….aboard Southwest Airlines flights.  Just show your Rapid Rewards Visa and enjoy!  Found this in yesterday’s “Rapid Report,” but you can read about it in this FlyerTalk thread as well.

My flights to and from Atlanta this week reminded me that all things are not created equal.  In short, as cliche’ as this may sound, status matters.  I only hold elite status on one airline now, American.  And being that I’m only 192,000 miles away from million-miler status with AA, I’m going to send every possible mile I can their way until I hit the magic 1 million mile mark.

But my Delta flights this week were stark reminders of why elite status (even bargain-basement lowly status) in your favorite airline’s frequent traveler program can make the difference between an OK flight and a…well…not so OK flight.  My flights were fine, mostly on time, and nothing bad happened.  But to put it simply, boarding in Zone 7 on a full 757 just plain sucks.  I was tempted to check 21″ Samsonite carry-on this past Friday, but I thought better of it.  It’s nice not having to lug it around the airport, but when you arrive at your destination, who the heck wants to wait an extra 30 minutes (if you’re really lucky) for your bag?  Certainly not me.

Long story short, I wound up checking my bag at the gate because the flight was absolutely packed to the gills, and I was in…you guessed it….Zone 7.  Or maybe it was 5…but whatever it was…I was among the last to board.  These things happen, and it probably won’t be the last time it happens to me.  But I couldn’t help but think about how much I missed being Delta Medallion.  I was only Silver last year, but it made all the difference in the world.  Boarding in Zone 2 when seated in coach was a blessing.  And even as a Silver Medallion, I was frequently upgraded to first class as long as I picked my flights and aircraft types carefully.

Early boarding can make or break a flight.  If you can exert some control over your travel choices, do yourself a favor and concentrate on at least the first level of elite status on your favorite airline.  Early boarding is worth it, and if you have to check a bag, most airlines waive the fee for their elite fliers, Delta included.  Status matters, and once you have it, you’ll want to do what it takes to keep it.  Which reminds me, perhaps I need to take some of my own advice and leverage an Amex card offer for Delta MQM’s, huh?

Regular readers know that I make occasional trips to Atlanta over the course of the year for work.  Little did I know that in all my visits I’d been missing out on a true gem of a restaurant, Peasant Bistro.  Located at 250 Park Avenue West, in downtown Atlanta, Peasant Bistro is a charming two-story restaurant facing Centennial Olympic Park.  The restaurant resides in the same condo/hotel complex as the Embassy Suites Centennial Olympic Park and Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.  How I hadn’t bothered to walk down the street behind the hotel, I couldn’t tell you.  But in a testament to the power of miles and the things people like me do to collect them, Peasant Bistro popped up on the Rewards Network list on my most recent search of Atlanta restaurants, and I decided to give it a try.  It was only when I mapped its location that I realized how close it was to my hotel.

A very inviting bar area greets you as you enter the restaurant.   The main restaurant is upstairs, and I think inviting is a good word to describe the atmosphere.  Accented with just the right amount of light, and complemented by ample candlelight, the restaurant has the makings of a great date spot.  Traveling alone this week, I decided to dine at the bar so I won’t be able to comment on dining service in the main restaurant, but I can’t imagine that it’s anything less than good based on my experience.

The restaurant offers a well appointed wine list with everything from reasonable to expensive available to accompany your meal.  I chose the Rutherford Ranch Cabernet ($9/$32), red wine drinker that I am.  Looking over the menu, the first thought that came to mind was how delicious everything on the menu looked.  But being in the mood for steak, I quickly narrowed things down to the Meyer Ranch Rib-Eye ($31), served with a pommes puree and sauteed morels.  I couldn’t help but think that I was in for a treat as Peasant Bistro was one of those places that you kind of know is going to be good the minute you walk in the door.

When my meal arrived, I knew right away that it was going to be fabulous.  Presentation is fun for food critics, but for me…well, I just wanted a good steak.  I received a phenomenal steak!  Served bone-in, this was one of the better cuts of rib-eye I’ve ever enjoyed.  Seriously, the steak was over an inch thick, and leaner than most rib-eyes.  Cooked perfectly (medium rare), and packed with flavor, I haven’t had a steak this good in a long time.  The sauteed morels were an unexpectedly tasty addition to this fabulous meal.

I really went over the deep-end and ordered dessert, something I don’t normally do.  But the bartender talked me into his favorite, simply referred to as the Chocolate Bar.  I’m not finding it listed on the online menu, but words like wonderful, decadent, awesome and to-die-for come to mind.  It wasn’t over-sized and was perfect for one person, and worth every extra calorie!

A fabulous meal in a fabulous restaurant.  If business or pleasure take you to Atlanta, check out Peasant Bistro.  I’m sure you will not be disappointed.

Hi from Atlanta.  Flew down Monday on Delta, and return to DC tomorrow afternoon.  Lord I miss being Delta Medallion!!!  I had to ride in coach, no less!  Bunking at the Embassy Suites Centennial Park this week.  I’ve reviewed it before, so I won’t bother with a new one.  I have discovered a fabulous new restaurant that I will review in full, as soon as possible.  Peasant Bistro is a real gem, and if travel brings you to downtown Atlanta, I recommend you find it!

American was first out of the gate with results this week.  They were pretty much as expected….bad.  And in the best example ever (well, aside from my own departure) of the brain drain the domestic airline industry faces, Larry Kellner of Continental announced that he is leaving the airline at the end of the year to run a private equity firm.

More to say this weekend.  Stay tuned.

Many of you read my recent post about the downright unnecessary experience I endured at Washington Dulles International last week.  The folks that monitor Twitter.com for TSA were kind enough to provide a link to TSA’s website to submit feedback, and I took them up on the opportunity.  Today, I received what appeared to be a reply crafted by an actual person.  I will post it here in its entirety minus the name of the individual who sent the email.

Dear Mr. Jackson

I am the Customer Service Manager at Washington Dulles International
Airport for TSA. Your message regarding your recent travel through
Dulles was forwarded to me for review.
First of all, let me apologize for any inconvenience you encountered.
Our goal is to provide efficient, effective and courteous screening of
passengers as they pass through our checkpoint. Many of our procedures
can be a hassle for you, and can be looked upon as a nuisance. That is
clearly not our intention. Our main objective is to provide maximum
security for all our passengers, and to do so with understanding and
consideration for the traveling public.

Our screening procedures are specific and do include screening of
insulin pumps. The fact that the process may differ can be attributed
to several factors, including size and location of the device.
Effective December 22, 2005 Transportation Security Officers began
conducting additional screening procedures on randomly selected
passengers. The additional screening procedures created a more complex
and less predictable system for those who wish to circumvent our system.
Passengers are randomly selected for an additional search, even if they
do not trigger an alarm as they pass through the metal detector. This
search could be a hand-wanding, a pat-down, explosives screening or a
search of the person’s carry-on bag. By design, a traveler is not likely
to experience that same search every time he or she files.

We understand and regret any discomfort and inconvenience you
experienced as a result of the additional screening procedures.
Nevertheless, we believe that these security measures are necessary and
appropriate for ensuring the safety and confidence of all air travelers.
Furthermore, TSA continues to develop and deploy new technologies,
including document scanners, trace portals, and backscatter devices to
address the explosives threat.

Again, thank you for sharing your concerns. We take your comments
seriously, and appreciate your feedback . It provides us with an
opportunity to focus our efforts on areas that need improvement and are
of importance to the traveling public.

And there you have it.  I’m still not pleased, but at least I received what I feel to be a response that was not computer generated.  I did reply to the email, because I wanted to make sure the sender knew that it was very clear to me that I was sent to secondary screening specifically because I was wearing an insulin pump.  Perhaps the security officer who performed the additional screening was attempting to fill his quota for explosive trace detection tests for the day, I dunno.  The fact that every square millimeter of my belongings, including the palms of my hands, were tested for traces of explosives just because I wear an insulin pump was overkill, plain and simple.

Celebrity Cruises has announced major changes to its Captain’s Club loyalty program, and in my opinion, they are big positives for Celebrity Cruisers.  (Disclosure: I am a Celebrity Captain’s Club Elite member.)  Enhancements include a Captain’s Club Celebration event offering an opportunity for Captain’s Club members to interact with senior officers of the ship, and reportedly will include new things to enjoy such as cooking demonstrations and performances by onboard musicians.

Other enhancements include big discounts on internet access and laundry charges.  But my favorite change is the addition of the “Captain’s Club Lounge” which will offer continental breakfast in the mornings and complimentary cocktails in the evenings.  These services will be offered in Celebrity’s popular Michael’s Club each morning and evening.  I really love the “Diamond Lounge” on Royal Caribbean, and expect a similar experience on Celebrity.  Mrs. MJ on Travel and I enjoy socializing with our fellow experienced cruisers and will look forward to enjoying the new Captain’s Club Lounge on our Celebrity Equinox 11-night Mediterranean cruise next year.

According to Celebrity, more changes will be announced throughout 2009.  You can review complete details of all the benefits available to Captain’s Club members here.

You may have read in the press that United Airlines will soon begin forcing a small group of travel agents to process credit card purchases of United tickets through their own merchant agreement.  In other words, when you buy a United ticket from one of these agents, the charge will appear on your credit card statement as a charge from the travel agency and not United.  The agency will then have to basically write United a check for the ticket.

The result of this is that United receives all of the cash for the ticket, and the travel agent (and mark my word, ultimately you) will eat the cost of the credit card charge, usually anywhere from 2 to 3 percent (but can be more or less) of the purchase price.  Most normal businesses view these credit card merchant fees as a cost of doing business.  But in an effort to wring the last possible dollar of savings from its operations, United is shifting these costs onto its customers.  Apparently, a limited number of agencies are being impacted by this for now.  I would guess that those agencies are ones that don’t sell a lot of United tickets.

No matter what, this is a bad deal for travelers.  If this sticks, expect it to be matched by United’s competitors soon and possibly expanded to impact many more travel agencies.  If this proves successful in United’s eyes, how long do you really think it’s going to be before they (and their competitors that will surely copycat them) are charging you an extra buck or two when you purchase travel with a credit card directly from them?  Keep your eye on this one.  It bears watching in more ways than one.

Delta Air Lines is offering double bonus miles for all miles flown by its SkyMiles Credit Card customers.  Surf over to http://www.deltadoublemiles.com/ to register and review the terms and conditions.