We introduced 25 employee travel guides to you this year through our official YouTube account. Here are our most popular/most viewed so far: Paris, Mumbai, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, New York City.
Which video was your favorite?
Katie
Delta Blog
Archive for December, 2008
What was your Favorite Travel Guide of 2008?
Race to the 1996 Magnetic North Pole
Hi, I’m Dell Weingarten and I am one of three Americans to be selected on the first USA team to complete in the Polar Challenge, a race to the 1996 Magnetic North Pole this April. I entered a contest in Wired Magazine and through a selection process was picked as one of three Americans to participate.
I have worked for Northwest Airlines (now Delta Air Lines) for 25+ years, 20+ with perfect attendance, 18 years on the ramp in Minneapolis/St. Paul, working in subzero weather, snow storms and blizzards. Now that I look back on it, it was part of my training to do this race.
My team mates are Zach Violet from Bend, Oregon and Ellen Piangerelli of Providence, Rhode Island. The three of us will be representing the USA. We will have to take off approximately six weeks from work to train and complete the race. Representing the USA in a race of this caliber is an honor.
I will keep you updated with stories of training, sponsorships, charities etc. Follow us here at the Delta Blog as we train for this adventure of a lifetime.
Dell
Airport Operations
Five Things I Can’t Fly Without
I know many of you out there travel frequently, so you know that everyone has those things that you can’t leave home without, especially around the holidays. It’s like in your normal day-to-day when you make sure that you check your pockets for your wallet, your keys and your cell phone. I do that check before each flight.
These are the things that I can’t fly without:
1. iPhone: Perhaps one of the greatest inventions of all time, the iPhone simply makes life easier. I use the e-mail, the internet, the GPS (which is more accurate than any GPS in my cars), I text with it, I have all my songs on it, photos, videos and so much more. It is easily the device that I am the most dependent on. In fact, I’m writing my blog right now from my iPhone!
2. Bose Headphones: I have those sound neutralizing headphones that are unbelievable. They were given to me as a gift and at first I didn’t think they were any different than normal headphones. But they literally suction over your ears so that you hear nothing but the music playing. On long flights, they’re especially important.
3. Neck pillow: Yep, I’m that dork who walks through the airport with one of those neck pillows. My wife laughs at me and makes fun of me for it but it’s amazing. I used to be too embarrassed by it and had one of those ones that you blew up once you got on the plane. But after trying the one that has those little comfortable beads in it, I’m sold.
4. Magazines: I need to keep myself entertained when I’m on the plane so I pick up the standard guy magazines: Sports Illustrated and ESPN. I’m a huge fan of all sports and I like to read up as much as possible. I also pick up a newspaper and, I’m not going to lie, read my wife’s US Weekly and People when she’s done.
5. Gum: I was never one of those people that had issues with my ears getting plugged up or popping on planes. However, I’ve always chewed gum on planes and, whether true or not, think that that might be the reason why I’ve never had issues. Because of that, I never fly without gum!
What are some things that you can’t travel without? Let me know and I’ll tell you what I think!
Carson
Carson Palmer is the Quarterback of the Cincinnati Bengals and a frequent Delta flier.
The Omnivore: Cross Country BBQ
A number of years ago, we asked Sky readers: Where’s your favorite barbecue joint?
It seemed like such a simple question. . . . But the answers! The torrent of tips! The cascade of ’cue! The bonanza of buns, slaw, hot sauce, cobbler and sweet tea.
Traveling this holiday? You might want to check out the reader recommendations below or click on Sky’s hundreds of reader recommendations, organized state by state and available online. To see even more barbecue recommendations—or make one—visit my Barbecue Blog, Cue Confessions, where you’ll find not one, but two posts on the subject.
- I’m a pilot for Delta and get a chance to try barbecue places all over the country. Here are my absolute favorites (in order): Whole Hog Cafe—Little Rock, Arkansas, Corky’s BBQ—Memphis, Tennessee, Dinosaur BBQ—Syracuse and Rochester, New York, Jim and Nick’s—Birmingham, Alabama, Neely’s BBQ—Memphis, Tennessee
- Your list is missing the best BBQ in Los Angeles—Dr. Hogly Wogly’s Tyler Texas BBQ. They say the beef ribs here come straight out of Jurassic Park.
- Vandy’s in Statesboro, Georgia, where the ’cue is smoked over an open pit until the outside is burnt and crispy, and the inside is tender as pork can ever be. The two contrasting textures are then chopped into a succulent mixture, drizzled with a tangy, vinegary-sweet sauce worthy of drinking by itself, and served—as it should be—on plain white bread.
- The completely authentic Cooper’s Country Store in Salters, South Carolina, is without dining room, but you can step over the dog on the front steps and go on in to get you a sandwich and a Yoo-hoo to go.
- If Jim Neely’s Interstate Bar-B-Que (with not 1 but 2 locations in Terminal B of the Memphis airport) is not on your list, it should be. The chopped shoulder sandwich with a smidgen of slaw and a dollop of their special sauce was just the ticket for two weary travelers on their way home from California.
“When you meet someone else who loves BBQ—It’s like talking to an old friend right away!”—Bob Herndon, President Atlanta BBQ
David
Delta Sky Magazine
Plane Food: Granola Bars
This blog post is a little different than some of my previous ones. I am a perpetual snacker. I rarely go two waking hours without eating something! So, obviously I have a few recipes and tips for surviving flights of any length.
My question to you… what do you snack on when traveling? Do you prepare stuff before you travel and stash it away in your carry-on, or do you generally buy stuff at the airport or on board? Would you be interested in recipes for some for prepare-ahead snacks?
As an example, here’s my recipe for Granola Bars. Feel free to change up the nuts and fruits…
Materials:
• cookie sheet
• 9×13x2 pan for crunchy -or- 9×9 for chewy
• Saucepan
• Spoon
• Knife for chopping
• Cutting board
Ingredients:
“dry”
• 2 cups of oats
• ½ cup of pecans
• ¼ cup of almonds
• ¼ cup of hazelnuts
• ¼ cup of flax seed or meal
• ½ cup of coconut
“wet”
• ½ cup of honey
• ¼ cup packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp of vanilla extract
• ½ tsp of salt
“fruit”
• ½ - ¾ cup dried fruit in any combination. I like cherries, apricots and peaches
Preheat oven to 350o. Grease baking dish and set aside.
Chop the nuts to desired size. Spread the oats, nuts and flax on ungreased cookie sheet and place in the oven for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the coconut for the last 5 minutes.
While the dry ingredients are toasting, put all the “wet” ingredients into a saucepan on medium heat. Make sure all the sugar is dissolved.
Chop fruit to desired size.
When oats and nuts are good and toasty, remove from the oven and them to the wet ingredients. Stir well. Add the fruit and stir.
Once everything is evenly incorporated, spread mixture into the baking pan. Press mixture firmly into the pan and spread evenly.
Bake 20 minutes. (Less time for more chewy.) Note: Crunchy granola bars will not be firm until they have cooled.
Allow to cool completely. Cut into pieces and store in airtight container.
Place the airtight container in an easily accessible part of your carry-on luggage and you’re ready to go!
If you all like my offerings, I may make this a regular feature here at the Delta blog, so let me know what you think. 
Shani
delta.com