $44 billion

InterContinental offers details on its new mid-scale brand, Avid Hotels

China ends its ban on using electronic devices in-flight

CBP plans new website for Global Entry applications, management

Like my new O’Keeffe traveling shoes? Picked these up last week in Los Angeles 🙂

New Italian shoes ? getting first #airport workout ? #style #shoes #fashion #travel #travelskills
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Sep 22, 2017 at 10:57am PDT

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Like Delta, United to implement bump auctions

September 22, 2017

When checking in for your next United flight, you might get a surprise in October (Image: United)

Starting in October, when you check in for your United flight online or at a kiosk, you might be asked how much you’d be willing to take to give up your seat.

Following Delta’s lead (again), United is set to implement a new bidding process for bumps.

So when you check in for an overbooked flight, you’ll be asked if you are interested in being put on a list of potential volunteers– and if so, for how much. You’ll then be offered three different dollar amounts (in travel credits, not cash) to volunteer your seat.

If United is forced to involuntarily bump passengers, it will choose from the list of lowest bidders. But don’t get your hopes up for much of a jackpot. After the David Dao dragging incident, involuntary bumpings are down at United (and all carriers).

This week Brian Sumers from the Skift travel website tweeted an image of what that screen could look like:

(Image: Brian Sumers)

This probably sounds like deja vu to Delta fliers who know that the airline rolled out a similar plan six years ago.

Here’s what we wrote on TravelSkills about the introduction of Delta’s bidding for bumps process way back in 2011:

Have you tried Delta’s new bidding for bumps process at check in? Instead of the old process where Delta would ask for volunteers and start the bidding over the PA system at the gate, the carrier now asks passengers as they check in (online or at kiosks) if they’d be willing to give up their seat and take a later flight. Once you say yes, you are then asked for the minimum amount you’d be willing to accept in exchange for your seat.

Your offer is then sent to gate agents and added to a list of other volunteers, with the lowest bids at the top. If your bid is accepted, gate agents will call you to the podium to discuss the flight options they can offer (standby or confirmed), as well as extras like meal vouchers or upgrades. At that point, you can accept or refuse their offer. If you refuse, they just move on to the next lowest bidder (if there is one).

Delta has had bump auctions in place since 2011 (Image: JohnnyJet)

Last April, PBS News Hour did a special report on How Delta Masters the Game of Overbooking Flights, which could have been the impetus for United to get on board with a similar plan.

What’s the most money (or credit) you’ve ever scored from a voluntary or involuntary bumping? Please leave it in the comments.

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Routes: Delta at LAX, More Mexico for United, BA 747s, Norwegian, Icelandair,

September 21, 2017

Delta will use a 777-200LR for LAX flights to Paris and Amsterdam. (Image: Delta)

In international route news, Delta will add new transatlantic routes next year; Norwegian starts up London flights from two western U.S. cities; Icelandair will add U.S. gateways in 2018; Austrian Airlines debuts a new cabin class; British Airways will put 747s on two U.S. routes; United adds a Mexico destination from two cities; Aeromexico replaces Delta on a U.S. route; and new services are coming for Avianca, Azul and WestJet.

Delta said this week it plans to add new service from Los Angeles to two European destinations next year. Effective June 16, Delta will use a 777-200LR to fly from LAX to both Paris and Amsterdam, but it will not offer daily departures on those routes. The Paris flights will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (eastbound), and the Amsterdam flights on the other four days of the week. Many onward connections at both destinations will be available on Delta partners Air France and KLM. At New York JFK, Delta will start flying five days a week as of May 24 to Ponta Delgada in the Azores, an autonomous region of Portugal about 1,000 miles west of Lisbon in the Atlantic Ocean.

At its Atlanta hub, Delta will add seasonal 767 service to Lisbon from May 24 through September 4. And starting May 16, Delta will add a third daily roundtrip between Detroit and Paris CDG (already served by daily flights from Delta and code-share partner Air France). Delta had previously announced new transatlantic service three times a week as of March from JFK to Lagos, Nigeria; Orlando-Amsterdam flights beginning March 30; and Indianapolis-Paris starting May 24.

In other news, Delta this week resumed code-sharing with Russian carrier Aeroflot, putting its DL code onto 14 Aeroflot domestic routes out of Moscow Sheremetyevo. You can see a full list of the affected routes here.

Norwegian Air is now flying from Seattle and Denver to London with 787s. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Low-cost Norwegian has started flying a pair of previously-announced new transatlantic routes. This week it inaugurated daily 787-9 service to London’s Gatwick Airport from Seattle-Tacoma International, as well as twice-weekly (Saturday/Tuesday) 787-9 service from Denver International to Gatwick. The Denver service is scheduled to increase to increase to three flights a week on November 2 with the addition of a Thursday departure from DEN.

Icelandair is expanding its U.S. route network next year, as it faces growing competition from low-cost Icelandic carrier WOW Air. Icelandair will add Dallas/Ft. Worth to its route map in May 2018, offering 757-200 flights to Reykjavik four days a week out of DFW’s Terminal D. (Earlier this month, WOW announced new DFW-Reykjavik service also starting in May 2018, operating three times a week with an A330.) Also coming in mid-May 2018 is new Icelandair service from Cleveland to Reykjavik, operating five days a week with a new two-class 737MAX 8. The day after Icelandair announced its Cleveland route, WOW announced it will also fly Cleveland-Reykjavik, starting May 4 with four flights a week, with fares starting at $99 one-way.

Austrian’s new premium economy seats have 38-inch pitch. (Image: Austrian Airlines)

Austrian Airlines — the Lufthansa subsidiary that flies to Vienna from New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles and Miami – unveiled plans to offer premium economy seating, bookable now for flights starting March 6. The new seats will be wider than regular economy and will offer a 38-inch pitch as well as footrests, a 12-inch seatback screen, power outlets and USB ports. Premium economy passengers will be allowed two free checked bags, and will get welcome drinks, amenity kits, and meal service on china.

Touch-screen screens in economy are part of British Airways’ overhaul of its 747s. (Image: British Airways)

You want more chances to fly on a 747 before they all disappear? British Airways still relies on the Boeing jumbos for some long-haul services, and it plans to put a 747-400 onto its London Heathrow-Austin route next spring (effective April 8), replacing the 787-9 it currently uses. And from August 8 through September 30 of next year, according to Routesonline.com, BA will replace an A380 on its Los Angeles-LHR route (BA283/282) with a 747-400.

United Airlines is adding service to Mazatlan, Mexico just in time for the winter holidays. From its Houston hub, United will fly to Mazatlan four times a week from December 21 through April 8, then cut back to weekly Saturday-only service through mid-August. From Chicago O’Hare, United will offer once-a-week Saturday service to Mazatlan from December 23 through April 7. In other Mexico route news, Delta’s existing daily Delta Connection/Skywest CRJ900 service from Salt Lake City to Guadalajara will be replaced in January by daily E190 flights operated by Delta’s new joint venture partner Aeromexico.

Elsewhere in Latin America, Brazil’s Azul will expand its U.S. network in December by adding new service four times a week between Orlando and Belo Horizonte, Brazil; and four flights a week linking Ft. Lauderdale with Belem, Brazil. Avianca’s TACA Airlines unit plans to revive Newark-San Salvador, El Salvador service November 17, operating five flights a week. And Avianca Brasil plans to offer daily flights to Sao Paulo Guarulhos from New York JFK beginning December 15.

And to Canada, Westjet will start flying between Denver and Calgary effective March 8, operating one daily roundtrip with a 737-700.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Comparing airlines’ elite status tiers

September 20, 2017

Alaska Airlines wins top honors in a comparison of elite status levels. (Photo: Alaska Air)

Is it possible to compare one airline’s elite status requirements and benefits to another’s? Most frequent travelers will usually devote their mile/point accumulation to the hometown airline they fly the most by default. But a new study takes a fresh look at elite status to see which airlines are the most generous.

And the overall winner – across three of the four status tiers – is Alaska Airlines’ Mileage Plan, according to ThePointsGuy.com, a specialist in travel loyalty programs.

How is it possible to compare the elite benefits of six airlines (Alaska, American, Delta, United, JetBlue and Southwest)? The site assigned various weights to all the categories of perks that come with elite status levels, ranging from 25 percent for in-flight perks like upgrades, preferred seats and free amenities to 5 percent for special reservations treatment (priority phone line and enhanced award availability). Also in the mix are airport perks, fee waivers, bonus earning potential, partner perks, flexibility of benefits and non-flying perks like crossover deals with hotel companies.

ThePointsGuy.com looked at all those elements tier by tier across the six airlines. For low-tier elites (based on 25,000 flight miles and $3,000 in spending), Alaska’s MVP status came in first, followed in order by American’s Advantage Gold, Delta’s Silver Medallion and United’s Premier Silver. (JetBlue and Southwest don’t have a comparable elite status at this level, the site noted.)

The site said the primary reason for Alaska’s high ranking is “the fact that Alaska still awards miles based on flying rather than spending.” Alaska MVP members get a 50 percent earning bonus on flights, or 12,500 miles – worth an estimated $237.50 – on 25,000 flight miles in a year. By contrast, the spending-based regimes at the Big Three return only 6,000 bonus miles on $3,000 in spending, worth an estimated $72 to $90 at the three airlines, the site estimated.

American’s AAdvantage Gold members benefit from fee waivers. (Image: Jim Glab)

Benefits of AAdvantage Gold that put American in second place were priority security access and waiver of the $75 same-day standby fee and the $75 award-processing fee for short-notice award bookings for lowest-tier elites, the site said.

For mid-level elites (50,000 miles/$6,000), United came in second behind Alaska, followed by Delta, American, JetBlue and Southwest, in that order. Alaska’s MVP Gold status at this level provides a generous 100 percent earning bonus, well above its competitors. The site also gave kudos to Alaska MVP Gold and JetBlue Mosaic status for fee waivers on flight changes and cancellations. Part of the reason for United’s second-place showing was its offer of free Marriott Gold reciprocal status to its MileagePlus Premier Golds.

Delta’s Comfort+ seating offers extra legroom and other perks. (Image: Delta)

For high-tier elites (75,000 miles/$9,000), Delta came in second after Alaska by virtue of its superior in-flight perks like a longer upgrade window (120 hours before departure vs. 72 at others), free access to preferred seats and extra-legroom economy seats, and upgrades on award travel.

It’s only at the very highest tier level (125,000 miles/$15,000) that Alaska drops out of first place, although the status requirements aren’t as comparable at this level. In any case, the study gives first place to United’s Premier 1K for “consistently rewarding status across all categories” including enhanced award availability in both cabins, free drinks and snacks on board and 12 upgrades (six regional and six global).

You can read the full report here, and along with an interactive feature that lets you input your own mileage and spending, along with the importance you assign to various benefits, to see which elite program is best for you.

Which airline elite level program works best for you? Why? Please leave your comments below.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Routes: Frontier at SJC, Alaska/Virgin, Delta, AA, Sun Country

September 19, 2017

Frontier is adding more new routes at Mineta San Jose- including an Atlanta nonstop. (Image: Frontier)

In domestic route news, ultra-low-cost Frontier announced even more new service at San Jose; Alaska kicks off its big bump in Bay Area service, and deploys more Virgin A321neos; Delta adds new flights to ski destinations; American expands its schedule to Vail; and Twin Cities-based Sun Country Airlines moves to a new business model.

Two months ago, Frontier Airlines announced plans to add service from Mineta San Jose to four cities – Denver, Las Vegas, Austin and San Antonio. Now Frontier is adding three more cities to its SJC schedule: Atlanta, Cincinnati and Colorado Springs. Atlanta and Colorado Springs flights will operate four days a week starting April 9, 2018, while Cincinnati service will fly three days a week as of April 8. Daily SJC-Denver service kicks off October 5, followed by SJC-Las Vegas four days a week beginning November 1, SJC-San Antonio three days a week as of April 8 and SJC-Austin three times a week starting April 9.

Take a streetcar ride through New Orleans to see how it’s changed since Katrina (Image: Pixabay)

Back in March, Alaska Airlines/Virgin America unveiled plans for a big expansion of activity in the Bay Area, and this fall those new flights are finally starting to operate. Alaska recently started new daily mainline service (using A320-family planes from Virgin’s fleet) from San Francisco International to Philadelphia and to Nashville, to be followed by daily flights from SFO to New Orleans beginning September 21, to Indianapolis September 26, to Baltimore-Washington October 16, to Raleigh-Durham October 19, and to Kona, Hawaii December 14.

Also part of Alaska’s Bay Area expansion are new E175 flights out of Mineta San Jose, including four flights a day to Los Angeles beginning September 20, and recently-launched daily service to both Austin and Tucson. At its Seattle hub, meanwhile, Alaska plans to drop its existing daily Horizon Air non-stops to Colorado Springs effective November 4.

Virgin America’s new Airbus A321neos will hold 24 percent more passengers than its A320s. (Image: Airbus)_

Alaska subsidiary Virgin America is getting more new Airbus A321neos, and has revealed the markets where they will begin to operate. Virgin will use an A321neo for one daily Los Angeles-Honolulu flight beginning November 5 (moved up from January 4, 2018); two daily San Francisco-LAX flights beginning November 5; a daily San Francisco-Seattle flight as of November 6; daily SFO-Kona service starting December 14; daily LAX-Maui flights as of January 14 and flights once a week from SFO to San Diego and SFO-Las Vegas beginning January 14 and February 11 respectively. The A321neo (which stands for New Engine Option) is the largest aircraft in Virgin’s fleet, with 185 seats, vs. 146-149 for its A320s.

Delta is beefing up its winter schedule to ski destinations this year. Beginning December 21, Delta will offer daily flights from Salt Lake City to Eagle, Colorado (the airport for Vail) and to Montrose, Colorado (the gateway for Telluride), plus flights once or twice a week from Atlanta to Vancouver, B.C. (the gateway to Whistler). From December 21 through April 2, Delta will also increase frequencies this year from its hubs to its existing ski destinations including Aspen, Vail, Steamboat Springs and Montrose, Colo.; Sun Valley, Idaho; Bozeman and Kalispell, Montana; Reno/Tahoe; Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Calgary/Banff, Alberta and Vancouver/Whistler. You can click here and scroll down to see the full Delta ski schedule.

Speaking of Vail/Eagle, Colorado, American Airlines plans to extend its seasonal service from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Vail, making it a year-round daily operation next year. Currently, only United Express has year-round Vail flights.

A Sun Country Airlines 737. (Image: Sun Country)

Ever fly Sun Country Airlines? That Twin Cities-based niche carrier recently hired a new CEO named Jude Bricker, who formerly worked at ultra-low-cost Allegiant Air. And according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the new chief plans to move Sun Country over to the same ultra-low-cost business model used by Allegiant, Frontier and Spirit Airlines. Citing a memo to employees at Sun Country, the newspaper said the changes will mean “more seats on airplanes” and a plethora of new passenger fees, including one for overhead bin space. It also means diversifying Sun Country’s route network away from its heavy reliance on MSP, where it is caught in a squeeze between legacy carriers and ultra-low-cost competitors. There’s no word yet on how soon flyers will see those changes.

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Aloha Delta 747

September 18, 2017

Delta’s final 747 flight to LAX from Honolulu SEE VIDEO AT BOTTOM OF PAGE (Image: Delta)

Remember Delta’s final domestic 747 flight from LAX to Detroit a few weeks back? You know, the same beautiful bird that was looking forward to retirement, but was put back into duty to help evacuate Florida as Hurricane Irma approached? Yes, that one.

Well before that plane arrived in Los Angeles, it received the royal treatment in Hawaii, and Delta made a fun video about the affair. What many of you may not know is that Delta has been running a 747 between Honolulu and Japan for many years. There’s a lot of love for the old bird in Hawaii as you’ll see in the video above where Delta employees made her a giant lei for big send off. There were gate and Sly Club lounge parties including food, drink and dancing. Also, a group of Delta Diamond Medallion flyers bought out the entire business class section (including the upper deck or “bubble”) for the trip.

A gate party including cake celebrating the final domestic 747 flight (Image: Delta)

Here’s what Delta’s News hub wrote about the flight:

Employees in Honolulu paid tribute to the aircraft, which regularly operated the Honolulu-Narita route, with traditional Hawaiian customs by fashioning a maile lei big enough to fit over the top of the aircraft as a sign of respect. The team also held a gate celebration, and several employees held back tears as the group sang Aloha Oe and watched the aircraft depart Honolulu for the last time.

The Los Angeles team also had a chance to say their goodbyes to the “Queen of the Skies.” Employees lined the ramp at LAX and waved orange wands as it made its late-night departure to Detroit. Employees in Detroit met the aircraft when it landed, though the 747 will continue flying through Detroit for a few more months.

First look deep inside a Delta 747- parked in Atlanta!

Final flight touching down in LA (Image: Delta)

A group of 50 Delta Diamond Medallion customers joined in on the festivities as well. When one member of a Diamond Medallion Facebook group saw that the 747 would be flying two domestic legs, he notified other members of the group, who jumped at the chance to take one last flight on the aircraft. The group booked nearly the entire Delta One cabin and some of the Main Cabin as well, and they flew in from all over the country to catch one last ride on the 747.

Additionally, employees in Los Angeles hosted a reception for the group in the Delta Sky Club, and each member of the group received model 747 aircraft as a parting gift. All customers on the flight received commemorative ear buds in celebration of the final scheduled domestic flight.

SEE THE VIDEO HERE

Delta 747 (and Porsche!) at LAX (Image: Delta)

Delta expects the remaining 747s in its fleet to be retired by the end of 2017. The retiring aircraft will be replaced by the Airbus A350, which will be Delta’s flagship international aircraft and the first to feature the airline’s all-new Delta One Suite, the world’s first business class cabin to feature a sliding door, as well as Delta Premium Select, a new premium economy experience. Delta will take delivery of five A350s in 2017 with more coming in 2018.

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Award travel prices: United’s are up, Delta’s down

September 12, 2017

Domestic award travel costs on Delta have dropped almost 20 percent since 2013. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A new analysis of award travel costs among U.S. airlines that base their loyalty programs on dollars spent shows some big changes in the past few years – with good news for Delta’s flyers and bad news for United’s.

The study by IdeaWorks Company and CarTrawler looked at how average reward travel prices paid in points/miles changed from 2013 to 2017. It found that the average reward price for a domestic roundtrip on Delta fell by 19.1 percent, from 28,964 miles to 23,443 — the result of “a genuine effort” by Delta to reduce award prices, IdeaWorks said. On United, however, the average price jumped by 28.7 percent, from 26,357 to 33,929.

The proportion of United domestic award flight queries priced at 25,000 miles or less dropped from 83 percent four years ago to 43 percent this year, the study found.

The price of American Airlines’ domestic award tickets fell by just 2.3 percent over the four-year period, from 31,071 miles to 30,357.

But reward travel prices on the Big Three were far higher than on the airlines that ranked first and second on the cost chart: The cost of a JetBlue flight inched up half a percent, from 15,774 TrueBlue points in 2014 to 15,849 this year. And for first-place Southwest, the price fell by less than a point, from 9,353 to 9,300 Rapid Rewards points.

Source: IdeaWorks

Why the big difference? “The pay-with-points method (JetBlue and Southwest) links reward prices to prevailing air fares,” IdeaWorks said. “Program members can seek out low reward prices on flights that have lower fares. Reward prices adjust to demand in the same way fares have since supersaver rates were introduced decades ago. The mileage-based method is far less precise and typically ranges from 25,000 to 50,000 miles for a roundtrip domestic US reward.” However, it added that the Big Three are now “embracing more graduated pricing methods which removes the predictability of the traditional 25,000-mile and 50,000-mile classic reward option.”

Besides costing the customer less for award flights, Southwest and JetBlue are also more generous for non-elite economy flyers, IdeaWorks noted, both providing six program points per dollar spent, vs. five miles per dollar for the Big Three.

Southwest offers the best award travel deals for non-elite flyers. (Image: Jim Glab)

The above analysis changes considerably for elite-level frequent flyers, the company said, because they accrue points/miles at a higher level. Thus “ultra-frequent travelers may realize better reward value” from United, Delta and American.

Alaska was not included in the study because it still bases its loyalty program on the traditional miles-flown method. IdeaWorks noted that the average price paid for reward travel on Alaska this year was 18,500 miles, which would have placed it third, after Southwest and JetBlue.

What’s been your experience when it comes to redeeming miles over the last year? Please leave your comments below.

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New no-fee credit cards from Delta, United

September 7, 2017

United’s new TravelBank card. (Image: United)

Both Delta and United this week introduced new credit cards that carry no annual fee and are designed for those who earn a lot more miles from spending than by flying. They are also for those who hate paying banks steep annual fees for card benefits they may infrequently or never use. But they still want to be in the points and miles game.

Delta’s entry from American Express is called the Blue Delta SkyMiles card. In addition to carrying no annual fee, the card lets users earn two SkyMiles per dollar spent at U.S. restaurants and on purchases made directly with Delta, as well as one mile per dollar on other purchases. In-flight purchases made on Delta bring users a 20 percent statement credit, and those who sign up for the new card can get 10,000 bonus miles when they spend at least $500 in the first three months.

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Delta’s no-fee card from AmEx. (Image: Delta)

The airline said the card’s target market is “the new or casual traveler” in the 18-34 age group. Delta said its studies indicate those travelers are more likely to travel for leisure and to dine out at restaurants than other age groups. (More details here) Today Delta launched a social media contest around the launch of the new card, offering a grand prize of a four-day vacation in Nashville. #DeltaAmexBlue

United’s new no-fee card, from Chase, is called the United TravelBank Card, and is also designed for less frequent travelers. This one won’t earn MileagePlus miles; it’s a cash-back card that returns a percentage of money spent – 2 percent for United purchases and 1.5 percent on other purchases. The returned cash goes in to the United TravelBank, where it can be applied toward United flights.

“The card also offers a broad list of additional benefits not widely found in traditional cash-back cards, including no foreign transaction fees, trip cancellation/interruption insurance, auto rental coverage and 25% back as a statement credit on food and beverage purchases onboard United-operated flights,” the company said.

Those who apply for the United TravelBank Card and spend $1,000 in the first three months will earn $150 in TravelBank cash. (More details here)

“If you are a regular user of airline miles the Delta proposition is stronger. If you don’t want to mess with miles, and United tends to have a lot of flights where you live, the TravelBank card could save you more money,” says Brian Karimzad of the MileCards.com website.

Would either of these cards appeal to you? Why or why not? Please leave your comments below.

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Across the Pacific: Battle for Hong Kong + Flock of new A350s + lots more route news

September 6, 2017

Hong Kong Airlines, among others, adding more A350 flights across the Pacific (Photo: Airbus)

Let’s keep catching up with recent route developments with a look at what’s happening across the Pacific. Hong Kong Airlines, which plans to begin Los Angeles flights later this year, now has its eye on San Francisco and New York as well – a threat to Cathay Pacific, which said it will soon upgrade aircraft on its SFO and Newark routes; American Airlines finally nails down a launch date for its long-planned LAX-Beijing flights; Delta will bring a new plane to its Atlanta-Seoul route, and expands code-sharing to China; United drops a China route and expands capacity to New Zealand; Hainan Airlines will add a new U.S. route, and Air China sets a start for an LAX route.

Hong Kong Airlines, which is partly owned by China’s Hainan Airlines, said last month it plans to begin daily Hong Kong-Los Angeles flights in mid-December with its first new Airbus A350. And now it looks like that will just be the beginning: Hong Kong Airlines said that as it takes delivery of more new A350s – it has ordered 21 of them – the carrier plans to start flying from Hong Kong to New York and San Francisco in 2018, as well as Hong Kong-London “and other European and American destinations.” The carrier said its A350s will have 33 fully-reclining business class seats, 108 in “Economy Comfort” class, and 193 in regular economy. It didn’t provide any schedule information for next year’s new routes.

The Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post suggested that Hong Kong Airlines’ ambitious expansion plans couldn’t come at a worse time for Hong Kong’s major carrier: “The airline’s push poses a fresh challenge to Cathay Pacific, which has already suffered huge losses in recent years, caused by competition from mainland and Middle Eastern carriers,” the newspaper said.

Cathay Pacific’s first U.S. A350s are coming to Newark and SFO this fall (Photo: Cathay Pacific)

For its part, Cathay Pacific recently announced plans to start flying its own A350s on select U.S. routes. The carrier said that effective October 29, it will replace the 777-300ER currently used on its Hong Kong-Newark route with an A350, and will also put an A350 onto one of its three daily San Francisco-Hong Kong fights on the same date. Cathay has 16 A350-900s, with six more on order. Cathay’s A350s also offer business, premium economy and regular economy seating.

Have you flown an A350 yet? I did last fall on Singapore Airlines inaugural 17-hour SFO-SIN flight. Read the Trip Report here.

After months of delays as it negotiated with China for acceptable takeoff and landing slot times, American Airlines has now settled on November 5 for the inauguration of service on its new Los Angeles-Beijing route. The carrier had to secure DOT’s approval for the late start, and had to fend off regulatory challenges from Delta, which had sought the same route. American had originally said it would use a 777-200 for the LAX-Beijing service, but Routesonline.com now reports that American will begin flying the route with a 787-8, then switch to a 787-9 on March 25 of next year.

Delta’s new international premium economy seats will debut on the A350. (Image: delta)

Delta Air Lines has started taking delivery of its own new Airbus A350s, which it previously announced will start flying October 30 between Detroit and Tokyo Narita. Now Delta says it will also deploy one of the new wide-bodies on its Atlanta-Seoul Incheon route starting March 24 of next year- but the first A350s will fly between Detroit and Tokyo starting this fall. In other transpacific news, Delta this week expanded its code-sharing arrangement with China Eastern, putting the Delta code onto the Chinese carrier’s flights from Shanghai Pudong to Chiang Mai, Ningbo and Urumqi; from Beijing to Chongqing, Haikou and Wuxi; and on its San Francisco-Qingdao-Kunming route. Delta’s code will also go onto the flights of Shanghai Airlines (a China eastern subsidiary) from Pudong to Kota Kinabalu, Kuala Lumpur and Weihai.

United has been flying from San Francisco to Hangzhou, China three times a week with a 787-9, but the carrier plans to discontinue that route on October 14, according to a notice in Routesonline.com. Elsewhere, United will make an aircraft change on its San Francisco-Auckland route, which is now seasonal, operating from October 29 through March 22. Instead of a 787-9, United will put a 777-300ER on the route, and will trim frequencies from seven a week to six through December 17, and from 10 a week to seven from December 18 to March 22.

China’s Hainan Airlines plans an October 26 start for new service between New York JFK and Chengdu, flying the route twice a week with a 787-9. And Air China, which had originally planned a mid-summer start for Los Angeles-Shenzen service, has now set December 7 as the launch date; it will fly the route three days a week with a 787-9.

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U.S. routes: Southwest, United, Alaska, AA, Delta, JetBlue + more

September 5, 2017

Southwest Airlines is adding new San Jose routes next spring. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

We have a lot of airline route news to catch up on following our August break, so we’ll start with domestic developments. Southwest’s spring schedule additions include several new routes out of San Jose and Sacramento; Alaska also starts new service at San Jose; United will join Alaska in flying out of a new Pacific Northwest airport, and adds a seasonal ski market from San Francisco; American will start new service from Denver, and will put a wide-body on a San Francisco transcon route; Delta’s Salt Lake City hub gets a new spoke, and Las Vegas gets more Hawaii flights; JetBlue grows at Atlanta and Boston; Spirit adds a Las Vegas transcon route; and Frontier expands at San Antonio.

The battle for California is paying off for Golden State travelers with tons of new routes and low fares. Southwest Airlines last week unveiled plans for significant expansion in California next spring. On April 8, the airline will kick off new daily service from San Jose to Boise, St. Louis, Austin, Spokane and Houston Hobby, along with new daily flights from Sacramento to Austin and St. Louis. Southwest will follow that up on May 6 by launching new daily service to Orlando from both San Jose and Sacramento. Officials at SJC said Southwest will also expand existing routes there starting April 8, adding a second daily roundtrip to both Chicago Midway and Dallas Love Field, a fifth to Seattle, a sixth to Phoenix, and a fifth and sixth daily flight from SJC to Portland., along with new Sunday-only service to Albuquerque and New Orleans.

In Florida, Southwest on April 8 will add three daily roundtrips between Ft. Lauderdale and Jacksonville and daily non-stops between Milwaukee and Houston Hobby. On March 8, Southwest is due to discontinue its non-stop flights between Dallas Love Field and Milwaukee, and between Philadelphia and West Palm Beach, and will seasonally suspend service between Oakland-Tucson, Washington Reagan National-Ft. Myers, and Minneapolis/St. Paul-Ft. Lauderdale.

United will join Alaska in flying out of Washington State’s Paine Field next year. (Image: Alaska Airlines)

Travelers in San Francisco and Denver will get a new option for flights to the Seattle area next year with United’s announcement that it will add service from those cities to Paine Field, 23 miles north of Seattle. Starting in the fall of 2018, United said, it plans to start offering six flights a day from Paine to its SFO and DEN hubs. Last spring, Alaska Airlines announced plans to begin the first commercial airline service from Paine Field in the fall of next year, although it didn’t say which routes it would serve. In other route news, United will begin twice-weekly seasonal service on December 18 between San Francisco and Vail/Eagle, Colorado, with CRJ700s operated by SkyWest. Elsewhere, United/SkyWest on November 1 will begin service six days a week to Clarksburg, West Virginia, from both Chicago O’Hare and Washington Dulles with CRJ200s.

Speaking of Alaska Airlines, that carrier last week kicked off new routes at San Jose, adding daily flights to both Austin and Tucson, using the popular Embraer E175 regional jets. That gives Alaska 31 daily departures at SJC to 18 destinations.

SJC is expanding, adding two new gates (29 & 30) at the southern end of the Terminal B for use by Alaska Air (Image: SJC)

On October 5, American Airlines is planning to replace the A321 currently used on one of its daily Philadelphia-San Francisco flights (AA722/723) with a wide-body Airbus A330-200. The bigger plane is currently scheduled to keep flying the route through December 14. Next year, beginning June 7, American plans to operate a daily summer flight between Denver and New York JFK with a 737-800. In other news, The Dallas News reports that American will offer 2-4-2 premium economy seating on its Hawaii routes from Dallas/Ft. Worth, using retrofitted 777-200s. The roomier seats are available from DFW to Honolulu and Maui starting in December, and from DFW to Kona beginning next June.

On December 21, Delta plans to begin new daily service between its Salt Lake City hub and Milwaukee, using an E175 operated by SkyWest. Delta is also extending its planned Las Vegas-Honolulu 757 service, which was originally scheduled for daily holiday flights from December 21 to January 14. Now they will continue as Saturday-only service from January 15, increasing to three flights a week February 16.

JetBlue is adding three more Atlanta routes. (Image: Jim Glab)

JetBlue finally broke into the Atlanta market last March, when it started flying five times a day from ATL to its Boston focus city. And now JetBlue has plans to double its Atlanta presence by adding five more daily flights there. Effective March 8, 2018, JetBlue will start flying from Atlanta to New York JFK twice a day, to Ft. Lauderdale twice a day, and to Orlando once a day. Elsewhere, JetBlue announced it will begin new service between Boston and Syracuse on January 4, offering one daily roundtrip with an Embraer 190.

In the ultra-low-cost carrier arena, Spirit Airlines on November 9 will begin daily A320 service between Las Vegas and Newark. And Frontier Airlines will start operating four flights a week from San Antonio to Washington Dulles on October 6, followed by four a week between San Antonio and Ontario, California beginning October 13.

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Routes: Hawaiian, Alaska, Delta, United, Southwest

July 31, 2017

Hawaiian will start deploying new single-aisle Airbus A321neos later this year. (Image: Airbus)

In domestic route news, Hawaiian Airlines will add new West Coast routes as new aircraft come online; Alaska eyes more expansion in the months ahead; Delta grows again at Seattle; United adds two routes in the west; and Southwest’s Houston hub will get a new spoke.

As it takes delivery of new single-aisle Airbus A321neos next year, Hawaiian Airlines said it will add or alter service in some West Coast markets. Hawaiian’s first new A321neo service will begin January 8 between Oakland and Maui, where the plane will replace the existing A330 service. Hawaiian will begin new service January 18 between Portland and Maui, also using an A321neo. The airline’s seasonal Oakland-Kauai flights, currently using a 767, will stop September 4, then use an A321neo when they start up again April 11. And Hawaiian will inaugurate wide-body Los Angeles-Kona daily flights March 11, switching to an A321neo on the route next summer.

Alaska has ambitious route expansion plans. (Image: Jim Glab)

Although they provided no specifics, Alaska Airlines officials said in an earnings conference call that the carrier will start service in 30 new markets over the next six months, according to the travel industry news website Skift. That presumably includes some new service that has already been announced but hasn’t yet started, like new Bay Area routes Alaska will phase in from late summer through fall, as well as some new Dallas Love Field service coming in late August and February. Officials also said that of 20 markets the airline entered in the past nine months, 15 are now operating in the black. (I’m hoping for some competition on the SFO-ATL route! Come, Alaska! Let’s go!)

Delta Connection/SkyWest is putting upgraded E175s into West Coast service. (Image: Delta)

Delta has announced plans for some more growth at Seattle. Its new Seattle-Austin service, which started last month with a single daily roundtrip, will add a second frequency October 1, providing a morning departure from Seattle. On the same date, the carrier will launch new daily Delta Connection/SkyWest flights between Seattle and Medford, Oregon, with a two-class E175. October 1 also marks the addition of new Delta service between Los Angeles and Albuquerque, operated six days a week by Delta Connection/Compass Airlines with an E175.

United Airlines dropped service between Los Angeles and St. George, Utah, more than four years ago, but it plans to resume that route on October 6. United Express/SkyWest will fly the route once a day with a CRJ200. Another route United will revive, this one on December 1, is Denver to Pueblo, Colorado, with two daily weekday CRJ200 flights also operated by SkyWest.

Southwest Airlines’ Houston Hobby hub will get a new spoke on March 8, when the airline adds daily service to Milwaukee. The airline said the route will allow for easy connections to international destinations including Mexico City, Cancun and Belize. On the same date, Southwest will start weekly Saturday service to Tampa from Detroit and Omaha.

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Popular: United 747 + Delta boarding + TSA screening + Bootleg booze + Cheaper fares

July 30, 2017

United-s 747s disappearing soon. Have you taken a final ride? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 Act fast to fly on a domestic United 747 See below for a link to TV coverage of the flight

2 United messing with MileagePlus awards

3 Airport news: LAX, LaGuardia, JFK, Salt Lake, Boston +

4 TSA phases in tougher domestic screening procedures

5 TravelSkills: Staying safe while abroad [Infographic]

6 Routes: United, Norwegian, Thomas Cook, Alitalia, BA, Level, Air France, Scoot

Bootleg booze is not just a problem in Mexico! 1/3 of world production could be illicit (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

7 Tainted alcohol and travel: What you need to know

8 Cheaper one-way or roundtrip? The old rules are changing

9 Another airline plans $99 U.S.-Europe flights

10 NYC: 4 ways to snag cheap Broadway tickets

Lots of great comments on our story about Delta’s latest attempt to speed up boarding. Did you read it yet?

Check out this ABC7 story on United’s Chicago-SFO 747 flight

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

Judges order FAA to review airplane seat sizes – CNNMoney

Lyft expects to start offering driverless rides by year’s end

Study of 100 U.S. cities rates San Francisco as the worst place to drive

NASA’s supersonic aircraft design could cut flight times in half

New study compares the cost of airport taxi rides worldwide

American updates its app with rebooking, other functions

Europe’s Ryanair might make a bid for Alitalia

New study details U.S. business travel spending

Chris spent the weekend tramping around the coastal hills south of San Francisco. What did you do? Follow Chris on Instagram!

Cool new tunnel on pacific coast highway near #sanfrancisco #sf #california #pch #roadtrip #travel #engineering
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Jul 29, 2017 at 4:13pm PDT

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Delta tests speedier boarding tactics

July 29, 2017

A gate agent uses a handheld device to assist a passenger. (Image: Delta)

Delta Air Lines is using three gates at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson to try out a multi-faceted program aimed at moving passengers onto the aircraft more quickly.

The company said passengers who use gates T1, T2 and T3 at ATL will be the test subjects .

Among the changes:

Gate agents will be equipped with handheld devices they can use to handle routine tasks like making seat assignment changes, checking bag status and so on without having to use a computer terminal.
Employees will also be using “mobile agent pods” – small podiums that can move around instead of large fixed podiums, creating more space at the gate for passengers.

Pillars will organize passengers into four lines as they wait to board. (Image: Delta)

Passengers waiting to board will be organized into four parallel lines by “boarding pillars” that show boarding group numbers – similar to a concept Southwest has been using for years. Delta started deploying the pillars last spring at some ATL B Concourse gates.
As they proceed onto the aircraft, passengers will use new e-gates to self-board. Instead of giving a boarding pass to an agent, they simply scan their own boarding pass, whether it’s a paper one or on their smart phone.

Southwest has used numbered pillars in boarding areas for years. (Image: Jim Glab)

“Later this year, phase two of testing will focus on increased agent mobility, the customer’s digital experience at the gate and how to integrate biometric boarding based on testing under way at Reagan Washington International Airport,” Delta said.

That biometric test at DCA lets passengers use a fingerprint instead of a boarding pass to board domestic Delta flights. It is available to persons enrolled in the CLEAR trusted traveler program, which uses fingerprint and iris scan biometrics to let members go directly to security screening. Delta is a part owner of CLEAR.

Delta said the new procedures and equipment in the three-month test are expected to “accelerate the culture of hospitality by minimizing barriers between agents and customers.”

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Routes: United, Norwegian, Thomas Cook, Alitalia, BA, Level, Air France, Scoot

July 27, 2017

United will fly a 787 between Denver and London next summer. (Image: United)

In international route developments, Denver is getting new transatlantic service from United and Norwegian; Thomas Cook Airlines will add another a U.S. gateway; Alitalia plans to extend its Los Angeles service; British Airways changes aircraft on some U.S. routes; BA’s Level affiliate is adding more aircraft; Air France will fly to the Caribbean from the U.S. (and gets a new U.S. investor); and Singapore’s Scoot is coming to Hawaii.

United Airlines flew from its Denver hub to London Heathrow from 2008 to 2010 and then stopped. But now it plans to revive that route in 2018 on a seasonal basis. United will use a 787-8 for the daily flights, which will operate from March 24 through October 26, 2018. The eastbound service will depart Denver at 5:35 p.m. The 787-8 will offer 36 flat-bed seats in business class, 70 in Economy Plus and 113 in regular economy. British Airways currently has the only DEN-LHR non-stops.

A few weeks ago, United said that its summer seasonal Newark-Rome service is now going to operate year-round, a decision it made after Norwegian announced plans to start flying the same route beginning November 9. So maybe United’s Denver-London plans have something to do with Norwegian’s new Denver-London Gatwick service, which begins with two flights a week September 16, increasing to three a week in late October. (And we still wonder why United has not jumped at the chance to offer SFO-Italy nonstops…)

Norwegian will offer low-cost flights from Denver to Paris in 2018. (Image: Jim Glab)

And that’s not the only news for Denver: Norwegian also just announced it will start flying between Denver and Paris CDG next spring. The low-cost carrier said it will initiate service on the new route April 9, with fares starting at $229 one-way in economy and $815 in its premium cabin. The 787-9 service will initially operate two days a week (Mondays and Fridays) year-round. (Does this mean United will add DEN-CDG service too?)

The U.K.’s Thomas Cook Airlines, a leisure-oriented carrier that has been growing its U.S.-U.K. network, plans to add another U.S. route next year. On May 27, it will start flying twice a week between Seattle and Manchester, using an A330-200. The carrier will also extend its seasonal New York JFK-Manchester service to a year-round operation this winter, operating three A330 flights a week effective December 14.

Another service extension this winter will come from Alitalia. Instead of ending its Los Angeles-Rome seasonal service on October 29 when the winter schedule kicks in, it will continue to fly the route three times a week. (It won’t be fully year-round service, however; Alitalia will suspend the route from January 15 to March 6.)

British Airways is planning some equipment changes to the U.S. for its winter schedule starting October 29. On its Washington Dulles-London Heathrow route, BA will replace a 777-200ER with a 787-9. The 787-200ER and -300ER used on the Atlanta-LHR route will also be switched out for a 787-9. And 777-200ERs will go into service between LHR and Houston instead of the current 787-9 and 747-400 service. As we mentioned previously, BA will also add a third daily Los Angeles-London frequency with a 787-9.

Don’t miss: What in the world is Thomas Cook Airlines?

Level will add more A330 routes next year — but where? (Image: IAG)

Look for more new routes in 2018 from Level, the new low-cost subsidiary of British Airways/Iberia parent International Airlines Group. Level started flying two-class A330-200s last month from Barcelona to Oakland and Los Angeles, and the carrier has just firmed up plans to add three more A330-200s to its fleet by next summer – although it hasn’t yet said where it will use them.

Ever been to Martinique or Guadeloupe? Those two Caribbean islands are technically and legally part of France, and that means Air France can fly to them from the U.S. The carrier has plans to begin twice-weekly service from Atlanta to Guadeloupe on November 21, using an A320.

Speaking of Air France – because Delta and Air France-KLM have had a close joint venture partnership for eight years now, you may have thought that Delta held an equity stake in the company. But it doesn’t. That’s now changing, however as Delta announced plans to acquire 10 percent of Air France-KLM, subject to a variety of shareholder and regulatory approvals. And it’s part of a three-way deal: Air France-KLM will acquire a 31 percent interest in Virgin Atlantic, which is 49 percent owned by Delta. Not a whole lot of good news for consumers with these deals, although the airlines will spin them that way…

Singapore Airlines’ Scoot subsidiary has Hawaii in its sights. (Image: Scoot)

Singapore Airlines used to have two low-cost subsidiaries – Tigerair, used on short-haul routes out of Singapore, and Scoot, for medium to long-haul routes. But it recently merged them into one operation, keeping the Scoot brand. Following the merger, Scoot plans to add more long-haul flights, including a new route from Honolulu to Singapore. Depending on how soon it can get regulatory approvals, the Honolulu flights could begin before the end of this year or early in 2018.

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Airport news: LAX, LaGuardia, JFK, Salt Lake, Boston +

July 24, 2017

LAX’s Terminal 1.5 will link T1 and T2. (Image: Los Angeles World Airports)

In recent airport developments, Los Angeles officials gave a green light to a couple of major projects on LAX’s north side; New York officials did the same for Delta’s LaGuardia reconstruction; JetBlue wants to expand its presence at New York JFK; ; CLEAR expands to another key Delta airport; Dallas/Ft. Worth is getting a facility you rarely find at an airport; and Boston gets a new passenger lounge.

The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners has voted to approve two major projects for the three terminals on the north side of LAX – work which will take several years. The first gives Delta the green light to proceed with a [much needed!] major overhaul of its new home in Terminals 2 and 3, as well as construction of a post-security connector to the Bradley International Terminal. The multi-billion-dollar T2/T3 project involves upgrades to the T2 concourse, and the demolition and rebuilding of the T3 concourse building, the southern portions of the T3 satellite, and the ticketing and baggage processing facilities. Commissioners also approved plans to build a so-called Terminal 1.5, a $490 million, six-level structure that will link T1 and T2 and will give Southwest Airlines more space at the airport for things like ticket counters, baggage claims and security screening. An airport official said these projects are “two of the keys to eventually connecting the entire airport beyond the security checkpoints.”

Rendering of Delta’s planned new home at LaGuardia. (Image: Delta)

In New York, meanwhile, the Port Authority’s board of commissioners has signed off on a new lease agreement for Delta at LaGuardia Airport that clears the way for the airline’s planned new 37-gate facility that represents the last piece of the airport’s massive, years-long reconstruction. Delta said work on its new $4 billion home at LGA will start in a matter of weeks. Construction started last year on other phases of the LGA rebuilding, which will give the airport new roadways and will move everything closer to the Grand Central Parkway. Delta said its new facility will use “flexibly sized gates” that can accommodate all the aircraft types in its fleet; the new terminal will have four concourses linked by a central check-in lobby, security checkpoint and baggage claim area. Concourses will be wider than the existing ones at LGA, and the Delta facility will provide 30 percent more space for concessions along with a new Delta Sky Club with a Sky Deck. (Now if Delta could only add nonstops between California and LGA!)

Over at New York’s JFK Airport, meanwhile, JetBlue said it is seeking Port Authority permission for a substantial expansion of its passenger facilities. JetBlue wants to grow beyond its current Terminal 5 home by developing new facilities on the empty space that used to be occupied by Terminal 6, which was demolished in 2011, and possibly redeveloping Terminal 7 (currently used by British Airways) as well. The airline said its JFK expansion plan would include “the addition of international gates for JetBlue and partner airlines” (is this another clue that JetBlue has transatlantic aspirations?), and would provide a “seamless connection to T5 and throughout the new facilities both on the landside and on the airside.”

CLEAR kiosks no longer require a card– only a fingerprint. (Image: CLEAR)

The latest airport to add CLEAR biometric screening lanes is Salt Lake City, which means that “23 of the busiest airports where Delta flies now feature CLEAR service,” the airline said. Delta is a part owner of CLEAR and has made it a priority to expand the service to its hub airports. Members of Delta’s SkyMiles program are offered membership discounts in CLEAR ($99 a year for general members, $79 for most elites and free for Diamond Medallions), which relies on biometric technology to verify members’ identities and lets them bypass the usual TSA lines to passenger screening.

You don’t often see a health clinic and pharmacy in an airport, but you will soon at Dallas/Ft. Worth. Code 3 Construction, a Texas-based company that specializes in these facilities, says construction is “well under way” on an Urgent Care Center and pharmacy in DFW’s Terminal D, to serve both passengers and airport employees. With four patient exam rooms and on-site x-ray and lab facilities, “It will provide convenient and superior treatment for acute illnesses such as dehydration, colds and flu, respiratory infections, lacerations, sprains and strains, work-related injuries and more,” the company said. Code 3 Construction will follow up the in-terminal facility by building an emergency room and urgent care facility in DFW’s Southgate Plaza, to treat more serious ailments and to provide 24-hour care.

Emirates’ new lounge at Boston Logan. (Image: Emirates)

Emirates is celebrating the grand opening of its 41^st airport lounge, this one at Boston Logan. Located on the upper level of Terminal E overlooking Gate E-11, the $6.7 million Emirates lounge can accommodate up to 123 persons. It’s available to Emirates first class and business class passengers as well as Gold and Platinum members of its Skywards loyalty program. The new lounge has showers, a business center, free Wi-Fi, bar service, and a free hot and cold buffet. Passengers will be able to board their aircraft directly from the lounge, Emirates noted.

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Popular: Cheaper fares + Hilton penalty + Airline fees + JD Power surprise + Global Entry

July 23, 2017

All Hilton brands move to 48-hour cancellation policy, including the slick new Waldorf Astoria Beverly Hills (Image: Waldorf Astoria Hotels)

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

1 Cheaper one-way or roundtrip? The old rules are changing

2 Hilton joins Marriott in restrictive 48-hour cancellation rule

3 Which airlines earn most from fees, frequent flyer programs?

4 Routes: More JetBlue Mint + Southwest, Delta, American, Alaska

5 Major Frontier expansion at San Jose, Denver, 19 other airports

Frontier shook up the airline industry last week with plans for big expansion. (Image: Frontier)

6 Routes: Delta to China, Mexico deals, Cathay upgrades, Saudi, WOW, United

7 Surprises in new JD Power hotel survey

8 Seriously: An airline for Millennials

9 Have dinner in a 70’s-era Pan Am 747

10 How to get Global Entry faster

Have you ever been on a flight that got a “wet salute? Share your story!

United Airlines getting a wet salute for inaugural SFO-Tampa flight last winter (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

Alaska likely to stick to all Boeing fleet- but Virgin’s Airbus fleet will fly away slowly

Delta is better at taking your money

Get your $25 airline bag fees back with new BestWestern promo

How to earn 2x or 3x points at Holiday Inn Express this summer

Near disaster at SFO worse than expected- see animation

Hungry? Grab a juicy Gott’s burger at its new SFO location in International Terminal A (Image: Gotts)

A better burger lands at SFO: Gott’s Roadside opens in International Terminal A

Atlanta hoping to land nonstop flight to India

DHS says world’s airlines have complied with its stricter security standards

SkyTeam adds two-stop option to its round-the-world pass fare

Avis upgrades its mobile app with new features, services

The Ritz-Carlton Chicago finishes a $100 million overhaul

Follow Chris on Instagram!

Big changes in the #SF skyline #travel #travelskills #california #skyscraper #sanfrancisco
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Jul 21, 2017 at 3:03pm PDT

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Giving airlines the fingerprint

July 21, 2017

Delta’s biometric test at Washington Reagan National uses fingerprints. (Image: CLEAR)

You can now use your fingerprints instead of your boarding pass to access Delta flights at Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA).

Soon, you’ll be able to use fingerprints to board any domestic Delta flight. And if other airlines continue to copy Delta’s moves, we’ll likely see fingerprints-as-boarding-passes become commonplace.

Back in May Delta launched a test at DCA’s Sky Club where passengers could use their fingerprints to get into the lounge. Today it expanded the option to gates where those enrolled in CLEAR can forego a boarding pass and use their fingerprints as proof of identity to board. Later this summer passengers will be able to use their fingerprints to check bags.

For now, this is just a pilot test (and is optional), but Delta says, “customers throughout our domestic network could start seeing this capability in a matter of months – not years.”

A Delta fingerprint-reading kiosk at the gate (Image: Delta)

During the pilot, SkyMiles members who are also enrolled in CLEAR are eligible for the biometric boarding pass experience. CLEAR will capture and use both biometric and SkyMiles information to identify customers at bag drop, Delta Sky Club entry and boarding.

If you were wondering why Delta made an investment in CLEAR last year, you now have an answer. If you’ve not signed up for CLEAR, what are you waiting for? CLEAR membership discounts are now offered to Delta SkyMiles members, based on their status. Standard membership in CLEAR is $179 per year. Delta Diamond Medallion members get complimentary CLEAR enrollment, while Platinum, Gold and Silver Medallion members it for just $79. Even general members get a nice discount: annual membership for just $99. Interested? You can sign up with your Delta SkyMiles status here.

“We’re rapidly moving toward a day when your fingerprint, iris or face will become the only ID you’ll need for any number of transactions throughout a given day,” said Gil West, Delta’s chief operating officer.

Thoughts?

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Which airlines earn most from fees, frequent flyer programs?

July 19, 2017

Airlines haul in billions from checked bag fees – but make more from loyalty programs (Image: Jim Glab)

Everyone knows that almost all airlines have been imposing new fees on passengers in recent years, but a new report shows what a huge impact those fees are having on their revenues. And for many airlines, the biggest “ancillary revenue” boost is coming from something you might not realize.

The latest annual study of airline ancillary revenues from IdeaWorks Company and Cartrawler, just out this week, shows that while low-cost carriers are more notorious for their fees, the big U.S. legacy airlines are the ones hauling in the most ancillary revenues.

In 2016, the report says, United’s ancillary revenues totaled a whopping $6.2 billion, while Delta hauled in $5.2 billion and American brought in $4.9 billion, followed by Southwest’s $2.8 billion.

But here’s the thing: The study included the sale of frequent flyer miles in its calculation of ancillary revenues. Miles are sold mostly to the big banks that issue the carriers’ credit cards. And for the Big Three, that accounted for roughly half their totals (48 percent at United, 52 percent at Delta and 43 percent at American). At Southwest, which still doesn’t charge checked bag or change fees, sale of miles accounted for 80 percent of ancillary revenues.

Another way to look at ancillary revenues is as a percentage of total revenues, and that’s where the ultra-low-cost carriers shine. In fact, as they refined and expanded their fee schedules for passengers – shifting from a low-cost to an ultra-low-cost model — those fees became even more important to the bottom line.

In 2016, the report said, ancillary revenues accounted for more than 46 percent of Spirit Airlines’ total revenues – up from 33 percent five years earlier. The change was even more dramatic at Frontier Airlines, which got just 7.7 percent of revenues from ancillary sources in 2011. In 2016, they accounted for 42 percent. Frontier switch to a ultra-low-cost business model in 2014 after it was acquired by new owners. Frontier’s average revenue per passenger of $115 includes $49 in ancillary revenue, the report noted.

“Worldwide, the a la carte approach long embraced by low cost carriers has been adopted by network airlines. Within the US, American, Delta, and United recently introduced basic economy fares (sometimes called seat-only fares) to compete with Frontier and Spirit. These fares reduce the product to a minimalist experience with fees charged for bags and early seat assignments, no elite upgrades, and a ban on flight changes. Yet when presented with higher fare, better service options, the majority of consumers opt to spend more,” the report noted.

Delta’s ancillary revenues (Source: Ideaworks)

You can see the full report here.

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Routes: Delta to China, Mexico deals, Cathay upgrades, Saudi, WOW, United

July 19, 2017

Delta will use a 777-200LR for its new Atlanta-Shanghai flights. (Image: Delta)

In international route developments, Delta announces a major new transpacific flight and a Mexico route; Saudi Arabian Airlines is the last carrier to be relieved of the laptop ban; Cathay Pacific introduces a new way to upgrade; WOW enters a Midwest market; and United trims some Europe service.

Delta’s three existing U.S. gateways for non-stop flights to Shanghai (Los Angeles, Seattle and Detroit) will be joined by a fourth next year when the airline launches the only non-stop service to Shanghai from Atlanta. Set to begin in July 2018, the new route will allow passengers to connect to more than 50 destinations beyond Shanghai via Delta code-share partner China Eastern Airlines. Delta currently offers two other transpacific non-stop routes from Atlanta, to Seoul and Tokyo. The airline said it will fly the new Shanghai route with a 777-200LR that has 37 Delta One lie-flat seats, 36 seats in Delta Comfort+ and 218 in regular economy.

Aeromexico flights at Mexico City’s Benito Juarez Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Although its new joint venture partner Aeromexico already has several flights a day between Los Angeles and Mexico City, Delta plans to begin its own once-a-day service in that market on December 1. Delta will use an A319 on the route, with a 9:30 a.m. departure from LAX, and plenty of connections available at MEX on Aeromexico.

Speaking of Mexico, Alaska Air’s expansion in the US-to-Mexico market is resulting in some pretty amazing deals. For example with its new MexiCaliRica sale, nonstop roundtrips between Los Angeles or San Francisco and Mexico City are running as cheap as $220 round trip for late August and fall flights. Seattle to Mexico City is just $320 round trip. LAX to Los Cabos is just $240 round trip. Fall is a perfect time to visit Mexico as it cools off and prices tumble. Fares are available on Alaska Air as well as other carriers such as Aeromexico, Delta, United and Volaris on these routes.

Middle Eastern carriers were offering loaner laptops to premium passengers. (Image: Qatar Airways)

The U.S. “laptop ban” is now over, as Saudi Arabian Airlines has become the last carrier to have the ban lifted. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said recently that airlines and airports that complied with new, tougher inspection standards could be relieved of the ban – although any airline/airport worldwide that didn’t also increase security practices to meet those new standards could have a laptop ban imposed. This could create some new inconveniences for travelers, however – e.g., CNN said this week that Mexican aviation authorities are now advising passengers on U.S.-bound flights to show up at the airport three hours in advance so their personal electronic devices can be subjected to more stringent inspections. The U.S. ban against carrying laptops and tablets into the passenger cabin was issued in March against carriers operating non-stop flights to the U.S. from 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa.

Cathay Pacific has introduced a new Upgrade Bid program that lets passengers make cash offers for an upgrade to a business class or premium economy seat. Persons who book through the airline’s website will see an Upgrade Bid eligibility notification on their booking confirmation page, where they can make their best offer for a better seat – although they can change or rescind it up to 50 hours before departure. Successful bidders will be notified by email two or three days in advance. The only U.S. route where the program is currently offered is Chicago-Hong Kong; it is also available on several other routes out of Hong Kong including Amsterdam, Bangkok, Dubai, Rome and Seoul.

Wow Air flies an A321 on its new Chicago O’Hare-Iceland route. (Image: Wow Air)

Iceland’s low-cost carrier WOW Air has started service from another U.S. gateway, operating four flights a week from Chicago O’Hare to Reykjavik, where passengers can connect to major European cities. Frequencies will increase to six a week during August. The carrier is using an A321 on the route

United is planning some changes to its Europe service later this year, all on routes operated with 757s from the carrier’s Newark hub. On October 5, United will discontinue its daily service from Newark to Birmingham, England, and its year-round flights from Newark to destinations in Scotland and Ireland will be changed to seasonal service. Newark-Glasgow flights will be suspended from October 28 to May 3, and Newark-Shannon service will be suspended from November 25 to March 8.

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Routes: More JetBlue Mint + Southwest, Delta, American, Alaska

July 17, 2017

JetBlue’s lie flat Mint class seat fully reclined (Chris McGinnis)

In domestic route developments, JetBlue unveils the starting dates for expansion of routes where it offers its Mint front-cabin service; Southwest will add a new transcontinental route from San Diego; Delta expands at Boston; American adds service in several secondary markets; and Alaska deploys more three-class E175s.

JetBlue has announced another wave of expansion for its premium cabin Mint service. On January 4 of next year, JetBlue said, it will introduce Mint service with lie-flat bed-seats on two daily flights between Boston and Las Vegas, followed by two daily Mint flights between Boston and Seattle starting February 15, and one daily Mint-equipped roundtrip between New York JFK and Seattle beginning April 15, with a second to be added sometime later in the year. The airline also said it plans to add a fifth daily Mint flight between San Francisco and Boston, with an afternoon departure time from both cities; and an 11th daily LAX-JFK roundtrip, although it didn’t specify a start date for those extra frequencies.

Boston is the focal point of a growing market-share battle between Delta and JetBlue. Last month, Delta started twice-daily 757-200 service between Boston and San Francisco, and it recently announced two more new Boston routes. On October 1, Delta will start flying twice a day between Boston and Pittsburgh with CRJ-900s; and next February, it will add seasonal weekend service between Boston and New Orleans, with flights on Saturdays and Sundays through April 1. Speaking of New Orleans, Delta also plans to operate Saturday/Sunday service to the Big Easy from Seattle starting February 10. And during the second week of January, 2018, Delta will operate twice-daily CRJ-900 flights between Sacramento and Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show.

Southwest is adding a new transcon route from San Diego. (Image: Jim Glab)

Southwest Airlines has set January 8 as the launch date for its newest transcontinental route. The carrier plans to begin daily service linking San Diego with Tampa. At the same time, Southwest will begin new weekend-only service linking Phoenix with Des Moines, Iowa, as well as weekend service between New York LaGuardia and Ft. Lauderdale.

American Airlines this month started flying on several new routes out of its Chicago O’Hare hub to secondary cities including Appleton, Wis.; Birmingham, Ala.; Boise, Idaho; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Greensboro, N.C.; and Greenville, S.C. The airline also started flying on a seasonal basis between O’Hare and Ontario, Calif. American also kicked off new daily service between Dallas/Ft. Worth-Spokane and between Miami-Omaha.

Alaska is deploying new Horizon Air three-class E175s. (Image: Alaska Airlines)

Alaska Airlines continues to deploy new Horizon Air E175s on its network. This week, it is putting the new planes onto three more routes: Portland-Dallas/Ft. Worth, Seattle-Fresno, and Seattle-San Luis Obispo. The planes have a three-class configuration with 12 first class seats, 16 in Alaska’s new Premium Class and 48 in the main cabin. The premium class seats will have a 34-inch pitch, vs. 36 to 38 inches in first and 31 inches in the main cabin. The planes will also have Wi-Fi, power outlets throughout, and free streaming entertainment.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Popular: Busiest summer days + Global Entry + Bumping + Hawaiian + Deltalina + SFO catastrophe

July 16, 2017

Beware: Fridays & Saturdays during summer can be busier than holiday peak days at airports! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 Wait. What? You don’t have this yet? How to get Global Entry faster

2 Drama continues Dr. Dao breaks silence: United messed up my brain

3 Be sure to check the update! Mystery solved. What the heck? Mystery papered plane

4 Let’s go to the islands Trip Report: Hawaiian Airlines economy class to Honolulu

5 Routes: Hong Kong, LOT, United, Aeromexico, British Airways, Air India + more

6 Sounds like a brilliant idea. Let’s see… United to alter the airline bumping game

7 JD Power loves JW Marriott Surprises in the new JD Power hotel survey

What is it about Drury hotels that keeps it at the top of JD Power surveys? An historic building in downtown Cleveland is now the Drury Plaza Hotel. (Image: Drury Hotels)

8 Finally! But beware of locations… 4 brand new hotels for San Francisco

9 Sounds like a cluster Newark Airport dodges transportation bullet

10 Why not? Don’t miss: JetBlue will match your elite status

Chris McGinnis on a Delta 747

Would you like to learn a little more about Chris McGinnis, editor? See this informative interview!

TIP! With peak summer travel season here, remember the FRIDAY and SATURDAY can be busier at the airport than the day before Thanksgiving. Plan accordingly! Here’s evidence: ATL sets all time screening record Friday before July 4 weekend

Tragedy struck this week Princess Juliana airport on St Maarten (Aero Icarus / Flickr)

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

United changes online check-in rules for Basic Economy passengers

Aviation catastrophe narrowly averted at SFO

Silvercar’s slick Audi sedans now available in Seattle, Orlando

Air India goes vegetarian to save money, avoid waste

Delta enlists famous finger-wagging Deltalina in fight against Qatar Airways

Delta enlists Deltalina in new video (Image: Delta)

Iran Air has appoints its first-ever female CEO

United CEO snags Oprah’s old condo in Chicago’s Water Tower Place

Trump wants facial scans of all Americans traveling overseas

Super-swank Hotel de Crillon reopens in Paris after major re-do

Use Delta Skymiles to upgrade on Virgin Atlantic

Study ranks Wi-Fi, cell speeds at major airports

House committee rejects Trump plan to hike TSA fees

Small New Orleans airline GLO suspends operations

Amazon Echo users can book hotels by voice through Kayak

Tourist killed by jet blast from plane at St. Maarten’s airport

Survey: Business travelers would rather be on the road than in the office

United changes online check-in rules for Basic Economy passengers

Customer data compromised at Trump Hotels

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Do airlines pad schedules for better on-time performance?

June 30, 2017

Scheduling longer flight times can make a difference in on-time arrivals. (Image: Jim Glab)

Do you ever pick one airline over another because it has a better record of on-time flight operations? Those statistics might not be as solid as you think.

An interesting article in The Wall Street Journal explores how Delta’s current number-one ranking in the Transportation Department’s on-time arrivals listings was achieved in part by “padding” its flight schedules with a little extra time.

The Transportation Department defines an on-time arrival as one that gets to the gate within 14 minutes of the arrival time shown in its schedule. If it gets there one minute later than that, it’s considered late for statistical purposes.

The article notes that Delta has increased the “cushion” in its flight schedules every year for the past seven years. The result? It went from an on-time arrival rate of 78.6 percent in 2009 to 86.5 percent for domestic flights last year, the best in the industry.

Do on-time arrival statistics make a difference to you? (Image: Jim Glab)

The analysis notes that because airlines are free to set their own schedule times, it is possible for flights of two airlines from point A to point B to take the exact same amount of time from gate to gate, but one could be on time while the other is considered late because it estimated a shorter flight time in its schedule, while its competitor padded its schedule with a few extra minutes of estimated trip time.

The Journal noted that since Delta has done so well with it scheduling strategy in terms of its on-time record, United has started to adopt the same technique (more WWDD!), padding its schedules by an average of nine minutes in 2015 and 10 minutes in 2016.

By contrast, American’s average domestic flight has a padding of just four minutes, and the flights of Hawaiian, Alaska, Virgin America and Spirit “are the stingiest on padding schedule minutes,” the article notes.

Have you noticed the padding? Is it fair? Please leave your comments below.

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Tallest hotel in the West opens: InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown

June 24, 2017

Breakfast overlooking LA from the 70th floor Club lounge of the new InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown (Chris McGinnis)

Hello from the 70th floor of the new Wilshire Grand Center in downtown Los Angeles, home to the new InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown. TravelSkills buzzed into LA this week to watch Delta sign its new joint venture agreement with Korean Air and to watch InterContinental open its newest, tallest hotel– all in the same spot.

How are the two related? Well, Korean Air, which is part of the giant Korean conglomerate Hanjin, is the owner of the Wilshire Grand Center. So when it came time to do the deal with Delta, Korean Air chose its newest real estate gem for the occasion. It just so happened that the joint venture announcement and the hotel opening coincided, so it was quite a big deal with CEOs of both Delta and Korean Air in attendance.

Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian and Korean Air YH Cho sign joint venture deal at new LA hotel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown is in the the new Wilshire Grand Center, a gleaming glass tower that is now the tallest building west of the Mississippi at 1,100 feet. (It beats out the US Bank Tower, which stands at 1,018 feet.) InterContinental runs the hotel part (floors 31-73) of the building.

The $1.2 billion mixed-use complex also houses five floors of meeting space, office space, retail stores, and observation decks. The new tower at 900 West Wilshire Boulevard is on the site of the old Wilshire Grand Hotel, which closed in 2011 and was demolished in 2013.

Check in on the 70th floor lobby of the new InterConti LA- a concept familiar to those who’ve stayed at Asian skyscraper hotels (Chris McGinnis)

The InterContinental Los Angeles Downtown is big, with 889 guest rooms and suites. The guest rooms are located below the hotel’s public areas, which include a “sky lobby” for check-in on the 70^th floor (a 50-second ride on the hotel’s high-speed, double-decker elevators).

The hotel has five restaurants and bars, including a French steakhouse, La Boiucherie, on the 71^st floor (with pink velvet banquettes) and an open-air rooftop bar on floor 73 with whimsical designer touches like astroturf chairs. On the 69^th floor you’ll find a sushi restaurant called Sora and an upscale restaurant called Dekkadance with a variety of traditional and comfort foods.

Pink banquettes at La Boucherie in the InterConti LA (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Quirky furnishings at dramatic rooftop bar include shaggy astroturf chairs (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Don’t forget your sunglasses when you come to LA, or dine in the new Dekkadance restaurant with big sweeping views during day, twinkling lights at night (Chris McGinnis)

Other features of the hotel include 94,000 square feet of meeting space (including a 21,000 square foot ballroom), a business center, and valet parking. The hotel also has upgraded Club InterContinental rooms and suites with extra amenities and services, as well as a Club lounge on floor 70 (see photo at top) with free breakfast, all-day refreshments, afternoon tea, and evening cocktails.

My double room at the InterConti LA- first person to sleep here! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Standard rooms at the InterContinental start at 385 square feet, with beginning rates of $289 double. One-bedroom suites go for $495.

The hotel is in the city’s financial district, but is also close to popular sports and entertainment venues like the Staples Center and L.A. Live, as well as the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Lobby of new InterContinental LA Downtown #hotel #design #la #dtla #travel
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Jun 23, 2017 at 4:08pm PDT

Disclosure: Chris McGinnis was a guest of Korean Air for this trip, which included airfare from SFO and hotel for 2 nights.

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New food options coming at United, Delta, JetBlue

June 23, 2017

New United package: Uno’s pizza and Miller Light. (Image: United)

We recently provided an in-depth look at United’s cheeseburger , introduced in January and now the most requested item in the airline’s Bistro on Board menu. Now United is refreshing its food-for-purchase options starting July 1, Delta is expanding its free economy class meal options on transcon routes, and JetBlue is offering a new set of boxed snacks for sale.

United is rolling out another likely winner in the comfort-food category: pizza. If you’re a pizza aficionado and you travel to Chicago, you’ve probably dined at the iconic deep-dish pizzeria Uno’s (or its sister location, Due’s). And that’s the vendor United will use for its in-flight pies.

The spinach-and-garlic pizza from Uno’s (sorry, no substitutions) will be available for purchase on United flights of more than three and a half hours. They’ll be priced at $9.99 – or you can add a Miller Light for a total cost of $13.99.

Elements of United’s protein box. (Image: United)

Other selections coming to United’s Bistro on Board menu July 1 include a Thai-style chicken ciabatta sandwich, an egg-white flatbread, and a “protein box” with hummus, tabbouleh salad, almonds and pretzel sticks. The cheeseburger will still be there, and so will United’s breakfast sandwich (egg, cheese and sausage).

Delta just announced it is increasing the number of free Main Cabin meal offerings on a dozen transcontinental routes from the current six options to 18. The airline said it will offer “distinct breakfast, lunch and dinner menus that vary on eastbound and westbound flights.” Some of the items on the new menu include a cheese plate, a Luvo Harissa roasted veggie wrap, a Greek Meze plate, a beef pastrami sandwich and a sesame noodle salad. You can see the full menu here.

A fruit, cheese and cookies plate from Delta. (Image: Delta)

In March, Delta started offering free meals in coach on its prime transcon routes between JFK-San Francisco and JFK-Los Angeles. A month later, it expanded the service to Boston-San Francisco, Boston-LAX and Boston-Seattle; Washington Reagan National-LAX; JFK-Seattle and JFK-Portland; Seattle-Ft. Lauderdale, Seattle-Orlando and Seattle-Raleigh/Durham.

JetBlue, meanwhile, is coming out with new “EatUp” boxed snack selections July 1 on flights of more than two hours, available for purchase by passengers who can’t seem to fill up on the airline’s free and unlimited snacks.

JetBlue’s new boxed snack selections. (Image: JetBlue)

The new boxed snacks include the Big Up (an RXBAR bar, coconut toffee candy, turkey jerkey, roasted chickpeas and parmesan cheese crisps); the MixItUp (a KIND granola bar, ranch crackers, a turkey stick and fruit snacks); the AmpUp (gluten-free, vegan and kosher items including red pepper hummus Mary’s Gone crackers, a MadeGood chocolate crispy rice square, Greek olives, roasted almonds and a fruit bar); and the CatchUp (salt and pepper cashews, popcorn, brownie crisps and jellybeans).

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Airport news: LAX, Alaska lounge deal, O’Hare, Phoenix, Vancouver, Pittsburgh

June 22, 2017

The CLEAR trusted traveler program has opened at LAX. (Image: CLEAR)

In airport news, CLEAR comes to Los Angeles International and United opens a new check-in area there for Global Services members; Alaska Airlines and Qantas introduce airport lounge reciprocity; American Airlines passengers will have an easier time connecting to international flights at Chicago O’Hare; a new carry-on scanner being tested at Phoenix could be a game-changer for security threats; Vancouver will get a new SkyTeam lounge; and a pay-per-use lounge opens at Pittsburgh International.

CLEAR, the biometric-based trusted traveler program that gives members fast access to security checkpoints, has opened at Los Angeles International. The company said it has opened CLEAR lanes in Terminals 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7 at LAX (not the TBIT), and it is coming soon to T1 and T5. LAX is the 22^nd airport to join the CLEAR network. CLEAR – which is partly owned by Delta Air Lines – uses fingerprint and iris scans to verify members’ identities. Persons who sign up to join CLEAR at the airport will get a one-month free trial, the company said. An annual membership costs $179, with discounts available to SkyMiles elites.

United’s new LAX check-in area for Global Services members. (Image: United)

Also at Los Angeles International, United Airlines has just cut the ribbon on a new Global Reception area a premium check-in facility for the airline’s elite Global Services members. From the Global Reception area, members can go to the front of the line for security screening. The new facility is decorated with vintage airline photos. It’s the fourth newly designed Global Reception area for United; others are at Houston Bush Intercontinental, Chicago O’Hare and San Francisco, with one coming soon at Newark Liberty International.

More airport comforts are now available to Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan elites (MVP Golds, MVP 75Ks) and Alaska Lounge members: Effective immediately, they have access to 13 Qantas international business class lounges around the world as well as two dozen Qantas Clubs in Australia when they fly on Qantas. At the same time, Qantas Club members and Qantas loyalty plan members who have attained Gold status or higher now have access to Alaska’s airport lounges at LAX, Portland, Seattle and Anchorage when they fly Alaska on a connection to or from an international Qantas flight.

Contest: Fly free to Hong Kong & write about it! Here’s how.

Passengers at O’Hare can now get post-security transfers from American’s T3 to T5. (Image: Chicago Dept. of Aviation)

Before June 19, American Airlines passengers connecting from a domestic arrival at Chicago O’Hare’s Terminal 3 to an international departure out of Terminal 5 had to go through a security re-screening at the latter terminal. But now they don’t, thanks to a new Terminal Transfer Bus service introduced by the Chicago Department of Aviation. The bus takes travelers from the secure side of T3 (near Gates G17 and K20) to the post-security side of T5 (at the M Concourse). The buses run from 10:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

A new security checkpoint scanner now being tested at Phoenix Sky Harbor could alleviate the Department of Homeland Security’s fears of sophisticated explosive devices in laptops, and could also speed up passenger processing by ending the requirements to take liquids and laptops out of carry-ons. TSA is working with American Airlines to try out a computed tomography (CT) scanner at one checkpoint lane in Terminal 4, giving the security agent a 3-D image of a bag’s contents. TSA currently uses CT scanners to examine checked bags for explosive materials; the one being tested at the security checkpoint is smaller, but should be equally effective, TSA said. A similar test is expected to start at Boston Logan later this month.

Delta’s SkyTeam global alliance has selected Vancouver International as the location for its seventh branded airport lounge and its first in North America. The new SkyTeam lounge is expected to open sometime later this year, the alliance said. It will be available to first class, business class and Elite Plus customers flying on any of the nine SkyTeam carriers that serve Vancouver (Delta, Air France, Aeromexico, China Airlines, China Eastern, China Southern, KLM, Korean and Xiamen). Existing SkyTeam lounges are in Beijing, Dubai, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London Heathrow and Sydney.

The new Club lounge at Pittsburgh is in Concourse C. (Image: Airport Lounge Development)

Travelers at Pittsburgh International have a new lounge option. Airport Lounge Development Inc. has opened a lounge called The Club, the 17^th in its growing network of pay-per-use airport facilities. The Pittsburgh Club is in Concourse C between Gates C54-C56, and is also accessible from Concourses A, B and D. The current Club location is temporary; a permanent Club will open this fall across from Gate C52. The temporary lounge can accommodate 35 persons. It has a food-and-drink zone, a work zone with electrical outlets and a workstation, and a relaxation zone. A day pass costs $40, but the Club is also open to members of Priority Pass, Lounge Key, Lounge Club and Diners Club as well as AAA Discount Reward members.

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Seats (and suites) for sale on new Delta A350

June 19, 2017

The first new A350 with Delta livery recently came out of the paint shop. (Image: Delta)

Want to be the first to fly on Delta’s new Airbus A350, which will introduce new in-flight seating products? Now’s your chance, but act fast.

Delta just started selling seats on the first flight of its first new A350 wide-body, which will take to the skies on October 30 from Detroit to Tokyo Narita. (Cheapest Delta One fare we could find for November trips: $7,600 round trip)

A passenger suite in the new Delta One cabin. (Image: Delta)

“In addition to the DTW-NRT flight, Delta Premium Select will be sold on select flights from DTW to Incheon (ICN) for flights scheduled Nov. 16, 2017, and beyond, as well as on select flights from DTW to Beijing (PEK) for flights scheduled Jan. 17, 2018, and beyond,” Delta said.

As Delta’s long-haul aircraft get the new Premium Select seating, they will no longer offer Comfort+ extra-legroom economy seating. But during the transition period, things could get confusing for travelers who want an upgraded economy option, depending on how and where they book. See this interesting analysis from Runway Girl for a detailed explanation. (Comfort+ roundtrips are $1,700 in November. Main cabin fares are $1,300. Oddly, Basic economy is $1,300 too.)

Delta’s new international premium economy seats will debut on the A350. (Image: delta)

The new Delta One Suites will each provide fully-flat seat-beds; aisle access; a “full-height door;” privacy dividers between the two center suites; customizable lighting; special stowage compartments for shoes, headphones and laptops; 18-inch video monitors, and power and USB outlets.

Delta’s new Airbus A350s will come equipped with the new design, and the company also plans to retrofit its existing 777-200 fleet with the Delta One Suites and Premium Select seating over time.

What do you think of the new Delta One suite with a sliding door? Have you flown on an A350? Please leave your comments below.

Top down look at the new Delta One suite (Image: Delta)

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

June 15, 2017

United has started service on a dozen new domestic routes. (Image: United)

In domestic route news, United kicks off service in several new markets; Delta adds a Seattle spoke, and schedules a one-off 747 flight; Virgin America deploys more A321neos; Southwest’s new 737 MAXs will take to the skies this fall; and Frontier drops a San Francisco route.

Those new domestic routes that United announced last winter started operations last week. From San Francisco, United has added new daily service to Cincinnati, Detroit and Hartford Bradley, as well as three short hops (65 miles) a day to Santa Rosa, California. New service from United’s Chicago O’Hare hub includes three flights a day to Rochester, Minn., and three to Champaign/Urbana, Ill., as well as daily service to Spokane, Reno, and Charlottesville, Va. Other new routes include twice-daily flights from Washington Dulles to Springfield, Mo.; daily service between Newark-Sacramento; and daily flights from Denver to San Luis Obispo, Calif.

United has also extended some formerly seasonal routes to year-round operation, including San Francisco-New Orleans, Chicago-Tucson, Washington Dulles-Ft. Lauderdale, Newark-Salt Lake City and Denver-Kona.

On June 12, Delta added another spoke from its growing Seattle hub. The carrier started a daily A319 roundtrip between Seattle and Austin-Bergstrom International in Texas. Delta apparently sees Austin as a growth market; three months ago, it started flying to Raleigh-Durham as its seventh route from Austin, and in September it plans to add flights from Austin to Boston.

Delta has scheduled an unusual one-time domestic 747 flight from LAX. (Photo: Delta)

Speaking of Delta, we noticed a scheduling anomaly in Routesonline.com that might be of interest to readers who want to get in a convenient final 747 flight before those jumbos disappear from U.S. carriers’ fleets. Delta has reportedly scheduled a one-way, one-time 747-400 flight from Los Angeles to Detroit. It is due to lift off from LAX on September 5. NOTE: We found the Tuesday/Wednesday red-eye 747 flight DL1352 available on Delta.com for $317 one way. Ready to go?

If old planes aren’t your thing, how about new ones? We reported earlier that Virgin America started flying its first Airbus A321neo at the end of May on one daily San Francisco-Washington Reagan National flight, and it did the same this week on one daily SFO-New York JFK flight (VX022/29). Now Routesonlone.com reports that Virgin will put one of the new planes onto one daily San Francisco-Honolulu flight starting August 27, and one daily LAX-Newark flight as of October 15. The A321neo (which stands for New Engine Option) is the largest aircraft in Virgin’s fleet, with 185 seats, vs. 146-149 for its A320s; it has ordered 10 of them.

Southwest will start to deploy its new 737MAX aircraft this fall. (Image: Southwest)

Another airline with a new aircraft model coming online is Southwest, which is the U.S. launch customer for Boeing’s fuel-efficient 737MAX 8. Southwest has ordered 170 of the new planes, which will have the same number of seats at Southwest’s 737-800s (175), but they’re quieter, 14 percent more fuel-efficient and can fly 500 nautical miles farther. Southwest is putting them into service on scores of U.S. routes this fall and winter; you can look here to see the full roster of 737MAX 8 routes.

Frontier Airlines, which operates one daily flight between San Francisco and Houston Bush Intercontinental, will eliminate that service effective July 14.

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Delta, TSA test fingerprints as boarding passes

June 14, 2017

TSA is testing fingerprint ID verification for PreCheck members at Denver and Atlanta. (Image: TSA)

In the latest efforts to test biometric identifiers for airline passengers, the Transportation Security Administration this week started using fingerprint scanners to verify identities at the Atlanta and Denver airports, and Delta said it will work with Customs and Border Protection on a test of facial recognition technology at Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson and New York JFK.

TSA said its tests will be conducted at one PreCheck lane at Atlanta and one at Denver. TSA already has electronic fingerprints of persons who joined PreCheck, and it will match those records with a fingerprint scan taken at the checkpoint to verify identity. The technology also precludes the need for a boarding pass.

“Once the technology finds a fingerprint match, it is able to obtain the passenger’s boarding pass information through Secure Flight,” TSA said. “Participation is voluntary and all passengers who choose to participate will then be subject to the standard ticket document checking process of showing their boarding pass and identification document.” The technology ultimately could automate the document checking process by eliminating the need for an ID check and a boarding pass, TSA noted.

Delta said its facial recognition testing with CBP will be used this summer for passengers departing on international flights. Passengers at the test gates will have an image of their face captured by a camera at the same time they self-scan their boarding pass. The technology will compare the individual’s identity as verified by the facial scan with itinerary information in Delta’s ticketing database.

Here’s a look at Delta’s facial recognition gates at JFK’s Terminal 4 (Image: Delta)

“Upon successful screening at JFK, the eGate will open for individual customers to pass into the boarding area,” Delta said. “In Atlanta, a self-contained unit will capture and verify customer’s identity before the customer continues on to boarding. All customer data is securely managed by CBP.”

The JFK test started this week at Delta’s Gate B24, and will be deployed at Atlanta’s gates E10 and E12 later this summer.

JetBlue recently announced similar testing of facial recognition technology for its flights from Boston to Aruba starting this month, and Delta is testing fingerprint scans for entry to its Sky Club at Washington Reagan National for SkyMiles members who also participate in the CLEAR trusted traveler program.

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Most popular: Delta 747 + Fare sale + New routes + Longest United flight + New Bev Hills hotel

June 11, 2017

United Airlines showing its true colors for Pride month (Image: United)

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

1 Reader Report: Final ride on a Delta 747

2 Big late summer/fall airfare sale takes off (Expired)

3 Routes: Southwest, AA, Delta, Alaska, + a new 787 route

4 Routes: JetBlue to Europe + AA, Delta, Norwegian, United, Avianca, Etihad

5 Two rare birds land by the Bay- with ultra cheap fares

6 Major transformation at Denver International + more airport news

7 Airports ask Trump for a raise, but you’ll pay for it

8 United’s longest flight won’t have this

9 3 U.S. cities get cheap new nonstops to Rome

10 New: Hilton-Beverly Hills, Hyatt-NYC, Marriott-Phoenix, Westin-Milwaukee, Choice-Chicago

Don’t miss: Global travelers shrug off political, terror concerns

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis took some time off for a family reunion in North Carolina this week at the High Hampton Inn– nice! And not like any Hampton Inn he’s ever stayed in before!

Blue Ridge Mountain time #travel #northcarolina #mountains #blueridge #summer
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Jun 9, 2017 at 7:01am PDT

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

Yellow Taxi sharing goes live in NYC

Travelers growing accustomed to terror?

Best Western testing in-room Alexa

PricewaterhouseCoopers sees an end to U.S. airline consolidation

Hilton picks AmEx as exclusive provider of Honors credit cards

Today, @Fly_Norwegian commences nonstop twice-weekly service between @IFlyOAKland and #Barcelona on its beautiful 787 Dreamliner aircraft. pic.twitter.com/kgkh8umwqq
— Oakland Intl Airport (@IFlyOAKland) June 7, 2017

Delta recruits L.A. celebrity chefs for Delta One transcon in-fight service

Gogo says its high-speed 2Ku satellite Wi-Fi service is now on more than 200 aircraft

Here are the 20 longest flights operated by U.S. carriers

British Airways cabin crews plan four-day walkout in mid-June

KLM starts offering boarding passes, flight status updates via Twitter

Wyndham Hotels starts a new brand for three- and four-star independent properties

Take a look at the new ‘Canopy Park’ coming to Singapore’s Changi Airport

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Routes: JetBlue to Europe + AA, Delta, Norwegian, United, Avianca, Etihad

June 9, 2017

Will a larger Mint cabin on a new A321 model make Europe flights work for JetBlue? (Image: JetBlue)

In international route developments, JetBlue sees possibilities for Europe with new planes, more Mint; American’s new premium economy seating spreads to more routes; Delta kicks off Seoul service from its home base; Norwegian begins Barcelona flights this week; United drops a U.S.-South America route and Avianca adds one; and Etihad goes all-A380 on a key U.S. route.

JetBlue is in the midst of an analysis about how it can operate profitably on routes to Europe, according to an article in The Motley Fool, and the carrier reportedly sees two keys to making transatlantic flights work. One is the right aircraft – and JetBlue has taken steps in that direction by amending an aircraft order with Airbus to secure some A321LRs starting in 2019. With their longer range, those planes would let JetBlue fly from its Boston and New York JFK bases to major cities in western Europe. (How customers would react to a transatlantic flight on a single-aisle plane is another matter.)

The second key is competing not against ultra-low-cost operations like Norwegian and WOW, but against mainstream airlines’ premium cabins by offering business travelers a front cabin with more flat-bed Mint seats than the 16 that its domestic flights offer. JetBlue sees its domestic Mint deployment as a major competitive success story, and wants to repeat it. “Airbus’ Cabin-Flex concept will give airlines full discretion on how big to make their premium cabins by rearranging the locations of the emergency exits,” the article noted, and JetBlue is said to be looking at boosting Mint seating to 22 if it goes transatlantic.

American’s new Premium Economy section, with 2-3-2 leather seats, is coming to more routes later his year. (Image: American Airlines)

We noted recently that American Airlines has started installing its new international premium economy seating on its 777-200ERs, and Airlineroute.com reports that the carrier is taking reservations for premium economy travel starting December 15 on a number of routes. (The new section has initially been available only on select routes where AA uses new 787-9s.) In mid-December, the premium economy seats will be available on AA’s 777-200ER routes from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Buenos Aires, Frankfurt and Tokyo Narita; from Los Angeles to Tokyo Narita and Tokyo Haneda; and from Miami to Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Paris, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Santiago (Chile).

Delta has launched new daily transpacific service from its Atlanta hub to Seoul Incheon, supplementing the daily flight in the same market operated by its partner Korean Air. The Delta flight uses a 777-200LR featuring a Delta One cabin with 37 lie-flat seats; 36 Comfort+ extra-legroom economy seats; and 218 main cabin seats in a nine-across layout. All seats have power ports and entertainment on demand, and satellite Wi-Fi is available.

Low-cost transatlantic specialist Norwegian kicked off three new U.S. routes this week, all of them to Barcelona with 787 Dreamliners. The carrier is operating twice a week to Barcelona from Los Angeles (increasing to three a week in August); twice a week from Newark (going up to four a week in August); and twice a week from Oakland (increasing to three in August). Norwegian’s Oakland-Barcelona route is already facing competition from new entrant Level, a low-cost subsidiary of British Airways/Iberia parent International Airlines Group.

Venezuela has been going through unprecedented political and economic turmoil in recent months, and travel to that country has suffered as a result. The latest evidence: United Airlines plans to end its daily flights to Caracas from Houston Bush Intercontinental effective July 1. United is just the latest of several carriers that have suspended Venezuela flights, in part because they have had trouble getting money from ticket sales out of the country.

Avianca added A319 service to Boston from Bogota. (Image: Avianca)

Avianca has launched new U.S. service between Bogota, Colombia and Boston Logan. The Star Alliance member flies the route four times a week from Terminal E at BOS, using a two-class A319 with 12 business class seats and 108 in economy. The flight operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from Boston, and is the only non-stop service between the two cities.

Etihad Airways has put an Airbus A380 onto its second daily New York JFK-Abu Dhabi flight, replacing a 777-300ER. The other daily flight has been using an A380 since late 2015, so the aircraft change makes JFK-Abu Dhabi one of the airline’s few all-A380 routes, along with Abu Dhabi-London and Abu Dhabi-Sydney.

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Reader Report: Final ride on a Delta 747

June 7, 2017

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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Routes: Southwest, AA, Delta, Alaska, + a new 787 route

June 5, 2017

Southwest just added several new California routes. (Image: Jim Glab)

In domestic route developments, Southwest adds Cincinnati to its route map and adds service in several new California markets; American adds some regional routes and will put a wide-body on a SFO transcon; Delta adds more Comfort+ seats to regional aircraft; Alaska starts up its latest East Coast route; Spirit grows at Oakland; Frontier comes to Providence; and Air Canada pits a Dreamliner on a key SFO route.

Southwest Airlines this week added Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport to its route map with an initial schedule of eight flights a day – five to Chicago Midway and three to Baltimore/Washington. At the same time, the airline’s route map eliminated Dayton, where Southwest had been running a few flights a day to Midway.

As the airline’s summer schedule kicks in this week, Southwest also inaugurated new non-stop service in several California markets, including San Francisco-Portland, San Jose-Reno, San Diego-Boise and San Diego-Salt Lake City. New seasonal summer routes active as of this week include Oakland-Newark, San Diego-Newark, San Diego-Spokane and San Diego-Indianapolis. Elsewhere, Southwest started daily service between Denver and Charleston, S.C.; weekend flights between Denver-Pensacola; and seasonal flights between Denver and Norfolk. At Nashville, Southwest kicked off new daily flights to Minneapolis-St. Paul and seasonal service to Seattle.

After all the hubbub about airlines putting flat-bed seating into the front cabins on more domestic routes – notably Boston-San Francisco – readers of Flyertalk discovered another entry into the fully-reclining transcon competition: An American Airlines listing for A330-200 service between San Francisco and its Philadelphia hub starting in early October. Could this be just a seasonal redeployment of excess transatlantic aircraft, or a permanent thing?

American has new Eagle service at Billings and Medford. (Image: American Airlines)

Meanwhile, American just added some new regional service, including daily flights between Dallas/Ft. Worth and Billings, Montana using a 76-seat American Eagle E175; and new Eagle service from Medford, Oregon to both Phoenix and Los Angeles.

Delta continues to roll out its Comfort+ extra-legroom economy seating to more regional aircraft. Earlier this year, it finished installing the seats on its CRJ-200s, and now it has started selling Comfort+ on its E-175s and CRJ-900s. The extra-legroom seats are also now on sale for travel starting June 15 on Delta’s E-170 and CRJ-700 aircraft. “Delta remains engaged with distribution partners to allow Delta Comfort+ to be purchased through travel agents and in consumer direct shopping displays,” the airline said.

Alaska Airlines has started flying its newest transcontinental route. The carrier is offering daily seasonal non-stop service from Portland to Philadelphia, using a 737. The Portland-PHL flights will continue through August 26. It’s Alaska’s 58^th destination from Portland.

Air Canada has deployed a new 787 Dreamliner between SFO and Toronto (Image: Air Canada)

There’s something new in the skies between San Francisco and Toronto : Air Canada has just put a 787-9 Dreamliner into service on one of its six daily flights in the market. It’s scheduled on the airline’s 11:55 a.m. departure from SFO and its 8:15 a.m. westbound flight from Toronto. See more about this beautiful bird here.

Spirit Airlines introduced a number of new domestic markets. (Image: Spirit Airlines)

Spirit Airlines has kicked off new seasonal service from Oakland International to Baltimore/Washington and to Detroit, along with seasonal flights between Detroit and Seattle. New year-round markets just introduced by the low-cost carrier include San Diego-Baltimore/Washington, Seattle-BWI, New Orleans-BWI, New Orleans-Cleveland and New Orleans-Orlando. Spirit has also added Pittsburgh to its route map, launching new daily flights to Dallas/Ft. Worth, Orlando, Las Vegas, Houston Bush Intercontinental and Los Angeles, along with three flights a week to Ft. Lauderdale and daily seasonal service to Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Low-cost Frontier Airlines has announced some new routes starting in mid-August. The carrier will start flying out of Providence’s T.F. Green Airport on August 14 with daily flights to Denver and Orlando, and out of Islip, Long Island’s MacArthur Airport August 16 with daily service to Orlando.

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Routes: Delta, Aeromexico, Finnair, Qatar, Alitalia, Norwegian, United + more

June 1, 2017

Flight from HEL: Finnair rolled out VWs and surfboards at HEL to launch its new Helsinki-San Francisco flights today (Image: Finnair / Twitter)

In international route developments, Delta starts up Europe routes and teams with Aeromexico to add transborder markets; Finnair comes to San Francisco; Qatar delays the addition of a new U.S. gateway; Alitalia extends its Los Angeles schedule; Norwegian alters some U.S. schedules and boosts London frequencies; Southwest expands Mexico service this winter; United adds an Asian code-share; and Air Canada starts a new U.S. route.

Delta has started service on several seasonal routes to Europe. One new seasonal route this summer is Portland, Oregon to London Heathrow, now operating four days a week with a 767-300. Other new Delta seasonal routes to Europe include daily service from Boston to Dublin and from New York JFK to Glasgow (in addition to its JFK-Edinburgh service). Delta has also resumed seasonal daily flights from JFK to Berlin and to Lisbon. In other Europe news, Delta plans to scale back its Salt Lake City-London Heathrow route to seasonal status, discontinuing the flights from October 29 to March 23.

Meanwhile, Delta also announced plans to start selling its Comfort+ extra-legroom economy seating as a separate fare category on more international routes. The seats are now on sale for travel beginning September 20 on routes from North America to Brazil, Argentina, Peru and Chile; and to China and Hong Kong.

The Delta-Aeromexico joint venture will add transborder routes and frequencies. (Image: Delta)

That new joint venture between Delta and Aeromexico has announced plans to start service on five new transborder routes sometime this fall, after they get government approval. The five routes, all to be operated by Aeromexico, include Atlanta-Merida, Atlanta-Queretaro, Los Angeles-Leon, Seattle-Mexico City and Portland-Mexico City. The joint venture will also add a second daily flight between LAX and Los Cabos, and a third between New York JFK and Cancun, both operated by Delta; and a second daily flight from Atlanta to both Leon and Guadalajara, both operated by Aeromexico. With the two airlines now operating as one in terms of scheduling and pricing, these changes could mean higher fares for travelers to Mexico – but the extra flights could also mean fewer connecting hassles at Mexico City’s congested airport.

Finally, Delta is adding more service to Southeast Asia – not on its own, but through new code-shares with transatlantic joint venture partner Air France. According to Routesonline.com, Delta’s code has gone onto Air France’s Paris CDG-Bangkok service, and will do the same October 3 on Air France’s Paris-Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam flight.

Finnair is using an A330 on its seasonal San Francisco route. (Image: Finnair)

San Francisco International’s newest transatlantic route is to Helsinki, Finland. Finnair this week introduced seasonal service from SFO to the Finnish capital, using an Airbus A330-300 to fly the route three times a week, departing SFO on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. The Helsinki flights will continue through September.

We reported a while ago that Qatar Airways was planning to add another U.S. gateway in early January with the addition of service between Doha, Qatar and Las Vegas. But the carrier’s latest schedule filings now show that launch date has been pushed back to June 1, 2018. Qatar still expects to fly the route four days a week with a 777-200LR.

It looks like Alitalia will turn its seasonal Los Angeles-Rome service into a year-round operation — almost. Alitalia, a member of Delta’s Skyteam alliance, filed a new schedule showing its LAX-Rome service will not end October 29 as previously planned, but will continue after that three times a week – at least until January 15, when it goes on hiatus until March 6.

We’ve reported previously on the big plans by Norwegian Air International to begin new low-fare service in June from the northeastern U.S. to various points in Europe using its brand-new, longer-range 737MAX 8 aircraft. But Boeing has warned the carrier of delays in delivering the new planes, so Norwegian has been scrambling to adjust its fleet plans. Instead of the new 737MAX 8s, the company now plans to substitute Norwegian Air Shuttle 737-800s for much of the summer on new service from Providence to Bergen, Norway; Belfast, Northern Ireland; and Shannon, Cork and Dublin, Ireland, as well as service from Stewart Airport in Newburgh, N.Y. to Shannon, Dublin, Edinburgh and Bergen.

Norwegian will increase 787 frequencies on U.S.-London Gatwick routes this winter. (Image: Norwegian)

Meanwhile, Norwegian is also planning to increase frequencies on several U.S. routes to London Gatwick when its winter schedule kicks in on October 29. All the affected routes use 787-9s. Norwegian will boost Oakland-London service from three flights a week to four, while Los Angeles-LGW increases from five flights a week to daily service; Orlando-LGW goes from one a week to two; Ft. Lauderdale-LGW increases from three a week to four; and Boston-Gatwick from four a week to five.

Although Delta and Aeromexico are tightening their grip on the transborder market, other competitors are stepping up their game as well. Southwest Airlines’ winter schedule, effective November 5, shows an increase of its Houston Hobby-Mexico City schedule from three flights a day to four, while its weekly flights from Denver to Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos both go to daily frequencies. On November 11, Southwest will kick off new weekly flights to Cancun from both Nashville and St. Louis. Interjet, the low-cost Mexican carrier, plans to boost its service between New York JFK and Mexico City from 18 flights a week to 25 starting June 15. And United on December 17 will introduce seasonal weekly flights (on Saturdays) between its Denver hub and Cozumel.

Speaking of United, here are a couple of new developments to Asia: United has put its code onto Star Alliance partner ANA’s daily 787 service between Tokyo Narita and Phnom Penh, Cambodia; and United’s aircraft switch on its San Francisco-Seoul flight effective October 29 from a 747-400 to a 777-200ER has changed; the carrier now plans to use a 787-9 instead of a 777. And today we shared the news about what’s missing on United’s new Los Angeles-Singapore nonstops in another post.

Air Canada has added a new destination from Denver. The carrier recently started Air Canada Express service twice a day from Denver to Vancouver, using a 75-passenger CRJ705.The schedule will drop back to once a day September 10.

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Using your face or finger as a boarding pass

May 31, 2017

Here’s how JetBlue’s facial recognition system will work. (Image: JetBlue)

Two months ago, we reported on the first deployments of biometric technologies for passenger processing at some European airports and airlines. And now JetBlue and Delta are trying out similar methods in the U.S.

JetBlue said it will team up with airport technology specialist SITA and with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) beginning in June to test a “paperless and deviceless self-boarding process” for international flights from Boston to Aruba.

No enrollment or preregistration is required. Passengers who want to try the new facial recognition process for boarding without a boarding pass or a passport check will simply step up to a camera near the boarding gate and have their image captured.

“The custom-designed camera station will connect to CBP to instantly match the image to passport, visa or immigration photos in the CBP database and verify flight details,” JetBlue said. “The customer will be notified on an integrated screen above the camera when they are cleared to proceed to the jet bridge.”

Delta’s biometric test at Washington Reagan National uses fingerprints.(Image: CLEAR)

Delta’s test at Washington Reagan National involves stored biometric fingerprints instead of facial recognition. Participation is limited to SkyMiles members who are enrolled in the CLEAR trusted traveler program, in which Delta holds an equity stake. CLEAR members already have their digitized fingerprints stored in the system.

In the first phase of Delta’s test at DCA, already underway, participants can use fingerprints as a proof of identity at the Delta Sky Club instead of showing a boarding pass or ID. In the next phase, the fingerprint scan could also be used to check a bag and board a flight. The DCA test will help Delta fine-tune the integration of its own passenger database with CLEAR’s member records and biometrics.

Delta is testing facial recognition with new self-service bag drops at Minneapolis-St. Paul. (Image: Delta)

And this summer, Delta plans to use facial recognition technology at one of four self-service bag-drop stations it is installing at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. That device will provide identification verification by matching customers’ digital images with their passport photos.

How do you feel about this new tech? A great convenience, or an invasion of privacy? Please leave your comments below.

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United upgrading new “Premium Transcontinental Service”

May 31, 2017

Hot cookies in business class on United 757 between SFO EWR (Chris McGinnis)

Responding to new creature comforts its competitors are offering on prime transcontinental routes, United said it will introduce hot meals for Economy Plus passengers and will add San Francisco-Boston to its premium transcon network, with flat-bed seats in the front cabin on all flights.

In doing so, it will eliminate its longstanding premium branded service product known as “p.s.,”and refer to the new product as simply Premium Transcontinental Service.

The airline said that effective July 1, in-flight food and beverage service for passengers in its extra-legroom Economy Plus seating on Premium Transcontinental routes (Newark-SFO/LAX and now Boston-SFO) will include a free hot entrée, dessert and fruit, pre-arrival snack, and alcoholic drinks.

The upgraded flights are available for booking today. As with United’s premium flights into Newark, elite level members of Mileage Plus can use their status to upgrade to Economy Plus. But status won’t get you into the cozy confines in those big seats at the front of the plane– you have to pay for that. Checking today, the cheapest round trip business class nonstop between SFO and BOS is running at about $1,200. Economy class is is about $450.

United will have flat bed business class seats like this on all between SFO and BOS starting in July (United)

Its new Boston-San Francisco schedule will use mostly 757-200s. But it will also have 777s on the route (“the market’s only widebody service,” United noted), including early-morning departures from both cities, an 8:30 p.m. departure from Boston and several red-eyes from San Francisco. “The most popular timings in peak periods will operate with widebody Boeing 777 aircraft including 8 a.m. service from San Francisco and an early evening Boston departure, ideal for business customers traveling at the end of the work day,” United said.

Back to the upgraded food offerings… “Sample menu selections include savory roasted chicken with a smoked barbecue sauce and butternut squash tortellini with sage cream sauce. Dessert options will include New York’s favorite sweet treat, cheesecake, as well as a chocolate brownie and fresh seasonal fruit,” United said.

Seatmap on United 777 SFO-BOS in August

In recent weeks, both Delta and American announced free meals for main cabin passengers in transcontinental markets. Delta said it would offer the amenity on a dozen coast-to-coast routes, while American limited it to JFK-LAX and JFK-SFO. The difference in United’s announcement: Delta and American are serving up free cold meals to all economy passengers; United will offer hot meals, but only to those with Economy Plus seats, not all main cabin passengers.

By adding Boston-San Francisco to its premium transcontinental network, United is promising flat-bed business class seating on all flights in that market. The flat-bed battle for SFO-BOS customers started when JetBlue expanded its premium transcontinental Mint front-cabin service to BOS-SFO; then Delta announced it would jump back into the Boston-San Francisco market on June 8, offering two flights a day using 757-200s configured with front-cabin flat-bed seats.

United said that in addition to flat-bed seats, its SFO-BOS business class service will provide duvets and pillows from Saks Fifth Avenue; new amenity kits, also from Saks; a signature Moscow Mule cocktail; hot towel service; and seasonally refreshed cuisine from a network of celebrity chefs.

After suffering through years of flying on United’s oldest, tattiest 757s on frequent trips to Boston, this is great news– mostly because those 6-7 hour slogs are so painful. What do you think of the new service? Which airline will you likely fly between California and Boston? Please leave your comments below.

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Lyft goes black in bid for business travelers

May 25, 2017

A new upscale black car service in several cities. (Image: Lyft)

In its latest step to capture a bigger share of the business and luxury travel market, ride-sharing company Lyft said it is rolling out a black car service in major cities.

The new service, called Lyft Lux and Lyft Lux SUV, starts this week in San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City. It should be available in 20 cities by this summer. (It showed up on the app this morning…)

The company is telling prospective drivers that to qualify for the new categories, they must have specific models of vehicles from any of 21 approved brands, from Acuras to Buicks to Linciolns to Rolls-Royces. The cars must be black, no older than a 2011 model, and have leather or leather-like seats. To qualify as a Lux SUV vehicle, it must seat at least six persons. Pricing for Lux is roughly 3x regular prices.

Drivers for the new service must have maintained a rating of 4.7 stars or higher.

Customers can request a black car through the app.

Although it started out as a simple ride-sharing service for the casual or leisure passenger, it has been moving to attract more business travelers. Last year, it introduced a new option called Lyft Premier that features higher-end luxury cars (Lexus ES, Cadillac Escalade, Audi A6 and BMW 5 Series – not necessarily black). Pricing for Premier is roughly 2x regular pricing.

And earlier this month, Lyft formed a partnership with Delta SkyMiles so that members can earn miles for each ride when they link their accounts (including triple miles for airport rides through August 31).

Lyft competitor Uber actually started out as a all-black-car service when it launched in San Francisco in 2011. A year later, it introduced its mass-market UberX service– more or less copying Lyft’s less expensive option.

Which ride-sharing app do you use most? Have you tried Lyft? What did you think? Please leave your comments below.

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Delta adds flexibility to upgrades

May 24, 2017

Delta has new options for purchased and complimentary upgrades. (Image: delta)

Don’t you hate it when you get an automatic “upgrade” to a middle seat? Well, that won’t happen anymore on Delta.

Today Delta introduced new options that will let customers buy upgrades for all or any part of their trip after the ticket is purchased, and will let SkyMiles Medallions select seats for complimentary upgrades and accept or reject automatic upgrades based on seat assignment.

The way Delta’s automatic upgrade clearing process worked previously, SkyMiles Medallions would simply be assigned a seat with the upgrade, although it might be one they wouldn’t prefer, like a middle seat.

With the new procedure, Medallions can opt to pick their own upgrade seat when their eligibility window opens instead of going with an automatic assignment. “The seat map will also allow a Medallion Member to choose to revert back to Main Cabin with one touch if they aren’t happy with their upgrade seat assignment, for example, to a middle seat,” Delta said. “This improvement is designed for customers who value exact seat selection more than the ease of automation.”

In the other change, customers who want to buy an upgrade don’t have to make that decision at the time of ticket purchase, and they can purchase a premium seat product – including Comfort+ extra-legroom economy seats — on any or all legs of their flight. When they do so, they can use a different payment method than they did for the original ticket purchase.

Comfort+ upgrades can be bought after the ticket is issued, using a different payment method. (Image: Delta)

Customers can do this through Delta’s website or by calling the reservations number (and soon, through Delta’s app), requesting a higher seat category as an add-on, “regardless of where the original ticket was purchased,” Delta said. “The customer can select a premium product on any individual segment of their journey, or the entire trip, and use the same or a different method of payment for the transaction.”

This would presumably mean that if the ticket was bought by the traveler’s company travel agency, for instance, and billed to the company account, the traveler could buy a higher seat category after the ticket was issued, using his or her own credit card. Previously, Delta allowed directional upgrade purchases from origin to destination, but not segment-by-segment.

The company said the changes were made based on feedback from corporate travel customers.

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American’s premium economy: 777-200s are next

May 20, 2017

American’s new premium economy seating is currently on 787-9s in select markets. (Image: American Airlines).

Now that American Airlines started selling a new premium economy class of seating this month on its first 787-9s, the company has detailed the timetable for retrofitting its other wide-bodies with the new cabin.

American CFO Derek Kerr told an industry conference this week that the company will begin installing the new seats during the current quarter on 777-200s. The airline has 47 of those planes, comprising the largest segment of American’s long-haul fleet. Work on those aircraft should be finished by March of next year.

During the third quarter, work will start on the airline’s 15 Airbus A330-200s, due for completion in December of this year. Next in line will be AA’s 20 777-300ERs beginning in the fourth quarter and ending by June 2018, followed early next year by its 20 787-8s.

American is now estimating that its entire wide-body fleet will have the new cabin by the end of the third quarter of 2018; previously, it had targeted June 2018 for completion of the job.

Delta’s premium economy cabin will debut on its A350s later this year. (Image: Delta)

Although it is reconfiguring its wide-bodies with premium economy seating, American is planning to keep offering a Main Cabin Extra option as well – i.e., its extra-legroom seating in the economy cabin. While Main Cabin Extra provides up to six inches of extra seat pitch, AA’s Premium Economy product will offer slightly more – 38 inches, along with extendable foot, leg and head rests; larger touch-screens; and additional services and amenities including one checked bag free. Seating will be in a 2-3-2 layout.

Delta is planning to introduce its own international premium economy product later this year as it starts to take delivery of new Airbus A350s. Unlike American, Delta will not continue to offer extra-legroom Comfort+ seating in the economy cabin when premium economy is introduced. In 2018, Delta will extend the premium economy cabin to its 777s.

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LAX’s Big Move was a Big Success

May 19, 2017

Delta’s overhauls of T2 and T3 at LAX will feature a light, spacious design. (Image: Delta)

Los Angeles International Airport finished up its monumental relocation of 20 airlines this week with no significant problems reported, and carriers are now proceeding to freshen up their new digs.

Over a period of five days, airlines moved from one terminal to another to accommodate the largest piece of the project, Delta’s shift from Terminals 5 and 6 to Terminals 2 and 3. Only one little piece of the project is left – the planned June 4 move of XL France from T2 to T6.

Despite the scope of the operation, “There were no reported delays attributable to the airline move across all three operational periods,” an airport spokesperson said, “although some were initially reported due to East Coast weather conditions and previously-scheduled runway safety area construction.”

In the final stage of the project, on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning, Delta completed its relocation into T2 and T3, and JetBlue, Hawaiian and Air Canada shifted their operations into T5 and T6. In addition, Southwest Airlines’ international flights now arrive and leave from the Bradley international terminal.

Delta said it is already seeing operational improvements from the move. “In the short-term, moving Delta’s operations closer to its partners has already improved its flight departure times and substantially lowered the time aircraft need to taxi before takeoff and arrival,” a spokesperson said. The move is the first step in what Delta is calling the Delta Sky Way at LAX, a $1.9 billion, seven-year project to modernize and connect T2, T3 and the Bradley Terminal.

Virgin America is now located near partner Alaska Airlines in T6. (Image: Alaska)

Also benefiting from the relocations is Alaska Airlines Group, as its Virgin America subsidiary moved close to sister company Alaska Airlines in Terminal 6. That will simplify Alaska Airlines Group’s plans to integrate the operations of the two carriers at LAX as their merger proceeds.

“By sharing the same space at LAX, it will be even easier for guests to make a connecting flight across the airlines’ combined network. Instead of changing terminals, guests will only need to walk a few steps,” Alaska said in a blog posting. “It also means that frequent flyers will have a new airport lounge to enjoy: The Alaska Lounge at Terminal 6.” That lounge is on T6’s mezzanine level near Gate 64.

JetBlue will remake its LAX T5 lobby to look like this one at its New York JFK Terminal 5 home base. (Image: JetBlue)

JetBlue, now in LAX’s Terminal 5, said it is planning a series of redesign projects for its new check-in lobby there, using the same team that redeveloped the airline’s home base at New York JFK’s Terminal 5.

“The LAX plan will feature JetBlue’s new self-service lobby with ten check-in positions plus ten interactive self-service kiosks – both are more than double the number at Terminal 3,” JetBlue said. “The new interactive kiosks feature the latest personal, helpful and simple technology, including self-bag tagging and bag drop capabilities that increase efficiency and reduce frustrating airport lines. JetBlue Mint customers and Mosaic members will also have a dedicated check-in area.”

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Routes: Alaska, JetBlue, Southwest, Delta + seaplanes to Tahoe!

May 18, 2017

Alaska Airlines will offer the first commercial service out of Paine Field next year. (Image: Alaska)

In domestic route developments, Alaska Airlines will start flying out of a new Seattle-area airport; JetBlue kicks off its newest transcontinental Mint route from San Francisco; Southwest adds some Milwaukee routes and drops one; Delta will enter a New England market from JFK; and Blackbird starts flying seaplanes from the Bay Area to Lake Tahoe.

Travelers who live in Washington State’s northern Puget Sound region will get a new air travel option starting next year when Alaska Airlines begins operating out of Paine Field in Everett, Wash., also known as Snohomish County Airport. The carrier hasn’t yet announced routes, but said it expects to begin flying at Paine Field by the fall of 2018, operating nine flights a day with 737s and E175s. Alaska, which will be the first carrier to offer commercial service from Paine Field, said construction of a passenger terminal there will begin next month.

In other news, Alaska last week started service on the newest spoke from its Seattle hub, operating one daily 737 roundtrip to Indianapolis.

JetBlue’s front-cabin Mint service is expanding to more transcon routes. (Image: JetBlue)

JetBlue this week deployed a Mint-equipped A321 on another transcontinental route: San Francisco-Ft. Lauderdale. According to the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel, advance-purchase one-way fares on the route are in the $599 range, but can be found as low as $499. Two months ago, JetBlue introduced Mint service on its Los Angeles-Ft. Lauderdale route, and more Mint expansion will come later this year, including San Diego-New York JFK, San Diego-Boston and Las Vegas-JFK.

Southwest Airlines will make some changes to its Milwaukee operations starting November 5. The carrier will begin new service in two markets: Milwaukee-Nashville, with two flights a day; and Milwaukee-Cleveland, with two daily flights Sunday-Friday and one on Saturdays. At the same time, Southwest will boost Milwaukee-Denver frequencies from three a day to four, and will add a second daily Milwaukee-St. Louis flight. However, Southwest’s two daily Milwaukee-Minneapolis flights will be eliminated.

Delta plans to add another spoke to its New York JFK hub later this year, according to Routesonline.com. On September 10, the carrier is planning to begin one daily roundtrip between JFK and Portland, Maine, operated as a Delta Connection flight by Endeavor Air with a CRJ-900.

Blackbird’s seaplanes will fly from Sausalito to Lake Tahoe. (Image: Blackbird)

Who needs an airport? Blackbird Air, which offers small-plane service on several intra-California routes from the Bay Area, will introduce something new and totally different this summer: seaplane service from Sausalito to Lake Tahoe. Or as the company puts it, “Take off on the bay and land in the lake.” Blackbird has a downloadable app that can be used to book the service, which it says will start June 16 with fares from $124.

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Delta adds a SkyMiles partner

May 17, 2017

Lyft is Delta’s newest SkyMiles partner. (Image: Delta/Lyft)

Delta has added ride-sharing company Lyft as the newest partner in its SkyMiles program.

The airline said members who link their SkyMiles and Lyft accounts (which you can do here) will earn one mile per dollar spent on all Lyft rides – including Lyft Line, Classic, Plus and Premier rides – with no limit on the amount to be earned.

Through August 31, customers with linked accounts will earn triple SkyMiles miles on Lyft rides to or from an airport (excluding taxes, tolls and tips).

Don’t miss: 5 key reasons to give Lyft Premier a try

SkyMiles members who are new to Lyft and link their accounts can get up to $20 in Lyft ride credits (i.e., two $10 credits) on their first and second Lyft rides within 60 days of signing up as a new Lyft user.

The addition of Lyft marks Delta’s second “sharing economy” partnership for SkyMiles in recent months. Last fall, SkyMiles teamed up with Airbnb, letting members earn miles for stays at that vendor’s properties.

Disclosure: Lyft is a recent TravelSkills sponsor

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Delta reveals plans for 777 makeovers

May 11, 2017

Delta’s A350s will debut its new Delta One business cabin later this year. (Image: Delta)

Last year, Delta unveiled plans for all-suite business class seating on the new Airbus A350s it will start putting into service later this year; and now it has revealed details for bringing the same new Delta One cabin layout to its existing fleet of 777-200s.

According to FlightGlobal, Delta said in a filing with the FAA that installing the business class suites in its 777s will shrink passenger capacity in the front cabin from the current 37 lie-flat seats to 28 mini-suites with lie-flat seats.

Delta hasn’t yet issued a schedule for reconfiguring its 18 777-200s, but when it does, it will also give the planes 48 new premium economy seats and 220 economy seats. They currently have 36 extra-legroom Comfort+ coach seats and 220 regular economy.

The airline has said that when it puts the new premium economy section into its A350s and 777s, Comfort+ seating will no longer be offered in them. The premium economy section will offer up to 38 inches of pitch, 19-inch seat width and up to seven inches of recline.

Delta’s premium economy cabin will also debut on its A350s. (Image: Delta)

And here’s some good news for economy travelers: A company official told FlightGlobal that when the 777s are remade, they will continue to offer nine-across seating in economy instead of going to 10-across like some of its domestic and foreign competitors are doing with their 777s.

Delta has ordered 25 A350-900s, but the airline said this week it will defer deliveries for 10 of them by two to three years, pushing them back to 2021-2023. The company also said it has increased its A321-200 order to 30 new planes, boosting the total from 82 to 112 for delivery by 2021. Those aircraft will replace older planes on domestic routes.

The airline said it is still on track to begin its first A350 flights in the fourth quarter of this year. The new wide-bodies are initially expected to fly on transpacific routes out of Delta’s Detroit hub.

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Airport news: JFK, LaGuardia, Atlanta, LAX, Baltimore-Washington

May 10, 2017

Redesigned check-in area coming to British Airways’ Terminal 7 at JFK. (Image: British Airways)

In U.S. airport developments, New York JFK’s British Airways terminal is getting a makeover, and some airlines change locations there; LaGuardia will move ahead with a mass transit link; Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson gets more “smart” TSA screening lanes; Los Angeles International upgrades Wi-Fi service; and Baltimore-Washington gets a new passenger lounge.

British Airways revealed plans to spend $65 million on an overhaul of its Terminal 7 at New York JFK. Due for completion late next year, the project will give the terminal a renovated, more spacious check-in area; a new check-in zone for premium passengers with a fast-track security lane; new gate seating areas with more power outlets; and the development of “an authentic New York culinary experience with local food and beverage concepts.” Lounges for business class, first class, and Gold and Silver Executive Club cardholders will get a total makeover, “with more space and restaurant-style pre-flight dining,” the airline said.

Speaking of JFK’s Terminal 7, Alaska Airlines and Virgin America revealed plans to move their JFK operations there by October, giving up their current locations in Terminals 8 and 4 respectively. Terminal 7 is home to Alaska Global Partners British Airways, Qantas and Icelandair. Alaska and Virgin together operate 14 flights a day to JFK from Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Meanwhile, Aeromexico has also moved at JFK – into Terminal 4, where it will be close to joint venture partner Delta.

Don’t miss: Alaska Airlines sweetens perk for cardholders

The new LaGuardia will replace separate terminals with a unified structure. (Image: New York Governor’s Office)

A 30-minute ride between New York City’s Grand Central or Penn Station and LaGuardia Airport? That’s the goal for a new mass transit link in the works as part of that massive rebuilding of LGA that is now in progress. The New York Governor’s Office said it has just awarded a $14.6 million contract for preliminary analysis and design of the planned AirTrain, which will move people between the LGA terminals and the Willets Point stations of the Long Island Rail Road and the Number 7 subway line, where they can transfer for the trip into Midtown Manhattan.

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson was the very first location for two of those “smart lanes” at security screening checkpoints – lanes that keep passengers moving faster by using powered conveyor belts, stations for five people to load security bins at once, automated return belts for empty bins, etc. They have since spread to several other major hub airports, and now ATL has expanded its own smart lanes as well. The airport now has 22 of the fast lanes installed, out of a total of 27 lanes at three security checkpoints in the domestic terminal. They reportedly reduce passenger waiting times by 30 percent.

Los Angeles International plans to improve Wi-Fi access for travelers in its terminals. The LA Board of Airport Commissioners has approved changes in the LAX concessions agreement with Boingo Wireless that will let users access the airport’s free Wi-Fi with a single click instead of the several clicks currently needed. Boingo also agreed to install another 12 Wi-Fi access points in the Federal Inspection Services area of the Tom Bradley International Terminal. “The new access points will help arriving international travelers move through the customs and immigration clearance process faster and more easily with the Mobile Passport app,” an airport spokesman said.

Refreshments area at the new Club BWI. (Image: Airport Lounge Development)

Airport Lounge Development, which builds pay-per-use airport passenger lounges, has just cut the ribbon on its latest effort, The Club BWI at Baltimore-Washington International. The new facility is it eleventh U.S. airport location. The 2,200 square foot BWI club is in Concourse D near Gate 10. It seats 50, and is divided into a “relaxing zone” with comfortable chairs and power outlets; a “resting zone” where travelers can “put your feet up and take a quick break;” a “productivity zone” for working; and a “replenish zone” with food and beverages. A day pass costs $40. The facility is also open to members of Priority Pass, LoungeKey and Lounge Club.

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Heads up: The Big Move at LAX starts

May 8, 2017

In just a few days, Delta and other airlines will be switching locations at LAX. (Image: Los Angeles World Airports)

We’ve advised you a couple of times that many airlines would be switching terminals at Los Angeles International this spring, and now those moving days are almost here: The big move starts this Friday night (May 12, 2017) and will continue the nights of May 14 and May 16.

The relocations are all a result of Delta’s big plans to shift its LAX operations from Terminals 5 and 6 to Terminals 2 and 3, displacing a lot of other airlines.

Delta will move portions of its operations on each of the three nights – May 12, 14, 16. The carrier says that during the moving period, it will be operating flights from all four affected terminals, so it plans to maintain “constant communications” with customers regarding gate locations through its app, texts and emails. (See below for a map.)

Flying to/from or through LAX during the Big Move? Delta suggests the following:

Check terminal and gate information prior to arriving at LAX. Delta customers should use the Fly Delta app or delta.com and reconfirm gate information upon arrival at the airport.
Arrive early. Delta recommends arriving three hours prior to domestic departures and four hours prior to international departures.
When in doubt, ask for help. Delta and LAWA will have hundreds of employees and volunteers stationed throughout the impacted terminals to assist customers. They will wear bright green vests that say “Ask Me.”

The Delta Sky Club located in Terminal 5 will remain open through the end of scheduled operations on May 16. The Delta Sky Club location in Terminal 2 will open on May 13, and the location in Terminal 3 will open on May 17.

The Delta One “movie star” check-in facility located at Terminal 5 will remain open through the end of scheduled operations on May 16. After May 16, Delta will temporarily offer dedicated check-in space in Terminal 2 while a long-term Delta One experience is finalized.

Delta tells TravelSkills that it’s going to smooth frequent flyer feathers ruffled by the move with free massages, meditation pods, cucumber water, pressed juices, Kind bars and lavender scented mists. LAWA will also have dogs at the airport to provide stress relief and comfort to passengers through their Pets Unstressing Passengers program.

Source: Los Angeles World Airports

A few moves have already happened: China’s Hainan Airlines has moved from T2 to the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT); Copa’s flights still leave from the TBIT, but check-in for flights moved from T6 to T3. And American in January dropped four gates in T6 and picked up four in T5.

Los Angeles World Airports has released a day-by-day schedule of the additional airline moves starting later this week, and here it is:

>Moving on May 12-13 (Friday-Saturday) are:

Allegiant, Frontier and Sun Country (from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5), Boutique Air and Virgin America (from Terminal 3 to Terminal 6), and Virgin Australia (moving from Terminal 3 to TBIT (passengers bused from T2 to TBIT for check in, with flights continuing to depart from TBIT). Additionally, Volaris will move its aircraft from Terminal 2 to TBIT. Check-in will continue at Terminal 2 and passengers will access their flights via post-security bus service to TBIT.

>Moving on May 14-15 (Sunday-Monday) are:

Avianca and Interjet (from Terminal 2 to Terminal 3 for check-in, with passengers walking to TBIT to catch their flights) and Spirit (from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5).

>Moving on May 16-17 (Tuesday-Wednesday) are:

Air Canada (from Terminal 2 to Terminal 6), Hawaiian (from Terminal 2 to Terminal 5) and JetBlue (from Terminal 3 to Terminal 5).

The final change will be XL France, which will move from Terminal 2 to Terminal 6 when it resumes seasonal service June 4.

LAX Terminals 2 and 3 will be Delta’s new home at the airport. (Image: Delta)

Airport officials note that on some days during the moving period, Delta flights will be operating out of as many as four terminals (2, 3, 5 and 6). Other airlines should be completing their move in just one night, as shown in the above schedule.

Work on all construction projects in LAX’s central terminal area will be suspended during the moves, officials said, but they are advising travelers to arrive at the airport earlier than normal from May 12 through the end of the month as they get used to the new airline locations.

What do you think of all the changes happening at LAX these days? Are you curious, or avoiding it? Please leave your comments below.

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Most popular: Mystery plane + Phone searches + Cheap awards + New routes + Legroom

May 7, 2017

Customs and Border Protection (CBP) wants your mobile phone password (Image: CBP)

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

1 Russian mystery plane at SFO – this post was picked up by Drudge Report and snagged 150,000 views on Thursday! Still no official word on what exactly all these Antonov planes are doing at SFO- but there’s plenty of speculation in the comments!

2 U.S. Customs: Show me your phone, or else…

3 5 cushy crew rest areas: Cathay Pacific, United, Singapore, Qantas, Delta

4 Best airlines, best days for cheap award travel

5 Domestic Routes: Delta, JetBlue, United, Virgin America, Alaska, Southwest, American

Qatar Airways plans to use a 777-200LR on its new SFO route. (Image: Darren Koch/Wikimedia Commons)

6 International Routes: Qatar Airways to SFO + United 787s, Delta, Copa, AA, Virgin Atlantic

7 Economy class legroom: How low can it go?

8 A new(ish) look for Hawaiian Airlines

9 6 SFO secrets you should know

10 The big difference between direct & nonstop flights

New African-American #history #museum in #washington #dc is hottest ticket in town. #soldout #travel
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Nov 6, 2016 at 10:40am PST

Have you been to the new African American History Museum on Washington, DC yet? Read about how a trip there took editor Chris McGinnis on a journey through time to his adolescence and reminded him of a guardian angel! From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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

Hawaii Renames Honolulu Airport to Honor Late US Senator

New renderings of the Grand Hyatt on airport at SFO, breaking ground later this year

Luxury lounge coming to LAX

What? Delta’s new JFK-Manhattan helicopter costs $1,300 one way

San Francisco International celebrates 90 years!

China’s new aircraft will compete with the 737, A320

A new Grand Hyatt is coming to SFO terminals (Photo: SFO)

Canada’s WestJet orders 787-9s; eyes new Asia, South America routes

Qatar Airways offers free Doha stopover to transit passengers, including hotel stay

Southwest’s new president pledges carrier will not impose baggage fees

British Airways adds perks for Executive Club members

DFW Airport loses millions in parking revenues due to Uber, Lyft

‘Squeezed’ passenger sues AA for seating him next to obese travelers on 14-hour flight

Emergency bridge loan keeps Alitalia flying — for now

Qantas will introduce its own Platinum MasterCard

Spectacularly cool! Nation’s tallest public art to top Salesforce Tower (IMAGE)

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Routes: Delta, JetBlue, United, Virgin America, Alaska, Southwest, American

May 4, 2017

Boston will get new Delta Connection service to four cities. (Image: SkyWest)

In domestic route developments, Delta and JetBlue both announce more service out of Boston; United expands Basic Economy to more routes; Virgin America starts flying new A321neos; Alaska adds a pair of Seattle markets; Southwest adds service at Sacramento; and American grows at Santa Rosa and Charlotte.

Boston travelers are the beneficiaries of an ongoing battle for market share between Delta and JetBlue. In the latest round, Delta unveiled new or expanded service on several BOS routes, in addition to its previously announced plans to start Boston-San Francisco flights on June 8. The carrier said its summer schedule this year will include new mainline service from Boston to Austin, along with new Delta Connection flights to Kansas City, Jacksonville, Buffalo and Norfolk. And on September 10, Delta will add a second daily roundtrip between Boston and Nashville.

And there’s more to come next winter: Delta said effective December 21, its Boston-West Palm Beach and BOS-Ft. Myers service will increase from weekend-only to daily, and Boston-Ft. Lauderdale will increase from weekends-only to twice-daily. The expanded schedule will give Delta 12 new destinations out of Boston since November of last year.

A few days later, JetBlue announced its own expansion plans for Boston-Florida routes, including the addition of one more seasonal daily roundtrip from Boston to Jacksonville, to Palm Beach and to Ft. Myers. JetBlue had already announced that it will lay on a fourth daily Boston-Los Angeles Mint roundtrip in October, and will start Boston-San Diego Mint service in December. At Ft. Lauderdale, meanwhile, JetBlue said it will begin a daily roundtrip to Salt Lake City beginning November 16.

Lie-flat front cabin seating on a Delta 757-200. (Image: Delta)

Speaking of Delta, we noticed a couple of unusual entries on Routesonline.com, which tracks all airlines’ filings of new routes and service changes. Routesonline said Delta plans to put a 757-200 with flat-bed Delta One seats into service on one of its daily Boston-Minneapolis flights starting January 3 of next year. And from this month through October, Delta will use the same aircraft on one of its three daily New York JFK-Philadelphia flights; the other two still use Endeavor Air regional jets. Are these domestic legs of international flights? Any ideas, readers?

When United started offering bare-bones Basic Economy fares earlier this year, it did so mainly on routes between Minneapolis-St. Paul and its major hubs. But now United has started selling the ultra-low, no-frills fares in more than 100 domestic markets, mainly from its hubs to leisure destinations and to other hubs, for travel beginning May 9. That includes routes like Newark-Orlando, Chicago-Denver, Washington Dulles-Orlando, Denver-Houston, San Francisco-Orlando and Chicago-Ft. Lauderdale. We’ve even heard they are in markets without ultra-low-cost-carriers such as LAX-SFO.

An Airbus A321neo in Virgin America livery. (Image: Virgin America)

Although it’s now technically part of Alaska Airlines Group, Virgin America remains a separate brand and operating unit with its own new aircraft deliveries. And over the next several weeks, Virgin will put its newest aircraft type into service – the Airbus A321neo. (The neo stands for New Engine Option.) The company said the new A321neos – it has ordered 10 of them – will have 185 seats. That will make it the largest in Virgin’s fleet; its current A320s have 146-149 seats, while its A319s have 119. The first A321neo will go into service May 31 between San Francisco and Washington Reagan National, and the second will start flying June 14 between SFO and New York JFK.

Speaking of Alaska Airlines, it recently started service on a pair of new routes out of its Seattle hub. That includes one daily roundtrip from Seattle to San Luis Obispo and one between Seattle and Wichita. Both routes are operated by SkyWest with 76-seat, three-class E175s.

Southwest Airlines is growing at Sacramento. Besides new twice-daily flights between Sacramento and Long Beach starting August 1, the airline will also start daily Sacramento-Spokane service on the same date. And on June 5, Southwest will add more frequencies in two other markets, boosting its Sacramento-Seattle schedule to as many as six flights a day, and increasing Sacramento-San Diego to as many as 11 a day.

American Airlines’ new service (started in February) between its Phoenix hub and Sonoma County, California’s Charles Schulz Airport in Santa Rosa has been filling up fast, so the carrier plans to add a second daily flight in the market starting July 5. The Santa Rosa flights use American Eagle 70-seat, two-class CRJ-700s. Elsewhere, American plans to add two new American Eagle routes out of its Charlotte hub on August 22, with two flights a day to Shreveport, La., and two a day to Toledo, Ohio. Both will use CRJ-200s operated by PSA Airlines.

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Economy class legroom: How low can it go?

May 3, 2017

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

It’s ironic that word leaked out this week about American Airlines’ plans to reduce seat pitch on some of its new single-aisle aircraft. Ironic because it’s the same week that the House Transportation Committee held hearings in Washington about U.S. airlines’ poor treatment of passengers– and the possibility of regulating airline seating was discussed.

CNN said it learned that American plans to stuff more seats into its new 737 MAX aircraft by reducing seat pitch from the standard 31 inches to a tight 29 inches on three rows in the economy cabin, and to 30 inches on the rest. The report said United Airlines “is considering a similar move.”

Our guess is that those three painful rows will be reserved for passengers who have booked the cheapest “basic economy” fares which the major airlines say they’ve introduced to compete with ultra low cost carriers. Since these will be the least desirable seats, and basic economy passengers are the last to board, they’ll end up in these seats by default. Another issue left up to speculation now is whether or not these seats will recline. I would hope not, but you never know.

The new configuration will give American 170 seats on the new planes, vs. 160 on existing 737-800s, although they will still offer first class and Main Cabin Extra (with 35-37 inch pitch) seating.

According to the CNN report, 40 of the 100 737 MAX aircraft ordered by American are expected to join the fleet by the end of 2019, and the airline is reportedly thinking about reconfiguring economy seating in its older 737-800s to match the new planes.

“As the big airlines match each other move for move, the risk is that 29 inches becomes the standard (seat pitch) for flying economy in the United States,” CNN said.

JetBlue’s Airbus fleet has standard seat pitch of 32 to 34 inches. (Photo: JetBlue)

Frequent travelers know that an inch or two of more (or less) legroom can make a big difference in comfort, and if the legacy carriers were to reduce that number, they risk losing one of their main advantages over ultra-low-cost carriers.

Among the major airlines, seat pitches on single-aisle domestic aircraft generally range from 30 to 32 inches. Almost all airlines offer extra legroom seats with 34-36 inches of legroom for elite level members of frequent flyer programs or those who pay higher fares.

According to Seatguru.com, American offers 31-inch pitch on its 737-800s in economy class, and pitches of 30-31 inches on A319s, 31 on A320s and 31-32 on A321s. Delta’s economy pitch is 30-31 inches on 737-900s, and 31-32 inches on 737-800s and single-aisle Airbus planes. At United, 737-800s and -900s offer 30-31 inch pitch. Alaska’s 737-800s have 31-32 inches and 737-900s have from 31 to as much as 35 inches.

Spirit Airlines squeezes ’em in with a 28-inch seat pitch. (Image: Spirit Airlines)

JetBlue appears to be the most generous, with economy class legroom ranging from 32-33 inches on A321s to 34 inches on A320s. Southwest’s standard pitch is 31 inches on 737-700s and 32-33 on 737-800s. At Virgin America, economy seat pitch is 32 inches on A319s and 320s.

By contrast, low-cost Spirit Airlines has a standard pitch of 28 inches across its fleet of single-aisle Airbus planes. Frontier Airlines’ economy seat pitch is 28-31 inches on A319s, 28-29 on A320s and 30-32 on A321s.

What do you think about the tighter configurations? Is the new “get what you pay for” mentality among major airlines going to far? Should seat pitch minimums be regulated by the feds?

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Best airlines, best days for cheap award travel

May 2, 2017

Southwest had the lowest domestic award travel costs in a new study; Delta the most expensive international awards. (Image: Southwest Airlines)

Southwest Airlines’ Rapid Rewards program last week was named Program of the Year in the annual Freddie Awards, and a new study from MileCards.com suggests part of the reason why it won.

The study found that the cost of a Southwest domestic reward flight is lower by far than the other four largest airlines, and the availability of the lowest-cost “saver” awards is far greater on Southwest as well.

The study examined award flight costs on 100,000 date/route combinations for domestic economy travel from March 1 through October 31 of this year. It found that the average roundtrip cost of a Southwest award flight was just 13,629 miles; the comparable average mileage cost on the other four largest airlines ranged from 27,871 on Delta to 47,017 on American. (It should be noted that competitors’ mileage costs were lower than average on routes where they compete against Southwest, but still not as low as Southwest’s.)

Source: MileCards.com

As for the availability of the lowest-cost “saver” awards, MileCards.com found that Southwest had them on 95 percent of the days checked, vs. 76 percent for Delta, 62 percent for Alaska, and just 48 percent for United and American.

“The catch – Southwest doesn’t fly to Hawaii, or some popular award destinations in the mainland U.S. like Vail and Anchorage,” MileCards.com said. “Delta SkyMiles, which operates to more destinations, came in second with an average price of 27,871 miles across all routes studied, and 20,001 miles roundtrip on routes where Southwest operates flights.”

Speaking of Hawaii – one of the most popular award travel destinations – the study found the lowest-cost award flights on Alaska, averaging 54,618 roundtrip. Delta wasn’t far behind at 57,020. “American AAdvantage charges the most, with an average price of 97,375 miles, and only 6% of dates available at the ‘Saver’ level price of 45,000 miles on its own flights,” MileCards.com said. See the full Milecards study here.

Source: MileCards.com

Southwest’s Rapid Rewards program ties award travel costs to the prevailing air fares available at the time of travel, and thus doesn’t issue an award price chart. Delta took some criticism a few years ago when it stopped publishing a SkyMiles awards chart, but MileCards.com suggests that there are positive and negative aspects to Delta’s strategy.

“Now, domestic economy coach tickets (on Delta) can be found on many routes for just 10,000 miles roundtrip, and others at 15,000 miles roundtrip, while others cost more than the old 25,000 mile standard. By doing this, it has better flexibility to come closer to matching the point prices of Southwest, which doesn’t publish a menu of award prices,” MileCards said.

“The flip side is Delta has aggressively raised the prices of international business class awards that are not part of this study. A business class award to Europe on one of Delta’s partners now costs 170,000 miles roundtrip, up from 125,000 miles a year ago.”

As for United, the study suggests that MileagePlus members are better off saving their miles for international rather than domestic award flights because they’ll get more value out of them. The study praised American’s AAdvantage program for allowing members to change the dates of award travel for no fee, if it’s done 21 days in advance and costs the same.

But it criticized AAdvantage for having “the most inconsistent online search experience. Partner airlines like Alaska and Cathay Pacific are an important part of the value proposition of American miles and many are not readily visible when searching the AA.com website.” It added that AAdvantage “also causes headaches for international travelers by passing on large carrier surcharges from its primary partner to Europe, British Airways, which can add $700 or more onto a basic Economy Class award.”

The study turned up one interesting nugget about the best days to travel on award tickets: You’ll find the best deals for flights on Tuesdays, with an average cost of 30,574 miles; the highest average costs were on Sundays at 41,332 miles.

What’s the best “deal” you’ve found using miles recently? The worst deal? Please leave your comments below.

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Routes: Qatar Airways to SFO + United 787s, Delta, Copa, AA, Virgin Atlantic

May 1, 2017

Qatar Airways plans to start San Francisco service next year- image of Qatar’s current business class seat from a travel conference trade show floor. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

In international route news, Qatar Airways will add San Francisco service and delay Las Vegas; United plans changes to 787 schedules at SFO in 2018; Delta’s code goes onto a long-haul Air France route; Copa adds a new U.S. gateway; American will suspend its Auckland route for a while; Virgin Atlantic trims an Atlanta route; Spirit gives up a Caribbean destination; and United and American start up several seasonal Europe routes this week.

Laptop ban or no laptop ban, Qatar Airways plans to add service to another new U.S. destination next year: San Francisco. Company officials said at a travel show in Dubai last week that Qatar plans to bring a dozen new destinations onto its route map in 2018, including SFO – although it did not say exactly when the flights would start or what type of aircraft it would use. SFO tells TravelSkills that the service will be daily and could start in the second quarter of 2018 using a Boeing 777. Meanwhile, Qatar’s previously announced plan to start flying to Las Vegas on January 8 of next year has been pushed back to sometime in the second quarter. Qatar plans to fly the LAS-Doha route four times a week with a 777-200LR. Qatar Airways is a member of the Oneworld Alliance.

United will add 787-9s to more San Francisco routes next year. (Image: United)

United will make some changes in its 787 schedules at San Francisco next year, according to Routesonline.com. The carrier plans to deploy 787-9 Dreamliners on its daily flights from SFO to Seoul on March 18 and to Taipei on May 4, 2018, replacing 777-200ERs on both routes. At the same time, 787-9s will replace 787-8s on the SFO-Munich route May 4, 2018 and on the SFO-Chengdu, China route May 2. Also on March 24, United will switch from a 787-9 to a 787-8 on its Washington Dulles-London Heathrow route.

Delta last week gave its customers a new way to get to Singapore. In an expansion of code-sharing with joint venture partner Air France, Delta started putting its code onto Air France’s daily Paris CDG-Singapore flight. Meanwhile, Air France added new code-shares with Singapore Airlines, putting its code onto the latter’s flights beyond Singapore to Melbourne and Sydney, and on sister carrier SilkAir’s service to Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Phuket.

Copa Airlines economy class on a 737-800 (Image: Copa)

Panama’s Copa Airlines has set a December 11 start for new service between Denver and Panama City, which will be its thirteenth U.S. gateway. The carrier plans to fly the route four times a week with a 737-800.

Going to New Zealand later this year? American Airlines filed plans to suspend its Los Angeles-Auckland service for a while – specifically, from August 5 to October 4. When the flight resumes on October 5, it will use a 787-9 instead of the current 787-8. In another service cutback, Delta partner Virgin Atlantic will trim its Atlanta-Manchester schedule this winter. From October 29 through March 24, Virgin will fly the route three times a week instead of daily. And Spirit Airlines is giving up the ghost on Cuba: The carrier will terminate its Ft. Lauderdale-Havana flights effective May 31, citing weak demand.

It’s time for major carriers to start up their seasonal summer routes to Europe, and both United and American will launch a bunch of them this week. On May 5, United will kick off seasonal service from its Newark hub to Edinburgh, Venice, Stockholm and Hamburg; from Washington Dulles to Lisbon and Madrid; and from Chicago O’Hare to Rome and Dublin. Also on May 5, American Airlines will begin seasonal flights from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Amsterdam and Rome; and from Chicago O’Hare to Barcelona.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Catching up on last week’s travel news with TravelSkills

May 1, 2017

Cruising into Lihue Airport on Kauai last week on a United 757 sitting in the exit row (Chris McGinnis)

Last week TravelSkills was on vacation. And it looks like we picked a great week to take off– there was not a whole lot of breaking travel news when we were spring breaking in Hawaii. We’ve spent this morning catching up…and you can catch up, too with our top posts from last week AND last week’s most important travel stories found elsewhere.

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

1 Trip Report: Oakland-London, British Airways business class

2 Another violent onboard altercation caught on video (American stroller incident)

3 What is Thomas Cook Airlines?

Premium economy on Thomas Cook Airlines (Image: Thomas Cook)

4 ‘Big Data’ tips for saving on summer travel

5 3 ways United plans to win back business travelers

6 Third “real” United Polaris flight revealed

7 A new fare increase for business travelers?

Delta and Unites say buh-bye to the Queen of the Skies this year (Image: Delta)

8 United, Delta 747 schedule: final flights

9 Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

10 The big difference between direct & nonstop flights

Don’t miss Chris’s Instagram feed for some nice images of his spring break in Hawaii!

Last pic of paradise #kauai #hawaii #travel #springbreak #hanalei
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Apr 28, 2017 at 3:36pm PDT

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

Runway repaving to cause weekend headaches at SFO thru June 12

Hey LAX flyers: Delta wants YOU

Double or Triple Hilton Honors points for summer trips

United ends interline agreements with five Mideast carriers

Southwest and Marriott/Starwood come out on top in annual Freddie Awards for loyalty programs

United settles quickly and quietly with Dr Dao

American will delay delivery of Airbus A350s by two years

Delta brings new headphones to premium passengers

United unveils a 10-point plan for treating passengers better

Southwest Airlines “Tennessee One” livery. Like it? (Image: Southwest Airlines)

Southwest CEO: We’re going to stop overbooking

U.S. air fares fell more than 6 percent last year

Delta offers easy helicopter transfers at New York JFK

Alitalia faces prospect of bankruptcy

Qantas will begin London-Australia non-stops next year

Uber app update gives you quick access to your rating

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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A new fare increase for business travelers?

April 20, 2017

The view from the United Club at ATL (Chris McGinnis)

>Chris discovers that new Basic Economy fares don’t offer much of a discount at all- as a matter of fact, they are a thinly veiled price hike for some travelers.

For business and personal reasons, I fly between San Francisco and Atlanta a lot. For an upcoming four-day trip in mid-May I’ve been monitoring fares for the past month or so.

I waited to book this trip until after Easter because airlines usually lower fares for “shoulder season” travel at about this time.

But this year, that does not seem to be happening. As a matter of fact, a new wrinkle emerged this week: Basic economy fares now apply on this route. Even if you don’t fly this route at all, stick with me here, because it could soon apply in just about any market.

Here’s the lay of the land on SFO-ATL: Both Delta and United offer nonstops on the route. Delta offers several per day, and United offers two. Generally the lowest economy fares hover at around $350 roundtrip in economy. I usually favor United when flying this route because it has convenient flight times, and with my elite status, I sit in Economy Plus and occasionally get upgraded to first class for the 4-5 hour flight.

Over the last year Frontier (SFO) and Spirit (Oakland) jumped into the nonstop market with one (or fewer) flights per day. Both have offered some jaw-dropping deals… I’ve seen them as low (or lower) than $200 roundtrip. But of course you have to factor in the ultra-tight seating, fees and possibility of cancellation– reasons I shy away from these flights.

Frontier offers cheap nonstops in the SFO-ATL market (Image: Jim Glab)

For the past month, SFO-ATL roundtrips have sat stubbornly at around $420 on United and Delta. Spirit and Frontier’s fares were higher than normal, too. Around $360. (NOTE: These fares available on April 20 and subject to change.)

When fares did not come down by Tuesday this week, I was ready to throw in the towel and pay $420 on United. But something strange happened on Wednesday morning when I went to make my purchase: That $420 fare had increased to $470 and turned into a “basic economy” fare. If I wanted a regular economy fare, I’d have to pay $520, a $50 premium. On Delta, the basic economy fare was a steep $506, and the upgrade to main cabin was $26, so $532. Nothing cheap about that!

But wait… hold everything. I thought that United and Delta were adding a new low-fare option with basic economy. Not so in this case…both just slapped a basic economy label on the existing lowest fare and raised the standard economy fare. Neither of them actually lowered their fares to compete with Frontier’s lowest fare of $360.

When United pushed out its new fare category, it sounded like fares would come down in these markets— United even says so on its website: We’re introducing a new fare option, called Basic Economy, which is available on select routes and in addition to standard United Economy fares. Created for our customers who may be more price-sensitive, these lower-priced fares provide most of the same inflight services and amenities that are available with standard Economy.

When United introduced the unpopular new fares in Minneapolis earlier this year, president Scott Kirby said, “The launch of our Basic Economy product is transformational – offering customers seeking the most budget-conscious fares United’s comfortable and reliable travel experience across our unmatched network of destinations. Basic Economy lets you go where you want to go at our lowest available fare while enjoying United’s Economy cabin and the exceptional inflight service that comes with it.”

Meh! In this case, it appears that the introduction of Basic Economy fares is a thinly veiled price hike for business travelers who need things like seat assignments, elite qualifying miles, refunds, overhead bin space and the opportunity to upgrade.

I’ll go ahead and pay the $520 fare, but I’m not happy about it…

Have you encountered a basic economy fare yet? How’d that go for you?

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Charting progress of big LAX move starting now

April 17, 2017

LAX Terminals 2 and 3 will be Delta’s new home at the airport. (Image: Delta)

That massive move of airlines at Los Angeles International is just a few weeks away, but a few changes have already started – and the airport authority has put out a new chart of who’s going where.

As we reported earlier, the relocations are all a result of Delta’s big plans to shift its LAX operations from Terminals 5 and 6 to Terminals 2 and 3, displacing a lot of other tenants. The changes will affect a total of 28 airlines.

Most of the moves will take place in the overnight hours of May 12, 14 and 16. But a few have already happened. China’s Hainan Airlines has just moved from T2 to the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT). Copa’s flights still leave from the TBIT, but check-in for flights moved last week from T6 to T3. And American in January dropped four gates in T6 and picked up four in T5. Later this month, Qatar Airways is slated to move from T2 to the Bradley Terminal.

When the major moves begin next month, Delta will be operating flights on some days from four terminals (2, 3, 5 and 6).

Here’s a chart from the airports authority of who’s moving where, followed by a map of how the terminals will shake out when it’s all finished.

“During the relocation and in the weeks following, passengers are advised to check-in online, print boarding passes, and check terminal and gate information before coming to LAX,” Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) said. “They should also arrive to the airport earlier than normal. Once at LAX, passengers should check flight and gate status on flight information display boards in each terminal to ensure they are in the correct location.”

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Most popular: United mess + New Hawaiian planes + Low fare flying + Best mileage deals

April 16, 2017

A very dark week for United Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 United: Will 3 wrongs make a right?

2 Hawaiian Airlines unveils new A321s for west coast routes

3 The problem with low fare flying

Low fares are great, but what happens during irregular operations? (Image: Oakland International Airport)

4 Alaska targets Texas for latest expansion

5 Travelers’ rights: Involuntary bumping & the United drama

6 Routes: Airberlin delays at SFO/LAX, Virgin Australia, Austrian, AA, United + more

7 Uber faces shut-down in 2 European countries

Finding a ride on Uber getting tougher in Europe- but there are alternatives (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

9 How to get the most for your miles this summer

10 British Airways’ posh plans for business class [PHOTOS]

Do you follow TravelSkills on Facebook? It’s a great way to tune into breaking news. CLICK!

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

How much could David Dao get from United lawsuit?

Delta raises cap on bump compensation to $10,000 in flight vouchers

Which is California’s most loved airline?

Delta quietly increases award prices (again)

Delta raises rates, devalues SkyMiles again. Surprised? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Driving to the airport? SFO knows your number & keeps it for four years

Under Trump, Bay Area tourism could take a hit

A pilot explains what he thinks really happened on United flight

Airlines argue against calls for a ban on overbooking

Travelers almost $1 million in loose change at TSA checkpoints last year

Customs & Border Protection sharply increases digital searches of personal devices

New FCC chief kills proposal to allow in-flight voice calls

Delta has new policy for guns in checked bags

Hyatt adds in-room streaming of Netflix, Hulu, etc.

United’s new wine flights on Polaris flights are popular… maybe too popular? (Photo: Scott Hintz)

United’s Polaris passengers are drinking too much wine

Scorpion stings passenger on United flight to Canada

Air Asia X starting low-fare Honolulu flights, but has eyes on LAX, SFO

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Routes: Airberlin delays at SFO/LAX, Virgin Australia, Austrian, AA, United + more

April 14, 2017

Airberlin is delaying its new Berlin service from San Francisco and Los Angeles. (Image: Airberlin)

In international route news, Airberlin is pushing back the start date of its new West Coast service to Berlin; Virgin Australia adds a Los Angeles route; Austrian Airline starts LAX flights; American plans an aircraft switch for some west coast service; United shifts Dreamliners to Washington Dulles and begins seasonal flights to Europe from San Francisco and Houston; Xiamen expands service; and JetBlue adds a Caribbean route.

Airberlin is delaying the start-up dates for its new service from Berlin to San Francisco and Los Angeles. The service from Berlin Tegel to San Francisco, originally set to begin May 1, has been pushed back to May 29; and the Berlin-Los Angeles flights, due to launch May 2, have been postponed to May 16. Passengers scheduled to travel on the earlier flights are being rebooked onto other flights via Dusseldorf, the company said. Airberlin blamed the delays on problems with its new ground handling company at Tegel Airport. The carrier plans to operate four flights a week from SFO; the LAX schedule calls for two flights a week from mid-May, with a third frequency starting in June.

Virgin Australia this week kicked off new non-stop service from Los Angeles to Melbourne. The Australian carrier will fly the route five days a week with a 777-300ER, as part of its joint venture operation with Delta. On the other coast, Delta partner Virgin Atlantic plans to convert its New York JFK-Manchester service from a seasonal to a year-round operation, with plans to continue flying the route four times a week after October 29 with an A330, then dropping down to three a week from January 14 through March 22, 2018. Delta will no longer fly the route, according to Routesonline.com.

Austrian Airlines started 777 service from LAX to Vienna. (Image: Austrian Airlines)

Austrian Airlines this week kicked off new service from Los Angeles International to Vienna. The airline’s 777-200 service starts off with five flights a week through June 12, then increases to daily frequencies. The route marks Austrian’s first non-stop service to the West Coast. The 308-seat 777 includes 48 business class seats with lie-flat seat-beds.

American Airlines is planning to change equipment on a couple of international routes out of Los Angeles later this year, according to Airlineroutes.com. Plans call for American to put 787-9s into service starting November 5 on the LAX-Sao Paulo route, and increasing frequencies from five to six a week; and on the LAX-Tokyo Narita route from August 4 to October 27. In both cases, the Dreamliners will replace 777-200ERs.

United is shifting some 787s from Houston to Washington Dulles. (Photo: United)

Speaking of 787s, FlightGlobal reports that United Airlines plans to shift Dreamliner flying from Houston Bush Intercontinental to Washington Dulles this coming winter, citing a letter to pilots from UA management. The carrier will reportedly close its 787 pilots’ base at Houston. Effective with United’s winter schedule October 29, that means in addition to its existing 787 service from IAD to London and Paris, United will also use the Dreamliner for flights from Dulles to Beijing (replacing a 777-200) and to Sao Paulo (replacing a 767-400ER), while a 777-200 will go onto Houston-Frankfurt and a 767-300ER will be used for Houston-Buenos Aires. Meanwhile, United is due to begin seasonal service April 20 from Houston to Munich and from San Francisco to Frankfurt, with both routes continuing through October 27. Have you flown a United Dreamliner yet? Let us know what you think in the comments.

China’s Xiamen Airlines is due to start 787-9 service from Los Angeles to Xiamen three times a week on June 28. That schedule will increase to four a week from July 19 through August 24 with the addition of a 787-8 flight, according to Routesonline.com.

JetBlue already flies to Port-au-Prince, Haiti from New York, Boston and Ft. Lauderdale, and now it plans to add the only non-stop service to Port-au-Prince from Orlando beginning in December, subject to government approvals. The carrier said it will use a 100-seat E190 for the new service.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Most popular: 747 + New Hawaiian seats + British Airways biz class + Polaris snag + Lav seats

April 9, 2017

Despite terrorism, tourism in London is strong- Chris notes that Westminster was packed as ever last week (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 A long-term love affair: First look deep inside a Delta 747-400 [PHOTOS]

2 Wide seats on narrow bodies: Hawaiian Airlines unveils new A321s for west coast routes

3 Exclusive look! British Airways’ posh plans for business class [PHOTOS] See comments

Chris took the best seat on a BA 787 Dreamliner – 1K- for landing during a London press conference

4 Sit back, relax, and wait: United’s Polaris business class rollout hits turbulence

5 More Mint: JetBlue sets next wave of Mint expansion

6 Routes: New Alaska transcons + Delta, Southwest, AA, Frontier

7 Upgrades? Nope: Delta, JetBlue lay on more lie-flat seats, but…

8 Routes: Norwegian SEA/DEN-London $199; LOT, JAL, United, EVA + more

9 Oh, jeez: DHS warning: Laptop ban could be expanded

10 Contro: Airplane lavatory seats: Up or down?

Do you follow Chris on Instagram? Come on and join the fun! Click here

Early morning view from my #hotel room #jetlag #london #travel #sunrise
A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on Apr 5, 2017 at 12:42am PDT

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

United will move 787s from Houston to Washington Dulles routes

Alaska will keep Virgin America’s gates at Dallas Love Field

Delta extends Porsche transfers to Delta Private Jet customers

How the I-85 freeway collapse in Atlanta is affecting Delta

New Airbus A380 interior option would let airlines cram in more seats

Wallethub ranks best and worst U.S. airlines

Analyst: Basic economy fares could be a big bait-and-switch tactic

United getting new coach seats

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Routes: New Alaska transcons + Delta, Southwest, AA, Frontier

April 5, 2017

Alaska Airlines keeps adding more transcontinental routes. (Image: Alaska Airlines)

In domestic route developments, Alaska can’t seem to get enough transcontinental routes; Delta extends a new seating option to smaller regional jets; Southwest takes on another intra-California market; American drops a key Caribbean route but adds a Michigan link; and Frontier expands to Puerto Rico.

Alaska Airlines is getting into several new transcontinental markets thanks to its acquisition of Virgin America, and it has been adding some of its own, like the San Jose-Newark, Portland-Orlando and San Diego-Baltimore/Washington flights it started last month. But that’s not enough for Alaska: It just announced plans to add new daily transcon flights from Portland to New York JFK and from Los Angeles to Philadelphia. And it’s not quite a transcon, but Alaska also announced plans to start flying once a day from Portland to Detroit.

The Portland-Detroit service starts August 30, followed by one daily LAX-Philadelphia flight September 1 and one daily Portland-JFK roundtrip beginning November 6. All the eastbound flights on the new routes will be red-eyes. The two Portland routes will use 737s, while the LAX-Philadelphia route will use an Airbus from the A320 family (i.e., a Virgin America plane). LAX-Philadelphia was previously served by Virgin America from 2012 to 2014.

Delta Connection CRJ-200s are getting Comfort+ seats. (Image: SkyWest)

Major carriers have been transitioning their fleets away from smaller regional jets to the larger ones preferred by passengers. Delta still has some 50-seat CRJ-200s operated by Endeavor/SkyWest, and it just announced it has started selling its extra-legroom Comfort+ seating on those planes, effective for travel beginning May 1. With this enhancement, Delta said it “will now offer Delta Comfort+ on nearly all single-cabin delta Connection aircraft, in addition to its two-cabin aircraft.”

Delta’s announcement didn’t say how many Comfort+ seats the CRJ-200s would have, or how much extra pitch they would offer, or what would happen to seat pitch for the regular economy seats on those aircraft.

Southwest is starting service from Long Beach to Sacramento. (Image: Long Beach Airport)

Southwest Airlines, which started flying out of southern California’s Long Beach Airport last year with several flights a day to Oakland, has been eager to expand at Long Beach if only it could get more slots there. Well, it recently picked up a couple of slots given up by American, and said it will use them to begin twice-daily flights from Long Beach to Sacramento starting August 1.

American Airlines has been flying from New York JFK to San Juan, Puerto Rico for more than 45 years. But it has decided to give up that market on August 22, when it will eliminate its two daily flights on the route. AA still will fly to San Juan from several other hubs. Elsewhere, American Eagle has started up new service from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Washington D.C.’s Reagan National Airport, operating 12 flights a week.

While American is cutting capacity to San Juan, Frontier Airlines is adding it. Frontier is due to begin daily flights from Philadelphia and Orlando to San Juan on June 11, operating one daily A321 roundtrip on each route.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Most popular: Delta 747 + Aircraft noise + New routes + SFO runways + Hyatt points

April 2, 2017

Flight attendant wore uniforms from the 70s at the Delta 747 Experience last week. Hat designed by Yves St Laurent (Image: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 What a sight! First look deep inside a Delta 747-400 [PHOTOS]

2 Causing consternation: Ugly aircraft noise, beautifully displayed

3 Routes: Delta, Alaska, AA, JetBlue, United, JetSuiteX

4 Virgin’s new moves Routes: Seattle and SFO; Delta, WOW, AA, Emirates, United, BA + more

5 Airport news: San Diego, Newark, Atlanta, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland

6 Chris flies to London this week from OAK> Deal: $503 roundtrip Oakland-London on British Airways

My fave hotel in Boston: Marriott’s popular Residence Inn Downtown Seaport (Chris McGinnis)

7 Fares still available on FOUR carriers: Full-on fare war: Atlanta-Boston $80 economy, $335 first

8 Flatter seats, fewer upgrades: Delta, JetBlue lay on more lie-flat seats, but…

9 ICYMI My most jaw-dropping window seat view…ever [VIDEO]

10 Still a hot issue: Alaska Airlines reveals fate of Virgin America

Don’t miss: Working around the laptop ban

Listen up! TravelSkills sponsor Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection recently created a podcast interview about the latest travel news with editor Chris McGinnis! Listen for yourself by clicking below, or find it on Soundcloud — Chris’s bit starts at the 10:30 minute mark:

Fake, or decoy, coyotes are used to scare birds off the runway at SFO (Image: Chris McGinnis)

Runway repairs will cause 9 week(ends) of delays at SFO

Richard Branson: Alaska Air must pay for Virgin brand thru 2040!

American Express increases Platinum sign up bonus to 60,000 (keep scrolling!)

San Jose airport manager moving south

Very helpful: How to travel with an Alzheimers or dementia companion

Boeing’s new Skyview window (Boeing)

Largest airplane windows of all time offer pano views

Hyatt rolls out new double points promotion

Virgin Atlantic reveals new Upper Class design for A330s

New jacket for travelers has 10 functions

Silvercar sold this week (Facebook photo: Than Maung)

Audi plans to acquire 100 percent of U.S. specialty rental firm Silvercar

Hilton’s digital room key app now available in 1,000 hotels

U.S. company plans to build 150-passenger electric-powered aircraft

These airlines are most likely to bump you

The 10 U.S. cities ranked best for business travel

How Lyft is like a “better boyfriend”

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

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Full-on fare war: Atlanta-Boston $80 economy, $335 first

March 30, 2017

JetBlue’s arrival in ATL sparks major fare war (Image: Google Flights)

Today JetBlue launched new nonstops between Atlanta and Boston, sparking one of the craziest fare wars I’ve seen to date- even in first class.

As of today, JetBlue is selling roundtrips as low as $109 on its five ATL-BOS flights per day. That’s crazy.

But even crazier? Spirit Air, which offers one daily nonstop, is selling seats for just $80 roundtrip (plus fees).

Delta, long the major player in this market (with 11 roundtrips per day), seems to be keeping above the low-fare fray, but just barely. Its lowest round trips are going for just $136 roundtrip. But for $136, you get one of Delta’s new bare bones basic economy fares. For regular main cabin seats, you’ll pay $165 roundtrip– still cheap by historical standards.

Delta is also discounting its first class seats on ATL-BOS— a nice upgrade for the 2.5 hour flight! We’ve found found first class round trips for $335 to $475 in April and May.

Southwest has jumped into the fray as well… with roundtrips going for as little as $121 round trip on its three daily ATL-BOS nonstops.

Last week JetBlue announced that it was fighting a decision by ATL authorities to make it use gates in ATL’s Concourse D when it was told it would be able to use gates at the much nicer Concourse E. As of today, the issue has not been resolved, and JetBlue is using gates in both D and E concourses according to a spokesperson.

In any case, these are great deals for Bostonians who’d like to soak up some southern springtime hospitality. They are also perfect for the many cash strapped students traveling between ATL and Boston– or elsewhere.

Go get some beans with these low fares!

Note: These fares were available on Google Flights on Thursday March 30 and are subject to change.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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

March 30, 2017

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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