Galley Gossip: Frequent flier pet peeve – rude flight attendants

by Heather Poole on
So heather. Tell me your opinion on this. Today I flew home from visiting my bubby in Boca and I was reminded of one of my biggest flight attendant pet peeves. The flight attendant working in first class, while addressing passengers to take drink orders and when checking in during the flight, asked..”what do you need” ? A call light would ring, she’d saunter out of the galley and bark, “what do you need”? I dunno why, but this bothers me. I think it’s borderline rude. It makes me feel like she feels bothered by the passengers.?. What do you think?

R.F.

P.S. These flights to MIA were not nearly as eventful as the last, but there was a man who boarded on his phone and freaked out because the boarding music was too loud. He lunged into the galley and requested it to be turned off. When it was, he sat in his seat and spoke louder than the music. Ahhhh!!! some people!

Dear R.F

There’s a reason I avoid the New York – Miami route! There’s always something out of the ordinary happening on that flight. Which is why I’m not at all surprised by the passenger’s request to turn down the boarding music so he could talk on his phone. Recently I was flagged down during the safety video because someone thought it was too loud and wondered if I could shut it off – shut it off! The video! The one that goes over what to do in case of an emergency! Because he’d seen it already.

That’s not all. Years ago on another flight I had a celebrity on board who happened to be traveling in first class with her infant son. She rang the flight attendant call light and said, “Do you think you can ask the Captain not to make anymore announcements. My son is sleeping.”

It was true, her son was sleeping, so I smiled, nodded, and walked straight to the cockpit. Oh how I couldn’t wait to relay that message and see the look on the Captain’s face.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from being a flight attendant it’s that we live in a me-me-me world. People are too quick to judge and lack empathy. I’m not just talking about passengers, I’m talking about flight attendants, too. Rarely do people take a step back in order to see the big picture. We’re all just so busy going, going, going that we’re unable to grasp anything other than what affects us personally.

Now I wasn’t on your flight, R. F., so I have no idea whether your flight attendant was rude or just not as articulate as you would have liked There’s a difference, ya know. But I understand what you’re getting at because there have been times I’ve found the request, “Give me Coke!” jarring. I’ve felt the same way about passengers who try to get my attention by tugging on my elbow or saying, “Pssst! Pssst! Pssst!” Then I remind myself that some people really don’t know any better. Doesn’t make them rude, mean, or stupid, it just means I have a lot to be thankful for. It sounds like you do, too.

While I agree with you that the phrase, “What do you need?” does come off rough and abrupt, keep in mind that a call light rang and she answered it – perhaps to the best of her ability. A request was made and she delivered it, whether or not she could have delivered it with a little more finesse is something we’ll never know. But she did do her job, regardless of the particular words used.

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Photo courtesy of Rkob (legs), lamazone (flight attendants)

Status seekers pulling back

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It’s not just the travel companies’ bank accounts getting hit in this market – loyalty programs are getting spanked, too. The management consultants, investment bankers and attorneys – now fewer in number than a year ago – who accumulate elite status quickly aren’t spending as much time on the road. With considerably less travel time being logged, the folks who used to have platinum status on multiple airlines and in multiple hotels aren’t hitting the same levels they have for the past several years.

A study by Colloquy, which conducts marketing research for loyalty programs, showed that loyalty program membership dropped 28 percent in the travel industry. In 2007, the average traveler belonged to 2.8 of these programs. Now, it’s down to merely two. Lower- and middle-income men are being cited as the source of the decline, as they’ve been hit harder by layoffs.

Additionally, active participation in loyalty programs is down almost a third. This year, the average traveler is participating actively in 1.5 programs – a year ago, it was 2.2. Among the wealthy, this type of engagement fell 13 percent – from 2.3 programs down to two.

According to Colloquy, travelers are focusing on fewer programs and looking to get as much as they can out of them, rather than spread around their travel with the knowledge that they’ll have enough to reach and maintain high statuses with several travel companies.

Earn your exit row seat, prove you can save lives

by Tom Johansmeyer on

I look at the exit row as relief. When you’re staring down a short hop from New York to Boston or a long trans-Atlantic haul, that extra space boosts everything from comfort to morale. Once upon a time, luck was enough to land you one of these treasured spaces, but the brutality of the market has made the exit row a spot for the elite, such as frequent fliers who, for some reason, weren’t able to get the upgrade to the big time. Or, they go to passengers willing to shell out a few extra dollars for several hours of privilege.

Of course, this seat comes with an obligation. You have to be ready to assist the cabin crew if all hell breaks loose. This concept used to be academic, but it only took a landing on the Hudson River to remind us just how serious this role can be.

So, could you pull the trigger? Do you have what it takes to perform under pressure?

Passengers are starting to pay more attention to the card in the seat pouch and the additional briefing from the flight attendants. Full disclosure – I was lucky enough to grab an exit row on my trip to Madrid last month, and I read the card twice. I did the same thing on the way home, thanks to the fatality-free crash at London’s City Airport.

But, that’s not enough to tell if I would have the strength and presence of mind to haul a 50 lb. door out of the way.

One extreme view is to put together a mockup of an emergency exit door and encourage people to test their skills before claiming the extra-legroom prize. I say, why stop there? If you can’t navigate an airport like O.J. Simpson, maybe you should take that middle row toward the back of the plane.

For everyone else, I propose “the gauntlet.”It would start with a sprint through the security gate – x-ray machines be damned! You have to get past several TSA workers, but they won’t be working too hard. This is your warm-up. Next, a diving roll past a Sbarro is in order, and you must pick up a slice with sausage and pepperoni along the way … but you can’t eat it until you’ve sprinted by three gates.

This is nothing, though.

After picking up and paying for a USA Today with exact change (don’t forget your receipt!), you’ll face the proposed emergency exit door mockup. Yank the hefty door out of the way, trigger a life raft and fill your life vest … at the same time. Then, show that you can put an oxygen mask on a screaming toddler while sipping (and enjoying) some airline coffee with your left hand.

If you can do all this, perhaps, you deserve your spot on the exit row. But, you still won’t earn the good wishes of the rest of us. Nothing bets having the extra legroom.

10 New Years travel resolutions you won’t want to miss

by Scott Carmichael on

The year is almost over, so after looking back at some of the best and worst the year had to offer, it is now time to look forward at the new year.

I’ve collected ten ways that can help you make the best of your trips, and may even help you collect some extra miles on the way there.

Re-evaluate your airline and hotel loyalty

I have some bad news for you – your airline or hotel of choice does not consider you to be a good friend. Despite your years of loyalty, they really don’t care who you are. Unless you are in the top 1% of their frequent guests, it may be time to evaluate the other companies.

Many people consider themselves loyal to one airline or hotel chain, often in exchange for some basic perks from their frequent guest program. I’ve come across people at the airport with a mid-tier loyalty card, who somehow thought that they were very important to the airline. Fact of the matter is, unless you spend a considerable amount of money on first class tickets or hotel suites, they will never ever care who you are.

With this in mind, it always makes sense to check out the grass at the other terminal. Research the airline or hotel chain on one of the many frequent traveler chat boards, investigate their perks, and check out ticket sites for the price of tickets or rooms you usually purchase. You won’t always find a better option, but at least you can travel knowing you are getting some decent value for your money.

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Travel lighter

Before you embark on your next trip, take the time to go through your bags and dump anything you should not be carrying. You’d be surprised how many old hotel room keys and crumpled boarding passes you’ll find at the bottom of a well traveled bag.

Take the time to go over your high-tech equipment, and consider investing in lighter solutions like the Chargepod charger, or even a shiny new Netbook. The investment will pay off in the long run, and your back will thank you for it.

If you need a new laptop bag, get yourself a TSA friendly one, it may only save 30 seconds at the checkpoint, but you will no longer have to remove your laptop every time arrive at the airport.

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Go for a status match (if you have any status)

The status match is the undocumented trick airlines use to help you switch your loyalty to them. If you have status with one airline, you can usually have a competing airline match that status in their own frequent flier program. There are couple of exceptions though.

Airlines usually decline status matches to fellow airlines in the same alliance. For example; United Airlines won’t match BMI since they both participate in the Star Alliance, exceptions are sometimes made if you can convince the airline you only fly routes that don’t overlap.

To get a status match, simply call the customer service line of the airline you’d like to try, and they’ll usually provide you with the information you need to have them process the match.

The advantage of a status match is that you can switch airlines, without losing any of the perks you got at your previous airline. The status match often comes with some fine print. Some will only grant the new status for 6 months, and others may “challenge” you and ask you to prove your loyalty by flying them a couple of times before they hand over a shiny new gold card. One final warning; the status match is almost always a one-time thing, so don’t ask for a match until you really need it.

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Plan your summer destinations now

Feeling cold? Why not sit down and find your next summer vacation destination. This is especially important if you plan to cash in some miles to fly. The sooner you book, the greater the chance you’ll actually be able to finally spend some of those hard earned miles.

Don’t always worry about paying for a ticket now, some airlines now offer best price guarantees and will refund any drops in price between now and your departure date. Just be sure to check with your booking site for the terms of the ticket you are paying for before you click “buy”.

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Update all your mileage accounts

If you don’t care who you fly, then chances are you have 5 or 6 different mileage accounts. Each account probably has a few thousand miles. Go over each account, and check whether your miles are at risk of expiring. Make sure your email and address information is up to date, and make any changes necessary.

Some airlines have very low redemption levels for certain non-flight perks. Your small collection of miles might be enough for a newspaper or magazine subscription, or you could simply donate the miles to one of the many charities often involved with the airline. If you do find an account with miles that are about to expire, find a way to add some miles to the account through a shopping portal. These small transactions are usually enough to keep your mileage account alive for another couple of years.

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Educate yourself on the TSA rules and regulations

Last week I wrote about some of the silliest things the TSA did in 2008. Not everything that goes wrong at the security checkpoint can be blamed on the TSA agents. Plenty of travelers still arrive at the checkpoint horribly unprepared.

If you are not a frequent flier, check out the TSA web site, and educate yourself on the current rules and regulations. You’d be amazed how many people arrive at the airport without a valid ID, and with a bag full of oversized bottles of toiletries.

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Get yourself a mileage earning credit card

If you are going to spend money, then why not spend it and earn something back at the same time? Credit may have tightened up a bit, but there are still plenty of great ways out there to earn a nice signup bonus and earn more miles when you use your card.

A decent list of all current mileage earning cards can be found here, but often it simply pays to call your bank and see what they have to offer. Citi, Chase, Captial One and American Express all offer their own brand of mileage (or point) earning cards.

Sadly, the best deals often come in the mail, so next time you see one of those horrible pre-approved envelopes, don’t immediately throw it away. Before signing up for a card, be sure to check out the yearly membership fees and whether the bank is willing to offer a nice 0% APR deal.

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Check for missing mileage credits

If you travel more than a few times a year, then it may be worth sitting down behind your computer and checking for any missing flight segments in your mileage account. You’ll need to have your boarding passes and a list of when you flew.

You’d be surprised how often an airline miscalculates your mileage, or completely “forgets” to credit you for a flight you took. This is especially if your original flight was canceled or rerouted as your frequent flier number may have dropped off the new reservation. To compare what you should have earned, with what you actually got, you’ll want to use a mileage tool like WebFlyer’s MileMarker.

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Start writing about your trips

If you are lucky enough to fly more than a few times a year to fun destinations, then consider documenting your trips. Even if nobody reads it, you’ll create a permanent record of what you did.

Also, don’t just shoot 100’s of photos that grow old on your computer. Upload them to one of the digital photo hosting sites, many of which are free to use. I’m a big fan of Smugmug myself, but with so many different sites, there is bound to be one out there that fits your needs.

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Be prepared for when things go wrong

How many of you have the most up to date phone numbers for your airline or hotel chain stored in your phone?

Do you know who to call if you suddenly find yourself stuck at the wrong airport and have to fight with 200 others for 50 hotel rooms? In just 10 minutes, you’ll be able to add all the important airline and hotel reservation numbers to your phone. Also, take the time to print out the numbers in case your phone arrives at your destination with a dead battery.

If you have the right equipment at home, make a copy and/or scan of your passport and drivers license and try to dig up the phone numbers of all your credit card companies. If disaster strikes and your wallet goes missing, you’ll thank yourself for being prepared.

So there you have it, ten simple things that could make your upcoming year of travel a tad easier to deal with. Of course, as with all new years resolutions, don’t feel too gloomy if you only make it till the third week of the new year!

Create high resolution maps of all your trips with Flightmap

by Scott Carmichael on

It’s raining outside, so this morning was the perfect opportunity to sit down, browse through all my boarding pass stubs and enter them in a new application I’m testing.

Flightmap is a flight logging program that keeps track of every flight you have taken. You can log the flight number, aircraft type, airline and geeky things like the aircraft registration number and your seat number. Frequent fliers can even keep track of their award and status miles.

The application has an internal database that calculates the distance between all airports in the world, and naturally, it can also convert airport names into airport codes.

Once you have entered all your flights, you can view a summary that displays your most frequently flown routes, the longest and shortest flights you’ve ever taken as well as your most popular airline.

The best part of Flightmap is the ability to generate high resolution maps of your flights. In fact, Flightmap can generate stunning maps up to 32 megapixels large, which is great if you want to print them as a poster. If the built in map colors don’t interest you, then you can even export your flight history as a Google “KML” file, which can be imported into Google Earth (which is totally useless, but oh so cool looking).

Once you have created a map, it is fairly easy to save the image file and set it as your new desktop background so you can show all your colleagues what a well traveled individual you are.

Flightmap is a very slick, easy to use application and the interface is nice and clean. You can view a guided tour of Flightmap here. The application costs 19.90 EUR ($30) but a try before you buy version is available on their site, albeit with several limitations; maps are “defaced” and you can only export your first 10 flights.

All in all, it’s been great to finally have a nice place to save my flights. There are some other services with similar features, but this is the first one I’ve come across that is not web-based (which means it’s easy to take along with you). Now if you don’t mind, I’ve got some more flights to enter!