Pic of the Day: Blast from the Past

Living, as I do, under the departing flight path for Long Beach Airport, the subject of aircraft noise is a touchy one, inciting all sorts of hot opinions from both sides of the argument.

But the one thing I think we all agree upon is our love of the deep, throaty rumble of World War II era aircraft which visit our fair city a few times a year. B-17s, B-25s and other vintage aircraft show up for various air shows, wowing the crowds and neighborhoods with their presence.

It's one of my favorite aircraft-related sounds.

THE EXPLORER IN ME

"What intrigues me the most are those things in the distance, on the horizon. That is where I want to go; what I want to see next."

As I write this I am on a Westbound flight from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Dallas. There I'll make a connection to my eventual destination of Santa Ana -- more commonly known as John Wayne Orange County Airport.

Me in Japan, ca 1965

Join Wayne is my second preferred airport in the LA metropolitan area, at a time when my definition of "preferred" has a different meaning than it did a decade or so ago. Back then I didn't really give much thought to which airport I was using, just the flights and getting to the destinations involved. If I needed to get from Point A to Point Z I simply selected the flight and made my way to whichever airfield the arrangements required.

Atop Mt Haleakala

In many cases this default airport was LAX. And to give the giant monster its due: there is an excitement and energy level in flying from LAX that doesn't really exist at the smaller fields. But it's not just size -- I don't get the same "vibe" from equally large facilities such as DFW or PHX. But I do from others like MSP or JFK. 

(My favorite airport, Long Beach, was at the time still involved in a decade-long local legal morass on noise reduction -- which seriously hampered any airline from doing much, basically killing it as an option for me...thankfully that's no longer the case.)

The Mendenhall Glacier

The ruins at Tulum

I'm certain it's a personal perception, and once again I have to look to my childhood for influence and guidance. I truly believe so many of my ingrained more visceral responses to travel come from my early years. I've alluded more than a few times to the influence movies and television had on my perception of the world. James Bond; Casablanca (despite being filmed in a studio); Lawrence of Arabia; It Takes a Thief; The Saint; I, Spy and other globetrotting tv programs and films gave me my first true look at the world beyond my front door, and I learned an excitement that came from realizing that I, too, could visit all those exotic places. 

(It didn't hurt that my parents were fans of those sorts of programs. Their influence was more profound than television, though more subtle in many ways. Dad, who was a career Naval officers, would send us postcards and pictures from around the globe as his various deployments took him from one exotic port to another. Hong Kong still looms large in my imagination precisely because he and my mother met there a few times while we kids sat at home, dreaming of what it must be like. It's still on my NOW list to this day.)

Polar Bears on the tundra

Then came things -- worldwide news events like The Olympics -- which showed me in realtime what the world looks like. And the nightly news, when "nightly news" actually meant News and not Entertainment. The Huntley-Brinkley Report was the family go-to, and their reporters around the world again brought exotic places and unpronounceable names right into our family room. 

Times Square

Today the world seems to have become much smaller. Much more everyday. The popularizing of air travel, and the ubiquity of broadcast programming, means things are becoming a bit more homogenous. Unless you looks specifically for the differences, Des Moines isn't all that different than Charlotte, except for the plants. 

Alleys in Croatia

(On this particular trip I stayed in a very nice Marriott, and had dinner at a very nice regional chain restaurant -- both of which were not terribly different from places I stayed at and dined at in places like Seattle or Albuquerque. Quite nice, but nothing that screamed "you're in the South!", even though the restaurant billed itself that way...)

But exploring the world still holds a mystique if you know where to go and where to look. 

The Great Barrier Reef

Travel expands the mind, or so the saying goes. I have yet to meet very many open-minded travelers who are not citizens of the world and who understand that what exists outside their front door is only an infinitesimally small part of the whole. 

As I sit here at 35,000 feet I look down at the world below, one which I have only just begun to explore, and wonder at what is down there. What cool stuff lies unexplored and waiting for me? 

That is what I want to find out and what drives me to my next destination.

That and the coffee, that is.

Driving in the Mojave Desert volcanic fields

Hell, Cayman Islands

The Explorer in Me - Where next?

YOU HAVE TO LAUGH, AT LEAST SOMETIMES...

"A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down"  
               -- Mary Poppins, umbrella traveler

One of the primary aspects of both my full-time job and my extracurricular travel-related activities is that they both require a lot of time in the air and on the road. It kind of tells you something when what I do for a living is also something I enjoy doing on my own.

No travel can ever be absolutely perfect and smooth at all times. There are too many elements which can go awry -- not because of any nefarious scheme or professional incompetence, but because there are too many outside variables in travel execution to be foolproof at all times.

This can take a multitude of forms, some of them simultaneously coming together to really spoil even the best-laid plans. Weather. Computer glitches. Unruly (other) passengers. Faulty equipment. Reservations which have vanished or aren't correct. Running out of Terra Blue potato chips two rows in front of you, and the guy sitting next to you gets the last ginger ale.

Unexpected delays of all kinds. 

So the mark of a true Traveler -- capital T -- is the ability to take these things in stride and roll with the punches. Getting upset and angry is inevitable in certain situations, but channeling that energy into a constructive vein is the most effective use of our time and effort. Passengers' unruly and rude behavior is perhaps the fastest rising negative trend in the world of travel.

Take for example a flight delay or cancellation. It's happened to me a number of times, for reasons related to mechanical issues (go right ahead and cancel, thank you) to weather conditions (see previous parenthetical comment) to personnel issues (less understandable, but you gotta follow the rules). The key is understanding and clear communication between the airline and its passengers. Let us, the customers, know what's happening and why.

One of the perks of being a frequent traveler and blogger (and tweeter) is that I have established an electronic rapport with my preferred airlines -- USAir/American and JetBlue -- and hotels -- Hilton, IHG and Marriott. It's a fun part of the job, and I approach certain elements of our interactions with an attempt at humor. Situations can be bad, but the resolution to these difficulties can often be determined by the approach and attitude. Mine as well as theirs. Only rarely have I contacted the Social Media folks with a problem...in my experience the counter teams are almost always up to the task of resolving my challenges. And even enthusiastic about it if they like me.

Over the years I've determined you have to approach any mode of travel with a mindset of having a good time, otherwise what's the point? If something goes awry, deal with it and accept that nobody sets out to make your life miserable. (Well, perhaps aside from some of the passengers I've seen over the years. I've seen a few difficult employees, but for everyone one of them I've seen dozens of difficult passengers.)

The key, I think, is a combination of both experience and common sense. And common courtesy for that matter -- perhaps most importantly.

If there's a computer glitch, be patient and let the person behind the counter work it out. If they can't they'll call someone who can. Arguing with them isn't going to make the computer more responsive. (If you believe that it does, you're probably the sort of person who presses elevator and crosswalk buttons several times thinking it will speed things up. Electronics don't work that way, but thanks for playing the game.) 

I have rarely seen a pleasant person not get the very best effort of the people trying to help them. It may not always be exactly the answer the passenger was seeking, but it usually leaves them feeling listened to and appreciated.

Yesterday, as I was checking in online for a flight to Portland (during which I'm writing this entry), the system got itself confused and either did or did not charge my credit card for an upgrade. It suddenly flashed a pop-up screen which directed me to print out a receipt and talk to the folks at the counter. (This is computer speak for "Um, check with a human. I have no idea what I just did.")

I checked in, and the human behind the desk, a very helpful JetBlue employee named Ta Wana, worked out that the computer had frozen the seat, taken my charge information, but might not have charged the card and certainly wasn't going to release my seat. I let her do her job, and a few minutes later I had my upgrade and was headed down the terminal to find a leisurely breakfast

In other circumstances I have been the passenger directly behind an angry person, working with a wearied employee to find new seats after a flight from Miami to Raleigh was cancelled. He blustered, he spoke in an authoritative voice, he asked -- several times -- if she knew what this delay was costing him. (He never said, but I admit to being morbidly curious once I determined he deserved it.)

When it was my turn my first words were "Deep breath. Relax."

That two second exchange -- and giving the employee a moment to collect herself -- earned me a tired but pleasant smile and subsequent extra effort to get me where I needed to go. I was determined that the delay, inconvenient as it was, was not going to spoil my travel. (And it being at Miami International, a facility high on my list of "no, please not there!" airports, being sanguine about spending an additional couple of hours waiting for my revised connection was an effort.)

Like any traveler, frequent or not, I've had a number of frustrating days. Exhausting days. But I still love to travel. I love being places, and seeing things. I am thrilled to sit in the window seat of an aircraft and watch the world below. It's a part of me. 

So, all that said, I tend to do things, on Twitter and Facebook and elsewhere, which poke fun at otherwise difficult times. I post the "Obligatory Boarding Shot" on Twitter. And sometimes a picture of a mixed drink to demonstrate my coping skills. I banter with the airline's social media employees while I wait in the terminal.

Bartender Kenia's office

The bartender/waitress at my favorite restaurant at Long Beach Airport knows my name. And I know hers. (Not for the same reasons bartenders usually know someone's name, I hasten to add -- I take morning flights, so eat breakfast at her counter.) i regularly tweet to the Social Media folks for the company that runs the restaurants there. And the airport's SM team. The gate person at USAir's Gate 2 -- who greets everyone with a broad and pleasant smile, even early on Monday mornings -- knows me by name. Not because they see me every once in a while, but because I have taken the time to know them, and we talk. We interact and have a good time.

My two preferred airlines not only follow me on Twitter, but regularly retweet my comments. Because I'm having fun. It's a way to show that attitude makes miserable situations less so.

In that light, I will note that like the Counter team, a flight attendant's job -- in particular -- is not an easy one. They in many ways are about as put-upon as any highly-trained professional in any field outside of, perhaps, nursing. If anyone is justified in wanting to bring a baseball bat to work, it's these folks. And yet it's a rare flight on either JetBlue or USAir (now American) when you encounter a sourpuss. 

I watch as they deal with passengers who seem to lack depth perception ("Sir, your steamer trunk won't fit in the overhead -- yes, I can see you trying to wedge it in -- would it be possible for me to gate-check that for you? No charge.") or worse, comprehension skills ("No ma'am, I really can't have you standing on your seat to get something from the overhead while the plane is taxiing to the runway.") 

Or even worse yet, social skills ("Now sir, was it really necessary to throw your wife's hot coffee at me because I didn't drop everything to fetch you your third bourbon and Coke? We've only been in the air for fifteen minutes...") 

And so on.

For a profession that is based upon a high degree of safety training, which only doubles as a service role out of the need to double task if there's nothing particularly urgent going on (which, thankfully, is the vast majority of the time), I find the cabin crews' tolerance and adaptability impressive. Me, there are times I just wanna club some of the other passengers. 

(In a *fun* and thoroughly enjoyable way, of course.)

Travel is not a perfected art. On my current flight the TV screen in the seatback in front of me isn't working, providing snow where other passengers are enjoying satellite TV. None of the sets on our row are working. I was immediately offered a nearby seat, but declined because it's not, at the moment, a big deal. I'd planned on writing anyway. The woman sharing my row (empty seat in the middle) is simply going to nap.

You can rail against the flaws and faults, and make yourself and others miserable, or you can energize yourself and your travel providers by understanding their challenges and letting them use their knowledge to help you out when you need it. Or when you don't really need it -- or when it's not really a big deal to begin with.

The frustrations are challenges to be handled professionally and courteously. Yeah, I expect a level of treatment that comes with being a frequent traveler, but it's because I've learned how NOT to do things that I've earned the right to be respected and valued as a passenger. And -- importantly -- it's letting the folks who are working hard to get you from point A to point Z as fast and as comfortably as possible, that you appreciate their efforts and want to make a difficult situation easier for them as well as yourself.

I should note -- to keep friends of mine who might know me better, and laugh at my apparent serenity -- that I'm not a Pollyanna, and can hold my own in a difficult situation. Stand up for myself or another person when something just genuinely isn't right or being handled correctly.

In the past I have railed numerous times against some perceived slight or flaw or fault. I don't know if it's age which has worn me down, or experience which has taught me better, but if I can't have a little fun in the process of getting from A to Z, what's the point of even trying? I see too many passengers in the terminal slowly dying from an inner turmoil (New Word: Terminoil!) and generally making themselves, and everyone around them, miserable. It's usually the passengers who make things miserable, not the airlines. Even TSA seems to have become more user friendly.

I used to get upset. Used to get frustrated. Used to sit stewing at some perceived slight. But other than one serious breach at Melbourne International Airport last year, I haven't gotten genuinely upset with anything to do with travel In a long time. Stories, yeah. Got a bunch of them. But they're usually related to someone else's melt down.

(It isn't a formal club, but you should know that frequent travelers can identify each other, and usually gather to one side to watch someone who is in the process of getting themselves kicked off a flight because the counter team wasn't obeying their every whim.

(I recall one particular incident at PHX when a passenger experiencing his third hour of delay -- and having visited the bar in the interim -- proceeded to yell very loud and obnoxious things when the gate crew announced yet another delay -- mechanical issues, each of them. Security was called. The man calmed down, then uttered additional obnoxious things after boarding. It was with particular satisfaction several of us watched and commented, then applauded as he was escorted from the plane.)

For me, for all the angst I've felt -- and we all do -- I'm done with traveling that way...bring on the fun if at all possible.

(...but feel free to ask me about this again the next time I'm on a rant.)

ADDENDUM

As if to put a perfect exclamation point on my above thoughts, when I arrived at the Portland Airport National Car Rental facility it was rapidly apparent that I had either arrived during a spontaneous LA freeway-style rush hour, or there was a problem with the computers. Six cars were backed up from the check out gates, blocking still others which could not even pull into the aisle. A full complement of customers were waiting to leave the facility. 

The National team were on full alert, and slowly the cars began moving forward. As I got to the front an obviously stressed but enthusiastic employee -- I think she might have been the manager -- came up to my car with a smile and asked for the paperwork to "get you on your way!" She thanked me and went quickly into the booth, processed the transaction (I am National Emerald Club, so simply provide docs at the exit gate) and came back. 

I said "Stressful?"

She laughed and said "A bit. Thank you. You have a great day and safe travels!" And with that she gave me a deep and dramatic bow and waved me through. She was going to have an upbeat day, regardless of the stress, which kept me -- and everyone else in that line -- from getting too upset over a few minutes delay.

A fitting coda for the essay I'd written on the plane.

The Zen of Travel

"Sometimes it's the little things, isn't it!"

"It's the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen."

                                                                                          --John Wooden





The title of this week's entry was suggested by a tweet I received from US Airways after sending them a thank you note for a small courtesy from one of their flight attendants. It wasn't a whole lot in the vast scheme of things, but it was a nicety which was greatly appreciated by six people on a particularly full flight. 

(If you have to know -- and I'd want to if I were reading this -- the attendant simply ensured that the overhead bins above the bulkhead seats were not used by passengers other than those seated there. Unlike most other seats on a plane there are no underseat storage areas at the bulkhead. If you don't get your overhead bin, you're essentially screwed. A lot of people flying these days just pop their luggage in the overhead as soon as they can, rather than using a bin near their seat. In most cases this is merely inconsiderate...but upon occasion it creates a major inconvenience for another passenger.)

I'm making note of this not to curry favor with any particular provider -- my dollars and frequent flyer status take care of that -- but to recognize the humanity behind the big corporations. All too often we fail to consider that the people we're dealing with are people. On a rough day, travelers can become just a blur of faceless luggage -- and service people are just obstacles to getting what the traveler may want. It's not a good situation, and anyone who read my recent 10 Rules for Pinhead Travelers knows that they get to me too.

Let me get that for you...

I try, as often as possible, to offer compliments for good service. Either directly, or sometimes even better doing it indirectly so the person's superiors know they are doing a good job. I've found that not only is such feedback appreciated, it also buys you credibility when, well, things don't go as smoothly as we'd like. If an employee demonstrates a cheerfulness and willingness to take a small extra step...such as the overhead bins...that deserves reinforcement every bit as much a problem deserves recognition.

So it's often the little things, isn't it. Those courtesies offered in both directions that let people know you value them as a partner in travel.

Little things such as the pleasant response I received from US Airways when I complimented their employee. It's what prompted the topic for this entry, in fact.

@USAirways: @stevebarber_tt Sometimes it's the little things, isn't it! We're glad you noticed and appreciated that.

Yes, guys, it is. And kudos to you for recognizing it. It's one of the major reasons I fly and continue to fly US Air. Thank you.

And it's the little things elsewhere as well. Little services or actions or considerations which show the person at the other end is working to earn and keep your business.

Little things.

Long Beach Municipal Airport is my favorite airport. Yes, convenience has a lot to do with it. It's ten minutes from my house. But above and beyond, it's a well-designed and effective airport which has earned my business. It's a medium-sized facility -- ten gates. Size does matter in many cases, but given a choice between the mass chaos of LAX's TSA checkpoints and the efficiency of Long Beach's, there's no contest. Between the crowded and noisy terminals at LAX and the local and friendly lounges at Long Beach, again no contest. 

Deep Breath...

Between the ability to sit in a crowded recycled-air gate at LAX, or the luxury of an outdoor patio space with Palm trees and fresh air...nope. (And when LGB gains a customs desk, LAX loses all advantages in my opinion.)

But those aren't the things that really keyed me on the extent of Long Beach Airport's thinking. It has, and this is unique in Southern California as well as many other cities, an outdoor passenger greeting space just yards from most of the gates. Not the cold, impersonal long walks down dark corridors to the cold metal steel and crowds of baggage claim, where if you're lucky your greeters can find you. A gentle, welcoming oasis for a warm hello and exchange of greetings before grabbing the luggage. It's a nice touch. Conversely, the chaos (there's that word again) of LAX's Departure level is nothing less than overwhelming for some. The White Zone is for loading and unloading only...

(Apologies if I seem to be picking on LAX. I've traveled through dozens of airports in the last few years. LAX is simply an up-the-freeway example at the other end of the experiential spectrum.)

I fly through and to dozens of airports every year. Some large (LAX, JFK, PHX), some medium-sized (Oakland, Albuquerque, Reno) and some small (Fargo, Kona, Tucson). You get a feel for an airport, for the convenience and modernity of their operations, and for the way they reflect the city in which they are located.

At LGB the designers clearly thought about the airport's desire for a passenger-friendly environment and the resort-like "feel" of what they wanted to convey for the city of Long Beach. And while no big deal is made about it, having a special spot for families or friends or business associates meet their charges is just one little thing that no one likely thinks too much about, but enhances the travelers' experiences greatly. At LGB you deplane onto the Tarmac rather than through a boarding tube. After a short pass through the gates you come out again into the central patio area and through a TSA door into the outdoor greeting area with sitting area for those waiting, amid palm trees and an open-air freshness.

Again, it's the little things. Flying can be a stressful adventure, for a variety of reasons. Having a destination which let's you take a deep breath and relax, rather than plunging you into a new and entirely different brand of crazy, is a little thing, but so important.

This sort of experience and attention to the little things aren't restricted to air travel. National Car Rental has almost entirely dispensed with counter service, allowing its customers to proceed directly to the car lot. This eliminates at least one line, which is itself a tremendous relief. I did not properly appreciate the importance of that one little thing until a vacation trip in which we selected (sorry National) a less expensive provider. 

The open road beckons, once we finish the paperwork...

Yes. In this case, you get what you paid for. (There ya go, National, right?) The lower cost provider kept us waiting for nearly a half hour as they helped the people in line before us, then had to go through several steps with us to finally bring our car around. The value of that half hour was immeasurable on a vacation, when the last thing anyone wants to do is follow a long flight (no matter how pleasant or accommodating an airline, a long flight is taxing) with a stand in yet another line waiting to hit the road. (Disneyland -- famous for its long and winding queues for rides -- would be proud of modern air travel's lines. There's check-in, TSA, queuing to get into the aircraft, queuing to leave the aircraft, and standing an a mob to collect luggage. This doesn't include a line at the car rental agency, or a line for check-in at the hotel if you're going someplace popular like Las Vegas.)

On the other hand, when a problem developed with the vehicle (nothing the rental agency could have foreseen or prevented, they responded immediately and without hesitation to take care of the problem. The little things. 

So the little things, such as going directly to a car and driving off or getting a direct and rapid response when there's a problem, count.

Windstar Cruises rightly pride themselves for the fact their crew quickly learn passenger names, and in turn greet each passenger by name. It's a small touch, but immediately let's the customer know they're someplace different. Yes, they have beautiful cabins and go to exotic ports, but it's the little touch of knowing your name that sets the Windstar mood.

Many years ago, my wife and I were fortunate to stay at the five star Halekulani Hotel on Waikiki Beach. For our honeymoon. A five star resort, they go that extra mile, quickly demonstrated as we entered the open-air lobby and were unexpectedly greeted by name at the counter. How they do this I still have no idea, but it's a wonderful way to show appreciation. That personal touch. 

Parc your head here

(To this day our go-to hotel in Honolulu is the Waikiki Parc, the sister property to the still-fabulous Halekulani. The advantage of the Parc is it more of a boutique style hotel, which we have grown to prefer to over resort properties. For attention to detail, check out the pattern on the orange pillow -- subtle but still very romantic.)

Chains also know the value. Within a half hour of checking in at the Homewood Suites in Beaverton, Oregon, I received a call from the front desk checking to make sure the room was good and to let them know if I needed anything. Maybe a thirty second conversation, with an immeasurable impact on my future hotel selections.

Courtesy -- doing the little things, as US Airways noted in their reply to my note -- goes a long way towards creating that long term customer loyalty. The relationship that both provider and traveler come to appreciate. As I commented above, it also served to smooth over those times when things don't quite go as well. The at-some-point inevitable lost luggage, the delayed flight/ missed connection, the missing hotel reservation, the car you reserved becoming unavailable at the last minute.

These things happen. Any seasoned traveler knows that when they do you need to trust in people to make it right, but also make note when they do those little things, those largely uncommented-upon niceties that make the day go a little bit smoother, a little bit more pleasant.

Yeah, we all have complaints. Nothing is ever perfect. But noting when things go well will not only make your day brighter, but recognizing them will make someone else's day better too.

And it's the little things, like that, that add up.

Where Everybody knows your name.