Noisy Italians

I must be a magnet for talkers.

This summer, we were in Vienna and took an organized tour around the Baden, just outside the city.  Between the two of us, we know some French, German, Spanish, and, of course, English.  No Italian!  It’s not like I am a recluse or antisocial, well, a little, and I am always friendly when I travel abroad.  I’m an unofficial “Ambassador” for my country.

So, on with the story …

I notice that the person sitting across from me is looking at me, so I look back and speak.  If I recall, he asks me where I’m from.  His English was about what my French is … not good.  So I say, we are from the United States.  Where in the United States?  Kentucky.  Where’s that?  West of Washington, D.C.

A few minutes pass, are you here for business or holiday?  Both.  What is your business here?  Conference.  So now, I am becoming a little annoyed and turn quickly and start fumbling with my camera.  I have a few minutes of no talking.

But that did not last.  What kind of camera is that?  Nikon.  It is nice, do you like it?  Yes.  Is it digital?  Yes.  How much did it cost?  A lot.

Thank goodness, we arrived at our destination.

Please charge me more

I have just returned from a business trip to New Orleans … it’s still hot, humid, seedy (at least Bourbon Street) and rich in culture (food, architecture, and history), but that’s not my purpose here.

I flew US Airways and they have already instituted changes in how they operate and by operate, I mean that they are nickel-and-diming fliers now.  I am an elite member with United, a Star Alliance member, so I enjoy perks and privileges like selecting my seat assignments … until now.  It’s $5-10 to do so now.  Yes, this is not a lot of money, but it is the principle.  Charge me a true dollar amount for my ticket that covers everything … check baggage, snacks, air, lavatory, seat belt, arm rest, use of the jet bridge.  Okay, some of this is an exaggeration, but it may just be a matter of time before we have to pay for these “amenities.”

Perhaps, most shocking about my trip, was how many passengers actually purchased snacks.  Way to go in letting the airlines know how unhappy you are with being nickel-and-dimed!  I would rather dehydrate than pay $2 for what is probably tap water!

Airline executives, stop nickel-and-diming me and just charge me a fair fare.  I don’t care if you make a nice profit, I do care if I feel as if I am “taxed” to death.  I thought we had a revolution about that 232 years ago!

Airline ad agencies … are they pinheads?

I recently returned from my summer holiday in Eastern Europe and now I am on my way to New Orleans for a business trip.  Between these two trips much is changing in the airline industry … some of which has many fellow travelers threatening to figuratively storm the corporate boardrooms with torches and pitchforks in hand.  I ask my fellow travelers, “what’s the matter with you?  why do you want to harass and pick on the airline industry?”

To all the US airline carriers, I want to say, “I stand with you and the appreciate the great services that you provide in the face of all your financial woes.”

I remember many years ago, during one of the many airline industry crises, (by the way, these crises are never the airline’s fault, our government, instead of bailing them out, should just subsidize them all the time … more so than they already do) the airlines stop serving food.  Hey, all of you naysayers, that was a good idea.  If I recall, most passengers complained about airplane food anyway.  “Oh, airplane food doesn’t taste good.  It’s over/under cooked.  I think that food made me sick.”  Then, there’s the sanitary conditions.  So, look the airlines did us a favor by not feeding us anymore.  Besides, who wants those tasty meals that the Europeans serve anyway?

The airlines are about to do us another favor … no more snacks or beverages (unless you want to buy them).  We don’t need all those snacks.  We have an obesity problem in the United States anyway.  The airlines are just trying to contribute to a more fit population, besides, there no place to exercise on a plane so you are just storing all those calories as fat … and that contributes to the weight of the plane and fuel cost and your flight discomfort (trying to fit in to those every comfortable seats).

Now, this one, I really do not understand the uproar.  $15 or $50 for a second checked bag sounds reasonable to me.  All those extra bags just make the plane heavier and feul inefficient.  If we cared about the economy we would be more wasteful and only care the bare minimal and buy everything else once we reach our destination.  That would be a real shot in the arm for the economic.  Think about those poor underpaid baggage handlers who always take special care not to damage our bags.  With fewer bags, they will no doubt do an even better job.

Some unreasonable people may accuse the airline industry of nickel-and-diming us to death, but I say baloney.  Food and bags are non-essentials for traveling.  The only thing that you ticket promises is arrival to your destination, which the airlines always do … maybe a couple of days later, but you generally get where you need to go.  For example, when you go to the movies (another great bargain), you have to buy popcorn and soda separately.  Same principle.

In fact, we have been cheating the airlines for quite some time.  They are due their just reward.

Kudos to the ad agencies for managing this public relation nightmare with such competence.  They deserve ever nickel and dime that they receive.  Anything more would be cheating the airlines.

Montreal, Quebec … why the attitude?

We visited Montreal almost 10 years ago and must say that we had a wonderful time.  We visited the Old Port and many of the old churches.  Learned about the history of the city and visited the old world’s fair site.  As I said, we had a wonderful time.

Fast forward 10 years, the city is still a beautiful blend of old and new.  The Botanical Gardens are still worth a visit.  The food is as delicious as ever.  What’s different this time?  Bad attitude!

I understand that Montreal is in Quebec and that Quebec is in Canada and that this part of Canada is supposed to be bilingual, i.e., French and English.  Someone forgot to tell the residents of Montreal that they are supposed to be bilingual.  My French is minimal at best.  I can communicate uni-directionally.  It’s much harder for me to understand what others are saying.

So, as I always try to do when I travel to a non-English speaking country, which Canada is not, I try to speak the local language, at least some.  But, this was not good enough for Montreal.  And, when I spoke English, that was not good enough either.  Overall, there was a very unfriendly and unwelcoming feel to the city.  Much different than my previous visit, and I am not hypersensitive.

Service was typically not good, despite eating in nice places.  No one seemed to want to speak English even though the city is supposed to bilingual.  Public transportation workers, restaurant servers, and hotel staff were quite matter-of-fact about my business and often seemed bothered … not just with me, but with everyone. 

Why the attitude?  Is this the result of the effort to succede from Canada?

Warning … American Express Travel

Are you traveling outside the United States and need foreign currency?  Beware!

We are traveling to three eastern European countries the 30th of June.  So, as I usually do, I exchanged/purchased foreign currency prior to our trip.  There are many benefits:

• You don’t have to wonder whether or not you are getting a good rate from one of the many currency exchanges that you find in Europe.
• When you land in your host country, you are ready to start spending money!  Splurge and take a taxi!
• There are all types of security concerns … for instance, is this exchange legitimate or is this a real ATM or is it just recording my financial information.
• Not every establishment accepts credit cards.  The same is true in the United States.
• Hotels sometimes do not offer the best rates.
• Beware of vendor who accept your home currency, such as US dollars, you will always get a bad exchange.

In the past, I have used AAA, but they can be expensive and they sell currencies in pre-packaged packs.  So, this year I decided to purchase Euros from American Express.  I though, wow, you are so smart.  Wrong!

If you purchase currency from American Express, you better be ready to stay at home and wait for UPS to deliver your money.  There is no option but delivery to your billing address.  I understand that this is money that can get lost or stolen.  I understand.  But, you have no option to pick your package up from your local UPS center!  Nowhere is this mentioned on the website.  It doesn’t even say that they will ONLY ship to your billing address.

Customer service at American Express Travel is terrible.  The representative that I spoke with gave me one option, “return to sender.”  This is not a tenable option.  I leave home in 3 days!  The representative and the manager seem to expect me to know their policy with UPS, which also is not listed anywhere on their website.  So, what am I going to do!  Wait at home, miss work, and get further behind in projects than I already am!

American Express Travel, let me know the full policy, so I can make an informed decision.  I had the option of going to a local American Express Travel office, but decided that the convenience of delivery was better.  I was wrong!  Maybe?

Warning … think twice about using American Express Travel to order foreign currency or traveler’s cheques.  By the way, traveler’s cheques are becoming a currency of the past.  I bought this type of currency several years ago and fewer and fewer shops and institution will exchange this currency compared to the first time that I used them.  The last time that I used this currency I had to go to a bank in Greece.

The other lesson … don’t wait until the last minute.  American Express Travel won’t necessarily help!

Wearing shoes … so old school

Thanks Britney Spears!  Well, we can’t blame this one Britney, but people stop going to the bathroom without wearing shoes!

The first time that I notice this bathroom and bare foot phenomenon I was flying from Zurich to Washington, DC and I saw this young attractive woman go to the lavatory without shoes and I thought that is disgusting!  And, it is!  Do you know what drops on a bathroom floor?  I do, and I am not excited about walking in public restrooms with my shoes, no less, barefoot.

So, this past weekend I was in Chicago and the city was having a blues festival.  There were rows and rows of portable toilets!  Amazingly, a young man walks into the toilet without shoes.  Wow!  Admittedly, I am a little hypersensitive about germs, but walking into a public restroom without shoes is begging for trouble!  It seems to be a young person phenomenon too!

Please, wear your shoes to the toilet!  If not for health concern, because it drives me crazy and may push me over the edge!

Always get a second opinion

I just recently returned from my Memorial Day travel and have to say that that was one of the better traveling experiences I have had … not because of where I went, but because there weren’t that many people traveling … at least through Cincinnati and Washington Dulles and Raleigh.

So what am I complaining about this time?  I decided to arrive at the airport early since I live about 80 miles from Cincinnati’s airport and I thought that I would go to one of the airport lounges and work … there are just so many distractions at home.  I had already checked-in and thought that I would just head off to the club, which is in a different terminal with a different security.  In other words, there’s no way to get from one terminal to another once going through security.  So, I asked the United check-in personnel [mistake number one] if I could enter any terminal with my ticket.  I told her I wanted to go the Delta club … she said empathically, no, absolutely not, can’t be done, don’t even try.  Okay!

Despite her confidence in answering my question.  I was not confident, probably not satisfied, with her answer, so I asked a TSA agent.  He said, you can absolutely go to any terminal you like as long as you have a valid ticket for the airport.  So, off I go, trouble free.  TSA, did ask me, hey, you know you are at the wrong terminal, and I replied, yes, I just want to visit the Delta club, and the agent said okay.  FYI, the Delta club in Concourse A is closed on Saturdays, fortunately the club in Concourse B is open.  I had the club practically to myself!

Last word, always get a second opinion.