For women going places

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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Escaping the Chaos: Airline Club 1-Day Passes

2/11/11

Airline club memberships or Priority Passes seem to be at the top of every frequent flier’s wish list (and many occasional travelers who’ve only heard about the fabulous benefits). They want the chance to get away from the chaos of the terminal and relax, freshen up, have a cocktail, read a book or check their email.

In a recent Woman Road Warrior Day survey, many women mentioned airport clubs as their favorite travel perk:

“The Northwest lounge is great – clean, spacious bathrooms, a free glass of wine or Bloody Mary, free wifi and charging, cheese and crackers to go.”

“I love the Continental lounge – it’s quiet, I can wash up, relax and feel a little pampered while waiting for my connecting flight.”

You don’t have to be flying first class or a business traveler to venture into this passenger nirvana. Many airport clubs and lounges sell 1-day passes. And one of the best places to try one out, according to Bob Batz, Jr. of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is The Oasis at JFK Airport in New York.

He writes that anyone wanting to spend $45 can make her way in. You get up to 5 hours of all the food you can eat, all the beverages you can drink, including free beer, wine and liquors. There are clean bathrooms with showers, lots of comfy places to stretch out, computers with internet access and free wi-fi, TVs, magazines, just about anything you could ever want is inside this lounge. It’s owned by KLM and caters to VIP passengers on 10 airlines but independent travelers are definitely welcome.

“Wow - sign me up,” says Woman Road Warrior Traveler-in-Chief, Kathy Ameche. “Free food, drink and wi-fi? When flying first class on international flights, there's a separate airport lounge one can go to and get free food and drink - it's not as diverse as the Oasis. I had been a Red Carpet (UAL) club member for years. Yes, you got free drink (non alcoholic) - you had to pay for the alcohol. As for food – you got chips, peanuts, granola bars and fruit. Hardly the food they were describing at the Oasis."

Kathy says she'd go out of her way to stop there. "At $45 for up to five hours - I'd plan long layovers just to hang out and experience the food/drink etc. I'd say it's about a wash if you and your spouse are traveling through JFK, and have a layover that requires getting food."

United Red Carpet offers 1-day passes for $50 at the airport or $35 online at United.com. The passes are only valid for one location. Say you’re traveling from Chicago to Denver – you can only use it in one city. But you can use them at any Red Carpet or Continental Presidents Club worldwide. You can get a 1-day pass for American’s Admiral Club as well – its $50 passes are good for multiple locations.

If you want more than a 1-day pass, here’s a Woman Road Warrior tip - check with your employer. If your organization has a formal travel and entertainment policy, find out if it allows the cost of the club membership to be a reimbursable expense. If not, but you are a senior member of the company, see if an exception can be made. If your company won’t reimburse you, but you are a member anyway, do yourself a favor: If you see your boss or another senior member of your company waiting at the gate, invite her to join you in the lounge. Club rules usually allow a member to bring up to two guests.

See you on the road!

Road Reporter Vicki Zwart

Labels: airline club memberships, business traveler, frequent flier, lounge, Oasis, woman road warrior

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Rapid Rewards Become Rapider

1/10/11

Southwest Airlines’ New Frequent Flier Program Aimed at Business Travelers

Southwest, making the first change in its loyalty program in 23 years, went all out,

spending close to $100 million on the project which aims to win new customers and

deepen ties to existing business travelers, who, as we know, generally pay higher prices.

The old program was based on credits. One flight = one credit. When you got 16 credits

you got a free flight but - you couldn’t collect credits beyond 16 and there was no difference in the reward between short flights and long flights. Awards were for Southwest flights only.

The new program is based on points, which in turn are based on ticket price and fare category. These can be accumulated for larger awards and have no expiration. That is, there is no expiration date as long as the account remains active in a 24-month period. There are no blackout dates for redemption and no limit on awards redeemed per flight, according to Ryan Green, Southwest senior director for loyalty.

Points can also be redeemed through a third-party provider for international and Hawaii flights as well as hotels and rental cars, even though Southwest flies only in the continental U.S. Points can also be purchased under the new program, to speed up getting an award. Watch for Southwest to add a second elite-flier category with additional benefits for those who travel most often.

The carrier unveiled a website to explain the changes, which go into effect on March 1st.

See you on the road!

Road Reporter Deborah Harter Williams

Labels: blackout dates, business traveler, flights, frequent flier, loyalty, Southwest Airlines