United Airlines is reportedly spending $50 million this year to renovate and refresh many of its United Club locations, and I had the chance to visit the recently redone Denver West location yesterday.

Basically what they’ve done is swapped out the seating for new chairs, tables and counters identical to what’s in the newest club location at Chicago O’Hare’s Terminal 2 (F-concourse).

[My apologies for the poor quality iPhone images – the lounge was rather busy and I was trying to be as discreet as possible.]

United Club Denver West - Seating Area

United Club Denver West - 'Short' Tables

United’s clubs in Denver are known for their lack of power outlets and you’ll still have a hard time finding them if you’re seated in the new leather chairs. But they have at least added counters along the windows with outlets, as well as included plugs underneath some of the tabletops.

United Club Denver West - Window-side Counters

United Club Denver West - Seating

United Club Denver West - 'Hidden' Plugs Under Some Tabletops

The Denver East location has yet to receive the refresh and sports the same old worn furniture with highly limited access to power outlets. The view, however, remains one of the best features of either club.

United Club Denver West - View

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American Airlines and Klout, a web service that scores your overall social media influence, teamed up for a new contest. They’re giving away free Admirals Club day passes to anyone whose Klout score is 55 or above, plus an entry to win an annual membership.

Just go to http://aa.com/klout and sign in with your Facebook or Twitter account to see if you have “klout.” For scores under 55, there’s a drawing for a day pass (or an offer for $50 off a membership, based on some reports).

I hadn’t signed into Klout in ages (there are just so many social media things I can do each day), but I did indeed score a free pass.

Klout was already an approved application on my Twitter account, but if you don’t like that type of thing, you can de-authorize them after checking your score for this contest.

The printable day pass I won is valid until July 31, 2013. Here are the T&Cs:

1. NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND IS NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. 2. OPEN TO/ENTRY DETAILS: Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia who are 18 years (19 in Alabama andNebraska, 21 in Mississippi or older and no computer, mechanical device, or electronic device at a place of business in the State of Georgia. 3. Sweepstakes begins at 11:59 a.m. [Central daylight time (³CT²)] on May 6, 2013 and all entries must be received by 11:59 a.m. [CT] time on May 31, 2013. 4. PRIZE DETAILS: One Prize consisting of one (1) year membership to Admirals Club ARV $450. 5. ODDS: Odds of winning depend on number of entries. 6. ELIGIBILITY: Employees and agents of Sponsor, Administrator andaffiliates, agencies, distributors, wholesalers and retailers, and members of such employees¹ and agents¹ immediate families and individuals living in the same household with such employees or agents, are not eligible to win. 7. Void where prohibited. 8. Participation is subject to complete Official Rules by which all entrants are bound. Available at www.aa.com/klout. 9. Entrants release all parties from all claims/liability arising from this Sweepstakes or acceptance/use of any Prize. 10. Sponsor: American Airlines, Inc. 4333 Amon Carter Blvd., Ft. Worth, Texas 76155.

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This past January I took a mileage run on United to Tokyo and stayed at the Hilton Tokyo Narita Airport for one night. The online rate I booked was shockingly low at only 8,000 yen (about $85) for a fully cancelable standard Hilton Queen room. The non-refundable advance purchase rate was only 1,000 yen less, for what it’s worth.

The hotel offers free shuttle service from the airport at various times throughout the day, typically in 20- or 30-minute intervals (except mid-day when it’s hourly). I had just missed one shuttle and out of laziness and a desire to take a nap as soon as possible, I grabbed a cab for the short ride (about $17).

As a Diamond HHonors member, I was upgraded to a Deluxe Plus room, which the only difference I can ascertain from the website description is 108 additional square feet of space.

The bed was very comfortable and a bit softer than what’s found in many U.S. locations. And there was plenty of desk space and drawers.

Deluxe Plus Queen Room

My welcome amenity included two bottles of water and a couple of hazelnut biscuit crackers. Also included with my status came complimentary health club admission and “American Breakfast,” which turned out to be access to the full buffet.

Welcome Amenities

The nightstand next to the bed controlled the room lights and temperature, and also included a digital alarm clock. Inside the closet a safe large enough for my 15” MacBook Pro was present along with robes and slippers.

I was expecting a super-small bathroom, but was pleasantly surprised by an average sized one similar to what you’d find at say a La Quinta or Holiday Inn – not necessarily a U.S. Hilton. And yes, the toilet featured all the bells and whistles that the Japanese love. The Peter Thomas Roth amenities, standard for Hilton, were slightly larger than what you’d find in the U.S., but still TSA friendly.

Service was excellent at the hotel and everyone spoke English quite well, which you’d expect for a worldwide brand at an airport location. I didn’t snap photos of the breakfast buffet the next morning, but it was fantastic. Everything from typical Western dishes to Japanese and other fare was available.

While the hotel is rather isolated for walking to much of anything, it’s ideal for a quick night before catching a flight the next day. Oh, and if you’re coming in from the city on the train, the hotel also offers free shuttle service to/from Narita Station.

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On Saturday I flew from San Francisco to Washington Dulles on United and witnessed what could be classified as a lazy and motivated gate agent at the aircraft door. Lazy because she wasn’t going to fill the two empty seats in first class with passengers on the upgrade list, but motivated to get our delayed flight out saying there were passengers with connections in Dulles.

For a few weekends, San Francisco International Airport is down to one arrival runway, due to construction, causing some flow control delays. As such, passengers missing their connections is more likely. And I believe my flight was a case in point.

When I boarded, the first class cabin was booked and checked-in full – I was number 4 on the upgrade list. No chance, really, and I didn’t care that much since I’ve been getting over my upgrade phobia lately. But I still like to see how it all plays out and when the agent came onboard with the paperwork ready to close the door, here’s how the flight looked:

I was in 10D and the gentleman ahead of me in 9D called out to the agent ready to close the door asking about further upgrades. (I bet he was also looking at his mobile app). The agent said, “let me look at the list” and turned around to her colleague. Seconds later, she said, “Yes, you definitely… take any open seat.” He got up and moved up front.

The agent then told the flight attendant, “I’m closing the door!” And she did. After the jetway pulled and the flight attendant armed the door, she went up front, grabbed the manifest from the purser and headed back to another passenger in 20C. He was quickly escorted up to the last remaining seat in first class and later in the flight came back to bring his belongings forward.

Sunday morning I looked at the flight again and noticed #1 and #2 on the list showed cleared, though I have no idea if they were indeed the two passengers moved forward. They probably were.

Now here’s what I wonder. If Mr. 9D didn’t question the gate agent, I bet those two first class seats would have flown empty. I certainly respect the gate agent for wanting to get the flight out as quickly as possible to protect the downline connections, but shouldn’t they also take the few seconds (it wouldn’t take more than a minute, would it?) to fill those empty seats?

I said earlier that I didn’t really care about missing the upgrade. But had I been number 1 or 2 and saw after landing that I showed cleared and still flew in coach, I’d be a little pissed. Wouldn’t you?

Finally, kudos to the flight attendant who seemed to take it upon herself to fill the last remaining seat in first class with Mr. 20C. I don’t think the gate agent had anything to do with that.

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Chris McGinnis reported last week that United Airlines will remain in Terminal 1 at San Francisco International Airport through at least the end of January 2014.

According to his sources, the renovation of the E concourse (American’s old gates from 60-67) has been delayed for several factors, pushing the expected completion back from its intended October 2013 target.

Yakel explained that the delay is due to, “the addition of items in the project scope, including additional airline and concession space as well as expanded wayfinding. The biggest single item was the addition of another elevator, which required the creation of a new elevator shaft.”

Additionally, United will gain gate 47 in the interim in Delta’s C concourse in Terminal 1 beginning July 1. There’s no word if it’ll also be used for United Express flights, as is the sole function of United’s operation in T1 (with some Express flight operating out of T3, as well).

Free Airport Tours Extended

So what this means, then, is that United passengers connecting in SFO who have gates in both T1 and T3 (or inbound SFO passengers arriving in T1 with checked bags) will continue to use shuttle busses between terminals.

Initially the process was confusing with United assigning phantom gates to boarding passes, which directed them to shuttle stop locations. But the process has improved greatly and in my experience, works quite smoothly.

And for #avgeeks like myself, it provides a free tour of the airport apron and views we travelers would normally never see in the bowels of the terminals. I love it!

My other favorite “tours” include the ride at LAX between American’s Terminal 4 and the remote Eagle gates, from United’s C concourse at Chicago O’Hare to the F gates, the moon buggies at Washington Dulles and the always frequent remote stand arrival in Frankfurt.

Do you have a favorite “tour?”

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No, this isn’t an April Fools joke. In case you missed it from UA Insider on MilePoint or Flyertalk, United announced on Saturday that the United Club in Philadelphia is closed temporarily:

Hi Everyone,

I wanted to give you a heads up that we have temporarily closed the United Club at PHL, due to ventilation issues possibly associated with an airport roofing project that is underway in the vicinity. Although we’re still working to identify the precise cause(s) and mitigate appropriately, for now we’re erring on the side of safety and caution for both our co-workers and customers.

As you probably know, United Club members and eligible Star Alliance Gold members (i.e. traveling on int’l itineraries) may use the US Airways Club(s) at PHL as an alternative to the United Club while we work to re-open.

Aaron Goldberg
Sr. Manager – Customer Experience Planning
United Airlines

So far there’s no ETA for it reopening. And the closure has nothing to do with the restrooms in the club having been out-of-service for some time, as Matthew previously reported. But UA Insider noted yesterday that they should reopen by May 1, 2013.

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• Hilton has upset a lot of loyal HHonors members today (self included) with their announcement of 2013 Hilton HHonors Program Changes. They’re increasing hotel categories from eight to ten, adding seasonal pricing (read: higher redemption rates) and trying to soften the blow by adding a 5th Night Free for elites staying 5-nights or more. I’m dropping from Diamond to Gold this year regardless, and won’t even accrue enough stays for 2014 status. The devaluation is sort of rightly timed for me, but painful to swallow. The changes take effect March 28, 2013.
• A diamond heist was pulled off at Brussels Airport Monday night. $50 million in precious stones were taken from the cargo hold of a SWISS Fokker F-100 flight from Brussels to Zurich.
• I’m not a huge fan of the Asiana Business Class lounge at Seoul’s Incheon Airport and now there’s a new Singapore Airlines SilverKris Lounge that Star Alliance Gold elites can enjoy. It opened today and I’ll be keen to review it on my next trip through ICN.
• A new coach airline seat architecture design has debuted sporting overhead fixtures with drop-down tray tables, screens and other gadgets. I doubt we’ll ever see it in actual use as FAA safety certification seems unlikely given the minimal overhead clearance in the event of an evacuation, not to mention the additional floor space (16 percent) it would occupy. Airlines want more seats in coach… not less.
• Finally, if you haven’t read fellow blogger Matthew’s account of being kicked off a United Airlines flight for taking a picture, please do. It sounds like the flight attendant was hyper-sensitive, as seems to be the case with U.S. airlines and onboard photos. Will my future United trip reports be in jeopardy?

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After a brief visit to the ANA Suite Lounge at Tokyo Narita Airport last month, I headed over to the more spacious and serene United Global First Class lounge.

Entry to the lounge is via an elevator just inside the reception area to the United Club in Terminal 1. After an agent checked my boarding pass upon exiting the elevator, I situated myself alongside the windows.

Global First Lounge Seating

Global First Lounge Seating

The lounge hasn’t been updated in years, but aside from the well-worn leather chairs, I think it’s still a pretty comfortable lounge – except for the temperature. It always seems to be too warm and although electronic screens are lowered as the sun beats through the windows, it rarely cools down.

The buffet area doesn’t offer anything spectacular in terms of food with only marginally better nibbles than the club downstairs, including sushi and pork dim sum. All beverages are self-serve with chilled glasses available in the refrigerator.

Dining and Buffet Area

Buffet

Buffet and Beverages

A selection of newspapers and magazines are available in the hallway near the bathrooms, and around the corner are business center cubicles, massage chairs and Panasonic Note stations.

Hallway

Massage Chairs

Massage Chair

Panasonic Note Station

The shower rooms are also rather warm, but thankfully include multi-speed fans. Individual bottles of Plegaria shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion are provided. (Read more: United Airlines Global First Shower Room Amenities)

Shower Room Key

Shower Room

Shower Room

The main reason I like this lounge is because it rarely fills up and it remains very quiet. And when the runway parallel to the windows is in use, it affords pretty decent #avgeek views.

Departures Monitor

Singapore Airlines A380

The Global First lounge in San Francisco remains my favorite, followed by Los Angeles, Hong Kong (primarily for the food) and Tokyo. My best advice is to hit the ANA Suite Lounge for the food, then relax in the Global First lounge before heading to your United flight.

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Cathay Pacific today announced the completion of their renovations to The Wing First Class Lounge at Hong Kong International Airport. I visited when renovations began in 2010 and offered a review in this post. They’ve certainly spruced things up by the looks of it.

First class, oneworld Emerald and Diamond Marco Polo guests are now greeted upon entry and treated to a drink at The Champagne Bar before heading into the main part of the lounge.

The Wing First Class Lounge Hong Kong

The furniture in the main seating area has been replaced (thankfully from the worn and tired offering when I visited), but do I see limited end tables and other laptop friendly fixtures?

The Wing First Class Lounge Hong Kong Seating

That could, of course, be negated by the generous amount of work desks and a separate business center I used during my visit in 2010, though I tend to enjoy staying put on a comfy chair or sofa. I wonder if power outlets have increased in the more loungy area?

The Haven – a first class buffet and dining area – has doubled in size, a noted improvement from my visit when tables filled to capacity rather quickly. And food options have reportedly improved with a reinvented à la carte menu complemented by recommended wine pairings.

The Haven Dining Area

Most improved by the looks of it is The Cabana – five individual rooms providing a shower, separate bathtub and day bed. I’m not certain if they’ve enclosed them fully as when I visited, the “back porch” where the day beds were previously located sat out on a communal area between the five. There were screens/walls stretching out into the rocky area separating each adjacent cabana (without fully enclosing them) and sound was an issue.

The Cabana at The Wing

Overall, it looks great and definitely more first class than the ANA Suite Lounge at Narita I reviewed yesterday.

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The unadvertised promotional United Global First fare to Tokyo I flew on last week had limited domestic origins, Boston being one of them. And since I’m getting “old” and can no longer handle nonstop flying over several days, I flew into Boston the day before my BOS-SFO-NRT segments and booked into the Hilton attached to the airport.

Hilton Boston Logan Airport

I flew in on a red-eye from San Francisco, so I initially hung out in the United Club as it was far too early to check-in. By about 11:00 a.m., though, I was getting antsy and decided to take the long walk from Terminal C, through Terminal E, to the skybridges connecting the hotel to the terminals. Shuttle service from each terminal is also available, but I was keen on the exercise.

Gladly, a room was available and I received an Executive Level King room on the 10^th floor.

Hilton Boston Logan Airport Executive King Room

The room was very clean and offered the standard amenities for executive level accommodations, including complimentary bottled water, bathrobes and slippers. I dug the leaning mirror along the wall near the window, as well as the lap tray for use on the lounger.

Hilton Boston Logan Airport Room

I had a pretty decent #avgeek view overlooking the parking garage to the tower at one angle, and a view of the runways and terminals at another. A grounded Japan Airlines Boeing 787 sat nearby its replacement 777-200 parked at the gate.

View of Boston Logan's Control Tower

View of a JAL 787 and 777-200

I enjoyed complimentary Wi-Fi as a Diamond HHonors elite and booted up my laptop on the average-sized desk. A safe is housed in an adjacent compartment that appears to have been where a minibar was once located.

Work Station

In-Room Safe

The bathroom was nothing special and included Peter Thomas Roth bath amenities commonly found at most Hiltons, including shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion. My only complaint about the bathroom was the rather aged showerhead that could use replacing.

Hilton Boston Logan Airport Bathroom

Bathroom Amenities

As a Diamond and having received a room upgrade, I had access to the Executive Lounge (also on the 10^th floor), which opens at 5:30 p.m. on Sundays. You should be aware it’s closed on Saturdays.

Evening hors d’oeuvres consisted of veggie egg rolls and rather chewy beef tips on a skewer with roasted peppers. A selection of cold veggies and fruit was also available, along with soft drinks, coffee, tea and bottled water. Sadly, I forgot my iPhone in the room and didn’t get any pics. I would’ve felt a little weird going back a second time just to snap photos.

It’s a decent property, though I have to say the nearby Hyatt affords even better views of both the airport and Boston’s skyline. In the morning, I ended up taking the shuttle back to Terminal C for my 6:00 a.m. flight to San Francisco.

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