News and notes from around the interweb:
- Next month, Grand Rapids airport will make self-service bag check-in mandatory for American, United, Frontier Airlines. How every Alaska of them.
- Why don’t United Clubs have showers? (See also: Scott Kirby Says Only Two Premium Airlines Can Exist — Passenger Photos Show United Isn’t One Of Them)
I used to work at UA in Strategy and the only reason EWR has showers is because I got into a massive argument with this person about it. His stance was that showers weren’t a “brand standard”. I had to explain that the competition wasn’t other UCs. I won that particular battle, but alas I am no longer at UA and he is.
ETA: he’s also unfortunately not near retirement age.
- Buy GHA Discover Dollars at 15% off through August 31, 2026. When spending D$ you’re not earning D$ on that spending, so foregoing 4-7% back. Still, you can apply it to room rate and on-property spend at any of their participating hotels, but bear in mind that they expire if unused after 24 months.
- Hyatt’s Kissel Uptown Oakland makes my head want to explode. It’s a hotel in Oakland. With a resort fee. And it includes a cookie, making the hotel fee like a cheaper version of a DoubleTree, because at DoubleTree the cookie is actually free.
You’re paying $27++ extra per day, mandatory, but you’re only entitled to one cookie. You do get access to a “calm meditative space on the 3rd floor” though, which the hotel couldn’t repurpose for something revenue-generative. You also get a dessert with minimum purchase in the restaurant (not a deal) and coffee or tea with purchase of a breakfast entree (not a deal). But it’s the cookie that does it. Just bake your own at home, here’s the recipe.
- 30% bonus transferring Amex Membership Rewards to British Airways through September 27, 2026.
- I mean, it’s Filthadelphia. Generally, the condition of facilities at the legacy US Airways hubs is abysmal. New York LaGuardia is better because it’s an entirely new terminal, and Philadelphia A West is new, but the rest of Philadelphia, Charlotte, and Phoenix – just sad. American is only just beginning to invest in its facilities, after a dozen years of Team Tempe’s not spending a dollar they don’t have to.
Ridiculous! Here is American Airlines in Philly Terminal F. Pay more get more 😂🤦♂️ pic.twitter.com/lpR4UaRxg6
— Kevin Wright (@KevinWr85731870) August 2, 2026
The customer gets to do everything except fly the airplane.
(Nor may they sit in the galley playing Candy Crush for half the flight)
Ah…so it goes.
Self service means if the checked in bag is even 1 ounce overweight, the automated system will flag and charge accordingly.
@Luke — If it’s that nominal, and it’s just weighed at the automated kiosk, you could give it a ‘lift’ and print the tag; if they weigh and charge later, well then, never mind.
@Gary, “but bear in mind that they expire if unused after 12-24 months depending on your status tier.” D$s earned from stays expire in 12-24 months if not used depending on tier. But, the purchased D$s get a 24 month expiration. Everybody should know that all earned/purchased D$s get an expiration date that does not get extended through activity of any sort.
The system NZ uses for self-checked bags has laser (or laser looking) lights that also measure the bag. So, you can get zapped for weight or size. I will say, though, the system is quite easy to use.
I believe Ryanair is trying to deploy this technology widely.
Its about time customers lift their own heavy bags in to the system
@This comes to mind — Surely, such a system is foolproof and there are no workarounds… *cough*
I was at GRR the other week for the first time, nice airport. Random thought, how does one buy a ticket at the airport if there’s no more attendants?
Unrelated, saw Zorkfest is back in Q1 2027! Speaking (and treating everyone to lunch) again, Gary?
I hate these.. they are aweful and take significantly longer to checkin at SeaTac. Its a shame Alaska hasnt ripped these out and shipped them back, and goes back to the iPad tablets that spit out your bag tag and then have an agent verify ID and bag.. and *done*.
@L737 – haven’t talked about it with Trager honestly, certainly open to it
UA not having showers at hub airports would be a big no for me. Granted, AA does not have them at either CLT or PHX. PHX still is still under the spell of the former America West/US Air headquarters about five miles away in Tempe. (They at least look nice from the outside-think they are still used for training.)
CLT will eventually get them but PHX will always be the shrine to America West. Unless new management takes over and someone clues them into the fact that PHX is in indeed a hub.
I also find is strange that LGA has showers but DCA (E club) does not. Neither has International other than Canada and LGA does not have any transcons.
@L737 — Wow! You’re on top of it! March 2027. “As loyalty programs get tighter, the edge goes to people willing to think deeper.” The Inner Circle… oh lala.
keepsake/ˈkēpˌsāk/
A keepsake is a small object kept to remind you of a person, place, or event. It is valued for its emotional meaning rather than its cost.
That refillable ‘keepsake’ bottle is priceless 🙂
@Gary —Nice! Hoping to make it to one a some point.
@1990 — I initially first thought to check was because I was looking around to see where I wanted to use my future Aspire resort credits haha. The ‘Inner Circle’ does add a bit of mystique!
@L737 — Slightly better than Hertz “President’s Circle,” that’s for sure!
@ Gary — Thee ONLY thing that makes the AA Citi Executive card worth $595 (and maybe $695) is access to Alaska Lounge. I consider this card an Alaska Lounge membership with access to Admirals Club as a side benefit. Does AA try to be the worst?
@ George — Doesn’t your home and hotel room have a shower? Why do people feel the need to shower in an airport? ZERO value in my book.
@ Gary, Fully agree with you. Casey from GRR is full of B.S. “We’re changing the check-in experience and really adding elements to enhance your experience as our guest,” GRR’s Director of Engineering and Planning Casey Ries told News 8. Why is me doing all the work an enhancement? What about Customer Service for someone on a multi-thousand dollar F tix?
@ George, Fully agree with you. @ Gene, huge value in my book, as I fly UA’s Polaris intercontinently every other week, on trips that often exceed 30 hrs. one-way. Having a shower in SFO or NRT would be a huge plus imo. FWIW, AA’s showers in LAX, ORD, & DFW do compete with any foreign carrier’s showers IMO.
I’ve been at the PHL airport many times in recent years and it is not “Fithadelphia.” It’s old, and most of it is not esthetically pleasing, but it’s fine. It has a very nice Chase lounge, along with a good Flagship lounge and decent AMEX lounge. This make it an above average airport to visit. I’ll take good lounges over better airport architecture any day.
Here’s a hint. The UA exec who has famously killed showers at the United Clubs got his “big break” running Project Quality… tigers don’t change their stripes.
@ Gene
Showers are a nice option. Charge miles to use. Have many for superior economics.
Penn St football has a shower room…
Wow, didn’t expect a random stray fired at the Kissel hotel near me. It’s the only surviving boutique hotel in Uptown Oakland, and a considerable step up from the various Marriott properties in downtown. It’s super close to the lake, walkable to BART, and surrounded by generally fantastic restaurants, bars, and coffee shops (which I’ll guarantee are all better than the best option in 95% of US cities). If you’re looking for a cheap stay in Oakland (a city that has tons to offer), there’s no shortage of other options. I wish it were free too, but I like having a beautiful, sustainable hotel I can recommend to visiting friends and family. It’s frankly impossible to keep a hotel open in Oakland these days, for reasons far too complex for a VFTW comment
“Random thought, how does one buy a ticket at the airport if there’s no more attendants?” On the video, there is staff there. I suggest the goal is less, but not no, staff. Please an airport this size typically have staff move back and forth from check in and gates. The potential to check a bag without human interaction can help that flow.
On GHA, I should point out my off to buy at 15% off clearly states 24 months until expiration. But, maybe, that’s tailored to my status. Obviously, read the fine print.
Gary, serious question – how the new baggage system accommodate solo travelers needing assistance? It’s a struggle for me to get to the counters at most airports, now that curb side assistance has largely gone away. There are no easy answers here. No matter what outrageous amount of extra tip I offer my cab or uber driver, it’s problematic to get my luggage to the counter. I can’t imagine this system wouldn’t render travel from these airports nearly impossible for many.
@EasyMoney — Psh. Nothing is ‘too complex’ at VFTW. I don’t even think Gary has a text-limit in the comments. Go for it. Give us a short novel on keeping hotels ‘open’ in Oakland, CA, these days…
This is the reason that we go out of our way to not book U.S. based airlines. It is rare that you would read anything this ridiculous about a foreign air carrier. Hope that people that are disabled are given help. After all, in the U.S., they are covered by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act).
@1990 it probably starts with the ever-useless Oakland Police going into federal receivership and failing (still) to institute the required reforms after the 2003 Riders scandal. And probably culminates with the Port of Oakland not allowing the recently-closed bowling alley at Jack London Square to have regulation-length lanes, because apparently that would create a hostile atmosphere for tourists. With a detour about pre-pandemic developer speculation and the post-pandemic revenue/tourism collapse, which most recently shuttered the Moxy Uptown and the historic Waterfront Hotel. Maybe someone smarter than me can write it someday
@EasyMoney- someone already did – “There’s no there, there” Gertrude Stein
@1990 – no, no, you can’t “lift the bag” with the automated baggage machines- they won’t take the weight until they get a stable measurement. Gotta rest one of the wheels on the outside edge of the weighing area instead- that works with normal check in as well…
@Gene “Why do people feel the need to shower in an airport? ZERO value in my book.” I’ve had the oppurinity to take a shower in an airport, but never did until last April. I arrived at 6am at CDG from the US. I had a 5+ hour layover. I could have waited until I reached my hotel about 2pm (if I could get access that early). I decided to shower at the AF domestic (Shengen) lounge. I will never pass up the opportunity on a schedule like this.