Flee the cold at the Ritz in Naples, FL

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It snowed today. It was cold and wet, and my feet were drenched by the time I got home. It sucked. My soggy, frigid feet felt even worse when my mind turned to a pair of Ritz-Carlton resorts in Naples, FL. The golf resort and the beach resort ooze luxury, and the airport is accessible from most major airports. JetBlue, admittedly not my favorite airline, puts Naples in reach (via Fort Meyers) from several cities in the northeast, and Delta can fly you in from anywhere, though you may make a quick stop in Atlanta.

So, why does all this matter?

I stayed at the Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, and it was one of the few times in my life I’ve actually felt relaxed. I’m not a golfer-at all-but I understand the courses are fantastic. Called Tiburon, they 36 holes are named for Greg Norman, whose nickname is the English equivalent (Shark).

A heads up from course pro Roger James: the second and seventeenth holes on the “Black” course (as opposed to “Gold”) are the toughest. I’m happy to take his word for it.

Over at the Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort, on the other hand, I felt right at home in the spa. The beach is probably the big draw, but it’s not really my style. Soak in the salt bath for a while, as I did, and you’ll feel like nothing outside that tub matters. Follow it up with a massage, and you’ll probably book an extra night at the hotel.

So, on a day like today, I couldn’t think about anything but sitting on that hotel room balcony with a glass of wine next to me and a cigar in hand. If you need a fast getaway for the nasty winter months, remember that there are some corners of Florida that cater to adults.

Many inexpensive last minute holiday airfares do exist

by Jamie Rhein on

You’ve probably noticed the stories about how airfares have dropped and air traffic is down. Two weeks ago, I flew from Copenhagen to Columbus on two airplanes that were not full. The Continental flight from Copenhagen to Newark was empty enough that most people had seats between them.

The flight from Newark to Columbus was even more roomy. The row in front of my daughter and me was empty, and we had that hoped for seat between us as well.

With less people flying that means more competition to entice passengers to fly. My mom is heading to New York City for the holidays. This past May, she took the bus because of gas prices and soaring airline costs. Her ticket plane ticket would have cost almost $400 at the time.

She thought about the bus again until last night when I searched for airplane tickets on a whim. There were several options for a $166 airfare when I used the variable date function. Delta and Northwest were the least expensive flights, but the flight she wanted was on Delta to LaGuardia which she prefers over JFK. Flights into Newark, at least the ones I saw, were more expensive.

Not only was she able to score a flight to the airport of choice, she also was able to get flights that are direct and leave at the times she preferred. At first, it looked like she’d have to leave at 6 a.m., but after going to another day of departure, an early afternoon flight to New York appeared. She also wanted to book a return flight later in the day than what originally appeared. Again, further looking found the exact flight out of LaGuardia.

After using Travelocity to find choices, I went directly to Delta’s web site to book the ticket. The amazing detail is that she’s leaving on Monday, just days from booking the ticket. Cheap flights so close to departure used to be unheard of.

So, if you’re thinking of going somewhere for the holidays, look into flying. It may be far less expensive than you thought. These are the days of deals. To find the best ones, look for flights during the week. My mom is flying out on a Monday and back on a Wednesday. In this case, the direct flights were less than the flights that went through another airport. I am amazed.

Delta offers buyouts to 75,000 employees

by Josh Lew on

Despite promises that job cuts will be minimal as a result of the Northwest/Delta merger, Delta recently offered buyouts to 75,000 employees. Delta CEO Richard Anderson explained that the airline needs to make the cuts because of the economy: “To deal with the effect of the recession, we are moving quickly and decisively to decrease system-wide capacity by 6 to 8%.” This could be bad news for Delta employees. Severance packages are offered in lieu of lay-offs, but if not enough workers opt for the buyouts…

Northwest and Delta have hinted that their merger will lead to an unspecified number of job cuts. The Delta buyouts might allow Northwest employees at hubs in Minneapolis and Detroit to rest a little easier. Delta is offering buyouts to its own employees instead of swooping in to Northwest hubs and giving their own workers the best jobs. The only thing that is certain is that the drama is far from over.

[Via Today in the Sky]

Inflight Internet on Delta arrives just in time for the Holiday season

by Scott Carmichael on

A mere 4 months after the initial announcement, Delta Airlines and Aircell are kicking off the launch of the first 6 aircraft with inflight Internet access tomorrow.

We have been covering Aircell and their Gogo inflight Internet service for some time now, and I’ve been quite impressed by the speed at which they are getting the equipment installed on aircraft. The first Delta planes with broadband Internet access will be on 5 of the MD-88 shuttle fleet and one 757.

Aircraft with the service can be recognized by a “Wi-Fi hotspot” decal next to the boarding door.

If this good news wasn’t enough to make you happy, Aircell also let me know that access to the service will be free till the end of the year. You’ll find the Gogo Inflight Internet equipped aircraft on Delta Shuttle routes between LaGuardia and Boston, as well as LaGuardia and Washington Reagan. The 757 will be flying regular domestic flights, so make sure to check for that decal!

The current schedule for adding inflight Internet to the Delta fleet is to have 10 aircraft in operation by the end of the year, and to have the entire fleet outfitted by the end of 2009. Once the Delta branded fleet has been outfitted, engineers will begin work on the Northwest Airlines fleet, which is now part of Delta.

2009 is going to be a fantastic year for those of us who need more than an inflight movie to stay entertained, and once Internet is more readily available, I’m convinced that some people may even change their airline loyalty to pick an airline that has invested in this kind of service. So far, 4 airlines have commited to the Aircell Gogo service (American Airlines, Air Canada, Delta/Northwest and Virgin America).

Other tales from the skies
Amazing and insane stories from a real-life flight attendant and co-pilot

Hilarious abuse of the Delta In-Flight Safety Video

by Annie Scott on


So, here’s the Delta Airlines In-Flight Safety Video. Pretty standard, right? Nothing to write home about. A good-looking, vaguely-Southern flight attendant, some poor, dorky guy whose big break was wearing a life vest — all good fun.

Well, someone took that fun a step further …
Did you think that that “smoking is not allowed” moment was a little over-the-top? Somebody did! Enjoy this hilarious slowdown, and re-slowdown.


I can’t believe someone took the time to do this, but dang, it’s funny.