I’m biased as a Bay Area resident, but I think San Francisco SFO offers some of the best casual plane-spotting in the country, thanks to its two set of parallel runways located relatively close to the terminal buildings. Many of the airport’s premium lounges are located on the floor above the general concourse, giving lucky lounge-goers some especially good views. As if the lounge life wasn’t already awesome enough.
Delta doesn’t have a formal hub in San Francisco. But as an endpoint of the airline’s premium transcontinental service from New York JFK, SFO is important enough to earn a Delta Sky Club. I dropped by recently and found a lot to like, from fresh decor and furniture, solid food and drink, and (most importantly) great views of the ramp and runways through floor-to-ceiling windows. Read on for an overview of what you can expect if you drop by Delta’s Sky Club at SFO.
The entrance to the Club to SJC – Photo: SJC
This past December, The Club at SJC, at San Jose Mineta International Airport (SJC) received the Priority Pass North America ’œLounge of the Year’ by Airport Lounge Development. This is a lounge of the people… well mostly. You don’t need to have a first class ticket or “Double Platinum, Wrapped in Diamonds” status with an airline (that might not be a real thing). If you have a few extra bucks, some time to burn, and a want to live a bit of the high-life, The Club at SJC might be for you.
The Club at SJC
AirlineReporter was invited to visit the lounge to learn more about common use lounges, and of course see this award-winning staff in action (spoiler alert ’“ it is no surprise at all to see why this lounge won).
“Inspiration of Japan” — Photo: Manu Venkat | AirlineReporter
Air travel brings people together, but at the same time it can be a great way to experience the differences between countries or cultures. I got to do just that during a trip to Japan, which had long been at the top of my destination list. My time on the ground exploring Japan’s teeming cities was amazing, but I also enjoyed experiencing Japan’s aviation world and how in many ways it differed from what I was used to in the U.S.
Read on for my two cents (two Yen?) on flying around Japan with one of its two flagship airlines: All Nippon Airways (ANA).
A sunset landing is always a treat, but what about a night at the airport? – Photo: Manu Venkat | AirlineReporter
Even for the most enthusiastic air travel aficionados, the idea of an overnight layover probably sounds awful.
Airports, after all, are an awkward place to spend the night. Hotels by the terminal can be overpriced and uninspiring. Getting into the city isn’t always a realistic option. Transit lounges aren’t always open 24/7, and even if they are, there’s no guarantee that you’ll find a cozy spot to hunker down.
For these reasons and more, overnight layovers are anathema for the business traveler elite. But for flyers looking for dirt-cheap tickets, they are sometimes a necessary evil.
But hey, we AvGeeks are an adventurous bunch, right? I figured there must be at least a tolerable way to make it from sunset to sunrise without leaving the airport. And with summer travel plans that would place me overnight at Tokyo Haneda for not just one night, but three, I had the chance to put that guess to the test.
Could there be such a thing as a good overnight layover? Join me for my three nights at Haneda ’“ each spent very differently ’“ to find out.
Off we go!
Jay with N6238D – Photo: Andrew Yianne
My name is Jay. I’m a licensed private pilot, and I have Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). While my medical condition is fully controlled, guidelines written decades ago prevent me from pursuing my dream of becoming an airline pilot. These guidelines are outdated and need to be revised. But more on that in a moment. Let me tell you how my condition was the catalyst for my love affair with flying.
When I was six, my life changed forever. I was diagnosed with T1D. I had just started kindergarten and I wasn’t sure what to expect. My life as a seemingly normal child was turned upside down. My mom, dad, and I spent three days in the hospital learning everything we could about T1D. At the time, I wouldn’t have told you my diagnoses had a positive impact on my life; however, looking back and connecting the dots, it most certainly did.
While traveling to learn more about my condition, I ended up stuck in the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport (CVG) for nine hours. At the time, I was just nine years old. During that delay, I walked around CVG and took it all in; it was amazing. While I had flown my entire life, starting at 18 months, I somehow managed to avoid being bitten by the “AvGeek” bug. This trip was different, however. After years of flying, a nine-hour delay and the chance to observe airport operations over an extended period did me in; I was hooked on aviation.
