For women going places

How Can You Not Root for Them?

3/29/11

I admit it, I’m a sports junkie. Who doesn’t like this time of year? The NCAA tournament, opening day in baseball, the final 10 games for the NBA, Kentucky Derby warm-ups and yes, the Masters. I’m the in-house bookie for the NCAA tournament and picked Kansas to win it all. Picking the tournament winner has never been my strong suit and it’s rare that a #1 seed goes all the way, but I sucked it up and went with Kansas anyway. I’m now eating crow but I can’t feel too bad because of whom they lost to, VCU. If you don’t know about VCU’s run then I suggest you get to ESPN, or however you get your news and check this team out.

Not only are they a #11 seed, they had to play a pre-game just to get into the tournament. A number of die hard college basketball critics have been all too happy to voice their opinions that VCU should never have been invited to the Big Dance. Looks who’s talking now!

What’s the saying, “actions speak louder than words?” The actions of VCU’s head coach, Shaka Smart are a screaming success. You have a head coach who is in his 30’s and living a dream that most head coaches can only hope for. Shaka chose to go to Kenyon College after being accepted at Harvard, Yale and Brown. He has his Rams believing they can win the tournament and I for one, have joined the bandwagon. Who doesn’t need a feel good story about now? Instead of worrying about the economy, war, famine, jobs - let’s root the underdog onto victory.

GO RAMS!

See you on the road,

Kathy Ameche
Traveler-in-Chief

Labels: basketball, Kansas, NCAA tournament, Shaka Smart, sports, VCU

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What Airline am I on Again?

3/22/11

I couldn’t believe it. Here I was on an 8a.m. Saturday morning flight at the height of Spring Break. What was I thinking? The security lines were packed. Silly me, I thought Saturday morning would be quiet. I took my place in line, boarded the plane and then the unimaginable happened. The flight attendant on a United Airlines flight was fabulous. She was funny, helpful, attentive – what a refreshing experience.

How many times have we gotten on a plane only to be ignored, told to hurry up and stow our bags, made to feel that we were a disturbance? I’m a believer that if you treat people with some respect, they will respond in kind. Traveling is stressful enough and a person’s attitude directly impacts the entire experience. This flight attendant greeted each passenger as if they were a human being, smiled, and had a kindness in her voice and demeanor.

Thank you to Trish, the first flight attendant on UAL’s ORD to PHX flight Saturday morning, March 19^th - for making the flight enjoyable, despite the 150 mph head winds. What a refreshing change. Are you taking a page out of Southwest’s playbook? Whatever the reasoning, keep it up.

Some of my favorite moments included:
- Asking the kids where they were going and then saying to them “Oh, no, we aren’t going there. Phoenix is closed."
- Reaching behind a few unsuspecting ears and pulling out a quarter.
- Letting a few of the younger generation make an announcement on the intercom.
- During the initial announcement, asking a passenger, "where are we going again?"
- She was a green tea fan; we swapped stories and tea bags.

And it went on…

I happened to be on a Southwest flight back to Chicago (the following day) and not only was their humor missing, when we arrived at Midway, we had to wait 10 minutes until the ground crew could guide us to the gate. We were told “they were busy” – really! That’s an excuse at O’Hare not Midway.

ADVANTAGE UNITED

See you on the road!

Kathy Ameche

Traveler-in-Chief

Labels: flight attendant, Kathy Ameche, plane, Southwest Airlines, spring break, United, woman road warrior

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Keeping the Peace On the Plane

3/18/11

The turbulence involved in flying these days - frequent delays, overcrowded flights and reduced service - keeps in-flight etiquette constantly in our thoughts. The Wall Street Journal's travel editor Scott McCartney brought it up again with his post "So Who Gets the Armrest?" He asked frequent fliers, airline industry leaders, flight attendants and etiquette and ethics experts to offer advice on how to deal with on-board aggravations, such as armrest sharing and stinky food.

Though no one asked us Woman Road Warriors, we have a few thoughts on how to keep the peace on the plane:

Share the armrest! It's big enough for two.

A true Woman Road Warrior knows not to recline her seat all the way.

If someone encroaches on your seat - assert yourself. You paid for your space!

Always pack a mini fan in your carry-on and don't be afraid to use it if someone whips out a smelly sandwich.

Though the issue of dealing with noisy neighbors (kids specifically) has been done to death, we still like putting on the noise-canceling earphones and drifting into silent bliss. Or put on your sunglasses, even if it's dark out - that will help block out all the distractions.

And, if you find yourself stuck in the window seat with a full bladder and sleeping row-mates, climb over them or gently wake them up. Treat them the same way you'd like to be treated if the situation were reversed. Having this happen more than once should be a good reminder to hit the bathroom BEFORE you get on the plane.

See you on the road!

Kathy Ameche
Traveler-in-Chief

Labels: airline passengers, etiquette, flying, frequent flier, Kathy Ameche, traveler-in-chief, Wall Street Journal, woman road warrior

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Packing to Perfection

3/7/11

No one likes to pack and having to do it regularly doesn't make it any easier or more enjoyable. But there are items you should always have available or include for your safety and sanity.

- Keep a duplicate set of makeup and toiletries in a separate case or other container. If you usually travel with a particular suitcase, you can put these items in that suitcase or nearby. If they are not all in one place, you can easily forget something.

- If possible, keep a duplicate set of medicine for travel use as well. Keep it near or in your suitcase. Watch out for expiration dates, especially if you're not traveling frequently.

- Keep a spare set of some clothing items that you can dedicate to a "travel set" (such as gym shoes, sleepwear, workout clothes and swimsuit) with your luggage. The fewer items you need to be concerned with about on the day of packing, the better.

- Have a portable clock in your travel bag, preferably one that illuminates. All too often the clock is located in the television set across the room, which makes it very difficult to see in the middle of the night, especially if you wear glasses. Although I usually arrange for a wake-up call, I use the alarm on the travel clock as a back-up.

- Have a flashlight in your travel bag. It's nice to have with you in a dark, unfamiliar hotel room where you may be unable to find the light switches.

- I don't usually bring a hair dryer. I have always found the dryers in the rooms to be satisfactory and I don't want to carry the extra weight or take up valuable space in my bag if it's not necessary.

- Always bring an umbrella. There are plenty of small models that take up very little space in your bag.

- Don't forget the charger for your mobile phone, iPod, iPad or Netbook. Better yet, have a spare charger that you keep in your travel bag.

- Take earplugs and an eye mask with you on every trip, especially for use on an airplane. They will help you ward off noise and light when you are trying to sleep. Keep them in or near the bag you usually use as a carry-on.

- Take a sewing kit and stain remover; again, keep them in or near your regular travel bag. If you can't remove a stain from that skirt you wanted to wear to your big presentation and you have no other alternative, ask the hotel for the use of a uniform, which is usually a pantsuit.

- Take a zip-top or similar plastic bag and fill it with spare plastic bags. These bags can be very handy in all kinds of circumstances - to hold a broken watch or jewelry, ice, stationery and store snacks.

Some other items that might come in handy:

- night light for the bathroom

- anti-bacterial wipes for the remote, phone and other surfaces

- pillowcase to bring a feeling of home

Whatever you pack, don't over do it. Remember the Woman Road Warrior mantra: Pack Light!

See you on the road!

Kathy Ameche
Traveler-in-Chief

Labels: ear plugs, Kathy Ameche, luggage, pack, suitcase, travel, traveler-in-chief, woman road warrior