POINTS – It’s time to select your Delta 2012 Medallion Choice Benefit
If you’ve earned Platinum or Diamond Medallion® status for 2012, it is that time of year again. Time to select your choice benefit.
Delta offers four different selections for Medallion Choice Benefits. Platinum members get to select one, while Diamond get to select two.
You will have until February 28, 2013 to make your selection.
I went the miles. You can always use the miles to get gift cards later, and they have many more options (Macy’s, Best Buy, Home Depot, etc) on their website for 5,000 miles per $50.
EAT – Timberline Steaks and Grille at Denver International Airport
This seems to be THE place to eat while in terminal C at the Denver Airport. A line out the door, but very efficient hostess makes the wait go quick. Really a great place with a great food.
The menu has everything from hamburgers to steaks to salads. In fact, they have a huge salad selection. The steaks are a bit pricey ($30), but are huge. I had an Baby Organic Spinach Salas with crumbled bleu chesses, fresh strawberries, toasted almonds and a balsamic glaze. For $14, I thought it was a great deal and a really good.
They also have a smoking lounge, with no line at all. The air filter system is really good and they serve the full menu in this seperate section. I strongly recommend stopping by. I heard their steak chili is amazing, so I’ll be having that next time for sure.
Sleep – My San Diego “Blackout” experience at Marriott Mission Valley
After just two weeks ago, in Boston, sitting through a hurricane, and last week in New Orleans experiencing floods and a tropical storm, I assumed the lights going out at the office yesterday was a minor inconvenience that would last 30 minutes or so. I mean, who could be so unlucky to have three weeks in a row of some kind of disaster. I use the word “disaster” loosely obviously. I guess I am that unlucky, as this wasn’t a simple issue with the building…but a 20 hour total blackout effecting millions of people.
A group of us decided to stick it out in our new office in San Diego. I had traveled all this way from Boston, and others from Texas and LA, to meet and get some serious planning work done. We decided to work on our agenda items as we watched our laptop batteries slowly drain and our cell phones go blank. We did get a lot of work done, but eventually we all had to leave and decide what to do.
One of my fellow colleagues decided to drive to LAX and catch a red eye flight to Texas. She was lucky, she could get out. I had to go back to a hotel with no power, on the 17th floor, with no food and a dead laptop. I had imagined an evening of sitting in the dark and trying to read with my lighter. After driving for almost an hour to go 5 miles, I was surprised at what I found.
Fortunately for me, The Marriott Mission Valley was prepared for this. They had an emergency generator keeping the bar open, with lights, one TV, and a lot of people. $5 for a beer and $5 for a ham and cheese sub. I had hit the jackpot. I had assumed I was going to my dark room with a left over bagel I had taken from the office and a couple bottles of water. Instead, I watched the Green Bay Packers game and had a great time meeting other fellow travelers stuck with no place to go.
They had only one elevator working, so there was a long line…but better than tackling the stairs. The hallways did have the flood lights on, so it was easy to find my room. I also was surprised the keys worked with no issue. Once in my room I was excited to see my iPad still had 80% battery. I watched a movie and relaxed before lying down and turning the lights out…oh never mind, they already were out.
I woke up at 6:30 and was surprised to have the power back on. I was able to recharge everything and get another day in without further inconvenience. I was shocked at how well everyone here at the hotel handled the mob, and thankful I had a full stomach, a safe place to stay, and fun people to hang out with.
I’m off to Denver next week…so be warned if you going to be there. Can you say mid September snow storm?
FLY – Don’t always count on Elite or First Class Lines
We all hate security lines. I actually teach new hires how to tackle these lines, using the movie “Up in the Air” as a direct reference (if you haven’t seen this movie, rent it now). One thing that I used to depend on is Elite lines to get through security quickly. All of a sudden, they seem to be disappearing or closing really early.
Did you know that Reagan closes their first class line at 6pm? I found that out the hard way yesterday after seeing only a couple people in that line, went to grab a burrito and came back to be told it was closed. Did you know Orlando doesn’t have a first class or Elite line? They have CLEAR…about the only airport that does (we’ll discuss that program another time). How about Seattle…they close their first class line at 8pm. Boston has Elite but it merges has only one full body scanner so the lines merge. Cincinnati, this is my favorite, CVG merges their first class line with the line for people with strollers! I kid you not. Don’t they know business suites and diapers don’t go well together? Jeez…the outrage!
There seems to be trend here, airports cater to day time travelers not evening. So this week’s valuable discovery for me…don’t count on an express entry line to bypass security. It may or may not be available.
EAT – Of all the places in New Orleans, Yo Mama’s! stood out…
Usually all you hear about is the gumbo, oysters, or jambalaya while visiting New Orleans…what about hamburgers? I don’t care for fried food, and the popular Po’Boys down here are just huge subs filled with fried…anything. Not my thing. Fortunate for me, a friend and I ran into Yo Mama’s this week.
A small place with about 4 booths and a long bar. They have a great beer selection. I started with Abita Amber, which I totally love while down in the south. The staff was very pleasant and welcoming. Not exactly a fancy place, as you’ll find down here in the French Quarter…either they are really high end or really simple. Dripping ceilings can be expected almost anywhere that doesn’t have a table cloth down.
The menu isn’t huge, the food on the menu is. Hamburgers topped with everything you can think of…including a peanut butter hamburger. The burgers are 3/4 pound giants with more toppings then you can put your mouth around. The side options included side salad, potato salad, fries, baked potato, or Mac-n-cheese. If you can eat a huge hamburger and a side, I would suggest the baked potato. They looked wonderful as they passed by. I tried the Mac-n-cheese, sort of bland. They also have several other sandwiches to choose from on the menu.
So after spending four days in New Orleans I’m really ready to go home. A quick stop at Cafe Du Monde for a beignet…oh my, that is a totally different review (and an absolute must if visiting New Orleans).
Drive – Should I Fly or Drive?
How many miles are you willing to drive? Sometimes a 4-6 hour drive is faster than flying. I just wrapped up a trip to Mobile, Alabama this week for work followed with a weekend in New Orleans. Originally the trip had me stopping in Franklin, Mississippi…but Hurricane Irene had different plans for me. I had made the decision to cut down on flights and drive from New Orleans to Franklin to Mobile and back again, about 12 hours of driving. With Franklin out of the picture, it was a 4 hour drive each way.
A couple things to keep in mind when deciding… One way car rentals can get really expensive. If you rent a car in one city and drop off in another, you pay for miles. If you rent a car and drive 1000 miles but bring it back to the same location, you are not charged miles. I’ve driven from Madison, WI to Cincinnati, OH. Same price as an plane ticket, but about 2 hours faster than flying.
I always think about security lines, possible delays, connections, and travel from airport to destination when considering driving. A 4-5 hour drive, like my drive from Indianapolis to Cleveland last month, makes a lot more sense to me.
Bring your phone charges and head piece, as it is illegal to talk on a cell phone without a head piece in many states. Sit back and enjoy the lovely scenery as you drive from LA to Phoenix or Boston to Buffalo…you’ll be happy you are in control of your own departure and arrival times.
FLY – Hurrican Irene, Rescheduling Flights, Hotels, and Client Events
Guess there isn’t anything we can do about it. My flight was scheduled for Monday morning, well after the storm will pass through Boston. Delta made the decision to cancel my flight and reschedule me for a Tuesday morning flight. I guess if you were supposed to fly out on Sunday you’ll be pushed back a day as well. Time to get busy.
If you are traveling like me, it’s time to reschedule everything. First we’ve got to reschedule hotel reservations. I like to book the new nights first and then cancel my first reservation, just in case there is an issue with occupancy. Then I’ll do the same for the car rental. I’m already looking to see if they will reinstate flights for Monday, to get out earlier if at all possible.
Finally, emails are flying (the only thing flying actually) out to my clients. I apologize for 80 mile per hour winds is all I can say. I’m missing meetings on Monday and Tuesday, hopefully we can reschedule. I also plan to check in with family, they may be concerned.
Buckle down and watch the storm. Be safe. Flashlights and candles are all ready to go…
FLY – 30 minute connections…maybe not at the Detroit Airport
You would think after over 6 years in the air I would have this connection thing down. I’ve seen the gradual reduction of direct flight options and am almost forced to take connections no matter where I go. I hate sitting at an airport unnecessarily, but buying tickets with only a 30 minute connection can actually be a really bad decision.
Let’s take this week’s flight from Boston to Greensboro as an example. I purchased a Delta flight through Detroit with a 30 minute connection. Did you know the Detroit Airport is a mile long? And as luck had it I came in at A51 and my connection gate was C32. There is no train to connect the terminals. I never ran so fast in my life. Now the way home was even trickier as my plane out of Greensboro was about the size of my car. So I had to gate side check my carry on. On my way back it was the same distance to run, but I had to wait for my carry on bag for about 15 minutes. Thankfully, my connecting flight was delayed 45 minutes, because I arrived at the gate 5 minutes after departure time.
Lesson learned, know your airport and expect the longest distance possible for connecting gates. Check out http://www.iFly.com for maps, distances between gates, and other helpful facts.
FLY – Airline passengers get new rights Tuesday
Huge article reported just today on benefits for travelers. I’m especially excited about compensation…
In response to some high profile cases of passenger neglect by airlines, federal regulators announced new rules in April to expand the rights of airline passengers, and those regulations take effect tomorrow. Forewarned is forearmed. The new regulations include provisions to:
- Force airlines to display all potential fees for services and amenities such as baggage check, meals, and canceling reservations on their websites;
- Refund any baggage fees for lost luggage in addition to current rules which say they must compensate travelers for lost or damaged belongings;
- Increase compensation for passengers bumped from flights and delayed for up to two hours to twice the ticket price, up to $650, and for those delayed longer than two hours to as much as four times ticket value, up to $1,300. Formerly shorter delays brought compensation equal to ticket value up to $400 and longer delays were capped at $800;
- Allow US regulators to fine carriers as much as $27,500 per customer for leaving passengers on foreign flights stranded on a tarmac for more than four hours. (This expands a 2009 rule prohibiting delays of more than three hours for domestic flights by US carriers.)
FLY – Why TripIt ?
Tracking multiple flights can be somewhat cumbersome. Especially if you fly different airlines, to multiple cities, and multiple clients. I’ve found TripIt to be a one stop shop for me with many additional helpful features. Here are just a few.
My favorite is showing me other members who will be nearby. From a networking view, I find this to be super valuable. I’ve scheduled countless dinners or lunches with folks just by seeing they will be in the same city at the same time. I’m sorry to say my screen shot below doesn’t show anyone, but normally it does. You can also use Tripit to track your points and miles. Another helpful tool if you stay at multiple hotels or use several airlines. You can link TripIt to your LinkedIn account, Facebook, or even Twitter. Most my friends are exhausted by the dozens of travel announcements per week, so think twice before doing Facebook. LinkedIn, being another professional networking site should certainly be linked.
Track your trips with as much or little detail as you require:
Click on my image below for my Professional Profile
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