I've been hesitant to write this piece, because is very personal to me and my friend Ron.
I first met Ron when he was a young teenager, a poor kid living in Iligan in the jihadist ridden territory of Lanao del Norte in western Mindanao in the Philippines when he was 16. His father was a local politician and was murdered by the "religion of peace" and he and his family didn't have a support mechanism like a fundraiser to help them out. Needless to say he and his family had hard times. Ron, not being one to just roll over finished high school, went on to the Iligan Institute of Technology, part of Mindanao State University, and graduated with high honors in computer engineering. He initially had a hard time finding a job. It's even harder to get a job there than in our "Summer of Recovery". Well that didn't work out so well.
Ron worked midnight shift call centers, took crappy jobs, and finally found a teaching job. It paid the bills, almost, but he wasn't going anywhere with that job. We chatted about a strategy a lot and his best bet was to find work overseas. Ron was thinking Qatar or UAE, and I was thinking FUCK NO. Filipinos in Arab countries are slaves. Well Ron finally has found a decent paying job in Singapore, living in ok conditions, and being respected by his students. I'm not sure he is getting the pay he deserves for what his employer gives him, but he is doing much better than a year ago, and can go home and face his family with honor.
I'm wishing my friend Ron all the success in the world. I love this guy like he is one of my own, and am proud of all his achievements against a lot of odds.
We Americans don't know just how good we have it.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Modern Air Travel: A Historical Perspective
I'm a pretty experienced traveler, and over the years I've learned a few things. Travel was far more simple back before 9/11/2001, and even more simple back in the 1970's before deregulation. Anyone who was born before 1970 and did any air travel at all remembers the days of regulated airlines. I'm tempted to call them the good old days, but they certainly had their ups and downs. Making a reservation meant going to a travel agent in most cases, because travel could often entail flying on 2 or more airlines in order to get you to your destination and the reservation systems were not computerized or even interlined between carriers. The travel agents had to work for their money, and booking even a simple trip could take hours or days to have them confirmed. A lot of phone calls needed to be made. The routes were regulated, so most of us had a choice of one airline, especially if you were from a smaller city, and the flights were subsidized, so there was little incentive for the airlines to fill the planes. Flights also were prohibitively expensive, especially out of captive markets, which were most of them. A flight from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to Columbus, when I was a college student was $350 round trip, and that is in 1976 dollars. On the upside, flights rarely got canceled and when one was unless it was truly a weather related problem or a mechanical breakdown. The airlines operated on schedule and pretty much on-time, meals were served, even on a short flight, and drinks were free.
Deregulation totally revamped the industry, along with the internet and the computer revolution. Airlines were free to fly where they wanted, expand their system, and compete on routes that were once monopolies. The airfares plummeted, and the $99 coast-to-coast fare became common. Airlines that used to be regional carriers like Allegheny (soon to be USAir), Piedmont, North Central, and Southern, expanded their route systems by leaps and bounds. They lost money on every flight, but it didn't seem to matter at the time. Upstart airlines like People Express with a non-unionized workforce, low paid workers, and super cheap airfares forced the big guys to cut their fares. These were the salad days of deregulation, and the consumer was king. The flight I used to pay $350 for was now $120 round trip. Airlines were desperate to build up customer loyalty and American Airlines had a very novel concept that changed everything, the frequent flier program. Enroll in this program, and you would receive a coupon book. Just have the gate agent pull one of those coupons every time you fly, and you gain points that would be good for certificates after a number of miles flown, and fly for free. It was clumsy by today's standards, but it changes everything. Within a year, all the major airlines adopted a frequent flier program. It was often hard to use the points though because seats were capacity controlled, and often there was only one or two seats available for this kind of travel. That soon changed as competition forced the airlines to ease up restrictions.
Small regional carriers soon became national, thanks to both growth and acquisition. Delta bought Northeastern Airlines, Allegheny bought Mohawk, Southern and North-Central merged to create Republic Airlines. Braniff International, who had very lucrative South American routes, decided to go big time and fly to Asia and Europe, and even lease a Concorde on routes from London. Long time behemoths like Pan Am and Eastern couldn't compete with younger carriers, had restrictive labor contracts and were strike prone just couldn't adapt. Both airlines went belly up in the late 80's. Deregulation was also not kind to airlines who decided to expand too quickly. Braniff over expanded and took on routes that just were not their. They were the first major airline to go under. American Airlines helped them along by matching their airfares and temporarily flying to traditional Braniff cities. Southwest Airlines which was just a regional airline, known for hourly service for hourly flights between Dallas Love Field and Houston Hobby Airport went national, and their business model has been studied and used by airlines worldwide on how to run a low cost airline.
With deregulation we also had winners and losers that was either market driven, and/or management driven. Corporate raiders like Frank Lorenzo and Carl Icahn bought out Continental Airlines and TWA respectively. Lorenzo then raided Eastern Airlines, and stripped it of all marketable assets and routes to feed Continental. Between incompetent management under Lorenzo along with long standing serious union problems, forced a strike that Eastern never recovered from and soon went out of business. Non-union Continental overextended itself by buying People Express and Frontier Airlines (not the Frontier that is flying today), and soon found itself in bankruptcy court. Lorenzo was forced to give up control under the reorganization agreement, and what emerged was a smaller and healthier Continental. In the case of TWA, Icahn bled it dry and put no money into modernizing it's fleet. They slowly faded away, went through 2 bankruptcies and was finally bought by American Airlines in 2001. Many other airlines popped up and just as quickly went out of business during the 80's and 90's, with very few start-ups being successful. ValuJet (now AirTran Airways) and Jet Blue have been exceptions, having good business models and modern jet fleets.
With the late 80's and 90's came a big round of consolidation, and the public was poorer for it with reduced service and higher prices. Airlines continues mergers and buy-outs at a fast pace. Many familiar formerly regional airlines began being bought by the larger carriers. As an example, USAir bought Piedmont and PSA and soon became a major national powerhouse, at the loss to many smaller cities once served by the three carriers. In many cases cities that once had DC-9 or 737 service now had 19 seat turboprops and the airfares skyrocketed to these airports. For many travelers the benefits of deregulation seemed to come full circle, with high prices and bad service and there was a movement to re-regulate at least to a point.
In the 90's, as reservation systems became more automated and computerized, the major airlines forged alliances with smaller commuter carriers, and their flights operated under the major carriers' airline code. By looking at a ticket, it was hard to know if you were flying on the major or a commuter outfit. Companies such as Comair and Skywest were soon operating as Delta Connection with much smaller equipment, and at a much lower cost than the major carrier, but it provided what was marketed as a seamless connection to the major carrier at one of the hubs. This provided convenience to passengers, but did little to relieve the high cost of flying into small and mid-size cities.
In the early 1990's Bombardier Aerospace in Montreal, Canada introduced the 50 seat Canadair Regional Jet. This revolutionized service, albeit temporarily, to small and mid-size cities across the country. The major carriers bought these airplanes by the hundreds, dry leased them to their regional partners, and cities that had been deprived of jet service soon had it restored. The planes, though crowded, were a vast improvement over the much slower turboprops. Soon afterwards, Brazil's Embraer introduced their own 50 seat regional jet and the airlines now had a cheaper and more efficient means to service their markets.
It didn't take long for the airlines to realize that they had stumbled on to a cash cow. The regional jets broke even at half capacity, had flight crews that made a fraction of the trunk carrier's pilots, and only needed one flight attendant. Airlines started move service to larger cities from larger trunk carrier planes, to regional jets, often with more frequent service, and used them on longer flights on the thinner routes. It became common to book a flight from Memphis to Phoenix only to find yourself shoehorned into a RJ for over 3 hours. In the meantime, many of the cities that had reaped the benefit of jet service, suddenly found themselves with less service, and in many cases reverted back to smaller turboprops. Embraer and Bombardier soon introduced 70 and 90 seat planes, and routes that used to be served by DC-9, 737, or MD-80 were now operated by the larger RJ's. This remains part of the business model by the legacy carriers to this day.
The first decade of the 21st century was a tumultuous one for the airline industry. About the time the airlines were at least breaking even, the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon almost destroyed it. The whole aviation system was shut down for days, air travel plummeted, a recession raged, and the federal government hoisted the Transportation Administration Administration (TSA) upon us. Air travel became more inconvenient, less comfortable, and more intrusive as poorly trained TSA agents began random body searches, and restricting what can be carried on an airplane. Instead of profiling potential terrorists, everyone was subjected to often ridiculous scrutiny. Nail clippers were banned, liquids had to be under 3 ounces, and must fit in a one quart ziplock bag. Later on came subjecting passengers to x-ray machines, and full body searches. Many travelers who used to fly are now driving to their destination.
This was not a happy time for the major airlines either. Legacy carriers, Delta, Northwest, USAirways, America West, and United all filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Airfares went up, and the airlines were looking at ways to raise even more revenue. Meal service soon ended in coach, and on soon on some carriers, snacks were no longer available. Checked baggage, which used to be included in the cost of the ticket, now became an extra, as much as $25 each way for the first checked bag and more for the second or third.
While the behemoths lingered in bankruptcy, a few low cost airlines turned a profit. Southwest continues to this day to not charge for checked baggage and is profitable enough to being able to purchase an equally profitable AirTran. The result of this merger still remains to be seen. JetBlue has been very successful as has Virgin America. The lean and mean airlines are going to be the survivors.
The 21st century has also brought about the merger of major airlines, to the detriment of their customers. Delta and Northwest both emerged from bankruptcy only to merge in to the "New Delta". The merger meant, that the Delta hub in Cincinnati shut down, the Northwest business unit in Minneapolis is closing, hubs in Memphis, Detroit and Minneapolis are being scaled back, and some cities that used to be served by both airlines are now served by neither. United and Continental are also in the process of merging, and it remains to be seen how the now largest airline in the world will do. Now in 2011, airlines are faced with $6.50 a gallon prices for Jet-A fuel, there are fewer choices, higher prices, poorer service. TSA has become an inefficient, authoritarian, and arbitrary security force. 95 year old great grandmothers in wheel chairs and 5 year old girls are being subjected to what in any other time would be felony sexual battery.
So the question remains, are the American people better served by airline deregulation, or would we be better off with a Civil Aeronautic Board assigning routes, assessing rates, and subsidizing poor performers?
I'm still in the camp of deregulation. In the past routes were subject to political pressure (even more than now), airlines were kept in business through tax payer subsidizes, and competition was nonexistent. Let the chips fall as they may, when one airline fails, someone comes along to fill the void, and cities who can not support profitable air service, probably don't need service.
Feel free to discuss here. Or send me hate messages on twitter @simkeith
Deregulation totally revamped the industry, along with the internet and the computer revolution. Airlines were free to fly where they wanted, expand their system, and compete on routes that were once monopolies. The airfares plummeted, and the $99 coast-to-coast fare became common. Airlines that used to be regional carriers like Allegheny (soon to be USAir), Piedmont, North Central, and Southern, expanded their route systems by leaps and bounds. They lost money on every flight, but it didn't seem to matter at the time. Upstart airlines like People Express with a non-unionized workforce, low paid workers, and super cheap airfares forced the big guys to cut their fares. These were the salad days of deregulation, and the consumer was king. The flight I used to pay $350 for was now $120 round trip. Airlines were desperate to build up customer loyalty and American Airlines had a very novel concept that changed everything, the frequent flier program. Enroll in this program, and you would receive a coupon book. Just have the gate agent pull one of those coupons every time you fly, and you gain points that would be good for certificates after a number of miles flown, and fly for free. It was clumsy by today's standards, but it changes everything. Within a year, all the major airlines adopted a frequent flier program. It was often hard to use the points though because seats were capacity controlled, and often there was only one or two seats available for this kind of travel. That soon changed as competition forced the airlines to ease up restrictions.
Small regional carriers soon became national, thanks to both growth and acquisition. Delta bought Northeastern Airlines, Allegheny bought Mohawk, Southern and North-Central merged to create Republic Airlines. Braniff International, who had very lucrative South American routes, decided to go big time and fly to Asia and Europe, and even lease a Concorde on routes from London. Long time behemoths like Pan Am and Eastern couldn't compete with younger carriers, had restrictive labor contracts and were strike prone just couldn't adapt. Both airlines went belly up in the late 80's. Deregulation was also not kind to airlines who decided to expand too quickly. Braniff over expanded and took on routes that just were not their. They were the first major airline to go under. American Airlines helped them along by matching their airfares and temporarily flying to traditional Braniff cities. Southwest Airlines which was just a regional airline, known for hourly service for hourly flights between Dallas Love Field and Houston Hobby Airport went national, and their business model has been studied and used by airlines worldwide on how to run a low cost airline.
With deregulation we also had winners and losers that was either market driven, and/or management driven. Corporate raiders like Frank Lorenzo and Carl Icahn bought out Continental Airlines and TWA respectively. Lorenzo then raided Eastern Airlines, and stripped it of all marketable assets and routes to feed Continental. Between incompetent management under Lorenzo along with long standing serious union problems, forced a strike that Eastern never recovered from and soon went out of business. Non-union Continental overextended itself by buying People Express and Frontier Airlines (not the Frontier that is flying today), and soon found itself in bankruptcy court. Lorenzo was forced to give up control under the reorganization agreement, and what emerged was a smaller and healthier Continental. In the case of TWA, Icahn bled it dry and put no money into modernizing it's fleet. They slowly faded away, went through 2 bankruptcies and was finally bought by American Airlines in 2001. Many other airlines popped up and just as quickly went out of business during the 80's and 90's, with very few start-ups being successful. ValuJet (now AirTran Airways) and Jet Blue have been exceptions, having good business models and modern jet fleets.
With the late 80's and 90's came a big round of consolidation, and the public was poorer for it with reduced service and higher prices. Airlines continues mergers and buy-outs at a fast pace. Many familiar formerly regional airlines began being bought by the larger carriers. As an example, USAir bought Piedmont and PSA and soon became a major national powerhouse, at the loss to many smaller cities once served by the three carriers. In many cases cities that once had DC-9 or 737 service now had 19 seat turboprops and the airfares skyrocketed to these airports. For many travelers the benefits of deregulation seemed to come full circle, with high prices and bad service and there was a movement to re-regulate at least to a point.
In the 90's, as reservation systems became more automated and computerized, the major airlines forged alliances with smaller commuter carriers, and their flights operated under the major carriers' airline code. By looking at a ticket, it was hard to know if you were flying on the major or a commuter outfit. Companies such as Comair and Skywest were soon operating as Delta Connection with much smaller equipment, and at a much lower cost than the major carrier, but it provided what was marketed as a seamless connection to the major carrier at one of the hubs. This provided convenience to passengers, but did little to relieve the high cost of flying into small and mid-size cities.
In the early 1990's Bombardier Aerospace in Montreal, Canada introduced the 50 seat Canadair Regional Jet. This revolutionized service, albeit temporarily, to small and mid-size cities across the country. The major carriers bought these airplanes by the hundreds, dry leased them to their regional partners, and cities that had been deprived of jet service soon had it restored. The planes, though crowded, were a vast improvement over the much slower turboprops. Soon afterwards, Brazil's Embraer introduced their own 50 seat regional jet and the airlines now had a cheaper and more efficient means to service their markets.
It didn't take long for the airlines to realize that they had stumbled on to a cash cow. The regional jets broke even at half capacity, had flight crews that made a fraction of the trunk carrier's pilots, and only needed one flight attendant. Airlines started move service to larger cities from larger trunk carrier planes, to regional jets, often with more frequent service, and used them on longer flights on the thinner routes. It became common to book a flight from Memphis to Phoenix only to find yourself shoehorned into a RJ for over 3 hours. In the meantime, many of the cities that had reaped the benefit of jet service, suddenly found themselves with less service, and in many cases reverted back to smaller turboprops. Embraer and Bombardier soon introduced 70 and 90 seat planes, and routes that used to be served by DC-9, 737, or MD-80 were now operated by the larger RJ's. This remains part of the business model by the legacy carriers to this day.
The first decade of the 21st century was a tumultuous one for the airline industry. About the time the airlines were at least breaking even, the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon almost destroyed it. The whole aviation system was shut down for days, air travel plummeted, a recession raged, and the federal government hoisted the Transportation Administration Administration (TSA) upon us. Air travel became more inconvenient, less comfortable, and more intrusive as poorly trained TSA agents began random body searches, and restricting what can be carried on an airplane. Instead of profiling potential terrorists, everyone was subjected to often ridiculous scrutiny. Nail clippers were banned, liquids had to be under 3 ounces, and must fit in a one quart ziplock bag. Later on came subjecting passengers to x-ray machines, and full body searches. Many travelers who used to fly are now driving to their destination.
This was not a happy time for the major airlines either. Legacy carriers, Delta, Northwest, USAirways, America West, and United all filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Airfares went up, and the airlines were looking at ways to raise even more revenue. Meal service soon ended in coach, and on soon on some carriers, snacks were no longer available. Checked baggage, which used to be included in the cost of the ticket, now became an extra, as much as $25 each way for the first checked bag and more for the second or third.
While the behemoths lingered in bankruptcy, a few low cost airlines turned a profit. Southwest continues to this day to not charge for checked baggage and is profitable enough to being able to purchase an equally profitable AirTran. The result of this merger still remains to be seen. JetBlue has been very successful as has Virgin America. The lean and mean airlines are going to be the survivors.
The 21st century has also brought about the merger of major airlines, to the detriment of their customers. Delta and Northwest both emerged from bankruptcy only to merge in to the "New Delta". The merger meant, that the Delta hub in Cincinnati shut down, the Northwest business unit in Minneapolis is closing, hubs in Memphis, Detroit and Minneapolis are being scaled back, and some cities that used to be served by both airlines are now served by neither. United and Continental are also in the process of merging, and it remains to be seen how the now largest airline in the world will do. Now in 2011, airlines are faced with $6.50 a gallon prices for Jet-A fuel, there are fewer choices, higher prices, poorer service. TSA has become an inefficient, authoritarian, and arbitrary security force. 95 year old great grandmothers in wheel chairs and 5 year old girls are being subjected to what in any other time would be felony sexual battery.
So the question remains, are the American people better served by airline deregulation, or would we be better off with a Civil Aeronautic Board assigning routes, assessing rates, and subsidizing poor performers?
I'm still in the camp of deregulation. In the past routes were subject to political pressure (even more than now), airlines were kept in business through tax payer subsidizes, and competition was nonexistent. Let the chips fall as they may, when one airline fails, someone comes along to fill the void, and cities who can not support profitable air service, probably don't need service.
Feel free to discuss here. Or send me hate messages on twitter @simkeith
Monday, July 4, 2011
July 4th 2011 in San Francisco
Belated happy Independence Day to all. I'm currently on assignment in the San Francisco bay area and got to enjoy festivities here today, including a good baseball game at one of the best baseball stadiums in the major leagues I've watched a game, AT&T Park. Sadly for my local friends the Giants lost to the Padres 5-3.
I was invited and went to an Independence Day celebration that included mostly veterans, active duty military and tea party type people. A few local Democrat city council-critters showed up, and of course Code Pink had to be there to heckle the group. This was pretty small, maybe 200 people, and it was mostly a remeberance of those who sacrificed for our country and those who built it to be the shining star on the hill that Ronald Reagan once proclaimed us to be.
Like I said, this was a quiet crowd, and not very political, until the lefties showed up screaming slogans, calling us Nazis and wanting sent to death camps. The irony in this is that they got their loudist during the reading of the Delecration of Independence by a 91 year old World War II veteran who survived 2 years in one of Hitler's POW camps. This nice old gentleman finished reading the document, left the small stage, and walked over to the young girl, to ask what her problem was. Her answer was that he was the problem, and anyone who who has gone to war for any reason was as bad as Hitler. Yes, You get the drift, she is a moron. However this nice old man just gave her a kiss on the cheek and told her, that many of his friends died over 60 years ago so that she could show up there today to make a complete ass out of herself, and then he walked away. The Code Pink people continued to scream slogans, while the rest of us waved to them and offered coffee and pastries to them. There were no takers and that was there loss.
I was invited and went to an Independence Day celebration that included mostly veterans, active duty military and tea party type people. A few local Democrat city council-critters showed up, and of course Code Pink had to be there to heckle the group. This was pretty small, maybe 200 people, and it was mostly a remeberance of those who sacrificed for our country and those who built it to be the shining star on the hill that Ronald Reagan once proclaimed us to be.
Like I said, this was a quiet crowd, and not very political, until the lefties showed up screaming slogans, calling us Nazis and wanting sent to death camps. The irony in this is that they got their loudist during the reading of the Delecration of Independence by a 91 year old World War II veteran who survived 2 years in one of Hitler's POW camps. This nice old gentleman finished reading the document, left the small stage, and walked over to the young girl, to ask what her problem was. Her answer was that he was the problem, and anyone who who has gone to war for any reason was as bad as Hitler. Yes, You get the drift, she is a moron. However this nice old man just gave her a kiss on the cheek and told her, that many of his friends died over 60 years ago so that she could show up there today to make a complete ass out of herself, and then he walked away. The Code Pink people continued to scream slogans, while the rest of us waved to them and offered coffee and pastries to them. There were no takers and that was there loss.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Adventures in Air Travel. Failure and Success
Anyone who travels by air these days, knows the frustrations that go with it. Between the airlines nickeling and diming us to death with hidden fees, charges for everything but breathign air, tactical cancellations of flights (they can almost always get away with blaming weather), and the horrors that are inflicted on us by the incompetent, totalitarian, and soon to be unionized TSA, meaning even the most incompetent and corrupt of them won't be able to be fired.
However I've got a bad news-good news story to relay to my tens of readers. This past week, I was flying from Memphis to San Francisco, with a plane change in Salt Lake City, and everything was going swimmingly right up until the airplane's door was about to close. Then 2 mechanics came on board, and there was a long conversation between the crew chief and the captain, and shortly after, we heard the bad news. A careless dunderhead of a baggage handler struck the airplane with a belt loader and broke an antenna. Under Delta's Minimum Equipment List (MEL), that the FAA approves and enforces, that is a no fly restriction. I figured immediately, that I'm not going anywhere that night, as there was no other possible connection after this. However, the captain told us that it was just the antenna for the inflight internet service and they should quickly get this resolved. Well one hour goes by, with frequent updated by the outstanding captain, who was great through all this, and then 1.5 hours, and finally, the Delta maintenance management gave the go ahead to depart. All the passengers knew that we had missed our connections, and many of us asked to get off the plane and rebook for the next day, but the ground service agents in Memphis wouldn't allow it. I asked why, and the agent with an obvious "Memphis Attitude" (who was mostl likely was a former Northwest employee and treated us with the former Northwest Airlines customer service approach) told me, that that would cause her to file a lot of paperwork and it was far easier for her to make all of us SLC's problem. Really nice, eh?
Ok, we arrive in SLC 2 hours late, and I experienced the exact opposite attitude from the folks there. They had portable kiosks opened up with a dozen CSR's passing out vouchers for lodging and meals as well as boarding passes for the earliest flight the next day. What a difference 2 cities made. I ended up at a rather upscale airport hotel (yes they do exist once again), vouchers for 2 meals...well, $6 vouchers, but nont the less, it is better than anyone offered us in MEM.
To top it all off, I got bumped to first class on the flight to SFO, meaning that I could take the snacks from the basket myself and get a shot of Bailey's in my coffee in the morning. So kudos to the Delta CSR's at SLC for really providing customer service to people who really needed it. I got to my destination a bit late but not worse for wear.
TSA in SLC was as incomepent as any other airport I've been through. I got directed to one of those "low level" x-ray machines, along with a half dozen from my line. Well all of us ended up getting the pat down because one of those soon to be unionized government employees, didn't know how to operate the equipment and all the images were unreadable. The guy who patted me down went a bit further, sticking his hand down the front and back of my pants, and seemed to really be enjoying it. I finally told him, in my usual tactful way, "Hey why don't you just give me a blowjob and be done with it." He smiled, winked, and I went on my way extremely creeped out. Remember folks they are from the government and here to protect us.
So there you have it, the good, the bad and the ugly all within about 15 hours.
As I posted earlier, ain't air travel grand?
However I've got a bad news-good news story to relay to my tens of readers. This past week, I was flying from Memphis to San Francisco, with a plane change in Salt Lake City, and everything was going swimmingly right up until the airplane's door was about to close. Then 2 mechanics came on board, and there was a long conversation between the crew chief and the captain, and shortly after, we heard the bad news. A careless dunderhead of a baggage handler struck the airplane with a belt loader and broke an antenna. Under Delta's Minimum Equipment List (MEL), that the FAA approves and enforces, that is a no fly restriction. I figured immediately, that I'm not going anywhere that night, as there was no other possible connection after this. However, the captain told us that it was just the antenna for the inflight internet service and they should quickly get this resolved. Well one hour goes by, with frequent updated by the outstanding captain, who was great through all this, and then 1.5 hours, and finally, the Delta maintenance management gave the go ahead to depart. All the passengers knew that we had missed our connections, and many of us asked to get off the plane and rebook for the next day, but the ground service agents in Memphis wouldn't allow it. I asked why, and the agent with an obvious "Memphis Attitude" (who was mostl likely was a former Northwest employee and treated us with the former Northwest Airlines customer service approach) told me, that that would cause her to file a lot of paperwork and it was far easier for her to make all of us SLC's problem. Really nice, eh?
Ok, we arrive in SLC 2 hours late, and I experienced the exact opposite attitude from the folks there. They had portable kiosks opened up with a dozen CSR's passing out vouchers for lodging and meals as well as boarding passes for the earliest flight the next day. What a difference 2 cities made. I ended up at a rather upscale airport hotel (yes they do exist once again), vouchers for 2 meals...well, $6 vouchers, but nont the less, it is better than anyone offered us in MEM.
To top it all off, I got bumped to first class on the flight to SFO, meaning that I could take the snacks from the basket myself and get a shot of Bailey's in my coffee in the morning. So kudos to the Delta CSR's at SLC for really providing customer service to people who really needed it. I got to my destination a bit late but not worse for wear.
TSA in SLC was as incomepent as any other airport I've been through. I got directed to one of those "low level" x-ray machines, along with a half dozen from my line. Well all of us ended up getting the pat down because one of those soon to be unionized government employees, didn't know how to operate the equipment and all the images were unreadable. The guy who patted me down went a bit further, sticking his hand down the front and back of my pants, and seemed to really be enjoying it. I finally told him, in my usual tactful way, "Hey why don't you just give me a blowjob and be done with it." He smiled, winked, and I went on my way extremely creeped out. Remember folks they are from the government and here to protect us.
So there you have it, the good, the bad and the ugly all within about 15 hours.
As I posted earlier, ain't air travel grand?
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Business Travel
A lot of us take business trips from time to time, and some more than others. Unless I'm on a 2 day business trip on a mundane trip to Atlanta, Minneapolis or Binghamton, I really like to get out and visit the city or the area I'm visiting (ok in Binghamton, I'm going to be on the town, because I used to live there). Let's face it, having all your meals at the Holiday Inn or Hilton where your company's travel department stuck you, or at a nearby chain restaurant is boring and often crappy, when there is usually a lot of local food to try. A bit of research can give you a real local experience, and usually save a few bucks. Also, unless I'm in a city that's really boring and where I've been a lot, there is always a reason to get out and at least have a look around.
I know people who are scared to death about venturing to downtown Memphis after dark. That's baseless unless you are stoned drunk or wander into remote alleys. On the other hand I've been to Karachi, where there is no way I'd wander out of my hotel without an armed escort. But I've traveled all over the world and mostly have been left unmolested. I travel to the Philippines often, and although Manila can be dangerous (or at least daunting) to the uninitiated, a bit of research and a local guide can give you a good evening even on a short trip of a day or 2. Try to get to know a bit about your destination before you go, and ask your business contact for advice.
Travel really does broaden your horizons, so long as you let it. If you travel to Taipei two times a year, eat your meals at the Hyatt, or seek out the nearest Chili's or Outback, and try nothing local, it is your loss. Nothing ticks me off more than people traveling abroad and either expecting everything to be just like home, and when it is not, gets upset that it is not. Foreign travel is eye opening only if you want to see, and I urge all who travel on business to go to your destination with open eyes, if not an open wallet.
My bottom line here is that very few of us get to travel that is paid by our employer, and when you can, it can be a good value to attach some vacation to the tail end of a nice international trip, bring your spouse or significant other along with you, and enjoy the unique place you are visiting.
I know people who are scared to death about venturing to downtown Memphis after dark. That's baseless unless you are stoned drunk or wander into remote alleys. On the other hand I've been to Karachi, where there is no way I'd wander out of my hotel without an armed escort. But I've traveled all over the world and mostly have been left unmolested. I travel to the Philippines often, and although Manila can be dangerous (or at least daunting) to the uninitiated, a bit of research and a local guide can give you a good evening even on a short trip of a day or 2. Try to get to know a bit about your destination before you go, and ask your business contact for advice.
Travel really does broaden your horizons, so long as you let it. If you travel to Taipei two times a year, eat your meals at the Hyatt, or seek out the nearest Chili's or Outback, and try nothing local, it is your loss. Nothing ticks me off more than people traveling abroad and either expecting everything to be just like home, and when it is not, gets upset that it is not. Foreign travel is eye opening only if you want to see, and I urge all who travel on business to go to your destination with open eyes, if not an open wallet.
My bottom line here is that very few of us get to travel that is paid by our employer, and when you can, it can be a good value to attach some vacation to the tail end of a nice international trip, bring your spouse or significant other along with you, and enjoy the unique place you are visiting.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Ain't Airline Travel Grand?
Well no, even if you are flying first class. Back in the day, airlines rarely canceled flights, unless it was a real mechanical or weather issue. But now all the airlines use cancellations as a tactical move. Weather can always be blamed. The weasel way out is that it does not have to be weather at the origin or destination. All it takes is bad weather anywhere in the airline's system to blame your flight for delays and cancellations because they move planes around early and often.
My friend Ed Morrissey is having a lot of fun getting stuck in transit tonight, but hopefully will sleep in his own bed tonight. So what to do when you plan one trip, but the airlines deliver you much less?
Basically, unless you are proactive, they will do nothing and I mean NOTHING.
First, if you are delayed more than 2 hours, ask the gate agent if they will issue a meal voucher. The answer is usually hell no, unless you are an "Elite member" but it doesn't hurt to ask. If the connecting flight is canceled, and the airline tells you anything other than "weather delays/cancellations" you have rights. The airline is on the hook for at least giving you vouchers for lodging and meals, although. the lodging voucher might not be of much use if there are no rooms available for whatever reasons. Hold the airline's CSR's feet to the fire. The squeaky wheel gets greased.
Ok, lets say you get stuck in Vienna connecting on a flight from Tel Aviv. Dude! Bonus. Quit crying in your scotch and take the opportunity to enjoy one of the great places in Europe. However, if you get stuck in Karachi, or Allentown, ok shed a few tears, but buck up and just go with the flow. Be proactive and get as much from the airline as possible.
If you are an elite member of an airline's frequent flier program or a Club member, you may get a lot better treatment. But it never hurts to make some noise. I've made a career of making Northwest (now Delta) CSRs' lives miserable when I'm detained and they try to blow me off. You don't have to be obnoxious, and that really is wrong way to approach them. Be professional, know your rights under the conditions of contract, and be firm. Don't raise your voice or be threatening at anytime, unless you want to meet Mr. Crotch Grabber. Knowing what the airline owes you for failure to perform is paramount on you. The airlines will offer as little as they can get away with.
Air travel is no fun anymore, but knowing what your rights under the law and conditions of contract, along with an assertive attitude when needed, can often help.
Bon Voyage.
My friend Ed Morrissey is having a lot of fun getting stuck in transit tonight, but hopefully will sleep in his own bed tonight. So what to do when you plan one trip, but the airlines deliver you much less?
Basically, unless you are proactive, they will do nothing and I mean NOTHING.
First, if you are delayed more than 2 hours, ask the gate agent if they will issue a meal voucher. The answer is usually hell no, unless you are an "Elite member" but it doesn't hurt to ask. If the connecting flight is canceled, and the airline tells you anything other than "weather delays/cancellations" you have rights. The airline is on the hook for at least giving you vouchers for lodging and meals, although. the lodging voucher might not be of much use if there are no rooms available for whatever reasons. Hold the airline's CSR's feet to the fire. The squeaky wheel gets greased.
Ok, lets say you get stuck in Vienna connecting on a flight from Tel Aviv. Dude! Bonus. Quit crying in your scotch and take the opportunity to enjoy one of the great places in Europe. However, if you get stuck in Karachi, or Allentown, ok shed a few tears, but buck up and just go with the flow. Be proactive and get as much from the airline as possible.
If you are an elite member of an airline's frequent flier program or a Club member, you may get a lot better treatment. But it never hurts to make some noise. I've made a career of making Northwest (now Delta) CSRs' lives miserable when I'm detained and they try to blow me off. You don't have to be obnoxious, and that really is wrong way to approach them. Be professional, know your rights under the conditions of contract, and be firm. Don't raise your voice or be threatening at anytime, unless you want to meet Mr. Crotch Grabber. Knowing what the airline owes you for failure to perform is paramount on you. The airlines will offer as little as they can get away with.
Air travel is no fun anymore, but knowing what your rights under the law and conditions of contract, along with an assertive attitude when needed, can often help.
Bon Voyage.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Travel Advice
I've been absent here lately, for a lot of reasons, laziness being one of them. But I thought it was time to do something decidedly non-political.
Ed Morrissey from Hotair.com and I had quite an exchange prior his excursion to Rome with his lovely wife last month, and we discussed safety and security issues. This brought me to decide to discuss safety and security when traveling away from home, be it domestically or abroad. We need to be aware of our surroundings no matter where we go. I'm going to address this in 2 sections here. First, domestic travel.
Domestic travel
Where are you going, and where are you staying? These are both important, because being at the Fairmont in San Francisco, and being at the Motel 6 in Memphis are very different places. Know where you are going to be, know the neighborhood, and understand what safety measures you need to take.
1. Don't carry a lot of cash
2. Carry just a few credit/debit cards
3. Don't carry a wallet in your hip pocket, men; and ladies don't carry a loaded purse.
Try to fit in in the local scenery as much as possible. Looking like a tourist puts a bullseye on your back.
4. Keep your valuables in the hotel safe, not that box in your room with the digital combination. It isn't secure and every maid and maintenance man has the codes that override yours.
International Travel
This gets complicated, depending on where in the world you are traveling. The rules for Canada are far different than those from Syria.
First off, prepare for the trip. You are not going to be home, under out laws and protections, and your medical insurance may not be valid where you are going. Buy additional travel insurance if needed. It's pretty cheap. Read up on the countries you will visit. Try to learn some basics of the language. Many people abroad can speak English but it is not guaranteed, and in small towns, you really do need to know a bit of the local lingo. Don't expect things to be like "back home", if that's a problem, stay home. We travel abroad to expand our scope of knowledge about the world around us. If you need Chik-Fil-A in Cebu, don't go there.
Now a few safety and security tips.
You figured out where to stay, and the neighborhood where you will be in. That's good. Get a good local map, or get one on Google. Know where you are at all times, and be aware of your surroundings.
1. Do not carry a wallet or purse anywhere outside the US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. I highly recommend carrying a hidden wallet that hides behind your pants. There are many types available, but i strongly recommend an underneath the pants hidden wallet like this one
2. Never share a taxi. It's a mugging waiting to happen.
3. Leave your passport, most of your money and credit cards in the hotel safe, not in the room box, but take photocopies of your passport with you. The exception is if the country you are visiting requires you to keep your passport and visa on you at all times, but not many of us are going to Syria.
4. Know that, Dorothy, you are not in Kansas anymore. You are in a foreign country, don't expect things to be like back home, and don't bitch when they aren't. Electricity, hot water, and air conditioning may be a sometimes thing, especially in the 3rd world. Deal with it.
5. Read the State Department Briefings on the countries you will visit. They have important and vital information if you ever get in trouble.
Finally just use common sense and have a great safe trip
Ed Morrissey from Hotair.com and I had quite an exchange prior his excursion to Rome with his lovely wife last month, and we discussed safety and security issues. This brought me to decide to discuss safety and security when traveling away from home, be it domestically or abroad. We need to be aware of our surroundings no matter where we go. I'm going to address this in 2 sections here. First, domestic travel.
Domestic travel
Where are you going, and where are you staying? These are both important, because being at the Fairmont in San Francisco, and being at the Motel 6 in Memphis are very different places. Know where you are going to be, know the neighborhood, and understand what safety measures you need to take.
1. Don't carry a lot of cash
2. Carry just a few credit/debit cards
3. Don't carry a wallet in your hip pocket, men; and ladies don't carry a loaded purse.
Try to fit in in the local scenery as much as possible. Looking like a tourist puts a bullseye on your back.
4. Keep your valuables in the hotel safe, not that box in your room with the digital combination. It isn't secure and every maid and maintenance man has the codes that override yours.
International Travel
This gets complicated, depending on where in the world you are traveling. The rules for Canada are far different than those from Syria.
First off, prepare for the trip. You are not going to be home, under out laws and protections, and your medical insurance may not be valid where you are going. Buy additional travel insurance if needed. It's pretty cheap. Read up on the countries you will visit. Try to learn some basics of the language. Many people abroad can speak English but it is not guaranteed, and in small towns, you really do need to know a bit of the local lingo. Don't expect things to be like "back home", if that's a problem, stay home. We travel abroad to expand our scope of knowledge about the world around us. If you need Chik-Fil-A in Cebu, don't go there.
Now a few safety and security tips.
You figured out where to stay, and the neighborhood where you will be in. That's good. Get a good local map, or get one on Google. Know where you are at all times, and be aware of your surroundings.
1. Do not carry a wallet or purse anywhere outside the US, Canada, Australia or New Zealand. I highly recommend carrying a hidden wallet that hides behind your pants. There are many types available, but i strongly recommend an underneath the pants hidden wallet like this one
2. Never share a taxi. It's a mugging waiting to happen.
3. Leave your passport, most of your money and credit cards in the hotel safe, not in the room box, but take photocopies of your passport with you. The exception is if the country you are visiting requires you to keep your passport and visa on you at all times, but not many of us are going to Syria.
4. Know that, Dorothy, you are not in Kansas anymore. You are in a foreign country, don't expect things to be like back home, and don't bitch when they aren't. Electricity, hot water, and air conditioning may be a sometimes thing, especially in the 3rd world. Deal with it.
5. Read the State Department Briefings on the countries you will visit. They have important and vital information if you ever get in trouble.
Finally just use common sense and have a great safe trip
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