US Airways inflight Wi-Fi service available on all A321 aircraft – with a freebie

by Scott Carmichael on

After a brief introduction period, US Airways has become the next big airline to bring the Gogo Inflight Internet service to most of its planes. Starting this week, the service will be available on all US Airways Airbus A321 planes, and for the next seven days, access will be free of charge (June 1st – June 8 11:59pm)

When you board a Gogo enabled plane, you’ll see a Wi-Fi symbol next to the boarding door, as well as an instruction card in the seat pocket. Once the plane passes 10,000 feet (and the captain permits it), you can turn on your laptop, PDA, iPad or smartphone, and access the network.

After this week, access will cost $4.95 on flights up to 1 1/2 hours, $9.95 ($7.95 for small mobile devices) on flights up to 3 hours, and $12.95 ($7.95 for small mobile devices) on flights over 3 hours. On select flights, you’ll even be able to access the service up to 100 miles beyond the U.S. border.

To learn more about the service, how to connect, and where it’ll be available – check out the US Airways Gogo Inflight Internet page.

Earn double miles on US Airways this spring!

by Grant Martin on

US Airways just launched a promotion last night awarding double elite and earned miles to all registered travelers between now and June 15.

Elite miles, of course, are the special non-redeemable miles that count towards elite status, awarding passengers special perks like no baggage fees and better seat selection. Earned miles, on the other hand, are miles that can be cashed in for free flights and other goodies.

This means that with this promotion, one would only need to fly 12.5k miles to reach the lowest tier of elite status, silver preferred.

This is a fairly generous offer from US Airways considering that they ran a similar promotion last year. Our hope is that the trend catches on with other airlines and that just like last year, most of the legacy carriers offer double miles at some point.

Passengers need to be registered for the promotion and to book after registration, so scamper on over to US Airways’ promotion site right now and sign up.
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Next candidates for an airline merger – United Airlines and US Airways?

by Scott Carmichael on

In what can probably be described as “just a matter of time”, rumors are heating up about a possible United Airlines / US Airways merger.

The push for this kind of consolidation is being fueled by the last big airline merger – that of Delta Airlines and Northwest Airlines. Of course, anyone who has followed the aviation world will know that a United/US merger has been in the news before. The two tried to merge back in 2000, and again in 2008. At one point they had already put their signatures on the deal, but had to cancel the party when the government and unions voiced their opposition.

Despite the size of the two airlines, a combination would still only make them the second largest in the nation.

All these mergers mean fewer airlines (US Airways merged with America West several years ago), and a United/US merger may force Continental to go shopping for similar arrangement.

Of course, things are still in a very early stage, and have not moved beyond “speculation”. Time will tell whether three times really is a charm for these two airlines.

US Airways launches Gogo Inflight Internet

by Scott Carmichael on

Nine months after their initial announcement, US Airways and Gogo Inflight Internet have started offering wireless Internet access on the first aircraft in the US Airways fleet.

The service is currently installed on five Airbus A321 planes – and by June 1st, it’ll be available on all 51 Airbus A321’s.

Passengers boarding a US Airways A321 can tell whether their plane is one of the lucky five by keeping an eye out for a W-Fi symbol by the boarding doors. In addition to this, information will be placed in the seat back pocket, and flight attendants will make announcements once the plane reaches 10,000 feet.

From today, through June 1st, first time Gogo users will get a free session when they create a profile and US Airways will be offering complimentary access to everyone on their Gogo equipped planes from June 1st through June 8th.

Access starts at just $4.95 for flights under 1 ½ hours. US Airways has a mini-site with information available at usairways.com/gogo which is where you’ll find a more comprehensive pricing chart.

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US Airways the latest to increase extra bag fee

by Tom Johansmeyer on

US Airways has joined the ranks of airlines increasing their fees for extra baggage. The low cost carrier is raising its extra baggage fees by $5 each way, which is comparable to the increases levied by Delta, Continental and United. With the new charge, US Airways will be charging $25 for the first bag checked, with a second bag costing you $35 each way. The new fee takes effect on February 1, 2010. If you pay in advance, you can pick up a $2 discount on the first bag and a $3 on the second bag. American Airlines is still charging $20 each way for the first checked bag and $30 for the second one. On JetBlue, the first checked bag is free, and Southwest will let you check two bags sans charge.

The increased fees aren’t terribly surprising. The travel market slump is likely to continue through much of 2010, especially with the job market unlikely to improve until the middle of the year. And, airlines have become accustomed to all the extra cash they pick up from these fees. Since you’re a captive audience, they know you’re likely to pay … what other choice do you have?

So, get ready to cram everything you have into the overhead compartment. You’ll draw the ire of everyone else on the plane, but you’ll have the satisfaction of a few Andy Jacksons sitting in your pocket.