Yesterday I received an email inviting me to “share your opinions about being a Red Carpet Club member,” as it was so titled. Fantastic, I thought, that United Airlines wants feedback from current RCC members and I was hoping to give some praise and criticism since I figured they’re gathering direct input for the eventual rollout of a rebranded “United Club.” Without really reading the rest of the email, I clicked through to the questionnaire.

Image courtesy United Airlines

As it turns out, since I had redeemed miles for membership at one time this ended up being a targeted survey with an ominous tone. Here were the questions & options and my perhaps too honest of answers are bolded:

1. If you were not able to use your miles to purchase your Red Carpet Club membership, would you have purchased your membership with money instead? A: Definitely would, probably would, probably would not, definitely would not, not sure
2. If you were not able to use your miles to purchase your Red Carpet Club membership, how would you have redeemed those miles instead? Standard air award, saver air award, hotel or car award, merchandise or other award, would not have used the miles
3. If you were not able to use your miles to purchase your Red Carpet Club membership, how would your satisfaction with Mileage Plus change? My satisfaction would have decreased, my satisfaction would not have changed, my satisfaction would have increased
4. If you were not able to use your miles to purchase your Red Carpet Club membership, how would this affect your flying behavior on United? I would fly more often on United, I would not change how much I fly on United, I would fly less often on United

Then it asked a few classification questions about how long I’ve been a RCC member, my Mileage Plus status and how much I’ve flown on United and other airlines in the past year. Even though burning miles (47,500 for an individual membership at the 1K level) is a poor redemption value when compared with other awards, I ended up doing it that way last year since I’m always mileage rich and cash not-so-much at my renewal period in December. (I should never have started around the holidays!).

What’s concerning here is this survey is blatantly determining what impact would be felt if United pulled the mileage option. I find that possibility pretty strange coming from “the airline that wants you to use your miles,” or perhaps that tag line is now extinct with the merger. Several others on Flyertalk also received the survey and decisively answered that they would not pay cash, their satisfaction would be decreased and they’d reduce their flying on United. Maybe I should have done the same.

If they do take away the mileage option, I will still renew because given the amount I fly domestically, I enjoy having a fairly comfortable place to relax, plug into Wi-Fi, have a light snack, and most importantly have a much shorter wait time to see a customer service agent in the event of irregular operations. Would such a change impact your opinion of United and/or RCC membership?

Today, United Airlines added a merger integration update as one of the six main featured articles appearing in the center of the main landing page. While this isn’t quite “Customer Day 1” of a fully merged carrier, it summarizes the progress United and Continental Airlines have made to date. Full details can be found here, with a summary appearing below:

• Website & check-in improvements: The ability to shop for flights, select seats and check flight status on either carrier’s website is now operational. Also being introduced at “key airports,” you can now apparently check in at either carrier’s self-service check-in kiosks. I’m looking forward to testing this out on my next trip.
• Premier Access priority services: This is basically now the official rebranding of Continental’s EliteAccess and United’s Premier Line & other priority services bundled together as an option to purchase for general travelers, or for regular use by current elite members.
• Mileage Plus & OnePass: Nothing really new to report on this front, as they rolled a reciprocal policy out back in March. Here, you can now link accounts, transfer miles freely between programs, have your status matched at both United and Continental, and access the elite lines when calling into reservations.
• Airport experience: Many check-in areas are next to each other now at airports around the country, including here at LAX. Boarding processes have aligned with Continental’s method winning out: uniformed military, followed by first class, business class, elites, families with children under the age of four, and finally by row numbers back to front. Also, lounges offer the same free Wi-Fi and complimentary beverage choices.
• Onboard snacks, meals & beverages: The same Choice Menu now appears on Continental and United, and it sounds like in late summer United might be dumping Starbucks with a statement reading, “both airlines will begin serving a new custom coffee.” Pure speculation on my part, so fear not yet Starbucks lovers.
• Policy & fee alignment: Consistent policies and fees for same-day flight changes, standby & unaccompanied children have been streamlined.
• Signage & branding: Starting at Chicago O’Hare, new signage will be appearing reflecting the official rebrand. Farewell to the tulip.
• Social Media: Today, United and Continental now have a common Twitter account as @united. Why they didn’t just keep the @UnitedAirlines is unusual, but perhaps to maintain consistency with “United” only appearing on the planes without “Airlines.” Also, they’ve decided to keep the existing Facebook account of UnitedAirlines.

Nothing earth shattering and unexpected, except perhaps the change in Twitter accounts, but it’s nice they’re continuing to show progress and posting it for everyone to see. I’m most interested to check-in for my next flight with the different carrier just to see how that function works (probably a toggle between existing systems of Continental & United). Sadly, I don’t have another United flight until July, and will be flying American virtually every week until then.

Global Traveler magazine is offering up United Airlines Mileage Plus bonus miles for new subscribers. A one-year subscription costs $29.95 and nets you 500 miles, two years is $52.95 for 1,000 miles, and three years at $84.95 will get you the max 1,500 miles.

The magazine caters to high-end business and luxury travelers, and features airline & hotel reviews (think premium cabins and 5-Star properties), as well as news, articles, city guides and other travel-related topics. The subscription comes with a weekly digital eFlyer edition, which is “full of timely travel information,” and you can select either the U.S. or Asia version. Take a look at a little faux pas they made on the mail-in version:

Hmm, United “SkyMiles,” huh? Delta Air Lines is probably amused by the mistake, but they’ve correctly attributed the Mileage Plus program to United on the online subscription form. Also, the $89.95 rate for three years per the card is $84.95 online.

It’s a good magazine and the airline reviews are top notch, although I won’t be subscribing. I fly frequently enough and pick up a copy at United’s Red Carpet Clubs, where it is often the only magazine worth looking at, particularly at LAX. I hope the upgrades United is planning for the clubs includes a better selection of magazines and newspapers!

[Editor's note: This guest post is from my very best friend in Chicago, Eric Moylan, who reviewed Delta Air Lines' Sky Club lounges in Detroit... enjoy!]

I had a chance to hit two Delta Air Lines Sky Clubs at Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) to check out how they compare to United’s Red Carpet Clubs, many of which I’ve been to. I planned a trip to the East Coast traveling through DTW with 2+ hours to entertain myself, so after chatting with Darren, I decided to purchase a One-Day Pass for the Sky Club. While I was debating on whether or not to actually get the day pass, I checked out the Sky Club page and was surprised to find that Milwaukee (where I started my day on a 5:30 AM flight) had a Sky Club. Although it would have been good to start my day off at this club to check out one of the smaller ones, it did not open for business until 4:45, and my flight began boarding at 4:50. I decided to just skip this club and wait until I got to Detroit.

After arriving at DTW, I headed straight for the closest Sky Club, which was in the middle of the terminal. I went in, and within three minutes I had paid for my one-day pass & headed upstairs where the club was located. It is comparable to the Red Carpet Clubs (RCCs) when you enter. They use a lot of medium colored woods & frosted glass-dividing panels with high ceilings, which give you a feeling of a larger space. I found a seat near some windows that had a view of the center of the terminal, which included the water feature, train, and post-security area with shops. The club had comfortable chairs and couches throughout in multiple seating areas. It seemed empty for a Friday morning at one of Delta’s hub airports, with only a few people scattered throughout the club in the larger seating area.

First thing on the list was to grab a cup of coffee. There are beverage stations throughout the club giving you the same options of coffee, mini muffins and canned juices. There is a larger seating area where the free self-service bar is located, which also had a toaster with bagels available. As much as a Bloody Mary would have been a good start to my vacation, I stuck with coffee.  I grabbed a couple muffins and returned to my seat and started up the laptop to check out the free Wi-Fi service offered through T-Mobile. It had a good connection speed and didn’t have any lag or lost connections.

While enjoying the quiet atmosphere of the club, shortly that came to an end. A family of five arrived and the three children began to talk in their high-pitched voices. The parents were quickly trying to get them to talk in a quieter tone. As much as I like kids (just ask Darren), being near children was not going to be high on my list of things this trip. I refilled my cup of coffee and walked around the club and checked out the different areas. Even on the other side of the club, I could hear the kids. There were a few conference rooms and shower rooms available.  The large seating area had a free bar that seemed to be getting some use by the amount of people sitting near it. There were also some bagels and toasters available in this area as well.

After walking around for a bit I headed back to my seat and took a few pictures of the different areas of the club.  The offerings are similar to United’s RCCs.  Nothing really stood out to me to make them any different than if I was at the RCC in Denver. The only thing that this club was missing was a view of the tarmac. The only views you get out of this club are the concourse on one side and a few of the hotels on the other.

After having my fill of the main club and wanting to check out another one before my flight, I headed to the B/C Concourse. This was a smaller club, but does have a good view of the wide-body gates in the A terminal. It felt cramped with low ceilings and the seating areas are crammed with seats. Most of the different areas had seats for 8-10 people around a small coffee table.  This club seemed to be busier than the previous one, but that could be due to the smaller area. Most of the different seating areas had a few people in them. I found an empty one to spread out and relax and within 5 minutes, I had two other people joining me. This club has a view of the A terminal where the larger planes and mainline aircraft arrive. If you have never been to DTW before, it’s famous for the “dots” on the windows that block any good photo taking.

I found another beverage station and grabbed some juice on this round. Offerings were similar to the other club, including the free bar. I noticed people indulging in the free bar with the usual Bloody Mary’s and a few people drinking wine. I could understand the Bloody Mary’s, but wine at 9:30 AM?? Guess everyone has his or her drinks of choice. After grabbing a bagel and another cup of coffee I returned to my seat and watched a few planes moving around the airport. I started up my laptop again and checked the status on my next flight, which would be leaving from a gate just below the club. The flight seemed to be delayed a bit, which gave me more time in the club before leaving.

Overall I found the club comparable to what United offers at their Red Carpet Clubs. The one notable thing I like about Delta Sky Club is that you can use your day pass to enter any of the club’s on the day of your travel or one-day pass, not having to actually fly Delta to use the club.  Whereas United only lets you enter one club in each city, so if you were flying through a few cities with RCC’s, you’d have to pay for a day pass at each club.  This is a great option that I wish United had.  Being able to switch around when the club you’re in gets too crowded, or you just need a change of scenery when you’re flights delayed for a lengthy amount of time, is a nice benefit.

Eric Moylan

Last weekend I was on yet another mileage run, but this time flying Continental Airlines. I had never flown Continental up until now, so I was actually pretty excited for the new experience. My itinerary was Los Angeles to Cleveland to Chicago, and back the same way.

Although I had checked-in online and printed my boarding passes for the outbound flights, I reprinted them at the kiosk at LAX since I save the stubs throughout the year and was hoping for cardstock. Nope… got the flimsy paper version. Security took longer than normal (no dedicated elite line), and while a couple of people did opt out of the full body scan, I’ve decided I’d rather have the image taken than being molested by the TSAeww.

Then I was off to the Presidents Club. I’ve actually been in Continental’s LAX club several times, since last year they started reciprocal lounge access with the Red Carpet Club. It’s a comfortable lounge and offers similar amenities to the RCC, but they do excel at stocking more newspapers and still offer packaged cheeses and chips (bonus!).

Pretty soon it was time for boarding, so I headed off to gate 64. I was trying to hear the boarding process, but the announcement was a bit garbled, so I just joined the elite access line. I settled into the roomy exit row seat 21D on this 737-800. Boarding finished up, the doors closed on time, and we sat… and sat, and sat. Eventually the cockpit came on and announced they were loading additional bags. Another 10-15 minutes passed, and we pushed back from the gate, only to sit a bit more. Finally we rolled very slowly out to the runway and took off. There was never an explanation of reasoning for the further delay, which I found odd.

Truth be told, I was dead tired, and got a solid 3 to 3.5 hours of sleep, so I completely missed any service cart coming down the aisle. I have a red-eye routine down pretty well, actually, and had my usual eyeshades, earplugs, and form fitting neck rest that prevents your head from bobbling from side-to-side. Pretty soon we were on the ground and taxiing in to the gate. So, this flight was great, the legroom was fantastic, and the flight attendants were friendly for the little time I experienced them. Oh, and the middle seat in my row was empty, which made the flight even that much more comfortable.

This was also my first time at Cleveland’s airport, and it was actually larger than I assumed it might be. I was exclusively in the C-concourse, and although it appeared a bit dated, it was clean and roomy enough. Given the 45-minute delay, I spent just a little bit of time in the Presidents Club there, with which I was very impressed. Incredibly roomy, nice furniture, and I like the “theatre” seating for the TV room. Also a bonus was the take-away coffee cups with lids!

Now I was back in my usual territory, flying United Express (ExpressJet Airlines) for the quick one-hour flight to Chicago. I had my 12A exit row seat (and yes, the seat map was wrong from my previous post… the A-seat was the solo seat), and settled in for the quick flight. In O’Hare, I spent my time in the C16 Red Carpet Club, then headed over to the B6 club nearer my gate back to Cleveland.

This time I was on a mainline United Airlines flight, an Airbus A319, and seated in first class in 2A. The crew was very friendly, I was addressed by name when asked for my beverage, and she even thanked me for being a 1K. Nice! That hasn’t happened in a while. Even though this was a quick flight, she still brought around the now-common basket of snacks, which consisted of bananas, chips, chocolates, and I can’t remember what else. I had a banana and chips with my water.

Back at Cleveland, I again spent a little time in the Presidents Club, hydrated up, and then went for an extended walk around the terminal. I didn’t actually go over to the D-concourse, but went down the escalator to the tunnel/walkway to see if they did anything uber nifty like United at O’Hare or Delta (Northwest) at Detroit, but no… it was a boring concrete walkway.

Back at the gate, I boarded with the rest of first class and settled into seat 2E, an aisle on my 737-900. The flight attendant hung my jacket and took my pre-departure drink order, and was incredibly friendly. We soon took off, and I was thrilled to play with the live DirecTV (a first for me on an airplane), and caught an Australian Open tennis match… nice! Dinner was very tasty, actually, and consisted of salad, soup, a beef entrée with veggies and creamy rice. Dessert was a cheesecake-like slice of heaven with coffee. Perfect! Throughout the flight, service was frequent, friendly and attentive. I was impressed with this crew!

The seat itself was comfortable enough, but I have to say I prefer United’s first class seats better. It didn’t feel like the padding on Continental’s seat was too significant, and I much prefer United’s sturdier headrest that you can manipulate to your comfort more easily.

This was a fantastic introduction to Continental, and I’m glad I was able to get a purely Continental experience under my belt before the carriers merge into some hybrid of both. I had a great experience on both of the flights, and look forward to a few more I have booked in the next couple of months.

Finally, here is a picture & video summary of my trip. Enjoy!

I just finished another mileage run flying United Airlines, and this one was booked as Continental Airlines codeshare flights as I blogged about previously. A couple of differences occurred that are worth mentioning.

Image Courtesy United Airlines

First, although I do usually check-in online and/or via my mobile, I always reprint my boarding passes at the EasyCheck-in kiosks at the airport. Why? Well, I just like the gold cardstock most stations still print, and have saved the boarding stubs for years. Not very green of me, I know, but until the check-in process goes exclusively electronic, I am going to keep my collection going. Anyway, I always use my Mileage Plus 1K card at the machines to locate my reservation, and this time it couldn’t find it. Ok, so the next option for me was to manually enter my Mileage Plus number. Still no luck. Third try was the charm, and I used the United confirmation number (aka record locator) from my itinerary. If the card reader only pulls your name and searches for your reservation on that day’s United flights, I can sort of understand it not finding me since I was on “Continental” flights (not really, but hopefully you get my point). When it couldn’t find my flights by my Mileage Plus number, that really surprised me since I know full well it was in the reservation.

Another difference I noticed was more behind the scenes in my reservation. When I got to the airport and was sitting in the Red Carpet Club, I pulled up my itinerary and noticed a duplicate segment for the flight I was about to take. It was out of sequence, appearing as the last segment of the trip, and even showed up as full-fare First Class. I looked more closely at my itinerary, and the separate check-in area, and everything else looked normal, so I just let it sit there without asking an agent about it. When the mileage posted for that flight, it came in as full ‘Y’ (the highest coach bucket). Oh how I miss having native access to Apollo and the reservation history… I’d really like to know how that happened. I’m definitely not complaining about this, though, since it earned me an extra 873 elite qualifying miles (EQMs) by being credited in ‘Y’.

Finally, there are also reports on Flyertalk about other out-of-synch occurrences, and problems with online check-in when reservations include both United- and Continental-operated flights. I have one of those coming up, and will be sure to blog about any issues I have. I think the programmers should really look into these issues given the volume of people who are likely experiencing the same phenomenon. I hope this isn’t a sign of a lack-of-seamless integration of two carriers as the merger progresses. Inexperienced flyers might find it too irritating to deal with and bail on the “new” United.

A power outage hit Los Angeles airport yesterday afternoon, causing a few flight delays and passenger inconveniences. I had a flight last night and didn’t think anything of it, especially since check-in, security and the Red Carpet Club seemed unaffected when I was there. I went to the gate about an hour before departure to keep an eye on the gate monitors to gauge potential bump opportunities and had a mini-shock.

It seems the power outage knocked the overhead monitors out, and I also overheard an agent tell a colleague that Unimatic and Apollo were out for an hour earlier in the day (key United systems). While it really wasn’t anything earth shattering, I did realize how much I like seeing the flight status and other information displayed on those monitors. I felt a little naked… something I had grown accustomed to wasn’t available and it was weird. It felt similar to the pre-Internet era where you had to research stuff at the library by accessing card catalogs.

It made me think of the times my Internet is down, or my Blackberry isn’t connecting to a signal. While I thoroughly enjoy the conveniences provided by technology, it was a bit of a reality check on how much I’m kind of addicted to them. Luckily, the wi-fi is working great this morning, and I’m able to post this without a problem while on the road.

George Clooney’s character in “Up In The Air” had a specific and efficient routine when traveling. From packing his bag at home, to checking in at the kiosk, to getting through security and entering the lounge, it was essentially a well choreographed ballet. I, too, have my own routine, and while it is just that – a routine – I am very much conscious of my steps and relish every moment since I love to travel.

I’m an early riser and prefer the 6am bank of flights out of LAX. The night before, I pack my bag in a particular fashion depending on the type of trip (work, vacation, mileage run, etc) and set both my alarm clock and cell phone alarm (out of paranoia). My brain is so programmed for early flights, though, I usually wake before the alarms. I jump in the shower and hit the road, driving the same route, parking in the same lot (virtually the same space), and catch the shuttle to the terminal. I re-print my boarding pass, get through security with organizational precision, and walk to the lounge.

I feel like I’m “home” when I’m strolling through Terminal 7 and experience the usual sights, sounds and smells (as bad as they can be). That early in the morning, I generally hear the same terrible elevator music, smell the first waft of a McDonald’s breakfast (nasty!), and hear the rolling metal doors opening at Starbucks & Hudsons News. I get my first dose of caffeine and head back to sit across from the Red Carpet Club in gate area 71A and wait for opening at 5:00am. The Hawaii flights are usually arriving and I sit there and watch the bleary-eyed & often sunburnt travelers make their way to baggage claim or stick around for connecting flights.

I’m most entertained by watching the behavior of people approach the Red Carpet Club doors and realize it’s not yet open. Most either look at their watch and find the posted hours or ring the bell for entry assuming the door must not work. When they discover the time, some come across and sit in the same area I do, some stand and line up (as early as 20-minutes before opening!), and some walk the concourse for something to do. About five minutes to opening, the RCC agent comes out to collect the morning newspaper bundles, and some think that’s the sign of opening, but wait… “Five more minutes,” the agent explains.

And so, as commonplace as travel has become for me, it has always been something I love to do and provides an enormous amount of comfort, peace and joy. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays from Frequently Flying!

Instead of posting someone else’s video from YouTube this week, I’ll post one of my own. Here is part one of my video trip report from September this year, where I flew First Class from Los Angeles to Seattle to Frankfurt to Bangkok. I’ve heard good reviews of the Lufthansa soft product, and definitely wanted to experience the unique First Class Terminal in Frankfurt, so cashed in only 145,000 miles and paid $93.40 in taxes for what turned out to be one of the best travel experiences of my life.

On December 7, 2010, United Airlines is raising the price to join or renew membership in the Red Carpet Club. Pricing depends on your Mileage Plus status, and the cash prices are going up $50 per year across the board. The rate for general members is increasing from $425 to $475 annually, with prices for 1Ks (like myself) changing from $325 to $375.  One nice option they offer is to redeem mileage instead of cash to join or renew. Last year I spent the money, but this year I’m “mileage rich” and redeemed 40,000 miles to renew. A full breakdown of the pricing can be found here.

Some believe spending that much money or mileage on an airport club is a total waste, but it pays dividends for people like me. First, I fly more than 100,000 miles per year, so I definitely make good use of the clubs. Since I’m obsessed with airports, I frequently arrive a couple of hours early for my flights and many of the clubs offer fantastic vantage points to “airplane spot.” Second, the clubs are staffed with Customer Service Representatives, and this can be a major timesaver during irregular operations when the terminal is packed with travelers needing to be reaccommodated. Finally, they offer a comfortable place to sit down, refresh and plug-in. The clubs offer the following:

• Comfortable seating with power outlets for electronics
• Newspapers, magazines and televisions
• Free Wi-Fi in all locations
• Free soft drinks, juices, coffee and tea
• Selection of free beer, wine and spirits
• Complimentary continental breakfast & afternoon snacks
• Personalized travel assistance

More information can be found on United’s website, including information on reciprocal lounge privileges with Continental & US Airways.

To join or not to join is a decision largely dependent on how much you fly. It may be cost-prohibitive for the casual flier, but they do offer one-time-use passes for $50 (often available online for $39). Personally, I view the membership price as if it were a one-night stay, or day room, at a nice hotel. Granted there aren’t showers or beds, but the expense is justified in my mind for the overall value I receive.