ALASKA FLIES HIGH
For the third year in a row, Alaska Airlines has earned the top spot in the annual ranking of Best U.S. Airlines by Airfarewatchdog.com. The rankings are based on the airlines' performance in canceled flights, customer satisfaction, denied boardings, mishandled baggage and on-time arrivals. Following Alaska were Delta, Southwest, JetBlue, United, American, Virgin America, Frontier and Spirit. In the individual categories, United was best in fewest canceled flights, and Delta had the best record for on-time flights. Check out all of the ratings at http://tinyurl.com/yaaq5pvs.
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ATHENS IN APRIL
There are lots of tours to the Holy Land that are tied to sites important to Christianity and to Easter observances. Peter Sommer Travels takes a different tack with a Greece tour that begins April 2 and visits sites and celebrations in Athens that are relevant to Orthodox Easter Holy Week. The weeklong itinerary is led by archaeologists and Athens experts Heinrich Hall and Dr. Maria Girtzi. The Acropolis, the Agora and the old town of Plaka are among iconic Greek sites that will be explored, but there will also be events such as Holy Thursday observances at the monastery of Daou (Moni Penteli), where people can see a re-enactment of the crucifixion. On Holy Friday, participants will visit the church of Agios Georgios Karitzi in Athens for choral singing, and on Holy Saturday it's possible to view the Easter celebrations of the city's Ethiopian and Armenian communities. The trip is priced at about $3,600 per person, double occupancy, which includes seven nights' lodging in a five-star hotel and most meals. International air is extra. Info: 855-443-3027, http://tinyurl.com/yczf6bho
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(Phil Marty is a freelance reporter.)
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