American’s Bankruptcy – What You Need to Know

The biggest news in airline land this week (and probably all year) is American Airlines' announcement that it will be going through Chapter 11 bankruptcy. While this process will certainly have dramatic effects on American's long-term future, the good news is that your AAdvantage miles are safe, and you don't need to worry if you have a booking with American.

The Dallas-based airline has set up a website, AA.com/Restructuring, which has some handy FAQs.  Here's one important bit of info for people who already have reservations:

Will the flights I have already booked change as a result of the Chapter 11?

We will continue to operate our regular schedule of flights, and there are no immediate changes to our service or schedules as a result of the Chapter 11 filing. Tickets will be honored, reservations are fully intact and our policies regarding exchanges and refunds remain the same.

And as for the miles:

Are my AAdvantage miles going away?

No. We will maintain our AAdvantage program and ensure that all miles and elite status earned by members remain secure and intact. As usual, your AAdvantage miles do not expire as long as you have qualifying account activity at least once every 18 months. Qualifying account activity is defined as any AAdvantage mileage accrual or AAdvantage award redemption.

So, in short -- yes, American does have its fair bit about financial troubles, but there's no reason to worry about your upcoming reservation for Christmas travel, for example.

And Easy Way to Pick up Some American Miles

American Airlines loyalty program, AAdvantage, recently joined the social media sphere with new pages on Twitter and Facebook. The airline decided to promote that latter with a "Mystery Miles" promotion - just "like" the AAdvantage page on Facebook, and you'll receive somewhere between 100 and 100,000 free miles. (Sadly, my free miles were on the low end of that.)

This is an incredibly easy way to get some free miles - so you might as well give it a shot. You can get all the details here.

US Airways Raises Some Bag Fees, But It Probably Won’t Affect You

When I first heard that US Airways would be increasing some baggage fees, I was fearing that the most commonly-paid fees - those for the first and second bag - would be hiked yet again. Fortunately, that doesn't seem to be the case right now. But if you are planning to fly US Airways in the future, it might be worth knowing a few things:

• Your third through ninth bag now costs $125 each (previously $100)
• The fee for bags weighing 50-70 pounds is now $90, up from $50
• Bags 70-100 pounds will now cost $175, up from $100

The above changes are mainly for domestic flights, and there's some variation for international routes, so it's a good idea to check US Airways' website if you're traveling. Yes, the fees are now even higher, which is annoying, but at least those most often paid for will be staying the same for now.

Story found via CNN Money.

Delta Unveils New Sky Clubs

Delta Air Lines has been pouring a lot of money into enhancing the experience for its passengers, and not just during the flight. One notable example is renovated and improved airport lounges. This month, freshly-redone clubs will open in Atlanta, Minneapolis, New York (LaGuardia), and Philadelphia.

I'm a big fan of the Philadelphia addition - as that airport has been lacking a Delta lounge for a little while, while the other cities have multiple Sky Club locations. Also worthy of note is that the LaGuardia club, while open, is still undergoing some changes that will be completed over the next couple of months.

Here's a picture from Minneapolis - which is Delta's second-busiest Sky Club. Thanks to the airline for passing this along:

Flat-Bed Seats Are Now on All Continentla 777 Flights

So, you've just finished parking at Newark airport for your Continental flight, and you're heading to the terminal for your flight to Asia, dreading that you'll be sitting in an aluminum tube for hours and hours. But what if I told you that you can enjoy a nice, comfortable bed on your flight? All of a sudden that flight sounds a lot better.

Now Continental can guarantee its new BusinessFirst seat on many of its long-haul flights, as all of its routes operated with 777 aircraft now have the new product, according to a press release issued today.

The airline has converted about two-thirds of its 757-200s completed, and hopes to finish them next summer. Conversions of 767 aircraft will come next year as well.

You can track Continental's progress here.

Free Wi-Fi For The Holidays Returns

Last year, Google made waves when they announced they would be sponsoring free Wi-Fi access at many major airports, as well as onboard all Virgin America flights. Well, this year Google (more specifically, Google Chrome) is doing it again with a twist. No airports will be receiving the free Wi-Fi, but fliers on Virgin America, AirTran, and Delta will be able to enjoy complimentary Gogo Wi-Fi service.

Why pick those three airlines? My guess is availability. AirTran and Virgin America have had their full fleets equipped for awhile. Delta said in September that they only had a few domestic aircraft left, and I'm assuming they're basically done right now. (Of course, for Delta and AirTran, we're talking mainline flights - not regional carriers.)

Anyway, you can surf onboard for free from November 20 to January 2, freely doing things like Facebook creeping, Christmas shopping, and visiting your favorite website, About Airport Parking (right?!).

I'm looking forward to taking advantage of this promotion on a trip next month!

AirTran Fliers Want Southwest to Keep Their Favorite Features

A website called "SOS: Save Our Seats!" has been getting a decent amount of press. Basically, a bunch of AirTran fliers are signing a petition that asks Southwest to keep some of their favorite parts of the AirTran experience. I figured it'd be interesting to break down their requests.

First up:

SAVE OUR ASSIGNED SEATS! We care about assigned seating because we're families who want to sit together and business professionals who want certainty even if we're the last to board. We're willing to pay a little extra for certainty and will otherwise check in as early as possible at no additional charge.

People seem to either love or hate Southwest's lack of assigned seats. Right now, Southwest plans to keep that after they acquire AirTran. Here's my response to the AirTran fans - if you're a family, you don't need to worry. Southwest offers family boarding after the first boarding group, so finding seats together shouldn't be a problem. Southwest already offers priority boarding for those who buy EarlyBird check-in, but you will have to be one of the first people to board.

Next:

KEEP BUSINESS CLASS SEATS FOR YOUR VALUED CUSTOMERS! We as passengers deserve to have the ability to pay more to get a little more room and a little better service. As Southwest continues on to more major business centers and international destinations, Business Class is no longer just an option. It is a requirement to serve business professionals and passengers of size with a seat they are willing to pay extra for....

I just don't see this happening. Southwest has remained committed to a single-class service throughout its history and I highly doubt they will change. While they will be doing international service after they acquire AirTran, it's all in the Caribbean and Mexico, with routes that aren't any longer than some of the longer domestic hauls. If Southwest does anything in this area, I figure it'd be a regular seat with more legroom like United's Economy Plus, Frontier's STRETCH, or JetBlue's Even More Legroom.

Third:

WIRE OUR SEATS FOR SUCCESS! AirTran became the major first carrier in the US to have WiFi and XM on every flight. These options were low-cost and added very little weight to the aircraft conservative on fuel. We want for Southwest / AirTran to be the airline with WiFi on every one of its 737 and 717 aircraft moving forward.

Well, the authors of the petition don't have to worry about this one. Southwest has already committed to installation of Wi-Fi across it's fleet, just with a different vendor than AirTran. I'm not sure about the future of XM, but the petition doesn't ask for it anyway.

And finally:

LET US KEEP DREAM SEATS TO ANYWHERE! AirTran offers frequent flyer seats to anywhere in the world for 100 credits, Mexico / Canada / Hawaii for 50 credits, and to anywhere that AirTran does not fly for 32 credits....

I have to say - that's a nice perk, and I have no idea how it will go. One thing I'd add is that a companion pass on AirTran costs 100 credits. For Southwest, it's free once one earns 100 points. But even excluding the merger, loyalty programs are very much up in the air as Southwest works to re-tool its Rapid Rewards program.

Reciprocal Benefits Begin to Arrive for United and Continental Elites

Well, last week a big step was made in the integration of United and Continental - free upgrades for members of the two airlines' loyal programs. (Mileage Plus and OnePass, respectively.)

So, now United elites flying on Continental can get upgraded to first class for free, and vice versa. Meanwhile Continental elites get access to United's Economy Plus. But on the Continental side - United elites can get access to exit row and bulkhead seating, and also the first few rows of coach. But Continental doesn't have a product similar to Economy Plus (a few rows of coach seats with more legroom).

And there are other product differences to sort out. Continental, generally speaking, has better in-seat power availability than United, and also has satellite TV service (free in first class, $6 in economy).

More details about the integration of the two programs will be coming over the coming months, and the airlines expect to combine loyalty programs in 2012.