April 21, 2007
How you know you're on an old airplane
When the airplane bathroom has a slot for disposing of razor blades...
Posted by Bob Pritchett at 02:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 29, 2006
Continental Follows Up
I just got a letter from Continental, dated a week after the emergency landing in Bismarck.
It begins "Thank you for your patience and cooperation during the diversion of flight 1881..." and thanks me three times for my cooperation. And my patience, understanding, and support.
It reports the obvious-to-us-aboard news that after an emergency landing was declared, we were "cleared for landing and arrived without incident."
It expresses appreciation for the assistance given by Northwest Airlines' employees and stiffly relates "The reports indicate that pizza and beverages were served while customers were reaccommodated on alternate flights."
Continental "regret[s] that this situation occurred." But Continental's letter is so long and so stiff that it serves only to highlight the absence of the most obvious (yet missing) sentence: "We're sorry for the inconvenience."
The letter would have been more accurately signed by their attornies ("The Law Firm of Dewey, Cover, Butz & Howe"), not the director of customer care.
But there's a $200 certificate attached to the letter, so I'm okay with it.
Posted by Bob Pritchett at 10:38 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
November 09, 2006
Thanks, Bismarck!
Last night, half-way through a twice-delayed cross-country flight on Continental, my ears popped suddenly. I felt a rush of cold air at my feet, and as I yawned to equalize the pressure I looked around and saw the other passengers yawning and holding their ears.
Seconds later overhead panels dropped and the yellow oxygen masks, so familiar from the pre-flight safety briefings, appeared above our heads. Probably because there was nothing scary -- no turbulence, no smoke or flaming engine -- my first thought wasn't fear but rather annoyance. Once I saw those masks, and that they aren’t something you push a button to retract, I knew that plane wasn’t going to be taking me home.
(Tip for future reference: You really have to pull hard to snap the mask off the cord that keeps it above head level. Really hard.)
We'd lost cabin pressure for an unknown reason. The pilot took us down to a lower altitude and then landed safely in Bismarck, North Dakota, after an hour of pretty tense flying.
It was after 11 pm, and the airport had already had its last departure. But when we unloaded a plane full of tired, frustrated travelers, the skeleton crew at Northwest Airlines was already working to arrange transportation and lodging for more than 100 passengers. And when Continental decided to fly a new plane in from Houston, to pick us up and continue on to Seattle, the staff rallied to organize snacks, order pizzas, and arrange hotels for people who wanted to stay overnight. TSA screeners and other employees were called back in, and everybody stayed till after 3 am getting us moved to the new plane and safely back in the air.
We landed a whole lot of inconvenience on Northwest and the Bismarck Airport staff, but they were pleasant and cheerful and went out of their way to be helpful. They made an awful night a whole lot better.
Thanks!
Posted by Bob Pritchett at 09:55 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
April 21, 2006
So how do they handle the bags?
Watching the baggage loading from the airplane window I was surprised to recognize my own bag. Knowing that it contained a fragile and possibly antique Moroccan wall hanging, I cringed when I saw it tossed roughly from one cart to another.
I’d been playing with my digital camera, so I decided to record the bag’s next movement on video. My bag (and wall hanging) made it; I just hope there was nothing fragile in the bag that appears from the right. :-)
(Click the image for a not-very-dramatic 3.5 meg QuickTime movie.)
For the record, I love the new Panasonic DMC-FX01. It is a great camera, and I especially appreciated the image stabilization and the wider angle lens.
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April 18, 2006
Eos and better options for flying
Eos Airlines is making a dream come true: an airplane where every seat is first class, at less than the cost of normal business class. Sadly, the dream is only available from New York to London.
Still, I am encouraged to see more creativity in the airline industry. This is a business where we need some new ideas. As for me, though, I don’t need luxury. I don’t need a lie-flat bed or boutique dining. I don’t want to pay double to be pampered. But I would pay more for 4 more inches in seat width and legroom. Keep your china and linens; just let me not rub shoulders with my neighbor.
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April 11, 2006
"Let's be clear: this is a robbery..."
I have not made a long-distance call from a hotel phone in years. I always use my cell phone. Overseas I can usually find a calling card that works out to about ten cents per minute for calls to the US; in a pinch, the cell phone is only a dollar or two a minute.
But the blue card attached to the phone cord in the Hilton intrigued me. It promised "An end to hotel phone hang-ups." Maybe hotels were finally becoming reasonable, I thought.
How about London to the US for around $7 per minute? An hour long call to the US would be $418.49. A quick check shows that I can fly from London to New York (round-trip!) for $453.
"Hilton’s phone rates mean calling from your hotel room has never been easier to understand." They are right. I understand perfectly.
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February 02, 2006
Go in person
A business acquaintance wanted to get my feedback on a project he is planning. His office is 90 miles away, in Seattle, but since I wanted to get to know him better I offered to stop by. And then I started emailing other contacts in the area.
In one day I visited six people in five offices. I drank a lot of coffee and shared a leisurely meal. I had productive meetings, met co-workers, toured facilities, and built friendships. I went home with new ideas for my business, a box of chocolates for my wife and some free products for my kids.
Chapter 16 of Fire Someone Today is titled Visit Everyone in Person. Going in person takes a lot of effort. It wastes time. But I have only regretted the visits I did not make.
Posted by Bob Pritchett at 04:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
January 25, 2006
Loews Hotels win me over
When I stay at a smaller hotel chain I rarely sign up for the frequent guest program. The benefits are too remote to be worth the hassle. I am already enrolled in lots of other programs; how likely am I to stay 15 nights a year at this new chain in order to earn a free newspaper?
My first visit to a Loews Hotel was different, though. At check-in I learned that the Loews First program offers the newspaper, room upgrades, late check-out and a free welcome amenity from the very first stay. I signed up on the spot, and that evening found a huge bag of goodies sitting in my room. I had requested the "regional gift," and the Tastykakes and other items were a welcome Philadelphia treat.
It was the message, not the gift that won me over: Loews wanted to treat me well from the first stay, not after I had proven myself to them.
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January 24, 2006
Good thinking at airport security
After all the whining I have done about the hassles of airport security, I am glad to finally have something good to say.
At the beautiful little Columbia Metropolitan Airport last week I found a rack of Ziploc-style plastic bags for carrying all your metal accessories through security. Placed well before the x-ray machine, these bags made for faster throughput. Amateur travelers weren't holding up the line while they filled and unfilled buckets with coins, keys, watches, cell phones, etc.
I put mine in my laptop case for reuse, and I hope to see them at more airports in the future.
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November 30, 2005
The One Sure Sign
I have stayed in almost every level of hotel or motel, chains and independents. And I have learned that the only thing that matters is the year of construction. A brand new one star beats a decades-old four star any day.
Hotels will tell you they are all new when they are simply remodeled. But fresh paint and fixtures do not address tired floor plans, ancient climate control and clogged up plumbing.
If you are worried that a hotel may be past its prime, call the front desk before you book and ask about the one sure sign a hotel is too far gone.
From the remodeled but still hopelessly out of date Hilton Valley Forge, Pennsylvania.
Posted by Bob Pritchett at 07:00 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack