Delta’s uncomfortable decision — Coke or Pepsi? tough call......a true dilemma
by David Burns
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that Delta’s decision to continue its practice of serving Coca-Cola products is up in the air, so to speak. Northwest Airlines, which is in the midst of merging with Delta, is the only major airline in the U.S. that currently serves Pepsi products exclusively, presenting Delta with the question of which soft drink supplier to continue using.

Delta seems to be contradicting itself, based on the AJC’s report. Delta president Ed Bastain indicated in an interview last year that Coke products would remain. The current AJC article says differently: conversations with both, Delta vice president of marketing Tim Mapes said Monday. There are contracts in place with each of the two entities that have got to be addressed…  There definitely will be financial considerations that we will be taking into account.

Jet-lag jungle survival tips
by Karen Fawcett
There’s an alleged rule of thumb that when crossing time zones, it takes one day for every two hours of time change to acclimate to a new destination. That means, if you’re jetting from the East Coast of the U.S. to Europe (a six hour time difference), your internal body clock might take three days to get into sync.

Most people just don’t have that kind of time to get on schedule. For that matter, they could be home before they do. Luckily, people are generally adaptable or air travel might not be a viable option for them. Even three hours from the east coast of the U.S. to the west coast can set a person’s sense of time amiss.

Ask flight crew members how they cope. Some will tell you they always stay on the same time zone in order to function or be able to work during their out-bound, ongoing or homecoming flights. Some people are definitely more adept than others and quite a few cabin attendants confess to suffering from frequent sleep deprivation. Such is life and they have learned to smile — most of the time.

Frequent vacation travelers and most road warriors often have suggestions as to how to combat jet-lag. There are no universal answers but here are a few hit-or-miss ideas.

Mindset:
Get in shape and prepare for your trip before leaving home. Gradually adjust your sleeping pattern. Some people go to bed an hour earlier or later each day (depending on whether they’re traveling east or west) and attempt to get into that destination time zone before the departure date. Focus on where you’re going. As soon as you board the plane, set your watch so many hours ahead – or behind. Ideally, you’ll be less tired if you’ve already partially shifted your schedule.

Alcohol:
Some people vow the worst thing to do on a plane is drink alcohol. Other passengers swear they have one or two cocktails or glasses of wine in order to relax and facilitate drifting off to sleep.

Some passengers opt to pop a pill with their drink and skip dinner if it’s an evening flight. They eat something before the plane departs and immediately will themselves into a Zen-like state. They resort to eye-shades, earplugs, headphones and a neck pillow and try to sleep all the way to their destination. Ask not be awakened for duty-free shopping or a second meal - if there is one. Wear your seat belt so it’s visible in the event of turbulence. Who needs to be disturbed by a crew member who’s checking to see whether or not you’re complying with the rules?

Request a large bottle of water so when you awaken during the flight, you can take a swig and remain hydrated without having to summon a flight attendant for a refill.

To nap or not when you arrive:
There are a many theories when it come to whether you should or shouldn’t. Some people say you should force yourself to stay awake the first day. You may be dragging but if you’re able to keep busy, eat an early (and light) dinner and hit the sack at a quasi-normal time, you’ll be good to go the following day.

Others say they couldn’t live without a nap, but it shouldn’t last more than a couple of hours. A lot depends on whether or not your accommodations are ready upon arrival plus your personal needs. And don’t be surprised if they change as you get older.

Exercise:
Many business people (and they’re usually the ones sitting in the front of the plane) swear that a workout in a gym gets their bodies and adrenalin going. Frequently, they’re expected at meetings the day they arrive and need to be in optimal form. They may even be scheduled for a business dinner their first night that can be more trying than pleasure.

On business trips, there’s a written rule that can’t always be followed: Never sign a binding document or contract before having a good night’s sleep. Doing so may cause you to regret having put pen to paper.

Light:
Jet-lag is often caused by the body’s internal clock being out of alignment when it comes to the Circadian Cycle or more commonly known as the sleep cycle. This controls when the body releases melatonin, which signals your brain when it’s time to sleep. Some travelers swear that taking melatonin tablets in preparation for a trip does the trick. Others give it little or no credence.

Some people use a light therapy unit (Apollo Health sells a travel kit) that might help adjust your body clock. Some people swear by artificial light as an antidote to winter/seasonal depression or- Seasonal Affective Disorder as well as jet-lag.

Another theory suggests getting extra sleep before and after your trip when crossing multiple time zones. It’s as if you’re stocking up or making up for lost hours in bed.

If people agree on anything, it’s that you shouldn’t spend a long haul flight catching up on all of the movies (good and bad) you haven’t had the chance to see at home. Teens may be able to pull all-nighters; but even they suffer upon landing.

One thing I’ve noticed during my many flights is people in business and first class appear to sleep from lift-off time even if it’s a morning or mid-day flight. Let’s face it; it’s rare when it’s worth staying awake to sample the gourmet food.


Charlie Leocha April Fools Day headlines
I thought about writing an April Fools’ Day tongue-in-cheek story about the travel industry, but decided that too many might actually believe it. So here are 10 April Fools’ headlines I wish might or might not come true.

AA, CO, DL, UA and US CEOs back Passenger Bill of Rights
All New York’s airport flights arrive on time
American Airlines drops fee for first checked bag
Southwest Airlines adds first class, assigns seats
DOT demands ticket-price transparency
Amtrak train speeds 200 mph
Visa and MasterCard forbid foreign transaction fees
Northwest backs out of Delta Merger — claims bad fit
Airlines unwind alliances, admit anti-consumer effects
Disney trades Mickey Mouse to Universal for Spiderman

Actually, there are some good ideas here.....

New "Paper Clip Armrest Wins Crystal Cabin Awards
Crystal Cabin Awards recognize new ideas for products used in airline cabins. This new armrest is patent pending and could eliminate the elbow-room struggles in economy. It is a double arm-rest that allows two adjacent arms to occupy the same vertical space. It is a very unique design and looks able to fulfill its promise. To view the new armrests go to http://www.crystal-cabin-award.com/
 

Airline Quality Rating Report Is Now Out
The annual report was issued yesterday.  It is a joint research project funded as part of faculty research activities at Saint Louis University and Wichita State University.  The report is compiled from figures issued by the Department of Transportation and concentrates on four major elements: on-time performance, baggage handling, denied boardings and customer complaints.   The report says the performance of the nation’s leading carriers improved for the first time in five years.  We must take into account that the airlines have reduced capacity and last year’s report was the worst in the 19 years the report has been published.  AirTran had the best baggage handling rate and American Eagle had the worst.  Hawaiian had the best on time performance and American had the worst.  JetBlue had the best record for involuntary denied boarding while Atlantic Southeast had the worst.  Southwest had the lowest number of consumer complaints and US Airways had the most.  Fifty-Eight percent of all complaints to the DOT concerned flight problems or baggage issues.  US Airways was the most improved airline in 2008 and United was the least improved.   To read the entire report, go to www.aqr.aero

Hope everyone is well.   Take care,   LIL

To unsubscribe from this newsletter just click HERE