No More Middle Plane Seats?

Maybe for now but I wouldn't count on it for the future. Too many dollars would be lost and/or the price of a plane ticket would skyrocket because they wouldn't be filling the planes to capacity. I know. I sound pessimistic but with the economy as it is right now and the airlines taking a hit, they are going to have to do something to survive and that usually involves higher ticket prices.

Perhaps the good things that may come from all of this "unprecedented" time (I hate that overused phrase) is a better and more diligent cleaning of the planes. That would be very welcome.

Of course it will be interesting to see which airlines survive all of this and how innovative they get in competing for the trickle of passengers. Business travel should pick up a bit as countries are beginning to open up again. I'm not so sure about travel for pleasure. The big question will be how much will travelers who don't need to fly will trust the safety and cleanliness of the airplanes?

So much speculation. Where are all those quality crystal balls?

Lounging On A Long Layover -Airport Lounges For Economy Flyers

For a lot less than first or business class tickets you can get into those comfortable airport lounges with a little luck and ingenuity. We get access to United lounges and some of their alliance airline lounges with a credit card that we pay extra for. It still is cheaper than buying those premium tickets and when we have long layovers for our more lengthy trips, we enjoy being able to get out of the busyness of the main airport and enjoy some snacks and beverages as well as WIFI and other amenities.

But you don't have to pay fees for a credit card to gain access. There are day passes that can be bought and would be the way to go if you are not a frequent flyer. Of course those passes are predicated on whether or not the lounge is at capacity. You wouldn't want to try to get into the Ft. Lauderdale United lounge (or probably any other there) on a big turnover day for the cruise ships. Cruise lines drop their passengers at the airport and often there is a long wait before the flight home. We sat in the Orlando airport once when Disney dropped us off seven hours before our flight was due to take off. Thankfully we didn't have any little ones with us.

I ran across a great source for finding lounges in airports all over the world and how much a day pass would cost. I was surprised that they could go for as low as $20 in some cases. The site is actually called Sleeping In Airports and details places to sleep if you are delayed as well as hints for making yourself more comfortable. One of their pages though is all about airport lounges and lists hundreds of possibilities all over the world.

Go to the site and see if your next long layover might be in a spot where you can snag some time in a comfy lounge--maybe even take a shower if you desire. Also do a search online for airport lounge day passes and you will find several companies that will book your lounge time for you or sell you a pass that you can use for a limited time. You too can travel as though you paid first class.

Laptop Bans On Airlines

While I haven't seen it highly publicized (perhaps because it's old news and there is so much other fodder to feed on) there is an easing of the ban on laptops in carry-ons when flying from certain countries nonstop into the U.S. The problem apparently was that there were airlines or airports that did not do an adequate job of screening or did not have the equipment to screen that was approved by the Department of Homeland Security. There had been reason to believe that terrorists were planning to and/or had the capability of carrying a bomb on board with a laptop.

The checked luggage apparently goes through a security check that is different than carry-on luggage and is a better way to see if there i
s an unwanted device hidden there. Now the airlines, mainly those flying out of the Middle East, are complying with the standards set by the DHS and the ban has been lifted for several.

I'm still leaving the laptop at home for this next overseas trip. It's time to take a break from some of the electronics. I'm not even taking a camera this time although I will rely on my cell phone for pictures and of course a connection to family and friends but that will be minimized as well. I'm not ready to disconnect all together.

Air Rage - Don't Loose Your Cool

Who knows if there will be another air rage story by the time this posts but the latest was another ridiculous explosion of bad behavior, this time on the part of the air passengers. When I saw the latest incident with the brawl in the Ft. Lauderdale airport over Spirit Airlines cancellations of flights, I joked that it was tough for all those cruise passengers to leave their ship and hit reality again. But really, when you have made plans and they all of a sudden go bad to worst it gets frustrating. There's no reason to lose your cool though.

Instead of starting a fight, put that energy into alternative planning. There is always a way around a problem even when it seems out of your control. Take a deep breath and think. It may cost you some extra money and/or time which may not seem fair but getting to your destination whether home or somewhere else will give you a few degrees of separation from the event and certainly a cooler head to go about finding compensation for your inconvenience or problem.

Hopefully airlines will ease off on their overbooking after some of the recent bad customer experiences but there are also a few things we as passengers can do as well. First of all arrive at the airport early enough so that you are not rushing through security. It's not a fun experience. I get that. But be prepared for it and don't get there so late that if there is a line you aren't tapping your foot and making your blood pressure soar. Having time for a cup of coffee or a perusal of the airport's venues will put you in a better mood for the next hassle--boarding.

Most airlines order their boarding either by customer priority or by seating arrangements. The most organized is when they board from the rear of the plane to the front and/or the two inside seats first then the aisle seats. Unfortunately everyone feels they are owed priority with their loyalty points and they jostle for position in the lines that are assigned them. It is laughable that the first two lines to board are getting longer and longer as loyalty points are liberally handed out.

Of course if you are among the last to board, you may lose opportunity to put your luggage in the overhead. No one wants to be asked to check luggage that has valuables in it. That's why I always suggest trying to get your carry on down to one that will fit under the seat--just in case.

Now I know that airlines are charging more and more for checked luggage. Maybe if they would ease up on that some of the air rage might dissipate. That, less overbooking and a little more knee room might make flying a bit more fun and less of a hassle. All I can say is thank goodness they don't allow guns on planes. There's enough blood shed in the road rage incidents.

Travel: Always An Adventure

When you travel you can't always be sure of what you are going to get, what's going to happen, who you will meet, how you will arrive, etc. As I have always said travel with an attitude, one that will roll with whatever the journey presents. I just hate having to follow my own advice.

We set off for our annual dive trip to Grand Cayman and woke early (5:45 AM) in order to arrive at the airport the suggested two hours early because of the TSA wait recently being so long. Our airline (American) had kindly granted all three of us a Pre-check status so we knew we weren't going to have to go through the procedure of removing shoes, computers, 3-1-1 bags and all. We approached the kiosk for check in with confidence and immediately we were in trouble.

All three reservations were made separately because we were traveling with a minor who was not our son but our grandson. I don't know why the reservations have to be made that way but when Bob calls them directly they do that. His came up first and he proceeded all the way to paying for his checked bag and had his credit card denied. No problem. We'll pay at the desk. My check in went just fine, credit card (same one) and all. Then our grandson's wouldn't even show up. Uh oh.

An attendant noticed we were at the kiosk a little too long and came over to gather us like a mother hen and take us to her station where she quickly put all the information into her computer, pulled up the extra boarding passes, used the credit card to pay for the other bags and send us off to give our bags to security for their x-ray. I was wondering why we even went to the kiosk to begin with but mine is not to question why. . .

Cleveland Hopkins was about to do the ribbon cutting for the new renovations that are pretty much finished except for a few touches here and there. News cameras were already setting up even though it wasn't to be until the afternoon. Perhaps for the morning news shows? It was after all early and my stomach was telling me it hadn't had breakfast. My nerves were screaming for coffee. We soldiered on to the new Pre-check designated area wondering how long it would take us. I blinked. Were there only a dozen people here? In six minutes and a few seconds (Bob timed it) we were through and out the other side and our grandson was looking for a Starbucks.

We wouldn't be so lucky at Starbucks. The line was winding down the concourse. It had to be at least twenty minutes before he finally got his iced caramel coffee. Then it was on to Dunkin' Donuts for our coffee and breakfast sandwiches. Same thing. Long line. Another fifteen minutes. At least we had come early enough that we didn't have to eat on the run.

At our gate, we boarded with the priority group--another gift from American and settled into our seats. It was a commuter plane with only two seats to a side so I sat a few rows behind the boys who were planning to watch a movie. Good thing because at least they were entertained for the time that was to come. As we were to begin our push back from the gate, we felt a big bump. I exchanged what-was-that-? glances with the girl sitting next to me. A few minutes later it was explained that the tow bar had buckled or something to that effect but to be sure there was no damage to landing gear it would have to be checked.

End of the day. Dinner and sunset.

We had to wait our turn for the mechanic. After an hour, the issue was resolved and we were on our way once again but now we were running dangerously close to making our connection in Charlotte. That wouldn't normally be a big deal--more an inconvenience, but there are only a couple of flights a day into Grand Cayman and we knew we wouldn't make another that day if we missed our ride. We touched down and made the mad dash to the other concourse and our Cayman flight. Last ones on the plane, we were greeted with looks of relief as others realized that's who they were waiting for. Now would the luggage (all our dive gear) make it?

Before long we were winging our way to Cayman. Now the worse case scenario would be having to rent dive gear and Bob and our grandson diving in their shorts. I had packed my suit in my carry on with a few other things to save space. Whew!

Touch down Cayman! And there on the carousel after we passed through immigration was our luggage. The only thing missing from our journey was lunch but we knew where to get that. But wait! We needed to get our rental car which, if you haven't guessed on a Murphey's Law day, wasn't ready. Another forty-five minutes and we finally had it all in hand on our way to Wendy's and lunch to be followed by grocery shopping and our arrival at the condo.

Thankfully Murphey left us and the condo was in great shape with all that we will need to rest comfortably after our diving each day. It did come with a maid--me, but that's okay. Bob will make up for it somewhere. I'll make sure of that.

Airlines. What's Your Favorite?

How do you choose a favorite airline? We flew Continental for quite a few years mainly because Cleveland was a hub and it was convenient. Once in a while we deviated to US Airways (now American Air) to fly to Grand Cayman because the flights were convenient and cheaper. Southwest was an adventure a time or two but mostly we stuck with Continental which became United--and left Cleveland behind, no longer a hub.

We found ourselves floundering a bit but enter Frontier Airlines to the rescue. Our most recent trip to Florida was by Frontier not only because we wanted to try them out but also because they offered a non-stop at a great price even though we had to pay for all the extras: luggage, food and drinks. Bob bought the classic ticket which got us a great seat in the exit row with lots of leg room and the extra cost included a checked bag.

Check-in was done by computer at home and boarding passes printed out. When we arrived at the airport, all we needed to do was show our passes and our baggage tags were handed to us by an attendant who had them all printed out before hand. Slick! We were checked in and baggage checked in less than five minutes.

What impressed me most both going and coming was the friendliness of all those connected with Frontier. We were served up smiles, polite conversation, and lots of humor (especially from a Denver native hostessing our flight home). Soft drinks were $1.99 each but refills of coffee and tea were free. Other than that they had the usual fare for snacks that other lines do. Our classic ticket however included our drinks and as always when we need to eat in flight, we brought food on board.

Our return trip was delayed two hours due to mechanical problems but lo and behold, a few days after our return, Bob got an email and a $30 voucher for a future flight with the airlines apology. Frontier will definitely be a number one consideration in the future.

Oh, and luggage arrived with us as well. Always a plus!

Recently there was a newsletter from Smart Travel.com that talked about several other new airlines starting up. Frontier wasn't one. I guess Frontier is considered old already. I wonder, would you consider a brand new airline to travel with? How would you choose? Do you have a favorite?