Delta

River deltas are among the most biologically productive ecosystems on Earth, and for millions of years the delta of the Colorado River was no exception. After a 1,450-mile journey from its headwaters in the Rocky Mountains south into Mexico, the Colorado sustained verdant marshes teeming with life before emptying into the aquatic Eden of the upper Gulf of California. In 1922, the great naturalist Aldo Leopold canoed through the delta, which he described as "a milk and honey wilderness" and a land of "a hundred green lagoons.

From the outside, the scene looked like just another Depeche Mode gig, with a crush of stylishly attired music fans gathered on a street corner in downtown Austin, Texas. Inside the bare-bones warehouse, though, it was clear that this veteran English outfit - one of the few rock groups in the world still capable of filling arenas and stadiums - was slumming it, performing on a stage (and before a crowd) many times smaller than it normally plays to. A large video screen seemed wedged into the tight space behind the band, and when Dave Gahan thrust his arms skyward during "Enjoy the Silence," he almost scraped the ceiling.

When Knoxville, Tenn., which is between the Cumberland and Great Smoky mountains, beckons, Delta has a round-trip fare from LAX for $237, which includes taxes and fees. It is subject to availability and has a seven-day advance purchase for travel any day of the week through May 15. Info: Delta , (800) 221-1212 Source: Airfarewatchdog

When Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa announced a $229-million upgrade to Terminal 5 at Los Angeles International Airport last week, he said the money would double the size of the lobby and pay for new carpeting, new baggage carousels and new facilities for international passengers. The terminal is dedicated mostly to Delta Air Lines, which is putting $12 million into the modernization project. What the mayor didn't mention were the new fixes planned for Delta Sky Club, the exclusive lounge were VIPs can order a free drink, munch on snacks and watch cable television while waiting for their flights.

An "abundance of caution" prompted the turnaround of a Delta flight back to New York late Thursday after someone discovered strange objects in one of the jet's bathrooms, the airline said, but investigators determined there were no explosives or threatening devices on the plane. Flight 126, which Delta said was carrying 206 passengers, arrived back at John F. Kennedy Airport around 9:30 p.m., more than an hour into its flight to Madrid, and sat on the tarmac amid a blaze of flashing lights from surrounding emergency vehicles.

Here's a round-trip fare from LAX to Maui on American, Delta and United for $367, including all taxes and fees. It is subject to availability, with a seven-day advance purchase and a minimum three-night and maximum 60-day stay. Travel is Mondays-Thursdays until Dec. 25 but with blackout dates. Info: American Airlines , (800) 882-8880; Delta , (800) 323-2323; United , (800) 421-4655. Source: Airfarewatchdog Follow us on Twitter @latimestravel , like us on Facebook @Los Angeles Times Travel.

If work or play takes you to Ohio's capital, Delta has a round-trip fare from LAX to Columbus for $233, including all taxes and fees. It is, of course, subject to availability. There is no minimum stay, but there is a seven-day advance purchase requirement. Travel must be Mondays-Thursdays or Saturdays for travel through March 13. Info: Delta , (800) 221-1212 Source: Airfarewatchdog Follow us on Twitter @latimestravel , like us on Facebook @Los Angeles Times Travel.

A drilling rig bit into the bed of California's biggest river, hauling up sage-green tubes of clay and sand the consistency of uncooked fudge. The rig workers rolled the muck into strips, dried it in sugar-sized cubes and crushed them under their palms. They packed slices into carefully labeled canning jars for testing at an engineering lab. They were taking the river bottom samples for a $13-billion project that would shunt water around ? or under ? the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to the big aqueducts that ferry supplies south.

The U.S. Transportation Department fined Delta Air Lines $2 million for failing to adequately assist disabled passengers, in violation of federal rules. The fine against one of the nation's largest air carriers is the biggest non-safety-related penalty ever imposed on an airline by the department. Delta has agreed to pay the fine by signing a consent agreement. In a statement, the air carrier said the airline takes "the responsibility of serving customers with disabilities seriously and has made significant investments in technology, feedback assessment and training.

Countless rivers and tributaries snake across the Niger Delta's swampy terrain, making travel within its 20,000 square miles of West African rain forest difficult. In 1906, a century after the British had outlawed the slave trade in what is now Nigeria and replaced it with the more lucrative business of palm oil exportation, Maj. A.G. Leonard wrote: "The country may be described as one in which Nature is at her worst.

The overhaul of domestic passenger facilities at Los Angeles International Airport gained momentum Thursday with the start of a $229-million renovation of the Delta Air Lines terminal. Plans call for a complete remodel and expansion of Terminal 5, including a private VIP check-in lobby, a renovation of the lounge facilities in the Delta Sky Club and a doubling in size of both the ticketing areas and security checkpoints. New baggage carousels also will be added to the terminal, as well as improved facilities to recheck international luggage and an array of new restaurants and shops that reflect the culture and lifestyle of Los Angeles.

THE BEST WAY TO MIAMI From LAX, American and Delta offer nonstop service to Miami, and American, Delta, US Airways and United offer connecting service (change of plane). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $326.

Delta Air Lines recently began testing a program that greets its corporate clients by name when they check in at an airport kiosk or use the Delta mobile app. And last week, United Airlines introduced its first planes with revamped cabins for transcontinental “premium service” customers. The new interiors have Wi-Fi service, on-demand entertainment and seats that convert into 180-degree flat beds. The efforts to court first-class and business-class travelers make sense. Such fliers typically buy the most expensive seats and book at the last minute, incurring the highest fares.

One thing stood out in the pile of documents released Thursday detailing state plans to replumb California's water hub: Construction could start on the massive project before water managers know whether it will work as intended. The still-evolving proposal, backed by Gov. Jerry Brown's administration and the federal government, is designed to partially restore the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta environment and halt reductions in delta water exports. But uncertainty over the volume of future water deliveries is likely to linger for years as government scientists try to nail down how much water imperiled salmon and smelt need in the delta.

Delta Air Lines is bullish about Los Angeles. The Atlanta-based carrier, the third-largest at Los Angeles International Airport, is adding 17 new flights to eight new destinations, boosting the number of seats from LAX by 12%. In addition, Delta is teaming up with airport officials to invest $160 million in upgrades at its terminals, including adding a new luxury bar last summer at the Skyteam lounge. (Instead of helping themselves at a self-serve bar, members can now ask a friendly bartender to mix up a stiff drink.)

Delta Air Lines wants to raise its profile in Los Angeles. The airline announced Thursday it would add year-round and seasonal destinations and expand existing service to other cities in the West and Mexico from Los Angeles International Airport . The Atlanta-based airline will add five new destinations -- Nashville and Seattle on April 8, San Jose on July 1 and Spokane, Wash., on June 10 -- and three new seasonal destinations with...

THE BEST WAY TO MIAMI From LAX, American and Delta offer nonstop service to Miami, and American, Delta, US Airways and United offer connecting service (change of plane). Restricted round-trip fares begin at $326.

Restricted round-trip airfares as researched on computer Monday, the day before the Travel section went to press. Fares change daily, and availability is not assured. Fares, which may involve a change of planes, are for airlines serving Los Angeles International (LAX), Orange County/John Wayne (SNA), Burbank/Bob Hope (BUR), L.A. Ontario (ONT) and Long Beach (LGB). Domestic fares include sales tax; international airfares do not. There may be additional surcharges on both. Sources: Sabre reservation system, airlines and Web -- BUSSELLTON, AUSTRALIA (VIA PERTH)

Delta Air Lines, one of the nation's largest airlines, said surveys of its own customers suggest that sleep is the most important in-flight experience. For that reason, the Atlanta-based carrier is upgrading the bedding and seats for long-haul passengers in the BusinessElite section. Starting in June, those upper-class passengers on international or transcontinental flights get a special pillow and comforter made by the same folks who produce the high-end bedding for the Westin Hotels.

Free movies and TV in economy class and free beer, wine and spirits in what the carrier calls Economy Comfort are among new services and amenities coming to Delta Air Lines flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The airline also plans to expand its entertainment library to offer up to 100 movie selections. "We've been making an investment in our transcontinental service, phasing in full flat-bed seats [in BusinessElite class]