Sun Country's new look
The first plane ever fully owned by Sun Country in its 36-year history, and the first to be painted in the airline's bold new color scheme, was formally unveiled Tuesday. The Boeing 737 is one of the first Sun Country planes to have the interior refreshed with new seats and features. Sun Country got rid of its first-class offering, making it all one cabin with three tiers of legroom. There's best, better and standard, with 34 inches, 32 inches and 30 inches of space between rows, respectively. The new seats are what the industry calls "slimline" and are the same brand used by Delta. The cabins, which will all be renovated between now and the end of January, will also have USB charging outlets and a browser-based entertainment system that gives customers free access on their own devices to movies, TV shows, magazines and games.
Kristen Leigh Painter
Delta nixes boarding zones, kittens and puppies
Delta Air Lines announced a new "simplified" boarding experience, which ditches the standard "zone" system in favor of a new color-coded, eight-step process. The new "branded boarding" order begins with (1) Delta One passengers, followed by (2) Delta Premium Select/First Class, (3) Delta Comfort+, (4) Sky Priority, (5-7) three separate groups of Main Cabin fliers, and finally, (8) Basic Economy. Got all that? The new scheme, which takes effect Jan. 23, "will finally give travelers a chance to use the algebra they learned in middle school," Fast Company wrote. Delta also banned "emotional support" animals on flights longer than 8 hours, as well as any support animals or trained service animals under 4 months old. Those changes take effect on Tuesday.
Simon Peter Groebner
Plan a family safari
Visit Tanzania's Serengeti for a wildlife viewing and cultural extravaganza. Home to more than 3,000 lions and 1,000 leopards as well as zebras, wildebeests, warthogs and waterbuck, it's a magical sanctuary best known for the Great Migration. With the Four Seasons Serengeti as your base camp, explore via jeep tours, walking safaris, or from the basket of a hot-air balloon. The excitement doesn't end when you return to the lodge, where a watering hole, just beyond an infinity pool, draws elephant families on a daily basis. Kids can visit the discovery center to learn about Maasai history and culture, the Serengeti Cheetah Project and life in the bush. Relax at the spa, take a family cooking class and be amazed by a live performance of tribal dance and song offered by local Maasai (fourseasons.com/serengeti; tanzaniatourism.go.tz).
FamilyTravel.com
Hertz goes biometric
Biometric screening is expanding to rental cars. Hertz said Tuesday it is teaming up with Clear, the maker of biometric screening kiosks found at many airports, in an effort to slash the time it takes to pick up a rental car. Clear hopes it will lead more travelers to its platform, which has 3 million members in the United States. Hertz launched its Clear biometrics scans recently at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. It will be rolled out to 40 more locations next year. Hertz Gold Plus Rewards loyalty program members with access to Clear will be able to bypass the counter, pick up their car and head to the exit gate. There, Clear pods equipped with cameras and touch screens can read their face or their fingerprints. If they match up with Hertz's reservation data, the gate will open.
Associated Press
