Tell us your pick below or tweet us @deltablog using #DeltaM&M with your choice.

Thanks for your feedback! We’re always thrilled when we can make your suggestions a reality.

Bel O., Manager – In Flight Service

O

The original Jet Base occupied 55 acres with 9 acres of buildings. By 1998, the TOC had expanded up to 63 acres under roof.

Delta’s cantilevered hangar was an engineering marvel in 1960. It had a clear-span length of 170 feet, making the 420-foot hangar the longest of its type attempted at that time. It also had the largest doors (open area) of any such structure in the United States, to accomodate our growing Douglas DC-8 and Convair 880 jet fleet.

For more “eye-opening facts” and photos, see this 1960 brochure “Delta Opens New Jet Base at Atlanta Airport.”

Although access to the TOC is restricted, you can visit our original 1940s Hangars 1 and 2, which we outgrew when the jets arrived. Today they house the Delta Museum and its collection of historic aircraft.

Marie Force

Archives Manager

Breakfast room service at Secrets SilverSands…that was a lot of food!

The answer is yes… and no.

Here’s what’s usually included (ask about your particular resort to be sure):

• All meals, snacks, non-alcoholic beverages and most alcoholic beverages
• Some activities, depending on what your resort has available, such as tennis, golf, diving or snorkeling, other non-motorized water sports, and workouts.
• Gratuities are included but it doesn’t hurt to tip a bartender or room attendant every now and then if you feel they are doing a great job. In fact you will most likely get extra service if you do so but you don’t need to.
• Nightly entertainment – shows, dancing, karaoke and more
• Room service – some resorts include 24 hr room service. This is good to double check on.

Here’s what’s usually NOT included:

• Airfare and airport taxes (except with Delta Vacations’ package where your airfare is included)
• Spa treatments (massage, facial, etc), but access to facilities is usually included
• Off-site tours
• Phone calls
• Items purchased at the gift shop

A couple notes on “inclusions”:

• You will get the “included” wine with your dinner, but you can, many times, purchase a specific wine.  Also, sometimes only domestic or local liquor is included, so if you’re in Mexico for example, you may have to pay extra (if available) for a Miller beer instead of a Dos Equis or Pacifico or Corona.
• You may have to make reservations for your meals at select restaurants onsite.  And sometimes, if you don’t make the reservation, your options may be limited.  You also may be restricted to how many times you can eat at some of the nicer restaurants at the property. So make your reservations when you arrive.

Where are all-inclusive resorts available and a good option?

Jamaica , the Dominican Republic , Mexico , especially Cancun and the Riviera Maya

Some questions to ask yourself before choosing an all-inclusive resort:

1. Am I looking for a vacation where I want very little outside influence, just want to relax and not be bothered with where to go to eat dinner or what to do?
2. Do I want to see something and do something different every day?
3. Are there enough activities at this particular resort, and are the restaurants suitable to my taste?

If you have questions on all-inclusive vacations  for us you can find Delta Vacations on Facebook (in fact we are giving away a trip to one of our fans!) or follow us on Twitter.

What’s your favorite all inclusive?

Delta employees also rejoiced when the Chicago-Miami route award was announced in 1945. We were now a major airline, no longer offering just regional service, but flying to the second largest city in the U.S., over a route with great potential for vacation travel. For the first time we went head-to-head with Eastern Airlines instead of feeding traffic to their flights–the start of a long rivalry. As Rodger Meier, a Delta reservations supervisor in New Orleans, said at the time:  “The Airline of the South now becomes The Airline of the Future.”

Marie Force

Archives Manager

Hello again! I know many of you have been hungering for the latest information on Delta’s Wi-Fi installs so let’s get right to it…

As of this week, Delta has completed 73% of the domestic mainline fleet. Breaking it down, we’ve installed Wi-Fi on 383 of 528 aircraft, further cementing Delta’s status as the airline with the world’s largest Wi-Fi-equipped fleet.

Technicians are averaging two installations per night and with just a handful of A319s left, they’ll quickly move on to multiple A320 installations each night. I know everyone in DTW, MEM and MSP are excited about that news!

Our goal for completing the entire domestic mainline fleet is summer 2010.

Completed Fleets:
MD88:  117
MD-90:  16
B737-700:  10
B737-800:  71
B767-300 (non-ETOPS birds):  10

Fleets in Progress:
A319:  34
A320:  3
B757-200:  120
B757-300:  1 (Deactivated pending certification)
DC9-50:  1 A/C (Deactivated pending certification)

Have a great weekend and I’ll make sure to update the stats bi-weekly.

Chris B.
Sr. Product Manager, IFE

We’ve been covering family travel online since 1995 and we’ve found so many family-friendly destinations and resorts. Often, the right one for each family will depend on their children’s ages and the family’s interests. Some family favorites in the U.S. are:

Orlando (all age groups)

Hawaii (especially school-age kids and teens)

New York City (especially with school-age kids and teens)

Miami

Washington D.C.

San Diego (all age groups)

Florida Keys (big with teens and school-age kids)

Los Angeles

Phoenix

Tampa

Ft. Myers

Boston

San Francisco

Denver

Alaska (school-age kids and teens)

San Antonio

Ski/Mountain Destinations (Utah, Colorado, Vermont, New Hampshire, etc.)

Internationally, we’ve found that families love the Caribbean, Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada (especially for skiing), Europe (especially London, Italy, Barcelona and the Greek Islands) and the South Pacific.

There are lots of kid-friendly resorts and hotel chains – both domestically and internationally. Many domestic hotel chains, such as Hyatt, Loews and Hilton, have instituted special programs for kids and families. Marriott has some cool Nickelodeon-themed weekend programs being rolled out this year.

Internationally, there are some really great family-oriented chains in the Caribbean, Mexico and Costa Rica. For families with young children (babies, toddlers up to 3+ years of age), some standouts include:

Beaches Resorts (babies and toddlers)

Club Med Resorts (selected ones that have baby and toddler programs)

FDR Resorts (babies and toddlers – cool vacation nanny program)

Four Seasons Nevis (program starts at 3 years of age)

Casa de Campo (babies and toddlers with vacation nanny option)

Atlantis (cool things for families with young children – program starts at 3)

Our Lucaya Resort

Almond Beach Resort

Coconut Bay Resort

Smugglers Notch Resort (babies on up)

Whistler Blackcomb

Beaver Creek

The Tyler Place (Vermont, summer only)

Families with school age children have so many great resorts from which to choose, including all of those above plus Palace Resorts, some SuperClubs properties, Real Resorts, Barcelo Resorts, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Westin Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons Resorts, Ritz-Carlton Resorts, Grand Velas Resorts, Marriott properties, Elite Island Resorts, and a whole lot more.

When the kids get to be teens – things turn interesting. Some resort chains have special programs just for teens, including:

Beaches Resorts

Club Med

Atlantis

Casa de Campo

Smugglers Notch

In addition, kids that age love adventure-type vacations to destinations such as Costa Rica and Alaska, plus trips to Hawaii, Europe and other destinations. There are so many things for families with teens and young adults to do.

Nancy, Family Travel Network

Thank you Nancy for your great tips and destinations for family vacations!  You can find more of her tips and more at www.familytravelnetwork.com.

Where do you like to take your kids on vacation?

Sean C., Delta Vacations

Here’s what you can expect:

• 90 trans-oceanic aircraft will be updated with full flat-bed seats, adding the ability to stretch out and relax in our BusinessElite cabin on all Boeing 767-400ERs, 767-300ERs, 747-400s and 777-200ERs.

• 16 Boeing 747-400s and 52 767-300ERs will receive in-seat audio and video on demand in Economy Class, offering personal entertainment on all wide-body aircraft.
• 66 CRJ-700s will be outfitted with First Class comfort for Delta Connection customers.
• 269 pre-merger Northwest aircraft will be revamped to feature our signature blue leather seats as well as updated lighting and cabin amenities.
• 170 Boeing 767-300ERs, 757-200s and 737-800s will fly with extended range and fuel efficiency thanks to the winglet installations.
• Four additional Delta Sky ClubsÔ will be available to customers with the renovation and expansion of our L.A. lounge and new locations in Indianapolis, Philadelphia and Seattle.

So, what does it all mean for you?  A more consistent, comfortable and convenient (not to mention sustainable) travel experience, whether you’re onboard, enjoying top-of-the-line amenities and our premium on-demand entertainment (now available on more planes than any other U.S. carrier), or relaxing in our extended global Delta Sky Club network.

And, this is all in addition to our continued initiative to outfit our domestic fleet (530+ aircraft) with in-flight Wi-Fi.  We’re making major progress with Wi-Fi installed on 340+ aircraft and plans to hit our goal this summer.  So, you may now sit back and surf, stay in touch or even respond to this blog on more flights than ever before.

We’re thrilled about these investments and hope you are too.  Let us know what you think.  What improvements would you like to see on the Delta docket over the next few years? You can post here or tweet us @deltablog.

Ranjan Goswami

Director – Customer Experience Planning & Development

Tips for Traveling With Young Children.

* Sign your little one up for frequent flyer programs. It’s amazing how fast those miles will add up.

* Schedule flights that coincide with your child’s nap schedule. If it’s going to be a very long flight, red-eye overnight flights also work out well.

* If your child is old enough, talk with him/her ahead of time about your trip. Read stories about flying in planes and talk about what to expect. Preparation always helps.

* Print out your boarding passes ahead of time for flights that allow online check-in.

* Bring along food and healthy snacks, and buy water before getting on the plane. If you need infant formula, bring along plenty of that, too. You never know how long you’ll be on the plane and it’s a good idea to keep your kids on their regular eating schedule if possible.

* Bring along an FAA approved car seat on the plane.

* Do not check your stroller – airports are big places. Keep your child in his/her stroller and check it at the gate.

* Dress your little one in comfortable clothes (darker ones hide stains) and bring along an extra change of clothes and some zip-lock plastic bags in case of accidents.

* For infants and toddlers, bring along as well as plenty of diapers, wipes, and a small container of baby bath soap & wash cloth, just in case of accidents.

* Pack a small first-aid kit with everything you might need, including children’s Tylenol, a digital thermometer, band-aids, children’s antihistamine, a nasal aspirator, and other items.

* Consider bringing along Ear Planes to keep ears clear and pressure free if your kids are old enough to use them.

* Don’t forget one of family travel’s best kept secrets – the travel knapsack – to keep your child entertained throughout the trip. Load it with cool items including story books, activity books, finger puppets, felt books with stick-ons, magnetic games, small dolls/action figures, and other items.

* If your child has a favorite item that you can’t replace – such as a beloved blanket or toy - don’t take a chance that it could get lost and ruin your trip. Bring it with you in your carry-on luggage.

There are lots more tips for traveling with young children, but hopefully these will help.  You can find more of Nancy’s tips at (www.familytravelnetwork.com)

Do you  have tips for traveling with kids? Comment here or tweet us @deltablog.

Nancy, Family Travel Network

You probably know by now that the air in airplanes is very dry.  You need to keep the water coming, inside and out.  It’s even a good idea to bring a small spray bottle of water with you to keep your skin hydrated and keep you feeling refreshed.  And avoid alcohol.

2. Exercise

Be sure to get up out of your seat, walk around and stretch, even if you were lucky enough to get one of those flat-reclining seats.  If your hotel has an exercise room, use it!  Working out will help you feel energized but will also help you sleep better when you need to.

3. Change your watch

As soon as you get on the airplane, set your watch for your destination’s time. This will help you combat jet-lag’s mental game, the one that makes you focus on what time it is at home.  And once you arrive, avoid taking a nap—it’ll just make it more difficult for you to adjust.

4. Watch what you eat

Remember that meals with a lot of bread and sugar will make you tired.  But eating protein will encourage your body to stay awake.  And drinking a little caffeine once you arrive at your destination can help you through that first day. Also remember that food high in fat will make you lethargic, so partake in these moderately.

5. Change your clothes

If it will be morning when you arrive at your destination, consider changing clothes to restful loungewear once you’ve taken off.  Bring some gentle cloths to wash your face, and a mask and pillow for comfort. The more comfortable you are the more rested you will be when you get off the plane.

What are some of your tips to help combat jet lag?

Sean C., Delta Vacations

Employees & their families fly on NW #2470

NW 2470 departed for LAS (on time I might add) with a crew of five and about 20 reservations and technology department employees (some accompanied by family members) who purchased tickets well in advance and traveled from around the system to be there. It was pretty impressive that this group of dedicated employees didn’t even stay to enjoy LAS — most boarded red-eyes to get back home! A certificate to commemorate flight 2470, designed by one of our flight attendants, was handed out to the employees and crew and many passed theirs along for autographs. Cameras were flashing, folks were cheering and two cakes were consumed as we boarded. I was so happy to be part of the celebration.

The crew of flight 2470

Joanne Smith, Senior Vice President

In-Flight Service