Business Travel Tips (or what I’ve noticed lately on a lot of recent flights)
Over the past few months, I’ve been traveling a lot more on business than I have in a while. New York. LA. New Orleans. Cincinnati. Sacramento. Orlando. During the course of these flights, I’ve noticed a few travelers doing some things that can best be described as thoughtless to their fellow passengers. So, in the interest of living up to our company purpose of helping people to make their lives better, here are a few helpful travel tips:
1. On the way to the airport, do not drive in the left, or passing, lane if you are not passing. Too many drivers drive too slowly in the left lane, forcing other cars to pass dangerously on the right. I read recently that some states are starting to ticket these drivers for clogging up the works. So, remember what your stern driver’s ed instructor told you; Help keep traffic flowing and only use the left lane to pass!
2. Today’s planes are smaller than the past. So small, in fact, that your legal carry-on bag won’t even fit in the overhead compartment on some flights, forcing you to “gate check” them on the jetway before getting on the plane. This creates a bit of a cluster upon arrival at your destination airport, especially for people who have to wait for their gate-checked bag and then make a connecting flight. Don’t act like an angry mob when the elevator door opens and the gate-checked bags show up (I know this is hard, since sometimes the airlines take an inexplicably long time to get these bags the few yards from plane to jetway…). Line up in an orderly fashion in the jetway and, one by one, approach the elevator door and carefully remove your bag. Those bags are piled in there like a house of cards and one careless move can cause an avalanche of Samsonite!
3. Speaking of small planes, you know what else is in short supply on them? Fresh air. So, when you bring a tuna fish & carmelized onion taco on board, everyone from the Captain to the guy sitting next to the restroom in back is going to get a noseful. Now, tuna fish and onions might be your idea of a delicious snack (under different circumstances, I’d agree), but in an environment with no fresh air, periodic turbulence, and a tiny bathroom, it’s somewhat inconsiderate. Please; no stinky food on board!
4. When boarding the plane, remember that, in most cases, there are dozens of other people waiting to get on board. So, please don’t dawdle. Get on, store your stuff, and sit down. I’ve seen a number of flyers recently who seemed completely oblivious to all the other people behind them waiting to get to their seats. I know this a pet peeve of flight attendants and I can see why.
5. Even if you’ve been drinking, as a group on a recent flight back to Milwaukee I was on obviously was, you need to remember that the rest of the passengers don’t want to hear your conversation. Especially if the main topic of discussion between you and your friends is how much you’ve been drinking. If you need to speak at all, talk in a hushed tone so your fellow passengers can work, nap, read, and otherwise not have to share in the intoxicating details of your life!
6. Finally, get TSA-Precheck. Even if you only fly a couple of times a year, skirting by long security lines as you cruise down the TSA-Pre lane is a real rush. No more long waits. No more taking your shoes off. No more removing your laptop from your bag. The time savings and peace of mind are worth every penny of the $85 or so fee. Before every flight, someone in the TSA-Pre line always comments, “Best investment I ever made.” It’s definitely up there!
