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U.S. cities top the cost charts for business travelers

Business travelers really rack up the expenses in the Big Apple. (Image: Jim Glab)

What’s the most expensive destination for a U.S. business traveler? You might think it’s some pricey overseas city like Tokyo or Geneva or Paris. Nope – not even close. The most expensive business destinations are right here in the USA.

That’s according to an extensive new ranking of daily business travel costs compiled by the trade publication Business Travel News, using data from actual January-November 2016 bookings provided by the global corporate travel management company BCD Travel.  The study looked at average daily spending for a hotel, rental car and meals at scores of cities in the U.S. and abroad.

And the most expensive of all those destinations was New York City, with average daily spending of $549 – an increase of 5 percent year-over-year. San Francisco ranked second, at $534, followed by Boston at $510.

Source: Business Travel News

By contrast, the foreign city with the highest average spending level was Tokyo at $489 a day, followed by Zurich at $471 and London at $468. (All overseas prices were recorded in local currencies and converted to U.S. dollars. Click on the above link for an explanation of the study’s methodology.)

Three of the five most expensive foreign business destinations were in Switzerland; in addition to Zurich, they included Basel at $442 a day and Geneva at $432. And in the U.S., four of the 10 most expensive cities were in California. Besides San Francisco, they included Los Angeles ($419), San Jose ($418), and Santa Barbara ($395).

Source: Business Travel News

Hotel rates accounted for the biggest difference in costs. The average daily cost of a business hotel stay in New York was $385, followed by $379 for San Francisco, $337 for Boston and $320 for Washington D.C., the fourth-place U.S. destination.

By contrast, no hotel spending at foreign destinations exceeded $300 a day. The average hotel spend was $239 in Tokyo, $265 in Zurich and $279 in London.

Readers: Which U.S. and foreign cities have you found to be the most expensive in your travels? How do you keep costs down on business trips?

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Reader Report: Final 747 flight from London

United 747

Looking out at a graceful 747 wing & Greenland from the cozy bubble of a United 747 (Chris McGinnis)

As United’s 747s sail off into the sunset of a well-deserved retirement, stories of final flights are starting to pour in from readers. Here’s a heartfelt report from TravelSkills reader J.K. who was on the final 747 flight from London to San Francisco this week:

I was on the last United 747 out of London yesterday up on top in the bubble. Wonderful flight- I will especially miss the nimble handling of the plane when in flight.

United final LHR-SFO flew over the northern end of Greenland (Image: JK)

We took an unusual path across Greenland about halfway up the island from the south. As you probably know, the typical route is across the southern tip of Greenland. At any rate, on this trip, the clouds parted for a bit so we could peer down at the east coast of Greenland– the flight attendant woke me up to see the sight. There was much more snow and ice than I’ve seen flying over the southern tip.

Greenland

The clouds parted for a nice clear look at Greenland on United’s final London-SFO 747 flight (Photo: JK)

As we descended into the Bay Area, the path was from the north and directly over the Peninsula. The plane had to take a tight right turn towards the ocean to line up for the typical flight path along the shore of the San Francisco Bay on the east side of the Peninsula. It felt like a small regional jet when it made its turn. It was beautiful.

You could tell that the crew was very excited to be part of this flight. It was a SFO based crew and they mentioned the passing of an era on the PA a few times. United prepared special commemorative amenity kits with “747” embroidered on the socks and printed on the eye shades.

Commemorative 747 socks on final United 747 flight LHR-SFO (Photo: JK)

At the end of the flight, the flight attendant mentioned that one of the passengers on the bubble deck had proposed to his wife there many years ago– the lucky guy got a cockpit tour as everyone else was disembarking.

Unitd 747 kit

Special 747 amenity kits on this final flight from London (Photo: JK)

All in all, a low key but memorable flight. I will miss the 747. There is nothing like climbing a flight of steps inside the plane to know that you are on a special ship.

–J.K.

Tell us about your final 747 flight! We might post it as a reader report! What will you miss most about this beautiful bird? 

 


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London tells Uber: Get out!

London regulators don’t want Uber to operate in the city any more. (Image: Jim Glab)

Uber’s aggressive expansion and some questionable elements of its corporate culture have come back to bite it in the U.K., where London’s transport agency told the company today it will not renew its operating license – which expires September 30.

However, Uber’s app-based car hire service can continue to operate in the British capital during the appeals process, which the company said it will vigorously pursue. That process could take weeks or months. So you can still get your Uber over there for the time being. But maybe not for long. BBC reports that Uber has 21 days to appeal against the agency’s decision. Some 3.5 million passengers and 40,000 drivers use the Uber app in London.

Transport for London, which regulates car hire and taxi services in the city, said that Uber London “is not fit” to hold an operating license. It said Uber’s “approach and conduct demonstrate a lack of corporate responsibility in relation to a number of issues which have potential public safety and security implications.”

In a memo to employees obtained by AP, Uber’s new CEO said the decision was based on past behavior, “The truth is that there is a high cost to a bad reputation…It really matters what people think of us, especially in a global business like ours.”

Uber employs tens of thousands of drivers in London. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The agency cited Uber’s alleged failure to report crimes committed by its drivers, and questioned the adequacy of its driver background checks. The agency also cited Uber’s use of “software that could be used to block regulatory bodies from gaining full access to the app and prevent officials from undertaking regulatory or law enforcement duties.”

I’m a big user of Uber and Lyft, but when in London, I tend to use cabs more often than in other cities, mostly because of their ease and ubiquity, so this won’t affect my travel habits much. I’m also a fan of the local Addison Lee app-based car service, beloved my many locals. 

However, for many Uber devotees, this could be a big hit.

The company denied all of Transport for London’s allegations, claiming that it uses the same background check standards as the city’s traditional black cab operators and that it has always reported serious incidents involving its drivers. Uber also says hat its technology enhances passenger safety by tracking and recording every trip, and that it has never used the software cited by the agency.

Uber has a history of winning in cases like this… what do you think will happen? Please leave your comments below. 

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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

A Primera Airbus A321neo. (Image: Primera Air)

Ever hear of Primera Air? No reason you should have – it’s a European airline that flies mostly from Scandinavian airports to Mediterranean destinations. But next year it plans to start flying to the U.S. with super-low fares.

Primera will use new two-class, 198-passenger Airbus A321neos to fly from Newark to Paris CDG, London Stansted and Birmingham, and from Boston to the same three destinations, with one-way fares starting at $99.

Its initial schedule calls for daily service on all three Newark routes, and three to four flights a week on the three Boston routes, with various starting dates from April 19 through June 22, 2018.

Image: Primera Air

It’s just one more low-cost competitor in a growing roster of low-cost transatlantic operations that also includes Norwegian Air, Iceland’s WOW, and International Airlines Group’s Level. Like the others, Primera will supplement its ticket revenues with extra fees for various services and amenities.

The carrier said that for its transatlantic flights, it will offer various bundled fares: “Our fare classes range from no-frills to all-inclusive with various combinations of benefits, including baggage, priority seating, your preferred meal, priority boarding, ticket flexibility and comfort seats with extra legroom.”

Don’t miss: United to alter the airline bumping game

Premium cabin seating on Primera’s A321neos. (Image: Primera Air)

Its premium cabin will provide roomer seats with adjustable footrests and more legroom, and premium fares will include a meal service, amenity kit and bottled water.

Primera’s transatlantic fleet will initially consist of eight aircraft. Owned by a consortium of tour companies, Primera initially started out operating charters for its owners, and gradually expanded into scheduled service.

What do you think about all these new European low-fare carriers? Would you fly a single aisle Airbus A321 across the Atlantic? Please leave your comments below. 

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Even more super-low fares, new routes to Europe

Norwegian Air 787 Dreamliner

A Norwegian Air 787 Dreamliner parked at Oakland International Airport (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Norwegian Air announced yet another another disruptive move in the transatlantic air travel market today.

Starting in Spring 2018, it will launch new nonstops from Oakland (4/10), Newark (2/28) and Boston (5/2) to Paris-Charles de Gaulle. Checking today for flights next spring, we are finding roundtrips in the $400-$500 range, which is a very good deal for nonstops between US cities and Paris.

Norwegian also announced that it would bring its low fares to two new U.S. cities next spring: Austin (3/27) and Chicago (3/25) with nonstops to London-Gatwick.

With these additions, the Scandinavian low-fare powerhouse will soon fly nonstop between 15 U.S.  and 13 European cities.

This is exciting news, but it’s important to remember a few things about Norwegian: First, don’t think those low fares don’t come with some steep fees. For example, checking a bag between Oakland and Barcelona will run you an additional $130 roundtrip– double that ($260 roundtrip) if you change planes. To reserve a specific seat, you’ll pay a whopping $90 roundtrip on transatlantic flights. See Norwegian’s fee schedule here.

Norwegian Air premium economy

Norwegian Air Premium cabin seats on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner recline, but don’t lie-flat. (Photo: Nancy Branka)

You should also know that Norwegian rarely operates its flights on a daily basis— many U.S.-Europe flights only run 3-5 times per week. If for some reason your flight is delayed or canceled, you are in for quite a long wait for the next Norwegian flight. It will not put you on another carrier’s flight during irregular operations. For more on this, see our post The Problem with Low-Fare Flying.

In addition, Norwegian Air is not part of any of the big three airline alliances, so there is no opportunity to earn or burn frequent flyer flyer miles with U.S. partner airlines.

Despite these drawbacks, Norwegian is growing like crazy in the U.S. It flies new Boeing 787 Dreamliners on its current transatlantic runs– and generally earns high marks from travelers. (See Norwegian’s Dreamliner seatmap on Seatguru here.) For those who want a little separation from the vacationing masses, it offers a nice premium cabin at a higher price point with fewer fees.

See Norwegian Air press release about new flights here and check fares or book flights here. 

What about you? Have you flown Norwegian yet? Would you? Please leave your comments below!

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

In the market for a new credit card? See our “Credit Card Deals” tab to shop around! It helps us help you.

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Planespotting: Airbus A320 family differences

Can you identify JetBlue’s newest Airbus? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Pilots, planespotters and aviation buffs can quickly recognize nearly every aircraft type from the ground or in the air.

But it’s not so easy for the rest of us. To help TravelSkills readers confidently recognize what they see overhead or out on the runway, we offer a series of posts dedicated to planespotting. (See below for a list of our previous Planespotting posts)

The Airbus A320 family is near ubiquitous around the world, and increasingly so in the US. Airbus factories pump out a new A320 family aircraft every seven hours!

The largest of the pack, the A321, is rapidly replacing the aging Boeing 757 at many airlines. The A320 gives the workhorse Boeing 737 a run for its money. And the smaller A319 and A318s work for short haul markets, although British Airways operates a specially configured 32-seat, all business class A318 between London City Airport and New York-JFK once per day. (That’s down from twice daily)

How can you spot the differences among these planes? Well, first, you will want to know how to spot the difference between the A320 family and the similarly-sized Boeing 737, which we covered for you here: Planespotting: Airbus A320 vs Boeing 737 differences. (Hint: Look at the tail and cockpit windows.)

Once you’ve learned to distinguish the A320 family, you should then know how to spot the differences among the four models.

The easiest way to do that? Look at the doors.

A321: Four doors

The A321 is the largest member of the Airbus A320 family, and accommodates 185-220 passengers depending on configuration.

(This is a blast from the past- a previously popular post we want to share again. Enjoy!)

The Airbus A321 has four doors evenly spaced along the fuselage (Photo: Anna Zverena / Flickr)

The Airbus A321 has four doors evenly spaced along the fuselage (Photo: Anna Zverena / Flickr)

A320: Two over-wing emergency exits

The Airbus A320 is the mainstay of the family, and carries 150-180 passengers depending on configuration. Virgin America flies 53 Airbus A320s. United flies 97 A320s.

 

The Airbus A321 has two distinctive emergency exit doors over the wing (Photo: Lasta29 / Flickr)

The Airbus A320 has two distinctive emergency exit doors over the wing (Photo: Lasta29 / Flickr)

A319: One over-wing emergency exit

An exception to this one-door A319 is EasyJet, which had to retrofit its A319s with an extra emergency exit because it packs so many passengers on a plane.

 

The stubby Airbus A319 has only one emergency exit door over the wing (Photo: Andre Gembitzki / Flickr)

The Airbus A319 has only one emergency exit door over the wing (Photo: Andre Gembitzki / Flickr)

A318: short, stubby, super-cute- and one door

This little aircraft with only 100 seats is also known as the “baby bus” due to it’s size and cuteness factor.

 

(Photo: Bernal Saborio / Flickr)

The super stubby A318 has a single emergency exit, too. But it’s shorter than the A319 (Photo: Bernal Saborio / Flickr)

 

How do YOU tell the difference between the Airbus A320 family? Leave your comments below.

Here are our other popular planespotting posts!

Planespotting: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320 differences

Planespotting: Boeing 757, 767

And don’t miss the TravelSkills Planespotting quiz— 7,000 readers have taken it! Why not you?

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

In the market for a new credit card? See our “Credit Card Deals” tab to shop around! It helps us help you.

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Catching up on last week’s travel news with TravelSkills

United Hawaii

Cruising into Lihue Airport on Kauai last week on a United 757 sitting in the exit row (Chris McGinnis)

Last week TravelSkills was on vacation. And it looks like we picked a great week to take off– there was not a whole lot of breaking travel news when we were spring breaking in Hawaii. We’ve spent this morning catching up…and you can catch up, too with our top posts from last week AND last week’s most important travel stories found elsewhere.

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

1 Trip Report: Oakland-London, British Airways business class

2 Another violent onboard altercation caught on video (American stroller incident)

3 What is Thomas Cook Airlines?

Thomas Cook Airlines

Premium economy on Thomas Cook Airlines (Image: Thomas Cook)

4 ‘Big Data’ tips for saving on summer travel

5 3 ways United plans to win back business travelers

6 Third “real” United Polaris flight revealed

7 A new fare increase for business travelers?

Delta 747

Delta and Unites say buh-bye to the Queen of the Skies this year (Image: Delta)

8 United, Delta 747 schedule: final flights

9 Planespotting 101: Boeing 737 vs Airbus A320

10 The big difference between direct & nonstop flights

Don’t miss Chris’s Instagram feed for some nice images of his spring break in Hawaii!

Last pic of paradise #kauai #hawaii #travel #springbreak #hanalei

A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on

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

Runway repaving to cause weekend headaches at SFO thru June 12

Hey LAX flyers: Delta wants YOU

Double or Triple Hilton Honors points for summer trips

United ends interline agreements with five Mideast carriers

Southwest and Marriott/Starwood come out on top in annual Freddie Awards for loyalty programs

United settles quickly and quietly with Dr Dao

American will delay delivery of Airbus A350s by two years

Delta brings new headphones to premium passengers

United unveils a 10-point plan for treating passengers better

Southwest Airlines special livery

Southwest Airlines “Tennessee One” livery. Like it? (Image: Southwest Airlines)

Southwest CEO: We’re going to stop overbooking

U.S. air fares fell more than 6 percent last year

Delta offers easy helicopter transfers at New York JFK

Alitalia faces prospect of bankruptcy

Qantas will begin London-Australia non-stops next year

Uber app update gives you quick access to your rating

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

Don’t miss out! Join the 185,000+ people who read TravelSkills every month! Sign up here for one email-per-day updates!


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Trip Report: Oakland-London, British Airways business class

BART

First stop on my journey to London: BART’s 24th Street station in San Francisco where I caught a train to Oakland International (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Last month I jumped on British Airways’ new Oakland-London Gatwick nonstop for a quick two-day business trip. I’ve never flown to Europe from Oakland, so I was eager to give it a go and share my experience here.

I was also eager to test taking BART from San Francisco to Oakland Airport. And in another test, I skipped my normal practice of taking sleep aids on this overnight flight. 

On the OAK-LGW route, British Airways is following in the contrails of Norwegian Air, which launched its Oakland-London Boeing 787 Dreamliner nonstops in May 2016 at rock bottom fares– as low as $400 round trip, but with many extra fees.

Currently, the cheapest BA fares on OAK-LGW are running about $975 for economy class roundtrips in June. These economy class fares pretty much match Norwegian’s fares when you add in all Norwegian’s extras. Premium economy runs about $1,450 roundtrip. The least expensive business class seats are going for about $3,700 roundtrip, but in some cases climb as high as $7,000. When BA first announced the nonstops it offered a special economy fare of just $500 round trip, but that fare is long gone now that peak summer season approaches.

British Airways’ new Oakland-Gatwick flights operate four days a week using a Boeing 777-200ER that seats 275 passengers: 203 in economy,  24 in premium economy and  48 in business class. British Airways’ premium economy (aka World Traveller Plus) is in a separate cabin, bigger seats with 38-inch pitch, in-seat power, and choice of meals from the business class menu. BA is the only carrier at OAK offering lie-flat business class seats to Europe.

BA Club World (business class) travelers flying out of Oakland receive up to five days of free parking in OAK’s Premier Lot, an added value of $190. They also get complimentary access to a new Escape lounge located in Terminal 1 near BA gates. One-time passes to the lounge go for $45.

Note: Chris McGinnis was a guest of British Airways for this trip to London to attend a press briefing. Here’s what that was all about!

BART’s Coliseum station is where passengers connect to the new BART Connector to Oakland Airport (Chris McGinnis)

When taking BART to Oakland International Airport, you get off at Coliseum station. From there you walk up the steps to the new Oakland Airport Connector station for the short spur ride to the front door of the airport. (Fares vary from your starting point, but run in the $10 range) Wanna see what that ride is like? Watch the video below!

Here’s the ride from BART Coliseum to Oakland Airport

British Airways check in counters are located in an unusual spot near airport security in Oakland’s Terminal 1 (Chris McGinnis)

British Airways operates out of Oakland’s Terminal 1. When I first walked in I could not find the British Airways ticket counter among all the other counters in the main corridor. When I asked,  I discovered that BA’s counter is in a new space (currently under construction) closer to the security screening lines.

I picked up my boarding pass at the counter, breezed through security– I did not get PreCheck for this flight, although it is available at OAK– but did not really need it since there were only about 10 people in line at midday.

Total transit time from the BART station in SF to the Escape lounge beyond security just 70 minutes. Not bad!

After security I headed straight to the new Escape Lounge– since I was flying business class, I had comp access to the lounge which was a nice quiet oasis from the hubbub of the terminal.

When I checked my watch, I was pleased to see that the entire journey from the BART station in SF, under the Bay in a train, connecting to the airport spur, checking in, going through security and walking to the gate took just 70 minutes! That’s faster and easier than I expected, and the ease of the trip probably had a lot to do with the time of day I was there (midday). If it had been morning or evening rush hours, it would have probably taken a bit longer.

Modern design, generous food and drink and views at Oakland’s new Escape Lounge (Chris McGinnis)

Last year Oakland International Airport opened a new Escape Lounge that’s open to all passengers for a $45 one-time-use fee. (British Airways business class passengers and Norwegian Air’s Premium passengers are comped.) It is located in Terminal 1 between gates 8 and 8A, across from gate 9. The 2,700-square-foot facility can accommodate 50 travelers, and has separate zones for relaxing, dining/drinking and work. It’s open daily from 5 a.m. until 11 p.m.

Warm mac and cheese, avocado toast, cheese and crackers at the Escape Lounge (Chris McGinnis)

When I was there around lunchtime, The Escape lounge buffet had a nice selection of hot and cold items, including these cute cast iron ramekins of yummy macaroni and cheese, avocado toast, soup, salad, fresh fruit, cold cuts, crackers, cheese and chips. There’s also a separate full complimentary bar with waiter service. Food and drink is service on china and glass. Nice tarmac views out big windows. I found this lounge almost as nice as any Amex Centurion Lounge I’ve visited recently, but only half as crowded.

Now let’s go jump onboard! BA 2278 was scheduled to depart at 3:10 pm but was delayed until 3:50 pm. Flight time to London is 10.5 hours, and is scheduled to land at 9:30 am.

British Airways deploys a Boeing 777-200ER on the Oakland-London Gatwich route (Chris McGinnis)

The Boeing 777-200ER deployed on this route is not a new plane, but the interior felt like it had been through a recent refresh. There were 48 business class seats in two cabins separated by a galley  and it felt airy and bright with huge overhead bins.

Luckily business class was only about 1/3 full so I was able to get a rear-facing window seat and did not have to face a fellow forward-facing passenger during take off and landing. To make life easier on the flight attendants, I left the translucent screen separating passengers down for the entire flight.

British Airways signature forward and rear facing business class seats (Chris McGinnis)

To me, the window seats in British Airways business class are the best because they are so private– you are really tucked away in your own cocoon over there (My seat is off to the right in the photo above- 3A). Aisle seats are much more exposed to activity in the aisle. Seats are configured 2-4-2.

The downside to this set up is that window seat passengers must step over the legs of the aisle seat passenger to get out. That’s long been a bone of contention among BA business flyers, however, that should be changing soon. The reason I was on this trip in the first place was to meet with BA’s CEO Alex Cruz– and during that meeting he revealed that the next generation business class section would offer 100% aisle access- what was less clear is if the new seats would be forward and rear facing.

British Airways seats 3A (mine by the window) and 3B (unoccupied) on OAK-LGW (Chris McGinnis)

Something interesting about those translucent screens– see below? When flight attendants look down from the aisle, the screen is transparent. But from the passenger level, it’s translucent, so when it’s up you can only see shadows of the passenger seated next to you.

The translucent divider separating business class passengers goes up and down (Chris McGinnis)

One interesting thing about taking off from Oakland Airport vs SFO… taxi time! From the time the door closed and we backed up, taxied and took off felt like about 10 minutes. Plus there were plenty of nice views of the marshes surrounding OAK from the windows.

A glass of Albarino and a bag of nuts to start the meal service (Chris McGinnis)

Shortly after take off, flight attendants came around with a drinks cart and nuts. On this flight, the Kendall-Jackson California chardonnay listed on the wine menu was not in stock, so I settled for an Spanish Albarino.

In-seat stowage space in BA’s business class is limited to this drawer by your feet– it’s big enough for a laptop, magazines, phone, headphones, camera, etc. Kinda difficult to access, but good to have.

British Airways does not currently offer in-flight wi-fi on any flights… which seems strange given its global reach and reputation. It was sorely missed on this flight. However, on this trip we learned that BA is aiming to have nearly all its fleet outfitted with wi-fi within two years.

In seat stowage space limited to a small drawer by your feet (Chris McGinnis)

First course was a fresh and colorful salad and as an appetizer I chose a “deconstructed Greek salad” of feta, black olive tapenade, tomatoes, carved cucumbers, onions and watercress.

Tossed salad and as an app: Descontructed Greek Salad with olive tapenade and pea shoots (Chris McGinnis)

I’m usually not much of a beef eater so I chose the haddock. While the presentation of the meal was lacking, it tasted really good– creamy, cheese-y and fishy with a nice side of fava beans and rice. I asked flight attendants if I could see what the steak looked like– and to snap a photo. They happily obliged. Shoulda chosen the steak!

Other mains included Pappardelle pasta tossed with kale pesto or a nicoise salad with grilled chicken.

Haddock in white wine herb risotto, fava beans with smoked bacon and chive beurre blanc (Chris McGinnis)

 

Seared fillet of midwest beef with red wine jus, chorizo potato rosti and roasted root vegetables (Chris McGinnis)

 

Triple mousse cake with chocolate sauce (Chris McGinnis)

Some nice American cheeses with a tomato jelly and oatmeal wafers for dessert. I passed on the chocolate mousse since I thought it might interfere with the sleep I hoped to get on this flight.

Krystal cave aged cheddar and Wisconsin blue with green tomato jam (Chris McGinnis)

After dinner I took a stroll through the plane and found it pretty empty. When I checked in, agents told me that there were only 95 passengers (out of 275 seats) in economy class. Not surprising considering this was during slow season, and only the first week of the flight.

In premium economy there were only four passengers. It’s a quiet, cozy cabin located between economy and business class. seats are configured 2-4-2. Passengers can choose from the business class menu. Downside: When seats are empty, you can’t lie down flat across the rows due to the fixed arm rests.

Premium economy on British Airways B777-200ER (Chris McGinnis)

At the back in economy, this British Airways B777 is configured 3-3-3– thankfully not the emerging 10-across (3-4-3) standard- but that could change. In our meeting with Cruz, he indicated that Gatwick flights, which are more leisure oriented and price driven, could soon see 10-across, too. Time will tell.

Since this flight was so empty, many coach passengers (who likely paid just $500 roundtrip) were able to snag what business class passengers pay dearly for: a long flat surface for sleeping. In the photo below, it may look like that middle cabin is empty, but there’s a body sprawled across each row!

Economy class seats configured 3-3-3 on BA’s B777-200ER (Chris McGinnis)

Back in my business class cocoon, I laid my six-foot frame flat and comfortably for 4-5 hours, but did not get much sleep. I experimented with not taking any sleep aids on this flight and learned my lesson! It did not help that flight attendants kept the cabin very warm for the overnight flight– for some reason nearly all European carrier flights are kept WAY too warm for good sleep. I would have loved to cuddle under the nice quilt provided, but used it as a pillow instead.

Our flight landed at London Gatwick about 30 minutes late at around 10 am. Unlike British Airways flights arriving at Heathrow, there is no Fast Track through customs and immigration for business class passengers. Since other flights were arriving at the same time and lots of passengers to process, this meant waiting in line for about 30 minutes.

If you want to avoid that wait, you can pay about $13 for Gatwick Premium access to get in a fast lane  which was empty when I was there. Had I known about this, I would gladly have paid the $13 to speed through!

Once I got through immigration, I sped through customs with my carry on bag and exited to the busy south terminal. Finding my way to the Gatwick Express train was easy– the service has recently been updated, so there’s a dedicated ticket line in the airport.

Gatwick express train

New Gatwick Express trains depart every 15 minutes for the 30 minute trip to Victoria Station (Chris McGinnis)

At Gatwick, BA uses the recently renovated South Terminal — recent improvements include a brand new business class lounge, and upgraded check in area, and easier access to the Gatwick Express.

Gatwick Airport (LGW) is 28 miles south of central London but still convenient and even preferred by many travelers. Why? Because the easy 30-minute, approximately $25 Gatwick Express train whisks you from the airport to Victoria Station in the heart of the city every 15 minutes. There’s free wi-fi onboard– which makes it easy to catch up on emails that have arrived overnight.

Clean, new and modern trains on the Gatwick Express (Chris McGinnis)

 

British Airways put us up at The Corinthia, one of my favorite London hotels, for two nights. It’s located on the banks of the Thames near the Embankment and Charing Cross stations. The taxi fare from Victoria station to the hotel was about $15.

Here’s my bedroom at the Corinthia, but check out the view from my window!

Early morning view from my #hotel room #jetlag #london #travel #sunrise

A post shared by Chris McGinnis (@chrisjmcginnis) on

 

Have you flown British Airways before? What did you think? Would you give it a go on the new Oakland-Gatwick flight? Please leave your comments below! 

Disclosure: Chris McGinnis was a guest of British Airways for this trip, which included roundtrip air transportation and two nights hotel. TravelSkills covered all other costs related to the trip.

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What is Thomas Cook Airlines?

Thomas Cook Airlines is expanding U.S.-U.K. service this summer. (Image: Thomas Cook Airlines)

We mentioned recently that Thomas Cook Airlines will begin San Francisco-Manchester, U.K. service this spring. But it’s also planning lots of other new summer service between the U.S. and the U.K., with relatively low fares.

So what is Thomas Cook Airlines, how does it compare to other low-cost transatlantic airlines, and what does it have to do with Thomas Cook, the venerable U.K.-based travel agency group?

First, let’s look at its summer schedule. Besides twice-weekly (Thurs & Sun only) SFO-Manchester service starting May 14, the airline will start flying to Manchester from Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York JFK on May 1, with schedules ranging from three flights a week to daily, as well as Orlando-London Gatwick. On May 3, it adds Orlando-Manchester and Las Vegas-Glasgow, followed by Boston-Manchester May 16; Miami-Manchester June 15; Orlando-Belfast June 25; and Las Vegas-London Stansted August 3.

Thomas Cook Airlines

Premium economy on Thomas Cook Airlines

The carrier uses Airbus A330-200s widebodies on its U.S. routes, with economy and premium economy seating.  To Manchester, it cites one-way fares of $279 economy/$419 premium from San Francisco, $279/$359 from Los Angeles and $249/$349 from JFK, for example.

And does that buy you nothing but a seat as on low fare carriers like Norwegian or WOW? Nope: “All tickets include a minimum of 50 pounds checked luggage and 13 pounds of cabin luggage, as well as meals. Inflight entertainment is available on seat-back screens, with a choice of free or paid-for content, featuring more than 30 movies and 50 TV shows,” a spokesman said. On airlines like Norwegian and WOW, those things cost extra for economy class travelers.

According to Seatguru.com, premium economy in Thomas Cook Airlines’ two-class A330-200s has 49 “recliner seats” (seven across) that are 19.7 inches wide, with 35-inch pitch; and 273 regular economy seats (eight across) that are 18.2 inches wide with 31-inch pitch (pretty much the industry standard for economy class these days).

Seating on a Thomas Cook A330-200. (Image: Thomas Cook Airlines)

The airline is part of the U.K.-based Thomas Cook Group, a travel conglomerate that evolved out of the original travel agency chain. Besides Thomas Cook Airlines, the group also owns Germany’s Condor Airlines, both catering to the leisure market. Condor is an Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan partner as of last winter, too!

Thomas Cook Group has five operating divisions across Europe; besides the airlines and the travel agency chain, it also has several tour operators and a hotel booking website. And it’s huge: The group has total sales of more than $10 billion and more than 21,000 employees.

The airline’s U.S. routes are largely seasonal. Its winter 2017/2018 schedule shows U.S. service only to New York JFK and Las Vegas from Manchester, and to Orlando from Manchester and London Gatwick.

More about Thomas Cook Airlines here. 

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

A studio suite at The Ned in London’s Financial District. (Image: The Ned)

In news of hotel openings, a hot new business hotel comes to London’s financial district; InterContinental Hotels Group brings an Indigo to downtown L.A.; a British boutique property debuts in midtown Manhattan; a Baltimore pier is remade into luxury lodging; Atlanta welcomes another airport hotel; and Dallas gets a dual-branded Marriott property near Love Field.

The talk of the lodging scene in London is a new hotel called The Ned, located in the heart of The City (i.e., the financial district) in the stately 1920s-era Midland Bank building. (The building was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, known as Ned to his friends. Hence the name.)  The building’s original design features have been preserved, with a 252-room hotel incorporated into them. A project of renowned hoteliers Andrew Zobler and Nick Jones, The Ned is slated to open April 27. No cookie-cutter rooms here: Rooms come in 13 categories, and the property boasts seven restaurants (including a 24-hour brasserie and a Jewish deli), six meeting rooms, a spa, men’s and women’s salons, and even a barber shop. The building’s former bank vault now contains a bar, and there’s also a rooftop grill. Pre-paid, non-refundable nightly rates for a small “crash pad” room start at $320, although the hotel offers a special discount rate of $230 for persons under 30.

Lobby of the new Hotel Indigo in downtown Los Angeles. (Image: InterContinental Hotels Group)

The mixed-use Metropolis development in downtown Los Angeles includes a newly opened, 350-room Hotel Indigo from InterContinental Hotels Group. The newly built, 18-story Hotel Indigo Los Angeles Downtown, at 899 Francisco Street, is within walking distance of the L.A. Live entertainment district, Los Angeles Convention Center and the Staples Center. It has a lobby-level restaurant/bar called Metropole; a top-floor cocktail lounge; a large outdoor pool terrace and bar on the fourth floor; 24-hour fitness facility; and 11 meeting rooms. Rates start at $263.

A terrace suite at Manhattan’s new Whitby Hotel. (Image: The Whitby)

Newly opened in Midtown Manhattan is The Whitby Hotel, an 86-room boutique property with a strong British influence from designer Kit Kemp, who created several similar properties in London along with the Crosby Street Hotel in New York’s SoHo neighborhood. The Whitby, at 18 West 56th Street, is close to the Museum of Modern Art and a few blocks from Central Park. Guest rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and free Wi-Fi, and some come with private terraces. The hotel has a restaurant/bar open for three meals a day, and an adjacent orangerie with high ceilings and a skylight. The hotel serves a traditional British afternoon tea.  Rates start at $695.

Room with a waterfront view at Baltimore’s new Sagamaore Pendry. (Image: Pendry Hotels)

Baltimore’s century-old Recreation Pier building along the Fell’s Point waterfront, at 1715 Thames Street, has been totally renovated into a luxury boutique hotel called the Sagamore Pendry Baltimore. Along with 128 over-water guest rooms and suites, the new Pendry has a signature restaurant called the Chop House; the Cannon Room bar; a seasonal waterfront pool with a bar and grill; 10,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space; a water taxi service; 24-hour fitness center; and a spa. Advance purchase rates start at $375.

Lobby at the Renaissance Atlanta Airport Gateway Hotel, (Image: Renaissance Hotels)

In Atlanta, an early May opening is slated for the new Renaissance Atlanta Airport Gateway Hotel, accessible from ATL on the airport’s free SkyTrain. Part of the Gateway project (which already has a SpringHill Suites and a Marriott) near the Georgia International Convention Center, it’s on the west side of the airport, about three miles from the existing Renaissance Concourse Atlanta Airport Hotel on the north side.  The 204-room Renaissance Gateway has a restaurant called Hickory & Hazel Southern Table & Bar and a fitness center. Rates start at $136.

Bar the the new Aloft Hotel near Dallas Love Field. (Image: Marriott)

Just a mile from Dallas Love Field, at 2333 W. Mockingbird Lane, is a new dual-branded property from Marriott that includes a 133-room Aloft hotel and a 91-room Element property. The two share a common entry and meeting space, along with a fitness center and outdoor pool. They’re part of the new retail/residential development called West Love. The Element Dallas Love Field’s  guest units come with full kitchens and spa-style bathrooms, free breakfasts, and bicycles to ride on local trails. The Aloft Dallas Love Field offers a grab-and-go food market and drinks kiosk, and the property has musical entertainment at its W XYZ Bar. Rates start at $179 at the Aloft and $164 at the Element.

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Most popular: Delta 747 + Aircraft noise + New routes + SFO runways + Hyatt points

Flight attendant hat

Flight attendant wore uniforms from the 70s at the Delta 747 Experience last week. Hat designed by Yves St Laurent (Image: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 What a sight! First look deep inside a Delta 747-400 [PHOTOS]

2 Causing consternation: Ugly aircraft noise, beautifully displayed

3 Routes: Delta, Alaska, AA, JetBlue, United, JetSuiteX

4 Virgin’s new moves Routes: Seattle and SFO; Delta, WOW, AA, Emirates, United, BA + more

5 Airport news: San Diego, Newark, Atlanta, Orlando, Phoenix, Portland

6 Chris flies to London this week from OAK> Deal: $503 roundtrip Oakland-London on British Airways

Marriott Residence Inn

My fave hotel in Boston: Marriott’s popular Residence Inn Downtown Seaport (Chris McGinnis)

7 Fares still available on FOUR carriers: Full-on fare war: Atlanta-Boston $80 economy, $335 first

8 Flatter seats, fewer upgrades: Delta, JetBlue lay on more lie-flat seats, but…

9 ICYMI My most jaw-dropping window seat view…ever [VIDEO]

10 Still a hot issue: Alaska Airlines reveals fate of Virgin America

Don’t miss: Working around the laptop ban

Listen up! TravelSkills sponsor Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection recently created a podcast interview about the latest travel news with editor Chris McGinnis! Listen for yourself by clicking below, or find it on Soundcloud — Chris’s bit starts at the 10:30 minute mark:

Coyote runway

Fake, or decoy, coyotes are used to scare birds off the runway at SFO (Image: Chris McGinnis)

Runway repairs will cause 9 week(ends) of delays at SFO

Richard Branson: Alaska Air must pay for Virgin brand thru 2040!

American Express increases Platinum sign up bonus to 60,000 (keep scrolling!)

San Jose airport manager moving south

Very helpful: How to travel with an Alzheimers or dementia companion

Boeing’s new Skyview window (Boeing)

Largest airplane windows of all time offer pano views

Hyatt rolls out new double points promotion

Virgin Atlantic reveals new Upper Class design for A330s

New jacket for travelers has 10 functions

Silvercar sold this week (Facebook photo: Than Maung)

Audi plans to acquire 100 percent of U.S. specialty rental firm Silvercar

Hilton’s digital room key app now available in 1,000 hotels

U.S. company plans to build 150-passenger electric-powered aircraft

These airlines are most likely to bump you

The 10 U.S. cities ranked best for business travel

How Lyft is like a “better boyfriend”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Routes: Norwegian/BA at Oakland, Alaska/Condor, China Eastern, KLM, Air Canada, Volaris

British Airways B777

British Airways will fly nonstop between Oakland and London-Gatwick using a Boeing 777-200ER (Photo: British Airways)

In international route developments, Norwegian and British Airways begin new Oakland flights; Alaska inks a frequent flyer partnership with a European carrier; China Eastern adds a U.S. route; KLM returns to Minneapolis; Air Canada begins a new transcontinental link from Vancouver; and Volaris starts Houston service.

It will be a busy time at Oakland International next week, with two new transatlantic services coming to the Bay Area airport. March 28 is the launch date for Norwegian’s newest low-cost transatlantic route, linking Oakland with Copenhagen twice a week, using a 787-8.  And on the same date, British Airways will kick off new daily flights linking Oakland with London Gatwick – a route served since last year by Norwegian. The new BA flights out of OAK will operate four days a week, using a 777-200ER with business, premium economy and regular economy seating. BA already flies to London from San Francisco and San Jose – but to Heathrow, not Gatwick. Meanwhile, BA will also begin new service on March 27 between New Orleans and London Heathrow, offering 787-8 flights four days a week.

Speaking of Oakland, the new carrier LEVEL, which announced new nonstops to Barcelona for just $149 each way bragged on Twitter this week that it sold 52,000 tickets in a single day:

Condor is Alaska’s newest Mileage Plan partner. (Image: Condor)

Alaska Airlines has added another European carrier as a partner in its Mileage Plan frequent flyer program. The new partner is Condor, a leisure-oriented subsidiary of Thomas Cook that is based in Germany. The two carriers already had an interline agreement, but now passengers will be able to earn and spend Mileage Plan miles on Condor as well. Alaska passengers can link up with transatlantic Condor flights to Frankfurt at Seattle, San Diego, Las Vegas, Portland, Anchorage and Fairbanks; in June, Condor will add Seattle-Munich flights.

Mileage Plan members can start earning elite-qualifying miles on Condor flights now (and so can Virgin America Elevate members who have a Mileage Plan account number). Award travel redemption “will begin at a later date,” Alaska said. Condor, which uses three-class 767-300ERs on its transatlantic routes, is expanding its North America network this year to a total of 16 cities, mostly served a couple of times a week. The airline primarily serves vacationers, but offers a nice (but non-lie-flat) business class, reviewed here.

China Eastern wants to start Houston-Shanghai flights. (Image: Airbus)

China Eastern Airlines has its eye on new U.S. service linking Houston Bush Intercontinental Airport with Shanghai Pudong, according to a report in Air Transport World, an aviation industry journal. China Eastern, a member of Delta’s SkyTeam global alliance, reportedly hopes to begin the service in June or July. The only other non-stop service between Houston and China is an Air China route from Houston to Beijing.

KLM set a March 27 start for seasonal service between Minneapolis-St. Paul and its Amsterdam Schiphol hub – a route it hasn’t flown since 2001. The Dutch carrier will fly the route three days a week, continuing through October. KLM’s SkyTeam partner Delta, which has a hub at MSP, already offers service to AMS up to three times a da

On June 23, Air Canada will introduce new seasonal service linking Vancouver with Boston, continuing through September 4. The carrier will offer one daily roundtrip using a two-class A319. The Canadian carrier will also resume Montreal-Washington Dulles daily service starting June 19, using a 50-passenger CRJ-100; Air Canada already flies between Montreal and Washington Reagan National.

Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris has started up new service between Houston Bush Intercontinental and Mexico City, operating four days a week. Volaris already flies from Houston to Guadalajara.

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“Trump slump” means more great travel deals

Empire State Building New York

Low demand from overseas means more bargains in cities like New York or San Francisco (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Bargain-hunting travelers could see some relief from high hotel rates and airfares as demand slows and travel deals proliferate. 

While the stock market is experiencing a record setting “Trump bump,” the U.S. travel industry is girding for a big slowdown in visitors from other countries resulting in a “Trump slump.”

That is bad news for the travel industry. But it’s good news for bargain hunting travelers faced with sky high rates in recent years, especially for hotels in cities favored by international visitors such as New York, Washington, Miami, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

It’s also good news for frequent flyers and loyalty program members hoping to cash in points and miles on overseas trips as lower demand translates into more availability.

President Trump has cost the US travel industry $185 million in lost revenue, with significant drop in flight searches and bookings from the U.K. according to The Guardian. The British newspaper pointed to data released by Kayak this week showing that searches for flights to Miami, Tampa and Orlando from the U.K. are down almost 60 percent. San Diego searches are down 43 percent. Las Vegas is down 36 percent and Los Angeles is down 32 percent.

New York City tourism officials expect to see 300,000 fewer international visitors this year according to the New York Times- but it expects more domestic visitors.

Washington DC

Rates in cities like Washington DC could decrease due to lack of interest by foreigners (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Kayak says that according to its data, “Brits are falling out of love with the USA in a major way. Searches for flights to key U.S. destinations have fallen off a cliff.”

That lack of interest is already translating into lower rates. Kayak reports that average prices for hotel rooms in Las Vegas are down 39 percent on average, in San Francisco they are down 34 percent and even New York has seen hotel prices fall by 32 percent. (Rates could fall even more in SF according to this recent TravelSkills post)

Anecdotally, I’ve noticed a big drop in hotel rates in New York City, especially in the overcrowded mid-range. Last month I stayed in a New York Hilton Garden Inn for just $149 per night, and I’ve seen similar low rates all winter long, some extending into spring.

In the U.K., Kayak’s Suzanne Perry said, “The story of the summer is the fall of interest in the States. We noted that searches to the USA dropped after the new president came to office – but it seems like this is a longer-term trend. The US has historically been one of the most popular countries for Brits, but searches to popular destinations falling by over half in one year is a massive shift.”

The same thing is going on in the air. Searches for flights to the U.S. from international destinations are down 17% according to data analysts at Hopper.

British Airways added San Jose nonstops using a 787 Dreamliner last year- and the deals are great!. (Image: Mineta San Jose Airport)

To us, that lack of demand from overseas is translating into startlingly low fares between to US and Europe this winter and spring. Ultra-low-cost carriers are leading the way with ultra-low fares (as low as $250 round trip + fees). But it’s not just the low-fare airlines that lowering prices– we’ve seen the major airlines jump into the low-fare fray with round trips from the West Coast to Europe in the $400 range. Advance bookings for peak summer season are still in the $700 roundtrip range, which is a remarkably good deal.

With British Airways adding new nonstops to London from San Jose and Oakland this year, in addition to its two dailies at SFO, there is a LOT of new capacity in this market leading to unprecedented low fares. And if Europeans are not all that interested in coming to the US, I expect we’ll see good fares all year long as demand flattens.

So, bargain hunters rejoice while you can! We’ll see how long this party lasts.

Have you noticed that international travel is getting a lot cheaper? What’s the best deal you’ve seen so far? Please leave your comments below. 

 

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Routes: AA, AirAsia X, Southwest, Airberlin, South African Airways + more

American plans to use a 777-200 on its LAX-Beijing route if it ever gets slots from the service. (Image: AA)

American plans to use a 777-200 on its LAX-Beijing route if it ever gets slots from the service. (Image: AA)

In international route developments, American tries to save LAX-Beijing service; Air AsiaX sets its first U.S. route; Southwest starts Oakland-Mexico flights; Airberlin gets aircraft for more U.S. flights and ends a code-share partnership; South African Airways brings a new aircraft with an improved business class to its Washington Dulles route; United expands its Newark-London schedule; and Volaris comes to Miami.

We reported a few weeks ago that American Airlines’ plan to begin daily Los Angeles-Beijing service had hit a big snag because China wouldn’t give it any slots at Beijing’s Capital International Airport. American has been facing a March 16 deadline set by the U.S. Transportation Department to start flying the route, but now it has asked DOT for a one-year extension. AA said in its filing that it has been in regular contact with Chinese aviation officials about the slot situation, and that it is going to send a senior executive to China to discuss the matter. American told DOT it “fully expects” that its efforts will eventually be successful.

Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia X has settled on Honolulu as its first U.S. destination following the recent FAA decision to let it fly to this country. The carrier plans to fly four times a week from Kuala Lumpur to Honolulu via a two-hour stopover in Osaka, Japan, starting June 28. The airline has set introductory base fares as low as $112 each way to KL (including taxes and fees), or $673 for its flat-bed premium seats, with a purchase deadline of February 26.

Southwest at Oakland

Southwest Airlines jets at Oakland International Airport (Photo: Port of Oakland)

Southwest Airlines this week kicked off its first international service out of Oakland International Airport, operating daily flights from OAK to both Puerto Vallarta and San Jose del Cabo/Los Cabos. The airport is expanding its International Arrivals Building this year in anticipation of a significant increase in international traffic, officials said. The work should be finished in the third quarter.

Airberlin has acquired three more Airbus A330-200s that it said will allow it to continue building up its service between the U.S. and its German hubs at Berlin and Dusseldorf.  The airline announced a few months ago that it plans to begin new non-stops in May between Los Angeles-Berlin four times a week and San Francisco-Berlin three times a week. It already operates from both U.S. airports to Dusseldorf during the summer. It also said it would expand Miami and New York frequencies to Berlin and add Orlando-Dusseldorf service. And now Routesonline.com is reporting that Airberlin will extend some seasonal routes to year-round service starting this fall, including San Francisco-Berlin and SFO-Dusseldorf, both operating four times a week, as well as Orlando-Dusseldorf (five times a week) and Boston-Dusseldorf (four a week). In other news, American Airlines plans to end its code-sharing agreement with Airberlin effective March 26. Both are members of the Oneworld alliance.

The new business class on South African Airways' A330-300. (Image: SAA)

The new business class on South African Airways’ A330-300. (Image: SAA)

South African Airways has started flying a new Airbus A330-300 on its three weekly flights between Washington Dulles and Johannesburg via Dakar, Senegal, and in June it will add the new aircraft to its four weekly IAD-JNB flights that operate via Accra, Ghana. The SAA A330-300 includes an upgraded 46-seat business class product with flat-bed seats in a 1-2-1 layout, an improved on-demand entertainment system and power and USB ports at each seat. The aircraft has a 203-seat economy class with a 2-4-2 configuration.

United Airlines plans to add a sixth daily roundtrip to its Newark-London Heathrow route for the summer season, effective April 5 to October 28. The extra flight, departing EWR at 9:30 p.m. and arriving in London at 9:40 a.m., will use a two-class 767-300.

Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris this month added Miami International to its route map, kicking off daily A320 service to Mexico City and four flights a week to Guadalajara.

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Best & worst airport-to-city trains

Hong Kong train

An outstanding, clean, easy and cheap train to the plane in Hong Kong (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Over the last year alone, I’ve taken the train to or from the plane in Hong Kong, Atlanta, Sydney, New York, San Francisco and Washington DC.  I really wanna give the new airport train in Denver a go. Ever since United moved its NYC flights to Newark, I’ve been a regular on the trains that connect EWR to Penn Station in Manhattan. Even though I love my Lyft rides, I’m kind of an airport train freak.

A new study examines the speed and efficiency of airport public transit systems worldwide, and finds that – to no one’s surprise – most of the best are in Asia.

The world’s best public transit option is the Tokyo Monorail from Tokyo Haneda to downtown. Rounding out the top five are Delhi’s Airport Express Line in India; the Shanghai Maglev train to Shanghai Pudong; the Shanghai Metro Line 2 to Shanghai Hongquiao; and the Sprinter/Intercity line to Amsterdam Schiphol.

The study by Milecards.com looked at four factors: time saved vs. driving; passenger fares; frequency of departures; and convenience (e.g., availability of luggage storage on trains, etc.).

Source: Milecards.com

Source: Milecards.com

Looking only at U.S. airports, Milecards.com judged Atlanta’s MARTA to be the best, followed in order by Chicago’s CTA Orange Line to Chicago Midway; Chicago’s CTA Blue Line to Chicago O’Hare; Denver’s new University of Colorado A Line to Denver International; and New York City’s Long Island Railroad/JFK AirTrain connection to Kennedy Airport.

Seeing Atlanta rated as number one in the U.S. made me wish they had included service reliability as a factor in this ranking. I’ve had such bad results in ATL recently that I’ve almost stopped using it. Newark’s NJ Transit/Amtrak connection to Manhattan is not beautiful, but it’s very reliable, at least in my experience. What about you? Please leave your comments below.

Don’t miss! Get $200 for booking a trip on new Upside site! Seriously! 

Source: Milecards.com

Source: Milecards.com

U.S. airport public transit has “plenty of room for improvement,” Milecards.com said. “Only six of the public-transport options are generally faster than driving.

Looking only at public transit travel times vs. taxi/Uber/driving times in the U.S., “Just six of the 50 busiest airports are served by transit options that can save time on a typical weekday afternoon, and that’s usually because they bypass a lot of congestion, rather than because they’re fast express lines,” Milecards.com said. “On a good, congestion free day you’d be hard pressed to find an airport transit line in the U.S. that rivals drive times.”

That’s probably why the SFO’s BART train ranked as one of the LEAST time saving airport transit lines in America– the report shows car/taxi rides take 21 minutes between airport and downtown, while BART takes 29 minutes.

Source: Milecards.com

Source: Milecards.com

The “least time-saving airport transit lines” in the U.S. are led by San Jose, the study found, where taking the VTA Route 10/Light Rail is 216 percent slower than driving (30 minutes vs. 10 minutes). Public transit travel time beats driving at New York JFK, Atlanta, Chicago Midway, Los Angeles (LAX FlyAway) and Oakland (BART), the study said.

By contrast, the overseas airport with the most time-efficient public transit is Shanghai Pudong, where a ride to city center on the 14-year-old Maglev train takes just eight minutes, vs. 50 minutes for driving. (Why? Because that magnetic levitation train can hit top speeds of 267 mph.)

Ranking second and third were London’s Heathrow Express trains, which takes 15 minutes vs. 45 minutes on the road; and London’s Gatwick Express (30 minutes vs. an 80-minute drive time). Anyone who travels to London frequently knows that roadway traffic can be horrendous…especially in the central city, so the cab ride from the Heathrow Express station at Paddington frequently takes longer than the train ride from the airport.

Click here to see the full study results and charts for worldwide and U.S. public transit options.

Ride-hailing apps like Lyft are surging in their share of business travel spending. (Image: Lyft)

Ride-hailing apps like Lyft are making some airport rail connections obsolete. (Image: Lyft)

Besides being generally slow, U.S. airports’ public transit options are facing a growing threat from ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft, which provide door-to-door airport trips that eliminate the schlep to a transit station. In recent months, Bay Area airports including Oakland and San Francisco International have been seeing declines in public transit ridership even as passenger traffic at the airports increased. That loss in market share was generally seen to be going to the ride-sharing companies.

Which train to the plane is your favorite? Least favorite? Please leave your comments below. 

Don’t miss! Get $200 for booking a trip on new Upside site! Seriously! 

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Most popular: London sale + Clean planes + Hilton Honors + New premium economy + Trivia Quiz

Looking at London across the Thames from the Corinthia Hotel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Looking at London across the Thames from the Corinthia Hotel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 Deal Alert: $457 to London from SFO, San Jose, Oakland (Deal expired, but we’ll monitor for its return)

2 How often are planes washed?Weekend Edition

3 Big changes for Hilton’s Honors program

4 WOW Air adds “premium” seats for West Coast flights

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

6 Test your travel smarts with this fun trivia quiz (1,600 readers have taken the test- what about you?)

A new InterContinental Hotel, the tallest in LA, will open later this year. Which airline owns it? Take the QUIZ to find out (Image:

A new InterContinental Hotel, the tallest in LA, will open later this year. Which airline owns it? Take the QUIZ to find out (Image: AC Martin)

7 At LAX: New United terminal, Qantas hangar, American & Delta swap

8 Routes: American’s Beijing problem + Virgin Atlantic, United, Air India, Bliss Jet

9 Watch this: PBS series takes inside look at aviation

10 Bay Area airports booming

We’ll be tuning in for this travel geeky PBS series on Feb 8– will you?

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

10 new Bay Area hotels to open in 2017, 4 in downtown San Francisco

Airlines gearing up for fight with Trump over Cuba

TSA says it will significantly reduce number of non-members in PreCheck lines

Delta and Virgin Australia offering DOUBLE miles 

10 of the best American cities to live comfortably on $40,000 a year

Pull quote in American Way magazine

TravelSkills reader Janis C spotted TravelSkills’ Chris McGinnis quoted in this month’s American Way magazine en route to London.

Peak cherry blossoms in Tokyo March 22 

Delta may be looking to increase business fares

Norwegian eyes a “low-cost alliance” with Europe’s Ryanair, easyJet

Spirit reduces allowable size of carry-on personal items

Atlanta is once again the world’s busiest airport for 2016

Trump’s hiring ban is said to leave TSA seriously understaffed

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Deal Alert: $457 to London from SFO, San Jose, Oakland

British Airways' inaugural San Jose flight arrives at the gate. (Image: Mineta San Jose Airport)

British Airways’ inaugural San Jose Boeing 787 Dreamliner arrives at the gate. (Image: Mineta San Jose Airport)

A few weeks ago we saw Bay Area to London roundtrip fares plummet to under $500 – an astounding deal. Now, with competition heating up, those cheap fares are back… and available from ALL three airports: SFO, San Jose and Oakland! And on all airlines serving the route: British Airways, Norwegian, Virgin Atlantic and United.

In these heady days, we now have up to NINE roundtrips every day between the Bay Area and London (Gatwick and Heathrow).

  • One at San Jose SJC (British Airways)
  • Two at Oakland OAK (British Airways and Norwegian)
  • Six at San Francisco SFO (British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, United)

With competition like that, I bet we’ll see cheap fares for at least the rest of this year.

Screen Shot 2017-02-02 at 1.08.04 PM

This sample is for May 1 – May 8 (Google Flights)

What is great about these deals is that they are currently available all the way through mid-May— which means you can fly to London for Spring Break if you fancy that! ‘Tis lovely in the spring!

After May, fares creep up into the $600 round trip range, but even that is a great deal when you consider it’s available during peak summer travel season June-August) when fares normally rise to near $1,800 round trip.

Find these deals on Google Flights. NOTE: If flights are not found on Google flights, try BritishAirways.com, NorwegianAir.com, United.com or VirginAtlantic.com, all of which are still showing these fares as of Noon Thursday Feb 2.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Routes: American’s Beijing problem + Virgin Atlantic, United, Air India, Bliss Jet

American Airlines' new Los Angeles-Beijing route authority is in trouble.(Derwiki - Pixabay)

American Airlines’ new Los Angeles-Beijing route authority is in trouble.(Photo: Derwiki – Pixabay)

In international route developments, American’s recently-awarded route authority from Los Angeles to Beijing has hit a big snag, and American’s code goes onto a LAX-Paris flight; Qantas and American will try again for antitrust immunity; Virgin Atlantic schedules the deployment of A330s equipped with a new Upper Class; United changes planes on one of its San Francisco-London flights; Air India adds a new U.S. route; and a new company plans luxury small-jet service between New York and London.

Last fall, American won rights to fly from LAX to Beijing, with a start date expected in the first quarter of this year. But now American’s plans are up in the air, with the airline complaining to the Transportation Department that Chinese officials won’t provide takeoff and landing slots at Beijing’s Capital International Airport. It’s not that Chinese authorities tried to stick American with slots in the middle of the night, the carrier said — they wouldn’t give it any slots at all for the LAX flights. American argues that this is in violation of the bilateral agreement between the two countries. Currently, the only airline flying the LAX-Beijing route is Air China, which has three flights a day. American flies to Beijing from DFW and Chicago.

Given all the tough talk from the new Trump Administration toward China, this situation could pose a tough test for newly appointed Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao, the wife of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. Speaking of the Trump Administration, Qantas and American Airlines seem to think the new regime in Washington might be inclined to reverse the Obama DOT’s recent rejection of the carriers’ joint venture partnership, so they plan to make a new filing for antitrust immunity. But in the meantime, Qantas said it has stopped code-sharing on AA’s Sydney-Los Angeles flights, and that it is adjusting its frequent flyer policy with American “to bring it in line with other Oneworld carriers” starting May 1.

In other news, American has expanded its code-sharing partnership with Air Tahiti Nui, and has put its AA code onto that carrier’s Los Angeles-Paris CDG flights.

This old Upper Class cabin on Virgin Atlantic's A330s is being replaced. (Image: Virgin Atlantic)

This old Upper Class cabin on Virgin Atlantic’s A330s is being replaced. (Image: Virgin Atlantic)

Virgin Atlantic is refitting the Upper Class cabins of its 10 Airbus A330s following complaints that the seating layout of the herringbone “Dream Suites” was too cramped. Specifics of the redesign haven’t yet been announced, but Routesonline.com reports that the carrier has started to schedule the rollout of the overhauled A330s. The schedule sets March 27 for the debut of the aircraft on Virgin’s Manchester-San Francisco and Manchester-Boston routes, followed by London Heathrow-Newark, LHR-New York JFK, LHR-Washington Dulles, Manchester-Atlanta and Manchester-JFK on September 1; LHR-Atlanta and another LHR-JFK flight October 30; and LHR-Miami October 31.

While United will continue to operate one of its last 747s on the San Francisco-London Heathrow route through the summer, it has filed plans to change the aircraft on its second flight (the evening departure from SFO, UA930/949) from a 777-200ER to a 787-9 from May 24 through September 5, according to Routesonline.com.

Air India plans a July start for its newest U.S. route, linking Delhi and Washington Dulles. The carrier plans to use a 777 to fly the new route three times a week. Air India already flies to New York, Newark, Chicago and San Francisco.

Bliss Jet plans to operate LGA-Lonodon flights with luxurious Gulfstream business jets. (Image: Bliss Jet)

Bliss Jet plans to operate LGA-London flights with luxurious Gulfstream business jets. (Image: Bliss Jet)

Bliss Jet, a new company that last year said it would begin offering individually-ticketed private jet flights between the New York area and the U.K., failed to deliver on that plan. But now the carrier is trying again – this time with a new route. Bliss Jet’s original plan called for weekly roundtrip service between New York’s Westchester County Airport and London’s small Biggin Hill Airport. Now the company is planning to start offering private jet charter flights sometime this spring between LaGuardia and London Stansted, using private terminals at both airports. Bliss Jet will sell individual seats on Gulfsteam G450s and G550s with a maximum of 10 seats per flight. Service will operate eastbound on Sundays and westbound on Thursdays. The cost will be a mere $11,995 – each way.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Most popular: Best program + San Jose boom + Fare sale + Golden Age + SIA Trip Report

snow

Looking down from the plane at the snowy Sierra is gorgeous. This is what it looks like from the ground this week! My sister-in-law’s house near Lake Tahoe.  (Photo: N. Dean)

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

1 Is this really the best frequent flyer program?Weekend Edition

2 Deal Alert: SFO-London $481 nonstop, roundtrip United, Virgin (STILL AVAILABLE for Spring Break trips!)

3 Mineta San Jose airport adding even more flights in 2017

4 Reader Report: Singapore Airlines Premium Economy, Airbus A350 SFO-SIN

5 6 reasons why now is the “golden age” of air travel

Passengers retreat to the lounge upstair "inside the bubble" on the Pan Am 747 (Photo: Michael Kelley)

Passengers retreat to the lounge upstair “inside the bubble” on Pan Am 747 experience in LA (Photo: Michael Kelley)

6 Airport updates: Atlanta, JFK, Newark, Boston, Dulles, BWI

7 Get $200 for booking a trip on new Upside site

8 Southwest announces 22 new routes

9 Is that paleo? Eat like a caveman on your next trip

10 American rolls out cheap new low-frills fares

Don’t miss: Should I convert my Virgin America points to Alaska miles right now? 

Don’t miss this great deal from this week’s sponsor! Three free meals when you try Blue Apron

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

21% of flight attendants admit to having sex on planes sez new survey

United will start its new Basic Economy fares on Minnesota flights

Bloomberg report sees hard times for Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines

Transportation Dept. proposes new rule to make baggage fees more transparent

Uber reduces number of SPG points offered per ride

Special branded floormats in the Uber that picked me up (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Special branded floormats in Uber when the SPG partnership started two years ago (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Did you know you can earn Delta miles in India’s Jet Airways flights? 

JetBlue offers triple TrueBlue points on flights to Cuba

Hyatt buys Miraval “wellness resort” group

Passenger survey finds seat-kicking is the most annoying in-flight behavior

Delta adds new content to Delta Studio in-fight entertainment

Airbus is working on a futuristic self-flying taxi

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Deal Alert: SFO-London $481 roundtrip United, Virgin

Virgin Atlantic's shiny new toy coming to SFO: Boeing Dreamliner 787-9 (Photo: Virgin)

Virgin Atlantic flies only Boeing 787s on its SFO-London nonstops (Photo: Virgin)

Today United and Virgin Atlantic have a great deal on round trip, nonstop flights to London from many major US gateways- just $481 round trip for winter and spring trips!

This is an especially good deal– any time we see nonstops west coast to Europe for less than $500, we jump!

What’s best about this sale is the wide window during which you can get the deal- according to Google Flights, the deal is good for flights from now all the way through mid May 2017. This includes the popular and busy spring break timeframe. 

Google flights showing LAX-London for just $504 rt in March

Google flights showing SFO-London for just $481 for winter and spring trips

From SFO, you can now fly on Virgin Atlantic’s two new B787 Dreamliners plying the route across the pond. United flies 777s on the SFO-LHR Heathrow route.

WOW Air’s one-stop flights from SFO to London are as low as $440 (with big fees). From Oakland, Norwegian Air offers fares from Oakland to London as low as $385 roundtrip (with restrictions) so this is clearly a competitive move on the part of the majors. From San Jose, there are competitive fares ($495) on to London on Air Canada and United, but require a stop enroute.

NOTE: Currently British Airways does not seem to be participating in this great deal.

Find these deals on Google Flights. NOTE: If flights are not found on Google flights, try United.com or VirginAtlantic.com, both of which are still showing these fares as of 6 pm Wednesday.

Screen Shot 2017-01-18 at 5.43.54 PM

Virgin Atlantic flights SFO LHR

Fares available on Weds January 18 and subject to change.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here


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Routes: United, China Southern, Hainan, Alaska, Hong Kong Airlines, LOT

United is boosting capacity on its new route from SFO to Auckland. (Image:

United is scaling back its six-month-old route from SFO to Auckland. (Image: Aucklandnz.com)

In international route developments, United will scale back its San Francisco-Auckland and LAX-London service; China Southern will boost capacity to San Francisco; China’s Hainan Airlines seeks two more U.S. routes; Alaska Airlines begins Cuba flights from the West Coast; Hong Kong Airlines schedules its first service to North America; and LOT Polish will resume a Chicago route.

Is there too much new capacity between the U.S. and New Zealand? United Airlines has decided to suspend its San Francisco-Auckland flight this spring and turn it into a seasonal route. United will halt the 787 service April 16 and pick it up again October 28, according to Routesonline.com. But then on December 16, 2017, United will boost frequencies on the route from seven a week to 10, using a 777-200ER. United kicked off the SFO-Auckland route last summer, just after American started flying from Los Angeles to Auckland. And a little over a year ago, Air New Zealand added a new Houston-Auckland route.

In other news, United has dropped plans to add a second Los Angeles-London Heathrow to its schedule this year. The second flight had been scheduled to begin April 4, but United apparently had second thoughts about committing more seats to a crowded market, with five other airlines already offering non-stop service between Los Angeles and London. And from its Newark hub, United this week ended its daily service to Belfast, Northern Ireland, as it previously announced. The Belfast Telegraph reports that Belfast Airport officials are in talks with several other carriers to add a U.S. route.

China Southern to launch new SFO nonstops in December (Photo: Wikimedia)

China Southern will add more seats from San Francisco to Guangzhou (Photo: Wikimedia)

China Southern Airlines has filed plans to increase capacity to San Francisco from Guangzhou, Routesonline.com reports. It will start by changing aircraft as of March 26 from 787-8s to larger 777-300ERs on its four weekly non-stop flights from Guangzhou to SFO and its three flights a week from Guangzhou to SFO via a stop in Wuhan. Then on June 21 it will increase frequencies on the non-stop route from four flights a week to six.

Hainan wants to add 787 flights from Chengdu to LAX and New York. (Photo: San Jose Airport)

Hainan wants to add 787 flights from Chongqing to LAX and New York. (Photo: San Jose Airport)

China’s Hainan Airlines, which has several U.S. routes already, wants two more. The carrier has applied with U.S. authorities to start flying two or three times a week from Chongqing to Los Angeles within the next few months, followed by a similar schedule from Chongqing to New York JFK in the second quarter, using 787s on both routes. Hainan already flies to Beijing from San Jose, Chicago and Seattle, and to Shanghai from Seattle and Boston.

Alaska Airlines has finally launched its new Havana service, becoming the only airline to fly to the Cuban capital from the West Coast. The daily service originates in Seattle, then stops in Los Angeles before continuing non-stop to Havana. The 737-900ER flight leaves SEA at 5 a.m. and departs LAX at 8:50 a.m. Chris was on the inaugural, and will file a report shortly.

Hong Kong Airlines, which has a route network all around East and Southeast Asia as well as Australia and New Zealand, plans to begin its first transpacific service to North America this summer. The airline said it will star flying once a day on June 30 between its Hong Kong base and Vancouver, using an Airbus A330.

LOT Polish Airlines has set a July 2 start for new service between Chicago O’Hare and Krakow, operating one flight a week on the route with a 787-8.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Routes: American, China Airlines, Xiamen, JetBlue, Alaska + more

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

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

In international route updates, American Airlines is adding premium economy-equipped 787-9s to more markets; China Airlines planes an aircraft change and more flights to San Francisco; Xiamen opens sales for a new LAX route; JetBlue boosts Bermuda capacity; Alaska adds a Mexico route from Sacramento; Avianca increases Los Angeles service; and Delta expands Caribbean code-shares.

The new premium economy section that American Airlines is putting into its 787-9 Dreamliners will soon appear on more routes. The section first appeared on Dallas/Ft. Worth-Sao Paulo and DFW-Madrid flights in November, and now it is due to debut on DFW-Paris and DFW-Seoul flights starting January 9 and February 16 respectively.  Although the seats are out there, they’re not yet officially on sale as premium economy fares. That will begin early next year, American said. In other news, American is planning to upgrade the aircraft on its Raleigh-Durham to London Heathrow route. On March 5, it will switch from a 767 to a 777-200, offering about 40 percent more seats.

China Airlines will put a new Airbus A350 onto its San Francisco-Taipei route next spring. (Image: Airbus)

China Airlines will put a new Airbus A350 onto its San Francisco-Taipei route next spring. (Image: Airbus)

More flights are coming on the San Francisco to Taipei route, along with a new aircraft type. China Airlines, a member of Delta’s SkyTeam alliance, reportedly plans to boost frequencies on the route from seven a week to nine starting May 14, and to switch aircraft from a 777-300ER to a new Airbus A350. Then in early August, the carrier will add two more weekly flights on the route for a total of 11 a week.

China’s Xiamen Airlines has started taking bookings for its planned new service between Xiamen and Los Angeles International, due to begin on June 27. The carrier will use a 787-9 Dreamliner to fly the route three times a week.

JetBlue is adding more capacity to Bermuda from its Northeast focus cities. Beginning May 18, it will operate daily year-round flights from New York JFK, with a second daily frequency from May 18 through October. The airline will also increase its Boston-Bermuda daily service from seasonal to year-round as of May 18, and will upsize aircraft on its Bermuda routes from 100-seat Embraer 190s to 150-seat Airbus A320s.

Alaska Airlines plans to add a new route from California to Mexico next summer. As of June 10, the airline will offer weekly 737 service (on Saturdays) between Sacramento and San Jose/Los Cabos.

The LAX-Bogota route will get more Avianca Dreamliner flights next year. (Image: Avianca)

The LAX-Bogota route will get more Avianca Dreamliner flights next year. (Image: Avianca)

Got  business in Colombia? The Colombian carrier Avianca will boost its West Coast service in 2017, increasing frequencies on the Bogota-Los Angeles route from four a week to daily starting on March 28. Avianca uses a 787-8 Dreamliner on the route.

Delta is expanding its code-share partnership with Seaborne Airlines on flights beyond San Juan to various Caribbean island destinations. In recent weeks, Delta has put its DL code onto Seabourne flights from San Juan to St. Maarten, Anguilla, St. Kitts and Nevis, and on March 5 it will do the same on Seabourne service to La Romana, Dominican Republic.

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Routes: Air Canada, Virgin Atlantic, Hainan, United, AA, Delta, Volaris

Air Canada will use regional jets like the Embraer 190 on new U.S. routes. (Image: Air Canada)

Air Canada will use regional jets like the Embraer 190 on new U.S. routes. (Image: Air Canada)

In international route news, Air Canada will add some new transborder routes next year; Virgin Atlantic will drop a key U.S.-London service; China’s Hainan Airlines applies for rights to two U.S. cities; United suspends two Europe routes this winter and one next summer; American goes all-787 on a London route; Volaris adds two U.S.-Mexico routes and Delta drops one.

Air Canada said it plans to add or expand half a dozen U.S. routes next spring, using regional jets on all of them. On May 1, the airline will begin new daily service from Toronto to San Antonio and Memphis, and its Vancouver to Phoenix service will be expanded from seasonal to year-round. On the same date, Air Canada will start seasonal Toronto-Savannah, Ga., flights for the summer, operating six times a week through October 15. On May 18, Air Canada will begin twice-daily flights between Vancouver and Denver, and on May 26 it will add daily flights between Montreal and Dallas/Ft. Worth.

Virgin Atlantic’s summer Chicago-London Heathrow flights, which last year operated from mid-May through mid-October, will not resume in 2017, according to Routesonline.com. Virgin said suspension of the Chicago flights will allow it to add a third daily Los Angeles-London flight, as previously announced.

Don’t miss! Transcon fares plunge to around $200 round trip

Hainan wants to add 787 flights from Chengdu to LAX and New York. (Photo: San Jose Airport)

Hainan wants to add 787 flights from Chengdu to LAX and New York. (Photo: San Jose Airport)

What’s the big attraction of Chengdu, in central China’s Sichuan province? For one thing, it has a population exceeding 10 million. China’s Hainan Airlines has asked the U.S. Transportation Department for rights to fly to Chengdu twice a week from Los Angeles in the first quarter of 2017, and three times a week from New York in the second quarter, using 787s on both routes. It already has the approval of China’s government. Chengdu is already served by United from San Francisco, by China Eastern from LAX via Nanjing and Sichuan Airlines from LACX via Hangzhou.

United Airlines plans a temporary suspension of two routes to Germany this winter, according to Routesonline.com. United will drop its four weekly Newark-Hamburg 767 flights from January 9 through May 4, and its five weekly Houston-Munich 767 roundtrips from January 10 through April 3. And next summer, United has reportedly decided not to offer previously planned seasonal daily 757 flights between Newark and Oslo, which had been scheduled to operate from May 5 to September 5.

The main cabin on an America Airlines 787. (Image: American)

The main cabin on an America Airlines 787. (Image: American)

American Airlines, which currently uses 767s and 777s on its Chicago O’Hare-London Heathrow route, reportedly plans to change over to all 787-8 Dreamliners for those flights beginning March 5. The airline’s three daily ORD-LHR flights will be supplemented with a fourth daily 787 roundtrip for the summer starting April 4. AA also will replace its daily 767-300ER flight from O’Hare to Dublin with a 787-8 from July 5 through October 4.

Delta’s daily Los Angeles-Guadalajara 737-800 flight is due to be discontinued February 1. But Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris continues to expand transborder service. This month, it started daily A320 roundtrips from Monterrey to Denver, and in March it is due to launch twice-weekly service from Guadalajara to Milwaukee.

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Deal Alert: British Airways, Virgin Atlantic to London

Afternoon tea at the Palm Court in London's elegant Langham Hotel is a sight to behold! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Afternoon tea at the Palm Court in London’s elegant Langham Hotel is a sight to behold! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Today British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have a great deal on round trip, nonstop flights to London from many major US gateways- just $504 round trip!

This is an especially good deal for flights from western cities such as SFO, LAX, Seattle, and Denver– but it’s also in Atlanta and other eastern cities.

What’s best about this sale is the wide window during which you can get the deal- according to Google Flights, the deal is good for flights from January all the way through May 2017. This includes the popular and busy spring break timeframe. 

London

Google flights showing LAX-London for just $504 rt in March

From SFO, you can now fly on Virgin Atlantic’s two new B787 Dreamliners plying the route across the pond. British Airways flies an A380 and a B777 on the SFO-London Heathrow route. From Oakland, Norwegian Air has a handful of flights to London Gatwick airport selling for $468 round trip.

UPDATE: This fare sale seems to be spreading and is now available to/from many more US and European cities. So dig in and take a look around!

Find these deals on Google Flights.

Fares available on Tuesday, Nov 22 and subject to change.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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

The Delta-KAL codeshare lets you buy a ticket from Delta, but fly KAL (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

More flights, more availability for award flights on Korean Air (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

In international route news, Korean Air plans to boost West Coast frequencies next year, Norwegian’s Las Vegas routes will be cut back to a seasonal basis;  Aer Lingus adds a new U.S. gateway; Air Canada adds a pair of summer Europe routes from Vancouver; Fiji Airways will boost San Francisco service; two German airlines add new U.S. routes next summer; and ANA will start direct service to Mexico City.

Korean Air’s 2017 schedule plans include more flights to the West Coast, according to Routesonline.com. On March 26, Korean’s San Francisco-Seoul Incheon schedule is tentatively set to increase from seven flights a week to 12, then grow to 13 in June and 14 in September. The carrier will utilize a mix of B747-8 and B777s on the route. KAL likely added more capacity since Singapore Air moved its daily SFO-Seoul nonstop to LA to make way for its nonstop SFO-SIN service. From June through August, the airline will increase Los Angeles-Seoul Incheon frequencies from 14 to 19 flights a week. And Korean’s Seattle schedule shows daily flights during May, September and October, up from five a week for the same months this year. (FYI, Korean Air is a partner in Chase Ultimate Rewards- many readers love to unload their points to fly KAL in first or business class because space is frequently available. Get a new card, earn the bonus, and redeem away!)

Don’t miss: Trip Report – First class on Korean Air Boeing 747-8 from SFO

Here’s how TravelSkills reader JS flew KAL in first class 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.”

Norwegian Air Shuttle has been growing at Las Vegas, but it has now decided that its four routes to Europe will operate seasonally instead of year-round. Why? Because it discovered this year that sometimes Las Vegas is just too hot in the summer for its planes to take off, so they’ve had to sit on the ground until temperatures dropped. The cutoff temperature for the airline’s 291-seat Dreamliners is 104 degrees, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, so for 2017 the airline will suspend its service to London, Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen from late March until November. The publication said the airline is studying the possibility of rescheduling summer departure times to early morning or late in the day for 2018.

 

Aer Lingus is adding a Miami route next year. (Image: Aer Lingus)

Aer Lingus is adding a Miami route next year. (Image: Aer Lingus)

Ireland’s Aer Lingus will add Miami as its newest U.S. gateway next year. The airline set a September 1 start for the new service, operating three times a week between Miami and Dublin with a 266-seat A330-200. Aer Lingus also said it will boost its Los Angeles schedule from the current four flights a week to daily departures from May 26 through the end of August; increase Chicago O’Hare service from 12 flights a week to twice-daily departures beginning May 26; and add a fourth weekly flight from Orlando effective March 14.

Air Canada will give travelers new options to Europe from Vancouver next summer. The carrier said it will start daily flights from Vancouver to Frankfurt on June 1, using a 787-8 with business class, premium economy and regular economy seating; and three flights a week from Vancouver to London Gatwick with an Air Canada Rouge 767-300ER with premium and regular economy seating.

Fiji Airways is boosting capacity to San Francisco in 2017 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Fiji Airways is boosting capacity to San Francisco in 2017. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Fiji Airways must be doing well with its San Francisco-Nadi, Fiji route, because it plans to increase capacity next summer. Instead of operating two flights a week for eight weeks, it will keep them going from June 1 through late October, and will add a third weekly frequency from June 19 to August 8 – and it will upgrade the aircraft it uses from an A330-200 to a -300.

New travel options to Germany next year include service from Seattle to Cologne and from Pittsburgh to Frankfurt. The Seattle route be flown by Lufthansa Group subsidiary Eurowings, with three A330-200 flights a week operating seasonally from July 11 through October. And the Pittsburgh-Frankfurt route will be flown by Condor Airlines, with two 767 flights a week from June 23 through September.

Chris McGinnis inspecting ANA's maintenance hangar at Haneda Airport on the day before the 787 was grounded. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Chris McGinnis inspecting a Boeing 787 at Tokyo Haneda (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Want to get from Mexico to Japan without flying through the U.S. or Canada? Japan’s All Nippon Airways announced plans to begin the first non-stop service between the countries, with daily flights from Tokyo Narita to Mexico City beginning February 15. It will be ANA’s longest non-stop flight, and will use a 787-8 Dreamliner with business class and economy seating.

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Most popular: Cheap flights to London | Transcon sale | Free Vegas | Hilton promo | Best Credit Card

Washington DC

What a great week to be in Washington DC on the eve of an election for a Boarding Area conference (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

1 British Airways adds yet another Bay Area nonstop

2 Routes: Delta, ANA, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, JetBlue, Alaska

3 Deal Alert: Transcon fares plummet in December

4 5 fabulously free things to do in Las Vegas

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

Don’t miss our post about free things to do in Las Vegas.  (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

5 17 moments in 17 hours on Singapore Airlines Airbus A350

6 These two Virgins are splitting up

7 Delta details plush premium economy plans

8 How to choose the best travel credit card

9 New hotels: Minneapolis, Chicago, Silicon Valley, Nashville, Atlanta

10 New device offers drivers a heads-up, hands-free display

Don’t miss: More cheap flights across the Atlantic-KLM, AirFrance, BA

HiltonHHonorsLogo

Hilton HHonors members who book through the HHonors App (get it here) and pay with a Visa credit card for stays during November 2, 2016 – January 31, 2017 will earn an additional 5,000 Bonus Points.  How? Here are the details http://www.HHonors.com/VisaBonus.

hotel hall corridor

REDRUM! We checked out this gorgeous new hotel recently and will write about it this week. Any guesses? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

Post-takeover layoffs begin at Starwood

Marriott installs “like” buttons throughout hotel

A beautiful behind-the-scenes planespotting tour at SFO (Slideshow)

Airlines bump up capacity for bigger Thanksgiving travel crowds

Airlines: Profitable, but worried

Delta rolled out updates to its already awesome app last week. Details included in this short video:

New pet relief rooms in concourses at ATL include fire hydrants

Delta finished Wi-Fi installations on its long-haul aircraft

Study: Most companies’ travel policies don’t cover Uber/Lyft rides on international trips

Uber unveils a big redesign of its app

Hello Gorgeous! New spa for Delta employees at ATL

Judge refuses to throw out price-fixing suit against major U.S. airlines

Lufthansa retires its last 737

Survey: Business travelers are more concerned about maintaining a good work/life balance

ICYMI, see the 25 most recent TravelSkills posts right here

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Routes: Delta, ANA, Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, JetBlue, Alaska

Delta and ANA have shifted routes from Narita to Tokyo's close-in Haneda Airport. (Image: Haneda Airport)

Delta and ANA have shifted routes from Narita to Tokyo’s close-in Haneda Airport. (Image: Haneda Airport)

In international route news, Delta shifts a pair of Tokyo routes to a new airport and ANA does the same; Delta and Virgin Atlantic expand code-sharing to India with Jet Airways, and Delta drops a couple of Italy routes; British Airways adds a U.S. gateway – but not from Heathrow; JetBlue sets the launch dates for its new Havana service; and Alaska postpones the start of its new Cuba route.

New rights to fly to/from Tokyo’s close-in Haneda Airport took effect over the past weekend, resulting in some route changes at Delta and at Japan’s All Nippon Airways. Delta has started its new nonstops from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Tokyo Haneda, which replaces its MSP-Narita service; Delta also shifted its Los Angeles-Tokyo flights from Narita to Haneda (and earlier this month, Delta dropped its New York JFK-Narita route as well). Delta still flies to Narita from Seattle, Portland, Detroit and Atlanta.

ANA, meanwhile, has shifted its New York JFK and Chicago O’Hare routes from Tokyo Narita to Haneda.

Delta's code-sharing with India's Jet Airways is expanding to London and to Virgin Atlantic. (Image: delta)

Delta’s code-sharing with India’s Jet Airways is expanding to London and to Virgin Atlantic. (Image: Delta)

Across the Atlantic, Delta and partner Virgin Atlantic announced an expansion of Delta’s code-sharing partnership with India’s Jet Airways, which is currently available for connections to India via Paris and Amsterdam. Starting November 2, passengers on Delta and Virgin Atlantic flights into London Heathrow will be able to connect onto Delta code-shares operated by Jet Airways to Mumbai and Delhi, and beyond to 20 domestic destinations in India.

In other transatlantic news, for 2017 Delta will no longer offer summer seasonal service from Minneapolis-St. Paul to Rome or from New York JFK to Pisa; both routes had been planned to launch May 25. And to South America, Delta has just switched aircraft on its Atlanta-Buenos Aires route from a 767 to an A330-300, providing a 20 percent increase in the number of seats it flies.

British Airways next summer will add a new Florida route. The carrier said that starting July 6, it will fly to Ft. Lauderdale four days a week during summer and three days a week the rest of the year. But it will fly the route out of London Gatwick, not Heathrow. BA will use a 777-200 on the route, which will be its fourth into Florida.

Havana

Refrigerator magnets from a recent trip to Havana (Chris McGinnis)

JetBlue is the latest U.S. carrier to announce the starting dates for new service into Havana. JetBlue, which won rights for three routes into the Cuban capital, said it will begin daily roundtrips out of its New York JFK base on November 28; daily flights from Orlando on November 29; and daily service out of Ft. Lauderdale starting November 30 (increasing to twice a day December 1)

Alaska Airlines, meanwhile, has pushed back the start of its single new Havana route. The carrier had planned to start Los Angeles-Havana service on November 29, but now won’t begin flying the route until January 5.

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts:

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

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Routes: SFO, LAX, DFW, New Orleans, Orange County, Miami, JFK, Houston

An Etihad Boeing 777-3FX (Photo: Etihad)

Etihad will shrink its San Francisco schedule and increase DFW service. (Photo: Etihad)

In international route news, Etihad will trim its San Francisco schedule and grow at Dallas, but WOW Air will increase service at SFO and Los Angeles; British Airways adds a new U.S. gateway; Southwest drops a Mexico route out of southern California; and Mexico’s Volaris adds more U.S. service.

Two years ago, Etihad Airways added San Francisco to its route map with daily flights to its Abu Dhabi base using a Jet Airways B777 and prompting “Jetihad” snickers. Etihad finally deployed its own metal on the route earlier this year, but now Routesonline.com reports that Etihad plans to cut its schedule by more than half. Effective next February 1, Etihad is due to reduce SFO service from seven flights a week to just three – and that is expected to continue into next summer. Then on February 2, Etihad will boost its Dallas/Ft. Worth-Abu Dhabi schedule from the current three flights a week to daily service, noting that traffic on that two-year-old route has “exceeded expectations.”

Skúli Mogensen, the founder and CEO of WOW Air (Photo: WOW Air)

Skúli Mogensen, the founder and CEO of WOW Air (Photo: WOW Air)

While Etihad cuts back west coast service, ultra-low-cost Icelandic carrier WOW Air will grow. Last June, the company started operating five flights a week from San Francisco to Reykjavik, and four a week from Los Angeles. But on March 26, WOW will increase its schedule to daily flights from both west coast cities – with one-way fares starting as low as $99 (plus heavy-duty fees, of course). WOW operates single-class A330-300s, although it does offer some extra-legroom seats for an extra charge.

On March 26, British Airways will begin flying a transatlantic route that currently has no non-stop service: New Orleans to London Heathrow. BA will fly the route on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays with a three-class 787-8 and a 9:10 p.m. eastbound departure.  The carrier said roundtrip fares will start at $734 in economy and $2,145 in Club World business class (based on current exchange rates).

British Airways will use a Dreamliner on its new route to New Orleans. (Image: British Airways)

British Airways will use a Dreamliner on its new route to New Orleans. (Image: British Airways)

Southwest Airlines flyers in southern California’s Orange County will have to find another way to get to Mexico City after January 4. That’s the date when Southwest is due to discontinue its daily 737 flights between John Wayne Airport and the Mexican capital.

Mexico’s low-cost Volaris just keeps expanding its transborder network. According to Routesonline.com, the carrier has plans to bring on four new U.S. routes this winter. On February 1, Volaris will begin daily service between Miami and Mexico City, along with four flights a week linking Miami with Guadalajara. Then on March 1, it will add daily flights from Mexico City to New York JFK and four a week between Mexico City and Houston. Just this month it added nonstops between SFO and Mexico City.

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts:

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

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Routes: LOT at LAX, AA seats, KLM popup, 2 new US cities for Icelandair

LOT Polish will use a 787 for new Los Angeles service in 2017. (Image: LOT Polish)

LOT Polish will use a 787 for new Los Angeles service in 2017. (Image: LOT Polish)

In international route news, LOT Polish Airlines will begin new service to Los Angeles and Newark; American Airlines officially launches its new international premium economy class in a few weeks; British Airways drops a Philadelphia flight but American adds one; KLM will fly to Minneapolis-St. Paul and offers San Franciscans a 787 sneak peek; and Icelandair plans to open up two more U.S. gateways.

LOT Polish Airlines will kick off the first non-stop service between the West Coast and Poland on April 3, 2017 when it begins service between Los Angeles International and Warsaw. LOT will fly the LAX route four times a week using a 787-8 Dreamliner. Also in April, the Polish carrier will resume service from Warsaw to Newark Liberty International, a hub for its Star Alliance partner United.  The Newark flights will begin April 28, initially operating three times a week with a leased 767-300ER, but switching to a 787 in August. With the addition of Newark flights, LOT will trim its 2017 summer schedule out of New York JFK from 12 flights a week to nine.

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)

When American Airlines puts its new 787-9s into international service next month, they’ll come equipped with the carrier’s new premium economy cabin – a first for U.S. airlines on international routes.  The first flights to offer the premium cabin will be from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Sao Paulo on November 3 and from DFW to Madrid on November 4. The premium economy service is in addition to (and priced higher than) the airline’s extra-legroom seating in the regular economy cabin. Premium economy seats have a 38-inch pitch, greater width than regular economy, adjustable headrests and footrests, larger video screens, noise-reducing headphones, free drinks and more.

British Airways’ longstanding Philadelphia schedule of two daily flights to London Heathrow will change in March 2017 when it drops one of them – the 10 p.m. departure. But joint venture partner American Airlines will pick up the slack, boosting its own PHL-LHR schedule from one flight a day to two.

Delta’s transatlantic joint venture partner KLM plans to kick off service on March 27 from Delta’s Minneapolis-St. Paul hub to Amsterdam using an Airbus A330 for three flights a week (Monday, Wednesday, Saturday). It hasn’t flown the MSP-Amsterdam route for 15 years, according to Airlineroute.com. Delta serves the route with two to three flights a day. Elsewhere, KLM is about to resume Miami service, as previously announced. October 30 is the launch date for the carrier’s three weekly flights from MIA to Amsterdam, which will continue through March 23 with a two-class A330.

KLM 787

Business class seats on KLM’s 787 Dreamliner (Photo: KLM)

In San Francisco, meanwhile, KLM is inviting travelers to visit a Pop-Up location that the carrier will open at Union Square (445A Sutter Street) October 14 to 22, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Pop-Up’s purpose is to promote KLM’s 787 Dreamliner, which it put onto its SFO route a few months ago. Visitors can experience the airline’s World Business Class and a virtual reality simulation of the 787, and will get a chance to win free tickets to Amsterdam.

Icelandair will expand its U.S. network in 2017 with the addition of two new gateways. The carrier will begin seasonal summer service to Reykjavik from Philadelphia four days a week beginning May 30, along with year-round flights from Tampa twice a week starting September 6. Also for the 2017 summer season, Icelandair will boost Denver-Reykjavik service from seven to nine weekly flights from June 1 through mid-September; and will increase its Portland schedule from three a week to four on May 20, adding a fifth weekly flight June 14 through August 31.

Don’t miss out on these popular TravelSkills posts:

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

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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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Trip Report: British Airways 787 Dreamliner San Jose-London

British Airways business class club world

A middle seat that’s actually preferred? Yep! On British Airway’s 787 nonstop between San Jose and London (Photo: Scott Hintz)

Trip Summary

  • BA’s new San Jose (SJC) – London Heathrow (LHR) nonstop offers its standard (if a little long-in-the-tooth) Club World experience. It’s a solid product that hits all the basics, including a flat bed that’s decent for sleeping on the 11 hour flight
  • The new 787-9 Dreamliner BA flies on this route is terrific in that it’s new, offers features that help provide a better night of sleep and reduce jetlag and fatigue, and has a 2-3-2 layout including a middle seat that’s actually preferred by some solo business travelers
  • A very unusual take off pattern from SJC (see below)
  • A smaller, simpler airport (than nearby SFO) and later departure time make this flight a very convenient option for Bay Area travelers, especially those located in Silicon Valley and the larger South Bay. Mineta San Jose International Airport is about 40 minutes south of SFO, depending on traffic.
  • Nonstop, roundtrip fares from SJC to LHR this fall are in the range of $1,100 to $2,400 in economy; $1,500 to $2,600 for premium economy; $6,500 to $9,000 in business; and $8,000 to $15,000 for first.  These fares are roughly the same as similar nonstop BA flights out of SFO. (NOTE: British Airways is currently offering upgrades to First for those paying certain business class fares and flying before Dec 23 2016.) 
Scott Hintz

TravelSkills contributor Scott Hintz prepared this Trip Report

Flight Details:

BA 278 SJC to LHR | July 20, 2016 | Club World (business class) | Seat 13K

This flight was provided by British Airways so that Travelskills could review the new route from San Jose to London.  However, the opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Background

British Airways launched this new route from San Jose to London in early May of this year.  This is BA’s first time serving the San Jose airport and is the airline’s fourth destination in California (SFO, LAX, and SAN are the others).  For Bay Area travelers, the SJC flight complements BA’s existing twice-daily flights to SFO, currently flown on an A380 and a B777.  The San Jose flight is operated by the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, which is a relatively new aircraft for BA.  The flight currently departs SJC at 8:05pm and arrives at London Heathrow the next day at 2:15pm.  The return flight from LHR departs at 3:20pm and arrives the same day at SJC at 6:10pm.

BA is one of several new long-haul international flight options that have opened up at SJC recently.  Lufthansa recently started service to Frankfurt, Germany, while ANA now flies nonstop to Tokyo (Narita) and Hainan Airlines flies directly to Beijing.  Last month, Air China began nonstop service to Shanghai.

SJC Airport Experience

The first thing you notice upon arrival at Terminal B at SJC, where BA is located, is how much smaller and easier to navigate it is than SFO. BA had several check-in lines open and it was easy to get through quickly.  

San Jose SJC

British Airways ticket counter at San Jose Airport (Scott Hintz)

After check-in, I headed to security, which was also very quick.  While SJC does offer TSA Pre-Check, only a small number of international carriers (Air Canada, Aeromexico, Etihad, Lufthansa and WestJet) participate, and unfortunately British Airways isn’t one of them at this point.  Thankfully, there was a dedicated line for first and business class customers and it was short and moved quickly.

Terminal B at SJC is modest in size, but is modern, open, and airy, with plenty of shops and restaurants. After clearing security near gate 27, I had to walk almost the entire length of the terminal to get to BA’s gate 18, and even further through a connector to terminal A to get to gate 15, where the lounge is located. (A nice workout before a long flight, right?)

San Jose SJC Brit Pub

British pub restaurant near the BA gate — coincidence? (Scott Hintz)

 

San Jose SJC Jamba Juice

Terminal B at San Jose Airport (Scott Hintz)

 

San Jose SJC Connector

Connector from Terminal B to Terminal A at San Jose Airport (Scott Hintz)

 

San Jose SJC Pet Relief

People traveling with pets will appreciate the pet relief area conveniently located right within the terminal! (Scott Hintz)

Lounge

At SJC, British Airways (and almost all other carriers) use a shared contract lounge called The Club at SJC, located near gate 15.  Upon entry, I presented my business class boarding pass and was admitted right away.  

The Club at SJC

The Club at SJC in Terminal A at San Jose Airport (Scott Hintz)

 

The Club at SJC San Jose

Airlines using The Club at SJC (Scott Hintz)

 

Club at SJC lounge

Reception desk at The Club at SJC (Scott Hintz)

I arrived at the lounge around 5:30pm, well in advance of our 8:05pm departure, but the lounge was already pretty busy.  The lounge was light and spacious with nice views, one side looking out toward San Jose and the other looking onto the runway.  There are two main rooms, one being more quiet as it’s designated as a cell-phone free zone, whereas the other one contains the buffet, bar, and cafe.  The food selection at the buffet was pretty lackluster, consisting of pretty standard snacks you’d find in a domestic U.S. lounge from AA, UA, or DL — crudite, cheese and crackers, mixed nuts, popcorn, chips, fruit.  In addition, there was a very limited selection of cut pieces of sandwiches, although they didn’t look very appealing.  There’s a full bar with an assortment of beer, wine, and spirits, in addition to a self-serve soda machine and small bottles of water.  Wifi in the lounge was free and seemed to work well with fast speed and a reliable connection.  Power ports were also plentiful among the seating.  Finally, the bathrooms in the lounge were a weak spot as they are small and outdated and weren’t very clean at the time I visited.  There is a separate room where you can shower, although it was in use, so I couldn’t see inside it.

Club at SJC San Jose

The “quiet” room in The Club at SJC (Scott Hintz)

 

Club at SJC

The main (non-quiet) room of The Club at SJC (Scott Hintz)

 

Club at SJC

Bar at The Club at SJC (Scott Hintz)

 

Buffet club at SJC

Food selection at The Club at SJC (Scott Hintz)

 

British Airways San Jose

View of the tarmac from The Club at SJC — our aircraft taxiing to the gate after arriving from London (Scott Hintz)

Boarding

The flight had a posted delay of five minutes, seemingly due to a late arrival of the inbound aircraft from London.  Even when running on schedule, the plane has just under two hours on the ground at SJC, which is pretty quick for a plane of this size — impressive that BA was almost able to keep us on schedule even with a late incoming aircraft!  I headed down to the gate at the original boarding time and found it to be very busy with nowhere to sit.  The gate areas in this terminal are pretty snug, so boarding a larger plane like the 787-9 definitely maxes out the waiting area.  Thankfully, it wasn’t a long wait before boarding began.  BA allowed a lot of time for pre-boarding and a number of people took advantage of that, including a surprising number of families with small children.  The joys of traveling in the summer!  General boarding followed the expected sequence of priority boarding by class and elite status and went very smoothly.  

SJC flight attendants

Crew arriving at the gate for the flight to LHR (Scott Hintz)

Settling In

First impressions once on board were good.  Being a new plane, everything looked clean and shiny — and the large windows on the 787 did a nice job of lighting up the interior so it was bright and welcoming.  This plane is configured with all four classes of service — First, Club World (business), World Traveller Plus (premium economy), and World Traveller (economy).

The first class cabin consists of two rows in a 1-2-1 configuration for a total of 8 seats.  BA’s first class seat has beautiful finishes and looks great, although the seat itself is compact and limited in privacy.  Many travelers call BA’s first class “the best business class out there,” given that the seat is similar to what you find in business on airlines like AA (777-300), DL (A330), Cathay Pacific, etc.  But it’s nice that BA at least offers a first class cabin on the SJC route, as the smaller 787-8 only offers business class.

British Airways First 787-9

First class cabin on BA 787-9 (Scott Hintz)

 

British Airways First

First class cabin on BA 787-9 (Scott Hintz)

Business class consists two rows in a “mini-cabin” directly behind first class, then another four rows in a larger cabin just past the lavs and galleys.  Seats are arranged in a 2-3-2 configuration with the seats against the windows, as well as the center seat in the middle 3-across section, facing backwards.  This is a familiar layout to anyone who has flown BA in business before and it’s essentially the same seat BA has been flying for quite a while.  What’s somewhat nice about the 787 is that the middle section only has three seats, so the middle seat is all by itself and offers a lot of privacy for a solo traveler.  On other BA widebody aircraft, the middle section has four seats, including two coupled together in the middle — great for a couple traveling together, but far too intimate for two strangers who happen to be seated next to each other!

British Airways 787-9 middle seat

A very private middle seat in business class on BA’s 787-9 (Scott Hintz)

 

British Airways Club business class 787

Club/business cabin on BA 787-9

 

British Airways 787-9 (SeatGuru)

British Airways 787-9 layout (SeatGuru- CLICK for page)

I took a quick look in the premium economy cabin, which felt nicer than I was expecting.  It’s definitely a big step up from the “economy plus” type of extra-legroom seating that most of the U.S. carriers offer, with seats feeling a lot more like what domestic U.S. airlines have in first class. Finishes were nice, legroom looked good, and I like that you have a footrest to take the pressure off your legs on a long flight.  The cabin is in a 2-3-2 layout, as opposed to the 3-3-3 layout in economy, so the premium economy seat is wider in addition to the extra 6 or 7 inches of legroom.

British Airways World Traveler Plus 787-9

“World Traveller Plus” premium economy cabin on BA 787-9 (Scott Hintz)

British Airways World Traveler Plus premium economy 787

“World Traveller Plus” premium economy seat on BA 787-9 (Scott Hintz)

 

British Airways economy class 787

Seats configured 3-3-3 in British Airways World Traveler (economy) section (Scott Hintz)

Back in the Club/business cabin, I took my seat.  Waiting there was a blanket and pillow, along with a pair of noise-canceling headphones. After a few minutes, a flight attendant stopped by to offer me a pre-departure drink and a menu for the food service on the flight.  Later, another flight attendant came by distributing amenity kits.  The business class amenity kit on BA is nothing spectacular, but it offers all the basics and I happen to quite like the Elemis products it contains.  It all comes in a somewhat unusual sack that feels a little like a shoe bag — I’ve never really understood why the bag is so large when you unfold it, as it doesn’t seem particularly useful for any other purpose.  The kit contains earplugs, a pen, hand lotion, facial cream, lip balm, toothbrush/toothpaste kit, socks, and an eye mask.  As I finished inspecting the kit, the safety video played and we began preparing for departure.  At this point, I noticed that the business cabin was roughly three-quarters full, so there were plenty of empty seats where you could grab an extra blanket or pillow.  Which was handy, because the pillow BA offers is on a the small and thin side, so definitely try to grab an extra if you can.  I find the blanket to be quite large and just the right balance between being warm while not overly bulky or hot.

British Airways Champagne

Pre-departure beverage in BA business class (Scott Hintz)

 

British Airways amenity kit

Amenity kit in BA business class (Scott Hintz)

 

British Airways menu business class

BA business class menu (Scott Hintz)

The Seat

The BA business class seat was revolutionary when it was introduced in the 1990s as it offered a flat bed at a time when that was only found in first class. Today, the BA seat lags the competition, but it gets the job done.  Given the 7-across seating on an aircraft where many other airlines only have 4-across, it’s definitely snug in terms of width.  But it does recline into a fully-flat bed that I find sufficient for sleeping, which is perhaps the most important criteria for a business class seat.  And if you can get one of the window seats, or that single middle seat in the center section, then you also have a fair amount of privacy.  I would definitely try to avoid any of the four aisle seats, if at all possible.  However, the downside of the window/middle seats is that you have to step over the feet of the person next to you if they happen to be reclined at the time.  I don’t find it that hard to do and it’s worth the tradeoff to have more privacy, so I definitely prefer the window/middle seats.  If you choose seat 13K on this flight, the window in the last aisle of business, you get the bonus of unimpeded aisle access, since there is nobody in the row behind you that you need to step over.

With the alternating forward/backward seat layout, there is a privacy partition between seats that you can move up or down.  If you’re flying with someone, it’s actually a nice feature as you are essentially looking at each other face-to-face if you have the divider down.  But if you are traveling alone, it can certainly be a bit awkward to have a stranger sitting there looking right at you!  (The partitions must be in the down position for take off and landing, too. Hello, neighbor!)

The seat controls are simple and intuitive, allowing you to easily recline into a lounging position or go all the way flat for sleeping.  There’s a controller for the entertainment system that you can detach from the wall and use in your hands, or you can just reach out and touch the monitor, which I find easier than pressing small buttons on the controller.  The video screen itself is on the small side at roughly 10.5 inches.  There are two power ports for charging devices, including a versatile plug that can accommodate USB or many common plugs, including U.S. style.  The screen pops out from the wall of the pod, but it must remain stowed during taxi, takeoff, and landing, so you can’t watch programs gate-to-gate.  Beneath the monitor is the meal tray, which also pops out from the wall of the pod.  Finally, you have a decent-sized storage drawer near the floor with plenty of room for devices, amenity kit, headphones, etc.

One last noteworthy feature of the seat is the window.  As is standard for the Dreamliner, the windows are clearly larger than other aircraft, making for some great views and providing generous sunlight.  There’s also the standard button for electronically dimming the window.  It worked fine for me, and this seems to be a feature that some people like and others don’t.  I’m indifferent, although I didn’t love the fact that it took almost a full minute for the window to completely darken when I was ready to go into sleep mode.

British Airways business class 787

Business class seat, BA 787-9 (Scott Hintz)

 

British Airways Club divider

This is what it’s like looking into the facing seat with the divider down on British Airways Club (Scott Hintz)

 

Seat controls business class British Airways

Seat controls in business class on British Airways B787 (Scott Hintz)

 

British Airways 787 windows

Electronically-dimmed windows on BA 787-9 (Scott Hintz)

 

Power ports on BA 787-9 (Scott Hintz)

Power ports on BA 787-9 (Scott Hintz)

 

Business class storage drawer on the BA 787-9 (Scott Hintz)

Business class storage drawer on the BA 787-9 (Scott Hintz)

The Flight

Takeoff consisted of a zigzag pattern out of the Bay Area and afforded for some incredible views as the sun was setting.  

Unusual akeoff pattern from SJC airport (Scott Hintz)

Unusual akeoff pattern from SJC airport (Scott Hintz)

 

San Jose 787 wing

Beautiful views of Silicon Valley departing the Bay Area at sunset, including the gorgeous wing of the 787-9- note the curve! (Scott Hintz)

Shortly after takeoff, I perused the entertainment selection of the on-demand system.  It had a fairly typical assortment of movies, including many newer releases, TV shows, music, games, etc.  Menus were easy to figure out and the system was quick and responsive.  I watched Zoolander 2, which was really funny and much better than expected!  Unfortunately, this aircraft, and all aircraft in the BA fleet, currently do not offer WiFi — although they have recently announced plans to start adding super-fast WiFi to their transatlantic fleet in 2017.

Zoolander

Seatback entertainment options – I chose Zoolander 2 (Scott Hintz)

Flight attendants came around with hot towels and then came back to offer drinks and nuts.  The nut mix was in a package, as opposed to the warm nuts in a ramekin that AA and some others provide, but they were still tasty.

Post-takeoff drinks and packaged nuts in BA business class (Scott Hintz)

Post-takeoff drinks and packaged nuts in BA business class (Scott Hintz)

Meal service then began with a choice of starters, a salad, and fresh warm bread from a basket.  It seemed a little strange that one of the two starter choices was a salad, meaning that if you select it, you have a starter salad and also a separate salad course before the main entree.  But both salads were very good, consisting of fresh ingredients that tasted good and which were attractively plated.

Starter salad and separate salad course in BA business class (Scott Hintz)

Starter salad and separate salad course in BA business class (Scott Hintz)

For the main entree, you had a choice of filet of beef, Atlantic salmon, Pappardelle pasta, or yet another salad.  Yes, it’s possible to have three salads in a single meal, perhaps a nice option for those who avoid meat.  I had the salmon, which didn’t look so great with the liquidy sauce and fairly monochromatic pallet, but it actually tasted pretty good.  I’ve often had fish on a plane that is overcooked and dried out, but this one was moist and seemed fresh.  Dessert consisted of only one choice, a cheesecake brownie, which was good, or you could opt for a cheese plate.

Salmon dinner entree in BA business class (Scott Hintz)

Salmon dinner entree in BA business class (Scott Hintz)

Service was complete around two hours into the flight, which seems pretty typical.  For a flight that departs at 8pm, I would expect that most people would want to sleep pretty quickly, so it would be nice if BA offered either a pre-flight dining option or some kind of express meal service on board the plane.  Still, finishing service around 10:30pm San Jose time is pretty reasonable in terms of people then sleeping at a normal bedtime.  The crew dimmed the lights after service was complete and it seemed like most people slept for a majority of the remaining seven hours of flight time.

The crew was active during the meal service, but then you rarely saw them after that.  I think that’s a good thing, as the cabin stayed nice and quiet for sleeping.  Flight attendants throughout the flight were professional and efficient, although they weren’t particularly warm or chatty.  Nobody addressed me by name or struck up conversation or anything else to go above and beyond performing their required duties.  Again, I think that’s perfectly fine, especially for business class.  I certainly did not encounter any crew members who were cold or rude in any way.

While the cabin was dark, it remained quiet and there was minimal traffic up and down the aisles.  This is also the point of the flight where I could really feel the differences of the Dreamliner, namely the more humid air and the higher pressurization.  Even after five hours of flight, I didn’t have the normal altitude headache or dried out skin and airways that I normally feel on a long haul flight.  This benefit was felt for the duration of the flight and my body definitely felt much better the day after the flight, as well.  This alone makes me a big fan of the Dreamliner to the point that I would seek it out for future long-haul flights, if available.

BA offers a “club kitchen” area within the galley where you can stop for a snack or drink if you have a craving during the night.  The selection is modest, but comes in handy when you just want something quick and simple without any hassle.  

The lavatories in business class are basic, but functional.  Unlike the A380, which offers some very large lavs, they are quite small on the 787-9.

Lavatory in BA business class on the 787-9 (Scott Hintz)

Lavatory in BA business class on the 787-9 (Scott Hintz)

Around 90 minutes prior to landing, the crew began breakfast service.  An assortment of beverages was offered, including coffee, tea, fruit juice, and a smoothie, followed by choice of fruit plate or greek yogurt.  Flight attendants also came around with a pastry basket before serving the entree, which was a choice of a full English breakfast, an asparagus and mushroom frittata, a continental breakfast of cheese and eggs, or a hot breakfast sandwich.  I had the frittata, which was surprisingly good.

Fruit plate breakfast starter in BA business class (Scott Hintz)

Fruit plate breakfast starter in BA business class (Scott Hintz)

 

British Airways Breakfast

Asparagus and mushroom frittata breakfast entree in BA business class (Scott Hintz)

Arrival

After breakfast, the crew prepared the cabin for landing.  The approach to Heathrow was routine and we were at our gate in T5 a few minutes early, despite our slightly delayed departure.  We disembarked from the forward door, and even though I was in the last row of business class and had to walk to the front of the plane, I was off the plane within 10 minutes of arrival at the gate.

Since I was connecting onward to Germany, upon leaving the plane I followed the clearly marked signs for connections and took advantage of the Fast Track lane offered to BA first and business class passengers.  Heathrow T5 is notorious for long, slow security lines, but this was one of the better times I’ve passed through there.  It took roughly 20 minutes to completely clear security, allowing me a quick visit to the BA Galleries Lounge before proceeding to my connecting gate.  The lounge is very large (and there are two separate business class lounges within the main T5 terminal) and has a wide variety of snacks, drinks, full buffet of hot food options, free wifi, bathrooms, and showers. The lounge was busy, but not packed, during this visit, so it was easy to find seating and an empty power outlet to charge up my electronics.  

I love that BA has an Elemis Spa within their lounge in T5 and business class passengers are entitled to a free treatment, with a choice of a few quick, basic therapies such as shoulder massage or facial.  However, in my experience, open appointments tend to be scarce.  While I didn’t really have enough time on this short connection to enjoy a service regardless, on my return flight I had a 3.5-hour layover in T5 and the spa didn’t have a single appointment available during that lengthy interval.  Too bad, because in the past when I have been able to get an appointment, that quick shoulder massage can do wonders for the body.

Summary

This was a solid business class experience on BA.  The flight itself was pretty routine with the standard BA seat, food, entertainment, etc. The crew was good and, while not standing out as particularly engaging, performed their duties and took good care of passengers.  

However, the Dreamliner aircraft was a definite plus as it’s new and quiet and is easier on the body with improved air and pressurization. That alone would be a good reason to take this flight on a long-haul trip to Europe relative to competitive offerings with other carriers. Add in the benefits of the easy-to-navigate San Jose airport and a later departure time that allows for a full day of work prior to the flight and, for many, an easier time sleeping after the meal service, and this new BA flight is a great new option for Bay Area travelers.

Have you flown BA from San Jose? Would you? Please leave your comments below.

(This Trip Report was prepared by TravelSkills contributor Scott Hintz. Be sure to see what wrote about his recent experience on Japan Airlines, too.)

Note: British Airways covered the cost of air travel on this trip. The write covered the cost of hotels, meals, transfers and other related expenses. 

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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Airport news: LaGuardia, Atlanta, Heathrow, Chicago Midway, Nashville

Construction of a new, grander LaGuardia Airport is causing headaches for travelers. (Image: New York Governor's Office)

Construction of a new, grander LaGuardia Airport is causing headaches for travelers. (Image: New York Governor’s Office)

In the latest airport developments, construction at LaGuardia is causing headaches for travelers; Delta consolidates its operations at London Heathrow; Atlanta’s new tunnel, Chicago Midway makes life easier for international travelers; and big upgrades are coming to Nashville.

Construction has finally started on the massive reconstruction of New York’s LaGuardia Airport – a multi-billion-dollar, multi-year effort – and The New York Times is reporting that it is not going smoothly. It said that the beginning of construction has led to massive traffic tie-ups for vehicles approaching the terminals, with travelers sometimes abandoning their rides and walking through the traffic jams to make it to the terminals. Travelers are being advised to plan on arriving at the airport at least two and a half hours before their scheduled departure time. “Such traffic debacles have become so common that seasoned fliers and travel bloggers have recommended avoiding LaGuardia altogether, perhaps for years to come,” the newspaper said.

Delta is moving all its London Heathrow departures to Terminal 3. (Image: Heathrow Airport)

Delta is moving all its London Heathrow departures to Terminal 3. (Image: Heathrow Airport)

Delta is making a big move at London Heathrow on September 14, consolidating all of its departures in Terminal 3. Delta flights to Boston, JFK and Seattle already fly out of T3; joining them on the 14th will be flights to Atlanta, Philadelphia, Detroit, Minneapolis-St. Paul and Salt Lake City, which now depart from Terminal 4. Delta said it is making the move so that its own flights and those of its joint venture partner Virgin Atlantic are all under the same roof. However, Terminal 4 remains the base of operations at Heathrow for Delta’s SkyTeam global alliance partners.

Atlanta, ATL canopy

A dramatic new canopy and a new tunnel are part of Atlanta Airports $6 billion in improvements (Photo: ATL)

Atlanta airport officials have announced that a new “plane train” project will extend the airport’s underground train line west from its current endpoint under the main domestic terminal to the ground transportation/car rental train/MARTA station area. It will involve construction of a 600-foot tunnel, plus evacuation stairways and other equipment. Earlier this year, the airport announced $6 billion in upgrades over the next two decades, including eye-catching, translucent canopies outside the domestic terminal.

Citing a big increase in routes to Canada and Mexico from Midway Airport in recent years, the Chicago Department of Aviation said it has upgraded and expanded the availability of self-service Automated Passport Control (APC) kiosks at the airport. Besides increasing the number of kiosks from six to 10, the devices have been enhanced with fingerprint readers, light bars and more language options. The Midway APC kiosks can be used by Canadian as well as U.S. passport holders. Midway’s Federal Inspection Service area has also added a Global Entry kiosk for members of Customs & Border Protection’s trusted traveler program.

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Nashville Airport will spend $1 billion on terminal expansion and other improvements. (Image: Nashville Airport Authority)

Nashville Airport will spend $1 billion on terminal expansion and other improvements. (Image: Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority)

The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority has taken the wraps off a billion-dollar capital improvements program for the Tennessee airport. The project – estimated to take five to seven years to complete – includes construction of a new parking garage and an International Arrivals Building, both due for completion by 2018; expansion of the ticketing and baggage claim areas; adding more gates and passenger concessions to Concourses B and D; and building a spacious central entrance hall to be called the Grand Ole Lobby. The long-term plan also envisions the eventual construction of a 200 to 300-room hotel at the airport, and the addition of a “multi-modal connector to link BNA to a future Nashville transit system.”

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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International routes update: Delta, Air China, United, Hainan, Turkish, Southwest, American + more

Air China will use an A330-200 between San Jose and Shanghai. (Image: Mehdi Nazarinia/Wikimedia Commons)

Air China will use an A330-200 between San Jose and Shanghai. (Image: Mehdi Nazarinia/Wikimedia Commons)

In international routes news, Air China comes to San Jose; Delta is dropping routes to Tokyo and Moscow; Las Vegas gets a Beijing flight; Southwest and American plan new service to Mexico from LAX; LaCompagnie suspends London flights; Copa doubles up on San Francisco service; Air Canada trims San Diego-Vancouver capacity; Turkish trims flights to US and EVA adds more seats from Seattle to Taipei. Also, stay tuned to TravelSkills for some really good route news for Oakland coming out this Thursday.

Mineta San Jose International Airport added another international route last week when Air China kicked off new service from SJC to Shanghai – the airline’s only route to Shanghai from North America. Air China is using a two-class, 237-seat Airbus A330-200 on the route, departing San Jose on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Departure time from SJC is 1:30 p.m. for the 12.5-hour flight, with arrival in Shanghai at 4:40 p.m. the next day.

Delta, which recently won new rights to operate daytime flights to Tokyo’s close-in Haneda Airport from Los Angeles and Minneapolis-St. Paul, said it plans to discontinue its daily New York JFK-Tokyo Narita service on October 2. On October 3, Delta will axe its daily Narita-Osaka flight, and on October 29 it will end its daily Narita-Bangkok service. The airline will still fly to Narita from Seattle, Portland, Detroit and Atlanta. Meanwhile, Delta this week suspended its New York-Moscow non-stop service for the season, with plans to resume the flights in May 2017.

Las Vegas will also get new service to China by year’s end. Hainan Airlines has applied for government approval to fly three times a week between Las Vegas and Beijing, with a starting date of December 2. Hainan has been growing its U.S. presence in recent months, and currently flies from San Jose to Beijing, Los Angeles to Changsha, and Seattle to Beijing and Shanghai.

(We’re back from summer vacation! In case you missed our other recent round-up posts, here they are: Domestic Routes Roundup | Tips from a Hawaiian Vacation | August’s most important travel news)

Southwest will add three routes from LAX to Mexico. (Image: Jim Glab)

Southwest will add three routes from LAX to Mexico. (Image: Jim Glab)

Both American Airlines and Southwest Airlines apparently see room for growth in the Los Angeles-Mexico market. American is planning to start new daily 737-800 flights on December 15 from LAX to both Cancun and Puerto Vallarta. And Southwest on December 4 will launch twice-daily service from LAX to both Cancun and San Jose del Cabo, as well as one flight a day between LAX and Puerto Vallarta. Meanwhile, Mexican low-cost carrier Volaris plans to begin new service December 1 between Denver and Monterrey, Mexico, operating two A320 flights a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays).

United is switching up equipment on key routes between SFO and Europe for the winter season starting October 30. On SFO-London it will run two 777-200ERs instead of the current 777 and 787 Dreamliner. On SFO-Paris, the current 767-300ER will be replaced with a 787.

Panama’s Copa Airlines, a member of United’s Star Alliance, plans to increase service between Panama City and United’s San Francisco hub. Effective November 1, Copa will increase its schedule on the route from one to two 737-800 flights a day. (Regrettably both departures from SFO are red-eyes, arriving Panama City in the morning.)

All-business-class La Compagnie blames Brexit for dropping Newark-London flights. (Image: La Compagnie)

All-business-class La Compagnie blames Brexit for dropping Newark-London flights. (Image: La Compagnie)

La Compagnie, a niche carrier that offers transatlantic all-business-class flights with 74-seat 757s, said that it will drop its route linking Newark with London’s Luton Airport effective September 25. In October, the carrier will add a second daily flight to its Newark-Paris CDG route. In explaining its decision to drop Newark-London service, La Compagnie said that the recent decision by British voters to take the U.K. out of the European Union – aka Brexit – “has created an unprecedented level of legal and economic uncertainty for airlines that service Great Britain.” 

Taiwan’s EVA Air will boost capacity this fall on its route to Taipei from Seattle. The carrier plans to add a second flight three days a week, for a total of 10 a week, beginning November 19. EVA will use a 777-300ER for the extra flights.

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines is cutting back on weekly frequencies, but not to SFO, pictured here (Chris McGinnis)

Turkish Airlines is reducing frequencies to several US cities in the wake of the downturn in demand due to recent events as well as the slower winter season ahead. Airline Routes is reporting service cutbacks (but no elimination of service) between Istanbul and Atlanta, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami.

Air Canada currently operates an Air Canada Rouge A319 on its daily San Diego-Vancouver route.  But the carrier plans to temporarily suspend the route effective October 17, and when it resumes service December 14, it will downsize to a CRJ-705 operated by Air Canada Express. Elsewhere in Canada, Westjet plans to convert its seasonal Calgary-New York JFK service into a year-round route, operating six flights a week when its winter schedule begins October 30.

(We’re back from summer vacation! In case you missed our other recent round-up posts, here they are: Domestic Routes Roundup | Tips from a Hawaiian Vacation | August’s most important travel news)

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

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

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

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

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

Related: Norwegian Air- low fares, low frills

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

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

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

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

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

Related: How Emirates welcomes a new A380. Wow!

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

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Surf Air: All-you-can-fly in Europe for $3,250

SurfAir jet

Although it uses Pilatus turboprops for intra-California flights, Surf Air says it will use executive jets like this one for its new European division. (Image: Surf Air)

Aviation entrepreneurs in the U.S. have been trying different models like all-you-can-fly, pay-per-seat and so on to try to bring more business travelers onto smaller business jets. And now that effort is setting its sights on Europe.

California-based Surf Air is going to see how its all-you-can-fly membership club model goes over in Europe. It plans to launch operations there in October, charging a monthly fee of 2,500 pounds (about $3,238) for unlimited executive jet flying between London’s Luton Airport and European destinations like Cannes, Geneva and Zurich, with more destinations to be added next year, including Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris and Barcelona. See its new European website here.

Surf Air said its expansion to Europe “is a sign of the success Surf Air’s disruptive travel model has brought to the industry.” The company said that in the U.S., it now claims 3,000 members and it operates up to 90 daily flights to 13 destinations in or near California.

Will there be reciprocal benefits for Surf Air members in California and Europe? Here’s what a spokesperson told TravelSkills: “Founding Members will be able to use Surf Air services in the US as part of their European subscription. US Members and guests will have the ability to purchase guest passes for £750 one-way when flying Surf Air in Europe.”

Recent: New JetSuiteX option between Bay Area and LA now flying

Bliss Jet will use 14-passenger aircraft for flights from suburban New York to London. (Image: Bliss Jet)

Bliss Jet will use 14-passenger aircraft for flights from suburban New York to London. (Image: Bliss Jet)

For the transatlantic market, a company called Bliss Jet, based in Westchester, N.Y., recently started promoting individually-ticketed private jet flights between New York and London. The flights, due to start in September, will operate between Westchester County Airport in New York and London’s Biggin Hill Airport, located in southeast London 12 miles from the heart of town.

Flights will use 14-passenger jets operating on “business week” schedule, with Sunday night departures from Westchester and Friday afternoon returns from London. The company said that to maximize passenger comfort, it will “limit seat sales well below the maximum aircraft’s capacity.” They’ll operate as public charters flown by Jet Access Aviation. And the cost? A cool $11,995 – one-way. 

Hmmm. That compares to British Airways’ daily all-business-class, 32-seat A319 nonstop between New York JFK and London City airport at about $5,000 roundtrip. Which one would you take?

Have you flown private… or at least semi-private yet? 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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Routes: San Francisco, LAX, Houston, San Jose, New York, Washington, Chicago

United will use a 787 for a second daily SFO-London flight. (Image: United)

United will use a 787 for a second daily SFO-London flight. (Image: United)

In international route news, United will boost its London schedules from San Francisco and Los Angeles while cutting back from Houston; also, United this week launches its promised New Zealand service; Lufthansa kicks off its delayed San Jose inaugural; Brussels Airlines rolls out a premium economy class; Wow Air adds another U.S. gateway; and a Mexican low-cost carrier adds a Chicago route.

United Airlines announced plans to add a second daily San Francisco-London Heathrow flight to its schedule starting October 30. The new LHR flight (UA900/901) will depart San Francisco at 4:15 p.m., using a 219-passenger 787-8 with BusinessFirst, Economy Plus and regular economy seating. Also on October 30, United will trim its schedule from Houston Bush Intercontinental to London from three daily flights to two, although it will use larger 777-200s on the remaining IAH flights instead of the current 767-300s and 787s. Then next spring (effective April 5), the airline will lay on a second daily Los Angeles-LHR flight (UA60/61), using a 252-seat 787-9. That flight will leave LAX at 3:10 p.m.

Meanwhile, July 1 is the launch date for United’s newest transpacific route, from San Francisco to Auckland , New Zealand. The carrier will use a 787-8 to fly the route three days a week, then will expand capacity starting October 28 to daily frequencies that use a larger 787-9. United has slated a 10:45 p.m. departure time from SFO for the 13-hour, 10-minute (westbound) flight. United will operate the route as part of its Star Alliance partnership with Air New Zealand.

Lufthansa will use an A340-300 on its new San Jose-Frankfurt route. (Image: BriYYZ/Wikimedia Commons)

Lufthansa will use an A340-300 on its new San Jose-Frankfurt route. (Image: BriYYZ/Wikimedia Commons)

Another new Bay Area international route starting up this week is Lufthansa’s non-stop service from Frankfurt to San Jose. Originally planned to begin on April 29, it is now set for a July 1 launch.  Lufthansa will operate the route five days a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday), using an Airbus A340-300 with business class, economy, and premium economy seating.  This plane, which is smaller than the A340-600 on SFO-Munich,  has 18 business class seats, 19 premium economy seats and 261 economy seats– no first class. Even though SeatGuru.com shows the seats on the A340-300 to be of the old “angled lie flat” variety, a Lufthansa spokesperson tells TravelSkills that the planes have been reconfigured with the carrier’s latest, greatest true lie-flat offering, like what you’ll find on its A380 and A340 flying from SFO. Currently, fares from both SFO and SJC to Frankfurt appear to be identical: about $5,200 round trip in business class, $2,700 in premium economy, and about $1,300 for economy. 

Brussels Airlines is adding premium economy seating to its U.S. A330 flights. (Image: Brussels Airlines)

Brussels Airlines is adding premium economy seating to its U.S. A330 flights. (Image: Brussels Airlines)

International premium economy seating continues to proliferate; the latest carrier to add that feature is Brussels Airlines, which is due to start offering it July 1 on the Airbus A330s that it flies to its U.S. gateways (New York JFK and Washington Dulles) from Brussels. The new seating option, located in the first four rows of the economy cabin, offers extra legroom and seats that recline more than twice as far as regular economy seats. It also provides enhanced in-flight services and amenities.  The carrier is offering the new seating for a surcharge of $139 one-way until September 15, when the price will rise to $169.

Elsewhere in the New York area, Icelandic low-cost carrier Wow Air – which recently started flying from San Francisco and Los Angeles — said it will add Newark Liberty International to its route map on November 25, offering daily flights to Reykjavik and connections to the U.K. and Europe. The airline will use A321s or A330s on the new route, depending on the season. One-way fares to Iceland will start at $99, with service to European capitals from as little as $149.

Mexico’s low-cost Volaris Airlines has kicked off a new route linking Chicago O’Hare with Monterrey, Mexico. The carrier will operate the service twice a week (Mondays and Fridays), using a 174-passenger Airbus A320.

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

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

United this week kicks off San Francisco-Singapore non-stops. (Image: Grand Hyatt Singapore)

United this week kicks off San Francisco-Singapore non-stops. (Image: Grand Hyatt Singapore)

There’s a lot of news about international air routes this week. United is due to start a record-breaking transpacific service on June 1, and will increase frequencies on another long-haul route out of San Francisco; United is also launching seasonal Europe routes from the East Coast and dropping its only service to Africa. Meanwhile, Delta will revise its partnership arrangement with Virgin Atlantic in 2017, and will add a new transatlantic route from Portland; Atlanta welcomes new service from a Middle Eastern carrier; Swiss delays the deployment of its fancy new wide-body to San Francisco; and low-cost carrier Norwegian adds a Las Vegas route.

On June 1, United is due to begin the longest scheduled route by any U.S. carrier – an 8,446-mile flight from San Francisco to Singapore. United will use a 787-9 Dreamliner for the new service, which will save travelers an estimated four hours in each direction compared with existing one-stop or connecting flights. The schedule calls for an 11:25 p.m. departure from SFO for the 15.5-hour westbound flight (16.3 hours eastbound). In another long-haul development from San Francisco, United said that starting October 8, it will increase frequencies on its SFO-Tel Aviv route from three a week to daily service; United also uses a 787-9 on that route.

In other international route news at United, the carrier is blaming a slump in global energy markets as well as government currency restrictions for its decision to terminate its daily flights from Houston Bush Intercontinental to Lagos, Nigeria after June 30. Meanwhile, United has started seasonal summer flights to Europe from the East Coast, offering daily service from its Newark hub to Athens (using a 767-300), and daily flights from Washington Dulles to Barcelona (with a 767-400) and to Lisbon (using a 757-200).

Portland International will get its first London non-stops from Delta next spring. (Image: Jim Glab)

Portland International will get its first London non-stops from Delta next spring. (Image: Jim Glab)

Delta just announced a new transatlantic route for 2017, with plans to start operating seasonal service between Portland and London Heathrow effective May 26-October 29. It will fly the route four days a week with a 767-300ER. Delta said it will also revise its joint scheduling arrangement with partner Virgin Atlantic next year. The existing Delta flight from Seattle to London will switch over to a Virgin Atlantic 787-9 starting March 26, increasing capacity by 50 seats a day; on the same date, Virgin’s single daily fight from Detroit to London will be replaced by a second daily Delta flight. And on May 25, Virgin will take over Delta’s New York JFK-Manchester route, with Delta picking it up again the following winter; and Delta will take over one of Virgin’s two daily Atlanta-London frequencies, giving Delta a total of three a day and Virgin just one.

In other news, Delta last week kicked off new year-round service from New York JFK to Edinburgh, Scotland. Delta started the route with a 757-200ER, but will switch to a larger 767-300ER for flights from June 8 to September 5.

Qatar Airways will use an A380 super-jumbo for its Atlanta inaugural flight.(Image: Qatar Airways)

Qatar Airways will use an A380 super-jumbo for its Atlanta inaugural flight.(Image: Qatar Airways)

 As we’ve mentioned before, June 1 is the launch date for new Qatar Airways service from Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson to Doha, Qatar – a move that has seriously irritated Delta. Although Qatar’s plans call for a 777 to fly the route on a regular basis, it reportedly intends to use an Airbus A380 for the maiden voyage. So far, Qatar is still a member of the Oneworld global alliance, which should make for easy connections at ATL with American Airlines flights.

According to Routesonline.com, which tracks airlines’ official schedule filings, Swiss has decided to push back the deployment of its fancy new 777-300ER on the San Francisco-Zurich route. Instead of bringing the new aircraft into SFO service on August 30 as previously planned, the aircraft won’t start flying the route until February 16, 2017. Meanwhile, on October 30, Swiss will put a 777-300ER into service between Zurich and Miami on four of its 14 weekly flights in that market, replacing an A330-300.

Low-cost European carrier Norwegian plans to expand its presence at Las Vegas on October 31 when it begins new twice-weekly flights to London Gatwick, using a 787 and offering introductory one-way fares as low as $199 (plus add-ons, of course). Norwegian already flies from Las Vegas to Copenhagen and Stockholm, and plans to add LAS-Oslo flights in November.

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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Oakland-London on Norwegian: Low fares, low frills

Economy cabin has a clean look and decent seat pitch on Norwegian Air

Norwegian 787 economy class cabin has a clean look and decent seat pitch, configured 3-3-3. (Photo: Nancy Branka)

Not only was it Norwegian Air Shuttle’s first flight from Oakland International to London Gatwick, it was also the first scheduled flight ever from Oakland to London. 

When invited to participate in a media “simulation” of the Norwegian inaugural flight on May 11—which meant I would go onboard a couple of hours before the flight to experience the product, then deplane—I was curious. Norwegian’s fares to Europe are strikingly low, I’d never flown the young airline, plus it has been the subject of some regulatory controversy. I signed on for the evening.

(This post was written by TravelSkills contributor Nancy Branka)

A notable element of this route is what it’s not: SFO to London-Heathrow (LHR). The Norwegian flight instead links those airports’ smaller single-runway neighbors: Oakland and London-Gatwick (LGW). OAK has always been a favorite of mine because, unlike SFO, weather rarely affects on-time arrivals and departures. Its small size also makes it quick to navigate, and now it’s getting a $100 million facelift in Terminal 1, plus a $35 million international hall.

Gatwick (LGW) is also up-and-coming as Heathrow reaches capacity limits. LGW is 28 miles south of central London but still convenient–the easy 30-minute, approximately $30 Gatwick Express will whisk you from the airport to Victoria Station in the heart of the city.

Another thing that Norwegian Air is not: A business class airline. On its 787 Dreamliner, it only offers seats in economy class (259) and premium economy class (32). No pricey-but-cozy lie-flight seats here. But… all premium economy seats offer in-seat power outlets if you want to stay up and work across the pond. Norwegian refers to its premium economy seats as simply, “Premium.” (Norwegian also flies nonstop to Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen from Oakland.)

Premium seats are roomy and serviceable.

Premium economy class seats are roomy and serviceable, configured 2-3-2  (Photo: Nancy Branka)

Take a look at how Seatguru describes seating on Norwegian Air’s 787 Dreamliner.

But limited recline is disappointing for those expecting lie-flat.

But limited recline for premium economy seats might be disappointing for those longing to lie-flat. (Photo: Nancy Branka)

Really, the OAK-LGW fares are hard to beat, in peak-season July starting at $1,130 round trip in economy and $1,700 in premium economy. (Compared to premium economy fares on BA or Virgin SFO-LHR which run around $2,250 roundtrip.) Ben Kaufman, Norwegian’s communications manager, told me the carrier will not reduce fares for a summer sale because they are already booking at 90% loads. However, he suggested premium economy fares would be reduced later in the year on all flights, with this route being one of the early beneficiaries.

Once I boarded the 787-800, it was fun to explore before sitting in the premium cabin for dinner. Remember, for Norwegian, premium does not mean business class but compares to premium economy on other carriers. Seats do not fully recline. Norwegian’s SVP sales, Lars Sande, explained that lie-flat seats are three times as costly, and it was more important to customers to keep the fares low. Economy cabin seat pitch is an acceptable 31-32 inches; premium economy is 46 inches.

Norwegian Air

Dinner–grilled shrimp, bok choy, baby corn, basmati rice, coleslaw and a brownie–was tasty but short on presentation.

My meal sounded beautiful on paper (for example, Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with a mildly spicy and flavorful Thai Green Curry Sauce), but I had trouble getting past the cardboard box in which it was served, this being premium class and all. The shrimp was OK, but I wrestled with removing the layers of foil that covered it—which added to the self-serve feeling, again not feeling the premium. At least premium economy fares do include complimentary meals (dinner and breakfast) and alcohol, while economy fares do not.

Nordic hero Henrik Ibsen graces a bulkhead wall.

Nordic hero Henrik Ibsen graces a bulkhead wall. (Photo: Nancy Branka)

Something I particularly liked was the plane’s aesthetic—grey leather seats accented with the company’s signature red. I was especially enamored with framed, poster-sized black-and-white photos of Nordic heroes hung on bulkhead walls. Similarly, the airline’s tail fins feature black and white portraits of these icons.

At some airports, but regrettably not Oakland, Norwegian offers premium economy passengers access to special airport lounges. Oakland-bound passengers can enjoy a lounge at London-Gatwick, for example. Plus, premium economy passengers get access to speedy Fast Track lines at customs and immigration when arriving at LGW.

If you generally fly business class and want to arrive in London well rested and feeling a little special, this is probably not your airline. But if you just want to get to London as inexpensively as you can and don’t mind sacrificing some things to achieve that, Norwegian Air may be your ticket.

Have you flown Norwegian Air? What did you think? 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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Routes: San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, LAX, Salt Lake City, Denver + more…

There are lots of developments in international services this week. United started a new China route; Air Canada kicks off a San Jose route; European carriers begin new transatlantic service from LAX, Oakland, Salt Lake City and Denver; a Chinese carrier sets the date for new Seattle flights; Chicago gets a new transpacific option; and a South American carrier comes to Washington D.C.

United Airlines on Sunday started its newest transpacific route, linking its San Francisco hub with Xi’an, a city of 8 million in central China; it’s the only non-stop service between the U.S. and Xi’an. United will fly the seasonal route three times a week – through October 27 – using a 787 Dreamliner. Westbound flights depart SFO on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays at 1:25 p.m. The westbound flight takes a little over 13 hours.

Low-cost European carrier Norwegian is set to begin its previously announced Oakland-London Gatwick service on May 12. The carrier will use a 787-8 with economy and premium seating, offering non-stop service three times a week. Norwegian’s initial fares on the route started at $299. On May 10, Norwegian increases Los Angeles-London Gatwick service from three flights a week to four.

On May 9, Air Canada kicks off new non-stop service out of Mineta San Jose International Airport to Vancouver. The Canadian carrier will offer two daily roundtrips using CRJ705 regional jets with 10 seats in business class and 65 in coach. Speaking of Vancouver, Air Canada recently announced it will begin a new ultra-long-haul route there on October 20 with non-stop service to Delhi, India operating four days a week with a 787-9 Dreamliner.

This is the Captain Kirk seat-- one of the two best seats in Aer Lingus biz class (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

Aer Lingus last week kicked off Los Angeles-Dublin flights — the first of three new U.S. routes it will be adding this summer. The year-round service from LAX operates four times a week, using an Airbus A330-200. Later this year, the Irish carrier plans to begin new daily flights from Newark starting September 1, and new service from Hartford in late September.

Instead of resuming seasonal service this year between Amsterdam and Dallas/Ft. Worth, KLM opted instead to go with Salt Lake City, where it started flying last week. Its transatlantic joint venture partner Delta also serves the SLC-Amsterdam route. KLM started off with twice-weekly flights Thursdays and Saturdays, and will add a Monday departure on July 4. It’s using an A330-200 on the route. KLM also plans to add seasonal Miami-Amsterdam service in late October.

May 11 is the launch date for new Lufthansa service between Denver and its Munich hub; the German carrier already flies from Denver to Frankfurt. The new Munich service will operate five days a week (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday), using an Airbus A330—300 with four classes of service, including premium economy, for the 10-1/2 hour flight. The eastbound flight leaves Denver at 4:05 p.m. Easy connections to the new route are available through Lufthansa’s Star Alliance partner United, which has a hub at DEN.

 China’s Xiamen Airlines, a member of Delta’s SkyTeam global alliance, has started taking bookings for its new Seattle-Xiamen route, which will begin September 26. The new service will operate three days a week via an intermediate stop in Shenzen, using a 787-8.

Taiwan’s EVA Air plans to launch new service on November 2 from Taipei to Chicago O’Hare, flying the route four times a week with a 777. EVA also will increase its Taipei-New York JFK schedule effective October 3 from the current 10 flights a week to twice-daily service.

A LATAM 767-300 with the carrier's new livery. (Image: LATAM)

A LATAM 767-300 with the carrier’s new livery. (Image: LATAM)

South America’s LATAM Airlines last week started its newest U.S. route, linking Washington Dulles with Lima, Peru – the only non-stop service between the two capital cities. LATAM will initially offer three flights a week, using a 767-300 with business class and regular economy seating.

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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More transatlantic 787s for the Bay Area

British Airways' inaugural San Jose flight arrives at the gate. (Image: Mineta San Jose Airport)

British Airways’ inaugural San Jose flight arrives at the gate. (Image: Mineta San Jose Airport)

Two European carriers this week started up new 787 Dreamliner flights to the Bay Area, including British Airways’ San Jose service and additional KLM frequencies to San Francisco International.

At Mineta San Jose International, the city’s mayor Sam Liccardo was on hand along with Willie Walsh, CEO of British Airways parent International Airlines Group, to welcome the first flight of BA’s new 787-9 service from London Heathrow, which now operates daily from SJC’s Terminal B with an 8:05 p.m. departure time to LHR. The flight time is about 10 hours.

Because the BA 787-9 is larger than the 787-8, it has something the smaller plane doesn’t – a first class section, along with 42 Club World (business class) seats, 39 in premium economy and 127 in regular economy. (Here’s a video of BA’s new First suites, designed specifically for the 787-9.)

From left: San Jose Mayor Liccardo, International Airline Group CEO Willie Walsh, SJC Aviation Director Kim Becker, and British Consul Gebneral in San Francisco Priya Guha. (Image: Mineta San Jose Airport)

From left: San Jose Mayor Liccardo, International Airlines Group CEO Willie Walsh, SJC Aviation Director Kim Becker, and British Consul General in San Francisco Priya Guha. (Image: Mineta San Jose Airport)

Mayor Liccardo said at the welcoming ceremonies that London has been “the number one requested international destination” from San Jose, and BA’s new service is the first ever on that route. It’s the British carrier’s fourth destination in California.

Airport officials noted that Silicon Valley-based companies have 428 locations throughout the UK, while U.K. firms have 118 locations in Silicon Valley. Passengers bound to Heathrow on BA can also connect to 130 destinations beyond London.

KLM 787

Business class seats on KLM’s 787 Dreamliner (Photo: KLM)

Meanwhile, KLM this week increased service between Amsterdam and San Francisco International from seven to nine flights a week with the addition of second frequencies on Wednesdays and Sundays for the summer season. Those two new flights (KL610, with a 4:45 p.m. departure from SFO on those days) feature the North American debut of KLM’s Dreamliner service. The other daily flights continue to use a 747-400.

Business class seats in the 306-passenger KLM 787-9 recline fully flat, and all offer direct aisle access and 16-inch video screens. Economy seats provide a 40 percent greater recline than previous models, and larger 11-inch screens for in-flight entertainment. The aircraft offers Wi-Fi throughout. The KLM 787 has 42 business class seats, 48 in Economy Comfort (with 35-inch pitch) and 216 in regular economy. Take a look at the plane here.

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

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San Francisco’s dubious distinction

San Francisco Skyline

San Francisco ranks number one in the nation in business travel costs. (Image: SF Travel)

Every year, the trade publication Business Travel News (BTN) conducts a comprehensive study of the total daily costs that road warriors pay in various U.S. and foreign cities. And for the third year in a row, San Francisco took the top honors in the U.S.

Whether it’s an honor is questionable, however: BTN said that in 2015, the City by the Bay remained the most expensive destination in the nation for business travel, with an average daily cost of $547.34 for a hotel room, a rental car and meals. That’s an increase of 7.4 percent from 2014, and it beat out New York ($523.05) and Boston ($502.69), which ranked second and third. Here’s a link to the full results of the study.

BTN said the average amount paid for a San Francisco hotel stay in 2015 was $370.78 per night, including $52.36 in sales tax, occupancy tax and surcharges – an increase of 9.6 percent over 2014. In some cities, the year-over-year increases in average hotel costs paid by business travelers were quite substantial; e.g., BTN said the rate of increase was 22.4 percent in Detroit, 18.2 percent in San Jose, 15.7 percent in Los Angeles, 16 percent in Las Vegas, 14.3 percent in Boston and 14 percent in Seattle.

One of the interesting things about the detailed breakdowns of costs for hotels and rental cars is the fact that the BTN study separates out the level of taxes and fees, which can be incredibly high. For instance, it said that car rentals in San Francisco and Santa Barbara carried taxes and fees that averaged more than 50 percent of the actual rental rate; in some cities (Boston and Little Rock), that figure topped 60 percent.

The study did not examine the posted rates of hotels or rental car companies; instead, it looked at the actual average daily rate paid by business travelers from January through November, collected from a leading global corporate travel agency. Dining prices were gathered through a survey of restaurants in each city.

BTN said that the overall average daily cost for business travel in the top 100 U.S. cities during 2015 rose 3.9 percent over the previous year, to $318.80. It found a different trend overseas, noting that in 13 of the 19 non-U.S. Western Hemisphere cities covered in the study, the average per diem dropped by double digit percentages. And in the 59 cities covered in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, the average per diem dropped from $362 in 2014 to $323 last year.

The most expensive city in Europe, the Middle East and Africa was London, with an average per diem for hotel, rental car and meals of $554.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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San Francisco snags new UK nonstop

A Virgin Atlantic A330 in Manchester (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

A Virgin Atlantic A330 in Manchester (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

Virgin Atlantic is introducing new stops to Manchester airport (MAN) in northwest England from San Francisco starting next spring.

Operating three times weekly between March and October, Virgin Atlantic will be the first carrier to provide nonstop flights between San Francisco and Manchester, where a thriving music scene, gritty industrial architecture, and emerging tech community will have a variety to offer visitors. Manchester is located near the scenic Lake District, the historic walled city of York, or Liverpool, home of the Beatles.

Both flights will use Virgin’s newest A330 aircraft with Upper Class (lie-flat business), Premium Economy and Economy cabins.

What’s somewhat strange about this announcement is that it’s come so early. Nonstops between SFO and Manchester won’t start for another year (currently slated for March 28, 2017)– and a lot can happen in a year!

Related: New York to London on the Concorde! (Trip Report)

In any case, a nonstop to Manchester will be a relief for those weary of flying to London’s busy airports:

  • Currently, British Airways, United and Virgin offer nonstop flights to London Heathrow.
  • In June, Norwegian Air will offer nonstops from Oakland to London Gatwick for as little as $299 each way.
  • British Airways adds new nonstops from San Jose to London Heathrow this June.

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NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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Routes: Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Salt Lake, Toronto

 

Qatar Airways is using an A350 on its new Boston-Doha route. (Image: Qatar Airways)

Qatar Airways is using an A350 on its new Boston-Doha route. (Image: Qatar Airways)

In international route developments, Qatar Airways starts flying to a new U.S. gateway, SAS adds a West Coast route, a Delta seasonal route to London will go year-round, American deploys a 787 Dreamliner on a U.K. route, and a WestJet division starts new service to the northeastern U.S.

Qatar Airways this week inaugurated service on its newest U.S. route, offering daily non-stop flights from Boston to Doha, Qatar. The carrier is using a new Airbus A350 on the Boston route, which is one of three new U.S. markets it will serve this year. In January, the airline started daily non-stops from Los Angeles to Doha, and it plans to launch Doha-Atlanta daily non-stops on June 1. And on April 1, Qatar Airways will add a second daily non-stop from Doha to New York, also using an A350.

SAS light attendants change into chef outfits when serving dinner (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

SAS flight attendants change into chef outfits when serving dinner (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Another new route that kicked off this week is Scandinavian Airlines’ daily service from Los Angeles International to Stockholm Arlanda. SAS, a Star Alliance member, is also on a growth track in the U.S. this year; at the end of March, it will begin Boston-Copenhagen service, and in September it plans to add flights from Miami to Oslo and Copenhagen. On the LAX-Stockholm route, SAS is using an Airbus A330-300 with three cabins: SAS Go has seats in a 2-4-2 configuration with 31/32 inch pitch; SAS Plus has 2-3-2 seating with 38-inch pitch; and SAS Business has a 1-2-1 layout with lie-flat seat-beds that have a massage feature.

Delta’s new non-stops from Salt Lake City to London Heathrow that start on May 1 were intended to be seasonal, but now the airline plans to keep the route going year-round, according to Airlineroute.net. The airline will cut back its daily frequencies after October 28, offering three flights a week through December 18, then four a week starting December 19. Delta will use a 767-300 on the route.

American is using a 787 Dreamliner on its new Los Angeles-Tokyo Haneda route. (Image: American)

American’s new 787 Dreamliner (Image: American)

The 767-300 that American Airlines uses on its daily service from Chicago O’Hare to Manchester, U.K. will be replaced this summer with a 787-8 Dreamliner. The changeover, which begins June 3, will put an extra 154 seats a week onto the route.

 A three-year-old affiliate of Canada’s WestJet called WestJet Encore has launched its first transborder service, flying three times a day between Boston and Toronto Pearson. Encore’s fleet consists entirely of Q400 turboprops. The carrier plans to start Toronto-Nashville flights in June.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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Routes: Europe for $88? + United Dreamliner to London + Lisbon, Belgrade

SAS will use an A340 on its new LAX-Stockholm route. (Image: SAS)

SAS will use an A340 on its new LAX-Stockholm route. (Image: SAS)

In international route news, SAS is offering a super-low fare on its new Los Angeles-Stockholm route that starts next month; United’s SFO-London route will get a 787-9 in April; Portugal’s TAP adds a pair of new U.S. gateways and a U.S. partnership; Air Canada drops a U.S. route; Norwegian postpones a U.S. route to Ireland; and Air Serbia sets new transatlantic service

To stimulate interest in its new Los Angeles-Stockholm service, which begins on a daily basis March 14, SAS is offering a $99 one-way fare, a spokesperson tells TravelSkills. The booking deadline is March 6, and it’s for travel from March 14-25. When we looked at SAS’s booking site on Wednesday, we found prices even lower ($87.90, including taxes and fees) for select dates in that period – but the special fare was available for eastbound service only. Roundtrip flights from Stockholm to LAX were running around $1,305. SAS will use an Airbus A340 on the route.

According to the website Airlineroute.net, which tracks airlines’ schedule filings, United is planning to put a 787-9 Dreamliner on one of its two daily San Francisco-London flights (UA900/901) starting April 5, continuing at least through May 24. It replaces a 747-400; the other flight uses a 777. We wonder if this has anything to do with British Airways new 787-9 flight between San Jose and London starting in May. Hmm.

TAP Portugal, which currently flies from Lisbon to Miami and Newark, plans to add two more U.S. gateways this year, beginning daily Lisbon-Boston flights June 11, followed by new Lisbon-New York JFK daily service July 1. The carrier will use Airbus A330s on the routes. TAP will use JetBlue’s Terminal 5 at JFK and Terminal C at Boston. TAP has a new partnership with JetBlue that will feed traffic from other U.S. cities to the transatlantic flights. TAP is partly owned by David Neeleman, the founder of JetBlue.

Air Canada plans to eliminate service between New York JFK and Toronto Pearson effective April 3. The carrier, which currently operates twice-daily Air Canada Express flights in the market, continues to fly from Toronto to LaGuardia and Newark airports. (If I were flying between Toronto and NYC, I’d be on Porter Airlines, which flies from close in Toronto City airport to La Guardia.)

 Norwegian Air International is putting off its previously announced plan to begin flying between Boston and Cork, Ireland in May. The company cited “continued delays” by the U.S. Transportation Department in granting approval for the service, for which Norwegian was planning to use a 737-800. The airline still hopes to get the new route off the ground sometime this summer.

Air Serbia, a successor to the former Yugoslavian carrier JAT, is moving ahead with plans to kick off transatlantic service in June, although it has yet to receive U.S. approval, according to the trade journal Air Transport World. The airline plans to fly between Belgrade and New York JFK five times a week, using a two-class A330-200 leased from India’s Jet Airways. Both airlines are partly owned by Etihad Airways.

 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Should I tip my Uber driver? + Boeing 747 nearing its end? + Bargain hunters travel guide for 2016 + World’s best airline lounge? + Fares to Europe tumble 

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Fares to Europe tumble

Norwegian uses 787s on its transatlantic routes. (Image: Norwegian)

Norwegian uses 787s on its transatlantic routes. (Image: Norwegian)

European carrier Norwegian has unveiled plans to add three more new U.S. routes this summer, the latest blow in an escalating assault by low-cost transatlantic airlines on the industry’s established players.

Using new 787 Dreamliners, Norwegian says it will begin flying July 29 to Paris Charles de Gaulle from New York JFK, Los Angeles and Ft. Lauderdale, with introductory off-peak fares starting at $175 one-way. Fares in peak summer months will be about twice as much.

Norwegian’s newest foray into the U.S. market comes only two months after it announced plans to start flying from Oakland to London Gatwick on May 12 with fares starting at $299 one way. It already flies from Oakland to Stockholm and Olso, and from Los Angeles to Gatwick and Scandinavia, and will begin five weekly Boston-Gatwick flights on March 27. Also on tap for Boston: a few flights a week to Copenhagen and Olso, and in May, service from Boston to Cork, Ireland. The low-cost carrier already flies from New York to Oslo, Copenhagen, Stockholm and London Gatwick.

Many roundtrips to Europe from NYC are sub-$500 for summer trips (Image: Kayak Calendar)

Many roundtrips to Europe from NYC are sub-$500 for summer trips (Image: Kayak Calendar)

Many summertime fares from SFO to Europe are still sub-$1,000 (Image: Kayak)

Many summertime fares from SFO to Europe are still sub-$1,000 (Image: Kayak)

Meanwhile, Iceland-based Wow – another low-cost specialist – last year started flying to Reykjavik from Boston and Baltimore-Washington with fares starting as low as $99 one way. And this June, it will add flights to Reykjavik from Los Angeles and San Francisco starting at that same $99 rate, using Airbus A330s. Wow also has connecting service to European cities for fares as low as $199 each way from the U.S.

For both airlines, frequencies from their U.S. gateways vary by route; they could be as few as one or two a week, ranging up to daily. And the base fares they quote can be misleading: While they include taxes, they do not include all the miscellaneous add-on charges that proliferate on low-cost airlines, and the lowest rates are capacity-restricted.

Still, even with the extras, they can represent a significant savings over the legacy transatlantic airlines. It will be interesting to see whether and how the established carriers respond to the interlopers’ low-fare tactics.

We are already seeing some new competitive discounts from the likes of Aer Lingus and Turkish Airlines, so keep an eye on those airlines, too. For example, checking Google’s flight maps, we are still seeing peak season summer round trips between the West Coast and Europe in the $1100 range, which is quite a deal for July. From the East Coast, they are still sub-$1,000 in July and around $500 in early June.

Do you plan to go to Europe this year? If so, how much would you expect to pay for a round trip from your home airport? Please leave your comments below. 

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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Trip Report: British Airways Concorde experience LHR-JFK

Here's a trip report from my ride on this needle-nosed bird (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Here’s a trip report from my ride on this needle-nosed bird (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

By now you’ve probably read my recent post and saw the photos of my 2003 flight on the Concorde. Well, believe it or not, I’m one of the lucky few who actually flew that needle-nosed bird twice.

(Here’s a link to the Concorde Trip Report from 2003 posted last week)

The first time was in 1999. At the time I was writing a travel column for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and just starting my first gig at CNN. I was asked to participate on a media panel at the World Travel and Tourism conference in Berlin, and part of my compensation was one leg across the Atlantic on the Concorde.

I jumped at the chance to fly on British Airway’s flight 001 from London to New York. Get this: The flight departed London at the very civilized hour of 10:30 a.m. and arrived in New York three hours later and just in time for the start of the business day at 9:30 a.m.- on the same day!

Regrettably I don’t have any photos from that flight, but my story from 1999 paints a pretty cool picture. And I still have the hefty silver cross pen that every passenger received to commemorate the flight.

Here goes:

(November 1999) Last month marked a milestone in aviation history, as well as a milestone in my life as a business travel writer. Last month the Concorde turned 30. And last month I flew on it for the first, and perhaps the last time in my life.

A couple of months ago I was asked to appear on a media panel at the World Travel and Tourism Council meeting in Berlin. The WTTC is a club of CEO’s of the world’s top travel companies—like American Express, British Airways, Hertz and the like—the type of people for whom a journey on the Concorde is a normal part of doing business. And lucky for me, part of the deal for appearing on the panel was a transatlantic leg on British Airways’ supersonic Concorde.

I chose to return from Berlin via London to New York on British Airways flight #001, leaving Heathrow at 10:30 a.m. and arriving at JFK at an unimaginable 9:30 a.m. the same morning. How’s that for a speedy trip?

One of the most exclusive parts of the Concorde experience is how you board. After passing through airport security with the riff-raff at JFK, Concorde passengers head straight for BA’s Concorde Lounge. This lounge did not appear too different from any other airport lounge, but it certainly FELT different than say, the Crown Room at Hartsfield’s Concourse A! Once there, you never have to leave. The jetway extends from the lounge straight to the plane.

About 20 minutes before take off, two frosted glass sliding doors part, behind them are two polished wooden check in desks staffed by friendly BA attendants, who politely announce back to front boarding. Although the flight was full, all 100 of us boarded briskly and civilly.

The Concorde is built for speed, not for spaciousness. After ducking through the door to enter, the interior felt about the same size as a good old sub-sonic DC-9. And since the plane is a rather ancient 30 years old, I was expecting some reminders of the 70’s– kind of like what you’d expect to see on an old DC-9.

(Photo: Eduard Marmet / Wikimedia Commons)

British Airways Concorde 1986 (Photo: Eduard Marmet / Wikimedia Commons)

Not on this bird. The interior of the Concorde is as updated as any plane just off the assembly line. Clean as a whistle (as it should be, right?). My guess it that the interior is ripped out and replaced on a rather frequent basis.

The 100 seat cabin is split into a front and rear section, divided by a block of bathrooms in the middle. However, all seats in both cabins are first class. Each row is spaced comfortably in front of the other; a few inches more than you’d see on a domestic first class section.

Settling into the gray wool and leather trimmed seat was like getting into the seat in a European sports car. It’s rather sturdy, and holds you and supports you, and let’s you know that your in something special. Each seat has two windows, which were surprisingly small– about the size of a passport.

Once seated with the doors closed, the pilot introduced himself, and clearly explained the sounds, thrusts and pitches that we’d feel as we reached our cruising altitude of 60,000 feet and speed of 1500 mph.

Take off was rather hair raising because the plane must reach 250 miles per hour before it lifts off the runway (this is why insiders call it “the rocket”, my seatmate explained). After a slow and (by law) quiet glide over the green meadows of England to the Atlantic, there is a slight rumble as the after-burners are turned on, and only a mostly undetectable acceleration as we break the sound barrier—and there was no audible “boom.” Soon the clouds below look like something out of a satellite weather map, and the sky turns an incredible cobalt blue.

View from the ramp to the tail of the Concorde (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

View from the ramp to the tail of the Concorde (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

By now flight attendants were cheerily pouring champagne and orange juice for this brunch flight across the Atlantic. Then came a nice small plate (Royal Doulton china and crystal, mind you) of smoked salmon canapes, some nice cheese and crackers, dried fruits. I chose a salade nicoise with freshly grilled tuna, and a tasty glass of white Meursault from France.

After brunch, I dozed off for a while, awakened by flight attendants passing out gifts to passengers—in our case a nice fat chrome Cross fountain pen. Then the pilot announced that Nantucket Island was just off to the right, and that we’d be slowing down for our approach to Kennedy.

Wow! We were already on approach and I hadn’t even had time to read the magazines, or listen to the sound system. All the way across the Atlantic in a mere three hours—kind of like flying to Salt Lake City from Atlanta. Jet lag? Not a trace.

Throughout the flight I was studying this crowd of 100—each of whom had paid in the neighborhood of $5,000 for the one-way flight. I was expecting superstars, kings, and princes, but it was a pretty normal crowd. Mostly white businessmen in suits, a few women in traditional middle eastern and Indian garb, a couple of turbans, a few retired couples, and a male model.

And despite a studied nonchalance among all this elite group of travelers, it was clear that everyone was looking at everyone else and just DYING to ask: what are you doing on this plane, and why?

(Here’s a link to the Concorde Trip Report w photos from 2003 posted last week)

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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Trip Report: New York-London on Concorde! (PHOTOS)

A lucky few got to fly the Concorde. I did it...twice!

A lucky few got to fly the Concorde. I did it…twice! In 1999 and 2003.

Sting. Sydney Pollack. Sting’s wife and kids. The U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. Randy Petersen.

That’s with whom I rode the Concorde (twice!) back in the days of commercial supersonic travel. This week British Airways is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Concorde’s first commercial flight, so I thought it was time to haul out some good stuff from the archives 🙂

My first supersonic voyage was in March 1999 when I flew on British Airways’ flight 001 from Heathrow to Kennedy (in just 3 or so hours!). I was a speaker on a media panel in Berlin and part of my compensation was transport back to the U.S. via the Concorde!

Next time was in the waning days of commercial supersonic travel. In 2003, British Airways and Air France retired their Concorde jets, and British Airways invited a handful of media to cover the final flights. I was lucky enough to be one of them and flew from New York to London (at 11 miles high!) on BA 002.

Back in those days, I was writing a column for the Atlanta Journal Constitution, a precursor to the blogs I write today.

So with that said, I present to you my two Trip Reports.

The first one (with pictures) is from the 2003 flight I took with my colleague Randy Petersen, founder of FlyerTalk, InsideFlyer and a frequent flyer guru extraordinaire. On the 1999 flight, I did not bring along a camera, but wrote up a really good column about the experience. Enjoy them both!

So let’s start with the 2003 flight and my column from back then. (I’ll post my story about the 1999 flight later on.)

Here goes….

(Sept 10 2003) No, the Concorde has not stopped flying yet, as most people seem to think. Air France put its supersonic fleet to rest last spring. But British Airways is flying the needle nose until the end of October.

Entrance to the clubby Concorde Room at JFK (Chris McGinnis)

Entrance to the clubby Concorde Room at JFK (Chris McGinnis)

At Kennedy Airport’s terminal 7 on a bright September morning, there is some confusion about where to check in for the Concorde as a more proletarian BA 777 is also departing from the same terminal at about the same time. Eventually, I find the discreet entryway to the Concorde area and stride in confidently. What’s odd is that the Concorde shares a tiny single lane TSA screening area and adjacent gates with America West, so you have all these ultra-chic, Gucci-Pucci-Fiorucci supersonic travelers muddling through security with the masses bound for their Las Vegas gambling junkets, or desert vacations on America West.

Breakfast buffet in the BA Concorde Room in 2003 (Chris McGinnis)

Breakfast buffet in the BA Concorde Room in 2003 (Chris McGinnis)

Check in at the Concorde lounge is pleasant and efficient, and I’m handed my boarding card for seat 2-A (An auspicious start as it’s veddy important to be seated in the fore versus the aft cabin! Yes, there is a hierarchy, even on the Concorde.) As I stroll down the long hallway into the bright and airy lounge, I can smell the full English breakfast buffet that awaits. Once I enter, there is a dining area to the right, with white linen tablecloths and a single white rose adorning each tabletop. To the far right is the buffet, with eggs, the rubbery version of sliced pork that the English call bacon, bowls of fresh fruit and yogurt, and a big silver bowl full of ice and three bottles of champagne, although I don’t see any takers.

Dining area in the Concorde Room in 2003 (Chris McGinnis)

Dining area in the Concorde Room in 2003 (Chris McGinnis)

To the left is a lounge area with chrome and black kid leather chairs and sofas, coffee tables and a few desks. Further ahead are larger, loungier looking chairs (I’m sure they are creations of some designer whose name I should know . . .)

I was expecting a very highbrow Concorde clientele with everyone acting cool and mostly discreet. But this crowd cuts across a wider swath of the socioeconomic spectrum. There are, of course, the “regulars” who are dressed in black and are packing an air of nonchalance along with their worn briefcases or Vuitton bags. Hollywood mogul Sydney Pollack sits off by himself checking his iPaq and talking on his cell phone. He’s wearing a nice white shirt, blue jeans, black cowboyish boots and a black leather jacket, carrying a canvas bag. There are also those of the English landed gentry who look like they are off to the horse races sporting tailored clothing, ascots, ruddy complexions and age spots, and carrying funny old BOAC travel bags that they’ve had since 1965. Then there are the big time frequent flyers who are clearly on award tickets with their spouses in tow, as well as a few ma and pa types on the trip of a lifetime.

Passengers on Concorde got gifts like pens, model airplanes, keychains or cufflinks to commemorate journeys (Chris McGinnis)

Passengers on Concorde received gifts like pens, model airplanes, keychains or cufflinks to commemorate journeys (Chris McGinnis)

For the first ten minutes I’m there, everyone is sitting quietly, speaking in hushed tones and acting serious. Then one brave soul stands up and takes a picture of his wife. Then someone else offers to take a picture of the two of them together. That leads to a mad rush to the camera bags and for the rest of the time everyone is taking pictures of everything—a sort of one-last-chance-to-record-this and we-are-all-in-this together mood kicks in. (The regulars are graciously obliging the picture takers; no sneers.)

Flight 002 to London! (Chris McGinnis)

Flight 002 to London! (Chris McGinnis)

Have to duck to enter the tiny boarding door (Chris McGinnis)

Have to duck to enter the tiny boarding door (Chris McGinnis)

I was expecting to walk from the lounge straight on to the jetway and on to the Concorde. But when the boarding call comes, we all trundle down past several America West gates to board the plane. With just 100 people, we board in no time. The seats are quite small and narrow, but comfortable once you sit down. The pitch is relatively tight—probably 35 inches, compared to the standard coach pitch of 31 or 32 inches.

Seats are made of fine leather, but pitch is nothing to right home about (Chris McGinnis)

Seats are made of fine leather, but pitch is nothing to right home about (Chris McGinnis)

Seat 2A on Concorde- feels like a DC-9! (Chris McGinnis)

Seat 2A on Concorde- feels like a DC-9! (Chris McGinnis)

After a quick taxi, we speed down the runway, faster, faster faster! It seems to take forever for this bird to lift off. When she does, it’s a slowwwwww climb skyward. A little spooky, but okay once we are out over the Long Island Sound. I’m seated next to Randy Petersen, the editor of InsideFlyer magazine and a longtime friend. The pilot is quite chatty and a little too loud on the PA system, and finally someone complains to a flight attendant, so he quits, just after telling us that we are flying at Mach 1, 860 mph (the speed of sound).

Speed and altitude monitors on the bulkhead (Chris McGinnis)

Speed and altitude monitors on the bulkhead (Chris McGinnis)

Then he turns on the afterburners, which gives us a barely detectable boost of power. We are soon sailing toward our cruising speed of about 1500 mph at an altitude of about 57,000 feet. (A normal jet travels at around 500 mph, at about 33,000 feet.) You can see all this information on a screen on the bulkhead wall.

A delicious meal including this chilled salmon roll to start (Chris McGinnis)

A delicious meal including this chilled salmon roll to start (Chris McGinnis)

Gourmet meals eaten with plastic forks and knives due to security concerns (Chris McGinnis)

Gourmet meals eaten with plastic forks and knives due to security concerns (Chris McGinnis)

The flight attendants are serving us cheerfully from silver trays and white linen napkins. I peer over the shoulder of the man and his wife who are seated in front of us, and can see U.S. State Department letterhead. I figure out that this is the U.S. Ambassador to the U.K. and his wife. Over to the right, sitting next to Sydney Pollack is the Deputy Treasurer of a political party in the U.K. I can tell because he’s typing a speech in large typeface on his laptop, and has no idea that we can read every word! He’s also peering discreetly sideways at the docs the Ambassador is reviewing. Pollack is reading a paperback, What Just Happened, by Art Linson.

That actor/director Sydney Pollack over in 1D (Chris McGinnis)

That actor/director Sydney Pollack over in 1D (Chris McGinnis)

Food: First come a mimosa garnished with an orange and cherry, and some nibblies: a scallop, a green ball that tastes like blue cheese and parsley or watercress. Then a nice cold salmon roll topped with caviar and crème fraiche. French white wine is served, which I hear passengers who know about such things oohing and ahhhing over. Nice crusty bread rolls are warm in the middle. The meals are served on elegant white bone china from Royal Doulton, made especially for British Airways. Funny thing, though: We must eat with plain white plastic utensils due to security mandates. Anyway, the meal is not over yet. Next are lovely nutty sea bass fillets wrapped in a thin leaf of Swiss chard. Gorgeous presentation. Finally, I chose a nice tarte tatin for desert instead of the cheese offering, plus a cuppa hot tea and a chocolate.

Windows on this bird are tiny- about the size of a passport, and hot to the touch (Chris McGinnis)

Windows on this bird are tiny- about the size of a passport, and hot to the touch (Chris McGinnis)

Looking out the passport-sized window, I can look down and really see the clouds whip by. On a conventional flight, clouds barely seem to move beneath you. But when you are zipping along at nearly twice the speed of sound, they aren’t in your view for long. I’m trying to see the curvature of the earth as I’ve heard you can see from 60,000 feet, but the horizon does not look that different. The window is warm, almost hot, to touch due to the friction of the wind on the outer skin of the Concorde. Engineers say the plane actually stretches a few inches in length during each flight as a result of the heat, and then shrinks back when it cools off.

Randy Petersen gets his glamor shot next to the altimeter (Chris McGinnis)

Randy Petersen gets his glamor shot next to the altimeter at Mach 2! (Chris McGinnis)

Finally, after watching a steady queue of passengers take their turns posing for pictures next to the speedometer/altimeter at the front of the cabin, I get up on my mission to photograph the bathroom of the Concorde. (The Brits don’t say “the Concorde” like we do. Much like they don’t say “the hospital” like we Yanks. It’s just “Concorde.” As in, “Are you flying Concorde today?” or, “I had to put my mother in hospital.” Gotta love those quirky Brits . . .)

Flight attendants on Concorde pour champagne from silver trays throughout the flight (Chris McGinnis)

Flight attendants on Concorde pour champagne from silver trays throughout the flight (Chris McGinnis)

Anyway, I steal past the curtain to a tiny galley area where the flight attendants are busy straightening up after the meal service. I ask Crispin, one of the jolliest, to pose for me with a silver tray and a bottle of champagne. I tell him about my mission to photograph the lav, and he rushes in, fluffs up the big bouquet of red roses on the corian countertop, props the door open and invites me in. Not too different from what you’d find on any other jet, except of course for the bowl of pungent red roses.

Lavatories on the Concorde nothing lavish- except for the roses! (Chris McGinnis)

Lavatories on the Concorde nothing lavish- except for the roses! (Chris McGinnis)

As we approach London, the flight attendant instructs Randy and I to sit tight once we land. He’s arranged for a tour of the cockpit once the other passengers have debarked. Soon the pilot is backing off on the engines and we make our approach into Heathrow. It’s only 5:15 pm local time when we touch down. Our flight from New York to London took all of three hours and 15 minutes. As we taxi to the gate, the pilot comes on the PA one last time to tell us, rather emotionally, that the Concorde, or “the rocket” as pilots refer to it, is no longer wanted or needed these days, nor are those who fly it. He makes a few other desultory comments and signs off, and the entire plane erupts in applause. Bittersweet, as they say . . .

I'm 6 feet tall and my head almost touches the ceiling on the Concorde (Chris McGinnis)

I’m 6 feet tall and my head almost touches the ceiling on the Concorde (Chris McGinnis)

When we pull up to the gate, there is a caravan of bulletproof Range Rovers and a dark green Chevy Suburban with police escort outside the window. Randy and I bet it’s the welcoming party for the Ambassador and his wife. She takes several concerned glances out the window, and Randy and I conspiratorially eye each other. Ummm-hmmmm. Sure enough, once they get off, they are taken down the stairway leading from the jetway, and are whisked away quickly, lights flashing. (No wonder . . . when I check my email later that day, I’ve received an alert from the State Department warning Americans abroad to be especially cautious in light of the impending anniversary of Sept 11, and the recent release of another Osama videotape.)

Randy Petersen posing with pilots on one of this Concorde's final flights (Chris McGinnis)

Randy Petersen posing with pilots on one of this Concorde’s final flights (Chris McGinnis)

After everyone is off the plane, Randy and I take a full tour, back through the central galley/lav area to the aft cabin. At 6 feet tall, my head nicks the ceiling. This is not a big plane; it’s about the size of a DC-9. Then we duck inside the cockpit and chat with the pilots. Having been inside the cockpit on much new aircraft, like Delta’s new B-777’s with colorful video screens and modern toggles, the rocket really shows her age in here—she’s nearly 30 years old. Round dials, metal levers and switches. But you can tell that the pilots really loved flying this bird on one of her last flights. Ever.

Concorde flights, all of which are now sold out, cease operations at the end of October, when they’ll fly to their final resting places at museums throughout Europe and the US.

***

Hope you enjoyed that walk down memory lane! Did you ever fly Concorde? Do you have any questions about my flight? Ask ’em in the comments and let’s see if I can remember back that far 🙂 

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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Routes: AA to Sydney, Air New Zealand to Houston, Delta to South America + more

Traditional Maori dancers welcomed Air New Zealand's first flight from Auckland to Houston Bush Intercontinental (Image: Houston Airports System)

Traditional Maori dancers welcomed Air New Zealand’s first flight from Auckland to Houston Bush Intercontinental. (Image: Houston Airports System)

In international route news, American has kicked off its new Australia service from Los Angeles; Air New Zealand has linked up with Star Alliance partner United at Houston; Delta inaugurated flights on three new Latin America routes; KLM will eliminate one U.S. gateway and add another; Kuwait Airways drops a U.S. route; and United will increase flights to Brussels.

At about the same time that Qantas started its Sydney-San Francisco 747 service this past weekend, its joint venture partner American Airlines launched its own new transpacific route to Sydney from Los Angeles International  (a route also flown by Qantas, along with Melbourne-LAX). American’s daily flight uses a 310-passenger, three-class 777-300ER and departs LAX at 9:50 p.m. At the end of January, Qantas will trim its own Los Angeles-Sydney schedule from 14 flights a week to 10. It’s the first time in 23 years that American has flown to Australia.

Air New Zealand last week inaugurated its promised new service from Auckland to Houston Bush Intercontinental, where it offers connections via its Star Alliance partner United Airlines.  The Kiwi carrier is using a 777-200ER with economy, Premium Economy and business class seating (with lie-flat seat-beds) for the route, which it flies five times a week. The westbound flight takes about 14-1/2 hours.

Delta added a trio of new routes to South America this past weekend. The carrier started new 767 service from Orlando to Sao Paulo, Brazil, operating four days a week (increasing to daily in March), and two routes from Atlanta Hartsfield Jackson to Colombia, both using 737s. Delta’s ATL-Medellin service operates daily, and ATL-Cartagena flies three times a week.

Instead of reviving its summer seasonal service from Amsterdam to Dallas/Ft. Worth next May, KLM reportedly plans to replace it with new Salt Lake City-Amsterdam service. The change is seen  as benefiting KLM’s joint venture with Delta, which has a hub at Salt Lake City. The two carriers are reportedly looking to bolster the traffic feed to their new code-share partner Jet Airways for onward travel from AMS to India.

Facing a charge of unlawful discrimination from the U.S. Transportation Department, Kuwait Airways has discontinued the London Heathrow-New York JFK segment of its one-stop New York-Kuwait route. Last fall, DOT issued a cease-and-desist order to the airline after it learned that Kuwait Airways refused to sell a ticket to an Israeli citizen between London and New York. The airline maintained such a sale is barred by Kuwaiti law.

United Airlines said it plans to add a second daily flight next summer from its Newark hub to Brussels. The second flight will operate from May 5 through October 28; departures from May 25-September 6 will use a 214-seat 767-300, while earlier and later flights will use a 169-seat 757-200.

 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about:  Delta free upgrades disappearing + Shipping vs. checking a bag +_San Francisco’s new long-haul routes + Is Newark our worst airport? + Delta, United forge new international partnerships

 

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Bay Area to London for $299 + United non-stops to Singapore? + New Paris route + more

Norwegian's Oakland-London Gatwick service will start at $299 one-way. (Image: Jim Glab)

Norwegian’s Oakland-London Gatwick service will start at $299 one-way. (Image: Jim Glab)

In international route news this week, Norwegian confirms its plans for Oakland-London service; United says it is considering new non-stops to Singapore; Air France will add a new Paris route — but not to Charles de Gaulle; a Chinese carrier plans new LAX flights; KLM will boost its San Francisco schedule; and Southwest will drop a Mexico route.

Following up on our report from last week, European low-cost carrier Norwegian has confirmed that it plans to start new service from Oakland to London Gatwick effective May 12, operating three flights a week. The carrier said fares on the route will start at $299 one way, including taxes (plus ancillary fees, of course; it’s already taking bookings at www.Norwegian.com/us).  Norwegian also announced plans to increase its Los Angeles-London Gatwick schedule from three to four flights a week starting May 10, and to move up the start of Boston-London service from late May to March 27, with five weekly flights instead of four. The carrier’s long-haul routes use 787-8s with economy and premium seating.

Have you flown or heard from someone who has flow Norwegian? What’s it like? Please leave your comments below.

London Gatwick airport is about 30 minutes south of the city (VisitLondon.com)

London Gatwick airport is about 30 minutes south of city center by train (VisitLondon.com)

Now that Singapore Airlines is on track to resume non-stop flights to the U.S. in 2018, United Airlines is considering a competing service. A United executive told Aviation Daily that the company is considering its aircraft options. “When we have the right aircraft, we will tackle that market” (i.e., non-stops to Singapore), United’s VP-Network Brian Znotins told the publication. Singapore Airlines will use a long-range version of the Airbus A350 designated the A350-900ULR. Znotis did not say which U.S. gateway United has in mind, but Av Daily noted that San Francisco would be the carrier’s hub closest to Singapore.

Air France already operates several flights a day from New York JFK to Paris Charles de Gaulle, but in June it plans to add a daily flight from JFK to Paris Orly, using a 309-seat 777-200 with business, premium economy and regular economy classes. Connections at Orly are available to the airline’s domestic network. Air France also plans to begin three weekly flights from CDG to Teheran, Iran in April.

According to Airlineroute.net, China’s Hainan Airlines plans to begin service between Changsha and Los Angeles on January 21, operating two flights a week with a 787-8. Changsha is the capital of Hunan Province in south-central China.

For its summer schedule beginning May 4, KLM plans to increase its Amsterdam-San Francisco schedule from seven flights a week to nine, using 787-9 Dreamliners for the two extra flights. The others will continue to use a 747-400.

Southwest Airlines will change its Mexico City operations on March 16, according to Airlineroute.net. The carrier plans to discontinue its daily service between San Antonio-Mexico City and to add a second daily roundtrip between Houston Hobby and Mexico City.

 

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Routes: Oakland-London + Dulles-Dubai dropped + BA/Aer Lingus code-shares + more

Norwegian reportedly plans new Oakland-London service with a 787. (Image: Creative Commons)

Norwegian reportedly plans new Oakland-London service with a 787. (Image: Creative Commons) 

In international route news, Bay Area travelers may see a new low-cost option to London in the spring; another U.S. carrier pulls out of the Dubai market; British Airways and its new sister company Aer Lingus are sharing codes all over the place; China Eastern will boost frequencies to a Midwest gateway; and Southwest eyes new international service from LAX.

Although the airline hasn’t announced or confirmed it yet, the website Airlineroute.net reports that European low-cost carrier Norwegian has filed a proposed schedule to fly between Oakland and London Gatwick. Based on data from the OAG Schedules Analyzer, Airlineroute.net said Norwegian plans to use a 787-8 to fly the route three days a week (Monday, Thursday and Sunday) starting May 12. Norwegian already has service from Oakland to Stockholm and Olso twice a week; it currently shows one-way fares to Stockholm in January for as little as $169 (plus ancillary fees).

The proposed Norwegian service, infrequent though it is, would give Bay Area travelers to the U.K. another option instead of flying out of San Francisco International — in addition to the new British Airways service from Mineta San Jose International to Heathrow that starts May 4 with a 787-9. In other news, Norwegian has pushed up the start of new Boston-London Gatwick 787 flights — slated for five days a week — from May to March 27.

Remember how Delta blamed government-subsidized competition and excess capacity from the big Mideast carriers for its decision to discontinue Atlanta-Dubai service this coming February? Now United is following suit, saying it will stop flying from Washington Dulles to Dubai after January 25. United blamed the entry of “subsidized carriers such as Emirates Airline and Etihad Airways into the Washington D.C. market,” but it also cited a decision by the U.S. government to shift its contract for Washington-Dubai flights to JetBlue, which has a code-share partnership with Emirates. (Earlier, United said it would discontinue its service from Dulles to Kuwait and Bahrain after January 13.)

Now that British Airways and Ireland’s Aer Lingus are sister companies under the umbrella of parent IAG, they have embarked on a big code-share expansion for their U.S. routes. According to Airlineroute,net, Aer Lingus’ code is going onto BA’s London Heathrow routes from 19 U.S. gateways, as well as its Gatwick service from New York JFK, Las Vegas and Orlando; and BA’s code goes onto Aer Lingus flights to Dublin from San Francisco, Orlando, Washington Dulles, JFK, Newark, Hartford and Boston, as well as Shannon flights from JFK and Boston.

China Eastern, a member of Delta’s SkyTeam alliance, plans to boost service on its Shanghai Pudong-Chicago O’Hare route — which starts March 18 — from three flights a week to daily.  The airline will use a 777-300ER on the route.

Southwest Airlines plans to add a new international route from Los Angeles International in April, subject to government approval. The carrier said it will offer daily flights from LAX’s Terminal 2 to Liberia/Guanacaste, Costa Rica, the gateway to that country’s coastal resort area.

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Lufthansa adds San Jose-Frankfurt + United to Europe + More Delta, AA to London

United will begin Newark-Athens flights next spring. (Image: Jim Glab)

United will begin Newark-Athens flights next spring. (Image: Jim Glab)

In international route news, United will add new Europe services in 2016; SAS eyes another new U.S. gateway; and Delta and American make new inroads at London Heathrow. And we are getting late breaking news that Lufthansa will add nonstops between Mineta San Jose and Frankfurt. 

Today Lufthansa announced that it will launch 5x per week nonstops between the Bay Area’s Mineta San Jose International Airport and Frankfurt starting April 29, 2016 using an Airbus A340-300. The aircraft will offer business class, premium economy and regular economy seats (no first class). If Lufthansa can make the April 29 date, it can claim that it’s SJC’s first European carrier this year since British Airways 787 nonstops SJC-LHR begin a week later.

Details on Lufthansa's new 12-hour nonstop SJC-FRA

Details on Lufthansa’s new 12-hour nonstop SJC-FRA

United said it will begin seasonal service next spring on three new routes to Europe, all starting on May 25. The airline will operate daily 767-300 non-stop service from its Newark hub to Athens, continuing through October 5; daily 767-400 non-stops from Washington Dulles to Barcelona, operating through September 6; and daily 757-200 service from Dulles to Lisbon, ending September 6.

Meanwhile, United will also begin new code-sharing with partner Air Canada. Starting November 1, United’s code will go onto Air Canada flights from Toronto to Delhi and Dubai; and effective already, Air Canada’s code has gone onto United flights from Newark to Delhi and Mumbai, and from Washington Dulles to Dubai.

AirlineRoute.net also reports that SAS plans to begin service on March 29 next year from Boston to Copenhagen, operating daily flights with a two-class Privatair 737-700. This is in addition to plans SAS announced earlier to add new U.S. service in 2016 between Los Angeles-Stockholm, Miami-Copenhagen and Miami-Oslo.

Delta hasn’t yet said yet if it will mean any schedule changes, but it announced that it has acquired six slots at capacity-restricted London Heathrow that it had been leasing from joint venture partners Air France and KLM. “By taking ownership of the slots, Delta will enhance its ability to provide long-term continuity and stability on the route network operated from London Heathrow with joint venture partner Virgin Atlantic Airways,” Delta said.

Also at Heathrow, American Airlines plans to add add a fourth daily flight between London and New York JFK next spring. The new flight, starting March 27, will use a two-class 777-200ER, according to airlineroute.net.

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Shiny new hotels in: London, Munich, Taipei, India +

The Distillery Bar at Hilton's new London Bankside hotel. (Image: Hilton)

The Distillery Bar at Hilton’s new London Bankside hotel. (Image: Hilton)

In overseas hotel news, Hilton adds another property in London; Starwood debuts a pair of Alofts in Germany; there’s a new Marriott in Taipei; Marriott and Shangri-La have openings in India; China gets a new Marriott; and Bogota adds a new property from Four Seasons.

The new Hilton Bankside in London. (Image: Hilton)

The new Hilton Bankside in London. (Image: Hilton)

The newest Hilton property in London is the 292-room Hilton London Bankside, in the Bankside district near the Tate Modern gallery. it offers executive-level rooms with access to an Executive Lounge; a restaurant called OXBO Bankside, and a bar called The Distillery, as well as a pool and fitness center. Rates range from $228 to $527.

The new Aloft in Munich has a new sister property in Stuttgart. (Image: Starwood)

The new Aloft in Munich has a new sister property in Stuttgart. (Image: Starwood)

Starwood’s fast-growing Aloft brand, aimed at younger, tech-savvy business travelers, has added a pair of locations in Germany. The new 184-room Aloft Munich is across the street from the city’s central train station, not far from the Pinakothek Museum and the Oktoberfest grounds. In Stuttgart, the new 165-room Aloft is located in the Milaneo mixed-use project, within walking distance of the main train station and the Schlossgarten park. Both properties offer SPG Keyless mobile room access, free Wi-Fi and the usual Aloft signature features, like a WXYZ Bar, Re:fuel grab-and-go market, and a 24-hour fitness center. Rates at both hotels start around $180 a night.

A guest room at the Taipei Marriott. (Image: Marriott)

A guest room at the Taipei Marriott. (Image: Marriott)

Marriott International has cut the ribbon on the 320-room Taipei Marriott in Taiwan, in the city’s new Dazhi commercial area. It’s about  10 minutes from Songshan Airport and five minutes by car from the Neihu Technology Park. Guestroom sizes start at a generous 430 square feet, and function rooms include the largest ballroom in Taipei. The hotel has five restaurants and a lobby lounge with free Wi-Fi, a 24-hour fitness center, and a spa. Rates start at $213.

A panorama-view room at the Shangri-La in Bengaluru. (Image: Shangri-La)

A panorama-view room at the Shangri-La in Bengaluru. (Image: Shangri-La)

The newest hotel in India’s tech mecca of Bengaluru (Bangalore) is the 397-room Shangri-La. The 19-story property is located in between the business center and the city’s upscale suburbs, with views of Bangalore Palace. The Shangri-La offers six food and beverage outlets, along with a lobby lounge, an outdoor pool, a health club and spa facilities, and a ballroom that can accommodate up to 900 persons. Introductory rates start at $150.

Lobby lounge at the new Renaissance in Lucknow, India. (Image: Marriott)

Lobby lounge at the new Renaissance in Lucknow, India. (Image: Marriott)

In the northern Indian city of Lucknow, Marriott has opened a new Renaissance hotel — only the second Renaissance in India. Located in the city center, the 112-room Renaissance has 26,000 square feet of meeting rooms, a rooftop infinity pool with poolside bar, a fitness center, Jacuzzi, and even a yoga studio, as well as two restaurants and a pastry shop. Rates begin at $131.

Executive lounge at the Chongqing Marriott. (Image: Marriott)

Executive lounge at the Chongqing Marriott. (Image: Marriott)

In the heart of Chongqing, China — near the Nanping business district — is the newly opened Chongqing Marriott, occupying the 30th to the 48th floors of the city’s landmark Guorui Centre. The 341-room Marriott offers three restaurants, considerable meeting and ballroom space, a heated indoor pool and 24-hour gym, and guest rooms with floor-to-ceiling windows and panoramic views, as well as a 47th-floor Executive Lounge with concierge services. Rates start around $110.

A suite at Four Seasons' new hotel in Bogota. (Image: Four Seasons)

A suite at Four Seasons’ new hotel in Bogota. (Image: Four Seasons)

In Colombia, an October 15 opening is set for the Four Seasons Hotel Casa Medina Bogota. It’s a restoration of a 1940s-era building with modern technology installed throughout its 62 rooms and suites. The hotel has a Spanish-cuisine restaurant, a 24-hour fitness area and a full-service spa, along with meeting space for up to 200 persons. Rates begin at $399.

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New routes: United to China, Delta to Brazil, Turkish to Miami…

Xi'an_location

United wants to start flying to Xi’an, China from San Francisco. (Image: Wikimedia Commons)

In news of international routes, United wants to add a new China destination from San Francisco; Delta plans to add more service to Brazil from Orlando; SAS drops a key U.S. route for the energy industry; Canada’s WestJet goes transatlantic in a big way; and Miami is adding more European routes this winter.

  • United Airlines said it has filed for government approvals to add a new seasonal route to China next year. United wants to fly from San Francisco to Xi’an three times a week from May 8 through October 27, using a 787. If approved, it will be the first commercial air service available on that route. Xi’an, a city of 8 million, is the capital of central China’s Shaanxi Province. It is also home to one of China’s most famous historic and cultural attractions, the Terracotta Warriors.
  • Delta is doubling down on its planned new Brazilian route from Orlando to Sao Paulo, which begins December 19. Instead of keeping frequencies on the route at the initial four a week, Delta now says it intends to increase that to daily flights starting February 20. Delta will use its partnership with Brazilian carrier GOL to offer Sao Paulo passengers connections to 32 destinations from the city’s Guarulhos International Airport. Delta will use a 767-300 on the route. And could this be a coincidence? Brazilian carrier Azul, which had previously planned to start flying the same route on December 15, has now pulled that service from its schedule, according to airlineroute.net.
  • Canadian carrier WestJet is going transatlantic next year in a big way. The low-cost airline will use 767s to start flying to London Gatwick from six Canadian cities — Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg and St. John’s, with frequencies ranging from twice a week to daily, depending on departure airport and season. During peak season, WestJet will offer 28 flights a week from Canada to London, with one-way fares starting as low as $249 (Canadian) from Toronto, $199 from St. John’s.
TravelSkills was out on the runways at SFO to watch the first British Airways A380 touch down (Chris McGinnis)

British Airways is deploying an A380 like this one on MIA-London (Chris McGinnis)

  • Miami International Airport notes that it will welcome significantly increased transatlantic service this fall and winter. In October, Austrian Airlines will start flying from MIA to Vienna and Turkish Airlines will debut MIA-Istanbul flights; British Airways will put an A380 super-jumbo onto its London Heathrow route; Lufthansa will add more Miami-Munich flights; Swiss will increase frequencies to Zurich; and Finnair will do the same to Helsinki. In November, Air Berlin starts twice-weekly service to Berlin.
  • SAS has a route from Houston to Stavanger, Norway dedicated to the energy industry — linking Texas oil companies with North Sea operations — and it uses an all-business-class, 44-seat 737-700. But that route will reportedly be dropped on October 25. The special aircraft, provided for SAS by Privatair, will be converted to a two-class, 88-seat version, and will go onto the Copenhagen-Newark route, according to airlineroute.net.

Related: Trip Report SFO-Copenhagen on SAS

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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New hotels: London, Amsterdam, Budapest, Seoul, Riyadh

London's Great Northern Hotel is now part of Starwood's Tribute Portfolio. (Image: Starwood)

London’s Great Northern Hotel is now part of Starwood’s Tribute Portfolio. (Image: Starwood)

Starwood takes on the first European property in its newest brand; Amsterdam gets a new W Hotel this month; Marriott adds a Ritz-Carlton in Budapest; Four Seasons sets the opening date for a new hotel in South Korea; and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia gets a new luxury property.

Starwood Hotels’ new Tribute Portfolio is a collection of independently owned and operated hotels that will use the Tribute affiliation to participate in Starwood Preferred Guest program and reservations system — much like Hilton’s Curio and Marriott’s Autograph Collection. The company describes Tribute members as “four star, upper upscale hotels with an indie spirit.” And the first European property to join is London’s Great Northern Hotel, located at King’s Cross railway station and a short walk from the terminus for Eurostar trains at St. Pancras International. The original hotel dates back to 1854, but it was relaunched in 2013 as one of the city’s top boutique properties. Rates start around $396.

A signatrure WOW Suite at the new W Hotel Amsterdam. (Image: Starwood)

A signatrure WOW Suite at the new W Hotel Amsterdam. (Image: Starwood)

September 21 is the planned opening date for Starwood’s new W Amsterdam, located in the heart of the city between the Royal Palace and the Singel Canal. The 238-room hotel’s signature W Lounge overlooks Dam Square. It offers free high-speed Wi-Fi in all guest rooms; a business center; a restaurant called Duchess with Mediterranean cuisine; and a FIT gym that will debut in December. Rates start at $417.

Ritz-Carlton's new Budapest property has views of St. Stephen's Basilica. (Image: Ritz-Carlton)

Ritz-Carlton’s new Budapest property has views of St. Stephen’s Basilica. (Image: Ritz-Carlton)

Marriott’s Ritz-Carlton brand has taken over management of the Elizabeth Park Hotel in Budapest, and will undertake a “comprehensive renovation” of the property before re-launching it next spring as The Ritz-Carlton, Budapest. (Until then, it’s the Elizabeth Park Hotel, Budapest, a Ritz-Carlton Partner Hotel.) Located on St. Erzsebet Square with views of St. Stephen’s Basilica, the 198-room hotel will be enhanced with the addition of a Ritz-Carlton Club, new suites and an overhaul of its restaurants. Rates currently start at $250.

The Maru Lounge at the new Four Seasons Seoul. (Image: Four Seasons)

The Maru Lounge at the new Four Seasons Seoul. (Image: Four Seasons)

Four Seasons Hotels is now taking bookings for stays starting October 15 at its newest property, The Four Seasons Hotel Seoul. The 317-room hotel is located in the central business district; it offers round-the-clock business services, an Executive Club lounge and a team of multilingual concierges. Restaurant options include Italian (Boccalino), Chinese (Yu Yuan) and Japanese (Kioku), as well as The Market Kitchen, with a series of live cooking stations and gourmet spreads. Guests can also use the Four Seasons Club Seoul, a huge fitness, health and socializing facility. Introductory rates start at $377.

The lobby at the new Movenpick Hotel Riyadh. (Image: Movenpick)

The lobby at the new Movenpick Hotel Riyadh. (Image: Movenpick)

In Saudi Arabia, Swiss lodging group Movenpick has cut the ribbon on the 438-room Movenpick Hotel Riyadh. The five-star property is located along the capital city’s King Fahad Road, just opposite the Ministry of the Interior. The French Michelin-starred chef Pierre Gagnaire directs the cuisine at its Acacia restaurant; other dining options include Indian and Lebanese restaurants. The hotel also has a spa, fitness center and a dozen meeting rooms. Introductory rates start at $426.

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


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New hotels: London + Hamburg + Prague + China + Hyderabad + Jeddah + Lima + B.A.

A guest room at London's newly reopened Lanesborough Hotel. (Image: Lanesborough)

A guest room at London’s newly reopened Lanesborough Hotel. (Image: Lanesborough)

In overseas hotel developments, a London classic reopens; Starwood’s Luxury Collection adds a pair of properties, and so does Hilton’s Curio Collection; Marriott and Hyatt add China locations; Radisson debuts in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; and Wyndham adds a Peruvian hotel.

One of London’s top five-star hotels, The Lanesborough, has reopened after an 18-month overhaul. The renovation of the 93-room hotel in Knightsbridge included all guest rooms and public areas, and gave the property a new restaurant called Celeste, offering French-inspired cuisine with British ingredients. Nightly rates at the Lanesborough begin at $1,100. Elsewhere in London, The former Hilton London Docklands Riverside along the Thames has been refurbished and rebranded as the DoubleTree by Hilton London Docklands. The 378-room DoubleTree is a short ferry ride across the river from Canary Wharf Pier; rates start around $280.

Seven historic buildings in the heart of Prague have been converted into the newly opened Augustine, a member of Starwood’s Luxury Collection. The 100-room property is within walking distance of Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. It’s the first Luxury Collection hotel in the Czech Republic. Rates start at about $350.

A room at the Reichshof Hamburg. (Image: Hilton)

A room at the Reichshof Hamburg. (Image: Hilton)

In Germany, the renovated Reichshof Hamburg, an historic 278-room hotel across the street from Hamburg’s Central Railway Station, has opened as a member of Hilton’s Curio Collection — an affiliated group of independent properties that participate in Hilton’s reservations system and in HHonors. Rates begin around $175.

In the Middle East, the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group has cut the ribbon on the Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The 112-room Radisson Blu is on King Abdullah Road close to the Al Andalus and Al Salam shopping malls. It has an outdoor pool, fitness center and all-day restaurant. Rates start around $180 a night.

Exterior view of the Sheraton Hyderabad. (Image: Starwood)

Exterior view of the Sheraton Hyderabad. (Image: Starwood)

The newest hotel in the Indian city of Hyderabad is Starwood’s Sheraton Hyderabad, a renovation of an earlier property. The 272-room Sheraton is surrounded by the corporate offices of multinationals, and is close to the HITEX Exhibition Centre and the Hyderabad International Convention Centre. Rates start around $100.

Luxury accommodations at The Grand Mansion in Nanjing. (Image: Starwood)

Luxury accommodations at The Grand Mansion in Nanjing. (Image: Starwood)

Nanjing, the capital of China’s Jiangsu province, is the site of The Grand Mansion, a newly opened member of Starwood’s Luxury Collection. The 158-room hotel on Chanjiang Road near the Presidential Palace has 15 suites and a 3,000-volume library as well as a tea lounge and a Chinese restaurant. Opening rates start around $175. Elsewhere in China, the 311-room Zhuzhou Marriott has opened in the central business district of Zhuzhou, which is close to Changsha, the provincial capital of Hunan. And Hyatt cut the ribbon on the 330-room Hyatt Regency Wuhan Optics Valley, 45 minutes from Wuhan’s airport in Hubei Province.

A room at the Anselmo in Buenos Aires. (Image: Hilton)

A room at the Anselmo in Buenos Aires. (Image: Hilton)

In Argentina, the 50-room Anselmo Buenos Aires — built as a mansion in 1906 along Plaza Dorrego Square in the historic San Telmo neighborhood — has become a member of Hilton’s Curio Collection. Rates begin at $139. And in Peru, the newly-built, 144-room Wyndham Costa del Sol Lima has opened in the capital city. It’s close to a number of embassies, the financial district and the Real Plaza Salaverry shopping district. Rates begin at $127.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Avoiding long customs & immigration lines  + UberX, Lyft at LAX + Binge drinking on business?  + More!


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London’s Uber vs black cab battle enlists celebs

Comedian Russel Brand takes on Uber is a recent video tirade (Image: YouTube)

Comedian Russel Brand takes on Uber is a recent video tirade (Image: YouTube)

In London, taxi drivers are not rioting and burning Uber cars like we’ve recently seen in Paris.

Instead, they are enlisting the likes comedian Russell Brand who sides with London’s black cabs in an 8-minute video that’s making the rounds in social media this week. If you are time pressed, the tirade begins in the video above at about 1:50.

So far, a shorter (2 min) video has clocked over 1.5 million views on Brand’s Facebook page.

In the video, Brand says thing like: “Uber is a multi-billion dollar corporation, part-owned by Goldman Sachs, part-owned by Google, that skims off all its profit and puts it into foreign bank accounts.”

He also claims that using Uber means that, “more money is being siphoned out of our country. If you get a black cab that money stays in our country, stays in our economy. That’s one clear advantage.”

Brand is riding on a wave of discontent with Uber since its surge pricing model tripled fares last week during London’s tube strike.

Deal: Get $20 off your first Uber ride

Nonetheless, Uber continues to make big gains in the UK– here’s a list of fares between Heathrow and London:

Uber's flat rates between Heathrow and London

Uber’s flat rates between Heathrow and London

London black cab rates run higher- here’s what the Transport for London page says:

London Taxi

I most often use the fast and easy Heathrow Express between London and Heathrow (about $33 each way), but end up having to jump in a cab and suffer through London traffic on the way to my hotel or appointment.

What about you? Have you or would you use Uber in London? 

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: This guy got 1 million United miles  + More changes to Delta SkyMiles+Airline fees: No end in sight + ATMs are out + More!

 


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Surprise: Deep discounts on summer fares to Europe

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s new 50,000 mile bonus + Which airline is most generous? + Starwood-InterContinental merger? + Delta bumps up summer seats to Europe! 

A shiny new British Airways A380. Clean as a whistle! (Photo: British Airways)

A shiny new British Airways A380. Clean as a whistle! (Photo: British Airways)

The strength of the US dollar is great for Americans headed to Europe, but it’s clearly having an impact on demand from the other side of the pond. 

That’s the only explanation I can come up with for why British Airways deeply discounted its economy class fares for August to Europe yesterday.

BA’s lowest fares are currently running toward the END of August, as low as $800-$900 roundtrip— see our research below.

A quick run through some fares found some outstanding bargains. I do not expect these fares to last… I’m already seeing “1-3 seats left” on the lowest fares.

Keep in mind that Labor Day is September 7 this year, so these still fall into the standard definition of peak summer season.

NOTE: The euro and the pound have strengthened against the dollar this week– euro is up to $1.12 and the pound is $1.52 as I write this.

How low did they go? Check out these round trip fares:

Click here for the sale page

Boston-London in late August: $825 roundtrip

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New York-London in August: $973 roundtrip

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Chicago-London in August just $1033 roundtrip

Screen Shot 2015-05-01 at 7.04.21 AM

 

Atlanta-London in late August: $1191 roundtrip

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Los Angeles-London late August/early September: $1126

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San Francisco-London in late August $1224

Screen Shot 2015-05-01 at 7.10.37 AM

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: United’s new 50,000 mile bonus + Which airline is most generous? + Starwood-InterContinental merger? + Delta bumps up summer seats to Europe! 


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Much needed upgrade in London

Heathrow Train

New cars for the London Tube (Photo: Transport for London)

The City of London has released plans for a futuristic upgrade to The Tube, one of the world’s largest underground rail systems. But don’t hold your breath– the fleet of 250 new trains won’t hit the tracks until the mid-2020s, and are anticipated to remain in service for 40 years. The Piccadilly Line, well-used by business travelers in central London, will be the first to get the new cars.

The cars were designed by UK-based PreistmanGoode, a design firm that specializes in transportation and has made its mark on many travel environments that touch us daily, such as seats on United, interiors of Qatar Airways’ new A380 or Heathrow’s Terminal 5. (Cool website!)

Simply called “the New Tube,” the trains will feature a few firsts.  They will be comprised of one contiguous walk-through barrel, rather than many interconnected cars. This stretched look means that more passengers can be transported on the same track, increasing capacity on the system overall. (You may have seen trains like this if you’ve taken the MTR subways in Hong Kong.)

Related: Chris’s column Business Trip: London

 

The new trains will bring a welcome reduction in crowding….the new layout increases capacity up to 60%, providing a significant boost for Tube travelers for the useful life of the new trains – pegged at 40 years or more. Slideshow here

Another welcome tech feature comes from the air-cooling of the cars. It’s not always possible to move air-conditioning at certain depths in the existing Tube system, and so this will bring cooler, fresher air to increase passenger comfort. (And could help eliminate that well known “Tube smell”– see our post about that here)

Extra Bonus! Here’s an easy way to top off your Chase Ultimate Rewards balance with 20,000 points!

The initial rollout will still have drivers in each car; eventually, the New Tube can run on its own without human guidance. As some viewers have pointed out on YouTube, this full automation has the added advantage of reducing, and eventually eliminating, chaotic Tube strikes.

London Travel Tip: During peak travel season, when tourists, business travelers and locals fill the city, do not depend on the ability of London’s current aging transportation infrastructure to get you to your meetings on time. Black cabs creep slowly through the traffic of central London. The London Underground, or Tube, is notoriously unreliable and susceptible to delays, forcing users onto lengthy alternate routes. To avoid being late in a city that appreciates promptness, always schedule your meetings with a very large cushion of time in between.

Popular: Did you hear about the latest wave of downgrades at United MileagePlus? Read this! 

 –

Extra Bonus! Here’s an easy way to top off your Chase Ultimate Rewards balance with 20,000 points!

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My 9 favorite travel smells

The new scent globe a London Heathrow Terminal 2 (LHR Airports)

The new scent globe a London Heathrow Terminal 2 (LHR Airports)

This week sees London-Heathrow’s brand new Terminal 2 “The Queen’s Terminal” operating at full capacity with all 26 airlines (primarily Star Alliance) now in their new home. Airport authorities planned for the transition to take place over the five months instead of in one fell swoop. Good thinking since the process seems to have gone without a hitch, and the new terminal is a far cry from the old cramped quarters of Terminal 1 & 2.

TravelSkills got an early sneak peek at the shiny new terminal and United’s nice new business and first class lounges last spring. But regrettably, we missed out on the terminal’s new, one-of-a-kind “scent globe” which the airport says “will immerse the curious in the aromas of Thailand; South Africa; Japan; China and Brazil.”

The scents emitted from the globe come from key ingredients associated with the designated country and “are designed to transport passengers to far flung destinations.” South Africa smells of tribal incense, wild grass and musk. Brazil’s scent is rich in rainforest fauna with a palette of coffee, tobacco and jasmine. Japan smells cool, oceanic with a mix of seaweed and shell extracts, green tea and Ambergris. Thailand is mix of lemongrass, ginger and coconut.

This of course got me on a train of thought about distinct travel smells… there are many and some so strong and memorable that I could be blindfolded, yet know exactly where I am due to the olfactory sensation. 

For example, there’s what I call “the Marriott smell.” Have you ever noticed that Marriotts (all brands) smell like band-aids? I’m not certain, but I assume that the lodging giant centrally sources an iodine-based antibacterial cleaning compound that emits the smell. It’s not a bad smell… it’s a clean, reassuring smell. But it’s there. Am I crazy or does anyone else notice this?

Speaking of travel smells… here are nine of my favorites (in no particular order)… what are yours?

Chestnuts Roasting NYC IMG_1703

Chestnuts roasting in Manhattan (Steven Depolo / Flickr)

  1. The smell of coffee brewing on a plane as a long overnight flight is coming to an end. And the smell of jet fuel as you walk off the plane and onto the jetway.
  2. The acrid, sour, but memorable smell of chestnuts roasting on a dry, cold New York City night.
  3. Getting into a rental car, noticing the “new car smell” and looking down at the odometer reading 000016 miles.
  4. The smell of rain & tropical flowers when stepping off the plane at almost any airport in Hawaii
  5. The minty-soapy-lotiony-cologne-y smell of my toilet kit- it means the road is calling.
  6. The leathery, carpet-y “new plane” smell on a brand new or refurbished aircraft.
  7. I love it when you walk into a hotel with a spa… and you can smell it. Usually eucalyptus. On the other hand, I hate it when you walk into a hotel with an indoor pool and you can smell the chlorine.
  8. The smell of cookies baking on a plane (even if they are only served in first class).
  9. A Cinnabon at the airport. A Lush boutique somewhere overseas. And yes, even a McDonald’s when I’ve been away from the US for too long.

To me, Seattle and San Francisco smell like dark roast coffee. Los Angeles and Phoenix smell like orange blossoms. Houston smells like refineries. Tampa and Orlando smell like hot summer afternoon thunderstorms. Paris like bread. London smells metallic, and rubbery, like the Tube.  Mumbai like sewerage and sandalwood. Boston smells like fish or the ocean. Denver like wood smoke. I could go on and on.

What about you? Please leave your comments and favorite (or least favorite) travel smells below.

–Chris McGinnis

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Delta bumps bennies + BART-Oakland sets date + LAX airlines move + Hilton HHonors hacked + W in Beijing

Delta has expanded its popular Porsche pick up service to three more airports (Photo: Delta)

AIRLINES

Delta expands Porsche transfers, expedites at Heathrow. Delta continues to lead the way when it comes to adding new services for its best customers. For example, last week it announced an expansion of its Porsche tarmac transfer program to three more airports — New York LaGuardia, Seattle-Tacoma and Detroit Metro. The program offers gate-to-gate rides in Porsche vehicles for select SkyMiles Diamond Medallion members who have tight connecting times. It’s already offered at Atlanta, New York JFK, Los Angeles and Minneapolis-St. Paul. (Here’s a video showing how it works.) At London Heathrow’s Terminal 3, meanwhile, Delta BusinessElite passengers arriving by private car service can now take advantage of an expedited greeting service in which Virgin Atlantic concierge staffers will meet them curbside with boarding passes, take their luggage, and speed them through security to the Virgin Clubhouse. Delta says, “On arrival at London Heathrow Terminal 3, Delta Air Lines BusinessElite customers can now enjoy a seamless and stress-free transfer from car to lounge in less than 10 minutes via the Virgin Atlantic Upper Class Wing.” Keep in mind that many of Delta’s flights at Heathrow (including those to/from Detroit and Minneapolis) use Terminal 4 where this service is not available. Delta’s Atlanta-London flights switched to Terminal 3 from Terminal 4 on October 26.

The AirBART station is located at the front door of Oakland International

The AirBART station is located at the front door of Oakland International

BART-Oakland Airport sets date. Bay Area Rapid Transit officials have finally announced an opening date for the new BART rail link to Oakland International Airport. On Saturday, November 22 the new automated trains will transport riders from BART’s Coliseum station to the new Oakland Airport station every five minutes during peak hours; the ride takes eight minutes. The ride from the Coliseum station to/from downtown SF takes about 25 minutes. BART fares between the new Oakland Airport station and downtown San Francisco will be $10.05. That’s a nice break from cab fares which run as high as $75-$80. Are you more likely to use Oakland Airport now? Leave your comments below. 

Virgin America posts another profit. After dipping back into the red in the first quarter of 2014, Virgin America was solidly profitable in the third quarter, reporting net income of $41.6 million and a healthy operating margin of 12.9 percent. After years of operating in the red since its founding in 2007, Virgin has been profitable now for five of the last six quarters, putting it in a good position for its upcoming initial public offering. Virgin said in an SEC filing last week that its IPO shares will be priced at $21 to $24, valuing the company at up to $1 billion. The anticipated $320 million from the share sale should allow Virgin to move ahead with an ambitious expansion plan to buy new planes and add new routes.

Sneeze alarm. With all the concern about disease lately, especially as it affects travelers, you might get a little paranoid when a fellow passenger on your flight sneezes. Did you ever wonder just how far that sneeze can travel? Check out this video — if you dare.

American adds Europe routes. American Airlines has unveiled plans to add a pair of new routes to Europe next spring. On May 7, AA will inaugurate new daily narrowbody 757 flights from New York JFK to Birmingham, England. And on May 14, the company will kick off daily 767-300 flights from its Miami hub to Frankfurt.

AIRPORTS

The nice new Star Alliance lounge at LAX's new Tom Bradley International Terminal (Air New Zealand)

The nice new Star Alliance lounge at LAX’s new Tom Bradley International Terminal (Air New Zealand)

Air New Zealand, US Airways move at LAX. Effective December 3, Air New Zealand will set up shop in Los Angeles International’s refurbished Tom Bradley International Terminal 3, moving out of Terminal 2. That will give premium customers easy access to the new Star Alliance Lounge at LAX, which Air New Zealand manages. The carrier operates twice-daily service to Auckland (to be increased next summer to 17 a week) and one flight a day to London from LAX. Meanwhile, American Airlines affiliate US Airways last week moved from Terminal 3 to Terminal 6, gates 60-63, “with convenient access to connections on flights operated by American Airlines at Terminal 4 through an underground connector,” American said. “Shuttle service is also available to Terminal 4 and the Remote Terminal for American Eagle flights.”

Featured: Our latest credit card bonus offers

New airside connector at SFO. We’ve heard (but not confirmed) that the new airside connection between SFO’s fabulously famous Terminal 2 (Virgin America & American) and the more prosaic Terminal 1C (Delta’s boarding area) has opened. This means that Delta flyers socked in by delays now have some exciting new dining and retail options once they are behind security.

Outdoor spaces are the craze these days. Here's what JetBlue's will soon look like at JFK (Image: JetBlue)

Outdoor spaces are the craze these days. Here’s what JetBlue’s will soon look like at JFK (Image: JetBlue)

JetBlue’s JFK terminal grows. On Wednesday (November 12), JetBlue will open a $200 million extension of its home base, Terminal 5 at New York JFK, to be used for international flights. (The airline’s international arrivals currently use leased gates at Terminal 4.) The new six-gate expansion offers full federal inspection facilities in an arrivals hall and 40 automated passport readers. JetBlue plans to develop a public outdoor area on the new facility’s rooftop, akin to the popular High Line park in Manhattan. Meanwhile, Air France has finished a complete renovation of its two-level lounge at JFK’s Terminal 1.

Popular: Oddball credit card offers reap big rewards

HOTELS

Hackers hitting HHonors accounts. How safe are your points in Hilton’s HHonors loyalty program? Recent online reports indicate that hackers have been raiding some accounts, not only stealing points — and in some cases selling them — but also gaining access to members’ credit card information.

Related: Hilton’s newest hotel in Honolulu

Hotels roll out keyless entry apps. Starwood and Hilton last week both announced new app functionality that will allow guests to open their room doors with smartphones. The Starwood Preferred Guest app’s new SPG Keyless feature is available now at 10 select Aloft, W, and Element hotels, with more to come in the months ahead; it allows SPG members who book directly with the company to bypass the front desk and go directly to their preassigned room, where a tap of their Bluetooth-enabled phone will unlock the door. Hilton said keyless entry will be available through its HHonors mobile app starting in 2015 at its Hilton, Waldorf Astoria, Conrad and Canopy brands, and at all 11 of its brands in 2016. The app will also work with other locked areas in Hilton’s hotels such as executive floors, fitness centers and garages.

A room at the new W Beijing located near the Forbidden City (Photo: Starwood)

A room at the new W Beijing located near the Forbidden City (Photo: Starwood)

Openings in Beijing, Sydney, Paris. The newest hotel in China’s capital city is Starwood’s 349-room W Beijing-Chang’an, located close to the Forbidden City and Tiananmen Square. Each room is equipped with a digital tablet that controls its lighting, 48-inch TV and Bluetooth sound system… InterContinental Hotels Corp. has cut the ribbon on the InterContinental Sydney Double Bay Hotel a few miles from that city’s central business district; the 140-room property is a luxury remaking of the former Double Bay Hotel … Hilton scheduled a January opening for the 268-room Hilton Paris Opera in the heart of the French capital; the company spent $50 million restoring and improving the 125-year-old building, formerly the Concorde Paris Opera.

In Case You Missed It…

>Check out these two airline credit cards for bonus benefits.

>American Express has opened a Centurion Lounge at San Francisco International.

>Two airlines offer free in-flight Wi-Fi.

>Here are six tips for securing the best air fare.

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

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4 ways foodie culture impacts our trips

This hamburger served on a Delta ATL-SFO flight was really good! What's the best Delta meal you've ever had? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

This hamburger served for lunch in first class on a Delta ATL-SFO flight was really good! What’s the best Delta meal you’ve ever had? (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The newly fervent foodie culture has truly defined the last decade, primarily fueled by a big increase in coverage across all media. So it was inevitable that airlines would soon come around to using food experiences as a differentiator.

Following that trend, airlines have jumped on board in an effort to provide a culinary offering that at least attempts to match what travelers enjoy at home. Here are a few of the most recent rollouts of interest to any traveler interested in enhanced culinary experience. Hungry? Then read on.

Pop-ups at 35,000 feet

The popup concept has changed the way we eat by allowing chefs the creative license of a limited run in a temporary space.

There’s nothing more limited than a flight from point A to point B, and SWISS has laid claim to be one of the first airline pop-ups. The airline has hired Michelin-starred Swiss Chef Andreas Caminada, of Schauenstein Schloss, to create a meal for passengers traveling in SWISS first, business and even economy on November 21 from Zurich to New York.

One of Chef Caminada's creations (Photo: SWISS)

One of Chef Caminada’s creations ready for the oven (Photo: SWISS)

The Chef will bring his own crew from his restaurant to cook in the pop-up galley. This means that the kitchen staff will personally serve the one-off creation to the flight’s passengers. Providing this personalized culinary experience can also build demand for a specific routing – for example, a Chef could be brought in each week on one route to serve a temporary pop-up meal to travelers, creating a brand-new route differentiator for foodie-focused airlines.

Would you alter your travel plans to get a popup meal onboard a flight? Leave your comments below!

Delta’s farm-to-tray movement

If there’s one airline that is pursuing a pure path straight into the heart of foodie heaven, it’s Delta. Earlier this year Delta enlisted top Atlanta chef Linton Hopkins (Restaurant Eugene, Holeman & Finch) to deliver on a “farm-to-tray” ecosystem, where each ingredient is sourced in the vicinity of the Atlanta airport from small purveyors.

The idea here is that airline food must also adhere to local, small-batch principles in order to support the surrounding vendors and farms. For flights originating outside of the Atlanta hub, chefs are encouraged to consider the local environment when designing menus.

For the fall, the first class menu on flights from Atlanta to Paris, London-Heathrow, Amsterdam and Frankfurt includes African squash soup, Sunburst Trout Farms smoked trout, and Gulf shrimp with heirloom white grits, among others. Certain flights will feature meals created by Chef Hopkins, while other routes headed south will come from Miami Chef Michelle Bernstein. On domestic flights in first class the fare is not as high falutin’, but still satisfying… like the burger pictured above.

What’s the best meal you’ve ever had on Delta? Please let us know in the comments below.

Order your meal to carry onboard in one of these "hampers" from Heathrow (Photo: Gordon Ramsay)

Order your meal to carry onboard in one of these insulated “hampers” from Heathrow (Photo: Gordon Ramsay)

Or…a picnic, perhaps?

London’s Heathrow airport is experimenting with a way to boost business in-terminal by providing passengers an easy way to grab a meal to eat on-board. The initiative provides passengers with a veddy-British-sounding “bespoke hamper,” a non-disposable cooler bag containing a variety of meal items, which can be ordered from all 188 food vendors at the airport.

49 brands are participating in this foodie-forward service, meaning that transiting passengers now grab a wide selection of on-the-go food options. By providing a means to deliver a culinary experience on-board, the airport is slicing business away from on-board retailing and making food taste better.

To promote the new service, Heathrow has built a “pop-up park” in the brand new Terminal 2 (home to Star Alliance carriers) for travelers to sample the meals. So stop by and listen for the sound of birds and a enjoy a full-on faux park experience. 🙂

Bringing groceries home

In the “now-that’s-a-good-idea” department, some companies are now targeting homecoming travelers with empty fridges. Passengers arriving into Finland’s Helsinki airport can now pre-order groceries online that they pick up at the airport and to take home upon arrival. This ensures that a traveler is able to avoid the dreaded “empty fridge hunger” syndrome that plagues many business travelers, especially singles with no one home to buy the groceries.

Would you like to pick up groceries at the airport? Please leave your comments below!

–Nick Vivion

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Another British Airways A380 for the US

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)

British Airways announced today that it will deploy a brand-new Airbus A380 double-decker between San Francisco International and London Heathrow on March 29.

This will be BA’s third US destination to get the big bird, after Los Angeles and Washington, DC.

BA’s Sean Doyle, EVP, Americas, told TravelSkills that the decision to put the A380 on the SFO run was an easy one, “This helps bring together the burgeoning innovation economies in the Bay Area and London. It’s a logical fit and a sophisticated product for a sophisticated market,” he told us, citing the aircraft’s advanced inflight entertainment system, fuel efficiency and smooth, quiet ride.

The A380’s two decks carry a whopping 469 passengers, with 14 suites in first, 97  seats in business, 55 in premium economy and 303 in economy. (See BA’s A380 page)

What makes BA’s A380 unique is that all premium seats are at the front of the plane: first class is downstairs (“main deck”) in the nose, and business class is both upstairs and downstairs. Economy sections are in the rear half of the plane. Most other airlines with A380s put all business or first class seats upstairs only.

Related: Emirates to bring its big A380 to San Francisco & Houston | Trip Report: LAX-London on a BA A380

Premium economy onboard BA's new Airbus A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Economy class on BA’s new Airbus A380 is configured 3-4-3 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

British Airways has two daily flights between SFO and London. Starting in April 2015 (no firm date announced yet), BA will operate the A380 on Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays (#286). On Tuesdays and Wednesdays, BA will operate its Boeing 747-400. BA will continue to use a 747 for its second daily flight from SFO (#284).

BA’s Doyle told TravelSkills that the A380 and 747 will share the route “for the moment” but could not elaborate on longer term aircraft deployments in the SFO-LHR market. (Click here for news about a big refurb for BA’s 747s)

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British Airways posh first class suites onboard its new Airbus A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

British Airways nice, big first class suites onboard its new Airbus A380 (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Fares on both the A380 and the 747 will be the same, but Doyle expects there to be more demand for the newer aircraft. Plus, of BA’s two daily flights, the A380 is the later one in both directions, allowing more time in either San Francisco or London.

When BA launched A380 service from Los Angeles on what it calls the “Red Carpet Route” to London last fall, TravelSkills was there. Here’s our trip report from that fun ride!

Have you flown on an A380 yet? What did you think? Will you give this new flight a try instead of competitors like United or Virgin Atlantic? Please leave your comments below. 

–Chris McGinnis

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Hilton’s Conrad snags posh new London hotel

A room at the Conrad London hotel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A room at the InterConti– soon-to-be Conrad London Westminster hotel (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Hilton’s Conrad brand announced today that it will take over the InterContinental Westminster, which just opened in December 2012. The new Hilton Conrad London Westminster will make its debut in September.

The hotel has a central London location, service, and style business travelers require. It also has a handsome restaurant and bar with a type of food you would not expect to find across the pond.

While in the UK over the holidays in 2013, I checked in at the hotel for two nights.

The hotel is located in a quiet corner of London near Buckingham Palace (Chris McGinnis)

The hotel is located in a quiet corner of London near Buckingham Palace (Chris McGinnis)

>The 256-room hotel opened as an InterContinental in early December 2012 in a quiet, yet very central area of London, in between Buckingham Palace and the Houses of Parliament, Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. It’s next door to New Scotland Yard. It will become a Conrad this starting September 14 2014.

>The new hotel was built inside a group of 19th century buildings called the Queen Anne’s Chambers—so even though it looks traditional red-brick-London on the outside, everything inside is modern and brand new. As a matter of fact, when I was there, rooms on two floors of the hotel were still under construction.

>Room rates are currently pegged at about $450 per night in August, and since it will soon be part of Hilton,  you will be able to earn and burn HHonors points here.

The new InterContinental Westminster near Buckingham Palace. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The  InterContinental Westminster near Buckingham Palace will soon be the Hilton Conrad Westminster. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

>This is one of the few luxury hotels in London that offers free wi-fi—and since the hotel is new, it has fat, fast pipes for quick and easy downloading, streaming, etc. (No word yet on whether Conrad will offer free wi-fi.)

>Rooms are decorated in a pale palette of blondes, beige and gold, with classy wood, leather, marble and chrome finishes, which keeps the rooms bright—a good thing since most windows in the low-slung (6 story) building look out to other buildings across alleyways and streets or into light wells.

>Bathrooms are big, modern and bright with separate tubs and showers. However, I was not a fan of the large, heavy, sliding doors separating the bathroom from the sleeping room. They seem awkwardly heavy, and not very soundproof, which can be important when more than one person is in the room.

>Its fresh-faced, young, and professional staff is energetic, highly trained– delays in opening the hotel meant more training time for employees.

A lovely, quiet parlour off the main lobby area. (Chris McGinnis)

A lovely, quiet parlour off the main lobby area. (Chris McGinnis)

>Since the hotel hopes to attract London’s political set, the lobby and common areas are all connected, and designed to see and be seen. For example, when you walk in to the chic limestone, sky-lit lobby, you can look through to Emmeline’s, an elegant tea and champagne bar, then through that to Blue Boar Smokehouse, the hotel restaurant and bar. (No word yet on if or how Conrad will change the restaurants.)

>Art and interior design are inspired by the hotel’s location. For example, carpet in the corridors sports an unusual fingerprint design (for the spooks in Scotland Yard next door). Most of the paintings and sculpture include characters from London’s rich political scene, past and present—for example, there are busts are Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair and London’s blustery mayor, Boris Johnson.

>There’s a gym and fitness center in the basement.

Umm. Pulled pork on a silver platter at Blue Boar Restaurant & Bar. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Umm. Pulled pork on a silver platter at Blue Boar Restaurant & Bar. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

>It felt a bit odd for me, someone who grew up in the BBQ-sauce-soaked South, to dine on smoke ribs, pulled pork, baked beans and cole slaw in London. But I did, and loved it! In typical British style, the, the BBQ at the hotel’s Blue Boar Smokehouse is served on (get this…) a silver platter. And in another hat tip to British tastes, the restaurant offers pulled lamb. Kudos to the chef Jon Ingram, who served up sweet, smoky and moist pulled pork, and spare ribs charred and spread with just the right amount of sauce. To finish, a classy finger bowl is provided to rinse sticky fingers.

>The Blue Boar Bar, with green leather love seats, plaid loungers, wooden floors and a full bar looked like it would be great fun with a crowd. But when we were there, parliamentarians were on Christmas break, so it was quiet.

>Overall, The InterContinental Westminster is a very nice, new hotel in a quiet corner of London. It will be interesting to watch how it transforms into a Conrad.

>The neighborhood around the hotel is a hotspot for new hotels… nearby you’ll find the St Ermin’s hotel and 41 Hotel both opened within the last year and both worth a look-see!

–Chris McGinnis

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