Flights

Souvenir Sunday – from Fort Lauderdale

Destinations, Flights, , ,

I joined JetBlue and Greater Fort Lauderdale as a guest for the inaugural Mint flight from Los Angeles to Fort Lauderdale last week and a day and a half on the ground.

Here are some snaps – and souvenirs – from the adventure:

Inaugural Mint passengers received a tote bag filled with JetBlue-themed items – including sunglasses.

In addition to the lie-flat seats, Mint service features a multi-course menu that includes a choice of three mini-entrees. I found three veggie choices – yay!

While staying at the beach is always a treat, I lucked out with a stay right downtown at the historic Riverside Hotel on Los Olas Blvd., which provided easy access to the water taxi route, the beach and the NSU Art Museum.

I got scolded for trying to take this photo of this woman who seemed like she could be part of an installation to match the painting.

Flamingo Gardens is a popular, ‘old-style’ attraction with a tram ride, museum, extensive botanical garden and wildlife ranging from flamingos (of course), an alligator lagoon and other wildlife.

And a gift shop for only-in-Florida souvenirs:

 

 

Delta brings back main cabin meals

Flights, Food,

 

Here’s something we hope other airlines rush to follow.

Delta Air Lines is bringing back complimentary meals in the main cabin on some of its longest domestic flights, including transcontinental routes between New York’s JFK and Los Angeles/San Francisco.

Starting March 1, Delta will offer complimentary meals in the Main Cabin on flights between JFK and LAX/SFO.

The following month – starting April  24   –  the airline will expand complimentary meals to 10 other major domestic markets from Seattle, New York, Boston and Washington, D.C. including between BOS/SFO, BOS/LAX, BOS/SEA, DCA/LAX, JFK/PDX, JFK/SAN, JFK/SEA, SEA/FLL, SEA/MCO and SEA/RDU.

Delta has strong competition on many of these routes, so competitors may be be moved to match meal service.

Delta’s  meal options will vary by time of day.

In the morning, Delta says it will offer customers the choice between a Honey Maple Breakfast Sandwich, a Luvo Breakfast Medley or a fruit and cheese plate.

During the day, the choices will be a Mesquite-Smoked Turkey Combo, Luvo Mediterranean Whole Grain Veggie Wrap, or a fruit and cheese plate.

And on overnight flights, passenger will be offered a breakfast bar during the pre-arrival beverage service.

In addition to the Main Cabin meal service, customers seated in Delta Comfort+ will now get a pre-arrival snack basket on all 12 routes, along with complimentary beer, wine and spirits for customers 21+ and a mid-service Greek frozen yogurt bar on flights from JFK to/from LAX and SFO.

The airline says the meal service is part of its ongoing multi-million dollar investment in the on-board customer experience that includes upgraded main cabin snacks, better blankets, refreshed food-for-purchase options, free in-flight entertainment and – for customers on long-haul international flights –  complimentary beer, wine and spirits and sleep kits.

 

 

 

Snaps from the Polaris cabin on United’s Boeing 777-300ER

Flights, ,

 

United Airlines flew its new Boeing 777-300ER plane – outfitted with the new Polaris business-class cabin – from Chicago to San Francisco on Monday and I got to ride along.

The “Polaris plane” goes into regular service on Thursday, February 16, on a domestic flight (Newark to SFO), with international Polaris routes scheduled to start in March, with flights from San Francisco to Hong Kong when more of these planes arrive.

Here are some more snaps from the flight. More to come.

United CEO Oscar Munoz was on hand to welcome guests and scan boarding passes.

 

Special design features (and friendly crew members, of course) welcome passengers on board.

Saks Fifth Avenue bedding – pillows, blankets, throws – and more welcome passengers to their seats.

The new seats require a special harness seat belt, which flight attendants teach you how to put on.

More snaps tomorrow…

The magic of flying

Flights

Like everyone else who flew to New York from Seattle as a guest of Alaska Airlines and its Russell Wilson “12th Fan Airlift,” Riley (age 8), got to spend a weekend in a cool city and attend a pretty darn exciting Super Bowl-watching party.

Riley

But unlike all the happy-but-hoarse-and-tuckered-out fans on the very-delayed flight back to Seattle, Riley still had the energy – and the sense of wonder – to stay awake and look out the window as the plane came in for a landing.

He was sitting by the window in the row in front of me and, as we both had our noses pressed up against the window, we had a quiet little conversation about how cool it is to look down at all the lights and all the spots where there are no lights (lake, we decided) and how as the plane gets close to the ground there’s that moment when you’re flying – and then the tires touch down – and you’re not.