Is it worth paying extra for Delta's Economy Comfort?

      I like Delta Air Lines. They are one of the few legacy carriers that is making an honest effort to make themselves better and make sure customers come back to fly with them. On a recent flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles and then from Los Angeles to New York, I had a chance to test their "Economy Comfort"seating and this is what I think.

                                                               Delta Airbus A330

      On the outbound leg from Atlanta to Los Angeles, I made sure to book a flight on Delta's A330. If you don't know much about airplanes, the A330 came into the Delta fleet when they merged with Northwest Airlines. The A330 is a wide body aircraft. In coach, they have two seats on each side by the windows and four seats in the middle.

                                    The Economy Comfort seats in the bulkhead of the A330

      This flight was going from Atlanta to Los Angeles and then onto Sydney, Australia. The advantage of booking this flight is you get international amenities. That's something I would say you should try and learn how to do. Look for flights that use larger aircraft like the A330, 777, 767 and 747. These planes are usually configured for international flights, so they have seating layouts for international travelers, which mean more legroom in coach and much nicer business and first class sections.

      On the flight out, I booked a bulkhead seat in the Economy Comfort class. The seat reclines back further compared to the regular coach seats. Whether you get the bulkhead or not, you get much more legroom. The bulkhead has even more leg room since you only have a wall in front of you. You also get to board in Zone 1, which allows you to be one of the first passengers to get on the plane.

     There is no extra service in Economy Comfort. The only differences are the extra legroom, the seat that reclines further back and the early boarding. On the way back, from Los Angeles to New York, I saw why Economy Comfort is still better than economy but not better than the extra legroom seats JetBlue and Virgin America offer.

                 The difference in legroom between economy and the "extra legroom" seats on JetBlue

                         "Main Cabin Select" seats in he bulkhead on a Virgin America flight.

     On the return flight, I took flight 216 from Los Angeles to New York (JFK). We were on a 757 this time. Specifically, were on a 757-200 ER, or extended range aircraft.

Delta 757-200

      I was able to board in Zone 1. That's a plus. But, when I got to my seat, 22A, I was surprised that there is no window. The Delta website never said there wasn't a window and I think, if I'm going to pay $50 dollars extra for an Economy Comfort seat, I should know if there is a window when I select the window seat. I would have chosen the aisle seat if I knew there was no window.

                             

                           A snapshot of Seatguru.com, showing what I should have looked for.


            I didn't do what I tell people to do every time they fly. Use Seatguru.com. Bookmark this web page right now. It allows you to see reviews of seats on almost any airline and you get the real scoop of what you're about to put your ass in.

      Here is a secret. I discovered that the best seats on a Delta 757-200 extended range aircraft are 35 D, E and F. These are often reserved for crew, but if you can get these, they recline much more compared to regular coach seats. They also have a foot rest and extra leg room. The only problem with them is they are very close to the bathroom, so if you are worried about lines forming near those seats, take the window and you shouldn't have an issue. 

      I think if you can get 35 D, E or F, then Economy Comfort is definitely worth it on the 757. If you can get it at all on the A330, it is definitely worth it. Try and get the bulkhead for the more comfort.

Lola the Puppy's California Adventure

      The last time I wrote, I was in Atlanta with my dad. I started my day off like I start most days off...with a pee and a poop. Today I did it all in the little dog park at the Atlanta airport. They have a little fenced in area with statues of dogs, made out of old metal. It's pretty cool and you will sniff it out right between the terminal exit and the Airtrain station that takes you to the rental car lot.

   

            We were on our way to Kalifornia. Wait, my dad just told me it's California. Its a 5 hour flight from Atlanta, so I'm going to catch up on my sleep. We're flying Delta. My dad always talks about how airlines are not that much fun to fly anymore but he has his list of favorites. Don't tell him I told you but I posted them below. I fetched these out of his travel database. Dad always says you should fly an airline that proves to you that they appreciate you flying with them.

1) Delta - Delta is known as a legacy carrier. Legacy means they are one of the big airlines, one that has been around for many, many years. Delta has a new saying. It's "Building a bigger airline." After Delta merged with Northwest, someone smart at the airline realized that they needed to do something to make the airline better and make people want to fly with them. When Delta first merged with Northwest, they got a hold of many more cities to fly in and out of around the world.

      Delta was one of the first airlines to get wi-fi on almost all of their airplanes. They redesigned their first and business class to something called BusinessElite. They put TV's on most planes and reintroduced something called a "Red Coats." You will see the Red Coats around the airports. They wear red coats and they are there to help passengers with any issue when they fly. When my dad and I got on the plane, there was a problem with our seat. My dad booked a bulkhead seat in their Economy Comfort section, where seats are a little bigger and there's room for me to sleep on the floor. Apparently they changed planes, so our seat was occupied. The Red Coat bumped us up to Business Elite and we were very happy. After he gave us our new ticket, he said, "Thank you for choosing us." That means Delta appreciated our business and showed it.

2) JetBlue - JetBlue is not a legacy carrier. JetBlue is one of the smaller guys but they have made flying a little more fun. I love JetBlue because all the planes have televisions, satellite radio and they still serve drinks and snacks. The other great thing about JetBlue is the employees seem very happy so they are usually very good to their passengers. I have never had a bad flight with them. I know some of you may be thinking about the captain who had the nervous breakdown but that is not a reflection on Jetblue. After that happened, the company promised to help their employee which also shows the company's character. I fly JetBlue often between Fort Lauderdale and New York. I like how the airline doesn't nickel and dime you for everything like Spirit and Allegiant do. JetBLue also has "Extra Room" seats. They have more legroom and when you pay the $40 extra each way, you also get the board first and go through security faster than the other passengers.

3) Virgin America - There's one word to describe Virgin America: cool. This airline is owned by Richard Branson. He's the guy who runs Virgin Atlantic. The airline has the coolest check-in counters that I have ever seen. It feels like you're checking into a hotel rather than a flight.  You'll see signatures of Richard Branson's sexy approach to an airline all over.The planes are all very chic and trendy. When you board, the shades are down and they light the cabin in red and purple lighting. Cool music plays overhead and this all happens before you takeoff.

      The other great thing about Virgin America is they have one of the best first classes of any domestic airline. The first class seats are more like international first class seats. Take a look below.

      My paws are getting tired from all this typing. We are staying in Santa Monica for a few more days. My dad says we may actually move back out here. He used to be a reporter on television in Los Angeles between 2001 and 2005. I would like it. The views are amazing.

        Were staying at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica. The views from the hotel are great. I would have one suggestion for you, if you plan to stay here. Make sure you try and book a room on a high floor. We were originally in a room on the 2nd floor. The lobby is on the 4th floor, so you are fairly low on the 2nd floor and your view of the beach is partially blocked by trees and there's a street right in front of your window. They moved us to the 6th floor where we have a great view. Ask for room 601 or a corner room. You will get two balconies.

      We are off for a walk on that beach. If you ever have any travel questions, send my dad an email at joel@travelnewsanddeals.com. Have a great day. Bark!
     

Lola the Puppy stays at the Loews Hotel in Atlanta

 


      I travel with my dad, Joel quite a bit. I have been all around the world with him from, Paris to New York to Rome and San Franzisco. I think I spelled that wrong. I'm only 4 years old, so my spelling isn't that great, so I apologize.

     As I was saying, I travel with my dad, Joel all the time and wherever we go, we always stay at pet-friendly hotels. So, what is a pet-friendly hotel to me, as a puppy? I want a place where they are really happy to see me when I walk into the lobby. When we just went to Atlanta, we stayed at the Lows Hotel in Midtown. Wait a minute. It's called the Loews Hotel in Midtown Atlanta. Here's a link: We Love Pets at the Loews Hotel in Atlanta

      When we checked in, the lady at the front desk was so nice to me. She gave us a bag full of doggy treats, a little bowl and a toy for me to play with. But when we got up to the room, there were more bowls, even more toys and a puppy bed and mat for me to sit on. I liked them all but my first stop was my dad's bed since that is where I like to sleep anyway.

      I like that Loews Hotels let dogs use the mat and bed but you don't have to buy them. You can borrow them and just leave them behind when you check out. They also only charge a one-time $25 fee for cleaning. Many hotels charge a $250 deposit or $100 extra per night when we bring a pet to a hotel but no Loews. They understand that pets are part of people's families. People want to take their pets on vacation but they don't want to pay an arm and a leg, or a paw and a whisker in fees when they check in with their fluffy buddy.

      I loved the view at the Loews hotel in Atlanta. The hotel is brand new and it is right across from a very pretty park where I could walk and run around. Everyone at the hotel was nice to me. The people at the front desk greeted us with a smile. The concierge petted me. The room service man brought a special menu of dog friendly foods that I could order. Well, my dad had to order since I can't figure out how to use a phone. Everyone was nice to me and that's what I like about Loews.

     Another great thing about Loews Hotels is, they don't charge extra for you to use their wireless Internet. So many luxury hotels charge for the Internet. When my daddy is paying good money for a nice room, you don't need to nickel and dime him for Internet usage. Loews is great. The Internet is FREE!

     Our next stop is the Loews in Santa Monica, California. We will be there tonight, on the beach at another great pet-friendly Loews hotel. I will post a new blog from there. Please don't tell my dad that I used his computer. Below are some links to the two Loews Hotels we stayed at and a great site for finding pet friendly hotels around the world. I'm going to take a nap.

Loews Hotel Midtown Atlanta

Loews Hotel, Santa Monica, California

A great website to help people who travel with their pets

I Can't Get Health Insurance

I am one of the 36 million Americans who do not have health insurance. Some people feel they don’t need it. Other people need it but can’t get it. I am a part of the latter. I am a Type 1 Diabetic and, because we live in a country where health insurance is a business, I am known as an uninsurable American.

           I never thought that in America, I would not have affordable access to good healthcare. Another 9.7 million non-citizens are also uninsured but I am not a non-citizen. I am a patriot. I travel all over the world, so I know that life in other countries is not as wonderful and free as it is right here in the United States. My brother served in Desert Storm and Operation Iraqi Freedom as a U.S. Marine. My father was in the Army during the Korean War. My mother has worked her entire life standing up in support of good people who want to make our country as great as possible. I have worked as a police department paramedic for the Nassau County Police Department. I have spent 13 years on the board of directors of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, raising money to find a cure to Diabetes. I have fought for my constitutional rights and the rights of others as a television journalist for 12 years. But for some strange reason, even though I am a patriot, I have to live by third-world standards when it comes to health insurance.

This is a country founded on hard work and work that helps everyone. This is a country where we serve in the military to help defend our freedom. We volunteer on political campaigns to help promote positive change. We take jobs and learn skills and give back to our community and we defend the document that gives us all the freedoms we should celebrate: The Constitution.

            If you are 65 or over, you probably use a little thing called Medicare. My parents depend on it. Millions of older Americans do and it is a government-run program that works. Why should healthcare and health insurance be a business based on profit? Medical insurance companies are in the business to make as much money as possible by not insuring as many people as possible.

           I can't get medical insurance because I have diabetes. I lost my job three years ago. Back then, I was insured by a group policy, so a pre-existing condition didn't matter. When I lost my job, I did what the government said to try and do when people were out of work. I went to work to create work for myself. I didn't depend on unemployment checks or welfare. I started my own company and I was successful. The problem is, even with my own company and, even with money in my pocket, no insurance company has to insure me since I have a pre-existing medical condition. You may be saying, "Why don't you start a group plan through your company and other employees?" I don't employ any full-time workers, so I can't create a group plan.

          Aren't medical insurance companies supposed to be in the business of insuring the sick? I mean, that's what I used to pay into the system for. I have had Type 1 Diabetes since I was 13. I am 39 now. I didn't cause this disease. I didn't develop it because of an unhealthy lifestyle. By the way, here's a little lesson for those of my readers who don't know the difference between Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes. Type 1, also known as Juvenile Diabetes is genetic. Type 2 Diabetes, or "adult onset," can be caused by an unhealthy lifestyle like being overweight. I am a Type 1. Because I have Type 1 Diabetes I am called "uninsurable," by the medical insurance companies.

         How can a medical insurance company say that someone is "uninsurable?" Isn't that their job to insure people medically? We need to get rid of medical insurance companies or the government has to step into make sure these companies work in the best interest of all Americans. Congress passed a law that will do just that and more.

           As I write this, the U.S. Supreme Court is deciding if that law is constitutional. They are focusing on the part of the law that says all Americans have to buy medical insurance. I understand why some people might be uncomfortable with that aspect of the law but we do it in other areas of our lives already.

         The government requires you to buy car insurance. We can't drive legally unless we have it. That is the government forcing you to buy a certain product: car insurance. What about your body? It's like a car and needs to go into the repair shop from time to time. If you get sick and end up in the hospital and you don't have insurance, I end up paying for your healthcare. Essentially, that is the government paying for your healthcare and you using the taxpayers as your safety net.

         I don't want to pay for your healthcare. If you think you don't need medical insurance, you're wrong. When I was a paramedic, I responded to thousands of emergency calls about half of the patients I took the hospital had no insurance. When we got to the hospital, emergency rooms were full of people who were not seriously ill. They just didn’t have medical insurance, so they used the emergency room as their doctor’s office. The people who did this were not illegal immigrants or minorities for the most part. It is an easy argument to say that illegal immigrants and minorities are overusing our emergency rooms and abusing the medical system but that would be a lie. The majority of uninsured Americans are white and the majority of uninsured Americans are just that, American.

         Everyone needs it. You have car insurance in case you have an accident. You may never have one but you still have to have the insurance. every developed country has universal health insurance except one -- us. And we have government insurance for seniors -- Medicare -- it's nothing new. Many people don't realize this, like the woman who told her Congressman: "Don't let the government mess with my Medicare."

        The biggest scandal is that members of Congress have the best medical insurance coverage in the country.

         But what most people don't realize is, if the U.S. Supreme Court rules that the law requiring people to buy medical insurance is unconstitutional, the whole law gets thrown out and millions of Americans will remain, "uninsurable."

         All Americans should be given certain rights and be allowed to prosper. That concept is already in the Constitution and that word, "prosper," is already in the Declaration of Independence.

        The reason I am writing this is I want to put a face to the healthcare debate. This is my face standing next to my girlfriend. I would like to be able to stand with her at wonderful events and on great vacations for a very long time.

Some airlines just suck!

     I just got back from a short trip to my hometown of New York City. On this trip I stayed at a great hotel called Le Parker Meridien right near Columbus Circle and Central Park. The weather was fantastic in early April for Easter weekend and Passover. It was in the low sixties almost every day and every day was sunny.

     The main purpose of my trip was to appear on Fox News and talk about great tips to save money on summer travel. I know some of you may be saying, "Oh, God! Fox News?" Yes, Fox News is my reply. There is nothing conservative or liberal about travel and they have a bunch of viewers. I appeared on Rick Folbaum's program on April 6th. Rick is a great guy and we always have fun during the segments. Here's a link to the deals I talked about. Historic vacations and summer travel deals

     I know you are probably wondering what I said about saving money this summer. Here are a few tips:

1) Look at airfares and for the best prices on Tuesday's around 3pm. Most airlines announce their weekly sales on Monday night and it usually takes about 24 hours for those sales to appear on web sites and in their reservation's system, so Tuesday at 3pm is a good time to see the best deals.

2) Don't book airfares more than 31/2 months before you travel. Most airlines don't announce their sales until 3 months before your intended departure date. If you book more than 31/2 months before, you will be able to buy the ticket but you may miss a lower price that the airlines will advertise two or three months before you want to travel.

3) Always go to the airline's web site first. If you don't see th ebest price there, look at www.kayak.com. I like kayak.com becasue it lets you search dozens of web sites all at once and then find the best price.

4) Use web sites like www.farecompare.com and www.yapta.com so you can be alerted to when airfares go up or down. Both sites will notify you when the airfare changes and when is the best time to purchase your ticket. www.yapta.com will also tell you if the price drops after you buy your ticket. Here is a major secret. Most airlines will refund money to you if the price drops after you paid more for a ticket. The secret is, you have to call them and tell them you noticed that the price dropped. Obviously, the airline is not going to call you.

Here is another link to some great vacation deals: Joel's Exclusive Vacation Deals

     I flew Jetblue to New York. I like Jetblue because they have happy flight attendants. Everyone seems to enjoy their job, which makes my flight all the better. Jetblue also has TV's, radio, free snacks and non-alcoholic drinks. They still fly you around as if you matter to them. They also have some great deals on airfare. For $40 bucks more, each way, you can sit in a "more-legroom" seat that gives you more space and lets you go through security faster and board the plane first.

     I also love Jetblue because they are wonderful to people who travel with their pets. I travel all the time with my dog, Lola. Lola has traveled all over the world. She loves airplanes and she's even taken the train with me from Florida all the way to New York.

     Lola is a service dog. She has been trained to alert me when my blood sugar is low. I have been a diabetic for 26 years, so Lola is quite important for me. Jetblue makes traveling with a service animal fun and easy.

     That leads me to the title of this blog," Some airlines just suck." I said on Fox News that American Airlines sucks and it didn't go over too well with American Airlines. I probably have to learn to censor myself a little but then I wouldn't be honest.

     Compared to airlines like Jetblue, American does suck. I used to travel American when I flew from Miami to Los Angeles. So many times, when I checked-in at Miami's airport, the customer service agents claimed they didn't speak English. Many times, my bags were lost or delayed. The seats were uncomfortable, the planes were small or old and there was barely any service onboard. They didn't have TV's, radio and if you wanted snacks, there were none. American is trying to improve things. They have implemented wi-fi on most planes but they are still years behind the Jetblue's of the world.

     The major problem for American Airlines is they can't compete effectively with the newer, low-cost airlines like Jetblue, Virgin America or Southwest. American, United and US Airways all try to compete but they keep missing the most important part about getting people to fly with you: customer service.

     You can see my clip on Fox here. Tips to avoid high summer airfares

     As I mentioned before, When I was in New York, I stayed at Le Parker Meridien. This hotel is in a great location. It's definitely not the best hotel in New York City but it is very nice. The views of Central from the tower rooms are fantastic. The rooms are not terribly small but they are not large at all. The beds are extremely comfortable and they have big screen televisions in every room.

     Le Parker Meridien is on 56th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues. It is one of the few hotels in New York that has a pool. At Le Meridien, the pool is on the 42nd floor, so you see the city as you swim.

     The breakfast restaurant in the lobby is called Norma's and it was rated by Zagat as having the best breakfast in New York City. They also have a place called, 'The Burger Joint." It was rated by Zagat as having the best hamburger in New York City. Breakfast was amazing but the portions were way too big. My cheese omelet was about the size of frisbee. When I ordered bacon, they gave me ten pieces. Skip dinner the night before and you will be fine. The best thing about Le Parker Meridien is the location, the rooftop pool and the views.

     The best place to be in New York when the weather is so perfect is Central Park. It was absolutely beautiful. While walking around in Central Park, we ran into Ty Pennington from "Extreme Makeover, Home Edition." He was shooting a segment for his new show called, "The Revolution," on ABC. He interviewed my girlfriend and me. He was doing something about Mother's Day and he asked me what was the best gift my mother ever gave me?" I told him, "she adopted me." A collective "Aw" was heard by all.

    Oh yea, as for my girlfriend meeting my parents, I think it's time to go ring shopping.

One of the most romantic resorts in the United States

            My girlfriend and I just came back from a two-day trip to the Little Palm Island Resort and Spa. Little Palm is located on a small island right off Little Torch Key, about 26 miles north of Key West.

            Travel & Leisure Magazine named it one of the best 500 resorts in the world for seven years in a row. Travel & Leisure also named it the 2^nd best resort in the United States. It made the Conde Nast Traveler Gold List and it has been rated as “extraordinary to perfection in food” by Zagat. Little Palm has been given so many awards and if you would like to check them all out you can see them here. http://www.noblehousehotels.com/noblehouse_awards.aspx

            When you arrive at Little Palm Island, you haven’t really arrived. You first have to take a boat out to the island. The ride is very smooth and only takes about 20 minutes. When you get to the island, you are greeted by a fantastic staff and then escorted to your bungalow.

            The bungalows all have your name on the outside, spelled out with little wooden block letters. It almost feels like you are in the South Pacific and not in Florida. There are no cars, no televisions, unless you request one in the suite. They ask that you not talk on your cell phone in public areas. It is a quiet, private island where you can escape the noise and fast moving life back home.

            Little Palm has a few residents. They are not people. They are Key Deer. Teh deer are native to some of the Keys and they have learned to swim over to Little Palm. They are very tame and will eat right out of your hands if you want them to. They will actually eat right out of your hands whether you want them to or not. They are very brave and I have never seen a deer so close. It is so much fun when you spot one by the pool or you see one walk up to you while you're eating lunch. Hold onto your drinks though, I discovered they like Pina Coladas.

           

             Not only did I feed a few Key deer, I caught a few fish. Actually, I caught about 10. They were all Rainbow Trout and Grouper on my line. Little Palm gives you the fishing poles and the bait and you can fish right off the dock. I discovered that my girlfriend Angela knows more about fishing than I do. She grew up fishing with her dad, so while I had trouble taking hooks out of the fishy's mouth, she just did it, no problem at all. It really is true love, huh? I threw everything back. The Grouper was too small and so were the Trout but they say you can easily catch your dinner there and the restaurant will cook it up for you.

             The other thing that is unique to the Keys and something you will love at Little Palm is the sunset. The sunset in The Keys is incredible but on Little Palm it is almost like you own personal sunset. Since this is a private island and since the restaurant has tables right on the beach, you can sit on the sand and see the sunset unobscured. I have posted a few pictures.

 My favorite things about Little Palm are these things:

1)    The staff is incredible. Everyone is nice and they will cater to pretty much anything you need. Travel & Leisure Magazine gave Little Palm their “World’s Best Service Award” five times.

2)    Little Palm doesn’t charge for most activities. You can use kayaks, take a motor boat out and snorkel at no extra charge. We also fished and the fishing poles are free to use and they even supply the bait.

3)    The food on the island is incredible. Zagat has given their restaurant top ratings and in 2009, Travel & Leisure gave Little Palm the World’s Best Dining Award. We didn’t have anything to eat on the island that was bad.

The Little Palm Island Resort is an amazing place to vacation. It is one of the most romantic hotels I have ever stayed in and it is located in one of the most beautiful places in the United States.

            The one thing that you should be aware of is food and spa activities are not inexpensive. With rooms ranging from $400 to $1,700 per night, depending on the season, it is expensive. Once you are there, expect to spend around $700 to $1000 on food and drinks. We didn’t eat big meals, so if you are a big eater and like to eat three meals a day and drink, you will spend much more.

            Even though it is pricey, I give the Little Palm Island Resort 5 stars out of 5.