Star Alliance Archives - TravelSkills

Another outdoor observation deck for San Francisco International

October 27, 2017

San Francisco International’s new outdoor observation deck will be located at the end of Boarding Area G (Image: Google Maps)

Remember when we wrote about the new public, outdoor observation deck going into the space where SFO’s control tower used to be? Here’s that post.

Well, that idea was so well received that the airport will add a second deck… but this one will actually open first.

Look at the photo above and you’ll see a tan area at the end of the terminal– that’s where the new deck will be located.

The new outdoor observation deck will be located at the end of the International Terminal Boarding Area G (United/Star Alliance side). What’s really cool about this location is that you’ll be able to almost reach out and touch the noses of the A380s that dock there– look at the photo and you’ll see the telltale sign of an A380 jetway– it’s really three jetways in one, which is necessary to load and unload the big bird.

The new deck will not only offer great views of big planes, runways and the South San Francisco sign on San Bruno Mountain– airport spokesperson Doug Yakel tells TravelSkills that it will also include a “food and beverage concept.” He said that the airport is simply reconfiguring for public use a deck that is already there.

The new deck should open next year- December 2018. The public deck atop Terminal 2 (image below) won’t open for two more years– December 2019.

Rendering of Terminal 2 – see the observation deck in the lower right? (Image: SFO)

Do to its location beyond security, the Boarding Area G deck will only make sense for passengers ticketed on flights departing United’s Terminal 3 or boarding area G, unlike the Terminal 2 deck which will have pre-security access for non-ticketed passengers. For reference, see a full airport map here.

What a great place to cool your heels as you wait for your flight? All the more reason to get to the airport early, right?

Don’t miss: Take a bus to your plane at SFO

The swank outdoor terrace at the new Star Alliance lounge at LAX (Chris McGinnis)

Outdoor spaces have been gaining popularity in recent years at US airport, but they’ve been built to delight members of airport clubs for the most part. For example, Delta has outdoor space at its Sky Clubs in Atlanta and New York. The Stay Alliance lounge in Los Angeles has a nice outdoor space– with fireplaces!

Earlier this year, Alaska Air hinted that it may open a new Alaska Club with an outdoor deck space atop T2 terminals, but we’ve heard less and less about that effort in recent months.

What’s your favorite outdoor airport space? Please leave your comments below.

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Trip Report: Turkish Airlines Business Class to Istanbul, Athens

June 24, 2016

Checking in for a 6:10 p.m. departure from San Francisco to Istanbul (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I’ve dreamed of jumping on Turkish Airlines ever since I first began seeing images of its unusual business class lounge in Istanbul and hearing about its over-the-top inflight service. Most people who have flown Turkish said, “Get to Istanbul airport early so you can enjoy the lounge for a few hours before your flight.” Or, “Don’t eat for a day before flying Turkish- you won’t believe how much food they serve on the plane!”

Those dreams came closer to reality when Turkish started nonstop service between San Francisco and Istanbul last year. My interest was heightened even more when it launched nonstops from Atlanta last month because many TravelSkills readers hail from there.

Regrettably, unrest in Turkey has resulted in a decline in visitors to the country. So when Turkish offered to fly me from SFO to Istanbul (IST) for a TravelSkills Trip Report, I asked if I could fly to Athens instead and report on the experience using IST as a connecting airport, which I thought would be a much more likely scenario for our readers. Currently, about 60 percent of its passengers are transiting IST instead of starting or stopping trips there, and that number could rise.

As would be expected, flight attendants pass trays of Turkish delight candies during each flight (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

As you might expect, flight attendants pass trays of Turkish delight candies during each flight (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Since neither SFO or ATL have nonstops to Athens, connecting to Greece via Istanbul (IST) is an easy and convenient option for those headed there or to the popular Greek Isles. (Plus, Turkish and other carriers have deeply discounted business class roundtrips a few times this year to as little as $1,500 round trip, so set up your fare alerts and grab one if you can!) For September trips, business class fares run about $4,000 round trip. Economy is about $1,100. There is no first class or premium economy “comfort” class on the SFO flights.

Turkish is a member of the Star Alliance, so United Mileage Plus members can redeem miles for Turkish Airlines trips.

My trip to Greece and back was quick…just four days on the ground there, plus two days flying. The flight from SFO to IST runs about 13 hours. From Istanbul to Athens is a short hop– only about 90 minutes. So the entire journey, including a quick 90-minute layover in IST was about 15 hours.

Highlights of this Trip Report include:

Diverse, delicious and copious inflight dining that dazzled my eyes and filled my belly
The best and worst seats on the plane
Unusual touches like candle-light dining (see the gif!), hot towels served on small plates
Overheated cabins
Young, energetic and professional crew
Issues around booze
Two different B777s on the route
That lounge. Oh, that lounge! (Included in Part 2 of this report)

Check in at SFO was smooth and easy at about 4:30 pm. There were only three people in the business class line and a very friendly, talkative agent wearing a hijab checked me in and told me to proceed to the United Club on International Concourse G.

Flight 81 departs SFO at 6:10 pm, so the club was very busy since several flights depart at around this time. Good news: United has upgraded the food station in the club, offering a broad selection of cheeses, sausages, vegetables, hot soup, bread, crackers and cookies. Plus the spread now has a nice view! Other than that, the United Club has not changed much since my last visit.

Newly expanded food offerings with a view at SFO International Terminal G (Chris McGinnis)

When I’m flying to write up a TravelSkills Trip Report, I usually ask if I can board a few minutes early to get some good photos of the cabin before passengers board. Thankfully, Turkish obliged and I snagged some great shots of both business and economy class cabins. I was unable to get an good image of the plane (a Boeing 777-300ER) from the gate area, so I’ve used one from the inaugural arrival at SFO in April 2015.

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

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

Business class seats are configured 2-3-2. Since you get outstanding views of North America and nearly the entire continent of Europe during this flight, a window seat is my recommendation. Plus it’s quieter and less likely to be disturbed by movement in the aisle if you are sleeping– and that’s the main upside to the dreaded “middle seat” seen below. Those are the “E” seats.

Seats are comfortable and spacious, and the cabin is nice and open…but there are 7 middle seats that you’ll want to avoid if possible (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Business class is split into two sections on this plane. What you see above is the forward cabin, which has four rows. The aft cabin, behind the galley, has three rows.

What I really liked about this cabin is its open floorplan. Low seatbacks make it very social and fun compared to other layouts which cocoon passengers in their own little worlds. Plus, in this cabin style, I could watch flight crews as they went about rolling out the elaborate inflight meal service. If you are like me, and like to watch what is going on, book a seat near the rear of the cabin. If you want to sleep or work, go for one near the front.

Big bright seatback touch screens, leather ottomans, plenty of nooks for storage (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

There are miles of legroom between the seat and seatback. It’s tough to use those nice leather ottomans as footrests due to the distance, but it’s a perfect place to sit and visit with friends or colleagues face to face. Note the storage space for shoes and other items underneath the ottoman. When the seat is in full recline, the ottoman becomes part of the lengthy bed.

Nice: Each seat comes with a lumbar support pillow (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Gigantic overhead bin space easily accommodated my carryon bag (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Economy class on the Turkish B777 configured 3-3-3 with rainbow colored leather headrests (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Unlike other Turkish Airlines B777 flights, the planes on the SFO run do not have a premium economy or “comfort” section.

32 inches of pitch between economy class rows (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Economy class on the Turkish 777 is 3-3-3. Each seat has a large IFE screen plus USB power.

See: Turkish Airlines B777-300ER V2 on SeatGuru.com

Okay, let’s get back up front and take a look at the service and the seat in business class. First thing you should do before boarding a Turkish flight is learn how to say THANK YOU in Turkish. You would not believe the big, surprised smiles you get from the crew when you say Tesekkurler when they help stow your bag, offer you a juice or help make your seat into a bed. It’s pronounced something like Teh-shay-koo-lahrd. Here’s how to say it! Just do it!

Fun, friendly flight attendants offer 3 types of juice or water while boarding. Want champagne? Ask for it (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

I’ve heard over the years that getting a cocktail on Turkish Airlines is complicated. That’s mostly due to the country’s (and current government’s) Muslim roots. For example, Turkish recently stopped offering alcohol on its domestic flights and on several international flights to other Muslim countries.

So for those who’d like to imbibe, here’s how it seems to work: During boarding, flight attendants pass through the business class aisles offering fruit juice and water from a silver tray, but no champagne, a common offering on most other airlines. If you ask for champagne, the flight attendant is more than happy to go get you a glass, but it’s not on the tray. I noticed the same thing during meal service, if you ask for wine with your meal, you’ll get it, albeit a relatively small pour. Flight attendants do not offer you more unless you ask for it– which is quite different from U.S. or European flights where flight attendants wander the aisles with bottles, looking for empty glasses 😉

Business class recliner control (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Seats are comfortable, but I never really understood this recliner control. I still don’t know what the MR and M+ buttons do! Similar to what I experienced on Qantas (See our Qantas Trip Report), a flight attendant will make your seat into a bed at your request, covering the seat with a fitted quilt, offering a large pillow and a blanket. Turkish does not offer business class passengers pajamas for this 13-hour flight.

Flight attendants make seats into cozy, quilt-covered beds at passenger request. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

One this B777 flight, there were 15 crew members, including three chefs and four flight attendants in business class.

A small but very classy touch that I noticed: Hot towels are served on a china plate, not handed to you with tongs (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Elaborate menus in English and Turkish are like menu origami– unfolding into beautiful shapes (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

3 chefs onboard our SFO>IST flight- this one is taking our dinner orders and explaining how each dish is served. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

On SAS, “Chefs” are really flight attendants who change clothes to serve meal. (See our SAS Trip Report) But on Turkish, these guys are dedicated to meal service throughout the flight– there were three onboard in both directions.

A nut mixture that include pistachios, almonds, macadamias and hazelnuts– not a peanut in sight! Note the parsimonious pour of wine. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Prior to the full meal service, the chef and flight attendants wheel out a tiered cart full of all kinds of unusual and delicious appetizers– passengers can choose from about eight options that include: Prawns, smoked trout with horseradish cream, grilled crab cake with sweet chilis, avocado tomato salad, spiced chicken breast, beet & goat cheese salad, hummus, deep fried eggplant with green pepper and tomato sauce, romaine salad with cherry tomatoes and creamy tomato soup! (Sorry I don’t have good photos to share of this course.)

And that’s just the starters! After that, the main courses come. Thankfully, the beautifully orchestrated service takes a while, so it gives you time to assimilate all the food. And I can’t think of a better way to pass the time on a 13-hour flight that departs at dinner time. But I know that a lot of folks would rather just eat quickly and go to sleep and if that’s the case, you can order a open-faced salmon sandwich and cheese cake at any time.

Even the bread plate is elaborate on Turkish Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

My experience on Turkish was replete with those “small things” that really make a big difference. For example, bread is served in a special cloth pouch to keep it warm and moist– have you ever noticed how fast bread dries out while flying? Not here. Also note that you get both butter and olive oil for your bread, and a small dish of Turkish spices in addition to real salt and pepper shakers. And get this…. they are magnetized so they stick to the plate!

Magnetic salt and pepper shakers! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

By far the most noticeable small touch are the votive candles in tiny bags placed on each dining tray. While these are small electronic votives, they flicker just like the real thing, and add a warm and welcome ambience to the meal service. It’s quite a nice sight to see the entire cabin filled with these flickering lights. Good job!

Main dishes included grilled salmon with parsley butter and zucchini, filet of beef with arugula and roasted potatoes, or mushroom ravioli with leeks, tomatoes and parmesan.

Mushroom ravioli on Turkish Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Steak option on Turkish Airlines (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

After the main course, there is even more! A dessert and cheese cart including several baklava-type Turkish desserts plus apple pie, chocolate mousse and strawberry ice cream. Phew! I agree with the advice I’ve received from others: Do not eat at all before getting on the plane. You’ll regret it!

Chef is back with the cart (for the fourth time) with a broad selection and explanation of tea blends and coffee (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Turks are really big on tea, and the tea selection was endless, including an anti-jet lag blend of melissa, camomille, sour cherry and lavender. For digestion, there’s a fennel, anise and caraway blend. And to help “resolve the edema, reduce the swelling,” there’s a blend of green tea, cherry stalk, cornsilk and close. For stomach relief, you get a cold blend of mint, fennel, lemon and date syrup. Seriously!

When was the last time an airline served you tea like this? Talk about elaborate service! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

After a cuppa tea, it was time to start thinking about cooling off and bedding down for the rest of the flight. But the cooling down part was tough. Turkish, like most other European carriers, tends to keep cabins way too warm… to the point of feeling stuffy. Maybe it’s just an American thing, but to me, a cool cabin promotes sleep and is just more comfortable. I inquired about turning the temperature down a bit, but flight attendants pushed back, stating that they are instructed to keep the cabin at 23C – about 75F, and showed me the thermostat. But the cabin sure felt warmer than that, and as you can see below, fellow passengers slept in mostly uncovered. This is not the first time I’ve suffered through an overheated flight, and probably won’t be the last, but is it just me? Or do you feel like some airlines keep the heat up too high? Please leave your comments below.

How do you know a cabin is too warm? When sleeping passengers don’t use their blankets! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Despite the warmth, I was able to get about six hours of sleep on this flight and woke up in late afternoon, Istanbul time, for a hearty breakfast that included a small greek-like salad, cold cuts, and eggs with potatoes and spinach, coffee. Then I took a walk through the plane cabin, and had some fun with the crew just before our 5 p.m. arrival.

One of many small touches that impressed me: Fresh flowers in the galley corridor (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Even breakfast included appetizers– a cheese and tomato salad and sliced turkey (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Breakfast main: omelet with spinach, tomato and potatoes. Plus a smoothie, not pictured (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

The fun, young crew on this flight having some fun with me posing for a selfie (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Inflight wi-fi was free for business class passengers... but the connection was relatively weak, allowing for texting, email and light surfing, but I was unable to upload photos, or access photo-dense websites.

Seatback inflight maps and exterior cameras for views (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

Istanbul Ataturk Airport has clearly outgrown its space. How do I know? Every Turkish Air flight I was on parked at a remote pad, and passengers were bussed to and from the terminal. After a 13-hour flight, a 15-minute bus ride to the terminal is unwelcome, but did not take too long. Due to the growth, Istanbul is now laying plans for one of the largest airports in the world, to be called Istanbul New Airport, the first phase of which is to open in 2018.

My connection from Istanbul to Athens was only about two hours, so I hightailed it to a place I’ve been waiting to see for years, the famous CIP Lounge. It turned out to be everything I’d dreamt of, and more… and my only regret is that I did not have enough time to really soak up all it had to offer! Like pool tables, olive bars, fresh pizza, a driving range, two grand pianos and more!

This post is already long enough, so stay tuned for Part 2, which will include a good look at the lounge and my trip from Greece back to San Francisco. Thanks for reading this far!

Have you flown Turkish Airlines before…or dreamt about it? Please leave your comments below.

Here’s a sneak peak at the stunning and unusual CIP lounge in Istanbul. Stay tuned for a full report about my experience there! (Photo: Chris McGinnis

–Chris McGinnis

Disclosure: Turkish Airlines covered the cost of Chris’s airfare to Athens. TravelSkills paid for hotels, transfers, meals and other incidentals related to this trip.

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Airports: LAX consolidation, Oakland kiosks, ATL hotel, DFW improvements & more

March 4, 2016

Part of the signage for Star Alliance’s new Aisle C in the Bradley Terminal at LAX. (Image: Star Alliance)

In airport news this week, Los Angeles brings the Star Alliance together; Oakland adds passport kiosks, Dallas/Ft. Worth makes improvements to Terminal B, Atlanta revises plans for its on-site airport hotel, and Charlotte begins construction of a new concourse.

The Star Alliance reports that it has finished moving its overseas carrier members into the same section of Los Angeles International’s Tom Bradley Terminal, where it also now offers more check-in options. The new Star Alliance area is Aisle C at the north end of the terminal, which is now home to the check-in counters for Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana, EVA, Ethiopian, Lufthansa, Singapore, SWISS and Turkish Airlines. When Scandinavian Airlines begins LAX service this month, it will also be located there. The group has installed 24 kiosks that can print boarding passes and luggage tags for all the member airlines, and bag-drop counters are available for those who tag their own luggage. The airport plans to open a new North Security Checkpoint later this month at the end of Aisle C. Star Alliance members not in the Bradley Terminal include United (Terminals 7 and 8), COPA (Terminal 6) and Air Canada and Avianca (Terminal 2).

Oakland International is the latest airport to install new self-service Automated Passport Control kiosks for returning overseas travelers. No pre-registration or fee is required to use the eight kiosks, where travelers can input the requested entry data and then receive a receipt to present to a Customs and Border Protection agent as they exit. “Use of the self-service kiosks will expedite the border clearance process, resulting in shorter waits for travelers, fewer missed connections, and cost and space savings for OAK,” an airport official said.

Officials at Dallas/Ft. Worth International say the airport has finished work on a major overhaul of part of its B Terminal, covering the section from Gates B4 through B11 as well as baggage claim areas and a security checkpoint. The project also provided two new passenger entries with elevator access, including a covered walkway from the parking garage to the terminal. New passenger concessions in the renovated Terminal B section include an Ice Box Café, Hudson News, Dunkin’ Donuts, InMotion, Texas Marketplace and Red Mango. A pre-security Sierra News store has been added near the B4/B5 baggage claim area, and new charging tables have been installed in the affected gate areas. The next phase of the work will cover the area around Gates B18-B23.

New rendering of the hotel coming to Atlanta’s airport. (Image: Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson)

Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International has released new drawings of the on-site hotel to be built at the airport, and the property looks quite different from the original renderings that came out a few months ago. The new hotel is still expected to be designed by the firm of renowned Atlanta architect John Portman, but its new look is more “modern” and “geometric,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. InterContinental Hotels is expected to operate the property, which is now being projected at 440 rooms instead of 300. It’s part of a larger “Airport City” project that will include commercial space, retail outlets and a travel plaza.

Construction started this week on a new concourse at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, to be located on the site of former rental car buildings north of the existing Concourse A. The new $200- million, nine-gate concourse – which will serve airlines other than American – will be linked to Concourse A by moving walkways. It’s due to open in 2018, officials said, noting that more space is urgently needed since the airport’s passenger numbers in creased by 60 percent over the past decade.

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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New international partnerships coming for Delta, United

December 14, 2015

Delta customers will get new code-share options top India via Jet Airways. (Image: Jet Airways)

Delta customers will get new code-share options to India via Jet Airways. (Image: Jet Airways)

Delta is adding a new code-share partnership for travel to India, and United’s global alliance is opening the door to new affiliations with low-cost airlines.

Effective March 27 — subject to government approvals — Delta and its SkyTeam alliance partner KLM plan to begin a new code-share partnership with Jet Airways, India’s second-largest airline.

That also the date when Jet Airways plans to drop Brussels as its main European gateway — and also to drop Brussels-Newark service, currently its only U.S. route. Instead, Jet will start flying to Amsterdam, with daily service from there to Delhi and Mumbai. Delta and KLM passengers traveling from the U.S. to Amsterdam will be able to connect there to Jet’s India flights, and to connect beyond Delhi and Mumbai to other destinations in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh.

Delta said the code-sharing means customers will be able to travel to their final destination on a single ticket, with bags checked through to their final destination. SkyMiles members and KLM Flying Blue members will be able to earn and spend miles on code-share routes operated by Jet, Delta said. At the same time, Jet’s code will go onto 11 Delta and KLM routes from Amsterdam to the U.S. and Canada.

In a question-and-answer page that it set up to discuss the Jet partnership, Delta once again took a swipe at the Big Three Middle Eastern airlines. The main reason it is teaming up with Jet, Delta said, is that “government-subsidized Gulf carriers now dominate international travel to India, meaning U.S. airlines can no longer economically serve the Indian market directly from North America.” Ironically, one of those Gulf carriers — Etihad — owns a 24 percent stake in Jet Airways.

Meanwhile, United Airlines’ global Star Alliance will soon start to add new affiliate member carriers. Star said that it is creating a new “Connecting Partner” model in which low-cost and “hybrid” airlines around the world will be able to link to the Star Alliance network.

“We see a definite trend of convergence between the ‘traditional full service’ and ‘low-cost’ business models in the airline industry,” said Star Alliance CEO Mark Schwab. “At the same time, our customers are telling us that they need access to markets where we do not yet provide ideal coverage. In many cases network carriers are not in a position to fill this gap and hence working with future Connecting Partners will allow us to provide an extended network to our travelers.”

The group said customers who transfer from a Star full-service carrier onto a Connecting Partner airline will get full alliance benefits, and elites will get the usual expected perks to the extent that they are offered by the partner carrier.

The first Connecting Partner will be South African low-cost carrier Mango, starting in the third quarter of next year, Star said. Mango operates a fleet of 10 737-800s from Johannesburg to key South African destinations and to Zanzibar.

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Virgin America to Hawaii + Delta Sky Club SFO opens + Air fares go down + Labor Day crowds

August 23, 2015

Virgin America’s using Richard Branson’s star power to promote new Hawaii flights (Image: Virgin America / YouTube)

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

Virgin America teams up with Airbnb, GoPro & LinkedIn to promote new SFO-Honolulu & Maui flights

The ceremonial last-ever US Airways flight is set for October 16.

British Airways/Iberia parent IAG closes deal to buy Aer Lingus.

Carriers are tightening up admissions to their airport lounges.

Delta's big new Sky Club opens at SFO this week!

Delta’s big new Sky Club opens at SFO soon!

Delta is throwing a party this week to celebrate the opening of SFO’s new Sky Club, and TravelSkills will be there– with a camera! So stay tuned…

Flying over Labor Day weekend? It’s going to be crowded.

Look, up in the sky! It’s a bird. It’s a plane. In fact, it’s a Delta plane.

Amazing but true: Air fares (but not ancillary fees) dropped 5.6 percent last month.

TSA test project lets flyers give instant feedback on their inspection experience.

How airlines are using “microsites” to promote new products directly to consumers.

United cuts MileagePlus point prices for award travel to South America.

The Star Alliance now offers round-the-world premium economy fares.

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

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

Are you a passenger with priority? See this

July 3, 2015

Like this Skyteam project, the Oneworld alliance is adding airport signs to steer elite members to their benefits. (Image: Skyteam)

Like this Skyteam SkyPriority project, the Oneworld alliance is adding airport signs to steer elite members to their benefits. (Image: Skyteam)

Taking a page from Skyteam’s book, the Oneworld global alliance has kicked off a new branding and airport signage project to let frequent travelers know where the group’s benefits are available to them.

Although not as large and prominent as the Skyteam displays, the Oneworld effort will highlight the group’s logo and display the word “Priority” along with color-coded symbols representing Emerald, Sapphire and Ruby status, as appropriate for the benefit available at that point.

Don’t miss today’s other TravelSkills post> Trip Report: A heaping helping of SWISS inflight food

The Star Alliance has been rolling out a similar signage program called Gold Track this year, which helps members find their way to shorter, exclusive security lines. SkyTeam’s SkyPriority led the way in this effort, and says that it’s signage is now “at 1,000 airports across the globe.” (1,000 airports? Hmm. But anyway…)

The first Oneworld signs went up in Perth, Australia’s airport, to be followed in August by Sydney, Melbourne, Berlin Tegel and Dusseldorf. Various U.S. gateways will get the treatment in September, and Oneworld promises that it will complete the project in 125 of the top business travel airports worldwide within a year.

Elite-tier benefits, depending on the traveler’s level, include things like priority check-in desks, security fast-track lanes, access to airport lounges, and priority boarding.

“Identifying where to take advantage of those privileges in often cluttered airport environments, particularly in unfamiliar surroundings, can sometimes be a challenge, even for the most frequent traveler,” said Oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby. “The new Oneworld Priority signage is designed to overcome that.”

The Oneworld alliance includes American Airlines, Qantas, British Airways, Japan Airlines, Cathay Pacific and others.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: San Francisco hotels NOT most expensive + New Centurion lounge opens + Planespotting 101: Airbus + Pay to join loyalty programs? + More!

Factory flight + Drenched flight attendant talks + Star Alliance fast lanes + Best coach food + Frequent flyers fed up + more

May 10, 2015

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis flew SWISS to Madrid this week! Stay tuned for several reports (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis flew SWISS from SFO to Madrid this week! Stay tuned for several reports (Photo: Chris McGinnis)

TravelSkills’ 12 most popular posts over the last week… plus a few newsy nuggets we missed.

1> Not many flyers get to experience this: From factory to Hong Kong on a brand new B777

2> Yuck. Just yuck: Drenched in raw sewage at the airport- twice Flight attendant Tina Brock (the one who was drenched) emailed us with this comment– we have not verified its authenticity, but assume it is legit:

Dear Chris – I personally would like to thank you for writing your report – I would like the media to know that I only asked for an apology and my medical bills to be covered – after 2 years – no one did so – They wanted to shove it under the rug – Other reports mention that I sued due to lack of sex with my husband – these people are very sick who twist things around – you did not do so and I appreciate you as a wonderful human – The media can be very cruel – My insurance company says that workers comp should pay my medical bills – workers comp refuses to pay – I have had to pay all of my medical bills out of pocket for almost 3 years – The real reason for my personal lawsuit was due to no apology and not covering my medical bills – I want to save and fight for others who get abused by the system – People blog such horrible things – These people have no clue what we are going through and have no respect for other humans – I strongly believe in Karma – Thank you for telling the real story without trying to hurt the ones that hurt most – I admire and appreciate you – Tina Brock.

3> Special treatment for Stars: Star Alliance adds fast lanes

4> What’s notably missing? Airlines with best economy class food

5> Why do we keep going back for more? More frustration with frequent flyer miles

6> Now that’s a long flight: Boston to Hong Kong now 16 hours nonstop

7> Can’t beat this bonus- won’t last: United’s 50,000-mile bonus is back

8> We all love more room, right? Roomier widebodies on domestic flights? We hope so

9> Nice new additions New routes: Aer Lingus, SWISS, Air France-KLM, Air China, Turkish

10> Two new Hyatts plus more: 5 shiny new hotels in Washington, DC

11> Hotel size suite on a plane: The most outrageous luxury suites in the sky

12> American gets a big new plane: A big news day for American Airlines

Our favorite reader comment this week:

Note the double arm rests between seats in Cathay’s premium economy (Cathay Pacific)

From reader C.C. regarding Cathay Pacific’s premium economy section: “Did you notice the nice double armrests in premium economy? Delta PLEASE give us those on the long hauls!!!”

Juicy nuggets of news from other sources that we missed on TravelSkills this week:

These airports make arriving a pleasure

Air Canada adds PreCheck

Hawaii’s Island Air sputtering

Profile: How does TravelSkills editor Chris McGinnis like to travel?

New Godzilla themed rooms in Tokyo

SF taxi driver video: What it’s like to compete with Uber

United sued for not disclosing wi-fi limitations

New York Times special business travel section

–Chris McGinnis

Star Alliance adds fast lanes

May 7, 2015

Star Alliance’s Gold Track lanes to security checkpoints are now at 21 airports. (Image: Star Alliance)

Following the deployment of a similar project by rival SkyTeam, the Star Alliance has started to add priority lanes to the security checkpoint for its elite members and premium passengers.

Identified with signs labeled Gold Track and showing the Star logo, the expedited security access lanes are currently available at 21 airports worldwide and will soon be launched “at airports across our network,” Star said.

In the U.S., they’re already installed at Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Denver, Houston Bush Intercontinental, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Newark, Seattle and Washington Dulles.

They can be used by Star Alliance Gold Status holders no matter which class of service they’re flying in, and by first class and business class ticket holders on any Star airline.

The Star Alliance includes United, Lufthansa, Air Canada, Swiss, Singapore Airlines, ANA, SAS and several others.

NOTE: Be sure to click here to see all recent TravelSkills posts about: Frustration with Frequent Flyer miles tar + Wars invade DEN + Secret stash of hidden hotel deals + Roomier widebodies on domestic flights + United’s new 50,000 mile bonus!

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

March 29, 2015

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In Case You Missed It…

Should airlines use robots to disinfect their aircraft?

Trip report: Chris samples Aer Lingus’ new business class.

New website finds hotels’ unpublished discount rates

Should flight attendants wake up sleeping passengers?

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

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United’s new seat + Delta dumps SFO-NRT + New Star Lounge at LAX

October 5, 2013

United’s new slim line seats for B737s. (United)

United unveiled a newer, thinner seat design this week that looks great, but time will tell how well it performs comfort-wise.

The new seats are sheathed in sculpted blue leather with more ergonomic support. There’s a new mesh net storage space at knee level which is more hygienic; magazines are stored in a higher pocket above the tray table.

New seatbacks on slimline seat on CRJ700 (United)

United also points out that it has reduced the weight and volume of the seat, which means better fuel economy. What United does not say is that it can cram more of these newer, thinner lighter seats on each plane, which means more revenue as well.

The Chicago Tribune reports: “[On the CRJ700] The company plans to cut the size of the more-expensive and roomier Economy Plus section in half to 16 seats, while the number of seats in coach will rise to 48 from 28. First class will remain the same with six seats. In total, the planes will have 70 seats up from 66. The legroom for each seat will remain the same, United said.”

Initially United will install the seats on its fleet of smaller CRJ700 aircraft, but eventually we’ll see 60,000 of the new seats on 400 aircraft by 2015.

DELTA DUMPS SFO-TOKYO- Who’s #2?

Just a few days after announcing yet another tranche of flights from the Bay Area (SFO-SEA) Delta quietly pulled its San Francisco-Tokyo flight, effective March 30 2014. Delta spokesperson Anthony Black confirmed the move to TravelSkills: “We are ending service between SFO and NRT with the last westbound service effectiveFriday, March 28, 2014, and final eastbound service effective Sunday, March 30, 2014. Delta is suspending its nonstop service due to an unstable revenue environment caused by yen devaluation.”

Nonetheless, Delta’s recent bulk up of new flights from SFO (15x per day to LAX; 7 per day to SEA) led to some speculation between The BAT and SFO officials about market share at SFO. If Delta had kept the Tokyo flight, it would have easily ranked #2 at SFO in terms of seats. But with the elimination of the Narita flight, Delta and Virgin could tie for #2 in terms of number of seats. But then we have to consider the possibility of the American-US Airways merger, which would catapult the merged carrier to #2. In 2012, United had 46% market share at SFO; Virgin had 9% and Delta & Southwest both had 8%.

The swank outdoor terrace at the new Star Alliance lounge at LAX. Click image for slideshow!(Chris McGinnis)

SHINY NEW STAR ALLIANCE LOUNGE AT LAX (SLIDESHOW)

Last week, TravelSkills snagged a private tour of the new Star Alliance business/first class lounge located inside the renovated Tom Bradley International Terminal at Los Angeles International Airport. Wow! What an improvement.

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The bright new space offers seating for around 400 Business Class and Star AllianceGold passengers, including an exclusive area for First Class passengers. Designed by architectural firm Gensler, the 18,000 square foot lounge features a unique open air terrace, with views of the northern runway towards the Hollywood Hills, and even includes fire pits and a water wall. There are two bars, eight shower rooms, enough electrical outlets to power an army, a buffet including a noodle bar, LEED certification (nice wood floors!) and an excellent collection of photographic art on all walls.

In total, eight Star Alliance member carriers operate out of the Tom Bradley International Terminal – ANA, Asiana Airlines, EVA Air, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, SWISS, THAI and Turkish Airlines. Air New Zealand will move to the terminal in mid-2014

Here’s a slideshow of what we saw!

–Chris McGinnis

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

June 25, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

United employees in new duds (Photo: United Airlines)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

—Chris McGinnis

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