Yesterday I wrote about American’s new brand heritage amenity kits and posted photos of the TWA business class amenity kit. American is out today with more information. These new amenity kits are offered in international business class and their New York JFK – Los Angeles / San Francisco first class cabins. Non-Skid Slippers Are Coming.. For international first class, a little less exciting: We’re introducing a new amenity kit that includes all of the items you already love – plus, by popular demand, we’re adding Scope® mouthwash for a breath of fresh air. But we’re not stopping there. If you’re planning to catch some zzz’s, we’ve added new pajamas and non skid 100% cotton terry slippers. So curl up, get comfortable and settle in for the long haul. As you can see, business class get…
100,000 Free Hilton HHonors Points, Plus Check Out the Airport With No Air Traffic Control!
News and notes from around the interweb: Qualified for Hilton Diamond? You may be able to register and receive 100,000 points instantly from this targeted promotion. (HT: Double Wides Fly) On the no fly list because of accusations against your brother? Enter my hotel points giveaway. If you win you get to choose the program, and it’s a whole bunch of points! Farang? Pay more. Thailand to charge foreigners 10x the local price to enter national parks. The airport where the nearest air traffic control is 105 miles away. Targeted bonus on purchased Hyatt points through February 15. I wasn’t targeted. (HT: One Mile at a Time) You can join the 50,000+ people who see these deals and analysis every day — sign up to receive posts by email (just one e-mail per day) or…
REVEALED: Singapore Airlines New Premium Economy Offers Pre-Order Meals & Champagne
Over the weekend I wrote that Singapore would be removing half the first class seats from 777-300ER aircraft being retrofitted with a premium economy. (Airbus A380s getting premium economy don’t see a reduction in Suites class seats.) What we didn’t know at the time was much about the new premium economy offering itself. Now we do, and it looks pretty good. When we think of premium economy from US airlines we just think extra legroom seating (economy plus, main cabin extra, economy comfort). Several international airlines offer a true premium economy that’s a separate section of the aircraft with not just extra legroom, but extra width and recline, and an overall upgraded experience including food and beverages. There are hits and misses — Lufthansa offers amenity kits to their premium economy passengers, but sticks it…
United Coach is About to Get Worse: Planning a New High Density 777 With 100 More Seats
Aviation Week carries a story about United planning for a less comfortable Boeing 777 experience. They’ve mapped out a strategy for 10-across seating in economy, like American has in their new and reconfigured 777s and has become common worldwide such as with Air France and Emirates. Ten seats across in the regular economy section has quickly become the standard for new deliveries, with roughly 70% of new 777s now being delivered by Boeing with that configuration. Economy Plus would retain 9-across seating, like American has done on with its ‘Main Cabin Extra’ product. Overall the plan involves adding about a hundred seats into a 777, as follows: 28 business class, 98 economy plus and 238 regular economy. This would be for 777s from the legacy United fleet for this retrofit. One hopes that in removing…
Improvement Earning Miles for Paying Bills, 100% Bonus on Mileage Transfers, and a United Express Carrier Rebels Against Bad Seats
News and notes from around the interweb: A United Express carrier asked United if they could opt out of installing those uncomfortable slimline economy seats. They were told no. Evolve Money now takes Visa and MasterCard to pay bills but adds a 3% fee for those and Discover as well. They’ve broadened out the bills you can pay through their system, and mileage-earning debit cards remain a good deal. Star Alliance program Avianca LifeMiles is offering a 100% bonus on trasferred miles through February 16. Chinese tourist dries her delicates at Chiang Mai airport. The most spectacular photo of LAX I’ve ever seen (HT: Whitney N.) FTD is offering 30 AAdvantage miles per dollar plus an extra 200 miles per order (extra 200 miles for Citi AAdvantage co-brand cardholders). You can join the 50,000+ people…
Report From the Frontlines: United’s New Meal Service, and Why Other Airlines Will Put Money Into Improving Your Experience Too.
Reader Sam L. flew San Francisco – Newark yesterday on United and provides feedback on the brand new improved United meal service. 3 choices on a long-ish haul, up from 2. Had the mac and cheese and, while certainly calorific, it was excellent. Probably the best airplane food I’ve had in awhile. Ice cream was served (no toppings) but the flight attendant said going forward it should be some sort of fruit gelato outside of [premium New York JFK – San Francisco/Los Angeles] routes. Sort of a shame because I liked the sundae service. There is also a new cookie that is baked on board. Sort of flat but it is gooey and tastes excellent. Less bread-like than the old cookie. The cookie is, apparently, really baked and not just heated on board — a…
American Introduces Awesome Aviation Junkie Amenity Kits: #OurHeritage Homage to the Carriers That Make Up the Airline
American has launched a series of new #OurHeritage amenity kits. These are branded with several of the airlines that have merged over time to create the current American Airlines. The kits come wrapped in plastic with an identification of the legacy carrier on the plastic. These are the 9 carriers: This isn’t truly comprehensive of course, American itself was initially founded out of something like 80 different airlines around 1930. And I don’t see the 1970s acquisition of Trans Caribbean Airways on the list. From the US Airways side there’s no Lake Central, Empire, or Trump Shuttle. But the biggies are there. American sent me a TWA kit to sample.
The Big Hotel Points Giveaway: Enter for a Chance to Win Hilton, Hyatt, Starwood, or Marriott Points Thanks to the MobileSuites App!
I’ve never really been jealous of iPhone users before. I’m an Android guy, and that means I can’t download the new MobileSuites app when it comes out in a few weeks. It’s only for the Apple ecosystem at launch. This app will let you order room service, request housekeeping, set up transportation, and reserve restaurant and spa services regardless of where you’re staying. Diamond room service breakfast at the Andaz 5th Avenue, New York They have a database of over 1200 hotels including many from the major hotel chains and rolling out quickly across their portfolio of full service hotels. Through their free app, MobileSuites facilitate interaction between guests and hotels (they aren’t formally partnered with the chains at this point). They offered to give a View from the Wing reader a bunch of hotel…
25% Bonus Transferring Hotel Points to American Miles: Here’s Why Starwood Gets Excluded
Through March 15 you’ll earn a 25% bonus when you transfer hotel points to American AAdvantage miles. Most hotel programs are eligible for this bonus, however: Point conversions from Starwood Preferred Guest®, Melia Hotels International & Resorts, La Quinta Inns & Suites® and Langham Hospitality Group OUIDA program are not eligible for the 25% bonus offer. What’s more, Conversions for hotel and air packages from eligible AAdvantage hotel participants are excluded from this offer. Hat tip about this offer to One Mile at a Time who points out that the two best options under this bonus are excluded: Marriott Rewards travel packages, which bundle free nights with airline miles Starwood Preferred Guest points transfers, which already offer 1:1 plus a 25% bonus when transferring points to 20,000 miles. When airlines run these conversion promotions, they…
Six Tricks to Get Airline Customer Service When Phone Waits Are Long and Airlines Melt Down
Wendy Perrin shares very good advice similar that what I’ve offered here in the past. When snowstorms hit, or operations melt down for other reasons, it can be tough to get help. There are just too many people chasing too few agents. A year ago during an ice storm in Dallas American Airlines’ operations were so impacted (yes, that’s a word) that the hold time for a 100,000 mile flyer was frequently four hours. But there’s no reason to wait on the phone that long even though you do need help. The most frustrating thing for me about long telephone hold times is that I can find myself flights that are still operating, and with availability (using Expert Flyer) but by the time an agent gets around to the call that space is likely already…
