While announced awhile back, the following 2 Delta Airlines Promotions are approaching their “book by/travel by” dates.

The first is Triple MQM’s (Medallion Qualification Miles) on Delta “shuttle” flights between New York LaGuardia (LGA) and Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD) and Washington DC (DCA).

Why is this promotion significant?

MQM’s are the miles that count towards Elite Status.  The most frequent airline mileage promotions consumers see only count towards “regular” redeemable mileage balances, although passengers will earn triple regular miles as well with this shuttle promotion. With this promo, one can earn almost the same number of MQM’s on a round-trip LGA-ORD flight as a round-trip LGA-LAX flight! Register, book and fly by August 31, 2010! Click to view all promotion details.

The second Delta Promotion includes no MQM’s, but does offer triple redeemable mileage (regular miles) on Delta’s new international routes such as Detroit to Hong Kong.  In order to earn triple miles, flyers need to book a business class fare, otherwise they will receive double miles.  For example: Normally, a non-elite Delta flyer would earn 15,700 miles round-trip from DTW-HKG.  Register for the promo, fly on a coach fare (saw a mid Sept. fare for $981) by September 30 and that flight will net you over 31,000 miles.  There is a lot of fine print HERE, but it all makes complete sense. There are also a lot more city pairs listed. Again, book and fly by September 30, 2010.

Time to make up for lost time with a double edition of the “weekly” post: Where the Good Fares Are.  These are fares I found this morning from various sources.  I select fares based on quantitative and qualitative factors.  The random dates I used were 10/6 – 10/12.  Use the flexible date search where applicable. All fares are round-trip, business class and include taxes & fees.  Some of the fares can be found on Planereality’s booking engine where you can browse until your heart’s content, but will need to create a user-name to book.  Thanks!

• Philadelphia-Shanghai: $3394 United & Continental
• Ft. Lauderdale-Shanghai: $3394 Delta, Continental & United
• LAX-Tel Aviv: $3375 Delta
• NYC-Tel Aviv: $3375 Continental
• NYC-Rio De Janeiro: $2389 US Airways
• LAX/SFO-Rio De Janeiro: $3114 Planereality Booking Engine
• NYC-Prague: $3191 Planereality Booking Engine
• LAX-Taipei: $2462 Planereality Booking Engine
• SFO-Tokyo Narita: $3703 Planereality Booking Engine
• Moscow-Hong Kong: $2243 Turkish Airlines; $2544 Qatar Airways
• Frankfurt-Johannesburg: $3102 Orbitz
• Istanbul-Sydney: $3684 Etihad Airways

Sometimes I fly on an ordinary airline on an ordinary route and there is not a whole lot to report or highlight. I anticipated this ATL-FRA flight would be one of these flights.  In addition, I have written about Delta’s Business Elite class on a few other occasions.
The flight crew was fantastic, however, and the menu impressive so it warranted a post. The crew made the flight very pleasant by being very friendly and saying the small things:

“Is there anything else I can get you right now?”
“Did you enjoy your flight?”
“We really appreciate you choosing Delta”

I was pleasantly surprised by the menu. It seemed more complex with more choices than average. The effort in menu design alone was more impressive than United, never mind the originality and quality. My fillet was good when compared to other airline fillets.

Unfortunately, like my last Delta 777 flight, my in-flight entertainment was in-operable. The whole cabin system was reset several times and I believe most passsnegers’ system worked after the reset.  Mine just produced a loud hissing sound and the faint noise of what was playing. It wasn’t a show stopper because I slept for most of the flight.
This 777 had the “old” Business Elite recliner seats and I took no pictures of them, but the menu is below.

Who do you think has better business class food, United or Delta?

Here is another good fare I just came across. It requires a 14 day minimum stay and travel must be completed by 9/11/10. Other cities may be available; operated by a US carrier, example round trip business class fares including taxes and fees:

• NYC-Bombay $3400
• NYC-Delhi $3415
  

These fares may exist after 9/11/10, but I have not looked that far.
Available on Planereality’s Booking Engine
For questions or to check other fares:
chris@planereality.com

There is a “brick and mortar” travel agency next to the gym that I go to. I stopped in the other day and asked what airfare deals they were seeing.

“Where do you want to go?”

“I don’t know”

“I can’t really help you then”

Such is the case with so many, not all, travel distributors. One has to know where they are going before any other part of the planning process can take place.  A dangerous presumption in my book.

This concept, in part, is where the idea of this weekly post, Where the Good Fares Are , came from. Here are the fares this week.  All previous posts are under the FARES category. I used middle of September and a seven day stay as my random dates. Fares are R/T and includes fees and stuff.

• LAX-Seoul $3068 Planereality Booking Engine
• LAX/SFO-Heathrow $3411 Planereality Booking Engine
• NYC-Buenos Aires $2589 Planereality Booking Engine
• ATL-Honolulu $619 (Coach) Your Booking Engine of Choice

As has been the case over the past few weeks, the best fares I am seeing from the US are across the Pacific.
Outside the US, there are some business class “deals” to be had if you can originate in Istanbul, Moscow or Athens. The Istanbul fares are below. You can click HEREor click on the “FARES” category to see the most recent fares I have posted. Some of those ares are probably still available.  For the details on how this post series came about and other details that are not terribly important, click here.  These fares are business class for the middle of October 2010.  Use the flexible date function when you search.  Tausend Dank!

• Istanbul-Sydney: $3504 Etihad; $3630 Singapore Airlines
• Istanbul-Melbourne: $3052 Etihad; $3616 Singapore Airlines
• SFO-Hong Kong: $3053 Planereality’s Booking Engine
• ORD-Shanghai: $3430 American; $3430 United; $3432 Continental

Everything Virgin Atlantic does is a little outside the box. From the bar on the planes to the airplane salt & paper shakers. Why would their airport lounge be any different? A Spa, a shoeshine guy and table service were a few of the things that impressed. The desk attendants were quite friendly and greeted me as if they had been waiting just for me all day; and in fact this was how all the Virgin Clubhouse employees treated me.

Right after I showed my boarding pass, I was given a short tour of the lounge. After a trip to the clean and large shower rooms, I chose a seat near the floor to ceiling windows. As soon as I sat, my drink and breakfast order was taken. The food was fresh and delicious.

The shoeshine guy offered guests a pair of slippers while he shinned your shoes. He couldn’t do much with my Asics though. In the spa, neck & shoulder massages and basic mani/pedicures were complimentary. There was also a full service spa menu and the fees vary dependent upon treatments. Appointments for free and paid services are required.

The whole experience was relaxing and refreshing and I am looking forward to visiting other Virgin Clubhouses in the future.

wii golf; guitar hero avialable too

some sights from my seat

to orlando

On my way to London, Gatwick from Kingston, Jamaica I sat in the lower deck section of the Upper Class Cabin. On the return trip (LGW-KIN) I sat in the upper deck of the Upper Class section and noted some significant differences.  The seats on the upper deck do not feel nearly as wide as those on the lower deck.  In addition you are much closer to the passengers across from you on the upper deck.  Most importantly, it is nearly impossible to see out the window on the upper deck.  The windows are well below eye level, making  laying flat on your back the only way to look comfortably out the window.  And even then, you will be looking into space as opposed to looking at the earth.

One more reason not to sit on the top deck: This plane, Lady Penelope, features an economy class section in the rear of the upper deck, which can seat at least 48 passengers. This makes de-planing a very slow process. Not all of Virgin’s 747′s have this economy section on the upper deck; some have more Upper Class seats, some have Premium Economy seats.  For all of the other reasons (and maybe or maybe not the last one) choose the lower deck, Upper Class Cabin on Virgin’s 747′s.

The rest of the 8 hour and 50 minute flight was uneventful. I was 1 of 2 passengers seated in the upstairs, Upper Class cabin. In total 304 passengers and 8 babies were on the flight.  This was announced before departure.

I was perplexed by the food choices. While there may have been some English delicacies, I found the menu choices dull, although the food was flavorful. 

We deplaned at a remote stand vs. at an actual gate and were bused to the terminal. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic alternate using the only gate that can accommodate (apparently) a 747 or 777. I will post my pictures from the Virgin Clubhouse at Gatwick shortly. Thanks.

salmon

ham hock

bar view, walking down stairs from upper deck

movies, tv, music

personal t.v.

rear economy section of upper deck; exit row

Moving forward, I am expanding the sources of where I am finding the airfares. Unless noted otherwise, the airfares are business class, round-trip and include all fees and taxes. As you know, airfare pricing and availability changes by the minute, so if you really need to book, best do it sooner than later. For these fares I used only Planereality’s booking engine and chose the arbitrary dates: 10/6 – 10/13.

Recently, readers have asked whether the fares they are finding on their own are good ones. I have been referring them to Planereality’s booking engine to compare. One reader just let me know that she saved herself $600on 2 business class tickets by booking on Planereality’s booking engine. It may be worth a look.

• LAX-Bangkok $2633!!
• EWR-Tokyo Narita $3116
• JFK-Delhi $3060
• SFO-Hong Kong $3052
• LAX-Tokyo Narita $3490

This time, live from Atlanta, the weekly installment of where the good fares are. This week, and moving forward, I am expanding the sources of where I am finding the airfares. I will try to include a link where applicable. Unless noted otherwise, the airfares are business class, round-trip and include all fees and taxes. As you know, airfare pricing and availability changes by the minute, so if you really need to book, best do it sooner than later. These fares are for the middle of September, mid-week travel, 7 day stay.

Recently, readers have asked whether the fares they are finding on their own are good ones. I have been referring them to Planereality’s booking engine to compare. One reader just let me know that she saved herself $600 on 2 business class tickets by booking on Planereality’s booking engine.  It may be worth a look.
The Virgin fare is my favorite; in case you were wondering.
Fares:

• LAX-Bangkok: $2632 Planereality’s Booking Engine
• Gatwick-Kingston, Jamaica: $1513!!! VirginAtlantic.com
• LAX-Hong Kong: $2955 Planereality’s Booking Engine
• NYC-Singapore: $3521 Planereality’s Booking Engine
• Moscow-Sydney: $3236 AirChina.com
• Istanbul-Hong Kong: $2218 Qatar.com

Thankfully my virgin, Virgin experience took a 180 degree turn as soon as I stepped on to the plane. (Not 360 degree, that would mean it stayed the same) I posted my pre-boarding experience here. I was not showed to my seat, but rather followed by a flight attendant who offered me a drink as soon as I sat down. I chose to sit on the lower deck of this 747 thinking I would have a great forward looking view from the forward most seat on the plane.  The view was just O.K. The two front seats are very close to each other, but the seat across form mine was vacant, giving me some extra privacy. There are some significant differences between the upper and lower deck that I will talk about in another post.

The first thing I noticed was that the seats felt noticeably wider than Delta’s and Cathay Pacific’s which also offer an angled business class seats. Not sure if the actual seat is wider or the angled bulkheads are more spread out. The seats did look somewhat tired. There were some smears, smudges, crumbs and hair on the television and the adjustable armrest.  I attributed this to the weak ground staff in Jamaica.

Shortly after departure, a flight attendant introduced herself to me and offered to demonstrate the seat functions. She said to let her know when I was ready for turn down service. Like Singapore’s 777 business class seats, there are limited positions to put the seat in as the entire back folds down in order to make the bed. The tray table is large enough to have a companion eat facing you while seated at your footrest. Despite having a great night’s sleep, complete with duvet sheet/pad and pillow, I think I would still rather have a seat that does not require me to stand up to lay down and vice-versa.

The quality of food was outstanding, as was the quantity. Note the mountain of back bacon with breakfast. I couldn’t come close to finishing my breakfast as I was still full from dinner.  The enetertainment selection was fairly standard, with the exception of music and documentries which were above avergae.  Virgin America and Virgin Atlantic have a better music selection than most airlines.  There were a least a dozen different documentaries, good for folks with short attention spans, on Virgin Atlantic.

Prior to landing, Laura, the flight attendant, came by my seat and asked if I had enjoyed my flight (indeed I had) and wished me a pleasant onward journey.  This type of interaction is just one example of the exemplary service I experienced on Virgin Atlantic.

Stay tuned for a post on the return flight. I will show the upper deck and tell you all the reasons not sit up there.

upper class forward cabin

12A & 14A

my seat 12A, with table extended

amenity kit contained toothbrush & paste, eye mask, ear plugs and socks

pajamas which I have yet to wear

seasonal leaf salad with chicken

delcious & tender braised beef in gravy

obligatory cheese plate

bed!

lower deck, from the nose, facing rear

premium econonmy section looked pretty comfy

bar between upper class and premium economy

“mustang sally” from the jetbridge at gatwick