United Airlines

Category Archives for United Airlines.

Help a Reader: Where Should I Spend My 100-150K Miles Annually?

I received the following question from Peter and he (and I) would love additional feedback beyond what I provided. First, his question: I fly 200K – 250K for business (mostly China) and try to divide it between UA and AA to keep my top tier status with both. I will turn 40 soon and don’t want…

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Vintage Airline Seat Map: United Airlines ‘Reno Commuter’ Boeing 727-100

Back in the 1970s, United Airlines operated “Reno Commuter†flights predominantly between Reno and Elko, Nevada, with further flying to Ely and Salt Lake City. Here is the Boeing 727-100 operated on the route for this installment of Vintage Airline Seat Maps. This single-class aircraft seated 112 passengers and offered a luxurious 36 inches of…

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Are Airline Change Fees and Cancellation Penalties Fair?

I absolutely hate cancelling a non-refundable airline reservation. It feels like a kick in the gut, especially on “cheap” domestic airfares where the fee to reuse the ticket – $150 on most airlines – ends up eating away a significant portion of the overall ticket value. Last week, I was unable to travel and had…

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First Reconfigured United Airlines Premium Service 757 Takes to the Skies

Flight 651 from Los Angeles arrived at JFK this afternoon six minutes ahead of schedule and became the first reconfigured p.s. Boeing 757s to take to the skies. For the fleet followers, it’s ship number 5996 (N596UA) and will be operating as flight 535 back to LAX this evening at 5:53 p.m. If you’re unfamiliar,…

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My United Airlines Mileage Tracking Spreadsheet, Round Two

A couple of years ago I made a similar post revealing my mileage tracking spreadsheet for United (or any airline for that matter). And while I love technology and my favorite app that still tracks my United balance (and so much more: PageOnce), I get a certain satisfaction out of my old school method. I…

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Buh-Bye Upgrade Phobia: Rediscovering the Joy of Coach Travel

I believe it was Matthew over at Live and Let’s Fly who first coined the term “upgrade phobia†– a condition of nervously worrying about whether your upgrade will come through, constantly checking your position on the list, etc. And I have admittedly been deeply phobic most of the time, which results serious disappointment when…

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Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel Industry News: February 21, 2013

United Airlines is pulling all Boeing 787 Dreamliners out of service until at least May 12, at which time they intend to launch Denver-Tokyo nonstop flights. A company spokesperson said other 787 flights will be held until June 5, pending successful resolution of Dreamliner issues. Southwest Airlines has expanded its live television programming to all…

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Onboard Photos: Are They Really THAT Big of a Deal?

If you haven’t already read about fellow blogger Matthew getting kicked off a United Airlines flight, I encourage you to do so. The short version of his story is that he took a picture of his BusinessFirst seating area (the IFE monitor), a flight attendant advised he couldn’t take any pictures of the cabin and…

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Notable Airline, Hotel and Travel Industry News: February 19, 2013

Hilton has upset a lot of loyal HHonors members today (self included) with their announcement of 2013 Hilton HHonors Program Changes. They’re increasing hotel categories from eight to ten, adding seasonal pricing (read: higher redemption rates) and trying to soften the blow by adding a 5th Night Free for elites staying 5-nights or more. I’m…

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A Look at Cheapest vs. Upgradable United Airlines International Airfares

My travel goals on United have changed this year due to several factors, including a move to a more expensive cost per mile (CPM) originating airport and the increasing likelihood that all U.S. airlines will add some type of elite status revenue requirement to their frequent flier programs. My goal on United this year is…

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