US Airways redux

Ok, having thoroughly disendorsed (think misunderestimate) US Airways in the last post, it occurs to me that I should pass on some useful information.  So, here we go, US Airways A330 has for some electronic boxes powering the AVOD under seats A, C, F, H.  Yes, that reads as no leg room practically.  Now, it actually is for a good cause since they also enable passenger power supply on international flights.  But it is worth keeping in mind that these are actually Empower type power receptacles.  So, you have to get an adapter, something I completely forgot about on the way over.

The AVOD was not bad.  The fact that they made you pay $5 for the earphone is kind of stupid, but ok.  I can let that slide.  Airlines are going for the extra revenue.  But it's interesting that US Airways don't turn the AVOD on until much later.  The selection of movies also left something to be desired.  These were all a bit old.  I had expected at least something from earlier part of the summer.  But definitely not Singapore.  Just remember, you get what you pay for.

The Ugly Girl

A couple of years ago, Jeff Smisek (then CEO of Continental Airlines, current CEO of United Arilines) called US Airways the "Ugly Girl" when he called United to propose the merger.  He apologized soon after, but I  think he was right on his comments.  Basically, if you come right down to it.  US Airways is pretty darn horrible.  So, recently I had a trip to jolly old England, and my employer got me a flight on US Airways.  Ouch.

First thing I did was try to change my seats about two weeks ahead of time.  The US Airways person who answered the phone told me that even though I was a Star Alliance Gold member, I couldn't get any of the front row seats like other "elite" flyers.  When I pushed, and she tried it, and it turns out I could get the seats I wanted, she claimed it was an internal glitch that I shouldn't be taking advantage of this glitch.  After vigorously complaining, she let me make the changes.  Great customer service guys, way to make other people want to fly with your stupid airline. You know, here is a hint, if you screw up, don't tell your customers not to try to get better seats, simply shut up and make the best of it, and try to make your customer feel better instead of like a cheat.

Well, that was the first part, the flight out of SFO was delayed significantly.  This wasn't good, it was damned annoying considering the rather tight (30 minute in between) connection at Philly.  But what made it worse is the fact that there was nothing in the way of inflight entertainment unless you count the lousy service that everyone got.  I mean basically, the A320 these bozos had didn't even have any type of movies across country.  WEAK.  These planes are supposed to be fairly new, they didn't even bother with having movie capability, how pathetic.

I did make the flight, but the international  flight to the UK was just sad.  First, the in flight entertainment costs $5 for the earphones.  Give me a frigging break, they didn't even turn on the AVOD until more than 45 minutes into the flight, there  is already no more free alcohol, and now no free earphones?  Can we soon expect US Airways to charge for baggage and the shitty food they serve?  Honestly, it is just pathetic.  I have never experienced such lack of service all around, it's like I was flying Ryan Air.  I personally will never fly US Airways again if I can help it.  I feel sorry for anyone who is a frequent flyer on that airline.

Flying on Singapore Airlines

Of all the airlines that are part of the Star Alliance, none has better reputation that Singapore.  But this flight was a first for a couple of reasons.  One, I’m flying on a Boeing 777-300ER, a fantastic airplane, and two, this is Singapore Airlines.  Well known for its top notch service and the friendly staff, I can honestly say that this is one of the first time I’ve looked forward to flying in a long time.  So, where to start, the flight was 1:20 in the morning, but the red eye to Asia is just about perfect.  The flight is to Hong Kong, and then continues on to Singapore from there.  The timing is good since it enables sleep, and I actually had a few hours of decent sleep. 

The boarding process was smooth, the crew extremely friendly, got off right on time, now the flight wasn’t completely booked, but I would easily guess it was 80% plus full.  Economy here is pretty good, pretty good as in it is the best I’ve ever been on.  This is definitely one of those situations where the expectations are being exceeded.  

 

The 777-300 ER like all 777 has the nice overhead luggage bins I like.  It's nice and actually provides the high ceiling feeling when it closes up.

The seat pitch is slightly smaller compared to United economy class, but that is more than compensated for by the service, and the availability of a footrest.  It's the small things that counts.  The entertainment system is top notch, 10” screen, and a full selection of the latest movies.  The movies included some very decent Asian selections, and the only complaint I have is that they didn’t have Space Cruiser Yamato which was printed on the entertainment guide.  The live action version, I wish they had that one on, would have loved to seen it, a sentimental favorite from childhood I guess. 

Additionally, they have onboard power, iPod dock, and even the ability to plug in the laptop to the 10” if I wanted to.  The overwhelming number of choices are fantastic, almost feel as if I had to prepare ahead to just taken advantage.  Or I could do nothing and simply enjoy the flight.

 

Food was pretty good for economy, Singapore still provides a menu for the economy class, and the choices are pretty nice.  I had the fish for dinner and veal sausage with veggie frittata, pretty good stuff for airline food, they also had a collection of hard liquor, wine, and even though I didn’t really have any, but it beats having United charge you for it.

 

Overall, a wonderful flight experience, and made better by a great crew.  (Wish I took pictures of them, they were happy to pose with passengers)

I think the easiest conclusion to draw is that Singapore airline doesn't necessarily have a better plane, or the best food.  What makes the difference is their attitude and their focus on passengers, in short, the people is what makes this airline special I think.

Silver Kris Lounge of San Francisco

Ok, so it's fair to say I haven't been blogging for a while, but that's in part due to a change in my position.  Less flying in the future... sigh, there goes my gold status.  But never mind that, I recently had a long trip through Asia.  So, where better to start than an airport lounge report.

Now, I’ve been to the Silver Kris Lounge at SFO a few times before, the trick is always knowing where to find it.  It is well off the beaten path in SFO, situated right next to the Eva Air lounge but tucked away in an obscure corner behind the United Airlines lounge.  (Hence the above set of pictures to guide you)  This place is actually pretty nice compared to the UA lounge, any Star Alliance Gold member ought to opt for this provided that it is open.  Unfortunately, Singapore Airlines has only a couple of flights, so you have to time things just right to enjoy this lounge.

The amenities are pretty good, soft drinks, instant raman noodles, small sandwiches, fruits, a little dim sum, and even porridge.  Now, this is not exactly top of the line, but compared to what is offered in the United red carpet club (not much), it’s definitely an upgrade.   Free internet as well, but that’s less of a draw now considering there is free internet throughout the airport.  But the upside is you don’t have to hunt for power outlets here.  My only complaint is the lack of free booze, I remember they use to have half a dozen different types of hard liquor plus wine, but sadly, this time, it was just one bottle of tequila.  But at least they still have free ice cream (but it was frozen rock hard).  

But the lack of liquor certainly pissed off one guy a lot more than expected, a British accent, a bit of an asshole if you ask me, but hey, I guess there is one on every flight.

In all honesty, I’ve been to better lounges in Shanghai, Tokyo, Beijing.  The food is better in those lounges, and this one seems a bit understaffed, but this is still a nice lounge to hang out at when your flight is 1:20 am in the morning and considering that this is the US.

 

Continental Across the Country

Went to Philly and back last week on Continental.  The planes were either all 737-800 or -900.  Three out of the four flights had in seat power in economy class, and that was nice, especially since I wanted to work on the laptop across the country.  Each row had two power ports, so if all three guys wanted to play on the laptop, you’d have to share, but that's a step above most other US domestic airlines.  

 Continental had stopped meal service and replaced it was purchase snacks, no surprise there, obviously that’s the first thing United would’ve done to cut cost and try to bring in the ancillary revenue.  But that’s not much of a disappointment, the food wasn’t that great to start with, although it was still a perk compared to all the other legacy airliners.

The overall service was decent.  The Continental planes, at least the newer versions had DirecTV as a part of their AVOD in Economy for $6 each.  An obvious perk if you’re traveling with kids.  Not a bad way to pass the time if you were bored and had nothing better to do.  The flights were all pretty smooth and I always did like the Continental hub at Houston, fairly well laid out, and decent enough restaurants, at least for airports.   

Best seats in economy are either the exit rows or the bulk head seats, now, the bulk heads are considered premium and you’d have to pay extra unless you’re an Elite member, guess flying all of those times does have its perks.  The nice thing about Continental is that the aircraft are all still reasonably new, certainly newer that the United fleet.  So, my recommendation is if you have to fly United, stick with the Continental routes, newer planes, and heck, the power alone made the extra hour or two in the air worth it.  So, overall, despite the fact that Continental is now a part of United, I would still recommend it any day.  In fact, if you're a United frequent flier like I am, you should jump at the chance to take the Continental flights since you still get all the perks of a United Mileage Plus member.

Continental Express

I took a Continental Express flight from Grand Rapids to Philly last week.  Rode on the Embraer, and one of the first thing I noticed was this.  

Granted, it's a feeder airline, but apparently, in some parts of Continental, it's already United time.  There were still a few planes in Cleveland that were marked Continental Express, but the change has begun, and you could tell with the service too.

But it was really a tale of two flights.  On the first leg of the flight, the stewardess attempted to be funny, but just plain fell flat, and her attitude was really horrible.  I mean quite literally, the woman was trying to make jokes, and when the passenger attempted to make a cute little remark, this woman audibly responded whatever.  

The second flight though couldn't be more different, still an Embraer, the flight attendant was an old guy, cracked jokes like he was flying for Southwest.  Responded well to passengers comments, very friendly fella by the name of Vincent, flying from Cleveland to Philly.  Offered up great service, and made it a generally more enjoyable flight.  I didn't pay attention, but I wouldn't be surprised if the logo on that one was still marked Continental Express. 

Finally, one interesting picture as we were banking over the field over Grand Rapids, it was really cold.  I think the blue amplifies this very nicely.

Seating Configurations

The seating configuration in economy class is one of the more important indicator of how the airlines view their customers.  I’ve been on most types of Boeing as well as Airbus products and seen economy class configuration ranging from 3-3 on the typical transcontinental aircrafts, to 2-3-2, 2-4-2, 2-5-2, 3-3-3, and 3-4-3 on intercontinental aircrafts.  The variations typically go from the 767, A340, 777, and 747 (A380, which I haven’t flown on as yet).

Take for example, the 777, I think it is the easiest way for flyers to figure out what the airline thinks of its economy class passenger (relative to against each other)  From what I know, there are essentially three economy seating configurations in the 777.  The 2-5-2 configuration is operated by United and has been for a long time, and it’s a good deal if you get either of the side rows.  On most other airlines, the 3-3-3 configuration dominates, and it’s reasonable, no one is unduly annoyed, and the space is reasonable. 

Then there is the dreaded 3-4-3 configuration.  The 3-4-3 is actually a configuration typically used for ultra larger aircrafts like the 747 and the A380.  Now, a quick comparison, the cabin width of the 777 is 19.3 ft, on the 747, it is 20 ft, on the A380, it is 21.6 ft.  Now, you might saw, it’s only an 8 inch difference on the cabin width, what’s the big deal?  Well, think about it this well, when you have 9-abreast seating vs 10 abreast seating, the typical seat width is about 17 inches.  So, to fit in a 3-4-3 configuration, two things could happen, either the seat width is reduced, or the isle width is reduced.  Both options are terrible for the passengers, if the width is reduced, the passenger is squished, if the isle width is reduced, then the aisle passengers probably gets bumped all the time by the beverage cars coming down the aisle.  Either way it’s a poor trade off.

The bottom line, if you’re a casual traveler who flies only once in a while, before you buy your ticket, it doesn’t hurt to check a site like Seatguru or SeatExpert.  A couple of minutes on figuring out what kind of aircraft and the seating configuration can make a big difference if you’re going to be in the same seat with 300 other passengers for 10 hours or longer.