Frequent Business Traveler » JFK

JetBlue and Singapore Airlines Partnership Announced

Paul Riegler — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 14:33:06 +0000

JetBlue Airways and Singapore Airlines announced an interline agreement that allows passengers to book a single ticket for flights to and from the U.S. to Frankfurt, Singapore, and connecting destinations. Passengers will have a single check-in for their flights and bags will be automatically transferred at the connecting airport.

Singapore offers daily non-stop flights from Newark (EWR) to Singapore with an all-business-class service to its hub at Changi International Airport in Singapore, from which passengers can connect to flights to numerous destinations including Bali, Bangkok, Jakarta, Ho Chi Minh City, Kuala Lampur, and Manila. It also flies from Terminal 4 at New York’s JFK airport to Singapore via Frankfurt and that service will be on an Airbus A380 starting on January 16, 2012.

JetBlue offers daily non-stop flights to Boston, Orlando, and Ft. Lauderdale from Newark and to dozens of cities including Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. from Terminal 5 at JFK.

Delta Investing $145 Million in New Domestic LaGuardia Hub

Eva Leonard — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 17:30:24 +0000

Eva Leonard reports live from Delta’s press conference in New York City

As part of a $145 million investment in a new domestic hub at New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA), Delta Air Lines is adding more than 100 new flights, as well as 29 new destinations.

“This is a very competitive market, and we do want to be the competitor of choice,” said Gail Grimmett, a senior vice president at Delta responsible for the airline’s activities in New York State. “With this expansion, we’re providing the service that the business traveler has asked for.”

Delta will be adding nonstop service from LaGuardia to key domestic business destinations, including Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Houston, Miami and Milwaukee and expanding frequency to other cities including Chicago and Nashville. Additionally, Terminals C and D will be linked by a 200-foot terminal connector located behind security, and Terminal C’s US Airways lounge will be converted to a Delta Sky Club. The Terminal D Sky Club will remain in operation.

As part of an agreement that the Department of Transportation approved earlier this year, Delta will be swapping slots with US Airways, reducing Delta’s capacity at Washington, D.C.’s Reagan National airport, while increasing its capacity at LaGuardia. Delta also announced plans to fly larger aircraft on some LaGuardia routes, and that it was working with the DOT on an airspace redesign initiative, including an investment in next-generation air traffic control to reduce congestion at LaGuardia.

Additionally, Delta’s $1.2 billion expansion and makeover of Terminal 4 at JFK is scheduled for completion in April 2013.

Delta First Class New York JFK to Phoenix Flight 1481 Review

Jonathan Spira — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 15:42:45 +0000

Pan Am’s Worldport, which opened in 1960 at the John F. Kennedy International Airport (then Idlewild) in New York, was a harbinger of the jet age. Terminal 3, as it is known today, is used by Delta Air Lines for many of its international flights.

Since I hadn’t flown out of Terminal 3 since Pan Am’s days, I checked with the experts at the Delta forum on FlyerTalk, where several recommended using the SkyPriority drop-off area at Terminal 2 (which opened in 1962 as the home of Northeast Airlines, Braniff, and Northwest Airlines). The wait on the SkyPriority line for the security checkpoint was five minutes at most and soon my colleague Christian Stampfer, our European Editor, and I were airside.

We headed for the SkyClub, which was nicely furnished and provided a quiet haven from the busy goings on at JFK. Light refreshments such as salty snacks, vegetables, and drinks were available and SkyClub staff members were very welcoming.

BOARDING

Approximately 45 minutes prior to departure, we left the SkyClub and arrived at the gate, where boarding had already begun.

First class passengers were invited to board first and also via the SkyPriority queue at any time during the boarding process. Once on board, we found individual bottles of water awaiting at each seat and flight attendants were offering pre-departure beverages and offering to hang up coats and jackets.

SEAT COMFORT

Our aircraft, a single-aisle Boeing 757-200, featured domestic first-class seats in a 2-2 configuration. Pitch was 37” and the seat reclined to a comfortable position. Seat width was 21”.

The seats are so close together that it is not possible to put your tray table back into the seatback in front of you if the passenger in that seat has reclined. Other airlines operating the 757-200, such as American Airlines, have a pitch of 39” and the two-inch difference does, indeed, make a difference.

MEDICAL EMERGENCY

When our plane was number two for takeoff, we suddenly started to return to the gate. It turned out that a passenger had become ill and needed to disembark. It took about 15 minutes to return to the gate and the captain announced that the plane would be met by paramedics. Unfortunately for the ill passenger, none were there and confusion seemed to reign.

It took close to 30 minutes after arriving at the gate before the paramedics arrived. One gate agent who boarded the plane commented that she had been told that no paramedics were needed; in total, at least five Delta employees and two Port Authority police officers boarded the plane before the paramedics and, all in all, starting from the time we started our return to the gate, the ill passenger had to wait almost 45 minutes for the paramedics.

We finally started our second attempt at departure at 8:30, one hour and 38 minutes behind schedule.

Click here to continue to Page 2 – In-flight Service and In-flight Internet

Air France A380 New York JFK to Paris Affaires Business Class Review

Jonathan Spira — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 14:00:04 +0000

Four airlines occupy Terminal 1 at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, including Air France, which currently operates four flights to Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) in Paris daily. A fifth flight is operated by Delta Air Lines as a code share with Air France.

One of the flights is AF007, which is an Airbus A380 route. Air France was a launch customer for this particular aircraft, which debuted in November 2009 on the JFK-CDG route. Air France was the first European airline to operate the A380, and the airline currently operates six A380 aircraft from Paris to Johannesburg, Montreal, Washington, D.C., and Dubai in addition to JFK. Starting in the summer of 2012, the airline will operate eight A380 aircraft, adding Los Angeles and Tokyo but discontinuing Dubai.

I arrived at Terminal 1 two hours ahead of departure time and found dedicated lines for first- and business-class passengers, as well as for elite members of SkyTeam frequent traveler programs. I had already decided that this Air France flight would be an excellent opportunity for me to brush up on my French, and I tried it out with the check-in agent, , who miraculously understood me. The wait time for the agent was roughly five minutes.

Check-in took just a few minutes, and I was invited to the Air France lounge, which is past security.

BOARDING

The line to get through security, even for business and first-class passengers, was quite long, with a wait time of roughly 25 minutes. The line is used by passengers of the four airlines that operate in the terminal; Air France, Japan Airlines, Korean Air, and Lufthansa. Terminal 1 is one of only two terminals at JFK that can handle the A380. (The other one is Terminal 4.)

The Air France lounge at JFK has a very open and modern design, with light refreshments and a variety of seating options ranging from comfortable chairs to bistro-style tables and chairs. Amenities include showers, Wi-Fi (although it refused to work with my Apple iPad LINK), computers, television, and photocopy and fax machines.

First- and business-class passengers were invited to board first, and I was one of the first to enter the aircraft.

SEAT COMFORT

My seat, 60F (pictured), was in the first row on the aircraft’s upper deck, which had 80 business- class (“Affaires”) seats, 38 economy plus (Premium Voyageur) seats, and 46 economy (“Voyageur”) seats. On the main deck, there were nine first-class (la Première) seats and 343 Voyageur seats.

Business-class seats, which were not fully flat, were in a 2-2-2 configuration, and they extended to 78” and reclined to 180°. Pitch was 61” and each seat 21” wide. The overhead bins were very spacious.

Air France’s approach to the interior of the A380 is to give each passenger the feeling of a small cabin. It clearly sees the flight as an experience, versus simply transporting the passenger from point A to point B. Lighting is a key element of the design. Mood lighting reproducing afternoon light in the afternoon and evening light as twilight approaches helps passengers adjust to the time change.

Air France has divided the business-class section, which takes up much of the upper deck of the aircraft, into several cabins that give each passenger a far more intimate feeling than if it were configured as one long cabin. In addition, Air France uses the forward right section of the upper deck for the mezzanine, a mini lounge for first- and business-class passengers. Several 15” monitors in this high-tech in-flight gallery display images of artwork from museums such as the Louvre in Paris and New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Unfortunately, it was inoperative on my flight to Paris, as well as my return, as was the in-flight entertainment system on the outbound flight.

I found the seat quite comfortable in both the sitting and reclining position,s but once in the sleeping position, in part because these are not fully lie-flat seats, I found myself sliding down a bit. By using extra pillows to make the seat more comfortable, I was able to sleep for several hours.

Click here to continue to Page 2 – In-flight Service, Arrival, and a Virtual Tour of the Airbus A380

Delta, United Continental, Launch New Enhanced Economy Options

Paul Riegler — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 23:51:58 +0000

Delta Air Lines and United Continental announced new enhanced economy class options for passengers.

Delta Airlines announced that its Economy Comfort seats will be available starting December 1 for transcontinental flights between New York (JFK) and San Francisco or Los Angeles. This is the first domestic deployment of Economy Comfort. The new seats have four inches of additional legroom and can recline as much as 50% more than standard seats.

United Continental announced that a Continental Airlines Boeing 747-400 aircraft will be the first aircraft to fly with Economy Plus seating. These seats will also have four inches of additional legroom. The route for this aircraft was not disclosed. The aircraft is also being retrofitted with new flat-bed seats in BusinessFirst and all economy seats will get new seat-back touchscreen monitors. In-seat power outlets are also being installed throughout the aircraft.

Both airlines make enhanced economy seating available at no charge to members of their respective frequent flyer programs, including Delta SkyMiles, United MileagePlus, and Continental’s OnePass, with elite status.

SEE MORE FREQUENT BUSINESS TRAVELER NEWS

JetBlue and Jet Airways Launch Interline Service

Eva Leonard — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 05:21:34 +0000

JetBlue Airways and Indian carrier Jet Airways have announced a new interline agreement for flights from JetBlue domestic destinations to Brussels, Belgium, and then on to India.

Jet Airways flies daily non-stop from New York’s JFK and Newark Airports to its European hub in Brussels. From Brussels airport, Jet Airways flies non-stop to Chennai, Delhi, and Mumbai. In India, Jet Airways’ domestic network comprises 53 cities, including Bangalore, Kolkata, Goa, and Hyderabad. Jet Airways international destinations include Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Bangkok,Doha, Dubai, Hong Kong, Jeddah, Johannesburg, Kuala Lumpur, Kuwait, London(Heathrow), Milan, New York (JFK and Newark), Riyadh, Singapore and Toronto.

JetBlue flies non-stop from JFK to destinations including Boston, Chicago, Ft. Lauderdale, Houston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Washington, D.C., and from Newark to Boston, Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale.

Customers can now book a combined ticket for JetBlue and Jet Airways flights through travel agents, online, or Jet Airways’ reservations call center, with one-stop check-in and baggage transfer between the two carriers.

American Airlines Business Class Flight 20 San Francisco to New York JFK Review

Eva Leonard — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:01:11 +0000

San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is the tenth busiest airport in the U.S. and the 12th largest in the world. Among its many unusual amenities are the Louis A. Turpen Aviation Museum and the San Francisco Airport Commission Aviation Library. I arrived a couple of hours early at SFO’s Terminal 2 for my 3 p.m. flight. Short queues at both business-class check-in and the Priority Access security lane took about five minutes each to clear, as they moved smoothly, aided by pleasant, efficient personnel.

To pass the time until boarding, I headed to enjoy a glass of wine at Vino Volo (see separate review ). the wine lounge, restaurant and boutique wine shop, located opposite the American Airlines Admirals Club lounge, just after security.

Near the gate, about a five-minute walk from security, a number of waiting passengers were happily ensconced in the very comfortable Arne Jacobsen “Egg” chairs with which American has stylishly furnished the terminal. Ample quality dining options near the gate included celebrity chef Cat Cora’s restaurant and a sushi bar.

BOARDING

First class boarded first, then business class and Priority Access passengers. Aboard this B767, business class was in a 2-2-2 configuration, and pillows and duvets had been placed on the seats. After we were seated, we were offered water, Champagne, or orange juice.

SEAT COMFORT

Seats in business class on American’s 767-200s have a pitch of 49 to 50 inches, a 50-degree recline and an 18.5-inch width. I found that the seat was comfortable for working, dining, and relaxing, and the recline would have been sufficient for light dozing.

IN-FLIGHT INTERNET

Once aloft, I was able to access the Internet via Gogo Wi-Fi, but the new Entertainment On Demand streaming video system was not available on this flight, as it had been on my JFK-SFO leg. To charge my Lenovo ThinkPad, I used the Innergie mCube Mini 90W auto/air laptop adapter, which fit easily into the seat’s cigarette lighter style socket and worked without a hitch. The MCube Mini comes with 10 tips to accommodate a range of laptops (excluding Mac), a travel pouch, and a car/air charger.

Click here to continue to Page 2 – The Flight, Arrival, and Virtual Tour of SFO Terminal 2

Vino Volo Wine Lounge, Restaurant, and Wine Shop San Francisco Airport Review

Eva Leonard — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 04:01:07 +0000

Looking for something different to do before boarding a recent American Airlines flight out of SFO’s Terminal 2, I headed to Vino Volo, the wine lounge, restaurant and boutique wine shop, located opposite the American Airlines Admirals Club lounge, just after security. Branches of the Vino Volo chain can be found at airports in cities including Baltimore, Detroit, Newark, Washington, D.C. (Dulles), New York (JFK), Oakland, Philadelphia, San Antonio, Seattle, San Francisco, Sacramento, and at Orange County’s John Wayne Airport, with more locations in the works. The name “Vino Volo” is, according to the company’s Web site, derived from the Italian for “wine flight.”

To call it a chain, though, seems unfair, as Vino Volo offers travelers a unique airport sanctuary. The décor is streamlined and modern, yet accented with warm, colorful artwork and furnishings with soft jazz filling the room. Alongside Vino Volo’s impressive wine selection, delicious gourmet small plates, like smoked salmon served with crabmeat on crostini, and braised pork tacos, are served.

Vino Volo offers both bar and table service, and since I had a couple of hours before my flight, I took a table seat along the wall of wines for sale. Plentiful power outlets along the base of the banquettes allowed me to charge my laptop and cell phone, and Wi-Fi was also available.

Vino Volo customers may purchase wine by the glass, or sample flights of two or three wines (flight sampling ranging from $7 to $22). Customers can buy a bottle to take on their flight, or open their bottle at Vino Volo for a $12 corkage fee. From the wine list, focusing on California and other New World wines, plus Italian, New Zealand and Spanish varietals often from smaller, hard-to-find wineries, I enjoyed a full-bodied, with peppery notes, 2008 Chilean Calu Carmenere ($8 per glass).

I’ve also spent time before flights at JFK’s Vino Volo and found the quality of both food and wine to be as high as that which I enjoyed at the SFO location, and the atmosphere just as relaxing. And by joining Vino Volo’s Passport Wine Club (www.vinovolo.com/wineclub.php), you can have select wines from around the world shipped to enjoy at home.

RELATED REVIEWS FROM THIS TRIP

American Airlines Business Class Flight 20 San Francisco to New York JFK Review
American Airlines Gogo Entertainment On Demand In-Flight Streaming Video Review
VIRTUAL TOUR – SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT TERMINAL 2

Frankfurt Airport Offers New International Connections, A380, and Dreamliner Service

Eva Leonard — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 21:29:37 +0000

Frankfurt Airport’s new 2011/2012 Winter Timetable, which goes into effect on October 30, in tandem with the time change in Germany, features expanded flight services from the airlines who are using the extra capacity available following the recent inauguration of Frankfurt Airport’s new Runway Northwest.

In intercontinental traffic, Lufthansa will return to Rio de Janeiro, with five flights per week. Lufthansa last served this route from Frankfurt in 2005. Effective January 21, ANA All Nippon Airways will fly to the new destination of Haneda Airport in the heart of Tokyo. ANA, the launch carrier of Boeing’s new B787 Dreamliner, has chosen Frankfurt-Haneda as the first intercontinental route for this new generation jet. Travelers will be able to choose from four flights daily from Frankfurt to Tokyo (Narita and Haneda airports) this winter.

New destinations in Frankfurt’s 2011/12 Winter Timetable will include San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Ras al Khaimah in the U.A.E. San Juan will be served twice weekly by Frankfurt-based Condor, while RAK Airways will fly once a week from Frankfurt to Ras al Khaimah. As of December 1, Emirates will offer seven flights per week to Dubai. Frankfurt passengers will then have a choice of three daily connections to Dubai. From January 3, United Airlines will fly twice daily from Frankfurt to New York-Newark, raising connections from Frankfurt to the New York region to eight flights per day.

Replacing its B747-400 service, Singapore Airlines will deploy the Airbus A380 daily on the Singapore to Frankfurt to New York JFK route beginning January 15. Lufthansa will also offer A380 superjumbo service to its passengers on the Frankfurt to Singapore route as of October 30.

Various new routes will be introduced from Frankfurt to the United Kingdom. Lufthansa will depart thrice daily to the oil and engineering center of Aberdeen on the North Sea coast of Scotland. London-Gatwick Airport will be served twice daily by Lufthansa this winter as well. British Midland Airways will serve as a new carrier at Frankfurt to the destination of Nottingham/East Midlands
with 16 connections per week.

Photo: Fraport AG

British Airways Invests in Aircraft, Lounge Upgrades

Eva Leonard — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:42:31 +0000

British Airways, a member of the oneworld Alliance, announced a major program to update its aircraft and lounges.

Starting in November, the airline will begin refurbishing 18 of its Boeing 777-200 aircraft. The result will be all-new cabins, similar to those found in the airline’s new 777-300ER aircraft.

The upgrade will provide passengers with more comfortable seats that sport adjustable head rests in World Traveler, greater seat recline in World Traveler Plus, and a new in-flight entertainment system, with bigger screens and more choices, in both

Representing a £100 million investment, BA’s new First cabin is now fitted on 60 percent of its long-haul fleet and is available on the New York-Heathrow route.

BA is also refurbishing the cabins of 14 Boeing 767s to create more comfortable interiors with more stowage space and new in-flight entertainment systems.

The airline has 12 Airbus A380s on order. The first is to be delivered in early 2013, and the second will follow shortly thereafter. The remainde rare scheduled for delivery between 2014 and 2016.

BA also has 24 Boeing 787 Dreamliners on order and the first delivery is scheduled in 2013. BA has already taken delivery of three Boeing 777-300ERs, with three more scheduled for delivery in the next five months.

On the aircraft, better technology onboard BA aircraft now includes iPads for senior cabin crew, enabling them to offer more personalized service, quickly identifying where each customer is seated, whom they‘re traveling with, their Executive Club status, flight connections, and special meal requests.

In addition, BA is introducing a new flight-booking app for iPhone users, and improvements at the ba.com Web site will allow customers to make more changes to bookings online, rather than via call centers. They can also register with the site and store their personal information.

BA is redoing its lounges at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport. The new lounges will mirror BA’s lounges at London Heathrow, with a Concorde Room, First and Club Lounges, and an Elemis Travel Spa.

In addition to enhancements at JFK, BA is updating many lounges worldwide using the Galleries design from Heathrow as a model. Passengers at airports in Geneva, Amsterdam, Nairobi, Rome, and Milan (Malpensa) will benefit from the new design.

Finally, BA’s lounge at Newark Liberty International Airport will double in size, with separate dining areas for First and Club World customers. A new lounge in Miami will follow as the first tripartite branded lounge from British Airways, American Airlines and Iberia.