Yo Taxi!

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

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

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

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

• Do all taxis take credit cards?  Usually the law requires it in the cities.
• I know it is hard to believe but taxi drivers will lie to you so you will pay them cash.  Frequently they will try to intimidate you into paying cash at the end of your ride.  This intimidation is usually in the form of a simple statement of "Cash".  Just be firm and tell them they can either take the card or give you the ride for free.  Ignore any huffing or complaints.
• How much will it cost to get to my hotel?  You should know about where your hotel is located, usually the name of the hotel indicates the neighborhood; for example, Renaissance Atlanta Midtown Hotel.  (Yeah, shameless promotion of a great property.)
• It does not happen frequently but on occasion taxi drivers will take the long way to your destination.  I usually take a quick glance at my iPhone map app to verify we're not going out of our way.  If you suspect you are taking a long route, copy their name and taxi permit number which will be displayed in the front of the cab and report it to the area taxi commission.  The hotel can help you.

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

Travel Lull

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

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

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

Benefits of travel

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

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

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

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

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

Brushes with fame

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

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

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

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

Pitfalls of carry on luggage

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

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

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

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

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

Holiday travel advice

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

Here are some courtesy rules to remember:

1. The airports are going to be crowded!  Give yourself extra time when arriving for your flights
1. Expect long lines
2. Don't take your frustrations out on the nice people trying to help you, namely the gate attendants; if you need them you want them on your side
2. When going through security know the rules and be ready when you get to the conveyor belt
1. Remove everything from your pockets, take off your belt, and put them all into one of your carry-on items while in the security line. Do this before getting to the guy that will check your ticket and ID
2. Have your liquids and gels in a plastic bag near the top of your stuff or in a separate pocket so when you hit the conveyor belt you can quickly pull it out and put it into the bin
3. You don't need a plastic bin for everything, your bags, purses, and shoes can go directly on the belt
4. Once through the check-point gather your stuff off the belts and take it to the seats provided immediately inside the terminal to get everything back in order, don't do this at the conveyor belts
5. Take a quick inventory of your stuff.  You don't want to leave anything you need at security
3. Boarding is a slow process and is done in waves, be patient you will get on board
1.  There is no need to crowd the gate 
2. Check your boarding pass for your loading zone, or whatever your airline calls your group for boarding
3. Little helpful tip for Delta passengers, "Zone 1" is not the same as "First Class"
4. Generally you are allowed one carry-on and one personal item
1. Full flights do not have enough room for everyone to have a roller bag as a carry-on, you can check your roller bag for free at the terminal gate.  You will be able to pick it up either on the jet bridge as you leave the plane or it will come out with the checked luggage at your destination.  Be sure to ask which it is.
2. If you have 2 items it is poor etiquette to put both in the over head bins.  One should go under the seat in front of your feet.  If you only have one, feel free to use the overhead so you have a little extra leg room (temper your expectations, there isn't a lot of leg room to start with
5. Deplaning is also a slow frustrating process
1. Etiquette allows those in the front to get out first, it is very annoying when people budge in front of the rows ahead without permission
2. If you are close for a connection ask people if you can please get ahead

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

Between trips

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

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

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

My hotel status offers me:

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

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