Friendly Skies, Not!
By the time Thanksgiving week rolls around, will I be grateful, in fact, drop down on my knees thankful, that I won't have to board another airplane for an entire seven days! In a six week period that began mid-October, I will have spent a total of 72 hours at our home base in Denver. Otherwise, I've been on the road. With so much time in and out of airports, I am more convinced than ever of the need to return civility to business travel.
If you haven't been out there for a bit, let me assure you the so-called "friendly skies" are becoming less friendly by the minute. In these past few weeks, I have witnessed one passenger scream violently at a gate agent (a really stupid thing to do, given that the gate agent has the ability to immediately pull any traveler from a flight), another topple over a small child (must have been really important to be the first passenger on board), and an entire plane-load of passengers ignore the plight of one struggling fellow passenger, who later confessed to me that she was eight months pregnant. (Actually, it was very obvious she was pregnant. The exact number of months was the only fact in question.) Surely. we can all forego just a little bit of what is increasingly becoming over-indulgent, self-absorption to consider the needs of our fellow travelers.
With the holiday travel season about to begin, here are five acts each and every road warrior can undertake to make our travel forays easier for us as well as others.
1. By now, everyone knows that any trip on an airplane entails a trip through a security maze. If you aren't familiar with the rules, here they are. Everyone passing through security must remove their shoes, outer garments (coats, jackets, sweaters), belts, monetary change, and any other metal items frequently carried in pockets as well as removing a laptop from its carrying case. You can make everyone's travel day a little easier if you plan for this ahead of time. To the extent you can, avoid wearing a coat or a jacket to the airport. Wear slip on-off shoes. Keep a zip-loc bag in your briefcase, and before you arrive at the airport, take everything out of your pockets and place the contents into the zip-loc bag. This will help you unload and reload quickly. By the way, to those of you who do travel with children, until you pass through security, please keep most of their precious toys and all comfy blankets packed away.
2. Let's talk about cell phones. A life-time ago, when a business traveler was on the road and needed to phone the office, he or she used a pay phone. Those pay phones were typically located in enclosed, nearly sound-proof booths, thus obviating the need for anyone else to overhear an utterly boring conversation. If you need to speak on your cell phone in an airplane terminal, remember few others wish to hear you. (Be aware of the ones who do wish to listen in.) Before placing the call, try to find a place where others won't be disturbed. And for heaven's sake, when it's time to board your plane, turn the darn thing off. No one else should be delayed in boarding simply because you have a tough time balancing your cell phone, your luggage and your conversation. (By the way, please write your Congressperson and Senator now and beg them, yes beg them, not to allow the FAA to permit cell phone usage during flights)
3. Please only board when your assigned seating area is called. Find your seat. Stow away your luggage. Scoot into your row and then sit down. If you've packed so much that you can't physically lift your own luggage into the storage bin, you should have checked it. With the exception of spousal travel companions, no traveler has a right to expect help in heave-hoing monster size carry-ons. Having written that, God bless the gentlemen (yes, they still exist), who have helped me lift luggage into airplane bins and in and out of rental car busses. Your kindness will never be forgotten.
4. It would be a good idea for us all to take a deep breath and recognize that there are some people who have special needs. Some older people don't move quickly. Steering small children about requires time. People who are pregnant or who have a strained back or a broken bone may all need a little extra time boarding. The least little bit of patience can help make the travel environment a tad more friendly.
5. Let's put an end to allowing any business traveler to treat a flight attendant like a personal servant. Flight attendants are business travelers, too. They deserve to be given the exact amount of respect you expect to receive from them. Please do not hector them for drinks. And please, don't complain to them about the food or lack thereof. Almost every flight attendant you encounter works long, hard hours under a management structure that does little to recognize and reward good service. Yet, day in and day out flight attendants show up, put smiles on their faces, and most of the time, get us to our destinations in timely manner.
Enough said for today. We'll share five more tips later this week!
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