FREE WI-FI ON AIRTRAN MAR 13-27. To draw attention to its new partnership with AirTran (see below), American Express is sponsoring free Wi-Fi on all AirTran flights for two weeks: March 13-27. Sweet! That’s an immediate savings of $5 to $13 depending on flight length.

AIRTRAN MEANS BUSINESS. AirTran has recently teamed up with American Express to offer some really nice bennies and discounts to business travelers.  Thanks to TICKET reader NHK for tipping us off to this with the following email: “Have you seen the new promo from American Express? They are offering 5 percent cash back to cardholders on all AirTran ticket purchases using the OPEN Business Platinum card. Since Delta ceased to offer the rebate on its branded and platinum cards last May, this may change travelers’ loyalty. What do you think and what are you hearing from other travelers? P.S. Before Delta canceled the benefit last year, I received more than enough in cash savings to cover the card fees.”

We looked into this and NHK is right on. Those who charge their AirTran tickets on any American Express OPEN Business card now get an automatic 5 percent discount. What’s even better for travelers is that the card offers the same automatic 5 percent discount at several Marriott brands, and with Hertz. (With Hyatt, you get a 3% discount.)  The annual free for an Amex OPEN Business card is $125, but the fee is waived for the first year. No coupons, no special codes…just sign up for the card, use it,  and you get the discount. Not bad!

BIZ TRAVEL IS BACK? Delta raised its profit forecast for this quarter citing a 34 percent jump in corporate travel ticket volume and a 32 percent rise in corporate travel revenue in February versus a year earlier. What about YOU? Are you flying more than this time last year? LET US KNOW! Leave your comments in the box below.

AIRTRAN ADDING NEW FLIGHTS. But not in Atlanta. According to this article in the AJC, AirTran has scaled back its expansion in Atlanta and is instead focusing on smaller cities such as Des Moines, Tunica and Huntsville, AL. And instead of routing those flights through Atlanta, they are adopting the Southwest Airlines strategy of going point-to-point. Interesting stat: Two years ago, AirTran had 260 daily flights out of ATL. Now it’s got closer to 200.

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Exuma, Bahamas (Photo: Vixix/Flickr)

DELTA DOWN UNDER. In addition to its daily ATL-Sydney flight (via LAX) Delta will add a new JFK-LAX-SYD flight on June 1.

EXUMA ANYONE? Delta is launching new twice-weekly flights between ATL and Exuma in the Bahamas on June 13. Talk about a pretty place! Not a bad idea for SkyMiles redemptions. Intro fares are just $129 each way.

IN-FLIGHT WI-FI UPDATE. As you know by now, AirTran has in-flight Wi-Fi on 100 percent of its fleet. Delta’s scrambling to be able to say the same thing, and it’s getting close. As of now, Delta’s got it on 73 percent of its mainline fleet—nearly 400 of its 528 aircraft. It says it will be on 100 percent of mainline fleet by end of summer. Right now,  it is on ALL MD88, MD90 and B737 jets. It’s also on most (120) B757s and on 37 Airbuses. Nice!

IT HURTS TO BE DEMOTED. From TICKET reader TM: “My business travel severely declined last year and I lost my Medallion status as of 3/1. I purchased a ticket last night for travel ATL-DFW this Sunday in category ‘Y’ – full fare for the outrageous sum of $1,141! When I went to the Delta website and attempted to choose seats, the outbound flight showed four seats available – all on the exit row and they were marked ‘Preferred.’ I selected one and answered all of the questions and the page refreshed and I didn’t have a seat. I tried that a few times and gave up and called Delta. I was told that they couldn’t assign a seat at this time since the only seats available were Preferred seats. It didn’t matter to Delta that I paid for a full fare coach ticket – they told me that only their Elite members may choose those seats.”

FLAT BEDS TO TOKYO? We’ve heard rumors that the next Delta route to get those nice new “herringbone” style lie flat business class seats on a B777 will be ATL-Tokyo starting in June. We’ve tried unsuccessfully to get Delta to confirm. This is great news for travelers headed to Asia and then beyond from Delta’s hub at Narita. Starting in August, SkyMiles partner Korean Air will offer its brand new lie-flat “prestige” sleepers (click for video) on its nonstops to Seoul and beyond. (And we think a connection in the amazingly serene Seoul-Incheon airport is going to be a lot easier than in congested Narita.)

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IT’S GETTING CROWDED IN HERE. Business Travel News posted an enlightening nugget about something we’ve known all along. “Domestic airlines last year served the fewest passengers since 2004, but recorded the most crowded planes ever, according to data released this week by the DOT. Nearly 40 million fewer domestic and international passengers took to the skies on U.S. carriers last year than in 2008, marking the lowest annual total since 2004. However, thanks to dramatic year-over-year capacity cuts of 6.3 percent in 2009 for domestic and international services, the U.S. industry’s aggregate 81.1 percent annual load factor is the highest on record.”

Note the Hawaiian Lei on the Eskimo!

NORCAL: NEW GATEWAY TO HAWAII. If you’ve had trouble earning and burning SkyMiles on flights to Hawaii, a new gateway to the islands has opened up in the Bay Area. SkyMiles partner Alaska Air is aggressively expanding in California, and has recently added a slew of new 737-800 nonstops to Kona and Maui from Oakland, San Jose and Sacramento. Since these Alaska Air flights depart California cities in the early morning, you might have to fly in the night before and stay over. But hey…it might be worth it. (Delta’s got nonstops between ATL and Sacramento and San Jose; one stops to Oakland.)

GO ON AIRTRAN. Have you taken a look at Go, AirTran’s in-flight mag lately? It’s just won the big prize in the “best inflight magazine” category from the North American Travel Journalists Association. This year, the magazine celebrates its five-year anniversary. Interesting stat: Go snags TWO MILLION readers a month! Compare that to Fortune magazine, which gets about 850,000 readers per month. What do YOU think of GO? How does it compare to Delta’s SKY or other in-flight magazines you read? Please leave your comments below!

FLYING BRITISH AIRWAYS THIS SPRING? Then you need to see this video regarding the possible strike by flight attendants, starring BA CEO Willie Walsh.

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airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

Okay. Yes. I think I want one. Like everyone else the country, I was mesmerized when Steve Jobs introduced us to the iPad earlier this year. Today I got the email telling me that I can order one now before it hits the shelves on April 3. Hmmm.

As a frequent business traveler, I really do think this gadget could change my traveling life. Here are five reasons why:

1)    It’s small enough for me to use in a coach seat. I love in-flight Wi-Fi and am a heavy user but only when I’m upgraded to a roomy seat up front or on the exit row. Have you  tried to work on your laptop in coach lately? Nearly impossible. Since the iPad is about as big as a magazine, I see it as a salvation and escape from the horrors of a tight coach seat.

2)    It’s got 10 hours of battery life according to Apple. Not all airlines that offer in-flight Wi-Fi offer in-flight power plugs. That’s a big problem for me because my MacBook only gets 2-3 hours of battery life when I’m using Wi-Fi. So I pay the $13 for a 5-hour cross country flight, but only get to use it for about half that time. The iPad could solve that dilemma for me.

3)    It’s light. It’s a “reader.” It’s got iBooks and magazines. I’m always tossing a stack of magazines and the book I’m reading into my carryon bag. You know what? Those magazines are HEAVY. Sometimes the book I’m reading is so fat that I rip it in half so it will fit in my bag. Now I won’t have to do that anymore. I’ll have access to zillions of books and magazines in a slim 1.5 lb package.

4)    It’s not a phone, but it does have Wi-Fi, a headphone jack and a microphone, so I can use it to communicate via Skype and even participate in VOIP conferences on planes. (I know I know, you are not supposed to be able to do this, but I’ve heard from several people who have found ways around blocks to VOIP inflight.)

5)    It’s not tied to AT&T, so when I go overseas, I can buy a prepaid SIM card and get online with another network without paying outrageous roaming fees. But that might be a while off. The iPad has what’s known as a  “micro SIM card” about half the size of a normal SIM, which is so new that it might be hard to buy overseas. For now at least. Nonetheless, I really don’t need 3G access anyway, because I’ll still have Wi-Fi which does not require a SIM.

So, that’s a list of “pros.” Can you all help me with any “cons?” Should I take the leap and say YES, drop $500+ and check this thing out. Or should I wait?

Let me know what you all are thinking about the iPad in the comments box below.

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airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

This just in from AirTran about a big schedule re-do coming in late May which should help make day trips easier…and help improve on-time performance.

“As TICKET readers know, AirTran Airways operates a hub in Atlanta and that hub is built with banks of flights.  Traditionally we would have flights come in from the outstations to the ATL hub and then have departures going out to all the stations. While this can be very efficient in collecting passengers and connecting them, it can leave holes in the local Atlanta schedule.

For example, with the first bank at 8 a.m., arrivals are coming in around 7:30 a.m. and then they start departing around 8:30 a.m.  So, for example, the first flights on AirTran to the major business centers from ATL occur between 8:30 and 9:30 – which could be too late to get to a major city for a mid-morning meeting.  Right now, ATL-BOS gets you in by lunch time.

After listening to our corporate fliers, we have decided to add early morning originators (EMOs) from ATL to key business destinations in the East and Midwest. We have also added later returns so it is perfect for an Atlanta business traveler to go out and back the same day.”

Airport most affected: Boston, Baltimore, Washington Reagan-National, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Ft Lauderdale, New York-La Guardia, Orlando, Chicago-Midway and Tampa.

Those tired old "Mobile Lounges" are history! (Photo: Kumokasumi/Flickr)

DULLES AEROTRAIN IS OPEN. R.I.P. “MOBILE LOUNGES.” Finally, those awful, awkward “mobile lounges” that travelers to and from Washington, DC’s Dulles Airport had to endure to get to their gate…are history (for the most part)! The airport’s new underground AeroTrain system commenced service last month. Every two minutes, shiny new trains whisk passengers along a central spine connecting the main terminal with distant concourses. (Sorta similar to train systems at airports in Atlanta and Denver…) Delta and AirTran operate out of the “B” gates at Dulles. Note: For the time being, United passengers traveling to/from the airport’s “D” gates still have to board the mobile lounges. Luckily, most Atlanta-based travelers can choose Washington-Reagan-National airport when their destination is D.C. proper and only choose Dulles when fares are cheaper or when they’ve got business in northern Virginia and the surrounding region,

SKIP HOTEL HOUSEKEEPING FOR POINTS OR DOLLARS? Guests at many Westin and Sheraton hotels can opt out of daily housekeeping in exchange for a $5 credit or 500 Starpoints. That seems like a good idea to me since my room remains mostly tidy when I’m traveling on business. It also has environmental benefits since less water and chemicals are used to clean the room. The Wall Street Journal points out that an average high-end hotel saves about $22 per room if the guest opts out of housekeeping. What do you think? Would you take a hotel up on an offer like this?

SHERATON MANHATTAN NO LONGER SHERATON. You might not be able to opt out of housekeeping at the Sheraton Manhattan, though. Starwood has announced that the hotel will loose its brand affiliation this spring due to it’s deteriorating quality. However, the Sheraton New York (across the street on the EAST side of 7^th Ave) will keep its brand flag. (It always seemed a little weird to have two Sheratons so close to each other anyway…)

Updated room at the Best Western President Hotel near Times Sq- NYC

WHO KNEW IT WAS A BEST WESTERN? Check out my latest blog post on Best Western’s youmustbetrippin.com blog about the increasing number of Best Western hotels that may surprise you and make you say, “Wow! Who’da thunk THIS could be a Best Western?” I take a look at unusually cool BW hotels in San Francisco, Seoul, New York and Honolulu.

HOTEL BIZ IN BIND. Despite whispers of the return of business travelers, the hotel industry is still hurting. That’s because even as business travelers creep back, they are paying significantly lower rates. Evidence: IHG, the world’s largest hotel operator (Holiday Inn, InterConti, Crown Plaza, etc) said it’s revenue for 2009 was down 19% compared to 2008. However, the company said declines in January were less severe.

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airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

Thanks to TICKET reader JK for sharing an image of his very special new Diamond Medallion bag tags sent to him by Delta this month. (If you’ve got a better image, please send it along to us and we’ll get it posted here!)

Diamond Medallion status is Delta’s new super-elite tier. Members must earn at least 125,000 MQMs with Delta to get  one of these cards. With it comes free membership to Delta’s Sky Clubs, 125% mileage bonuses, confirmed day-of-travel upgrades, and baggage fee waivers. Apparently Delta bag handlers have been told to look for these super special Diamond tags and get them off the plane and to baggage claim first.

But for some the BEST part about having a DIAMOND medallion tag is to have it dangle from your bag in the overhead bin to the awe of other, more lowly metallic medallions. “Brag tags” is the current lingo for this phenomenon.

While JK is pleased with his new Diamond status, he says that he preferred the more discreet look of his black platinum medallion credentials from ‘08. (see below) What to you think?

P.S.: Mar 3: Delta emailed us to add: “Actually, our employees have been (and continue to be) trained to watch for bags checked with our yellow priority bag flag that is affixed to their baggage claim tag at the time of check-in. This is a SkyTeam benefit (described here) and something that we have put a renewed focus on since January 2010. It is really starting to be noticed by our most frequent travelers.”

Can anyone out there send us an image of a yellow priority bag flag? We’ll post it here!

Thanks to TICKET reader CBG for sending along this image of the new Silver Medallion tags.

Saskatoon

360 Pharr Road (Buckhead)

Atlanta, GA 30305

404-891-1911

www.saskatoonatlanta.com

I met my dinner date at the newly-opened restaurant, Saskatoon, on a week night and was pleasantly surprised as soon as I walked in the door.  The interior was warm and inviting with soothing jazz music playing in the background and several fireplaces blazing brightly. It was an excellent escape from the harsh wintry weather.  The friendly hostess seated us and we immediately started to scan the eclectic menu.  Our server soon came over and gave us all the information on the restaurant and its background.   It was then that we realized we were in for something totally different at Saskatoon. The mountain lodge-like eatery offered everything from a basic filet mignon to ostrich. We didn’t know where to start!

We both ordered a Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale ($5) and began trying to decipher what we were going to have for an appetizer.   Since we wanted to get the full Saskatoon experience, we went with the wild game sausage sampler ($10).  I also chose the BLT wedge salad ($8).  Both came out of the kitchen in a timely fashion and we dug right in.  The sampler included venison, duck and rabbit sausages served with roasted potatoes, caramelized onions, corn relish and Saskatoon’s signature barbeque sauce.  The sausage selections were very tasty and the combination of the different components worked nicely together.  The salad was simple, and served as a cool complement to the sausage sampler.

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CREDIT CARD ACT NOW IN EFFECT. The Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act took effect on Feb 22, will force more consumer-friendly practices on card issuers. But it will also increase competition among banks for lucrative affluent customers with good credit ratings (i.e. TICKET readers!) according to an interesting article in Business Week.  Customers with credit ratings of 750+ should expect to receive more bonus rewards, solicitations and promotional offers. Speaking of affluent customers, here’s a nugget of info from the article that we did not know: “American Express dominates the market for affluent users, with individual card purchases averaging $9,342 in 2008 compared with $2,672 for Visa and $2,300 for MasterCard. Its cardholders have average credit scores of 754 compared with 722 for the rest of the industry.” (Disclosure: Travel Skills Group, the publisher of this blog, engages in occasional consulting work for American Express.)

CAR RENTAL SURPRISES CONTINUE. We keep hearing similar stories from TICKET readers about rapacious car rental rates. Here’s another…”I’m an Avis Preferred First Member.  Last night I tried to make a reservation in Boston in April (not Easter weekend).  The airlines are having a great sale ($128 RT midweek) so I decided to see about visiting kids and grandkids.  The airfare for 2 was about $320 with taxes, etc. but the car (economy) was $375!!!! Fully one third of that was taxes and garbage.  I am aware of this imbalance and realize it’s been going on for a while, but in this economy, it seems bizarre.  I realize, or at least I’ve heard, that the car companies have cut back the number of cars available in order to keep the price high. To get the best deal, I booked it at Orbitz for $100 less.  Here’s the problem or challenge: Avis won’t let me use my Avis Preferred First status with the rental. I really don’t care about the mileage but I was annoyed to think that I’ll be forced to check-in at the counter. No manner of questioning from either Orbitz or Avis produced any answer.  Customer service??  Not!  Anyway, keep up the good work!”–JL

Do you think about recycling when you toss your Coke can or newspaper into the garbage bag at the end of a flight?

Delta ranked numero uno when it comes to airline recycling efforts according to the recent “What Goes Up Must Come Down: The Sorry State Of Recycling in the Airline Industry” report by Green America Today.  (Here’s a PDF of the the full report on recycling in the aviation industry.)

Here are some highlights from the report. (Too bad the report misspelled Delta’s name. It’s Delta Air Lines, folks. Never “Delta Airlines.” C’mon!)

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DELTA’S NYC STRATEGY IN JEOPARDY? Delta has stated repeatedly that it’s “playing to win“  and dominate the air travel market in metro New York. A key part of that plan was a complex gate swap with US Airways at La Guardia, which would have allowed Delta to expand into the US Airways terminal there. However, that plan has recently fallen afoul of regulators. In addition, Delta has made no announcements about what it plans to do with its unpopular 60’s-era terminal at JFK. Until Delta can offer world-class (or just competitive) facilities at these airports, it’s unlikely it will be dominating NYC’s richly competitive market any time soon. Thoughts? Please leave your comments below!

2009 ON-TIME PERFORMANCE: GOOD AND BAD. Good first: Overall airline on-time performance in the U.S. improved dramatically in 2009, showing the best results since 2003, with 80 percent of flights arriving on-time. But it seems like TICKET readers might have been getting to their destinations on time, but when they turned around to come back to Atlanta, there were some problems. Now the bad news: ATL ranked 29th out of 31 major airports for on-time performance for full year 2009. That’s pretty bad. Among airlines, both Delta and AirTran ranked in the bottom half of the pack. AirTran ranked 17th of 19 carriers for the year with 76 percent of flights on time. Delta ranked 12th with an average 79 percent of flights on time. Our take: ATL is one of the few airports that has actually enjoyed a net INCREASE in the number of flights it handles recently, so congestion is still a big issue. Airports that have lost flights are enjoying congestion relief and more on-time flying.

MORE AVOD ON DELTA. Delta recently announced that it would complete the addition of audio-video on demand (AVOD) entertainment systems to each seat in coach cabins on its B747 and B767ER aircraft— which means personal start-and-stop entertainment on all wide-body aircraft between now and 2013. Also, Delta says that it will have in-flight Wi-Fi on nearly 530 aircraft by this summer.

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MORE FIRST CLASS ON DELTA REGIONALS. One of the biggest problems with the growth of regional jet usage for frequent flyers has been the inability to upgrade on the mostly all-coach “barbie jets” flown by partners such as ASA, Comair and SkyWest.  To help fix that, Delta says it will add first class seats on an additional 66 CRJ-700 regional jets over the next three years, for an eventual total of 219 CRJ’s with big seats up front.

BAGGAGE FEES RISE AGAIN. Delta and other carriers raised fees for non-Medallion travelers to $25 for the first checked bag and $35 for the second checked bag. That’s an extra $120 round trip for those who check two bags. AirTran’s fees remain at $15 for the first bag and $25 for the second (an extra $80 for two round trip).

AIRTRAN GETTING CREATIVE. As airlines search for new revenue streams anywhere they can get them, AirTran is a recent standout. We’ve written in the past about its new in-flight, seat back ads. More recently, it’s been eagerly wrapping its planes in new skins that promote its sports marketing partnerships. Now, it’s teamed up with none other than Little Debbie in a promotion. Isn’t that sweet…. visit www.littledebbie.com for promotion details.

NEW FLIGHTS AirTran has resumed flights between ATL and Gulfport/Biloxi and will add new flights between ATL and Tunica, Miss. on May 6^th. (Gamblers will be pleased to note that AirTran is offering a special fare of $49 each way if you book by Mar 31.)

SAVANNAH POST-SCRIPT: Folks in Savannah who raised their voices to the powers-that-be at Delta have finally won! In a previous post, I wrote about how Delta’s ATL-SAV advance purchase fares soared to nearly $500 after AirTran abandoned the market last year. After several public volleys in the local newspaper, Delta has instituted a new $278 round trip advance purchase fare in the market, which seems to have cooled the rhetoric.

REASON FOR MORE AIRLINE FEES? It’s TAXES, silly! One of the main reasons airlines are slapping fees on nearly everything, but generally leaving fares alone, is taxes. It seems that airline revenue from luggage fees, food sales, headsets, standby changes, mileage purchases, airport lounge passes and anything else that is not a mandatory part of the purchase is not subject to the 7.5% tax on the price of airline tickets.

WIN TWO FREE ROUND TRIP BUSINESS CLASS TICKET FROM AIRTRAN! Details in a post below or right here! Get social and win a free trip! Here’s how to do it.

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airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

WARNING: PAY SKYMILES CREDIT CARD BILL ON TIME. Or lose your miles. Starting this month, Delta/Amex/SkyMiles credit card holders who pay their bills late will forfeit miles earned during the pay period. To reinstate those miles, you’ll have to pay a $29 fee. (This policy has long been in effect on standard American Express cards, but it’s now imposed on co-branded cards, too.)

NEW SKYMILES CREDENTIALS AND MILEAGE ROLLOVER COMING. If you recently qualified for Medallion status for 2010, your shiny new credentials should be in your mailbox soon. Also, if you qualified for Medallion last year, but continued to earn MQM miles, those extra miles should have “rolled-over” into your account this month, giving you a nice head start of getting Medallion again next year. Other changes that come as part of the 2010 Medallion program go into effect on March 1.

SKYMILES MARKETPLACE. Tired of trying to unload miles for flights? Delta would like you to try to unload miles for other things, like hotel and car rental bookings, electronics, clothing and luggage at its new SkyMiles Marketplace. As usual with these merchandise-for-miles schemes, the prices seem very high compared to street prices, or when compared to the enormous value of a free round trip. For example, a Flip MinoHD Video camera is featured on the opening page of the marketplace for 38,200 miles. A frequent flyer mile is generally thought to be worth about 1.5 cents, so you’d be paying the equivalent of $573 for a camera that costs about $200 at Best Buy. A first class round trip award to Hawaii starts at 37,500 miles, and this $200 camera is going for MORE than that? I dunno…I think I’d stick with redeeming miles for award flights. It’s a value that can’t be beat (at least when you can find the award seats you want…) What do you think? Is the Marketplace worth it for you?? Leave your comments below.

BEST WESTERN MATCHING ELITE STATUS. Everyone knows about how airlines will match elite level status to poach frequent travelers from competitors. Now hotels are getting into the act as well. Just this week, Best Western announced that it would give elite status in the Best Western Rewards program to anyone who sends them their elite level credentials from another chain. Elite membership in the BW program offers members room upgrades, early/late check in/out, and earning bonuses. Details here: www.bestwesternstatusmatch.com (Disclosure: I write a blog for Best Western’s youmustbetrippin.com site.)

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airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

SkyTeam Premium Check in Area, London Heathrow, Term 4. Photo: SkyTeam Alliance

DELTA DIGS AT LONDON HEATHROW. Delta and its SkyTeam partners have completed their move into the recently renovated Terminal 4 at London Heathrow. I was there late last summer during construction, which was a mess, but this Flickr photostream from SkyTeam shows a really nice, fresh new look to the place…Especially the SkyTeam lounge. (BA used to house most of its operations here, but has moved over to its spiffy, spectacular new digs at Terminal 5.) In a related note, Delta says that ALL its flights to/from London Heathrow now have lie-flat business elite seats.

WORTH REPEATING: SINGAPORE-DELTA NO MORE. We mentioned this in a previous post, but it bears repeating: Delta and Singapore Air will dissolve their frequent flyer partnership on May 15. After that program members will not be able to earn or redeem miles in each other’s programs. However, if you BOOK your trip by May 15, you can still travel on Singapore Air using your Delta miles through May 15, 2011.

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LESS BIZ CLASS INTRA-EUROPE. Have you ever flown short-haul business class in Europe? Most of the time, business class simply means you get to sit in a 3-abreast coach seat near the front of the plane with the middle seat empty and get better food. Seemed like a high price to pay for a minimal service differential. Well, it seems the recession is taking care of that. Recently, British Airways said that the market for short haul business class in Europe has declined precipitously as companies cut back on premium class travel. The carrier is looking at cutting out the service altogether at all airports except Heathrow, according to the Times of London.

TICKET READER TRIP REPORT: DELTA JFK-LHR-ATL. In the past two weeks I flew Delta from JFK to Heathrow, and then back from LHR to ATL, both of the flights in economy. Going over was mostly sleep, so it didn’t make much of an impact on me. But coming back I have to say that it was the best international flight I’ve ever experienced. It started out as usual at boarding, walking through the new lie flat seats, jealous that I didn’t get an upgrade. But it turned out there were only about 50 of us in economy, meaning I got my own three seats in the middle section, so I was able to spread everything out. Then came meal service (it was fine), and the announcement that all beer and wine was free throughout the flight. We were fed snacks three more times, and drinks throughout. I had a 120-volt electrical outlet at my seat, and an on-demand TV with about 40 first-run movies to choose from. I worked, watched three movies, slept a little, but never found myself saying, “Oh man, three more hours!” Instead, I was almost sorry when we were about to land. I’m sorry there weren’t more people on the flight (obviously a negative for Delta), but I have to commend them for making international travel more than just a bearable experience. Other than a larger TV and a lie-flat seat, I’m not sure what could have improved things “up front”. Thanks Delta–don’t backtrack! –G.M., Atlanta

Even though the hotel biz is having a tough time, new properties are still opening, so here are four hip brand-spenkin’ new hostelries that TICKET readers should know about:

NEW YORK: I had an outstanding stay earlier this winter at the brand new Hotel Indigo on W. 28^th St near the Fashion Institute of Technology. The hotel is located in Chelsea on a block full of commercial florists which makes for a beautiful walk to or from the hotel. While the hotel is out of the bustle of midtown, there’s a subway stop a block from the hotel on 7^th Ave where trains can get you up or downtown in a flash. What do I really like about this hotel? It’s brand new from the ground up—something you don’t see a lot of in NYC.  There’s free wi-fi. Only downside: Rooms on lower floors have poor views. Lowest rates in late March range from $175 to $200.

CHICAGO: We’ve not actually visited the brand new, ultra-glam Elysian hotel, but we’ve been hearing about it from TICKET readers and colleagues at Leading Hotels of the World. It’s all-new from the ground up which is nice in a town with a lot of old hotel stock.  While it’s new and has all the latest techie bells and whistles (flat screen TVs, free wi-fi, built in stereo speakers) it’s got old world touches like a cobblestone driveway, marble bathrooms, fireplaces, outdoor terraces and windows that open. In late March, rooms range from $300 to $600, putting it in competition with the likes of the Peninsula and Four Seasons. If nothing else, you must see it’s gorgeous  website. (PS: When in Chicago last week, my frequent-traveling mother Julia checked out the Elysian and gives it a big thumbs up.)

photo: Erik Oginski

LOS ANGELES PT 1: The brand new glitzy and glamorous W Hollywood Hotel opened last month in a new mixed use development in the heart of Tinseltown at the corner of Hollywood and Vine. Guests are given star-studded treatment in true Hollywood fashion as they walk the plush “red carpet” to check in. As usual at any W Hotel, there’ll be a party in the lobby— here’s what an opening press release says: “Guests, residents and LA insiders can sip and socialize on the adjoining outdoor terrace and ground-floor lounge, featuring black tufted leather sofas, lounge chairs and a decadent backlit lobby bar crafted of glowing Onice Fantastico onyx.” Rates in late March start at about $220.

LOS ANGELES PT 2: The JW Marriott Hotel Los Angeles at L.A. LIVE officially opened Feb 17.  The long-awaited hotel is a cornerstone of the $2.5 billion L.A. LIVE sports, residential and entertainment district, located in downtown Los Angeles, across the street from the LA Convention Center and Staples Center. (Photo below) The 878-room property, which plans to be LEED-certified, shares space with the much smaller 123-room Ritz-Carlton Los Angeles (with a 4000 sq foot spa) in a unique 54-story tower. This is one of several new developments in the once-blighted downtown area that should help it shed some of its grittiness. Rates in late March at the J.W. start at $229. At the Ritz (opening next month), lowest rates are closer to $350.

photo: Marriott International

Don’t Forget! BOOK ALL YOUR ONLINE TRAVEL VIA LINKS FROM THE TICKET!

airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

photo: Churl/Flickr Creative Commons

Please Talk Up The TICKET!

How would you like a free round trip BUSINESS CLASS ticket anywhere AirTran Airways flies? (Cancun? San Francisco? Denver? San Juan? LA?)

Would you like it even more if a friend or colleague won one, too? (Depending on destination, a business class ticket could be worth well over $1000!)

Here’s what we’ve got going on:

AirTran has generously donated FOUR roundtrip business class tickets to The TICKET for our new subscriber campaign. (see AirTran route map here)

We are going to give these tickets away to four lucky TICKET readers in a contest using word-of-mouth and social media to help increase the number of TICKET readers.

Here’s all you need to do to be entered into the contest:

Via email:

>Between now and March 30, send an email to a list of at least FIVE of your friends or colleagues and encourage them to sign up for The TICKET.

>When they sign up for THE TICKET, there will be a field on the sign-up page asking for the name or e-mail of the person who referred them. They MUST enter your name or email in this field for you to be entered to win. (See below for a suggested e-mail you can use to cut and paste into your email.)

this is a sample view of the sign up page for The TICKET. Please see box in upper right margin to sign up!

Via Social Media:

>Using Twitter or Facebook, suggest The TICKET via a tweet or a wall posting. Again, the new subscriber MUST enter your name or email address in the “Who referred you” field for you to be entered to win.   (See below for suggested tweet)

The more of your friends that sign up, the more likely you are to win.

At the end of March, The TICKET will hold a drawing. TWO current subscribers will win a free round trip business class ticket on AirTran as will TWO of their friends or colleagues who signed up. (Note: free tickets do NOT have to be used together. Winners will be contacted via the email provided on sign up page. Winners will be announced on the blog. )

Suggested email:

Dear ____________:

Have you ever heard about The TICKET? It’s a free online travel blog that I subscribe to. It’s full of helpful news and advice for frequent travelers that I read every month. I think it’s definitely something you could use, and get this: If I can convince you to sign up, we’ll both be eligible to win a free round trip business class ticket ANYWHERE AirTran flies. (see AirTran route map here)

So please check out The TICKET at the URL below by MARCH 30.  If you like it, SIGN UP (See “Subscribe” in the upper right margin of the blog) and BE SURE to include my name or email address as the person who referred you.

IMPORTANT: On the sign up page, please be sure to enter my email address where it asks: “Name or Email of who REFERRED you.” That’s the only way we can both win the tickets.

Here’s where to go: http://www.theticket-atlanta.com

Suggested Twitter Tweet or Facebook Wall posting:

Subscribe to The Ticket travel blog, use my name/email as reference, and we could both win free biz class tix http://bit.ly/8FO9vE

Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft

1745 Peachtree Rd

Atlanta, GA 30309

(678) 539-6181

www.tuktukatl.com

As you enter Tuk Tuk Thai Food Loft you are greeted by an authentic tuk tuk, a type of pedi-cab found all over the main cities in Thailand. This jewel of a neighborhood restaurant is in the former Taurus space, meaning it’s awkwardly located on the 2^nd floor of a building in the Brookwood Square shopping center. It’s worth finding.

Tuk Tuk opened quietly in December. They have yet to do any marketing so the large space is usually pretty empty. The owner is the daughter of well-known Atlanta Thai restaurateurs Charlie and Nan who own Tamarind and Nan. It’s not a copycat. Tuk Tuk is more street food focused. The largest part of the menu is the small plates which are meant for sharing. Also offered are Thai salads, Bangkok street noodles, big plates, sides and dessert. The room is beautiful and will be even prettier when they get some artwork and more people in the chairs. Read the rest of this entry »