New upgrade, club rules; Southwest adds service

By Joe Brancatelli

STAR SIGNS

United Upgrades Upgrades, US Airways Simplifies Club Membership: Continental Airlines joined the Star Alliance at the end of October, so fellow Star carrier United Airlines is bringing its Mileage Plus program in line with Continental’s OnePass plan.

Beginning in the second quarter next year, United will kill its 500-mile upgrade certificates. The new upgrade regimen is somewhat simple: unlimited domestic upgrades based on your elite status in Mileage Plus. Naturally, the top players, Global Services and 1K members, get first dibs.

They’ll be automatically upgraded at the time of booking when seats are deemed available and can call the earliest (up to 120 hours before flight time) to score what’s left. All other United Mileage Plus elite get the crumbs. According to United, the “domestic” upgrades include Hawaii flights but exclude the airline’s three-class p.s. service between New York/Kennedy, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Meanwhile another Star Alliance carrier has also changed some rules. US Airways has scrapped its tiered-access approach to membership in its US Airways Club network of airport lounges. All annual memberships will now include access to all Star Alliance lounges, including United Red Carpet and Continental Presidents Club locations. Annual fees will range from $325 to $450 depending on your elite status. One other new perk: US Airways Clubs will now offer free house wines and beer.

ROUTE MAP

Southwest Doubles Down in Denver and St. Louis: Never let it be said that Southwest Airlines doesn’t profit from the failings of competitive carriers. Two more examples: Still more flights from St. Louis and Denver.

• In St. Louis, where American Airlines recently all but eliminated the hub it inherited from TWA, Southwest says it will add service to five new cities: Raleigh-Durham; New Orleans; Los Angeles; Seattle; and San Diego. Those flights begin in May.

• Meanwhile, in Denver, where Southwest competes with ever-fading United Airlines and Frontier Airlines, which contracted dramatically in its bankruptcy, the carrier will also add five new cities: Hartford, Connecticut; Boise, Idaho; Ontario, California; Detroit; and Washington/Dulles; Those flights begin on March 14. In May, the carrier will also add service on seven existing routes from Denver and begin a Saturday-only flight between Denver and New York/LaGuardia.

• AirTran Airways will begin flying between Lexington, Kentucky, and Fort Lauderdale on February 11.

• Four cities in Arkansas are back on the nation’s commercial route map. Thanks to a subsidy from the Essential Air Service, a dinosaur from the early days of deregulation, a carrier called SeaPort Airlines launched flights to Delta’s Memphis hub from Hot Springs, El Dorado, Harrison and Jonesboro.

• American Airlines resumes daily flights between Washington/Dulles and San Juan on November 19.

Related Orbitz resources:

• Business travel
• Flights
• Hotels

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.

Tagged: Uncategorized