Sony has filed suit: According to a complaint filed in New York federal court, the defendants are duplicating sound recordings and music videos, installing the allegedly infringed copies to servers located on board aircraft and then transmitting performances to passengers. All without paying any baggage fees. While a bit sensational, and a fluid area of law, it appears that is outsourcing relevant parts of the management of its inflight entertainment technology — such as obtaining content for its systems. The article claims a rights management company acknowledged to Sony that unlicensed content was being used, and was attempting to negotiate to make good on this. The lawsuit then may be a negotiating tactic. United is the bigger pocket here than the entertainment company they’re outsourcing to, though I’d guess there’s some sort of indemnification in…
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United Reduces Free Checked Bag Benefit for Partner Airline Elites
United has reduced the free baggage allowance for their partner airlines’ Star Alliance Gold and Silver members. Without any public, official announcement (and just changing details on their website) the free checked baggage benefit for Star Alliance Gold members was reduced from 3 bags (up to 70 pounds each) to a single bag (up to 50 pounds) on domestic itineraries. And Star Alliance Silver members no longer will receive a free checked bag on domestic itineraries at all. This change does not affect United’s own MileagePlus elite members, only the elite members of United’s Star Alliance partner airlines. De-emphasizing Alliances Both Lucky and Matthew think United’s move mean alliances have become less important to them. And while there’s a general trend in aviation towards bilateral relationships and smaller joint ventures (elites of those partners are…
United Airlines Back Home: “Burn Avios, Burn” Cathay Pacific First Class and Amazing Conrad Suites
Index: Planning the trip US Airways Shuttle to New York and the Sheraton JFK Cathay Pacific First Class, New York – Hong Kong The Pier Lounge and Cathay Pacific Business Class, Hong Kong – Bangkok Conrad Bangkok Deluxe Suite Bangkok Airways Business Class, Bangkok – Koh Samui Conrad Koh Samui, 2 Bedroom Ocean Pool Villa Conrad Koh Samui, Resort Bangkok Airways Business Class, Koh Samui – Bangkok Cathay Pacific Business Class, Bangkok – Hong Kong and Marriott SkyCity Hong Kong Cathay Pacific First Class Hong Kong – Chicago United Airlines Back Home We had arrived early on our flight from Hong Kong. Which is great as far as it goes — but I had rather planned for the opposite. Since I was on a British Airways-issued award, I was using Cathay Pacific flights only. Adding…
Update on the Minutiae of the United-Continental Merger
Generally good piece in today’s Cleveland Plain-Dealer on United-Continental integration, focusing on the minutiae. The author goes through policy changes like crated pets being will loaded backwards, rather than forwards (score that one for United) and the switch in boarding from zones over to rows at United, to mirror Continental, and then quickly shifting back to zones – a policy that will spread across Continental going forward. On aircraft configuration, in addition to keeping economy plus and international first class on some routes but not others, she notes that the airline’s 787 orders are for two-cabin aircraft, and that the layout of their 777s are different: Nor has United said whether it will go with Continental’s wider business class seats on aircraft such as Boeing 777s used on international routes, said Henry Harteveldt, an airline…
Instant Star Alliance Silver with bmi (free checked bags on United, US Airways, and Continental) Still Works!
They can’t keep us down for long! The original offer page I posted over the weekend for instant free silver status with British Midland is now dead. Matt in the comments to that thread offers up the direct link and promo code 1DC6SM which seems to still be working. Bmi Silver is also Star Alliance silver which means free baggage. United has just reduced their free baggage allowance for Star ALliance silvers to only one on domestic flights (everyone gets a free bag internationally). Continental also offers just first bag free to Star Alliance silvers. Star Alliance silver members still get two free bags on US Airways. When FatWallet and Slickdeals pick this up perhaps the good folks there will be good enough to link back to this post 🙂 Update: The ‘voucher code’ no…
No More Second Bag Free on United for Star Alliance Silver Members
As noted by EagerTraveler in the comments to my post about getting instant free Star Alliance silver status through british midland, United has just changed their checked baggage policies. Star silver members now get just one free checked bag both domestically and internationally. The international changes just went into effect on March 9. Note that United Premier and Continental Silver members, who are also Star Alliance silver, continue to receive second checked bag free.
Free Instant bmi Silver Status (free checked bags on United, Continental, and US Airways)
Via Dan’s Deals bmi Diamond Club is offering instant Silver status for new members. That gets you Star Alliance silver, so free checked baggage on United, Continental, and US Airways, and some priority services. Status lasts 12 months from signup. Get in one this one right away if you do not already have status with a Star Alliance airline. And of course if you don’t want to actually credit your miles to bmi Diamond Club (though it’s great for both really short-haul flights and for paid premium cabin flights), you can check in with the bmi Silver number in the reservation to get free checked bags and then switch your frequent flyer number at the gate.
Washington Dulles – Chicago in United First Class and the Greatest Airport Hotel Ever, the Intercontinental O’Hare
Intercontinental OHare Hotel: (This is a Continuation of “Trip Report – A Private Jet Experience: Alone in First Class on ANA and Thai, Plus Singapore First, a Suite, a Villa, and Some Incredible Food Porn”) I kept checking for a first class award seat on Washington Dulles – Chicago, my seat was booked in business and my wife was in first. It’s a short segment and doesn’t much matter, but why not try to upgrade to the international first class cabin on a 767? Unfortunately not only did another first class award not pop up, but the aircraft was downgraded. To an Airbus. Now we were together in the same cabin, at least. Though the whole reason for heading out to Dulles was blown to bits. I really do despise Dulles and will avoid it…
Will Southwest’s Move into Atlanta Signal the End of Checked Baggage Fees?
Tommy passes along an article on Southwest’s plans for Atlanta, which suggests that Atlanta could become the carrier’s biggest city. His note with the link? “The end of bag fees.” Intriguing argument, one not made in the piece. But Southwest merger partner has over 200 flights daily in Atlanta, Southwest has only about 10% more than that in its biggest city, Las Vegas. If Southwest goes to war in Atlanta, and maintains its baggage fee stance, and if that shifts customers away from Delta then one possible competitive response is for Delta to drop baggage fees. Hard to imagine they could do so just in Atlanta. If they did it systemwide other majors would surely have to follow. So far, so good. And I’ve long suspected that while baggage fees have added some revenue to…
United’s Check-in Kiosks Really Aren’t That Useful to Sighted People, Either….
The National Federation for the Blind has initiated a class action lawsuit against United Airlines because United’s check-in kiosks cannot be used by blind passengers. The complaint itself was shot over to me via Twitter. The lawsuit alleges violations of California law and I’m not familiar with the nuances of the California Disabled Persons Act or California’s Unruh Civil Rights Act. So I can’t speak to this as a matter of law. But this seems rather frivolous to me. To wit, Mr. Easy Check-in as I’ve long called him is really not all that useful to passengers to begin with. In fact, I don’t recall the last time I used him, and I am fully capable of seeing and using his screens. I use united.bomb and their airport personnel. Who are fully available to assist…
