Delta Posts Serious News Story on April 1

Delta announced a serious news story yesterday and disappointed me and every other April fools day fan. Delta's SkyMiles plan is a joke, but their corporate communications team is humorless. Booooo!

Dull Delta 

ATLANTA and SHANGHAI, April 1, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL) is partnering with Ant Financial Services Group ("Ant Financial") and UATP to make it easier for Chinese consumers to purchase airline tickets via delta.com. The move, which sees Delta become the first United States carrier to add Ant Financial's Alipay payment platform to its website, is part of the airline's ongoing effort to serve Chinese travelers. UATP's alternative form of payment processing initiative connects airlines with online payment brands such as Alipay.

Middle Seat in Business Class - Lufthansa 747-400

I had a middle seat in business class on Lufthansa.  It wasn't my fault, US Airways gave away my business class seat and I was rebooked by United 678 miles away and three hours before departure.  It could have been worse, Lufthansa's old 747 business class layout is 2x3x2 while United's 747 business class layout is 2x4x2.  The service was outstanding too and I had extra space in a bulkhead seat.

Could Be Worse

American AAdvantage and US Airways Dividend Miles Account Merged

My US Airways and American Airlines mileage accounts correctly merged this weekend. The combined balance will help me spend my American balance on fun international flights with oneworld partner carriers (business or first preferred).  I don't want to pay a fortune in taxes and fees, so I'll need to fly airlines other than British Airways.  Good luck on your account merger, if it happened.  If not, there will be a process to merge duplicate accounts sometime soon.

Award Space Is Great - Carrier Fees Are Miserable

Cockpit Displays - Flat Panel LCD vs. Analog

The new flat screens look super cool, but some of the analog charm of flying is lost.

Smaller Business Plane

Business Jet

New Business Jet

Now Retired United 757 Display

Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) Interior

Not my style, but someone thought the idea of two long couches perpendicular to the direction of travel was a good one.

BBJ Interior Lounge

Sleeping on a Business Jet - Gulfstream G550 Edition

The first class seats on long haul airliners make better beds than seats on business jets.  Airliners have heavy mechanical seats that convert into beds.  Business jets need to save weight, so they fold flat and then have a mattress pad added (the flight attendant should make your bed in either case). Also one bed takes up two seats, so overnight flights run at reduced capacity. Not every aspect of private aviation is better than flying commercial.

G550 Bed Set Up

Lufthansa A380 First Class Bed

US Airways Envoy (Business Class) to Europe

I was excited to fly US Airway's Envoy business class to Madrid.  However US Airways didn't share my excitement and oversold business class. I tried to board and on scanning my boarding pass, the agent said I didn't have a seat anymore and directed me to the gate podium to discuss my options. This was shocking because I had a boarding pass with seat assignment issued five hours earlier in Denver. Flabbergasted, I walked to an agent to discuss my options.

US Airways A330 in Philadelphia 

The gate agents were awful.  I spent a long time discussing why there were more business class passengers than seats and why I was selected to be denied boarding. I was told I lost my seat because business class was oversold, the aircraft was changed, I was not checked in, general reservations issues, I upgraded with miles, US Airways and United weren’t partners anymore, the reservation wasn’t valid, and 016 tickets aren’t valid on US Airways.  I was able to refute these implausible (or factually wrong) explanations and demanded I be accommodated on another flight in business class. No other business class options were available or the agents only looked for coach seats. Also no refund or compensation was offered because the reservation was booked with United Airlines miles and the gate agents said they weren’t responsible for United Airlines tickets.  The agents refused to look for business class options on other carriers and generally wasted time talking with themselves while other flights to Europe left and limited my options.  They repeatedly provided false information, like United had refunded the ticket or it was never valid. 

Better Than US Airways' Business Class

The best US Airways would offer was a coach flight to London, then coach to Madrid.  They also tossed in $20 in food vouchers.  This was unacceptable.  I called United and the phone agent had some choice words for the US Airways staff.  She also found a late departing Lufthansa flight from Chicago with business class award space (old style business class like on the A340-600).  Even better, there were flights from PHL to ORD and FRA to MAD with award space too.  She changed the reservation and I raced to the other end of the airport to get a boarding pass and board my new flight.  My time in Philadelphia was absolutely miserable and now I'm boycotting US Airways and American Airlines.