The Savvy Tourist

Air France

Due to the tragedy involving Air France Flight 447 this week, all affiliate banners have been removed from this site per the request of the airline. This is one of the world's worst civil air disasters in history. I am asking all of my readers to extend their prayers to the friends and family members affected by this horrible tragedy.

Jumbo Hostel

Here is an innovative new concept when it comes to the "all-nighter" on an airplane...the Jumbo Hostel. Now you can sleep in luxurious accommodations on an airplane without ever leaving the ground. You can actually spend the night on board a real jumbo jet and never leave the airport. To some, this may sound like an incredible waste of time, but to others it could be quite the novelty in sleep-overs.

The airplane, a decommissioned model 747-200 jumbo jet was built in 1976 and was last operated by Transjet, a Swedish Airline that went bankrupt in 2002. It was originally built for Singapore Airlines and later flew for Pan Am. The airplane is now located at Arlanda Airport on it's permanent concrete foundation after undergoing a complete conversion. Over 450 seats were removed to make room for what is now a unique sleeping experience for guests. The hostel is built like any house, subject to regulations and standards. It now serves as a spectacular and (not so) original landmark at the Arlanda Airport.

There are 25 rooms on board this newly renovated Jumbo Hostel with a total of 85 beds in all. The rooms are configured with 3 bunk beds in most rooms. There are also quad dorm options, all with separate shared shower and bathroom facilities. There is one luxury suite in the converted cockpit with a panoramic view of the airport.

If sleeping in an airplane (when you don't really have to) is not exactly your cup of tea, well then, you can just stop by for...well, a cup of tea! There is a cafe' where you can purchase breakfast, coffee, cookies and snacks. You can also walk along the left wing observation deck and experience the feeling of standing on top of a real Jumbo Jet's wing.

In the travel industry convenience is a big plus, so if you have an early flight to catch, staying right at the airport (literally) may be the solution for you.

It all started...

About 20 some years ago I did one of those impromptu trips that began by blindly opening up an atlas and pointing to a random spot on the not-so-smartly chosen page. This trip, now that I think of it, was the beginning of many adventures to come...and boy was it an adventure.

Let's just say I was very young and dumb naive at the time. We ( I was traveling with a new friend who quickly became one of those friends that will be there for life because she knows all my secrets and weaknesses) no sooner left the Denver airport after securing a rental car when we heard on the radio that a major airliner had crashed in Denver. How did we miss that? It made us a little nervous knowing how close we were to such a disaster and not being caught up in it. We were leaving the airport while everyone else was arriving for the crash and it's aftermath. It kind of made me feel like I had started my own little chain of unfortunate events. I was leaving a trail of death and destruction behind me. Okay, too dramatic?

Anyway, we continued on our journey to our destination of random choosing, Manitou Springs, CO. It is a small, quaint town about an hour south of Denver and just west of Colorado Springs. One of those places that seems quite removed from the rest of the world. The town is located right at the base of Pike's Peak. It is as though it is being protected on all sides by the strong arms of the mountain.

This was my kind of town. One of those "everyone knows your name" kind of places. The locals had been there their whole life. They thrived on the tourists that came to visit and shop in their unique stores and eat in their homestyle restaurants, and then leave. What they liked best about tourists,is that they are temporary. Even though the natives were friendly, it was their world, not ours. Many people had come to Manitou Springs over the years and decided to make it their home. Mostly because it is known as the healthiest place on earth. The combination of fresh mountain air and mineral spring waters were known to have a special healing power for the sick. Lucky for the folks in Manitou Springs, we were only here for a short time.

 It was a very cold and damp November and I very much enjoyed the crisp air while ducking in and out of the little shops that held the wares of the local artisans. There were so many wonderful things to see, most of which is from the Native American heritage that still holds it's roots in this tiny town. One of my most memorable moments was spent sitting in a little cafe by a window sipping hot apple cider while the snow lightly dusted the sidewalk. Of course, sitting on a bar stool sipping some Irish Cream in the evenings became a fast favorite too!

One thing I did learn about this part of the country is that people are much more prepared and confident in inclement weather conditions. One day we started up Pike's Peak (in our rental car) for a day of Christmas Shopping at The North Pole. I love collecting ornaments for my Christmas tree from different places so that was all I could think about that day...until we realized the roads were a sheet of ice and our little rental car was in no way prepared for this trip.(Did I mention we were young and stupid?) Not only did we stop making any progress up the mountain, we began sliding backwards down the mountain. At this point I was wishing I had purchased the extra insurance, among other things. The car did eventually stop sliding, but that didn't really improve our situation. We were stuck there to die in our rental car on a small mountain road in Colorado where no one would know to look for us. Too dramatic again?  Just as the panic was beginning to set in and we were trying to decide how to bail out of the car and let it slide down the mountain without us, a few strong young guys showed up with chains and rope and brains and walked our car back down the mountain safely. (And to think my therapist doesn't understand my fear of heights.)

I made my way back to the safe comfortable bar stool and stayed there until I thought it was safe again. Well, it turns out that was just the beginning of my harrowing driving experience in the Colorado snow. The very next day, the weather man was talking about a full on blizzard headed our way. Being as we had jobs to get back to, we thought that maybe we should cut our little adventure short and head back to the Denver airport before we couldn't get there at all.

Too late! Did I mention that this quaint little town was surrounded and protected by this nice big mountain? Well, we no sooner got out of town (just a few miles down the road) then the blizzard was already rearing it's ugly head. I started our snowy trek out on the freeway only to realize that there really weren't very many cars on the road. The ones that were out there appeared to be more prepared than I was, again! After what felt like hours of driving at 20 mph, I decided I couldn't trudge through 6 feet of snow with a rental car any longer. I pulled off at the next exit, only to find out I had arrived uninvited at the United States Air Force Academy. Believe me when I say "there are no rooms at the Inn". The guard at the gate was less than delighted with my presence and informed me that I would have to continue back from whence I came and find a hotel. Two hours and two exits later, we came upon a Sheraton and found shelter for the night. The attendant at the reservation desk was very surprised to see us as he informed us they had closed the freeway hours ago. They must have done that while I was making my way somewhere between civilization and the USAFA.

The next day, the freeway was open and the sky was clear so we headed up to Denver, once again. This time, it was so much easier driving in 6 feet of snow, behind 18-wheelers, with the sun shining on the snow and reflecting in my eyes. NOT!!!!

Upon arriving at the Denver Airport, we remembered the tragedy that we had left behind us only days before. The passing blizzard had only made matters worse at the airport and there were people camped out all over the place. Even with all those people spread out everywhere, there was a horrible somber silence due to the crash, and I wasn't sure I was ever getting on an airplane again. Of course my boss, awaiting my arrival on the East Coast had other plans! It is a wonder I ever traveled again.

Not only did I travel again, I find myself going back to Manitou Springs quite frequently these days and sharing it with my family, while one of the kids is actually attending the USAFA nearby. Little did I know back then...

This one is for you Cleo...although still my dear friend, never have I traveled with since.

If only the truth be known...

San Fran or bust......

I began my trip by flying First Class from San Diego to San Francisco via United Air Lines. There may be a better way to go, but I can't think of one. The service was great, the flight was uneventful (which is how I like my flights), and everything was on time. Of course I was not offered a meal, only a small bag of pretzels and a soda, but for an hour long flight, that seemed appropriate.
I always enjoy flying into San Francisco. People watching is a funny little habit of mine and San Fran certainly has an interesting mix of folks to watch.
I had already made arrangements for a rental car online with Budget so all I had to do was go pick it up and be on my way to my savvy little getaway in Tiburon, CA.  I had done quite a bit of research on the available rental cars for type and price and other miscellaneous issues involved in renting cars, and decided upon Budget. Well, I think that most of the people arriving in San Fran that day had done the same research and come to the same conclusion and were standing in the same line waiting to pick up their rental car. Just my luck! What I did learn, while patiently awaiting my turn is that Budget offers a new system called FastBreak where you can reserve your car and drive away without any hassles. No paperwork, no waiting, no added expenses. Just fill out the enrollment form online and the next car you rent will be the easiest thing you've ever done while traveling.

We asked the rental agent the best way out of the airport to 101 North towards Tiburon. (The last time we tried to drive directly through downtown San Fran while following a map which didn't bother to tell us which roads were one way). We apparently like to learn things the hard way. The agent muttered something about a convertible only being an extra $15, would I like to upgrade? No, I would not like to upgrade, what is the best way to 101 North? His answer was some sort of jibberish that sounded like 380 - 280 - 19th street. So that is exactly what we did, and amazingly enough, it worked. Golden Gate Bridge  here we come.

BTW- the extra $15 is per day not total, so don't think they are offering you any kind of deal at the last minute.

Airline Pilot Speaks Out on Flight Delays

One of my "savvy" readers alerted me to this very cool and informative article written for Reader's Digest (if you are also a Savvy Cafe reader you will know this is one of my favorite publications). It was written by an airline pilot using both wit and wisdom, stirred together with a little experience. Enjoy!!

by Patrick Smith

Welcome aboard. Our flying time this afternoon, not counting ground delays and holding patterns, will be two hours and thirty minutes.
Before we take off, I would like to apologize on behalf of this and every airline for the hassle you just endured at the security checkpoint. As is patently obvious to any reasonable person, the humiliating shoe removals, liquids ban, and pointy-object confiscations do little to make us safer.
Unfortunately, the government insists that security theater, and not actual security, is in the nation's best interest. If it makes you feel any better, our crew had to endure the same screening as the passengers. Never mind that the baggage loaders, cleaners, caterers, and refuelers receive only occasional random screening. You can rest easy knowing that I do not have a pair of scissors or an oversize shampoo bottle anywhere in my carry-on luggage.
Just a moment.
Okay, well, as expected, we've received word of a ground stop. Our new estimated departure time is 90 minutes from now, subject to change arbitrarily, without warning.
And while we're waiting, let me explain that these sorts of delays (and it's not your imagination -- late arrivals and departures have doubled since 1995) result not only from our antiquated air traffic control system but also from too many planes flying into and out of overcrowded airports. Passengers demand frequency-you want lots of flights flying to lots of cities. But this can be self-defeating, because many of these flights will be late -- in some cases, very late. At airports near major cities like New York and Washington, D.C., the proliferation of small jets has added to the congestion. They make up nearly 50 percent of planes at some of our busiest airports yet carry only a fraction of overall passengers. This inefficient use of air and ground space is one reason we will be sitting here for the next hour and a half.
Once we're airborne, flight attendants will be coming around with food and beverages for sale. I know many of you are irritated that an in-flight meal now costs $7 -- on top of the $25 you just paid for an extra checked bag. Unfortunately, with oil prices skyrocketing and jets requiring as much fuel as ever (a coast-to-coast flight takes 8,000 gallons), it's impossible for us to provide luxurious service and rock-bottom fares at the same time. We know that most of you are miserable and that you long ago learned to despise every aspect of air travel. But try, if you can, not to take your frustrations out on other passengers or the crew. The overall surly vibe is unpleasant for us too. And ridiculous as this might sound, look on the bright side.
Yes, there is a bright side: more choices and surprisingly reasonable fares. Domestically, you can now fly between almost any two airports in the country with, at worst, a single stopover. Internationally, transoceanic routes have fragmented, allowing people to fly direct from smaller hubs in the United States to points in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and elsewhere. Nobody enjoys holding patterns or sitting on a tarmac, but in earlier days, the overall journey would have taken longer-and cost more.
It's true that fares have risen sharply of late, but if they seem especially pricey, that's partly because they remained so cheap for so long, with many carriers selling tickets below cost. Fares in 2006 were averaging 12 percent lower than in 2000, despite a 150 percent rise in jet-fuel costs.
Current fares cost about what they did in the 1980s. And let's not forget that flying is much safer than it was in the past. Globally, there are twice as many planes carrying twice as many people as there were a quarter century ago. Although the raw total of crashes has risen, accidents are way down as a percentage of total flights.
I am well aware that airlines have become pariahs of the postindustrial economy. But it's rarely acknowledged that despite recurrent fiscal crises, major staffing and technology problems, and constant criticism from the public, our carriers have managed to maintain a mostly reliable, affordable, and safe transportation system.
Hang in there, and our crew will let you know if and when our plane might actually take off. In the meantime, those $7 sandwiches are actually pretty good.

Never a dull moment in the airline biz...

The airline industry used to be known as a glamorous way to travel. There was unbelievable customer service and the pilots and flight attendants (aka stewardesses) were treated with respect and could wear their uniforms with pride. Well, if Orville and Wilbur knew then what we know now, they would've kept their feet firmly planted on the ground and forgotten all about this silly flying stuff because it has been nothing but trouble. Hubby and I have been associated with the airline industry for over 20 years now. Part of me is proud of the service that we have both provided in our careers, but the rest of me feels like I have been through a war. Aviation is a series of ups and downs like no other industry. How many history-making airlines have gone by the wayside because of mis-management? Pan Am, Eastern,TWA and Braniff to name a few. How many are teetering on the edge right now for the same reason? Believe me, you do NOT want to know. Everyone suffered a great loss, both personal and economic after the tragedy that struck on September 11, 2001. The airline industry slowed to a crawl, and people were afraid to fly. Our lives have been in turmoil because of new security procedures, and the overall fear of the unknown while traveling. That holds true for flight crews as well as passengers on the airplanes. The traveling public does not see what goes on behind the scenes or how today's economic downturn has affected the airline employees. There have been massive furloughs, pay-cuts, loss of pensions, loss of stock and overall loss of pride in their profession. The airline industry is an emotional roller coaster for all involved. A lot of pilots have lost the pension they have worked their entire life for, and are now being forced to work an additional 5 years before they can retire. Well, just when we thought the worst was over (for now), the cost of fuel has taken a toll on the industry as a whole. A lot of airlines are doing more cut-backs once again, reducing their fleet, changing their route structure and of course, eliminating anything that could be confused with customer service such as meals and entertainment.

United Airlines, for one, has just announced it will be eliminating it's fleet of Boeing 737s and also a large handful of the much bigger Boeing 747s. The domino effect that a huge change like this brings is astronomical to the point where I can't imagine anyone has really done the math on it. All of the pilots who will be displaced by the disappearance of their airplane will be able to choose another position in another airplane based on what their seniority can hold. That means they will be displacing yet another pilot, and that pilot displaces someone and so on and so forth until there are more furloughs coming from the bottom of the seniority list, not to mention more pay cuts for those still employed. This procedure may sound simple and as fair as it can be, given the circumstances, but think about the cost of training with this kind of upheaval. The Training Department is not manned to re-train half the pilots in the company. Therefore there will have to be pilots trained to be trainers. Then, the real training will begin and every pilot who gets displaced will have to go through a training period of up to 6 weeks before being able to fly again. What you probably do not realize (unless you are very familiar with the way airlines work) is that will calculate into pilots sitting at home, getting paid to do nothing until they are properly trained. To me, this sounds very costly and inefficient. I have to wonder if the guy behind the mahogany desk has gone a little too far with this latest decision. Maybe there could have been smaller measures taken for a more steady pace towards repairing the airline structure and off-setting fuel costs. How does this affect him exactly? What kind of cut-backs will United's fearless (or perhaps feared) leader take personally?  According to the Air Line Pilot's Assoc. (ALPA), Glenn Tilton will be giving himself yet another excessive bonus for this ingenious plan to foil save United Air Lines.

Where's my luggage?

It could quite possibly be in Scottsboro, Alabama! That is where the Unclaimed Baggage Center is located. As airline "savvy" as I profess to be, even I have become separated from my precious life stuffed in a suitcase while traveling. Usually, I only do carry-on bags for obvious reasons, but on one occasion I was traveling with a 2 year old and it was necessary to pack half the house (not just the kitchen sink) in a suitcase and check it. I was going direct from Philadelphia (airport code = PHL) to Sacramento (SMF) on just one airplane so I figured "just how lost can my luggage get?". Well, even I was surprised when I arrived in Sacramento and there was no luggage belonging to me going round and round on the turnstile. I went to Baggage Claim to inquire as to where my luggage could've possibly gone and I was met with a very matter-of-fact "Poughkeepsie, NY...happens all the time." Well, as luck would have it, Newburgh/Poughkeepsie Airport has an airport code of SWF, very similar to SMF, or perhaps not.  Apparently some illiterate moron working the ramp in Philly sees fit to send about half a dozen bags a night to the "other" SMF. I couldn't believe my ears. They were actually telling me to my face that this happens nightly, but no one seems to be addressing the situation. After several days and many phone calls later, I was finally reunited with all the toys, videos, and clothes that I had packed to keep my 2 year old busy on our vacation, but I know some people aren't as lucky as I was. Some folks have lost their luggage for good,or so they might think! There is a good chance  you can go to the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama and buy your stuff back at a discounted price. Each day, this Wal-Mart sized shopping warehouse stocks more than 7000 items they receive as lost luggage from over 21,000 flights in the United States. You can shop inside the actual store or online at www.unclaimedbaggage.com. It's like an outlet mall!

Lost luggage is the phenomenon in which a public carrier, airline, ship or train does not send a passenger's luggage to the correct destination to arrive with the passenger.

Delta disappoints.....Part Deux

Back in February of this year I started my "Travels to Tennessee" series which I hope you have all been following. The trip did not get off to a very good start thanks to Delta Airlines and their inability to get anywhere on time. Luckily for us the delays did not create any real problems and we eventually got where we were going, just a few hours later than expected.
Now, it was time to return from whence we came and this time it was a little more critical because hubby had to depart on an International flight for work the very next morning. We were supposed to depart Nashville en route to San Diego at 1:30pm, with a scheduled 1 hour stop in Atlanta. I know that just seems wrong to travel East to go West, but if you had seen my choices you would understand. Since it was the dead of winter I was trying to avoid places like Chicago and Denver and Minneapolis due to possible inclement weather conditions, so Atlanta seemed like a reasonable choice. We arrived at the Nashville Airport in plenty of time only to find out that our airplane had not arrived on schedule. They had posted a 20 minute delay with hopes of a speedy turnaround once the airplane arrived. I was growing concerned since our scheduled layover in Atlanta was only 1 hour long. I wasn't sure just how much running time we were going to need to get from one gate to another. A few minutes later it dawned on me that everything would be just fine because, after all, I was a paying passenger! You see, usually we fly on a "stand by" basis for a seriously discounted price because of hubby's job. As glamorous as this may sound, believe me when I say it leaves a lot to be desired in the way of "perks". As a "stand by"  or "non-rev" as we are sometimes affectionately known as, we get to board last, if at all. We get to hunt all over the plane for a place to stow our luggage, which is usually 10 rows behind where we are sitting and we usually get stuck in the middle seats between 2 much larger people and we are separated from our loved ones, no matter what age they are. (Although, the last time they sat my 2 year old between 2 strangers, someone graciously offered to switch seats with me...ha ha....I wonder why!) If at the last minute a late passenger shows up, you get courteously removed from your seat, you must retrieve your luggage, your loved ones and your dignity and exit the plane immediately. Now imagine a big problem like a canceled flight, a weather delay, or an oversold flight. What do you think happens to us poor "non-revs"? Nothing! We are brushed away to the side and left to our own devices. We do not get hotel vouchers, meal vouchers, taxi vouchers or one free phone call home. We do not get re-booked on the next flight because it is more than likely already full with paying passengers. We could easily be stuck in an airport for days waiting for a seat on a plane. I have actually been known to get on any plane headed in the right direction in hopes of eventually getting to my destination of choice. If you've seen Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, then you get the picture. Anyway...back to being a paying passenger on Delta Airlines. Even though there was possible trouble brewing, I wasn't worried because I  was a paying passenger and would be treated with respect. Well, the 20 minute delay turned into a 30 minute delay and then a 40 minute delay and then there was an announcement. "Everyone scheduled with less than an hour and a half on the ground in Atlanta, please approach the podium". Well, that was us, so off I went to see the nice gate agent at the podium. I am being quite serious when I say he was a nice gate agent. He was very nice and efficient while explaining to me there were no more flights available that would get me to San Diego tonight. I could take a flight to Austin, spend the night and get the first flight out. That wasn't going to work at all, so he started checking other airlines. Luck was with us...we could run over to this other gate and catch a flight on Frontier Airlines through Denver and only arrive in San Diego about an hour late. He even gave us a meal voucher so we grabbed a quick sandwich on the run while headed over to the Frontier gates. It was a pretty full flight, we got on last, we were separated and our luggage was only 3 rows behind us. Beautiful, this time I paid good money to be treated like a "non-rev". On a positive note, they handed out free headsets while we boarded the plane and I saw that every seat had it's own TV screen. I found myself feeling somewhat excited about my new found adventure on Frontier Airlines, right up until I found out that you had to pay $8 to watch a movie. Free headset my foot!!!

    The flight to Denver was pretty much uneventful. The plane was nice, quiet and clean, the flight attendants were nice and courteous and I paid my $8 and watched a movie anyway. I am such a sucker for convenience. We arrived in Denver and guess what? It was snowing! Just what I tried to avoid in the first place. It snowed and it snowed and I just sat in front of the glass and watched it snow. It was beautiful, but I had resigned myself to camping out in the Denver Airport given the circumstances. Well, my pessimism subsided as soon as they called for boarding to begin. I guess a little snow doesn't bother the folks in Denver. It's like sunshine in Arizona. So, we were off to San Diego, on time surprisingly enough. We arrived in San Diego just an hour behind our original schedule as promised, so I guess I shouldn't complain. I just wish air travel was the way it used to be years ago. You paid a premium price, but you were treated like you were important, served like you were royalty and assisted in every way possible. It used to be a pleasure to fly somewhere. I firmly believe the first airline out there that starts concentrating on customer service will win the "War of the Airlines". The industry needs an Extreme Makeover-Airline Edition!

Delta disappoints......

Everything started out pretty well with my travels on Delta Airlines. I printed out our boarding passes at home, which I think is a great tool for speeding things up at the airport. We went through the normal strip search procedures required at security. (I wished I had known I could've waited and dressed at the airport instead of at home.) Anyway, we had plenty of time so no worries. All was well until it came time to board and I believe we were only 10 minutes before scheduled departure. Delta does this "zone" boarding thing that seemed quite intriguing until I saw it in action. Silly me, I assumed that the "zone" boarding would allow people seated in the back of the airplane to board first or maybe all the window people to board, then the middle seat people, then the aisle people so as to alleviate the need to crawl over people. Well, if that was actually the plan, it failed miserably. We were seated in row 38 I believe, seats A and B (window and middle) and we were boarded almost last. So, if anyone knows the secret behind this "zone" boarding, I would love to hear it. This boarding took over 40 minutes from start to finish thanks to the people who still think it is appropriate to bring the kitchen sink on vacation with them. You see, although the rules (I think they are more like guidelines) state only 1 carry on and 1 personal item per person, there is no more reinforcement because of the "check in" at home process. I took them at their word and made sure I only had my suitcase and my purse. I even left a few items behind at home. I appeared to be the only one not carrying a suitcase, laptop and backpack. I guess rules mean nothing to people which is why I now refer to them as "guidelines".
We finally got on our way to Atlanta after the very amusing boarding process and I was pleasantly surprised by my new traveling companion. No, not my hubby, I already new about him. A gentleman that I will here in after refer to as my new friend, Fred, sat down beside me and we talked from take-off in San Diego to landing in Atlanta. That was such a pleasant experience for me especially since I do not usually spend a lot of time talking to people sitting next to me on airplanes. Fred had some wonderful stories to share about his family, especially his daughters, and their many travels. I am hoping to get them to guest author on here and share some of their experiences with us. He is also a great listener, which makes a conversation so much more enjoyable. So, no matter what Delta pulls on me from this point forward, I will always be thankful for meeting Fred. I know we will keep in touch.

We almost got to Atlanta close to on time, but just enough off for Fred to miss his shuttle connection for home. Sorry about that chief!!! Hubby and I knew we had time to grab a bite to eat before continuing on to Nashville, what we didn't know is that we had time to take in a show to go along with it. There was some noise about a missing flight attendant coming in on a late flight. Well, I completely understand that issue having come from the industry and that being one of the daily nightmares thrown my way. This really didn't bother me much and besides, I wasn't going to miss any connections, as this was our final destination flight.  (Notice how understanding I am being?) So, after a few hours of standing near these automatic trash compacting contraptions that are plugged in every 10 feet or so, we boarded the plane and headed for Nashville. This was a pleasant flight with a lot of cool air coming out of the overhead a/c so I was a happy camper. Or so I thought I was until the Captain kept telling us to expect turbulence from the storm surrounding the Nashville area. There never really was much turbulence to speak of, but since he kept speaking of it, there were a few green people on board. Go figure! We arrived in Nashville almost an hour late. Little did I know at the time, this was just the beginning of things to come.

Well, the Delta saga will continue but I have decided to write about my trip in chronological order so you will have to keep checking back to hear more about my adventures in Tennessee first.

Do you know what they have in Tennessee that we don't have in California?  Varmits!!! And I think they live in something called a "Holler". What's a holler?

Travelin' to Tennessee

We are off to Tennessee tomorrow morning. I actually bought my tickets online through Travelocity and we will be traveling on Delta Airlines connecting in Atlanta. Believe it or not, I have never traveled on Delta and I am very excited to see what they have to offer. After all, since I plan to be a famous "Travel Critic" someday, I better start paying attention to detail while I am actually traveling. I usually use travel time to completely zone out, but this time everyone better be on their toes, because here comes Annie, the soon-to-be much feared Travel Critic. (Okay Jay, you can stop laughing now!!) My hubby calls me "Annie Ego", after the not so beloved food critic, "Anton Ego" from Disney's Ratatouille.

The main focus of the trip is to visit family in Nashville, but we will all be headed to the Great Smoky Mountains for some much needed R&R in a beautiful cabin in the woods. How cool is that? This is also going to be one of those trips where we try to implement our amateur photographic abilities and get some really great pictures. So, I am being told I will be out of touch this weekend as there is no Internet access available up at the cabin. We shall just see about that!!! Isn't there a Starbucks like every 100 feet now?

United Airlines has what it takes.....employees who care!

Due to my close ties to the industry, I try to keep up to date on the airline biz!! Just recently I came across a story that I think you all need to read. It is written by a United Airlines pilot as he shares his experience from what was just another day on the job for him and his fellow UAL co-workers. For any of you not familiar with some of the technical airline lingo in the story, don't worry, it really isn't the point.

A Glimpse of the Friendly Skies
By Captain Loren Bohnett, A-320 SFO
On a leg home from Denver last December, we had some VIPs on board who seemed as excited to meet us as we were them. The President of The Greatest Generation Foundation, www.tggf.us, was on our flight traveling out to HNL through SFO with a number of Pearl Harbor veterans. All of these gentlemen stopped by the cockpit, crowding in, in twos and threes to take a quick look, introduce themselves, and shake our hands. Among them was an Air Corps vet who flew B17s, 24s and 29s during World War II. He was impressed by all the glass, but stated for the record that he preferred round dials; who was I to disagree? According to the TGGF President, these gentlemen hadn’t been back to Pearl since the end of the war, but they would be front and center for the festivities this year.

As pushback time approached, a flashing ACARS message got our attention; almost never good news. Our minor EDCT delay had been modified for the worse and it would be at least an hour before takeoff. The low clouds at home were backing up the system again. A little research confirmed our fears: these guys were not going to make it to Hawaii tonight as they would miss the last flight out of SFO. Would UA delay the HNL flight? Not likely. There was some hope though, if everyone could pull together and make it happen.

We sent an ACARS note to Dispatch asking them to involve the ATC Coordinator, explaining the nature of the assembly we had aboard. As the leader of that group waited in the cockpit with us, a look of concern on his face, a message came back: “How soon can you be ready?” A plan had been hatched to add a few minutes of delay to five other flights so that ours could be greatly reduced. Our new EDCT came from Dispatch along with the plea: “don’t miss it!” Everyone involved from our flight attendants, CS, and Ramp jumped into action and we made our departure slot.

Our little piece of the Friendly Skies ran like a first-rate airline that night, LCO or not. Everyone involved stepped up and did their part efficiently and with purpose. During the fast run to the west coast, as I keyed in our request for assistance at SFO, Dispatch sent us another note. Everyone was in the loop already and would be awaiting our arrival. Our gate assignment put us directly across from the HNL flight and CS would be there to serve as escort, we were told. After my flying partner greased our jet onto 28L, we arrived at the gate to find everything in place. A smiling CS supervisor was in fact waiting in the jetway holding a stack of boarding passes.

The best part of this story is still to come. It turns out that back in Denver, one of United’s Global Services customers overheard the travel plans and the importance of the trip our veterans were on. This anonymous person got involved and stepped up as well. Those boarding passes awaiting our arrival were all First-Class upgrades, paid for by this customer.

Many take for granted the incredibly complex task of providing safe transit that pilots perform day and night, flight after flight. From my perspective, as Flight Officers we played the usual leadership role, which is critical to safety as well as to the customer experience. What was special this night was that our extra efforts were well-received early on, which led to effective coordination and a better solution. Employees across the system were eager to help, motivated by the desire to honor this deserving group of veterans.
For me this was a glimpse of what our airline could be like every day for every passenger. We have the equipment, the facilities, and, most importantly, the people to provide this level of service and attention on every flight. Unfortunately, such a renewal of enthusiasm across this company would require a level of genuine appreciation, motivation and leadership from the top that is sorely lacking today. My hope is that we do experience this renewal, and sooner rather than later. For a couple of hours, this was a great place to work.

A little side note from the Pilot's Union..............................

At United Airlines, there are managers and there are leaders. Managers track absences, fuel burns, APU usage, and brake releases. They question pilots’ decisions, ignore contracts, spin facts and generally do whatever it takes to put other people’s money into their own pockets. Leaders remember that our company is a service industry; that safety, service, integrity and responsibility bring back customers. Because of our responsibilities, pilots are leaders of this company. To paraphrase President Theodore Roosevelt, it is not the manager who counts. The credit belongs to the pilots who are actually in the arena, whose faces are marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strive valiantly and actually strive to do the deeds; who know great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spend themselves in a worthy cause; and who at the best know in the end the triumph of high achievement.

New York will fine airlines up to $1,000 per passenger for violations

 The New York Law (which went into effect January 1st) requires that airlines servicing the Empire State must provide  passengers with food, water, fresh air, power and working restrooms on any flight that has been delayed for more than 3 hours. Failure to do so will result in as much as $1,000 per passenger fine. Sound familiar? Yes, you can thank Jet Blue for this one!!! Although I agree that the issue needs to be addressed, I am not convinced this is the absolute cure. The law is aimed only at passengers who have boarded an aircraft and are delayed more than three hours prior to takeoff. This will exclude tarmac delays while planes wait for gates after they land (the time when most delays occur during bad weather). This New York state law is expected to serve as a model for other states, although so far it has only stirred up a beehive of extended issues. The Air Transport Association, which represents major domestic airlines disputed the law, saying that the airlines can only be regulated by federal government. The ATA has filed an appeal in the US Court of Appeals. Late December, a U.S. District Court Judge ruled that "provisions" such as fresh air, water, sanitation and food are "presumed" and constitute a health and safety issue, not airline services....ha...go figure!!

Cheap..oops, I mean... Inexpensive Flights to Europe

Back in school, I was taught that the word "cheap" was a great advertising word. It gets attention. In the travel industry, I was taught that "cheap" is taboo! It makes people feel that the quality of their vacation is being cheapened. We would always use "inexpensive" as opposed to the formerly mentioned taboo word. Well, now I am "niche" blogging and have no idea what the rules are, but I wanted you all to know that there are some flights to Europe being offered right now that might not cost very much, but you can be the judge of that. You can click on my Travelocity affiliate link below for more details, but be aware this special expires January 31, 2008.

Round-Trip Flights to Europe starting at only $383

Already seen the In-flight movie?

I am quite the movie watcher, as anyone who knows me or borrows from my collection of over 700 DVDs will confirm. It is rare that I get on an airplane and haven't seen the in-flight movie. Good thing, since sitting on an airplane with all those noises and interruptions is not a good movie viewing experience for me. It is mostly a time-killer, nothing more.  I know many people have discovered cool new ways to view movies and /or videos while traveling such as the iPod or portable DVD player, but there is yet another solution to consider. INMOTION PICTURES offers the ability to rent a DVD player and movie(s) from the airport you are departing from, and drop it off at the arrival airport. At this time there are limited locations throughout the United States only for this service. I counted over 30 major airports that have INMOTION locations. If your final destination is a little more remote, you have the option to ship the DVD player and movie back to INMOTION via UPS. You can also rent it for the entire length of your trip and return it back to the same location from which you picked it up. I immediately think of this as an option for someone traveling with small children that could easily be entertained with a full length Disney movie instead of the latest crude comedy playing on the airplane (the people sitting near your children may think so too). INMOTION PICTURES allows you the flexibility of only renting 1 DVD player and providing a Y-jack for earphones so that possibly 2 kids could be entertained at the same time!!!! INMOTION PICTURES  also has a selection of CD players and music available. For a last minute purchase or to replace something lost or left at home, they offer accessories for your portable electronics such as laptop power adaptors, cell phone chargers, headphones and blank digital media. You can also reserve your DVD player and movies in advance online so there is no time wasted at the airport making your choices. For more information try clicking on the links provided in the post or call 1-877-DVD-TO-GO.

Believe it or not, this is not a paid post, although I should join that paid post place, huh? I just like to share travel related topics (who am I kidding? - I'll write about anything!) that might be useful or at least interesting to my readers. If anyone has ever had an experience with this service please write in and share with us all.

Food For Thought

I did a post a few months back on Customer Service and I briefly mentioned the amazing food service that the airlines are offering these days. Well, one of my loyal readers sent me an article he read on CNN that covers this subject rather well. The airlines have really beefed up (no pun intended) their menu choices and snack offerings these days. They have contracted with some reputable chefs and catering companies to make your meals much more appetizing. Or have they? It seems there may be a bit of "bait and switch" going on or maybe you could call it "reading the fine print." These new meals are not offered on all the routes, nor are they offered to all classes of passenger seating, nor are they free for the taking. Now how appetizing is this new improved menu? For more details and links, please read the article at CNN.com. I also encourage you to comment on this post with your own experiences with "Airline Cuisine."

Thank you to R.G. from Redlands, CA. for sharing!!!

Working behind the scenes.......

When you don't see your favorite blog putting out a new post every day does that mean that your favorite blogger is just lazy? No indeed!! It means we are working hard behind the scenes to bring you a more enjoyable experience. First of all, let me remind you all that I am working diligently on my Disney blog that I hope to unveil in a few short weeks (or sooner).
I have also updated the way I offer you links to book online travel. There are now separate pages for each category such as Airfare, Hotels, or Car Rentals. This should make things simpler since I will be adding new affiliate links every day and this will eliminate the clutter.
For anyone looking to get away from the winter blahs.....Pleasant Holidays is offering some pretty good deals to Hawaii, so check out my Travel Specials page.
There is more to come for the new year so keep checking back and oh....don't forget to send me those postcards .

Holiday Traveling Tips

It is most certainly better to be prepared so I have listed a few tips that may help you while planning all your holiday travels. Please write in with any other tips you can add to my list.

• If driving, make sure you either buy or download a map or Thomas Guide of the area. Winter weather is no time to be lost without directions. If renting a car from an airport, request a map from the rental car agency.
• Confirm all of your reservations before leaving home. This season gets very overbooked. Call the airlines, the hotels and the rental car agencies to let them know you will be using your reservations. Keep in touch with hotels and rental car agencies if your flights get delayed.
• Plan ahead and leave early. There is always extra traffic this time of year and extra long wait times. Check security wait times for your airport here on my site under "Travel Links."
• Pack properly to get through security without a hassle. Don't forget the 3-1-1 rule for packing your liquids in a quart size ziploc bag. Have this out for security to see. See "Travel Tips " page.
  
• Do not try to take wrapped Christmas presents through security, they will get unwrapped!!! If possible, ship them ahead to your destination.
• Keep necessities in your carry on bag. Cell phone, charger, toothbrush, medications and any reservation numbers you may need should not be checked. Personally I also keep all electronics like Ipods and my camera with me in a carry on.
• Put a business card or some sort of contact information in your checked bags just in case the outside luggage tag gets removed and you have to claim it. Also, only use TSA approved locks on your checked bags. You may even want to tie some sort of "marker" to the outside of your bag for easy recognition on the baggage turnstile. A friend of mine once made me some pom poms out of yarn to tie on my bags. This worked very well!
• Check the weather ahead of time for your planned destination. Just because you are going to Florida, doesn't mean it is going to be warm. I was at Disney World one year for their record low temperature of 30 degrees. Needless to say, I wasn't prepared.
• Check out the article I posted on my Travel News  page on being "bumped". You have rights, know them!
• Have some extra patience with everyone around you whether they be loved ones or strangers. Be extra appreciative to the people serving you. You may get that last seat on the airplane just because you are the nicest guy! Don't forget to wish everyone a Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. A little kindness goes a long way this time of year.

Time Travel

I consider myself a fan of H.G. Wells, although my fascination with his time travel is fueled merely by confusion rather than intrigue. I've heard "time flies by" and that "time is relative" and I know that occasionally "I've got time on my hands". How can any of these things be true? Is there really not enough "time in a day"? For some people I suppose this could be true. Sometimes my list of things to do gets a little long and I wonder if I will "run out of time". A wise friend of mine once said his fix for that was to get up before himself each day. As funny as that sounds, I wonder if it could work. And how much coffee would that require?

My husband left for a trip the other day bound for Sydney, Australia. This requires crossing the International Date Line, not to mention numerous time zones. He left on a Tuesday, and after several time changes, arrived on a Thursday. According to my calculations, he had been in Sydney an entire day before he had actually arrived. Where did Wednesday go? Well, it gets worse. He landed in San Francisco on Saturday morning, and when I asked how his flight was he said "I don't know, I don't leave Sydney until this afternoon".

Crystal Ball....or Farecast?

One of the questions that used to give me the most distress as a travel agent was "Do you think the price will go down if I wait?" UUGGHH!! How the heck should I know? It is a crazy world out there where airfares are concerned and if I could've looked into a crystal ball, then I still would not have known!! Airfares and travel prices in general are based on so many things that are not always predictable. Availability is a huge factor. Supply and demand. If there isn't much space left, then you are going to pay premium prices to get it. The seasons are also big players in prices for some things. Of course Caribbean cruises are cheaper during hurricane season and airfares are cheaper to London during the rainy season. Today's economy has forced all transportation vendors to gouge us with a fuel surcharge for all of our purchases. Who saw that coming? Okay, maybe that's not such a good example!

There are a lot of tools available now like Orbitz, Hotwire, and Travelocity that at least make you feel like you are getting the best deal out there....today that is. Tomorrow is another story. There will be a different, and possibly better deal available. Too late....you booked yesterday!!! It is kind of like buying a car. You do the research, you save the money, you make the deal. You feel good about your purchase. A week later, they offer better financing and bigger rebates that you didn't get when you made your "good deal". The same thing is true in the travel business. You have to do your research, but you have to feel good about your purchase when you finally decide to make it. There is no magical way to  figure out ahead of time when that great cruise deal is going to be offered or when the airlines are going to drop their fares. You have to know what your vacation is worth to you and be willing to pay for it.  You might get lucky and  actually get the best deal going. You can also book your travel with a vendor that offers a price guarantee. If they drop their prices after you book, then your price goes down too. Your travel agent will know who these vendors are.
In the long run, can you put a price on a great family vacation?

Just in case you need some reassurance that you might be getting the best deal (or at least a darn good one), try the newest tool out there....Farecast. I think they may have that crystal ball I have been looking for all these years.

Ning????

I know I live in the dark a lot, mostly by choice, and most of this cyber networking and socializing is all new to me. (I actually thought I was ahead of the game just because I was blogging.)With that said, there is this cool new thing called Ning!  It is basically a social networking site where you can build your own network of people and friends. Some ingenious person I do not know (Thanks Rick!) decided to start a Ning network for the airline I used to work for. It has only been up and running now for a few weeks, but so many people are joining every day and I am getting back in touch with people I thought would only be a part of my past. So, I am guessing that this Ning thing is not really as new to the world as it is to me, but I thought it was worth mentioning just in case.

I have been in touch with a lot of my pilot and flight attendant friends from Piedmont and I would like to invite them to share stories from their travels and also any suggestions on fun things to do, great places to stay, or whatever they think would be interesting on this travel blog. I know one of my dear friends has moved far away and lives in a far off land (Costa Rica). Maybe I could entice him to write about it. Hint Hint!
Either e-mail me at annie@thesavvytourist.com or post a comment.

Traveling With Pets

Traveling with pets can be a very daunting task. I found this to be too true when I had to travel across country with a dog and 3 cats for a family move.  It was then that I discovered my animals are not the adventurous type. (I must've rubbed off on them.) Instead of taking my pets with me when I travel, I usually pay a pet sitter so that they may remain in the comforts of their own home and overly spoiled lives. Better yet, when my parents do not travel with us, the animals get the benefit of being loved and spoiled by their grandparents. This is a lot like handing over your kids to grandparents. Sometimes, they just aren't as glad to see you upon your return because grandparents are much more attentive.

Well, despite the fact that my pets are not the jet setting type, I know many people travel with pets now more than ever. There is a "toy dog" traveling trend that I believe was started by celebrities awhile back and looks as though it is no more trouble than carrying a purse. Well, it isn't really that easy. Whether you are taking your beloved furry friend across state line in your car or across the country in an airplane, there are many regulations that must be adhered to. In my search for better information about traveling with pets, I found a website that I really like. It is called Pets On The Go. It does require a small membership fee of $15 but I think it is worth it for the extensive database of information they offer.

Let me know if you have any stories about traveling with pets!

You can now flick your Bic!!!

Well, don't ask me the rhyme or reason behind this, but it has now been determined that cigarette lighters are safe to carry on airplanes.  As of August 4th, the ban on lighters has been lifted. Personally, it doesn't affect me, but I am sure some of you will be interested in this. I guess it is also approved for new mothers to carry on a small amount of breast milk as long as it is "declared" ahead of time. I would suggest calling your scheduled airline to check this out.

Customer Service

Customer service (also known as Client Service), according to wikipedia, is the provision of service to customers before, during and after a purchase.

 

Customer Service, to me, has become an endangered species. Customer Service is something you used to get at the ticket counter, the rental car kiosk, the grocery store and the shoe store. Now, it is something that only shows itself if there is commission or tips involved…and that is on a good day. I went to a car dealer the other day because I was seriously shopping for a new car. (I never go just to test drive for fun because I have no sales resistance). I had educated myself on the cars I was looking at and when a salesman approached me with the usual “car salesman vigor” I was ready to test drive a few cars. He went inside to get the keys and that was the last that I saw of him. GONE! I waited over half an hour, and then gave up. No one else ever came out to help me. Now, that is when you know Customer Service has gone down the crapper when you can’t even get a car salesman’s attention.

I know all the airlines are struggling to get back to better times. I have my money on the first airline that decides Customer Service is the most important. Some airlines treat you like children and file you on the plane in controlled groups and then make you play a subtle game of “duck duck goose” for the best seats. Other airlines act as though they are doing you a favor by putting you in a seat and getting you to your destination somewhere in the general time frame of when you needed to be there. It isn’t a favor…it’s a service…a service that has been paid for.

Come on, I dare you…make me feel special, make me feel important…make me feel like you appreciate me for sitting between 2 snoring men and eating the beef when I really wanted the chicken. Oh, that’s right, I forgot, no more beef or chicken. You have to bring your own bagged lunch when you fly now.