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!