Air Berlin to Launch Seasonal Service to San Francisco

Beginning next May, Air Berlin plans to operate flights between Dusseldorf and San Francisco. The twice-weekly seasonal service begins May 12 and runs through September 29, 2010, and will utilize a long-range Airbus 330 aircraft.

Why One-Way Tickets Cost More Than a Round-Trip

By Mike Grasso

Last week a reader forwarded me an itinerary in which the round-trip ticket price cost less than two separate one-way tickets on identical flights. It was an American Airlines flight between San Jose and Dallas/Ft Worth. The ticket prices out to $349 round-trip, but the exact same days and flights booked as two separate one-ways comes to $454 ($227 each way). "What gives?" the reader asked.

At play here is supply and demand. When most people fly somewhere, they usually need to come back, causing a demand for round-trip tickets. In response, you find many airlines fiercely competing in this market. One-way flights are less popular, and most mainline carriers don't compete, resulting in an upward spike in those fares. Although the supply of seats remains constant - regardless if sold as one-way or round-trip, the demand and competition exists for round-trips.

But there are exceptions. Southwest Airlines, for example, sells all their flights as one-ways. In response to this, you will find mainline carriers such as American and United offering equivalent one-way fares in markets they compete with Southwest in. Take San Francisco to Los Angeles, for instance. Southwest frequently sells this route for $49 each way. Other carriers flying between these cities match Southwest pricing, choosing not to bump up the cost of the one-way flight, as they would otherwise do on non-competitive routes.

Alaska Airlines adds online change tool, raises fees

In a press release today, Alaska Airlines announced the addition of a new online tool which enables customers to make changes to their reservation. More importantly, the tool will immediately provide up to 20 alternate routing's and any applicable fare increase.

Also, in an effort to keep people online for their travel needs, change fees performed by an Alaska Airlines phone or airport representative will cost $75 for tickets purchased after October 2nd; the fee for changing online remains at $50.

ExpressJet Inaugurates Sacramento-Bakersfield this week

Airline begins non-stop service from Sacramento to Bakersfield CA on September 9th.

Scheduled daily departute out of Sacramento is 635pm arriving Bakersfield at 7:37pm.

The route will be operated by an Embraer ERJ-145 aircraft configured with no middle seats. ExpressJet also offers premium in-flight service including upgraded entertainment with more than 100 channels of free XM® Satellite radio, complimentary recognized name-brand snacks and cushioned leather seating.

ExpressJet flies non-stop to other small to medium size markets as well: Sacramento, CA
Albuquerque, Colorado Springs, Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Spokane, Tucson and Tulsa.

They also flight non-stop between Monterey and San Diego and Ontario.

Official Website for ExpressJet

Sacramento to Cabo San Lucas $220 Roundtrip incl taxes

HOT fare! American Airlines is offering Sacramento to Cabo, Mexico for $220 round-trip with taxes included. Valid September 1 to October 15th. Non-stop or 1 stop service via Dallas available. Visit Farecompare.com or AA.com for availability.

Intra-California Sale continues

After yesterday's $34 each way sale from Oakland to Ontario and Los Angeles on Southwest - the other main carriers serving the Golden State responded with their own deals:

United is now offering $78+Tax ($99 all in) roundtrip Oakland to Los Angeles
American is offering $78+Tax ($99 all in) roundtrip San Francisco to Los Angeles
JetBlue is offering $78+Tax ($97 all in) roundtrip Oakland to Long Beach.

Southwest has said it plans to fly from San Francisco to Los Angeles starting in November...
this ought to ensure healthy competition continues for Bay Area flyers.

Delta Airlines Enlists Top Chefs to Bolster Its Menus
New York Times Sunday August 26, 2007

Delta seems to be getting more serious about the food it is serving to passengers - at least to those sitting in the high-priced seats and others willing to pay for it.

Starting Sept 13, the airline will feature entrees created by the Miami chef Michelle Bernstein for first class passengers on flights from Kennedy International Airport to Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. Choices include short ribs in a red wine sauce. Also, chocolates from Godiva's new line, Chocoiste, will be available.

Then in November, the celebrity chef Todd English will introduce creations on a for-sale menu for coach passengers on the same routes, as well as flights to destinations like Atlanta; Portland Ore; and Las Vegas. Items under consideration include a spinach salad with beets, walnuts and manchego; and hummus. Prices are expected to range from $3 to $10.

Southwest Airlines begins out of San Francisco Airport tommorrow
Initial routes:
to San Diego 8 times daily
to Las Vegas 7 times daily
to Chicago 3 times daily

Frontier Airlines connects Bay Area to Puerto Vallarta

Frontier Airlines continues to expand their Mexico service from the Bay Area. In a press release this week, the airline announced flights from Sacramento and San Jose to Puerto Vallarta will commence on December 15th - just in time to plan a winter escape out of state.

To ignite some interest, the airline is offering double EarlyReturns miles and tickets as low as $119 each way. See new routes page. Tickets are available for purchase on the Frontier Airlines website now.

Sacramento - Puerto Vallarta
Departs 3:15 p.m. Arrvies 8:45 p.m.
Monday, Thursday, and Saturday

Departs 7:00 a.m. Arrives 12:30 p.m.
Sunday

San Jose CA - Puerto Vallarta
Departs 7:00 a.m. Arrives 12:30 p.m.
Tuesday and Friday

Departs 10:55 a.m. Arrvies 4:10pm
Saturday

History about to unfold: Airbus 380 flies in October

The grand mamma/pappa (you can choose the gender) of planes will soon be put into service for everyone to enjoy. This will truly be an amazing moment in aviation history. The Airbus-380 will begin flying passengers by the end of October.

First though, Singapore Airlines will auction off their inaugural flight to some lucky folks through eBay. 100% of the proceeds will be donated to charity organizations.

More information can be found here.

Southwest Airlines Intra-California Sale

Though not the best fares Southwest sometimes offers, these aren't so bad either.
Book by August 23 for travel August 28 through January 11, 2008. Fares are each way.
14 Day advance purchase on these tickets, valid most days (including peak travel days Friday & Sunday!)

Oakland, CA $49 to/from
Burbank, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Ontario, CA
San Diego, CA

Sacramento, CA $49 to/from
Burbank, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Ontario, CA
San Diego, CA

San Jose, CA $49 to/from
Burbank, CA
Los Angeles, CA
Ontario, CA
San Diego, CA

San Francisco, CA$49 to/from
San Diego, CA(Service beginsAugust 26, 2007.)

Southwest Airlines initiates nonstop Oakland to Tucson service beginning November 4th.
The flight departs Oakland at 610pm and arrives Tucson at 925pm.
Several other departure times are available, but require a connection in Las Vegas, Los Angeles or San Diego.

Virgin America: My experience & Feedback

Virgin America launched its first flight last week - August 8th. The day began with delays in New York City causing the inaugural flight to be grounded until the weather passed. Once the skies cleared up, Virgin America finally began to fly.

The following day I hopped aboard a short-hop Virgin America flight from SFO-Los Angeles to marinate myself in all the fancy shmancy features the airline has been hyping itself with.


At the Airport:
VX flies out of the International Terminal at SFO. Two thumbs up to begin with!

The international terminal is spacious, clean and fun; unlike traditional domestic terminals where passengers are packed into gates likes herds of cattle, the international terminal at SFO with its high ceilings, dimmed lighting, and massive walkways allow travelers more space and freedom.

Inside the terminal looking out, giant planes representing countries from Europe and Asia prepare load the masses. Flying out of this terminal invokes an excitement, a thrill that you are about to embark on a great journey somewhere soon. Virgin America flying out of this terminal seemed appropriate.


On the Plane:
Stepping aboard the plane it immediately feels unlike any other domestic plane. The cool & hip interior lighting gives way to brand new leather seats throughout the cabin and in-seat personal entertainment systems. Passengers can watch live TV, listen to music, play games or purchase movies. You can also order food and drinks from your seat. Order your favorite drink(s) and then press the "checkout" button and the order in theory will be delivered to you. It's a neat little service, in particular when snacks and foods are offered on long-haul flights. There are some kinks to be worked out and some educating passengers on how to get drinks on a flight. For example, if you wait for the trolley and flight attendant to come by, you may go thirsty.
















Overall Thoughts and Experience:
Virgin America has been successful in presenting a fresh and sexy image of their airliner. From check in, through the air, and back on the ground, Virgin America proved it is trying to make a difference in U.S. air travel. But, after much hype and publicity, it is now time for the company to really step up and make good on their promise of creating this new type of airline.

Although staff throughout the airports and on board were (super) friendly, a few lacked the ability to answer specific questions about the airlines frequent flyer program or on airline policy. Also, my outbound flight (and the return) were delayed, and incorrect information was initially dispatched to waiting passengers about the cause for delays. Virgin America must take ownership of delays and not fallback on second-class customer service seemingly comfortable with other mainline carriers.


The on-board entertainment system had a few problems, mostly with the satellite TV - to be expected sometimes. But every time the flight attendants made announcements, the games feature on the entertainment system kept resetting which meant players had to start from the beginning. 2 of the screens would later lock up entirely. The handheld remote failed to work in one of the seats as well.


I'm excited for Virgin America and hope to see announcements for new routes in the coming months. Before this however, I'd like to see the company properly train front-line staff and work out some of the initial problems encountered during their 1st week in operation.

Megabus pulls into the Bay Area this week

MegaBus is expanding their coach service to the San Francisco Bay Area. Beginning Wednesday, Bay Area buses begin rolling non-stop from the Bay Area to Los Angeles city center with travel time less than 7 hours.

So where is the flight tie-in since this is a travel blog?

OK There is no direct connection! But, with the first 4 seats on each coach costing a mere $1 each (there are 56 seats total on each bus), a fairly quick ride south dropping you off near downtown L.A and 3 X daily service - including a "red eye" bus ride (leave 1130pm arrive L.A 6am), it's certainly worth considering over a flight to LAX.

What about Greyhound? (oh yea...Greyhound)

They're still around, and with a well established infrastructure of schedules and routes, it would seem Megabus is driving against some stiff competition. Megabus asserts however that their low price, tiered pricing structure (tickets never cost more than $36 each way) and non-stop service make them a superior product.

What I see absent from their press release is how coach service will meet a need for travelers. In the U.S at least, shady stories are ever present as it relates to Greyhound, not the least bit because of where the bus stations are located. A marketing campaign to drive people onto the buses because of a superior product such as service, onboard movies/entertainment or buy-on-board food is needed. The company should also remove itself from the present image of a dark, seedy Greyhound Bus Station by emphasizing where bus drop off points are located (ie: Cal-Train Station in the exciting SOMA, or near Dodger Stadium in L.A).

Still, Megabus is an option people have as an alternative to air travel, at least to Los Angeles for now. While I doubt business travelers are lining up to purchase, small groups of friends may find some fun riding the bus down to L.A for the weekend. Megabus

Source: Megabus Press Release

Premium airline - Jet Airways coming to San Francisco

Above: Exclusive mini-suites on Jet Airlines

India-based Jet Airways says it is rolling out aggressive plans to expand into the North American market. Currently Jet Air flies to 50 destinations across the globe, and with brand new Boeing 777 plans about to be delivered, the airline plans on adding Toronto, Newark, JFK and San Francisco to Mumbai.

Jet Airways is known internationally for their posh first class section; divided suites with shutterlike doors. Inside there is a seat that reclines into an 83-inch-long lie-flat bed, a 23-inch entertainment monitor and dual credenzas that eliminate the need for overhead-bin storage. Economy passengers aren't left out either, with the latest onboard video/audio entertainment systems.

Newark service begins this week, followed by Toronto next month. By January the airline expects service to commence from San Francisco and JFK, offering connecting service in Shanghai or Brussels.

Competition heating up for flights to Australia

V Australia Airlines, Virgin Blue's new trans-pacific airline received Australian regulatory approval to start flying from Australia to the West coast of the United States. Airline officials declined comment on which cities would be served, but San Francisco and Los Angeles are considered the most uncompetitive long-haul air routes in the world, with Qantas having a strong-hold over all other carriers. Additionally, based on demand, the San Francisco Bay Area has demonstrated a need for additional service to to Australia. The initial rollout calls for 10 weekly flights to the U.S West coast.

V Australia still needs U.S government approval, but says its plans are to fly by the 4th quarter 2008 when brand new 777-ER planes are delivered.

JetStar, another Australian based low cost carrier had previously reported targeting the Bay Area with service direct to Australia by the end of 2007.

Contributing source: The Australian

First Airbus 380 Flight to be sold to charity
Singapore Airlines, the first commercial airliner to fly the long awaited double-decker Jumbo Airbus 380 airplane is auctioning off seats for their first flight scheduled for October 2007. Money raised will be donated to charity organizations.

Singapore Airlines Chief Executive Officer, Chew Choon Seng says "the first commercial A380 flight will be a moment in aviation history. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, on an aircraft that will mark a new chapter in air travel"
Click here for more information or to place a bid

1245pm Virgin America Update
VirginAmerica website seems to be having difficulties handling the masses. The site has been up and down through the morning.
Alternatively, you can book Virgin America tickets through ORBITZ

Here is a run down on their offerings:
-from$44/each way to/from Las Vegas or Los Angeles and San Francisco
-from $139 each way to/from New York and San Francisco

Flights start August 8th to L.A and N.Y
You can call 1-877-FLY-VIRGIN to make reservations ( I was able to get through in less than 10 minutes).

Be sure to sign up for their flying club frequent flyer club program on their website.

A lack of "Sun" at San Francisco Airport (soon to change)

Have you seen this plane hanging around at San Francisco Airport?
(probably not)

Sun Country Airlines, recently named top 5 on the list of Top Domestic Airlines in Travel+Leisure’s 2007 World’s Best Service Awards has daily service out of SFO. So where are their planes?
Well according to its schedule, the planes are on the ground at SFO for a mere 50 minutes - a quick drop off and reload of passengers, hardly time to gatch a glipse of their fairly new & crisp planes.

So who are they? The privatly owned company initiated its first flight in 1999 and today has over 1200 employees on staff. Based in Minneapolis, Sun Country offers year round service from San Francisco to destinations in the U.S such as New York's JFK, Washington Dulles and Dallas via its Minneapolis hub. Sun Country is really known however for its flights to Sunny destinations including Miami, St.Petersburg/Tampa, South Padre Island, Puerto Vallarta, Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa, Acapulco, Montego Bay and San Juan.

The airline just announced a "UFLY" frequent flyer program in attempt to attract new business. For coach passengers this means 10 round-trip flights=1 free flight with no blackout dates or restrictions.

Beginning later this month, Sun Country will add to its existing 1240am "red eye" service to include a 605pm departure to its Minneapolis hub (arriving at almost midnight). The airline's entire 737 fleet is young, averaging less than 5 years old. Each plane has leather seats in both first and coach class, along with high fidelity audio programming.

With this added 2nd plane you may be seeing more "Sun" at SFO.
More information about the airline can be found here.

Virgin America: Ticket sales and schedules coming in weeks

The Department of Transportation (DOT) this afternoon gave thumbs up to Virgin America to begin selling tickets. This was considered the final hurdle for the airline. Now, with the airline staffed and ready for business, all that's missing are reservations. In a press release today, Virgin America says ticket sales will begin in the 'coming weeks' with first flight in August.