SFO welcomes more flights to China following agreement with US

It’s never too soon to start planning your summer 2024 international schedule, and American Airlines said it is working on its “largest European expansion in four years.” That includes new routes from its Philadelphia hub to Nice starting May 6, to Naples beginning June 5 and to Copenhagen as of June 6, all offering daily 787 flights. AA said it will also begin new 777 service from Dallas/Fort Worth to Barcelona starting June 5 and resume Chicago-Venice service on the same date, with daily flights on both routes. American also plans to expand some Europe routes from summer seasonal to year-round service next year, including Charlotte-Madrid, DFW-Dublin, DFW-Rome, Philadelphia-Barcelona and Philadelphia-Lisbon. In South America, meanwhile, American has just expanded its code-sharing with JetSmart, putting the AA code on the latter’s routes within Peru, including service form Lima to Arequipa, Cuzco, Cajamarca, Chiclayo, Piura, Tarapoto and Trujillo. 

“While there have been no major U.S. plane crashes in more than a decade, potentially dangerous incidents are occurring far more frequently than almost anyone realizes — a sign of what many insiders describe as a safety net under mounting stress,” the Times said. “Current and former air traffic controllers said in interviews that close calls were happening so frequently that they feared it was only a matter of time until a deadly crash occurred.”

The incidents are generally a result of human error, the newspaper noted — not just by pilots but increasingly by FAA air traffic controllers, whose ranks have been dangerously thin in recent months. The Times noted that as of May, just three of the nation’s 313 air traffic control facilities “had enough controllers to meet targets set by the FAA and the union representing controllers.”

In response to the Times article, the FAA issued a statement defending its practices. The agency noted that it has hired 1,500 new controllers for fiscal year 2023, “in addition to the more than 2,600 controllers that are at various levels of training at air traffic facilities across the country.” The FAA said it maintains “extremely conservative standards for keeping aircraft safely separated,” and that safety experts “follow up on all events — even those in which no collision was imminent or even possible.” Last April, the agency appointed an independent safety review team to examine ways to improve the nation’s aviation system; its report is due this fall.

Anyone who uses the internet is probably familiar with the term “skiplagging” by now — a so-called “travel hack” that lets consumers save on airfare by booking trips that include a stopover or connection, and then ending their journey at the midpoint without taking the second leg. This can work because airfares are not based on distance, and a connecting fare from point A to C via point B can sometimes be less than a nonstop fare from A to B. But it’s not new — it’s been around for decades, previously known as “hidden-city ticketing.” And the airlines hate it. It’s technically not illegal, but it’s against airline rules, and carriers can and do retaliate when they catch someone doing it (e.g., if the passenger books a round-trip and drops out before reaching their destination, the airline can cancel their return reservation). In July, American Airlines caught a teenage passenger doing it, and banned him from the carrier for three years.

This week, American reportedly filed suit in federal court against a website called Skiplagged that deliberately books travelers on “skiplagged” itineraries. Not only does the practice violate its contract of carriage, American said, but the website often misrepresents the savings available to customers and charges them excessive fees. The suit said the website gives buyers advice on what to say to airline employees and how to avoid getting caught — e.g., don’t take a chance that your carry-on bag might have to be checked. According to the Washington Post, this is at least the third time in recent years that a major airline has sued the website.

Lingering concerns about a potential pilot strike at American Airlines have ended as rank-and-file members of the Allied Pilots Association this week voted to approve a new contract hammered out after months of negotiations. “The new contract will deliver more than $9 billion of compensation and quality-of-life benefits to American’s 15,000 pilots,” the company said. American was the last of the Big Three airlines (along with United and Delta) to craft a new pilot contract this year, and all of them gave cockpit crews significant pay increases as the industry faces an ongoing pilot shortage.

It’s been a big month for new airport lounge openings in the U.S. At Denver International, United Airlines has cut the ribbon on a new United Club in Concourse A-West, near Gate A25. The new two-level, 24,900-square-foot club is United’s first in the A Concourse, which recently added more gates. The club’s big windows provide views of the Rocky Mountains in the distance, and it features Colorado design themes, a fireplace on each level, and locally inspired menu options. Business travelers will find private workstations, free Wi-Fi, and plenty of power and USB ports. According to The Points Guy, United expects to reopen a newly renovated Concourse B-East club at DEN later this year, after which the B-West club will shut down for a similar rehab. 

On the East Coast, meanwhile, Delta has added a pair of new Sky Clubs. Newark’s new Terminal A just got a 7,000-square-foot lounge that can accommodate more than 200 people, timed to coincide with the airline’s move from Terminal B to Terminal A this week (and the closure of the Terminal B Sky Club). It has a premium bar and a beverage station, as well as buffet dining, and features “amenity zones for mobile work, socializing or simply relaxing,” Delta said.

New restaurants have opened at two Bay Area airports this week. The newest entrant to the culinary scene at San Jose Mineta International is the San Jose Mac + Cheese Kitchen, operated by Elevate Gourmet Brands. The new eatery is in Terminal B near Gate 18. Besides customizable mac and cheese dishes made to order in under four minutes, the restaurant’s menu also includes grilled mac and cheese sandwiches and breakfast mac and cheese burritos along with various side dishes, and it also has a full-service bar.  

And at Oakland International, officials cut the ribbon on a full-service restaurant called the OAK Clubhouse in Terminal 1 near Gate 6. The facility serves breakfast until 10 a.m., and for lunch and dinner it offers “classic sports bar menu items, draft beer, craft cocktails and wine,” the airport said. The decor is classic sports bar, with multiple TV monitors showing a variety of games. Operated by concessionaire SSP America, OAK Clubhouse offers sit-down dining as well as fast on-the-go orders via QR code or kiosk.