Delta Airlines Suspends Congress Special Treatment

Kudos to Delta Airlines!

Thanks to the Chuck Schumer/Democrat-led partial shutdown, the airline is suspending the special treatment accorded to members of Congress.

Reuters reported:

WASHINGTON, March 24 (Reuters) - Delta Air Lines said on Tuesday it would suspend special services for members of Congress, citing the impact ​of a partial government shutdown that has disrupted U.S. air travel.

"Due ‌to the impact on resources from the longstanding government shutdown, Delta will temporarily suspend specialty services to members of Congress flying Delta. Next to safety, Delta’s ​no. 1 priority is taking care of our people and ​customers, which has become increasingly difficult in the current environment,” ⁠the Atlanta-based U.S. air carrier said in a statement.

Other airlines should also follow suit and suspend perks accorded to members of Congress during the shutdown. They should have a big taste of their own medicine.

To read more, go here.

Home Again

Above, Jessica and I at the Olive Garden.

Last night, I got home from a five day trip to Des Moines, Iowa to help my ex-roommate Jessica to pack up and and take things to a storage unit. 

To say that the work was tedious and strenuous would be putting it mildly. Especially so or this 71-year-old. But we got it done.

We did have some good times which included dinners a the Wasabi sushi restaurant and Olive Garden.

It was interesting to see snow already over the Rockies on the way home along with views of the Grand Canyon. 

For once, I had no problems with the flights. All were on time and without any incident. Going over to Iowa I flew on Delta Airlines and on Southwest Airlines on the the way back. 

I started the trip by staying Sunday night at the Rodeway Inn in Albuquerque as I had an early morning flight. I ate dinner and a breakfast at the nearby Waffle House. 

A few photos:

The Most Affordable U.S. Airlines

Above, Delta Airlines came in at number 10 as an affordable airline. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

This year, I took six flights on U.S. airlines. 

The first was a round-trip to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport to attend G-FEST. The flights were non-stop flights. The second was a round-trip, which included two connecting flights, to Miami for the cruise last month to the Bahamas, bringing the total of six. The Chicago flights were with American Airlines and the Miami flights were with Delta Airlines.

According to a study by AirAdvisor, those airlines are far from the cheapest. American came in at number 8 and Delta came in at number 10.

The average cost for each round-trip was $400.

One may ask, What are the most affordable (and most expensive) U.S. airlines?

Travel + Leisure has posted an article answering just that question.

They begin it with:

Frontier Airlines is the cheapest carrier in the United States, despite its history of upselling customers for things like bags and seat selection.

The ranking is courtesy of a new study from airline compensation company AirAdvisor shared with Travel + Leisure, which looked at total passenger revenue per seat mile for the top 10 airlines in the U.S. When it comes to Frontier, the airline was more than $0.01 per mile cheaper than the next cheapest airline, fellow low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines.

“Frontier Airlines is often referred to as an ultra-low-cost carrier, and this certainly rings true based on our research,” AirAdvisor wrote in the study. “US airlines don’t get any cheaper than this as a whole.”

 To read more, go here.

Delta Airlines Issues Apology To Passengers Over Outage

Above, a Delta jet at the Twin Falls, Idaho airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Next month, I am to go with a friend on a cruise to the Bahamas. The package includes flights to and from Miami via Delta Airlines.

Currently, Delta and other airlines are canceling flights. This is fallout from a massive IT outage that took place last Friday.

According to ABC News:

Delta apologized for its widespread cancellations and delays over the last several days, issuing a new message Wednesday to customers affected by the fallout from the global IT outage last Friday.

The airline also says it plans to issue 10,000 bonus miles and offers to reimburse "reasonable expenses."

“Please accept our sincere apologies for the disruption to your recent travel plans caused by a vendor technology outage affecting airlines and companies worldwide,” the airline said. “Delta teams have been working tirelessly to restore our operation to get our customers safely to their final destinations. We understand that unexpected disruptions like this are difficult for everyone and do not reflect the operational reliability and experience you have come to know and expect from us.”

Delta also said that if passengers incurred “any hotel, meal, or transportation expenses while in transit resulting from this flight disruption,” they may submit a claim to the airline for a reasonable expenses reimbursement.

“Please note that we do not reimburse prepaid expenses, including but not limited to hotel reservations at your destination, vacation experiences, lost wages, concerts, or other tickets,” Delta said.  

Thousands of flights were canceled in the U.S. after American Airlines, United and Delta asked the FAA for global ground stop on all flights.

We are keeping an eye on further developments along with weather conditions. After all, we're in hurricane season.

To read more, go here. 

The Best Time To Book A Flight

When I bought my plane tickets (Delta Airlines) to fly from Albuquerque to Los Angeles for our high school reunion, it was in April when gasoline prices were fast rising to sky-high levels. Before taxes and fees, the price for the round-trip was $221.40. 

That would have been roughly the same price for one fill-up of gasoline for my motorhome. I would have needed at least three fill-ups for the trip had I drove. The choice was obvious.

Since then, airline ticket prices have risen, so it was a good thing that I booked my flights when I did.

Condé Nast Traveler has posted an article on the best times to book a flight according to travel experts.

They begin it with:

Every traveler has a theory on the best time to book a flight. We’ve heard it all: The lowest fares are on Tuesdays at 3 p.m. Eastern. (No, Saturday at 6 a.m. is the best time to buy!) You need to book at least two months before you fly. (No, you should fly at the last minute to score a deal!) But even with all these recommendations, there’s still no guarantee that you’ll find cheap flights.

“The notion that there’s a single best day and time to buy tickets to get a good deal is a myth that simply refuses to die,” says Willis Orlando, senior product operations specialist at Scott’s Cheap Flights. The reason it’s so persistent, Orlando explains, is that this concept used to be true decades ago when airline employees would update prices every week, meaning that savvy passengers could snag deals by booking right after those updates. But “the fact of the matter is this is just not how things work anymore, and it hasn’t been for a long time,” Orlando says. “Airfare these days is highly complex, and constantly changing, sometimes by the hour.”

Considering that the pandemic has caused shifts in passengers’ buying patterns (flexibility is king) and how airlines have responded (no more cancellation fees), the best time to book a flight formula becomes even trickier.

Luckily, there are still some reliable strategies passengers can use to score the best deals. One rule of thumb: Aim to buy tickets during what’s known in industry terms as the “prime booking window” or “optimal booking window.” This is the sweet spot several weeks—or even months—ahead of departure when deals are most likely to be had, prices aren’t as likely to fluctuate, and passengers have plenty of choice.

To read more, go here.

Memorial Day Weekend Flights Getting Canceled

It is a good thing I decided to stay home (or close to home) this Memorial Day weekend.

The media is reporting that hundreds of airline flights ae being canceled or delayed. 

According to Business Insider:

Thousands of flight delays and cancelations are throwing a wrench in many passengers' travel plans this holiday weekend.

More than 4,500 flights from airlines around the world have been canceled since Friday. Airlines canceled 1,100 additional flights Sunday as of early afternoon, according to flight-tracking site FlightAware. This follows 2,300 cancelations on Friday and 1,500 on Saturday, the Associated Press reported. 

Of the flights canceled Sunday, more than 300 of those were flights within, into, or out of the US, FlightAware data shows. 

Delta Chief Customer Experience Officer Allison Ausband said in the Saturday press release that there are several factors impacting the airline, including labor shortages, a rise in COVID-19 rates among staffers, and weather and air traffic control. 

There's nothing like sitting around an airport waiting for a flight to become available. Been there, done that!

To read more, go here.

Most On-Time Airlines and Airports

Above, a Delta Airlines jet at Magic Valley Regional Airport in Twin Falls, Idaho. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If there are some big pet peeves of mine when it comes to air travel, it is when airlines are not on time or they cancel flights right under your feet.

Travel + Leisure has a article on the most punctual airlines and airports in the U.S. One may want to make note of these when planning future trips by air.

They begin with:

Hawaiian Airlines is the most punctual airline in the United States, according to a new study shared with Travel + Leisure.

The Hawaiian carrier had an on-time percentage of 89.9%, ranking No. 1 in the U.S. for the seventh year in a row and No. 9 globally, according to the annual Punctuality League 2022 study from OAG, which tracks flights and travel data. Hawaiian Airlines was followed by Delta Air Lines, which had an on-time performance of 88.4%, American Airlines, which had an on-time performance of 85.1%, and United Airlines, which had an on-time performance of 83.5%.

JetBlue, voted the best U.S. airline for 2021 by T+ L's readers, came in 10th in the U.S. and 59th globally when it comes to punctuality with an on-time performance of 73.4%.

To read more, go here. 

Travel + Leisure: Delta Airlines Reviews

Above, our Delta jet at the Twin Falls, Idaho tarmac after our arrival. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Over the past few years, I have flown on Delta Airlines a few times. As far as I can recall, I haven't had any problems with them except when it was weather-related, which affected all airlines.

Travel + Leisure has posted reviews on Delta by travelers, which are interesting to read.

The article begins with:

Since its humble beginnings as a crop-dusting outfit founded in Macon, Georgia in 1925, Delta has grown into one of the largest airlines on the planet. In a typical year, the carrier flies as many as 200 million passengers to 300 destinations in over 50 countries around the globe on its fleet of nearly 800 aircraft.

Delta also partners with other international carriers like Air France-KLM, Korean Air, and Virgin Atlantic. The airline has major hubs in Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York City, Salt Lake City, and Seattle, so chances are you might be flying with Delta sometime soon. If so, here's everything you need to know about Delta Air Lines before booking, including feedback based on passenger reviews.

 To read the full article, go here.

Over 2,000 Flights Canceled Sunday

Above, a United Airlines Dreamliner at LAX. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If this so-called pandemic continues throughout 2022, people may have to think twice before traveling by air during the holiday season.

The travel nightmare continues as over 2,000 flights were cancelled yesterday, a day where New Year's revelers were returning home.

According to WGNO (an ABC affiliate of New Orleans):

(NewsNation Now) — For air travelers, the new year picked up where the old one left off – with lots of frustration over canceled or delayed flights.

By Sunday afternoon, a day when many travelers plan to return home from holiday trips, 2,322 U.S. flights and more than 3,926 worldwide had been canceled, according to tracking service FlightAware.

Southwest canceled more than 411 flights nationwide or 11% of its schedule Sunday. SkyWest canceled 494 flights. American Airlines and Delta Air Lines scrubbed more than 100 flights each, and United Airlines canceled 101.

Among international carriers, China Eastern scrubbed more than 464 flights or 23% of its total schedule and Air China canceled more than 150 flights, 14% of its schedule, according to FlightAware.

 To read more, go here.

Masks: A Load of B.S.

Above, only one worker at Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q in Albuquerque is wearing a mask. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

During my recent trip to the Wells Fun Run in Wells, Nevada, mask-wearing was imposed on travelers at all of the airports (Albuquerque, Salt Lake City and Twin Falls) and on all Delta Airlines planes by the feds. The only places not imposing masks on people were in the casinos and restaurants in Wells. Very few, if any, wore masks at the Wells Fun Run. At least I don't remember seeing any.

It is totally ridiculous to mandate masks on people who have already been vaccinated. I am one of them (I was given the Pfizer vaccine in February).

All this is allegedly due to the spread of the so-called "Delta Variant" of COVID-19. Of course, the feds have to create panic over this so they can control the populace. Frankly, I think all of this is a bunch of B.S.

Thinking masks will protect people from the virus is like keeping mosquitoes our of your yard with a chain-link fence!

Before leaving New Mexico last Friday, I stopped in at Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q in Albuquerque Thursday to pick up dinner before heading to the KOA Kampground. Only one of the workers was wearing a mask and I didn't hear anyone complain.

Curious.

Where US Airlines Rank In 2021

Above, our Delta Airlines jet after landing in Twin Falls, Idaho. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Except for recent flights to Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas (Dallas Love Field) with Southwest Airlines and  Twin Falls, Idaho with Delta Airlines, I have not been too impressed with the service with domestic airlines during the past few years.

Many other people feel the same way and TravelPulse has posted the rankings of every major U.S. airlines for 2021.

They begin with:

WalletHub recently compared the nine largest U.S. airlines along with a pair of regional carriers across as many as 17 different metrics ranging from cancellation and delay rates to baggage mishaps and in-flight comfort. The financial website also analyzed safety, pet-friendliness and cost. Here's how the 11 carriers stack up as of spring 2021. 

To read more, go here. 

2021: Travel Might Not Be the Stress-Reliever You Hoped For

Above, a social-distanced Delta flight in 2020. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

2020 was a stressful year in many ways besides the pandemic and 2021 is starting out somewhat better. Still, people are looking for an outlet to relieve the stress. Travel is seen as a major way to do so.

But is it?

St. Louis Post-Dispatch posted that travel might not be the stress-reliever it is hoped for in 2021.

They begin with:

The entirety of 2020 was brutal for most people, and the first few months of 2021 wasn’t exactly the panacea many hoped for. But now, you might've been lucky enough to snag a vaccination appointment — and may be feeling more confident.

Old-Unvaccinated-You wouldn’t get on an airplane, even if airfare was dirt-cheap. New-Vaccinated-You is ready to jump aboard a 40-hour, two-leg journey (plus stopover) in Dubai to finally check that Kenyan safari off your bucket list. You might have a two-year-old vacation fund to spend, not to mention a heckuva lot of stress to let go of. And on that note, a whopping 78% of respondents in the March 2021 American Express Global Travel Trends Report indicated wanting to travel this year to relieve stress from 2020.

Yet even if you’re vaccinated, 2021 travel might not be the stress-reliever you’re hoping for. In many ways, travel has only become more stressful.

Here’s what you can expect when traveling this year — and what you can do to be prepared or sidestep the added stress.

To read more, go here. 

Trip Home Photos

Mitch Geriminsky and I headed out of Idaho yesterday following Bill Wilson's celebration of life.

We flew out of Twin Falls Magic Valley Regional Airport. Oddly, Mitch had been to Buhl, Idaho many times but was unaware nearby Twin Falls had an airport. Our flight would take us to Salt Lake City, Utah where he would catch a flight to Phoenix, Arizona and I would go on to Albuquerque, New Mexico.

While at the airport, we had breakfast at the Happy Landing Restaurant & Pub. It had to be the smallest airport I've ever been in, but it is my understanding that an expansion of it is planned.

Things got a little confused at Salt Lake City's airport. It was announced that our departure gate for Albuquerque was changed. Then the gate clerks said it was an error. Then they weren't sure. Finally, after about 15 minutes, they announced that our departure would be at the gate we were at.

Other than that, the trip with Delta Airlines was flawless. It was the first time I've flown with them.

Some photos:

Above, the Happy Landing Restaurant & Pub. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, Mitch at the Happy Landing Restaurant & Pub. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, yours truly at the Happy Landing Restaurant & Pub. Photo by Mitch Geriminsky.

Above, a view of Idaho farmland while headed to Salt Lake City. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Above, a view of Salt Lake City while flying to Albuquerque. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Yes, You Can...Still Go To Cuba

Above, a vintage Chevrolet in Havana. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

People have been wondering since President Trump put a stop to cruises to Cuba last year if it is still possible to go there.

According to an article in the New York Post, you can. But there's a few caveats in order to do so.

They begin with:

“I’d love to go to Cuba — but the sanctions are back on, so I guess I can’t,” a friend of mine opined recently after perusing my Instagram pics of the trip to the famed Caribbean island over New Year’s. 

This is not an uncommon sentiment. 

Ever since President Trump reinstituted trade, commercial and economic embargoes against Cuba in 2018, American travel to the country has dropped precipitously — but you can still go. In fact, airlines like Jet Blue, Delta, Southwest and American Airlines have direct flights from cities like New York City, Boston and Miami to Havana on a regular basis. 

But it can be tricky.

To read more, go here.

Airline CEOs Try Out Their Economy Seats

Above, ANA Premium Economy seating on display at a travel show. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

If you are planning to take an airline for a trip anytime soon, you may want to read an article on airline economy seating in the Wall Street Journal.

Three airline CEOs were asked to try out their economy seats.

According to the Wall Street Journal article:

Have you ever been vacuum-packed into a shrunken coach seat wishing the airline CEO had to endure the same discomfort? 

We did that for you, sort of. The Middle Seat asked the chief executives of the big three U.S. airlines to plop down in the back of one of their airplanes and explain why they think the skimpy confines of coach today are acceptable. 

Two agreed. Delta CEO Ed Bastian, 6-foot-3, arranged for an interview on his company’s most recently reconfigured Boeing 777-200 in Atlanta. American CEO Doug Parker, also 6-foot-3, snuggled into a coach seat on a reconfigured 777-200 in a Dallas-Fort Worth airport hangar.

One refused: United’s Oscar Munoz declined to be interviewed in a coach seat. Asked why, United declined to comment. 

Messrs. Bastian and Parker fit, although knees were kissing distance from the seat in front. Neither had to contend with a middle-seat neighbor to rub shoulders and sides or a passenger reclining in front of them.

There is also a chart of inches or legroom with the article that is also worth a long look.

To read more, go here.

DOT Fines 3 Airlines For Violating Passengers' Rights

Three airlines were smacked down with fines for violating passengers' rights, according to an article in Travel + Leisure.

They wrote:

On Friday, the Department of Transportation (DOT) fined Frontier Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines for violating various consumer protection rules, Reuters reported. 

According to the DOT, the largest fine was given to Frontier Airlines, which was fined $400,000 for violating oversales and disability rules, while American Airlines was fined $250,000 for failing to make timely refunds to passengers. Delta Air Lines was also fined $200,000 for filing inaccurate baggage reports.

To read more, go here. 

U.S. Airlines Introduce Budget Fares To Compete (But There's A Catch)

Above, a United Airlines Boeing 787. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Major U.S. airlines have been feeling the pinch by being undercut by budget carriers. Now that oil prices are down and they're seeing record profits, they are responding with their own cheap fares.

Naturally, with them, there's always a catch.

Condé Nast Traveler reported:

Tired of being undercut by budget airlines Spirit and Frontier, Delta, United, and American are responding with their own cheap fares. But before you buy that $100 roundtrip to Miami, read the fine print. Your ticket might not include what you expect. 

First, the good news: Flush with the cash because of lower fuel prices, the big three are massively discounting some routes, especially between major cities. In recent weeks, United, Delta and American have sold roundtrips between New York and Chicago for as low as $71. You don't always even need to plan ahead—you’ll sometimes find a last-minute Los Angeles-Dallas ticket for about $100. 

But airlines know discounting to thwart competitors does not make sound long-term strategy, so they've hatched a plan: They'll match Spirit and Frontier, but rather than give away the full airline experience for $71, they're removing some perks from tickets bought by bargain hunters. So far, only Delta has implemented its plan—it calls its cheapest fares "Basic Economy” and has only introduced them in select markets—but American and United have signaled they'll likely follow with no-frills fares in the second half of this year.

To read more, go here. 

First 2015 L.A. To Tokyo Airfare Check

Above, the Godzilla statue in Hibiya, Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We're now in a new month and a new year. This will be the first report on current airfares between Los Angeles and Tokyo for 2015.

The last report was on December 22 and the Los Angeles Times Travel section found that the airfares between L.A. and Tokyo to be at $885.00 on the low end and $1,409.00 on the high end. These, of course, are before any taxes or fees are added in.

Yesterday's Los Angeles Times Travel section found that airfares have gone up to $1,334.00 on the low end and $1,658.00 on the high end. This could be because of the New Year's holiday, which is one of Japan's big holidays. Again, these are before any taxes or fees are added.

To see if I could beat those prices, I went through my favorite source for airline tickets, GatewayLAX. Sure enough, they came through with flying colors

Here's the lowest they came up with for a round-trip, non-stop ticket for L.A. to Tokyo:

The $467.00 round-trip airfare to Narita International Airport on Delta Air Lines is before any taxes or fees are added in. The departure date is January 17 with the return flight on January 31.

Unless there's any drastic changes in airfares, the next report will be in February.

November Airfare Check For L.A. To Tokyo

Above, the Bandai Bridge in Niigata. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

We're now in a new month and it is time to check and see what the airfares are from Los Angeles to Tokyo.

Last month, the Los Angeles Times Travel section reported that the airfares they found ranged from a low of $1,087.00 to a high of $1,758.00. These prices are before any taxes or fees are added in.

Yesterday, the Times reported that L.A. to Tokyo airfares have dropped and they came up with a low of $789.00 to a high of $1,313.00. These fares are, again, before any taxes or fees are added.

I checked with my favorite source for airline tickets, GatewayLAX, to see what they could come up with for a direct, non-stop flight to Tokyo and back.

Here's what they came up with:

The flight departs Los Angeles International Airport (LAX)Ai November 17 on Delta Air Lines and returns with Delta on December 1 for $512.00. This is a non-stop round-trip economy fare. This, as indicated, is before any taxes and fees are added in.

We'll see next month if fares have dropped even further.

Flight Diverted Over Reclining Seat

The U.S. airlines have a major p.r. problem these days with high prices that are loaded even more with all kinds of fees (along with taxes piled on by the government).

Now, they are also having a problem with seats being shrunken in size so that more can be squeezed in. This has led to incidents when a person reclines their seat, causing the person behind them to go ballistic.

The latest is from Travelpulse.com:

If you thought planes being diverted because of a reclining seat fiasco was an isolated incident and not an apparently rampant problem, you would be mistaken. Yet another pilot was forced to land when a passenger couldn’t make it an entire flight without acting like a child. For those keeping score, this is the third such report TravelPulse has brought you in the last two weeks. 

CNN’s Katia Hetter reports Delta Air Lines Flight 2370 left LaGuardia Airport on Monday night but didn’t reach its West Palm Beach, Florida destination on time because of another reclining seat debacle. Instead, the flight was diverted to Jacksonville, Florida. 

WPTV spoke with Aaron Klipin who witnessed just the latest uproar caused when one passenger decided to sit back in their chair.

The woman raising the ruckus demanded that the plane land. You'd have to read the full article (and see the news video) to believe it.

I wonder if this is something more prone to domestic flights (although one diverted flight was an international one). I had no problem on my recent United flight to Japan regarding legroom. A reporter with the Associated Press thinks "shrinking cabins and redesigned seats may be at fault for growing frustration amid passengers"

To read the full article, go here.