Entries Tagged 'Luggage Carousel' ↓

But seriously.  I’ll be back to Expatriette.com full time in 2008.  In the meantime, I’m editing Expatriette, the novel/girl’s guide to mod travel (due out in winter 2008).  And reading lots of travel blogs.  My current favorite:  Jetlagged:  Navigating the Unfriendly Skies.  A close runner-up is Patrick Smith’s Ask the Pilot, which makes me snort or giggle every time I read it.  Read it for his humor and fresh perspective on air travel.  A pilot friend has assured me it’s “pretty much spot on.”

Thank you for all of the friendly emails recently (most of them reminding me what an awesome resource Expatriette is)!  I’ll be back to a regular posting schedule in the New Year and invite anyone interested in writing a column on a regular basis to contact me at info {at} expatriette {dot} com.

 Best wishes for a wonderful, travel-savvy holiday season!

My grandmother, when she drops me off at the airport, tries to get me there no less than two hours before the plane departs. And that’s for a flight in the Continental United States. I travel with carry-on, which makes it even more difficult to understand. I’ve attempted, several times, to tell her that technically, I only need to get to the airport 15 minutes before departure if I’m not checking anything. She’ll hear nothing of it. We inevitably leave the house around 4:30 am for a 7:30 flight.

People call me the Master Packer but I think it’s because when I look at my luggage and start packing, I am considering it through the eyes of the TSA. Rather than fight the system, bemoaning the lengthy lines and “stupid” security measures, I work with them. This is how. Continue reading →

It happens. You get to the airport, or get on the airplane, as I did earlier this week, to find the flight’s been canceled. Each time I see this happen I watch the reactions of folks around me. They vary. Some people get very righteous, like, ‘how could this happen to me.’ Those are the ones that go up to the counter and demand justice. Others accept it with a shrug and slink away to the re-booking stations strategically placed as far away from your gate as possible. There is another option and I’m going to share with you my secret, informed in part by the reading of Imogen Edward’s book, Air Babylon.

I was “stranded” at the Detroit airport earlier this week. I was on my way to Chicago and had I swam across the Lake from my grandparent’s house to Chicago, I may have gotten there quicker than the eight hours I spent in the airport. Or my lungs would have given out.

Don’t Let the “World Club” Title Intimidate You
As frequently as I’ve traveled, I had not sought out the First Class lounge until this week. Something about the “club” aspect of it scared me off. I figured I’m too young, too broke and too scruffy a traveler to qualify to go in there. But something new happened this time. When I got up to the counter to re-book the ground staff offered to move me up to First Class on the plane. I figured if I qualify for First Class on board, I qualify to sit in the lounge for eight hours. I nervously approached the counter. I found at that they have a special and that for $80 I get access to all the Star Alliance lounges worldwide for 90 days. That is me and two of my guests. World-wide. I went upstairs, checked my luggage and took a shower in a private shower room. That was worth $80 and I had free wi-fi access (it’s $10 for a day pass in the airport terminals). The likelihood that I would have blown $80 over the course of eight hours to make myself feel better? Very high. Treat yourself like you’re first class and keep being a nice person. Imagine how your life could change?

Be Nice. Nice, nice, nice
Right, it’s easy to forget this in our daily lives. Don’t forget that when your flight is canceled and everyone around you, more than a hundred people, are in the same boat (read: plane) as you. Someone shoves you on their way to re-book? Be nice. Smile and let them past. And wish them well. They’re stressing and their stress is just as painful as yours. A little nice could save your life. This is most important when you approach ground staff. It could be the difference between you leaving today or tomorrow and them comping your upgrades.

Be Fast. Haul Ass. Get the Goodies Quick
You don’t have to push, but the quicker you get to the counter to re-book a flight, the better. This is where having good, wheeled luggage comes in handy. And carry-on only.* Seats are limited so listen closely to where you have to go to re-book and situate yourself near the front of the line. There will be times that the line is so long you should book over the phone. They’re friendlier over the phone and you’ll sometimes have better luck that way. Try both at once. Stand in line and call up your airline. That takes some pre-planning. Carry a card in your wallet with all of your Frequent Flyer and Airline numbers on it. Easy.

Ask For What You Need
Know your rights and ask for what you need. Your rights vary from flight to flight, but if you have to stay in the airport for hours, get meal vouchers or whatever you need, regardless of how many people are in line behind you. You get one shot, make a list for what you need and stand there until your needs are met. Most ground staffers I meet are happy to accommodate you. To the degree that they can. Get your cake and eat it, too. Yum yum.

*On this particular flight a woman needed her checked bags because she’s breast-feeding and had a booby emergency. Breast pump? I don’t know, find a travel size or something. Carry that thing on, ladies!