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Ahh, Skybus. The ban on carry-on food or drink… The ultra-tight seat pitch… The out-of-the-way airports with the misleading names… (Bellingham is not Seattle, folks!) The fact that you have to pick up and re-check your bags if you connect at their Columbus, Ohio “hub”… Oh Skybus, where would travel blogs be without you?

Sure, ten tickets on each flight are $10 each way. That’s really, really cheap. About $40 total roundtrip, with taxes, if you’re keeping score. But is it worth the savings?

So quick, name the airline’s most successful route of the 14 (going on 19) cities it serves?

If you said, “Columbus to Greensboro/Winston-Salem,” you’re right, and probably stalking Skybus executives to get your information.

It’s true. Those Piedmont Triad residents just can’t get enough of Columbus, I tells ya.

The success of the route is one reason that Skybus is considering Greensboro as a second hub (or “focus city”). Portsmouth, NH is another hub contender, and has already picked up nonstop (gasp!) routes to Florida. Other unnamed cities are possibilities.

For North Carolina residents hoping to break free of the US Airways death grip on the state, this may seem like a golden opportunity. But it’s still Skybus. This isn’t Virgin America or jetBlue. This is an airline that truly treats its passengers like cattle, with no seat assignments, no phone number for customer service, and no outside food permitted. I’m wishing Greensboro good luck. But I’m not sure that’s wishing for Skybus to make them a hub.

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Separately, the Columbus Dispatch, hometown paper for the Skybus set, and an investor in the airline through a subsidiary (!), published how Skybus actually schedules as many flights as they do from only five aircraft. No wonder they don’t let you make connections. If anything goes wrong, you’re pretty much guaranteed to miss your next flight. Click the graphic below to see.

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Related:
- Is this a bus you want to ride? Zero-frills airline Skybus launches today with $10 tickets
- Smart-aleck test: What if you bring LOTS of food onto a Skybus flight?

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Upgraded: Government bloggin’, government surveillance
Move over, Kip Hawley! Now there’s something bloggier! Hawley’s boss, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, has started a blog. No, wait, it’s a “leadership journal.” This blog leadership journal has nothing but eyerolling snark for that self-aggrandizing title. Maybe he could show some actual leadership by answering why the government has been collecting and preserving all sorts of minutiae about travelers who aren’t on anyone’s watch list. (Hat tip to Benet Wilson for pointing to the DHS blog. Yes, blog. We shall never refer to it as a leadership journal again.)

Downgraded: OneWorld cooperation
American Airlines AAdvantage members will no longer earn elite-qualifying elite-bonus frequent flyer miles when they fly on oneworld partner British Airways. Lovely. Remind me why we have alliances, again? Updated: Several readers have written in (and the Global Traveller has written in comments) that the linked article by Tim Winship is wrong: Elite bonus miles are cut. Elite qualifying miles remain. I note that smartertravel.com pulled the article down from their site. Thanks to all who wrote in!

Upgraded: Motel 6’s reputation
Arthur Frommer offers this tip on finding “a stunning value for the price” in hotel accommodations: Look for ones that feature an interior corridor. “Stunning value”? That’s really quite an endorsement. I appreciate the sentiment — and yes, those with interior corridors are newer than those with exterior corridors — but isn’t it still just a Motel 6? The walls are thin and the bed isn’t that comfy. Sure, it’s better than some alternatives, but “stunning value”? I’ve stayed at Hyatts for $37 a night via Priceline. THAT’S “stunning value.”

Upgraded: In-flight service, Sesame Street style
Next flight, remember: Your flight could always be worse. You could end up with Grover as your flight attendant. Video below… (via FlyAwayCafe)

The TSA is proposing a system that would allow travelers to book a specific time to pass through security checkpoints, much like they would make a reservation to dine at a restaurant. The system is designed to guarantee a short wait and create a “smoother flow.”

I’ll admit, I didn’t see this one coming, especially not from the TSA. But is it really a good idea?

Travelers reserving checkpoint slots probably would have to arrive earlier than usual, perhaps by as little as 20 to 30 minutes, [TSA Director Kip] Hawley said. They also would probably have to pay — either a fee for each reservation or an annual subscription for unlimited reservations at participating airports.

Frequent business travelers would happily show up earlier if they “had a specific time at the checkpoint and weren’t going to have to waste time standing in line,” Hawley said.

Why would a person with a reservation need to be at the airport even earlier than before? If the TSA is giving away off-peak reservations, then those “slots” are already available to those who simply show up earlier. No reservation required.

Further, is it philosophically wrong for the TSA to sell access to security? Until now, the TSA hasn’t gotten into the crowd control business at all: TSA doesn’t control the lines, they’ve argued — just the security checkpoints themselves. The airlines and airports control the lines, which is how elite-security lines are justified. (Rightly, in my view.) That would be changing, with this plan.

Arguably, this is also a shot across the bow of services like Clear, which purport to get people through security faster, or at least get them to the front of the line faster. But for this really to work, and really appeal to frequent travelers, the TSA needs to offer reservations during peak times, with a separate line for people with reservations. I don’t think the TSA’s resources or the airports’ physical space will allow for that. But who knows.

So I wonder if Kip Hawley is right, and business travelers would happily show up earlier at a specified time if they knew they would pass through security more quickly. In theory, it leaves you more time to do work at the gate or in the lounge, but you’re still at the airport longer than otherwise.

And thus the question goes to you:

If you’re willing to pay, how much? Is this a reservation you’d make? Hit the comments!

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Reader Sylvia asks:

I have an American Express blue card, but I want to get a different American Express Card that earns hotel points. Do I have to apply for a new card or can I just convert the card I have to the card that earns points?

Sylvia, I assume you’re thinking about the American Express Starwood or Hilton card. (aff) Unfortunately, in the case of American Express, you’ll need to apply for a new card, and then cancel the old one if you want the bonuses. This was confirmed to me over the phone.

The downside: Your credit score gets knocked a couple points for the new application, and depending on the creditor, the age of the account might get reset. (Older credit accounts are better than newly-established ones, for credit score purposes.) With Amex, they will likely keep your original “Member since…” date printed on the card, and not reset that to the new account’s start date, but you’ll likely get a new account number, which is what matters on your credit report.

If you’re deciding between the two Amex hotel programs, take a close look at the card terms to see which suits you better. Obviously, if you stay at one company’s brands more than the other, that creates an incentive. But if you’re brand-agnostic, the Starwood card may be the pick. The Hilton card is free, but the points aren’t very convertible. The Starwood card costs $45 a year (waived the first year), but the points can transfer to a laundry list of airline programs. So you have the airline backup, in case you decide not to use your Starwood points on hotel stays.

But either way you go, you’re going to have to re-apply.

Related:
- Reader mail: What kind of point-earning credit card is best?
- Use a credit card internationally? The banks owe you a refund.
- Reader mail: How can I upgrade flights using American Express?
- American Express Starwood Card (aff)
- American Express Hilton HHonors Card (aff)

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Even presidents fly coach. When they’re made of wax.

Old Abe flew on the Delta Shuttle from NY to DC to make his way to the Tussaud wax museum, naturally. Tussaud’s paid for the ticket.

But did he earn miles?

More pics here.

(Thanks, Kim!)

(Photo credit: Fair use is made here of a reduced-size crop from a larger image in MSNBC’s photoblog attributed to Stan Honda/AFP - Getty Images)

Southwest’s new seating plan
The experiments are over, and the San Antonio model has won out. Starting in November, the new system will be nationwide. Each boarding pass will have a letter (A, B, or C) and a number within that boarding group. Board in the order you checked in. The airline’s promo video (Windows Media) is here. Their “boarding school” is in session here. Bottom line: You won’t need to save your place in line within the A-group by putting your carry-on luggage into the corral. I guess that’s an improvement. But you’ll need to be even quicker to check in if you want your pick of the litter. Remember, check-in opens 24 hours before the flight. Do it online. See here for a list of services that provide automated web check-in. (Their business models might be slightly in flux now.)

Virgin Atlantic adds more premium seats
Virgin Atlantic must be selling its business class and premium economy seats pretty briskly. The airline is tearing out a quarter of its coach seats on Heathrow-based 747s and replacing them with the more spacious (and higher-yielding) premium seats.

Why can’t you use a foreign credit card on US booking sites?
Chris Elliott tackles this common complaint: You might get a better fare on a particular itinerary by booking via a website or agency outside your home country, but you can’t buy it, because the seller won’t accept your home country’s credit card. Why not? The travel companies are trying to slice and dice the market, so they can have greater control of fares, while minimizing the chance of fraud. Not every country has this problem. (I’ve used a Singaporean website or two to book US travel with my US card.) If you’ve ever been flummoxed by this, go read the whole post.

US Airways increases the cost of upgrades, but makes more fares upgradeable
Mileage upgrades on US Airways are more expensive, with each Lower-48/Canada/Alaska upgrade costing 15,000 instead of 10,000 miles as of October 3. On the flip side, they’re opening up ALL their domestic fares for upgradeability, so it’s no longer just the most expensive tickets that are eligible. That’s a plus. Similarly, on international flights, you’ll be able to use miles to upgrade any flight that cost you $600 or more each way. By my reading of the new rules, that $600 number includes taxes and fees. (via WebFlyer)

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Lufthansa doesn’t just have a lounge for their first-class passengers in Frankfurt. They have a separate terminal.

Many describe it as the best airport lounge in the world. Private baths. Sit-down dining. Dozens of complimentary single-malt scotches. Bellhop service for your bags. As a final luxury, you’re chauffeured to your flight in a Porsche Cayenne or Mercedes S-Class.

To get into the First Class Terminal, you have to be an “HON” member of Lufthansa’s Miles & More program (600,000 qualifying miles over two years) or flying on a Lufthansa first class ticket that day.

And remember: Award tickets count! Using your miles for an over-the-top experience like this is a good move, in my book. Sure, you could get from point A to point B in coach, too, with fewer miles, but for a few thousand more miles, you could be flying in real style.

I’ve mentioned it before on this blog, but thanks to Gary Leff’s recent post on the subject, we now have a video tour as well. Watch it below.

Want more lounge porn? Have another video. For those who understand German, or who just want more visuals of the first-class terminal, here’s a news report:

Still can’t get enough? Browse the photo gallery here.

Related:
- How to lounge in airports
- Don’t overpay for lounge access. Not even for the Amazing Beer Machine.

Upgraded and Downgraded: Virgin America to add inflight wireless internet …and voice
Virgin America will feature inflight wireless internet access on its planes, by working with AirCell (the same company that will roll out inflight wireless on American Airlines’ 767s). Jaunted reports that some unnamed features will be free, too.

Great, right? Well… there’s a catch. Skype is on the list of planned features. Hell is your seatmate shouting, “Guess where I am! No, guess! I’m on a plane!” Screaming madmen yelling at jilted lovers in faraway places could soon be sitting right next to you, laptops open, vocal cords ablaze. Bring the earplugs!

Upgraded: Singapore Airlines reveals its surprisingly spacious A380 layout
The Airbus A380, when packed to the gills with nothing but economy seats, could carry as many as 853 people. The normal three-class provision is estimated at 555 seats. But Singapore’s layout will only feature 471 seats, thanks largely to a boatload of extra-wide business class seats, much like the ones pictured here. To get a glimpse of the seatmap, Click here. Note that the economy class seats on the lower level are configured 3-4-3 and the upper level has them at 2-4-2.

Upgraded: The UK’s Travelodge
Downgraded: Home
An elderly British couple has been living in a Travelodge motel room for over twenty years. Talk about extended stay! Travelodge in the UK is not the same company as in the US. I’ve never stayed in the UK variant, but for their sake, I hope it’s better than the stateside chain. (via BoingBoing)

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Capital One has launched a money market account that offers miles for saving your money. But is it a good deal?

The offer sounds good on its surface: A decent yield for no minimum deposit, and an opportunity to earn some points by saving your cash. Today’s yield is 4.66% APY, and you get 1 mile for every $20 average balance in your account per month. So an average balance of $5000 should yield 250 miles. (You get a bonus of 2500 miles to start up the account with $500 or more.)

But these aren’t airline miles. They’re Capital One miles. And not even that many of them.

As I’ve argued previously, you don’t want to bother with Capital One’s proprietary points if travel is your goal. Your maximum value is 1 cent per mile.

So you’re not getting points that are worth a lot, and you’re not even earning that many miles to begin with. Plus, you’re taking an interest rate cut in lieu of the miles. The non-mileage earning account at Capital One gives a 0.44% higher rate. You could do even better elsewhere.

If you want to earn airline frequent flyer miles for your savings, UFB (who?!?) offers savings and checking accounts that earn American AAdvantage miles. But it’s a lousy deal: You earn less than 1% interest, and you don’t earn miles on running balances. To really earn AA miles with UFB, you need to be using direct deposit and bill-pay services.

Continental Airlines has also partnered with Chase and First Hawaiian Bank to earn you miles via a checking account, but you only earn miles when you use your debit card.

You’re far better off using your savings to make money, rather than collect miles. Credit, that’s another story. But don’t let a few piddling miles make your investment and savings decisions for you.

Related:
- Reader mail: Can I use credit card miles to upgrade a ticket?
- Reader mail: What kind of point-earning credit card is best?

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Granted, this isn’t a Spirit Airlines style non-apology. But when I read press reports proclaiming that Southwest had apologized to Kyla Ebbert, the publicity-seeking, ultra-short skirt-wearing Hooters waitress they harassed a few weeks ago, I stopped, read the company’s actual text, and thought, “No, they didn’t apologize at all!”

Sure, they say they’re sorry, but only after belittling the issue and making references to hot flashes and great legs. Cute folksiness? I think they’re winking at everyone saying, “We’re apologizing, but we don’t really mean it.”

Read the actual text of their apology:

From a Company who really loves PR, touche to you Kyla! Some have said we’ve gone from wearing our famous hot pants to having hot flashes at Southwest, but nothing could be further from the truth. As we both know, this story has great legs, but the true issue here is that you are a valued Customer, and you did not get an adequate apology. Kyla, we could have handled this better, and on behalf of Southwest Airlines, I am truly sorry. We hope you continue to fly Southwest Airlines. Our Company is based on freedom even if our actions may have not appeared that way. It was never our intention to treat you unfairly and again, we apologize.

Then they go on to declare a “Mini-Skirt Sale.”

Now, Kyla of the short skirts is really milking this thing to the hilt, and I have lost just about every smidgen of sympathy for her. But I still feel that airlines shouldn’t be in the fashion police business unless there’s truly a Sharon Stone “Basic Instinct” moment at hand (update: my wife tells me that Sharon Stone references are too dated… will you accept a panty-less Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears reference instead?) In which case, just hand her a blanket.

So the company finally caved to the pressure to apologize, and this is the best they could do. But they’re not sorry they hassled her. They’re sorry they got called on it.

And for those who need a reminder of Southwest’s own less-than-prude heritage, or who just want a little slice of airline cheesecake, enjoy these photos of Southwest’s flight attendants, back in the 1970s. Would those uniforms pass muster today?

Next thing to worry about in flight: Ozone
Like “sick building syndrome,” you can now start worrying about the plane’s air. But not because of the germs. It’s the ozone. Not holes in the ozone layer, either, but ozone levels in the cabin. Most interestingly, narrow-body flights are more prone than wide-body planes to higher ozone levels. Yet another reason to love the jumbos.

Korean Air shows off its Airbus A380 interiors
Singapore Airlines may be the first airline to fly the A380 mega-uber-hyper-super-jumbo-jet (and tickets are finally on sale for Sydney-Singapore flights, which start October 25, by the way), but you can get a photo tour of Korean Air’s A380. Lavender??! Who’s their interior designer? Yuck! (Thanks, Jeff!)

First class fare sale… if you’re traveling tomorrow
I know that airlines like to put out the e-fares and net-savers for weekend travel, but this offer from United struck me as odd. First class fares are on sale for travel on Saturday, September 15 only. Fly there in first, fly back in coach, savor the difference? Fares are less than regular paid first, but the bulk of fares are for really short flights where paying cash money for first class is bonkers.

Business class fare sales to Europe
All-business class L’Avion is flying Newark to Paris for $1398 roundtrip, pre-tax. Maxjet is doing London to New York or DC for $998, also roundtrip, also pre-tax. Both are through the end of 2007, but not every date may be available. (Thanks, Michelle!)

More dangerous shirts
I don’t know what to make of this. “Your liver is evil. It must be punished.” Har har har. But Continental Airlines wasn’t laughing when they kept Edna and Frank Taylor from getting onboard, because of that shirt. What’s with this “What Not to Wear” airline trend?

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Farecast, the airfare prediction site, has expanded its predictive abilities to hotel rates. Sort of.

Instead of offering a prediction about the direction of room rates, as they do for airfare, the site offers an analysis of how relatively good or bad the rate is. They offer a star rating (1 to 5) for how good the rate is, historically.

That’s helpful, but not a forecast. Essentially, Farecast is now a hotel rate aggregator, comparable to Kayak or Sidestep.

The historical ratings are interesting, but are they really helpful? Depending when you’re trying to book, and depending on occupancy rates, you might not do well to hold out for a five-star rate at the hotel you’re looking at.

A rate prediction might be on the horizon, but I wouldn’t count on it any time soon. The reason may be the variation in rooms. As I wrote in a review of hotel rate aggregators nearly a year and a half ago:

Hotel searches are trickier than airfares, for the most part, because not all rooms are created equal, and hotel location is less standardized than air travel routes. Finding a low rate isn’t helpful if you have strong preferences for two queen beds vs. one king bed, or smoking vs nonsmoking, or if you need to be within walking distance of a particular location.

Add to that the large blocks of rooms that can be taken up by conventioneers, wedding parties, or any other large group.

Knowing that rates are good or bad may make you feel better or worse about your reservations, but will they stop you from making the booking? After all, most hotels will let you cancel and re-book if a new, lower rate appears.