Author: Maureen Katz
Maureen Katz
Maureen Katz has worked in the airline industry for 37 years and is currently retired. She has worked for eight different airlines, three of which were startup companies, and participated in the FAA Proving Runs, leading to FAA Certification. Her positions included Flight Attendant, Customer Service Agent, Flights Operations and the last 27 years as an Airline Dispatcher. JetBlue was the final carrier in her career and she was one of its “founders”. Maureen and another crew member assisted in training and formulating dispatch policies and procedures, allowing JetBlue to begin its operations. In addition to Maureen having a FAA dispatch license, she also possesses a commercial pilot license with instrument and multi-engine ratings.
In the March issue of the Metropolitan Airport News, I wrote about a Mediterranean cruise from Venice to Rome. One of the ports we were supposed to visit was Naples, Italy. However, due to bad weather in Naples, we were unable to stop at this port and ultimately had an extra sea day. Just recently, Jon and I had the opportunity to fly to Naples on a seasonal nonstop from JFK on Delta Air Lines. We stayed at the Hotel NH Napoli Panorama, which is a 30-story skyscraper in the Naples historic center. Our room was on the 27th floor,…
My husband Jon and I decided to do something different at the beginning of the new year. We looked at several airline employee websites and found a Windstar cruise for 8 nights that started in Venice, Italy, and ended in Rome. On New Year’s Day, we flew to Milan, Italy. In the past, Jon and I visited Milan frequently before the pandemic, but we have not been there since January 2020. It was great to return, and we stayed at the Milan Marriott Hotel in a residential area of Milan. On the evening of our arrival, we visited an area…
In June 2017, my husband Jon and I purchased a one-week Spanish Rail Pass and traveled around the country to visit places we had not been to on prior vacations. One of the highlights of this trip was the city of Santiago de Compostela, the Capital of Galicia, and located in the province of A Coruña. We have an old friend from the United States who now lives in this region. He was there when we arrived, and we had the opportunity to experience the city through a local. He drove us all over the area and showed us…
My husband Jon and I have visited Washington, D.C., many times over the past several years. Our most recent visit was an overnight stay on October 7 this year. Although there was a government shutdown, we had no issues related to this. It was a pleasure not to have crowds of tourists, and all our activities were easy to do. Restaurants and hotels were quiet, but still open. The shutdown’s impact extended primarily to attractions that receive federal funds. In the early days of the current government shutdown, virtually all tourist sites were unaffected. My in-laws are buried at Arlington…
During my husband Jonathan’s and my airline careers, there was nothing better than waking up from an overnight flight to Europe in Venice, Italy. Venice is truly “one of the seven wonders of the world,” and it is so different from many places on Earth. Venice is a city to be explored by foot, water, or gondola – where every step reveals something new; there are no cars, only canals. It boasts the world’s most famous canal network, with almost 540 bridges spanning the canals. The Rialto Bridge is the oldest and most famous bridge in this city. We have stayed in…
We have always wanted to go to Omaha, Nebraska, and we always receive the same comment back… Why? On a rainy two days in New York, we had the opportunity to escape to our city from LaGuardia Airport. The weather was forecast to be clear in the low 80s on both days in Omaha. We were so impressed with the renovation of the new LaGuardia Airport. We previously traveled out of LGA when it was considered a “third-world country.” Delta Air Lines flies three nonstop flights daily to Omaha, and now we understand why. We stayed at the Marriott Residence Inn,…
Toronto is a one-hour flight from New York and is very worthwhile to visit any time of the year. It is the capital of the province of Ontario and is a major city along Lake Ontario’s northwestern shore. It is the largest city in Canada and is a multicultural city. The population consists of people from all over the world. Our favorite area of the city during our limited one-day visit is to go to the Distillery District. It is pedestrian-only and consists of reconfigured warehouse buildings set on cobblestone streets. There are quaint restaurants, bars, galleries, and boutiques located…
We began our voyage from the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal located in Red Hook, Brooklyn. We took the Long Island Railroad from New Hyde Park to the Barclays Center and took a two-mile Uber ride to the terminal to avoid massive traffic in New York City. The ship that we sailed on was the Cunard Queen Mary Two. The ship began sailing at 5:00 p.m. on a clear and cold day with a beautiful sunset. The spectacular views included the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and Governors Island. We headed underneath the Verrazano Bridge (the ship only clears the bridge’s…
Thirty years ago, our good friend said he had a great island in the Caribbean for us to visit. He said that we would love the beaches, food, people, hotels, and European influence and that it is a legal piece of France and Holland. My husband, Jon, and I used to go to the island of Saint Martin five times a year. When JetBlue Airways started nonstop service from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) daily, we decided to take advantage of this service, especially in the winter. Delta Airlines also began nonstop service from JFK, but only once a…
During one of our prior visits to Geneva this summer, a Marriott employee told us about a small, very underrated, and “must-see” city on the border of Southeastern France called Annecy; we were not disappointed. Annecy is a city bordering the majestic French Alps and Lake Annecy, France’s third largest lake and one of the freshest lakes in Europe due to the melting snow from the Alps. The lakeside waterfront area boasts beautiful beaches and all types of water sports, paddle boat rentals, and lake cruises. Annecy is well known for its biking and hiking trails. Plage de Imperial is…