With the recent media coverage of in-flight incidents stemming from the use of Knee Defender devices, flight attendant Heather Poole offered some suggestions on ABC News for reclining your seat:
Go Slow
If you’re going to recline your seat, do so slowly, yanking the seat back too quickly could make a mess if the person behind you has their tray table down.
Do Glance Back
Consider glancing back before you adjust your seat. It’s not necessary to ask permission to recline, although some people do. It is a nice gesture to at least alert the person behind you that you’re going to lean back.
While the media has quieted down about the recent seat reclining issues (surely you heard about the in-flight fight over leg room), the situation is still a very sad state of affairs. Passenger rage erupting as it did is a sign of a bigger problem as personal space on airplanes has dramatically changed over the years. Giving up blankets, pillows, and meals was easy to swallow because travelers can carry those items on. But personal space? There’s only so much of it on a plane.
In a USA TODAY article, reporter Bill McGee, outlines other seat size-related issues in addition to the leg room problem, such as smaller seats and fuller cabins. When you add these discomforts to all the other “trials” of air travel, the rage may well be understandable.
Mr. McGee also discusses the width of airplane seats, which, in the United States, is smaller than other countries, yet Americans have the average largest hip size of the countries mentioned. “In 2002,” he reports, “British ergonomics firm provided data on human hip sizes worldwide. The result? Yep, the United States ranked first (20.6 inches), ahead of Germany (19.6), Britain (19.1), France (17.2), Japan (15.9), and China (15.6). It seems safe to say such averages have only increased over the last dozen years.” Seat widths in 1985 ranged from 19.5-20 inches, but in 2014 they are 17.2-18.5.
Judging by this data, my guess is we will be seeing more passenger rage as time goes on.
The reality of business travel seems to always involve getting to bed too late (after a huge dinner) and then trying to respond to a day’s worth of missed emails in a hotel room. This often results in a restless night’s sleep (sometimes in a different time zone) and several cups of coffee in the morning to help prepare for the day ahead.
Such a “routine” can leave you feeling drained by mid-afternoon and down-right exhausted by the time you return to the comforts of your own home. But instead of repeating the vicious cycle of restlessness when traveling and then binge sleeping at home, why not try to get a better night’s sleep on the road?
In a recent Conde Naste Traveler article, Rebecca Robbins, a sleep researcher and the author of Sleep for Success, provides some helpful tips on how to get more rest on the road.
Click here and you just may be on your way to a better business travel sleep.
According to Business Insider, the most recommended tip from experienced business travelers for surviving life on the road is to utilize Global Entry.
Global Entry is a U.S. Customs and Border Protection program that allows expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. Participants may enter the United States by using automated kiosks located at select airports. Program participants simply present their machine-readable passports, place their fingertips on the scanner for fingerprint verification, and make a customs declaration.
Global Entry applicants must undergo a rigorous background check and interview before enrollment. Visit the U.S. Customs and Border Protection website for more information and Global Entry enrollment center locations.
Almost everyone has, at some point, found themselves paying the “add on fees” that come with air travel. And while it can be frustrating, we might as well get used to it–they’re not going anywhere. In fact, hotels have jumped on the “What else can we charge them for?” bandwagon.
A recent article, “Mimicking the airlines, hotels get fee-happy,” reported that hotels will be earning $2.25 billion in revenue this year from these additional charges, most of which is pure profit. Instead of trying to understand “Why,” I think it’s best for travelers to first understand “What.” While additional charges are supposed to be disclosed prior to your stay, some might be unexpected. It’s best not to assume things are as they once were, even at your usual destinations.
Here are some of the items that might be costing you in hotel fees:
Towel replacement
Business center
Fitness room
In-room safe
Bellman gratuities
Newspaper service
Energy surcharge
Early check-in
Late check-out
Shuttle service
Baggage-holding
Wi-Fi
Donations to local charities
Receiving mail
In-room coffeemaker
It’s best to be on the safe side. If you need further clarification regarding the “extra” charges, be sure to ask the front desk.
Complaints about airlines, rental car companies, and hotels seem to be more the norm than the exception. Certainly, most of us have had an unsatisfactory experience with some travel service provider. However, I recently found myself pleasantly surprised with how well my airline reacted to what could have been a very frustrating situation.
On a Delta Air Lines flight from Washington D.C. to Seattle, I missed my connection in Minneapolis due to weather. I arrived at the Minneapolis airport at 11:00 p.m. and there were no other flights to Seattle until the next morning. Since the delay was due to weather, the Delta was not obligated to make arrangements for their passengers. However, all the hotels near the Minneapolis airport were sold out. I could have stayed at a hotel downtown, but by the time I’d have arrived, I would have only had a couple hours to sleep before needing to go back to the airport to catch my early morning flight. Another option would have been to take a later flight, but then I would have been traveling most of my work day. I decided to spend the night in the airport.
It was amazing to see how Delta did their best servicing us through an unavoidable event. A wonderful agent let those of us who’d decided to sleep over know that Delta had futons, blankets, and pillows for us. She guided us to a business center area, where cubicles became our overnight station. We only had a few hours to sleep but that little bit of extra comfort went a long way. The agent also brought us snacks and water from the aircraft. It certainly wasn’t the best of conditions, but it was better than trying to sleep in a seat in the airport waiting area or staying up all night.
Weather delays and airport sleepovers can make even the nicest person a bit cranky, but it helped that Delta’s staff was pleasant and helpful. So yes, we all will experience the negative aspects of travel at some point, but maybe if we try to see the positive sides of things, those frustrations would be smoothed over much more easily.
Delta Studio is Delta Air Line’s new suite of on-board entertainment options, including the latest movies, live satellite TV, HBO, SHOWTIME, games, and thousands of songs. Through Delta Studio, all content will be free for International, First Class, and Economy Comfort passengers.
Domestic Economy passengers will enjoy more free content than ever before as well as a variety of premium content for purchase. Kick back and watch it all on:
245 aircraft equipped with seat-back entertainment systems
98 aircraft with overhead screens
891 Wi-Fi-equipped aircraft, which now include on-demand video streaming with access to in-flight entertainment via a variety of personal electronic devices
Ergonomically designed earbuds are also available on flights worldwide as part of Delta’s partnership with Billboard. The earbuds are complimentary for customers traveling internationally and in the First Class cabin, and they are available for purchase in the Economy cabin on U.S. domestic flights.
Utah Business Magazine recently presented the 7th annual Fast 50 Awards, recognizing 50 of the fastest growing companies headquartered in Utah. Christopherson Business Travel was thrilled to be a recipient for the sixth year in a row, coming in at #26, having risen 12 places over 2013.
The top 50 companies were selected based on a combination of revenue growth and revenue generation. Utah Business also honored the Emerging Eight, which are growing companies that are less than five years old.
It is a pleasure for Christopherson to be recognized among such an elite group of successful companies, many of which do business with Christopherson.
Over the last week, it’s been reported by numerous news sources that Concur Technologies Inc. has approached multiple companies about a possible sale including SAP and Oracle Corp. It sounds like the major reason for this would be the growth of cloud computing which is pushing traditional software companies into acquisitions.
Virtuoso Travel Week opening session at the Bellagio
I recently had the opportunity to listen to author and consultant Patrick Lencioni–whose book, Death by Meeting, I had previously read–at the Virtuoso Travel Week convention at the Bellagio Hotel.
In his remarks, he shared how to take our relationships with our clients to a higher level of value by losing our fears, taking risks, and being more genuine. His thesis is that this approach will build stronger relationships that can lead to much bigger rewards. He calls the approach “getting naked.”
At its core, “naked service” is the ability of a service provider to be vulnerable, to embrace humility, selflessness, and transparency for the good of a client.
He explained that most of us live our lives trying to avoid awkward and painful situations, which is why we are all susceptible to the three fears that sabotage client loyalty. He defined them as follows:
Kirsten Little, Manager of Andavo and Mike Cameron, President of Andavo & Christopherson Business Travel
Fear of Losing the Business – Worrying about losing a client’s business may cause service providers to avoid doing or saying the things that could create strong trust and loyalty. He recommends that you be honest, that you “tell the kind truths,” and that you “consult” instead of “sell.”
Fear of Being Embarrassed – Rooted in pride, this fear can lead service providers to withhold their best ideas from clients. He recommends that we go ahead and ask our “dumb questions” and make our “dumb suggestions.” Don’t be afraid of them. Playing it safe can eliminate your relevance.
Fear of Feeling Inferior – To avoid feeling irrelevant, service providers try to achieve a high level of importance in their clients’ minds. He recommends that we don’t be afraid to do the “dirty work.” Make everything about your client, they will appreciate the small things you do and will see you as being invaluable.
As a business travel agency, we plan to take these tips to heart in our dealings with our clients.
As regular business travelers we probably have the frequently used travel terms down pat. But how about a few of the more obscure words in the travel industry?
1. docent (doh-sent), noun
A. tour guide B. side trip C. frequent flyer
2. sojourn (soh-jern), noun
A. travel non-stop B. take a guide tour C. stay temporarily
3. jitney (jit-nee), noun
A. day trip B. duty-free shop C. small bus
4. ramada (ruh-mah-duh), noun
A. shelter with open sides B. dude ranch C. in-house maid service
5. funicular (fyu-nih-kye-ler), noun
A. pleasure cruise B. cable railway C. stretch limousine
6. valise (vuh-lees), noun
A. car parker B. small suitcase C. country cottage
7. peripatetic (per-uh-puh-teh-tik), adjective
A. speaking many languages B. traveling from place to place C. crossing a border illegally
8. rack rate (rak rayt), noun
A. overhead-luggage charge B. takeoff speed C. full price for lodging
