Archive for the ‘Airport News’ Category

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.

WIN ONE OF FOUR FREE BUSINESS CLASS TICKETS!! Click here to learn how!

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.)

WIN ONE OF FOUR FREE BUSINESS CLASS TICKETS!! Click here to learn how!

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.

WIN ONE OF FOUR FREE BUSINESS CLASS TICKETS!! Click here to learn how!

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

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.

Frequent international travelers must rely on “pictograms” to find bathrooms in countries where they may not speak the local language. I know I have. But what I did NOT know is how these images can vary so widely. Atlanta artist (and long-time TICKET reader) Gregor Turk has actually studied this phenomenon, collected a sampling, and made it into a unique public art display at Jacksonville (FL) International Airport. VERY interesting!

Turk notes that even the most standard pictograms vary in their width, cut of the arms, broadness of the shoulders, and distance or connectivity of the head to the body.  At facilities that employ a greater sense of design, highly stylized pictograms reflect a much greater range in variations of body types, shapes, proportions, and activities. When the images of the respective figures are shown collectively, their typological differences become apparent, even amusing.  The pictograms used as a source for this installation come from Brazil, Canada, the Czech Republic, France, Israel, Lebanon, Mexico, South Africa, Spain, Syria, and the United States.

If you come across unusual pictograms, he’d appreciate it if you’d take photos and email them to him: info@gregorturk.com More info at www.gregorturk.com

Since the attempted bombing of Delta/Northwest flight 253 over Detroit on Christmas Day, airport security has been turned on its head (once again).

While we expect changes, here’s what you need to know right now:

1>Most increased security is on inbound-to-U.S flights. As far as we can tell, the only changes you may notice for domestic U.S. flying are more frequent pat-downs at airport security and the possibility of a random screening of your carry-on bags at the gate. (If you were traveling post 9/11 you may remember this procedure where a handful of passengers, usually those near the front of the boarding line, were chosen “randomly” to have the contents of their carry-ons displayed to everyone boarding the plane…)

2>Canadian authorities have  lifted the onerous complete ban on carry-on luggage (except for personal items like purses or laptops) for flights departing Canada for the U.S. Updates here. British Airways tells The TICKET that travelers inbound to the U.S. from the U.K. are currently restricted to a SINGLE carry on that must conform to normal size standards (one bag only…which means you need to put your purse or briefcase INSIDE your carry on suitcase)

3>When returning from another country to the U.S., you will go through at least TWO security checks: First, when checking in for your flight at the airline counter, you will face possible frisking, baggage inspection and questioning BY THE AIRLINE. Second, local authorities at airport security checkpoints will screen you as you make your way to the departure gate. There is also the possibility of random checks at the departure gate.

4>REMEMBER: We are entering the “dead weeks” or the SLOWEST travel period of the year, so don’t expect ongoing huge delays or long lines. Despite media reports, you should not expect chaos at the airport. As a matter of fact, you could probably roll a bowling ball through airport concourses this week and not hit anyone!

5>Expect to see more frequent use of the full-body scanners at the 19 U.S. airports where they are in operation.  More international airports are said to be fast- tracking installation of these devices. Check out the 6 month stock price chart below that shows the jump of OSI Systems, which owns Rapiscan, the manufacturer of such devices.

6>Restrictions on on-board activities (such as getting out of your seat or using electronics during the last hour of the flight) that were mandated last week are now left up to cabin crew—and from what we’ve heard, are essentially no longer in effect. In his speech yesterday, President Obama did not announce any new rules or procedures that will affect travelers.

Bottom line: Terrorist incidents, like airplane crashes, happen. No matter how hard we try to prevent them, they are going to happen. No airplane is 100% safe. No airport is 100% secure. We should do our best to be vigilant, but not make long term decisions based on reactive fear.

DID YOU FIND THIS POST HELPFUL? If so, please forward this link to your frequent traveling friends and colleagues and urge them to sign up for THE TICKET. Copy and paste this link into your email:

www.theticket-atlanta.com

THANKS!

Traveling this week or next? NOTE! PLEASE leave comments below based on your experiences at airport security over the next few weeks! By doing so, you will help The TICKET and fellow frequent travelers know EXACTLY what to expect. THANKS!

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

airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

SKY CLUB AT RALEIGH OPENS. Delta has finally opened a snazzy new 4000-sq-ft Sky Club at RDU’s brand new Terminal 2 offering complimentary Wi-Fi, beverages and snacks, personalized flight assistance, a full-service bar and satellite TV.

NO MORE THAN THREE. Lengthy tarmac delays are a rarity at ATL thank goodness! But they do happen (but mostly up north due to snow and ice or de-icing.) Nonetheless, the feds have enacted new rules (effective later this winter) that will force airlines to provide food and water after two hours on the tarmac and a mandated return to the gate if they’ve been on the tarmac for more than three hours. If they don’t, they are fined $27,000 per passenger (that’s $5.5 million for a planeload of 200 pissed off passengers). Ouch! While the airlines are saying that the new rule will do more harm than good, the reality is that when faced with a fine like that, they will be forced to make operational changes that, in the long run, will prevent the horror stories we’ve all heard about folks stuck in stinky planes for hours on end. Your TICKET editor has a comment about the whole brouhaha in this ABCNews.com article.

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

airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

Chicago O’Hare Airport Map

BIG DELTA CHANGE AT O’HARE. In case you’ve not heard, Delta has moved from Terminal 3 to the recently remodeled Terminal 2 in the E Concourse at Chicago’s O’Hare airport. Now all Delta and Northwest flights arrive and depart from Terminal 2. The Sky Club is located in Concourse E across from Gate E4. As part of the remodel, two new security lanes were added to accommodate the increased traffic.

ATL CAR RENTAL CENTER OPENING IS DELAYED. (UPDATE 12.15.09: THE CAR RENTAL CENTER IS NOW OPEN!!) The much ballyhooed opening of the ATL Consolidated Car Rental Center (CONRAC) which will be accessed via a new light rail system that crosses I-85 has been delayed. Stay tuned for updates. As of today, the car rental shuttles are still transporting passengers to car rental lots and the consolidated center remains closed.

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

airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

AIRTRAN: BUH BYE LOW COUNTRY. AirTran’s flights between ATL and Charleston end this week (Dec 3). This comes on the heels of AirTran’s vamoose from Savannah, leaving flights to/from entire low country region in the hands of Delta, so expect fares to rise. AirTran still flies between ATL and Jacksonville, so fares on that route should remain in check.

MORE CINCY SHRINKAGE. Delta is still downsizing at Cincinnati—announcing that in February, it will terminate flights to five cities: Des Moines, Oklahoma City, Providence, Tri-Cities and Montreal.

DELTA TO USE AIRBUS A330 ON ATL-EUROPE/JAPAN FLIGHTS. Delta is swapping out its 767’s for Northwest A330’s on several international routes out of ATL starting next spring and summer. Routes affected: ATL-London Gatwick, ATL-Paris CDG, ATL-Rome, ATL-Tokyo.

ANOTHER ROUTE TO HAWAII. Delta is set to launch new flights between San Diego and Honolulu using a B757 starting next June. (Good news for those hoping to redeem miles for those hard-to-find award seats on Hawaii-bound flights!) Downside: Delta is switching out service between Salt Lake City and Maui in March but simultaneously adding a second daily LAX-Maui flight.

Can we ask a favor? Will you please forward this email to 5-10 of your friends and colleagues and encourage them to sign up for The TICKET? Word-of-mouth is the best way to grow The TICKET and we need your help. If you like what you are reading, please share it…and forward it. THANKS! To read the current issue of THE TICKET newsletter for frequent travelers, see http://www.theticket-atlanta.com

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

airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

Good Morning America called. We answered!

Take a look at this short (1.5 minute) video of TICKET editor Chris McGinnis offering up tips and advice for choosing the fastest airport security screening line. The theme of the overall segment was about how to get through lines faster, be it at grocery stores, or on the freeway. We edited out the non-travel elements for you.

Thoughts please!

[ F6P47YY2TKWF Technorati Claim ]

If you are a frequent international traveler and don’t like to wait in line at customs and immigration at ATL or elsewhere, checkout the new Global Entry program from Homeland Security.

It streamlines the process by allowing members to bypass regular passport processing lines. Users will instead enter at a Global Entry Kiosk, insert their passport, provide biometric digital fingerprints, answer a few customs declaration questions, and then present a transaction receipt to a customs officer before leaving the inspection area. Sounds easy enough!

Global Entry kiosks are available for international arrivals at ATL and other major gateway airports in the U.S. There are currently about 27,000 members of Global Entry. Homeland security says that nearly all members get through customs and immigration in five minutes or less. The non-refundable fee to apply is $100. More info here: www.globalentry.gov

Here’s a helpful 1 minute video on how the whole thing works.

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

airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

The photo below (uncredited) has been making the rounds this weekend amongst the travel set. Apparently this photo was taken by a flight attendant’s cell phone from an American Airlines flight departing San Francisco. He or she used it to show the boarding agent that something needed to be done before the flight took off. According to the viral email, the agent boarded the plane and “paid off” the large passenger’s neighbor, who deplaned, allowing the large passenger to move over.

(Thanks to blogger buddy johnnyjet for passing this along to us!)

Travelers who pay anything for Wi-Fi over the holidays are paying too much…In addition to teaming up with Virgin America to offer free in-flight Wi-Fi, Google will pick up the Wi-Fi tab for travelers logging on at 47 airports across the country now through January 15.

Regrettably, you’ll still have to pay at ATL which is not part of the Google gift. The list of participating airports is a mish-mash of some big majors (Baltimore, Boston, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, Seattle) and some tiny ones…such as Central Wisconsin, Kalamazoo or Spokane.

We asked our contacts at Google why ATL was not on the list and here’s what they said: “We worked with a variety of providers to make this happen and reached out to all top 50 airports (and the relevant providers) in the U.S. – unfortunately not every airport or provider chose to participate (for a variety of reasons) but we are always open to consider adding other airports or providers should they be interested.”

If you find yourself at one of the 47 airports listed below, just fire up the laptop and select the option for free Wi-Fi. NICE! No credit card or lengthy sign-in process required. This is a good thing because I think the long login process using services like T-Mobile dissuades use more than the nominal fee…just my two cents!

The catch: when you sign on you will be asked if you want to set Google as your home page or try it’s Chrome browser. Also, Google will have access to some aggregate, non-personally identifiable information from each airport.

Delta’s partnering with eBay to provide complimentary Wi-Fi  on all flights equipped with Gogo Inflight Internet during the peak Thanksgiving travel week: Nov. 23-30. You’ll get a special promotion code for the complimentary service onboard. Once you log on, you will be taken to a special eBay shopping page, just in case you’ve still got a looooong list of gifts to buy. Delta now has 262 aircraft equipped with Wi-Fi including all Delta MD-88 and MD-90 aircraft and many 757’s. It will have 300 aircraft with the service by the end of this year.

AIRPORTS GETTING FREE WI-FI FROM GOOGLE:

ALASKA AIR. Alaska Air’s big Eskimo shows his face at ATL for the first time in October. Alaska now offers a single daily round trip to its main hub in Seattle, in direct competition with AirTran and Delta flights.

BIG BUCKS AT ATL. Ever wonder what the biggest source of income is for ATL? Landing fees? Concessions? Nope. The single largest source of revenue for ATL is parking, which produces $105 million every year (of which the parking contractor keeps about $25 million). Recently, the airport turned over all parking operations (a total of 30,000 spaces) to Standard Parking Corp out of Chicago. It says that the transition will not affect customers.

(Get TICKET updates faster! Check out The TICKET’s Facebook Fan Page and become a fan! Please!)

PROS AND CONS OF THE NEW CAR RENTAL CENTER. While it may be rare that TICKET readers rent cars at ATL, it’s interesting to note that the new car rental center (CONRAC) will open on Nov 10. To get there, passengers will board the new monorail for the ride across I-85 to the new consolidated car rental center. What’s best about this? Getting in and out of the airport is going to be a LOT less congested with all those car rental buses and shuttles out of the way! Potential headache: While the city is investing hundreds of millions on the new international terminal, it’s going to be a LONG slog for arriving international visitors who rent cars, who must take the airport train all the way through the airport, then walk over to the ATL SkyTrain for the ride to the CONRAC.

HALF OFF BOOKS AT AIRPORT. Buy a book from any Paradies shop at ATL, read it, then return it within six months and you’ll get a 50 percent refund. Books can be returned at any Paradies location across the United States.

ALLIGATOR OR CROCODILE? So which is it…. An alligator or a crocodile on those trendy Lacoste shirts? You’ll find out if you go by the new Lacoste boutique on Concourse B at ATL. (If you prefer Italian designers, Concourse A has now got a Ferragamo, Bulgari and Zegna.) Who needs to go to Phipps or Lenox anymore?

AIRTRAN MOVES AT PHILLY’S PHL: AirTran flights now operate from gates on Philadelphia’s E Concourse…but the ticket counter and baggage claim area for AirTran is still in the D concourse.

DID YOU KNOW that in the original plan for ATL, the main terminal atrium was going to be a hotel? This makes sense to me…. When you look up and see all those balconies, it feels sort of like a big Hyatt or Marriott. (Thanks to WABE for pointing this out!)

DELTA SKYCLUB AT RALEIGH-DURHAM. This long-awaited opening will not, in fact, happen before Thanksgiving as previously reported here. Delta is now aiming for the first week in December…

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

airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

(Get TICKET updates faster! Check out The TICKET’s Facebook Fan Page and become a fan! Please!)

(NEW: Check out The TICKET’s Facebook Fan Page and become a fan! Please!)

It’s almost Halloween and that always means one thing to me: Time for smart travelers to get a jump on the holidays! Check out TICKET editor Chris McGinnis’ outlook for holiday travel on CNN. (See full Q&A script below)

TICKET editor Chris McGinnis’ Holiday Travel Outlook

Here’s the full Q&A script for this segment for those of you who don’t want to or can’t watch the video. It includes much more info that what’s included in this one-minute segment.

TOPIC: Holiday Outlook

Q: Give me a general overview of what the holiday travel outlook looks like:

A: Holiday travel will be cheaper this year than last year if you book early. Not so much if you wait.

For example, Expedia data showed that average airfares around Thanksgiving are down about 17% back in Sept. Now, Bing Travel is saying that Thanksgiving fares are on the rise….up 6% compared to this time last year. So make you move.

Q: Why will there be lower fares?

A: Two reasons: less demand due to the ailing economy, and lower fuel costs for airlines, which helps keep fares low.

Q: What will be a good price for a domestic flight to a major city?

A: It depends on when and where you are flying.

Flights on the most popular days around Thanksgiving, such as the Tuesday or Wednesday before or the Sunday and Monday after are always more expensive.

If you must travel on those days, you should expect to pay at least 25% more than if you travel on less popular days.

Flights between major cities where there is low fare competition will be much cheaper than flights to smaller towns dominated by one or two airlines.

Q: What’s a price point travelers should keep in mind?

A: It depends on when and where you are flying and varies greatly, so it’s impossible to state.

Keep in mind that holiday travel is peak season travel, so while prices are lower than previous years, they are still going to be higher than any other time of year.

Q: What will be a good price for rental cars?

A: It depends on when and where you are renting a car.

Since business travel demand for rental cars is down during the holidays, rates tend to be lower than at other times of year.

Q: When should travelers book by in order to get deals?

A: The best time to book Christmas holiday trips is in mid-October—no later.

Q: What about flight delays?

A: Now that the airlines are flying fewer planes, airport congestion is less of a problem overall.

However, big hub airports like Atlanta and New York still have serious congestion issues.

Weather is always the wild card for delays during the holidays. If a snowstorm hits a major airline hub, delays are unavoidable.

Q: What’s the downside of this travel season?

A: Holiday season is peak season, and flights will be much fuller this year.

This means that if you miss your flight or your connection, the likelihood of getting on the next flight out is slim. You may end up having to wait a day or two.

Q: How can travelers avoid getting caught with no back up?

A: Pad your schedule and don’t be late for your flight this year.

If you miss your flight, you could end up waiting a day or two for the next available seat, which could ruin your holiday.

Q: What’s the bottom line for this holiday travel season?

A: Holiday travel will be cheaper than last year if you book your trips well ahead of time.

Airport congestion and flight delays will remain a problem at some big hub airports, but overall, airline on-time performance is improving.

(NEW: Check out The TICKET’s Facebook Fan Page and become a fan! Please!)

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

airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

As we’ve always said about TICKET readers: you all are some of our BEST sources of news, commentary and information. You are our eyes and ears out there. Over the last few months we have been collecting some of your best tips and are pleased to provide them below. Please keep ‘em coming! You can leave your tips and observations on each post by clicking the COMMENTS button, or send them to us here: ticketatl@travelskills.com.

And please! Help us help you by booking your next trip via links from THE TICKET! (See links at bottom of this page.)

Get ready for a great read!

courtesy: US Army

THANKS, SOLDIER! NO FEE FOR YOU. While standing at the self-serve kiosk trying to figure out a ticketing issue, a young man came up to the station next to us with a very big bag to check.  The attendant told him that it was 3 pounds overweight and would cost an extra $90 to check. She asked him if he wanted to see if he could lighten it up, which he did.  When he opened the bag, my wife noticed his combat boots, uniform, etc. She mentioned it to the attendant, who immediately told him to put his stuff back in the bag and checked it at no extra fee. The attendant also told the solider to be sure and mention, when checking bags, if you are flying on military business or orders. That was one happy solider!! Another interesting note from this trip:  On the way up from ATL, Delta CEO Richard Anderson was on our flight—in coach—which I hear is the way he flies most all the time.  He was very gracious to the flight crew and passengers that recognized him, and was the last person off the plane. –T Olson

DO YOU KNOW A GOOD TRAVEL AGENT? (At THE TICKET we frequently are asked to refer readers to good travel agents. We recently suggested a new web site www.tripology.com that specializes in hooking up travelers with specialized agents. Here’s some feedback.) “I just wanted to let you know that I used Tripology with great success. I ended up receiving three quotes from travel representatives and decided on Sandi  MacKenzie of Vacations & Cruises Honeymoon & Hawaii Destination Specialist www.getaways-travel.com. She was a pleasure working with and very patient with all of my questions and changes, she also ended up saving us $500-$600 off of the best rates at Little Dix Bay reservations and a few more internet sites. I handled all the flights with points on AMEX. Thanks again for this recommendation and look forward to talking with you soon. – E French

A GOOD TRAVEL AGENT RESPONDS. (See above) I just wanted to thank you as Mr. French shared that you recommended he use Tripology for his Caribbean quotes.  I am pleased that I was able to get him a better rate than he could find online.  People still think that using a travel agent costs more, when in reality, they can usually save them money and the traveler has a real person to talk to and receives one on one service. I have been affiliated with Tripology for almost 2 years now and it works for me.  I am very highly rated on the site due to testimonials written by people I have helped.  –S MacKenzie

DELTA BACKS OUT OF PRIORITY PASS. Advisory sent to Priority Pass card holders: “Delta/Northwest have unfortunately chosen to no longer participate in the Priority Pass lounge access program effective 1 September 2009. If traveling beyond that date, be sure to select another lounge as you’ll find other lounge partners who will continue to welcome Priority Pass members at most of the affected airports. We remain committed to finding alternative lounge partners in the US and around the world to provide the most comprehensive lounge access program.” –C Roberts

IN-FLIGHT TELEPHONE. I am writing this onboard an AirTran flight somewhere over Texas. I’m just wondering if the access to Wi-Fi inflight may end up an unintentional way around the cell phone ban on flights. I have Skype on both my laptop and iPhone and could easily dies up a call right now using the Gogo wi-fi. That’s not my style, but it’s only a matter of time before one of us ends up with a chatty seatmate exclaiming to everyone how he’s calling from his computer on the plane. Goodbye peace and quiet! – SW

JOB WELL DONE. Delta has brought back the cards you can hand to Delta employees that do a good job.  This time it’s called “A Job Well Done” and they get points, which they can redeem, for merchandise.  I’ve always liked this program the few times they have done it.  It gives you a chance to recognize those Delta employees that go the extra mile (no pun intended). --Tom

CHEAPER WIRELESS BROADBAND. I wanted to let you know about RovAir On-Demand. (www.rovair.com) We found that many people that have Wireless Mobile Broadband service find their data cards sitting in their brief case or desk drawer 60 percent of the month even though they are paying anywhere from $40 to $60 per month. With RovAir On-Demand, a customer with their own data card, can call us with the serial number on the back of their card and we can turn the card on and off. The customer is only paying for the days that they need the service. A huge money saver! It also eliminates the shipping costs associated with out regular RovAir service. – M Walsh

DL-NW INTEGRATION: I’m an Atlanta psychiatrist, but I need one myself. Money problems-no; Sexual problems-no; Marital issues-nope. Dealing with the new arrogance at Delta–you bet. In my line of work, I can often detect subtle trends before they become evident to the public. My road warrior patients are serving to confirm my early impressions: i.e. Delta is using this merger to deliver their worse customer service in history and palm off all snafus on Northwest. For example, I have an M class upgraded trip to Asia, which includes all but one segment on NWA. Needless to say, both refuse to deal with a segment, which did not “have U class seats available.” They ping-pong me back and forth incessantly. —E.T.

NEW BIZ CLASS SEATS. I can attest to Delta’s new 767-400ER lie-flats. Good and bad. The Good: the seats on the 767 are comfortable and do lie completely flat. Aisle access from all seats is terrific and even in the middle row where the seats are side by side; there is a good bit of space between the two (unlike the old Business Elite recliners… ugh.) The Bad:  if you are a large person, measure your waist and compare seat width before booking!! The seats are quite narrow and Delta gate agents at JFK told me they have had passengers re-book because they didn’t fit in them. –JK

AIRTRAN LEAVES NEWARK. I for one will truly miss the AirTran flights (and competitive fares) into Newark.  Flying into Newark is MUCH more convenient for business travel to Manhattan than LaGuardia or, God forbid, Kennedy.  Most business is conducted in Lower Manhattan, which is easier to reach than LaGuardia. It is easier to catch a cab at Newark and you are more likely to have an English-speaking driver who can find his/her way to your destination.  I also seem to receive my bags more frequently and in better condition at Newark than at LGA, but perhaps I am damning with faint praise on that one. – F Crosby

KUDOS. Your THE TICKET material is some of the best I’ve ever seen online. Thank you. You present evenhanded and well thought out topic choice. Good work. –K White

MORE KUDOS. I moved to ATL in December and love reading your monthly note about what is going on. It gives such great insight of the Atlanta happenings, Thank you! --D Oesterreich

SKYCLUB AT RALEIGH-DURHAM? Delta closed their lounge in Raleigh last year due to the opening of a new terminal; lounge employees told us that we’d get some kind of extension or credit, later denied by Delta because “lounges are still available at other airports”.  The Delta lounge at the new terminal has not yet opened (it’s been nearly a year, and American opened their lounge upon opening of the terminal), but Delta claims it will open in September. I just got an email from Delta to reinstate my lounge membership at a 20% discount (not applicable with medallion discounts so it does no good). What is the status of the new lounge?  What about us Raleigh-based customers? –TK [NOTE: Delta tells THE TICKET that the RDU SkyClub will open “before Thanksgiving” but cannot provide a firm opening date.]

Virgin America Interior (photo: Marc Smith)

VIRGIN AMERICA. I have been very impressed with Virgin America’s product and service offering.  Have flown in both economy with comfy leather seats, AVOD (free for basic satellite TV and minimal charges for programs and movies) and in their luxurious First Class cabin.  Food service in front was fresh and well presented.  Little appetizer presented followed by the main course and then a dessert.  Crews were smartly dressed, friendly and helpful and the seats are exactly what you should have for first class for a transcon sector.  Coach seats are comfortable and the buy on board is well priced and nicely presented.  The new approach with the lighting, the video options and fresh meals are a breath of fresh air. –K Pahkim

SILVER MEDALLION SADNESS. This is somewhat related to the plethora of higher-level medallion members oppressing us Silver Medallion holders. I was flying CVG-DCA recently on a full-fare Y ticket and asked at the gate whether I could get a boost into first, since the coach section was overbooked.  The gate agent said, “Sir, there are a dozen full-fare Gold and Platinum members ahead of you who are asking for the same thing!” Either there are too many gold and platinum cardholders out there, or there are just too few available seats in the air!!! – R Wong

CHANGE FOR THE BETTER. I love the rollover of Delta SkyMiles to the next year.  I am a lowly silver medallion but appreciate boarding early and having an opportunity to select exit row seats online.  As far as special lines through security, I use the newly completed security section at the end of ATL’s north terminal where they distinguish between experienced and occasional travelers.  Interestingly I rarely get upgraded on domestic flights but have been moved up to business class on my last two flights to Europe when coach was full.  I really appreciate that upgrade more than on domestic flights.  I guess all the business travelers are mostly traveling within the borders of the US.  Thanks for alerting us to these changes. –T Sinnott

SILVER MEDALLION USAGE OF FAST LANES. I always use the elite line as a lifetime silver member, never been challenged! –J Griffin

RED COATS. Red coats are back at ATL.  I had one try to fix in international flight issue and she did a pretty good job.  Clearly, they are trying to return a certain level of service to the mix here. –P Bush

DELTA CHANGES TEL AVIV SKEDS. Although Delta has not made any announcement, beginning in October 2009, flights 152 and 153 between Atlanta and Tel Aviv will no longer be daily. Here is the new schedule and explanation from Delta: “Due to the global economic recession and rising oil prices Delta has been forced to reduce capacity in various markets. Our information on
non-stop flights between ATL and TLV are as follows: at to TLV on Delta flight 152 operates Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Sundays beginning October 23.

TLV to ATL on Delta flight 153 operates on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday beginning October 24.” 

 The JFK flights are still daily, but, of course, that means a change of plans in New York. –C Lowenstein.

SHOES IN TSA BINS, OH MY! At Minneapolis St Paul airport, TSA zombies are already obsessive about this. If they find shoes in a bin in the x-ray machine, they call out, “bag check” and make you wait while they separate the shoes from the bin and rescreen them and whatever else was in the bin. When asked, they refuse to provide any explanation. If you ask twice, they threaten to detain you.—A Selden

TRIPADVISOR. I love TripAdvisor and use them religiously to check on hotels I’m considering. I have cancelled and changed bookings on the basis of bad reviews and chosen hotels on the basis of good ones.  And I haven’t been let down once.  It’s usually easy to find the postings where someone has an ax to grind – I stayed at Hotel Indigo in London and there was one negative review and a slew of good ones, so I ignored the single negative comment and loved my stay.   – D Woodruff

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

airtran.com | delta.com |  Hotwire

CLEAR LANES COMING BACK? A company called Henry, Inc has signed a letter of intent with Verified Identity Pass, the company that ran the Clear Card program at 18 major airports (including ATL), to purchase some of its assets and liabilities. Henry, Inc is hoping to work on building a good relationship with the TSA in the hopes of once again offering an airport security fast lane to those willing to pay an annual fee. From Business Travel News: “…if Henry Inc.’s bid to acquire the remains of Clear are successful, the firm plans on reengaging existing customers and attracting new customers of the program, including a plan to enroll members of Clear for free for the balance of the term of their membership that remained unused when Clear ceased operations in June.” And an article in the NYT said that the lanes could be open as soon as this holiday season. Stay tuned!

DELTA’S NOT BUDGING. We’ve just heard that Delta and ATL officials have finally come to a new agreement that will keep Delta from moving flights to other hubs as it had threatened to do. The last deal was signed in 1980, and this deal should be good for the next 30 years.

RACIAL SLURS FLY AT ATL. WSB has an interesting report about a wave of racially charged outbursts on the part of both white and black passengers at Hartsfield. Here’s a snippet from the article: “Bell said Kambouris had too much to drink at the Budweiser Brew House and when Bell told gate agents that Kambouris was in no condition to fly, he said Kambouris screamed ‘white power.’ He did the Nazi salute and he just kept calling me the N-word, said Bell.” Whew!

Read the rest of this entry »