Orbitz Blog

By Joe Brancatelli

NEED TO KNOW

On-the-road intelligence to help you travel smarter:

• Continental Airlines has temporarily shut down its fledgling service that offers live TV service on seatback monitors. The system, the same owned by and offered on all JetBlue Airways flights, still has a few installation glitches.

• Air France is now using an Airbus A380 configured with 538 seats on its Paris/CDG-New York/JFK route. The flights are AF 007 (JFK-CDG) and AF 008 (CDG-JFK).

• Business-class passengers on United Airlines p.s. service flights between San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York are now given lounge access as part of the ticket purchase.

• Continental Airlines switched to a cashless cabin this month, meaning all in-flight purchases must now be made with a credit or debit card.

• Air Canada is joining British Airways and the U.S. legacy carriers in charging for a second bag in coach on international service, including U.S. cross-border flights. The price is C$30 for a second bag on flights to the United States and C$50 on flights to Europe and Israel. Full-fare coach and business-class passengers and elite Air Canada frequent flier members are exempt from the fees, which kick in on January 19.

• Cathay Pacific is now selling exit-row seats in coach to all comers. The price on long-haul flights is $100 or 20,000 Marco Polo miles. Previously, only elite Marco Polo club members could book the seats.

Related Orbitz resources:

• Business travel
• Flights

Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a non-commercial Web site for business travelers. Copyright 2009 by Joe Brancatelli. Licensed by contract for Orbitz use.

By Joe Brancatelli

MILES & POINTS

The Continental/United upgrade game: The integration of Continental Airlines into the Star Alliance has gone fairly smoothly considering it is the first-ever on-the-fly (so to speak) switch in the history of alliances. And now one of the last pieces of the puzzle — the order in which flight upgrades will clear — seems to be set.

For travel on Continental Airlines flights, first priority goes to Continental OnePass Platinums, followed by United Mileage Plus super elites (Global Services and 1K), followed by Continental Gold, United Premier Executive, Continental Silver and United Premier.

On United flights, the order is reversed. United’s top elites get first crack at upgrades, followed by Continental Platinum, United Premier Executive, Continental Gold, United Premier and Continental Silver.

The final piece of the puzzle has also been set, too. Continental Airlines is adding a super-duper-elite called Presidential Platinum Elite. That will give Continental OnePass a level to equal United 1K status. To become a Presidential Platinum Elite, you’ll have to be invited. And to be invited, you need to be a Platinum Elite flier (75,000 qualifying miles) and spend $30,000 on Continental. The new level becomes effective next year.

Related Orbitz resources:

• Business travel
• Flights

Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a non-commercial Web site for business travelers. Copyright 2009 by Joe Brancatelli. Licensed by contract for Orbitz use.

By Joe Brancatelli

AIRPORT REPORT

Cincinnati, Delta’s odd hub out: When Delta Air Lines and Northwest merged, travelers looked at the combined carrier’s big hubs in Detroit and Atlanta and then glanced at the airline’s small hubs in Cincinnati and Memphis and realized that something would have to give. And despite Delta’s repeated claims that it had no plans to close any hubs, it is clear that Northwest’s old hub in Memphis is relatively safe and the big loser is Delta’s Cincinnati hub.

Even before the merger, Delta was downsizing in Cincinnati, where it once operated more than 400 daily flights. Now five additional destinations are going atop the previously announced cutbacks planned for February. (more…)

By Joe Brancatelli

ROUTE MAP

US Airways Continues to Shrink It Network: US Airways, the smallest of the nation’s so-called “legacy carriers”– that’s the name for airlines tracing their lineage to the time before the 1978 deregulation of commercial air service — is shrinking again. The airline will drop two more domestic destinations (Colorado Springs and Wichita); shrink its one-time hub in Las Vegas to just 36 daily flights; and end flights from Philadelphia to five European destinations (Birmingham; London/Gatwick; Milan; Stockholm; and Shannon).

Three Midwest cities — Cape Girardeau, Missouri, and Quincy and Marion, Illinois — are back on the route map. Cape Air is using turboprops to reconnect connect the cities to St. Louis.

Horizon Air, Alaska Airlines’ commuter carrier, launched new flights to Mammoth Mountain, California, that will operate between Dec. 17 and April 11. The flights will depart from Reno, Los Angeles, Seattle and San Jose.

Related Orbitz resources:

• Business travel
• Flights

Joe Brancatelli is editor and publisher of JoeSentMe.com, a non-commercial Web site for business travelers. Copyright 2009 by Joe Brancatelli. Licensed by contract for Orbitz use.