More shuttles

Shuttle service may have lost some of its luster since the heyday of the fabled Eastern Shuttle, which once linked New York LaGuardia to both Washington National and Boston Logan. Once-upon-a-time, the high and the mighty made the trip, high-profile people from politics, media and the business world. It wasn’t uncommon to find yourself sitting next to a network television anchor absorbed in their script for the evening news.

Nowadays shuttle service is, perhaps, a bit less lustrous, more taken for granted. Still, the convenience of predictable, practical air passage when you want it most hasn’t lost its intrinsic appeal. Far better to be cruising at 30,000 feet as the traffic winds below on Interstate 5 than be down there battling it out with deranged drivers.

That fact of life set the stage for new Delta Shuttle service between Los Angeles International and San Francisco International airports. 76-passenger, dual-class, Brazilian-built E-175 regional jets have begun making the 347-mile trip 14 times a day. Flights depart hourly, Monday through Friday, beginning at 7 a.m.

Turn-on-a-dime business travelers who demand flexibility should find the flights useful You can check in as late as 30 minutes prior to departure, and do so at dedicated check-in counters. The Shuttle gates are close to security. And there’s in-flight Wi-Fi.

Amenities? How about free copies of The Wall Street Journal, the Financial Times and such.

Aloft, food and drink are complimentary: LYFE Kitchen good-for-you snacks, Starbucks Coffee, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company beer, and Wente wines.

SkyMiles members will rack up at least 500 miles for the Shuttle sojourn.