Elevate Archives - TravelSkills

Deadline looms for Virgin America flyers

December 14, 2017

Alaska Airlines is bringing an end to Virgin America’s Elevate loyalty program. (Image: Alaska Airlines)

A reminder for members of Virgin America’s Elevate loyalty program: You only have a limited time left to transfer your points.

Alaska Airlines is telling Elevate participants to transfer any remaining points they have in the program over to Alaska’s Mileage Plan by January 31, “or we’ll convert them for you by February 8.” Either way, the airline added, you’ll get 30 percent bonus miles.

The airline noted that if it converts your Elevate points for you, they will be unavailable from February 1-7 as it consolidates member accounts.

In the past we’ve recommended that Elevate members hold on to their Virgin points. Here’s what we said earlier this year:

As long as Virgin America and Alaska Airlines operate separate airlines, and separate loyalty programs, smart flyers should hold on to BOTH currencies.
Why? Because in some cases you’ll get better value redeeming your Virgin America points, and in other cases, it makes more sense to convert and redeem Mileage Plan miles. In other words, it depends…
My suggestion for Virgin America Elevate members: Go ahead and link your accounts, but hold on to your points until you have a specific flight to redeem them on. At that point, you can determine if you get better value by redeeming your points, or by converting them to miles.

So if you are sitting on a big stash of Elevate points and it makes more sense to redeem them now for trips next year, go ahead and make those redemptions.

If not, then go ahead and move those points to Alaska and enjoy the 30 percent bonus. If you don’t, the only real downside is that you won’t have access to them for a week in February. (You get the 30 percent bonus either way.)

The last vestiges of Richard’s Branson’s Virgin America are fading fast (Image: Virgin America)

January 1 is the effective date when the two loyalty plans will be combined, so December 31 marks the official end of the Elevate, and is the final date when Elevate members can earn points in that program.

If you still have Elevate points to convert, you can do it here.

Last month, American Express Rewards terminated the ability of participants to transfer points to Elevate. And effective April 25, all flights operated by Virgin America’s aircraft will be listed as Alaska Airlines flights. In mid-January, Alaska and Virgin are expected to come together under a single operating certificate.

Have you moved your Virgin points over to Alaska yet? Why or why not? Thoughts or feelings as we watch Virgin slowly disappear?

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Should I convert Virgin America points to Alaska miles now?

January 21, 2017

Readers questions answered about converting Virgin points to Alaska miles (Image: Alaska Air)

Shortly after taking over Virgin America, Alaska Airlines announced that it would convert Elevate points to Mileage Plan mile at a relatively generous rate of 1.3 to 1.

That’s nice of Alaska, but does it mean that Virgin flyers should rush to convert their points to Alaska miles?

No!

As long as Virgin America and Alaska Airlines operate separate airlines, and separate loyalty programs, smart flyers should hold on to BOTH currencies.

Why? Because in some cases you’ll get better value redeeming your Virgin America points, and in other cases, it makes more sense to convert and redeem Mileage Plan miles. In other words, it depends…

My suggestion for Virgin America Elevate members: Go ahead and link your accounts, but hold on to your points until you have a specific flight to redeem them on. At that point, you can determine if you get better value by redeeming your points, or by converting them to miles.

Spectacular view of Honolulu at take off. Note the sparkles in the paint on the engine! (Chris McGinnis)

Spectacular view of Honolulu at take off on Virgin America. Note the sparkles in the paint on the engine! (Chris McGinnis)

Here’s one of several emails I’ve received from readers that I’ll use as an example:

Chris: Alaska is sounding generous with the 1.3x multiplier but here’s the thing: Right now I can book a roundtrip flight between San Francisco and New York on Virgin for about 14,000 Elevate points. But how how much would it cost using Alaska miles? A minimum of 25,000 round trip, and maybe up to 40,000 or 50,000 miles. So this is not a good deal at all for Elevate members — or am I missing something? — M.S.

The reason M.S. can book that Virgin flight so cheaply on points right now is that fares are relatively cheap on SFO-JFK during the cold winter months. And remember that Virgin awards are based on the cost of the ticket. Alaska’s mileage-based program offers domestic roundtrips at a flat rate of 25,000 miles (minimum). When prices rise later in the year, M.S.’s calculation would change, and it might make more sense for him to convert his Virgin points to Alaska miles.

So…since it depends, the best advice is to hold on to your Virgin points until you have a specific redemption in mind. Remember that once your Virgin points are converted to Alaska miles, the deal is done– you can’t reverse the conversion.

If you have not already done so, you can link your Alaska and Virgin accounts here. For a full FAQ on both programs, see this. To make a conversion, go to this page.

Don’t give up the flexibility of being a member of both programs until you have to.

–Chris McGinnis

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Alaska Airlines helping Virgin flyers make the transition

January 11, 2017

Alaska Airlines passing out goodies to Virgin Elevate passengers this week (Image: Alaska Airlines)

Today Alaska Airlines sent an email to Virgin America Elevate members with a nice gift: 10,000 miles or a $100 discount.

To get the gift, you must link your Elevate and Mileage Plan accounts by January 31.

If you don’t yet have an Alaska Mileage Plan account, the email provides a new account number for you. Just click the activate button, fill out a few fields and you’re done. If you already have both Alaska and Virgin accounts, you can link them here.

Screenshot of email from Alaska Airlines

I linked my accounts this morning, and while Alaska says that the 10,000 mile gift will automatically show up in my Mileage Plan account, I don’t see them there yet… so it’s not instantaneous.

In addition to linking accounts, the email explains that Alaska will match your Virgin Elevate status with the comparable tier in Alaska’s program– MVP, MVP Gold, and MVP Gold 75K. (Side note: Alaska will match your elite status with several other carriers– just send an email to elite.flyer@alaskaair.com and include: your name, Alaska Mileage Plan number, front/back scan of your elite card from other airline, copy of your most recent statement from other airline. The process should take about three weeks.)

If you link your accounts, you do not have to convert points to miles…yet. Once you go through the linking process, you’ll get this reminder: “Your Elevate and Mileage Plan accounts will both remain active. Your balances aren’t going anywhere, and in fact, you can continue to earn Elevate points or Mileage Plan miles when you fly on Virgin America or Alaska Airlines.” For now, I think it’s best to just hold on to your Virgin points and not convert them until you have a specific flight you want to redeem for… then you should examine whether it makes more sense to use miles or points for the transaction.

To help explain things- and brag a bit about how its Mileage Plan is the last remaining mileage (vs revenue)-based program, Alaska created the short video below. It also points to Alaska’s robust roster of partners and destinations where you can now use your Virgin points.

So where can you go on Alaska Airlines- or its many partners and for how many miles? Be sure to check out its helpful interactive award chart here.

Here’s an interesting tip from reader Nick H that should make American AAdvantage members smile… has anyone tried to take advantage of this loophole yet?

For those of you who are Virgin America and/or American flyers, I just discovered a neat trick. Since Alaska now owns Virgin, and Alaska is an American partner (but not in OneWorld) you can actually fly on Virgin America and get full credit as if the flight is on American.

You just have to book on alaskaair.com and make sure to select AAdvantage as the program. AFTER you book, it also pulls in your status, which then makes additional seats available, i.e. premium economy and exit rows.

I still consider Virgin the best domestic airline aside from the Transcon 321T to NYC on American, so this is a neat trick to me. And they fly to Hawaii, so aside from Hawaiian’s new Airbus they are also the best way to fly there!

All of these are signs that business travelers stand to benefit most from the Alaska-Virgin combo. With its acquisition of Virgin, Alaska hopes to build a West Coast powerhouse. To do that, it’s going to have to win the hearts, wallets and repeat business of Virgin loyalists in the Bay Area.

Shortly after the deal closed last month, Alaska offered Virgin Elevate elite members access to benefits such as priority check in and boarding on Alaska Air flights. Last week it invited Elevate members to join its Mileage Plan program and convert Virgin points to Alaska miles at a relatively generous rate of 1.3 to 1. Then it even reduced the mileage cost on many award flights. It also recently added free movies, chat and texting on flights equipped with Gogo. I expect that frequent travelers will see even more coddling like this over the next year.

So it’s good news on the points/miles front. But time will tell regarding something more important: fares. We’ll be keeping an eye on those markets where Alaska and Virgin have competed keenly on price, such as SFO-SEA or LAX-SEA. Right now, you can fly roundtrip on those routes for as little as $120-$150 booked in advance, or around $250-$300 at the last minute. Let’s see if that will last.

–Chris McGinnis

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Alaska Airlines + Virgin America: what you need to know now

December 14, 2016

A commemorative livery on an Alaska Air 737 to celebrate the takeover of Virgin America (Photo: Peter Biaggi / SFO)

A commemorative livery on an Alaska Air 737 arrives from Seattle to celebrate the takeover of Virgin America (Photo: Peter Biaggi / SFO)

Alaska Airlines today officially closed its acquisition of Virgin America and announced plans to combine some aspects of operations and loyalty programs, but said that the two airline brands will remain separate for now. The company also announced some new routes out of San Francisco in 2017.

(Scroll down for a slideshow of the celebration at SFO)

“No decisions regarding the Virgin America brand have been made. Alaska plans to continue to operate the Virgin America fleet with its current name and product for a period of time while it conducts extensive customer research to understand what fliers value the most,” Alaska said. “Virgin America will continue to fly under its brand with no immediate changes to the onboard product or experience.” The company said it expects to reach a decision about the Virgin brand “in early 2017,” but noted that customers won’t see any big changes to the Virgin product “within the next 12 months.”

The effects of the merger begin on December 19, when customers will be able to buy Virgin America tickets through the alaskaair.com website, although Virgin America’s website will continue to sell them “for the immediate future” as well.

Also starting December 19, members of Virgin’s Elevate loyalty program will be able to earn points on Alaska Airlines flights, and Alaska’s Mileage Plan members can earn miles on Virgin’s flights. Elite members of both programs will get priority check-in and boarding on either airline. And Virgin America elite members will soon enjoy perks like last minute upgrades to Alaska Airlines new premium economy seats.

Snacks with a message at the Alaska/Virgin announcement. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

The two loyalty programs will not be combined for now, Alaska said, but on January 9, Elevate members will be invited to activate new Mileage Plan accounts, so they can earn miles not only on Alaska but also on its international partner airlines, which fly to more than 800 global destinations. Elevate elite members who start a Mileage Plan account will get equivalent elite status in that program. Also starting January 9, members of both programs will be able to claim award travel on either carrier.

What’s yet to be determined is what the exchange rate between the two programs will be...Virgin’s operates on points per dollar spent, and Alaska’s still works on miles flown, so it could get messy. But I’m hoping that Alaska makes the ratio something that will surprise and delight Elevate members… so stay tuned for more on that..

What’s best for Virgin America flyers is all the new opportunities for earning and burning miles with Alaska’s robust collection of airline partners (15+ top shelf airlines)– this is one of the strongest elements of the Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan program.

The combined Alaska-Virgin America will be the nation’s fifth largest airline. (Image: Alaska Air Group)

Alaska also announced plans to begin new service out of San Francisco next summer, including a daily flight to Orlando, two a day to Minneapolis-St. Paul and four a day to Orange County, California – although it did not specify which of the two airline brands would operate them. It said details of those routes will be announced December 21.

The company is using the slogan “different works” in the campaign promoting its merger. What’s that mean? “While Alaska Airlines and Virgin America may seem different on the surface, fundamentally we are similar,” it said. “Both airlines have always been about doing things a bit differently to offer something better for travelers. Alaska and Virgin America have built outstanding reputations for low fares, on-time performance, innovative products and experiences and award-winning customer service.”

Alaska has created a special website at www.differentworks.com where customers can find more information about the merger plans. Together, Alaska and Virgin will be the nation’s fifth-largest airline and the one with the largest West Coast presence, and a combined network of 1,200 flights a day to 118 destinations.

Despite the hoopla about the merger, there’s an underlying angst among Virgin America employees. Asked how he felt to see the merger finally consummated, one Virgin America executive told TravelSkills: “Conflicted. We feel like parents who have been given a pile of money to give up their kids.”

Remember the photo that leaked last month of an aircraft with a combined Alaska/Virgin livery? Alaska said today that is not a preview of the look of the combined airline, but simply “a special commemorative plane designed to mark the occasion.” Speaking of aircraft, Alaska said it hasn’t yet decided about the future direction of its fleet – Alaska has an all-Boeing mainline fleet while Virgin is all-Airbus – but that planes from both manufacturers will remain in the combined fleet “for many years.”

Branson arrives at SFO in aloha shirt (Virgin America)

Richard Branson at SFO to celebrate Hawaii flights (Virgin America)

It’s estimated that Virgin Group founder Richard Branson will snag a windfall of about $600 million now that the $4 billion deal has closed.

Here are some more details that affect passengers:

Customers who have a Gogo Wi-Fi monthly pass can now use it on either airline where Gogo service is offered.
Those who have a Virgin America Travel Bank or flight credit cannot yet use it to buy flights on Alaska.
Although some aspects of the loyalty programs are being combined or made reciprocal, for now the same is not true of the Mileage Plan Visa Card or the Virgin America Visa Card. “For now, each credit card will be limited to the specific terms and benefits of the associated airline,” Alaska said.
Alaska’s 20-minute guarantee for checked baggage delivery will not apply to Virgin America for now.
Members of the two airlines’ respective airport lounges will not have reciprocal access privileges – except at LAX where both airlines operate lounges. However, “Soon the Virgin America Loft will be part of Alaska’s network of 60+ lounges,” Alaska said, promising to offer more details soon.

Commemorative Alaska Air 737 lands at SFO to celebrate the deal. Rainy weddings are good luck, right? (Photo: Peter Biaggi)

Speeches, music, cheers, balloons and pompoms at SFO. Airport director Ivar Satero pictured. (Image: Peter Biaggi)

Red carpet welcome for first passengers off celebratory charter flight from Seattle to SFO (Chris McGinnis)

Alaska/Virgin broke out the balloons at the SFO announcement. (Image: Chris McGinnis)

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Alaska Air – Virgin America deal closes

December 14, 2016

The Alaska Virgin America deal is done. More details to come. (Image: Alaska Airlines)

Virgin America and Alaska Airlines today officially closed their merger, which means that Virgin America is now a fully-owned subsidiary of Alaska Air Group. To celebrate, Alaska Air is flying a freshly painted, brand new 737 to San Francisco this morning for a big event. TravelSkills will be there, so stay tuned for a full report (and photos) on the festivities!

Most important for now: The Virgin America website says that travelers should not expect to see any major changes to the Virgin America product or onboard experience within the next 12 months.

The combined airline is now the fifth largest airline in the U.S, and the largest on the West Coast, offering travelers more flights and more rewards.

New benefits for guests will launch on Monday, December 19, 2016 including the ability for Elevate members to earn points on Alaska flights (and vice versa), priority airport benefits for elite frequent flyer members, and a new codeshare agreement. Yes, this means that Bay Area travelers can will soon earn Virgin points on Alaska flights to/from San Jose and Oakland!

For more information on the merger and what it means for travelers, see https://www.virginamerica.com/cms/different-works or www.differentworks.com

And stay tuned for more on this as the day progresses.

–Chris McGinnis

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These two Virgins are splitting up

November 3, 2016

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

Virgin Atlantic flies 787 Dreamliners on its San Francisco route. (Image: Virgin Atlantic)

Are you a member of Virgin America’s Elevate loyalty program hoping to book an award flight on partner Virgin Atlantic? Then you better act fast – really fast.

Virgin America said on its website that the two airlines “will be sunsetting their frequent flyer partnership on November 13, 2016.” The last date for Elevate members to claim award travel on Virgin Atlantic with Elevate points is November 12, following the usual booking procedure.

And Elevate members will no longer earn points for travel on Virgin Atlantic after November 12.

“Virgin America will continue to offer a range of other airline partners through the Elevate program, including Virgin Australia, Hawaiian Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Emirates,” the company said.

Why the split-up? Virgin America said Virgin Atlantic “is introducing some changes to its loyalty program, and due to technical limitations, the Elevate program will no longer be compatible with (Virgin Atlantic’s) Flying Club once Virgin Atlantic upgrades the back end of its program on November 13.”

Of course, other factors could be in play as well. Barring government intervention, Virgin America is about to be acquired by Alaska Airlines. Alaska Airlines is involved in a major market share battle at its Seattle hub with Delta Air Lines. Delta Air Lines is the owner of a 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic. Connect the dots.

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Say what? JetBlue matching Virgin America points balances

June 24, 2016

JetBlue's A320s (pictured) and some A321s will get new seating and tech improvements. (Image: JetBlue)

JetBlue wants you really badly and is making an offer that’s tough to refuse! (Image: JetBlue)

This new promo from JetBlue is more jolting than Brexit! If you have a big stash of Virgin America Elevate points, check this out:

Now, we’ve all heard about how airlines will match elite status in order to get flyers to switch allegiances. Well, this new promo from JetBlue goes WAY beyond that.

Today JetBlue announced that it will MATCH your Virgin Elevate balance– that’s right, they will GIVE you a wad JetBlue points if you’ll fly them just one time by August 31.

Even if you have as few as 500 mealy Virgin Elevate points, JetBlue will give you 5,000! Here’s the breakdown:

(Image: JetBlue)

To get the points, here’s what you have to do:

Email a screenshot of your Virgin Elevate account dashboard (that shows your balance) to pointsmatch@jetblue.com by July 4. Screenshots must include first name, last name, and points balance. You must include your TrueBlue number in the email. Not a member of TrueBlue? Sign up here.

Once JetBlue has that, they say they’ll assess your balance and eligibility, and then email you to let you know if you’re officially registered for the promotion.

After that, you must book and fly ONE one roundtrip JetBlue flight by August 31. My advice if you live in California? Take a day trip between SFO and Las Vegas or Long Beach for as little as $93 round trip!

Fares checked on June 24 between SFO and Las Vegas

Once you do that, JetBlue will deposit the points in your True Blue Account.

Full details of the offer right here! This is a no brainer, folks!

What do you think? Will you take advantage of this? Have you flown JetBlue before? Please leave your comments below.

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Virgin America alters Elevate, expands status match

April 27, 2016

Virgin America’s Elevate elites get free or discounted access to the airline’s Loft lounge at LAX. (Image: Virgin America)

Even though it is on the verge of being swallowed up by Alaska Airlines Group, which will no doubt lead to still-undetermined changes, Virgin America has unveiled an upgrade in benefits for elite-level members of its Elevate frequent flyer program – and the news includes a swipe at rival JetBlue.

Virgin said it has expanded its Elevate Status Match offer – previously open to elite-level loyalists of American, United, Delta and Southwest – to include JetBlue as well. Mosaic-level members of JetBlue’s TrueBlue program can now obtain Gold status in Virgin’s program just by joining Elevate and applying at Virgin’s Status Match page. “Members can enjoy Gold status perks for three months, plus the opportunity to retain Gold status through the end of 2017,” Virgin said.

Meanwhile, Virgin has increased the bonus points that Elevate Silver and Gold members can earn, and has introduced a new pathway to elite status by counting flight segments.

(Image: Virgin America)

Members can achieve Elevate Silver status now by completing 15 flights on Virgin, or by earning 20,000 status credits at 5 per $1 spent. Thirty completed flights will now confer Gold status, as will 50,000 status credits. Plus, the new flight counter is retroactive to January 1 of this year.

Once a member achieves Silver status, he or she will earn a bonus of 50 percent, or a total of 7.5 points per $1, up from the previous 25 percent bonus. For Golds, the earning bonus has increased from 100 percent to 120 percent, or 12 points per $1 spent.

Why would Virgin go to the trouble of doing this? A spokesperson told TravelSkills, “The Elevate enhancements announced today are part of our continuing mission to make flying fun again and even more rewarding for our frequent flyers. We’re also encouraging guests who may be feeling a bit ‘blue’ with their current carrier to fly Virgin America and enjoy a more premium travel experience.” He also reminded us that airline mergers can take years, not months, to complete.

When TravelSkills met with Alaska Airlines execs in San Francisco this week, they promised a generous transfer rate for Elevate members when the program the programs integrate next year. Stay tuned!

Is it worth attaining status with Virgin now that its days are numbered? Please leave your comments below.

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AA matching United 1K status; Virgin America, JetBlue double points

January 19, 2016

American is said to be fishing for United’s top elites. (Image: American)

Are you a proud United 1K who’s thinking about switching loyalty to another airline? A Virgin America or JetBlue flyer in need of extra points? Then you are in luck.

If you’re a 1K considering switching to American, the time might be now, according to the popular mileage blog The Points Guy, which is reporting a big new status match offer from AAdvantage.

There’s no word on how long the opportunity might remain in effect. It appears to be confirmed by recent reports on StatusMatcher.com as well.

The site says AAdvantage Executive Platinum status is being offered to United 1Ks, and it will kick in instantly (presumably after a brief processing period). To keep the AA Executive Platinum status active through February of 2017, you’ll have to earn 35,000 elite-qualifying miles within 90 days on American, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan Airlines and/or Qantas.

The report said program 1K switchers who become Executive Platinums qualify for four systemwide upgrades on American from any fare class. Interested parties are advisded to call AA at 888-697-5636 to make the request and start the process.

I'm one of the lucky travelers living in a Virgin America hub. Love those US flag winglets! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Double points on Virgin America (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Virgin America is pulling out a powerful tool to boost bookings during the slow “dead weeks” of early winter. Those who register, book, and fly with Virgin by Feb 29 will earn 2x Elevate points. Details and registration here.

The typical earn for Elevate members is five points per $1 spent on the base fare and five status points per $1 spent on base fare. In this offer, you will earn 100% bonus points per $1 spent on the base fare for a total of 10 points but will still earn only five status credits per $1 spent on the base fare.

JetBlue’s offer of double points is even sweeter– that’s because the bonus points count toward the carrier’s elite Mosaic status. Details and registration here. To get the bonus, you must book your flight by January 31.

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Maui, Hawaii on sale

December 3, 2015

Richard Branson fooling around on Virgin’s inaugural flight to Honolulu in November (Photo: Virgin America)

Virgin America begins flying today from San Francisco to Kahului, Maui (OGG) with connecting flights from most Virgin America markets – with introductory fares as low as $398 roundtrip. (Anytime you see a California-Hawaii fare at less than $400, it’s a deal!)

Virgin launched service to Honolulu, Hawaii last month (with similar sale fares) and says that Hawaii continues to be the number one tourism destination from the West Coast, with over 3.3 million visitors in 2014. And it’s also the #1 most requested award destination among frequent flyers.

The new Maui flights are on sale now and can be purchased here. Virgin’s Elevate members can redeem reward flights to Hawaii – with no black-out dates, for as few as 8,187 points today. Flyers can also find deals today* on connecting flights between Maui and many of Virgin America’s cities – including Los Angeles, Dallas, New York, San Diego and Washington DC (IAD).

Other airlines will likely match this and other low fares to Hawaii during the sale period (thru Friday night, Dec 4), so check around. (Currently only Hawaiian Air is matching, but I expect that to change…)

Virgin’s daily, nonstop flights will be operated with new Airbus A320 aircraft that it has taken delivery of this year, which are equipped with fuel-saving, ‘sharklet’ wingtip devices, allowing the airline to operate flights over longer-haul routes.

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Hawaii fare war erupts + Earn Virgin points at Airbnb

November 2, 2015

Virgin’s Richard Branson showed up for the inaugural flight in a vintage VW van (Image: Virgin America)

Dreaming of a discounted fare to Hawaii this winter? Then you are in luck.

Ever since Virgin announced its new nonstops from SFO to Honolulu and Maui last spring, we’ve been monitoring fares for discounts and deals with little luck. In our mind, a “good deal” to Hawaii is now anything less than $400 from the west cost. Over the last couple months, it has been tough to find anything for less than $500.

All that changed today when Virgin’s first nonstop (dubbed “Pineapple Express”) took off from SFO and it kicked off a fare sale to celebrate. (Stay tuned for photos below from today’s very Virgin celebration at SFO– we’ll post them below.)

This morning, Virgin publicly discounted round trip fares on SFO-HNL to just $398 round trip. When we went to take a look at fares, we found them as low as $338 round trip on a handful of flights. Not bad!

One example of a Virgin $338 fare

From New York and Boston round trip fares on Virgin fell to $680 round trip. Chicago -Honolulu round trips fell to $560 round trip. These deals are good for trips between now and March with the usual restrictions around days of week and holidays. Tickets must be booked by midnight November 4.

Hawaiian Air discounted fares slightly more… with several fares coming in slightly less at $393 roundtrip. Delta’s nonstops on SFO-HNL came in at about $415.

United then joined the fun, matching Virgin’s $398 fare, but adding this kicker: It discounted MileagePlus redemptions for mainland-Hawaii round trips by 20% to just to 36,000 miles (down from 45,000).

Not to be outdone, Oakland International put on a big Hawaii-style celebration this morning, and announced that it would offer free parking for up to five days to those flying Alaska or Hawaiian to Hawaii, plus ticket giveaways along with hula dancers, island music and leis.

NOTE: All fares checked on Monday, Nov 2 and subject to change!

In another bit of news released today, Virgin said that its Elevate members now have the opportunity to earn points for every Airbnb reservation they make. Get 1,500 Elevate points for your first Airbnb stay, then one point per dollar spent on all subsequent completed Airbnb stays. Become an Airbnb host and you’ll score 20,000 Elevate points. For more, visit: virginamerica.com/airbnb.

With a new competitor in the market and decreasing fuel costs, I suspect we’ll be seeing more discounts to Hawaii in coming months – but likely not to the degree we are seeing today. Are you planning to go?

Check out the massive estate where Virgin America and Airbnb are throwing a big welcome party in Oahu.

Free mai tai’s at SFO today compliments at Virgin’s inaugural party (Virgin America)

Branson arrives at SFO in aloha shirt (Virgin America)

Crew of “Pineapple Express” ham it up for the camera on the tarmac at HNL (Image: Virgin America)

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Best photo + United meals + Bid for Virgin upgrades + Delta downgrade + New Asian nonstop for SJC

January 24, 2015

A mesmerizing look at a Delta jet from a window of ATL's Concourse E (Photo: AP Gouge Photography)

A mesmerizing look at a Delta jet from a window of ATL’s Concourse E Delta Sky Club (Photo: AP Gouge Photography)

AIRLINES

Hot mushroom soup and a pretty fruit/chicken salad on a recent SFO-ATL lunchtime flight (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

United improves front cabin meals. February 1 is United Airlines’ launch date for upgraded meal service in United First and United Business cabins on North American mainline flights of at least 800 miles. Transcontinental and Hawaii flights will get a new multi-course meal service with “heartier entrees,” United said, while flights of four hours to five hours and 19 minutes will offer three entree options instead of two. Meal flights of less than four hours will provide breakfast options like French toast souffle or steel-cut oatmeal with yogurt and fruit, and dinner choices like tandoori chicken instead of sandwiches. Also new on certain flights: Cookies baked fresh on board. Starting in March, United said, United Express premium-cabin travelers on flights of at least 800 miles will get fresh meals served on china instead of snack boxes; international long-haul economy flyers will see a new multi-course meal service; and new premium cabin menu choices will be introduced on p.s. transcontinental flights.

Best Photo! Thanks to TravelSkills reader Tony Gouge who responded to the request for plane photos in our recent 6 Tips for Better Plane Pics post– one of our most popular “how to” stories so far this year. Tony said that he used a technique called HDR on this (High Dynamic Range) to get the effect you see in the photo at the top.

Just in: Bomb threat leads to evacuation of Delta and Southwest jets at Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta Airport. Developing story.

Bidding for upgrades on Virgin America. Over the last few months, Virgin America has been quietly rolling out a new program inviting certain Elevate members to bid for upgrades to unsold Main Cabin Select and first class seats about a week before departure. We have learned that Virgin is experimenting with a service called Plusgrade that several other carriers have utilized. Here’s a quick video showing how it works on Air New Zealand. Sounds like a nice idea, but don’t sit around waiting for that email asking for a bid. A Virgin spokesperson told TravelSkills that the program is available in some markets for select flyers only and, “We are testing to see how travelers react to it first before instituting a broader program.” At present there is no way to get on the email list. Have you been asked to bid on an upgrade on Virgin America? Did you make a winning bid? Leave your comments below.

Double points on Virgin. Members of Virgin America’s Elevate loyalty program who register online will earn double points — or 10 per $1 spent — for travel from January 20 through March 31.

A big green Aer Lingus A330 at SFO (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Aer Lingus enhances SFO service. Bay area travelers will be the first to experience Aer Lingus’ new business class service starting January 28 on the carrier’s A330 non-stops to Dublin. The new cabins are coming this year to all of Aer Lingus’ A330 U.S. routes, including New York, Boston, Chicago and Orlando. You can check it out in this Youtube video. Meanwhile, the Irish carrier plans to boost SFO-Dublin service to daily frequencies (from the current five a week) on May 1, and to launch new Washington Dulles-Dublin flights four times a week on the same date.

American Airlines’ new baby. On Friday, American Airlines flew its first Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (N800AN) from the factory in Everett, Washington to Dallas/Ft Worth. As part of a massive (and much needed) fleet renewal program, AA has firm orders for 42 more of the efficient widebody. American expects its first 787 to enter revenue service in the second quarter, flying domestically between American’s hubs for several weeks before being launched on international flights.

Delta downgrade? A blogger who specializes in scrutinizing Delta’s SkyMiles program says that Platinum elites are no longer eligible to request upgrades on the airline’s JFK-Los Angeles and JFK-San Francisco routes. The unannounced change would mean that only Diamond-level members can ask for upgrades on those plum routes. Anyone else encountered this new downgrade? Please leave your comments below.

United eyes new aircraft type. United Airlines is reportedly considering switching some of its existing orders with Boeing to an aircraft type not currently in its fleet: the 777-300ER. The carrier is said to be thinking about adding 10 of the planes — Boeing’s largest twin-engine model — possibly in place of some 787s currently on order. United was the launch customer for the original Boeing 777 back in 1995; the company already has dozens of Airbus A350 widebodies on order. What’s your favorite long-haul aircraft type? Why? Post comments below.

20 different biz class seats in 1 room- PHOTOS

A Hainan Airlines Boeing 787 like could find its way to San Jose this summer (Hainan Air)

New China service from San Jose, Dallas. Silicon Valley workers might not have to go to San Francisco International to get a non-stop to China starting in June. That’s when Hainan Airlines plans to begin non-stop San Jose-Beijing 787 flights five days a week, subject to government approval. The airline already flies to the Chinese capital from Boston, Chicago and Seattle. Meanwhile, the trade journal Travel Weekly reports that Hainan has also filed for U.S. approval to begin non-stop service to Shanghai from Seattle and Boston … American Airlines has received Transportation Department approval for its planned Dallas/Ft. Worth-Beijing service, which will start May 7. AA will use a 777-200 for the daily non-stops. (Meanwhile, American is offering double miles for flights to Asia on AA and its partner Japan Airlines, for travel from now through March 20. Online registration is required.) Related: Did you see our story on the new high speed rail line between Beijing and Moscow?

And finally… we bet you’ve never seen a 747 that looks like this one! Take a peek and let us know what you think!

Back tomorrow with more of TravelSkills Weekend Edition!

6 tips for better plane pics

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Ridesharing unwelcome at SFO + Virgin matches SW elite + New arrival from Europe

April 6, 2013

In this issue: Ridesharing unwelcome at SFO, Virgin expands elite matching, SAS nonstops from Copenhagen land at SFO, United upgrades IAH terminal, Presidential visit, 787 flying (empty), $100K a year to travel and blog?

No more pink moustaches at SFO (Photo: Lyftstagrams)

No more pink moustaches at SFO (Photo: Soy_Fans – Lyftstagrams)

RIDESHARING UNWELCOME AT SFO. San Francisco International has issued cease and desist letters to six car/ride sharing services picking up or dropping off customers at the airport. Uber’s licensed, chauffeured town cars are allowed at SFO, but UberX “community drivers” are not. Sidecar, Lyft, InstantCab and FlightCar (recently included in TravelSkills) all received the letters. Do you use ridesharing services? What do you think about this? Leave your comments below.

MORE ELITE STATUS. Virgin America has expanded and enhanced its elite-level status match promo. Now, Southwest Rapid Rewards elites (in addition to United and American elites) can get bumped up to Elevate elite. Virgin has also extended the deadline to enroll until June 30.

NEW ARRIVAL FROM EUROPE. A water-cannon salute awaits SAS’s first Airbus A340 at SFO when it lands this Monday (April 8) between 2 and 3 pm. SAS will offer flights between San Francisco and Copenhagen six days per week (no Tuesday flights). The Bay Area Traveler-TravelSkills will be trying out the new service later this month, so stay tuned for a full report. Skål!

How do you get the presidential helicopters to SF? On a C5 freighter like this (Photo: SFO)

ENTOURAGE. President Obama and entourage arrived at SFO last week for some Bay Area fundraisers. In addition to the bright and shiny Air Force One B747, a giant C5 military cargo jet was also stationed at SFO all week (which transported the presidential helicopters, et al). Did you see it? Obama’s helicopters touched down at Crissy Field for Golden Gate Bridge photo ops, and then buzzed down to Atherton for the events.

OAKLINK. Have you noticed the progress on the 3.2-mile AirBART rail line connecting Oakland Airport to BART’s Coliseum station? There is now a 300-ft span over I-880. The project is now 60% complete…and should be operational in late 2014. Will you consider Oakland Airport more often when the trains start to run?

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NEW TERMINAL AT IAH. If you fly United via its massive Houston Intercontinental hub a lot, you will be pleased to see the new $152 million Terminal B south concourse opening this month. The new concourse will house operations for all United Express regional flights. It’s about four times larger than the old terminal, with lots of new stores and celeb-chef and regionally inspired eateries.

COOL TRAVEL JOBS. Have you ever dreamed of being a travel blogger? Travel website Jauntaroo (set up to help you decide where to go on vacation) is hiring a “Chief World Explorer” to travel the globe for a year, at $100,000 salary, to blog about their experiences and give back to communities through the site’s “Travel With a Cause” commitment. Details are thin right now, but Jauntaroo says it will open applications later this spring, and has produced this teaser video to build awareness. Tourism Australia has just launched a separate, but similar “Best Jobs in the World” promo, offering six positions at $100,000 each for just six months work. What are you doing reading TravelSkills? Get that application in now!

DREAMLINER UPDATE. Boeing is now conducting test flights of its beleaguered 787 Dreamliner, and will submit results of those and other tests to the FAA. The New York Times reports that the FAA could approve the changes later this month, and the plane could be flying again in May—just in time for the busy summer travel season. Would YOU jump on a Dreamliner this summer? Please leave your comments below.

IN THE BAT LAST WEEK. United is expanding its operations at SFO’s Terminal 1 while delays have pushed back the completion of Terminal 3 renovations. Also, there are a few new details about United’s new p.s. service to New York.

—Chris McGinnis

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Catching up on Bay Area Travel news (Feb 10)

February 10, 2013

New fees on the way at Southwest Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Here’s what TravelSkills Readers (BATs!) need to know this week….

United Mileage Plus in court. A federal judge has rejected United’s attempt to throw out a lawsuit accusing the world’s largest carrier of taking benefits away from some of its most loyal fliers. The suit claims United revoked Million Milers’ “Lifetime Premier Executive” status, which entitled them to favored treatment in bookings, seating priority and upgrades, and demoted them to lower-tier “Gold” status.

Superstorm Nemo forces airlines to waive fees. The giant snowstorm that swept through the Northeast this weekend forced airlines to waive change fees for travelers holding tickets for air travel through Monday Feb 11. United was the last major carrier to join the gang offering to waive the fees, and then had to expand the window for waivers from 8-9 Feb to 8-11 Feb. Remember, if your flight is canceled and you decide to not take a trip at all (instead of accepting the airlines’ offer to re-accommodate you on another flight) you can ask for a full refund.

Spring break could be pricey, dicey this year. An early Easter (Sunday, Mar 31), that cold winter back East, and an improving economy means that travelers should brace for an expensive and crowded Spring Break travel season this year. Whether you have business trip plans or beach trip plans, if you plan to travel during the last two weeks of March—you need to make reservations now… and plan to deal with crowds and high prices. Listen to BAT editor Chris McGinnis discuss this news on KCBS last Friday.

Earn Virgin Elevate points when dining out. Virgin announced a new partnership with Mogl, allowing Elevate members earn points for something we all do a lot of in the Bay Area—dine out. All you have to do is register your credit card with Mogl, and then dine out in participating restaurants (good selection in SF and other California cities) The offer’s a bit complicated, but why not sign up? Details here.

American + US Airways merger expected this week. It’s been a long time coming, but most industry watchers say that a merger between American Airlines and US Airways will finally be announced this week. Most expect the new airlines to be called American, but the new CEO will be US Airways current CEO Doug Parker. The airline will be based in Dallas. Since both American and US Airways have little presence in the Bay Area, the impact here will be negligible.

Winter hotel promos: Marriott’s Megamiles promo is back—you can earn double airlines miles for every stay through April 30. Stay at Best Western three times between now and April 14 and you’ll get a certificate for one free night good for those price spring or summer peak season stays later this year.

Fly American from the Bay to Hawaii? An enhanced codeshare agreement between American and Alaska Airlines will allow American to put its code and sell tickets on the 22 Alaska Airlines flights from the Bay to Hawaii. For those of you with big banks of unused AAdvantage miles with dreams of tropical paradise, now’s the time to redeem.

ANA Dreamliner cancellations at San Jose extended. Until the root cause of battery malfunctions and fires can be determined, the Dreamliner will not fly to San Jose (or anywhere.) While investigators seem to be making slow progress, ANA decided to go ahead and cancel Dreamliner flights all the way through March 30 (That’s nearly 10 weeks of no flights.) TravelSkills asked ANA why they don’t substitute another aircraft on the route, they said that they only have certification to fly the 787 on the route and that applying to use another aircraft could take weeks or months. In addition, ANA is likely having a tough time filling the holes in its schedule by the grounding of 17 of its aircraft, and for now, its easier to bus San Jose passengers up 101 to catch their flights at SFO.

New fees at Southwest. Southwest Airlines passengers who are used to not showing up for a flight and then requesting full credit for that flight for future use later are in for a surprise. Southwest says it will soon impose a no-show fee on cheaper restricted tickets if you don’t contact the airline and cancel your plans within 24 hours of flight time. Southwest’s “Early bird” check in fees have increased to $12.50 from $10. In addition, if you want to nab an open position in the first boarding group, Southwest now charges a $40 fee for that. In addition, the fee for oversized or overweight bags, or a third checked have increased from $50 to $75 each. Southwest still does not charge for the first or second checked bag…but industry scuttlebutt is that Southwest will likely join other carriers in charging bag fees starting next year.

Business class to Orange County. Did you know that AirTran flies daily a 2-class Boeing 737 (business and coach) with Gogo wi-fi between SFO and Orange County? Coach class roundtrip fares are in the $150 range, and business class is only $315. (The flight stops at SNA, then continues on to Cabo)

BAT headlines from this week:

10 things about Singapore Airlines A380 at SFO (Photos)

United maintains dominance at SFO

Virgin America CEO David Cush: Why San Jose?

Virgin America matching United, AA elite status

November 14, 2012

This just in from Virgin America— something I’ve been waiting for for a while now… will you take Virgin up on the offer? Is it enough to force you to break away from your Mileage Plus addiction? Please leave your comments below!

Here’s Virgin’s announcement:

This week, we’ve just launched a status match program where, between now and April 30, 2013, qualifying elite level flyers from United Airlines and American Airlines’ frequent flyer programs will be able to request matched status to Virgin America’s Elevate Gold and Elevate Silver Status levels without giving up their status (or any points/miles) in their current program.

Applicants will need to sign up for the Elevate program if not already a member, and can expect their Elevate status to be updated within 7 to 14 days after submitting their application. Approved members will receive their new Elevate status good through April 30, 2013, and will have an opportunity to retain their status through the end of 2013 by earning sufficient status points by flying Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia. For full details please see: www.virginamerica.com/statusmatch.

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As you may remember, this summer, Virgin America launched a suite of enhancements to its Elevate frequent flyer program this summer – including the new Elevate Gold and Elevate Silver Status levels. Matched members from United’s MileagePlus and American’s AAdvantage programs will get to enjoy almost all the benefits currently offered to Elevate Gold and Elevate Silver members during this period – such as: points earning bonuses, priority check-in, security clearance and boarding; free checked bag allowances; enhanced digital/social rewards; private discounts; an expanded advance purchase upgrade window for the airline’s exclusive eight-seat First Class; complimentary space-available upgrades to the carrier’s premium Main Cabin Select service; and complimentary access to the best seat assignments within Main Cabin.

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Sponsor:

For a limited period, San Francisco passengers will have the opportunity to experience spacious luxury onboard the world’s largest commercial aircraft, the Airbus A380 on flights to Asia. Between December 28, 2012 and March 24, 2013, Singapore Airlines will pop into town with daily “Pop-Up” A380 flights between San Francisco and Singapore via Hong Kong. Flip through this slideshow to see its famous Suites and the widest Business Class seats in the sky.

SQ1 departs SFO at 10:50 pm and arrives in Hong Kong at 5:50 am two days later. Flight time is about 13 hours to Hong Kong, and with another 3.5 hours to Singapore, you’ll have plenty of time to soak up the luxury and explore the 1000+ onboard entertainment options. SQ2 arrives daily in SFO at 7:45 pm on the same day it departs from Singapore and Hong Kong.

Major changes at Virgin America announced today

July 23, 2012

Photo of the Virgin Galactic aircraft taken from a Virgin America flight over San Francisco in 2011. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

It’s about time! This morning Virgin America finally relased details of a new elite level of its Elevate frequent flyer program to TravelSkills. It has also created a new tier of coach seats for which it will charge a $20 premium.

Here’s my analysis of the new program:

Lack of an elite level frequent flyer program, common at all other airlines, is a big reason many BATs (Bay Area Travelers) have steered clear of Virgin in favor of competitors like United or American which offer special perks to those who fly a minimum of 25,000 miles per year.

Virgin’s previous claim that “all our flyers are elite” just did not cut it with those who were showing great loyalty to our hometown airline, but were getting little in return.

The new program breaks Elevate members into three tiers: Anyone who signs up for the program can be a RED member. Members who earn 20,000 points in a full calendar year earn SILVER status. Those who earn 50,000 points in a year get GOLD status.

Benefits kick in soon, too: Qualifying existing members will automatically receive Gold or Silver status as of today, based on flight activity over the past year, enabling them to use the new benefits as soon as August 8. This applies to points earned on Virgin America, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Australia.

Virgin America’s program is different from most major carrier programs because it allows members to earn points based on dollars spent versus miles flown. It’s unique in the way it offers flight awards, too—members use their points to “buy” tickets based on their market value. This means there are no frustrating capacity controls or black out dates—if you want a ticket to New York over Christmas when fares are sky high, you are going to have to fork over a lot more points than if you choose to fly there during the dead weeks in January or February when ticket prices plummet. But at least the opportunity is there and not blacked out.

Anyway….Before we look at the new elite level benefits, let’s examine Virgin’s new third tier of seats called Main Cabin Express, which should not be confused with its Main Cabin Select seats on bulkhead and exit rows in coach. Main Cabin Express seat are located just behind the Select seats in rows five, six and nine aboard its Airbus A319 planes and rows five, six, seven and nine aboard its A320s. In addition to a premium confirmed seat, those seated in Express seats get to board early and have reserved overhead bin space.

Gold and Silver members will now have complimentary access to Main Cabin Express seats at the time of booking. All other passengers must now pay a $20 premium to reserve these seats ahead of time.

Elite members can now nab complimentary space-available upgrades to Virgin’s pricey Main Cabin Select seats (exit rows and bulkheads in coach—they come with free food and beverages). Silver members get a chance to grab one 12 hours prior to flight time; gold members get first dibs at 24 hours prior.

Elite level members willing to pay up for space-available upgrades to Virgin’s eight first class seats will now find that easier—the advance purchase upgrade window will be set a 24 hours prior to flight time for gold, 12 hours for silver and six hours for all others. (Upgrades to first class range from $39 to $299 depending on the price of your original ticket and the length of the flight.)

Elite members now get access to special, shorter elite airport security lines—a benefit sorely lacking from the Elevate program. Silver members get one free checked bag; Golds get three. Non-elites pay $25 per checked bag. Elites also get to board early and get special secret reservations assistance phone numbers.

Something unique: Elite members get a 25 percent discount off any coach class ticket once (silver) or twice (gold) per year.

Earning points will be easier for elites, too. Currently, members earn five Elevate points for every dollar spent on Virgin flights. Now, silver members will get a 25% bonus and golds will get a 100% bonus on Virgin flight purchases.

Virgin is now offering even more earning opportunities via social media applications. For example, elite members will now earn double points when “checking in” at airport terminals and gates on Foursquare, Facebook, or Instagram.

To promote all this, Virgin is giving away a free seat to outer space on Virgin Galactic to the Elevate member who earns the most points between August 8, 2012 and August 7, 2013. Note that Virgin Galactic is not yet operational, nor has it announced a start date for its proposed flights to outer space.

More program details here.

Bottom line: These enhancements are great news for those who have been loyal to Virgin America and felt like that love was not being reciprocated. Access to elite security lines and free upgrades to Main Cabin Select seats are among my favorite new bennies.

So, what do YOU think of Virgin’s new elite program? Is this enough to make you more loyal? Please leave your comments below.

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