two dozen passengers. Smart, nicknamed the "Queen of Aloha," retired last month after more than a half-century on the job she started when she was 18 years old. A lot has changed since the old days, when people dressed up in hats and bow ties to fly on propeller-powered planes across the Pacific. "You're supposed to have the same niceness, the same warmth, the same caring. But it's faster now," Smart said. "In the older days, the flights were longer so you had more time to be intimate with passengers and you got to be very good friends with them." Today, as the airline's most senior flight attendant (they're not called stewardesses anymore), she makes $43.50 per hour catering to first-class passengers on flights between Orange County, Calif., and Honolulu. Hearing Smart reminisce over times gone by makes it sound like her job was more fun than work. She laughs when remembering affable celebrities, prankster pilots and a boxlike cart that sheltered passengers from the rain as they disembarked. The job has grown on her so much that she's reluctant to leave.

Virgin America thanked the almost 8,000 frequent fliers taking Zagat's 2007 Global Airlines Survey who ranked America's newest airline number one for overall quality in First/Business Class and second among all domestic carriers for overall quality in the Main Cabin. Virgin America was also recognized by Zagat's as among the top five airlines with the best U.S. web site, coming in at number four. "We launched this August with the goal of creating a different kind of airline: one with

low fares, great service and some cool, new features that we hope people actually like - instead of an experience they dread," said Virgin America Chief Executive Officer Fred Reid. "So, we are absolutely thrilled and humbled that guests are pleased with the quality of our product and it is especially wonderful to be so well received by those who fly the most -- frequent fliers."

Mamma Says Gingerbread Biscotti and Immaculate Baking Company's Sweet Georgia Brownie Super Chocolate Chunk Cookies Available Through January
JetBlue Airways announced two special additions to its complimentary snack line-up for customers flying the low-fare, high-frills airline this holiday season. Through January, JetBlue is bringing back one of last year's customer-favorites, Mamma Says® Gingerbread Biscotti with icing, and adding another guaranteed hit: Immaculate Baking Company's Sweet Georgia Brownie(tm) Super Chocolate Chunk cookies, loaded with two kinds of chocolate chips, rich cocoa, pure vanilla and more chocolate. "We invite customers to gobble up some tasty, festive and free snacks on Jet- Blue, whether it's freshly brewed Dunkin' Donuts coffee paired with a delicious holiday biscotti or a hot cup of cocoa with extra chocolatey cookies," said Brett Muney, Product Manager for JetBlue Airways. "We're excited to add these fun and tasty treats to our free, all-you-can-eat snack bar and look forward to celebrating the holiday season with our customers. Did I mention that our snacks are always free?" All in-flight snacks and beverages on JetBlue are 100% trans-fat free. The airline led the way in December of last year, actively seeking out healthy snack alternatives to become one of the first to provide only trans-fat free selections.

Now its United Airlines
Sparked by news of a letter from a hedge fund, Delta Air Lines went from potential acquirer of one of its biggest rivals, United Airlines, early in the day to possibly being absorbed by the Chicagobased company. By the close of the stock market, both United and Delta officials were denying that any merger talks were taking place - and politicians and economic development officials in both cities were trying to figure out whether they will have to prepare for an all-out campaign to keep the hometown airline. The merger speculation started when it was disclosed that Pardus had written Delta, urging the carrier to negotiate a stock-for-stock merger with United. The New York firm, which owns 7 million Delta shares (2.6 percent) and 5.6 million United shares (4.8 percent), said it would also support Delta CEO Richard Anderson as the head of the combined company, the New York Times reported in its online story. Delta executives, while saying no talks were in progress, initially said they "appreciate receiving Pardus' views." Delta also said it had hired financial and legal advisors and created a subcommittee of its board of directors to look at "strategic alternatives" --- often code words for plans to begin talks to buy or sell a company. Delta said it took those measures before getting Pardus' proposal. Other than informal talks Delta had early this year with Northwest Airlines, Bastian denied that the Atlanta-based carrier is now or has been in merger talks with United. Still, he said Delta is open to the "right deal" to take over another carrier. United alsos denied the reports, but indicated that it, too, thinks mergers are inevitable.