Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

Delta rolled out a new design for its homepage at delta.com today. It looks great and focuses on the functions frequent travelers use most.

Note that for now, it’s ONLY the homepage that has changed. The guts of the site are the same, but Delta says the redesign will eventually work its way throughout the entire site. Stay tuned.

Take a look delta.com and LET US KNOW what you think. Is this just “lipstick on a pig” or a meaningful move in the right direction?

Here’s a snapshot of the new page:

Air Force One

On Tuesday, President Obama urged federal government employees to cut back on business travel in an effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The president wants the federal government, now the largest energy consumer in the country, to cut its emissions from indirect sources like commuting and business travel by 13 percent by 2020.

That sounds fair enough, but the announcement did not sit well at all with the travel industry.

On Wednesday the U.S. Travel Association fired back, calling Obama’s effort to curb government employee travel “short-sighted and counter-productive…. and will further economic decline at precisely the wrong time for the more than two million Americans whose jobs depend on business travel.” (Read the full statement here.)

Michael McCormick, executive director of another travel trade organization, the National Business Travel Association stated, “President Obama’s recent statements calling for a reduction in government travel are troubling for two reasons. First, they are part of a pattern of negative and misguided comments from the Administration that hurt the travel industry at an incredibly challenging time. Second, they seem to imply that cutting travel is the goal. The goal should be to use travel as cost-effectively as possible to meet the needs of the United States…”

On Thursday, perhaps as a way to hold out an olive branch to the beleagured travel industry, the President announced the he and his family would be vacationing on the Florida Gulf coast in August.

Who is right here? Should we be cut back on business travel to reduce emissions? Or should we encourage business travel to aid an ailing travel industry that’s just now starting to recover? Please leave your comments below!

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As of today, Canadian authorities have relaxed the onerous ZERO carry-on bag policy enacted after Christmas Day bombing attempt over Detroit. Passengers on flights bound for the U.S. from Canada can now carry on a single bag, plus a personal item like a purse, briefcase or laptop bag.

This is more or less a return to the rules in force before the Dec 25 incident, but a spokesperson at Transport Canada told The TICKET that travelers should expect tighter enforcement of the one-bag rule.

This is VERY good news for Vancouver Winter Olympics-bound travelers headed north in February.

Hey Folks: Based on our most recent poll (<<LOOK LEFT!<<), most TICKET readers have NOT tried in-flight wi-fi yet. What are you waiting for? If it’s cost, we’ve got a deal for you. TICKET readers can give the new Gogo inflight internet service a go FOR FREE now through January 7, 2010.

Here’s how: When you get on a wi-fi equipped plane (all AirTran jets and most Delta 757’s have it now. It’s also on United and American) fire up your laptop or PDA and log on the internet. You will automatically arrive at the Gogo site. Then enter this code:

2285274562xbf

(copy and paste this into a doc or write it on a slip of paper and put in your wallet to access on the plane)

And Voila! Free internet! Let us know what you think.

UPDATE: Let’s just say that anyone who pays for in-flight wi-fi this winter is a dummy! This just in: Delta and eBay have teamed up, with eBay sponsoring FREE inflight wi-fi on Delta during Thanksgiving.

UC Berkeley Grad Student Gabriel Leigh

Okay all you mileage-obsessed mileage mavens, mileage junkies, travel addicts, road warriors or anyone who has ever held an elite level membership with a frequent flyer program. You know who you are. This video is for you.

This 20-minute documentary (titled “Frequent Flyer”) is actually the master’s thesis of Gabriel Leigh, journalism grad student at UC Berkeley. I don’t normally have 20 minutes to devote to an online video, but this was time well spent. (The video is very professionally made and easy on the eyes…)

So sit back, relax, hit the full-screen button and enjoy this….it will be like looking in the mirror for many of you!

Frequent Flyer from Gabriel Leigh on Vimeo.

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