Archive for the ‘Frequent Flier News’ Category

Happy end of summer! Hope you all are having a good one…or had a good one.

NO PLANS TO CHANGE DELTA’S NEW 72-HOUR RULE. Our post last week about Delta’s new rule that disallows changes to SkyMiles award tickets within 72 hours of departure was the most read and forwarded post on The TICKET to date in 2011. Folks are ticked off! If you missed it, here’s the post--be sure and read the comments. Despite the outcry, Delta seems intransigent on this one. The TICKET sent Delta the following message: “Can you tell us if Michelle and the gang have decided to soften the 72 hour rule at all? Are they even discussing it, or is it case closed? We think most TICKET readers, once they get over their frustration, sort of see Delta’s point, but feel that the rule is too harsh, and perhaps it could be softened a bit. Seems like the few bad apples have spoiled something for the rest of Delta’s best, and mostly fair-minded customers. Let us know if you know if anything’s in the works.” Delta’s reply to The TICKET: “Thanks for checking in.  We have no plans to make further changes to the 72 hour rule.” There you have it.

SKYMILES TRANSFER BONUS NICE BUT NOT CHEAP. From TICKET reader Tom in Atlanta: “I decided to be nice and transfer a few miles to a friend of mine since Delta was offering to double the miles I transferred (good thru 30 September).  Boy, was I surprised to find out Delta charges .01 per mile to transfer AND $30 per transfer.  So, according to my math,  I was going to give a friend 50,000 miles that would be doubled to 100,000 (what a nice guy I am). . .and it would cost me $530!!!  Not much of a deal if you ask me!  I’m nice, but not THAT nice.”

NEW AMEX SKYMILES BENNIE. If you’ve lost Medallion status, here’s a bit of good news: If you have the Gold or Platinum Delta Sky Miles American Express card, get ready to head back to the front of the line. Beginning Sept. 1, cardholders will receive priority boarding on all Delta and Delta Connection flights. This means boarding along with SkyPriority passengers including Medallion and SkyTeam Elite-level members. No need to show the card– if it is linked to your SkyMiles account, you and up to eight travel companions booked in the same reservation will automatically be placed in one of the first boarding zones. Once on board, you also get a 20% discount for inflight purchases including food, drinks, and movies. These extra benefits are in addition to the already substantial checked bag fee waiver.

TRIMMING THE FAT. Delta is discontinuing its seasonal routes from Atlanta to Barbados and from Atlanta to Puerto Plata in the Dominican Republic. Delta has also said that it’s discontinuing flights to several tiny cities that had been subsidized by the federal goverment’s “Essential Air Service” program. Delta is also right-sizing its hub at Salt Lake City– cutting daily departures from 260 to 224. No route cuts planned, but flight frequencies will be reduced.  AirTran is discontinuing its flights from Atlanta to Atlantic City, N.J. (in January) and Newport News (in March).

We’ve got a BIG QUESTION for you this month, and we hope you can take a moment and share your comments at the bottom of this post: How has the recent stock market roller coaster affected your plans for fall business travel– if at all? Have you decided or have you been asked to cut back on travel spending at all over the last month as a result of the uncertainty? Please leave your answers/comments below.

TOO COZY WITH DELTA? The AJC reports that former Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin is joining the board of Delta, nearly two years after pushing for a lease deal between the city and Delta that some criticized as too favorable to the airline. Thoughts?

EASY 1000 SKYMILES. Don’t forget: Using Delta’s new mobile app to check-in earns you bonus miles. First register, then check in using the Delta app to earn 1,000 miles between June 30 and September 7, 2011.

FREE INFLIGHT INTERNET IN AUGUST. Were you able to log on for a little bit of free inflight wi-fi this month? Diet Coke sponsored two promos that seemed to be a hit with TICKET readers….except that so many folks signed on that service slowed to a crawl. Our post about this was very popular this month…check it out and see the comments if you missed it. By the way, you should still be able to get a free 30-minute trial between now and Sunday, August 31.

Video of the week: Bat on a Delta plane.

NEW AMIGO: AEROLINEAS ARGENTINAS. The TICKET recently reported that Aerolineas Argentinas had been invited to join the SkyTeam alliance. While it is not a full member yet, Delta has begun codesharing with the Argentinean flag carrier between both Miami and Atlanta and Buenos Aires. Beginning next year, passengers traveling on Aerolineas Argentinas can earn and redeem SkyMiles for their flights. Currently, a reciprocal club access program is already in place for SkyTeam Elite Plus members at the airline’s lounge in B.A. Speaking of amigos, Delta recently bought a 4% interest in Aeromexico…which is already a SkyTeam and codesharing partner.

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SHIP LUGGAGE. EARN SKYMILES. FedEx has a partnership with Delta allowing those who ship packages to earn SkyMiles. Between now and Oct. 15, earn triple miles for each dollar spent. For every fifth shipment, SkyMiles members get a 1,000 mile bonus. Not only does this benefit those who ship packages for work, but travelers tired of paying overweight or oversize bag fees. The price (depending on the weight of your bags) may not be that much more expensive, and you get the added bonus of scoring Sky Miles too. Who wants to schlep bags to the airport when the FedEx delivery truck can escort them from your front door to your destination?

LIVINGSOCIAL WITH DELTA. Delta has partnered with LivingSocial, a web site focused on aggregating destination deals and bargains in tandem with trips booked at Delta.com. The initiative will make it easier to save money once you land by highlighting specific restaurant, hotel, attraction, and business promotions that can save you money and time. The offers appear in the My Trips section of delta.com and align with the dates and times of your trip to zero in on the promotions that would only be of benefit during your travel. Some of the deals hack as much as 50% off a variety of services. Worth a look!

NEW DIGS AT JFK. You may be surprised to learn that Delta is the largest airline in the state of New York serving 11 cities with 439 daily departures. The bulk of its operation now takes place at its creaky JFK hub. However, work is well underway to demolish, reconstruct, and renovate Delta’s facilities at Terminal 4, next door to the old Worldport. Want a sneak peek at what you have to look forward to in 2013 following the completion of this $1.2 billion construction project? Take a look!

BETTER FIRST/BIZ CLASS. Those enjoying the occasional complimentary Medallion upgrades (and those who pay for first class) will soon see a refreshed product in domestic and Latin American first class. Those pesky placemats are being crumpled up and replaced with classier tray linens along with new china, silverware, and service items. Business Elite service between JFK and Los Angeles and San Francisco is also getting classier and tastier with the introduction of menus from Napa Valley chef Michael Chiarello.  Amenity kits on international flights will have a new look and feel plus larger toothpaste, a softer eye mask, and high-quality Greek Korres brand toiletry products.

SKY CLUB PAYMENT PLAN. Considering a Sky Club membership, but don’t want to fork over for an entire year at once? Delta has taken a hint from financial services companies and now allows you to spread out the annual cost into monthly installments of $25.99-$39.99 each (depending on Medallion level). Like many lounge programs, there is a small annual fee (ranges from $25.99-$39.99 also depending on one’s status) in addition to the cost of the monthly payment. It is important to note this is not a true monthly membership since you must commit to one year, but it certainly does lessen the financial burden for cash-strapped travelers.

SPEAKING OF SKY CLUB. We need some comments about the new A-17 Sky Club on Concourse A at ATL! Did you know that this is the busiest Sky Club out there with 55,000 monthly visits? Delta removed the rarely used conference rooms to free up much needed space. Has anyone been yet? Please start a discussion below. What do you like or not like? The new club on Concourse D, down at “wheel level” is supposed to open this month…let us know as soon as you get in there! A new rooftop Sky Club is due to open in the South Satellite at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport—let us know when you check it out!

Repeat from above….We’ve got a BIG QUESTION for you this month, and we hope you can take a moment and share your comments at the bottom of this post: How has the recent stock market roller coaster affected your plans for fall business travel– if at all? Have you decided or have you been asked to cut back on travel spending at all over the last month as a result of the uncertainty? Please leave your answers/comments below.

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Book your trips here:

DELTA: Click here for the latest fare sales and deals at Delta Air Lines

HOTWIRE: Great hotel deals and $13.95 per day rental cars with low Hotwire Hot-Rates!

Is loyalty really a two-way street, as Delta points out here in a recent ad campaign?

Delta really raised the ire of its frequent flyers this month with a last-minute, poorly announced rule change. Starting August 15, if you want to change or cancel a SkyMiles award flight within 72 hours of departure, your miles will be forfeited.  You read that right: If you must change or cancel your award flight within 72 hours of your trip, you now forfeit the miles. Poof! Gone! Buh-bye…

SkyMiles can still be redeemed for flights within the 72-hour window (without a close-in booking fee), but all awards now become non-refundable and non-changeable within 72 hours of the departure flight. There are no exceptions to this rule for Platinum or Diamond members. Delta “announced” the rule change just this week (see below)–only six days prior to its effective date of August 15.

This means, for example,  that if you redeemed a ticket for a flight at the high level and it drops to the lower level two days before departure– too bad, you are stuck paying the higher amount of miles.

Delta claims this is to prevent misuse by members who have been booking award seats and then not actually traveling on them (later requesting a change or refund) and causing as many as “a million seats”  to fly empty.

Limiting cancellations with this policy might hold some weight…but we feel Delta’s very best customers– those who have shown enough loyalty to earn award flights–   should still be allowed to at least change their ticket within 72 hours.

We at The TICKET were as stunned as everyone else when we received word of this most recent, radical change, and contacted Delta for confirmation. The news was indeed confirmed, and we were told to find Delta’s explanation for the change on social media channels…interestingly, the change was not officially announced anywhere on Delta’s web site. [Update: We found it on Delta's site today.]

On Milepoint.com, we found the following (surprisingly smug and somewhat condescending) post from Delta’s social media maven:

Late last month, I posted information about recent changes to our Award redeposit policy. The changes were made after we reviewed the number of award seats that were going out empty and the number was large – massive, in fact. So we made some adjustments to help address the situation and increase award availability.

In response to that post, members asked if we were looking at making changes to the policy for any time prior to departure. In fact, we were. During that review we determined that there are more than 1,000,000 award seats that were going unused at the 72 hour mark prior to departure. That is 3 days in which those seats could otherwise be sold or used for other SkyMiles members who truly intend to sit in the seat and travel.

As a result, we’re updating this policy once more. So, effective August 15, 2011, SkyMiles members who wish to cancel or make changes to their award ticket now need to do so at least 72 hours before their flight departure (for changes, this applies to each flight segment – outbound and return). This change will make those seats available to other members and ultimately increase award availability. Miles for tickets cancelled within 72 hours will be nonrefundable. Taxes and fees for award travel cancelled within 72 hours will be refundable upon request. Same-day standby options will remain.

For changes or cancellations made at least 72 hours prior to departure, Diamond and Platinum Medallion members will continue to receive reissue and redeposit fee waivers. Reissue and redeposit fees will continue to apply for other members.

We will be sending out an email to customers with advance award travel booked later today – delta.com is being updated with this information as well.

Because it was a trending theme in last month’s thread, let’s address another issue head-on. We understand that extenuating circumstances do happen and our agents are equipped to review those situations on a case-by-case basis to determine if an exception is warranted. (Just do us a favor and try to make sure it’s not the 8th time your great uncle has passed away.)

Candidly, we expect that this change may be unpopular with some – and we will hear all of your concerns related to it – so we are communicating this early and will be sending a variety of communications to customers later today. When program changes occur, we want our members to be aware of them so that they can adapt accordingly.

Now let’s start the conversation. I’m gathering your comments and bringing them all back to the team…

Michelle, SkyMiles | Delta Social Ambassador

A Delta 2-Million Miler wrote to The TICKET in disbelief, but thankful that he made a last-minute change last week, before the policy went into effect, “I was one of those last minute changes just last week when an unexpected business meeting caused me to cancel plans for AMS and CDG. But these things do happen, and to lose your miles is just harsh, very harsh.”

[Update:] On the other hand, another TICKET reader from Dallas writes: “Diamonds were booking business/first class seats using miles but not putting in their Skymiles number (since you can book a seat using miles for anyone). Then, the same Diamond would book a coach seat in hopes of getting an upgrade to business/first -naturally this reservation contained the sky miles number. The net result is a double booking of this person. Once they get the upgrade on the coach booking, they would call and cancel the second reservation booked in business/first with miles – sometimes while at the gate – which caused seats to go empty. I find it hard to believe that it resulted in one million going empty – but I see Delta’s point. A few people found a loop hole, exploited it, and we are all paying for it.”

So, TICKET readers, what do you think? Is this fair? Will it affect you? Is Delta making a smart business decision that will improve SkyMiles for everyone? Or is this just one more of the proverbial 1000 cuts? Does it make you feel more like checking out what Southwest will bring to the table next year?  PLEASE LEAVE YOUR COMMENTS BELOW!

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HELP US HELP YOU!  Fwd our URL to friends or share The TICKET via social networking! Tell all your friends to sign up for The TICKET.

Then, book your trips with our advertising partners.

DELTA: Click here for the latest fare sales and deals at Delta Air Lines

HOTWIRE: Great hotel deals and $13.95 per day rental cars with low Hotwire Hot-Rates!

ENTERPRISE: Free upgrades when renting a car for airport pickup at Enterprise.com

WELCOME NEW TICKET READERS! You’ve joined a very influential and informed group of frequent travelers. We are glad to have you on board! –Chris McGinnis, editor and publisher

Gogo's new logo

GOGO INFLIGHT EVOLVES. Inflight Wi-Fi provider Gogo announced some big changes this week that will go into effect in the fourth quarter of this year on Delta. While Gogo knows that it has frequent business travelers wrapped around its finger, it has a tougher time with the broader leisure travel audience. Therefore, the “new “ Gogo will offer more free content (such as online magazines, games, shopping and access to sites like OpenTable) as well as streaming movies (for a fee). Gogo tells The TICKET that movies will be streamed from a server on the plane– not from the ground– which is good news given the current difficulty of viewing a 2-3 minute YouTube video from the sky. Prices for Internet access (its core product) won’t change much. Gogo also says that it will eventually (2015 or so) move to a satellite-based system (from its current network of land-base antennae), which will enable Wi-Fi access on over-water international flights.

BREAKING: Two Delta jets, a Boeing 767 and a smaller regional jet collided on the runway at Boston’s Logan Airport on Thursday night. The Amsterdam-bound 767 took the tail off the Raleigh-bound ComAir RJ with its giant winglet. Only one passenger was injured.

Delta's boxy flat bed seat on its 767 fleet

LIE FLAT GOOD AND BAD. Based on the comments we receieved on our recent post about finding Delta’s lie-flat seats, the consensus seems to be this: Love ‘em on the 777, but not so much on the 767. The 777 has a superior “herringbone” pattern, but the 767 sports a tighter, boxier style with less space, forcing limbs into the narrow aisle and legs into “the hole.” What do you think…would you rather have the cradle back on the 767, or is the new lie-flat at least a modicum of improvement? Have you flown other airlines that you feel do lie-flat better than Delta? PLEASE leave your comments below.

EXPEDITED TSA SCREENING FOR SOME. The AJC reports that the TSA is going to select a handful of ATL-based Delta frequent flyers as part of a pilot “trusted traveler” program. Those selected MIGHT (important word) be able to forgo taking off shoes and removing laptops from bags. Participants will get special bar codes on boarding passes that TSA agents will scan as they enter security, and then they’ll be sent to a special lane for expedited screening. Full story here. We at The TICKET think its smart when the TSA looks for dangerous people and not just dangerous items. What about you? Leave your opinion below.

iPHONE APP FOR MEDALLION UPGRADE LIST. The upgraded Delta iPhone app now includes a feature that allows Medallion members to see their position on the upgrade list without logging onto delta.com or standing at the gate waiting for the upgrade list to appear (for a short five seconds!) on the gate information screen. The ability to change seat assignments has also been added. This feature is only available for iPhone users, but is coming to the Android and Blackberry versions soon. Users must download an updated version of the app to enjoy this new feature.

SPEAKING OF THE APP: Delta’s giving everyone who checks in via their mobile device 1000 SkyMiles. Registration is required.

DELTA TO BOMBAY. Delta is moving its Bombay flight a bit closer to its ATL hub. While not nonstop (as incorrectly reported in last month’s newsletter—sorry!), it will be a one-stop, same-plane flight via Amsterdam starting in late October. Previously this flight has operated from Newark on a one-stop flight (also via AMS) to Bombay. With the move of this flight back to Atlanta, the long slog to the subcontinent should be a bit easier.

NEW CHINESE PARTNERS. China Eastern Airlines and Shanghai Airlines have officially joined the SkyTeam alliance and add another feather in Delta’s cap for increased market presence in Asia. SkyTeam already has China Southern in the airline group, and China Airlines of Taiwan is expected to join soon. This gives Delta flyers more SkyMiles earning/buring opportunities when crossing the Pacific. China Eastern operates nonstop flights to Shanghai from several North American cities including NYC, SF and Los Angeles. Have you flown a Chinese airline yet? If so, what did you think? Long ago, we heard only horror stories, but lately, we’re hearing that the service is greatly improved. What do you think? PLEASE leave your comments below.

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DISCOUNTED AWARD TRAVEL. Delta is offering discounted award redemptions for flights within the continental U.S. on Tuesdays or Wednesdays to select SkyMiles members. First, register here to see if you are eligible for the promotion (yep, this is another one of Delta’s “targeted” offers). Then book reward travel on a Tuesday or Wednesday. If the entire itinerary for domestic travel is only on a Tuesday or Wednesday (traditionally the lightest days of the week to travel), you can receive a 5,000-mile refund. If travel takes place partly on one of those days, flyers can receive a 2,500-mile refund. Reservations must be booked by July 31, 2011, and travel must be completed by Dec. 31, 2011.

HUGE PLUG IN FORBES. Welcome to all the new TICKET readers that have come onboard as a result of this very flattering article about The TICKET on FORBES.com. Here’s a snippet: “Way back in 1993, before anyone but Al Gore knew what the internet was, Chris McGinnis launched a newsletter called The TICKET devoted to flyers out of Atlanta’s Hartsfield Airport, the world’s busiest… At the time, he lived in Atlanta and covered aviation and especially Delta for both the Journal Constitution and later CNN, which was based there, and ever since, he has been THE authority on all things Delta and ATL. This now includes AirTran, also using the airport as its hub, as well as other carriers into Atlanta and all of Delta’s international SkyTeam partners, from Air France to Korean Air.” Gee willikers, that’s nice! Thanks to Forbes’ Larry Olmsted for the kudos. Return the favor by checking out for Larry’s hedonistic “Great Life” blog on Forbes.com.

FLYING TO/FR LAX ON JULY 15, 16 or 17? Beware of the planned 53-hour closure of Interstate 405, LA’s main north/south freeway—and the primary route for getting to/from LAX. As Angelenos are fond of saying, “Take surface streets.” (The old freeway is getting much needed widening and repairs.) There’s even a special Carmageddon section on LATimes.com.

THE TICKET PRINT-FRIENDLY VERSION IS BACK! YAY! For all of you who’ve been asking us to bring back a print version of The TICKET, we’ve now got you covered. Scroll down to the bottom of this post, look for the row of icons across the bottom and choose “PRINT WITH PRINT FRIENDLY.” Easy!

HALF OFF BUSINESS ELITE UPGRADES. For overseas flyers, there’s some good news this summer for people using miles for upgrades. Until Aug. 31, 2011, Delta is allowing upgrades to Business Elite for 50% fewer miles. For example, transatlantic mileage upgrades are typically 15,000 miles each way. This summer, they can be had for 7,500 miles each way. Upgrades are permitted only on Y, B or M Economy Class fares, which are usually quite expensive, and are subject to availability. Before redeeming miles, it is best to call Delta to see if “Z” availability is open since that is the class that must be open to upgrade with miles (or with systemwide upgrade certificates). No registration is required. Click here for more information. While using miles can be a good deal, keep in mind that Delta often sells Business Elite seats at a discount, which can be even cheaper than a full Economy Class fare, but come with many restrictions. Be sure to research all the options before redeeming your hard-earned miles!

PUSH MY BUTTONS. According to Reuters, Boeing has moved the flight attendant call button far away from the overhead light button on the new design for its popular 737 model. “Usually located next to the reading light button and often indistinguishable from it, the dreaded button causes flight attendants to make countless pointless trips down the aisles every day, only to hear embarrassed passengers say they were just trying to switch on the light,” says Reuters. Great idea!

5 FEES BUSINESS TRAVELERS LOVE. Lately, travel headlines practically shout: It’s a fee frenzy! A fee-for-all! Travelers are fighting mad about fees! But are all fees bad? Not necessarily. Many of these so-called “new fees” can be viewed as charges for new products, like in-flight Wi-Fi, that travelers could never “buy” before. And for many business travelers, it’s worth the cost to pay for something that improves comfort or productivity while in the air. Do you want to buy your way to a better trip? Here are five ways to do that. (from my BBC.com column archive)

DO U H8 DELTA? The Atlantic magazine says that Delta is the #2 most hated company in America (after #1 Pepco, a public utility in the DC area). US Airways, United and American were also included in the top 10. Here’s what The Atlantic said about Delta: “Complaints include additional costs for food, beverages and baggage fees. The airline collected more than $952 million in baggage fees from flyers in 2010, almost twice as much as any other airline carrier. Since acquiring Northwest airlines in 2008, Delta’s consumer satisfaction score has plunged.” We know that most TICKET readers have a love/hate relationship with Delta, but… hate is a pretty strong word…what do you think? Deserved or just headline grabbing? Leave your comments below.

BARBIE JETS GET WI-FI. Installation of Gogo Wi-Fi on Delta Connection regional jets with First Class cabins is getting underway. The entire mainline Delta fleet of narrowbody (one aisle) planes and 767-300 domestic aircraft now have Wi-Fi access. The first Wi-Fi equipped Delta Connection plane rolled out in June, an ASA CRJ-700 with fleet wide installation complete by the end of this year.

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OLE AND CHEERS. Delta is adding a tequila cocktail to its lineup of beverages in Sky Clubs across the country. The new drinks will be prepared using Avion Tequila, which recently won a World Spirits Competition honor. To celebrate the new drinks, several Sky Clubs will be hosting mixologists to shake and stir drinks and offer tastings to customers in Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York (LaGuardia and JFK).

WHACKY CROSS DRESSER IS BIZ TRAVELER. Remember the recent story about the guy who likes to dress up in skimpy women’s wear when flying? It ends up he’s a regular old business traveler just trying to have some fun. “Howard,” the 65-year-old consultant flies several times a month as an elite member of US Airways Dividend Rewards program. In this San Francisco Chronicle article, he says’ that he’s flown in scanty female clothing for several years. “I’m a business consultant and would be extremely vulnerable to being discredited. … This is just something I do for fun. I don’t mean any harm.” Do you buy it? Leave your comments below.

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HELP US HELP YOU! Book your trips with our advertising partners.

DELTA: Click here for the latest fare sales and deals at Delta Air Lines

HOTWIRE: Great hotel deals and $13.95 per day rental cars with low Hotwire Hot-Rates!

ENTERPRISE: Free upgrades when renting a car for airport pickup at Enterprise.com

DISCOVER HIDDEN SKYMILES AWARDS. Delta.com has its fair share of kinks that you must work through when booking SkyMiles award tickets. But, there is a way to reveal those hard-to-find seats at the lowest redemption level. Here’s how: Simply sign up for Air France-KLM’s FlyingBlue frequent flyer program. That’s right…use another airline’s web site to find Delta and partner airline flights. Just look for “Classic” awards, which are the same as Delta’s lowest level redemptions. The FlyingBlue web site also searches Air France, KLM, Alitalia, CSA Czech, and Kenya Airways award availability. To enroll, sign up free here. You can then call Delta directly to book the flights that show Classic availability for Delta’s lowest mileage level. Delta.com does show Air France, KLM, and Alaska partner availability and allows you to search a month at a time. However, it is temperamental and not always accurate. Try using the FlyingBlue site to do your research and find more opportunities to use your SkyMiles—and let us know it this works better for you! We’d love to hear your feedback.

Korean Air's new A380

SUPER-DUPER JUMBOS AT ATL? Atlanta is preparing to welcome the world’s biggest airliner, the Airbus A380 by spending $30 million to widen taxiways and runway shoulders and make terminal improvements that will enable it to handle the double-decker jumbo jet. Air France could bring theirs in during peak summer travel season next year. While it won’t yet commit to it, Korean Air says that Atlanta is one of the US gateways under consideration for its biggest blue bird. KAL starts A380 flights this summer between Seoul and New York-JFK, and then to Los Angeles-LAX in October. (SIDELINE: Have you seen Air France’s lovely new bird? Here’s a gorgeous video made by your TICKET editor Chris McGinnis of its first A380 touching down on cool cloudy San Francisco earlier this month.)

GOOD MAY AT ATL. AirTran and Delta ranked second and third, after first place Alaska Air, in on-time performance for the month of May according to FlightStats.com.

OVERSEAS BAGGAGE CHARGES. Flying across the pond this summer?  On Delta, the first checked bag when flying overseas is free, and the second bag is a whopping $75 (or $60 if purchased online). Delta has reduced the weight allowance from 70 lbs to just 50 lbs per bag for international coach passengers (including  Medallions). If you travel heavy, be sure to weigh your bag ahead of time to avoid the additional $75 overweight bag fee. (Note: The 70 lb bag weight limit with no fee remains in effect for first/biz class passengers.)

NO WI-FI ON THIS DELTA JET? Delta now offers Gogo Wi-Fi access on all of its mainline aircraft that regularly fly domestic routes. But remember that international aircraft flying domestic legs DO NOT have Wi-Fi. If you are unsure if your plane is an internationally configured aircraft, check the layout of the Business Elite/First Class cabin. Boeing 767 aircraft have four rows up front on domestic aircraft. If your plane has more than four rows in First/Business Elite, then you are on an international aircraft that will not have Wi-Fi. Boeing 757s can be trickier as some international planes are used on domestic routes between New York and LAX/SFO. The international 757s have four rows up front whereas domestic planes have six or seven rows up front. The latter are guaranteed to have Wi-Fi while not all of the international 757s do. No Airbus A330s, Boeing 747s, or Boeing 777s have Wi-Fi access. Domestic routes that may use international aircraft include ATL-LAX, DTW-LAX, ATL-DTW, ATL-LAS, and ATL-JFK.

QUAD MILES AT MARRIOTT. Marriott Rewards is offering quadruple Delta SkyMiles to those who stay at any Marriott brand at least twice between June 1 and August 31. Registration is required.

ECONOMY COMFORT IS HERE. Delta is now rolling out its new Economy Plus seating in the first few rows of all of  aircraft flying international routes. Seats are designated with a special headrest cover sporting the Economy Comfort logo. Other benefits include priority boarding and complimentary mixed drinks. The best benefit, though, are the four extra inches of legroom and improved recline. The seats are now available for sale on delta.com. Until now, it was pure luck if customers assigned to those rows flew an equipped plane. Now, delta.com sells the Economy Plus for a nominal fee on the flights that have it making it easier to get a modicum of comfort out of your long-haul coach experience. Of course, Platinum and Diamond Medallion passengers get access to the seats for free.

NEW BLACK  BOX. Under development: Aircraft black boxes that transmit data to satellites instead of going down with the plane (as was the case with Air France 447 which crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in 2009.)

THE TICKET ON FACEBOOK: Are you signed up for our FACEBOOK page? If so, you would have learned first about nifty nuggets like a Delta/Zappos promo, a report on Delta’s average fleet age, or when AirTran will dump its ATL-Dallas/Ft Worth nonstops. Come on! LIKE The TICKET on Facebook today!

DID YOU KNOW… that airlines are now raking more fee income from checked baggage than they are from those onerous $150 change fees?

THE NEVER ENDING BONUS. It’s baaack! Delta and American Express are again offering mega bonuses for first time transfers from Amex Membership Rewards points to Sky Miles. The promotion requires registration. Transfer as few as 1,000 Amex points to Delta and receive a 50% bonus. So 1,000 Amex points becomes 1,500 SkyMiles. Plus if you transfer 100,000 Amex points, you will receive 25,000 MQMs (good for Silver Medallion) and 150,000 miles. This is only valid for first time transfers so if you have taken advantage of this promotion in the past then you are not eligible this time around. The offer is good until Sept. 30. NOTE: If you’ve transferred miles before and you don’t qualify for the above bonus, Delta’s got you covered… those who have transferred before can earn a 25%-40% bonus with a different promo that requires registration.

AMEX PLATINUM BONUS. Speaking of American Express Membership Rewards points, don’t forget to stop into any SkyClub if you have the AMEX Platinum card. Currently, all guests who enter a Delta lounge using the AMEX Platinum card (not the Delta-affiliated SkyMiles card) will receive a certificate good for 300 Membership Rewards points.

TO FLY…OR DRIVE? That is the question for a lot of TICKET readers. To help answer it, check out the cool Fly or Drive Calculator from BeFrugal.com. This site helps answer the age-old question among frequent travelers…. Whether it makes more financial sense to drive or fly to your destination. What’s clever about this calculator is that it allows users to enter specific data about their trip, which helps it come up with a specific answer.

THE TICKET PRINT-FRIENDLY VERSION IS BACK! YAY! For all of you who’ve been asking us to bring back a print version of The TICKET, we’ve now got you covered. Scroll down to the bottom of this post, look for the row of icons across the bottom and choose “PRINT WITH PRINT FRIENDLY.” Easy!

BETTER DINING AT DELTA GATES. Remember Delta’s major overhaul of restaurants at its terminal in LaGuardia last year? Well, they’re doing it again, but this time in Minneapolis/St. Paul. Plans include an upgrade to the dining options in the terminal with several new restaurants including Minnesota Beer Hall, a Japanese noodle and dumplings bar, a raw bar and brasserie, a grab-and-go gourmet food outlet, and an eatery under the direction of Andrew Zimmern of Travel Channel’s Bizarre Foods fame. Another unique feature Delta is testing at the airport is the rental of pre-loaded iPads featuring movies and games. Travelers can take them on board their flights and then mail them back upon landing. Like!

WI-FI AT ATL. While Atlanta remains one of the declining number of airports that charge full freight for Wi-Fi, some airports are rolling out a tiered system: Free for basic access such as email access, but a premium for heavy duty access for streaming or loading photos, programs, etc. Some hotels are already doing this. Thoughts?

COCKTAILS ANYONE? Delta is bringing back some of its signature cocktails for summer with the new “Margaritaville” mixed with tequila. The “Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey” combines Jack Daniels bourbon, honey liqueur, and ginger ale. Both are available for $7 in economy. Don’t forget that Medallion members can use free drink coupons that come in their annual renewal package for these drinks. (We’ve also seen Delta offers free drink coupons to Medallions who don’t get an upgrade and check in online…have you?) If you’re worried about alcohol breath, don’t worry, Wrigley’s Gum is also being added to Delta’s EATS food for sale menu.

WHO PAYS FOR FIRST CLASS? Passengers from the following cities purchased the most first class airline tickets in the first five months of this year: Beverly Hills, Greenwich CT, Atherton CA, Palm Beach FL, Haverford PA. Source: Airlines Reporting Corporation.

HELP A SICK KID, EARN SKYMILES. Delta has teamed up with the Children’s Miracle Network, which is hoping to reach $100 million in donations this year to help fund 170 childrens’ hospitals throughout North America. SkyMiles members who donate $50 or more by June 30 earn 1000 miles. Donate here.

PLAY BALL WITH DELTA. In New York for a Mets or Yankees game? Well, Delta has you covered, sponsoring free water taxis from either South Street Seaport or East 53rd Street Ferry Landing to all home games. Tickets are free on the two Delta-branded water taxis operated by New York Water Taxi. Taxis depart 90 minutes before opening pitch. On board, enjoy Delta-signature Fly Ball cocktails or other drinks and snacks while basking in the sun on the boat’s open deck. Reservations are not allowed, and each taxi can only take 147 people so be sure to get there early.

AIRFRANCE-KLM ELITES GET MORE THAN ME? Reciprocity ain’t always fair…Did you know that Air France-KLM elites get complimentary upgrades when traveling on Delta flights? It’s true. Their domestic upgrades are back in full force (a remnant of the agreement that Northwest originally had with KLM). To be fair, foreign elites only clear after every single Delta Elite has had the chance for the upgrade. Still, it’s a shame that Delta elites cannot be upgraded to Air France-KLM’s premium product within Europe. But, again in the spirit of fairness, not even Air France-KLM elites have the chance for free upgrades within Europe. Delta elites still come out on top, but don’t be surprised if you see partner elites inquiring with gate agents about upgrades.

DELTA DOWN UNDER. Delta and V Australia have announced a further codeshare on additional routes to Perth, Canberra and Adelaide in Australia plus Auckland and Christchurch in New Zealand. This means more redemption opportunities for Delta Sky Miles members and opportunities to earn miles when booking flights on codeshare tickets.  Initially, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne were the only cities included in that agreement. Sky Club members also benefit from access to V Australia lounges across Australia as well.

JUNE BABIES. If you were born in June, be sure to try and register for this promotion offering 1,500 bonus SkyMiles for a roundtrip flight flown before July 31. It is a targeted offer so not everyone may be eligible. You also receive a $100 discount on a future Delta Vacations package. While Delta has offered more lucrative birthday bonuses in the past, this one is better than nothing. Remember to insure that your birthday is listed in your Delta.com profile so that you can be included in similar future offers. Register at dmn.delta.com/ace_offers/june_bday/

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IT’S BACK. AMEX OFFERING FAT SKYMILES BONUS. Through May 31, members of American Express Membership Rewards who transfer points to Delta SkyMiles earn a 50 percent bonus. Register online. It gets better: If you move at least 50,000 Membership Rewards points to SkyMiles, you also get a one-time bonus of 25,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs). That’s instant Silver Medallion status, meaning waived bag fees, the occasional upgrade, and early (ish) boarding. That’s a total of 75K SkyMiles if you transfer a minimum of 50K MR points. (Note: This offer is only eligible to first-time users of this transfer option.) This is the biggest and best offer that AMEX has run lately, so if you’ve been thinking about transferring to Delta from AMEX, now is the time to do it!

75K SKYMILES PLUS NEW BENNIES FOR AMEX PLATINUM. Have you read about the new bonuses and benefits on the new American Express Platinum card? While the card is pricey at $450 per year, you can easily make up for that cost. Here’s how: Sign up for the Platinum card by May 31, spend $1000 and you get a 50,000 Membership Rewards points bonus. Once those points are in your MR account, transfer them to your Delta SkyMiles account (see above) and get a 50 percent bonus, so 75,000 miles–  which helps defray the $450 annual fee for the Platinum card, which now comes with a raft of new and existing bennies such as membership in Delta, American and US Airways lounge programs, Priority Pass, no foreign transaction fees, a Global Entry pass rebate and more. Here’s the link to sign up for the Platinum Card. What do you think? Is it worth jumping through these hoops? (Note: This MR transfer offer is only eligible for first-time users of the MR to SkyMiles transfer option.)

FOLLOW YOUR BAGS ONLINE (AND MORE). Delta has instituted unique new service that allows you to track your checked bags from start to finish just like you can do with FEDEX or UPS packages. Simply enter your surname and bag tag number and follow the status of your bag during your travels. If your bag is lost, you can check its progress on the way back to you with the file reference number you receive at the baggage claim office. The system can also send text messages to your phone if there are bag irregularities often alerting you before you reach baggage claim. While it may not reduce the number of lost bags, it can certainly ease the stress of knowing the status of your missing underwear. And there’s more: In addition to being the only airline offering this bag tracking service, Delta says that it will refund baggage fees if checked bags are delayed by more than 12 hours. This goes above and beyond recent DOT rules that require fee refunds only if bags are lost or destroyed. (Now if they could just do something about those late night carousel clusters at ATL!)

FAST TRACK TO MEDALLION. Delta has sent out targeted offers to many Medallion members who have had slower than normal travel patterns this year. The offers are meant only for the recipient of the email and encourage a specified number of flights within a certain time period to earn double miles. Flights beyond that specified amount earn a mileage bonus for every flight ranging from 50 to 100 percent. It varies for each member (and remember, not everyone receives the offer), so be sure to check your spam or junk folders for any emails from Delta. You could be missing out on lots of miles!

GET NEWS LIKE THIS FASTER! Are you signed up for our Facebook and Twitter feeds yet? If not, WHY NOT? It’s a great way to keep up with news like this. Come on! Follow us and Like us!

DELTA ON TWITTER. You’ve heard us proclaim the benefits of Delta’s Twitter team @DeltaAssist, and we’ve been following the comments from frequent users on Facebook and Twitter. Recently, TICKET contributor Ramsey Qubein experienced the service first hand and is hooked. While traveling in India, he was trying to confirm a ticket he had on hold, but delta.com was not cooperating. With no access to an affordable phone line, he turned to Twitter. Within minutes of sending a Tweet to @DeltaAssist at 6am ET, he had a response. Within ten minutes, his problem was solved. The social media team at Delta has almost a dozen staff members monitoring the various online channels to help travelers. If you find yourself stuck, without a phone, or at the end of your rope, give it a try!

DELTA DIAMOND UPGRADES. At a recent travel industry conference in Atlanta, SkyMiles chief Jeff Robertson said that Delta Diamond Medallions get upgraded 94 percent of the time.

BONJOUR PARIS! This summer, Delta and Air France will each offer two daily roundtrips between ATL and Paris CDG (for a total of four). Air France will add its second rotation on March 27, while Delta will introduce its additional flight June 1. Atlanta and Paris are two of SkyTeam’s biggest and busiest hubs– last year saw 126,000 passengers who traveled exclusively between the two cities, 65 per cent of whom traveled on Delta. That’s a lot of baguette and cheese-loving traffic. With that much lift between the two cities, travelers should have a better chance for more award seats this summer (especially on Air France, which seems to offer more award availability than Delta on this route). Keep checking delta.com since Air France awards are made available on the site.

(Photo: Salim Virji / Flickr)

DELTA AT LAX. Delta is spreading its wings further at Los Angeles International in an effort to gain a stronger foothold on the West Coast. Beefed up schedules mean flights will operate almost hourly between LA and San Francisco and LA and Las Vegas. These highly competitive routes have lots of strong competition so expect fares to be lower than usual this summer. By July 1, Delta Connection will fly 11 times daily between LAX and SFO. The CRJ700 and CRJ900 Barbie jets plying the route are equipped with First Class. Delta and Delta Connection will operate nine flights between LAX and Sin City. Nearly a million people travel between these two cities every year so there should be enough business for all of the airlines to share. Significant connecting traffic from Delta’s Tokyo-Los Angeles flight keeps this route busy; Asian travelers love Las Vegas (Baby)!

TRANSATLANTIC SUMMER: If you are considering a summer trip across the pond, now’s the time to make a decision. Ticket prices are getting painfully high, but there are some ways to skirt them if you are flexible. Plus there are plenty of business class deals to be had. To learn more, be sure to read TICKET editor Chris McGinnis’ latest BBC.com column Transatlantic Summer Travel.

DELTA CUTBACKS. While Delta is full steam ahead in certain markets, world events are slowing its growth in others. This month, Delta has announced the discontinuation of nonstop flights from JFK to Cairo and Amman, Jordan due to political unrest. Previously, Delta had discontinued the Cairo flight for a few months, but now both routes are gone indefinitely. Check your reservations if you had plans to travel there. Delta is rebooking passengers on Air France/KLM flights or offering refunds. Also on the decline are load factors to Tokyo Haneda due to the recent earthquake, tsunami and lingering concerns about radiation. For now, Delta has suspended flights to Haneda until June due to low bookings.

SKYMILES MAKES IT RIGHT. A recent post on The TICKET included mention of a SkyMiles bonus program that we said applied to both mileage transfers and mileage gifts. It ends up that it only applied to mileage gifts. However, one longtime TICKET reader transferred miles based on our advice, but never got his bonus due to this technicality. Since it was our mistake that got him in the mess to begin with, we took our issue to our Delta SkyMiles contacts, who graciously made an exception in this case, and offered up the bonus miles to this TICKET reader. Thank you for going above and beyond, Delta!

DELTA CRJ GETS CLIPPED AND SPUN AROUND BY AIR FRANCE A380. In case you missed the 30-second video of this mishap at New York JFK last month, here it is. A Delta CRJ waiting on the taxiway gets pushed around by an Air France behemoth. Scary!

HEARTH TO HEARTH. Delta’s recent merger with Northwest has resulted in a melding of styles among Sky Clubs. Both airlines had lounges that had been renovated recently while others were sorely lagging in pizzazz. Northwest, especially, had some 1980s relics (Clubs at LaGuardia and SFO were certainly retro throwbacks). But Northwest clubs had something Delta’s did not: fireplaces, which Sky Club members can now find in Detroit, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Chicago, Memphis and San Francisco.

SHOWERLESS IN SEATTLE? From TICKET reader SG: “Delta has had a nonstop flight between to SEA and Osaka/Kansai for over a year. I have repeatedly asked the Delta lounge staff when the facility plans to install showers for passengers coming through after a 10-hour flight across the Pacific. There has been no response. Narita has showers. Atlanta has showers. Showers at these end points are not as useful because there is no time to take advantage of the service. Many SEA connections have a three-hour layover, presumably because of the need to pass through U.S. immigration. It would be nice to have a chance to take a shower. Might you be able to give the DL corporate managers this clue on how to vastly improve passenger satisfaction? Other lounges are receiving a makeover; why not SEA?” ANSWER: Delta is building a brand new Sky Club in Seattle’s South Terminal to replace the aged ex-Northwest World Club. The new club will be over 8,100 square feet with seating for more than 150 members and guests. It should be open by the summer of 2011. The new club will also include two shower suites and a contemporary interior design similar to the new Delta Sky Club elements as recently introduced in Philadelphia, Indianapolis, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Atlanta (B-10).

HOW ARE WE DOING? We live for reader feedback at The TICKET. So please, let us know what you think! How are we doing? What’s good about The TICKET? What’s not so good? What could we do to improve it? What did you learn in this issue? How has The TICKET improved your life as a frequent traveler?  LET US KNOW!!

FREE BAGS ON ALASKA AIR. Delta Medallion members (including Silvers) no longer pay fees on the first two checked bags on Alaska Airlines flights. Currently you have to show your SkyMiles credentials to a counter agent to get the fee waived, but Delta says it’s working on providing the waiver automatically at online check-in, or at Alaska Air kiosks. Another reason to keep that Medallion credential in your wallet!

FDA TO DELTA: CLEAN UP! Read this only if you have a strong stomach and can bear to see words like “rodent excreta.”

(Photo: Asplosh /Flickr)

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Where are YOU going for summer vacation?

With winter blahs and collegiate spring break nearly behind us, it’s time for frequent travelers to start contemplating late spring and summer trips. Here are some things to consider:

Airfare: There’s no doubting that airfares are on the rise this year. Depending on whom you ask, average fares are up 10% to 20% over last year. This is due to three factors: rising demand, higher fuel costs, and a reduction in the number of seats flying.

• Demand is up because the economy is improving. Business travelers are eager to get back out on the road and face-to-face with clients and colleagues they haven’t seen in a while. Among leisure travelers, there’s a lot of pent up demand for vacations getting released now that they are feeling more confident.
• Fuel costs are up due to uncertainty in the Middle East and rising demand for oil as economies around the world recover from the recent global recession.
• Frightened by the sudden rise in their fuel costs airlines have recently announced that they are cutting back expansion plans, and reducing capacity nearly across the board. When airlines reduce supply as consumers increase demand, basic economics means that prices are going to rise.

Buy now or wait? I suggest buying your airline tickets for spring and early summer travel now. Despite momentous events in Japan and throughout the Middle East, the global economy seems to be on an upward track, which means higher fares (see above). Airlines have increased fares almost ten times so far this year. Fuel surcharges are popping up everywhere. Shop around, and when you see a fare that feels right, book it, and don’t look back.

Airline Fees. Everyone loves piling on the airlines about the raft of “new fees” they are piling on customers. The only fees that really irritate me are: the $25 fee for the first checked bag and the $150 fee for changing a ticket, and the $25 fee for booking tickets using a human agent via phone. But most of those other “new fees” we are hearing about lately about are not fees at all. They are simply charges for new OPTIONAL products. For example, I’m happy to pay $13 for in-flight Internet access on a cross-country flight. I’ll gladly pay $8 for a clean pillow or blanket that no one else has used. On full flights, it’s sometimes worth it to pay for early boarding (something Atlantans might get used to once Southwest moves in). For longer flights, I am actually happy to have the option to pay more for a seat with more legroom– like Delta’s new “economy comfort” seats or AirTran’s business class.  I’m happy to pay for a healthy fresh in-flight snack than the awful plastic pressed chicken and rice we used to get “for free.”

Loyalty Programs: It’s too late now to redeem for summer trips at anything other than astronomic “full-fare” levels. But if you are thinking about a fall or holiday trip, now’s the time to lock in those dates. Big spenders should be on the lookout for huge mile or point bonus offers and new benefits from credit card companies as they battle for frequent flyers switching alliances due to airline mergers. Might be time to re-evaluate the plastic in your pocket.

Hotels: Hotel prices are not expected to increase as much as airline fares. . .but they are on the increase for the first time in several years. This is especially true in cities where rising demand from business travelers and leisure travelers is occurring, so expect to be shocked at hotel prices in big convention cities along the coasts such as New York, San Francisco or Boston, especially if there’s a large convention in town. Even long suffering Las Vegas has experienced recent gains in average hotel rate. Travelers will still find hotel deals in the heartland however– rates in cities like Chicago, Atlanta or Denver are still relatively flat. The best hotel deal is not always the one with the lowest rate– check on whether extras like parking, internet or breakfast are included or not.

Gasoline Prices: Americans will be paying close to $4 per gallon this summer, but I don’t think it’s going to keep people home. They’ll still take their driving vacations and business trips, but will look for other ways to cut back. They’ll take shorter trips, stay at less expensive hotels, dine out less often. But they are still going to go. I think we’ll see the emergence of special deals designed to assuage fear of high gas prices– during previous peaks in gas prices, hotels and resorts have made offers to pay for a tank of gas, for example. If gas prices remain stubbornly high, travelers should be on the lookout for these types of promos.

Timing and Flexibility: Did you know that there are certain days in July and August that now outrank Thanksgiving as the busiest air travel days of the year? With demand like that, you can always expect to pay top dollar during the peak season, which generally runs late June through late August. If you have the flexibility to book summer business or vacation trips in early June, or late August, you may still find a few deals.

Shoulder Season: Prices are even lower if you can travel during what’s known in the travel industry as “shoulder season.” Spring shoulder season runs from the week after Easter (April 24) until the week before Memorial Day weekend (May 28-30). Fall shoulder season starts in mid September and runs until early November. Travelers will find advance booking prices lower during these periods. Shoulder season is also a good time for those with flexible schedules to consult online booking sites for last minute deals, which are much more prevalent when demand is weak.

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DELTA’S TOKYO-NARITA SKY CLUB DURING EARTHQUAKE

JAPAN EARTHQUAKE. Having just visited Japan last year, our hearts go out to its gentle people this morning. News is happening faster that we can cover here in The TICKET. But anyone with plans to travel to Japan over the next month should re-consider. The US State Department has sent out an alert advising travelers to stay away until at least April 1. All flights to Tokyo have been canceled or diverted to cities in southern Japan. Delta is waiving change fees. All public transport in and around Tokyo is shut down. While the US west coast is under a tsunami warning, public transport (such as BART in SF) is operational. Low tides there could cancel out any significant impact of the wave.

DELTA’S #1. FORTUNE magazine puts Delta in its own elite status category, recently naming it “Most Admired Airline” worldwide in its annual survey that takes into account feedback from industry professionals and airline analysts. This is the first time Delta ranked at the top of FORTUNE’s heap, besting legendary greats like Singapore Airlines and Southwest Airlines. The honor ranked Delta highly in areas such as social responsibility, competitiveness and quality of management. However, when it comes to “quality of product” Delta ranked far below competitors.  I’m certain that there is divergent opinion among TICKET readers about this, so please, fire way! Click on the link below to leave your comments.

ELITE PARKING FOR ELITE FLYERS. Driving to an Atlanta Braves game at Turner Field later this spring?  Delta is offering a new benefit to hometown loyalists that extends beyond the airport. SkyMiles Medallion level members will enjoy private parking in the Green Lot close to the stadium featuring 500 spaces reserved just for them. Flash your current membership card and pay the standard parking rates ($12) and save yourself a few steps. The Delta lot is directly across from the Turner Field main entrance at the corner of Hank Aaron Drive and Ralph D. Abernathy Drive. (NOTE: Keep an eye out for more Atlanta-specific bennies like this as Delta prepares to wage war with Southwest later this year.)

A NOTE ABOUT AIRTRAN. More AirTran news and updates forthcoming. While the Southwest and AirTran deal is scrutinized by regulators, no one is saying much. The deal should close in May….and there will be a LOT to say after that. One thing we have noticed is that Southwest’s once high-flying on-time performance record has tanked over the last year. It will be interesting to watch Southwest try to pull out of that hole once it’s largest hub is delay-proned ATL. Stay tuned!

BUSINESS CLASS TO LONDON: Delta’s new flights to London from Miami and Boston must be kinda light…the carrier is discounting Business Elite to just $599 each way from certain cities (not ATL)  March 26-May 17.

SPRING BREAK WARNING. We are in the midst of Spring Break. That means business travelers should be prepared for crowded airports and airplanes full of rowdy students, especially on flights to/from beachy climes. Beware, especially on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays when most students are traveling. AirTran lines at ATL always seem to swell surprisingly at this time of year. To avoid noise,  consider asking for hotel rooms away from hotel pool areas at this time of year. Book away from the beach. (Unless, of course, you’d like to join the fun!)

DELTA FACE-FIRST INTO FACEBOOK. Social media mavens will be glad to know the popular @DeltaAssist Twitter contact is now making a presence on Facebook. Followers of @DeltaAssist have been pleasantly surprised with the nearly instant responses to questions and concerns regarding their travel plans. The positive feedback has led to the expansion of DeltaAssist to Facebook. Kudos to Delta for jumping face-first into the social media landscape. Customers now have another way to connect for anything from an unanswered complaint to a flight irregularity. (Speaking of Facebook, are you following The TICKET? Please do!)

Delta passenger wait to board at Tokyo-Narita (Photo: Elmada)

AWARD LEVELS TAKE A LEAP IN ASIA. Delta has made some changes to the SkyMiles award chart. There was no warning this was going to happen so those planning to redeem miles on certain routes are now slapped with higher rates. For example, awards within Asia used to cost one flat fee of 20,000 miles in economy. Now, it varies based on distance—so for example, it’s 15 ,000 miles for a Tokyo to Seoul roundtrip, but Tokyo to Bangkok roundtrip clocks in at 45,000 miles. To be fair, the old redemption rates were fairly generous for longer trips, and this change puts the mileage cost more in line with the actual cost.

JAPAN-BOUND TRAVELERS RACK UP Traveling to the land of the rising sun soon? (SEE ABOVE WARNING) Score triple miles for purchased Business Elite tickets and double miles for economy class tickets of all fares between now and May 31. Simply register and fly on Delta’s new nonstop flights between Detroit or Los Angeles and Tokyo Haneda Airport. Register here.  (Tip: Be sure to check arrival and departure times at Haneda. Flights are restricted to wee hours of the morning, and getting to/from the city by train might prove difficult.) Also, Delta’s swapped out 747′s for 777′s on Haneda routes…I guess the business they’d hoped for has not materialized. Have YOU flown to Haneda? LET US KNOW! Leave a comment below…

REDEMPTION DEALS? Delta SkyMiles may be tough to redeem for some, but for the savvy, it’s not so bad. The trick is knowing which routes are more likely to have award seats. Clearly, busier or higher revenue routes like ATL-London Heathrow are going to be slim pickings. But consider some less-traveled routes and you might luck out.  For example, some better-than-normal redemption opportunities can include routing yourself via new Raleigh-Durham/San Antonio flights to get to Cancun; JFK-Cairo (once the route resumes May 1– despite predictions, tourism is already picking back up); and JFK-London Heathrow might be opening up a little now that a third flight has been added to the schedule.

NEWER, LARGER REGIONAL JETS ON THE WAY! We’re all glad to see more of those those 50-seater CRJ-200s get axed from the Delta schedule, but that doesn’t mean that bigger jets are going to replace them. For now, the older Northwest DC-9 aircraft are helping to fill a gap in some markets, but these old planes will be retired within a year. Eventually, Delta will add newer, larger regional jets to the mix, many of which offer first class cabins and in-flight Wi-Fi. In addition, Delta is getting some new Embraer-170 aircraft from Virgin Blue of Australia. These jets will soon appear on the Delta Connection network under the Compass Airlines brand and they’ll offer coach seats only at first but will eventually be updated with first class seats.

BONUS MILES FOR FREE (ALMOST). Purchasing miles to top off your SkyMiles account? Score an extra 50 percent bonus between now and March 31. Simply purchase new miles or gift/share miles with a friend or family member’s account to earn the bonus miles. Register here first. This is the ideal way to reach that next award redemption level quickly.

(Photo: Andrew Currie)

MORE SKY CLUB ACCESS OVERSEAS. Delta’s Sky Club membership comes with access to a few partner lounges overseas in addition to Delta’s own branded clubs. Visit Delta’s list of lounge locations and select the Delta Sky Club member drop down to see the complete list (read the rules carefully as only certain lounges participate).  The list includes one of Air France’s lounges in Paris or Johannesburg, one of KLM’s lounges in Amsterdam, and the Air France lounge in Zurich. Note that certain SkyTeam lounge locations like London Heathrow do not participate in the Sky Club member access program. Important: Many lounge agents overseas are unfamiliar with this unique Sky Club agreement so be sure to have a printout of the list and rules handy. This list should not be confused with the more substantial list of lounges accessible to Business Class and SkyTeam Elite Plus members, however.

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! What do you think about The TICKET? What’s great or not so great about this issue? What else should we be doing to make it better? Email your comments to us or leave them below. WE LIVE FOR FEEDBACK! So come on! Let us know.

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TICKET editor Chris McGinnis

CHRIS PREDICTS: BIG RISE IN AIRFARES. You can kiss all those rock bottom, dirt cheap fares that we’ve seen over the last few years goodbye as the economy warms up and demand rises faster than anyone expected. Add in higher fuel prices due to instability in the Middle East and airlines’ new-found discipline around capacity increases, and you’ve got the recipe for BIG fare increases, especially this summer when demand peaks. So far this year, airlines have been successful in pushing through several fare increases targeting mostly business travelers. So get ready for a pricey ride this year, especially if you are flying on routes where there’s no low-fare competition. If you’ve got summer plans to fly during July or August, it’s probably time to go ahead and buy tickets now…you’ll find prices already extraordinarily high, but they won’t be coming down. For example, we priced summer round-trip coach fares to Europe from ATL this week, and they are already averaging around $1200.

SKYMILES EXPIRATIONS EXPLAINED. This week Delta ditched the frustrating, consumer un-friendly (yet widespread) practice of putting an expiration date on miles earned. Until now, SkyMiles members had to show some sort of activity in the program at least once every 24 months, or face losing their earnings.  While this is not much of a problem for the frequent traveling TICKET reader, it does come into play for less frequent-flying retirees sitting on big banks of miles or those who may have moved away from a Delta hub. When Delta starts scrapping with Southwest later this year, you can bet it’ll pull this arrow out of its PR quiver since Southwest Rapid Reward miles expire after 24 months of inactivity. And don’t think that this is permanent– Delta once promised its Frequent Flyer miles would never expire (remember?), and it they changed the rules. It could always happen again!

AIRTRAN+SOUTHWEST. We’ve hammered our contacts at both AirTran and Southwest to get the scoop on when the proposed deal will close and the Southwest Red Bellies will soar over Atlanta skies. But no one is saying a peep as long as antitrust regulators are snooping around. Stay tuned! All we’ve heard is that the deal could close in “late spring.”

Delta borrowed the Economy Comfort idea from SkyTeam partner KLM

DELTA’S NEW ECONOMY COMFORT. As hinted late last year in The TICKET, Delta has unveiled its newest class of service on international routes and dubbed it Economy Comfort. This small subset of rows at the front of the economy cabin will be available on more than 160 Boeing 747, 757, 767, 777 and Airbus A330 international aircraft. Similar to United’s Economy Plus, passengers in these rows (designated by a special headrest cover) will pay a small premium to sit here and will benefit from up to four additional inches of legroom and 50 percent greater recline than standard Economy seats. (We’re a little concerned about what it may be like to sit behind someone with 50 percent more recline…but we’ll see…) The buy-up fee will average between $80-160 each way, but Diamond and Platinum Medallions (and up to eight people traveling in the same record) will have complimentary access to these seats. Customers who purchase full-fare economy tickets will also have access to these seats but Gold and Silver Medallion members on discounted fares will have to pay a fee. Delta’s Economy Comfort section has one additional benefit that United’s Economy Plus does not: free booze. All Delta international passengers enjoy free beer and wine, but Economy Comfort and Business Elite passengers have a complete open bar. On a similar note, the “New United” announced that it’s popular Economy Plus seats found on both its domestic and international planes will be a permanent part of the combined operations of United and Continental going forward.

BIG SPRING BREAK. With Spring Break just around the corner, Americans are opening up their pocketbooks and investing in travel. According to an AOL survey, 72% of respondents said they have more (31%) or the same amount (41%) of money to spend on spring break this year compared to last. So get ready to share your airport and airplane space with the shorts and flip-flops crowd if you are traveling anytime between early March and Easter (late, on April 24 this year).

PFC’s COULD RISE. Part of President Obama’s new budget plan could bump up ticket prices later this year. Currently, airport Passenger Facilities Charges (PFC’s) that airports use to fund improvements, are capped at $4.50 per segment. The budget proposal would move the cap to $7 per segment, potentially adding $14 to the cost of a nonstop round trip, $28 for one-stop roundtrips.

FREE FLYING FACEBOOK. From February 1 – 28, Delta, AirTran and five other airlines’ customers can access Gogo Inflight Internet to connect to Facebook without purchasing a flight pass, courtesy of Ford Motor Company. Just fire up your laptop or smartphone inflight and click on the ad from the Gogo landing page. And if you’ve not done so already, be sure to LIKE The TICKET’s Facebook page.

AIRTRAN OVERSEAS. AirTran cranked up its new flights to Punta Cana, Dominican Republic this week—and will add new daily flights to Bermuda from Baltimore/Washington beginning April 7 and from Atlanta on May 26. AirTran now flies to sandy destinations such as: Aruba, Cancun, Mexico, Montego Bay, Jamaica, Nassau, Bahamas, and San Juan, Puerto Rico.

SkyTeam lounge at London Heathrow

LOUNGE ACCESS FOR GOLDS. Remember that as of March 1, all SkyMiles Gold Medallion members are welcomed into the fold of SkyTeam Elite Plus meaning they gain access to all SkyTeam lounges overseas (even when flying coach). Since this is a new alliance-wide policy, confrontations between uninformed lounge staffers can be expected so always carry your Delta SkyMiles Gold Medallion card.

FEEDBACK? COMMENTS? Email us or leave your comments in the space below!

DELTA FLEET ENHANCEMENTS. Delta has announced the expedited retirement of more than 100 regional and aging mainline aircraft from its fleet as capacity growth is trimmed. Rising fuel prices have played a role in the move. First to go will be the remainder of the DC-9 fleet over the next 12-18 months. By late 2012, those gas-guzzlers will be long gone (good riddance).  Also on the chopping block are the 26 Saab 340s (buh-bye!) inherited with the Northwest merger. The remainder of cuts comes from the removal of about 60 50-seat CRJ-100s, which is certain to bring applause from frequent travelers tired of the cramped Barbie Jets. This news comes on the heels of Delta’s recent request to review a narrow body replacement for its fleet to begin later in the decade. Keep watching The TICKET for any major aircraft orders that may be on the way.

CANADA’S SOUTHWEST AIRLINES. A new interline agreement is now in effect between Delta and Canadian low-cost carrier WestJet. The partnership is similar to that launched recently between Delta and Brazilian carrier Gol permitting passengers to connect between the two carriers’ flights, but SkyMiles earning/burning potential is not part of the deal yet. Calgary-based WestJet handles a third of Canadian domestic flying.

LEAK SCANNER IMAGE, GO TO JAIL. Even though the TSA insists that new body scanners cannot capture and store images, two U.S. senators propose criminalizing the dissemination of airport full body scanner images. Chuck Schumer (NY) and Ben Nelson (NE) are hoping to add an amendment to the aviation spending bill that would prohibit anyone with access to the images from copying and distributing them. If they do, they’ll face fines of up to $100,000 and a prison term.

ANDROID APP. If you’ve been feeling left out of the Delta smartphone app craze because you’ve got an Android device, your wait is over. Now, in addition to Blackberry and iPhone app, Delta’s Android app is ready for downloading from the Android Market. With the app, you can get your flight status and gate info, search schedules, get eBoarding passes, check SkyMiles balances and even set a reminder about where you are parked at the airport. Eventually, these apps could help customers stuck in winter weather situations, allowing them to view and choose flight alternatives.

HEY JAVA JUNKIES. Delta has announced a partnership with Seattle’s Best Coffee (a subsidiary company of Starbucks) to serve their coffee on board. This premium coffee brand will be served in all three classes worldwide. Quietly, Delta conducted actual taste tests aboard select flights with passengers to determine which blend would have the best taste at altitude. The winner? Level 4 (based on a scale of 1 to 5 of roast intensity). Level 4 will begin appearing on Delta mainline and Delta Connection flights in March. (We’ve just learned to travel with a handy pack of Starbuck’s VIA, a TICKET sponsor, to avoid the possibility of bad travel coffee!)

SEPTUAGENARIAN. Delta recently reached its 70^th birthday serving Atlanta and celebrated with a big bash. As “Georgia’s hometown airline,” Delta deployed a new Boeing B777-200LR and christened it the “Spirit of Atlanta.” It will fly mainly on routes between ATL and Tokyo, Johannesburg, or Dubai.

NEW LOOK, BUT… The SkyMiles booking tool at  delta.com may have a new look, but feels as clunky as ever. Delta made a big splash about new options to filter, modify, and sort flight search results. However some available flights are now hidden unless searching by schedule (rather than price). Also, the site still displays crazy itineraries priced at 375,000 for a Business Class ticket. To be fair, Delta does offer some “low-category” mileage tickets around the globe, especially when traveling with partner airlines, but they can never be found on delta.com due to the consistently poor search engine. As always, to score the very best award deals you have to call a Delta agent. (And remember, you don’t pay the fee for the call unless you book a ticket.)

WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU! What do you think about The TICKET? What’s great or not so great about this issue? What else should we be doing to make it better? Email your comments to us or leave them below. WE LIVE FOR FEEDBACK! So come on! Let us know.

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New SkyMiles Medallion credentials on on their way to you this month.

Buffi Planas, Delta’s Marketing Communications manager in charge of SkyMiles credentials, provided The TICKET with a few interesting nuggets about this year’s tags:

>The envelope that your credentials are mailed in is clear, and the package is less bulky, using more recycled paper than before.

>The design of the credential package reflects Delta’s new black and white “Keep Climbing” campaign.

>All Diamond Medallion packs were stuffed by hand (!) and mailed out this week. Silver, Gold and Platinum packages are on a staggered schedule over the next two weeks.

>Like before, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond cards are plastic. What’s new this year is that they are one solid color: Platinum is all charcoal, Gold is all gold and Silver is all silver. (See below)

>The Diamond luggage tag and lanyard are made out of sturdy, clanky aluminum (not plastic) this year.  (More clank = More recognition, right?) Note: The Diamond Medallion wallet card is plastic, the luggage tag is aluminum.

Thanks to TICKET readers for sending along photos of their new Delta SkyMiles Diamond Medallion credentials for 2011. See photo of the Diamond card and mock ups of Silver, Gold and Platinum below. Have you received yours yet? If you’ve got new Silver, Gold or Platinum credentials, send us a photo and we’ll post it here! . (email to: ticketatl@travelskills.com )

Delta's new Diamond Medallion tags mailed Feb 2011. The card and lanyard are both metal; noisy, but tough.

Back of the Diamond Medallion tag. Note the classy raised lettering.

Note the "2" Million Miler notation

Thanks to TICKET reader Dan for sending this in!

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Fresh new look at Delta's Sky Club Miami (photo: Delta Air Lines)

SPIFFIER SKY CLUBS. Sky Clubs have been getting a makeover across the country with trendsetters Los Angeles and Miami (see photo) among the first to reopen with a contemporary new look. The latest additions to the pack include the long-awaited changes at the dated Minneapolis-St. Paul G Concourse club, now proudly sporting a 21st century look, the new Sky Club at ATL’s gate B-10, and New York LaGuardia’s club, now expanded since the Northwest merger. Philadelphia’s long-awaited terminal D lounge should open soon.  Self-service bars, snacking areas with fresh vegetables, charging stations, complimentary Wi-Fi and wireless printers are the new standard. Did you know… that Delta’s Sky Clubs are the only airport clubs that serve premium booze brands gratis? All other airline clubs charge for call brands.

TRIPLE SKYMILES TO THE SUN. Hop on a Delta jet to sunny Florida between now and February 15 and you’ll earn triple SkyMiles on flights between ATL and Ft Myers, Miami, Orlando or Tampa. Registration required.

THE SPIRIT OF ATLANTA. Watch Delta execs christen a brand new Boeing 777, The Spirit of Atlanta, with a bottle of Coke (natch!).  This month Delta celebrated 70 years in Atlanta. Here’s the video.

TOKYO BONUS. Don’t like the lengthy and pricey transfer between Tokyo and its distant Narita Airport?   Then consider Delta’s new service from Los Angeles and Detroit nonstop to Tokyo Haneda Airport. Recently opened to long-haul traffic, Haneda is much closer to downtown Tokyo than Narita. To celebrate, Delta is offering a double SkyMiles offer for all Economy Class fares and triple SkyMiles for BusinessElite fares. Register and then purchase a ticket and fly between Feb. 19 and May 31 to qualify. Since Delta’s got a hub operation at Narita, nonstops from ATL will continue to land there.

A Delta DC9 (Photo: Adam Kirk / Flickr)

THAT NEW PLANE SMELL. Delta has put feelers out to aircraft manufacturers for a major order of up to 200 narrow body aircraft of various sizes for delivery as early as 2013. The new aircraft will help lower the overall fleet age while placing an emphasis on minimizing fuel burn and being more energy efficient (in fact, that was a mandate from CEO Richard Anderson). These new planes would be used domestically and put an end to the decades-old DC-9s that Delta inherited from Northwest after the merger. Despite getting interior face-lifts and being outfitted with GoGo Wi-Fi access, those creaky DC-9’s are showing their age.

SKYMILES FOR HOTEL STAYS. This winter several hotel programs are offering SkyMiles bonuses. Marriott is offering triple miles with any qualifying stay between February 1 and April 30. Be sure to register. Hilton offers up to 2,000 bonus miles after an eligible stay at any of its participating brands. Register here. Headed to Europe or Asia? Japanese chain Nikko Hotels is offering double miles (1,000) for stays at any of its properties through March 31.

SHOP ONLINE. EARN MILES. Now that the holidays are over, shopping portals like SkyMilesShopping.com are encouraging New Year spending with special promotions like this one with American Express. Visit americanexpress.skymilesshopping.com to enjoy special deals for SkyMiles Amex cardholders such as bonus miles offers of up to 25 miles per dollar spent and sales designed just for Delta-branded cardholders.

NIFTY ARTY NUGGET: Did you know that you can use your Bank of America debit or credit card for free admission to 150 museums one weekend per month throughout 2011? Nice deal!  Details here

DELTA GROWTH FOCUS: LATIN AMERICA, AFRICA. “To really comprehend Delta’s international growth, consider that in 1996 — the year that Atlanta hosted the Summer Olympics — Delta flew to only 12 international destinations out of Atlanta. Today, it is flying to 79 international destinations out of ATL. Historically, Delta had been focused on European destinations out of Atlanta. Then it increased its service to Latin America. And recently it has discovered the opportunities that exist in Africa. Click here to read Maria Saporta’s interesting analysis of Delta’s international growth.

King Khalid Airport - Saudi Arabia, Riyadh (Photo: xsix - Flickr)

SKYTEAM INVADES MIDDLE EAST. SkyTeam is on a growth spurt of late with news breaking this month that Saudi Arabian Airlines and MEA, Middle East Airlines of Lebanon, have plans to join in 2012. The two airlines will fill a major white space in the alliance network since there are no Middle Eastern carriers in SkyTeam at the moment. This is somewhat of a first as there are few airlines in the region that have joined a global alliance. Two modern hubs at Riyadh and Beirut will ease connections in the Gulf and the Levant regions respectively. While at first glance the two airlines may raise some travelers’ eyebrows, both have excellent safety records, strong route networks, and high service standards.

THE MOST POPULAR TICKET POST OF 2010?? Silver Medallions, Million Milers, What’s your Beef? From June 17. We are STILL getting comments almost weekly on this post.

ANOTHER AMEX>SKYMILES TRANSFER BONUS. American Express, Membership Rewards members can transfer points to Delta SkyMiles accounts and earn a 30 percent bonus on points transferred. There is no limit to the number of points that can be moved over so this is a nice way to top off your SkyMiles account with some extra points. A small fee to offset the federal excise tax is imposed, but it is more than worth the price considering the bonus miles awarded. Details. This deal is not as lucrative as the one we included in December. But if you missed out, go for it!

LAUNDRY LIST. Loyal SkyMiles members know that the SkyMiles Clothing Care network is a mileage-earning staple. There is no sign up charge and new members earn a bonus. Earn SkyMiles for every dollar spent at participating dry cleaners in your area by visiting www.SkyMilesClothingCare.com. Can’t find one nearby? Print the form on the web site and submit it with your next batch of dry cleaning to encourage your local dry cleaner to participate.

BOINGO FOR SKYMILES. Most frequent users of Boingo’s extensive international Wi-Fi network are champions of the service. And now, Delta SkyMiles members can rack up 500 SkyMiles for signing up for an unlimited access account. The service provides unlimited access at thousands of airports, hotels, restaurants, and public access. Members regularly save significant amounts if traveling and logging on frequently. Visit http://www.boingo.com/sales/skymiles.

SMALL BIZ BONUS. Own a small business or handle the travel plans for your company? Then you need to know about Delta’s Sky Bonus program (if you don’t already) designed to reward small businesses AND individual travelers. All that is needed is a tax ID number to sign up. Both the company and the passenger earn points for their flights. This double dip enhances the incentive to fly with Delta and offers awards like free tickets, Sky Club passes, and in-flight beverage/headset coupons for redemption. Between now and February 28, SkyBonus is offering a promotion for companies based in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania (Details). Earn a free roundtrip flight after signing up and flying one trip plus other bonus prizes.  Atlanta-based travelers with a company based in NY, NJ, CT, and PA are eligible for this promotion.

VACATION BOOKING BONUS. Consider stopping by Delta Vacations’ Talkin Travel blog (blog.deltavacations.com) before booking to read travel experiences and tips from others who have booked combined air and hotel packages with this Delta affiliate. For social media fans, follow Delta Vacations on Facebook or Twitter for a chance to win a gift card redeemable for a Delta Vacations package. Medallion members can even earn up to 2,000 bonus miles when booking a vacation package at DeltaVacations.com between now and Feb. 28. Often, these hotel and flight packages can be cheaper than booking them independent of each other so be sure to compare prices before booking. Booking luxury packages adds up to even bigger bonuses.

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Attention AirTran A+ Rewards members: Your frequent flyer program is going to change. Big time.

This week Southwest Airlines announced a complete revamp of Rapid Rewards, its frequent flyer program. With the impending takeover of AirTran by Southwest, we’ll all be Rapid Rewards members late this year or in early 2012.

Let’s take a look at some key components of the new Rapid Rewards program and compare them to the current A+ Rewards plan and speculate a bit on how the transition from A-Plus to Rapid Rewards might play out.

On March 1, Rapid Rewards is changing from a flight-credit based program very similar to that of AirTran to a points-based program. Points earned are based more on how much you spend than how often or far you fly.

The new program is more appealing to business travelers, who typically pay more for less restrictive fares. It’s less appealing to those who typically fly on very low discounted fares.

So if you are a frequent business traveler who tends to fly more at the last minute and pays higher fares, you will probably like Rapid Rewards. If you are a bargain-hunter and stick to the lowest fare categories, the new Rapid Rewards program is probably going to have less appeal than AirTran’s A+ Rewards.

>EARNING. With AirTran’s A+, members earn one flight credit per segment no matter how much it costs. 16 segments equal one free roundtrip. With the new Rapid Rewards, members earn points based on fare paid. For example, on a Southwest deeply discounted $100 “Wanna Get Away” one-way fare you’ll earn 600 points– six points per dollar. If you choose to pay the $200 “Anytime” fare, you’ll earn 2000 points– 10 points per dollar. And if you choose the most expensive “Business Select” fare of $220, you’ll earn 2,640 points– 12 points per dollar.

>REDEEMING. With AirTran’s A+, you redeem your credits for an award certificate. When you book your award flight using that certificate, you are subject to availability and blackout dates. With the new Rapid Rewards program, you use your points like currency to “buy” any available seat listed on Southwest.com—there are no blackouts or availability issues. So if you find and book the least expensive “Wanna Get Away” one-way fare that normally sells for $100, it will cost 6000 points. The less restrictive $200 “Anytime” fare will cost 20,000 points. Business Select fares ($220) would cost 26,400 points. TIP: AirTran members should go ahead and redeem credits for long-distance and/or business class awards this year while the going is good.

>EXPIRATION. One of the most frustrating features of AirTran’s A+ program is the short shelf life of flight credits— one year for regular members or two years for elites and those holding the A+ Visa card. With the new Rapid Rewards program, points expire only if you don’t have any earning activity within a 24-month time period.

>INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS. Just like AirTran’s A+ Rewards program, Southwest has teamed up with a third party travel agent allowing members to use their points to “buy” tickets on other carriers. (Details are somewhat sketchy here, but if the program is similar to that of AirTran, tickets for international flights will require a hefty redemption of points . . . but at least it’s an option for members who’ve banked lots of points.) The option differs from AirTran’s by requiring those who want to take advantage of it to hold a $59/year Southwest Rapid Rewards credit card.

>ELITE LEVELS. AirTran offers just one level of elite status to those who earn at least 25 flight credits in a rolling calendar year or 10 credits in a 90-day window. To maintain elite status, A+ members only have to earn 12 credits in a rolling 12 month period. The new Southwest program will offer two elite levels: A-List, A-List Preferred, plus the popular Companion Pass. Members have to fly 25 one-way segments or earn 35,000 “tier qualifying points” to qualify for the A-List. For the A-List Preferred tier, you must fly 50 one-way segments or earn 70,000 tier qualifying points. To help build point banks faster, A-List members get a 25 percent booking bonus; Preferred members get a 100 percent bonus. (AirTran does not offer any flight credit bonuses to elite members.) Members who fly at last 100 one-way segments or earn 110,000 points (even if they are just standard points from Southwest credit card purchases, not the “tier qualifying” points needed for A-List or Preferred) get a “Companion Pass,” allowing one designated person to fly free with the member for a year.

>UPGRADES. AirTran A+ Elite members can use their credits and status to upgrade to business class. Southwest has stated that it will replace AirTran’s business class with its all coach product. While Rapid Rewards elites won’t be able to upgrade to a big business class seat, they do get other perks such as access to special lines at check-in and airport security, early boarding and standby priority.

>FREE WI-FI. With the new Rapid Reward program, those near top of the heap, A-List Preferred and Companion Pass members, will get free Wi-Fi access on all Southwest flights. Currently Southwest has close to 100 planes with Wi-Fi with plans to have it fleet wide within two years. As TICKET reader know, all of AirTran’s planes are equipped with Wi-Fi, but with a different system (Gogo) than the one Southwest has chosen. Time will tell how that part of the transition works!

>TRANSITION. Southwest is hesitant to address transition to the new program until the transaction to buy AirTran closes. I assume that it will offer AirTran A+ members the same deal it’s offering Rapid Rewards members: current banked flight credits will retain their value until they are used or expire. If you don’t have enough credits for a free flight, you’ll be able to “buy” them for 1200 points. Fair enough. I also assume that Southwest will honor AirTran elite status, but the jury’s out on how it will determine which level of Rapid Rewards elite they’ll get.

For a peek and more details of the NEW Rapid Rewards program, check out the new site here: www.newrapidrewards.com

So, what do you think? Is this good or bad news for A+ Reward members?

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TICKET Editor Chris McGinnis doles out holiday travel tips on FOX News (BEFORE all bad weather hit!)

Happy Holidays! It’s that time of year again…when travel pundits and prognosticators do their best to gaze into the future and predict what may or may not happen in the big wide world of travel in the coming year.

Here are The TICKET’s top ten predictions for frequent travelers in 2011:

1-RISING PRICES. Business travel prices will continue to rise, but not enough to dampen renewed demand.

2-AIRFARE. Fares will continue to rise sharply, especially for flights between cities where only one or two legacy carriers operate. From Atlanta, all you have to do is follow the route map of AirTran (and soon, Southwest) to know where the deals are (or aren’t). We do not expect much change in AirTran operations in 2011– 2012 will be the big year for full integration with Southwest. Also, prepare for more fuel surcharges as oil nears $100 per barrel– it’s currently about $89 and rising.

3-TRAVEL DEALS. In terms of travel deals, there will be a wider gap between peak season and off-season prices. Those with flexibility to travel outside the peak travel dates will continue to find good deals and more short-term “flash” type sales. (Think Jetsetter or Sniqueaway) Those who must travel during peak periods will face sticker shock. (Peak periods generally run when school is out: Holidays, long weekends, July and August.)

Rates in NYC will rise, but remain in check due to an abundance of new rooms coming online. Pictured: The swank penthouse suite at the brand new 6-7-room InterContinental Times Square.

4-HOTEL RATES. Due to continued overcapacity, hotel rates should remain about the same or slightly up, on average, over the next year. Hotel rates in New York City will rise, but a steady supply of new hotels opening there should keep rate inflation to acceptable levels, especially among mid-tier properties.

5-FREE WI-FI. More upscale hotel chains will join their midscale counterparts to offer free in-room Wi-Fi. We’ll also see hoteliers pay more attention to bandwidth issues on their existing systems. What good is free Wi-Fi if it doesn’t work? In-flight Wi-Fi prices could moderate as Southwest’s $5 flat fee for inflight Wi-Fi expands to more flights.

(Like what you are reading? Then or TWITTER)

6-LONGER STAYS. Hotel chains will offer more loyalty program promotions designed to get travelers to increase the duration of their stays. (Such as “buy two nights, get the third free.”)

7-DRIVING VS. FLYING. Due to recent changes in security screening, the airport hassle factor could return, and more frequent travelers will consider driving instead of flying. The “five hour rule” might change to the “six hour rule.”

8-MOBILE DEVICES. We’ll see more focus on business travelers’ smart phones, which will soon be used to open hotel room doors and will be accepted as payment instead of credit cards. There will be more promotions designed to encourage the use of mobile devices to book and manage travel reservations

9-IN-FLIGHT PHONING. In-flight phone calling, now available on several non-U.S. airlines will become more prevalent and might even be considered by a domestic carrier. High per-call rates and peer pressure should keep abuse in check– remember those pricey GTE Airfones that no one ever used because they were too expensive? I expect the same with in-flight cell phone use.

10-MEETINGS & CONVENTIONS. More of us will attend large annual trade shows and conventions this year as pent up demand is released. Many companies banned non-essential travel over the last two years and business travelers are eager to get out of the office and re-establish face-to-face contact with customers and colleagues. However, I think small and medium-sized meetings will face more competition from virtual alternatives.

(ONE EXTRA PREDICTION: 11- Better airline coverage in The TICKET! We’ve brought on a new airline correspondent, Ramsey Qubein! Ramsey,  a Diamond Medallion on Delta, has been enhancing our airline coverage with great insider news and tips over the last month. Stay tuned for more from him and The TICKET in 2011.)

DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU ARE READING? PLEASE HELP THE TICKET INCREASE READERSHIP! Think of it as your holiday gift to us! Just copy and paste the following message into an email to your frequent traveling family and friends: >> Hey there: You should check out The TICKET, a blog I always take the time to read and one that always provides a tip or two I have not read anywhere else. It’s free. There’s no spam. You’ll get 2-3 emails a month from them. Check it out and subscribe here: http://www.theticket-atlanta.com <<

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Full, friendly service on a recent AirTran flight between ATL and SFO.

Elite level members of AirTran’s A+ Rewards program are getting more opportunities to sample the joys of business class this season. Enjoy it while you can because those big seats are reportedly going to disappear later in 2011 when Southwest takes over.

Here’s the deal: AirTran soft-launched a promotion last Wednesday (December 8 ) and it runs through February 18, 2011.  Elites traveling on discounted coach fares will now be upgraded (if there is a seat available in Biz Class) at 24 hours prior to departure.  Prior to Dec 8, they were eligible for upgrades 40 minutes prior to departure and it was a manual gate agent process.  Now it is automated, and they know if they are upgraded at time of check-in.  (The official announcement about this goes out next week.)

As a permanent policy change, AirTran is allowing Elites to call the special Elite number, the A+ number or the 800-AIRTRAN number to pay for an upgrade on any coach fare 48 hours prior to departure.  (This part is permanent, not a promotion.)

All in all, this means that Elites will now have more opportunities to sit upfront:

>They can buy a Business Class ticket – A fare – and sit upfront.

>They can buy a full coach ticket (Y or B) and be upgraded at time of booking if seat is available.

>They can buy a discounted coach ticket and pay the upgrade fee 48 hours prior to departure by calling us.  Permanent change.

>And through February 18, they can buy a discounted coach ticket and get the complimentary upgrade 24 hours prior to departure (instead of 40 minutes) – and check-in is allowed 24 hours prior to departure so they know they are upgraded when they check in.

DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU ARE READING? PLEASE HELP THE TICKET INCREASE READERSHIP! Think of it as your holiday gift to us! Just copy and paste the following message into an email to your frequent traveling family and friends: >> Hey there: You should check out The TICKET, a blog I always take the time to read and one that always provides a tip or two I have not read anywhere else. It’s free. There’s no spam. You’ll get 2-3 emails a month from them. Check it out and subscribe here: http://www.theticket-atlanta.com <<

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One of Delta's new Embraer Jets (credit: Christopher Ebdon / Flickr)

DELTA BRINGS WI-FI TO REGIONAL JETS. Delta is bringing wireless Internet access to its fleet of 70-90 passenger EMB-170, CRJ-700 and CRJ-900 Delta Connection aircraft. This industry first for a U.S. carrier will help ease the pain of flying on those smaller, cute-but-cramped “Barbie jets” (as we like to call them around here). Anyway, don’t expect to enjoy the free Wi-Fi that Google is offering during the holiday season on Delta mainline flights. Retrofits will begin next month and should take all year to complete as each aircraft takes its turn getting the antennas. As of now, each of Delta’s mainline aircraft is fitted with wireless Internet. Both Air Tran and Delta offer 100 percent Wi-Fi equipped planes keeping Atlanta travelers connected in the air. I’m glad to know that Wi-Fi’s an option on Delta’s RJs, but I rarely use it for flights less than two hours. And have you tried to open up and work on a laptop on a Barbie jet? Maybe Delta’s doing this for those using tablets and PDAs… What do YOU think? Leave your comments below.

DELTA PREMIUM ECONOMY. As reported earlier in The TICKET, Delta is reportedly introducing a new premium economy product on its international aircraft. More rumors have emerged hinting that it will be closer to United’s Economy Plus product rather than a separate cabin with individual service–  with more leg room, but no different than the rest of the economy cabin. While details are still being fleshed out, it’s certain that there will be a slight premium to purchase these seats, but Delta’s Medallion and SkyTeam Elite/Elite Plus members will likely be able to select seats in these rows without a fee.

MAJOR MEMBERSHIP REWARDS BONUS OPPORTUNITY. Participants in American Express’ Membership Rewards program can take advantage of one of its best mileage transfer deals ever this month. Move points from the AMEX program to SkyMiles and receive a 50% bonus on miles plus 25,000 MQMs if transferring 50,000 points or more.  A small fee is incurred when transferring miles. Hurry, the promotion ends Dec. 15. https://www.delta.com/pet/gofarther/pet/main

CONTRIBUTE TO TO A CAUSE, EARN MQM MILES. Check this out! SkyMiles members hoping to top off accounts with Medallion Qualifying Miles this year can donate to a variety of causes, including AID Atlanta, and earn 2500-5000 MQMs. Not bad! Details.

DOUBLE SKYMILES ACROSS THE ATLANTIC. Bonus SkyMiles abound this winter especially for international travelers. To celebrate Delta’s joint venture with Air France-KLM and Alitalia, it’s offering double miles no matter what class of service is flown. Registration is required: https://www.delta.com/pet/transatlanticdouble/pet/main. Routes include JFK-Brussels, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Madrid, and Manchester; Dallas/Ft. Worth-Amsterdam; Houston-Amsterdam and Paris; and Seattle-Paris among others. You might have to take a circuitous route, but you’ll rack up miles twice as fast on transatlantic trips thanks to this excellent deal.

GOLD MEDALLION = SKYTEAM ELITE PLUS. Delta insiders have told The TICKET that it will be making a major change to the Gold Medallion frequent flyer elite level in March 2011 when it elevates the tier to SkyTeam Elite Plus status. This puts SkyTeam in line with other alliances like Star Alliance, which consider flyers with 50,000 annual miles to be in their alliance’s highest tier. Privileges of SkyTeam Elite Plus include increased baggage allowance with some carriers and access to any SkyTeam carrier’s lounge when traveling on an international SkyTeam ticket (no matter the class of service). NOTE: Remember to always carry your Medallion card as it is required to gain entry in conjunction with a same-day departing SkyTeam boarding pass.

DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU ARE READING? PLEASE HELP THE TICKET INCREASE READERSHIP! Think of it as your holiday gift to us! Just copy and paste the following message into an email to your frequent traveling family and friends: >> Hey there: You should check out The TICKET, a blog I always take the time to read and one that always provides a tip or two I have not read anywhere else. It’s free. There’s no spam. You’ll get 2-3 emails a month from them. Check it out and subscribe here: http://www.theticket-atlanta.com <<

NEW “LITE” VERSION OF SKY CLUB? Rumors are in the air about a new concept dubbed “Sky Club Lite,” which would be a scaled-down version of the existing Sky Club product in cities that may not be able to justify the expense of a full-service Sky Club. While still under consideration, the club will most likely be “unmanned,” and offer a self-service drink and snack station. No decisions have been made regarding what the product would be and how it would be accessed if implemented. Fifteen airports across the system are reportedly under consideration for the offering, but no official date has been set for a decision. This concept was in use in the 1980s when airlines offered private club rooms to premium customers who accessed them by entering a pin code at the door.

SKY CLUB COMING TO ATL CONCOURSE D. Sky Club members have something else to look forward to in the coming year: Delta is apparently building a Sky Club in ATL’s D Concourse. The concourse is served by Delta Connection regional jets, and is the only terminal at the airport that lacks a SkyClub. Previously, passengers had no lounge option when flying from D gates, but the new club will provide a self-service bar and snack stations. The club will be located on the ground level near departure gates, but no completion date has been set.

Note the iPads at each table in this mock up of Delta's Bar Brace at La Guardia

HIGH TECH GATE GRUB AT JFK. Delta has installed special iPad kiosks near boarding gates 15, 21 and 22 at JFK that allow passengers to place orders at various gourmet eateries in the terminal for guaranteed delivery within ten minutes at the gate. Special seating areas near the gate feature charging stations and allow you to enjoy an expedited meal near the gate rather than take too much time in the actual restaurant. Expect similar service at New York LaGuardia (gates 1 and 2) sometime next spring.

CAR SERVICE IN NYC. Nothing is worse than flying up to NYC during the winter and facing an hour-long wait in a taxicab queue. At this time of year, we ALWAYS use a car service. The cheapest one with the most reliable service that we’ve used over the years: Dial 7. Memorize its number: 212-777-7777. Rates from airport to city typically run only $5 or so more than taxi fares. Cars are not always brand new and shiny, but they get the job done. Many times you can call as soon as you land and get a car at the last minute, but we recommend a reservation.  DO YOU USE A CAR SERVICE? If you’d like to recommend others, please do so in the comments box below.

DELTA EXPANDING OUT WEST. Delta is boosting its point-to-point network further with the addition of B737 nonstop flights between Las Vegas and Orange County beginning in January.

NEW SKYTEAM PARTNERS. In 2012 both Garuda Indonesia and Aerolineas Argentinas will join the SkyTeam alliance. Despite a spotty safety record,  Garuda has made a big turnaround recently and was named the “World’s Most Improved Airline” in 2010 by SkyTrax. It’s been a somewhat bumpy ride for Aerolineas Argentinas in recent years, too, which lead to a nationalization (and stabilization) of the carrier two years ago.

VIETNAM? ROMANIA? GET A BONUS. Speaking of SkyTeam, travelers flying on two of the alliance’s newest members, Vietnam Airlines and TAROM Romanian Airlines, can take advantage of a unique promotion that offers 3,000 bonus SkyMiles for your first roundtrip international flight on either of the airlines. Registration is required at https://www.delta.com/pet/tarombonus/pet/main for TAROM and https://www.delta.com/pet/vietnambonus/pet/main for Vietnam Airlines. Both members joined the alliance this past summer and offer excellent award availability for those looking to redeem frequent flyer miles. Unfortunately, the only way to find out which flights are available for award redemption is by calling Delta directly as delta.com does include these partners yet.

DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU ARE READING? PLEASE HELP THE TICKET INCREASE READERSHIP! Think of it as your holiday gift to us! Just copy and paste the following message into an email to your frequent traveling family and friends: >> Hey there: You should check out The TICKET, a blog I always take the time to read and one that always provides a tip or two I have not read anywhere else. It’s free. There’s no spam. You’ll get 2-3 emails a month from them. Check it out and subscribe here: http://www.theticket-atlanta.com <<

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airtran.com | delta.com | Hotwire

About this time of year, devotees of the airline frequent flyer programs try to jam in unnecessary extra trips to obtain (or maintain) their cherished elite status. This clever video animation questions that practice.

As most TICKET readers know, elite status bestows benefits such as early boarding, access to better seats, easier upgrades and baggage fee waivers. To earn elite status, you need to fly at least 25,000 miles per year. But many TICKET readers point out, 25,000 (and silver status) is not enough to get much anymore. So many are gunning for 50,000 (Gold) or 75,000 (platinum) where real benefits start to kick in.

Here’s another idea: CONTRIBUTE TO TO A CAUSE, EARN MQM MILES. SkyMiles members hoping to top off accounts with Medallion Qualifying Miles this year can donate to a variety of causes, including AID Atlanta, and earn 2500-5000 MQMs. Not bad! Details.

Are mileage runs a smart move or an exercise in futility? Why or why not? Are YOU taking a mileage run this year? If so, where to and how much are you paying and how many miles will you earn? (One TICKET reader emailed to tell us he got a cheap last minute seat to Johannesburg on Delta, which will push him into Platinum status this year.)

DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU ARE READING? PLEASE HELP THE TICKET INCREASE READERSHIP! Think of it as your holiday gift to us! Just copy and paste the following message into an email to your frequent traveling family and friends: >> Hey there: You should check out The TICKET, a blog I always take the time to read and one that always provides a tip or two I have not read anywhere else. It’s free. There’s no spam. You’ll get 2-3 emails a month from them. Check it out and subscribe here: http://www.theticket-atlanta.com <<

Don’t Forget! BOOK ALL YOUR ONLINE TRAVEL VIA LINKS FROM THE TICKET! It helps us help you!

Just click here:

airtran.com | delta.com | Hotwire