Video: Delta BusinessElite Seat on a 777-200LR

This is a video of the new BusinessElite seat on Delta's 777-200LR. The new seats recline a full 180 degrees and are made out of leather. This is an excellent thing for Delta, as their BusinessElite product needed revitalization.

Delta BusinessElite Class now featured on Transcontinental Flights

Delta Air Lines recently breathed new life into its product when it introduced new, modern amenities - in BusinessElite, in domestic First Class, and in Coach - on its Boeing 757's, 767's, and 777's. Passengers finally had things like PTV's and more ergonomic seats (a must for those of us in Coach!), and meals on longer flights became more commonplace.

Now, Delta is taking it a step further in the right direction: A new, greatly improved premium product is available on transcontinental flights. Reclining BusinessElite seats are now featured on all flights from JFK to Los Angeles and San Francisco, along with amenities such as in-flight internet and comfy duvets. This is a much-needed update to Delta's old product, and this will also hopefully force other airlines with special transcontinental services (like AA's Flagship Service) to rise up and compete. It is very nice to see Delta revitalizing its product!

The drawback is that since there are fewer seats in the BusinessElite cabin, upgrades will be more scarce - a sad thing for us SkyMiles Medallion members.

Landing in New Orleans (MSY)

This is a video of the landing in New Orleans, LA at Louis Armstrong International Airport (MSY). The flight was on an American Airlines MD-80 and flew from Chicago O'hare International Airport (ORD). You can see a lot of Jefferson Parish and the lakefront.

The landing in New Orleans is one of the nicest landings out there.

Interested in following Airport Radar? Then Check Out this Utility!

While browsing on the New Orleans Int'l Airport website this morning, I found a very interesting utility called "Airport Monitor 2.0." Airport Monitor 2.0 is a real-time Airport Radar utility which can be accessed from any computer with an Internet connection. It also has a retrospect mode, so radar can be viewed from previous dates and times. It is available for a number of airports including, LaGuardia, JFK, Newark, New Orleans, LAX, and San Diego. I will include a list of links below.

New Orleans Airport (MSY) Airport Monitor 2.0:

http://www4.passur.com/msy.html

JFK Airport:

http://www4.passur.com/jfk.html

LaGuardia Airport:

http://www4.passur.com/lga.html

Boston-Logan:

http://www4.passur.com/bos.html

LAX:

http://www4.passur.com/lax.html

Full List of Airports:

http://www.passur.com/airportmonitor-locations.htm

Yemenia Air Jet Crashes, Child is Found Alive

A Yemenia Air Airbus A310-300 carrying over 150 passengers crashed off the Eastern Coast of Africa while trying to land, according to the Sydney Morning Hearald. The jet departed Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris and was bound for Moroni, Comoros Islands, with a stopover in Sana'a Yemen. The jet encountered difficulty landing and crashed into the swells of the Indian Ocean, according to eyewitnesses at Moroni Airport. The scene of the crash is being investigated by French military jets and seacraft, which were already stationed at other islands the Indian Ocean. Although the situation is egregious in the highest way, a small miracle has emerged. French sailors found a five-year-old boy floating among the wreckage of the A310. According to Ben Imani, a doctor at a Moroni Hospital, the boy is being treated and closely monitored. No other survivors have been found at the site of the crash.

This is the second Airbus aircraft to crash over a major body of water in less than a month. The last flight, an Air France Airbus A330-200 bound from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Brazil. The cause of the AF A330-300 crash was determined to be failure of vital computer systems. The cause of the Yemenia A310 crash is unknown, as of now.

AeroMexico Comes to New Olreans Int'l, Promises More Routes

AeroMexico, a Skyteam alliance airline based out of Mexico City (MEX), announced that it will once again establish a daily nonstop service from Mexico City Int'l to New Orleans Armstrong Int'l (MSY), after arduous negotiations with the city of New Orleans. AeroMexico will use Embraer E-145's for the route, with possiblity for equipment upgrades if the route shows promise. This is vital to the economic growth of New Orleans, and is a sure sign of recovery of international commerce in New Orleans and its surrounding areas. AeroMexico will also begin to offer daily nonstop service from New Orleans to Honduras, beginning July 7. According to WDSU, a New Orleans news station, AeroMexico will continue to offer the inaugural flight, despite civil unrest in the country. AeroMexico also promises to start other services to cities in Latin America if these two new routes fare well.

AeroMexico coming to New Orleans Int'l?

On November 26, 2008, AeroMexico filed an application with the US Department of Transportation (DOT) to begin a daily nonstop service from Mexico City, Mexico to New Orleans, Louisiana.  The application was approved by the DOT, and AeroMexico is currently engaging in talks with New Orleans Airport personnel.  Greater New Orleans Inc. President Michael Hecht who, with his economic development group, has been working fervently with AeroMexico stated, "AeroMexico sees New Orleans as a very attractive airport with a central location between Houston and Atlanta...  Our plan is to return New Orleans to the gateway to the Americas."  Airport officials stated that if AeroMexico wished to begin flights into New Orleans immediately, facilities such as INS (Immigration) Checkpoints and ticket counters are prepared and ready for use.

Video: Delta Airlines First Class Cabin - Boeing 757

This is a short video I took of the first class cabin while awaiting departure from New Orleans to Atlanta.  The airplane is a Delta Airlines Boeing 757-200 Transcontinental edition with PTV's (Personal TV's, which is Delta's name for IFE) and the flight flew from New Orleans Louis Armstrong International to Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International.  It also sported the Susan G. Komen livary.  I was lucky to get the video before everyone was able to board.  It was a full flight, but still a good one.  Pre-departure drinks were served followed by more drinks and snacks from the Snack Basket after departure.

Want Airline and Airport Information? Get it from SKYTRAX!

Is there something you would like to know about an airline or an airport?  Maybe how good the service is or how comfortable the seat is?  Well, you can find mostly all of the informatoin you need at SKYTRAX.  The website has everything from airline and seat reviews to airport and lounge reviews, all written by the consumers themselves.  SKYTRAX also has an official Airline Star Ranking Guide, which rankes airlines on a scale of one to five stars.  Overall, it is a very informative site.

Here's the URL: http://www.airlinequality.com

New Orleans Int'l Airport Reaching Pre-Katrina Passenger Levels

In a recent article published by S. C. Hunter, Director of Aviation at the New Orleans Louis Armstrong International Airport, it was stated that air traffic levels are creeping slowly but surely back to Pre-Katrina levels.  At the moment, air operations are at approximately 80 percent of the Pre-Katrina levels.  This number, however, is expected to rise through the end of this year and in 2009.  One of the greatest reasons for the return of air traffic is conventions.  Conventions are vital to the survival of New Orleans and, respectively, the Armstrong International airport.  The Starbucks Leadership Conference, scheduled for this fall, will bring an estimated 12,000 people to the Crescent City.  The airlines that serve the Armstrong International Airport have been very willing to add extra seats on their routes to and from the city for conventions.  Officials are "optimistic about the growth and rebound of the convention/leisure traveler in our market," but are "curiously optimistic about air service return given the current volatile nature of the aviation industry."

Delta's New 777-200LR

Well, just when I thought that Delta Air Lines' service was on the lam, I was happily corrected when I saw the release of their new BusinessElite 777-2ooLR seats. Delta will be the first airline in the United States to offer a lie-flat business class seat. In fall of 2o08, Delta also plans to proliferate these new seats to all of their 777 aircraft. This year, Delta Airlines will receive two of these 777-200LR aircraft, and expects to order more in the future.

Winter Delays Greatly Affects Air Travel

The severe weather that has recently swept the entire nation is greatly affecting air travel. This has not only caused delays in northern cities such as Chicago, New York, Seattle, ecetera, but delays are also becoming more perfidious in cities such as New Orleans, Miami, Dallas (DFW), and Atlanta. Airline passengers across the nation are currently contending with delays that last up to 12 hours, some of those being spent abord the aricraft with no food or drink. Airlines such as JetBlue, American, and Continental have been hit the hardest. United, US, and Delta have also been affected, though not as greatly. So be sure to check those airline websites before you travel! They can save you a lot of trouble!

Want the Pros and Cons of Seating? Go to SeatGuru.com

I was browsing the Internet the other day and found this helpful little site. It is called SeatGuru.com, and it shows you where all of the best and worst seats are on most airlines' planes. It also gives a description of the amenities onboard (i.e. IFE, Meals, Handicap accessable, ect.) If you are one of those people who likes a good seat on those long transcontinental flights (like me), then I suggest that you check this sight out.

The picture attached is a diagram of the United Airlines 747-400 seating chart.


Here is the site: http://www.seatguru.com

United Introduces New Business Class on 757

United Airlines will be introducing its new Business class this fall on all of its International 757s. These, as expected from many travel critics, will be a total innovation to the airline industry. United Airlines has truly done it right. The seats will have five feet of space between each other and will recline to an almost-full flat bed for a night of restful, comfortable sleep. They will also have adjustable headrests, lumbar support, a 110-volt adapter for laptop computers, and a reading lamp. The new B757 will have 12 First class lie-flat seats, 26 Business class seats, and another 72 seats in the all-Economy Plus cabin. These aircraft will also be available on routes between New York City, San Francisco, and Los Angles. The most important thing, though, is that the recline adjustment on the seats go way back. Prepare to experience new, unprecedented comfort this fall!

Lufthansa to Order Boeing 747-8s

As most of you already know, Lufthansa Airlines of Germany announced that they would be ordering 20 Boeing 747-8s along with the purchase rights for 20 more. I believe that this is a good thing because the 747-8 not only reduces fuel consumption and carbon dioxide output by 16%, it is more spacious and comfortable. The 747-8 will generate 30% less noise than its predecessor, the 747-400 (I know the people living by New Orleans Int'l amd other large airports will love that). This is all made possible by the new GEnx engines. These engines incorporate advanced technology from their previous successful engines and the modern research that is constantly in progress. These engines will also aid in the longer range capabilities of the 747-8. Not just the exterior has changed, however. The new 747 will feature 787-like attributes (I guess that's why it is sometimes referred to as the 787XL). The interior has been tweaked and revamped from mood lighting to new, less claustrophobic lavatories. The entire aircraft's layout has been designed to feel much, much more spacious. In my personal opinion, this was a wonderful choice for Boeing seeing that it is much more practical than the mammoth-like A380, which continues to face production and development delays (we should have seen them in the skies by now...). I believe that all the benefits of this aircraft are corollary, and will definitely be noticeable. The Boeing 747-8: Coming soon to a sky or International airport near you!

Delta Now Offers Daily Nonstop Service from New Orleans to New York - LaGuardia

Delta Airlines recently announced that it would instate a new daily nonstop service between New Orleans Louis Armstrong International (MSY) and New York - LaGuardia Airport (LGA). Before Katrina, American Airlines offered a daily nonstop service to LaGuardia, but terminated it afterwards. For quite a while, there was a major void in air service to New York, and Delta has helped to fix that problem. Shortly after Katrina, Continental was the only airline which offered service to the Big Apple. All of their flights were full, so prices were in the sky (no pun intended). Not anymore! Delta would plan to use the dominant aircraft in the fleet: The MD-88. In my personal opinion, this new flight will boost commerce and travel to New Orleans. This will also provide an opportunity for competition, which will lower airfares. Delta will begin the service immediately.

Does Anyone Fly Delta's First Class/BusinessElite Anymore?

After stumbling across several pictures of Delta's international first class cabin, also known as BusinessElite, I had to ask myself, "Does anyone actually pay to fly Delta's first class anymore?" This photograph is of Delta's 767-400ER BusinessElite cabin. Most airlines have begun to offer flat beds in their business class, but not Delta. Don't get me wrong, it's still very nice, but not nice enough to pay $7,000 for a transatlantic flight. It's not only Delta's international BusinessElite that needs updating, though. Their domestic "First" class has lost its last prayer. One major issue is that they only serve meals on flights longer than 3h45m (To give you a better perspective, other airlines like Continental and American serve meals on flights that are 1h30m long). Also, their seats have not been updated in about 10 years, so they're less comfortable than other airlines. If Delta would like to keep people in their domestic and international first class cabins, they'd better do something, and fast!

Continental Airlines Enters China Route Campaign

Continental Airlines is now entering the race for the next route to China. As of now, they are mainly competing against Delta Airplanes for a nonstop flight to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG). The flights would depart from Cleveland Hopkins and Newark Liberty International airports. The US Department of Transportation (DOT) currently states that they will choose the airline on two main factors: Community support and amount of business the route will generate. Although I prefer Continental Airlines over Delta, I am hoping that Delta is granted the route. It will be their first service offered to mainland China. As of now, though, I am not sure how things will play out. I'll make sure to keep y'all updated on this matter.

Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" Debut - 7/8/07

As many aircraft fanatics know, the Boeing Company has been working on a series of next-generation aircraft. They include the 787-8, 737-900ER, and the 747-8. More information can be found on the aircraft at http://www.newairplane.com/. The highly anticipated Boeing 787 "Dreamliner" will be unveiled to the public on July 8, 2007. This, as far as I know, will revolutionize air travel as we know it. It will create a new standard of passenger comfort, while maximizing profit potential for the airlines that run it. Several American air carriers have placed orders for the aircraft. They include, but are not limited to Continental, Northwest Airlines, and American Airlines. I am looking forward to seeing this new aircraft in action, and it won't be much longer until I will.

Delta Fights for "Next Gateway to China"

As travel between the United States and China becomes more and more imperative, the amount of flights between the nations have not risen to meet the demand. Delta Airlines, being the third largest carrier in the United States, wishes to add another route to ease the jam. The planned route would be a daily nonstop from Atlanta Hartfield International Airport (ATL) to the Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG). Delta would plan to use one of their Boeing 777's for the flight. This service to China would be the first to exist in the Southeast USA. Delta believes that this will not only have a substantial economic impact on the airline itself, but the entire Southeast. The average yearly revenue airlines make on China flights is about 100 million dollars, and this number is expected to go nowhere but up. This, in my opinion, will fill the large void in air service to China and link millions more to the intriguing nation.