Something about Delta's website was definitely different, we noticed, when checking a flight during our latest trip to Atlanta. But we failed to notice the one thing that many folks will likely be analyzing the spit out of soon: The logo's gone from traditional red and blue to a very slick, 3D red. In fact, we found out today this was evidence of a gigantic campaign to "introduce an updated, boldly modern corporate brand and showcase a reinvigorated customer experience."

A post by Mark Hurst today picked up the AdWeek story, noting that "Delta Air Lines has launched, in their words, a "reinvigorated customer experience." And following the recent example of Dairy Queen, so far the most apparent change is in the logo." But after a very smooth trip to Atlanta, we'd beg to differ. Lots was different about the new Delta. And we liked it.

The first thing we did notice, at Delta's pretty new Atlanta terminal, was the check-in counter, which is angled out from the wall. Kiosks float mid-floor, where you get your boarding pass, then check your bags in a completely separate process at the counters, which are blissfully uncrowded and far enough away from the kiosks to prevent traffic jams. We'd never seen anything like this--usually the kiosks are right up against the counter so you can't check in and check bags at the same time...or you wait endlessly for someone to call your name.

Onboard, standard announcements like "fasten your seatbelt" are now made by pre-recorded professional voices. You'd be surprised how much nicer that sounds than the jarring squawks of whoever happens to command the mic. The snacks were better and more frequent. And we definitely knew something was up when the guy behind us was trying to order some kind of mojito that he claimed he'd had on his outbound flight. Yep, Delta's got signature cocktails--and people were already clamoring for them.

As for ourselves, we didn't even have to order a drink. We flew on May 3, the day the airline was celebrating the big changes, so they served the entire cabin champagne. We raised our glass to our flight attendant, told her congratulations, and meant it.