United's changes don't affect Adam or me: Premier Execs and 1Ks are exemp=
t.
And Internet access from US airports seems Real Soon Now. Of course, I
thought that of laptop power, too :-)
RK
--------------------------------------
Frequent Flyer Heads-Up: USAir, United Moves Mean Mileage Program Changes=
=20
Separate business moves by USAir and United Airlines will mean changes in
benefits for millions of their frequent flyers in 1997 and 1998.=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0 USAir plans to break off its marketing and operations partne=
rship with
British Airways next spring as a consequence of British Airways' plan to
form a similar alliance with American Airlines. That means members of
USAir's Frequent Traveler program will no longer be able to earn mileage =
on
British Airways flights after 29 March.=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0 For 90 days after 29 March, eligible USAir program members w=
ill be
able to request travel awards on British Airways and will have to use the=
m
within six months of their issue date. Awards issued from 24 October 1996
until 29 March 1997 can be used until one year after their date of issue.=
=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0 USAir has petitioned for the right to fly to London's Heathr=
ow
Airport, but the prospects of that application and the carrier's options
for developing its own transatlantic service depend in part on the outcom=
e
of aviation treaty negotiations pending between the United States and the
United Kingdom.=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0 "I suspect there will be an announcement in the next few mon=
ths that
will cover any gap" in London service for USAir program members, said Ran=
dy
Petersen, president of Frequent Flyer Services in Colorado Springs,
Colorado.=20
United Pins Benefits to Fares
United revised some provisions of its Mileage Plus plan to reward
passengers on the basis of how much money they spend with the airline
instead of how many miles they fly. Starting 1 January 1998, for example,
Premier members (those who fly 25,000 paid miles per year) will receive
complimentary service class upgrade certificates based on dollars paid
rather than miles flown.=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0 Criteria for the revenue-based upgrades haven't yet been est=
ablished.
Business travelers who tend to pay full fare are less likely to feel any
effect than frequent flyers who have been earning upgrades by logging lot=
s
of miles on reduced fare tickets, Petersen noted.=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0 Also starting 1 January 1998, flyers on the entry tier and P=
remier
level who pay full fare will receive upgrades before travelers on the sam=
e
program levels who pay discounted fares. Members in the top two tiers, 1K
(100,000 miles) and Premier Executive (50,000 miles), will still be first
in line regardless of fare basis.=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0 In a slight tightening of award terms, United in 1998 will r=
equire
14-day advance bookings and Saturday-night stays on tickets redeemed with
Saver Awards.=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0 Prior to implementing the stricter rules in 1998, United, be=
ginning 1
January 1997, will make it easier for members to advance in status by
counting mileage on Lufthansa German Airlines, Air Canada, Scandinavian
Airlines System, and Thai International Airways toward Premier ranking.=20
American to Outfit Front-Cabin Seats for Laptops=20
<Picture>
DALLAS =96 One by one, the excuses are disappearing. The next obsolete
rationalization for reading the latest John Grisham en route? "My laptop
ran out of power."=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0 Passengers in first class and business class on some America=
n Airlines
flights from New York or Boston to London will find 12-volt, DC power
outlets at their seats starting in January. American plans to install the
outlets by the end of March on all of its Airbus A-300s, which fly
transatlantic routes.=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0 After that, the airline will evaluate whether to introduce t=
he outlets
on other international flights and transcontinental routes in North
America. United Airlines recently said it is considering adding power por=
ts
to some of its aircraft as well.=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0 Passengers who want to use the outlets on American Airlines =
flights
will need to bring their own adapters, which are the same type used in
automobile cigarette lighters and are widely available from electronics
retailers.=20
Singapore Passengers Connect via Cyberspace=20
<Picture>
SINGAPORE =96 Time spent at Singapore's Changi International Airport need=
not
be idle, now that two Internet access centers have opened for travelers t=
o
use after check-in or between flights.=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 The Internet Centre, located in the departure hall transi=
t lounge in
Terminal 2, is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, with 15 terminals
available on a first-come, first-served basis. Travelers can send, receiv=
e,
and print e-mail, and scanners are available to produce documents for
attachment to messages. "Cyberguides" are on hand to answer questions in
English, Mandarin, or Malay.=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 Also in Terminal 2, near the Level 3 viewing gallery, is =
the Cybernet
Caf=E9, where travelers can use 14 workstations and receive Internet trai=
ning
or get help designing and publishing Web pages. A frequent visitor can op=
en
an account to use the Internet and receive e-mail for about US$34 a year.
The caf=E9 is a 10- to 15-minute walk from the departure area. Hours are =
7 AM
to 11 PM, seven days a week, with peak hours between 6 PM and 10 PM.=20
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0 Both Internet access centers have hourly rates of approxi=
mately
US$5.50 and operate on a first-come, first-served basis.=20