JetBlue just announced they’ll be flying non-stop from Tampa to Cancun soon! Fares start at just $100 per person, one way. The only time we’ve ever been to Cancun, it was on a cruise, but I could definitely see rounding up the grownups for a long weekend there, especially with airfare at only $200 round trip. It’s nice to see an airline charging a reasonable fare for once…yes, I’m talking to all of you airlines charging $2 for sodas and $25 for a 2nd suitcase.

I flew JetBlue last year to Boston and loved it. I’m supposed to fly it again in October when I go to NYC. As long as they don’t start charging for the TV privileges, it will remain one of my favorite airlines.

I traveled on Northwest Airlines last year from Tampa to Detroit to visit Canada. I guess I signed up for their newsletter when I bought my tickets, because I found this in my inbox this morning:

As a valued Northwest Airlines customer and WorldPerks® member, I wanted you to be among the first to hear that we have announced a merger with Delta Air Lines. Subject to regulatory review, our two airlines are joining forces to create America’s premier global airline which, upon closing of the merger, will be called Delta Air Lines.

By combining Northwest and Delta, we are building a stronger, more resilient airline that will be a leader in providing customer service and value. Our combined airline will offer unprecedented access to the world, enabling you to fly to more destinations, have more flight choices and more ways than ever to earn and redeem your WorldPerks miles.

You can be assured that your WorldPerks miles and Elite program status will be unaffected by this merger. In addition, you can continue to earn miles through use of partners like WorldPerks Visa®. And once the new Delta Air Lines emerges you can look forward to being a part of the world’s largest frequent flyer program with expanded benefits.

The combined Delta Air Lines will serve more U.S. communities and connect to more worldwide destinations than any global airline. Our hubs – both Delta’s and Northwest’s – will be retained and enhanced. We will be the only U.S. airline to offer direct service from the United States to all of the world’s major business centers in Asia, Latin America, Europe, Africa and around North America.

Both airlines bring tremendous strengths to this new partnership. Our complementary service networks form an end-to-end system that is truly greater than the sum of its parts. This is a merger by addition, not subtraction, which means all of our hubs – both Northwest’s and Delta’s – will be retained. In addition, building on both airlines’ proud, decades-long history of serving small communities, we plan to enhance global connections to small towns and cities across the U.S.

All of these positive benefits of our combination mean that we can:

• Offer a true global network where our customers will be able to fly to more destinations, have more schedule options and more opportunities to earn and redeem frequent flyer miles in what will become the world’s best and most comprehensive frequent flyer program.
• Continue to serve our current roster of destinations and to maintain our hubs in Atlanta, Cincinnati, Detroit, Memphis, Minneapolis/St. Paul, New York, Salt Lake City, Amsterdam and Tokyo.
• Improve our customers’ travel experience, through new products and services including enhanced self-service tools, better bag-tracking technology, more onboard services, including more meal options, new seats and refurbished cabins.

While we work to secure approval of our merger, which may take up to 6 to 8 months, it will be business-as-usual at both airlines. We will continue to operate as independent airlines and the people of Northwest will remain focused on providing you with the very best in safe, reliable and convenient air travel. At the same time, both airlines will be planning for a seamless integration of our two airlines, one that delivers to you the enhanced benefits that will earn – and retain – your preference.

As we work through this process, we will keep you informed at every step along the way. Thank you for your business and we look forward to serving you on your next Northwest flight.

Sincerely,

Bob Soukup
Managing Director, WorldPerks

After a flight to Vegas last week that took over 5 hours, I’m rethinking my desire to go back to Europe. I had forgotten how painfully long flights could be! 4 hours into the flight, I had finished my book, exhausted my laptop battery, and my legs were cramping up from being crammed into such a small space. We were stuck in the very last row of the plane, thanks to Southwest’s cattle call boarding, and our seats didn’t recline. And, NO MOVIE!

What a contrast to the delightful flight I took on JetBlue!

(At least no one got kicked off the flight for wearing suggestive clothing!)

I went on my first cruise when I was 9, and my second when I was 11. I didn’t have the chance to cruise again until the year 2000, when I finally talked my husband into a cruise. Can you believe that he had to be talked into it? He thought he’d be bored! Once he got on board, it was a completely different story though, and we’ve been on several cruises since, as a couple and with the family. I love cruising because of the options you have. You can go almost anywhere on a cruise, from the Caribbean, to Alaska, to ports of call in Europe and Asia. While you’re getting to your destination, you can eat, drink, dance, and enjoy all sorts of new experiences. On our various cruises, we’ve seen magicians, participated in a wine tasting class, and played plenty of Bingo and other games.

Due to the popularity of cruises, and all of the options available to travelers, there’s a lot of competition between travel agencies and travel websites for a piece of the cruise market. I prefer shopping for cruises at a site that specializes in cruises, like DirectLineCruises.com – I prefer knowing that my travel website knows the cruise industry inside and out! Too many travel agencies try to handle too much, and your vacation plans suffer. When you book with a company like DirectLineCruises.com, you can rest assured knowing that they know their stuff, and can get you great deals on every type of cruise, from budget offerings to premium and luxury lines. Two of the premier cruise companies they work with are Celebrity Cruises and
Azamara Cruises. They’re known for their wonderful cuisine and 5 start accommodations. If you want to be pampered and dazzled on your next cruise vacation, either of those cruise lines can get the job done!

This is a sponsored review.

I had the opportunity to fly JetBlue this month, and they may be my new favorite airline. I don’t expect much from the airlines I fly, other than cheap prices, on time flights, and free peanuts. JetBlue exceeded my every expectation, and I will use their airline again, and as often as possible, even if it costs me a little more to do so!

Here’s why:

• 1. On time flights – The flights I was on left on time, and arrived early. I know that delays can’t often be helped, but for some airlines, delays are a way of life.
• 2. A TV at every seat – I don’t know about you, but it irritates me that movies are typically only offered on super long cross country flights. A 2 or 3 hour flight should definitely have a movie. JetBlue has decided that regardless of the flight length, not only do you get your choice of one of 3 or 4 movies, but you can watch 30+ channels of DirecTV at your seat for free. On the way to Boston, the DirecTV signal wasn’t working properly, and the flight attendants turned on the movies for free. (Normally, the TV is free, but the movies are $5 each.) On my way home, I watched several episodes of Project Runway on Bravo and King of the Hill on FOX. If TV isn’t your thing, you can enjoy XM Radio instead. It definitely made the time pass by quickly.
• 3. Great snacks – while most airlines pass out free peanuts and a soda, JetBlue offered a choice of 5 or 6 different snacks, like chips, cookies, and cashews. Other airlines charge you $5 for a few of those things, and call it a snack pack. JetBlue gave me as many free snacks as I wanted, and 3 refills on my Coke, without giving me an attitude about it!
• 4. Clean, spacious seating – JetBlue offers tons of leg room. I’m 5 foot 8, but most of my heigh is in my legs. I’m always cramped and uncomfortable on flights. When I checked in online and selected my seats, JetBlue showed me which seats had the most legroom. I had 34 inches of pitch and I have never been more comfortable on a flight. The plane was very clean and in great condition as well. The seats looked like new!
• 5. Added bonus – on my way back home, I attempted to use the curbside check in for JetBlue at Logan Airport. The attendant noticed that I was flying to Tampa with a connection through JFK and mentioned there was a direct flight leaving for Tampa in 45 minutes, and that I should try to get on it. She directed me inside where a JetBlue rep cheerfully accommodated my request, which got me home 3 hours early and saved me sitting in JFK for an hour!

Have you ever flown JetBlue? What did you think?

I’m leaving tomorrow, and once again – I’m waiting til the last minute to pack! Tomorrow, in addition to working til 5pm, I have to pack up all my things AND make a trip to the dry cleaner to pick up some pants that needed to be hemmed. I won’t get in to Boston til 10:30, and doubt that I’ll be checked into my hotel until midnight, and I’ve got to be up early on Wednesday for meetings.

I’m seeing a nap in my future tomorrow…hopefully Jet Blue has comfy seats. I’ve never flown them before – aren’t they the ones with the TV screens on the back of each seat? Sounds like my kind of airline!

I’ve flown several times this year already, and all of my flights were on time. According to new figures from the government, I was lucky. Most U.S airlines are having their worst on-time performance ever right now. 1/3 of all flights were delayed in June! I did hear a lot of flights being delayed while I sat in the airport in June and July, so I certainly believe it…I’m just surprised my flight wasn’t one of the flights affected. I’m not usually that lucky with airlines.

Have you had a delayed or canceled flight this summer?

Frontier Airlines is holding a Colorado Day sale! You have only 24 hours to purchase your tickets for this deal, and you must travel between August 21st and November 14th of this year. Taxes and fees are not included. I’ve never traveled Frontier before – have you?

Example fares:

Denver to Tampa $99 one way

Denver to Washington DC $124 one way

Denver to Philadelphia $124 one way

Denver to Las Vegas $59 one way

If you’ve ever flown on Southwest, you’ll know that they have a unique policy for seating their customers on planes. You are not assigned a seat, instead, Southwest uses an open seating policy that allows passengers to choose a sit upon entering the plane. If you’re traveling with a larger group, or your kids, this doesn’t always work out. I have a family of 5, and if we aren’t first in line to enter that plane, we’ll be seated apart from each other.

Southwest is exploring options now for traveling families, and testing a few things on flights out of San Antonio. They are trying designated rows specifically for families, and having families pre-board. While Southwest says they’re not trying to segregate families from business travelers, effectively, they are. Don’t get me wrong – I’m fine with that! I travel with and with my kids, and when I’m without my own kids, I’d prefer not to sit with a screaming baby in my row. I would happily choose to sit in the non family section.

When I flew on US Air last week, I was offered first class upgrade upon check-in, for the total of $100 each way. Now, had I known there would be a screaming baby in my row on the way to Pittsburgh, I would have gladly ponied up the cash. My company was paying for the ticket, so it would have had to come out of my pocket, but it would be a small price to pay for peace and quiet and more leg room.

It got me thinking – do they no longer bump people to first class, instead hoping that they can sell people the tickets for $100 one way? Have you ever been offered a free seat in first class?

If you’ve got American Airlines and have been frustrated by the lack of options to book short trips – listen up! AA is once again allowing customers to book so-called “short-hop” flights (example: Chicago to Atlanta or Dallas to Denver) for as little as 15,000 of your AAdvantage miles. You can begin booking these flights on AA.com for travel through September 1st, 2007, through February 20, 2008. Your flight must be on American Airlines, American Eagle or AmericanConnection carriers to use this deal.