January 30^th marked another significant milestone in our merger and to mark the occasion we gathered at LAX with the crew and some very special customers for the last “official” NW departure.

Employees & their families fly on NW #2470

NW 2470 departed for LAS (on time I might add) with a crew of five and about 20 reservations and technology department employees (some accompanied by family members) who purchased tickets well in advance and traveled from around the system to be there. It was pretty impressive that this group of dedicated employees didn’t even stay to enjoy LAS — most boarded red-eyes to get back home! A certificate to commemorate flight 2470, designed by one of our flight attendants, was handed out to the employees and crew and many passed theirs along for autographs. Cameras were flashing, folks were cheering and two cakes were consumed as we boarded. I was so happy to be part of the celebration.

The crew of flight 2470

Joanne Smith, Senior Vice President

In-Flight Service

Now is the perfect time to escape winter and head to the beach! Some of the best spring break destinations are Hawaii, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, and Mexico, where you can find all sorts of adventures and activities. But what are the most fun things to do? I first took a look at the top 10 places to go on a sunny beach vacation, and then put together the coolest things to do in these places. If you are looking for spring break fun, check out these travel tips for these top 10 popular vacation spots in Hawaii, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, and Mexico. And, as you are planning your spring break vacation, consider these places and activities.

Montego-Bay, Jamaica

1. Ocho Rios, Jamaica- Be sure to visit Dunn’s River Falls, a 600-foot waterfall. You can climb the falls in a human chain (led by guides), and stop at the “massage parlor” for some falling water therapy. And if you like Bob Marley, you can write him a chalk message at the mausoleum in Nine Mile. Check out the Harmony Hall art gallery to find a one-of-a-kind memento of your trip to Jamaica—you’ll find lots of handmade Jamaican crafts and art.

2. Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands - The real beauty of Grand Cayman is underwater where there are more kinds of fish than you’ve ever seen. It is one of the world’s favorite scuba diving and snorkeling spots. If you don’t like to or you can’t dive, you can still see the awesome marine life from the windows of a submarine.

3. Cozumel, Mexico – This is another underwater paradise for you divers and snorkelers, with lots of coral reefs to explore. Charter a fishing boat if you want to try and catch sailfish, swordfish, and marlin. I caught a marlin in Mexico! In San Miguel you can shop or chill at a waterfront cafe. There are also several small Mayan ruins to visit on Cozumel.

4. Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Mexico - Watersports rule here. Golfers, be sure to play a round at the 18-hole Robert Trent Jones, Jr. course. Zihuatanejo (Zee-whah-tah-nay-ho) is a laid-back fishing town, with lots of handmade crafts, an open-air market, and restaurants.

5. Los Cabos, Mexico- Ahhhh, Cabo! San Jose del Cabo, a 200-year-old town, is very traditional Old Mexico. Cabo San Lucas is modern and full of action. The two towns are connected by “The Corridor”, where you will find some of Baja Mexico’s most beautiful beaches. Like Mexico sunsets? Take an evening cruise aboard Cabo Rey.

6. Isla Mujeres, Mexico– Isla Mujeres is a relaxing little island. Take a sail on the Sea Passion catamaran – a friendly crew will guide you to some fun snorkeling locales where you will find a private beach and enjoy the open bar (domestic brands) surrounded by a tropical environment.

7. Liberia, Costa Rica- This is where you go for adventure! Take the canopy tour, visit the many different hot springs, see the rainforest, and meet the wildlife!

8. Big Island (Hilo & Kona), Hawaii- You can see not one but 2 active volcanoes at Volcanoes National Park, and if you’re lucky you’ll see lava flowing into the ocean from Kilauea. For tamer sightseeing, visit Hulihee Palace, King Kalakaua’s summer palace (now a museum). Sample Kona coffee and macadamia nuts where they are all grown, cracked, and canned.

9. Maui, Hawaii - Maui’s has some of the most beautiful, and longest beaches. If you are there in whale watching season, the boat cruise to see them is fun. Plus, you get to see the island from a distance and the view is breathtaking! If you like adventure, you can ride a bike up to Haleakala, a sleeping volcano, and see the ranches and farm life on your way up are really cool. Lahaina is a great place to shop and eat (I had some excellent sushi there). The drive to Hana is really spectacular, but leave enough time, because there are many great places to stop and visit along the way. My all-time favorite place is the bamboo forest, along the old road to Hana.

10. St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands- St. Thomas also has great white-sand beaches, and lots of watersports to try. There is also one of the most beautiful harbors in the world on this island. Ritzy restaurants, upscale resorts, lots of nightlife, good golf courses, and duty-free shopping are all fine ways to spend your time. Some people say the best shopping in the Caribbean can be found on St. Thomas.

If you don’t see what you are looking for here, check out more great spring break and vacation destinations.

If you have additional recommendations on things to do in Hawaii, Costa Rica, the Caribbean, and Mexico, please let us know about them by commenting to this post or tweet them @deltablog.

Kathy L., Delta Vacations

We’re excited to report the completion of another merger milestone this week (and this one’s been a doozie). We’ve updated 247 airports around the world with Delta branding as part of our merger with Northwest. Talk about easier said than done. This merger makeover was like having a dinner party while you’re renovating the kitchen.

Our number one goal was to make the process seamless for our customers. We had to ensure that flight operations could continue unaffected while we made some major changes at each airport. That means we updated all airports between the last flight out and the first take-off the following day – quite the graveyard shift for a lot of Delta folks who made it happen.

So, how did we do it? We’ve been planning this integration since September 2008, and there isn’t a group or department at Delta that hasn’t been involved. From Airport Customer Service to Corporate Real Estate all the way to Information Technology and Cargo, this accomplishment is a true team effort!

While you may have only seen Northwest signs come down and the Delta signs go up, so much more was going on behind the scenes. We assessed each and every airport and completed an extensive 150-line checklist to make sure we had dotted our “I”s and crossed our “T”s.

Everything had to be reviewed and planned appropriately. In some cases, this was as “easy” as taking two operations (check-in counters, gates, etc.) and consolidating them into one. In others, we worked with other airlines to move their operations (and our employees did physically move other airlines) before we could start setting up our operations. Once we had the blueprint for the airport, we began the process to ensure that all necessary elements were ordered and in place prior to consolidation – things as big as new loading bridges and ticket counters all the way down to boarding pass readers and checked baggage tags – had to be moved, ordered or replaced. Finally, we worked with just about every department to confirm we were all ready for each respective big day. Sales, marketing, IT, operations, catering, customer service, even phone and janitorial services had to be ready at all 247 airports!

Minneapolis Airport Before

Minneapolis Airport After

Between November 2008 and January 2010, we rebranded 15 to 20 airports around the world per month. The end result: one combined airline with a consistent presence across the globe (not to mention $75 million in savings per year by ensuring more efficient airport operations).

All in all, we’re pretty thrilled to check off another major merger to-do. Tell us what you think. Have you noticed any changes at your hometown airport? How’s it look?

John H.
Corporate Real Estate