25/10
Sound Travel Advice for 2010…From The Experts
It’s my firm opinion that as soon as you walk through the doors of an airport, your IQ automatically drops 50 points. Even if you travel frequently.
The only people who are somewhat immune are those who work in an airport or for one of the airlines. And so, when they give advice about how to make your travelling days and hours a bit easier to take, I’d take heed.
Here are a few of the more coherent bits of advice that I’ve found from the experts:
*Confessions of an Airline Ticket Agent: “I can recall situations where bags have ended up in different destinations on purpose when a passenger has been difficult — they might be going to South Bend, but their bag will get tagged to Singapore because they were really rude. Or Manchester, England, instead of Madison, Wisconsin. Yes, it happens.
“I remember this one guy I was checking in, he was just really, really vile. He was up in arms because we couldn’t get him an aisle seat or something, and he said, ‘I’m never going to fly this airline again.’ I think he was going to Bangkok. I cancelled his return reservations so I’m sure he had some hassle when he got to the airport in Thailand to come home.”
*10 Things To Know To Keep Your Luggage From Getting Lost: My favorite, actually a tie: “#5: Airports are old and dirty and filled with asbestos. #1: Everyone hates your bag.”
*10 Things Airports Won’t Tell You: I can personally vouch for number two: “The smaller we are, the better we treat you.”
*The 10 Most Annoying Passengers, As Told by a Flight Attendant 4 “Bonus Tip: Bring any kind of candy for a crew member, and you are pretty much getting special treatment from that point on. We always remember those nice folks toward the back who brought us some Hershey’s Kisses.”
If all else fails, and you just need to tune out of the chaos and cacophony that is the experience of modern air travel, head here: Airport Bars.
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Great tips! Common sense tells me to always be kind to everyone, from the ticket agent to the flight attendants (and to fellow passengers). But I never knew candy is king. Good to know for my next flight.
Oh man, I am always so scared when I *accidentally* get impatient with a ticketing agent. I kick myself afterwards every time, and pray on teh plane my bag will actually make it to my destination!