Thursday, December 18, 2014

United modifies Asia/Pacific baggage allowance policies

United has changed its seasonal checked baggage allowances to be year-round for tickets purchased on/after December 18, 2014 and for travel on/after January 8, 2015. As a result, United and joint venture partner ANA now offer aligned, year-round free baggage allowances in most key Pacific markets.

The following free baggage allowances apply to MileagePlus Premier Silver, General and non-members traveling in the United Economy cabin. Note: the policy is applicable for travel based on the first point of origin. For example, if a customer originates in Shanghai (PVG) to Los Angeles (LAX), the customer will receive free baggage allowance for 2 pieces (based on the chart below) on both the outbound and return.  

                    Countries                                       To Pacific                              From Pacific
Countries
North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East TO  
the Pacific 
North, Central and South America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East FROM  
the Pacific 
Japan, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Taiwan, Vietnam
2 pieces 
2 pieces
Rest of Asia (excluding Australia, New Zealand, Micronesia)
 1 piece  
2 pieces 
Australia, Micronesia, New Zealand
1 piece
1 piece  
Between Japan and Micronesia/Guam
   1 piece   
1 piece

Tuesday, December 16, 2014

2015 Travel Probabilities

After going over some of the 2015 myths, some predictions for 2015:

* Value of frequent flyer points will be further diluted.
* The term: "frequent flyer" will have less meaning.  New term: "Higher Fare Flyer"
* Different tiers of economy fares (i.e.: be prepared to pay more) will be the new normal.
* Achieving "status" with mileage will be much harder.
* Hotel fees and pricing will resemble the airline model.  Prepare to pay more.
* The difference between the "have more" and "have less" travelers will be more visible.
* New or higher ancillary fees for travelers
* Major domestic airlines, despite billions in profits, will not pay any taxes.

Wednesday, December 10, 2014

2015 Travel Myths

So here we are at the end of another glorious year in travel.  2014 will be remembered as a year that airline profits have really started to take off and a banner year for travel in general.

So what will 2015 bring us?  These are the myths that pundits are predicting:

* Service and travel experience will improve: Not a chance.  U.S. airports are not adapting to today's      (or tomorrow's) needs.  From TSA, outdated facilities, overcrowded terminals and lounges, there is    no relief in sight.  Don't expect domestic carriers to improve either.
*Fares will go down: Not really! With less competition and reduced capacity, airlines might claim        that fares will stabilize, but once you add an increasing number of ancillary fees on very basic things such as seat assignments, the fares will be up again in 2015.  Also, forget any savings from cost of jet fuel going down.
* There cannot be more ancillary fees-airlines have maxed them out: Wrong! Fees will increase on many "services" and a tiered fee structure will make the previous fees look tame in comparison.
* Fuel Surcharges will be eliminated: Nope! Airlines are always quick to introduce or add fuel surcharges at the hint of rising fuel prices, but when we have a dramatic sustained drop such as the 40%+ drop in the past several months, airlines either do not react or they shrug it off in anticipation of a future increase.

The next edition will be the predictions for 2015.  Stay tuned.