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A roundup of some of the news I’ve noticed over the past few days which didn’t really merit a whole post of their own but that may well be of interest. Includes news of Hainan’s new Business Class on the A330, details of how you can get Super Bowl tickets through SPG Moments, news that Delta will offer complimentary upgrades on select routes from Tokyo and brief details of Air New Zealand’s new lounge in Perth.
Hainan Airlines Rolls Out New A330 Business Class
Hainan Airlines has started rolling out its Airbus A330-300 aircraft fitted out with its new Business Class cabin.
Hainan A330 Business Class
The airline has gone for the BE Aerospace Super Diamond seats similar to those you’ll find on the American Airlines 787-9 Dreamliner…and that’s very good news.
The seats are laid out in a reverse herringbone pattern which, from personal experience, offers a lot more privacy than most other layouts and gives passengers a good deal of personal space.
Most of Hainan’s routes to/from the US are currently operated by 787 Dreamliners (which are also getting a new reverse herringbone Business Class cabin) but the A330 does make an appearance on the Seattle – Beijing route and may well be deployed on other US routes too.
You’ll also find the A330s operating routes between China and Europe (Manchester, Prague and Berlin all get A330 service) so this upgrade is very good news for a large number of Business Class travelers.
Hainan is already generally considered to be the best of the China-based airlines thanks to the great service and food that you’ll find onboard and now, with the new cabins too, the airline just got a little bit better.
Here’s a video of the new A330 interior that the airline has put out:
Delta Will Offer Complimentary Upgrades Out Of Tokyo
Delta has quietly improved their regional offering out of Tokyo in that it’s now offering complimentary upgrades to First Class on the regional routes it serves out of Japan’s capital.
I haven’t seen a press release trumpeting this anywhere (which is strange for Delta) but this is what has been posted on Delta.com:
In a continuing effort to make our Complimentary Upgrade policies more rewarding, we are providing Medallion Members with opportunities for First Class Complimentary Upgrades on select routes to/from Tokyo-Narita (NRT).
Starting December 4, 2017, Medallion Members will be eligible for Complimentary Upgrades to First Class on non-stop flights between NRT and ROR (Palau-Koror), GUM (Guam) and SPN (Saipan).
Following the considerable downsizing we’ve seen at Delta’s Tokyo hub this is a little bit of good news for flyers in the region.
Go To The Super Bowl With SPG Moments
SPG Moments is a great innovation from Starwood in that it allows SPG members to use Starpoints to book experiences they may not be able to purchase otherwise – the experiences may be way too expensive to be bought with cash or tickets are simply too hard to come by.
Earlier this year SPG Moments offered tickets to the US Tennis Open championships and, back in September, you could book post season baseball tickets through SPG Moments too – now it’s Football’s turn.
The prices for these auctions will almost certainly have changed by the time you’re reading this but, at the time of writing, the auction prices range from 260,500 Starpoints to 400,500 Starpoints depending on the package being offered.
Make sure you note that the auctions have different end dates (the earliest ends on 11 December) and, before you go blowing your entire Starpoints balance, make sure you price up flights and accommodation too.
Link to SPG Moments Super Bowl LII Auctions
Air New Zealand Opens A New Lounge In Perth
Air New Zealand has opened a brand new lounge in Perth giving flyers a nice new facility to enjoy before their flights.
The new lounge is located on Level 2 of the International Terminal at Perth and seats 113 guests over a 441 square metre area (4,747 square feet).
Image Air New Zealand
As well as “views over the terminal concourse area” the lounge offers the following:
- Self-service food buffet and drink station.
- WiFi
- Business desk
- Newspapers, magazines and TV
- Toilets, showers, towels and hairdryers.
Most importantly, Air New Zealand says that “most seats feature direct access to power/usb charging facilities” so you shouldn’t have to search high and low for somewhere to charge your devices.
