Virgin Galactic over the Bay (Photo+Video)
(Photo: Chris McGinnis)
As part of the festivities surrounding the grand re-opening of SFO’s Terminal 2 this week, Virgin America invited media and VIP’s on a special flight out over the Pacific where we met up with the new Virgin Galactic spacecraft.
This shot was taken from a Virgin A320 looking down on Cronkite Beach, just north of the Golden Gate Bridge. (See below for a fun one-minute video; more photos here.)
After flying over the Gate and then over the Bay, both aircraft landed in tandem at SFO. Spectacular! We then taxied to Terminal 2 where a big reception and tour awaited.
Onboard notables: Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom, astronaut Buzz Aldrin and Virgin Chairman Sir Richard Branson.
Virgin America (finally) invades SFO-Chicago ORD market
(Photo: Drewski2112 / Flickr)
After a protracted battle, Virgin America today announced it will fly to United and American fortress hub Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), with daily nonstop flights from San Francisco International Airport SFO (and Los Angeles LAX) starting May 25, 2011.
With legacy airlines representing 98 percent of domestic departures at ORD, Virgin America hopes to inject some healthy competition into the market. I bet we’ll soon see fare sales, mileage bonuses, more Gogo inflight and other bennies offered up by United and American on their SFO-ORD flights as a result of this announcement.
“Until today, travelers flying from O’Hare to SFO or LAX had little choice and few low fare options. With unrivaled service and new planes that look like nothing else in the skies, we hope our flights will be a breath of fresh air for Chicago travelers,” said Virgin America President and Chief Executive Officer David Cush. “When more airlines compete, consumers tend to win — with lower fares and better service. Mayor Daley and the airport have shown tremendous vision by investing in ORD’s future and by helping to open up access to new competition.”
Virgin America originally announced its intent to serve O’Hare in 2008, but its plans were delayed due to gate availability.
Virgin America’s Main Cabin SFO-ORD fares start from $99 (restrictions, taxes and fees applying) and are on sale today on the airline’s Web site (www.virginamerica.com).
SMART: To kick off its new Windy City service, the airline is teaming up with the Chicago-based Groupon for today’s “Featured Deal” that will give Groupon subscribers in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco the chance to purchase a $7 Groupon good for $77 in air fare for a roundtrip purchase on Virgin America’s new ORD routes. This is the first Featured Deal that Groupon has launched solely for air travel. For more, visit: http://www.groupon.com/deals/virgin-america-chicago
Flights will depart SFO for ORD at 6:55 am, 10:25 am and 4:35 pm. Returns from ORD will depart at 7:00 am, 2:05 pm and 5:35 pm.
(This item first appeared in The BAT blog for Bay Area Travelers. For new, fare alerts and deals, sign up! It’s free.)
Sneak-peek: SFO’s new Terminal 2
Today I was invited on a hard-hat tour of SFO’s Terminal 2, which will open officially on April 14 housing the operations of American and Virgin America. Below are a few photos of the gleaming new terminal and some information provided by the airport. Enjoy!
From the roadway: The art starts as soon as you see Terminal 2
Future American Airlines ticketing area with faux wood ceilings
This is the big bright and airy main atrium area. American Airlines occupies the left side; Virgin America occupies the right.
These faucets in the atrium area are for filling water bottles only. No hand washing!
Airport officials say that bathrooms in the terminal have “five star hotel finishes” such as glass tile and granite counter tops.
Gadget freaks rejoice! There are electrical outlets everywhere in Terminal 2. Find them on multiple table top work areas like this, as well as on granite topped tables between seats. Nice!
There are two dedicated kiddie play areas. Notice the SFO “crawlable” letters? Fun with the help of the Exploratorium.
This is the “recomposure area” where you put yourself back together after security screening. When complete, there will be benches, tables and some big cloud-like nets hanging from ceiling.
Members or travelers walking by the sliding glass doors of American’s new Admirals Club will be able to see the airport’s only working fireplace! (See the cut out on the wall to the right?)
Here’s a press release issued by the airport with details about the new terminal:
SAN FRANCISCO — Officials from San Francisco International Airport led a hard-hat tour today to announce that it is nearing the completion of a $383 million renovation of Terminal 2 (T2), one of the most sustainable and modern airport terminals in the United States. The new home for American Airlines and Virgin America, T2 will open to the public for a community open house on Saturday, April 9, 2011, with the first flights commencing on Thursday, April 14, 2011.
“Once again, San Francisco has led by example,” said San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee. “The completion of Terminal 2 at SFO is noteworthy on many levels — it is the most modern terminal in the country, it is uniquely sustainable, and it has been designed specifically for how we travel today.”
Originally constructed in 1954 and renovated in 1984, the 640,000 square ft Terminal 2 housed the Airport’s international flights until December 2000, when it was replaced by the current International Terminal. Built through a design-build partnership between Gensler and Turner Construction, the renovated T2 will offer 14 gates serving Virgin America and American Airlines.
“T2 demonstrates how we can achieve sustainability in a way that enhances the traveler experience,” said John L. Martin, Airport Director. “T2 is modern, comfortable, intuitive and better suited to meet the needs of today’s travelers. From the early design and construction practices to paperless ticketing — we have provided this experience using sustainable methods at every step along the way.”
The design of T2 is a notable departure from traditional airport terminals — most of which were built decades ago. T2 is customized for today and tomorrow’s modern travelers with features designed to elevate the travel experience.
“In T2, our goal is to reset traveler expectations. We’re striving to de-stress the travel experience, offer passengers a healthful, sustainable environment, and even delight people with fun things to do,” said Steve Weindel, Principal Gensler, the project’s architect.
Key design features include:
Better Seating — Club-like seating in the dining and waiting areas that allows views of all the gates.
Relax After Security — A unique “recomposure” area past the security screening area that allows passengers a quiet and unhurried place to re-assemble their clothing and carry-on items.
Food Marketplace — The country’s first airport food marketplace and retail street featuring local, organic vendors and producers, including restaurants from noted chefs Cat Cora and Tyler Florence.
Computer Connections — Work-oriented counter seating with outlets and free Wi-Fi.
Hydration Stations — Special tap-water hydration stations for filling re-usable water bottles.
Place for Kids — A children’s play area with original artwork and play pieces.
T2 is the first airport terminal in the United States that is LEED Gold-Registered. The terminal was built with multiple progressive sustainable features that aimed at reducing carbon emissions while also creating a more healthful environment for travelers and staff. These features include:
Natural Light — Skylights and clerestories bring daylight into the ticketing lobby and retail areas, providing a healthier working environment while significantly reducing electricity requirements during daylight hours.
Cleaner Air — An innovative displacement ventilation system that uses filtered air to improve indoor air quality, while using 20 percent less energy.
Car-Free Connection — T2 connects to BART via SFO’s AirTrain people mover system, so that employees and travelers alike can easily go from Airport to City on mass transit.
Zero Waste Stations — Waste stations replace traditional garbage cans with easy-to-use compartments for composting, recyclables and trash.
Locally Grown — Local-organic food vendors, offering wholesome food grown and prepared in a healthful manner.
Water Conservation — A dual plumbing system that allows for reclaimed water from SFO’s water treatment facility to be used for toilets and other uses throughout the Airport. Moreover, T2′s plumbing fixtures use 40 percent less water than typical fixtures.
Paperless Ticketing — A paperless ticketing system throughout the terminal increases efficiency and saves trees.
Energy Efficiency — Energy efficient lighting and machinery will drastically reduce energy use.
Sustainable Building Materials — Sustainable building materials include terrazzo flooring with recycled glass chips, recycled-content carpet and innovative and efficient use of structural steel.
The travelers’ experience will be further augmented by SFO’s world-renowned signature public art program featuring dozens of art works by local and international artists. “The San Francisco Arts Commission’s Public Art Program has assembled a world-class art collection for Terminal 2, including dramatic, new commissions by artists of national and international acclaim,” said San Francisco Arts Commission President P.J. Johnston. “From the moment they step off the plane, travelers will experience the unique spirit of San Francisco, which is a city that is committed to enriching the lives of its residents and visitors through the arts.”
Southwest Airlines revamps Rapid Rewards
(Photo: Andertho / Flickr
Hoping to appeal more to frequent business travelers, Southwest Airlines announced a major re-do of Rapid Rewards, its frequent flyer program, today. The program is switching from a flight-credit based program to a points-based program. Points earned are based on how much money you spend.
The new program is remarkably similar to that of San Francisco-based Virgin America and it’s part of a trend among all airlines to programs that are more based on how much members spend than how far they fly. Southwest’s new program also picked up a unique component from AirTran, which will allow members to “buy” tickets on other airlines to destinations not served by Southwest.
Here are some highlights from a news conference I attended yesterday where Southwest CEO Gary Kelly and program mastermind Ryan Green rolled out the new program:
>EFFECTIVE DATE: New program goes into effect on March 1, 2011.
>EARNING: Members earn points based on fare paid. For example, on a deeply discounted $100 “Wanna Get Away” fare between say, SFO and Denver, you’ll earn 600 points– six points per dollar. If you choose to pay the $200 “Anytime” fare, you’ll earn 2000 points– 10 points per dollar. And if you choose the most expensive “Business Select” fare of $220, you’ll earn 2,640 points– 12 points per dollar.
>REDEEMING: When booking a flight, you will be given the choice of paying with dollars or with points. Using Denver as the example again, if you book the least expensive “Wanna Get Away” fare that normally sells for $100, it will cost 6000 points. The less restrictive $200 “Anytime” fare will cost 20,000 points. Business Select fares ($220) would cost 26,400 points.
>FEWER RESTRICTIONS: Unlike programs offered by legacy carriers where seat availability is murky at best, Rapid Rewards members will be able to redeem their points for every seat on every flight with no blackout dates or seat restrictions. Points expire only if you don’t have earning activity within a 24-month time period.
>TRANSITION: Current credits and awards will maintain their value until they are used or expire. Members’ accounts will automatically be transferred to the new program on March 1, so you can keep your Rapid Rewards number and there’s no need to re-enroll.
>INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS: One of Southwest’s biggest challenges with its old program was that it only offered award flights to Southwest-served destinations in the continental U.S. while competing airline programs offer flights to more attractive far-flung international destinations. With the new program, members can redeem points for flights to over 800 new destinations served by other carriers. Similar to some credit card loyalty plans and AirTran, Southwest has teamed up with a third party travel agent where members can use their points to “buy” tickets on other carriers. (Details are somewhat sketchy here, but if the program is similar to that of AirTran, tickets for international flights will require a hefty redemption of points. . . but at least it’s an option for members who’ve banked lots of points.) In order to take advantage of this option, you must hold the $59/year Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card.
>ELITE LEVELS. Those near top of the heap, A-List Preferred members, will get free Wi-Fi access on all Southwest flights (currently it has close to 100 planes with Wi-Fi with plans to have it fleet wide within two years.) Also, with the new program, members only have to fly 25 one-way segments (down from 32) or earn 35,000 qualifying points to qualify for the A-List. For the new A-List Preferred tier, you must fly 50 one-way segments or earn 70,000 qualifying points. To help build point banks faster, A-List members get a 25 percent booking bonus; Preferred members get a 100 percent bonus. Members who fly at last 100 one-way segments or earn 110,000 points get a Companion Pass, allowing one designated person to fly free with the member for a year.
For a peek and more details, check out the new site here: www.newrapidrewards.com
Top 10 predictions for BATs in 2011
It’s that time of year again…when travel pundits and prognosticators do their best to gaze into the future and predict what may or may not happen in the big wide world of travel in the coming year.
Here are my top ten predictions for frequent travelers in 2011:
1-RISING PRICES. Business travel prices will continue to rise, but not enough to dampen renewed demand.
2-AIRFARE. Fares will continue to rise sharply, especially for flights between cities where only one or two legacy carriers operate. From the Bay Area, all you have to do is follow the route maps of Virgin America, Southwest and JetBlue to know where the deals are (or aren’t). Also, prepare for more fuel surcharges if oil hits $100 per barrel– it’s currently about $89 and rising.
3-TRAVEL DEALS. In terms of travel deals, there will be a wider gap between peak season and off-season prices. Those with flexibility to travel outside the peak travel dates will continue to find good deals and more short-term “flash” type sales. Those who must travel during peak periods will face sticker shock.
4-HOTEL RATES. Due to continued overcapacity, hotel rates should remain about the same or slightly up, on average, over the next year. Hotel rates in New York City will rise, but a steady supply of new hotels opening there should keep rate inflation to acceptable levels, especially among mid-tier properties.
5-FREE WI-FI. More upscale hotel chains will join their midscale counterparts to offer free in-room Wi-Fi. We’ll also see hoteliers pay more attention to bandwidth issues on their existing systems. What good is free Wi-Fi if it doesn’t work? In-flight Wi-Fi prices could moderate as Southwest’s $5 flat fee for inflight Wi-Fi expands to more flights.
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6-LONGER STAYS. Hotel chains will offer more loyalty program promotions designed to get travelers to increase the duration of their stays. (Such as “buy two nights, get the third free.”)
7-DRIVING VS. FLYING. Due to recent changes in security screening, the airport hassle factor could return, and more frequent travelers will consider driving instead of flying. The “five hour rule” might change to the “six hour rule.”
8-MOBILE DEVICES. We’ll see more focus on business travelers’ smart phones, which will soon be used to open hotel room doors and will be accepted as payment instead of credit cards. There will be more promotions designed to encourage the use of mobile devices to book and manage travel reservations
9-IN-FLIGHT PHONING. In-flight phone calling, now available on several non-U.S. airlines will become more prevalent and might even be considered by a domestic carrier. High per-call rates and peer pressure should keep abuse in check– remember those pricey GTE Airfones that no one ever used because they were too expensive? I expect the same with in-flight cell phone use.
10-MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS. More of us will attend large annual trade shows and conventions this year as pent up demand is released. Many companies banned non-essential travel over the last two years and business travelers are eager to get out of the office and re-establish face-to-face contact with customers and colleagues. However, I think small and medium-sized meetings will face more competition from virtual alternatives.
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.)
17 Things Travelers Need To Know This Month
It’s been a while since I’ve done one of my Bay Area travel news round ups. Here are 17 things frequent travelers need to know this month:
(Photo: Ed Yourdon / Flickr)
>SIGH OF RELIEF. Ah, fall! If the madding crowds of tourists have knocked you around this summer, relief is on the way. Over the next few weeks, packed planes, sold out hotels, lines at the breakfast bar and shrieks and squeals in the hotel pool area should subside. Airlines and hotels are already rolling out the fall deals and discounts, which is a signal to me that they’re a little skittish about declining demand. That means lower prices, more deals and some welcome breathing room for travelers.
>FREE WI-FI AT SFO. San Francisco International has finally joined Oakland and San Jose airports offering FREE Wi-Fi throughout the airport. Log on and look for the “sfo free wifi” network. I’ve not used it yet. If you have, please let us know how it works below in comments.
>IHG HOTELS PAY BAG FEES. Here’s a deal that should be music to the ears of non-elite air travelers forced to pay those dastardly new fees for checked bags. IHG Hotels (which include Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza, Staybridge Suites, Indigo among others) is offering to rebate $50 to travelers who book two or more weekend nights now through Dec 30. Must use Visa card to pay for your stay. Details.
>A NICE PAIRING. Two very popular brands among Bay Area frequent travelers have hooked up their loyalty programs: Southwest Rapid Rewards & Starwood Preferred Guest. Details.
>JETBLUE PASS SOLD OUT. It only took about three days for JetBlue to sell out of its unique one-month all-you-can-fly pass. The pass is a great idea for someone with a lot of time and flexibility on their hands. . .like the retired or unemployed. Not really something that a frequent traveler would be able to use…but still a fun concept! (Not to mention great PR for the airline.)
Delta’s soon-to-be-demolished Worldport at JFK (photo: Mokolabs)
>DELTA TO DEMOLISH JFK WORLDPORT. I love Delta’s Business Elite service between SFO and JFK. But I hate using Delta’s dilapidated, ex-Pan Am Worldport facility there. Good news: it will soon be demolished and Delta will move international flights to an updated Terminal 4. Not so good news: Delta’s holding on to its mediocre Terminal 2 for domestic flights.
>VIRGIN AMERICA EXPANDS. Earlier this summer, SFO-based Virgin America bought a bunch of new planes. . . Now they’ve got to find more places to fly them. In coming months, Virgin will add flights from SFO to: Orlando, Dallas, Cabo San Lucas, and Cancun. I’m still hoping that they’ll get into Chicago O’Hare one day soon, but I suspect entrenched legacy carriers American and United are successfully blocking that for now. We’ll see.
>NEW NERD BIRD. Southwest jumps into the Bay Area to Austin, TX fray with new Nerd Bird nonstops from San Jose starting Nov 7. (Looks like Southwest is trying to beat Virgin to the punch…it’s recently been hinting about its own SFO-Austin flights.)
>BUY ELITE SEATS. No longer an elite level on American Airlines? Now you can buy many elite privileges per flight with it’s new “Express Seats” plan. Example: Pay $39 extra when you check in for SFO-JFK and you’ll get a coach seat near the front and early boarding. Details. Worth it?
>AMERICAN SLIMMING DOWN AT SFO. American Airlines is eliminating its non-stop flights to Boston later this year, which seems strange given its big investment and pending move into Terminal 2 at SFO. Did you know that it’s putting in a 10,000 square foot Admirals club, complete with a real FIREPLACE? I learned that little tidbit last week while attending the NBTA convention in Houston.
Na Pali Coast, Kauai (Photo: Jeff Kubina / Flickr)
>KEEP AN EYE ON HAWAII FARES. Mahalo very much! Periodically over the last month, SFO-HNL fares to Honolulu have fallen to just $257 round trip on Delta. If you are interested in getting out from under all this fog, set up a fare alert on routes to Hawaii and then jump when you see a fare of less than $300. Here’s evidence of just how low those fares can go.
>MORE AIRPORT PERKS FOR AMEX PLATS. If you fork over $450 per year for your American Express Platinum card, your benefits just got better– cardholders now get access to US Airways airport clubs, as well as those from American, Delta and Continental airlines.
>SF-BASED PARTNERSHIP. Virgin America Elevate members can now earn one point per dollar spent at participating Joie de Vivre Hotels. To qualify, you must also be enrolled in Joie de Vivre’s loyalty program, Joy of Life Club. In addition to your Elevate points, you’ll also earn Joy of Life Club points for each stay through Dec 31, 2010.
>iPHONE TO THE RESCUE. There’s a very helpful new iPhone application from the TSA that allows users to check airport security wait times and flight delays in real time.
>FREAKISH FEES? The smart folks over at TripAdvisor have fashioned a very helpful “fees estimator” to its search engine– allowing users to enter the number of bags they plan to check as well as their frequent flyer program affiliation and status. Then the site calculates the TOTAL fee you’d pay and presents it for comparison on a matrix. Nice! See www.tripadvisor.com/flights and try it yourself.
Lie-flat business class seat on SAA A340
>EASIER SEAT SEARCHES. I’m a big fan of Seatguru.com when trying to pick the perfect seat for a long international or transcon flight. In the past it was tough because there are so many different airplane configurations flying around out there. Seatguru’s solved that by letting you enter your actual airline flight NUMBER first, which means you’ll always see the exact layout of your plane. (I just used it to check out the nice business class seat I’ll have on my South African Airways flight to Cape Town next week. Stay tuned for more on that trip.)
>WATCH THOSE VALUABLES. A 47-year-old Air France flight attendant is facing 10 years in jail after pleading guilty to stealing from business class passengers sleeping on long haul flights. She said that she targeted passengers who would fall asleep after a big meal with lots of alcohol.
San Francisco’s Terminal 2: A hard hat tour! (3 min video)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eh1LlEhRzD4
Terminal 2 at SFO, the future home of Virgin America and American Airlines is expected to open next spring.
Earlier this month, airport authorities took The BAT on a behind-the-scenes hardhat tour to check on construction progress.
Take a look at the three-minute video to see it for yourself!
A few interesting things frequent travelers should know about T2:
>The terminal will be shared 50/50 by San Francisco-based Virgin America and American Airlines.
>Each airline will operate seven gates.
>American Airlines will occupy the left, or north side of the terminal. Virgin will occupy the right or south side.
>American will operate a brand new 10,000 square-foot Admirals Club. There are no plans for a Virgin America club, but airport officials say, “The entire terminal is going to feel like a club.” But if you really need a club, you can buy a day pass to the Admirals Club for $50.
>Tentative opening is April 2011.
>There will be eight security screening lanes.
>The terminal will offer free Wi-Fi throughout. (The entire airport will transition from paid to free Wi-Fi this September.)
>There will be 12 restaurants and nine retail stores in T2 including a Marketplace area that should resemble the Ferry Building on San Francisco’s Embarcadero. Most restaurants will specialize in organic, local and “Slow Food” menu items. (See below for map of concessions.)
>The renovated space will be bathed in natural light and include sky or cloud themed public art displays. Officials hope the terminal will be LEED certified.
>Total cost to renovate Terminal 2 is about $400 million.
Take a look at the three-minute video to see it for yourself!
Flight from Hell? Gimme a break.
A Virgin America A320 (photo: Drewski2112/Flickr)
By now you’ve probably heard about the Virgin America flight from Los Angeles to New York-Kennedy that had to divert to another airport during a freak storm last Saturday evening.
In case you’ve not heard about it, here’s a digest: Virgin flight 404 departed LAX on time at 7:30 a.m., flew to the NYC area where it was scheduled to land at 3:30 p.m. But with a storm raging and JFK closed, the flight circled and was eventually ordered to land at Stewart Airport at about 5:30 p.m. to wait it out. The storm lasted longer than expected so bus transportation was arranged and passengers eventually made it to JFK by about 1 a.m.
Then, for the next few days, headlines blared about the HORROR! The NIGHTMARE! The STRANDING! The CRYING BABIES! The FORCED RATIONING! Another “FLIGHT FROM HELL!”
Oh, please. Gimme a break. And let’s all give Virgin America a big break here, too. Here’s why:
Bad weather happens!
I’m getting the impression that many mainstream media writers and producers are not frequent travelers. They may not realize, like most grizzled veterans of the skies do, that bad weather and delays are part of the deal. Sure, they can slow you down and magnify your emotions. But they are not unexpected.
Blogger on board!
Did you know that there were eight other marooned planes at Stewart and hundreds of other planes parked and waiting at odd airports up and down the east coast on Saturday night? JetBlue alone diverted six of its jets to Stewart Airport.
It just so happened that David Martin, the CEO of a social media web site that solicits visitors to “Show what you’re doing” was seated in first class with a web cam and Wi-Fi access. He’s since posted the 30+ media interviews he’s done about the incident, and publicly thanks CNN “for the one million people whack.”
I don’t blame the guy for taking this opportunity to boost hits on his site. Instead, I think the media outlets that took his story hook, line and sinker (and then sensationalized it) need to do a little soul searching.
I contacted Chris Elliott, the reader advocate at National Geographic Traveler magazine about this ordeal and he opined, “The way this story has played itself out in the mainstream media, you’d think Virgin America was solely responsible for the delay. You’d also think the airline wanted to imprison its passengers on a plane. Nothing could be further from the truth.”
TV Star on board!
There’s nothing like a little star power to jazz up a travel story and it just so happened that Dancing with the Stars judge Carrie Ann Inaba was seated next to Martin in first class.
Virgin staff did the best they could!
They allowed passengers two opportunities to get off the plane at Stewart if they wanted to. Twenty out of 126 did get off, and took cabs home. The others elected to stay on board.
They kept lavatories clean and operable. Live TV and Wi-Fi were available throughout the ordeal. They divvied up what food they had on board. Five cases of water were delivered to the aircraft.
They called police and had a passenger escorted off the plane when she became belligerent demanding cigarettes, vodka and medication.
It’s reported (although not captured in the aforementioned videos) that flight crew and passengers got a little snappy with each other. Um, hello? Human beings stuck in a tense and uncertain situation tend to get snappy and disagreeable. Babies cry. People get hungry and grumpy. Uncomfortable, yes. Unusual? No.
Pilots provided personal updates.
From the online videos I’ve seen of the incident, I’m very impressed that the captain made the effort to exit the cockpit and stand at the front of the plane in full view of all the passengers to offer updates and announcements.
I have endured similar incidents throughout my career as a frequent traveler, and I’ve never seen a captain do that. They typically stay in the cockpit with the door shut. Kudos to the pilots.
Passengers made it to JFK. For free!
In the end, the flight was scrubbed, passengers deplaned at about 10:30 p.m., buses where called in and everyone made it to JFK by about 1 a.m. A little worse for wear, but they got there. Even better, they got there for free. Virgin gave a full refund to everyone on board, plus a $100 certificate to use on a future flight. (Here’s a link to Virgin’s apology to passengers and its official report of the incident to the Dept. of Transportation.)
So I obviously think the whole ordeal was overblown. What do you think about the whole affair?
RELATED: Virgin America announced today that it will add new nonstops from SFO to both Toronto and Orlando on August 19, but will shutter its nonstops between SFO and the “OC” (John Wayne Airport in Orange county) in May.
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:
Good News: Virgin zaps point expiration
One of the most frustrating things about Virgin America’s frequent flyer program has been the fact that points expired after 18 months…even if you were flying Virgin all the time. That set it apart from most major airline programs that allow members to keep points as long as they do business with the airline at least once every 18 months.
Today, Virgin eliminated that frustration. Now, members of its Elevate program retain their points indefinitely, as long as they either earn or redeem points at least once every 18 months.
Elevate points will not expire as long as a member has at least one qualifying activity every 18 months. Qualifying activities include: purchasing Virgin America flights; completing Virgin America reward travel; earning Elevate points with partners like Avis/Budget and Hilton Honors; and accruing points via the Virgin America credit card or the Red store. Elevate members can earn free flights just by shopping online at the Red Store,
If you are not yet familiar with Virgin’s Elevate program, here are some key features:
- No black-out dates – guests can redeem points for any available seat on any flight
- Simple “points per dollar” system, instead of typical miles or segments flown
- Members earn five points for every $1 spent on base fares and can book a free flight with as few as 2500 points
- Visible “price in points” for booking flights online
- Price in points varies based on class of service and seat availability
- Ability to use points to book one-way travel and book any class of travel
- Customized member profile to help speed bookings – go from flight to confirmation in just a few clicks
- Points do not expire as long as member has earned or redeemed in the past 18 months
- Members receive exclusive offers to unique Virgin America events, including past opportunities to fly with the Victoria’s Secret supermodels, tickets to the in-flight premiere of HBO’s Entourage and the chance to earn a seat on a Virgin Galactic sub-orbital space flight.
Stay tuned: More Elevate partnerships and rewards are planned to roll out later this spring. For more on Elevate or visit Virgin America’s Web site.
San Jose Airport version 2.0: Wow! (video)
photo: Sherman Takata
(scroll down two view my two-minute video tour of the new terminals)
The sleek new look of Mineta-San Jose’s new airport terminal reminds me of my iPod. Or a space ship. Or a museum. In any case, it’s cutting edge design is now a much more befitting symbol of the Silicon Valley than the version 1.0, which sort of reminded me of my 60’s-era elementary school. (Take my two-minute video tour of SJC)
[The BAT is now on SFgate! Check it out here.]
Last month, the Silicon Valley Business Travel Association invited me to their monthly meeting, which was hosted by airport officials. The SVBTA is a 240+ person organization that represents the interests of corporate travel buyers in the South Bay region—to the tune of just over $1 billion per year. (see svbta.org)
San Jose airport authorities brought in SVBTA members for a look-see because they are eager to get support from the business community necessary to attract more flights and more airlines to its fancy new digs. Why? Because the new digs cost a whopping $1.3 billion, and that mortgage will be repaid in large part by the fees airlines pay to fly in and out of SJC. (The airport is self-sustaining and does not rely on local tax funds.)
Despite its location in largest city in the Bay Area and adjacency to some of the world’s largest tech companies that spend billions of dollars each year on travel, San Jose airport handles less than 20% of all commercial flights in the region.
(Take my two-minute video tour of SJC)
The tech bubble burst and recession have had a severe impact on the airport. For example, the number of daily flights at SJC has fallen from 232 in 2001 to just 125 in 2010—that’s a 42 percent decline. The number of destinations served nonstop has declined from 39 to 28 in the same period. International flights to Tokyo and Paris were scrubbed long ago. Passenger numbers have declined nearly 40 percent.
Airport authorities blame a lot of this decline on what they call the “Virgin Effect.” They say that when Virgin America cranked up operations at San Francisco International in 2007, airlines quickly “herded” around the new entrant, concentrating their Bay Area flying at SFO and slashing prices to protect their market share. That means SFO added 83 new flights since 2007 while OAK and SJC have experienced losses in flights and passenger numbers.
However, there are some notable new flights at SJC: Alaska starts flights to Maui and Kona in March; Horizon just added new flights to Mammoth Mountain and will add flights to Spokane next month. In May, JetBlue adds nonstops to Boston.
(Take my two-minute video tour of SJC)
Airport Primer:
If you find your way to San Jose for a flight in the near future, here’s what you need to know:
>All that’s left of the old structure is the current Terminal C, which will be demolished by this summer. Currently, if you fly into Terminal C (Alaska/Horizon, Delta, Frontier, US Airways), your bags will actually arrive at Terminal B due to construction. (This will change in June 2010 when all airlines move to A or B.)
>Terminal A (16 gates), originally opened in 1990 but has gotten a complete makeover, with a brand new ticketing area, concessions, and a big, bright new security screening area which opened last November. Terminal A handles American, Continental, JetBlue, Hawaiian, Mexicana and United flights.
>The bright new Terminal B Concourse (see video) partially opened last summer with six gates for Southwest Airlines flights. However, until Concourse B is complete this summer, Southwest passengers must enter security at Terminal A and take a rather long walk to their gates. (Take my two-minute video tour of SJC)
>Eventually, an entirely new south Concourse will rise from the site of the current Concourse C, but that depends on when airport traffic levels recover enough to justify the expansion.
>A new consolidated car rental center and parking deck (the building with the exterior skin featuring giant hands, which can be seen for miles) should open in June.
For more information on airport changes, maps, and services, go to www.flysanjose.com.
(Take my two-minute video tour of SJC)
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DOT: Virgin America is indeed AMERICAN
photo: life.com
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Love what Virgin America as done for flying from the Bay Area? (There are a lot of chihuahuas that sure do! See video below) Then you’ll be glad to know that it’s cleared an important challenge to its U.S. citizenship. This just in from the AP:
The Transportation Department has rejected an Alaska Airlines challenge to the U.S. citizenship status of privately held carrier Virgin America.
The agency said Friday that Virgin America remains a U.S. citizen and remains under the actual control of U.S. citizens. Under U.S. law, foreign ownership in a U.S. air carrier is limited to 25 percent of the voting interest in the carrier.
The Virgin Group, controlled by British billionaire Richard Branson, is a minority holder in Virgin America. DOT said the Virgin Group holds a 25 percent equity stake in Virgin America.
Here’s a link to the complete AP article
And Virgin America’s public statement on the decision
And here’s a very cute Chihuahua story that was a publicity coup for Virgin America…it got the brand on ALL the big morning talk shows in New York, plus tons of Bay Area and national media coverage. It was a feel good travel story in the midst of a bad travel news week!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rjmRSHemqs
(Too bad the voice over says “Virgin ATLANTIC” instead of Virgin America! I bet the PR’s are cringing down in Burlingame!)
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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.”
Delta Offers New Upgraded “Business Elite” SFO-New York (2.5 min VIDEO)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khIytDRus58
Delta’s now offering a schwanky new transcon Business Elite service for flights between SFO and New York-JFK. Fares run in the $1000 to $3000 range.
I have only flown United P.S Business and Delta on this route and would love it if someone could chime in with some comments below about American’s premium classes or Virgin America’s first class on the route.
Delta’s upgraded service brings it up to par with rivals on the busy route.
Like United’s PS flights, Delta flies only Boeing 757′s on the route. However, Delta offers 16 Business Elite seats in the front section of the aircraft (forward of the galley and to the left when you enter the plane). The rest of the plane is coach (no first class.)
United P.S. offers 12 first class, lie flat seats and 26 business class, cradle style seats which are similar to Delta’s. (On United, first and business class comprise about two thirds of the on-board real estate.)
Delta Transcon Business Elite offers a wide range of entertainment options, but no live TV on its in-seat AVOD system. United passes out portable, individual inflight entertainment units that offer more limited choices than Delta’s.
United currently has in-flight wi-fi on ALL P.S. flights. Delta says that its wi-fi installation on these flights should be complete by the end of Dec 2009. Both United and Delta offer in-flight power plugs for laptops.
Anyway, The BAT recently went along for a test ride— see our 2.5 min video review. Enjoy! Take a look and let us know what you think. LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW!
