American Retires the A-300

American Airlines retired the last of its Airbus A-300 aircraft this week.  I was never a big fan of the aircraft, but that didn’t stop me from flying on the big buses to the Caribbean, and even London (LHR) back when AA flew them to Europe.  Theoretically, they were very similar to the 767-300, but they really had enormous cargo capability compared to the 767-300.  So this brings American down to five aircraft fleets, the 777, 767, 757, 737 and MD80.  The 757 and 767 share a common pilot type rating .

That Bag Fee Thing

I know this is at least my 3rd post on the subject in the last few days, but seriously folks, the baggage fees are beginning to get close to the breaking point.  I mean, if the airlines charge $20 dollars, or $25 dollars…how long do you think it will be before they test the next price point?  Maybe I’m wrong, and if I am, I’ll admit it here.  But the airlines can’t depend on unlimited consumer tolerance for bag fees.  They are beginning to test the top of the scale.

Can Southwest Stick it Out?

Speaking of bag fees, how long can it be before Southwest succumbs to the temptation of the ancillary revenue bandwagon?  I expect they will be charging for the second checked bag within 6 months, and I’m OK with that.  I’m also OK with my thinking that they may never charge for the first bag.  And that’s one more reason to fly Southwest.  Speaking of Southwest, they’re going to install wi-fi from Row 44 fleetwide beginning this fall.

Where in the World am I This Week?

I will be leaving for Oklahoma City (OKC) Sunday afternoon for a fun-filled several days of work.  Ugh.  I’m flying American Airlines from Reagan National (DCA), connecting in DFW.  My Platinum upgrade has cleared, and I’m looking forward to the flight.  I’m very excited to be staying at the historic Hilton Skirvin Hotel in downtown Oklahoma City.  You can count on a full review of the hotel after my stay.

Baggage Fees

US Airways jacks up baggage fees.  Not a big shocker, but I think we’re getting close to a breaking point in how much consumers are willing to tolerate.  I mean seriously, it’s starting to get a little nutty.

On Board Delays

The stem is coming off the rose in regards to travelers’ continued tolerance of airline excuses in regards to extended tarmac delays.  The Continental Express incident in Rochester, MN has all but assured passage of some form of “bill of rights” legislation.  It’s well intended, but like a lot of well intended pieces of legislation, the unintended consequences of it will be worth watching.  As useless as I think the legislation will be, the airlines have no one to blame but themselves for not fixing the problem.  And yes, I know government and the antiquated air traffic control system are to blame as well.  Regardless, airlines have got to stop treating their customers like crap…and sometimes, they may need to work together in order to do so.  (Hear that, Mesaba?)

Delta Brings Business Elite to Transcons

Delta Air Lines is introducing its Business Elite product to transcontinental flights from New York – JFK to Los Angeles and San Francisco.  Delta says it will use Boeing 757s on the flights which feature Business Elite cabin seats with 150 degrees of recline and 55 inches of pitch.  Delta also expects to have wi-fi on all of its transcontinental flights by the end of the year.

How’s that for a post of “random musings? 

The other shoe has finally dropped.  When American didn’t match the “5 dollar discount” for paying checked luggage fees online during the last round of fee increases, I speculated that this would at least open the opportunity for other airlines to either back away from their fee discount, or raise fees a little more.  Today, US Airways announced that its fee for the first check bag was rising to $25 dollars with a $5 dollar discount if customers pay the fee online in advance.  This effectively matches American’s $20 dollar fee.  As of this writing, no other airlines have followed suit, but I expect that may change.

I’ve said before that I am not really opposed to charging for items that can legitimately be considered a value-added service.  However, I am beginning to wonder if airlines aren’t approaching a limit in how much they can charge for checked luggage?  Seriously, I think we’re getting close to the point where these baggage fees are getting out of control.

My apologies for the dearth in posts over the last week.  Long story short, some other things have occupied more of my time than I would’ve liked, and I failed to manage my time in a way to allow me to contribute to the blog.  And let’s face it, it’s not like nothing has been going on in the world of travel!    More to say very soon, and thank you for your patience.

I recently posted about my first attempt at using frequent flier miles to obtain premium class travel from Washington, DC to Rome next June.  The 330 day booking window for my desired June 29, 2010, departure date opened a couple of weeks ago.  I’ve been checking almost daily, but finding no availability at the desired AAdvantage “MileSAAver” rate of 50,000 miles per person each way for Business Class.  I’m not surprised that availability is less than widespread this far out for the busy summer travel period.  Like anything patience is key.

During lunch today, I decided to surf on over to AA.com and poke around for various ways to get to Rome in late June.  I selected my desired date of 6/29 and chose the “dates flexible” option.  Much to my surprise, there were 2 Business Class seats available from Washington (DCA) to Rome (FCO) on Monday, June 28, 2010!  One day earlier than planned.  You can bet I grabbed those seats right on the spot!

Granted, we lost international stopovers when American recently announced one-way AAdvantage awards, but my experience points to an awesome benefit of AAdvantage versus other “legacy” mileage programs.  I grabbed seats for my outbound flights, and purchased them on the spot before my return date in mid July opens for booking.  When the return dates open, I’ll search for flights and book them when availability opens up.  Yes, I’ll have 2 separate reservations, one for the outbound, and one for the return.  But ask me if I care when I’m enjoying American’s Flagship Business Class!

So, next time you hear how impossible it is to use miles for free travel, remember this experience.  With a little patience you’ll be flying in no time.  Here’s to hoping I can get back home!

Just a brief word on the beautiful new Terminal 2 at the Raleigh Durham International Airport.  I actually flew in just after the terminal opened but was in such a hurry, I really had no time to stop and soak in my surroundings or visit the new American Airlines Admirals Club here.  I built extra time into my schedule for this quick visit to rectify that problem.  In fact, I’m blogging from the RDU Admirals Club right now.

I’m not an architect, but frankly, I think the new terminal is beautiful.  Lots of glass, and high ceilings, but not horribly over-done either.  Only one half of the terminal is open right now, with the remaining gates under construction and slated to open in 2011 according to RDU.com.  But the section that is open is quite nice, and a vast improvement to the old Terminal C, a relic from the days when American Airlines maintained a fully-functioning connecting hub here.

Terminal 2 is currently served by American, Delta/Northwest, and United, with other airlines coming when the remainder of the terminal opens in 2011.  In the meantime, if travel brings you to the area, be sure to Fly T-2.

Wow.  I said that labor would be an important watch item in Southwest’s bid for Frontier, and it looks like I was right.  Here’s a link to the news on the Dallas Morning News Airline Biz Blog.

Post Edited

I’m not going to add a new post for my comments this evening.  I’ll just add my thoughts here.  Initial indications are that Southwest entered some kind of labor provision in its offer that required the pilot groups to come together on a combined seniority list.  When they couldn’t pull that off (big surprise there…not), the provision basically made Southwest’s offer invalid.  I’m a little mystified that Southwest management thought that 2 pilot groups would hammer out a seniority deal this fast.

At this point, I really don’t know how I feel about this news.  More tomorrow.

Just caught this news on Delta’s blog.  Historically, there’s been no central spot on Delta.com that summarizes available bonus mile promotions like this one on AA.com.  Delta has now added a consolidated listing of available SkyMiles promotions to its “Deals & Offers” page, and I even managed to register for two!  Check it out on Delta.com.  I think this is helpful, but a listing of targeted promotions along with a list of promotions that you’ve already registered for would be the ultimate solution.  According to the blog comments, Delta is working towards making that available….and that’s a good thing.

I spent the past week in Philadelphia, getting there on Amtrak’s Acela, and staying at the Crowne Plaza Downtown.  Attended a successful conference by day, and explored downtown Philadelphia by night.  There’s quite a bit to do in Philadelphia, and I’m ashamed to admit, I had no idea!  I’ll post separate reviews of Acela and the Crowne Plaza, but suffice it to say that as much as I love to fly, I have a hard time imagining myself not using Acela to travel from DC to as far as New York…ever.  The Crowne Plaza was acceptable, nothing outlandish, but in a good location to explore Philadelphia.

Airlines began reporting their July traffic numbers this week, and the numbers look a little better.  Yes, traffic is still falling, but the slide in demand appears to be easing.  Granted, this is probably due to some of the lowest fares in recent memory which negatively impacts revenue.  Southwest managed to eek out real traffic gains.  Could it be the bottom?  We’ve still got some work to do to get to the level of supply-demand equilibrium that will equate to profits for this crazy business that continues to intrigue me.  But I think we may be close to finally getting this baby off the runway and into a long slow climb towards a more desirable business environment.

On-time performance numbers for June were reported this week as well.  The numbers were the worst of the year, but still better than last year.  The summer months are rarely good for airline operational performance with summer storms and such.  Hawaiian was in its usual top spot for the best performance, while Comair was worst-performing during the month of June.

In other news, NTSB issued its final report on the Go! Airlines sleeping pilot incident which took place in Hawaii in February 2008.  I don’t comment on flight safety issues, but take the time to read the report if you’re interested.

That about covers it for this “A Word on…” post.

The title says it all.  Next summer, Mrs MJonTravel and I will be taking an 11-night Eastern Mediterranean cruise aboard Celebrity Equinox, sailing from Rome (Civitavecchia).  We intend to fly over a few days early to visit friends in Naples and do a little sight-seeing.  This means we will leave for Italy in late June, preferably, mid week, and return on July 16th.

I don’t have to tell you that this is peak season for US – Europe travel, and that I expect using miles at the “restricted” award level to be a challenge.  That said, I’m going to try.  We are at the beginning of the 330 day booking window for the outbound trip.  I’ve armed myself with subscriptions to Expertflyer.com and MileageManager.com to aid in my search for seats.  I also intend to utilize the services of telephone agents at AAdvantage to assist me in my quest.  Any fees they charge will be worth the cost.  I am mildly flexible on the departure day, but want to return on 7/16, the day we get off the ship.  However, I can be a little flexible on that too.  I will also consider awards on partner airlines and take any number of alternative routings to reach Italy.

So, there you have the basics of my quest.  I’m sure it will be a learning experience for me.  If you have any advice to offer, please comment to the blog.  And I will post frequently about my successes and setbacks in my quest to get to Italy in premium class using miles.

Historically, if you booked your flights through the cruise line (any cruise line) you had very little choice in schedules, airlines, seat assignments, etc.  This is one reason I have never booked air through a cruise line.  Royal Caribbean must have been listening to our complaints because they are rolling out a much more flexible air travel option on August 3rd called ChoiceAir.

ChoiceAir options can be booked with Royal Caribbean, your travel agent, or online at a special website, which according to Royal Caribbean, has the look and feel of online booking engines you’ve become accustomed to.  And better yet, ChoiceAir staff will have full access to your itinerary on travel day to assist you with alternative arrangements for getting to the ship should you run into any travel difficulties.  This is the primary reason many book their flights through the cruise line, assurance that they will eventually get to the ship if they run into flight problems.  (Note: I always recommend you travel to your port the day before your cruise to avoid any issues.)

Fees for the service will be $15 dollars per person for domestic trips and $25 dollars for international.  Not unreasonable at all.  Royal Caribbean’s sister lines, Celebrity and Azamara are participating as well. You can read more about the program here.