United Promo: 30% Off Short Haul Award Redemptions

For a limited time, spend 30% less of your United Mileage Plus miles for flights 700 miles or less in distance. For example, a roundtrip flight between San Francisco and Seattle which normally costs 25,000 miles, is now available for 17,500 miles. The 30% discount applies to tickets booked by August 31, 2010, for travel through January 7, 2011. These are pretty good deals particularly into regional airports, which are often costly to purchase. More details here.

United Announces New Award Travel Options

United Airlines has announced two new award travel options for members of its Mileage Plus program. Effectively immediately, you can now book a one-way flight for half the miles of the roundtrip award. This is great for people who don't quite have the 25,000 miles needed for a standard roundtrip. Click here for the official United announcement.

Miles & Money is another award travel option just introduced by United. If you find yourself a bit short of mileage, United will allow you to combine your miles with cash in order to secure the flights you want. Here's the announcement.

United Airlines To Reduce International Capacity By 7%

This week, during their quarterly earnings report, United Airlines announced an extra 7% cut in international capacity for the last four months of the year. According to airliners.net, all UA hubs are impacted by the reduction in flights. If you have upcoming international itineraries on United, be sure to check for possible schedule changes. Below is a listing of impacted flights from San Francisco:

San Francisco (SFO) to:

London (LHR) - 2nd daily flight suspended

Tokyo/Narita (NRT) - 2nd daily flight suspended

Certain other routes are flying fewer flights during the week and/or operating smaller aircraft.

United to Offer Complimentary Cocktails Over the Pacific

From UAflyer06 over on the Flyertalk forums comes word of some exciting food and beverage changes on future United flights. Effective August 1, 2009, United will offer free alcoholic drinks in economy class over the Pacific. Previously free booze and cocktail service was limited to folks in the front of the plane. This change better aligns United with Asia-based airlines, who have historically offered free drinks to all passengers on flights.

Other changes: For short-haul flights, those $6 snack boxes will each have a unique theme (Active, Classic, Luxe, and Organic) with tasty new goodies inside. The fresh food menu, offered on select routes in North America, will soon include a vegetarian option. These menu changes are also expected to begin August 1st.

Double Southwest & United Credit for Flights to/from Colorado

Southwest and United Airlines are both offering frequent flyer promotions for travelers flying to and from the state of Colorado. In both promos, registration is required prior to travel.

Southwest Airlines: Register by July 31, ticket and travel by September 30, 2009; earn double credits for each flight to/from Denver.

United Airlines: Register and ticket by June 30, travel by September 30, 2009;
earn double miles for flights to/from Denver, Aspen, Colorado Springs, Durango or Grand Junction.

Video: Complete Remodel of a United Airlines Boeing 747

(Thanks Andy)
Fantastic video here showing how United Airlines remodels their first and business class cabins on its Boeing 747 fleet, including lie-flat beds, and 15-inch personal TV screens. This massive overhaul is sped up and shrunk into a video less than two minutes long. Enjoy.

Flying the Friendly Skies Commercial - Circa 1982

Another United Airlines classic from the early 80's. Can't help but smile and say, "ahh...the good ol' days of flying."

United Airlines Offers Twitter Followers A Gift

(updated links)
According to the United Airlines Twitter page, as soon as they reach 10,000 followers, they will provide folks a small token of their appreciation. A free first class flight anywhere in the world? Lifetime elite status? 100,000 free miles? Probably none of those. But still, something (we don't know what exactly) for nothing. United - It's time to Tweet.

As of 11:00 PM Saturday, they were at 4441 followers.

twitter.com/UnitedAirlines

twitter.com/inFLIGHTout

United Requests to Further Postpone San Francisco to Guangzhou

According to the airline route updates blog, United Airlines has again requested to postpone their San Francisco to Guangzhou launch. The route was awarded to United back in 2007, at which time the airline said it would begin flying in the Spring of 2008. It later postponed the launch to 2009 citing a sluggish economy, and since economic conditions have yet to improve, the airline is now requesting another extension to Summer 2010.

Earn Double Elite-Qualifying Miles on United Airlines

United Airlines has matched American's double elite-qualifying miles promotion earlier this week. Under the terms of the promotion, United Mileage Plus members can earn double EQM for United and United Express flights purchased and traveled now through June 15, 2009.

Registration is required prior to travel.

San Francisco to Sydney $713 "All In"

United Airlines just matched the $713 Qantas airfare for San Francisco to Sydney flights. The price covers round trip travel, including tax and fees, now through June 15th, and costs only $70 more for travel through the end of October 2009. Check availability here using the "flexible dates" option. 

United’s Cashless-Cabins Begin Later This Month

After a successful trial, and following a general trend in the industry, United Airlines says it will go cashless on all domestic flights starting March 23. According to the airline, passengers who wish to purchase on board food and beverages can do so with a credit or debit card – only. The policy applies to all domestic flights, and flights to/from Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean. On international flights the airline will accept either cash or credit/debit for payment.

United Offers Bonus Miles on Select Routes From San Francisco

United Airlines is offering mileage plus members bonus miles for flights to/from San Francisco and Los Angeles, San Diego, Seattle and Boston now through April 30, 2009. Unlike many recent United promotions, this offer is valid for even the lower cost (booking class) ticket purchases.

Here's what you do: Register for the promotion before February 9th. Then, purchase a roundtrip ticket between the city pairs listed above. The amount of bonus miles is determined based on the booking class of your ticket purchase as shown here. This may be a targeted promotion, meaning if you did not receive an email from United about this promotion it's possible you will not receive the bonus.

Earn 1,000 Bonus United Miles At Safeway

United and Safeway continue their GroceryMiles partnership, rewarding shoppers with 125 United miles for every $250 spent at Safeway.

Now, for a limited time, you can earn 1000 bonus miles for shopping at Safeway, Vons, Dominick's, Genuardi's or Pavilions twice between November 12th and December 31, 2008 and spending at least $250 on each visit. Now that is a cart full of groceries! But with grocery shopping for the holidays on the horizon, spending $250 - twice, may not be such an impossible task.


Click here for general information about the GroceryMiles program.

United Premier Exec Members Receive New Boarding Priority

According to an email from United, effective Wednesday, Premier Executive and Star Alliance Gold members will now enjoy an even higher level of boarding privileges when flying United.

Global Service, 1K's and First Class passengers will continue to board first, followed by Business Class, all via the Red-Carpet Lane. Then all Premier Executive and Star Alliance Gold members will be invited to board, through the main Economy lane. After all the "most valued" customers have boarded, boarding with resume beginning with Boarding Area 1 - including lower level Premier members.

The change essentially elevates the Premier Exec status to a level one notch up from Boarding Area 1, at least in terms of boarding order. This enables Premier Execs and those with equivalent access from partner airlines, to have more overhead space available, get adjusted to their seat, and simply relax, before the boarding of the masses.

United Passengers Injured On Flight to SFO

United Airlines reported today that a seven passengers aboard UA flight 886 were injured with the plane encountered severe turbulence Tuesday morning over the Pacific, while en route to San Francisco. The flight originated from Osaka, Japan. The airline reports none of the injured are considered serious.

San Francisco to Sydney $901 RT/taxes included

United Airlines is offering round trip tickets between San Francisco and Sydney for $901 round-trip, including all taxes and fees. Plenty of availability too! Valid for departures between October 20 and November 27, 2008 only. Visit www.ual.com.

United Adds Minimum Stay Requirements & Bumps Up Fares

Late Breaking News...
In the continuing battle against rising costs, United Airlines announced in a press release today that they will bring back minimum-stay requirements on nearly all routes, even in markets where they compete with low-cost carriers. The minimum stay requirements apply to those flying on the cheapest fares and for flights starting October 6th. Under the new rules, in order to score the cheapest ticket prices, a minimum stay of 1-3 nights will be required.

And about those cheapest fares...United also announced a system wide increase in fares, from $1-$90 each way. That now makes the least expensive ticket on United Airlines to be $69 each way. It seemed like just yesterday we were showered with $39 airfares from the Bay Area.

inFLIGHTout recommendation: If you have a same-day return flight and you want to avoid the minimum stay requirement but still score the best fare, consider purchasing one-way tickets in each direction. (This does not work in some markets, as United often charges extra for a one-way ticket). For example, rather than a round trip ticket from SFO-Las Vegas, purchase a one-way ticket there, and one way ticket back. The price might be better than the round trip price since it circumvents the minimum stay requirement.

United Airlines To Slash Capacity, Drop Ted

United Airlines will be reducing domestic seat capacity by 12%, including grounding 70 non-fuel efficient 737 & 747 aircraft, and slashing over 1000 jobs by 2009. Additionally, the airline is dropping Ted Airlines, its all-domestic fleet, and reinstalling first class seats. All this in response to record high fuel prices. Read More.

United Drops 'Minimum 500 Mile' Accrual Policy

In an email to customers today, United Airlines announced they are doing away with awarding a minimum of 500 miles on short flights. The policy to date awarded 500 miles even for flights that were shorter - such as down to Los Angeles or Las Vegas. With the changes, mileage plus members will receive credit only for actual miles flown.

In effect in makes sense. You earn miles for what you fly. But particularly for business travelers who travel short distances, the rounding up of mileage accrual to 500 miles was icing on the cake. Effective July 1st, the icing goes away. All travel from July 1st on is subject to the reducing earning standard.

This change aligns with a similar policy change U.S air implemented earlier this year.