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)
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?
Average age of US airline fleets
The roof of this Aloha Airlines B-737 peeled off during a flight between Hilo and Honolulu in 1988. Only one person, a flight attendant, died.
In light of Southwest’s recent fuselage failures, it’s interesting to take a look at which U.S. airlines have the oldest fleets.
Here’s a rundown, from oldest to youngest.
- Allegiant Air: 21.5 years
- Delta Air Lines: 16 years
- American Airlines: 15.1 years
- United Airlines: 15 years
- US Airways: 12.8 years
- Hawaiian Airlines: 12.1 years
- Southwest Airlines: 11.7 years
- Continental Airlines: 10 years
- Alaska Airlines: 7.7 years
- Frontier Airlines: 6.3 years
- JetBlue Airways: 5.8 years
- Spirit Airlines: 4.2 years
- Virgin America: 3.4 years
——
Source: Ascend Worldwide Ltd.
First United B-747 in new livery revealed
The first Boeing 747 with United’s new livery. Old plane, new paint. (Photo: United-Continental Holdings)
Today United unveiled the largest aircraft in its fleet, the 374-seat Boeing 747-400, in the new United livery.
With the first 747-400 rebranding completed, the carrier now has at least one of each of its mainline fleet types painted in the new United livery.
The company has completed painting 309 mainline and regional aircraft, which is more than 20 percent of its total fleet.
The ongoing visual rebranding of the company will accelerate in the months ahead, and you’ll begin to see rebranded airport facilities and new advertising.
One highly anticipated piece of news was revealed last week: The new United is making its popular, roomier Economy Plus section permanent and will expand it to Continental aircraft starting next year.
What do you think of the new look? Any thoughts about the new United? What changes are you most looking forward to?
Virgin America’s messin’ with Texas
A Texas-style greeting for Virgin America’s inaugural flight to DFW today.
First it was the San Francisco-based Giants. Now it’s San Francisco-based Virgin America tearing into Texas and hoping to tan some hide.
Virgin America is throwing a big hoedown in Dallas today to celebrate its arrival at Dallas-Ft Worth International Airport, the primary hub and headquarters of American Airlines. (American also happens to be the former employer of Virgin CEO David Cush.)
Dallas is also home to Virgin archrival Southwest Airlines, so it is time to pull out all the stops.
Those lucky enough to be on Virgin’s first flight (from LAX…SFO service starts Dec. 6) were treated to a catered Texas-style barbecue lunch on the tarmac upon arrival. Mayors of both Dallas and Ft. Worth along with small herd of Texas longhorn steers were there to greet them (see photo above).
Tonight, there’s a big party benefiting cancer research at the Dallas Opera House that will include a performance by Willie Nelson and an appearance by Virgin Group founder Sir Richard Branson (natch).
American Airlines is not about to take a whoopin’ from a San Francisco-based outsider like Virgin, especially when it comes to the lucrative business travel market. To fight back, it’s pulled out its most powerful (and expensive) marketing gun: double elite qualifying miles on all flights between DFW, SFO and LAX from now through February 28. (To get the bonus miles, AAdvantage members must register prior to travel.)
From SFO, Virgin will operate just two flights per day compared to American’s nine. Its arrival in the market has brought down fares, with the lowest promotional ones now running about $260 round trip– matched, of course, by American and United. (Like Virgin, United offers only two SFO-DFW roundtrips per day and so far has not matched American’s double mileage promo.)
How will Virgin’s fleet of brand new planes equipped with seatback TV, Wi-Fi, signature cocktails and mood lighting stand up to American’s more conservative offering? Wrangling business travelers could be a tough for Virgin according to San Francisco resident Henry Harteveldt, principal travel analyst at Forrester Research. He said,
“It’ll be tough for Virgin America to get many business travelers with its limited schedule. Still, American’s actions show that it takes Virgin America seriously as a competitor, as they should. American will have to work hard to defend its market share. Virgin’s product and experience are tangibly better than what American offers. If Virgin adds more flights between Dallas and LAX/SFO, or adds other cities from DFW, they will give American a run for its money.”
In addition to some tough competition from American, Virgin is going to have to fend off nonstop competition between SFO and Dallas Love Field from Southwest starting in 2014. That’s when the Wright Amendment fizzles out, allowing Southwest to offer nonstop flights from SFO, OAK, SJC to Dallas Love. (Currently, it’s only allowed to offer one stop or connecting flights.)
United 747 buzzes SF Bay. Good or bad idea?
A United Airlines 747 swoops in over Golden Gate for a low-level fly over the Bay. (Photo: DGies / Flickr)
I was out on the San Francisco Bay with thousands of others for the Blue Angels show on Saturday. What a day!
Part of the show included a low-level flyover by a giant United Airlines Boeing 747.
I thought it looked pretty cool. But I heard some grumbling among the crowd I was with about it. When I posted some shots and video (below) on my Facebook page, a minor scuffle broke out between some friends who liked it, others who said it reminded them of 9/11, and a vet who was appalled at the invasion of corporate sponsorship into a military show.
Personally, it did not bother me much. Since I’m a window-seat sorta frequent flyer, I would have loved to have been on board peering out at the Golden Gate at such close range. Wow!
What about you? I’d like to get your reaction to seeing this big bird fly over the bay.
Please leave your comments below!
United tweaks new logo, livery
The new combined United/Continental released a “tweaked” new look today. (It originally just replaced the word “Continental” with “United.” This is a bit more refined.)
The new logo displays the combined company’s brand name in capital letters (UNITED) in a custom sans-serif font, joined with the global mark which has represented Continental’s brand image since 1991.
A corresponding update of the combined airline’s aircraft livery will adopt Continental’s livery, colors and design, including its blue-gold-white globe image on the tail, combined with the new-style UNITED name on the fuselage.
Scroll down to see both and leave a comment!
Summer fares soar out of SFO
I’ve been predicting a busy, expensive summer when it comes to air travel for a few months now. That’s because airline capacity is down, but demand is increasing as the economy continues to strengthen. When you combine those two factors, the result is higher prices. Which is exactly where the airlines want us to be.
So now that it’s time for me to start booking my summer trips, it looks like those predictions of high prices are coming home to roost.
Here’s a sampling of what I’m looking at…and what you’ll find, too. Ouch!
$500 to New York City. I need to be in New York in early June to meet with a large international airline. I need to take a morning departure from here to arrive in New York in the evening. The cheapest midweek nonstop fare I can find is $513 on American. There are a few one-stops or red-eyes in the $400 range, but I’m not willing to do that for $100 in savings.
$520 to Boston. I’m taking a work/vacation trip to Massachusetts straddling the July 4 holiday weekend, which means peak prices, so there’s no getting around high fares– in this case $520 round trip on United. Again, I can get a slightly cheaper fare for a one-stop or red eye, but I’m not willing to take that much time out of my holiday to save less than $100.
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$380 to Atlanta. I own a rental house in Atlanta that I like to go check on each summer. The cheapest nonstop coach fare on AirTran in June is running $377. Delta wants $409. Not horrible, but I’ve paid as little as $220 on this route in recent years.
$450 to Houston. In August, the National Business Travel Association is having its annual convention in Houston. I try to hit this one up each year because it’s so important to my business. But that $450 fare is making me think twice. This might be a case where I’d be willing to take a one-stop flight on Frontier or Southwest where the lowest fare is running about $340.
$1500 to Europe. Since I’m going to Massachusetts for my summer vacation, I won’t be hitting Greece in August. But I still like to THINK about going to Greece in August (despite the recent unrest). But not this year. With airlines reducing frequencies across the Atlantic, and demand increasing, fares are soaring. The least expensive one-stop flight from SFO to Athens in mid-August is now $1520. It’s like that all over Europe this summer. London nonstops are already about $1200 round trip. Frankfurt nonstops are $1500 in August. If you find anything under $1000, book it now!
(Note: I did a quick scan of fares on Kayak.com on Tues. May 11. Fares will undoubtedly change…but I doubt they will decrease much!)
Where are YOU going this summer? Have you checked fares yet? Please leave a comment below and let us know what sort of fares you’re looking at.
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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United + Continental deal is done.
(Crain’s) — United and Continental airlines have reached an agreement on a merger and expect to announce a deal by Monday, pending approval by their boards, a source briefed on the matter says.
United’s board is set to meet Friday to discuss the deal, the source told Crain’s, and Continental’s board is expected to vote Sunday.
A deal isn’t assured. Continental’s board voted down a merger with United two years ago in a Sunday afternoon vote.
But that seems less likely now. Then, the industry was headed into a recession, and United’s financials were deteriorating. Now, air travel is beginning to recover, and United is leading the way, enjoying the biggest gains in revenue among the traditional carriers.
Here’s the full story:
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/news.pl?id=38032&ba=1
What are your thoughts on this big move?
More in-flight wi-fi coming to the Bay
Alaska Airlines 737. Photo: Keith Gaskell
I’m a huge fan of in-flight Wi-Fi, especially for flights longer than 90 minutes, so I’m excited to learn that two more airlines that serve the Bay Area in a big way are adding it. But not for a while.
First off, Alaska Air announced that it’s reached a deal with AirCell’s Gogo—the same provider used by Virgin America, United, Delta and others. But don’t hold your breath. The carrier still has to go through testing and certification with the FAA. It plans to outfit its fleet of new Boeing 737-800’s first, but has not officially set a target date for installation.
One downside: Much of Alaska Airlines’ flying is over water or desolate areas in Alaska, Canada and Mexico where the ground-based Gogo system is currently out of range of the network of radio towers it depends on. That means I’ll get a good Wi-Fi signal in-flight if I choose an Alaska Airlines flight from here to Seattle or Austin. (It adds a second daily “Nerd Bird” nonstop between San Jose and Austin next week.) But my Wi-Fi is not going to work on those new Alaska Air flights from here to Hawaii. And it will be spotty at best on the long coastal flights between Seattle and Anchorage.
Here’s where this story gets ironic. Southwest Airlines, which flies almost exclusively over land, has chosen another in-flight Wi-Fi provider called Row 44, which uses a satellite-based system that works over water and just about anywhere else.
At one time, Alaska Airlines seemed close to landing a deal with Row 44, which would make sense given its flying patterns. Instead, it’s gone with land-based Gogo. Why? “Ultimately Alaska Airlines decided to go with Aircell’s Gogo service because of its proven track record of deploying affordable inflight Wi-Fi services to travelers. Its lower-cost equipment, coupled with the ease and speed of installation and finally its system reliability, allow us to rapidly deploy a desirable service to customers,” Alaska Airlines spokesperson Bobbie Egan told The BAT.
Anyway, Southwest plans to start outfitting its fleet of 540 Boeing 737’s this spring, and says Wi-Fi will be available fleet wide by late 2012.
Frequent travelers from the Bay Area are lucky… they have more in-flight Wi-Fi choices than nearly any other major city. (Except maybe Atlanta, where AirTran offers it on all flights from its hub there, and Delta’s got it on well over half its fleet.) From the Bay, all Virgin America flights offer it. Delta, United and American offer it on all flights between SFO and JFK, and on select flights to other cities. AirTran offers it on all flights between here and Atlanta and beyond.
Have you tried in-flight Wi-Fi? Are you as big a fan as I am? I can’t think of a better way to take advantage of a long flight. To me, it’s the greatest thing since the introduction of the in-flight movie. I don’t mind paying for it either. It definitely drives my airline choice, especially when planning flights longer than 90 minutes. Please leave your comments and experiences with in-flight Wi-Fi below.
Here’s an interesting video that explains how Gogo’s ground-based in-flight internet works:
The BAT on Bloomberg! (Talking Business Class)
United's Lie-Flat Biz-Class Sleeper. Now on ALL 747 and 767 aircraft
Hey Folks: Our new little BAT blog is getting some good press! Check out our quote in the following Bloomberg article about the s-l-o-w return of business class amenities on international flights.
Here’s the link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a10He8umbUY4
And here are a few lines from the intro:
By Mary Jane Credeur and Mary Schlangenstein
Feb. 26 (Bloomberg) — Delta Air Lines Inc. and AMR Corp.’s American Airlines, the world’s two largest carriers, are counting on lie-flat seats and Tahitian crab soup to help win back their most-profitable customers.
With the easing of an 18-month global slump in first- and business-class travel, Delta’s seats that recline 180 degrees into beds and American’s Asian-fusion appetizers are lures for the corporate passengers whose ranks dwindled when the global recession ravaged budgets for international flying.
Filling the premium seats at the front of airplane cabins is pivotal to U.S. airlines’ efforts to return to profit in 2010 after weak demand forced them into discounting to woo vacationers. Business fliers are prized because they typically pay the highest prices and take to the air more often.
“If you’re flying to Japan or Seoul, it makes all the difference in the world to put your legs up and really sleep and arrive rested and ready to go,” said Chris McGinnis, editor of The BAT, a San Francisco-based newsletter and blog for frequent travelers. “You’re going to feel really taken care of.”
U.S. airlines have been playing catch-up in recent years with overseas competitors such as Virgin Atlantic Airways Ltd. that moved more quickly to add amenities including seats that convert into beds.
Here’s the link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=a10He8umbUY4
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 Round-Up of New and Reinstated Flights at SFO
The following new airlines and routes will be added at San Francisco International Airport in upcoming months:
January 5:
- Jetblue adds second daily A-320 nonstops to/from Boston and New York-JFK
- JetBlue adds two daily roundtrips to Long Beach for a total of five daily.
February 11: United adds new roundtrip A320 nonstop to/from St. Louis
March 28:
- United reinstates second daily flights to: London, Frankfurt and Tokyo (all Boeing 777 aircraft)
- United adds two more flights per week to Osaka for daily nonstop service
May 4: WestJet adds seasonal nonstops to/from Calgary with B737 aircraft.
May 10: AirBerlin starts Weds and Fri roundtrips to/from Dusseldorf using A330 aircraft
June 1. Swiss begins 6x per week roundtrips to/from Zurich with A340. (no Tuesdays)
June 22: Air France adds second daily seasonal flights to Paris on Tues, Thurs and Sat.
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.”
