The newest addition to the roster is a gourmet dinner for four with Chef Michael Vignola at Michael Jordan’s The Steak House in New York City’s Grand Central Terminal. The two-star steak house raises the bar, with succulent cuts and fresh seafood served amid the classic ambiance of one of New York’s city’s most iconic landmarks.

We also have a special limited-time auction for a pair of roundtrip tickets to Mexico that ends at 5 p.m. EST today. The tickets are valid for any Aeromexico destination in Mexico, giving you the perfect head start to your spring break getaway.

And of course, there are plenty of hotel packages on offer, including two donations from Hyatt’s newest brand, Andaz. Bid on a two-night stay for two at either the London or Los Angeles properties (or both!) to see what the stylish new brand has in store for guests.

Keep in mind that proceeds will benefit Friends of CARRA, the fundraising arm of the Childhood Arthritis & Rheumatology Research Alliance (CARRA) and that every bid you make helps bring researchers closer to finding a cure for the painful and debilitating illnesses children cope with every day. Friends of CARRA and Business Traveler would like to thank you for your support! Visit auction.btusonline.com. Ally Miola

The move would include a trade between Delta and US Airways that would transfer 125 operating slot pairs to Delta at LaGuardia and 42 operating slot pairs to US Airways at Reagan National, allowing US Airways to introduce service to São Paulo and Tokyo-Narita. Furthermore, the proposal includes plans for a multimillion dollar construction program at LaGuardia that would connect the Delta and US Airways terminals, creating an estimated 7,000 jobs in the New York City area, according to Delta Air Lines.

The FAA granted conditional approval of the transaction in early February, on the condition that slots are to be divested at both airports. AM

While rooms and suites in the Tower Wing are currently open, 15 signature suites are slated to open in May, including the Tata Suite, Maratha Suite and Rajput Suite. Meanwhile, the Golden Dragon, Wasabi by Morimoto and Harbour Bar have already re-opened with revamped menus and décor and the restored grand Ball Room will open next month. For more information or to book a room at the Mumbai landmark, visit tajhotels.com. AM

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
After enjoying a brief escape from the winter weather, the only thing that kept me in good spirits as I packed for my return home was the anticipation of another enjoyable Air Canada flight. (My trip out had been a dream.) But it was then that I remembered that I had left my jacket on the plane during my flight out. This hadn’t bothered me in Sydney, where it had been summer, but I was looking at some pretty cold weather coming back. I didn’t lose any sleep over it, but the thought of having to buy an overpriced sweatshirt or jacket at the airport weighed on my mind.

I arrived at Air Canada’s Executive Class check-in area three hours prior to departure, and other than one person at the desk ahead of me, there was no one in line. While I waited, an attendant with a clipboard politely asked where I was headed, and if I was flying in Executive First. I answered that I was, and that I was headed for Vancouver, and she asked for my name. After consulting her clipboard, she told me that Air Canada was holding something for me.

Before I finished checking in, she returned, holding the jacket I had left behind during my flight out. I could have given her a huge hug at that point, but thanked her several times instead. The check-in attendant gave me my tickets, an express pass, and a lounge pass, along with directions to the Air New Zealand lounge, which Air Canada shares. She also warned that the flight was full, so I shouldn’t rush to get to the gate early, but rather relax in the lounge and wait for the boarding announcement.

Walking toward security, I noticed the express lane entry. With my express pass, I was able to use this special—and short—line for both security and passport control; so while it was a busy day at the airport, I managed to get through security in only a few minutes. It conveniently exited into a duty-free shop, but I was able to control myself (especially now that I didn’t need a jacket) and headed right to the ANZ lounge.

The lounge had a hot and cold breakfast spread, including an automatic pancake maker. I would have tried the pancake maker, but someone was videotaping the process from start to finish, and I lost interest. There was a vast selection of beverages and snacks, and by the time I decided on something to drink, sandwiches and other lunch items had been added to the table. I made up a small plate and took a spot by the window, where I popped open my laptop and enjoyed free Wi-Fi with my meal.

BOARDING
Boarding was announced in the lounge, and when I arrived at the gate, it seemed as though everyone had boarded already, so I walked right on the plane through the dedicated business-class line. A flight attendant welcomed me aboard and directed me to my seat, and I was quickly offered orange juice, Champagne (water bottles were already at our seats), an amenity kit, magazines, newspapers and menus before we departed. The flight took off on time.

SEAT COMFORT
I was sitting in the Executive First section onboard this B777-200, which consisted of 42 Executive First suites in two cabins, and 228 economy seats. Every seat in Executive First had aisle access in a 1-2-1 configuration, and was fully equipped with power outlets and a personal on-demand entertainment system, with 80 hours of video and 50 hours of audio. The seat was quite comfortable, with a width of 20.35 inches, and although it had a number of seat positions, what stood out most was the adjustable headrest, which was great when in the lie-flat position. I like to watch movies while falling asleep, and the adjustable headrest and TV monitor made it very easy to get comfortable quickly.

THE FLIGHT
After takeoff, the crew was quick to start mingling with the passengers. A flight attendant asked if I was comfortable with the seat and if I had any questions. We talked a little bit about my time in Australia when another attendant stopped by to take my drink order. I chose the Champagne Drappier and had a glass in my hand moments later.

My lunch started with smoked salmon, garlic prawns and avocado salsa, served over mesclun greens with mixed bell peppers and cherry tomatoes. For my main course, I had the herb-crusted grilled filet of beef, accented by brandy demiglace, pumpkin and rosemary galette, zucchini flower and a roasted tomato. The flight attendant suggested I try a glass of the Ironstone Cabernet Sauvignon, which brought the meal together nicely.

As I sat back and enjoyed my lunch, I watched the first season of “Nurse Jackie,” pausing and rewinding as needed. Although I was full when it came time for dessert, I couldn’t resist the decadent chocolate lava cake with a scoop of ice cream.

I fell asleep after a few episodes of the program and when I woke up about four hours later, I noticed that almost everyone in the cabin was sleeping. A flight attendant saw that I was awake and asked if I needed anything as I was getting up to go to the lavatory. I remember saying, “I’m not sure yet,” but when I got back to my seat, she was there with a mid-flight snack menu.

I certainly didn’t need it, but it was hard to say no, as she was so nice, so I ordered a tomato cup filled with crab, and sweet chili breast of chicken with roasted eggplant and mushrooms. Although I had ample time and space to work on my laptop, the inflight entertainment system had me hooked, and I watched movie after movie until I fell asleep again.

When I awoke, an attendant told me that we would be landing in about an hour and asked if I would like to take a look at the prelanding menu. This time, I was simply too full to indulge. As the flight attendants collected our glasses and trays, they personally thanked each passenger for flying.

ARRIVAL
We arrived a bit early, and I was one of the first passengers to exit the plane. This gave me enough time to clear customs and stretch out before reboarding the plane to Toronto, although I missed the old flight crew as we continued on.

VERDICT
I flew six different legs on this particular trip, each with a different Air Canada flight crew, and I was amazed by the consistent level of customer service throughout. I’m still floored that they held my jacket for me until my return flight from Sydney. I had a good time in Australia, but this was one time when the journey was much more memorable than the destination.

— Adam Rodriguez