We sat down with Elayne Duke, head mixologist for Diageo Wine and Spirits, our new premium wine and spirits partner, to learn more about the creations and what inspired them.

Q: Thanks for sitting down with us, Elayne. So first things first—what exactly is a mixologist, and how did you become one?

Becoming an accomplished mixologist took years of study and practice with the legends of our craft.  Taking countless classes, reading every book about the craft and working with the finest luxury spirits have developed me as a mixologist

A mixologist is somebody who has the passion for the art of creating delicious well balanced drinks, who takes pride in his/her craft and is dedicated to delivering a premium experience.

Q: What inspired your drink creations for the Delta Sky Club?

The drink offers at the Delta Sky Clubs were inspired by the exotic destinations Delta flies, as well as the Season.

Q: What do you think will be a Club favorite and why?

With the variety of options, it is hard to choose one.  All of the cocktails designed for the Delta Sky Clubs are sure to be favorites!

Q: Customers want to know—will the Clubs still offer complimentary wines and spirits?

I know that many of you are questioning what these additional options mean for the current complimentary alcohol program, and I’m happy to tell you that it isn’t changing. Period. You will still have the complimentary alcohol options you’ve had in the past, free of charge, at all Delta Sky Clubs. The premium spirits program offers additional options for customers looking for premium alcohol during their Club experience.

Q: What else should customers know when picking out the right drink for them?

All of the cocktails and spirits offered at the Delta Sky Club are made with a luxurious portfolio of spirits including: Tequila Don Julio, Johnnie Walker, Ketel One Vodka, Bulleit Bourbon and always fresh seasonal ingredients. Customers should be adventurous when choosing their beverage and step out of their cocktail comfort zone. Travel, whether for work or pleasure, is always a bit adventurous so your choice of beverage should be as well.

Elayne Duke

Head Mixologist, Diageo Wine and Spirits

Elayne Duke has been the head mixologist for Diageo Wine and Spirits for the past five years, creating cocktails for some of New York’s finest restaurants, including Le Bernardin, Central Park Boathouse and Villa Pacri.

She studied mixology as a student of the Beverage Alcohol Resource, America’s premiere course on spirits and cocktails, where she honed her technique under world-renowned mixology experts Paul Pacult, David Wondrich, Steve Olson, Doug Frost and Dale Degroff.

In 2009, Elayne was honored by the James Beard Foundation as one of the most prominent female mixologists in the country.

Kicking off the auction we have everything from VIP celebrity experiences (want to walk the red carpet, anyone?) to the chance to participate with our Delta team at the Habitat for Humanity Build in China, or even hang out with the New York Yankees.

Here’s a preview of what you could win:

Delta’s Force for Global Good & Habitat Build in China: You and a companion are invited to join 50 Delta employees from around the world to build homes for Habitat for Humanity in Pinghu, China from May 20 – 28, 2011.  The trip time includes eight travel days, with three days of actual building and the remaining filled with cultural experiences in Shanghai!

Last Year’s Winners With Tony Gonzalez

NY Yankees Spring Training: Who wouldn’t want to have dinner with New York Yankees Manager Joe Girardi and Pitcher Joba Chamberlain? This experience includes just that! Plus hotel accommodations, tickets to watch two preseason games, and a framed collage that highlights the old and new Yankees Stadium provided by Steiner Sports, the Official Collectibles Company of the New York Yankees.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES World Premiere: Experience a night with the stars: two tickets to attend the World Premiere of PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: ON STRANGER TIDES in early May, 2011 in Anaheim, CA, enter via the red carpet, and play at the Disneyland® Resort!

John Copeland

Delta SkyMiles Online Auction

Today we’re announcing an industry-leading benefit that enables Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallion^® members to receive Complimentary Medallion Upgrades on SkyMiles Award Tickets when flying on most routes within or between the U.S. and Canada, the Caribbean, Bermuda, Mexico and select destinations in Central and South America. These upgrades will be automatically requested and will be eligible to clear after revenue tickets within your corresponding Medallion window.

Plus, more member-requested SkyMiles improvements are coming:

• Continue to redesign the Award Travel booking process and calendar on delta.com to improve the mileage redemption experience
• Expand the allocation of preferred Economy class seats on all Delta and Delta Connection® flights to ensure our most loyal customers receive the best seats
• Add the ability to upgrade on Alaska Airlines for Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallions, as part of the Delta and Alaska partnership expansion

And in 2011, we plan to:

• Enable you to redeem mileage upgrade Awards online
• Introduce a Miles and Money redemption option, similar to the former PerkChoice program, which will allow members to combine miles and money when buying a ticket

Check out delta.com/whatsahead for more on upcoming changes to the SkyMiles program!

We would love to hear what you think about these new features. What other SkyMiles benefits would you like to see? And, of course, how’s your summer going?

Jeff Robertson

Vice President, SkyMiles program

For the past twenty years, I have been a frequent flyer. I don’t fly alone. On nearly every trip, a dog has accompanied me. Taking young service dogs-in-training on overnight trips can be more than a little stressful. Will the dog behave well? Will people be kind about seeing a dog in public? No matter how far away from Atlanta my trips take me, I feel like I’m home when I get to the Delta kiosk. I know Delta employees will help me sort out anything that might go wrong. Delta gate agents have helped me find little strips of grass or pine straw when my canine cohorts needed an emergency restroom from Newark to Los Angeles. Flight attendants have rearranged seating so that all the passengers, dog included, could be comfortably seated. I even had a Delta pilot carry a dog with a serious leg injury all the way through the Atlanta airport and to my car. With kindness like that, you can see why I am proud to say the Delta is the Official Airline of Canine Assistants!

Knowing that Delta has my back when I travel leaves me free to focus on my favorite subject…dogs!

My husband, who is also the staff veterinarian for Canine Assistants, sent me an email today containing a link to a report just published in an animal behavior journal that said scientists have found that aggressive dogs may actually be suffering from depression.  The researchers found that aggressive dogs have consistently lower levels of serotonin, the “feel good” hormone, and higher levels of stress hormones like cortisol than nonaggressive dogs. Know what else researchers have found? Sweet, laid-back dogs actually live longer than dogs who are more intense in personality. 

Wow. That sounds an awful lot like another species I know…human beings. Stress does horrible things to our health and our behavior. Know what can elevate your serotonin levels while lower your levels of stress hormones like cortisol? Patting a dog. Know what can elevate your dog’s serotonin levels and lower his cortisol levels? Being petted by you. So, for the sake of your health and your dog’s, petting is a must!

If you want to learn more about the wonderful creatures we call man’s best friend, please pick up a copy of my book, Through a Dog’s Eyes, at your favorite bookseller and, on your next Delta flight, tune in to the PBS special by the same name.

Read an excerpt from Through a Dog’s Eyes.

Well, we hear your concerns and are doing something about it.

Effective today, we are eliminating SkyMiles Award Ticket redemption fees. This means you will no longer pay a redemption fee when you book an Award Ticket within 20 days of departure (a saving of up to $150 per ticket). Plus, we’re waiving all redeposit and reissue fees for our Platinum Medallion® members.

So redeem your miles today and enjoy fewer fees and more value for your miles.

This is the latest in a series of changes to improve your SkyMiles experience, including:

• Introducing a Diamond Medallion tier in March and the industry’s first rollover Medallion Qualification Miles for 2010.
• Launching a “first checked bag free” benefit – up to a $50 savings per person on a round-trip ticket – for customers with a Consumer or Business Gold, Platinum, or Reserve Delta SkyMiles Credit Card from American Express, which began June 1.
• Increasing the allocation of preferred Economy seats to ensure the most frequent travelers are guaranteed the best seats on all Delta and Delta Connection flights by August 2010.
• Allowing Delta’s most loyal customers – Diamond, Platinum and Gold Medallions – flying on domestic award redemptions to be eligible for complimentary upgrades by September 2010.
• Re-engineering the online award calendar at delta.com to make it easier to find and redeem award seats.  These changes began in May and will be completed by November 2010.

Learn more about these changes and catch up on the latest SkyMiles program news at delta.com.

And don’t forget that with Delta, you have more ways to redeem miles than any other airline – including airline tickets, mileage upgrades, car rentals, hotel stays, Delta Sky Clubä memberships, merchandise and 30+ gift cards. In fact, you and your fellow SkyMiles members redeemed over 230 billion miles for 11.3 million Award redemptions with Delta in 2009, making us (and you) a loyalty program industry leader.

So thank you for your business, and let us know what you think about these changes. Love ‘em? Don’t love ‘em? What else should we do to improve the SkyMiles program?

Scott M.

Manager, SkyMiles program

Terms and Conditions

Basic Cardmembers (not Additional Cardmembers) with the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card, Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card, Delta Reserve Credit Card, Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card, Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card and Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card are eligible to receive the first checked bag fee waiver on Delta and Delta Connection carrier tickets. Waiver is only of normal first checked bag fee for a bag that is not overweight and not oversize under Delta’s applicable rules. Additional checked bags will be subject to the applicable baggage fees as outlined by Delta’s rules and the purchased fare. The first checked bag fee waiver will be applied to all passengers traveling in the reservation containing the Basic Cardmember’s SkyMiles number (up to nine waivers). If more than nine passengers are within the same reservation the waiver will only be applied to eligible passengers. The first checked bag fee waiver will only be applied on flight segments which originate on a Delta or Delta connection carrier operated flight. Codeshare flights are not eligible. New Cardmembers and Cardmembers upgrading from another Delta SkyMiles Credit Card product will be eligible for the checked baggage fee waiver benefit after receiving their card from American Express. Offer terms and conditions subject to change. Additional restrictions may apply.

Taxes and fees for Award Travel are the responsibility of the passenger and must be paid at the time the ticket is booked. Award travel seats and upgrade seats are limited and may not be available on all flights or in all markets.  Alliance partner airline benefits subject to change and subject to the terms and conditions of each partner. SkyMiles partners, offers, and benefits subject to change. Offers void where prohibited by law. Other restrictions may apply. All SkyMiles program rules apply to SkyMiles program membership, miles, offers, mile accrual, mile redemption and travel benefits. To review the rules, please visit Membership Guide & Program Rules. © 2010 Delta Air Lines, Inc.

Yep, you read that right. You’ll automatically receive your first checked bag free on all Delta and Delta Connection® flights for up to nine people within your reservation. That’s a savings of up to $50 on a round-trip ticket or $200 for a family of four.

It’s just one of the Card’s many benefits, including:

• Pay with Miles option to redeem miles for part or all of your Delta flight
• Exclusive Delta Sky Club™ access
• Miles earned for everyday purchases and double miles for Delta purchases
• A companion certificate upon annual renewal

So, check it out at delta.com/firstbagfree. Don’t have a card? Apply today. What do you think about this new benefit? Is it going to save you money this summer?

Tori O.

General Manager, SkyMiles

Terms & Conditions
Basic Cardmembers (not Additional Cardmembers) with the Gold Delta SkyMiles Credit Card, Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Card, Delta Reserve Credit Card, Gold Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card, Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Card and Delta Reserve for Business Credit Card are eligible to receive the first checked bag fee waiver on Delta and Delta Connection carrier tickets. Waiver is only of normal first checked bag fee for a bag that is not overweight and not oversize under Delta’s applicable rules. Additional checked bags will be subject to the applicable baggage fees as outlined by Delta’s rules and the purchased fare. The first checked bag fee waiver will be applied to all passengers traveling in the reservation containing the Basic Cardmember’s SkyMiles number (up to nine waivers). If more than nine passengers are within the same reservation the waiver will only be applied to eligible passengers. The first checked bag fee waiver will only be applied on flight segments which originate on a Delta or Delta connection carrier operated flight. Codeshare flights are not eligible. New Cardmembers and Cardmembers upgrading from another Delta SkyMiles Credit Card product will be eligible for the checked baggage fee waiver benefit after receiving their card from American Express. Offer terms and conditions subject to change. Additional restrictions may apply.

Program is limited to Gold and Platinum Delta SkyMiles and Delta Reserve Credit Cardmembers, as well as to Gold and Platinum Delta SkyMiles Business Credit Cardmembers and Delta Reserve for Business Credit Cardmembers. New Cardmembers and Cardmembers upgrading from another Delta SkyMiles Credit Card product with a U.S. point-of-sale address in their SkyMiles account are eligible to use Pay with Miles upon receipt of their new Card. Eligible only on Delta and Delta Connection® carrier flights booked at delta.com under the DL code. Flight will be marked as Pay with Miles eligible. Minimum 10,000 miles for redemption. Pay with Miles tickets are not eligible for mileage accrual, Medallion Complimentary Upgrades, Medallion Segment Qualification, Medallion Qualification Miles, or Best Fare Guarantee. Refundable fares paid for fully or partially with miles will be refunded in accordance with the Pay with Miles terms and conditions. Redemption requirements may differ based on fare. For terms, conditions, and restrictions, visit delta.com/paywithmiles. All SkyMiles program rules apply. To review the rules, visit Membership Guide & Program Rules.

Sky Club Reduced Rate benefit is limited to Gold and Platinum Delta SkyMiles Credit Cardmembers and may be used only in conjunction with same-day ticketed air travel on any airline. Payment must be made with a Gold or Platinum Delta SkyMiles® Credit Card. Cardmember must be at least 21 years of age to access Clubs with a self-service bar, unless accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who is also accessing the club with a $25 pay-as-you-go pass or who is a Club member. Please drink responsibly. Up to two guests are permitted upon payment of $25 per guest. Partner lounges are not included. Amenities may vary among airport club locations. Offers and rules subject to change. Additional restrictions may apply. All Delta Sky Club rules apply. To review the rules, please visit delta.com/skyclub.

The Delta Reserve Cardmember must be traveling on a Delta-coded or Delta-operated flight. Name on ticket must match name on Delta Reserve Card. The Delta Reserve Cardmember must be at least 21 years of age to enter Clubs with a self-service bar, unless they are accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. The Delta Reserve Cardmember’s spouse and children under the age of 21 or up to two companions may enter the Club as complimentary guests. Complimentary access is only for Delta Sky Clubs. Codeshare partner and other alliance partner lounges are not included. The Delta Reserve Cardmember must present his or her valid Card and same-day, airline ticket to club agents. Note that amenities may vary among airport Club locations. Meeting rooms may be reserved for a fee. All Delta Sky Club rules apply. To review the rules, please visit delta.com/skyclub. Offer and rules subject to change. Additional restrictions may apply.

This offer applies to qualifying Delta, Delta Connection carrier, and Delta Shuttle® flights taken with the purchase of a fare that is eligible for SkyMiles mileage credit. Offer applies to Delta Vacations® packages but not other all-inclusive packages. Bonus miles will be posted to your Delta SkyMiles account 8 to 12 weeks after the end of each month. All Delta SkyMiles program rules apply. To review the rules, please visit Membership Guide & Program Rules.

New Sky Club at Raleigh-Durham International Airport

Our new club is located in Terminal 2 and offers members and their guests complimentary Wi-Fi, beverages and snacks, personalized flight assistance and a full-service bar.

Delta’s newest Sky Club is designed to make Triangle travelers more productive and comfortable. We look forward to welcoming members and making their trips to, from and through Raleigh-Durham more enjoyable!

More information about Delta Sky Clubs is available at delta.com/skyclub.

David M.
Lead Customer Service Agent, RDU Sky Club

What’s even better? There’s a one-stop shop — SkyMilesShopping.com — where you can visit more than 500 merchants AND earn miles for shopping. Take advantage of the below gift ideas (and many others) while you rack up miles:

1. Go big at Dell Home Systems and buy the Studio ONE 19 All-in-One desktop with touch screen monitor for only $699! At 2 miles per $1, that’s over 1,300 miles just for you!

2. Shopping for her? What about a Cole Haan Village Double Drawstring Tote for $259 at eBags.com? It’s not only 25% off, but earns you 5 miles per $1! Yep, that’s another 1,300 miles.

3. Weren’t you going to Toys”R”Us anyway for that little tyke on your list? Get 2 miles for every $1 when you shop online.

4. Is it the year to finally buy that LCD TV you’ve been wanting? Oohh… Imagine the Super Bowl on that new HDTV. Plus, you’ll rack up 3 miles for every dollar spent at Sears through SkyMiles Shopping!

5. Stock up on books, magazines and more at Barnes & Noble and enjoy FREE 3-day shipping on orders of at least $25 and 6 miles per dollar.

We’re not even done with our complete shopping list and have already racked up close to 6,000 miles. So check out SkyMilesShopping.com and the great deals available at favorite retailers, including Target.com, Walmart, Apple, Best Buy, Macy’s, iTunes and Harry and David.

Do you have any Cyber Monday tips to share? Any SkyMiles Shopping mileage-earning tips?

Happy holidays!

Mike M., SkyMiles Program

Terms & Conditions

All SkyMiles program rules apply. To review the rules, please visit delta.com/memberguide. Merchant offers and Delta offers subject to the terms and conditions of each individual offer. Merchants subject to change. Offers void where prohibited by law. Other restrictions may apply.

©2009 Delta Air Lines, Inc.

New promotions will be added regularly, so check back often. You need to be a current SkyMiles member to enjoy these mileage-earning promotions, so enroll today if you haven’t already.

How do you like our new Deals and Offers page with featured SkyMiles promotions?

Enjoy!

Katie
Relationship Marketing

Also, keep in mind that as we roll out this new program, savvy SkyMiles members will be able to earn a few benefits twice. For example, if you earn 75,000 Medallion Qualification Miles (MQMs) this calendar year, you’ll receive six Platinum Medallion system-wide upgrade certificates with your credential package. Then, once the Choice Benefits are implemented early next year, you’ll also have the option to receive four new system-wide upgrade certificates.

Check out what people are saying about our program changes: Forrester Blog, Cranky Flier, WSJ Blog, Boarding Area Blog, Upgrade: Travel Better Blog, more? Let us know!

Enjoy,

Jeff
Vice President of Loyalty Programs
Delta Air Lines