LOL at preliminary poll results here. The original poster asked for advice on iPad Air versus iPad mini Retina, and with 40 votes in, it's 50% to 50%.

We're being very helpful in his decision-making.
I advise everyone to get iPad Air, but will probably end up getting iPad mini Retina myself.

(But only because iPad 3 is such a superb gadget; I'd
swap it for an iPad Air in a heartbeat, but not at the considerable extra costs this would incrue currently.)