Road Scenes

I'm a Trusting Guy

2013-12-09T15:42:00.002-08:00

Since most of my travel is for work I need to keep track of my expenses and such. I learned a valuable lesson today. Don't necessarily trust the employees at the companies you trust with your business.

I returned my car to the SeaTac rental car AVIS facility on Saturday and rushed off to my flight. I was running a little late and trusted that things would happen as they always do:

I park my car and get all my stuff out
The people checking in the cars with check it over for fuel and damage
I get a receipt emailed to me by the time I am boarding my flight

Not exactly what happened. I received an email from AVIS but it was reminding me of my next rental coming up. I assumed it was my receipt. I started gathering my receipts for my trip expenses today and on the AVIS website it indicated I had to return the car before I was able to retrieve my receipt. This isn't good.

I was thinking the worst, I was going to have to buy AVIS a new car. Or second worst, I was going to be charged a whopping late return fee. Luckily 2 of the 3 kind folks in AVIS customer service that I spoke with were able to help me.

The first person I spoke to in customer service told me they would transfer me to the appropriate group to help me. She transferred me to the Reservations group and they were definitely not the right people to help me. The Reservations group apologized and transferred me back to Customer Service and that guy, James, helped me out like a boss!

When James looked for the car he found it had been rented already (whew). He updated my rental agreement to indicate I returned it on time and all is right in the universe.

Updated Holiday Travel Advice

2013-11-26T13:10:00.001-08:00

Last year I gave you advice on holiday travel and things have changed slightly since then. There are some potentially really nice things happening that may make air travel less stressful but they aren't here yet. Just to tease you:

The TSA rules are still in place and it is rare to find a TSA agent with a sense of humor but they're out there ready to make at joke for the people in the security lines.
There may be a change to the in flight rules regarding using your mobile phone to make calls.
New technology may change rules on amount of liquid travelers can carry onto a plane.

There are a couple improvements and it gives us hope that there is some common sense being used in the government bureaucracy regulating air travel.

Electronics are allowed to be used during take-off and landing with some limitations

Lap-tops are not included
The device needs to be in "airplane" mode
The airline has to get permission for their fleet of planes to allow electronics usage

Security lines are getting easier for some travelers with a new program called "Pre-Check"

The program is mainly for frequent flyers (but they're out of your way if you aren't one)
Participants don't need to strip down (shoes stay on) or take the liquids out of their carry-on

This year we are starting off with a tricky travel season. Major weather storms are hitting the northeast US. You may think that since you are not traveling to that region you'll be immune from weather travel delays. You couldn't be more wrong!! Your plane may be scheduled to work in that region before coming to your airport. If it gets grounded due to the weather your flight is going to be canceled or at least delayed until a new plane gets freed up for your flight.

Everyone needs to remember to exercise a little additional common courtesy this year. It may not seem like it but only about 14% of the US population, or 43.4 million people, will travel more than 50 miles this holiday season. It will seem like everyone is out there getting in your way. Please be considerate of the other people out there doing the exact same thing you are doing, going to see loved ones for the holidays.

Lastly, the folks working in the travel industry need a little more consideration from us, too. They are dealing with a more stressful work environment than usual. Imagine how you feel when your workload jumps by 700%! It's also a good idea to keep these folks on your good side. If (and when) delays or cancellations happen, who is the person HELPING you? I personally want gate agents, baggage handlers, and all the others to be willing to go the extra mile for me.

Crossing the Border

2013-11-20T19:39:00.003-08:00

Getting myself across the border from the US into Canada is pretty simple. However, I recently learned that getting a package into Canada is another story entirely!

I needed to get a tablecloth and literature stands up to Guelph (don't laugh, that is the name of a real city in Ontario). That is a particularly expensive venture but I don't know why. We contracted UPS for the job to get these simple items to me on Tuesday. I checked on the package at the end of Tuesday and was told by Andy, my friendly UPS customer service rep, it cleared customs at 4:42PM and I would not receive my package until Wednesday. I was a little miffed that my company paid for delivery on Tuesday and that didn't happen. I expect that as a delivery expert, UPS would be able to get me that package on Tuesday, seeing as it cleared customs during business hours. I really don't think that is unreasonable, however, UPS did think it was unreasonable.

UPS was not able to meet a single expectation I had of them.

I expected delivery on Tuesday, FAIL.
I expected them to be able to communicate what was happening when they said they would call me, FAIL.
I expected UPS would be able to arrange for me pick up the package at their delivery center Wednesday morning so I would have it for my trade show, FAIL.

Seriously, they couldn't arrange to hold a package in place for me to come to the package!

Well, in the end I got the package. And I was completely underwhelmed at the process.

Convincing Your Company

2013-11-12T12:58:00.002-08:00

I travel a lot for work and can work from any Continental US location. Luckily my company recently agreed with me. I moved with my family to where my wife grew up and we're closer to her entire family. The benefits are numerous but I won't bore you with those, yet.

I want to talk about my process for convincing my company I could work remotely. When I was hired it was explicitly stated that I would be based at the home office. I worked every other week in the field and the alternate weeks I was expected at the office. My travel territory is all of the US and Canada. It doesn't make much sense to travel to some areas with little biotech research happening so places like the Yukon Territories will not be honored with my presence.

So, I had to come up with a plan to get my company on board with me moving. First, I didn't mention anything about moving to anybody. No one, not a single soul knew about it, especially anyone that might have a connection with people at work. If the plans fell through at the last minute I didn't want my management to think I was looking to leave the company. My goal was to be sure I was retained.

I formulated my arguments why I should be retained. There was a good chance I could be let go if I wasn't perceived as a valuable team member at my company. Looking back at my accomplishments and figured I was doing very well in my company's opinion. I gathered information about how well sales were going with me on board. I brought in additional information about the non-sales goals I attained while on board. I also showed how I would be additionally motivated because of the benefits of my personal life after the move.

Finally the day came where the reason for moving was set and all my reasons were rehearsed. Yes, I rehearsed conversations I would potentially have with my boss. That morning I went into my boss' office and asked if I could have lunch with him to talk about work. He said yes and that we can talk about anything except my leaving. This was starting to look promising. I assured him that this conversation would be about the opposite of me leaving. At lunch I mentioned what I was planning and he immediately agreed that retaining me would be the goal. YES!!! But now we had to convince the President and the CEO. The best part was he was going to take point on these discussions and all I needed to do was gather cost information differences from traveling from my new location.

I was a little surprised about a few items the company needed to know. There are tax differences between states that can be problematic. First are income taxes for my paycheck and less obviously, some states are going after sales tax revenues of companies with any connection to their state. In this case having an employee located in the state. Luckily my new state doesn't have a sales tax. There are also other benefits, like health insurance, that are affected by where you live.

After all is said and done, I am happily domiciled in my new state. My children are in their schools. My travel schedule is back to normal. And, I will try to update this blog more regularly.

I forgot something

2013-07-15T17:46:00.000-07:00

I was on vacation when planning my latest trip. I recommend not trying to do that because the details get lost. The detail I lost was making a rental car reservation. This is a slight problem since I needed to drive between San Diego and LA. A taxi just wouldn't cut it.

I had to think fast. I recently downloaded the AVIS rental car app to my phone so I popped it open. I entered my trip information and reserved a car. Then I crossed my fingers and hoped there were cars available. A minute later I received my reservation confirmation email. one minute later I received an email with the space my car was waiting in for me to pick it up.

I won't lie to you, I was really happy that worked.

Business travelers are jerks

2013-06-24T11:06:00.003-07:00

I follow a business travel group on LinkedIN. There are many posts that ask opinions on how other travelers act or how the industries treat travelers. In my never to be humble opinion the average business traveler is a self-centered, egotistical jerk that thinks every other traveler should conform to their way of thinking/traveling.

A few of my greater annoyances with travelers (focusing mostly on airline travel) are presented:

Children are people and have every right to travel on airplanes.

Some business travelers get extremely annoyed at small children that act like small children. They complain about seats being kicked, screaming toddlers and babies, incessant questions, or being touched by children. When asked the traveler doesn't blame the child but blames the parent for not controlling the child.

There is a finite amount of space for carry-on luggage and personal items. Deal with it.

The airline staff tries to get people to put their personal item under the seat in front of them to allow as much space as possible in the overhead bins for roller bags. So the frequent travelers feel that people that put multiple items in the overhead bin are breaking a rule. To some this is an affront that deserves condemnation.

Delays and problems occur in travel and sooner or later you will experience a problem if you travel enough. So quit getting angry with the nice person helping you.

Business travelers feel like their problem is the most important and industry staff must help them regardless of the cost to the airline. They raise their voices, point fingers, demand concessions, and fail to realize the person is doing everything to help the customer.

I can empathize with customers experiencing situations you do not enjoy. For my part, I get annoyed at all the people that crowd the entry way when boarding the plane. I will nicely ask people in front of me if they are boarding when it's my turn and if they aren't I will comment snarkily, "Then get out of the way".

However, when most situations come up like the ones mentioned earlier, I maintain an emotional calm. I do so because:

Children, parents, and everyone in general are going to act in the manner they feel is appropriate. I can't control them, I can only control myself. I wish others would learn this and have a healthier reaction to people that are allowed to act however they choose.
Airplane space is getting more crowded. The carriers are adding more seats limiting legroom and the additional passengers means additional carry-on baggage. Unless an actual rule is implemented about storage requirements we will deal with people acting differently than we think is appropriate. None of us get to decide what behavior is appropriate for everyone.
A person helping me is not the one causing problems, on the contrary, they're the one helping me remedy a problem. I tend to be grateful for people trying to help me.

The over arching idea: Control your own emotions since you can't control other people's actions.

Bumped to a new airline

2013-06-17T09:40:00.001-07:00

Occasionally delays occur that require the airline you booked with to change your flight to another airline entirely. Last week, I flew to Philadelphia and had the last flights of the evening. My flight delay would get me to my connection in Detroit 6 minutes before my connection took off and there were no other flights into Philadelphia on Delta available that night. Therefore, I was booked on an American Airlines flight.

I am not crying about this change. I could justify a whiny post because I was delayed, I had to connect in Chicago, and got only 4 hours sleep before I had to present technical data the next day to 2 highly valuable customers. What I want to share are what you can possibly expect based on my experience.

If you had first class seats you probably won't get them on the next flight. This is typically a risk even if getting moved to another flight in the same airline. I would also be prepared for a middle seat because you are getting onto the new flight very late.

You can still get mileage on your loyalty account. Simply ask for the credited mileage and the staff can estimate what you would normally receive. You will not get credit for any segments flown but this is better than nothing.

Schedule changes for other reservations are your responsibility. If you have a rental car reservation and hotel reservation you will need to connect with those groups to avoid losing your reservation or incurring a penalty. A simple call to the company customer service group will help. As you can imagine, they are pretty used to these issues.

All in all, I am happy with how things went. It could have gone much worse.

Better flying through technology

2013-05-20T13:11:00.002-07:00

There are plenty of arguments to be made that working with a person is better than with a computer. A person can understand subtle nuances about challenging situations that a computer that relies on mathematics cannot understand. However, the speed and precision of a computer can be pretty helpful.

Last week I was on my way to Texas and arrived at the airport my customary 1.5 hours before my flight. I was passing the time on my tablet when I heard an announcement over the public address system that my flight is delayed due to a mechanical issue and that a new plane is being sent to replace the non-functional one. Good, I don't want to fly in a non-functioning airplane. The delay is expected to be 1 hour 20 minutes. This would mean I landed for my connection at the exact moment my next flight would be departing. This is not good.

I stand up to talk with the gate agent and change my flight. In the time it takes me to stand up and put my tablet in my backpack the line at the gate is at least 50 people long. Instead, I grab my iPhone and check the Delta App. Not only is my app aware that I'm delayed, it is suggesting new flights for me. So, I start walking in the direction of the gate I know the suggested flight is departing from and accept the change in itinerary on my iPhone. My new flight leaves in about 20 minutes, I am 50 feet away from the new departure gate, and I hope the app doesn't take too long to update my itinerary in the system. A moment later I walk up to the gate desk and tell them I just changed flights on the Delta App. The woman looks at me and asks if I am Jason. Yes, I am, not only was the itinerary updated in the system immediately, I will be arriving an hour earlier, and the new flight and connection were upgraded to first class.

My final worry was my checked bag scheduled for the other itinerary. The gate staff called down to the baggage handlers who would "do their best" to get my bag on my new flights. I wasn't holding my breath. I am very happy to say my expectations were exceeded. I saw a man carry my bag to the conveyor belt in the plane I boarded.

I arrived early with my bag and had a great trip. The only problem was the rental car agency didn't have my car ready an hour early. I guess that will be in the next upgrade for the app?

Customer Service: The Current State

2013-05-08T12:07:00.002-07:00

As a sales professional I pride myself on responsive and good customer service. I am not perfect but I always make an effort to be a top echelon service provider. In my travel experiences I find myself wanting to hold people up as shining examples of great customer service and deride other people for obvious customer service failures. I find the ratio of good to bad is sadly, equal.

My last trip had examples of both and I present them here for your reading pleasure:

Airline gate staff tend to get a lot of bad press about customer service. When a flight is canceled or delayed they are the bearers of bad news and are also the ones that are trying hardest to help the stranded passengers. My business trip got cut short by a couple hours and I was able to get home earlier. I my flights were full and I got the second worst seat on the plane. Last row window is only 1 step up from last row middle. The seats don't recline and you get to smell all the aromas emanating from the bathroom. I asked the Delta gate attendant for a better seat if available. This gentleman had a scowl on his face that made me think I was going to get moved to the middle seat ion the last row. I made a little small talk, joked a little that I promised not to be a cranky customer, then I shut-up, and let the man work. I sat and watched him furiously tapping away at his computer station for about 10 minutes. I honestly thought he forgot about me. I gently asked if everything was "OK" to which he responded, "You will be very happy with your new seat assignment, just give me another minute." True to his word, he handed me a new boarding pass with seat 2D assigned to me and I was very happy. I don't think I did anything special to deserve the upgrade but I was patient and nice and he was very kind to me.

Bartenders are generally a pleasant group of people that serve us. So, when you get one that is less than pleasant it makes an impact. I was on a layover at the Minneapolis/St. Paul airport close to dinner time and went to O'Gara's at the airport by gate F12. I beat the big dinner rush by 15-20 minutes and had an hour before my flight boarded. I sat waiting for 5 or more minutes before the bartender acknowledged me. I ordered a beer and asked for a food menu. She grabbed the menu the guy next to me just set down and slapped it on the bar in front of me. I interpreted her non-verbal communication to mean "It was right here all the time buddy! You really need me to hand it to you?!" A minute or 2 later she gave me my beer and took my food order.

Now, mentally insert 25 minutes of time that is completely devoid of this bartender making even the slightest eye contact with me.

I nursed my beer and waited for my food. A man sits next to me and goes through the same process I went through of waiting 5 minutes for the bartender to come over. He ordered a beer and asked for a food menu. He received the same slapping of the menu. We looked at each other and I said to him that she did the same to me. Ten minutes later he orders the same food I ordered. I mentioned I was on the Denver flight and had waited a half hour for my food. He looked at me horrified because he was on the same flight which was now boarding in 20 minutes. I felt a little panic myself thinking that I need to have time to eat the food I ordered. So, I tried in vain to get the bartender's attention. I even went so far as to empty my beer, which usually sets off a bartender's ESP.

Finally, I gave up on the bartender and grabbed another worker (non-bartender) and asked her to check on my food. I said it loudly enough that the bartender heard me and commented in a snarky manner that the food comes out when the kitchen prepares it. Meanwhile, the other person went to the kitchen and returned immediately with my food. The following is a transcript of our conversation:

Me: How long has this been sitting back there?

Bartender (BT): I don't know but I can't make this go any faster? Do you want to cancel your order?

Me: No, I have the food but I only have a couple minutes to eat this before my flight. I have an expectation of quick food service in an airport restaurant.

BT: Did you see we are in the dinner rush? What do you expect?

Me: You're a restaurant and you can't anticipate that at dinner time there will be a rush? Seriously, I also have an expectation of courtesy from you. Apparently all my expectations are going to be missed today. Can I just get my bill?

BT: Here (hands me the bill). I can only offer you a 10% discount.

The only satisfaction I had from my visit to O'Gara's at the airport was in tipping the bartender appropriately for their courtesy and service.

Business Travel Drawbacks

2013-04-25T14:06:00.002-07:00

When I tell people I travel 50% for work I get 2 responses:

That must be really cool
That must really suck

The truth is that I can agree with both responses. I enjoy going around the country and meeting new and interesting people. I occasionally see and experience new and interesting sites. I have days full of work activities that can extend through the evening eliminating any chance to get out and see the area. And I am away from my family and miss important events in their lives.

I am able to schedule a majority of my travel around the most important family events. The occasions that require my attendance I make sure that I am around. But I miss mid-week birthdays and we push family birthday celebrations off to the weekend. I miss soccer, baseball, basketball, rock-climbing, dance, and football practices for my children.

The biggest part of my life that I miss, is not being there for my wife. We are both busy and we try to partner up on the work that needs to be done around the house. I know when I am around, and I am helpful, she really appreciates me. I am grateful that she does not get terribly upset with me for the lack of help I can provide when I am traveling. I completely understand that when I am present and unhelpful she gets frustrated with me. (I never help myself by trying to diffuse the situation with humor, someday I'll learn.)

I know quite a lot about how to travel efficiently. I am continuing to learn how to be a productive family member while traveling all the time.

Driving in the USA

2013-04-19T14:08:00.000-07:00

I hate to stereotype but I notice geographical driving habits. Some are quirky and some are quite obnoxious. As a business traveler I am not solely relegated to flying. I frequently rent cars and occasionally drive great distances for work and vacation. Some people think I'm crazy because every year, at least once, I drive two days out and two days back from my in-law's property. The craziness is that I have 3 young children. They are great travelers and it's quite easy. I wouldn't attempt it with other people's children.

As a resident of any state I think it is normal to have some rivalry or animosity towards your neighboring state drivers. I'm no different. Illinois drivers drive fast and erratically. They make lane changes like the cat that suddenly decides they don't like the room they are in and immediately dash to another room. Minnesota drivers are probably my least favorite group. They tend to camp out in the passing lane at a mere 5 MPH over the speed limit. Having to pass a person on the right bugs me.

Other geographies have odd habits, too.
Wisconsin drivers do a really weird thing when turning onto a busy boulevard. When the first lane is clear, they'll drive out to the middle of the boulevard and wait for traffic to clear in the next lane. I've seen Washington State drivers do the same with the center left turn lane on roadways.

In Pittsburgh, when the red light changes to green, the drivers in the left turn lane up front gun it to make their turn and beat the on coming traffic. If the on coming traffic hesitates the second left turn car will try to gun it through, too.

California drivers fly down the highways, city streets, parking lots, back alleys, everywhere.

Utah drivers are annoyingly polite. I noticed they will slow down and let you make a lane change no matter where you are in relation to them. I was being passed by a driver and I planned to pull behind them, so, I turned on my blinker. The driver slowed way down and let me in front of them and subsequently passed me later.

I imagine the differences of driving habits internationally are vastly different, too. I hear that traffic in Asian countries is a circus. I am hoping to see that for myself soon.

Getting away from winter

2013-03-15T11:10:00.002-07:00

I had a great plan, travel south during the winter to get away from the cold of Wisconsin. Apparently Southern California wasn't in on the plan. I spent last week in San Diego and Los Angeles and I needed to wear a hat. The temps were higher than my home temps of 20F but they were far from hot. When I complained to my friends and family back in Wisconsin I was met with very little sympathy and a little mockery.

I learned that professionals that travel a lot tend to get 2 responses to their travel schedules:

"That much travel must be hard."
"You suck! Getting to go to all those great places."

The truth is a little of both. A career with 50% or more travel takes one away from their family and friends. This is extra difficult when the children are young. The upside is that the destinations are different and interesting. There is little time around work schedules to enjoy all that the different places have to offer but occasionally schedules do allow a little fun. Usually the best things to find are the local restaurant that serves great food.

Why do I have status?

2013-02-11T20:10:00.001-08:00

This last trip I had to ask the customer service people why do I have status?! Twice!

In the priority line you would think that when a position opened up you would get called first. I mean, the Elite members direct hundreds of thousands of dollars to the company. There are two reasons I direct my purchases to a single provider:

Free upgrades
Getting to the front of the line

OK, I know I sound like a whiner and I should be patient. But I'm not! I lived up to my end of the bargain by being loyal and the airline and car rental company are benefiting from my loyalty. I take about 24 business trips a year. If we can assume that is $500 per trip for airlines and $250 for rental cars I spend about $18,000 per year. It's probably higher since prices are rising. If I have customers spending more than $10,000 when their average purchase is $500 or less I would treat them very special.

Alright, I am done being a whiner. . .on my blog. I'll continue to kvetch when I don't get my privileges.

Yo Taxi!

2013-01-22T08:27:00.004-08:00

I just got back from my first trip of the year. A sojourn through San Diego and San Francisco that was colder than I hoped. Business is good and travel is the same, people still crowd the boarding area for the airplane for no good reason and rental car companies still seem to be the least organized group of travel service providers, I'm looking at you AVIS.

I don't normally take taxis since I rent cars, but in San Diego I didn't need a car and I only went to one location. I forgot to check a few things before I got in the taxi so I want to share my experience so you will know (and I will remember) to be prepared.

Taking a taxi from an airport is different than hailing one on the street. Airports control access to taxis and you need to find the taxi stand. There are signs directing you to the stands, but they vary in effectiveness. Some signs outright suck, I'm looking at you San Diego International Airport.

In busier airports there is a taxi dispatcher on sight that directs you to a cab. These dispatchers know everything you need to know about taking a taxi. So ask these folks questions like:

Do all taxis take credit cards? Usually the law requires it in the cities.

I know it is hard to believe but taxi drivers will lie to you so you will pay them cash. Frequently they will try to intimidate you into paying cash at the end of your ride. This intimidation is usually in the form of a simple statement of "Cash". Just be firm and tell them they can either take the card or give you the ride for free. Ignore any huffing or complaints.

How much will it cost to get to my hotel? You should know about where your hotel is located, usually the name of the hotel indicates the neighborhood; for example, Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel. (Yeah, shameless promotion of a great property.)

It does not happen frequently but on occasion taxi drivers will take the long way to your destination. I usually take a quick glance at my iPhone map app to verify we're not going out of our way. If you suspect you are taking a long route, copy their name and taxi permit number which will be displayed in the front of the cab and report it to the area taxi commission. The hotel can help you.

Seriously, taking a taxi is pretty simple so two items to remember is about all I can think of as important. Enjoy your travels and I'll enjoy mine.

Travel Lull

2012-12-22T09:22:00.001-08:00

I am grateful to be in a travel lull for my career during the holidays. Partly because my expenses frequently get cross examined by the company accountant and holiday travel is usually quite expensive. Mostly because the airports, roads, restaurants, beaches, and tourist attractions are filled with quick tempered folks. I try to avoid shopping malls all year round.

I am generally perturbed by people that are cranky with service personnel while traveling. I get doubly surprised by people at this time of year that rarely travel and take out their frustrations with the people helping them. Something to think about is that if you travel rarely you are probably ignorant of the reasons behind the thing that is frustrating you. Even when airlines do amazingly stupid things that cause problems with my travel, I make a real effort to not take my frustrations out on the nice person HELPING me. Please, also consider that the travel industry is a 365 day a year profession. Just because you are in the airport on your vacation does not mean everyone there is also getting time off for the holidays. It is just as likely that these people are going to work on Christmas or New Years or both.

We could all learn a little from one of our Christmas songs:
You better watch out
You better not pout
You better not cry
I'm telling you why
The service personnel are only human and they can "accidentally" send your luggage on a better trip than you can afford!

Benefits of travel

2012-12-17T10:03:00.000-08:00

I remember as a child I would travel with my family across country in our Oldsmobile. At the very edge of my memory, I remember my parents took our family to Texas as a combination work trip and vacation. I traveled on my own as an adult and met many great people. They were not all strong and lasting friendships but there are a handful I remember fondly to this day.

After college I felt empowered to travel. My first job out of college was in Alaska working in the commercial fishing industry. I felt the confidence to leave my home and work in the "Last Frontier". This led to a career in Seattle where I met my wife with whom I have three beautiful children.

In college my favorite trips took me to Tucson, AZ. My brother earned his PhD in pharmacology and toxicology from the University of Arizona. I got to hang out with him and his friends. We all hiked the mountains and desert in the area. We had cook outs and went to a few clubs. My brother and his friends welcomed me into their group.

One particular guy stands out in my memory. We wore the same sweater one day and as guys go, when you wear the same outfit you can be life-long buddies. He was funny and an all-around great guy. I was not and am not close with him anymore, although my brother is still. Our distance over the years did not ease my pain when I heard his daughter was a victim of the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School. I did not see him since college nor did I ever meet his daughter but by even knowing him briefly I know she is amazing. I am normally very stoic but I found myself breaking down into tears a couple times for his loss. This latest tragedy hit a little closer to home, first because of my 6 and 7 year old children, and second by knowing that great guy.

Traveling provided me with many great experiences and opportunities. I became braver, met great people, started a wonderful family, and now had my heart broken a little deeper last weekend. I know I can do nothing to assuage the pain and fear of that great guy I met decades ago but he is in my thoughts. I sincerely wish I could ease his and the other parents pain, even a little.

Brushes with fame

2012-12-11T07:17:00.003-08:00

You hear stories of people running into famous people while traveling. In the past my wife and I saw Naomi Campbell in Heathrow Airport and we still get a little mileage out of that story. She walked right past us in over-sized sunglasses looking perturbed.

This latest trip for business I actually saw 2 famous people. At least, I think I saw famous people. The first was Air Supply singer Russell Hitchcock, maybe. He was in the airport bar with a couple young guys that looked liked musicians and a blonde woman who could have been anyone. The other famous person was a local business owner that appears on his own television commercials. He is a goofy looking guy that is all legs with a short barrel chested body who sells metal buildings. These are hardly the most exciting celebrity sitings you will hear about from your friends.

I don't know the proper etiquette when you cross paths with a celebrity in an airport. I would assume screaming is frowned upon. However, I think it is a good idea to remember that celebrities are people with varying emotional states. I hear often enough about the "ugly celebrity" that directs unpleasant language at fans. I also hear frequently these same people will spend time signing autographs and posing for pictures at events. I try to use a little empathy when assessing the situation. When I am in an airport after working all week on the road I occasionally am cranky because I don't sleep well in hotels and I do a lot of walking in my dress shoes between meetings and my feet get tired. Why would a celebrity that has a stringent schedule be any less cranky?

I am very sympathetic to people's desire to meet celebrities. I would suggest finding a way to meet them when they schedule time to "press the flesh". I got to meet Teller of Penn and Teller at a book signing in Seattle for "When I'm Dead All This Will Be Yours!": Joe Teller – A Portrait by His Kid. I bought the book, got it signed, and we chatted for about an hour (yes, Teller can actually talk). It was a great experience, not just because I met a famous guy. I met a really cool famous guy.

Pitfalls of carry on luggage

2012-12-03T08:04:00.001-08:00

Before I get into my real topic let's talk about a dumb, diamond commercial. The ad shows a man asking a woman to marry him in an airplane. I can't impress upon all of you enough, an airplane is not a romantic place. Unless a commercial airplane has significant meaning to your relationship you should never, ever, ever, never ask someone to marry you on an airplane.

I feel better knowing one of you may actually listen to me.

Anyway, I want to mention a few issues with carrying luggage. When you check your bags there are a few problems people generally worry about: lost bags, long waits at baggage claim, and TSA agents sniffing your delicates (am I the only one that worries about that?).

If you carry-on all your luggage this means you will have 2 bags, usually. If you are able to find space on the airplane for both, consider yourself lucky. Another hassle to consider is that on any layover, you need to schlep your second carry-on between flights. If you are forced to gate-check you have a special level of hell to deal with while deplaning, jet bridge luggage pick-up. As everyone is deplaning, the gate checked bags get dropped in the jet bridge. The passengers whose bags are getting delivered here must wait in the narrow space for their carry-on where they form 2 lines up the sides of the jet bridge. Thus leaving a narrow aisle for the other passengers to depart. Once the bags are placed on the jet bridge the waiting passengers then need to walk against the flow of deplaning people like salmon swimming upstream for their spawning (minus the bears waiting to eat you). I recently experienced this and was convinced waiting at the luggage carousel is a picnic.

I definitely understand carrying everything when you are being charged $25 for the first piece of checked baggage. The choice comes down to which hassle you are most willing to deal with on your trip.

Holiday travel advice

2012-11-19T09:59:00.003-08:00

As we approach Thanksgiving (in the US) and Christmas (even if you celebrate different holidays I assume you understand the chronological point to which I refer) I want to offer some air-travel advice. I again assert that I am in no way the foremost expert on travel but there are a few things you should know when traveling during the holidays. Generally airlines allow you to take one personal item (purse, brief case, etc) and one carry-on (small roll along luggage). You also must follow the TSA rules, too.

Here are some courtesy rules to remember:

The airports are going to be crowded! Give yourself extra time when arriving for your flights

Expect long lines
Don't take your frustrations out on the nice people trying to help you, namely the gate attendants; if you need them you want them on your side

When going through security know the rules and be ready when you get to the conveyor belt

Remove everything from your pockets, take off your belt, and put them all into one of your carry-on items while in the security line. Do this before getting to the guy that will check your ticket and ID
Have your liquids and gels in a plastic bag near the top of your stuff or in a separate pocket so when you hit the conveyor belt you can quickly pull it out and put it into the bin
You don't need a plastic bin for everything, your bags, purses, and shoes can go directly on the belt
Once through the check-point gather your stuff off the belts and take it to the seats provided immediately inside the terminal to get everything back in order, don't do this at the conveyor belts
Take a quick inventory of your stuff. You don't want to leave anything you need at security

Boarding is a slow process and is done in waves, be patient you will get on board

There is no need to crowd the gate
Check your boarding pass for your loading zone, or whatever your airline calls your group for boarding
Little helpful tip for Delta passengers, "Zone 1" is not the same as "First Class"

Generally you are allowed one carry-on and one personal item

Full flights do not have enough room for everyone to have a roller bag as a carry-on, you can check your roller bag for free at the terminal gate. You will be able to pick it up either on the jet bridge as you leave the plane or it will come out with the checked luggage at your destination. Be sure to ask which it is.
If you have 2 items it is poor etiquette to put both in the over head bins. One should go under the seat in front of your feet. If you only have one, feel free to use the overhead so you have a little extra leg room (temper your expectations, there isn't a lot of leg room to start with

Deplaning is also a slow frustrating process

Etiquette allows those in the front to get out first, it is very annoying when people budge in front of the rows ahead without permission
If you are close for a connection ask people if you can please get ahead

This is a lot longer than I wanted but there are a lot of little things that will make your travel experiences more enjoyable. You may also accidentally make another person's travel experience better.

Between trips

2012-11-16T13:08:00.002-08:00

With Thanksgiving approaching I have a rare 2 week reprieve from travel. I get to sit back and get everything around the house done I can't always get to normally. But I am sure you don't care about me organizing the garage and basement for the winter.

I am getting travel plans finalized for the end of the year. Two milestones I reached on my last trip will make upcoming travel a little better for me. I received Gold Status in both my Marriott hotel and Delta airline programs. Earning this status sounds trivial but I appreciate the advantages. With my airline status I get, in order of importance:

Occasional free upgrades to First Class (Read: free drinks!)
I get better seating choices in economy class
I board earlier, which means I get to put my bag in the overhead compartment before they fill up completely
I can fly stand-by or get confirmed on earlier flights the same day for free (this can cost $50 or more)
I get a mileage bonus so I earn free flights faster
I use special lines for check in and sometimes for security
My checked luggage comes out earlier

My hotel status offers me:

Bonus points to earn free stuff faster
Free room upgrades (not as exciting as the airline upgrades)
There are others but they are kind of blase

I know there are those that will say that the status won't earn me more time with my family. You are correct. Although, I will enjoy the travel I have to do a little more now. I won't get my time back with my family but the fact is I travel for my job. Making that aspect better has a positive impact on my attitude when I return home and I can enjoy more quality time with my loved ones.

Delayed luggage

2012-11-07T15:41:00.000-08:00

You would think that not having luggage would make me cranky but I wasn't in the least. I knew it was going to be late before I took off. There was an announcement that my booked flight was delayed by about 5 hours. There was a rush to the counters to rebook flights and I was in the end of the line. (I thought I could get my friend the Delta App to help me, apparently we aren't as good of friends as I thought we were.) When I got to the gate attendant she sent me directly to the next departing flight, I got right on the plane, then the door closed, and we took-off. There was no time for my bags to get on the plane. On my layover in Detroit I talked with the nice people at the Help Center and had them start the process of getting my luggage, which was left behind.

I was without my luggage for an entire day. I was able to go to a local store and buy slacks and a dress shirt for work. And guess what?! Delta said they would pay for my new outfit. Now I just need to figure out how to get reimbursed for my $51 new duds. I was traveling again (I do that a lot) and stopped in at the luggage office and the nice attendant (OK, she wasn't really that nice, kind of surly) submitted my reimbursement claim and promised I will get my check in 10 days.

She was very specific about the 10 days for the check to arrive. Is that odd to you? That seemed odd to me.

The high road, I took it!

2012-10-31T15:50:00.000-07:00

With Atlantic storm Sandy beating up New York and New Jersey flight delays and cancellations this week were rather common. So, I was ecstatic that my flight was only going to be about 15 minutes delayed. Like the Rolling Stones sang, Time was on my side. Then we got the news that there was a mechanical problem and a new part was being flown in to fix our airplane. That should only take about 5 hours! I was a little distracted and was at the end of the line for rebooking my ticket. I was reading and in the time it took me to mark my place and stow my book the rest of the passengers made a rush to the counter.

I walked to another counter where the agents were set up to help. I was still near the end of the line but it was much shorter than the other lines. Near the front of the line was a short little man with a scrunched-up face. I didn't like the cut of that man and it turns out I was right in my shallow assessment of him. Many gate attendants helped us and were doing a pretty good job getting people booked on new flights. But, they still had other duties of their job to accomplish. The woman helping our line was asked to go do something she was supposed to be doing before the flight cancellation. She made a quick announcement that she needed to run down stairs for a few minutes. Little scrunched-up face blew up at her. Luckily for us another agent did the task she was going to leave for and she was able to stay and continue working with our line. Then he brags to his gang of scrunched-up faced biddies that he made her stay.

I would like to say I defended the agent and derided the man for his childish and ignorant behavior but I remained quiet. I figure, it looks worse for a 6'4" man to berate a small, scrunched-faced geriatric man than it is for that gnome to abuse a woman trying to do her job.

Alls well that ends well

2012-10-26T16:14:00.001-07:00

As a frequent traveler I don't want to waste any time. The most important perks from the companies I use when traveling are the time savers. Sometimes customer service fails and things start to look bad. I expect the worst and feel like I'll be singing "I Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem, feat. Rhianna.

When I recently arrived in Atlanta, Avis (www.Avis.com) was supposed to have a car waiting for me. As a Preferred member my name should be on the rental board with the stall number for my waiting car. This is when things started looking bad because my name wasn't on the board. Delay #1. I speak with a service rep and they direct me to a stall where my car is supposed to be waiting. I get to the car stall on the other end of the parking garage and it is empty. Delay #2. I return to the service counter. I get another stall number with the promise of a car which is located in a further corner of the parking garage in a different direction. Again, the stall is empty. Delay #3. I was starting to get a little cranky because of the mounting delays. My attitude when I returned, yet again, to the service counter was surly. This time a service rep went to retrieve my car. As I stood there waiting for my Dodge Avenger, or similar, the service rep pulled up in a brand new Ford Mustang.

My eyes lit up a little and I dreamed a little of cruising the roads of Atlanta in style. Avis made up for wasting my time. I don't expect perfection from companies but I expect them to hold up their end of the bargain they used to lure me in as a customer, namely, quick service. When they don't deliver I want them to make amends. Otherwise I go to another provider, hence the reason I don't talk about Enterprise Car Rentals.

Planes are not private

2012-10-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

I would like to extend my condolences to the gentleman sitting next to me on my last flight. He was apparently having trouble sleeping because his sleeping pills were not working for him. He also went through a hectic morning that day because his hotel did not get his wake-up call right. For him and all people that deal with problems when traveling I dedicate some Sinatra to you, Willow Weep for Me.

I will refrain from a diatribe on sucking it up when things don't work perfectly when traveling. Suffice to say, with about 2 million air travelers daily (source FAA) there are going to be some people that have less than perfect experiences. If there is only a 1% problem rate, 20,000 of us travelers will have an issue each day. Lastly, only idiots rely on wake-up calls from hotels, use the alarm function on your smart phone or the alarm clock in the hotel room.

Whining about your problems on the phone to your loved ones is something we all do from time to time. Please limit whining to a minimum on the airplane. On the same note, please don't talk with your neighbor about how well you did on your job interview. I am pretty sure you didn't seal the deal based on your comments that you never experience conflict in the work place because of your team-work attitude.

Same ticket, different service

2012-10-09T13:54:00.001-07:00

You may think that a ticket or reservation is the same no matter where you buy them. Not necessarily so. You don't get the same customer service when you buy through a discount travel service. If everything goes well with your travel schedule you'll be laughing! (I learned that colloquialism on a recent trip to Vancouver, BC and I love it. BTW, it means "you will be happy about your decision.") It's when issues arise that you see the real difference.

You may recall I use an app to help me on my Delta flights. On my most recent trip to NY I bought my tickets through Expedia.com and thought I got my seats and everything settled. Turns out, I requested seats but wasn't assigned them for my first flight. This didn't allow me to get my boarding passes on my iPhone. As a frequent flier with Delta I assume I get a slightly higher level of service than a recreational flier, which means I get to select my seats when I purchase my ticket. When I buy through Delta Airlines that is absolutely true but Expedia does not recognize me as a frequently flier, so they treat me like I'm in the song "Message in a Bottle" by the Police. Now, this did not ruin my trip. In fact, the total inconvenience amounted to getting a paper ticket when I checked my bag at the counter and then getting my seat assignment at the terminal gate. Total time wasted in this situation was approximately 90 seconds.