Sherman's Travel

In the harried chaos of airports, a frequent-flier lounge is a veritable oasis. Several airlines offer passengers quiet corners to unwind before takeoff, where they can enjoy drinks, WiFi, and a bit of peace. A drawback is many lounges, though secluded, don’t offer much in the way of views. If you’re lucky enough to find a spot with a window, the most you can hope to see is a small patch of the runway or an abandoned luggage cart. Plus, as much as you’d love to crack open that window a smidge, you still won’t get a whiff of fresh air until touchdown. Delta Air Lines will change that with plans to construct lounges that offer all their standard luxuries, and more. Read more

Maybe your Valentine’s Day wasn’t as spectacular as you hoped it would be (then again, when does it ever live up to expectations?), but just before you throw out your mostly-dead roses, an email pops into your mailbox. It’s a message from Delta Airlines, confirming your flight to Aruba for next week. You don’t recall booking a trip, when it occurs to you – it must be a belated gift from your sweetheart! How romantic! Well, maybe not.

Getting hoodwinked by a travel scam is easier than you think. An email that alleges it’s from Delta Airlines has been making the rounds, containing specific flight information and asking readers to download a PDF file of their tickets. The PDF is a Trojan horse used to get you to install destructive software onto your computer, or access your personal or financial information. A similar scheme went around Facebook last month, when an offer claimed users could win two free tickets from Southwest Airlines simply for entering your email address. While veteran travelers won’t bat an eye at such tomfoolery, less experienced passengers may not know any better. So, we’ve put together a few tips to help novice fliers recognize when they’re being swindled. Read more

Even with all the precautionary measures taken, dutifully taking the TSA’s advice, and charging up all your WiFi-accessible tech doodads for use on your trip, future flights may soon bring further frustrations to travelers. This time, however, it’s not about flight delays, the lack of legroom, or crying babies. It’s just business. Delta Airlines has announced plans to acquire a 49 percent stake in Virgin Atlantic, an international flier and separate company from Virgin America.

Delta aims to snatch up Singapore Airlines’ share (the company’s remaining 51 percent belong to owner Richard Branson). Delta’s motivation for the buy is not only a means of consolidation. Holding a major stake in a Britain-based international airline offers Delta the chance to procure more landing slots at London’s Heathrow Airport, one of the world’s largest hubs.
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Major airlines have a gift for Florida fliers, special delivered just in time for the holiday season – fare increases.

Travelers flying to and from the Sunshine State will see a price hike across a handful of major carriers. United has raised one-way ticket prices on all Florida markets $10, while Delta, Southwest, and American followed suit with increases on most of their Florida routes. US Airways endeavored to push through a $10 spike on a larger portion of its domestic network but balked, limiting the increase to just the Florida region.

This is the 15th attempt by airlines to bump up domestic fare prices in 2012, seven of which have gotten the green light; last year, nine of the 22 proposed increases were successful.
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Unlike Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, and, well, pretty much most of the world, really, the United States lacks for small airlines that include medium-haul international routes. For decades, medium- and long-haul international flights were solely the domain of legacy carriers such as Delta, American, and United. Now, however, more and more smaller airlines are helping Americans go beyond our borders for work, pleasure, and simple winter escapes. A piece in the New York Times illustrates just how prevalent this trend has become, and customers are the obvious beneficiaries. In an industry quick to create new fees, alienate customers, and downsize, this is a rare piece of good news for travelers. Read more

Before prices skyrocket for peak-spring and summer travel, score a flight to Europe for as little as $219 one-way with Delta Airlines’ fare sale. This sale offers reduced rates to London and Amsterdam from Boston, Miami, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa. Fares to Amsterdam are valid for departures from March 21 – April 17 and May 15 – June 15.  Fares to London are valid for departures from March 26 – April 17 or May 1-15, but all tickets must be purchased by March 31.

Sample One-Way Fares:

•    Boston–London: $219
•    Jacksonville–London: $219
•    Miami–London: $219
•    Orlando–London: $219
•    Tampa–London: $219
•    Miami–Amsterdam: $319

THE VALUE: One-way flights to Europe in the spring and summer can easily top $500, so these fares can save you over $600 round-trip. Plus, flights out of smaller Florida cities go on sale much less often than major airports, so grab this bargain while you can!

THE CATCH: Taxes and fees are not included, so expect to pay an extra $100+ each way.

THE DETAILS: To book your flight, visit Delta’s website.

WE’VE GOT MORE: Find out the best things to do in London & Amsterdam with our travel guides, and grab a great hotel bargain before you go.

During the month of February, seven airlines have partnered with Gogo Inflight Internet (with sponsorship by Ford) to offer complimentary access to the king of social networking websites and the most-trafficked website by Gogo users: Facebook. AirTran Airways, Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, US Airways, and Virgin America are each offering the promo on Wi-Fi-enabled domestic flights. (Note that Airtran, Delta, and Virgin America are the only of the bunch to currently offer full Wi-Fi capacity on all their domestic flights.) This month-long bargain allows flyers to maintain social communication with friends 10,000-plus feet below them using personal laptops or handheld Wi-Fi devices absolutely free, though for access to other websites besides Facebook, flyers must still pay a fee ranging from $4.95 to $12.95 (the price differential depends on flight time).

Savvy Flyers – what has your experience been like with in-flight Wi-Fi?

Use our Travel Search price comparison tool to find the lowest rates and travel deals on  flights.

Delta Airlines is partnering with OTG Management to revolutionize traveler experience at the gate. You know the drill du jour: You’re waiting for your flight, tired and hungry, with no desire to sprint to the other end of the terminal just for the opportunity to balance a cold sandwich on your knees. Well starting November 19, if you are lucky enough to be flying Delta out of New York’s JFK, you can expect to be in for an entirely different experience.

OTG Management, a food services company known for its creative and inviting airport dining experiences, will be bringing the restaurant right to flyers’ gate-front seats in their latest endeavor. At select Delta gates, passengers will discover a fresh new look and innovative seating arrangements for singles, doubles, and multiple parties (most with power outlets for convenient electronics charging). Apple iPads fixed at each table allows patrons to order food from theirs seats, and an OTG server delivers orders right to them. Passengers can also enjoy use of the iPads for games, to read articles, or to check flight information.
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