A volcano on the sparsley populated island country of Iceland has reminded us that no matter how much technology we have, we are still sometimes at the complete mercy of Mother Nature.  Airports all across Europe were completely shut down for days.  But because most large carriers --- no matter where they are based --- are tied in to "feeding" passengers in to Europe, or receiving passengers from there, this "ash" scare wreaked havoc on airlines and stranded passengers all around the world.  Nothing in our Air Travel Survival Kits could aid anyone stuck sleeping in the terminals of JFK Airport for 3 or 4 nights.  Stay tuned to how this situation is dealt with should more eruptions occur --- or if its "companion" volcano nearby --- which geologists say could even be worse --- decides to act up.

And we all thought the "eruption" from passengers who fly Spirit Airlines was pretty bad.  The Florida-based airline that mostly serves select East Coast cities, the Caribbean and South America from its Fort Lauderdale base, announced recently that beginning in August they would start charging up to $45 for carry-on bags (only $30 if paid in advance).  So far, no other airlines have followed suit.  Yet, they'll all be watching with great interest.  For, if they see that Spirit is able to carry it off without any significant loss of passenger seat miles, they may want to test the waters for themselves.  The airilnes have made a ton of money off of charging for checked bags, and with jet fuel prices beginning to creep up, this could be a way to bring in additional revenue.  Of course, some lawmakers are threatening to introduce legislation to ban this practice.  But, I'm sure the PR guys at Spirit were happy to have a volcano erupt to "take the heat" off of them for awhile.

But the story that leaves me shaking my head the most is the one I read about on Time.com (04/18/10 article by Sean Gregory).  During this time when so many companies and individuals are struggling to make ends meet, it was reported that ABERCROMBIE & FITCH is paying their company CEO Mike Jeffries --- the same man that made so many bad decisions in the last year that they netted only $254,000 (way down from $273 million the year before) --- a $4 million lump-sum payment to stop flying on the company plane.  Where is the corporate governance in A & F? It's going to take them selling an awful lot of $90 pants or $30 boxers to cover this little extravagance.  If I were a shareholder, I would surely be vocally present at their June 9 Annual Meeting to be held at their New Albany, Ohio headquarters!  Where is Warren Buffett when we need him?

But this is only the beginning, for in about a week's time, the new ruling by the Department of Transportation takes effect.  That would be the one that fines an airline $27,500 per passenger (yes, you read that right) --- NOT per occurence --- any time an airplane is stranded on the tarmac for longer than three hours without letting the passengers off.  It's a shame that it had to resort to a financial hit this big to get the attention of the airline industry.  Bet you don't see it happening too often.  I don't even think Sully Sullenberger would have the guts to make that call --- one that could cost the airline several million dollars for some of the larger aircraft.

Despite all of this...keep on traveling.  Nothing much happens when you sit still.

Ken Hawkins
April 22, 2010 (Happy Earth Day!)

I logged in to my web-site administration account yesterday, April 1st, to find some unusual user feedback.  This was in the "Suggest a Prayer for Safe Travel" category, to compliment those that are already posted.  This was actually the first suggestion in this category since the web-site launched in 2009!  So I anxiously opened the email, only to read it was titled "A Prayer for Golden Retrievers."  Then I saw it was submitted by my youngest brother, who lives with his wife and two children in the Omaha, Nebraska area.  The prayer goes:  "Dear Heavenly Father, please, please, please return our mom and dad safely...they have all the bones."

So, I emailed him "Is this your idea of an April Fool's Day joke?"  His response was "Pete & Lola (apparently his Golden Retrievers) thought it was funny, but Dudley, our Labradoodle, was not amused."

But I got to thinking: maybe the last laugh will be on him.  I "Topek-ad" ("Google" for the day) "Most popular dog breeds in the USA," and selected the posting on the American Kennel Club web-site about that topic.  The Golden Retriever, in the 2009 survey of AKC registrations, is the number 4 most popular dog breed, and over the last 10 years (in the four surveys posted) has consistently been in the top 4 breeds.  Many of those dog owners must be travelers, who could use one of the Air Travel Survival Kits I peddle from this site.  In short time, as soon as I can get that prayer added, it will be available as an option.

Dog lovers:  think about ordering one of my kits --- to include "A Prayer for Golden Retrievers" --- with a customized label "from" a cherished family pet.  Thanks, Pete & Lola (neither of whom I have met) for this inspiration!  Now, go hide one of his slippers.

Ken Hawkins
April 2, 2010

I recently picked up a card game called FLYING RUBBERNECKERS (Chronicle Books / www.ChronicleBooks.com).  The packaging reads “High-flying fun for the airport and plane.”  And “Turn travel boredom into an exciting journey….a nifty new card game to beat boredom at the gate and in the air.  Players score points by spotting objects on their cards and engaging other passengers.  FLYING RUBBERNECKERS will keep even the most restless traveler entertained for hours.”

This made me reminisce about those days when flying actually was fun!

I remember my first ever flight, as either a seventh or eighth grade student growing up in the south suburbs of Chicago. (This would have been in 1967 or 1968.)   An optional weekend evening school field trip gave students the opportunity to take a bus to Midway Airport, board a charter flight on an OZARK AIRLINES jet and fly over and around Chicago for about 30 – 45 minutes.  It was the first flying experience, too, for most of my fellow students and was certainly a highlight of my life up to that point in time.

Flash forward 40 – 43 years.  OZARK AIRLINES has been long gone…in October 1986 they merged in to TWA (and where are they now?).  Schools don’t have the money, period, to fund many field trips…or ones that are not part of the specific curriculum.  And then there are the liability concerns.

In the 80’s and 90’s I took a fair number of trips required for my previous management positions in the hotel industry.  While they were not “fun,” they were at least bearable.  Sometimes I even was given an upgrade to First Class --- at the discretion of the gate agent --- based on my flying history.   But then came the horrifying attacks on our country (and our collective psyches) of September 11, 2001…and much has forever changed.

We’ve had long lines at security check-points.  Shoe bombers (which helped lead to removal of shoes).  Planes stranded on the tarmac for hours…with limited food, drink and bathroom access.  Computer failures at FAA control centers.  Cutbacks on many “perks” that used to be taken for granted…notably with inflight meals.  Underwear bombers, which have lead to selective full-body pat-downs.  Charges for checking a second bag…which has lead to charges for checking a first bag.  This has lead to passengers trying to carry on as much as they can…leading to longer boarding times as they scramble to grab any available overhead bin space...leading to longer “exit” times as they grab all of that stuff they’ve crammed in to every available space.  Airport terminal bomb scares and breaches of security barriers or measures.  Suspicious passengers reporting anyone who looks suspicious to crew members.  And just recently, a plane being diverted because one passenger thought the “phylacteries” (worn by observant Jewish men…a small box containing prayers) on a fellow passenger was a bomb.  Bird strikes, then Bird Flu concerns…then H1N1 flu concerns.  Wind shear, snow storms, and a whole slew of challenges Mother Nature can throw in to the mix.  Have I missed anything?

Maybe I need to crack open this box of FLYING RUBBERNECKERS for my next flight.  After what we’ve experienced in the last 10 years, what could go wrong?

Keep on traveling,

Ken Hawkins

Air-Aids

When you feel like you're getting nowhere with airline customer service, resist the temptation to get mad...just get creative! That's what Dave Carroll did following his Spring 2008 flight on UNITED AIRLINES from Halifax to Chicago. While waiting at Chicago O'Hare to deplane to catch his connecting flight to Omaha, he was alerted by a fellow passenger that the United baggage handlers were throwing guitars being unloaded like sacks of flour. Those guitars just happened to belong to Dave and his band, the Sons of Maxwell, who were headed to Nebraska for a one-week tour.

Dave's $3500 Taylor Guitar was destroyed by the "gentle care" of the United baggage handlers. This might have been well and fine if Dave Carroll was a guitar-smashing rocker a la Pete Townshend. But Dave is more of a subdued, country-folk-rocker, and upon arriving at his destination, discovered his treasured instrument was unplayable. This was just the beginning of a 9 month ordeal with United's Customer "Dis-Service" Department.

Everyone Dave spoke with at United, at every point along the way, passed the buck to someone else. Not one UNITED AIRLINES employee would take ownership of the situation and try to resolve Dave's concern. After three-quarters of a year of "NO's," Dave informed the last person that denied him any satisfaction he would write and produce three songs about his ordeals AND make each one in to a music video... for anyone in the world to see.

Dave did not disappoint. Song "Number One" in his promised trilogy, "United Breaks Guitars", has been released and posted to YouTube, with over 2.8 million views in the week since it was first posted. From the reports I've heard, this finally got someone's attention over at United.

Maybe someone on this past Monday's, July 13th, Nashville-to-BWI SOUTHWEST AIRLINES flight (that had to make an emergency landing due to a sudden football-size hole in the fuselage) will write a song about their experience. Johnny Nash already wrote the song that Jimmy Cliff made famous in 1993, "I Can See Clearly Now," so they'll have to come up with something else!

You can read more about it by visiting either Dave Carroll Music or NPR's "All Things Considered..".