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News and Tips For Your Trips

Delta upgrades first class on some domestic routes

Delta One a330

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are more photos of Emirates new cabin designs:

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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

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Singapore Airlines unveils an awesome A380 makeover (photos)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

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Bidding for upgrades proves a success

Flyers were quite willing to ante up at the gate for a Virgin America first class seat. (Image: Virgin America)

How much is a seat in the front cabin worth to you at the last minute?

That’s the question frequent flyers could be facing from more airlines in the future, following a successful test of upgrade auctions on Virgin America flights.

The test was conducted by a mobile app called SeatBoost, which teamed up with Virgin America to try out its technology on 45,000 customers who downloaded the company’s app and created accounts on it.

Of the unsold premium seats available on the Virgin America test flights, more than 90 percent were snapped up by buyers who placed a bid through the SeatBoost app, the company said, providing upgrades to 6,600 customers.

Participating flyers use the app right at the gate to submit bids of how much they are willing to pay for a last-minute upgrade, assuming seats are still available. And in some cases during the tests, the bidding was quite competitive.

“SeatBoost’s auction format frequently sold upgrades at price points that exceeded the Virgin America retail price,” the company noted.

Persons who submitted the winning bids for the front-cabin seats are notified through the app, and are instantly issued new boarding passes.

SeatBoost’s app offers easy bidding and fast results. (Image: SeatBoost)

SeatBoost sees a big future for its technology with additional airlines. “Not only does the SeatBoost app deliver unprecedented results in terms of upgrades sold – be it first, business, premium economy, etc. – it opens a new revenue stream after all other channels are essentially closed,” said SeatBoost advisory board member Jerry Behrens.

Related: Targeted for an upgrade? 

Company CEO Kevin Stamler said the results of its pilot program with Virgin America prove “that the auction format incentivizes bidding through people’s natural desire to win.”

“We’ve proven that especially on long-haul flights, fliers are more willing to spend money for additional legroom, comfort, and premium services,” he said, “and we expect increased participation and revenue when we expand to international carriers with even longer haul routes.”

The SeatBoost auctions are the opposite of another auction technique  being adopted by Delta and United: Instead of asking how much you would pay for an upgrade, those airlines are asking passengers on overbooked flights how much compensation they would accept to take a later departure.

Have you ever bid for an upgrade? How that go for you? Please leave your comments below.

Source: A 2016 APEX survey

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British Airways’ posh plans for business class [PHOTOS]

British Airways 787

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are highlights:

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

British Airways First class

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

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

British Airways business class

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Alex Cruz

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

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

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

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

British Airways bread

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

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

Dessert on British Airways

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

Cheese

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Boston basks in lie-flat comfort

JetBlue’s front-cabin Mint service is expanding to more transcon routes. (Image: JetBlue)

Thanks to JetBlue, flat-bed seats on transcontinental flights are spreading from the New York market to Boston. And that is music to the ears of West Coasters who have to endure those six-hour hauls. Boston is so. far. away! And so is California…

When JetBlue introduced its Mint front-cabin service, which offers lie-flat seats and other perks to premium passengers, it was initially limited to the highly competitive New York-Los Angeles and New York-San Francisco markets dominated by United, Delta and American.

What started out as an experiment by JetBlue – offering biz-class service with a lie-flat seat comparable to its competitors but at lower fares – became a huge success for the carrier’s bottom line.  So it started fitting out more aircraft with flat-seat Mint cabins and expanding the service to more transcontinental markets – starting with its three daily San Francisco-Boston flights.

First class lie-flat seats in Delta’s BOS-SFO 757-200s starting in June. (Image: Delta)

Last September, Delta announced plans to re-enter the San Francisco-Boston market on June 8 with two daily roundtrips, using 757-200s. Delta has four models of 757-200s, one of which offers lie-flat seats in its first class cabin. And those are the 757s Delta will use on the BOS-SFO route.

And something else is happening June 8:  United reportedly plans to change the aircraft mix on its San Francisco-Boston flights from the current 757-300s, 777-200s and 737-900s to just two types: 777-200s and 757-200s, all with lie-flat seating in the front cabin.

JetBlue, meanwhile, plans to boost frequencies in the BOS-SFO market by adding a fourth daily Mint roundtrip in July. Game on.

Looking ahead to June when the competition heats up,  business class fares on jets with lie-flat seats in the Boston-San Francisco and Los Angeles market are currently running at about $1,200 roundtrip. Flights with standard recliner seats are as low as $892 roundtrip.

JetBlue’s current and upcoming Mint routes. (Image; JetBlue)

Meanwhile, JetBlue has also put Mint-equipped A321s onto its Boston-Los Angeles flights as of last fall. So far, we haven’t see any front cabin flat-bed response from its competitors on that route. United, Delta and American all use 737-800s on their BOS-LAX flights. (However, Delta plans to use flat-seat 757-200s on its new transcon route from Washington Reagan National to LAX that starts next month.)

(Note: Virgin America is in all these transcon markets, but it doesn’t offer true flat-bed seats in the front cabins of its Airbus jets.)

If JetBlue’s competitors decide to offer a comparable premium product on BOS-LAX, this flat-seat fight could spread to even more markets.

JetBlue’s longer-term plan for Mint includes deployment of the flat-bed front cabin on more transcon routes in the months ahead including Boston-Seattle, Boston-San Diego, New York-San Diego and New York-Las Vegas, along with San Francisco-Ft. Lauderdale and Los Angeles-Ft. Lauderdale.

What do you think about the emerging lie-flat wars? Is lie-flat really necessary on a domestic flight? Which airline do you use for transcons and why? Please leave comments below! 

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American’s new amenity kits: Stylish and reusable

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

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

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

By Kim Grimes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

First class transcon kit features

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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United Polaris rollout: What to expect

United Polaris

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

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

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

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

Don’t miss: New Polaris lounge shakes up SFO

United Polaris

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

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

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

United Polaris

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

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

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

Bedding

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

United Polaris business class

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

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

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

United Polaris Pajamas

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

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

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

United Polaris business class

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

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

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

Amenity Kit

United Polaris amenity kit (Scott Hintz)

United Polaris amenity kit (Scott Hintz)

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

United Polaris Amenity kit

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

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

United Polaris

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

 

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

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

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How I bid on a transcon upgrade and won

Virgin America A320

My last “real” Virgin America flight in seat 1A! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

>In this post: How I bid my way to a first class upgrade on Virgin America and a Trip Report (with photos) about my experience…

Last week I used my Virgin America Elevate points (26,000 of ’em!) to buy a roundtrip economy class ticket between San Francisco and Washington, DC– and I lucked out in both directions.

Here’s what happened:

About a week before my trip, I received an email from Virgin America inviting me to bid on an upgrade to first class for the return leg (DCA-SFO) of the trip. Since I knew I’d be tired and ready to kick back after an very busy three-day trip, I thought “hmmm I deserve this, let’s check it out.” It had been a long time since I had enjoyed a transcon flight in Virgin’s big marshmallow white seats, and I knew I’d appreciate the space, service, meal and cocktails on the evening return flight.

Plus, I thought that it could be the last time I’d fly on the “real” Virgin America since its takeover by Alaska seems imminent.

 

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I was psyched to receive the upgrade offer because I’d booked my economy class roundtrip a little late, and the seat selection was poor. I had aisle seats, behind the wing, in both directions. Yuck. So I bit. And I clicked on “Make an offer” and found out that I could only get the upgrade on the return flight. Still, an upgrade in one direction is better than no upgrade at all, right?

The click led to a screen that asked me to name my price for the return flight– but it would not allow me to submit a bid for less than $400. It included a helpful little toggle switch that helped gauge my “offer strength” and also showed a photo of those big leather marshmallows to tempt me.

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$400 seemed high to me, so I had to think about it. A few hours later, I decided, once again, “I deserve this.” So I went back and made a bid at the cheapest possible price: $410. If I got it, fine, if I did not, no biggie. I’d suffer at the back of the plane. This was a “free” ticket anyway since I’d used my points, right? What’s another $410? Plus, when I checked, roundtrip first class flights were running at about $3,000 roundtrip on Virgin America.

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Once I submitted my bid, I received another email saying that my bid was under consideration- and that I could modify it or cancel it at any time. I liked that. I did not feel like I was stuck. I could up my bid, or I could bow out completely. Virgin said that my credit card would only be billed if my bid succeeded, and that they’d email to let me know if I’d won.

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This all took place on Tuesday. My outbound flight departed Thursday morning, and the return was Sunday evening.

When it became time to check in for my flight on Wednesday, I took a quick look to see if any better coach seats have opened up. Lo and behold, one had: a non-reclining exit row window seat 9F– yes! Since it does not recline, Virgin does not charge extra for it, and I don’t ever recline in economy anymore, so I grabbed it. I also noticed that the middle seat next to mine was empty and hoped it stayed that way.

And you know what? It did stay empty! When the door to the plane closed, the guy in the aisle seat and I did a fist bump 🙂 An empty seat next to you on an exit row is almost as good as first class, right? Well, kinda. But I was able to stretch out, get some work done, use the middle seat tray table for overflow.  The 4-5 hour flight passed quickly, I had a nice fast Gogo internet connection, a protein plate for lunch (my favorite Virgin meal) ordered from the seat back.

Dear Alaska Airlines: Figure out a way to preserve and expand Virgin’s seatback food and drink ordering system. After eight years, no other airline has copied it and it works so well– for both passenger and crew.

Virgin America Protein

I hope Alaska Air keeps Virgin’s protein plate on the menu- it’s my favorite meal! (Chris McGinnis)

When I arrived in DC, I want straight to the most controversial hotel in the world. You can read about that here…

I was in DC for a meeting on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. As I struggled through a sunny bright DC Saturday morning stuck in a windowless conference room, I remembered my bid for first class on the flight home. A few minutes later, my phone buzzed with an email:

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Wooo hooo! I got it! I won the bid! I went to check my options and settle on seat 1A. I felt like standing up in the middle of the meeting and giving myself a high five! I’d be flying home in style. My favorite hometown airline had come through for me. So here’s how that went:

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

Virgin’s cushy first class seats look like big white marshmallows- I sat in 1A (Virgin America)

Boarding the flight was fast and easy at Washington Reagan National. There are only eight seats in Virgin’s first class. Only one was empty for the the flight to SFO.

First thing I noticed was how old the plane felt. It must have been one of Virgin’s original A320s. I could tell by the older version of inflight entertainment, the scuffs and scrapes on that big white seat and surrounding area. (It did not look as pristine as the Virgin-supplied photo above.) Looking out the unpolished, murky window, I could see paint chips on the big red engine under the wing. While still nice, the hippest, coolest airline in the world looked a little long in the tooth. Alaska Air is going have to give some of these planes a nip and tuck here and there to keep up the Virgin image.

A little work with my bloody mary and mixed nuts (Chris McGinnis)

A little work with my bloody mary and mixed nuts (Chris McGinnis)

Service was great as usual. One of my favorite things about flying Virgin is how the pilots, in their black uniforms, stand at the head of the cabin to make pre-flight announcements. It’s interesting and reassuring, and I hope it’s a touch that Alaska Airlines keeps.

Three choices for dinner in Virgin America first class (Chris McGinnis)

Three choices for dinner in Virgin America first class (Chris McGinnis)

Flight attendants helped stow my carry on since I was in the bulkhead. They also distributed huge black pillows and comforters– these are seriously large and cozy. I declined, however, since I knew I’d be working on this flight.

Starter salad (Chris McGinnis)

Citrus and Persian cucumber with prosciutto starter salad- nice but the sections of lime were too sour (Chris McGinnis)

 

Main course (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Main course: Persian chicken with basmati right- regrettably overcooked and dry, but edible! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

A pear tart for dessert (Chris McGinnis)

A pear custard tart for dessert (Chris McGinnis)

Overall, I feel like that $410 was money well spent. I got plenty of work done on the flight.  Once again, I had a speedy Gogo connection— fast enough to upload photos, which is rare. I arrived back in SFO in good shape after the 5 hour slog.

I’m going to miss Virgin America. It will be tough to say goodbye to our fun, sassy, innovative, high-style airline. But I believe it will be in good hands with Alaska, which seems to have an open mind about integrating the best parts of the Virgin experience.

What do you think about losing Virgin America? Did you ever get to fly upfront? Ever play the upgrade bidding game? Please leave your comments below.  

CYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Love a lie-flat seat? You’ll love this…

Lie-flat front cabin seating on a Delta 757-200. (Image: Delta)

Lie-flat front cabin seating on a Delta 757-200. (Image: Delta)

Delta’s announcement this week that it will introduce lie-flat first class seats next spring on a new transcontinental route is just the latest step in a growing expansion of flat-bed front-cabin seats on routes across the country – an expansion largely fueled by JetBlue’s increased commitment to its Mint premium service.

Delta said it will use a 757-200 with flat-bed seats in first class when it starts flying on April 24 between Los Angeles International and Washington D.C.’s close-in, Reagan National Airport (DCA) which is preferred by most with business in the district. (Because perimeter rules limit DCA to just a handful of flights longer than 1,250 miles, Delta said it will drop one of its two daily DCA-Salt Lake City flights, but will begin a new flight from Salt Lake to Washington Dulles.)

The introduction of lie-flat front-cabin seats on domestic flights a few years ago was initially limited to service between the New York area and San Francisco and Los Angeles, where it is now offered by American and Delta out of New York JFK and by United’s “p.s.” service out of Newark Liberty International. When JetBlue rolled out its competing Mint premium cabins with lie-flat seats, it initially did so in those same two transcon markets out of JFK.

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis is in Washington DC this week-- flew nonstop SFO-Washington National on Virgin America

Washington National Airport gets lie-flat seats from Delta (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

But Delta has also introduced lie-flat seats on 757-200s between JFK and its growing Seattle hub. And that market has become one of several targeted by JetBlue in a big expansion of its Mint service.

JetBlue recently added the Mint option to its Boston-San Francisco route, and is doing the same on Boston-LAX this fall. And earlier this year, the carrier announced its intention to bring lie-flat Mint seating to even more transcontinental routes, with plans to increase the size of its Mint-equipped A321 fleet from 17 planes to 31 by 2017.

Transcontinental routes that JetBlue has targeted for Mint service expansion in the months ahead include Seattle-Boston, Seattle-JFK, San Diego-JFK, San Diego-Boston, San Francisco-Ft. Lauderdale, Los Angeles-Ft. Lauderdale and Las Vegas-JFK.

JetBlue has big plans for expanding its Mint service. (Image: JetBlue)

JetBlue has big plans for expanding its Mint service. (Image: JetBlue)

Two months ago, Delta unveiled plans for new routes out of Boston next year, including twice-daily service to San Francisco with 757-200s. (Although the announcement didn’t specify that these aircraft will have lie-flat front-cabin seating, it seems a safe assumption given JetBlue’s Mint service in that market.) JetBlue then said it will lay on a fourth daily Mint-equipped Boston-San Francisco flight next summer.

Virgin America has a nice premium cabin on its transcon routes, but the seats do not recline fully flat. The airline has talked about refreshing its front cabin, but that has taken a back seat to the impending merger of Virgin and Alaska Airlines. The combined carrier (assuming they are eventually combined rather than remaining as separate brands under common ownership) will have a big stake in transcon Seattle markets as well as SFO-JFK and LAX-JFK. The question is, what will Alaska decide to do with the front cabin product?

Whatever it decides, Alaska is already committed to adding a new Premium Class cabin to its 737-800s, 900s and 900ERs – not just regular coach seats with extra legroom, but an actual premium product with extra amenities and perks, situated between first class and economy.

Will that be the next big battlefield in transcontinental passenger options? How important is a lie-flat seat to you on transcon flights? Please leave your comments below. 

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts:

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British Airways’ new “millionaire’s door” at Heathrow

British Airways First Wing

Rendering of the mod new British Airways First Wing passageway at London Heathrow (Image: British Airways)

A lucky few British Airways customers traveling from London Heathrow will soon be able to bypass the riff-raff at airport security and enter the airport via a new private walkway connecting the check in area with the lounges in Terminal 5.

London Heathrow First Class BA

British Airway’s classy, cosseted first class check in area at London Heathrow- soon to have a direct connection to lounges (Chris McGinnis)

“The First Wing,” set to open in April, will be located behind to the airlines First check-in area.  BA says that it will create “an enhanced private check-in zone where customers will be guided to two new dedicated security lanes, designed to speed up the process of passing through the airport.” The new secret passageway is reserved for BA’s first class passengers, Gold Executive Club members and Oneworld Emerald members only.

BA says, “Once through security, customers will have dedicated access to British Airways’ Galleries First lounge and through to the airline’s flagship Concorde Room, where they can relax before their flight, making the journey seamless for those premium customers.”

British Airways, Millionaire's Door, Heathrow

The current “millionaire’s door” just beyond security is reserved for British Airways First customers only (Chris McGinnis)

BA says that the new private passageway will help reduce the number of customers using the current North and South security, speeding up the journey for all customers, especially those traveling in Club World, through Terminal 5.

Currently, all first class passengers check in at BA’s dedicated check in area at Heathrow, then must go through security with all other passengers. This new passageway will provide direct access to the lounges, eliminating the need for the current “millionaire’s door” (pictured) located just beyond security, which provides a quick, easy and private entrance to the Concorde Room and the entire Galleries lounge complex in Terminal 5.

DONT MISS! The 100,000 points question!

 

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

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Buying vs. hoping for upgrades

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Be the first to try American’s premium economy cabin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Turkish Airlines

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

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

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

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

2  Secret spaces on planes you’ve never seen before

3 First class phase-out picks up steam

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

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

4 United unveils new business class, dumps first

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

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

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

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

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

8 Is TSA PreCheck too expensive?

9 TSA explains confusion over PreCheck policies

10 Routes: American, Delta, United, Southwest

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

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

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

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

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

Marriott Rewards offers airline bonus miles

American dumping Gogo for ViaSat inflight wi-fi

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

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

Take a virtual flight with Nicole Kidman on Etihad

Turboprops set to make a comeback in US

Former Virgin Atlantic 747 goes up for sale — on eBay

AA chief: Airlines should price more like hotels

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

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

State Department issues warning about travel to Europe this summer

Saudis invest $3.5 billion in Uber

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

Southwest Airlines bulks up in the Bay Area

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

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Popular: Disappearing first class + Hawaiian Airlines A330 makeover + AT&T free roaming + Rules of DND signs

First class on an update Air France B777- CLICK image for immersive view

Does international first class have a future? (Image: Air France)

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

1 First class phase-out picks up steam

2 An unusual new lie-flat seat for a U.S. carrierWeekend Edition

3 What “Do Not Disturb” really means at hotels

4 TSA explains confusion over PreCheck policies

5 Delta Comfort+ expansion and confusion

6 Chase cards add a big new airline partner

7 Airport news: San Jose, Denver, Salt Lake City, Paris, Berlin

8 AT&T follows Verizon, T-Mobile to more roaming

9 Long TSA lines might keep many travelers from flying

10 Virgin Australia debuts a “new” 777-300ER

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

Earn Marriott Rewards even when not a hotel guest

An exciting new Chase Ultimate Rewards partner airline: Air France

Best Western summer promo: Stay 2x, get $50 

Take a look at this new $1.3 billion hotel near Washington, DC

Marriott’s mildly good summer promotion

Atlanta to get Tel Aviv nonstops? 

Harvard Business Review examines “Why Air Travel Is Terrible”

Delta’s new CEO reflects on his first 30 days on the job

Lufthansa extends partnership with NetJets for Lufthansa Private Jet service

World’s longest rail tunnel set to open in Europe on June 1

Small Luxury Hotels offer 30 percent off during August in London, Paris, New York

Survey: Flyers prefer Wi-Fi availability to in-flight food

Will flights face more clear-air turbulence due to climate change?

Etihad Airways produces a virtual reality film starring Nicole Kidman

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

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First class phase-out picks up steam

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

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

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

In recent news:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Act fast! British Airways business class sale

On BA's A380, business class is an upstairs-downstairs affair (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

On BA’s A380, business class is an upstairs-downstairs affair (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Planning to go to London for the year-end holidays? If you can act by May 12 (Thursday), you can score a real deal on British Airways premium seats. The three-day business class/first class sale also offers low prices for trips across the pond this summer.

Here are some sample prices: For Thanksgiving/Christmas trips (travel November 22-29 or December 18-January 2), roundtrip sale fares in Club World (business class) are $2,963 from Los Angeles, $2,964 from San Francisco and $2,995 from San Jose (where BA started service this week). Fares from other gateways include $2,038 from Boston, $2,202 from New York, $2,243 from Miami, $2,592 from Chicago and $2,595 from Dallas/Ft. Worth.

For travel this summer and beyond (June 20, 2016-March 31, 2017), Club World three-day roundtrip sale fares are $3,463 from LAX and SFO, $3,493 from San Jose, $2,338 from Boston, $2,502 from New York, $2,542 from Miami, $2,992 from Chicago and $2,993 from DFW.

First class sale fares range from $2,742 to $3,895 for holiday trips and from $3,042 to $4,393 for summer, depending on the gateway. All fares include taxes, fees and carrier charges. The airline is also offering hotel discounts.

For comparison’s sake, business class fares from US to London typically run in the $5,000 to $8,000 range, so these fares represent good value.

Sale fares are also available for travel beyond London to Athens, Barcelona, Birmingham, Madrid and Manchester, and for travel on BA partners American Airlines, Finnair and Iberia.

Now’s the time to keep an eye out for similar business class fare sales on other carriers-– as summer vacation season (and holidays) approaches and business travel demand declines, airlines freak out and lower prices for those big seats up front. Sometimes business class is not much more than overpriced economy class during peak season from mid June through mid-August, as well as winter holidays.

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

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Secrets of air rage revealed!

Did you walk through first class to get to your coach seat? Then don't drink too much on the flight. (Image: jiom Glab)

Did you walk through first class to get to your coach seat? Then don’t drink too much on the flight. (Image: Jim Glab)

A newly published academic study looked into the factors that make air rage more or less likely to happen on any given flight – and the results were not what the researchers expected.

The researchers from the University of Toronto and Harvard Business School got access to internal reports on air rage over several years from “a large international airline,” and they found that the biggest predictors of passenger misbehavior fit right into the theme of a Bernie Sanders campaign speech.

While drunkenness, cramped seating, insufficient legroom and the other usual suspects all contributed to “antisocial behavior” on aircraft, the authors said, the biggest factor by far in predicting the likelihood of an incident was passengers’ “temporary exposure to both physical and situational inequality.”

Specifically, the study found that incidents of air rage in economy class were much more likely to happen on a flight that has a first class cabin than on one that doesn’t. The odds of an air rage incident were also higher when economy passengers had to pass through first class to get to their seats, rather than boarding directly to the middle of the plane. (The latter factor raised the odds of air rage in both first and economy classes, they noted.)

Flights with a first class cabin had an air rage incident rate of 1.58 per 1,000 flights, the study found – more than 10 times the rate for flights with no first class (0.14 per 1,000 flights). As for boarding, the odds of an incident in the economy cabin more than doubled when everyone boarded from the front of the plane.

One of the researchers told the Toronto Star that passengers don’t mind front-cabin flyers getting better treatment, but they don’t like it to be too obvious. “People have paid between several hundred dollars to several thousand dollars, and they don’t want to be made to feel like second-class citizens,” said the University of Toronto’s Katy DeCelles, an associate professor at the university’s Rotman School of Management.

She said airlines could probably reduce air rage by eliminating factors that make passengers more aware of the preferred treatment that first class passengers get – e.g., putting curtains between the cabins, using dual boarding areas, and making sure that meals being cooked in first class can’t be smelled in coach.

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

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A celebrity Reader Report: Japan Airlines first class LAX-Tokyo-SFO

Scott Hintz

TripIt co-founder Scott Hintz is a world traveler…and TravelSkills reader!

There aren’t a lot of celebs in the biz travel space, but we found one of them!

Last month I noticed via social media that TripIt co-founder (and longtime TravelSkills reader) Scott Hintz was headed to Tokyo in first class on Japan Airlines using his American AAdvantage award miles. Knowing he has a very discerning eye, I asked if he wouldn’t mind taking some notes and reporting back to TravelSkills about his experience. Luckily, he obliged with an excellent post and a handful of photos. Thanks for this excellent reader report, Scott! 

Some highlights of this report: 

  • Insider advice on finding award seats on AAdvantage partner airlines
  • Some problems getting through security at LAX
  • Review of the spacious and relatively empty Qantas lounge at LAX with 5-star dining
  • No amenity kit or PJs in first class. Wait. What?
  • Champagne, caviar…and Japanese pickles
  • Speedy, cheap wi-fi relieves sleepless long-haul boredom
  • A good, hard look at the first class lavatory
  • Return from Haneda nonstop to SFO- meal service needs upgrade

Scott wrote, “I think the things where JAL is weakest would be pretty easy to fix, so I hope they address those items.  I’d already give them an A- on this trip, but could easily see them becoming an A with a few minor tweaks.”

What worked and what didn’t? Read on!

(XIAN CONTEST! Thanks for all the entries to our contest for 2 United business class tickets to Xian! We are overwhelmed reading through all of them, but should have a winner chosen by the end of today. Stay tuned!)

Booking

Japan Airlines

(Photo: Scott Hintz)

I booked this trip using American AAdvantage miles, which at the time of booking required 62,500 each way (125k roundtrip).  Booking that same award today would be 80,000 each way.  I find that Japan Airlines releases award availability sporadically.  A few months ago, they released a lot of award seats available across a wide variety of dates, but then that ended.  Now, I tend to see them release empty F/J seats mostly within 7 days of departure, if they exist.

Since aa.com doesn’t display award availability for JAL, the best way to search for seats is to use the British Airways website.  Just search for tickets using Avios as the form of payment, and if you find JL award seats via BA, then you can call AA and they should see the same availability and will be able to book it for you.

Seats

Japan Airlines

(Photo: Scott Hintz)

We were on JL 61 from LAX to Narita on the outbound (and were schedule to return on JL 62 from NRT to LAX on the return, but ended up switching to the HND-SFO nonstop, which I’ll explain more later).  This flight is operated by a 777-300ER with 8 seats in first class.  We selected seats 2A and 2D, which were the window and aisle seats adjacent to each other.  We would have preferred two window seats (like 1A and 2A or 1K and 2K), but JAL seems to block seats 1A and 1K for pre-assignment.  I’ve heard that they save those for people with very high status with the airline or VIPs and you can only get them by requesting them at the airport.

Unfortunately for us, both 1A and 1K were taken a few days prior to departure, so we just had to settle for our window and aisle.  I wasn’t thrilled about being in the middle section with a stranger on the other side of the divider from me, but honestly, once on the plane, you had virtually no idea anyone was sitting next to you.  The “suite” is large and the divider gives you plenty of privacy, so it really wasn’t a concern.

Security

This flight left out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal (TBIT) at LAX, which is a beautiful space with great shopping, restaurants, and lounges.  Unfortunately, the security situation there is terrible.  This is my third time flying out of TBIT as an originating passenger and I’m still amazed how bad the security situation is.  There is no TSA Pre-Check in this terminal, which sort of makes sense since foreign airlines can’t participate in TSA Pre, but if you are flying an AA domestic flight out of this terminal, you technically quality for Pre, so it’s too bad it’s not offered.  There is a special line for first and business class passengers (but not for elites flying coach, as far as I can tell), but in my experience, that line isn’t always open.  I had a 9am flight to MIA recently and there was no line for premium pax, so I had to wait almost an hour to get through security.

On this trip, the first/business class line was open, but it still took us almost 45 minutes to get through security.  There were a lot of people trying to get through, but only 3 scanners operating (I think they have about 8 or 9 scanners in total, so clearly they need to increase staffing and improve throughput).  Once you get to the front of your queue (economy or first/business), a staffer then assigns you to a specific security lane.  I would suggest people try to avoid the first lane, because that’s also where crew, airport employees, and passengers rushing to catch a flight leaving soon will all be allowed to cut to the front of the line.  So that first lane moves a lot more slowly than the others.

It seems that AA operates flights to AUS, ATL, MIA, and other destinations out of this terminal.  I’m really surprised they put the premium MIA route of here and force those passengers, in particular, to endure the sub-par security experience in TBIT.  If I was flying AA out of LAX going forward, even if that flight was departing from TBIT, I think I would go to terminal 4 and use the Pre-Check lane, then use the new connector to walk from Terminal 4 to TBIT (where you won’t have to clear security again).  The other advantage of this approach is that AA has an Admirals Club in T4, but not in TBIT — and you won’t be allowed to use the Oneworld lounges in TBIT unless you are traveling internationally.

Lounge

Japan Airlines

(Photo: Scott Hintz)

In LAX, JL has first class customers use the Qantas First Lounge, which was excellent.  Our flight was departing LAX at 1:20pm and there aren’t many Oneworld international departures at that time, so the lounge was also delightfully empty.  It’s a very large space, so it’s hard to imagine that it would ever be that full, actually.

While the lounge didn’t have a spa with free massages a la VS, BA, EY, etc., nor hip music and lighting with waiters bopping around the lounge like VS, it did the basics very well.  There’s a long, beautiful bar along the entire back of the lounge that serves anything your heart could desire.  The seating is plentiful and comfortable.  The overall design of the lounge is quite nice and just a joy to be in.

But we found the highlight to be the sit-down restaurant with full waiter service.  The menu, service, and food all felt like dining in a true 5-star restaurant in any major city.  Kudos for Qantas for a job very well done.

Boarding

When we got to the lounge, they told us that boarding would begin at 1:00 — which struck us as awfully close to the 1:20 departure time.  Just to be safe, at around 12:55, we started to gather our things and head out of the lounge, and it was only as we exited at 1:00 that they made the first boarding announcement for our flight.  It was probably about a 7-8 minute walk to the gate from the lounge, so that sounds very tight, but it made a little more sense once we got to the gate and saw that JL does a great job of giving F customers an easy boarding experience.  They have clear signage for both F and J passengers, with dedicated jetways for each. 

We breezed right onto the plane and directly into the F cabin.  Since J and Y pax used different doors, we never saw another passenger other than those in the F cabin.  It felt peaceful and relaxing, much different from the typical domestic boarding experience!  A cabin attendant was there waiting to greet us as we boarded the plane and showed us to our seats.

The purser quickly came over and introduced herself, made a real effort of letting us know her name (pronouncing it slowly and pointing to her name tag so we could see it in writing) and letting us know that she was there to help in any way needed.  Her colleagues in the F cabin were very quick to take and hang our jackets, offer us pre-departure beverages, show us a few features of the seats, and offer any help we needed. We felt very welcome and I could tell we were going to have a great crew.

Settling In

Japan Airlines

(Photo: Scott Hintz)

Waiting at our seats were Bose headphones, slippers, a pillow, and a blanket.  The blanket was more like the kind of thing you’d put on your lap while watching TV, not the duvet you were meant to sleep with (which was distributed later after takeoff).  A flight attendant came by and gave us menus — in this case, they just gave us the printed menu directly, while on our return flight, it was inside a large leather portfolio, which also included a pamphlet for duty-free shopping and a landing card for the U.S.

To my surprise, neither an amenity kit nor pajamas were waiting for us on our seats nor were they distributed prior to departure.  I thought maybe it was an oversight, but the same thing happened on our return, so I’m assuming that’s JL’s standard way of doing things.  But I just asked the flight attendant for both and they were happy to oblige immediately.  The pajamas were great — I think my favorites among all the ones I’ve received on other airlines (EY, BA, CX, AA).  I took a large on the first flight and a medium on the return and I think the M was actually a pretty good fit, which surprised me since I’m almost 6′ tall and I figured an Asian airline might run small.  Since returning home, I’ve washed both sets of pajamas and neither shrank very much and they held up very well.

Japan Airlines

(Photo: Scott Hintz)

The amenity kit was also pretty good.  It came in a nice, soft case with a zipper and included eyeshade, earplugs, a moisture mask, lip balm, dental kit, tissue, cologne, and brush.  In addition to that, the flight attendant gave me a separate case of products specifically for a man, which was Shiseido brand — cleanser, moisturizer, and hydrating lotion.  That came in a nice, hard-sided case which I could easily see being used to store sunglasses in the future.  Compared to other airlines I’ve flown in F over the past few years, JL is probably my favorite among amenity kits.

Initial impressions of the seat were fine — nothing great, nothing bad, just right in the middle.  The dark brown leather is pleasing enough, but nothing special.  The 23″ monitor is quite nice and made for good movie watching.  Aside from that, you had the basics of a power outlet, lighting controls, and a handheld controller for operating the entertainment system.  The monitor is actually a touch screen, so you can operate it that way, as well, but it’s so far away that it’s hard to reach the screen.  However, the handheld controller didn’t work very well — it’s so small, it’s hard to touch the tiny buttons on screen and navigate the complicated user interface.  And it didn’t seem very responsive to touch, either.  So I would often unbuckle my seatbelt and just lean way forward to touch the monitor itself.

The Flight

Despite beginning boarding pretty late by my standards, we left pretty much right on time.  Since I couldn’t see back in J or Y, I don’t know how full the flight was, so it’s hard to say how they boarded such a large plane so quickly, but they did it.  Taxi was relatively short and we were in the air quickly after departure.  And the captain turned off the seatbelt sign very quickly — I didn’t time it, but it felt like about a minute after takeoff.  We also noticed that the seatbelt sign stayed off for the entire flight, even though we had light turbulence for at least half the flight.

The flight attendants also began meal service very quickly, coming through the cabin to take orders while we were still climbing in altitude.  I very much appreciated how quick all of this went down, which would have been especially great on a night flight where you want to get to sleep right away (which was the case on our return from HND, which departed at midnight).  The flight attendants spoke good English and were very helpful in discussing the menu, offering suggestions and asking if we wanted to sample something that we weren’t familiar with.

Japan Airlines

(Photo: Scott Hintz)

I loved the Salon champagne that they served, and the flight attendant seemed very proud to be serving such a nice brand.  She presented the bottle to me before pouring my glass, and stood there waiting for me to take my first sip and let her know that I liked it.
Japan Airlines

(Photo: Scott Hintz)

We both had the Japanese menu and enjoyed it.  Neither of us are connoisseurs of Japanese cuisine, so we don’t have a lot to compare it to, but we liked it.  We didn’t really know what some of the smaller appetizer dishes were, and one or two of them seemed a little odd, but that’s probably just because we’re not used to Japanese food beyond sushi.  I had the steamed bass as an entree and it was incredibly good — one of the best fish dishes I’ve ever had on a plane.  Moist, flavorful, and served warm with perfectly cooked rice and Japanese pickles.  Yum.

Japan Airlines

(Photo: Scott Hintz)

While eating the meal, I perused the entertainment selection and was a little underwhelmed.  It was ok, but the selection of movies and TV shows wasn’t as extensive as other airlines I’ve flown.  They did have a lot of Japanese and other Asian content, but western options felt somewhat limited.  I also noticed that the seat wasn’t super comfortable for lounging.  It doesn’t move in a million different directions, as some other airlines’ seats do, and the padding was pretty firm.  I just had a hard time adjusting things to the point where I was really comfortable.

After the meal, flight attendants asked if we wanted to have our beds made, and we said yes.  JL offers aTempur-pedic “mattress” that they put down on your seat, with one side being firm and the other being soft.  I selected soft, went to the lavatory, and returned to find my bed nicely made up.  While it was comfortable, I will say that the bed is where I think JL could improve a fair bit.  As mentioned above, the seat itself is pretty firm, but unfortunately the “soft” side of the mattress didn’t help much.  Also, the mattress is just a thin layer of material — picture something along the lines of a yoga mat — and doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that gets cleaned in any way.  Maybe I’m wrong, but I didn’t see any way to remove the outer cover, so I’m not sure how they would even clean them.  So it felt a little weird laying directly on top of it.  My suggestion would be to lay a thin sheet down on top of the mattress and it would be a lot nicer.  Also, the duvet was large and thick, but the pillow was shockingly small.  It felt more like something they’d hand out in coach, not first.

I wasn’t able to get comfortable, which may have a lot to do with not being able to sleep.  It’s also a challenge on a flight leaving at 1:20pm to fall asleep until the final hours of flight.  Unfortunately, since the entertainment selection was so limited and the few big Hollywood movies they had, I had already seen, I found myself just laying there feeling pretty bored for a few hours.  So I decided to check out the wifi on board, and I’m glad I did.  It’s only $19 for unlimited internet for the entire flight, or $14 for 3 hours (there are other pricing plans, too, but those seemed like the best deals).  I chose the 3 hour plan and was really happy with how fast and stable the connection was.  I was able to do a lot of reading, emailing, checking Facebook, etc.  A great way to the pass the time or get some work done.

There is a mid-flight menu where you can order snacks at any point if you get hungry, so I eventually did order some noodles.  Flight attendants didn’t come through the cabin very often, but if you pressed the call button at your seat, they would show up instantly and were smiling and happy to help.  It took about 10 minutes for the noodles to be ready and they were delicious.

Japan Airlines

(Photo: Scott Hintz)

I should mention that when the flight attendant took my lunch/dinner order after takeoff, she also asked me if I wanted to be woken for a meal prior to landing, and if so, at what time.  I thought that was a nice touch and I told them I’d want to eat 90 minutes before arrival.  Although I never fell asleep, the flight attendant did come by promptly at 90 minutes prior to landing to ask if I’d like to have the meal.  I ordered a few items from the a la carte menu, the highlight of which was the seafood curry, which was warm and comforting.  The beef skewers were forgettable, while the green salad was good (as good as can be for a simple salad).

Also, a few comments on the lavatory.  There are actually two lavs you can use in the F cabin, so with only 8 passengers max, you rarely have to wait (I think one of the lavs might be for crew, but they let F pax use it if the other one is occupied).  Both lavs are pretty modest, fairly small and basic, but perfectly functional.  I was actually surprised that there were no products in the lavs — no face spray, no hand lotion, nothing besides a few dental kits.  This is the first time I can recall ever flying in a J or F cabin and not having at least some hand lotion.  This wouldn’t be so bad if the amenity kit included hand lotion, but it didn’t — it had a facial moisturizer, which of course can be used on hands, but I’m really surprised there was no proper hand cream anywhere on the plane as far as I could see.  Also, the handsoap in the lav is something you pump out of the metal “soap” lever that’s part of the sink.  This also felt very basic, like something you’d expect to find in a public restroom at a baseball stadium; whereas I usually find a nice plastic bottle of some kind of fancy designer soap attached to the top of the basin on other airlines.

While I didn’t use it, the toilet did have the typical Japanese set of controls that seemed to warm the seat and offer a variety of water jets and sprays.  Also, one thing that I really appreciated and don’t think I’ve seen on other carriers were two tables that folded down from the wall.  One descended to floor level and you could step on it once you took off your slippers, so your bare socks wouldn’t have to touch the (presumably dirty) floor as you changed into your pajamas.  The other one was more at waist level and was a convenient place to set your clothing as you changes (avoiding the need to place it in the sink area, where it could be wet).

Finally, although the F cabin is pretty segregated from the rest of the plane, I did manage to peek through the curtain into the business class cabin in the middle of the flight.  My first impression was that it looked nice.  The seats seemed what you’d expect in J, but I really liked the staggered layout that would make it easier to get in and out of a window seat without having to climb over the person next to you.

(Photo: Scott Hintz)

(Photo: Scott Hintz)

Arrival

As the crew prepared the cabin for arrival, they came around and thanked us for flying them with another round of very warm smiles.  The crew really was fantastic on this flight, one of the best I’ve had flying internationally.

Although we left right on time, we didn’t arrive in Narita early.  It seems that headwinds were stronger than usual, so that extended flying time.  That was a benefit on the return flight, as we left on time, but arrived into SFO over an hour early.

Exiting the plane was quick and easy, followed by a reasonable walk to immigration and customs.  What surprised me, though, was that F passengers didn’t get any kind of special fast-track lane for immigration.  There was one lane with a “priority” sign above it, but I asked an employee if we could use it as F passengers, and they said no.  So I don’t know who gets to use it, but apparently F and J pax stand in the same long lines as everyone else.  And it was a somewhat lengthy wait, around 30 minutes to clear immigration.  The queue was noisy, stuffy, and just generally felt a little chaotic, so I’m really surprised JL hasn’t arranged something special for at least F pax.

Return Flight

Japan Airlines

(Photo: Scott Hintz)

Our return was supposed to be NRT-LAX-SFO, as the nonstop HND-SFO didn’t have award seats available when we originally booked.  But I checked again while in Tokyo and saw that four award seats had opened up, so I called AA to make the change.  That flight leaves HND at midnight, so we enjoyed a full final day in Tokyo before departing the hotel around 9:30pm for HND.  As most people know, HND is a lot closer to central Tokyo than NRT and you can easily take public transport there (a roughly 30 min subway ride from Ginza for about $5 as compared to a two-hour bus or train ride at around $30 from NRT).

We were surprised to find that AA doesn’t consider NRT and HND to be co-terminals, so they do charge a $150 change fee to change airports in Tokyo.  Here’s hoping AA changes its policy on that.

The return flight itself was uneventful, very similar to the inbound flight except for a few minor details.  However, I will say that we were very unimpressed with the JAL First lounge at Haneda.  I’ve read glowing reviews of it online from when this new lounge opened in 2014, so I was surprised at how lackluster it felt in our experience.  It would have been an OK business class lounge (not great, just OK), but definitely did not feel like anything special for first class.  In particular, the food situation was very disappointing.  Not only is there no table service, but the self-service buffet (including trays that felt almost right out of a high school cafeteria) was small and the food unappealing.

There was no bar (and of course, no bartender), but rather just a few self-serve bottles of wine and spirits.  In fact, there wasn’t even any bottled water — there was only a pitcher with the word “water” on it in the refrigerator.  I did see a worker at one point refill that pitcher with a large plastic bottle of Evian, but had I not seen that, I would have assumed it was just tap water.  At one point, I walked over to the business class lounge to check out the food there, and realized it was exactly the same, with one small exception.  The first class side includes a chef who is cooking teppanyaki (think along the lines of a Benihana restaurant) to order.  That sounds nice, and it was ok, but nothing really special.  The beef he cooked could have just as easily been sitting in a warmer on the buffet line and I wouldn’t have known any difference.

Since we were departing at midnight, my original plan was to eat in the lounge and then sleep right away once on board, but clearly that wasn’t going to pan out.  The food selection in the lounge was so lackluster, I barely ate anything and figured I would just have a meal on the plane.  Or so I thought.  I was shocked when we boarded that the menu only included a very limited “late night snack” service with a few measly food options.  I just had some noodles and tried to get some sleep, still feeling hungry.

(Photo: Scott Hintz)

(Photo: Scott Hintz)

Unfortunately, things didn’t improve prior to landing — again, much to my surprise, the meal they serviced prior to arrival was breakfast.  I can’t quite figure out the logic of that, as we were landing in San Francisco at around5pm local time, which should be dinner.  Granted, it would be around 9am in Tokyo, which I suppose could justify breakfast, but shouldn’t it be based more on local time?  Especially since the departure meal was so light, you’d think they’d give you a heavier meal on the other end.  I really think JL should re-consider the meal service on this flight, as it was a big let-down.

Summary

We had a very good experience on JAL.  They do some things great (boarding experience, LAX lounge — although it’s operated by Qantas, attentive and friendly crew, amenity kits/pajamas, great wifi), and there are a few misses (HND lounge, meal service on night flight, entertainment selection).  Overall, a very solid experience and I’d be happy to fly them again.  I also have a feeling their business class product on the 773 is pretty good and I’d be willing to give that a try in the future.

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

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United’s first class phase-out

A comfy United Global First seat. (Image: United Airlines)

A comfy United Global First seat. (Image: United Airlines)

Have you ever experienced the luxury of United’s Global First front cabin on an international flight? If not, you better do so soon, because your options to get a Global First seat will be shrinking over time.

All of the new intercontinental aircraft that United has on order — including Boeing 787-8s, 787-9s and its upcoming Airbus A350s — are being delivered without Global First cabins. United’s 767-300 fleet currently has two-class and three-class configurations, but that will change.

“Our three-cabin 767s are going through a modification that includes conversion to a two-cabin configuration,” with no more Global First, a company spokesman confirmed to TravelSkills.

But he noted that the Global First cabin that’s currently on “a few dozen” 777s and 747s “will continue to be on United aircraft for some time.” United, like other airlines, is gradually phasing out the remaining 747s in its fleet.

United's summer business class sale. A 747 at ORD (Image: Chris McGinnis)

United’s 747s still in service, but slowly phasing out (Image: Chris McGinnis)

Last summer, before his sudden firing, United CEO Jeff Smisek told a European trade publication that Global First’s days were numbered. International first class service, Smisek said, “is a money-loser, and we will be eliminating it over time.” Apparently the change in leadership at United has not affected that policy.

Smisek added: “The problem is that it takes a lot of real estate, and people are not willing to pay for that. I suspect the other carriers, apart from the subsidized Gulf airlines, would say the same thing.”

As for keeping United’s international product compatible with its Star Alliance partners, that’s a toss-up. For example, Air Canada eliminated international first class, but Lufthansa thus far seems committed to keeping it. 

Delta eliminated its first class section on overseas flights several years ago, and last year rebranded its business/first hybrid product DeltaOne.

Readers: Do you think international first class service has a future? Are improvements in international business class cabins making first class unnecessary?

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Boeing 747 nearing its end? + “Targeted” for an upgrade? + 5 newest biz class hotels in New York + TSA PreCheck is exploding + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 

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Most popular: 747 Trip report + Travel deals + Unusual plane + Etihad + more

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis in Manhattan prepping for a speech at the New York Times Travel Show

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis in Manhattan prepping for a speech at the New York Times Travel Show

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

1 Pretty plush! Trip Report: Korean Air 747-8 First Class

2 How to save big this year: Bargain hunters’ guide to 2016 travel deals

3 Look closely: What’s wrong with this 747?

Weekend Edition

4 Finally! Etihad upgrades aircraft on San Francisco, New York routes

5 Aha! Big airports by the numbers

6 Preparing to merge? This airline just added 42 new low-fare routes. Why?

7 New hotels: Amsterdam, Dubai, Casablanca, Taipei

8 Do you know? The big difference between direct & nonstop flights

9 Huge investments: More cash for Lyft, Silvercar leads to interesting new options

10 Etihad vs “Jetihad”

Use code "ROCKSTAR" to get in NYT Travel Show for free to hear Chris speak!

Use code “ROCKSTAR” to get in NYT Travel Show for free to hear Chris speak!

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis is speaking at the New York Times Travel Show Today (Sunday) at 2:30 pm. If you are in NYC, stop by and used code “ROCKSTAR” at registration to attend the show for free!

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

Delta miffs Minnesota with a silly tweet 

New York City’s Javits Center plans $1 billion expansion.

United Airlines CEO Munoz is recovering from a heart transplant.

More airlines are using bidding auctions for seat upgrades.

Delta expands food options in international Sky Clubs

Enterprise expands rental locations for high-end, exotic cars.

Delta adds a meditation app to its in-flight entertainment selections.

Marriott plans to open new AC Hotels in these 22 cities this year.

Spirit Airlines CEO is suddenly replaced by former AirTran chief.

These new “green” technologies could save airlines billions of dollars.

New study suggests these are the least safe airlines in the world.

Marriott Rewards adds a new partnership with South African Airways.

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

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Trip Report: Korean Air 747-8 First Class

Korean Air

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

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

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

First, a little background on the 747-8:

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

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

(Image: Boeing)

(Image: Boeing)

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

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

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

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

(Image: Korean Air- click for larger view)

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

My Suite 1A:

Korean Air 747

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

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

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

Korean Air 747-8

<<front of the plane is that way <<

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

Korean Ai 747-8

 

image010

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

Caviar service:

Korean Air 747-8

Prawn starter

image004

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

Suite with doors closed:

image008

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

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

–J.S.

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

Picture1

(Image: Korean Air)

 

Picture3

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

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

…

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

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Hawaiian Airlines goes flat

Hawaiian Air's new first class seat goes flat (Image: Hawaiian Airlines)

Hawaiian Air’s new first class seat goes fully flat (Image: Hawaiian Airlines)

At TravelSkills we live by the motto “once you go flat, you never go back,” and it sounds like Hawaiian Air agrees.

This week the carrier announced that it will add a stylish new lie-flat business class seat to its A330 widebody fleet. It’s also adding more premium economy seats.

Why? Because Hawaiian’s route structure is changing.

In the past, it was primarily a West Coast – Hawaii operation. But recently Hawaiian has added new nonstops to New York (10 hours) and is building up at a transpacific powerhouse with flights between its Honolulu hub and biz travel destinations in Australia, China, Japan, Korea and New Zealand. To compete in these long-haul markets, it needs a lie-flat seat up front.

Here’s how Hawaiian describes its new seat, designed by Optimares:

“The 180-degree seats will use an innovative seat platform to fold into 76-inch beds, maximizing living space for travelers while providing options for both privacy and a shared flight experience. They will also feature an advanced in-flight entertainment experience powered by the next generation of large-format tablets and equipped with a telescoping tablet arm that adjusts to optimize viewing angle and comfort….The cabin design will incorporate flowing curves evocative of the winds and ocean, while marrying organic textures, pops of bright saturated color, and luxury materials like leather from Poltrona Frau.”

The A330s will get 18 of the new seats configured 2-2-2 (a slightly larger footprint as the current first class configuration). To make room for the larger footprint, there will be fewer premium economy seats in the forward cabin- two rows instead of the current three.   (see SeatGuru).

Related: 7 things to know about Hawaiian Airlines

Hawaiian Airlines unusual front-of-the-plane setup has first and premium economy in the same cabin (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Hawaiian Airlines front-of-the-plane setup has first and premium economy in the same cabin. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In addition to the new seat, Hawaiian is expanding the number of its Extra Comfort (premium economy) seats on the A330 from the current 40 seats to 68 seats. Extra Comfort seats get a roomy 36 inches of pitch (compared to 31 inches in standard economy), plus passengers get early boarding, free inflight entertainment and electrical outlets at each seat.

Hawaiian Air Extra Comfort seats get 36" of pitch (Photo: Rae Huo for Hawaiian Air)

Hawaiian Air Extra Comfort seats get 36″ of pitch (Photo: Rae Huo for Hawaiian Air)

Today, Hawaiian’s A330’s seat 294 passengers, with 18 in Business/First Class, 40 in Extra Comfort and 236 in economy. See our Trip Report of Hawaiian’s A330 flight between SFO and HNL.

The new configuration will have fewer (278) seats overall: 18 in Business/First Class, 68 in Extra Comfort and 192 in the economy.

Nice seats, but it’s going to be a while until we see them… installation does not begin until mid 2016, and Hawaiian has not said on which routes the new seats will first appear. All its A330’s should have the new seats by the end of 2017.

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

Hawaiian is not part of any of the big three global airline alliances, but it maintains partnership agreements with eight airlines (including American, JetBlue and Virgin America), which allow members of frequent flyer programs to earn and burn miles on Hawaiian flights.

Would you choose Hawaiian for a transpacific flight? Which carrier do you fly most often to Hawaii? Why? Please leave your comments below. 

This might be the best thing I've ever eaten at 35,000 feet (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Hawaiian Airlines pineapple upsidedown cake might be the best thing I’ve ever eaten at 35,000 feet (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Hawaiian Airlines new Airbus A330s are its long haul workhorses (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Hawaiian Airlines new Airbus A330s are its long haul workhorses (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

 

Economy class on Hawaiian's A330 is configured 2-4-2 (Chris McGinnis)

Economy class on Hawaiian’s A330 is configured 2-4-2 (Chris McGinnis)

 

Hawaiian Asia-Oceania route network (Courtesy Hawaiian Airlines)

Hawaiian Asia-Oceania route network (Courtesy Hawaiian Airlines)

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Uber gaining on taxis + Spectacular Hong Kong hotels + World’s longest flight + On-time stats useless? + #1 Dreamliner hub in US

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Roasted duck, flatiron steak, salmon on new United menu

United's new flat-iron steak entree . (Image: United)

United’s new flat-iron steak entree . (Image: United)

In the latest refresh of its food service, United is introducing new menu options on North and Latin American flights in all classes of service.

The changes start October 25 on Premium Service p.s. transcontinental flights, which on that date will begin operating out of United’s Newark hub, moving there from New York JFK.

Premium cabin  customers on those flights will see new lunch and dinner offerings with appetizers like roasted duck with stone-ground mustard and figs, or peppered goat cheese with pumpernickel bread; new salads like granny smith apple with shaved fennel and beets, or butternut squash with haricots verts, pumpkin seeds, bleu cheese, cranberries and pickled onions. New entrees include flat-iron steak with broccolini, gigande beans and red chimichurri; duck confit ravioli, mushroom ragout, semi-dried tomatoes and sauteed asparagus; and lamb shoulder with sauteed gnocchi, eggplant confit and lamb jus. And desserts will still include made-to-order sundaes and cookies baked on board. 

New Napa salad with salmon. (Image: United)

New Napa salad with salmon. (Image: United)

On November 1, United will bring changes to lunch and dinner service in United First and United Business cabins. For one thing, lunch service will be expanded to flights longer than three hours that depart between 1:30 p.m. and 3:59 p.m. Options include Napa salad with grilled salmon, goat cheese and fig; and an arugula salad with Milanese-style chicken. Late-night flights between Hawaii and Houston, Chicago, Newark and Washington will get full dinner service with new entrees like hoisin short ribs with wasabi grits and stir-fried vegetables.

Sandwiches like a pretzel burger with bleu cheese dressing, arugula and pickled onions will be offered after takeoff on late-night, non-p.s. transcon flights; flights between Hawaii and Los Angeles, San Francisco and Denver; and other late-night flights of at least five hours and 20 minutes.

For sale soon in economy: Southwestern bistro scramble. (Image: United)

For sale soon in economy: Southwestern bistro scramble. (Image: United)

November 1 is also the date for changes to the food-for-purchase selections in United’s economy class Choice Menu Bistro, for flights of more than three and a half hours that depart before 8 p.m. A new breakfast selection is a Southwestern bistro scramble; new lunch/dinner options include a rustic Italian sandwich and a French country-style bowl with slow-cooked beef, roasted carrots, onions, parsnips and white rice.

Do you think United’s food offerings have improved lately? What’s your favorite United dish? Please leave your comments below. 

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

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Cathay Pacific’s bigger, better lounge

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

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

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

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

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

Here’s what we learned:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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United reveals new first class seats, aromatherapy [PHOTOS]

United is rolling out a new first class seat for its A319, A320 and some 757 aircraft (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

United is rolling out a new first class seat for its A319, A320 and some 757 aircraft (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

This week United revealed its newest domestic first class seat and other enhancements (such as a new aromatherapy scent) at a special event at its Chicago headquarters and TravelSkills was there.

Here’s what we learned:

>New first class seats designed by PriestmanGoode will roll out starting next week. The first aircraft to get them will be an Airbus A319. The rollout will continue through the end of 2016 by which time all A319s and A320s along with some Boeing 757s will have them. United said that its Airbus aircraft currently without in-seat power plugs would be the first to get the new seats.

>United said that the size of the first class cabins and the number of first class seats on each plane will not change.

Most unusual feature of the new seat: granite-topped cocktail tables (photo: Chris McGinnis)

Most unusual feature of the new seat: granite-topped cocktail tables (photo: Chris McGinnis)

>The most noticeable feature of the new seat is a granite-topped cocktail ledge on the center console. Designers said that the marble is more like a wafer than a block to keep weight down, but is mounted on a sturdy honeycomb-type material for durability.

A new bin for laptops, which regrettably cannot be used during take off or landing (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A new under arm rest bin for laptops, which regrettably cannot be used during take off or landing (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

>Another welcome feature is the addition of a lot of new storage space. There are special nooks for laptops and water bottles under arm rests and two seat back “literature pockets” for stowing your stuff.

A new tray table with a nifty notch for your tablet (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A new tray table with a nifty notch for your tablet (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

>United has added a patented new tray table that includes a slot for tablets– just pop your tablet into the slot, which holds it upright and allows you to eat from the tray table and watch a movie on your tablet simultaneously. (Increasingly important as United moves away from seatback screens and focuses on its “bring your own device” inflight entertainment system.)

>Every seat has a universal power outlet, but no USB.

Dark blue leather and white stiching along with a Levi's-like United brand tag (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Dark blue leather and white stitching along with a Levi’s-like United brand tag (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

>The dark blue leather seats are trimmed in “bespoke” white stitching with cushions that are just over 21 inches wide– United says they are two inches wider than the current version. The seats have “articulated recline” which means when you push back, the seat cushion moves forward a bit. (Articulated reclining seat get mixed reviews– just ask anyone who flew Cathay Pacific before they got rid of them.) Seat pitch varies from 31 to 37 inches (depending on aircraft type and seat position)– the same as the current version.

>United also is working to redesign its gate areas, and has three prototypes of the new design at Chicago-O’Hare gates B4, B8 and B10. The most unusual addition to the gates? Aromatherapy! In a move that mimics Delta (once again) United said that it will start infusing jetways, United Clubs and inflight hot towels with a new herbal, spa-like scent called “Landing.” (I liked it.) You may already notice the new scent in O’Hare jetways, and by the end of the year it will be swirling around all United Clubs.

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Like first class meals? Try serving one!

A highlight of the training day was sampling the results of the ice cream sundae exercise.

A highlight of the training day was sampling the results of the ice cream sundae exercise. (Photo: Nancy Branka)

Menus in first and business class cabins, especially on international flights, have come a long way. But have you ever thought about the subtleties of the service side of that meal?

I attended a United Airlines flight attendant training for new hires last week and sat in on one day of the class’s five-week, six-days-a-week training at the Inflight Training Center in Houston, Texas (courtesy of the airline). On this day, the group of 25 men and women trainees practiced international service—how to do everything from presenting an amenity kit to handling a passenger who wants two bowls of ice cream to gracefully discarding trash.

My big takeaway: It’s much, much more difficult than it looks, especially when it comes to serving those five- and six-course meals. Here are seven surprising things I learned about how these meals are served.

The cart is set up as carefully as the place setting itself. Here salt shakers are straightened into their designated place.

The cart is set up as carefully as the place setting itself. Here salt shakers are straightened into their designated place.

Your salt shaker has its place. Your flight attendant has been trained to set your tray very, very precisely, with each item in a specific location. One particular and humble landmark, though, has particular importance. The teeny tiny salt shaker is always placed just to the left of the water glass and to the right of the pepper, a universal setup to guide visually impaired passengers.

This left-handed trainee carefully maneuvered with her right hand, finger-walking the plate onto the tray.

This left-handed trainee carefully maneuvered with her right hand, finger-walking the plate onto the tray.

Serving the window seat requires yoga-like flexibility. A flight attendant must never turn his or her back to the passenger when serving. This can require particular dexterity, though. For example, to serve window seats on the right side of the plane (facing the cockpit), those who are right-handed must use the left hand, which can be tenuous with a long reach, a full plate, and bumpy air. The opposite is true on the other side of the plane. They make it look easy; it’s not.

Plates must be finger-walked. For cleanliness, the flight attendant must pick a plate up without any fingers touching the rim or top of the plate. This requires slipping fingers carefully underneath the plate, walking them towards the plate’s center to the palm, and only then lifting. Tougher than you would think.

Picking up small pieces of cheese with two knives is a small motor skills challenge.

Picking up small pieces of cheese with two knives is a small motor skills challenge.

Tongs are single-minded. On a cheese cart, there are two sets of tongs, one for the grapes and one for the biscuits (aka crackers) and bread basket. Never shall they mingle. As you may know, cheese is served from the cart with two knives, not tongs. Just try that one at home!

The secret of hot towels revealed: two cups of warm water.

The secret of hot towels revealed: two cups of warm water.

Hot towels are home-made. Your premium cabin meal service begins with a hot towel. I always imagined these were prepared by some sort of magic process. No. Here’s the recipe: Place 12 hot towels on a tray. Then pour two cups of hot water over them. Serve. This is the one aspect of meal service that, behind the curtain, is more straightforward than it looks.

Plates and bowls are removed under a very strict set of guidelines. For example, bowls of warm nuts may be removed two passengers at a time but following the main course, only one passenger’s plates and utensils may be removed at a time.

Each training day begins with an appearance check. Among other criteria, flight attendants must wear a working watch and may not have any visible tattoos.

Each training day begins with an appearance check. Among other criteria, flight attendants must wear a working watch and may not have any visible tattoos.

Crews eat well, but for a reason. Choice of main course is essential but it’s problematic when everyone wants the salmon. United flight attendants are instructed to ask, “What would be your first choice of a main course? And what would be your second?” instead of, “Which main course would you like?” That way you’ve been subtly cued that it’s possible they may not have your first choice. However, to hedge the supply issue, flight crews eat premium meals and, of course, only after the passengers–theirs are backup meals when a particular dish is especially popular. Or so they say.

Next time you’re up front on a flight, take a moment to observe the skillful dance of the flight attendants. I know I’ll never look at a cheese cart the same way again.

–Nancy Branka

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Delta: ‘Up-selling’ is working

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

Delta says that 57% of its first class seats are filled by paying passengers. (Image: Delta)

Is there some kind of stigma attached to the phrase “basic economy”? Delta uses that designation for the lowest level of the new branded fare categories it introduced last winter, and officials said this week the airline has been successful in moving customers into the higher fare categories.

Those include Main Cabin economy, Delta Comfort+ (extra-legroom economy), First Class and Delta One (international business class). The Basic Economy fare does not allow for changes, refunds or advance seat selection. The new designations took effect in March.

According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Delta executives said in an earnings conference call this week that almost two-thirds of ticket buyers opt for Main Cabin economy over Basic Economy, and overall, the new fare categories have brought an extra $56 million into the company’s coffers during the second quarter.

More travelers are also buying first class seats rather than using SkyMiles upgrades, they noted, with paying customers now accounting for 57 percent of front-cabin seats, up 13 percent. (The bad news for frequent flyers: fewer spaces available for upgrades.)

Meanwhile, Delta also said that because pilots have rejected a new labor contract, it will cancel orders for 60 new planes, including 20 Embraer E190s and 40 737-900ERs.

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More 787s for LAX + AA trims first class + Delta to Brazil + Qatar earlier in ATL

American is bringing new 787s to two LAX routes this fall. (Image: American)

American is bringing new 787s to two LAX routes this fall. (Image: American)

In international route news, American will deploy new 787s on a pair of Los Angeles routes this fall, and will end first class on some London flights; Delta eyes new South America service from Orlando; Air China will add capacity at LAX and Icelandair will do the same at Seattle; and Qatar plans to move up its Atlanta debut.

American Airlines unveiled plans to add more new Boeing Dreamliners to its international network this fall, with an October 5 launch date for 787 flights from Los Angeles to Sao Paulo, and a November 5 start for new LAX-Shanghai Pudong 787 service. It currently operates Dreamliners from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Beijing, Buenos Aires and Shanghai, and will begin Chicago O’Hare-Tokyo 787 flights August 18. The 787s are replacing 777-200s.

In other developments, American plans to eliminate first class cabins on two of its three daily New York JFK-London flights on December 17 by switching them from 777-300ERs to 777-200s configured with business class, economy and main Cabin Extra seats. Meanwhile, American plans to change equipment from a 767-300ER to a 777-200ER on its JFK-Milan route September 9, and on its Miami-Paris CDG route starting November 5.

Delta has filed for government approval to move its Atlanta-Brasilia flights to Orlando starting December 1, serving the Brazilian capital city four times a week with a 757-200ER. Delta said the altered route would complement its new Orlando-Sao Paulo service. In other news, Delta plans to switch from a 767 to an Airbus A330-300 for five of its seven weekly flights between Atlanta and Dublin beginning May 26, 2016.

Another airline moves in at LAX Tom Bradley Int'l (Photo: Prayitno / Flickr)

Another airline moves in at LAX Tom Bradley Int’l (Photo: Prayitno / Flickr)

Air China last week relocated its Los Angeles operations from Terminal 2 to the Tom Bradley International Terminal, and also expanded its schedule between LAX and Beijing with the addition of a third daily roundtrip. All three flights use 777-300ERs with first, business and economy classes.

Starting May 5 of next year, Icelandair will boost its Seattle-Reykjavik schedule from seven flights a week to 11. The four additional flights will include “the only two international morning flights from Sea-Tac,” Icelandair said, with 9:15 a.m. departures on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Qatar Airways, which had announced plans to begin Atlanta-Doha flights on July 1, 2016, now reportedly will move up that schedule by a month, beginning the new 777-200LR service on June 1 instead. The airline is on a U.S. expansion binge, which also includes new flights to Los Angeles starting January 1, to Boston March 16, and a second daily New York flight March 1.

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First class fare sale for summer

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

Virgin’s first class seats look like big white marshmallows- only 8 per plane (Virgin America)

Looking for an escape from the teeming crowds at the back of the plane during what’s expected to be the busiest summer travel season… ever? 

Then spend a little extra and fly up front. A new first class fare sale from Virgin America (likely to be matched by others) has the big seats priced not much higher than the skinny seats in the back all summer long. United has roundtrips between Atlanta and San Francisco (and other select markets) deeply discounted, too.

During peak season, it’s almost always worth the extra cost!

Some examples of round trip first class fares on offer for Virgin flights June 23 through August 26: 

Washington DC -Dallas Love: $400

San Francisco or Los Angeles – Dallas Love: $600

Seattle-Los Angeles: $400

San Francisco-Seattle: $358

Las Vegas-San Francisco $378

Portland-San Francisco $338

Transcons are still pretty pricey (like $1,800 SFO or LAX to JFK), but here are a few long distance deals:

Chicago-San Francisco: $800

New York-Las Vegas $1,400

Here’s a link to Virgin America’s first class sale

If you fly regularly between Atlanta and San Francisco like I do, then check this out! $650 round trip in first class on United – we have fares posted here for August, but they last through the end of the year. It does not appear that Delta has matched these low fares.

First class fares ATL-SFO on United this summer

First class fares ATL-SFO on United this summer

–Chris McGinnis

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Bumped out of first class by an air marshal?

I thought that first class seat was mine until it was snatched away by a FAM (Chris McGinnis)

I thought that first class seat was mine until it was snatched away by a FAM (Chris McGinnis)

Here’s an interesting reader report about losing a first class seat to an air marshall. Has this ever happened to you?

Chris, I am an avid reader of your site. Have you ever done a story about the Federal Air Marshal service and their inclination to travel first class?  It came to my attention recently because my wife and I had award tickets from LAX to London with seats that were confirmed and assigned in first class.  In double checking the details before the flight my wife’s assigned seat suddenly became unassigned and the first cabin was full.  In calling American Airlines and eventually talking to the supervisor it became clear that American had nothing to do with it and there was in fact nothing they could do. Further research showed that the only explanation was that a federal air marshal decided they wanted that seat.   American did what they could to accommodate us but obviously we lost our first class seats.

I am a course 100 percent in favor of security and would be very happy to have an air marshal on that flight. However the 777 American is using only had two rows in first class and plenty of empty seats in business class very close to the pilot.  If there was a legitimate national security reason that my wife lost her seat then that’s just something we would accept.

However in doing more research and it seems that the Federal Air Marshal service has been accused of being a bunch of cowboys that just like to travel first class whenever they feel like it and they consider it to be a perk to take a confirmed seat whenever the whim strikes.  I can understand there may be occasions when a situation arises and they did not have the opportunity to reserve a seat ahead of time. However there are stories on the internet about air marshals demanding first-class seats on flights where it was not clear they were performing a professional service.

Any rate in all my years of flying this is the first time I have run across it but in looking at the Internet it is a problem that strikes apparently on a frequent basis.  I’m sure the airlines also do not like having customers who have first-class tickets either through awards or payment to be displaced at the last minute.

I thought it may be of interest to your readers although of course I would not want to be identified. Thanks

L.R.

Hi L.R: Yes,  you are not alone in the frustration of losing a first class seat assignment due to the presence of an federal air marshal or FAM. Since FAMs always work in teams, when there is one air marshal on board in first, there’s another one onboard somewhere else… in either coach, business or first class. While it always seems unfair to experience the joy of an upgrade, only to have it yanked away from you at the last minute, FAMs do ride in first class so they can guard cockpit doors.

The same thing happened to me recently on a Virgin America flight to San Francisco. I used my Elevate points for a last minute upgrade to first class (over the phone) and was assigned seat 2A. But when I got to the airport and printed out my boarding pass, I had been reassigned to economy class…and not even Main Cabin Select! When I protested to airline staff, I got a sheepish “there’s not anything we can do about this” look. I was not a happy camper, but I guess it’s the price we pay for better security. The key is to get your money or points back if downgraded and the airlines don’t always make that easy.

There was a move afoot about five years ago where airlines petitioned the government to end the practice of allowing air marshals in first class, but that sorta died without a final ruling…unless I missed something.

Readers, what are your thoughts and experienced with federal air marshals? Ever been bumped by one? Please leave your comments below. 

–Chris McGinnis

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

 

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You don’t have to be gay to fly first class

Delta's flying the big gay flag with first class discounts in June

Delta’s flying the big gay flag with first class discounts in June

Delta is showing its true colors today by offering big discounts on first class fares to big gay pride celebrations throughout June, which is gay pride month.

What’s nice about this is that you don’t have to be gay to take advantage of the deal.

From Delta’s website:

Take advantage of First Class savings when you travel to any of six Pride festival cities where Delta will be celebrating this June. You’ll enjoy Premium Boarding, ample legroom, complimentary beverages and exceptional service designed to lift you to Pride in the lap of luxury.

Some examples of first class, round trip sale fares: 

Fly to Salt Lake City from Los Angeles, San Diego of San Francisco for about $280 round trip.

Fly to Los Angeles from Seattle for $410 or from Portland for $344.

Nashville to New York for $350. Atlanta to NYC for $410. Orlando to NYC for $450.

San Francisco or San Jose to Seattle for $290.

Looking for a fun way to spend a long weekend in a big festive city in June? Then consider this!

Here are the details:

>First class sale fares ranging from $226 to $684 round trip are available for trips to: Salt Lake City, Detroit, Los Angeles, New York, Seattle and Minneapolis.

>To get the deals to Salt Lake City, Detroit and Los Angeles, you must book by May 23, 2015.

>For New York, Seattle and Minneapolis, book by June 6, 2015.

>You must stay over a Saturday night. There are no blackout dates.

Here’s a link to Delta’s First Class Pride Weekend fare sale

.

Related: Here’s Chris’s big summer outlook report from TravelSkills HQ! Please tune in for a look-see 🙂

 


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First class airfare sale for summer

New quilted seat covers for Delta's first class flyers (Photo: Delta)

New quilted seat covers in Delta’s domestic first class flyers (Photo: Delta)

As the summer rolls in, business travel demand wanes and leisure travel demand booms.

That means the inventory of available seats at the front of the plane expands since most vacationers don’t think they can afford first class.

But with airlines putting first and business class seats on sale, the gap between coach and first class prices is becoming narrower.

A good example of this is Delta’s first class sale launched today. Delta says it is offering first class, domestic round trip fares for as little as $226 to $750 round trip.

Some examples:

Mid-June fares between New York LaGuardia and Atlanta: Cheapest coach: $336 round trip, cheapest first class: $416. So that means you can sit up front for just $80 more roundtrip. I’d do that.

This is pretty remarkable: Along the California Corridor between LAX and San Francisco,  July fares in first class are running about $250 round trip, while coach fares are $212. I’d pay $40 more for a first class seat.

Other examples: Los Angeles LAX – Seattle in July. First class is $407, economy is around $300. I’d pay $100 or so more for a big seat up front for a that two-hour 45-minute flight.

Denver to Atlanta in coach during July is about $350 round trip. In first we found a few seats for just $506. $150 more to sit up front? Sure.

New York-Orlando is $456 roundtrip in first while coach fares are in the $250 range. That fare differential pretty much holds true for nearly all NYC-FL nonstops. Not bad!

NOTE: These fares were checked on May 14 and subject to change, unavailability. 

I was hoping to see some nice discounts on transcon first class fares but they are still in the $1,000 range between SFO, LAX and Atlanta for example.

The details:

  • Fares are available during the peak summer season: June 3 to August 7
  • You must buy tickets 21 days in advance, and no later than May 27.
  • A Saturday night stay is required. As usual, blackout dates apply- they vary by city and most are in June. .
  • Here’s a link to Delta’s first class sale page

We’ve seen transatlantic business class sales this spring, now they are coming to domestic flights.

Here’s a link to Virgin America’s first and main cabin select summer sale. I expect other airlines to match Delta’s fares shortly, so shop around!

Related: Here’s Chris’s big summer outlook report from TravelSkills HQ! Please tune in for a look-see 🙂

–Chris McGinnis

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s brand new website breaks out + Chinese tourists on notice + Fast trains in Spain + United’s 787 Dreamliner plans + New Oneworld lounge at LAX +

 


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Fancy: JetBlue to add sleeper seats SFO-JFK

Mock up of JetBlue's new premium seat for SFO-JFK. Thoughts?

Mock up of JetBlue’s new premium seat for SFO-JFK. Thoughts?

JetBlue Airways today unveiled its new, fully customized lie-flat seat which will be available on its Airbus A321 flights between New York and SFO and LAX starting spring 2014.

JetBlue introduced the new seat at the Global Business Travel Association convention (which I am attending) in San Diego.

A computer-generated video of the new, enhanced experience can be seen here (business class seats appear in the video at about :54) .

(UPDATE: 3:15 pm- not to be outdone, Delta reveals its new business class seat for transcon flights today, too. )

The new JetBlue seat will have a door that closes. (Photo: JetBlue)

The new JetBlue seat will have a door that closes. (Photo: JetBlue)

Interesting: JetBlue will be the first airline to offer customers the option of a completely separate single suite seat that includes a closable door for increased privacy. The new lie-flat seat, created in a partnership with Northern Ireland-based Thompson Aero Seating, will be displayed in a unique 2-1 configuration. Rows 1, 3 and 5 will offer 2-by-2 seating, and rows 2 and 4 will offer private suites, with one seat on each side of the aisle.

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The new seats also offer air cushions with adjustable firmness, a massage function, a 15-inch widescreen television featuring the most live entertainment in the skies, and a unique “wake-me-for-service” indicator if the customer chooses to sleep in, putting more control back into the customer’s hands. In addition, JetBlue will refresh the core JetBlue Experience in 2014 which will include a comfortable seat design with movable headrests, a new entertainment system with up to 100 channels of DirecTV programming on 10.1-inch widescreens, and 110-volt and USB power ports accessible to all customers. And of course, more legroom throughout coach than any other U.S. airline.

While JetBlue is being coy about pricing for the new seats right now, CEO David Barger offered this: “Transcontinental routes have had high premium fares we believe we can beat…By offering our own, unique seats and enriched service elements that will include some soon-to-be-announced partnerships, we are creating a one-of-a-kind experience that will serve this market in a way only JetBlue can.”

Currently Virgin America, United, Delta and American offer premium business class seating on transcon flights between SFO and JFK. Fares run in the $2,500-$4,000 range depending on demand, however, as we all know, most of those flying up front are on upgrades.

So what do you think? Would you be willing to give up your miles on another carrier to give JetBlue a try when the seats are introduced next year? Please leave your comments below.

—Chris McGinnis

***

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United’s transition to “new” p.s. flights

United's new p.s business class seats on the SFO-JFK run. (Photo: United Airlines)

United’s new p.s business class seats on the SFO-JFK run. (Photo: United Airlines)

Do you jump on United Airlines p.s. service flights to New York much? If so, take a look at this document produced by United that clearly spells out how it plans to make the transition from the current “old” p.s. service to the “new” p.s. service that debuted last month (covered by TravelSkills– right here.)

Some highlights and new information from the document:

>Prepare for “a mix of aircraft configurations” on the SFO-JFK route as aircraft are taken out of service for their revamps– these can include: two-class internationally configured 757, three-class “old p.s.” 757, or “new p.s.” two-class 757. For a while it is going to be tough to determine exactly which aircraft you’ll get (even on United’s website) until a few days before each flight.

>The transition will last through the end of this year, at which time all 13 Boeing 757 aircraft with new p.s. will be in service.

>New configuration will have a newer, faster version of Gogo inflight internet, and 110v power outlets in all seats (no adapter required).

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>In addition to new seats, these old 757’s are getting new lavatories, flooring, sidewalls, galleys, closets.

>Starting June 6, all flights will operate as 2-class cabins (business and economy), even if you fly on an “old p.s.” plane. Former United First seats in rows 1-3 of non-reconfigured aircraft will be sold as United Business.

>Who gets those first class seats at a business class price? The doc below says, “Seats will be available for advance assignment for the following Mileage Plus Premier members, confirmed in United Business: Global services, Premier 1K, Premier Platinum, Premier Gold at any time after booking.” Premier Silver members can ask for one at time of check in.

Here’s a PDF of the United document:

UnitedAirlinesNewPSclass

Have you flown on a newly configured p.s. 757 yet? How was it? If not, what do you think about the new configuration? How will it compare to Virgin, Delta, JetBlue and American? Which one do you prefer on the SFO-JFK run? Please leave your comments below. 

—Chris McGinnis

***

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Another Airbus A380 arriving at SFO

[sintic_gallery_new cat=3]

Singapore Airlines (SIA) has announced that it will be flying its flagship A380 between SFO and Hong Kong with continuing service to Singapore this winter. SIA is the first Asian carrier to fly the double decker A380 into SFO. (Lufthansa and Air France arrived at SFO with the A380 first.)

Most frequent travelers have only dreamed of flying Singapore Airlines, renowned for its top notch service, Singapore girls and over-the-top business and first class cabins. It’s frequently cited as the best airline in the world. Airline spokesperson James Boyd told TravelSkills, “It’s important to note that the A380 will only be on the SFO route for three months. It’s a great ‘pop-up’ opportunity for Bay Area business travelers to get a taste of our premium flagship service.”

Singapore currently flies Boeing 777s between SFO and Singapore twice a day– one flight stops over in Seoul, the other stops over in Hong Kong. While the B777 service is nice, it’s now a little dated and not near as nice as what SIA offers on its big A380. Flip through the slideshow above to see its famous first class suite and the widest business class seat in the sky.

SIA’s got a super-sexy flight number on its SFO>HKG>SIN run: SQ1, which departs SFO at 10:50 pm and arrives Hong Kong at 5:50 am two days later. Flight time is 15 hours to Hong Kong, plus another four hours to Singapore, so you’ll have plenty of time to soak up the luxury. SQ2 arrives back in SFO at around 8:30 pm.

SIA is a Star Alliance partner, but unfortunately, you cannot redeem United Mileage Plus miles for SIA’s business or first class seats. However, coach seats are available starting at 65,000 miles round trip.

Ready to go? A quick scan of roundtrip fares for mid January between SFO and Singapore shows coach at about $1250; business at $5,900 and first at $12,500.

Have you ever flown Singapore Airlines before? What did you think? 

Singapore Airlines’ flagship A380. (Courtesy: Singapore Airlines)

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