Here’s a United mileage run with oodles of availability I found this morning that I haven’t seen posted elsewhere.

This $99 one-way base airfare between San Francisco and Charlotte was filed back on April 26, and given it hasn’t been pulled yet, this post might stay useful longer than my last mileage run tip. It works in both directions, but I focused on zero- and one-nighters available originating in San Francisco.

Here’s the nitty-gritty and an example itinerary.

Routing: San Francisco to Los Angeles to Washington Dulles to Charlotte r/t

Routing rules: SFO-LAX/DEN-WAS/HOU/DEN/CLE/CHI-CLT

Travel period: Now through January 5, 2014

Dates I found available: Dozens, particularly in Sept/Oct/Nov

Number of nights stay: Many 0-night or 1-nighters available

Day of week restrictions: None

Fare basis: NA14KN, 14-day advance purchase

Fare: $249.40 roundtrip all-in

Premier Qualifying Miles earned: 6,576 (assumes 500-mile minimums)

Cents-per-mile (CPM): 3.79

Example itinerary: (click the image for a larger view)

The above itinerary was found using ITA Matrix, but can be booked on United directly with ease using Hipmunk.

Related posts:

Save Time Using Hipmunk for Multi-Segment Mileage Run Bookings

How to Find Mileage Runs – 2013 Edition

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.

Related posts:

Buh-Bye Upgrade Phobia: Rediscovering the Joy of Coach Travel

A Look at Cheapest vs. Upgradable United Airlines International Airfares

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?”

Related posts:

Flight Review: United Global First San Francisco to Tokyo

United Airlines ‘Geeks United’ Video Montage

Flight 651 from Los Angeles arrived at JFK this afternoon six minutes ahead of schedule and became the first reconfigured p.s. Boeing 757s to take to the skies. For the fleet followers, it’s ship number 5996 (N596UA) and will be operating as flight 535 back to LAX this evening at 5:53 p.m. If you’re unfamiliar, p.s. service refers to the “enhanced” international style flights operating from New York’s JFK Airport to both Los Angeles and San Francisco.

United posted a couple of new photos on their United Hub page, including the first I’ve seen of the economy cabin showing the forward portion of Economy Plus.

Economy Plus on the New P.S. 757

The BusinessFirst cabin uses the same pre-merger Continental lie-flat seats found on some existing 757s (and other aircraft).

BusinessFirst Seats on the New P.S. 757

In total, the new layout sports 28 BusinessFirst, 48 Economy Plus and 66 regular economy seats. And Economy Plus on this bird is reportedly real E+ with 36 inches of pitch as opposed to the 34 inches on the “old” p.s. birds.

While the seat map is an indication of the likely version of p.s. bird you’ll be flying, last minute aircraft swaps can happen. As such, it will be a virtual crapshoot in the coming months until the fleet is fully completed by the end of the year.

I previously blogged about how United will handle discontinuing selling first class. In summary:

• All p.s. flights will operate as 2-cabin regardless of actual configuration starting on Jun. 6. By the summer, we expect to have already reconfigured several B757 aircraft. However, in order to minimize the impact of unexpected substitutions, we will only sell p.s. flights as 2-cabin.
• Wondering about who gets to sit in those first three rows in the previous United First cabin? We’re reserving these seats for customers who had previously booked in United First, as well as Premier members who are already confirmed in United Business. Specifically, Global Services, Premier 1K, Premier Platinum and Premier Gold members can select one of these seats at any time if available, and Premier Silver members will have access to them at check-in. Note that during the transition, these seats will be branded as United Business, rather than United First. Nearer to the end of the reconfiguration process, we’ll start marketing the premium cabin on all aircraft as United BusinessFirst.

Not living in Los Angeles anymore and with my gradual slowdown of United flying, I probably won’t be on a p.s. flight anytime soon. I will, however, miss the dance floor ahead of row 9 on the current p.s. birds. And I honestly want a pair of those leather business class seats for my home!

Related posts:

United Airlines Announces JFK Premium Service Reconfiguration Update

Flight Review: United Airlines Flight 534 LAX-JFK p.s. Business Class

A Quick LAX-JFK-LAX Mileage Run

• All Nippon Airways (ANA) has been named Airline of the Year by Air Transport World. ANA won based on its exceptional financial performance, fiscal management, customer service and technology leadership. Silver Airways (based in Florida and one I’ve never heard of) won Regional Airline of the Year.
• Virgin America will launch new service to Austin and Anchorage. Year-round service from San Francisco to Austin begins May 21 and seasonal service to Anchorage will operate from June 6 to September 9.
• DoubleTree Hotels will make their debut in Australia later this year. Two existing properties in Darwin and one in Alice Springs will be reflagged as such and operate under the Hilton portfolio.
• U.S. hoteliers sold more than 1.1 billion rooms in 2012. San Francisco saw the greatest jump in room rates, increasing 11 percent over 2011. The nationwide average daily rate (ADR) increased 4.2 percent over 2011.
• A study by Pricewaterhouse Coopers showed that Britain’s Air Passenger Duty does more harm than good. It’s the highest tax of its type in the world, it deters travel and it would pay for itself if abolished. Hear, hear!
• The Department of Transportation issued its Air Travel Consumer Report today showing mishandled baggage rates in 2012 were at a 25 year low and airlines had the third highest on-time rate in 18 years (among other interesting nuggets).

Related posts:

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: February 11, 2013

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: February 5, 2013

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: February 1, 2013

I flew an eight-segment mileage run last month that included a roundtrip from Boston to Tokyo via San Francisco. And due to an unadvertised promotional first class fare (about $3,000) out of select U.S. origins to Tokyo (or Beijing), I was able to fly in comfort and nabbed my favorite seat onboard any United aircraft – 2K on a Boeing 747-400.

My Boeing 747-400, N174UA

My flight into San Francisco from Boston arrived just about on schedule, leaving me with enough time for a quick visit to the Global First lounge to catch up on emails. At the check-in desk when I was welcomed as “Mr. Booth,” the person next to me asked, “Darren Booth?” Turns out he reads my blog – what a small world. It was nice to meet you, Sean!

I headed to the gate ahead of boarding time to… well… be a “gate louse” and position myself near the front of the Premier Access lane. Why? Because those darn 747s have such limited overhead space in first class that I didn’t want to stow my bags in business class, which often happens. I was about the 10^th person on and I settled into my seat (and yes, got my coveted overhead bin space). Oh, and for those unfamiliar with United, there’s absolutely no priority given to Global First passengers over business class (or many elites).

Seat 2K

View Forward at Seat 2K

The menu, pillows and blanket were awaiting me at my seat, and the amenity kit and slippers were already stowed in the side console compartment. Pre-departure beverage service was slow as the lead flight attendant in Global First spent an inordinate amount of time gabbing with a couple of passengers. And I noted some friction between the lead and purser, which I wrote about in my “The Reality Check That Is United Airlines Global First Class” post.

Newspapers were offered and positioned on the console across from my seat. We pushed nearly on-time and were airborne within about 15 minutes.

View

The lead noticed my camera and said, “You’d better get your pictures in quick before we take the left turn toward Japan!” I chuckled and said “Thanks,” but little did she know my main intent was to capture the meals. Hot towels, warmed nuts and beverages started the lunch service. Check out the turbulence in that water glass.

Warmed Nuts and Water

Here’s the menu:

And the separate wine & bar service list:

Meal service began shortly after the seat belt sign came off with linens, silverware and bread presented first.

Table Setup

The warm appetizer and sushi were served nearly in tandem. I did quite like the beef empanada and pastry, but didn’t touch the sushi as I’m not a fan.

Sushi

Beef Empanada and Veggie & Mushroom Pastry

Besides a warm vs. cold appetizer, the only other noticeable difference from Global First to BusinessFirst meals is the addition of a soup course. It was only lukewarm and required a bit of salt to make it tastier.

Shrimp and Roasted Corn Chowder

A rather basic salad followed and I went with the Parmesan-pepper dressing.

Salad

For my main course, I chose the Tenderloin of Beef. It was very tender and delicious, the latter likely due to the Delmonico’s steak sauce. I have had decent green beans in-flight before, but these were rubbery and tasteless. And the potatoes cooled off very quickly and were equally bland. More salt.

Tenderloin of Beef

By this point, I was ready for a nap having been awake since very early Boston time to catch the 6:00 a.m. flight. And so I skipped the cheese and ice cream sundae. Here’s the remainder of the menu:

There was absolutely no mention of the “new” turn-down service for Global First passengers where flight attendants will lower your seat into bed mode and spread the sleeping cushion over the seat. And on the return flight with the same crew, the lead was very vocal how she felt about it saying, “What are we a hotel?!”

The crew spruced up the lavatory as best they could.

Lavatory Amenities

A cart was setup near the galley with the assorted sandwiches and nibbles from the “mid-flight snack” menu appearing above. They looked identical to what’s offered in BusinessFirst and not particularly appealing.

About 1.5 hours before arrival, breakfast was served although it was 2:00 p.m. local time in Tokyo. Other airlines flying this timeslot will serve a more time-appropriate meal. I went with the herbed scrambled eggs, ham, turkey sausage and potato gratin… err… tater tots.

Breakfast at 2 p.m.

While each flight attendant was friendly in their own way, there was certainly nothing exceptional about their service. It was just a typical United flight and I suppose worth what I paid. I can’t imagine anyone wanting to pay full-fare for United’s Global First.

Related posts:

The Reality That Is United Airlines Global First Class

United Global First Amenity Kit Review

Lounge Review: ANA Suite Lounge Tokyo Narita

I’m Off on a Weeklong Mileage Run

• American Airlines has a new sweepstakes offering a slew of prizes, including first class tickets for two, Admirals Club memberships, tablets, headphones and more. Daily drawings for 1,000 AAdvantage miles are also a part of the promo.
• Boeing has asked the FAA to resume 787 test flights to aid in finding a cause of the battery problems. The FAA is currently evaluating the request.
• A not-so-new hotel trend is gaining momentum as more hoteliers offer dual-branded locations. From combo JW Marriott/Ritz-Carlton properties to Hilton Garden Inn/Hamptons, it seems to be a big win with developers.
• Both Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson and San Francisco International broke passenger records in 2012. Atlanta retained the top spot as busiest airport in the world.
• A drunk (off-duty) British Airways pilot reportedly groped a first class passenger on a flight from London to Japan. If the reporting is accurate, he made quite a scene. And he had just returned to work after a suspension for punching a flight attendant last year.
• Kudos to United Airlines employees who will be receiving a $100 bonus for the airline’s recent on-time performance. United ended the month of January with an 82.8 percent domestic on-time arrival rate, and an 80.5 percent international on-time rate, resulting in the best combined domestic and international performance for the month in 10 years.

Related posts:

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: February 1, 2013

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: January 31, 2013

Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel News: January 30, 2013

I haven’t been on Flyertalk in a few days and just noticed a new update UA Insider posted on Friday related to the premium service (p.s.) fleet operating between JFK-LAX/SFO. In case you missed it too:

The first aircraft to be reconfigured is already in modification and will take to the skies by March. Over the subsequent 8-9 months we will complete the transition, but during this period, there will be a mix of B757 aircraft flying on these routes. Since the configurations are very different, we will be taking some steps to ease us through the transition and minimize the impact of aircraft changes. Here are some of the highlights:

• All p.s. flights will operate as 2-cabin regardless of actual configuration starting on Jun. 6. By the summer, we expect to have already reconfigured several B757 aircraft. However, in order to minimize the impact of unexpected substitutions, we will only sell p.s. flights as 2-cabin. We will update our systems this weekend to reflect this change.
• Wondering about who gets to sit in those first three rows in the previous United First cabin? We’re reserving these seats for customers who had previously booked in United First, as well as Premier members who are already confirmed in United Business. Specifically, Global Services, Premier 1K, Premier Platinum and Premier Gold members can select one of these seats at any time if available, and Premier Silver members will have access to them at check-in. Note that during the transition, these seats will be branded as United Business, rather than United First. Nearer to the end of the reconfiguration process, we’ll start marketing the premium cabin on all aircraft as United BusinessFirst.
• How to tell if you’re on a newly configured aircraft. The best way to know is to look at the seat map on united.com, which would show 28 seats in United Business. However, keep in mind this is always subject to change. Also worth noting, seat maps will generally reflect the older configuration until a few months before departure, when we start to have a better idea of what kind of aircraft will be scheduled for a specific flight.
• The Global First Lounge at JFK is scheduled to remain open after June 6, welcoming Global Services members seated in United Business on p.s. flights, as well as customers on connecting United Global First itineraries. We’ll share more information about the future of our lounges at JFK later this year.
• Upgrade policies are the same. You can still request an upgrade on p.s. using RPUs, GPUs and award miles. And, we continue to waive the co-pay for Premier members requesting MileagePlus Upgrade Awards.

So, as with other fleet conversions, it’ll be a crapshoot up until nearly departure time as to whether you’ll get a new bird or old one. I do like the fact that United is opening up pre-selection of seats in the former First cabin if you hold a business class ticket beginning June 6 and end up flying on an old configuration. And I wonder what “we’ll share more information… later this year,” means about the United Club at JFK in that second to last bullet. Hopefully it means a refresh and perhaps expansion.

Here’s what a new Boeing 757 p.s. seat map looks like should you draw one on an upcoming flight (I wonder if 20ABC have the same legroom as 20DEF with that closet directly in front?):

The "new" United Configuration for JFK Premium Service Flights

United’s announcement on Flyertalk also mentions an update about the p.s. fleet will soon be coming to their United Hub website in the coming days. It’ll probably be identical, but I’m hoping for a few pics of the new interior.

I visited United’s Global First Class lounges in Tokyo and San Francisco on my mileage run last week and I took advantage of the shower rooms offered in each in hopes of adding to my amenity kit collection.

Truth be told, I had freshly showered at my hotel in Tokyo before arriving at the airport, but I was keen to see if the former Murad kits had been swapped out for newer ones since my last visit in 2010. Sadly, there was no wrapped kit, but instead individual bottles of Plegaria shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion, along with a toothbrush, toothpaste and comb.

United Airlines Global First Shower Room Amenities in Tokyo

I did end up taking a shower (why not?!), but didn’t use the delicious smelling Plegaria products as I wanted to save them for my collection. And my Google search skills must be failing as I can’t seem to find Plegaria products online. The English part of the blurb on the bottles note they’re made in Thailand. I’d love to order retail-size versions.

On my arrival in San Francisco, I skipped the Arrivals Lounge that’s on the lower level after exiting customs having been there before and being unimpressed with the food offerings. In retrospect, I should have visited just to see if anything had changed, as well as pick up more amenities. Ah well… I’m a bad blogger. Instead, I re-cleared security immediately and headed to the Global First lounge.

Here, I definitely wanted a shower and after a quick nosh, I asked to use one of the two shower rooms available to passengers. Towels and an amenity kit were promptly provided.

United Airlines Global First Lounge Shower Amenity Kit SFO

The zipper bag itself isn’t really anything special or luxe, but I’m happy to have received one. Inside an internal plastic pouch are small tubes of conditioning shampoo, body wash, facial cleanser, shaving cream, body lotion and facial moisturizer. They’re not branded, but are remarkably similar in appearance and scent of the previous Murad offerings.

United Global First Lounge Shower Kit Contents

Also included with the kit: a small circular stick of deodorant, razor, Colgate toothpaste, toothbrush (identical to the one found in the Global First amenity kit) and a folding brush/comb. I do quite like the individual amenities as opposed to mass-use versions found in other shower rooms, usually in business class lounges.

I’ll have a detailed lounge review of the Tokyo location coming up shortly here on Frequently Flying, as well as a look at the ANA Suite Lounge and a San Francisco to Tokyo flight review in Global First.

Related posts:

The Reality Check That Is United Airlines Global First Class

I’m Off on a Weeklong Mileage Run… In Style

Amenity Kit Reviews

I’ll post my full flight review in the coming days, but I feel compelled to dedicate a post on the less than international first class service I received and observed in United Global First last week.

It’s no secret that United is remarkably inconsistent when it comes to in-flight service and I think it’s most evident when flying internationally. Last year, I had a terrific experience in United BusinessFirst from Los Angeles to Sydney with attentive and professional flight attendants who were sincere in their desire to provide exceptional service. My return from Sydney was the exact opposite with indifferent, stoic flight attendants who seemed to treat service as a chore.

I was optimistic for my San Francisco-Tokyo Narita-San Francisco flights in Global First knowing that in the past, flights to/from Japan were a particular quality control focus. While the crew I had (the same on both flights) wasn’t stoic or indifferent, the service they provided wasn’t what you’d expect for international first class. I know, I know… not really a shocker for a U.S. airline when compared to foreign carriers. But here are a few unique observations from my flights.

On the ground, the reaction by two Global First passengers arriving in the gate room in Tokyo and being told to queue in the already huge 75+ passenger Group 1 boarding lane was priceless. They were visibly shocked there wasn’t priority given over business class (or even coach passengers with elite status).

Onboard, the dislike between the purser and lead flight attendant serving Global First was palpable, something unprofessional to visibly allow and express in view of the cabin.

When a passenger couldn’t immediately find storage space for his carry-on (a problem on the 747-400), a flight attendant who wasn’t working in First told him he’d have to put it in business class and to “write to the company to complain” without offering assistance. Fortunately, the purser was more proactive and found space for him in first class.

In many cases, the menu, amenity kit and slippers are presented to you after you’re seated in first class. On both of my flights, the menus were nicely displayed on the console, though the amenity kits and slippers were stored away in the seat compartments. Not a huge deal, but there’s just something about the presentation of them personally that adds a touch of class.

United introduced turndown service in Global First? Absolutely no mention of it was made on the outbound. And on the return, I overhead the lead flight attendant say, “What are we… a hotel?!” when telling another passenger about it after he found the seat cover in his compartment. She even went on to say that flight attendants love to take them to their crew bunks for use. Sigh.

Now I should mention that the flight attendants were each friendly in their own way (particularly when I reappeared on their return flight the next day), but service elements and overall cabin management on my flights certainly weren’t worth what a normally priced Global First ticket would run.

I was hoping for a stellar experience, but I drew the short stick on these United flights. I know there are flight attendants at United who pride themselves on delivering exceptional service. It’s just a shame that the amount who don’t or won’t step up will prevent United from ever being on par with their global counterparts.

Related posts:

I’m Off on a Weeklong Mileage Run… In Style!

Amenity Kit Review: United Airlines Global First

Flight Review: United Airlines BusinessFirst Los Angeles to Sydney

Flight Review: United Boeing 787 Dreamliner Inaugural