Bill Geist's Zeitgeist

On Travel Shaming

Our friend George Tzougros of the Wisconsin Arts Board shared this fascinating story last week. 

Travel shaming has become a thing for people that are either jealous of those that travel (when they can't) or those that really believe we are harming the environment with our carbon footprint (OK, maybe). And, the story asked if there was a solution.

As someone who is on the road roughly half the year, working with our Destination Marketing clients across the Americas, I have the simple solution to the shame people are feeling.

Stop posting your travels on Social Media. I certainly don't...and I never take shit for the life I lead.

Simple as that.

This is Why Delta

I'm not about to say there haven't been a handful of annoying missteps over the years...but I'm about as loyal of a Delta guy as you'll find. And, this story from Wall Street Journal writer Jared Diamond pretty much sums up virtually every interaction I've ever had with a Delta employee:

“I was attempting to fly from New York to Cleveland last April. The weather had other plans.

“So when a devastating rain and wind storm canceled my trip on American Airlines, I quickly rebooked on Delta. It was the best decision I could've made. I didn’t have lounge access with American, but I spent the next six hours in the (Delta) Sky Club bouncing from canceled flight to canceled flight. With every flight to Cleveland sold out for days, I begrudgingly accepted a flight to Columbus the next afternoon, with plans to drive the rest of the way.

“Defeated and exhausted, I started to trudge out of the lounge around midnight. That's when a Delta employee asked for my boarding pass. ‘Where are you headed?’ she asked. ‘Columbus,’ I said. ‘No, where are you supposed to be going?’ she responded.

“Five minutes later, this agent produced for me a new boarding pass to Cleveland for a flight the next morning. I don't know what she did or how it happened—but I beat my colleague there by nearly an entire day.”

They all fly the same equipment. It's Delta's people that make all the difference.

And here's to another year flying together.

The Challenge to Air Law 19

For long time readers of this blog, you'll remember (fondly, we hope) our Air Laws series. For new recruits, Air Laws was our attempt to bring a modicum of civility back to air travel. To look back on the first 22 Air Laws, start here.

Air Law 19 attempted to dissuade self-absorbed passengers from bringing stinky food on the plane with the penalty being reseated next to the rear lav for the duration of the flight. Seemed fair enough at the time...but our airline of choice appears prepared to challenge Air Law 19 in the weeks and months ahead.

Delta recently announced plans to begin serving Shake Shack burgers in First Class on its flights out of Boston next month. Far from stinky, these burgers are actually crave worthy...but, I smell a different kind of problem brewing. As SmartBrief's Sean McMahon wrote in today's column: "Sooooo...the entire plane will be able to smell the burgers, but they will only be available to passengers sitting in First Class. Hmmm...what could possibly go wrong?"

Time will tell...but we might have to retire Air Law 19 and focus on others that airlines aren't intentionally ignoring.

Sigh...

Honestly, What's the Point?

We just marked 23 years since the 9/11 attacks. And, a sweeping change in response to those attacks was called for by Homeland Security a breathtaking four years later. To make airline travel safer, Americans would have to obtain updated drivers licenses within 3 years (7 years after the attacks).

Which was then pushed back over and over until the new deadline was to be 2025, 24 years since the attacks. That's still the deadline...but TSA won't now enforce the measure until 2027. That's because Americans have essentially ignored the new law and TSA worries that sticking to the 20+ year deadline to increase safety would cause problems at airports around holidays and other high-travel times. 

Wasn't this supposed to make us safer? And how many tens of millions of our tax dollars have been squandered over the past 20+ years on something that clearly isn't that important after all?

Aren't There More Important Things?

With the myriad of issues plaguing our country, calling out in vain for our politicians to show some leadership...they're targeting airline loyalty programs?

Doesn't the government routinely change the value of Social Security and Medicare as it fits their arcane needs? So why waste everyone's time on something so inconsequential?

Just saying...

Nice Try

When smoking aboard domestic flights was outlawed in 1990, two enterprising entrepreneurs decided to launch their own "members-only" play to get around the ban. Called "Smokers Express" the plan was to offer flights where passengers could enjoy complimentary cigarettes, premium steaks, burgers and pizza. And, because membership was limited to those 21 and over, Smokers Express promised that flights would be free of "screaming babies."

They never secured enough venture capital to ever get off the ground.

Safety in Numbers

Two Boeing Whistleblowers are dead in what some are calling questionable circumstances. One would think that should be enough to cause others to reconsider coming forward.

Not according to Fortune, which reports that at least ten more are prepared to tell their stories.

What? Safety in Numbers?

Whatever...good on them, if their stories are true.

 

You're Not All That

Standing in an especially long and slow TSApre line yesterday at CLE. From behind me, an unmistakeable voice of privilege and self-absorbtion dismissively clucked, "TSA really needs to raise their prices. Most of these people shouldn't be in this line."

I turned and looked, expecting someone decked out in Gucci and gaudy baubles...and laid my eyes on someone who looked just like the rest of the line. 

And sighed.

Sister Cities Maximized

Sister Cities. Many communities maintain such relations but how many maximize the opportunity before them? On this episode of DMOU, Mary Kay Wydra (Explore Western Mass) and Carline Poland (Dingle Peninsula Tourism Alliance) share their sensational experience of developing a bi-continental relationship that drives culture, heritage and significant visitation to their respective destinations.

More Rewarding My Butt

I've absolutely loved my relationship with Delta over the past decade since they absorbed Northwest Airlines. Their customer service has been sensational...and their misses have been few and far between.

But, when I got the e-mail today that said "A Simpler and More Rewarding SkyMiles," I slowly shook my head, knowing that the perks of airline loyalty were about to unravel. And honestly, do marketing departments really believe that their most loyal customers will believe such spin?

In the interests of brevity, I'll only suggest that limiting access to the SkyClubs to 10 times a year unless one spends $75,000 on the Delta AmEx credit card isn't more rewarding. And M&C has its own take.

Maybe Tom Brady can talk some sense into the brainiacs that have now caused a Million Miler to reconsider their future loyalty.