Is United melting down?
photo credit: Flickr / PDX.rollingthunder
As most frequent flyers in the Bay Area know by now, United undertook the massive job of “cutting over” to a new reservations system last week.
While United has been putting a good spin on how well the process is going, I’m hearing from readers and reading online reports that things are still a bit bumpy.
The timing is unfortunate because this week is the beginning of the peak spring break travel season when frequent travelers have to share their precious space at airports and on airplanes with marauding crowds of rowdy college students.
Here’s the latest from United, which hints at some issues:
United and Continental recently migrated to a single passenger service system. This was the single largest technology conversion in aviation history, and the vast majority of our systems are functioning as planned. After the conversion, we have had dependable airline operations and good on-time performance. However, we have had some technical issues that have affected our customers, as would be expected with a very complex systems change. We have already solved many of them and are working to rapidly solve the remaining issues.
You may have a longer wait time to reach our phone-contact centers and we are working to reduce the time it takes for you to reach us. We have increased staff at our contact centers to serve you better. We apologize if you have had difficulty with your travel planning, and we are grateful for your patience.
We have been rapidly identifying technical issues and improving the performance and functionality of our systems. We will be making even more progress in the days ahead.
I called United’s toll free number on Monday morning (Mar 12), and was told that my wait time would be 35 minutes.
Business travel writer Joe Brancatelli opines that bad weather in United hubs is magnifying the issue for travelers trying to get around or out from under flight delays or cancellations are spending hours on hold– or being told to call back. NOTE: Meteorologists are forecasting a week of foul weather here in the Bay Area that is sure to affect on time performance at SFO, OAK and SJC.
Blogger Gary Leff says that non-elite travelers are having a tougher time than elites when it comes to getting through on the phone to United. He suggests that travelers phone Australian call centers instead, which are not experiencing the same overloads.
A reader on Leff’s blog suggests an interesting new service I’ve never heard of… but sounds like a great idea:
Try using LucyPhone.com. It’ll let you initiate the call and then hang up and it will play a pre-recorded message (by you) to the agent who answers the phone while it calls you back. No more waiting on hold!!
The Houston Chronicle reports massive delays, long lines and frustrations over the weekend at United’s Houston Intercontinental hub– but reported that delays are more likely due to the peak collegiate spring break crowds (combined with bad weather) than the cutover.
So let’s hear it from the Bay Area! How’s it been going on your United flights over the last week? Is the situation getting better or worse? Please leave you comments below.
Traveler beware: United’s big “cutover” starts this weekend
If you are flying United Airlines this weekend or in coming weeks, it’s time to hope for the best, but prepare for the worst. That’s because this weekend United will undertake one of the toughest parts of its integration process with Continental: The Cutover.
In the wee hours of the early morning on Saturday, March 3, Continental’s reservations system and frequent flyer program will combine with United’s, and both will switch to a new electronic platform.
While everyone hopes everything will go smoothly during the transition, history has not been kind to airlines undertaking such major changes. Remember when Virgin America cut over to a new system last fall…. resulting in massive mix ups, lost upgrades, inability to manipulate online reservations or check in, and hours (and hours) spent on hold? Keep in mind that Virgin America is teensy tiny compared to United, which is now the world’s largest airline. On the other hand, when Delta and Northwest cut over in 2010, the process proceeded smoothly.
Things could go swimmingly, or things could go horribly wrong…very wrong. The best advice for now is to plan ahead. Get to the airport early. Print hard copies of your itinerary, boarding passes, upgrade confirmations, etc and be sure you have “record locator numbers” handy at all times.
Also, keep an eye out on frequent flyer bulletin boards such as Milepoint or FlyerTalk– both of which have published the following missive from United. If problems develop, you’ll hear about them first on these sites– from either United or its frequent travelers. You can also expect to see plenty of action on United’s twitter page @United.
If you are traveling on United or Continental this weekend, good luck! If you encounter any problems or issues…or even if you find smooth sailing, leave your comments below to let fellow travelers know what to expect.
Here’s what United is saying as of Thursday evening, March 1:
Hi Everyone, as you know, we are making final preparations to migrate our two airlines into one reservation platform (Passenger Service System, or PSS) on March 3rd. There are a lot of changes coming on this day – we’re going to have a single loyalty program, a single set of policies and a single system.
This master thread will hopefully serve as a singular resource for:
Answering your questions about the conversion. There are already many threads with questions about this change. We posted some initial tips last week, and there’s more to come. We will do our best to keep track of your questions and answer them here.
Keeping you updated before during and after. Starting tomorrow, we will be here 24/7 through the weekend and will be tracking issues that you report. Specific examples of issues are appreciated, and you’re welcome to post them here or send them to us via PM.
What to know in advance
We won’t be able to serve you online or over the phone for a couple hours. Specifically, starting at 1 a.m. U.S. Central Time, online check-in, united.com, our mobile applications and our contact centers will not be available for approximately 3 to 4 hours.
Some capabilities will not resume immediately. As we begin to bring systems back online, updates to some features may still be in progress and not immediately available. We’ve started a list of known items below.
Tips if you’re traveling March 3rd. If you are unable to print your boarding pass in advance, or if you have bags to check, please allow extra time at the airport. Also, all flights that were scheduled to operate as Continental Airlines (CO) will be operating as United Airlines (UA) so, be sure to check united.com (once we’re back up) or monitors at the airport for correct terminal and gate information.
MileagePlus Account Experiences
Combined balances may not display right away. If you check your MileagePlus account balance right away, you may find that your 11-digit and 8-character account balances do not display your combined balance (even if you’ve linked your accounts) right away. The process of combining balances will begin once our systems come back online and we’ll process these by status. Many accounts will be combined in the first couple days. If you log in and find your account balance has not been combined, the action of logging in will trigger the process which should then complete within a day or two.
Worth noting: If you would like to book award travel before your full mileage balance displays, you can reserve your flights on united.com and choose to hold your itinerary free for up to 72 hours with our FareLock option.
Most, but not all, profile information will be carried forward from the former united.com. For those of you who have credit card information stored in your united.com profile, this data will not be migrated to the new platform for security reasons. When you log into your account for the first time, please confirm your profile details, email subscriptions and Flight Status Notification options.
Status for Million Miler companions will not be updated until mid-March. Status for Million Miler companions that were designated on the subsidiary United system, will take up to two weeks to reflect. Once the status is updated, new credentials will be mailed to the member.
As always, thank you for your feedback and support as we take this important step toward becoming United.
Shannon Kelly
Director, Customer Insights
United Airlines
Take a look inside United’s newly configured Boeing 777
You can spot a Boeing 777 by the pinched (vs cone-shaped) rear tip of the fuselage (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Slowly but surely, United is rolling out its popular true lie-flat business and first class seats across its international long haul fleet.
According to its website, all of the carrier’s Boeing 747′s and 767′s now have the new business and first class seats. The revamp of its Boeing 777-200 fleet is about halfway there– with 24 out of 46 completed.
United is also installing brand new coach seats in its B777′s, and reconfiguring the cabin from a 2-5-2 to a 3-3-3 layout. (You can see a seat map here.) United’s B777′s are 11-13 years old, on average. Eventually, Continental’s 22 B777′s will be folded into the United fleet, but for now will remain with Continental’s BusinessFirst configuration– which also offers a true lie-flat seat.
From SFO, United has deployed the newly configured B777s on nonstop routes to: London, Tokyo-NRT, and Shanghai.
In December, United invited me out to its maintenance hanger at SFO where most of the reconfiguring is taking place. Below you’ll find photos and info on the new design. Once you’ve had a look, or if you’ve flown on one of these birds, leave your comments about it below!
Check out how big the first class section looks without seats-- like a gymnasium! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
At the back in coach, the B777 is now configured 3-3-3 vs. the old 2-5-2. The new Weber seat "pivots" back, instead of leaning back into the face of the person behind you. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Knee-room in Economy Plus is not bad! Economy Plus provides 34" of "pitch" -- three more inches than standard coach at 31". (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Every coach seat gets a new 7" seat back screen with 150 hours of programming with a variety of movies (all free), television programs, games, and music. If you'd rather BYO entertainment, United's also installed two power outlets for every row of 3 coach seats-- which means you might have to share the juice. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
United and British Airways are the only two carriers to offer front AND rear-facing business class seats. United said it can fit more business class seats into the cabin this way-- and has received few complaints from rear-facers. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Here's another angle so you can see what I mean by forward and rear-facing seats. All biz class seats now have a power plug, USB 2.0 plug and iPhone/iPod input plug. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Seats are configured 2-4-2 which means two middle seats for each row. But there's a nice wide armrest separating them. However, it will still take some maneuvering to get out of the middle seat if your seatmate is in full recline. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Plenty of legroom and a big 17" screen in both business and first class (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
There are eight "First Suite" seats on the B777 configured 1-2-1. Niiice! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Here's a full frontal view of the big First Suite seat. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
There's plenty of storage space for personal effects in the First Suite-- nice on those long hauls to Asia! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Many thanks to the fine folks at United Services at SFO for taking us behind the scenes! (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
So, what do you think? In coach, is 3-3-3 better than 2-5-2? The lie-flat seats in biz are clearly better than the previous version. And how do you think the First Suite stacks up against competitors? Please leave your comments below.
(Chris McGinnis publishes The BAT and The TICKET blogs for frequent travelers. Do you have comments or questions about this post? Email Chris.)
- United and British Airways are the only two airlines in the world to offer forward AND rear-facing business class seats. (Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Q: What is the longest flight from SFO?
Seatback screen aboard an Emirates B777 showing the route of our 15.5 hour flight from SFO to>>>
Q: What’s the longest flight from SFO?
A: The longest flight from San Francisco International is Emirates’ nonstop, 15.5-hour flight to Dubai on a Boeing 777.
Q: When flying from San Francisco to Dubai, would your heading be west or east?
A: Neither! The 8,100-mile flight between SFO and Dubai heads due north—right over the North Pole!
Last fall, Emirates invited me to take this monumental, nonstop journey to the other side of the world. Here are some notes and photos from the flights—in both directions. C’mon along for this spectacular ride– and see the North Pole…
Photo: Chris McGinnis
Emirates flies a Boeing 777-300 between SFO and Dubai in a three-class configuration: First, business and economy. Depending on time of year, economy class roundtrip nonstops cost between SFO and DXB are in the $1,000-$1,500 range; business class fares range from $5,000 to $7,000; first class roundtrip fares are $8,000+.
Emirates says its load factors out of SFO are very healthy– around 80% on average. It says that SFO is at the “top of the list” for deployment of one of Emirates 15 giant A380s, however, at this time the double-decker does not have the range to fly SFO-DXB with a full load during the hot summer months, so there are no set plans to switch to the A380 for now.
Emirates recently opened a brand new 9,500 square foot business class lounge at SFO’s International Terminal A (the southern side).
Forty-two business class seats are configured 2-3-2 on the B777, with a cocoon-like back shell that provides plenty of privacy. Most surfaces (such as the tray table, and even the toilet seat lid in the lavatory) are covered in a classy burled walnut veneer; there are power outlets for laptops, noise canceling headsets, and oversized inflight amenity bags– one for men, another for women– full of all sorts of goodies. While there is no in-flight internet, passengers can send and receive text messages from their seats at $1 per message. All seat functions (including recline, in-flight entertainment or IFE controls and even massage) are controlled by the hand held unit you see in the armrest pictured above.
(Photo: Chris McGinnis)
After a 3:45 pm departure from SFO, we headed due north on a clear day, right over the top of Mt Shasta, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver and the snow-capped peaks of British Columbia at sunset. What a view! I tried to get some work done on the laptop, but found it difficult not to watch the show unfold out the window.
I was particularly impressed with Emirates’ IFE system, which provided a 3-D, virtual-reality-like experience that (to me) was much more entertaining than the thousands of movies, TV shows and games from which passengers can choose. For those who don’t want to view the scenery out the window, electronic window shades raise or lower at the touch of a button.
Photo: Chris McGinnis
Upon boarding, flight attendants served a round a Veuve Cliquot champagne to business class passengers. After about two hours, flight attendants then proffered scented hot towels and warmed mixed nuts and then poured a nice Stag’s Leap Chardonnay, which was followed by a nice meal, briskly served, since many passengers were readying for sleep. I chose halibut, potatoes, grilled asparagus and tomatoes (my seatmate had the Lamb biryani). Food was on par with other foreign carriers I’ve flown– and head and shoulders above what’s typically found in business class on US carriers. Service was efficient, not obsequious or doting.
(Photo: Chris McGinnis)
While I was hoping to stay awake long enough to peer out at the North Pole, the two glasses of Chardonnay, the meal, the melatonin and this nice linen covered mini-mattress (see above), full sized pillow and cozy comforter convinced me otherwise. (I did see The Pole on the return, though! Keep reading…)
Business class seats on Emirates B777 are of the “angled lie-flat” variety (vs true lie-flat) which disappointed me at first. However, the tilt was barely detectable once the seat was fully reclined– and get this: I fell asleep somewhere over the Yukon Territory, and woke up seven hours later somewhere over Iran! By far, the longest, best night’s sleep I’ve ever experienced on a plane.
(Photo: Chris McGinnis)
After our 15.5 hour journey, we landed in Dubai the following day at about 7:45 pm. Dubai International Airport (DXB) is simply stunning. What you see above is baggage claim– which should give you some idea of what the entire airport is like– big, bright and beautiful. It felt like a brand new Las Vegas casino– minus the gambling, which is illegal in Dubai.
Sixty percent of Emirates passengers use Emirate’s giant DXB hub as a connecting point to the carrier’s extensive network of flights– especially to India. As a matter of fact, 50% of all Emirates passengers from SFO end up flying onward from DXB to Indian cities such as Hyderabad, Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi.
India-bound passenger’s other options include flying from SFO via Asia or Europe. At one time, United and Emirates participated in a frequent flyer program partnership where Mileage Plus members could earn United miles when flying Emirates to Dubai. However, Emirates says that United decided to terminate that partnership last May.
(Photo: Chris McGinnis)
All business and first class passengers get free transportation via a fleet of black Volvo station wagons stationed outside the airport to their hotels in Dubai (most are about 15-30 minutes away). There is also the quick, slick Dubai Metro rail system that connects the airport to the city– however, note that it has limited hours on Fridays, which are holy days in the Arab world.
(Photo: Chris McGinnis)
This photo, taken from the roof of the Shangri-La hotel shows the towering Burj Khalifa, currently the tallest building in the world. In the lower right corner is a Dubai metro station. It all looked like something out of a science fiction movie.
(Photo: Chris McGinnis)
On the day of my return flight, I arrived at the airport early to investigate and enjoy what I’d heard was one of the poshest business class lounges in the world. I was not let down– from the spray of fresh flowers at the entry, to the multiple buffets serving traditional English breakfast, full Indian meals, baked potatoes with all the toppings, salmon with capers, shrimp, endless refrigerated shelves of desserts, juices, tea, and coffee. The selection boggles the mind.
Morning is peak time in the Emirates business class lounge, and the place was packed– almost uncomfortably so. I was told that this enormous lounge could accommodate up to 1,600 travelers, and I think it was running pretty close to capacity that day. Seeing the crowds, and knowing that everyone in the lounge had paid several thousand dollars for their business class tickets made me wonder to myself, “What global financial crisis?” (See additional photos here.)
(Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Flying back to SFO took us over the North Pole once again, and this time I stayed up for the action. In the photo above, you can see our routing over the top displayed on the IFE system.
(Photo: Chris McGinnis)
That’s it! The money shot! In this photo, I’m looking out the window straight down on the North Pole. (See the big striped candy cane? 
)
(Photo: Chris McGinnis)
After the excitement of seeing the North Pole, it was time for a snooze. Note how Emirates has cleverly installed thousands of tiny fiber-optic white lights (that actually twinkle) into the ceiling of the aircraft to let you know that it’s time to sleep. Nice touch.
(Photo: Chris McGinnis)
For Muslims, who must face east for their daily prayers, Emirates in-flight system displays this icon several times throughout the flight in the IFE system– the arrow points east toward Mecca, no matter which direction the plane is pointed in.
(Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Almost home!
(Photo: Chris McGinnis)
Forward facing cameras on the B777 broadcast the view as we approach SFO and touch down at about 1 pm pacific time.
(Chris McGinnis publishes The BAT and The TICKET blogs for frequent travelers. He was a guest of Emirates Airline on this roundtrip flight. Do you have comments or questions about this post? Email Chris.)
Update on United-Continental merger
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?
What United + Continental means to YOU
The new United livery keeps the Continental look, but changes the name. (Photo: United Airlines)
United and Continental boards have approved a merger of the two carriers, which is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year.
What does all this mean to Bay Area Travelers?
FARES: While consolidation and fewer competitors ultimately leads to higher prices, the reality is that Continental and United never really competed with each other out of Bay Area airports. And there are few routes from here that are dominated by the two. For example, nonstop flights between SFO and Houston on both United and Continental have always been expensive– expect them to stay that way. Those who want a deal on the route should consider a one-stop flight on low-fare carriers Southwest or Frontier.
FREQUENT FLYER PROGRAMS: Since it appears that United will be the surviving entity, Mileage Plus members should not expect any huge changes. If you’ve got any extra Continental OnePass miles lying around, those will be added to your Mileage Plus balance. Good news: OnePass has always been one of the best rated frequent flyer programs out there, so maybe Mileage Plus will cherry pick the good parts? Time will tell.
EARNING, BURNING MILES: Mileage Plus members already have access to the Continental network due to its recent inclusion in the Star Alliance, which added nice earning and burning opportunities where Continental is strong, such as in Mexico, Central and South America as well as the South Pacific (on Air Micronesia). See Continental Route Map.
ECONOMY PLUS: United is the only legacy carrier to offer its frequent flyers roomier coach class seats. Continental does not offer the equivalent of United’s Economy Plus seating (which I really appreciate on the long haul) so I hope the concept survives.
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P.S. FLIGHTS: I’m wondering if we’ll see those nice P.S. flights between SFO and New York-JFK shift to Newark where Continental has a large, efficient hub operation and better club space… at least nicer than United’s minor presence at JFK.
SFO AIRPORT: The combination of United and Continental will mean Continental will leave Concourse 1 and operations will move to United’s hub at Concourse 3, which will get even MORE crowded than it already is at peak times.
BRAGGADOCIO. SFO will also get bragging rights for being a hub of “the world’s largest airline” which will result when United and Continental merge. The new United will take that title away from the new Delta, which when it merged with Northwest, enjoyed a short life as the biggest player.
WHO NEXT? American and US Airways are likely entering a major flirtation stage at this point. They are the remaining two legacy airlines and will be dwarfed by the new United and new Delta.
More info from United on the merger here.
It’s a little early to tell, but here are my initial thoughts. I’d be eager to hear what you think about the merger and how it might affect your flying. Please leave your comments below.
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A new private check-in/security area at SFO (video)
follow this link to the 1.5 min video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nRHRzSzaBU4
[The BAT is now on SFgate! Check it out here.]
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A Mixed Bag of Newsy Nuggets: United VERY On-Time, Big New Plane Order, Vegas Packed for CES and more
Boeing's New "Dreamliner." Squint and look at that coach section at the back. Familiar?
UNITED ORDERS NEW PLANES. While they won’t be touching down at SFO until at least 2016, United recently announced that it’s placed orders for 50 new wide-body aircraft. It split the order 50/50 between the Boeing 787 “Dreamliner” and the Airbus A350. Both are about the size of current Boeing 767 or 777 aircraft and will eventually replace them.
NOT SO DREAMY. We’ve got an issue with the whole “Dreamliner” name… and get irritated when we see reporters get all wistful and dreamy-eyed thinking that everyone’s going to get a massage and a flat bed for sleeping (and dreaming) on every flight. Sorry folks—the plane is a dream to the airline, because it purportedly uses about 20% less fuel. But it’s not so dreamy for passengers sitting in coach– it’s just another twin-aisle, wide-body plane…okay, with bigger windows, maybe, but still…. (See photo above. Look beyond those dreamy first class seats!)
LOOK RIGHT>>> AND CHECK OUT OUR NEW ADVERTISER! Cavallo Point, located next to the Golden Gate Bridge (down and to the right if you are headed north) has been on our list of must-see Bay Area hotspots since it opened last year. While it’s a gorgeous, historic and luxurious resort, locals should visit to sit in the winter sun on the veranda at it’s Farley’s Bar, soak in the rays and the views, have a great meal and a bottle of wine….and look for your BAT editor! I’ll be there! Really, folks, if you like what you are reading on The BAT, please support our advertisers! It helps us help you! –cjm
UAL: BEST ON TIME PERFORMANCE—EVER? Yep, it’s true. According to the DOT, United was on time 91% of the time this past November, its best performance since the government starting tracking it in 1987. How did this happen? It’s all about the money according to gadling.com. Since last winter, United has offered all employees a $100 bonus each month the airline tops the DOT on-time ranking. They get $65 for second place.
MORE JETBLUE TO THE BAY. Starting May 13, JetBlue will add new nonstop flights between San Jose and Boston. (Introductory fares start at $99 each way.) JetBlue already offers nonstops from San Jose to New York-JFK. It also offers nonstops between Boston and SFO and Oakland.
CONNECT IN THE BART TUNNEL…EVENTUALLY. If you take BART to/from the airport or to/from work, you’re gonna like this: AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint/Nextel and Verizon flipped the switch on their wireless networks in the Transbay Tube on Dec 20. However, the Chronicle reports that despite the announcement, the service did not work as well as expected, so seamless use of mobile devices in the tunnel could take a while…
FLOWN LOW COST LATELY? Did you know that just 10 years ago, 90% of all air travel in the U.S. was on so-called “legacy carriers” like United, Continental, Delta, etc. Only 10% was on low cost carriers such as Southwest, AirTran or JetBlue. Well, what a difference a decade makes. Legacy dominance has declined to just 74% of the market this year…low-cost carriers have 26% of the market and low-cost giant Southwest owns 64% of that market.
NO MORE THAN THREE. Lengthy tarmac delays are a rarity at Bay Area airports, thank goodness! But they do happen (but mostly back east and most often due to snow and ice or de-icing.) Nonetheless, the feds have enacted new rules (effective later this winter) that will force airlines to provide food and water after two hours on the tarmac and a mandated return to the gate if they’ve been on the tarmac for more than three hours. If they don’t, they are fined $27,000 per passenger (that’s $5.5 million for a planeload of 200 pissed off passengers). Ouch! While the airlines are saying that the new rule will do more harm than good, the reality is that when faced with a fine like that, they will be forced to make operational changes that, in the long run, will prevent the horror stories we’ve all heard about folks stuck in stinky planes for hours on end. Your BAT editor has a comment about the whole brouhaha in this ABCNews.com article.
NEW MEMBERSHIP REWARDS PARTNER. Got a big bank of American Express Membership Rewards points that you are aching to redeem? You’ve got a new option: British Airways Executive Club recently became the 17th participating frequent flyer plan in the program. BA flies to 150 destinations worldwide from SFO via its two flights a day to London. (Stay tuned for a first hand BAT report later this winter from the Maldives…BA’s newest, and perhaps sexiest destination ever!)
VEGAS WILL BE PACKED. All indications are showing that this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (Jan 7-10) is going to be full to overflowing. Why? Pent up demand. This time last year we were all in economic shock. Attendees for CES and many other conventions were forced to cancel their plans. With things looking up this year, everyone wants to go back. So expect FULL flights between the Bay and Vegas, full hotels, and the necessity of restaurant reservations. The city is expecting in excess of 100,000 visitors for this, the city’s largest event of the year.
NEW ARRIVALS TAX IN ARGENTINA. Effective immediately, all U.S. citizens arriving at Buenos Aires Ezeiza Airport must pay a one-time “reciprocity fee” of USD $131.00 upon arrival. Why? Because that’s the amount the U.S. charges Argentines applying for entry into the U.S. (Several other South American countries such as Chile, Brazil and Bolivia already require such fees.) While the fee might make travelers wince, the Argentine government stands to pull in a cool $52 million from the 400,000 or so Americans that arrive each year.
REGIONAL UPGRADES ARE BACK FOR 1K’s. United is getting very good at listening to their best customers. After the backlash surrounding the elimination of regional upgrades, this announcement recently appeared on the UAL site: “Sometimes no change is good news. After our last announcement, we heard from our 1K members how much they value their Regional Upgrades. To thank them for their ongoing loyalty, we’ve decided to continue issuing regional upgrades to 1Ks, even after the unlimited domestic upgrades program launches.” Regional upgrades are considered more valuable than the newer “unlimited upgrades” because they can be applied at the time of reservation.
HILTON HHONORS—GOOD AND BAD NEWS. First the good. Members of Virgin America’s Elevate program can now earn miles for stays at Hilton’s family of hotel brands. Now the bad: Hilton is increasing the number of HHonors points required for award redemptions starting on January 14. Most reward categories will require an additional 5000 points for a free night stay. Stays at Hilton’s poshest brand, the Waldorf=Astoria Collection, are now pretty much standardized at 50,000 per night in the low season and 60,000 in high season.
SOUTHWEST BUMPS UP AT OAK—REINSTATES NASHVILLE. In May, Southwest will restore a single daily nonstop service between Oakland and Nashville, Tennessee. It will also add frequency between OAK and the cities of Albuquerque, Denver, and Seattle-Tacoma.
WHICH BAY AREA AIRPORT DO YOU USE? From a VERY interesting article in the San Jose Mercury News: “Among domestic passengers departing or arriving in the Bay Area, 57 percent use SFO, up from 43 percent just three years ago. By contrast, Oakland’s portion of the region’s passengers has dipped from 33 percent in 2006 to 23 percent now, while San Jose’s share dropped from 24 percent to 20 percent during that span. The analysts contend that the turning point arrived in 2007, when SFO landed low-cost carriers Southwest Airlines, JetBlue Airways and Virgin America. Southwest and JetBlue have long been Oakland territory, with nearly six of every seven passengers taking those two airlines, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. About half of San Jose’s passengers fly Southwest. Now, Southwest has quickly become the third-most popular airline at SFO, even though it does not fly international routes.”
Mixed Bag of BAT News and BAT Tips
MORE $$ FOR MORE SPACE. United says that it will raise the price for annual membership to its Economy Plus Annual Option from $349 to $425 starting Jan 10. This promo is a good idea for someone who does not fly UAL enough to get elite status (and therefore automatic upgrades to more spacious economy plus seating) but would like to have access to roomier seats onboard. Note: While you get the ability to reserve Economy Plus seats with this plan (for you and a companion), you are not always guaranteed one.
FARES A TWITTER. The new flight search engine Fly.com is now tweeting last minute flight deals from Bay Area airports…as we go to press, some deals: SFO-Cabo for $294 round trip. Vegas for $99 round trip. Twitterati should follow at: #SFfares
RED CARPET CLOSED AT FRANKFURT. United has closed its Red Carpet Club in Frankfurt and encourages members to use partner Lufthansa’s (distant, but much nicer) clubs instead. (Notefrom BAT reader Mark: “The Lufthansa clubs in Frankfurt aren’t always farther away. A good number of United’s daily departures leave from the A gates and the new Tower Lounge @ FRA’s A concourse is in the right spot to make relaxing before the flight a breeze.”)
KOREAN AIR TO BRING ON 747. Korean Air will switch out its current 777 flying between SFO to Seoul with a 747 starting next summer.
MILWAUKEE BOUND? Midwest Airlines, which abandoned SFO a while back, will return with new nonstops to Milwaukee, WI using an Airbus A319 starting in April.
UNITED COPAYS. After going back and forth on the issue, United will begin charging copays for upgrades in January. This pay-to-play move is both good and bad: Good in that you can now score a confirmed upgrade off of any discounted fare, which was prohibited in the past. Bad in that you actually have to shell out some coin to get out of coach. So, BAT readers, what do you think….is this a positive or a negative? Would you rather UAL stick to the old plan, or is this new one a good thing?
SO LONG 737. In case you missed the celebration, United has officially grounded its last Boeing 737. (We’re glad. They were getting a little tatty and worn out.)
MORE FLIGHTS FROM BAY TO HAWAII. Fresh off its inauguration of new flights between Oakland and Hawaii, Alaska Air has announced that it will add new nonstops between San Jose, Sacramento and Hawaii (Kona and Maui) starting on March 11. It will use a two class 737 on the route. Current lowest fares for travel next spring are running at about $350 roundtrip.
SFO TERMINAL 2 TOPS OUT. Workers welded the final steel beam into place on the renovation at Terminal 2 at SFO, which will be the new home of Virgin America flights in about another 18 months. (Scuttlebutt: American Airlines is a possible Terminal 2 tenant as well. This would make sense if United’s new partner, Continental, moves into AA’s space in Terminal 3.) The state-of-the-art, LEEDS certified terminal will have 14 gates, a “slow food” marketplace (more wholesome, locally produced selections), a spa, and two 500-sq foot kiddie play areas. Bring it on! (The terminal is paid in part with stimulus funds from the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act. Thank you President Obama.)
DOWN HOME WITH SOUTHWEST IN MANHATTAN. BAT editor Chris McGinnis checked out Southwest Airlines “porch” in New York’s Bryant Park. Southwest is using the porch to woo Big Apple business travelers to its new flights to New York’s nearby La Guardia Airport. Would you fly SW to New York? To do so, you’ll have to make a quick stop at Chicago Midway, and sale fares are currently running at about $300 roundtrip.
TRAIN TO/FROM THE PLANE IN SEATTLE. Starting on December 19, the long awaited light rail link between SEA-TAC and downtown Seattle will open! The station will be connected to the airport via walkways through the parking garage. Stops along the 35-minute trip to downtown Seattle Link include: SODO, Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley neighborhoods and Tukwila.
NO UAL PREMIER OR 1K FOR YOU NEXT YEAR? If, like a lot of folks faced less frequent travel due to the recession, you’ve lost your elite status on United, you can buy your way into the perks you’ve grown accustomed to. Depending on flight length, you can pay a premium of anywhere from about $50 to $175 each way for “United’s Premier Travel Package.” With it, you’ll get access to the elite security lines, priority boarding, upgrades to Economy Plus, two-free checked bags and a Mileage Plus bonus. Pay twice that much, and you’ll also get a pass to the Red Carpet Club. (Purchase online or soon at United check in kiosks)
MORE ON TIME. With airlines parking more planes in the desert, airport congestion has become less of a problem at most airports (But not NYC!). In September, airlines had their best on-time performance since 2003, with 86% of flights arriving on time. That’s an improvement over August when just 80% arrived on time. It’s also slightly better than last September when 85% arrived on-time. Alaska Air and Southwest topped the list for best on time performance at about 90% on time.
AA TRANSCONS GET CREAMED. Starting Dec 1, business class passengers of American’s transcon flights out of SFO will get Ben & Jerry’s sundaes.
Oh, Oh, Oh! The Places You Can Now Go!
Jean Michel Cousteau Fiji Islands Resort
Now that Continental has joined the Star Alliance and has a code share arrangement with United, Mileage Plus members now have 123 NEW destinations where they can earn or redeem their miles flying Continental. Some of these new spots are very sexy, very exotic, very exciting….the ones that interest me the most? Hmmm: Fiji, Antigua, Cairns, Puerto Plata, Micronesia, Edinburgh, Oaxaca, Managua, Anchorage, Key West, Caracas…
PLEASE leave your comments below and tell me which ones interest YOU the most….??
Here’s the list of cities where Continental flies and that United does NOT fly. (Thanks, Continental for providing this info to The BAT!)
| ANU | ANTIGUA | AG |
| BON | BONAIRE | AN |
| CUR | CURACAO | AN |
| CNS | CAIRNS | AU |
| BDA | BERMUDA | BM |
| NAS | NASSAU | BS |
| BZE | BELIZE CITY | BZ |
| YQM | MONCTON | CA |
| YTM | MONT TREMBLANT | CA |
| YYT | ST. JOHNS | CA |
| BOG | BOGOTA | CO |
| SJO | SAN JOSE | CR |
| TXL | BERLIN | DE |
| HAM | HAMBURG | DE |
| CPH | COPENHAGEN | DK |
| POP | PUERTO PLATA | DO |
| SDQ | SANTO DOMINGO | DO |
| UIO | QUITO | EC |
| BCN | BARCELONA | ES |
| NAN | NADI | FJ |
| KSA | KOSRAE | FM |
| PNI | POHNPEI | FM |
| TKK | TRUK | FM |
| YAP | YAP | FM |
| BFS | BELFAST | GB |
| BHX | BIRMINGHAM | GB |
| BRS | BRISTOL | GB |
| EDI | EDINBURGH | GB |
| GLA | GLASGOW | GB |
| MAN | MANCHESTER | GB |
| ATH | ATHENS | GR |
| GUA | GUATEMALA CITY | GT |
| GUM | GUAM | GU |
| RTB | ROATAN | HN |
| SAP | SAN PEDRO SULA | HN |
| TGU | TEGUCIGALPA | HN |
| DUB | DUBLIN | IE |
| SNN | SHANNON | IE |
| TLV | TEL AVIV-YAFO | IL |
| DEL | DELHI | IN |
| BOM | MUMBAI | IN |
| MXP | MILAN | IT |
| FUK | FUKUOKA | JP |
| HIJ | HIROSHIMA | JP |
| NGO | NAGOYA | JP |
| KIJ | NIIGATA | JP |
| OKJ | OKAYAMA | JP |
| CTS | SAPPORO | JP |
| SDJ | SENDAI | JP |
| GCM | GRAND CAYMAN ISL | KY |
| KWA | KWAJALEIN | MH |
| MAJ | MAJURO | MH |
| ROP | ROTA | MP |
| SPN | SAIPAN | MP |
| ACA | ACAPULCO | MX |
| AGU | AGUASCALIENTES | MX |
| CUU | CHIHUAHUA | MX |
| CME | CIUDAD DEL CARMEN | MX |
| DGO | DURANGO | MX |
| GDL | GUADALAJARA | MX |
| HUX | HUATULCO | MX |
| ZIH | IXTAPA/ZIHUATANEJO | MX |
| BJX | LEON/GUANAJUATO | MX |
| ZLO | MANZANILLO | MX |
| MZT | MAZATLAN | MX |
| MID | MERIDA | MX |
| MTY | MONTERREY | MX |
| MLM | MORELIA | MX |
| OAX | OAXACA | MX |
| PBC | PUEBLA | MX |
| QRO | QUERETARO | MX |
| SLW | SALTILLO | MX |
| SLP | SAN LUIS POTOSI | MX |
| TAM | TAMPICO | MX |
| TLC | TOLUCA | MX |
| TRC | TORREON | MX |
| VER | VERACRUZ | MX |
| VSA | VILLAHERMOSA | MX |
| MGA | MANAGUA | NI |
| OSL | OSLO | NO |
| PTY | PANAMA CITY | PA |
| LIM | LIMA | PE |
| MNL | MANILA | PH |
| BQN | AGUADILLA | PR |
| LIS | LISBON | PT |
| ROR | KOROR | PW |
| ARN | STOCKHOLM | SE |
| SAL | SAN SALVADOR | SV |
| POS | PORT OF SPAIN | TT |
| AEX | ALEXANDRIA | US |
| AMA | AMARILLO | US |
| ANC | ANCHORAGE | US |
| BTR | BATON ROUGE | US |
| BPT | BEAUMONT/PT ARTHUR | US |
| BRO | BROWNSVILLE | US |
| CLL | COLLEGE STATION | US |
| CRP | CORPUS CHRISTI | US |
| DAL | DALLAS/FT. WORTH | US |
| DRT | DEL RIO | US |
| ERI | ERIE | US |
| FNT | FLINT | US |
| FLL | FT. LAUDERDALE | US |
| VPS | FT. WALTON BEACH | US |
| GPT | GULFPORT/BILOXI | US |
| HRL | HARLINGEN | US |
| ITH | ITHACA | US |
| JAN | JACKSON | US |
| EYW | KEY WEST | US |
| GRK | KILLEEN | US |
| LFT | LAFAYETTE | US |
| LCH | LAKE CHARLES | US |
| LRD | LAREDO | US |
| LBB | LUBBOCK | US |
| MFE | MC ALLEN | US |
| MOB | MOBILE AL/PASCAG | US |
| MLU | MONROE | US |
| ACK | NANTUCKET | US |
| SHV | SHREVEPORT | US |
| TYR | TYLER | US |
| VCT | VICTORIA | US |
| PBI | W.PALM BEACH | US |
| ACT | WACO | US |
| CCS | CARACAS | VE |
PLEASE leave your comments below and tell me which ones interest YOU the most….??
What United Mileage Plus Members Need to Know about New Continental Alliance
What do Mileage Plus members in the Bay Area have to gain from the entry of Continental into the Star Alliance and a code sharing deal with United? First off, plenty of new Continental destinations south of the border (Mexico) and in the south Pacific (via a hub in Guam) where you can now redeem miles for award trips.
Plus, Mileage Plus members will have a lot more opportunities the EARN United miles on Continental flights—the code share agreement adds 60 cities previously not served by United.
Here’s Continental’s global route map
The miles you earn on Continental can be accrued in Mileage Plus. And the flight miles you earn qualify toward elite status. You earn one Elite Qualifying Mile (EQM) for each flight mile you earn and one Elite Qualifying Segment (EQS) for each segment you fly.
map from airportterminalmaps.com
However, connecting from a United flight to a Continental flight at any of Continental’s three U.S. hubs is going to be VERY difficult for the time being. For example, most United flights land at Newark’s Terminal A. All of Continental’s operations are in terminal C. This means exiting and re-entering secure space, a transfer between terminals using the airport monorail system and potential delays transferring bags on tight connections. Also, EWR is famously congested and subject to serious air traffic delays. The same goes for connections at Continental’s main hub at Houston Intercontinental Airport. United flights use terminal A while Continental flights use terminal C (primarily) and terminal B (for mostly regional flights). If you’ve ever taken that rickety underground people mover system at IAH, you know it’s going to be a tough connection! (A newer “Terminal Link” train system will eventually connect Terminal A to the rest of the airport. But for now, it’s a slow-go.) When flying from SFO to Cleveland, only Continental offers nonstops, so connections in its Terminals C and D should not be a problem. However, if you arrive from elsewhere on United, you’ll use Terminal B, quite a long walk away.
Small upside: In recent months, Continental has co-located with United in several U.S. airports including Chicago, Frankfurt, Salt Lake City and Cincinnati. (And soon in Paris-CDG and Tokyo-Narita)
Frequent flyer guru Randy Petersen, the father of the mammoth frequent flyer social networking site flyertalk.com says that Mileage Plus members have a lot to gain and little to lose with this new alliance. “First off, Continental is going to force a lot of positive changes on the Mileage Plus program. Second, due to the way the alliance is currently structured, Mileage Plus members will not see any extra competition for Economy Plus seats or upgrades. However, Hawaii-bound travelers are going to be hearing a lot more Texas twang on United flights from the Bay Area to Hawaii as Continental OnePass members from Texas jump on those routes with their miles.”
If you are a Red Carpet Club member (or on a first or business class ticket), you now have access to Continental President’s Clubs at TEN new airports. Here’s what United’s Web site is saying:
United Red Carpet Club members now enjoy full access to Continental President’s Club locations, expanding members’ options to 58 clubs in 36 airports, including 14 lounges in 10 airports not currently served by a Red Carpet Club:
1. Atlanta
2. Austin
3. Cleveland
4. Dallas
5. Houston (five locations)
6. Ft. Lauderdale
7. Las Vegas
8. San Antonio
9. Guam
10. Panama City, Panama
Any Mileage Plus members flying in first or business class on United or Continental can also access the President’s Club lounges. Additionally, Premier Executive, 1K and Global Services members can access these lounges when traveling with a same-day international ticket.
UC Berkeley Grad Student Thesis About…Us!
UC Berkeley Grad Student Gabriel Leigh
Okay all you mileage-obsessed mileage mavens, mileage junkies, travel addicts, road warriors or anyone who has ever held an elite level membership with a frequent flyer program. You know who you are. This video is for you.
This 20-minute documentary (“Frequent Flyer”) is actually the master’s thesis of Gabriel Leigh, journalism grad student at UC Berkeley. I don’t normally have 20 minutes to devote to an online video, but this was time well spent. (The video is very professionally made and easy on the eyes…)
So sit back, relax, hit the full-screen button and enjoy this….it will be like looking in the mirror for many of you!
Frequent Flyer from Gabriel Leigh on Vimeo.
AIRLINE NEWS
UNITED SLOWLY ADDING WI-FI ON NYC FLIGHTS. Some (but not all) United P.S. flights between SFO and New York-JFK now offer the Gogo in-flight wi-fi system offered on many other carriers. United promises that ALL P.S. flights will be outfitted my mid-November. (UAL is a little late to the game here…AirTran and Virgin America offer it fleetwide and it’s on about half of Delta’s fleet.) Fees range from $8 (for PDA’s) to $13 (for laptop users). Using it is a breeze…just log on as you would in an airport or coffee shop, pay with your credit card, and voila! High speed internet. Sure makes that five-hour schlep to NYC go by a LOT faster!
FLOOD OF NEW FLIGHTS TO FLL. Virgin America will launch new nonstops between SFO and Ft Lauderdale on November 19 using a two class Airbus A320 (the only bird in its fleet.) And guess what? JetBlue is launching nonstops on the same route on Nov 17! And both depart from SFO’s international terminal. Eastbound flights on both carriers are red-eyes (yuck) but mid-January fares are currently only $218 round trip. Not a bad place to go when its cold and wet here by the bay. Winter in Fort Lauderdale (located about 30-40 minutes north of Miami) is gorgeous, sunny and 70’s for most of the winter. JetBlue pro: more legroom in coach, a free sleep kit, and Dunkin Doughnuts coffee in the morning. Virgin America pro: in-flight wi-fi. Which one would you choose and why? Leave your comments below.
ECLECTIC EATS. Virgin America’s got a new fall menu that offers a virtual puu-puu platter of choices. Some of the more interesting-sounding fare for sale onboard: Banh mi flat iron beef sandwich: “A traditional street-vended Vietnamese sandwich made of grilled Asian marinated sliced flat iron steak with shaved cucumber, green leaf lettuce, baby frisée, fresh sprigs of cilantro and topped with a Vietnamese slaw of julienne carrots, daikon radish and red onion. Asian ginger dressing served on the side.” ($10)
HE’S A GOOD GUY! Your BAT editor recently spotted Virgin America CEO David Cush on a San Diego-SFO flight sitting in coach! With the traveling masses. Back there with the rest of us! Apparently Virgin employees, including the CEO, are forbidden from riding in those big white seats up front. Soon after witnessing this display of humility, we heard from a reader who spotted Delta CEO Richard Anderson in coach on a flight to Atlanta. Are we on to something here?
DELTA BATTLES ON SFO-JFK RUN. Delta is now flying 757’s equipped with international business class “cradle” seats on all nonstops between Los Angeles and and New York-JFK. By the end of October, the cradles will be on all JFK-San Francisco flights. Big seats are a nice addition and should do well competing against similar internationally configured nonstops from American and United P.S. as well as the swanky first class on Virgin America. Bad news is that chances of upgrades in DL flights are now slimmer— previously, the 757’s had 24-26 first class seats while the new ones will have only 16 business class cradles. (PLUS: All Delta’s 757 flights offer inflight wi-fi.)
NEW USE FOR UNITED MILES. Maybe. United is now allowing Mileage Plus members to redeem airline miles for hotels and car rentals. I’d say that this is only a good deal for folks desperate to dump miles because the redemption levels are quite steep. It also might work if you are faced with otherwise exorbitant rates. For example, if I wanted to redeem miles for a one-night stay at the Palmer House Hilton in Chicago later this month, it would cost me 24,500 miles! (The best available rates are about $300/night incl tax.) That’s nearly enough for a domestic round trip award. Car rentals in Chicago are running 10,000 miles for a compact for one day.
ALASKA AIR BRINGS BACK THE NERD BIRD. Last month Alaska Air picked up where American Airlines left off, launching a new nonstop between San Jose and Austin. A second daily flight is planned starting in March. Both flights use a two class Boeing 737. Current fares are running just $219 round trip for mid-Nov departures. (JetBlue offers non-stops between Austin and SFO for about the same price.)
SJC SKIERS DELIGHT. Horizon Air will fly nonstop from San Jose to Mammoth Mountain starting Dec 17. It will use a propjet on these flights, but fares are now running just $168 roundtrip for mid-January flights.
FLYING TO NYC ON THE CHEAP. Here’s a nifty nugget from our friends at airlineweekly.com: “Q1 of 2007—before Virgin America arrived on the scene—United passengers flying between New York JFK and San Francisco paid an average of $620 each way. In Q1 of 2009, those same passengers in that same market paid only $421 each way.” Thanks, Virgin America!
LESS OF A SWA CATTLE CALL FOR $10. If you frequently end up forgetting to check in for your Southwest flight exactly 24 hours before departure, and then ending up stuck in a middle seat at the back of the plane or having to gate check your carry-on, there’s a new fix. With its new Early Bird Check-In, you pay Southwest a $10 premium (each way) when you make your reservation. Then you don’t have to play the 24-hour check-in game and you are allowed to board before everyone else, but AFTER A-Listers and those flying on Business Select fares. I personally don’t have a problem paying $10 for a nearly guaranteed good seat and space for my carry-on. But Southwest has taken a lot of heat for this new fee since it prides itself as being a fee-free airline.
NEW OAKLAND-HAWAII FLIGHTS. Picking up where Aloha left off last winter, Alaska Airlines will fly nonstop between Oakland and both Maui and the Big Island (Hawaii) on Nov 9 using a two-class Boeing 737. Mid-January round-tip fares are currently running about $500-$550.
TOILET KITSCH. Leave it to our hometown carrier Virgin America to spice up the toilet kit. For $10 you can order up a “How Could I Forget Kit” from the seatback of your next Virgin flight. (Just in case you forgot your own, or the one you had got nabbed by TSA screeners.) Contents include shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, lotion, lip balm, night cream and breath mints all packed up in a nifty little quilted kit. There’s a similar red-eye flight kit selling for $12 that includes a blanket, pillow, eyemask and ear plugs.
MORE GOOD NEWS. SORTA. Worldwide airline passenger traffic dipped just 1 percent in August compared to the same month last year. That’s the smallest year-over-year drop in 2009, says the International Air Transport Association. The biggest decline this year was in March, when traffic dipped 11 percent year-over-year. Despite the recent improvements, airlines are still having a very tough time withpricing—economy class ticket prices are down 18 percent; first and business class fares are down 22 percent.
AIRLINES BAGGING BIG BUCKS. Those irksome new baggage fees are helping to keep a lot of airlines afloat in these lean times. According to the DOT, it’s the low-cost carriers that are bagging the most fees as a percentage of their overall revenues .The top four fee earners in q2 are (in descending order) Spirit, Allegiant, AirTran and Frontier. Nearly 9 percent of Spirit’s revenue was baggage fees. AirTran earned 7 percent of its revenue that way. Delta came in at 3 percent. Southwest, which does not charge for the first two checked bags, bagged less than one percent of its revenue that way.
FULL NAME AND BIRTHDATE, PLEASE. The TSA now requires airlines to book your ticket under the EXACT name as it appears on the ID you will be using to check in for your flight. IMPORTANT: Check your online booking profiles to be sure that your profile name matches your ID and modify it if necessary. Airlines are also now required obtain your birth date. Why? Supposedly this should help folks mistakenly placed on terror watch lists.
Like what you are reading? Then be sure and SUBSCRIBE to The BAT so you don’t miss a single nugget of info. Look to the right>>>> and click on the SUBSCRIBE links! RSS or email! Thanks! Tell all your friends to do the same! –chris
Double Miles De Rigueur
Most of the Bay Area’s biggest carriers are piling on the miles for frequent flyers this fall, making it easier than ever to attain or maintain elite status for next year. American gets the credit for kicking off this latest mileage bonus trend, followed by United. Then today, Southwest joined the party. Here are the various deals:
>Southwest: Rapid Rewards members who book and travel between Sept 17 and Oct 31 get one bonus Rapid Rewards credit per one-way flight in addition to normal earnings. This means you’ll earn four credits for every round trip, so if you make four round trips during the promotional period, you’ll earn 16 credits, enough for a free flight. Business Select customers will REALLY like this offer because they’ll earn 4.5 credits per round trip for flights less than 750 miles and six round trip credits for longer flights. Registration is required: www.southwest.com/rrbonus
>American AAdvantage members get double elite qualifying miles now through Dec 15. Register at www.aa.com/elite
>United Mileage Plus is offering double miles OR double segments, but not both through Dec 15. Register for double miles here: at www.united.com/offer/mpw049. If you typically fly more short-stage flights, go for the segments. Register here: www.united.com/offer/mpw059.
Also on the mileage front…..
Elite bonuses: United is making a special offer to Elite members who will earn at least 35,000 miles by the end of the year. They’ll get to choose between a one-time Red Carpet Club pass ($50 value) and 7,500 bonus miles. If you are Premier Exec and earn at least 75,000 by the end of the year, you get two Red Carpet passes ($100 value) or 15,000 miles. 1K Members who earn at least 125k miles get two systemwide upgrades or 25,000 miles. (You must sign on to your Mileage Plus account to register.)
American’s making a similar offer to it’s elite flyers: Gold members who fly between 40,000 and 50,000 miles by year’s end will be able to choose between two 500-mile upgrades, a one day Admirals Club pass or 7,500 bonus miles. Platinums who fly 75,000 to 100,000 miles choose four 500-mile upgrades or two Admirals Club one-day passes, or 15,000 bonus miles or one-year Gold status for a friend. Executive Plat members who fly 125,000 EQMs by year’s end can choose two one-way systemwide upgrades, a one-year Admirals Club membership, 25,000 bonus miles or the ability to gift a friend AAdvantage Gold status for a year.
Summer Airline News: Bag fees, AA shrinkage, nerds, Wi-Fi, more
BAG FEES CONTINUE TO RISE. Virgin America has increased its bag fee to $20 for every checked bag. Meanwhile, nearly every major carrier has quietly raised fees for checked bags to $25 for the first, and $30 for the second (that’s an additional $110 round trip if you check two bags…). Some airlines will knock off $5 per bag if you pay the fee online. For international flights, the new custom is one bag free, then $50 for the second bag. (As usual, fees don’t apply to first/business or elite level frequent flyers.) Southwest remains the only major carrier not charging for checked bags.
AA SHRINKS IN THE BAY. American has eliminated the once popular “Nerd Bird” flights between San Jose and Austin, (is the techie crowd switching over to more teleconferencing? Or is it the economy?) It’s also cut its RJ flights between San Jose and San Diego and reduced frequencies between SJC and Orange County. With Virgin America, Southwest, United and American all offering nonstop flights between SFO and Orange County, you just knew that one of them had to pull the plug. American will stop flying the route on Nov. 18. We think it’s only a matter of time before the great, shrinking United does the same.
HEY NERDS: YOU CAN STILL GET THERE FROM HERE. About the time American announced it was dumping the Nerd Bird flights, Alaska Air swooped in and announced a single new daily nonstop between SJC and Austin. The flight originates in Portland.
JETBLUE: MORE SFO, LESS OAK AND SJC. Hat tip to the fantastic Cranky Flier blog for this tidbit: “JetBlue will kill one JFK and one Washington/Dulles flight from Oakland. Those airplanes will now become a second daily flight from SFO to both JFK and Boston. JetBlue will also add two more daily flights to Long Beach from SFO and a single additional daily flight from Oakland to Long Beach. Those new Long Beach slots are coming from the three daily Long Beach – San Jose flights which are going away.”
MORE CREDIT CARD OFFERS FROM UAL. Chase is now offering United customers some new credit card flavors. The one that tempts me the most (since I lost Premier status) includes access to EconomyPlus seats ($275/yr). Another provides includes membership to the Red Carpet Club ($375/yr). Another gives Mileage Plus bonuses (such as triple miles for United purchases, double miles for everything else), paving the way to faster free flights ($130/yr). Details here.
UNITED CUTS REDEMPTION FEES. United has unilaterally dumped those obnoxious $75 fees for last minute Mileage Plus redemptions. Good move! Seemed mighty unfair to charge a fee for something that did not cost the airline a penny! (Interesting….other airlines have not matched this move.)
MY WI-FI EXPERIENCE. Your BAT editor has used in-flight wi-fi twice so far and was very satisfied with the experiences (The Gogo Inflight Wi-Fi system is now available on all Virgin America and AirTran flights and on about 60% of Delta planes. It’s also on American’s flights between SFO and JFK and should be on United’s PS flights at some point later this year.) Signing on is simple. The connection is as good as the one I have at my office (except when streaming video.) The only downside is that wi-fi hogs battery power (and the only carrier that offers in-seat power at ALL seats is Virgin America.) So my laptop shut down a couple hours into the four-hour AirTran flight between SFO and ATL—so I’m not sure I got my three-hour’s worth for $12.95.
ON-TIME PERFORMANCE CONTINUES TO IMPROVE. The DOT says that 76.1% of the flights operated by the nation’s 19 largest airlines arrived on time in June, compared with just 70.8% in June 2008. There’s a combination of factors at play here, including less congestion and more padding of schedules on the part of airlines. HOWEVER, NYC airports are still in the pits. Despite on-time improvements nearly everywhere, New York’s three airports are STILL stuck at the bottom of the list for major airports. JFK, Newark and LaGuardia airports ranked 29th, 30th and 31st, respectively, for on-time arrivals at the nation’s 31 largest airports.
PLANES ARE STILL FULL. Don’t’ think that the down economy means you might find an empty seat next to you on the plane this summer. Airlines are pulling their large planes out of the skies, parking them in the desert, and using smaller planes instead. They are also cutting back on flight frequencies. As a result, most major carrier planes are running 80-90 percent full this summer…about the same as last summer.
HOW MUCH ARE THEY MAKING IN LUGGAGE FEES? According to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, airlines are raking in the bucks when it comes to those obnoxious new checked luggage fees. American leads the pack at $108 million. Delta’s earned $103 million in fees. Which airline has made the LEAST on baggage fees (since it does not charge for the first two bags)? Southwest, of course, at just $6 million. And it even managed to turn a profit in the second quarter!
AMEX HONORING CLEAR CARD DISPUTES. If you charged your Clear Card on AMEX and disputed it, it looks like you should be getting your money back. BAT reader D. Cumpston was the first to email us with the good news: “I got a very welcome letter from AMEX last week saying, ‘We would like to advise you that the status of your claim on your account from Verified Identity Pass Inc. We suspended the amount of $179 and advised you we would contact the merchant on your behalf. Outcome: This dispute has been resolved in your favor. The merchant has not yet provided the information necessary to resolve your claim. Therefore we have issued a credit to your account and removed the previously suspended amount…’ NICE!” Thanks, Amex!
SPEAKING OF CLEAR CARD. After several recent Sunday afternoon flights and LOOOONG lines at SFO security (which looked much worse than they ended up being….they actually moved very fast) your BAT editor is still missing his CLEAR card fast track. It was such a nice insurance policy against security line disaster. Anyway….There are some rumors floating around about the possibility of a resuscitated program. Stay tuned as we sniff these out! But don’t get your hopes up.
NEW TERMINAL B AT SAN JOSE: The new Terminal B at San Jose International opened last month for Southwest Airlines flyers (only) since the carrier has laid claim to its first five gates. Delta and Alaska Airlines will move in when six new gates open in Terminal B next summer. For now, all other airlines use Terminal A, which is also under renovation, part of a much needed $1.3 billion makeover of the Silicon Valley airport.
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