Japan Airlines to Partner with Delta, Join SkyTeam

Cash-strapped Japan Airlines announced today they will join in partnership with Delta Airlines and integrate into the SkyTeam alliance. The airline had been negotiating with both American (OneWorld) and Delta (SkyTeam) for a capital partner.

San Francisco to Madrid $294 RT Including Tax!!

Unbelievably low fare! Today Delta Airlines is selling flights from San Francisco to Madrid, Spain, for just $294.50 roundtrip, including all taxes and fees. Valid for outbound travel August 17-October 24, 2009, with a Saturday Night stay requirement. Best of all, there is plenty of availability at this low fare. Click here and search using the "flexible dates" option. Book soon - this price will not last.

Delta has slashed prices to several other European cities, including Barcelona, Athens, Paris and Barcelona - all currently priced between $400-$500 roundtrip from SFO for the same travel period.

Earn Bonus Miles Linking Your Delta and Northwest Accounts

Here is one result from the merger of Delta and Northwest Airlines announced earlier in 2008.: For a limited time, Delta SkyMiles and Northwest Worldperks members may transfer miles between their own accounts fee free - and earn a bonus 500 SkyMiles for doing so.

For instance, let's say your Delta frequent flyer account has 2,000 miles and your Northwest 23,000. Simply transfer the 2,000 Delta miles over to Northwest (or vice versa).

Click here for more information.

Delta Debuts Ads With Online Boarding Passes

Starting today, Delta Airlines customers checking in online for Las Vegas will see something more than their flight information on their boarding pass; Ads.

Perhaps you want information on the David Copperfield magic performance or details on current Cirque du Soleil shows. All of this - and more, on your boarding pass.

While some airlines are flying off into a direction of electronic boarding passes - dumping the paper all together, Delta Airlines is taxiing on with the good old fashioned paper boarding passes, just now exercising a creative use. Sure they are making a few bucks on the ads, but they claim to also be offering a service to passengers, particularly last minute folks, who don't necessarily have the time to research their destination before hoping on the plane. And let's face it, with airlines cutting back on inflight entertainment, raising the price of food and liquid and filling the planes to capacity, maybe these advertisements will keep passengers occupied in flight.

But love it or hate it, almost all Delta passengers will face it. By the end of the week, Delta will expand the ads so virtually everyone printing a domestic boarding pass at home will find advertisements batched with boarding passes. The company behind the technology says however that passengers will have an opt out box should they decide not to print out the ads.

Northwest and U.S Airways stated they too will begin boarding pass advertisements by year end as well.

Delta To Add Fuel Service Charge To "Free" Award Tickets

Redeeming frequent flyer miles for a "free" ticket
on Delta Airlines will soon cost you

In yet another setback for consumers, Delta airlines announced this morning they will begin charging customers a fuel surcharge fee when redeeming Delta SkyMiles for an otherwise "free" flight. In a press release, Delta stated effective August 15th, a $25 fee will be charged for flights within the United States and Canada, and $50 elsewhere in the world. The fuel surcharge will not impact existing itineraries or tickets purchased before August 15th.

This is the first known U.S-based airline to institute a fuel surcharge to customers redeeming banked frequent flyer miles. In the press release, managing director of Delta's SkyMiles program said, “This was a difficult but essential decision in the face of record-high fuel costs. We hope this is temporary, and should fuel prices subside from current levels, we will reevaluate this surcharge."

With the cost of oil exceeding $140 a barrel, airlines are struggling for ways to recoup operating losses. The fuel surcharge on award travel is surely seen as one possible solution. But already, consumers are crying foul, as the once advertised "earn a free trip" when redeeming 25,000 miles no longer applies. With the added fuel surcharge, it will soon become impossible to obtain a free trip with Delta.

Earlier this month, and with less uproar from the traveling community, American Airlines quietly announced they would add a $5 charge for all award tickets redeemed on their website effective June 21st. Without a huge public backlash - yet, in effect, American's move may have helped pave the way for Delta to institute the fuel surcharge announced today.

Delta, Northwest Merger imminent - source

It looks like the airline industry will continue to make headlines this week as a merger between Northwest and Delta is reported to be imminent. According to the Associated Press, people close to the merger talks said it may happen as early as Monday. If it does, the joined companies would result in the largest airline in the world.

The two airlines hoped to announce a deal in February, but their pilots' unions were unable to agree on how to merge their seniority lists. The airlines are now hoping to proceed with merger talks without compiling a list, a move that could potentially cause strong opposition to the merger by pilots.

San Francisco to Atlanta $168 roundtrip, tax included

SFO-ATL $168RT w/taxes on Delta Airlines. Available March 10-April 17th, mostly weekday flights. Fare Basis:RGATSJ6I. www.farecompare.com

Northwest, Delta close to joining, source says

(Associated Press)
ATLANTA - Delta Air Lines and Northwest Airlines are inching closer to a combination that would create the nation's largest carrier, and if a deal is reached it could be announced next week, a person briefed on the discussions told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
Read more here.

Delta Reportedly Begins Merger Talks With United, Northwest

(CNNMoney) Delta Air Lines has opened merger talks with Northwest Airlines and UAL Corp.'s United Airlines in the hope it can close a deal over the next two weeks, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday. Read more

Engine fire forces American Airlines plane into emergency landing

All passengers & cabin crew walked away uninjured.
Reuters is reporting an American Airlines flight from St Louis bound for Chicago was forced to turn around and return this afternoon after 1 of the 2 engines on the MD-80 aircraft caught fire. None of the 137 passengers or 5 crew were injured.

Separately, a Delta Airlines flight on Thursday aborted take-off when it was discovered that an engine on an Atlanta bound MD-88 plane was on fire. Everyone was evacuated without injury.

Delta Airlines Enlists Top Chefs to Bolster Its Menus
New York Times Sunday August 26, 2007

Delta seems to be getting more serious about the food it is serving to passengers - at least to those sitting in the high-priced seats and others willing to pay for it.

Starting Sept 13, the airline will feature entrees created by the Miami chef Michelle Bernstein for first class passengers on flights from Kennedy International Airport to Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle. Choices include short ribs in a red wine sauce. Also, chocolates from Godiva's new line, Chocoiste, will be available.

Then in November, the celebrity chef Todd English will introduce creations on a for-sale menu for coach passengers on the same routes, as well as flights to destinations like Atlanta; Portland Ore; and Las Vegas. Items under consideration include a spinach salad with beets, walnuts and manchego; and hummus. Prices are expected to range from $3 to $10.

The Rise & Fall of the 'online booking bonus'

By Mike Grasso

So sad. Delta Airlines has discontinued its online booking bonus of 500 miles.
Airlines which historically have offered online booking bonuses initially did so to lure people to book tickets through their computer, rather than a travel agent or on the phone. Back in the day, many reservations booked online at the airlines website scored you upwards of 1000 added frequent flyer miles.

Since then, airlines have initiated service fees for booking reservations with an agent - ranging from $10-$40 bucks. Some airlines have also trimmed, cut, and slashed travel agent commissions on booking air-only reservations. Finally, online travel sites such as Expedia and Travelocity often charge a service fee, albeit it minimal, for booking air tickets. All of this has worked to the airlines advantage, to the point where online booking bonuses are rarely necessary to get folks to travel with the mouse directly to the airlines website.

Delta joins Northwest in discontinuing online booking bonuses, while United, Continental and U.S Air only offer 500 miles, and American now down to 250 bonus miles.