Category Archives: Advice for Business Travel

Why American is my Favorite Airline

American AirlinesWhen I moved to Austin, Texas from Greensboro, North Carolina, I quickly discovered the shortcomings of US Airways service for the city. The only flights in or out were on regional jets with no first class cabin and a not very comfortable ride.

Wanting to make an informed decision, I consulted the Austin-Bergstrom Airport website. There I discovered that the airline, besides Southwest, with the most flights was American at 26 percent. (Now it’s less than 20 percent, but still only behind Southwest.) By the way, if you want these stats for your airport, you’ll find them at http://www.transtats.bts.gov/.

Anyway, I called the airline and of course, they had their own version of a status-matching program. I matched to Platinum within two months; it took a year and a half to achieve Executive Platinum status.

As an Executive Platinum on American, the benefits are excellent, including free unlimited upgrades on a space-available basis, free checked baggage up to 70 lbs. per piece, and boarding with First Class passengers, even when you don’t get the upgrade. But these benefits are not what keeps me coming back.

It’s their people that make the difference! Yes, I know I’m nice to them, too. I call Marc, the ticket counter agent, Denay and Barbie, the women in the Admirals Club, and gate agents Cathy and Lisa by name. And yes, I do bring cookies or muffins to the flight attendants. However, even when I don’t, they are cordial and call me by name. The flight attendants go out of their way to make their road warriors like me feel taken care of. And even the folks on the phone seem to go the extra mile to help.

Why did I really leave US Airways? That’s another story for another blog. Stay tuned.

Tips for security

Tips to Help You Breeze through Security—well almost

Tips for securityGoing through airline security can be stressful. While critical to keeping travelers safe, most people think the experience is a hassle at best

There are however a few easy things all travelers can do the make the experience better for themselves and their fellow travelers. To help you breeze through security, here are a few tips I suggest:

Say Thanks. 
Respect that the TSA people are only doing their jobs and in reality, we are somewhat safer because they are. After I get through the screening process, I always say “Thank you for keeping us safe.” It makes their day and their good feelings come back to me.

Plan Your Buckets. 
Try to count the number of buckets you will need and take exactly that many. Sometimes people in the line are annoyed if you have to put some back or need more than you originally thought.

Pay Attention to your Bag Position. 
Be sure to lay any vertical bags into a horizontal position; otherwise, the screeners may send it back through and that will delay your process, and those behind you.

Keep Liquids Handy. 
If you are carrying on your luggage and have liquids, stick the bag of liquids in the top of your purse or the carryon itself, so that you may get to it easily to take it out.

Take Chargers Out. 
If you have bags of chargers or other electronics with wires, take them out along with computers and other large electronic devices. That will save you the hassle of additional bag checks resulting in further delays.

Real Gold Doesn’t Apply. 
When you’re removing large metal belt buckles or other large metal objects, don’t worry about anything that’s real gold. I have a huge solid gold medallion Buddha I wear around my neck that never sets off the machines.

Ask for Private Screening. 
If you’re selected to be searched, ask for private screening. This screening will take a few more minutes, but is performed behind closed doors—much less embarrassing. If you have any qualms about going through the new body scanning machines, ask when you get to the top of the security line for the private screening and they will not make you go through the machine.

Take it to the Bench. 
Once your items have been screened and passed, if there’s a line, take the buckets to a bench, where you can put shoes and belts back on, without holding up the line.

The best rule of thumb: Be as pleasant and efficient as possible; the other people in the line will appreciate it and you’ll get through faster.