Now, I'm all for everything being lovely down to the smallest detail, but I've sat through enough in-flight safety demonstrations to be able to do them myself, or at the least to mumble along: Flight attendants are here for your safety first, you are required to comply with crew member instructions... We're used to seeing authority figures in uniform, that's partially why they wear them in the first place. I wonder how seriously people will take a crew member's instructions when they're wearing an outfit more typically worn to a cocktail party (in the case of Delta) or at a beach picnic (in the case of Air Tahiti). And who's minding the cabin during the wardrobe change? Will auto-pilot bring me my champagne?

The latest news from Delta Air Lines is a bit win some, lose some depending on how often you travel. Delta has said that it will charge $15 fee to check a first bag but that it will be cutting certain other fees. USA Today reports that as of December 5, customers flying within the U.S. will be charged $15 for the first checked bag and $25 for the second checked bag which is consistent with the policies of Northwest Airlines which they recently acquired. Those who purchased Delta tickets on or before Wednesday, and who are traveling on or after Dec. 5, will be charged $50 for a second bag, but can still check their first bag for free Delta's previous policy.

Good news for customers flying in first or business class, including SkyMiles Medallion members and WorldPerks Elite members, you can still check up to three bags, up to 70 pounds each for free. Delta is also eliminating the $25 to $100 fuel surcharges assessed for SkyMiles and WorldPerks award ticket travel now that fuel prices have declined. And if you purchase tickets over the phone versus online (which is free), you'll also save a little, the fee for tickets purchased over the phone from a reservations sales representative has been dropped from $25 to $20. Delta will also drop the $3 curbside check-in fee.

The news follows the announcement that Delta CEO Richard Anderson will get stock awards worth almost $13.6 million, a fact that has not gone unnoticed by some angry about the baggage fees.

Back in March I reported on the fact that it seems that shuttle flights between cities on the East Coast like New York, Boston, and Washington haven't been faring too well in recent years. Joe Brancatelli who writes the Seat 2B column for Portfolio says that the recent news that Delta will add first-class cabins to its shuttle flights between New York, Boston, and Washington isn't a positive sign; it proves that the shuttles may well be on their way out. The shuttles have become less profitable and the shuttle aircraft which are equipped with standard first- and coach-class cabins can now be used on any flight path. In the 1980s large shuttles used to run every hour and promised no reservations needed. Now the remaining shuttles use smaller aircraft and fly less frequently especially on weekends and non-peak times.

Is this the last gasp of the shuttle flight? It certainly seems like it, the rise of technology, the high-speed Acela train, private jet charter services and even luxury bus lines have made shuttle flying less and less attractive. Like Joe Brancatelli, I'm a little nostalgic for the shuttles of my youth but in these days when it seems that hardly any flights go smoothly and airlines are struggling to stay afloat it seems like the shuttle is an idea whose time is long gone.

We've seen sleeper suites in many international airlines but now Delta becomes the first U.S. carrier to offer this option.
Delta will introduce the new seats in early 2008, when the airline adds two new Boeing 777 Long Range aircraft to their fleet. The sleeper suite has a reclining seat that turns into a 6-foot 3-inch bed, a privacy screen with a fold-out video monitor, tray table, and storage. The suites will be available in BusinessElite Class for international travellers. The airline also plans to offer a lie-flat option on its 767 aircraft.

MSNBC has a piece on the mysterious Laurel, a new megayacht being built by Delta Marine in Washington. The big blue Laurel is 240 feet making it the largest yacht built in the U.S. in a number of years. The article also mentions the 164-foot yacht recently launched by Westport Shipyard also in Washington and the Vancouver, Wash.-based Christensen Shipyards Inc. which has a 170-foot model. Western Washington could well be the U.S. hub for megayacht construction. Yachtspotter has more big pictures of the Laurel which is going to an American client and there is an active discussion of the boat going on at the Power Boat and Motoryacht Forum.

The Delta Alfa Romeo pen is created from a block of bright Alfa red resin. The pen which is available as a fountain pen or a rollerball is accented with sterling silver details. The pen features the Alfa logo and the central barrel ring replicates the car's grill and the cap crown's mimic the design of the spoked wheels. The trim ring is created in the likeness of the original tire tread and the platinum plated clip features a ruby. The fountain pen features an 18kt gold nib and there are%uFFFD 1750 of each type available. The fountain pen costs $499 and the rollerball is $236.