Seldom At A Loss for Words...

Of all people, I am seldom at a loss for words...however a couple of things I read lately have left me pretty much speechless. In Letters to the Editor of the L.A. Times about a month ago someone wrote in to complain about airlines allowing small pets on planes. Now, only very SMALL pets are allowed in the cabin area of the plane (the pet must fit UNDER the seat in front of the owner in its cage and be able to stand up in the cage). There are only two pets allowed on any one plane at any given time, and the pet owners pay a very high price to take their pet along for the ride.

No sooner had that letter come out than someone else wrote in wanting to ban all cologne and fabric softener people on planes...so if you used fabric softener on your clothes, or spritzed on cologne before leaving home you would not be allowed on the plane.

Well, if we're just going to get militant about it all...let's ban children under the age of, say, 15. No crying, no kicking the back of the seat in front, no listening to video games. While we're at it, let's also make passengers sign an agreement that they WILL NOT lean their seat back while the plane is in flight.

Can anyone think of anything else? No eating garlic before you board...or beans...or broccoli?

Really, although flying is not as comfortable as it was a few years ago and there are some new rules and regulations, let's not all go crazy! People need to get their pets safely from place to place. Parents need to fly with their children for the same reason. And,although some perfume can give me an instant headache, I would not want to see people banned from flying for that or for using fabric softener on their clothes.

If any of you find yourselves in a situation where you are sitting next to a person who is too, shall we say...fragerant..., try to go quietly to the flight attendant and ask if they could possibly change your seat.

Some of the things people find to complain about leave me speechless, which is no easy trick!

Please remember, before you harbor hard feelings about something for your entire vacation, go find someone in authority and ask for what you need. If you don't like your room at a hotel, go to the front desk and ask if it could be changed and if you could see some other rooms. Although I think it is less likely to work, you could do the same thing on a cruise. Go to the Purser's Desk and ask if their are other cabins you might be able to see and perhaps switch with your cabin. This does not mean you get to go from a standard room to a suite or from an inside cabin to the penthouse suite. It simply means you have an issue with your room/cabin and you would like to change for another room/cabin of the came price category. Sometimes, you might be fortunate and get a total upgrade, but don't expect it...that is not really what you are asking for.

Travel is educational, travel is fun, travel will change the way you see the world...but you have to put some effort into traveling. A good attitude and the ability to flex are essential. Remember, patience will go a lot further in getting what you want than demanding special treatment.

Some of the thing you can do to make your travels a little easier: 1. ALWAYS give your correct name as it appears on your drivers' license or passport...even if you have to take the document out and look at it. I'll wait while you check...I have time! However if you tell me your name is Jane Ann Smith...and then remember later on the correct spelling for your first name is Jayne, it is serious. Documentation is now being checked and no room is allowed for mistakes and spelling off by a letter or two. 2. Check where you are going. Unless you are going to the same place every year, check and make sure WHERE you are going. This sounds too simple, but a client of mine booked her ticket 3 months in advance, only to find out 5 days prior to flight time that she had picked the wrong city in Florida. Her ticket had her going to the Florida Panhandle...she needed to be on the west coast of Florida near the tip. UnOh! too far a drive to just slap a car reservation in there and call it a day. She had to spend an additional $265. to change the ticket, I had to spend 3 hrs. in the office on a Saturday making it happen. As long as I'm home and can come in I truly don't mind...but how stressful for my client! While we're on bad choices for a destination, please remember many states have towns with the same name. I'm from Independence, CA...don't even get me started on how many states have a town named Independence! I once sent a priest to Lafayette, Louisiana...he needed to go to Lafayette, Illinois...who knew!! 3. It helps to mention the STATE where the town you need to go to is located. I now try and remember to ask as well. Fortunately, airlines were much easier to deal with when I made that mistake and they graciously allowed me to fix it without charge...but that would never happen now!

Children do not get discounts on domestic air fare. Sometimes they don't even get discounts on international air fare, but if you are booking a package, every often children will get a discount at the hotel. Tell me when there are children in the package and give me their exact age at time of travel. Some packages are very generous and give a discount up to 17 years...I need to know because I want you to get the best price there is.

Considering all the problems, flying is still a good way to get where you're going and really is not all that bad. Plan ahead, be well prepared for waits (bring snacks and buy something to drink after you clear security in the airport). Remember that rules for boarding are different in different countries. In Jamaica I did not have to remove my shoes to go through security. In Mexico I was not allowed to board with water I had purchased after I went through security in Puerto Vallarta, while in Morelia I was allowed to board the plane with water bottles we had filled at my sister in law's home. The rules don't make sense, but please don't argue. Accept that different countries have different rules.

Mexico has it's own problems with timeshare people. When you arrive at most of the beach cities (excluding Manzanillo), time share people will INSIST they are your transportation to your hotel. You need to get through all of the timeshare people and exit the airport. There you will find the people responsible for transporting you to your hotel. Your transportation is PRE-PAID with your package. DO NOT let anyone tell you you need to pay for transportation to your hotel or you need to attend a time share presentation.

Go with a good attitude and an open mind and you will have a wonderful time. Go with the idea that people who used fabric softener should be banned from the plane and you will only make yourself miserable.

Until next time,
Sonia

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