TravelSkills

News and Tips For Your Trips

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

Chicago O'Hare airport

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

Tail camera Airbus A350 Cathay Pacific

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

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?

Qantas Airbus A380 LAX Hangar

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

Thanksgiving travel volume will hit highest level in 12 years

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

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are more photos of Emirates new cabin designs:

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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

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 41st 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.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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More airlines dropped from laptop ban, effective immediately

Emirates passengers can once again use laptops inflight. (Image: Emirates)

Six Middle Eastern airlines said they are no longer subject to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s laptop ban, which originally covered non-stop flights to the U.S. from 10 airports in the Middle East and North Africa.

Just this week Royal Jordanian and Kuwait Airways announced they were out from under the ban. Late last week, Etihad said it had met DHS’s stringent new security inspection standards so that passengers on its flights from Abu Dhabi to the U.S. would no longer have to put their laptops and tablets into their checked baggage, or check them at the gate. Also Emirates, Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways say their U.S. flights are no longer subject to the ban, effective immediately.

 

Turkish Airlines has also had the U.S. laptop ban lifted. (Image: Boeing

Large Middle Eastern carriers had responded to the ban by offering “loaner” laptops to their business and first class customers, and by allowing passengers to gate-check their electronic devices on U.S.-bound flights. Turkish Airlines said that during the 102 days when it was subject to the ban, it collected almost 82,000 devices from passengers; three-fourths of those were laptops and tablets.

Last week, DHS officials said that the U.S.  could extend its laptop ban to flights from any of 280 airports worldwide unless airlines met strict new security standards that include more sophisticated explosive trace detection scanning for passengers’ carry-ons, greater use of bomb-sniffing dogs, and more intensive screening of airport workers and even passengers themselves.

But the agency also said airlines and airports currently facing the laptop ban could have it lifted if they met the new standards – which some of them are now doing.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Another Mideast carrier cuts U.S. service

Etihad 777-200

Etihad will end its 777 flights from San Francisco to Abu Dhabi. (Photo: Peter Biaggi / SFO)

Could this be the latest impact of the U.S. “laptop ban” on non-stop flights from the Middle East? Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways said it will eliminate service to San Francisco effective October 29.

Etihad didn’t mention the laptop ban in its announcement, instead blaming the decision on lower-than-expected passenger levels and fares on the route. Earlier this year, Etihad had reduced frequencies on the SFO-Abu Dhabi route from daily to three flights a week.

Etihad’s presence at SFO got off to an inauspicious start. When it arrived in San Francisco in November of 2014, it used an older 777 borrowed from India’s Jet Airways, in which Etihad has partial ownership- this led to the nickname “Jetihad.” Back then we posted a TravelSkills Trip Report about a Jetihad flight which confirmed what many travelers feared- service that was not quite up to Etihad standards.

Eventually, it put one of its own 777s on the route.

Etihad said it will refund or rebook passengers booked on SFO flights after October 29, and that it will continue service on its other U.S. routes.

Emirates has cut back frequencies on several U.S. routes. (Image: Emirates)

Two  months ago, Emirates said it planned to reduce its U.S. service this spring by 25 flights a week on routes from Dubai to Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle, Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale – although it did not eliminate any of those routes.

Emirates placed the blame on declining passenger demand, which it attributed to the laptop ban and on the Trump Administration’s efforts to ban travel from select Muslim-majority countries.

Every reduction in U.S. service by the Big Three Middle Eastern airlines (Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways) is expected to benefit Air India, since a considerable amount of U.S.-India traffic flows through the Gulf States on those carriers.

Air India’s first flight from New Delhi arrived at SFO in December 2015. (Image: Peter Biaggi)

Next month, Air India will launch new service between Delhi and Washington Dulles, and recent reports indicate it plans to start flying from Delhi to Los Angeles in September and possibly to Dallas/Ft. Worth later this year. The Indian carrier was reportedly encouraged to expand its U.S. presence by the success of its San Francisco-Delhi route.

Meanwhile, Qatar Airways – which has maintained an aggressive growth strategy for the U.S. – said in April that it is planning to add Doha-San Francisco service in 2018. It already flies to 14 U.S. cities. Qatar officials said the airline’s load factor on U.S. routes fell by only half a point since the laptop ban was imposed.

However, Qatar Airways announced those plans before encountering a crisis this month when several of its regional neighbors – including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates – broke off diplomatic relations with Qatar, banning its airline from flying into their airports or through their airspace.

Thoughts, please! Have you flown Etihad or Jetihad? What did you think? 

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Routes: United, JetBlue, AA, Emirates, Air China, El Al, LOT Polish

United will add service to Buenos Aires from Newark. (Image: Buenos Aires Tourism)

In international route news, United is adding a South American route from Newark; JetBlue expands Mexico City service and strengthens ties with Icelandair; American will sell premium economy seats from Chicago to Paris; Emirates trims its JFK schedule; Air China changes its mind about a new LAX route; El Al comes to Florida; and LOT adds Newark service.

United Airlines said it will begin new year-round daily service on October 28 between its Newark hub and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The route will use a 767-300 with business class, Economy Plus and regular economy seating. And both northbound and southbound flights will be red-eyes, with a 9:50 p.m. EWR departure and a 9 p.m. Buenos Aires departure time. United also said it will increase service between Newark and Bogota, Colombia from one flight a day to two for the summer season, June 8-August 14.

JetBlue will increase capacity between Florida and Mexico City  effective September 6, boosting its schedules from one flight a day to two from both Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando, offering early morning and midday southbound departures on both routes.  Meanwhile, JetBlue has also enhanced its partnership with Icelandair to include frequent flyer reciprocity. Members of JetBlue’s TrueBlue program can now earn points on Icelandair flights, and vice-versa for Icelandair Saga Club members flying on JetBlue.

American’s new premium economy seating is on 787-9s in select markets. (Image: American Airlines).

American Airlines is reportedly planning to put a 787-9 equipped with its new premium economy cabin into service this summer between Chicago O’Hare and Paris. It’s currently offered only on a few routes out of Dallas/Ft. Worth. But the ORD-Paris debut of the new cabin is only for a short period: July 5 to August 5. American normally uses a 787-8 on the route.

A few weeks ago, Emirates said it was cutting frequencies on its routes from Dubai to five U.S. destinations (Ft. Lauderdale, Orlando, Seattle, Los Angeles and Boston), partly because the U.S. ban on in-flight electronic devices aboard inbound flights was taking a big toll on bookings. And now it is adding New York JFK to that list. According to Routesonline.com, Emirates will trim its Dubai-JFK non-stop schedule from three flights a day to two effective June 4 through at least the end of June.  The carrier also offers one-stop JFK-Dubai service via Milan.

Air China apparently never started taking reservations on the new Los Angeles-Shenzen service that it planned to start flying July 6, and it’s a good thing – because the carrier has now pulled the route from its schedule, Routesonline.com said. Air China had planned to operate the service three times a week with a 787-9.

El Al will start Tel Aviv service from Miami this fall. (Image: Israel Ministry of Tourism)

Miami will go back onto El Al’s route map in November, when it plans to start flying MIA-Tel Aviv three times a week. The Israeli carrier discontinued Miami service in 2008. Its other U.S. gateways include Boston, New York JFK, Newark and Los Angeles.

The newest U.S. route for LOT Polish Airlines is Newark-Warsaw, which it recently started flying four times a week with a two-class 767-300. It will upgrade the route to a three-class 787 in August, and boost frequencies to five a week.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Most popular: Onboard fight + United’s future + Emirates cuts + Hidden fare increase + Shirley

United B777-300ER

United’s brand new Boeing 777-300ER arrives at SFO for the first time (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 3 ways United plans to win back business travelers

2 Third “real” United Polaris flight revealed

3 Emirates cuts flights to US

4 Charting progress of big LAX move starting now

5 A hidden fare increase for business travelers

6 The problem with low fare flying

Norwegian Air Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Norwegian Air made a mark on Bay Area travel with ultra low fares, and lots of fees, for trips to Europe (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

7 What in the world is Thomas Cook Airlines? 

8 Uber could make tipping easier – but would you? POLL

9 United’s Polaris business class rollout hits turbulence

10 New hotels: Stunning London luxury, Hip option in LA, Design-forward in NYC + 3 more!

Don’t miss! Another onboard altercation fires up social media

Something you may not know about Chris! Don’t miss TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis’s memoir “Life with Shirley” in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution about growing up in the 1970s in Atlanta. He was inspired to write it while on a business trip to Washington, DC last fall. Please bring your kleenexes and take a read and let Chris know what you think! chris@travelskills.com

San Francisco bound and need some great advice? Then check this out! 

A perfect app for a SF local or a visitor (Image: Lee Foster)

Can the travel destination app, which once flourished, make a comeback? Friend of TravelSkills Lee Foster thinks so. Lee has just released his new and improved travel content app on San Francisco, titled “SF Travel & Photo Guide.” The app is available for $3.99 through Apple and Google and has been announced on Lee’s website. Lee has also answered some questions about the app on his website. For further info on the app, contact Lee at lee@fostertravel.com.

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

United controls almost three-fourths of the takeoff/landing slots at Newark Liberty International Airport. (Image: new York/New Jersey Port Authority)

United Airlines President: Moving to Newark Liberty from New York’s JFK ‘Was the Wrong Decision’ 

How San Diego went from little airport to global stop

Crowded Austin-Bergstrom gets shiny new terminal

FCC Set to Ban Inflight Calls for Good

Phase 2 of Tampa’s billion dollar airport upgrade

Tampa International Airport

A gates at Tampa International are big bright and airy- but be aware of construction in main terminal (Chris McGinnis)

Delta now has 100 jets with speedy satellite based wi-fi

San Francisco official: Ban cops from hauling passengers off planes at SFO

Low-cost carrier Norwegian plans to start flying London-Singapore

Atlanta retains title as world’s busiest airport

No more lost planes; Malaysia Airlines will use satellites to track fleet

Canada’s WestJet plans to start a new low-cost airline

United promises detailed response April 30 to bumping incident

OAG debuts new on-time performance ratings for airlines, airports

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Emirates cuts flights to US

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis having fun with Emirates flight attendants during the A380 tour at SFO

Today Dubai-based Emirates Airline announced that it would cut frequencies to five US cities in the wake of tanking demand due to the laptop ban and Trump’s attempts to ban travelers from certain Muslim countries.

It’s important to note that Emirates is only cutting back on service– but not eliminating it on flights between Dubai and Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle, Orlando and Ft Lauderdale. The cutbacks (25 flights total) go into effect in May and June. So you can still “get there from here” but it won’t be as convenient.

Emirates’s service to other US cities will (so far) not be affected. It also flies to Chicago, Dallas, Houston, New York, San Francisco and Washington, DC. Late last year Emirates closed most of its US sales and marketing offices, laying off workers.

A sea of business class seats on the Emirates A380 upper deck– 76 of them, all true lie-flat (Photo: Chris McGinnis(

U.S. Carriers have been flighting against the incursion of the big three Middle East carriers (ME3) for years, so this could be a sign that those efforts, along with recent actions by Trump, are succeeding.  The two other ME3 carriers are Etihad and Qatar Airways.

Etihad has already been scaling back in the US— for example, its B777 nonstops between SFO and Abu Dhabi are down to just 2-3 times per week. It also announced layoffs and other cutbacks back in December.

Since much of the ME3 carriers business is involved in transporting people to and from India, carriers that fly there are likely beneficiaries. For example, Air India is likely killing it on the SFO-Delhi route. Lufthansa is no doubt lapping up the biz on its many connecting flights from the US which continue on to  India. From the west coast, Asian carriers such as Cathay Pacific are likely getting travelers to India via its hub in Hong Kong.

Check out what Delta posted today on its website about this as part of its Partnership for Open & Fair Skies.

Don’t miss! The opulent party Emirates threw in SF to welcome its A380

Emirates laid out its plans in a statement to Business Insider: “Emirates can confirm that we will be reducing flights to five of the 12 US cities we currently serve. From 1 May and 23 May respectively, our Fort Lauderdale and Orlando operations will move from daily services to five a week. From 1 and 2 June respectively, our Seattle and Boston operations will move from twice-daily services, to a daily service. From 1 July, our operations to Los Angeles will move from twice-daily to a daily service.”

How do you feel about this? Are you a frequent flier on Emirates or other gulf carriers? 

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Working around the laptop ban

Qatar Airways is offering loaner laptops to premium passengers. (Image: Qatar Airways)

If you can’t bring your own laptop or tablet into the cabin for a very long flight, would you accept a loaner?

That’s the strategy some carriers are adopting in the wake of the so-called “laptop ban” imposed by the U.S. and U.K. governments on non-stop flights from several airports in the Middle East and Africa. The ban bars passengers from carrying any electronic device larger than a smartphone into the passenger cabin.

First, Abu Dhabi-based Etihad decided to offer loaner iPads and free Wi-Fi starting April 2 for first class and business class passengers on flights to its six U.S. gateways.

Qatar Airways then went a step further, buying up a supply of loaner laptops that will be made available on the aircraft to U.S.-bound business class passengers starting next week. “Customers will be able to download their work on to a USB before stepping on board to pick up where they left off,” the airline said. Qatar is also offering all passengers one hour of free in-flight Wi-Fi on U.S.-bound flights, or a special rate of $5 for a connection for the full duration of the flight.

Emirates’ president said that his carrier is also considering the use of loaner laptops for premium passengers.

Turkish Airlines and others will let customers check devices at the gate. (Photo: San Francisco International Airport)

Both Qatar and Emirates are letting U.S.-bound passengers keep using their tablets and laptops right up to boarding, so they don’t have to pack them in their checked luggage. Devices will be collected at the gate, flown in the hold, and returned at the destination. Turkish Airlines has also adopted procedures for checking electronic devices at the gate.

The affected airlines are not alone in worrying about the impact that the ban could have on their business. The International Air Transport Association – the leading trade organization for the world’s airlines – called on governments “to urgently find alternatives” to the device ban. The group said the ban seemed misguided and poorly conceived.

“The current measures are not an acceptable long-term solution to whatever threat they are trying to mitigate. Even in the short term it is difficult to understand their effectiveness. And the commercial distortions they create are severe,” said IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac.

“With the measures now in place, our passengers and member airlines are asking valid questions. Why don’t the US and the UK have a common list of airports? How can laptops be secure in the cabin on some flights and not others, including flights departing from the same airport? And surely there must be a way to screen electronic equipment effectively? The current situation is not acceptable and will not maintain the all-important confidence of the industry or of travelers. We must find a better way. And Governments must act quickly,” said de Juniac.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Routes: Seattle and SFO; Delta, WOW, AA, Emirates, United, BA + more

Sir Richard Branson frolics at Seattle-Tacoma as Virgin Atlantic starts service there. (Image: Virgin Atlantic)

In international route news, Virgin Atlantic starts a pair of west coast routes; Delta resumes a transatlantic route and adds a South American one; Iceland’s WOW brings its low-fare service to the Midwest; American puts a new cabin class on sale; Emirates scales back at LAX but British Airways grows there; United starts two seasonal routes to Rome; Finnair drops a U.S. gateway; and Copa doubles down at O’Hare.

Virgin Atlantic Airways this week kicked off its new service to Seattle, using a 787-9 for its daily flights to London Heathrow. Virgin’s operations in the U.S. are closely coordinated with joint venture partner Delta, and Virgin’s new Seattle service replaces Delta’s daily flight to London. Delta was using a 767, so Virgin’s 787-9 increases capacity on the route by 50 seats a day. Also this week, Virgin Atlantic introduced new seasonal service from San Francisco International to Manchester, using an A330-300. That route operates three days a week (Tuesday, Friday and Sunday). It’s the only SFO-Manchester non-stop service, but it won’t be for long: On May 14, U.K. leisure carrier Thomas Cook Airlines will begin two flights a week with an A330-200. All this is in addition to British Airways four daily nonstops from the Bay Area to London!

Delta will fly to the beaches of Rio from JFK starting in December (Image: VisitBrazil.com)

Delta will expand its South America reach later this year with new daily service between New York JFK and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, slated to launch December 21. Using a 210-passenger 767-300 with Delta One flatbed seats, Delta will offer onward connections at Rio to 23 Brazilian destinations thanks to its Brazilian partner GOL. Meanwhile, Delta this week resumed service on the Atlanta-Brussels route, flying five times a week (increasing to daily during summer) with a 767-400. Delta had suspended the route a year ago after the Brussels terror attacks, although it maintained daily flights to Brussels from JFK.

On July 13, Icelandic low-cost carrier WOW will add another U.S. gateway, starting service four days a week to Reykjavik from Chicago O’Hare. The carrier said it is offering one-way base fares starting as low as $99 (plus extras) from ORD to Iceland, or $149 for connections to major European capitals. The flights will operate Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays using an A321-300 with 30-inch seat pitch (or 34 inches for an additional fee).

American’s new premium economy seating is on 787-9s in select markets. (Image: American Airlines).

American Airlines’ new international premium economy seats, currently available on a few routes out of Dallas/Ft. Worth, have been used for upgrades during their rollout. But now the airline is putting the new cabin category on sale for travel beginning May 4. AA’s premium economy class is on its new 787-9s from DFW to Paris, Madrid, Sao Paulo and Seoul. Seats are 19 inches wide with 38 inches of pitch (vs. 33-34 inches in Main Cabin Extra) in a 2-3-2 layout.

Is that U.S. laptop ban starting to hurt business for the big Middle Eastern carriers? Routesonline.com reports that Emirates is “temporarily adjusting” its schedule between Los Angeles and Dubai, cutting service from two flights a day to one from May 1 through June 30.

But Routesonline.com says that British Airways is planning an increased schedule from LAX to London Heathrow, bringing on a third daily flight effective October 29. The additional frequency will use a 787-9. On the same date, BA will boost its New Orleans-LHR schedule from four flights a week to five. Meanwhile, BA this week introduced its biggest bird – the 469-passenger A380-800 – into the aircraft mix on its Boston-London route, where the giant jet operates Mondays and Fridays.

United’s seasonal international schedule adjustments start to kick in next week. On April 4, the carrier will begin seasonal service from Newark to Rome and from Washington Dulles to Rome, both using 767s. The Newark flights continue through November 8, while the Dulles schedule is in place through October 27. Also on April 4, United will lay on extra frequencies from Newark to Paris, Dublin and London.

Trying to get from Miami to Helsinki this summer? Forget Finnair, which is suspending service on that route from May 1 through September 30, according to Routesonline.com. The Finnish carrier is also cutting back Chicago-Helsinki frequencies from five flights a week to three.

Panama’s Copa Airlines is doubling its service from Chicago O’Hare to Panama City effective June 1, when it will supplement its existing daily morning departure with a midafternoon flight out of ORD. Copa has onward service from its Panama City hub to 50 destinations in Latin America.

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LOL: The lighter side the electronics ban

A nice meal and my laptop in business class (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The electronics ban imposed this week is serious business and bound to have a painful impact on inflight productivity as well as airline profits. But you can always count on social media to find humor in the serious.

Below are some clever examples of how airlines and travelers trying to put a smile on this grimacing situation.

First off, we have Royal Jordanian’s list of things to do when you don’t have a tablet or laptop. Clever! But I’d add: Book a window seat to ponder clouds and the geography below!

Here’s one way a traveler can pass time… sketching about his or her experience

Does anyone know if typewriters will be allowed in flight? At least it will give us something to do. But imagine the noise factor.


LG has found a way to use the ban to sell its products:


Turkish Airways video focuses on its elaborate meal service and robust inflight entertainment as a diversion from the boredom of a long flight without a laptop.

That Etch-a-Sketch looks too much like a fat tablet to pass muster… would probably have to pack that, too.


Chicago reporter Miriam Sobh explores 5 ways the electronics ban is a good thing, starting out with fewer kids onboard flights and ending with cheaper flights:

Emirates has quickly responded to the ban with a new service that allows travelers to work on laptops up until boarding time, then packs them up and stows them at the gate. Smart move!

Emirates was the first out with a clever response– it repurposed an old Jennifer Aniston ad asking “Who needs laptops anyway?” Makes me wonder if Aniston had a clause in her contract for the repurposing of the original ad… probably not!

Clever use of cartooning. Looks like me trying to write and post a Trip Report before I jump onboard.


It’s probably unintentional, but Kuwait Airways’ new ad campaign focuses on packing your bags for summer trips. They can tweak it to add “pack your electronics,” too!


This Etihad tweet is a double entendre:

Have you found any good examples? Or have one of your own? Please share them below. Also go search social media using the #electronicsban hashtag.

 

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Electronics ban spreads: Advice & alternative explanations

Working on your laptop inflight now impossible on some airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Today the Department of Homeland Security announced that passengers traveling on nonstop flights to the U.S. from 10 airports in the Middle East and Africa will not be allowed to carry on electronic devices larger than mobile phones. Instead, these larger devices must now be transported as checked luggage.

This morning, the UK imposed a similar ban on nonstop flights from six cities in the Middle East and Africa. The UK ban differs in that it DOES include non Middle East carriers (including British Airways) but it does not affect flights from Dubai, Doha or Abu Dhabi. Canada is also considering a similar ban.

This directive hits business travelers directly in the gut. Why? Because we typically spend most of our time on long flights working on our laptops, or watching movies on our tablets. We don’t check bags. And we don’t trust the airlines to transport our valuable equipment safely and securely in checked luggage (and airlines specifically state that they will not cover electronics in checked baggage).

The good news, if there is any, is that this directive affects a very small number of flights. DHS emphasizes that only 10 airports out of 250 worldwide with nonstop flights to the US are affected.

For example, at San Francisco International, it hits less than three flights per day: a daily nonstop from Dubai on Emirates Airline and the daily nonstop from Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. It also affects a twice-per-week nonstop from Abu Dhabi to SFO on Etihad.  In Atlanta, it affects two flights: the daily nonstop from Doha on Qatar Airways and another from Istanbul on Turkish Airlines.

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

The affected overseas airports are:

  • Amman-Queen Alia International Airport (AMM)
  • Cairo International Airport (CAI)
  • Istanbul- Ataturk International Airport (IST)
  • Jeddah- King Abdul-Aziz International Airport (JED)
  • Riyadh- King Khalid International Airport (RUH)
  • Kuwait International Airport (KWI),
  • Casablanca- Mohammed V Airport (CMN)
  • Doha- Hamad International Airport (DOH)
  • Dubai International Airport (DXB)
  • Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH)

Airlines affected by the ban:

  • Egypt Air
  • Emirates
  • Etihad Airways
  • Kuwait Airways
  • Qatar Airways
  • Royal Air Maroc
  • Royal Jordanian Airlines
  • Saudi Arabian Airlines
  • Turkish Airlines

Why is this happening…and why now? Well, the DHS says that it made the move to improve security based on intelligence that terrorists were focused on commercial aviation targets. But we’ve known about this threat since the 1990s. An interesting story in the Washington Post posits that the move is not about security at all– it’s about retaliation against the big three Middle East Carriers (known as 3ME).

Source: The Washington Post

What’s most poignant here is how the ban will affect the 3ME, Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways. These are the only carriers offering nonstop flights to the U.S. from Doha, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. While these airlines wow us with stellar onboard service on new aircraft, business travelers are going to book away from them when faced with this ban. Instead, they’ll book one-stop flights on European carriers for the flight back to the U.S. (At least that’s what I would do…what about you? Comments below, please!)

Helpful: Q&A with DHS about the ban

How long will this last? DHS says that the ban is in place indefinitely, although Emirates said it could last until October. The ban impacts all travelers on all affected flights regardless of citizenship or trusted traveler status. It even affects flights from Abu Dhabi, where passengers pass through customs at the airport in a DHS-run pre-clearance facility. The ban was announced on Tuesday, March 21, and airlines have until Friday to comply.

TIP: BACK UP YOUR LAPTOP NOW! Especially if overseas travel is in your future. You never know when or if this ban could spread and you could be separated from your device. Also, with a new focus on laptops, it would be smart to be sure it’s always charged in case you are asked to turn it on by security staff.

How do you feel about this? Does it affect you at all? Would you be more likely to book away from one of the affected carriers? Please leave your comments below!

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

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

In international route developments, Norwegian adds more flights from the east coast to Europe; WOW Air increases frequencies to the west coast; Emirates kicks off controversial new U.S. route; United expands code-sharing with Asiana; Air China adds a Los Angeles route; Southwest begins a new international service from Denver; and Avianca increases its U.S. schedule.

Norwegian Air hasn’t even started its new 737 MAX low-fare service from the U.S. east coast yet and already it is adding more routes. In addition to those already scheduled to Ireland and Scotland (with fares starting at $65 one way), Norwegian also plans to add twice-weekly flights to Bergen, Norway, from both Providence., R.I. and from Stewart Airport in Newburgh, N.Y.  The airline has also filed its winter schedules for Paris Charles de Gaulle, where it will switch from 787-8s to 787-9s starting October 29. Norwegian’s Paris schedule calls for six flights a week from New York JFK (down from daily in the summer), four a week from Los Angeles, two from Ft. Lauderdale and one from Orlando.

Also increasing its U.S. service is low-fare rival WOW Air, which offers connecting flights to Europe through its Reykjavik hub. WOW told Air Transport World that its service to Reykjavik from San Francisco and Los Angeles will be increased to daily frequencies with its summer 2017 schedule. The carrier has been running five flights a week from San Francisco and four from LAX. WOW is installing premium seating in its A330-300s, which it uses for the west coast routes.

Emirates is using a 777-300ER on its new Dubai-Athens-Newark route. (Image: Emirates)

Emirates this week launched its promised new service from Newark to Athens, continuing to Dubai, and was greeted at Newark Airport with a protest staged by 200 United Airlines employees. United, Delta and American are adamantly opposed to U.S. route expansion by the Middle East Big Three airlines – Emirates, Etihad and Qatar – and are conducting an intensive lobbying effort with the Trump Administration to block new service for those carriers. The U.S. airlines allege that their Mideast rivals are subsidized by their governments, thus challenging Trump’s pledge to put American companies first in the face of foreign competition.

United Airlines will expand its code-sharing agreement with Star Alliance partner Asiana Airlines on March 17, when United’s code will go onto Asiana’s daily Chicago O’Hare-Seoul Incheon flights.  At the same time, Asiana will put its code onto 16 domestic United routes out of ORD.

Air China will use a 787 on new LAX-Shenzen service. (Image: Air China)

Got business in Shenzen, China? Air China has filed a schedule for new service to Shenzen from Los Angeles International, due to begin July 6. Air China – a Star Alliance member — will fly the route three days a week, using a 787-9 Dreamliner.  Speaking of Shenzen, China’s Xiamen Airlines has trimmed back its Seattle-Shenzen-Xiamen 787-8 service from three flights a week to two, a seasonal reduction continuing through May 22.

Two minor players in the foundering US-Cuba market, Silver Airways and Frontier,  have announced they are pulling out completely later this spring. Other carriers have cut back on flights as the market finds its legs…and waits to see what the Trump administration has in store.

Southwest Airlines has started its newest international route: The carrier has started flying from Denver International to Belize City, Belize. It’s currently operating as Saturday-only service, but Southwest will boost it to Saturday and Sunday flights for the summer, June 4 to August 14.

Avianca’s Los Angeles-Bogota route, which has been operating four times a week, will increase to daily frequency starting March 26. The carrier uses a two-class 787 on the route. Meanwhile, the Colombian carrier also plans a new U.S. route. It will begin Bogota-Boston service on June 2, operating four flights a week with an A319.

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Emirates says Delta tantrum led to a six-hour flight delay

An Emirates 777 was delayed for six hours at Seattle during a search for a spare part. (Image: Emirates)

An Emirates 777 was delayed for six hours at Seattle during a search for a spare part. (Image: Emirates)

How much does Delta hate the Big Three Middle Eastern airlines? Apparently quite a bit, based on a new allegation from Emirates.

Last spring, Delta was so upset about Qatar Airways holding a special event in Atlanta’s historic Fox Theater that Delta canceled its sponsorship of the venue.  And now Emirates is charging that an apparent snit by Delta officials caused a six-hour delay in an Emirates departure from Seattle to Dubai this week.

According to Bloomberg News, an Emirates 777 at Seattle had a mechanical problem that required the replacement of a minor part in its hydraulic system. Since Emirates has no significant maintenance presence at SEA, it looked to other airlines there for a replacement part and found one at Delta. This is said to be common practice among airlines regardless of their competitive relationships.

Bloomberg said Delta’s local engineering office provided the $300 part, and it was installed on the Emirates 777 – but Emirates said that a Delta official at Atlanta headquarters called and ordered Seattle employees to take back the part. A Delta spokesman told Bloomberg that the part in question was the only one of that type Delta had at Seattle, so it had to keep the part in case it needed it.

Emirates then had to scramble around to find the spare part somewhere else, and eventually located one Alaska Airlines, which is a code-sharing partner of the Dubai-based carrier. The result of the situation was a departure delay of almost six and a half hours for the Emirates flight.

Atlanta's Fox Theater lost Delta's sponsorship after Qatar Airways held a party there last year. (Image: Fox Theater)

Atlanta’s Fox Theater lost Delta’s sponsorship after Qatar Airways held a party there last year. (Image: Fox Theater)

Delta, American and United have been trying for many months to get the U.S. government to clamp down on Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways by restricting their access to U.S. markets. The U.S. carriers allege that their Middle Eastern rivals are unfairly subsidized by their governments.

The CEOs of United and Delta, along with other carrier chiefs, met with President Donald Trump this week (American’s CEO had a scheduling conflict) and raised the issue of unfair competition from the Gulf States airlines. But according to news coverage of the meeting, Trump reportedly declined to do anything to block the Middle Eastern airlines, citing their large purchases of U.S.-made aircraft and engines, as well as other investments in the U.S. by their governments.

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TSA adds more airlines to PreCheck program

TSA PreCheck is now available for travelers on 30 airlines. (Image: TSA)

TSA PreCheck is now available for travelers on 30 airlines. (Image: TSA)

The Transportation Security Administration said it has increased the number of airlines participating in its PreCheck program by 50 percent, including some major foreign carriers.

The agency announced that PreCheck members traveling on 11 more airlines can now gain access to the expedited screening lanes, giving the program a total of 30 airline participants.

The new carriers in PreCheck are both large and small, foreign and domestic. They include: Aruba Airlines, Avianca, Boutique Airlines, Emirates, Key Lime Air, Miami Air International, Southern Airways Express, Spirit Airlines, Sunwing, Virgin Atlantic, and Xtra Airways.

 While the expansion is good news for PreCheck members traveling on those airlines, it could mean longer lines at PreCheck lanes.

 “Partnering with 11 additional airlines to offer TSA PreCheck will significantly increase our trusted traveler population, and reflects our commitment to implement the most effective aviation security,” said TSA Acting Administrator Huban Gowadia.

Membership in PreCheck costs $85 for five years. PreCheck expedited screening is also open to members of Customs and Border Protection’s trusted traveler programs like Global Entry. PreCheck screening is now offered at some 180 U.S. airports, TSA said.

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Routes: Emirates nonstop NYC to Athens, JAL, Southwest, Delta, Iberia, Qatar

Emirates will begin the only year-round non-stops between the U.S. and Athens. (Image: Jim Glab)

Emirates will begin the only year-round non-stops between the U.S. and Athens. (Image: Jim Glab)

In international route news, Emirates will introduce a new option between the U.S. and Europe; Japan Airlines adds a Haneda flight from New York; Southwest will serve an international market from San Diego; Delta drops a Taiwan route but adds new code-shares to Southeast Asia; Iberia starts selling a new premium economy class; and Qatar Airways sets a date for new Las Vegas flights.

Dubai-based Emirates is moving into a new U.S.-Europe market on March 12, when it plans to begin year-round daily service between Newark Liberty International and Athens; the flight continues to Dubai. The airline already flies between New York JFK and Dubai four times a day. Plus it flies nonstop between JFK and Milan. Emirates noted that there has been no year-round, non-stop service between the U.S. and Greece since 2012 (US carriers offer summer seasonal service only). Emirates fares for March-April flights start at $600 roundtrip. The carrier will serve the route with a 777-300ER that offers first class, business class and economy seating. Predictably, Delta, United and American said the announcement shows that Emirates is “flagrantly violating” the Open Skies agreement between the United Arab Emirates and the U.S., and said they will call on President Trump to block Emirates from the route. Will he? This should be interesting…

Japan Airlines will begin service between New York JFK and Tokyo's close-in Haneda Airport. (Image: Haneda Airport)

Japan Airlines will begin service between New York JFK and Tokyo’s close-in Haneda Airport. (Image: Haneda Airport)

Japan Airlines, which already flies twice a day between Tokyo Narita and New York JFK, said it will add a new daily non-stop between JFK and Tokyo’s close-in Haneda Airport beginning April 1. The company said the new service will give customers more connecting options to domestic flights in Japan via Haneda. The new route will use a coveted daytime international departure slot at Haneda. JAL also said it will change aircraft on its evening departure from Narita to JFK, switching from a 787-8 to a larger, four-class 777-300ER.

Southwest Airlines said it will begin its first international service from San Diego on April 25, when it launches new service to San Jose del Cabo/Los Cabos. Through January 26, Southwest is offering introductory fares on the new route starting at $104 one-way. Flights from Oakland to Cabo and Puerto Vallarta begin in February.

Delta’s route from Seattle to Tokyo Narita to Taiwan will be shortened after May 24 when the carrier reportedly plans to drop the Narita-Taiwan segment. Meanwhile, Routesonline.com reports that Delta will soon – perhaps as soon as this week – start to put its DL code onto partner KLM’s fights from Amsterdam to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Iberia's new Premium Economy seating. (Image: Iberia)

Iberia’s new Premium Economy seating. (Image: Iberia)

Iberia, a subsidiary of British Airways’ International Airlines Group and a member of the BA-American Airlines joint venture, announced the opening of reservations for its new long-haul Premium Economy seating class. The company said the new section is going into 21 of its aircraft, including eight A330-300s and 13 A340-600s; it will also be in A350-900s to be delivered after 2018. Premium Economy will be available for travel starting in May 2017 on Iberia’s routes to Madrid from New York and Chicago, starting in August for Miami-Madrid flights, and beginning in September for Boston-Madrid service. For bookings made before January 31, roundtrip fares start at $1,299. The new seating has increased recline, 37-inch pitch, greater seat width (19 inches) than regular economy, adjustable head and foot rests, 12-inch HD video screens (vs. 9 inches in economy), international Wi-Fi, a free drink, upgraded meal service, amenities kit, and allowance for two checked bags.

Qatar Airways has set January 8, 2018 as the launch date for its planned new service between Las Vegas and Doha, Qatar. Earlier, the airline has said it would start flying to Las Vegas in 2017, although it didn’t give a specific date. Qatar Airways plans to fly the Las Vegas route four times a week, using a 777-200LR. Las Vegas will the airline’s 11th U.S. gateway.

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Routes: Airberlin to SFO, LAX; Emirates, Lufthansa, Etihad, Southwest

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

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

In international route news, Airberlin plans a big increase in U.S. service for 2017, including new flights from Berlin to San Francisco and Los Angeles; Emirates adds another U.S. gateway starting in December; Lufthansa will add more capacity out of Denver; Etihad will more than double frequencies out of Dallas/Ft. Worth; and Southwest sets the starting date for its new Havana service.

Airberlin, which started new routes this year from Dusseldorf to San Francisco and Boston, will increase frequencies in those markets for 2017 and will also add more new U.S. routes including San Francisco-Berlin, Los Angeles-Berlin and Orlando-Dusseldorf. The company said its current U.S. operation will have up to 50 percent more flights when its 2017 summer schedule kicks in during May.

Among the changes: San Francisco-Dusseldorf service will increase from the current five weekly flights to daily service, and so will the current four flights a week between Boston and Dusseldorf. New service to Berlin’s Tegel Airport will include four weekly flights from SFO and three a week from Los Angeles. The new Florida route will bring five flights a week between Orlando and Dusseldorf; the carrier already flies to Miami and Ft. Myers. Airberlin said it is getting three more A330-200s to handle its increased U.S. schedules.

Emirates will use a 777 on its new Ft. Lauderdale route. (Image: Emirates)

Emirates will use a 777 on its new Ft. Lauderdale route. (Image: Emirates)

Emirates has announced a December 15 start for service to its 11th U.S. destination. The carrier will begin daily flights from Ft. Lauderdale to its Dubai base using a three-class 777-200LR. Emirates already flies to Orlando, a route it launched last year. The new Ft. Lauderdale service will benefit from Emirates’ code-share partnership with JetBlue, which has a hub at that Florida airport.

Lufthansa sees room for growth on its Denver-Munich route, which began earlier this year, so the carrier said it will boost frequencies on March 26 from the current five flights a week to daily departures, using a 255-seat A330-300. “Preliminary data show that for the first summer of service, the number of people traveling between Denver and Munich has increased by nearly 50 percent,” a Denver Airport spokesperson said, adding that the top connecting markets for Denver-Munich passengers include Budapest, Prague, Krakow and Kiev. Lufthansa also flies from Denver to Frankfurt.

Etihad will boost frequencies out of Dallas/Ft. Worth (Photo: Etihad)

Etihad will boost frequencies out of Dallas/Ft. Worth (Photo: Etihad)

Finding more traffic than it initially expected on its almost two-year-old route between Dallas/Ft. Worth and Abu Dhabi, Etihad Airways plans to boost service from the current three flights a week to seven effective February 2. The carrier will continue to use a 777-200LR on the route. Etihad offers connections to 100 destinations from its Abu Dhabi hub, and also offers American travelers pre-screening by U.S. Customs and Border protection at that airport.

Southwest is the latest U.S. carrier to announce a starting date for its new rights to serve Havana, Cuba. The company said that on December 12, subject to Cuban government approval, it will begin flying to Havana from both Ft. Lauderdale and Tampa. (Southwest also set a November 13 inaugural date for flights from Ft. Lauderdale to the Cuban beach resort of Varadero.) The carrier is offering introductory Havana fares starting at $59 each way for purchase through November 20. Southwest set up a web page at www.Southwest.com/Cuba with details of the requirements for travel to Cuba and its flight schedules.

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A new Jennifer Aniston ad from Emirates

Jennifer Aniston Emirates

A new Emirates ad with Jennnifer Aniston debuts this week (Image: Emirates / YouTube)

Today Emirates rolled out a brand new Jennifer Anniston ad– this time, it does not include a shower. Instead, it focuses on a kid.

It’s a cute commercial, but there is a lot of fantasy in it. Like a kid (seated in economy, downstairs on an A380) allowed to crawl around first class cabins on the upper deck. And how Jennifer Anniston allows the kid’s mom to fly in her first class cabin while she sits in the middle of the middle in economy. Try doing that on your next flight!

But nonetheless, it’s a nice diversion and likely to drum up a lot of interest.

Take a spin through the 1.5 minute ad and let us know what you think!

What’s even more interesting about this is that Emirates also created a behind-the-scenes video about how the commercial was shot and produced in Los Angeles. Check that out here. 

Please let us know what you think about the new Emirates advertisement in the comments below. 

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Routes: LAX-Paris for $446 + Atlanta, San Francisco, Dallas, New York

Norwegian started new 787 flights from LAX and New York to Paris. (Image: Norwegian)

Norwegian started new 787 flights from LAX and New York to Paris. (Image: Norwegian)

In international route news, a low-cost airline launches a pair of new transatlantic routes; Delta will beef up Atlanta-London service; San Francisco attracts a Mexican airline; and Emirates and Etihad reshuffle their U.S. A380 plans.

European low-cost specialist Norwegian this week kicks off its newest transatlantic routes, beginning service to Paris Charles de Gaulle from New York and Los Angeles with two-class 787s. The carrier’s schedule calls for twice-weekly flights from LAX and four flights a week from New York JFK. When we checked Norwegian’s website, we found low-season (i.e. December) roundtrip no-frills fares as low as $446 from Los Angeles and $396 from New York. This comes on the heels of Air France warning about its concerns about France as a destination.

Related: Norwegian Air- low fares, low frills

According to Routesonline.com, Delta will adjust its Atlanta-London schedule next spring along with partner Virgin Atlantic. Effective May 25, Delta is due to restore a third daily ATL-London departure, while Virgin will scale back from two flights a day to one. Meanwhile, Delta is also planning to end its seasonal  Pittsburgh-Paris CDG service at the end of September, a month earlier than previously planned. The carrier will cut back frequencies in early September from daily departures to five a week.

Mexico's Volaris will start San Francisco-Mexico City flights this fall. (Image: Volaris)

Mexico’s Volaris will start San Francisco-Mexico City flights this fall. (Image: Volaris)

Mexican low-cost airline Volaris will introduce a new route linking San Francisco with Mexico City starting October 10. The carrier plans to operate four flights a week on the route, on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, with one-way fares starting at just $125. It’s a trip for night owls, however: The southbound flights are scheduled to arrive in Mexico City at 2:29 a.m.

A schedule update posted by Emirates for its Dallas/Ft. Worth-Dubai route says that the carrier will not put an Airbus A380 super-jumbo back onto the route September 1 as previously planned, but instead will keep operating it with a 777-300ER. Meanwhile, Etihad next spring is planning to go all-A380 on its Abu Dhabi-New York route after June 1, 2017. The carrier will use the super-jumbos on both of its daily JFK flights after that date; currently, one of the two uses a 777-300ER.

Related: How Emirates welcomes a new A380. Wow!

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

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Routes: LAX, SFO, Seattle, San Diego, Boston, New York, Atlanta + more

Fiji Airways SFO

SFO’s latest arrival from the exotic South Seas! (Photo: Peter Biaggo/SFO)

In international route news, American next week adds new transpacific flights from Los Angeles; Swiss brings its fancy new 777 to the Los Angeles-Zurich route, while Emirates doubles down on LAX service with a big sports sponsorship; San Francisco gets a new route to the South Pacific; Germany’s Condor Airlines unveils some new U.S. routes, including Seattle and San Diego; TAP Air Portugal adds two U.S. gateways with upgraded aircraft; Delta trims service to a South American city from Atlanta; and two U.S. airlines start selling tickets for scheduled service to Cuba.

American Airlines next week will kick off its newest transpacific route: On June 23 it will start flying a 787-8 Dreamliner between Los Angeles International and Auckland, New Zealand as part of its growing joint venture partnership with Qantas, ending Air New Zealand’s non-stop monopoly on that route. The aircraft’s business class offers personal suites with 77-inch lie-flat seat-beds, direct aisle access for every seat, and a walk-up bar stocked with drinks and snacks. The economy cabin offers a Main Cabin Extra seating option with five extra inches of legroom, and both cabins have Wi-Fi and AC/USB ports at every seat.

Also at Los Angeles International, Swiss has started flying the LAX-Zurich route  with its new 777-300ERs, the flagships of its international long-haul fleet. The aircraft boasts redesigned and upgraded interiors with first, business and economy class. Take a look here at some photos of the plane that we ran last year when the carrier introduced them. Swiss had planned to start flying the 777-300ER to San Francisco in August, but as we reported last month, that introduction has been postponed until February 2017.

emiratesfas

Emirates flight attendants visited Dodger Stadium to promote the airline’s expanded LAX service. (Image: Emirates)

Meanwhile, Emirates is due to lay on a second daily A380 flight starting July 1 between Los Angeles and Dubai, and it is counting on a new sponsorship deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers to draw attention to the airline in that big market. The airline even brought some of its flight attendants onto the field during a recent game at Dodger Stadium to promote the tie-in.

At San Francisco International, Fiji Airways this week kicked off seasonal service to Nadi, Fiji, using a two-class A330 for the 10-hour flight. It will operate twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, through mid-August, then will resume from mid-December through mid-January.

Germany’s Condor Airlines, a leisure-oriented carrier that belongs to the Thomas Cook Group, plans to add some U.S. routes in 2017, including the only non-stops between Seattle and Munich. That route will begin in July 2017 with twice-weekly service. Condor already flies between Seattle and Frankfurt, and recently extended that to year-round service. Also in Condor’s 2017 plans: twice-weekly seasonal flights between Frankfurt and New Orleans from May through September; three flights week starting May 1 between Frankfurt-San Diego; and twice-weekly service beginning May 2 between Munich and Las Vegas.

TAP Portugal is using upgraded A330s on new Boston and New York routes. (Image: Airbus)

TAP Portugal is using upgraded A330s on new Boston and New York routes. (Image: Airbus)

TAP Portugal just started new daily service between Lisbon and Boston Logan, and will add daily Lisbon-New York JFK service July 1. Both routes are using A330s that feature TAP’s new executive class cabin with lie-flat seats. The aircraft also features a new, advanced in-flight entertainment system; and the economy cabin has two kinds of seating, offering 34-inch and 31-inch pitch. The airline already serves Newark and Miami from Lisbon.

At its Atlanta hub, Delta on August 30 will reduce service to Medellin, Colombia, cutting back from the current daily frequencies to just three a week. Delta uses a 737-700 on the route.

Following the Transportation Department’s recent award of Cuba route rights (except Havana) to U.S. carriers for regular scheduled service, some of them have started selling tickets to the island nation. American will start flying once or twice a day from Miami to Cienfuegos and Holguin on September 7; from Miami to Camaguey and Santa Clara September 9; and from Miami to Varadero September 11. Silver Airways will start service September 1 from Ft. Lauderdale to Santa Clara, followed by flights out of Ft. Lauderdale to Camaguey, Cienfuegos and Holguin in October; to Santiago and Cayo Coco in November; and to Varadero, Cayo Largo and Manzanillo in December.

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First class phase-out picks up steam

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

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

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

In recent news:

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

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

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

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

That big QANTAS 747-400 that Chris flew to Australia in March was all business class- even on row one in the nose of the plane pictured here (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Air India earlier this year decided to get rid of the first class cabin on the three 777-200LRs that it uses for its new Delhi-San Francisco route. Airline officials told the India Times that the occupancy rate for seats in the front cabin was only reaching about 25 percent.

Late last year, Emirates created the world’s largest passenger airliner – an Airbus A380 with 615 seats – by eliminating first class and reconfiguring the plane with 58 business class and 557 economy seats. Other A380s in Emirates’ large fleet have 489 or 517 seats in three classes.

Delta got rid of international first class a long time ago, and we reported a few months ago that United is gradually following suit, ordering new 787-8s, 787-9s and A350s that have no first class cabins. It also plans to end first class on its existing three-class 767-300s, although it will continue on some 777s and 747s for now. (UPDATE: With the introduction of Polaris business class, United will eliminate Global First.) American still has a few first class seats flying around, but will they be pushed out of the sky with it rolls out a new international premium economy seat later this year?

Korean Air's first class cabin flew empty from ICN to ATL (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Korean Air’s first class cabin was empty on a recent Seoul-Atlanta flight  (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

An analysis a few months ago by Airways News cited a few big reasons why first is falling out of favor with global business travelers.  There is the usual concern of corporate bean-counters that travelers shouldn’t be allowed too much luxury, making budgets for the big seats tighter or non-existent. But there’s also the fact that international business class has improved on many airlines to the point where buying a first class seat instead of business class would just be gilding the lily (e.g. seats that recline to a fully flat position and offer aisle access for everyone are becoming standard for international business class, whereas in previous decades you could only find them in first.)

And finally the analysis noted that C-suite business travelers who used to routinely fly in first around the world now have another option: private jets. New kinds of purchase plans are making the cost of private jet travel more affordable, and new technology is producing larger business jets that have a much greater range. Major private jet operators like NetJets are concentrating their new plane orders on these intercontinental business jets to meet a growing global demand.

The analysis noted that the “vast majority” of passenger demand for first class airline travel has retreated to routes linking just 15 global business centers, including London, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Dubai, Tokyo, Singapore, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Seoul, Frankfurt, Paris, Zurich, Beijing and Sydney.

Would it matter to you if first class disappeared completely? Why or why not? Please leave your comments below. 

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Airlines ranked on availability, speed of in-flight wi-fi

In-flight Wi-Fi is catching fire worldwide. (Image: Virgin America)

In-flight Wi-Fi is catching fire worldwide. (Image: Virgin America)

U.S. carriers still lead the world in the availability of in-flight Wi-Fi, but foreign airlines are starting to catch up. And the quality of Wi-Fi connections, while still rather basic, is on track toward significant improvement, according to the latest annual report on the state of in-flight Wi-Fi from Routehappy.

Virgin America still ranks in first place among U.S. carriers with Wi-Fi available on almost 100 percent of its available seat miles (ASMs), Routehappy said (the exception: a few Virgin flights to Hawaii). Following in order are Delta, Southwest and United, all of which have Wi-Fi on more than 80 percent of their ASMs, the company noted.

Actually, one foreign airline topped everyone, with Wi-Fi available on 100 percent of its ASMs: Scoot, the low-fare subsidiary of Singapore Airlines. And Icelandair was on a par with Virgin America, also close to the 100 percent mark.

routehappy1

Although Delta ranks ahead of United and American, “both competitors have nearly closed the gap,” Routehappy said. It noted that when American absorbed US Airways into its system, it picked up another 350 Wi-Fi enabled aircraft.

Overall, travelers on U.S. airlines systemwide have “at least a chance of Wi-Fi” 78 percent of the time, vs. a 24 percent chance on foreign carriers, according to Routehappy. But it noted that foreign carriers are picking up steam. Besides Scoot, it said that “substantial Wi-Fi offerings” can now be found on the flights of Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Etihad, Garuda, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Norwegian, and SAS.

On long-haul international routes, Routehappy said, Emirates and Lufthansa scored the best for Wi-Fi availability, “measured by number of ASMs and percentage of ASMs respectively.” The “most connected” long-haul route in the world is New York-Dubai, it said, while the least connected is London-Hong Kong.

routehappy2

The company also looked at the quality of in-flight Wi-Fi, which it ranks as “basic, better or best,” depending on the technology used. And that’s where there’s plenty of room for improvement. Routehappy said that in its previous annual report, issued in January 2015, it found Wi-Fi connectivity in the “best” category available on less than 1 percent of U.S. flights; today, that his risen to 6 percent of all flights worldwide.

And the company said it expects to see substantial gains in Wi-Fi quality in the months and years ahead, based on intense passenger demand for improvement.

“The mere availability of Wi-Fi is no longer enough,” Routehappy observed. “Passengers now demand a home broadband-like experience, and more airlines are now delivering this. JetBlue is nearing completion of a fleet-wide broadband rollout, allowing access to Netflix and other streaming services with no access charges; Virgin America has also recently introduced the same system. Additionally, airlines such as Delta, Aeromexico, Virgin Atlantic, Lufthansa, and others are preparing to launch high-speed broadband solutions in the near future.”

 

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Routes: LAX, Washington, New York, Vancouver, Costa Rica

Business class on Qatar's 777-200, now flying to Los Angeles. (Image: Qatar Airways)

Business class on Qatar’s 777-200, now flying to Los Angeles. (Image: Qatar Airways) 

In international route developments, Qatar starts flying to its newest U.S. gateway; Emirates will take up the slack when United drops a Mideast route; JetBlue takes its code-sharing pact with Icelandair to the next level; Southwest schedules a new Costa Rica flight; and Alaska drops a Canada route.

Qatar Airways has inaugurated service on its newest U.S. route, beginning daily non-stops between Los Angeles International and Doha, Qatar with a 777-200. LAX departures are at 3:10 p.m., arriving in Doha at 6:10 p.m. the next day. It’s Qatar’s first step in an ambitious U.S. route expansion this year: The carrier plans to start new service to Boston on March 16 and to Atlanta on June 1. Qatar has also introduced the first Airbus A350 service to the U.S., putting the new aircraft onto its Philadelphia route this month. It plans to begin A350 service between New York and Doha in April.  

Since United plans to eliminate its Washington Dulles-Dubai service on January 25, Emirates is moving in to fill the gap. (United had blamed government-subsidized overcapacity by Emirates and other Middle eastern carriers for its decision; it also ended Dulles-Kuwait/Bahrain service this week). Effective February 1, Emirates — which will then  have a monopoly on Dulles-Dubai non-stops — plans to replace its 777-300ER on the route with an Airbus A380 super-jumbo offering 489 seats in three classes. Meanwhile, Emirates also said it will increase its Los Angeles-Dubai schedule starting July 1 with the addition of a second daily A380 non-stop.

JetBlue has had a code-sharing relationship with Icelandair for almost five years, but it’s been mostly a one-way affair, with Icelandair’s code going onto JetBlue flights but not the other way around. But that all changed this week: JetBlue said it is now putting its B6 code onto Icelandair’s flights into Reykjavik from New York JFK, Newark, Boston, Orlando and Washington Dulles. That means tickets to Iceland can now be booked directly with JetBlue, with single ticekting, one-stop check-in and automatic baggage transfers. “In the future, the B6 code will be placed on additional Icelandair routes between the U.S. and Reykjavik and on flights beyond Iceland to select destinations in Scandinavia and continental Europe,” JetBlue said.

Alaska Airlines has been flying between Los Angeles and Vancouver for 20 years, but that will end on June 3, when the carrier will discontinue the route, according to Airlineroute,.net. Alaska currently operates just one daily flight between LAX and Vancouver, although in recent years it had as many as six a day. 

Southwest Airlines has set an April 12 start for its new international route from Los Angeles International to Liberia/Guanacaste, Costa Rica, Costa Rica. Through February 1, the carrier is offering introductory fares starting at $149 each way for travel April 12-May 25.

 

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

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Big airfare sale – Asia, Hawaii, India, Africa

JetBlue hopes to be able to sell these Singapore Air seats as its very own with a proposed code share agreement (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Singapore Airlines has sale fares in both economy class- pictured- and business class (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Airlines are rolling out excellent Black Friday airfare sales — here are a few that caught my eyes today. To get the deal you must book your trip today through Monday night. What’s most remarkable about this sale is the length of the travel period– basically the first half of next year. 

Cathay Pacific: Cathay’s sale fares are probably the broadest offering with economy roundtrip fares ranging from $675 to $800 to cities throughout Asia, including India. Travel window is Feb 9- Apr 30– or Sept 1-Sept 30. US gateways are : Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco. See sale fares here. 

Singapore Airlines: Super-low fares to Frankfurt, Moscow, Seoul or Tokyo for trips January 10 – May 31. The sale includes both economy and business class fares. Some very good deals: SFO-Seoul or LAX-Tokyo for just $600 round trip in economy or $3,000 in business class. New York-Frankfurt is just $700 roundtrip in economy and $2,700 in business class. See the sale fares here. SIA is also offering great deals on its brand new premium economy seats, with fares ranging from $1,300 to $1,750 round trip.

Emirates: 2-for-1 roundtrip fares from its US gateways to Milan, Dubai and beyond. Travel window is wide- from Jan 9- May 6 2016. Best deals: New York-Milan for $1,1oo for two or $550 each.  To Johannesburg for $1750 for two, or $875 each. Many more destinations included. See Emirates Black Friday sales

Some other good deals: Virgin America’s sale is good, too, and we found SFO-Hawaii fares as low as $418 round trip, plus most intra-California fares running less than $100 round trip. Transcons in the $320 roundtrip range. This sale is only in effect today, Friday Nov 27.  Sale fares here. NOTE: This sale has expired, but keep an eye out for more discounts to Hawaii when Virgin debuts Maui flights in early December.

–Chris McGinnis

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World’s largest passenger plane unveiled

Economy class on an Emirates A380 (Chris McGinnis)

Imagine a plane with 557 of these! It’s coming next month. (Chris McGinnis)

Airlines that fly Airbus’ giant double-decker A380 generally install between 400 and 500 seats on the plane in a three-class configuration. But now Emirates has unveiled a 617-passenger version, which will make it the world’s largest commercial aircraft in terms of passenger capacity.

Emirates made the big reveal at the Dubai Airshow this week. It will put the new version of the A380 into service December 1 on the Dubai-Copenhagen route.

How did Emirates manage to fit so many seats on the plane? Easy: It eliminated the spacious first class section, instead fitting the aircraft with just two classes: 58 flatbed seats in business class and 557 in economy. (The airline notes that even on this version, its A380s will still offer their trademark OnBoard Lounge.)

Related: How Emirates welcomes a new A380

First and business class lounge at the rear of the upper deck (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

First and business class lounge at the rear of the upper deck (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Actually, 617 seats on an A380 isn’t all that much when you consider the aircraft’s technical specifications. The A380-800 is certified to carry as many as 853 passengers in an all-economy configuration (ouch!).

Emirates is a big believer in the A380 — it’s already the industry’s biggest A380 operator, with 68 of them in its fleet and firm orders for another 72.

The carrier’s new two-class A380 will have 101 more seats than what was previously the largest — Air France’s 516-seat version (which used to be 538 seats before the carrier installed premium economy seating). Here’s Wikipedia’s listing of airlines with A380s and their configurations.

As for the A380 with the least passenger capacity, Seatguru.com notes that Singapore Airlines has a version of the A380 outfitted with its new premium economy section that has as few as 379 total seats. Otherwise, Korean Air’s A380s have the fewest seats– 407 total. (Here’s Chris’s Trip Report from last fall about flying Korean’s A380 from Seoul to Atlanta.)

Have you flown on at A380 yet? What did you think? 

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Look out the window- There’s a man on the wing!

(Image: Emirates/YouTube)

(Image: Emirates/YouTube)

The Emirates A380 and the Jetman Dubai duo recently took to the skies of Dubai for an extraordinary flightconducted over the Palm Jumeirah and Dubai skyline with Burj Khalifa in the background.

While the formation flight looked effortless on film, Emirates says that painstaking planning and meticulous collaboration with an intense focus on safety drove all efforts.

The carefully choreographed aerial showcase involved the world’s largest passenger aircraft flying at 4,000 feet in two holding patterns. The A380 aircraft was then joined by the Jetmen Dubai duo, experienced pilots and operators of the smallest jet propelled wing, who were deployed from a helicopter that hovered above the aircraft at 5,500 feet. The duo conducted formations on both sides of the aircraft and joined to one side thereafter before breaking away.

You’ve gotta see this short (90 sec.) video to believe it:

Even better: Don’t miss this startling behind the scenes video.

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Routes: AA to Tokyo + WOW to west coast + Air Canada, Lufthansa, Alaska

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

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

International route news this week includes American revealing its plans for new Los Angeles-Tokyo flights, an Icelandic budget airline expanding to San Francisco and Los Angeles, Air Canada adding new long-haul destinations, Emirates casting its eye at an available U.S. gateway and Alaska starting service to Costa Rica.

American Airlines has set February 11 as the launch date for new daily, year-round non-stops between Los Angeles International and Tokyo’s close-in Haneda Airport; it will take bookings beginning November 8. American said it will use a 787-8 with business class, Main Cabin Extra and regular economy seating, and equipped with satellite Wi-Fi. American got the route authority after Delta agreed to give up its Seattle-Tokyo Haneda service (although it still flies Seattle-Tokyo Narita, and American and partner Japan Airlines both fly from LAX to Tokyo Narita). It will be the second new transpacific route for American in three months; AA starts its new LAX-Sydney non-stops on December 17.

Looking for a cheap way to get from the West Coast to Europe — or Iceland? Reykjavik-based discount carrier WOW Air said it plans to begin flying to both San Francisco and Los Angeles next summer, although it didn’t give an exact starting date. The carrier said it will fly to LAX four times a week and to San Francisco five times a week, using a one-class, 340-passenger A330-300. WOW already operates from Boston and Washington to Iceland’s Keflavik Airport (and will add Toronto and Montreal flights in May 2016), with connections to various European cities. No word on fares yet, but the carrier’s website (www.wowair.us) currently shows basic one-way connecting prices as low as $149 from Boston or Washington to London Gatwick — plus ancillary fees, of course.

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Air Canada is adding long-haul international services left and right. This week, it started flying non-stop from Toronto to Delhi, India four times a week, along with new non-stops three times a week from Toronto to Dubai. On both routes, Air Canada is using 787-9s with business, premium economy and economy class seating. The Canadian carrier also plans to resume Toronto-Seoul Incheon service on June 17, 2016, using a 787-8; it last flew the seasonal route in 2013.  

Now that Delta has angrily announced its exit from the Atlanta-Dubai route effective February 11, blaming the big Mideast airlines for laying on excessive capacity to the U.S., Emirates has its eye on the route. The Dubai-based airline also dismissed Delta’s claim that it couldn’t successfully compete in the market, estimating that Delta earned more than $10 million a year on the Atlanta-Dubai route. Delta immediately denounced Emirates’ assertion, saying it has been losing money on the route for the past two years. 

Alaska Airlines has added Costa Rica to its route network. The carrier this week started flying from Los Angeles to both San Jose and Liberia, Costa Rica, offering four flights a week on each route with 737-800s.

According to Airlineroute.net, which tracks carriers’ schedule filings, Lufthansa will not resume seasonal Chicago-Dusseldorf flights on March 27 as previously planned. However, on the same date the German carrier will switch from an A330-300 to a much larger A340-600 on its Newark-Dusseldorf route, increasing capacity by about 50 percent.

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Delta dumps Dubai, blasts Mideast carriers

Dubai airport has the most international passengers, but.... (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Dubai’s gorgeous airport won’t see any more Delta frights from Atlanta after February 11. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The ongoing war of words between major U.S. carriers and their Middle Eastern rivals over government subsidies and unfair competition is starting to have real-world consequences: Delta said it will abandon its Atlanta-Dubai service in February, and it placed the blame squarely on overexpansion by airlines like Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad.

Delta, American and United have been lobbying the U.S. government — so far without result — to block the Mideast Big Three from adding more U.S. gateways. They allege that the foreign carriers benefit from government subsidies that the U.S. companies don’t enjoy. The Mideast airlines deny those allegations.

In announcing the end of Dubai service from Atlanta, Delta said the 777 it uses on the route “will be redeployed to other transatlantic markets where it can compete on a level playing field that’s not distorted by subsidized state-owned airlines.”

Delta said that from 2008 to 2014, 11,000 seats a day to the U.S. were added from Dubai (Emirates’ hub), Doha (Qatar) and Abu Dhabi (Etihad’s home base), and more than 95 percent of them are operated by the Middle Eastern airlines.

Delta’s move comes on the heels of United’s plans to terminate its Washington Dulles-Kuwait/Bahrain flights in January, a move that some sources suggested may have been mandated by Kuwait’s government in a political dispute over U.S. anti-discrimination laws.

Meanwhile, the Middle Eastern carriers continue to add U.S. flights. Qatar Airways, for instance, earlier this year announced it would begin service to three U.S. gateways in 2016 — Atlanta, Boston and Los Angeles — and it plans to add a second daily New York flight next spring. Emirates last month started a new route from Dubai to Orlando. And some traffic between the U.S. and the Middle East is likely to travel via Istanbul on a rapidly-expanding Turkish Airlines, which started flying to San Francisco last spring and Miami this week, and plans to start Atlanta-Istanbul flights in May 2016.

TravelSkills reader S.C. wrote to suggest that Delta didn’t seem to be having trouble attracting business on its Dubai (DBX) route: “I’ve traveled there three times in the last three years, and only one time did an empty seat even exist, and that was on the ATL to DXB segment I took in July this year…which happened to be during Ramadan, so there were about 20-25 empty seats. NEVER before that has there been even one empty seat on the plane in either direction – and a waiting list of people trying to get on!”

What are your thoughts about Delta pulling out of Dubai? Please speak out below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Global Entry gets more global + New York’s lowest ranked hotels +Best/worst hotel programs for awards + More flat seats

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Alaska Air’s new partner + United trims Mideast + Lufthansa Denver + London

Emirates Dubai Business Class Lounge

Alaska’s elites will get access to Emirates’ business class lounge at Dubai. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In international route news, Alaska Air takes on a new code-sharing partner; United will drop flights to Kuwait and Bahrain; Lufthansa adds a Denver route; British Airways will revive service to Gatwick and changes planes to Miami; and Austrian Airlines adds a U.S. route. 

  • Alaska Airlines and Emirates have had a frequent flyer program partnership since 2012, with reciprocal mileage-earning and spending, but now they’re getting even closer. Subject to government approval, they plan to begin code-sharing that will enable travelers from 49 Alaska cities to connect seamlessly to Emirates’ twice-daily flights from Seattle to Dubai. The deal will put Emirates’ code onto as many as 300 Alaska flights a day (although the announcement says nothing about Alaska’s code going onto the Emirates flights). In addition, Alaska’s MVP Gold and MVP Gold 75 elites will be able to use Emirates business class lounges at Dubai, and will get priority boarding and check-in at Seattle, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Dubai; and Emirates elites will be able to use Alaska’s Board Room lounges at four airports.
  • United Airlines is no longer taking reservations for travel on its very-long-haul flight from Washington Dulles to Kuwait and Bahrain after January 13, according to airlineroute.net. And it may not be a matter of insufficient traffic on the route. According to one popular blogger, United’s route termination may have been ordered by the Kuwaitis due to anger over U.S. anti-discrimination laws that will not allow airlines serving the U.S. to deny boarding to Israeli passport holders — something Kuwait Airlines reportedly did on a London-New York flight.
  • In addition to its existing daily service from Denver to Frankfurt, Lufthansa says it will begin flying from Denver to Munich five times a week effective May 11, 2016. The German carrier will use an A330-300 with first class, business class, premium economy and economy seating.
Gatwick Airport is about 30 mins south of Victoria Station (Image: Visit London)

Gatwick Airport is about 30 mins south of Victoria Station (Image: Visit London)

  • British Airways and joint venture partner American have plenty of flights in the New York-London Heathrow market, but next spring BA plans to add a flight from New York JFK to London Gatwick as well, according to airlinerotue.net. Effective May 16, British Airways will use a 777-200ER to operate daily service on the JFK-LGW route, which it last served in 2009. In other news, British Airways has just started flying a big Airbus A380 super-jumbo on its London Heathrow-Miami route. The 469-passenger A380, with four classes of seating, will initially operate one of BA’s two daily Miami flights; the other will still use a 747.
  • Speaking of Miami, Austrian Airlines — a member of the Lufthansa Group — has added the Florida city as its newest U.S. gateway. The new Miami-Vienna flights, using a two-class 777, operate five days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday).

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Global Entry gets more global + New York’s lowest ranked hotels +Best/worst hotel programs for awards + More flat seats

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United adds flights, Clubs + Free drinks + AA in the ATL + 5K Best Western points + Double Virgin

Saturday Night Live spoofed Delta flight attendants last night (see below for video)

Saturday Night Live spoofed Delta flight attendants last night (see below for video)

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

1 More & more Routes: United to Auckland, Tel Aviv + Delta to Munich, Rome + $69 to Europe?

2 ATL & SFO TWO brand new United Clubs next month

3 Get her a shower and a pillow! Is Jennifer Aniston tweaking U.S. airlines?

Weekend Edition4 Takes the edge off! How to get a free drink when stuck in economy

5 Airline expansion Routes: AA adds ATL + New Alaska transcon + JetBlue to Nashville + More

6 Earn points for award stays! Marriott enhances popular Rewards program

7 Ole! Southwest dives deep for growth

8 Love/hate Your favorite megahub?

9 Sounds smart This new car rental idea will disrupt

10 No brainer alert! Access to United Clubs via Copa status match

bonus

 

Looking for a big fat new credit card bonus? Best overall card? Check ’em out here

.

Best reader comment this week on our post about the new Emirates ad comes from JK: “I have a feeling Jen might not be too welcome by United, Delta or American flight attendants anytime soon, after making them look bad.”

Did you see Delta get spoofed on Saturday Night Live last night (video)? Pretty good (but not great).

 

A few newsy nuggets from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week:

5,000 Best Western Rewards points for downloading new app & booking a stay!

Get DOUBLE points & status credits on Virgin America 

Hilton Gold status new benefit for AMEX Platinum cardholders

Largest ever Chick-fil-A opens in Manhattan

UK version of Global Entry now open to Americans

Brace yourself for the biggest hotel rate jump in a decade

This petition convinced United to add SFO-Tel Aviv flights

The crash of Trump Air 

Delta flights feeling more crowded lately? It’s part of the plan 

United’s new safety video reviewed

Construction begins on SFO’s Terminal 1: Completion? 2024! 

Airport “farm” at JFK- would you eat something grown at an airport? 

AirlineRatings.com names Qantas, Singapore as “best of the best” airlines.

Designers of the Dreamliner’s interiors want to re-imagine air travel.

A look at Boeing’s roomy new “space bins” for carry-ons.

Airbus takes a patent on a design for bunk-bed-style  cabin seating.

Starwood Preferred Guest members vote on their favorite hotels.

Watch American Airlines create papal plane! 

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

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Is Jennifer Aniston tweaking U.S. airlines?

Jennifer Aniston Emirates

Jennifer Aniston needs a shower, a bar & a flat bed when she flies. (Image: Emirates / YouTube)

Emirates Airline is paying actress Jennifer Aniston millions of dollars as the centerpiece of its new marketing campaign, but with the first TV commercial now out, some are wondering if the company is using her as part of a transparent attack its ongoing battle against its U.S. competition.

In the new ad, Aniston dreams she’s on a flight that — to her great dismay — has no showers and no bar. Then she wakes up on an Emirates flight and starts telling the bartender about the horrors of her low-service nightmare.


The thing is, all of the flight attendants that she encounters in her bad dream are clearly Americans — implying that she is flying on a U.S. carrier that provides vastly inferior services and passenger amenities compared to the Emirates experience. (The galley scene is pretty hilarious…and spot on IMO.)

Fair enough, but the ad might also be seen in the context of the ongoing battle between the major U.S. global carriers (Delta, United and American) and their Big Three Middle Eastern competitors –Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways — all of which are expanding their U.S. route networks in a bid to capture a greater share of intercontinental traffic.

U.S. airlines have launched an intensive p.r. and lobbying campaign to convince the public, Congress and government regulators that the Mideast carriers are competing unfairly by benefiting from direct and indirect subsidies from their governments.

The U.S. carriers want the government to step in and restrict the access of the Mideast airlines to additional U.S. markets — something regulators have not yet done. But disinterested observers warn that such an action by the U.S. — which has always supported Open Skies relationships with other countries — could invite retaliation and ultimately stifle worldwide route development and hurt the global economy.

Do you think America’s Sweetheart suspected she was stepping into a global transportation maelstrom when she put on that robe and stepped in front of the cameras?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: New hotel openings + Cathay Pacific’s new lounge + Joining PreCheck gets easier + Air India’s San Francisco plans + New perks from United, Virgin America

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Cathay Pacific’s bigger, better lounge

Cathay's noodle bar chef Ivy Tran serves up steaming bowl of Dan Dan noodles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cathay’s noodle bar chef Ivy Tran serves up steaming bowl of homey goodness (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

On October 14, Cathay Pacific opens a major addition to its business and first class lounge at San Francisco International Airport. Cathay’s is one of SFO’s most beautiful lounges…. and also one of its busiest.

The Hong Kong-based carrier invited TravelSkills out to the airport this week for a sneak peek at the new space and lunch at its famous noodle bar.

(Here’s our review of the lounge when it opened in 2012)

Here’s what we learned:

The main entrance with its striking carrera marble desk and crystal curtain will remain unchanged (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The main entrance with its striking marble desk and crystal curtain will remain unchanged (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cathay is moving into adjacent space in the International Terminal (A side) once occupied by Air France/KLM. This means the lounge will nearly double in size from the current 5,500 square feet to a spacious 9,675 square feet, enough room for up to 175 guests.

Here's a look at the unfinished main addition to the Cathay lounge (Chris McGinnis)

Here’s a look at the unfinished main addition to the Cathay lounge (Chris McGinnis)

A wall of windows brightens the big space with views over the tarmac and up to the hills across Highway 101.

Cathay is adding three new shower suites for a total of 6 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Cathay is adding three new shower suites for a total of six (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The number of Carrera marble and river-pebble sheathed shower suites will double from three to six, which should help with the evening rush when around 15 flyers opt to clean up before their flight.

A new deli counter along with an Italian espresso machine in the new space (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A new deli counter along with an Italian espresso machine in the new space (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Along with the expanded space comes an expanded menu and a new deli counter and espresso bar (manned by a barista).

Many guests opt to eat a full hot meal in the lounge, then sleep on the plane (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Many guests opt to eat a full hot meal in the lounge, then sleep on the plane (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

To handle the extra load, a new free wi-fi system is in place.

There will be 14 of Cathay's mod-yet-cozy Solus chairs in the new space- up from the current 3 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

There will be 14 of Cathay’s mod-yet-cozy Solus chairs in the new space- up from the current 3 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The extra space is definitely needed as airlines play musical lounges over the next few years– and share space with Cathay.

Currently, business and first class flyers on Etihad’s daily nonstop to Abu Dhabi use the Cathay lounge in the early morning hours. Around midday, the lounge is primarily populated by those on Cathay’s 1 pm departure to Hong Kong, as well as a few passengers from Alaska Airlines, which lost its lounge to construction in Terminal 1.

Later in the day the Cathay lounge takes in the overflow Oneworld partner British Airways, its lounge now straining for space due its new A380 flight with 111 biz and first class seats. (Also, BA’s lounge is due for closure and renovation later this winter).  And from about 9 pm until 1 am, the lounge hosts Cathay passengers traveling on its 1 am departure to Hong Kong– as well as overflow from the JAL lounge. 

Won Ton soup from the noodle bar. The perfect pre-flight meal! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Won Ton soup from the noodle bar. The perfect pre-flight meal! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

And although no decision has been made, we’ve heard that QANTAS is sniffing around for lounge space at SFO when its new Boeing 747 SFO-Sydney nonstops arrive in late December. I’m betting that QANTAS will squeeze in the barely used Emirates lounge due to their partnership. But stay tuned…

Have you had a chance to visit Cathay’s lounge at SFO or elsewhere? Did you try the noodles? What did you think? Please leave your comments below. 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: SFO could get world’s longest flight + PreCheck: Fewer free rides + Plight of the tall traveler + Photos: New United first class seat + 6 secrets for snagging low fares

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JAL back at DFW, Emirates in Orlando, Delta to UK, Copa at SFO, more BA

Japan Airlines will use a 787-8 on its new Dallas/Ft. Worth-Tokyo route. (Image: Japan Airlines)

Japan Airlines will use a 787-8 on its new Dallas/Ft. Worth-Tokyo route. (Image: Japan Airlines)

In international airline route developments, Japan Airlines plans to resume service to Dallas/Ft. Worth; Emirates starts flying to its newest U.S. gateway; Delta adds a pair of transatlantic routes next year; Copa is about to begin San Francisco flights; British Airways will boost schedules to two U.S. cities; and LAN upgrades Lima-New York service.

  • Effective November 30, Japan Airlines will resume service between Dallas/Ft. Worth and Tokyo Narita  — a route it hasn’t flown since 2001. JAL will operate the route four times a week, using a three-class 787-8, and may boost frequencies to seven a week next spring. American Airlines, which is a joint venture and Oneworld alliance partner of Japan Airlines, will put its code on the flights. American already offers twice-daily 777-200 flights between DFW and Narita.
  • Emirates this week started flying its newest U.S. route, making a 16-hour flight from Dubai to Orlando International. Although the inaugural trip was with an Airbus A380 — the first one to touch down at Orlando — the regular daily Emirates service to the central Florida airport will be operated with a three-class Boeing 777-200LR.
  • Delta announced that in May 2016 it will add a pair of new seasonal transatlantic routes in cooperation with partner Virgin Atlantic. On May 1, Delta will begin daily non-stop 767 flights from its Salt Lake City hub to London Heathrow; and on May 26, it will launch daily 757 New York JFK-Edinburgh service.
Copa Airlines

Copa Airlines nonstops between SFO and Panama start Sept 17 (Photo: Bernal Saborio)

  • Star Alliance partner Copa Airlines is almost ready to kick off new service from San Francisco International to its Panama City, Panama hub, with connecting options available from there to 55 destinations in Latin America. The new daily non-stops are set to begin on September 17 with a two-class 737-800; the southbound flight will be a redeye.
  • British Airways has plans to increase capacity on its London Heathrow-Las Vegas route next year, increasing frequencies from seven to 10 a week effective March 16, all with 747-400s. The carrier will also add a new Monday 777 flight from LHR to Seattle, increasing its frequencies in that market from 11 to 12 a week.

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

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Shut up! No, YOU shut up! Inflight phone fight looms

13 million flyers used OnAir's mobile phone service from planes last year (Photo: SITA OnAir)

Fliers connected 13 million times to OnAir’s mobile phone service last year (Photo: SITA OnAir)

Is a federal ban on inflight mobile phone calls on planes really necessary? Or should the decision be left up to airlines?

This week a Transportation Department committee recommended that airlines (not the federal government) should decide whether passengers can make phone calls during flights.

Last year the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and the Department of Transportation (DOT) considered ending the federal ban when was determined that cellular service onboard planes was not a threat to aircraft navigation or communications systems.

The possibility of inflight calling resulted a rancorous debate– passengers and lawmakers claimed that cell phone use on planes could lead to inflight mayhem— they said it could interfere with flight attendants’ ability to do their jobs keeping passengers safe and the cabin environment calm. They added that inflight phoning would exacerbate the already tense atmosphere in tightly packed planes– think “Shut up! No, YOU shut up!”

With pushback like that, the decision was put off, but now it’s popping up again…

Inflight cell phone for voice calls use is already permitted by many airlines around the world.  Even highly regulated Europe relaxed its ban on flight calls way back in 2008. None have reported any of the mayhem predicted by US politicians.

Companies that provide cellular service onboard say that calls usually don’t last more than two minutes and the service is only used by a handful of passengers on any given flight. They say that most passengers choose to use their mobile phones for texting instead. “Inflight mobile phone usage is not causing the disruption the naysayers have predicted,” says OnAir’s Francoise Rodriguez.” Millions of people connected inflight on planes last year without a single complaint about noisy phone calls.”

In the US, Delta’s CEO publicly stated last year that it will not allow the use of mobile phones for voice calls during flight with or without a federal ban. Matt Miller, American Airlines spokesman sounded a bit softer on the issue this week saying, “We’ll keep the wishes of our customers in mind if the rules governing cell phone use shift from the government to individual airlines.”

Airlines for America, the airline trade group, agrees with the committee’s recommendation, too: “We’ve always said it should be up to the airlines to decide what’s best for their employees and customers,” said spokeswoman Jean Medina.

Gogo’s popular inflight wi-fi system has the capability to handle voice calls, but for now, the VOIP calls are blocked on commercial flights. But the ability to use inflight wi-fi for voice calls is a very popular feature on Gogo-equipped private jets. Gogo currently offers free texting (only) on commercial flights for T-Mobile customers.

Elsewhere, airlines that have adopted the onboard technology have the ability to turn voice calling on or off– and some, like Lufthansa, have decided to keep it off. Ryanair, Europe’s largest carrier,  experimented with allowing cell phone use on its planes in 2009 and dumped the idea due to lack of interest.

Screen Shot 2015-09-02 at 9.20.13 AM

Airlines that offer Aeromobile’s inflight SMS or phone service

Here are lists of airlines that offer inflight mobile phone or SMS service via Aeromobile or OnAir.

Why don’t people in these other countries yack endlessly on their cell phones on planes if they can? Because using a mobile phone on a plane is not the same as using it on the ground. It’s very expensive… To make a call, you first have to set your phone to international roaming, and then calls cost about $3-$4 per minute– and charges appear on your mobile phone bill.

Vintage seatback phone. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Vintage seatback phone. Who used em? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Does anyone remember those GTE or Verizon phones installed in nearly every airline seatback in the 1990s? People could use those phones with the swipe of a credit card, at similarly steep rates, if they wanted to. But they did not.

Because of the cost (and peer pressure) I really don’t think that cell phone use onboard planes is all that big of an issue. Usage patterns here would not be too different from elsewhere in the world.

If the feds are searching for something to regulate, what about enforcing a minimum seat pitch and seat width aboard aircraft? If they are truly concerned about reducing stress and controlling mayhem in airline cabins, a standard 33 inches between seats that are no less than 18 inches wide would go a long way. This week, a federal panel recommended that airlines be required to disclose seat size, and that FAA should enforce a minimum amount of personal space that must be allotted per passenger

So what you you think… should the federal government to tell airlines if they can or cannot allow cell phone use for voice calls onboard planes? Or should the feds stay out of the airline business altogether?

I’d love to hear your comments! Please leave them below.

–Chris McGinnis

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

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In Case You Missed It: Singapore super sale + AmEx/Apple Pay + Swiss’ ‘throne seats’ + Lame upgrade excuses

Singapore Airlines' super sale fares can be booked into September. (Image: Singapore)

Singapore Airlines’ super sale fares can be booked into September. (Image: Singapore)

A few newsy nuggets from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills last week:

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Upgraded Hilton HHonors app + New perks for Starwood/AmEx cardholders + Alaska/AA airport lounge benefits + New international routes

Quick note: TravelSkills will be in vacation mode during August, with only periodic posts. We’ll be back at full steam in September so stay tuned! And enjoy your summer. –Chris


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13 air travel experiences to have before you die

With the proliferation of “must see before you die” lists, I’m moved to submit my top 13 airline business class experiences to have before you die.

Some of these I’ve been lucky enough to experience myself. Others, I just been able to photograph… and some I can only dream about.

Take a spin through my top 13 list and add your contenders in the comments at the bottom! 

1) Take a shower on onboard a plane.

Each first class passenger gets five minutes of hot water on Emirates (Chris McGinnis)

Each first class passenger gets five minutes of hot water on Emirates (Chris McGinnis).

 

2) Get a ride to your plane across the ramp or on the tarmac in a luxury car.

United has deployed two silver Mercedes at Houston IAH to shuttle arriving passengers. (Photo: United)

United has deployed two silver Mercedes at Houston IAH to shuttle arriving passengers. (Photo: United)

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3) Eat warm udon on a Japanese carrier- simple, yes, but I can’t think of anything much more comforting on a 11 hour flight.

Nothing is more soothing than a warm bowl of noodles in broth (Chris McGinnis)

Nothing is more soothing than a warm bowl of noodles in broth- this is on ANA (Chris McGinnis)

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4) Fly backwards in business class.

Only United and British Airways offer forward and rear facing business class seats (Chris McGinnis)

Only United and British Airways (and a few American planes) offer forward and rear facing business class seats- this is United’s configuration (Chris McGinnis)

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5) See the northern lights or the north pole from the plane.
Seen the northern lights from a plane? (Photo: Francisco Anzola / Flickr)

Seen the northern lights from a plane? (Photo: Francisco Anzola / Flickr)

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6) Fly supersonic. I know this is more difficult now that Concorde has been retired, but it could come back in our lifetime.

Don't even ask about the hair. But I rode on the Concorde in 2003 (Chris McGinnis)

Don’t even ask about the hair. But I rode on the Concorde in 2003 (Chris McGinnis)

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7) Get a haircut or spa treatment at the airport.

Hair and nails at the airport? Sure

Hair and nails at the airport? Sure, if flying Virgin Atlantic via London

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8) Spend a day on or near runways planespotting. I’m lucky to occasionally get media access to runways, but you can always go to In-N-Out Burger in LA or take a vacation on this beach in St Maarten.

Not much more exhilirating than standing between runways at airport rush hour (Image: Peter Biaggi)

Not much more exhilirating than standing between runways at airport rush hour (Image: Peter Biaggi)

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9) Take a swim or a soak between planes at the airport.

Pool and hot tub available for all passengers at Singapore Changi (Chris McGinnis)

Pool and hot tub available for all passengers at Singapore Changi (Chris McGinnis)

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10) Get inside the crew rest area on a plane– take my video tour of a crew rest area here.

This is the secret stairway to the crew rest area on a Cathay Pacific 747 (Chris McGinnis)

This is the secret stairway to the crew rest area on a Cathay Pacific 747 (Chris McGinnis)

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11) Sit in a Captain Kirk seat on Aer Lingus new business class or in JetBlue Mint class

Only a handful of these very special seats on JetBlue and Aer Lingus (Chris McGinnis)

Only a handful of these very special seats on JetBlue and Aer Lingus (Chris McGinnis)

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12) Eat caviar on the plane.

Caviar onboard Emirates in first class (Image: Leon Brocard / Flickr)

Caviar onboard Emirates in first class (Image: Leon Brocard / Flickr)

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13) Have a drink in an onboard lounge

Lounging around on a Korean Air A380 ICN-ATL (Chris McGinnis)

Lounging around on a Korean Air A380 ICN-ATL (Chris McGinnis)

How many of these experiences have you had? Which business class experiences do you think I should add to this list? Leave your comments below!

::

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1,000 Marriott points + AA/US combine + Most hated fees + Delta-Virgin expands + Daylight saving + new routes

A brand new Marriott Courtyard in Salisbury, NC (Marriott)

A brand new Marriott Courtyard in Salisbury, NC (Marriott)

Get 1,000 Marriott Rewards Points. Courtyard by Marriott hits its 1,000 hotel milestone on Tuesday (March 31) and is offering 1,000 Rewards points to all members checking into any Courtyard hotel worldwide on that day. The company says that it will give away over 50 million points as part of the promotion. The festivities will be centered around the brand new Courtyard in Walla Walla, Washington, designated as the 1,000th hotel. The very first Marriott Courtyard opened in Atlanta in 1983 near Northside Hospital (since razed) according to Mark Woodworth of PKF Consulting. The Courtyard brand celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2013 and is Marriott’s second largest revenue generator.

Get 50,000 more Rewards points with the Marriott Rewards Premier Card

DaylightSaving-World-Subdivisions

Daylight Saving Time Reminder. Most of Europe switched over to Daylight Saving Time last night following the move made in the US three weeks ago. Did you know that Daylight Saving Time is primarily observed in the US and Europe only (See blue above)? The rest of the world remains on standard time. (Orange and red denote countries that have either stopped observing Daylight Saving Time or have never observed it.)

British Airways A380 arriving San Francisco. British Airways brings its big Airbus A380 to San Francisco today. The big new bird will fly SFO-London Heathrow five days a week complemented by a 747 on the remaining days. BA will also keep its second daily 747 on the route. Stay tuned for more details in a future post.

Screen Shot 2015-03-29 at 7.23.45 AM

AA starts merging loyalty accounts. March 28 is the day American Airlines begins merging US Airways Dividend Miles accounts into American’s AAdvantage program, a process that will take “several days,” the company said on its website. Dividend Miles members will be notified by email when the procedure is complete; once it is, they can book award travel through aa.com, but until then they can’t book free trips. Also, “Elite upgrades will vary by airline until we combine reservation systems later this year,” AA said. “To make sure you’re eligible for elite upgrades, you should book flights that are marketed and operated by the same airline – either US Airways or American. If you’re booked on a codeshare flight, you’ll only be eligible to upgrade when you check in, and as always, upgrades are based on availability.”

Readers all hot and bothered by this TravelSkills Reader Report: Shakedown in Mexico

Survey determines most hated fees. Even though major airlines have been trumpeting the amounts they’re spending on passenger enhancements these days, most air travelers — 62 percent — remain “frustrated” by the air travel experience, and would pay more to see improvements, according to a new consumer survey by the U.S. Travel Association. Three out of five said they would pay up to $4 more per ticket in user fees for larger, more efficient U.S. airports. Respondents cited airlines’ $200 change/cancellation fees as the most reviled, followed by $50 seat assignment charges, $25 checked bag fees and $50 priority boarding fees. On another issue, seven out of 10 respondent said that instead of trying to block access by foreign carriers, U.S. airlines should improve their own quality of service to be more competitive.

Tokyo's Haneda Airport is much more convenient than distant Narita.

Tokyo’s Haneda Airport is much more convenient than distant Narita.

DOT lets Delta keep Tokyo route. The Transportation Department tentatively ruled on Friday that Delta can keep its existing Seattle-Tokyo Haneda route, but only if it maintains year-round daily service. Delta had sharply reduced its Seattle-Tokyo schedule during the winter, prompting competitors to ask the government to give them the Haneda rights. American wanted to fly Los Angeles-Haneda and Hawaiian Airlines had filed for Honolulu-Haneda rights.

Delta, Virgin expand partnership. Delta and joint venture partner Virgin Atlantic announced an expansion of their joint venture schedules across the Atlantic this year. Upcoming new routes include a daily Philadelphia-London Heathrow flight starting April 26 and a daily New York JFK-Manchester flight beginning May 21, both operated by Delta; and a daily Detroit-LHR roundtrip starting June 1, operated by Virgin Atlantic. Next month, Virgin is set to add a second daily Los Angeles-LHR flight (in addition to Delta’s once-daily service, for a total of three a day) and to open a new Virgin Clubhouse at LAX. This weekend, Virgin lays on a second daily Atlanta-LHR flight and a second San Francisco-LHR service five times a week. Overall, the partnership’s schedule calls for 39 daily transatlantic flights this summer.

Shoulder Surfing. Have you ever been the victim of “shoulder surfing” when you just know that the person next to you on the plane is watching everything you do on your laptop. This hilarious video records what happens when someone fights back by turning on his laptop’s camera. How do you handle nosy neighbors on planes? 

United delays extra SFO-China flight. United Airlines has pushed back its plan to add a second daily San Francisco-Shanghai Pudong flight, citing slot issues. Instead of starting in early May, the extra flight won’t begin until July 2. United will use a 787-9 for the new service.

New routes: Emirates, Austrian, Philippine. Fast-growing Emirates will add another U.S. gateway on September 1, when it begins daily Orlando-Dubai non-stops, using a three-class 777-200LR … Lufthansa affiliate Austrian Airlines, a Star Alliance member, will start flying a 777 from Miami to Vienna five times a week on October 16 … Philippine Airlines has revived New York JFK-Manila flights four times a week, operating via a stop in Vancouver.

Weekend Edition

Did you miss yesterday’s Weekend Edition? No probs! Here’s the link:

Most expensive city + Airport phoning + 25 million more PreCheckers + Cameras in rental cars + 2-4-1 deal in LA

In Case You Missed It…

Have you checked out Personal Capital yet? A powerful new tool from the former CEO of PayPay and Intuit (Quicken) to help busy people manage finances– some say it’s a better tool for wealth management than Mint.com. If you, like many business travelers, have a tough time keeping up with your investments, you should check it out today and help support TravelSkills!

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Uber NYC + Feds watching you + New LAX lounge + Best airport + Airport parking

(Photo: Jason Tester Guerilla / Flickr)

(Photo: Jason Tester Guerilla / Flickr)

NYC taxis losing the Uber battle. The New York Post reports that ride-finding service Uber has reached a critical milestone in New York City, no doubt the biggest market in the nation for hired cars: There are now more Uber vehicles than licensed taxicabs in the Big Apple. The paper said that Uber now has 14,088 “black and luxury cars” available for hire in New York, vs. 13,587 medallion taxis — although total trips by taxi still vastly outnumber Uber rides. Uber drivers reportedly like the more flexible hours and the higher earnings compared with traditional yellow cabs. Meanwhile, Uber continues to face plenty of legal troubles around the world, most recently in France, Germany and South Korea — including a new ban of its lower-priced car service in Germany. Weekend EditionHave your Uber habits shifted over the course of the last six months? Please leave your comments below. And if you can’t comment because you’ve yet to give Uber a try, sign up here and get $20 off your first ride. 

Feds eye facial recognition. U.S. Customs and Border Protection has quietly started testing new facial recognition technology on U.S. citizens re-entering the country at Washington’s Dulles International Airport. According to the tech news website Motherboard, the program is intended to help Customs officers catch individuals who may be using a passport that isn’t their own — although some observers question what CBP plans to do with the passenger photos it accumulates. Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union last week sued the Transportation Security Administration, demanding to see documents related to its “Screening Passengers by Observation” (SPOT) project. That’s the program that trains TSA officers to watch for passengers exhibiting suspicious behaviors or appearing stressed or frightened, and subjecting them to extra inspections. The ACLU alleged that separate studies have found there is no evidence that the program works at all; an ACLU attorney said the program “wastes taxpayer money, leads to racial profiling, and should be scrapped.”

FAA: Keep out of the seat back pocket

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

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

Changi tops airport list — again. For the third year in a row, Singapore’s Changi Airport has ranked as the world’s best in the annual passenger survey conducted by Skytrax. And once again, no U.S. airports managed to make it into the Top 10 Best list. London-based Skytrax is unique in its survey sample size: It claims more than 13 million travelers from 112 countries voted in its annual online poll, which covered 550 airports worldwide. Rounding out the Top 10 after Changi are, in order: Korea’s Incheon, Munich, Hong Kong, Tokyo Haneda, Zurich, Central Japan, London Heathrow, Amsterdam Schiphol and Beijing Capital International. Rated the best North American airport for the fifth consecutive year was Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky. Readers, do you agree? In your experience, what is the world’s best airport?

Looking over the duty-free area at LAX from the terrace of the new Emirates lounge (Photo: Emirates)

Looking over the duty-free area at LAX from the terrace of the new Emirates lounge (Photo: Emirates)

Emirates lounge at LAX. Emirates officials have cut the ribbon on a new $6.2 million Emirates Lounge at Los Angeles International Airport. Located in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, it’s open to first and business class passengers as well as Platinum and Gold members of the airline’s Skywards loyalty program. Seating 157, it offers a buffet food service, business center, free Wi-Fi, shower facilities, TV and reading areas and a prayer room.

Parking at Atlanta. Atlanta-area travelers worried about finding a parking space at the busy Hartsfield-Jackson Airport have a new option: online parking reservations. The airport said that for a $5 booking fee, customers can now reserve a space in the domestic Park Ride Reserve lot, which costs $12 a day; or in the international hourly parking deck for $16-$24 a day (the fee varies based on demand; the online rate is a significant discount from the regular $32 a day). Reservations must be made at least 24 hours n advance. The airport’s new parking reservations page is here.

Why you should change the credit cards you carry

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6 must-see spring travel flash sales

How will Hawaii be affected by the drastic drop in foreign currencies? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

How will Hawaii be affected by the drastic drop in foreign currencies? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Now that we are approaching the slower shoulder season, which runs from roughly Easter to Memorial Day, I’m starting to see some nice last minute deals pop up– quite good bargains for those flexy enough to travel in April or May.

Take a look and please note that these rates are subject to rapid change in price and availability:

Hawaii. The plunge in the value of world currencies compared to the US dollar has Hawaii nervous that it will get fewer visitors from abroad, and that its American base might be more interested in a flight to Europe instead of down to the islands. So fares are dropping for spring trips. For example, Hawaiian Air has nonstops between San Jose and Honolulu for as little as $358 round trip. Fly from Oakland or San Jose to Maui for just $388. To me, any West Coast-Hawaii roundtrip fare for less than $400 is a good deal. Hawaiian Air Deals Alaska Airlines is offering similar deals from San Jose or Oakland to Hawaii. Plus it has Los Angeles to Anchorage for just $320 round trip. Alaska Airlines deals

Emirates amazing 2-4-1 deal for economy class seats like these on a new A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Emirates amazing 2-4-1 deal for economy class seats like these on a new A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Dirt cheap to Dubai: Book two round-trip tickets to Dubai on Emirates for just $1,299 in economy (all in). This means just $650 per person, roundtrip from the US to Dubai. Yes, you read that right, only $650 round trip from any of Emirates nine US gateways: New York (JFK), Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Washington DC (IAD), Houston (IAH), Seattle (SEA), Los Angeles (LAX), San Francisco (SFO) and Dallas Ft. Worth (DFW) to Dubai (DXB). Travel must take place between March 24 and December 10, 2015. And you must book the trip by midnight March 12 PDT. I’ve never seen fares that low from the US to Dubai. Must have something to do with this! Emirates 2-4-1 special 

The SWISS flower power A340 appeared in San Francisco in 2010. I miss it! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The SWISS flower power A340 appeared in San Francisco in 2010. I miss it! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Europe! The euro continues to plunge against the US dollar, hitting a new low today of $1.07. Some observers think that we could see parity by this spring or summer (1 dollar = 1 euro), down from about $1.40 per euro last May. This means that Americans will find Europe a relative bargain bonanza when it comes to hotels, meals, local transport, gifts, etc. While airfare has remained stubbornly high, I’m now seeing some cracks, such as a flash sale (book by March 11) from SWISS with April/May round trips as low at $789 between Boston and Switzerland or Germany. New York and Budapest just $757.Roundtrips to Istanbul from San Francisco or Los Angeles are in the $1,100 range. SWISS sale fares.
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Virgin America & JetBlue launched a two day sale (book by March 11) with fares as low as $128 round trip. Some nice examples from JetBlue: Roundtrip New York to Charleston to watch the flowers bloom for just $128. Long Beach to Oakland or Las Vegas roundtrips for just $99. Seattle or San Diego-Boston for just $188 roundtrip is dirt cheap for a transcon.  JetBlue sale site. Virgin America’s sale is good through March 12 for travel April 7-June 10– with blackout dates and only good on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Some examples: Dallas-Washington DC is a super low at just $108 round trip. SFO-LAX roundtrips at $140; SFO-Vegas, Seattle & San Diego roundtrips $189. SFO-Palm Springs $199 roundtrip. Virgin America deals.

Alaska Airlines today announced a new nonstop between Seattle and New York JFK with fares as low as $298 round trip PLUS double miles if you purchase your ticket by March 16 and complete your trip by Nov. 18, 2015. Alaska Air to JFK

The view over the Venetian from my room at the Palazzo in Las Vegas (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The view over the Venetian from my room at the Palazzo in Las Vegas (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Las Vegas: Now here’s an interesting deal for folks who have a lot of IHG Rewards points. For today only, you can book the nice Venetian or the The Palazzo, in Las Vegas just 25,000 IHG Rewards Club points. That’s a big 50% discount on points required AND the deal is good for stays all the way through December 28. Must book today or tomorrow (March 11) by noon.
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Please note that these rates are subject to rapid change in price and availability:
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–Chris McGinnis

In Case You Missed it…

>Which cities worldwide have the best (and worst) quality of life?

>United renovates airport clubs, boosts food quality.

>Virgin Atlantic will boost San Francisco schedule with a 787.

>Hilton finally jumps on the free Wi-Fi

 

Did you missed TravelSkills Weekend editions? No probs! Here they are:

Don’t buy Gogo onboard + Virgin to Hawaii? + Clever Delta ad + LaGuardia slots

$64,000 roundtrip + Bevy of new flights + Southwest bag fee + Lufthansa update + Kimpton nightcap

 


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How Emirates welcomes a new plane [Photos]

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis having fun with Emirates flight attendants during the A380 tour at SFO

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis having fun with Emirates flight attendants during the A380 tour at SFO (Selfie!)

This week Emirates Airline deployed not just one, but TWO giant Airbus A380s between Dubai and the US.

On Monday, the 489-passenger double-decker touched down at San Francisco International and on Wednesday another one landed at Houston Intercontinental.

Luckily, TravelSkills was invited to tour the new plane and to attend two of Emirates celebratory events in San Francisco, and both were, as expected, way over the top. Way. Like Moet champagne and canapes served by butlers at the airport, a private dinner on the stage of San Francisco’s Davies Symphony Hall, thousands of deep red roses, and a special performance by a orchestral quartet. See photos of all of it below!

Emirates now has a whopping 54 A380s in service and has 86 more on order– more than any other airline in the world.

The journey from San Francisco over the North Pole to Dubai takes 16 hours– the longest commercial flight from SFO. With the upgauge, Emirates now has 135 more seats to sell on the increasingly competitive route from SFO to the Middle East and particularly to India. Another UAE carrier, Etihad, recently launched new nonstops from SFO to Abu Dhabi. Turkish Airlines arrives at SFO in 2015.

The A380 jumbo jet is too large to park in front of Emirates’ 10,000 square foot business/first class lounge at SFO (see photos), which means passengers must now walk from the lounge to the end of Terminal A at Gate 9, one of four gates with the three jetways needed to load and unload this behemoth. Previously, business and first class passengers could walk from the lounge directly onboard Emirates’ B777.

What are the two best all-around credit cards? Both currently offer 40,000 mile sign up bonuses!

Emirates’ A380 is currently the only commercial airline with showers on board. On this plane, there are actually two showers for exclusive use of those seated in the 14 first class seats onboard. Showers last five minutes, with a full stream of hot water for four minutes and a pulsating warning stream for the last minute. A flight attendant told me that nearly every first class passenger takes a shower on A380 long haul flights. (See photos below and here’s Emirates’ A380 web page)

Take a spin through our photos below and leave your comments at the end. Enjoy!

 

Emirates

The Emirates celebration started out with a reception at SFO’s Aviation Museum. I’ve been to several receptions here, but have never seen one as lavish as this one! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Emirates

Yep, that’s right, a champagne reception at 11:30 on a Monday. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Emirates

At least 10 different, and delicious, canapes from which to choose served by a team of white coated butlers…at the airport! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Emirates

A delicious vanilla and strawberry cake is cut by dignitaries to celebrate the A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Emirates

Time for the tour of the new A380 a gate A9 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Emirates glam crew waiting to board the aircraft for the 16 hour flight to DXB (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Emirates glam crew waiting to board the aircraft for the 16 hour flight to DXB (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Screen Shot 2014-12-04 at 3.58.09 PM

There are only four gates at SFO with the three jetbridges needed to unload a behemoth A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Emirates

The entire main deck on the Emirates A380 is economy class (399 seats)– configuration is 10 across configured 3-4-3. All seats have 12 inch screens, electrical outlets and the plane is equipped with wi-fi and phone service. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

That's the economy class loo! How nice, and big, is that? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

That’s the economy class loo! How nice, and big, is that? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

First and business class lounge at the rear of the upper deck (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

First and business class lounge at the rear of the upper deck (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

A sea of business class seats on the A380 upper deck-- 76 of them, all true lie-flat (Photo: Chris McGinnis(

A sea of business class seats on the A380 upper deck– 76 of them, all true lie-flat and configured 1-2-1 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Two center business class seats- one set up for dining, the other for sleeping (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Two center business class seats- one set up for dining, the other for sleeping (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

First class (14 seats) on this bird is just insane (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

First class (14 seats) on this bird is just insane (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

This is what you see when seated in first class. Note the make up mirror w lights and fresh flowers! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

This is what you see when seated in first class. Note the make up mirror w lights and fresh flowers! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Entering the shower spa. Ever seen a airplane lavatory like this? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Entering the shower spa. Ever seen a airplane lavatory like this? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Here's the shower stall and look at that sink! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Here’s the shower stall and look at that sink! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Showers are limited to 5 minutes each. This is the timer to let you know... (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Showers are limited to 5 minutes each. This is the timer to let you know… (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 50,000 miles = first class round trip flight … for <$100
Manufacturer stamp on the door jamb- just like a car (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Manufacturer stamp on the door jamb- just like a car (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Emirates private dinner on the state of Symphony Hall (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Emirates private dinner on the stage of Symphony Hall- that’s a dinner party down there, not an orchestra! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Speeches, toasts, and dinner on stage at Symphony Hall (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Speeches, toasts, dignitaries and dinner on stage at Symphony Hall (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Elegant dinner on stage (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Elegant dinner on stage (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Red roses everywhere... and I mean everywhere. In the thousands, I'm sure. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Red roses everywhere… and I mean everywhere. In the thousands, I’m sure. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Printed menus - just like onboard :) (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Printed menus – just like onboard 🙂 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Elegant, delicious. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Elegant, delicious. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Post prandial performance by a string quartet from the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Post prandial performance by a string quartet from the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Soooo…whaddya think? Please leave your comments below! 
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That oddball credit card offer just got richer! 50,000 miles = 1 first class roundtrip for <$100. Seriously. Check this out. 

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Virgin’s next moves? + NYC + New Lufthansa seat + Eastern Airlines + More A380s

A brilliant fall day in NYC from the top floor of the Parker Meridien hotel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Greetings from New York City on a beautiful fall day peering out from the Parker Meridien hotel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

AIRLINES

Virgin shares soar in IPO. And the airline could, too. This is going to be really fun to watch. Virgin America shares hit the market Virgin Americaon Friday morning at $23 each, and took off to reach $30 by the end of the day. That makes Virgin worth about $1.3 billion. Now, with about $220 million in net proceeds, Virgin is going to add new planes, new routes and hopefully more frequencies in key business markets. CEO David Cush said that Virgin will add five new planes in 2015 and another five in 2016. He also said the SF-based carrier has a few other “tricks up its sleeve.” Talk of new flights to Hawaii has re-emerged. With Southwest taking AirTran’s business class seats out of the SFO-ATL market, I’d love to see two-class Virgin dive in. Where would YOU like to see Virgin America (see current destinations) expand? And would you be willing to give up your legacy carrier frequent flyer miles to try it? Please leave your comments below. 

Lufthansa’s premium economy starts this week. That new Premium Economy Class at Lufthansa is opening up nine days sooner than expected. The carrier said that starting November 22, the new section will be available on all of its 747-8 routes, including Frankfurt to Chicago, LAX and Washington Dulles. Besides the extra in-flight comforts, passengers will get twice the free checked bag allowance of regular economy, and for a 25 euro fee ($31), Premium Economy passengers can access the business class lounge before departure. Currently, United does not allow redemption of MileagePlus miles for Lufthansa (or any Star Alliance) premium economy. Lufthansa is offering a 15 percent discount on Premium Economy bookings until December 9. Take a look at Lufthansa’s new seat in this TravelSkills post: 20 different business class seats in one room

etihadTheResidenceFclass

One of three rooms in the Etihad First Class “Residence” onboard its A380s (Etihad)

$20,000 first class suites going fast. Would you pay $20,000 one way to fly in a private first class suite the size of some Manhattan apartments? Etihad Airways says these super-premium accommodations on its A380s — called The Residence — are selling out, in spite of the stratospheric price tag. Each one has a private shower, living area, bedroom — and the services of a butler. Meanwhile, other leading international carriers have upgraded their own front cabins to meet strong demand from global business moguls.

I captured this image of the Asiana B777 wreckage when my Delta flight from Atlanta landed the day after the crash (Chris McGinnis)

I captured this image of the Asiana B777 wreckage when my Delta flight from Atlanta landed  at SFO the day after the crash (Chris McGinnis)

Asiana SFO flights suspended. The South Korean government has ordered Asiana Airlines to halt its daily service to San Francisco from Seoul Incheon for 45 days as a penalty for the airline’s crash of a 777 during its landing at SFO in July 2013, in which three passengers died and scores were injured. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board blamed the crash on errors by one of the pilots, who was unfamiliar with all the automated systems on the 777. Asiana said it will appeal the suspension, which could delay implementation of the order.

Related: Korean Air Trip Reports- SFO-Seoul on a B777  &  Seoul-Atlanta on an A380 

International route news: Etihad Airways, which begins daily San Francisco-Abu Dhabi non-stops November 18, said its upcoming Dallas/Ft. Worth route, beginning with three flights a week on December 3, will increase to daily on April 16; Etihad is a code-share partner with American …

>Emirates will put a fourth daily flight, using an A380, onto its Dubai-New York JFK route on March 8, timed to maximize connections with partner JetBlue. The carrier also said it intends to put the A380 super-jumbo onto more U.S. routes; it introduced the plane on its DFW route last month, and will do the same in December with San Francisco and Houston. Emirates will have 68 A380s in operation by the end of 2015 compared with 55 today according to Bloomberg …

>British Airways will replace the 777 on its Denver-London route with a four-class 747 starting in March (including its new 14-suite first class design) …

>El Al will introduce Boston-Tel Aviv service three times a week starting in June 2015 …

>On May 1, Aer Lingus will begin new seasonal service from Washington Dulles to Dublin four times a week …

>Lufthansa will add Tampa to its route network in September 2015, using an A340-300 for flights to Frankfurt.

Popular: 20+ TravelSkills readers have signed up for these oddball credit card offers that reap big rewards. Have you? 

The new Eastern Airlines has painted its first jet. Brings back memories, no?

The new Eastern Airlines has painted its first jet, a 737-800. Brings back memories, no?

Something old, something new: PEOPLExpress, Eastern. The new incarnation of PEOPLExpress Airlines appears to be in trouble: Media reports indicate officials at Virginia’s Newport News/Williamsburg Airport are trying to evict the carrier from its home base, citing $100,000 in unpaid bills … The old Eastern Airlines name is also being revived in Miami. The “new” Eastern has started recruiting flight attendants, although it doesn’t yet have FAA certification. The company said it plans to operate 737-800s, but will initially serve only as a charter airline.

United’s holiday shopper lounges. Chase and United Airlines will soon open special VIP lounges for holiday shoppers in San Francisco and New Jersey. Available to Chase United cardholders, they’ll offer gift wrapping, refreshments, TVs, Wi-Fi and more, with locations at the Westfield San Francisco Centre (November 24-December 24) and The Mall at Short Hills (November 22-December 24).

Lake Tahoe at sunset (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Lake Tahoe at sunset (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Love Lake Tahoe? Then come chat about it! TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis will be talking about his favorite place to get away from it all MONDAY at 3 pm ET. Take a cool virtual tour here and come chat with us and FlipKey today! On Twitter, look for the #TakeMeThereTahoe hashtag at 3 pm ET, Noon PT today!

In Case You Missed It…

Stay tuned! Part 2 of this weekly “Catch Up” will post tomorrow morning…

 

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

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2 airlines offer free inflight wi-fi

Inside Emirates outstanding hub in Dubai (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Inside Emirates outstanding hub in Dubai (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Inflight wi-fi still feels like a miracle to me. It’s even more miraculous when it is free.

Right now, you can get it for free on two carriers: One international, the other domestic.

Today, Emirates announced that it will soon offer free wi-fi on all 53 of its A380 superjumbos, and on 28 (out of about 140) Boeing 777s. The Dubai-based carrier says that it is “aggressively retrofitting” all its other aircraft and will eventually offer free wi-fi fleetwide. This is great news because most of Emirates flights are super long-hauls, like this 15-hour journey I took from San Francisco to Dubai– and inflight wi-fi can sure help pass the time.

On most Emirates flights equipped with wi-fi, you’ll get the first 10MBs of data for free. To get a whopping 600MB, all you have to do is pay a token $1 fee.  But don’t count on getting free wi-fi yet– Emirates says that due to technical limitations, it is currently not possible to offer the 10MB free “on a few of its A380s and 777s” but that the issue should be “resolved in coming months.”

“If we can offer good quality Wi-Fi connections for everyone onboard at no charge tomorrow, we will do it. But we face a slew of technical limitations – from speed and bandwidth availability and cost, to the supporting hardware and software – all of which we are working hard to address with the industry right now,” said Emirates President Sir Tim Clark. “Ultimately, we believe that onboard Wi-Fi will become a free service, and a standard that customers will expect on a full service airline, just like onboard refreshments and personal inflight entertainment. Emirates is leading the way on this, and we are working closely with our suppliers and various stakeholders towards this vision,” he said. On a few of its A380s and 777s, it is not currently possible to offer the first 10MB free for technical reasons, but the airline says it is working hard to resolve the issue in the coming months.

Related: How to save $$$ on inflight wi-fi 

Emirates says that it saw a 200% spike in Wi-Fi usage in the month of October when it offered a free wi-fi promotion to mark the Eid holidays. During the month, it saw a daily average of 3,500 passengers using onboard Wi-Fi, at an average of 28MB per user. The highest number of Wi-Fi users on a single flight was recorded on an A380 with 153 passengers connecting, and the flight pulling the most bandwidth  was nearly 8,000MB from 26 users onboard a Boeing 777 flight. (It did not provide details on which flights.) Its data show that Emirates passengers most frequently access Google, Facebook, and chat services Skype, WhatsApp and BBM.  Passengers onboard Emirates also have other ways to stay connected with in-seat sms and email, as well as mobile phone services.

In the US, Emirates flies to Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Toronto, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Boston, New York City and Washington, DC. In December, it will begin flying A380s to both San Francisco and Houston. I’ve heard mixed reviews about Emirates’ inflight wi-fi connections. Have you used it? Please leave your comments below…

JetBlue

In the US, JetBlue’s beta version of Fly-Fi, its inflight wi-fi product, is on all 10 of JetBlue’s Airbus A321s and 73 of its A320s. It should be on all JetBlue’s Airbus aircraft by spring 2015. Eventually, you’ll get it on its Embraer 190s, too.

Fly-Fi is available on JetBlue’s fancy new Mint A321s flying between New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. 

JetBlue currently offers a basic wi-fi connection for free

On it’s website, JetBlue says that it currently offers a basic wi-fi connection for free

It’s basic “Simply Surf” option is currently free. For more bandwidth, JetBlue says that you can purchase its fatter “Fly-Fi Plus” plan for $9/hour. Just log in to the Fly-Fi portal during your flight and follow the instructions.

(Source: JetBlue)

JetBlue release this infographic in September. (Source: JetBlue)

Let’s do a bit of expectation management: Inflight wi-fi, no matter what carrier offers it, is still a relatively new phenomenon. Whether it’s paid for, or free, inflight wi-fi WILL NOT work as well as the connection you have at your home or office. Sometimes it will not work at all. Maybe some day it will. But not right now. Expectations managed? 😉

What’s been your experience with inflight wi-fi? Should it be free? Please leave your comments below. 

–Chris McGinnis

>>Take a peek at what you may have missed on TravelSkills.com this week! <<

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SFO runways reopen + Fewer amateurs in PreCheck + Coach cocktails now $8 + United’s cool passport scan app

SFO's new EMAS runaway plane lane is finished! All 4 runways now open (Photo: SFO)

SFO’s new, federally mandated, EMAS crushable concrete “runaway plane lane” is finished! All 4 runways now open (Photo: SFO)

SFO runways reopen early. Good news for Bay Area travelers: San Francisco International goes from two operational runways to four effective today (August 10) as a major construction project wrapped up a month ahead of schedule. The two runways had been closed since May 17 to install federally-mandated Runway Safety Areas (designed to catch and slow down runaway planes), requiring airlines to adjust their summer flight schedules. (More photos here) Luckily, the project had minimal impact on SFO flight operations.

Fewer amateurs in TSA PreCheck lanes? Now this sounds hopeful: “We’ll start pulling back on the number of people who we include on a random, managed-inclusion basis, because we want to, frankly, cater to those who have actually signed up, and who we have the highest confidence in because we know the most about them,” John Pistole, TSA Administrator told the New York Times when asked about overcrowding in TSA PreCheck lanes. This is music to the ears of the 440,000 people who have actually paid for the service, and who have been complaining loudly about the increasing number of “random” travelers chosen to pass through the speedy lanes. Have you noticed any improvements?

More kiosks speed re-entry. The latest expansion of Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry kiosks is at Mineta San Jose International Airport, where two of the self-service devices are now in place for program members. Meanwhile, Detroit Metro Airport has installed 30 Automated Passport Control self-service kiosks for inbound international passengers who aren’t part of Global Entry, and Minneapolis-St. Paul now has 10 of the kiosks in its Lindbergh Terminal. (Have you noticed any change in immigrations and customs processing in the US lately? Are the kiosks helping? Please leave your comments below.)

Are you going to try flying into Dallas Love Field starting in Oct? Let us know! (Photo: Justin Terveen)

Are you going to try flying into Dallas Love Field starting in Oct? Let us know! (Photo: Justin Terveen)

No surprise: Southwest adds DAL-SFO/OAK. Southwest’s big expansion of service at Dallas’ close-in Love Field later this year is adding two more business destinations: San Francisco and Oakland. Starting January 6, the carrier will initially operate only one daily roundtrip in each market, but that’s still enough to give some competition to Virgin America Airlines, which plans to launch its own DAL-SFO service on October 13 with three flights a day — and three classes of service, something Southwest lacks. Will you start to fly into Dallas Love (DAL) or stick with DFW? Leave your comments below, please.

United app will scan passports. A big hitch in checking in for international flights with an app has been the need for a passport scan. But now United has come up with a solution: It’s testing an upgrade to its mobile app (for both iOS and Android) so customers can do just that. “After initiating the app’s check-in feature, customers will have the option of verifying their existing stored passport data or scanning their passport. The app uses the mobile device’s camera feature to capture travelers’ passports, similar to a mobile banking deposit,” United said.

In-flight service squeeze at DL, AA. Flying on Delta during the cocktail hour? Be prepared to shell out $8 for that mixed drink in coach, up from $7, the airline confirms … Starting next month, American Airlines will discontinue serving meals to first class passengers on most flights under two hours 45 minutes, replacing them with snacks (exception: some of the most popular routes, like ORD-LGA).

Emirates arrives at Chicago ORD (Photo: Emirates)

Emirates arrives at Chicago ORD- that’s the Chicago city flag (Photo: Emirates)

Emirates to Chicago ORD; AA juggles Brazil service. Emirates last week started new daily 777-200LR non-stops between Chicago O’Hare and Dubai … American will discontinue Charlotte-Sao Paulo service Oct. 1, but will add new routes in December from JFK and MIA to Viracopo Airport in Campinas, Brazil; on October 25, AA will start seasonal suspensions of JFK-Dublin, ORD-Dusseldorf and PHL-Zurich flights … Air France now offers international first class travelers onward connections by four-seat private jets at Paris CDG. (Trivia Question: What do the four stars on Chicago’s city flag represent? Answer here.)

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CARS

Uber continues to disrupt ground transport with a new carpool sharing option (Photo: Uber)

Uber continues to disrupt ground transport with a new carpool sharing option (Photo: Uber)

Uber, Lyft try ride-sharing. Popular ride-finding service Uber is adding a new feature for users: Share your ride and both customers can save money. Called Uberpool, the feature is currently in beta; Uber still promises a ride in five minutes if you opt for Uberpool, and if it can’t find a ride share, it will give you a discount anyway. Competing ride-finder Lyft introduced a similar service called Lyft Line, initially available only in San Francisco and only via iOS devices. Meanwhile, an app called TaxiMagic — used to summon licensed taxicabs — is changing its name to Curb and upgrading its service to include higher-priced black car and limo rides. How do you get around on the ground? Leave your comments below. And if you’ve not tried Uber, do so from our links and you’ll get $30 off your first ride!

In Case You Missed It…

>Should JetBlue and Virgin America merge? How about Lyft and Uber? (Reader comments are great here!)

>Here’s what’s new and cool in the Los Angeles hotel scene.

>Think it’s impossible to sneak onto a flight? Think again.

–Jim Glab & Chris McGinnis

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Are you in the market for a new credit card? Looking for a fat points or mileage bonus to sweeten your balance? Then check out our BEST CREDIT CARDS FOR BUSINESS TRAVELERS and scoop up the deals!

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Newer, lighter Emirates A380s coming to SFO, IAH

The business and first class lounge on upper deck of Emirates A380 (Photo: Emirates Airline)

The business and first class lounge on upper deck of Emirates A380 (Photo: Emirates Airline)

Emirates is deploying  its giant double-decker Airbus A380 on nonstop routes from both San Francisco International and Houston Intercontinental to Dubai (DXB) on December 1 and 3 respectively.

The new aircraft comes with showers, wi-fi and, yes, even the option of using your mobile phone during the flight. (Oh my!) The A380 also brings true lie-flat business class seats to these markets– Emirates Boeing 777s currently on the routes offer the less desirable “angled lie flat” version.

The A380 will offer 14 posh and private first class suites and 76 lie-flat business class seats, and 400 economy class seats. Business class seats are configured 1-2-1 and economy class seats are 10-across, configured 3-4-3. See configuration here.

Emirates' depiction of its first class shower suite (Photo: Emirates Airline)

Emirates’ depiction of its first class shower suite (Photo: Emirates Airline)

The 16 hour SFO-Dubai flight (which takes the polar route) will be the third longest route for an Emirates A380. (Flights from DXB  to LAX and IAH are longer.) These newer versions of A380 aircraft are lighter and more efficient than previous versions which were unable to fly that far.

San Francisco and Houston will be Emirates’ fourth and fifth U.S. gateways served by an A380, joining New York, Los Angeles, and Dallas/Fort Worth starting October 1.

The entire upper deck of an Emirates A380 is for business and first class passengers only. Passengers riding in first class have access to two shower suites. There’s also Emirates’s popular onboard lounge for business and first class passengers on the A380 (see photo) serving wine, beer, cocktails and canapes.  Check out the onboard experience via Google’s Street View here.

In coach, all passengers get 12 inch touch-screen entertainment, power outlets, and access to wi-fi. Also, Emirates is one of the few airlines in the world to allow passengers to use their mobile phones during the flight.

“Adding the A380 to these two important US cities illustrates the intensity of the battle being fought for the ultra long haul passenger, especially those in first and business class,” Henry Harteveldt, travel industry analyst and founder of Atmosphere Research told TravelSkills. “The A380 has clearly become Emirates’ long-haul workhorse. We’re witnessing a new kind of airline dogfight. But this time, instead of cheap prices, the battle is being fought with in-flight entertainment, lie-flat seats, and extensive connections via Emirates’ Dubai hub,” he said.
With announcements like this, it seems like Emirates is taking over the world…what do you think about the rapid rise of UAE carriers? Would you fly Emirates via Dubai to get to India, Africa or the Middle East? Please leave your comments below.


—Chris McGinnis

+++

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More transpac + Slim-line seats slammed + More A321s + New SFO club + ATL free wi-fi + New Hilton brand

5 key questions to ask at hotel check in

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Virgin first class sale + Hilton HHonors downgrade + Chase Sapphire w chip + United dumps ExpertFlyer

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

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

BIG SEATS, BIG SALE ON VIRGIN. To keep the those posh seats at front of the plane full during Thanksgiving week, Virgin America announced a flash sale today— those normally pricey first and main cabin select seats are on sale at 50% off, but only for bookings made by midnight tomorrow night (Nov 20) for trips between Friday, Nov 21 and Sunday, Nov 30. Get the deal by booking at VirginAmerica.com and using the promo code: BESTSEATS. These are VERY good deals… esp first class to Vegas for $300 round trip!

Sample roundtrip fares from SFO:

Main Cabin Select / First Class:

New York JFK: $600 / $2028
Newark: $580 / $1548
Washington DC $488 / $1346
Los Angeles: $210 / $248
Seattle: $254 / $460
Las Vegas $232 / $300

HiltonHHonorsLogoHILTON HHONORS NIXES POINTS AND FIXED MILES OPTION…Hilton has been unique among major hotel brands for allowing hotel guests to “double dip” by earning both hotel points and a fixed number of airline miles for their stay (typically 500 miles). Effective Jan. 6, 2014, guests can continue to double dip with airlines, but miles will be earned at a rate of one mile per dollar spent—no more fixed rates. This significantly downgrades the mileage earning option, and most travelers would be wise to switch to the “points and points” option allowing bonus Hilton HHonors points instead of “points and miles.” This is, yet another, indication of travel companies adjusting their loyalty programs to award travelers based on revenue.

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EXPERT FLYER LOSES STAR ALLIANCE AWARD DATA…ExpertFlyer.com, a popular tool used to research flight availability and search for award seat space, has lost the ability to access award space data to Star Alliance carriers. This seems quite suspicious considering United just slashed its award chart making it more expensive to book tickets effective Feb. 1, 2014—and no doubt more travelers are making award ticket reservations between now and that date. Could United have played a role in the removal of this data from ExpertFlyer to make it harder to find space? Not all Star Alliance airlines appear in award searches via United.com. Luckily, travelers with an All Nippon Airways frequent flyer account can still log in to see complete Star Alliance award availability and then phone United to make their reservations.

EMIRATES/VIRGIN AMERICA BECOME LOYALTY PARTNERS…Members of Emirates and Virgin America’s frequent flyer programs can earn and burn their miles on each other’s flights. Until now, the only other easy way to earn and redeem miles on Emirates (without flying Emirates directly) was by using Alaska Airlines miles, which provides a similar partnership. Virgin Elevate now partners with two of the worlds finest airlines.. Emirate and Singapore. Not bad! 

—Chris McGinnis 

And just in case you missed it, here’s what else you need to know about Bay Area Travel over the last month:

More A380s + Cathay discounts biz class + SJC courts Asia + Double Elevate pts

>Southwest FINALLY joins PreCheck

>United to allow handhelds below 10K feet

>Travel advice fit for a Queen (Latifah!)

>New landing procedure at SFO should help w delays! Hallelujah!

>Big, bad United MileagePlus surprise 

>Virgin’s new Safety Dance

>Riding the Red Carpet Route to London! 

>Double Miles on United & Southwest

>$100 hotels in NYC 

>Two posh new lounges coming to SFO 

***

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Peak summer + United TP mess + SFO’s best food + Virgin at SJC

PRICEY SUMMER. This is expected to be the busiest summer travel season since before the recession of 2008. The peak of the peak summer travel season, which runs from roughly June 21 through August 10 this year, is now upon us. Summer got off to a slow start at SFO this week, with the rainy weather resulting in ground stops and delays of up to 2-3 hours, while Oakland and San Jose Airports were operating normally.  Airlines say that the busiest days of this summer will be Thursdays and Fridays, so avoid those if you can. Since this is THE most expensive, most crowded time of year to travel, try to postpone trips until late August if you can, and you may get through this summer with your wallet and sanity intact. (Check out the above video, which is part of a summer travel project I’ve been working on with the Chase Sapphire Preferred card.)

United flight attendants improvisation when toilet paper ran low. (Credit: Unknown)

United flight attendants improvised when toilet paper ran low on an London-SFO flight (Credit: Unknown)

UNUSUAL TP ON UNITED? By now you’ve likely heard about United flight 931 from London to San Francisco that somehow took off… without enough toilet paper. United uses a 747-400 on the 10-hour daylight flight from Heathrow, which has nine lavatories. Over the last week, the story has gone viral. A quick Google news search using “United Toilet Paper” shows at least 28 stories have run so far.While it appears that the Bay Area’s KGO Channel 7 scooped this story locally (which was originally posted on FlyerTalk), here’s our favorite take on it, from the Daily Beast: “Is it us, or does flying keep getting crappier? Every airline seems to be cutting back on something, but United took it to a whole new level by taking off for a ten-hour flight without [enough] toilet paper on board. Some quick thinking flight attendants stocked the bathrooms with cocktail napkins, but the effort didn’t sit well with passengers. In a statement, United said, ‘We apologize to our customers on this flight for the inconvenience and would like the opportunity to welcome them back.’” Another good headline from USA Today: “United is wiping up after a customer service mess.” CNN confirmed that the lavatories lacking TP were in the coach section, not in business or first class. Thoughts please! Leave them below in the comments section. 

Precheck logo TMPRE-CHECK AT SFO TERMINAL 1. The TSA’s super-popular PreCheck lanes are coming to Delta’s gate area at SFO’s Terminal 1, boarding area C, by mid-July according to SFO spokesman Doug Yakel. This means that PreCheck will now have lanes in all three domestic terminals at SFO; however, PreCheck will NOT have a lane in Terminal 1, boarding area B used primarily by United Express, Southwest and US Airways. PreCheck is one part of the No Hassle Travel Trifecta that every frequent traveler in the Bay Area should be a part of!

BEST FOOD AT SFO?. One of our favorite foodie blogs, Eater SF, recently chose the top 5 dining standouts at SFO. Do you agree with the following assessment? What’s your favorite place to grab a meal at SFO?

  1. Piq.  Italian influenced café and bakery in Terminal 1
  2. Ebisu. Hard-core sushi in the International Terminal G-side (United side).
  3. Burger Joint. Above average burgers in Terminal 2
  4. Yankee Pier. Good ole standby seafood house located near security lanes in United’s Terminal 3
  5. Cat Cora’s Kitchen. Upscale comfort food (like lobster mac and cheese) in Terminal 2

SUMMER DEALS TO ASIA. Singapore Airlines launched an interesting “Early Bird” sale for late summer and early fall travel this month. Every week, it puts a new Asian destination on sale. It started out with Singapore at $999 round trip, and has followed with Thailand and Vietnam at $1100 round trip. You must book tickets by June 29th and travel between August 18 and November 15. Singapore Air also posts last minute deals for trips as soon as July 16 to its stopover cities (Hong Kong and Seoul) for $784 to $964 roundtrip. (Fares are “all in”– including all taxes and fees.) These deals are not bad considering a roundtrip nonstops from SFO to Europe are in the $1,500 range for late August trips.

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TAKE BART TO THE AIRPORT? You may want to start thinking about alternatives starting next week as a strike looms. SFgate reports: “With a BART strike appearing increasingly possible, Bay Area transportation officials are urging commuters to start planning for the gridlock and chaos that could be unleashed on Monday morning. Labor agreements with BART and its five unions expire at midnight Sunday.”

WILL YOU MAKE PREMIER? Based on our recent poll, TravelSkills reader are split regarding the impact of United’s recently announced spending thresholds for Premier status. Over half of you (57%) said that you’ll be able to maintain status (easily or just barely) while 43% said that you would not be able to meet the new spending requirements. See the poll (and vote!) here.

VIRGIN WINNING SJC-LAX. Remember when Virgin America announced that it would enter the San Jose-Los Angeles market with new nonstops on May 1? As soon as Virgin made that move, other airlines pounced, adding new service or beefing up existing flights, making the route one of the most competitive in the country with multiple daily flights from Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest and Virgin. At a recent Bay Area/Silicon Valley Business Travel Association meeting, John MacLeod, Virgin’s SVP Planning & Sales, told TravelSkills that according to ARC data (which does not include Southwest), Virgin already has the highest share of passengers on the route. However, MacLeod is not resting easy, adding, “Despite our low costs we’ll need it to be even higher to make a profit on the route. It’s very competitive.” Where’s all the biz coming from? MacLeod says that more Silicon Valley travelers than expected are driving to San Jose International and then flying Virgin to LAX to connect to transcon flights instead of facing the traffic-clogged 101 north to SFO.

United employees in new duds (Photo: United Airlines)

United employees in new duds (Photo: United Airlines)

NEW DUDS FOR UNITED. United employees will don new uniforms today. Here’s how a United press release describes them: Flight Attendants: The uniform includes a core wardrobe of black trousers, skirts, sweaters, vests and blazers with two rows of silver braid on the sleeves. Female flight attendants will also wear sweaters, vests, short sleeve jackets and two styles of dresses, including a signature blue dress with a black stripe detail. Outerwear for male and female flight attendants includes a black all-season coat and an optional gray double-breasted wool coat. Customer Service Agents: The uniform includes a wardrobe of black blazers, trousers, sweaters, vests and skirts. Agents will also wear colored shirts and distinctive neckwear that vary depending on their job responsibilities. What do you think? Please leave your comments below. 

NEW PLANES FOR UNITED. At the Paris Air Show earlier this month, United announced that it would order 35 of a “stretch” version of the new Airbus A350, the 350-seat Airbus A350-1000. A350s are new super-efficient composite aircraft introduced to compete with Boeing’s 787 Dreamliner. Deliveries of the new plane will not begin until 2018. United already has 65 Dreamliners in the pipeline—20 of which will be the newer, larger 787-10 stretch version. All of these new planes will be used for long-haul international flying.

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NO MORE RENO-OAKLAND. Southwest Airlines is eliminating its 2x daily nonstops between Reno and Oakland this month due to lack of interest. However, you can still fly to Reno from San Jose (on Alaska) and SFO (on United).

The apple-sized Beacon Phoenix wireless speaker in my NYC hotel room (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The apple-sized Beacon Phoenix wireless speaker in my NYC hotel room (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

PORTABLE BLUETOOTH SPEAKERS. Last month Beacon Audio sent me one of their new, fist-sized, Phoenix Bluetooth speakers ($49-$99 depending on where you buy it) for a test drive. I’m no audiophile, but this tough, rubberized, rechargeable and travel-friendly speaker packs a wallop of sound that’s great for jamming on iTunes in the hotel shower—it also adds a deeper dimension to watching videos on my iPad. I plan on bringing it to the beach later this summer. Do you pack a portable speaker for your listening pleasure when on the road? What’s your speaker of choice? Why? Please leave your comments below.

MORE MEGA-MILE BONUSES. Remember when I wrote about Rocketmiles and Pointshound—two new hotel booking sites that offer mega-mileage bonuses at select hotels? Well both have some out with news this month. First, Rocketmiles has teamed up with Virgin America, and is offering Elevate elites a big 5,000-point bonus for the first hotel booking; regular members get a 3,000-point bonus. Details on the bonus here. Pointshound is offering a 500-point bonus on Virgin America, United and several other carriers, but only for bookings made by the end of June. (Note: We have posted affiliate links to these sites and earn bonus points, too, when readers book trips. So help us out!)

United's new half bottles of wine. Would you?

United’s new half bottles of wine. Would you?

BIG JUGS ON UNITED. Have you seen the new 375 ml half bottles of wine that United is serving on p.s. flights? Each bottle (2.5 glasses) costs $15.99. Currently on offer: Meiomi Pinot Noir 2011 or St Supery Sauvignon Blanc 2012. Both rate 91+ on Wine Spectator. In a related story, Spirit Air is now selling canned wine onboard—in white or strawberry moscato at $7 per can. The press release says, “This new category is defined by delectable wine products in a convenient, environmentally-friendly container with six percent alcohol content.

NEW STAR ALLIANCE PARTNER. Taipei-based EVA Air has officially joined Star Alliance, which means you can earn and burn United miles, albeit at reduced levels, when flying on EVA’s Boeing 777 SFO-TPE nonstops. United’s planned nonstops between SFO and TPE, which were to have cranked up this past April, have been shelved until (at least) next March.

EMIRATES A380 TO LAX. SFO? Emirates announced last month that it would begin flying a double-decker, 489-seat, Airbus A380 between Los Angeles and Dubai starting December 2. As soon as I heard that, I wanted to know when it might bring the big bird in to replace the current B777s on SFO-DXB, but received the following non-committal answer from Emirates PR reps, “Emirates has not announced plans to bring the A380 into any additional US destinations but continues to review destinations as more A380s are delivered. Emirates, the largest A380 operator in the world, has 34 A380s in service and an additional 56 A380s on order; receiving one A380 delivery per month, on average.” While having an Emirates A380 at SFO would be great, keep in mind that the behemoth with have to dock at the far end of the international terminal, which would mean elimination of allowing business and first class passengers to board the plane directly from SFO’s enormous 9,500 sq ft Emirates lounge (which is located in the middle, not the end of the terminal).

—Chris McGinnis

***

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Two stunning new airline lounges at SFO (Photos)

Gorgeous white marble and backlit Fabbian glass tiles make for a dramatic entrance at Cathay Pacific's new SFO lounge.

International business and first class travelers departing for Hong Kong, Dubai or beyond can now cool their heels while awaiting flights at two gorgeous new lounges at SFO. These perches are so plush that passengers may want to get to the airport early just to enjoy the surroundings and get a great pre-flight meal.

In December, Cathay Pacific and Emirates opened new lounges at SFO’s international terminal. Both invited me out last month for a look around, and allowed me to take photos to share with readers.

The gorgeous 5,500 sq ft Cathay Pacific lounge is located up an escalator just beyond the security screening area near most other airline lounges on south (A) side of the International Terminal. Prior to the opening of this lounge, Cathay Pacific passengers used facilities offered by Oneworld partner British Airways. Now they have a lounge all to themselves. The lounge’s minimalist design is based on Cathay’s flagship lounges at Hong Kong International– materials such as white italian marble, bamboo paneling and Fabbian crystal are the same. Another similarity: the chef-staffed noodle bar!

The Emirates lounge is located about halfway down SFO’s south side international terminal corridor on the left hand side. First, business and Skywards elite passengers enter and check in, then descend into the enormous 9,500 sq. ft. lounge  located one floor down– with direct access to the waiting B777– there is no need to exit the lounge to board the plane. Again, the design of this club should be familiar to Emirates flyers– the rich contemporary look (wood, leather, brass, earth tones, sprays of fresh flowers and plants) is nearly identical to Emirates’ 25 lounges in Dubai and around the world. Similar to the carrier’s main hub lounges in Dubai, passengers are tempted by a visually stunning, seemingly limitless smorgasbord of dining options designed to appeal to western, Indian, Asian and Arab palates. There’s even a Muslim prayer room– with it’s own foot-washing station.

Let’s go take a look! Cathay first:

The big, bright Cathay lounge is open from 7:45 am until 11:50 am, and then again from 8:05 pm until midnight.

The unique and popular Cathay Solus Chair is a specially built unit offering a private space to eat, work and relax.

Cathay's signature fresh noodle bar turns out the perfect pre-flight comfort food-- made to order. There is also a wide variety of hot and cold Western and Asian dishes at the self-service counter

Plenty of space to spread out and work or chill, bathed in natural light

There are three unusually large shower suites, sheathed in marble and other unusual finishes like this white river stone tile.

A large carrera marble communal table in the dining area.

Cathay offers two flights per day from SFO to Hong Kong-- noon and midnight. SFO-HKG nonstops last about 14 hours.

Now, let’s walk on down to the Emirates lounge….

Emirates passengers check in here, then descend to the lounge. It opens at noon and closes once all passengers have boarded for the 3:45 pm departure to Dubai (15.5 hours away!)

The enormous, light-filled lounge is filled with cozy seating nooks like this. Floor to ceiling windows look out onto the ramp and the waiting Emirates B777.

There are several of Emirates signature Rolex wall clocks throughout the lounge.

A private prayer room.

This is the foot washing station adjacent to the prayer room.

Passengers get restaurant-style service at the largest private dining room at SFO.

Foodies will delight in the array of gorgeous hot and cold options-- all labeled.

Vegetarian options abound to appeal many travelers who travel through Dubai to get to India.

Passengers can even get a steak! There's also a full bar, a fine wine selection, including champagne.

Nice touch: Free wi-fi throughout the lounge. There is also a business center with several internet connected PCs.


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Q: What is the longest flight from SFO?

Seatback screen aboard an Emirates B777 showing the route of our 15.5 hour flight from SFO to>>>

Q: What’s the longest flight from SFO?

A: The longest flight from San Francisco International is Emirates’ nonstop, 15.5-hour flight to Dubai on a Boeing 777.

Q: When flying from San Francisco to Dubai, would your heading be west or east?

A: Neither! The 8,100-mile flight between SFO and Dubai heads due north—right over the North Pole!

Last fall, Emirates invited me to take this monumental, nonstop journey to the other side of the world. Here are some notes and photos from the flights—in both directions. C’mon along for this spectacular ride– and see the North Pole…

Photo: Chris McGinnis

Emirates flies a Boeing 777-300 between SFO and Dubai in a three-class configuration: First, business and economy. Depending on time of year, economy class roundtrip nonstops cost between SFO and DXB are in the $1,000-$1,500 range; business class fares range from $5,000 to $7,000; first class roundtrip fares are $8,000+.

Emirates says its load factors out of SFO are very healthy– around 80% on average. It says that SFO is at the “top of the list” for deployment of one of Emirates 15 giant A380s, however, at this time the double-decker does not have the range to fly SFO-DXB with a full load during the hot summer months, so there are no set plans to switch to the A380 for now.

Emirates recently opened a brand new 9,500 square foot business class lounge at SFO’s International Terminal A (the southern side).

Forty-two business class seats are configured 2-3-2 on the B777, with a cocoon-like back shell that provides plenty of privacy. Most surfaces (such as the tray table, and even the toilet seat lid in the lavatory) are covered in a classy burled walnut veneer; there are power outlets for laptops, noise canceling headsets, and oversized inflight amenity bags– one for men, another for women– full of all sorts of goodies. While there is no in-flight internet, passengers can send and receive text messages from their seats at $1 per message. All seat functions (including recline, in-flight entertainment or IFE controls and even massage) are controlled by the hand held unit you see in the armrest pictured above.

(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

After a 3:45 pm departure from SFO, we headed due north on a clear day, right over the top of Mt Shasta, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver and the snow-capped peaks of British Columbia at sunset. What a view! I tried to get some work done on the laptop, but found it difficult not to watch the show unfold out the window.

I was particularly impressed with Emirates’ IFE system, which provided a 3-D, virtual-reality-like experience that (to me) was much more entertaining than the thousands of movies, TV shows and games from which passengers can choose. For those who don’t want to view the scenery out the window, electronic window shades raise or lower at the touch of a button.

Photo: Chris McGinnis

Upon boarding, flight attendants served a round a Veuve Cliquot champagne to business class passengers. After about two hours, flight attendants then proffered scented hot towels and warmed mixed nuts and then poured a nice Stag’s Leap Chardonnay, which was followed by a nice meal, briskly served, since many passengers were readying for sleep. I chose halibut, potatoes, grilled asparagus and tomatoes (my seatmate had the Lamb biryani). Food was on par with other foreign carriers I’ve flown– and head and shoulders above what’s typically found in business class on US carriers. Service was efficient, not obsequious or doting.

(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

While I was hoping to stay awake long enough to peer out at the North Pole, the two glasses of Chardonnay, the meal, the melatonin and this nice linen covered mini-mattress (see above), full sized pillow  and cozy comforter convinced me otherwise. (I did see The Pole on the return, though! Keep reading…)

Business class seats on Emirates B777 are of the “angled lie-flat” variety (vs true lie-flat) which disappointed me at first. However, the tilt was barely detectable once the seat was fully reclined– and get this: I fell asleep somewhere over the Yukon Territory, and woke up seven hours later somewhere over Iran! By far, the longest, best night’s sleep I’ve ever experienced on a plane.

(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

After our 15.5 hour journey, we landed in Dubai the following day at about 7:45 pm. Dubai International Airport (DXB) is simply stunning. What you see above is baggage claim– which should give you some idea of what the entire airport is like– big, bright and beautiful. It felt like a brand new Las Vegas casino– minus the gambling, which is illegal in Dubai.

Sixty percent of Emirates passengers use Emirate’s giant DXB hub as a connecting point to the carrier’s extensive network of flights– especially to India. As a matter of fact, 50% of all Emirates passengers from SFO end up flying onward from DXB to Indian cities such as Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi.

India-bound passenger’s other options include flying from SFO via Asia or Europe. At one time, United and Emirates participated in a frequent flyer program partnership where Mileage Plus members could earn United miles when flying Emirates to Dubai. However, Emirates says that United decided to terminate that partnership last May.

(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

All business and first class passengers get free transportation via a fleet of black Volvo station wagons stationed outside the airport to their hotels in Dubai (most are about 15-30 minutes away). There is also the quick, slick Dubai Metro rail system that connects the airport to the city– however, note that it has limited hours on Fridays, which are holy days in the Arab world.

(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

This photo, taken from the roof of the Shangri-La hotel shows the towering Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest building in the world. In the lower right corner is a Dubai metro station. It all looked like something out of a science fiction movie.

(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

On the day of my return flight, I arrived at the airport early to investigate and enjoy what I’d heard was one of the poshest business class lounges in the world. I was not let down– from the spray of fresh flowers at the entry, to the multiple buffets serving traditional English breakfast, full Indian meals, baked potatoes with all the toppings, salmon with capers, shrimp, endless refrigerated shelves of desserts, juices, tea, and coffee. The selection boggles the mind.

Morning is peak time in the Emirates business class lounge, and the place was packed– almost uncomfortably so. I was told that this enormous lounge could accommodate up to 1,600 travelers, and I think it was running pretty close to capacity that day. Seeing the crowds, and knowing that everyone in the lounge had paid several thousand dollars for their business class tickets made me wonder to myself, “What global financial crisis?” (See additional photos here.)

(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Flying back to SFO took us over the North Pole once again, and this time I stayed up for the action. In the photo above, you can see our routing over the top displayed on the IFE system.

(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

That’s it! The money shot! In this photo, I’m looking out the window straight down on the North Pole. (See the big striped candy cane? 😉 )

(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

After the excitement of seeing the North Pole, it was time for a snooze. Note how Emirates has cleverly installed thousands of tiny fiber-optic white lights (that actually twinkle) into the ceiling of the aircraft to let you know that it’s time to sleep. Nice touch.

(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

For Muslims, who must face east for their daily prayers, Emirates in-flight system displays this icon several times throughout the flight in the IFE system– the arrow points east toward Mecca, no matter which direction the plane is pointed in.

(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Almost home!

(Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Forward facing cameras on the B777 broadcast the view as we approach SFO and touch down at about 1 pm pacific time.

–Chris McGinnis


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SFO to get posh new biz/first class lounge

Entry at the Emirates Lounge in New Delhi-- expect similar touches like marble, polished wood and gold letters at SFO (Photo: C. McGinnis)

Dubai-based Emirates Airline has announced that it will open a new business and first class lounge on the A side of the international terminal at SFO later this year.

It will be Emirates’ only lounge on the West Coast…not even LAX gets one of these posh perches.

(Want to see what’s in store for SFO? Scroll down for my slideshow of photos inside Emirates lounges in Dubai and Delhi.)

Emirates currently operates a single daily Boeing 777 SFO-Dubai flight from the G (left) side of the international terminal where it provides business and first class passengers with access to United’s lounges.

The new 9,502 square foot club will be located on the A (right) side between gates 3 and 5 (on the left as you walk from security) and directly across the terminal walkway from the British Airways lounge.

As in other Emirates facilities around the world, cost does not seem to be much of an object with the SFO lounge—expect marble floors, gold Rolex Clocks, fresh flowers, HD televisions, exclusive restrooms and showers, a business center, workstations and free wi-fi. (See slideshow below for a peek of what’s in store.)

Crowding should not be an issue since the lounge will be exclusive to Emirates first, business and elite frequent flyers. (Emirates says that it will not share loung access with any other carriers.)  An Emirates 777 holds only 50 first and business class passengers, but the lounge is designed to accommodate a maximum of 265, including a dining area for 77.

Chefs will prepare and present a wide array of hot and cold dishes from an on-site kitchen. There will also be a full bar (flights depart SFO at 4:45 pm…conveniently close to cocktail hour).

Unusual: Business and first class passengers will be able to board the flight from a jetway door located in the lounge leading directly to the plane.

On a recent trip through Dubai to India, Emirates invited me into its massive lounge at its hub there.  Since the look and feel of its lounges are pretty standard around the world,  what you see in these photos should match up pretty closely with what we’ll soon see at SFO:

Entry point at Emirates flagship business class lounge at Dubai-DXB which can accommodate 1,800 passengers-- and still gets quite crowded at peak times. There's a separate first class lounge I was unable to get into. (Photo: C. McGinnis)

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One of four dining areas at the Dubai lounge which can accommodate 1,800 passengers (Photo: C. McGinnis)

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Check out this lox and bagel spread (Photo: C. McGinnis)

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Loungers for naps (photo: C. McGinnis)

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Shrimp (Prawn) sandos (Photo: C. McGinnis)

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One of a wide selection of desserts and pastries (Photo: C. McGinnis)

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Full bar stocked with premium brands (Photo: C. McGinnis)

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Rolex wall clocks at Dubai Int'l-- a standard in all Emirates lounges (Photo: C. McGinnis)

 

(Chris McGinnis publishes TravelSkills and The TICKET blogs for frequent travelers.)

 


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New name, but few changes at “United Club”

This week United and Continental celebrated the one year anniversary of their merger by christening their combined lounges with a new name: United Club. However, your Red Carpet club credentials will still get you in the door. So far, no significant changes have been announced, but United says, “In time, remodeled clubs will provide additional business-friendly features…including more workstations…” What could United do to make the clubs better?

Some details:

>United Club members now have access to 50 lounges in 39 airports worldwide, including two here at SFO.

>Memberships start at $475, but day passes are available for $39 online or $50 at the door.

>Clubs offer free wi-fi, beer, wine and liquor, breakfast and afternoon snacks.

>United Club members now have access to 25 more lounges that were once Continental Presidents Clubs.

>Due to its tight affiliation with Chase, United Clubs will no longer offer free access to American Express Platinum Cardmembers.

>United Club already has its own Wikipedia page.

>Starting later this year, Emirates passengers will get their own lounge at SFO, and no longer share facilities with United.

What’s your favorite United Club location? Why? What do you think of the new name?


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In-flight mobile phone calls coming soon

Passengers on this gorgeous Air New Zealand A320 can now make cell phone calls in flight. (Photo: Air New Zealand)

Passengers on this gorgeous Air New Zealand A320 can now make cell phone calls in flight. (Photo: Air New Zealand)

Whether you like it or not, in-flight mobile calls may soon be coming to an airline near you.

Air New Zealand recently signed up with Geneva-based OnAir, an onboard system that allows airline passengers to use mobile phones, laptops and other portable devices to communicate with the ground using voice and/or data connections.

While some carriers, such as British Airways and Qatar Airways, use OnAir to allow only data communications (text, e-mail), Air New Zealand joins several other airlines, such as Emirates, Malaysia Airlines, Royal Jordanian and TAP Air Portugal, that use the technology to allow mobile voice calls on certain flights. It’s a highly controversial notion in the US, where lawmakers have proposed laws that would ban in-flight voice calls.

OnAir and other companies such as Aeromobile employ picocell technology, deemed safe by aviation authorities. With the flip of a switch, any airline using OnAir can set the system to offer both data and voice calls on any flight. (Voice calling is available to anyone with a GSM phone and an international roaming agreement– calls typically run $2-$3 per minute)

To read the rest of this post and learn which other airlines could be offering cell phone service, click here and read it on my BBC.com Travel Blog

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