Air China: Continues its North America expansion by adding Washington, DC-Beijing in June. See Air China for more information.
My Take: Air China is a Star Alliance airline, same as United, so this is another route for members of Star Alliance loyalty programs to earn and redeem miles.
Alaska: Award tickets booked as of May 6 on Delta incur a higher rate in Business Class, up to 34% more, so make sure to lock in Delta awards by May 5. See Alaska for more information.
My Take: You can tell the relationship between Alaska and Delta is becoming more strained. I would think, at some point, Alaska and Delta will call it quits.
Emirates: The rumor mill has been busy with regard to the Italian government wanting to kill the carrier’s New York-Milan service. No chance in the immediate future, according to an Emirates spokesperson. “That is not correct; with the April 14th decision by the Consiglio di Stato to suspend the ruling of Lazio Regional Administrative Court (TAR) until the confirmation hearing for the suspension order is heard. Our passengers can be assured that we will continue to operate as normal, and we anticipate that the court will look favorably on our application to remain in operation on the Milan-New York/JFK route until a full hearing on our appeal, anticipated to take place before the end of this year.” So stay tuned for the second court hearing scheduled at the end of the year.
P.S.: See upcoming newsroom alert soon for mileage award space on this route.
Scandinavian Airlines: Starts Houston-Stavanger, Norway (100,000 miles from Houston) service on Aug. 20 using an all Business Class B737-700 with 44 seats offering a 170- degree recline. Tickets bookable now. See SAS for more information.
My Take: Could the good ol’ days of all-Business Class flights be making a comeback? While not lie-flat seats, SAS is a Star Alliance airline, meaning United and other Star Alliance airline members can use and earn miles on SAS; so more routes create more opportunities.
United: Without fanfare, United reduced its First Class fares to Australia (Melbourne and Sydney) by about $4,500 from many other U.S. cities, including Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, and New York. Fare restrictions: 21- day advance purchase, booking code A, three-day minimum stay, 12-month maximum stay, travel days: Monday to Thursday (other days slightly higher).
My Take: South Pacific fares—Business and First Class—are some of the highest priced premium fares, so it is good to see a drop, but this ticket is still expensive.