NEW YORK (AP) — Flying has never been so good — for those able to splurge.
While
most Thanksgiving travelers will fight for overhead bins and go hours
without a snack or room to stretch their legs, life in first class is
stress free. It’s always been a special place on the other side of the
curtain. Now, it’s getting even cushier.
U.S. airlines, profitable
again after a disastrous decade, are spending almost $2 billion to
upgrade amenities for their highest-paying customers. On the most
profitable international routes, high fliers are being treated with
preflight champagne, flat-screen TVs and seats that turn into beds.
Flight attendants greet them by name, hang up jackets and serve meals on
china.
The lavish treatment is meant to keep people like Tim
Carlson happy. Carlson, the chief financial officer of a semiconductor
materials company, has taken 189 flights in the past two years,
traveling 353,176 miles on United and its partners.
After the
pilots, Carlson might just be the most important person on the plane.
United will do anything to make sure another airline doesn’t steal his
business. Agents call him about delays and reroute him so he doesn’t
miss meetings.
"I go to the top of the list for the next flight," Carlson says.
On
a recent trip from Newark, N.J., to Brussels, he was met at the curb
with a boarding pass and escorted to the front of the security line.
Four minutes after being dropped off, he was past the checkpoint.
Most
of the 3.4 million Americans expected to fly this holiday week won’t
get anything close to that treatment. They’ve paid a little under $400
for their round-trip tickets. And it’s a cutthroat business. To save $5,
passengers are likely to choose another airline.
So, it’s no
surprise that the most loyal customers, and those willing to pay more
for better services, are the ones airlines want to reward.
First-class
and business-class passengers make up only 8 percent of international
travelers but account for 27 percent of revenue, according to the
International Air Transport Association. While a round-trip coach ticket
between Chicago and Beijing might run $1,000, business class costs
$4,000 and first class $12,000.
"There is a war going on for the
profitable passenger," says Henry H. Harteveldt, co-founder of the
travel firm Atmosphere Research Group.
Airlines are focusing on three areas:
—
Giving passengers a full night’s sleep. Delta, United and US Airways
are installing seats in premium international cabins that recline into
flat beds. American isn’t making that investment but is adding turndown
service on some routes; at bedtime, passengers are given pajamas and
slippers while flight attendants lay down a quilted seat cover, duvet
and pillow.
— Stimulating taste buds. Come mealtime, passengers
can forget TV dinners. US Airways serves citrus mahi-mahi with lemon
herb sauce, jasmine rice, baby carrots and grilled asparagus in
international business class. American serves Ben & Jerry’s ice
cream sundaes. Hot fudge, butterscotch, berries, pecans and whipped
cream are added at each seat.
— Providing escapes from the chaos
of airport terminals. Delta’s new Seattle lounge features
floor-to-ceiling windows with views of Mount Rainier. American’s new San
Francisco club lets members cozy up next to a fireplace.
"They’re
now realizing that they need to offer a competitive product to attract
the highest-dollar passengers," says Gary Leff, co-founder of frequent
flier site MilePoint.
On foreign airlines, the good life is even better.
Emirates
Airlines first-class passengers can shower on its Airbus A380s, and
walled-off suites come with minibars. Lufthansa has a separate terminal
in Frankfurt for its first-class passengers, but it’s hardly an
inconvenience: Passengers get dedicated immigration officers and are
driven to their plane in a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or Porsche Cayenne.
Singapore
Airlines trains flight attendants how to walk without waking
passengers. And at Virgin Atlantic’s London lounge, passengers can play
pool, get a massage or relax in the sauna.
For a brief moment in
the 1960s and ’70s, flying was glamorous for all. Passengers dressed up
for the occasion. Planes had piano bars, and flight attendants — hired
for their looks — wore tight miniskirts. But tickets cost significantly
more.
By the end of the 1970s, the royal treatment was gone.
Planes started to resemble crowded buses. In the decade following 9/11,
any perks that were left vanished. Airlines faced new security-related
costs, higher fuel prices and two recessions. They weren’t looking to
impress. They just wanted to stay in business.
That’s why most
travelers have seen free meals, leg room and blankets stripped away.
Even the front of the plane became stale. Foreign airlines took
advantage and courted U.S. travelers with new, fancy first-class and
business-class cabins.
Now, U.S. airlines are catching up. They
finally have some spare cash, and as they buy new planes, they have a
reason to upgrade the interior design. Engineers have also found ways to
let seats go flat without requiring more space.
"If you want to
attract business travelers, you need a lie-flat seat," says Joel
Wartgow, a senior director at Carlson Wagonlit Travel, one of the
largest corporate travel agencies.
To be sure, coach passengers
are seeing some improvements these days, such as live TV and Wi-Fi
service on select airlines. And they can enjoy other small luxuries for a
fee. Seats with a few extra inches of leg room start at $9. Daily
lounge passes cost $50. American even offers a celebrity treatment, with
an agent escorting passengers from the curb to the gate for $125.
But
for the vast majority of passengers, the gap is growing between the
front of the plane and the back. That’s because the airlines know what
matters to the average traveler. And it’s not caviar.
"They want
their luggage. They want to arrive on time. They want the airplane to be
clean," says Andrew Nocella, US Airways senior vice president of
marketing. "Most importantly, they want a low fare."
___
Delta
is part of Delta Air Lines Inc. United is owned by United Continental
Holdings Inc. US Airways is owned by US Airways Group Inc. American is
owned by AMR Corp.
___
Scott Mayerowitz can be reached at http://twitter.com/GlobeTrotScott.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.