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What are a million United miles worth?

October 3, 2017

TravelSkills reader CK feeling fresh after a United Airlines flight to Sydney, Australia

I have been a loyal United Airlines flyer for over 10 years. This loyalty has been driven primarily by the fact that I live in San Francisco – a United hub. However, I have clearly bought into the various perks that United puts in place to keep me coming back. I appreciate being able to board in Zone 1. I am happy to chill out in the Gold lounges across the globe. I am thrilled with the upgrades to business class – in fact, six of my last seven flights were upgraded. Pretty hard to beat that.

(This is a guest post from TravelSkills reader C.K.)

Yet, despite all the focus United has on paying extra special attention to its most loyal flyers, I was disappointed with an experience that happened on my last flight.

I was flying in business class from Sydney, Australia to San Francisco – returning from a quick week-long trip catching up with family and friends. I had been monitoring my Mileage Plus account and I knew that I was getting pretty close to hitting my 1 Million miles flown with United. For those familiar, you’ll know that United celebrates this event by awarding the flyer (and a companion) with lifetime Gold status. Meaning, forever lounge access on international flights; forever fast track; forever priority boarding. Pretty cool!

Various levels of United Million Milers- and the corresponding lifetime status awarded (Image: United)

As I was settling in for the 13-hour flight back to San Francisco, the Inflight Service Manager came over and welcomed me by name to the flight. She then noted that my name had a gold star next to it. These days, United flight attendants are using mobile devices connected to the Wi-Fi onboard to access real-time flight information, including passenger details. In this way, the flight attendant was able to click and find out why my name had been marked with a gold star. Her device confirmed for her that in the course of this flight, I would hit my 1 million miles with United. She turned to me and said, “You’re hitting your million miles. High five!”. We exchanged a high five and she then said, “I’m not too sure what that gets you…”. Nonetheless, she welcomed me again and then continued on with her work greeting other passengers.

United sends Million Milers a lucite plaque like this (Image courtesy Matthew Klint)

Now, I don’t want to be a diva about this. But I would have thought that hitting a million miles would warrant more than a high five. Further, shouldn’t the Inflight Service Manager actually know what it gets you? And even if she didn’t know, you would think that she could make it up. For example, offering a glass of champagne (okay, this one they already do as part of business class), or asking the pilot to come by and say congratulations and thank you, or even offering you a photo with the pilots in the cockpit to commemorate this milestone.

CK enjoying a few extra glasses of champers on a recent United flight

I wasn’t expecting them to have a cake in my honor, or a card with my name on it, or anything like that – since I realize the logistics of doing that are far too complicated. However, since they are now arming flight attendants with the information that a passenger has reached this milestone, they should also arm flight attendants with guidance on how to thank the passenger for all those years of loyalty.

Click here for a rundown of United’s Million Miler benefits

For an airline obsessed with going the extra mile to build loyalty, this was a simple fail in my book. I’m not too sure what I was expecting and nor do I know how often passengers reach this milestone. Perhaps these days it’s no big deal given the amount people fly. In my case, not content with my high-five, I decided I would create my own celebration by enjoying many glasses of champagne over the course of those next 13 hours

–C.K.- new member to United’s Million Mile Club

So readers, what do you think? Is a high-five enough recognition for a newly minted United Million Miler? If you are a million miler, are you satisfied with the level of recognition you get (or got) from United? Please leave your comments below.

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

January 19, 2016

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Double points on Virgin America (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

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

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

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

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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Getting a decent upgrade on United

July 6, 2015

Getting an upgrade on a flight to Paris is tough (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Getting an upgrade on a flight to Paris is tough- but possible! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

A reader query…

Dear Chris:

I have been saving my miles to use for an upgrade from coach to business on round trip United nonstop SFO to Paris/CDG. Planned to travel beginning October.

I called and had the ticket all booked ($1289.00) and ready to go. Then the agent said, “you are aware that there is a $550 co-pay each way’? So the ticket would have been $1289. 00, + the 20,000 miles each way, + $1,100 dollars. I said forget it.

Is it even possible to get a reasonable upgrade on these flights?

D.R.

Hey D.R. First off, congrats on getting that $1289 economy class roundtrip fare on SFO-CDG- that’s a good deal, especially if you can use your status to sit in economy plus. And September in Paris is spectacular! No crowds, great weather, friendly locals…

But getting a big, flat business class seat on United’s popular Boeing 767 SFO-Paris flight is a tough nut to crack. Especially in October when business travel is back in force and United can sell those seats at a premium.

We did a quick scan of business class fares on the SFO-CDG nonstop and found them in the $8,000 to $9,000 range.

United’s business class fares SFO-CDG in early October

So that fare + copay of $2,389 plus 40,000 miles is still a lot cheaper than buying a ticket.

Even when you calculate your 40K United miles at about 1.5 cents per mile ($600, or $2,989 total), you still come out way ahead of the business class fare.

So it really depends on how badly you want this:

2-1-2 BusinessFirst class seats on United’s 767-300ER

Or are willing to sit through this:

Economy class on a United 767 (Photo: United)

What would YOU do? Please leave your comments below.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Two new nonstops to India + New Centurion lounge opens + Planespotting 101: Airbus + Pay to join loyalty programs? + More!

United discounts awards + Delta eliminates chart + More Starbucks + United packs 777s + Southwest challenges Delta

February 7, 2015

You can now get this new business class seat from Singapore at a discount using United miles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

You might now get this new business class seat from Singapore Air at a discount using United miles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

AIRLINES

Here's the part of the discounted award chart most appealing to North American flyers (United)

Here’s the part of the discounted award chart most appealing to North American flyers- rates are one way (United)

United discounts partner awards. Travelers may not be getting much of a break on airfare these days, but this week we saw some nice discounts pop up on United for award redemptions with partners. What’s nice about this is that it nearly always costs more miles to fly on United partners than it does to fly on United. What this latest sale does is bring partner award prices inline with United award prices. So for all the TravelSkills readers who complain about the state of United, here’s your chance to see what it’s like to live outside the United bubble for a while. Fly Aer Lingus’ new business class, try out Singapore Air’s new B777 between SFO and Hong Kong (if you are lucky), try ANA to Japan! To get the discounts, you must book by February 28, but you can travel anytime between now and the end of the year!

Delta SkyMiles award chart disappears. This week, Delta once again ticked off its most valuable customers by taking down its (admittedly broken) online award chart. That means there is no longer a baseline or standard for award prices….SkyMiles members can no longer quickly check the award chart to determine if you may (or may not) have enough SkyMiles for an award trip. Now, the only way to do that is to enter dates and destinations and see what the (admittedly broken) Delta award booking site presents on its calendar. Maybe this is the way Delta thinks it can reduce the bitter complaints that rates posted on the award chart don’t reflect reality? Who knows, but this just seems like another takeaway by Delta. Grrr. Thoughts please!

Get $30 off your first Uber ride! Click here.

Some interesting stats about the Delta Starbucks partnership… esp the one about serving 68 million cups of coffee this year!

Delta goes all-Starbucks. A couple of years ago, Delta introduced Starbucks as its in-flight coffee of choice on West Coast shuttle flights between Los Angeles and San Francisco as well as transcon flights to both cities from New York JFK. Passengers must have liked the brew, because Delta is now rolling out Starbucks systemwide. The specific varieties will be Starbucks Pike Place Roast and Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Italian Roast decaf. Have you ever had a “good” cup of coffee on a plane? Do you think Delta’s brew will taste much different now that it’s Starbuck vs Seattle’s Best, Delta’s previous purveyor (which ironically, is owned by Starbucks)?

8 things every frequent flyer wants

More seats in United 777s? The trade journal Aviation Daily reports that United Airlines is “considering” a refit of some 777s that would add nearly 100 seats to each aircraft by making its regular economy seating 10-across instead of the current nine. The nine-across configuration would be retained for Economy Plus, the report said, adding that it was unclear how many of the airline’s 74 777-200s might be affected if United decides to go ahead with the plan. Stay tuned…

Southwest ads challenge Delta in Atlanta. Now that it has fully absorbed AirTran’s routes and obliterated its identity, Southwest Airlines is seeking to boost its market share in the former AirTran hub market of Atlanta with a new ad campaign. Southwest also targeted Atlanta travelers with a fare sale through the middle of this month. One of the TV ads in Southwest’s new “Heartlanta” campaign assures business travelers that they’ll all get friendly treatment no matter what their status — “We don’t care if you’re diamond, platinum or pewter.”

American has collectible amenity kits. First class and business class flyers on American Airlines’ international and transcontinental flights will soon start seeing retro-themed collectible amenity kits that pay tribute to the various airlines that have become a part of American over the years, including AirCal, Allegheny, America West, Piedmont, PSA, Reno Air, TWA and US Airways. The amenities come in a felt case “sized specifically to be re-used as a mini-tablet computer case,” American said. Related on TravelSkills: Unusual collection of retro amenity kits!

Do you know how to tell the difference between a Boeing 717 and MD-80/90? See our Planespotting series!

LAX-SFO private jets. BlackJet, a ride-sharing service of sorts for private jets, has started offering trips between Los Angeles and San Francisco for around $1,500 per seat each way, citing “strong demand” from its members for the route. Taking a page from the Uber playbook, BlackJet says it uses “proprietary technology to set flights and departure times according to customer demand instead of a rigid published preset schedule.” In addition to the fare, members must pay a $5,000 membership fee. Would you? Could you? Please leave your comments below.

Our recommendations for the two best all around credit cards offering 40K bonus miles are ….

New Latin America routes. American Airlines will inaugurate several new Latin America routes during the first week of June, including daily service from Los Angeles to Guadalajara, Mexico and from Miami to Barranquilla, Colombia, as well as six flights a week from Miami to Monterrey, Mexico, all starting June 4; twice-weekly flights from LAX to Belize City, Belize, and once-a-week service from Dallas/Ft. Worth to Managua, Nicaragua and from DFW to Grand Cayman, all beginning June 6 … Aeromexico set a March 26 launch date for new daily service from Miami to Monterrey, and a June 1 start for Boston-Mexico City flights operating six days a week … On June 24, Copa Airlines will kick off new service from New Orleans to Panama City four times a week.

New breed of hotel discount sites

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Say what? Even more cuts to United MileagePlus

November 21, 2014

Just a few weeks ago, United matched Delta in boosting by 20 percent the amount of dollar spending required in 2015 for MileagePlus members to achieve elite status levels in 2016. And now United has made some more “updates” to its loyalty program starting early next year that will further chip away at the benefits of Premier membership.

Effective February 1, MileagePlus Premier members who ask for an Upgrade Award on United’s enhanced-service “p.s.” routes (New York JFK-Los Angeles and JFK-San Francisco) will be charged a co-pay in addition to miles — something they’re currently exempt from. That co-pay can range from $75 to $250 one-way, depending on booking class. (United’s complimentary Premier Upgrades do not apply on p.s. routes.)

In another change taking effect February 1, United will no longer pick up the $100 cost of membership in Customs and Border Protection’s Global Entry trusted traveler program, which allows speedy re-entry to the U.S. from international trips — and also gives members access to TSA’s domestic PreCheck security checkpoints. Currently, United provides a Global Entry payment code to eligible Global Services, Premier 1K and Premier Platinum members of MileagePlus. (That will still be available through the end of January 2015.)

United’s Premier Gold members who require lots of luggage will be sorry to see that when they travel on a domestic economy ticket on or after February 1, their free checked bag allowance will drop from three pieces to two. (For most international markets, it will remain at three.) The domestic economy allowance will still be one free checked bag for Silver members and three for Platinums and 1Ks.

Starting April 15, elite-level members who use their miles to acquire an award ticket for someone else will find that their own Premier trip benefits will no longer be granted to that second person for the award trip; instead, the recipient’s Premier status — if any — will determine which perks will apply.

Photo: Bernal Saborio / Flickr

Finally, some changes are coming to United’s relationship with its Latin American partner Copa Airlines effective July 1. As of that date, flights on Copa won’t count toward the minimum segment requirement for MileagePlus Premier status, and flight miles on Copa won’t be applied to a member’s lifetime MileagePlus mileage balance. MileagePlus Premier members will keep many of the benefits they currently have for trips on Copa, like an extra bag allowance, priority reservation waitlist, priority standby and so on; and they’ll still earn Premier qualifying miles — and can take award travel — on Copa. United said the reason for those changes is that Copa will roll out its own loyalty program in July.

Taken individually, the new MileagePlus rule changes might not have too much of an impact on any single member. But collectively, they represent a continuing pattern of benefits erosion that could well make members wonder what might be coming next.

Declining program benefits, along with rising fees, post-merger quality-of-service problems and other indignities led one disgruntled MileagePlus loyalist to pen an essay that appeared in the prestigious New Yorker magazine this month under the headline “Why I Left United Airlines.”

What do our MileagePlus readers think of these new changes? Are they deal breakers — or no big deal? Post your comments below.

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United + Marriott: Reciprocity cuts both ways

July 15, 2013

JW Marriott & Ritz-Carlton tower over the LA Live complex in downtown Los Angeles (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

United and Marriott have launched a new program called RewardsPlus (a clever combo of each loyalty program name), which offers reciprocal elite level benefits in both programs.

This means that starting today, United Premier Gold, Platinum, 1K and Global Services members (who are not already elite with Marriott) will get elite Gold level benefits in the Marriott Rewards program, including concierge lounge access, automatic room upgrades, late checkout, free internet, free breakfast, among other bennies. Starting August 1, all Premier members (including Silvers) will be able to convert their miles into Marriott Rewards points at a 1:1 ratio, up to 50,000 miles per year.

That’s great news! But reciprocity cuts both ways.

So this also means that elite level Marriott Rewards members (who now get automatic Mileage Plus Premier Silver status) will have access to United Economy Plus seats at check in, domestic upgrades, priority check in and boarding lines. They will also get one free checked bag.

Marriott Rewards is one of the largest and richest hotel loyalty programs out there with 43 million members.

While Marriott won’t reveal how many of its members are elite, let’s estimate it at 3%. That means an additional 1,290,000 Premier Silver flyers competing for EP seats and shorter lines reserved for MileagePlus Premier members.

Marriott Rewards elite members who have long complained about overcrowded concierge lounges and fewer opportunities for upgrades are already moaning about the new program on FlyerTalk. MileagePlus Premier Silver members who have seen a significant dilution in benefits over the years will now have to compete for space with a lot more travelers with the same status.

This program is identical to Crossover Rewards, a reciprocal program between Delta and Starwood launched last winter.

Effective immediately, you can link your accounts here United RewardsPlus or Marriott RewardsPlus and your benefits are good through January 31, 2014. After that, benefits will apply on a yearly basis if you maintain elite status.

What do you think? Is this a good thing, or not? If you are a United Premier beholden to another hotel brand, will this make you consider a move to Marriott? Please leave your comments below!

—Chris McGinnis

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Mileage Plus ranking + new 787 @ SFO + PreCheck + Airport standoff

May 16, 2013

In This Issue: New 787 Dreamliner flight at SFO, Mileage Plus ranks highly, Sour Milk, SFO Airport Tiff, Virgin America loss, Tito’s vodka, dream of a new Terminal 1 at SFO. Sorry for the recent lag in updates! Let’s catch up on Bay Area Travel news right now>>>

A Japan Airlines 787 Dreamliner at San Diego Int’l Airport– soon at SFO!

MORE 787 DREAMLINERS. Starting September 1, Japan Airlines will fly a new Boeing 787 Dreamliner between SFO and Tokyo’s close-in Haneda Airport, replacing the current B777 service. ANA will re-start Boeing 787 flights between San Jose and Tokyo-Narita on June 1. (Did you see the slideshow from my ANA flight from SJC to Tokyo?) Currently, United has no plans to fly Dreamliners from SFO.

UNITED EASIEST TO REDEEM. Among major legacy carriers, United ranks highest when it comes to redeeming awards online, according to a survey by Ideaworks. The report says that United had award seats available 80% of the time. By comparison, American had award seats available only 49% of the time. Delta and US Airways are the most parsimonious with awards, with seats available only 36% of the time. Only AirTran/Southwest and JetBlue ranked higher than United. Full report here.

VIRGIN AMERICA NARROWS LOSS. Our hometown carrier is still struggling to climb into the black, even as many of its competitors are showing relatively healthy and consistent profits (except United). In the first quarter of this year, Virgin America lost $46 million, which is not good. But it’s better than the loss of $76 million during the same period a year ago. It’s expanding, too, adding new flights between LAX and Las Vegas, and from SFO to Newark and Austin, and between San Jose and LAX. Based on that sorta good news, the carrier is flirting with the idea of an IPO. Would you invest in Virgin America if it manages to go public? Please leave your comments below.

Rendering of proposed Terminal 1 at SFO

DREAMING OF A NEW TERMINAL 1. Check out this interesting proposal for a massive re-do of SFO’s Terminal 1. It’s many years away, but it looks super cool. And tatty old T1 could use some help, that’s for sure.

PRECHECK NEWS. Have you noticed that United has started printing your PreCheck status on your boarding pass? Nice to know before you go whether or not you’ll get those glorious three beeps! Another good thing about PreCheck: It’s now available for those traveling on “select international flights.” Has anyone out there been able to use PreCheck internationally yet? SFO officials say that there are no PreCheck lanes at the international terminal yet—so is it smarter to use the PreCheck lanes at T3, and then walk to your international flight? Please leave your comments below.

INFLIGHT WI-FI POLL. Last winter we visited Gogo headquarters in Itasca, Illinois and took a fun ride on their in-flight lab for a look-see at a new system called ATG-4 that is designed to improve Gogo’s connections and speed. That was six months ago and we are wondering… Have you noticed a difference? PLEASE ANSWER! (The “Vote” button might appear clear, but you must click it to VOTE and see the results)

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FLIGHTCAR UPDATE. By now you’ve likely heard of FlightCar, a new online service that offers air travelers free parking by SFO, plus the opportunity to earn some cash when they rent your car to other passengers arriving at SFO. Sounds like a good “sharing economy” deal, but the airport is not at all happy about these unlicensed interlopers (including other services like pink mustachioed Lyft). Earlier this year, SFO issued a cease and desist order, forbidding these new companies from operating at the airport. To get around the C&D order, FlightCar hired a licensed black car service to shuttle its customers between the airport and their private parking lot. FlightCar’s Shri Ganeshram told TravelSkills: “We’re operating within the legal bounds of the system using independent licensed liveries to drop off and pick up passengers at the airport.” He says that FlightCar is now renting about 80 cars per week, despite the SFO cease and desist order. So we contacted SFO spokesperson Doug Yakel to find out if FlightCar is operating legally. He said, “As a public agency, we need to ensure a level playing field for all providers of ground transportation, and FlightCar must sign a permit and provide proof of insurance like every other off-airport rental car company. This is a matter of basic fairness. FlightCar has yet to meet the obligations, including insurance, required for an SFO permit that would certify them for safe and legal operation at the airport. Their method of transportation to/from the offsite location does not change the fact that they are attempting to operate at SFO without a proper permit. It remains an issue of safety and fairness for us.” How do you think this will all shake out? Have you, or would you use FlightCar? Please leave your comments below!

6 MONTHS FREE AND CLEAR. Starting later this month, CLEAR card holders will be able to use their cards for expedited security screening at San Antonio International Airport. And starting this month, Visa Signature is working with CLEAR to bring the uninitiated a free 6-month CLEAR membership — and $60 off the annual rate of $179 when membership automatically renews. Do you have one of the many Visa Signature cards? Then check this out.

WE NEED YOUR HELP! Dearest TravelSkills Readers: TravelSkills needs more readers. Can you help us out? Please forward this link to frequent traveling friends, travel agents, travel managers, travel bloggers and tell them why you love TravelSkills and encourage them to sign up! THANKS!

CLOUDY MILK. The campaign to rename San Francisco International after Harvey Milk has come to a vague close with only a promise to name an as-yet unnamed terminal at SFO after him. I’m glad the whole contentious issue is (mostly) behind us. What about you? Please leave your comments below.

New 76-seat Embraer 175 from United

MORE BARBIE JETS. United will add 30 Embraer 175 regional jets to the United Express fleet starting next year. The 76-seaters will replace the less efficient 50-seat RJs currently in use. United says, “The aircraft will be configured with 12 United First, 16 Economy Plus and 48 United Economy seats. The design of the aircraft will result in more personal space for customers with wider seats and aisles than those on the 50-seat aircraft. The aircraft can accommodate standard carry-on bags, resulting in more convenience for customers.”

BETTER VODKA. Starting in June, Tito’s Handmade Vodka, made in Austin, TX, will replace Absolut vodka on all United flights. Did you know that vodka is the most-served spirit on US flights?

Join Chris McGinnis & JohnnyJet for the #travelskills chat on Friday mornings!

Join Chris McGinnis & JohnnyJet for the #travelskills Twitter chat on Friday mornings!

SEEKING SUMMER TRAVEL DEALS? Join in the #TravelSkills chat with @JohnnyJet and me this Friday at 9 am PDT. Our new chat has been trending in the US on Twitter on nearly every Friday, so stop by and join the fun. And learn something, or uncover a summer travel deal! See www.travelskills.com/chat

MORE MEXICO AT SFO. Aeromexico will add a second daily round trip to Mexico City on July 15. Check out BAT editor Chris McGinnis’ recent Business Trip: Mexico City for BBC!

San Francisco – Mexico City

Flight Number	Departure	Arrival	Frequency
AM 0665	01:00 am	07:14 am	Daily
AM 0669*	01:25 pm	07:53 pm	Daily

Mexico City – San Francisco

Flight Number	Departure	Arrival	Frequency
AM 0664	08:26 pm	11:25 pm	Daily
AM 0668*	09:30 am	12:07 pm	Daily

*New flights schedules available starting July 15^th, all in local time and subject to change without notice.

SEEKING SASSY WHEELS in Dallas or Austin? High end Silvercar (which rents only silver Audi A4s) is offering four Virgin America Elevate reward points per $1 spent, 2,500 bonus points with your first rental, and another 2,500 points for your fourth rental through November 30. Have you tried Slivercar? What did you think?

—Chris McGinnis

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Update on United-Continental merger

June 27, 2011

There’s an excellent article in the Cleveland Plain Dealer this week about how the United-Continental merger is coming along. The piece does a great job showing how the merger will touch customers– especially frequent travelers.

>For example, the red carpet that United customers are used to seeing at boarding gate for elite level members will be switched out for Continental’s blue. (“Red is not in our color wheel.”)

>Cocktails at Red Carpet Clubs will be complimentary as they are now at Continental Presidents Clubs.

>United’s famous “Rhapsody in Blue” will remain the boarding music on the merged carrier.

>As many of us already know (and are thankful for), United’s Economy Plus seating will be installed on the Continental fleet…but not until next year.

>Not included in the piece (since Cleveland is a Continental town) is that Continental’s flights at SFO have already moved from Terminal 1 to United’s Terminal 3.

United execs say that the melding of the two carriers is currently about half done.

Here’s the link to the full story.

How you YOU feel about the United-Continental merger? Are you pleased so far? Or not?

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Our recommendations for the two best all around credit cards offering 40K bonus miles are ….

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