How Did We Get Here?

This morning while prepping for my week, I heard a story on Good Morning America about "Bare Minimum Mondays."  This is a movement about easing back into the work week by setting limits and boundaries on how much work you want to do on Mondays.  Add this to the fact that many people in the business world try to avoid major meetings or events on Fridays.  

Therefore, I ask, how did we get here?  Is the goal a 3.5-4-day work week?

My parents never eased into a work week.  Monday came, they went to work.  There was no, "let's see how we feel about it."  No, "I want to limit my tasks on Monday!"  Police, soldiers, and fire fighters don't have the chance to experience Bare Minimum Monday (or any day for that matter!)  I don't get it.  What happened to work ethic?  What happened to doing your job the best you can, every day you can?  

Without sounding like an alarmist, I do wonder how many jobs can and will be displaced by robotics.  Watch the movie Hidden Figures!  Computers were once people who did the computing.  Now, we all know computers are what we all work on when we work!  Computers (the people) were displaced because a machine could their jobs faster and better.  Makes you wonder which job function will be automated next.  Mine?  Yours?  If people are only willing to work 3.5-4 days a week, why not!!??  For those out there still willing to work on Mondays with me, keep going!  

Highs and Lows

Last Thursday, in celebratory fashion, GBTA WINiT recognized women who are making things happen in the industry, dare I say, the world!  We heard about rising leaders, companies focusing on empowerment, allies who stand with us, lifetime achievements and so many more.  It was a night filled with laughter, tears and inspiration.  To sit in a room and celebrate wonderful leaders made heart happy and excited to see what lies ahead. 

Sunday, I went to a college volleyball playoff game.  It was hard fought battle but the team I was cheering for won.  Yeah!!!  Between sets, I was perusing the program where the other team had their “feature athletes” noted.  They were interviewed and asked a series of questions.  One was, “What is your dream job/career?”  Thinking they were interviewing college level athletes, I focused in on those responses and was sad to see that one of them replied, “Being a trophy wife.”  I was speechless and most of you know that is hard to make happen. I googled trophy wife and here is what says: ”Simply put, a trophy wife is a status symbol for her husband. The term has a bit of a negative connotation to it because it implies that the woman is nothing but her good looks. In essence, she lacks intelligence, personality, ambition, or money of her own. She is completely dependent on her husband.” 

 

That is someone’s goal?  Dependency, symbol, lacking personality and intelligence? 

 

In a span of four days, I saw the highs of celebration and recognition and this low point.  Do I think every woman (man and child for that matter) can change the world?  YES! By giving of ourselves, working for a common good, inspiring others and simply being a role mode…anyone can change the world.  A wife and mom can change the world.  As an executive in the corner office, she can change the world.  This young woman can be a doctor, lawyer, teacher, construction worker….anything she chooses to be, and change the world.

 

We are in November now and it’s a time of year we start to think of what we are thankful for.  I am thankful for all the people (women, men and children) who inspire me everyday to set goals for myself and support me in striving to reach those.  I hope in some way I can be that to others and who knows, maybe this young woman will be next on my list.  In the meantime, I keep going and ask you do the same!  

It's Time!

 So much has happened since my last post and after a long pause, I figured it was time to get back on the proverbial horse.  So much to cover, so I will start with a few bullets:

1 – The industry is in a good place, but we need to do better.  Travel is back on an upward swing and our partners are finally able to take a much needed breath.  They survived the challenges of a pandemic, have learned much, have changed much and are on the right path.  Service and experience need to be their focus as we move forward.  Corporate travelers want their service back and expectations will be high.  No more excuses, let’s work together to move these things forward. 

2- Inventory is a struggle.  Remember the good old days when an airline would play with their inventory to get better RASM?  Remember when a hotel would close out rooms because they could get more money from someone else?  Now we have airports and municipalities stepping in to govern inventory?  We still have government entities saying who can travel and enter countries.  To my buyer friends, if you are NOT looking at inventory and paying attention, it’s time to start doing that and I am happy to help people understand how to do that! 

3 – Distribution is a mess.  I would rarely quote another person on my blog, but I am going to quote the Man, the Myth, the Legend, Jim Davidson of Farelogix.  (Please don’t tell him I called him a Legend, it will go to his head!)  15 Years ago, he sat on stage at a GBTA conference and gave, what I lovingly call, the “Old and Crabby Speech.”  He talked about the challenges of distribution and said, “We are still going to be having this conversation in 15 years” to which people laughed, but sadly, he was right.  (Again, don’t tell I said he was right!)  This is a mess and absolutely NO one on the supply side is fixing it.  TMC’s are slow, GDS’ are reluctant and OBT’s are making progress but not fast enough.  If given the chance, I will gladly give the “Old and Crabby Speech” next year at GBTA if needed. 

4 – Speaking of GBTA….it is in good hands.  Suzanne is an amazing person who is smart, caring and gets it.  She knows what the industry needs and is working hard to make it happen for the buyers and suppliers. 

 

Now that I am back, I intend to cover all of these and so much more in the weeks ahead.  I will share some personal stories as well as my thoughts and ideas.  Not doing this because I think anyone cares to hear from me, I am doing this because I care.  I care about the industry, I care about my program, I care about “my people” and I care about relationships.  Plus, I think its time we all focus on the future and keep going! 

Two E's That Have People Talking

They are NOT Economy and Embargo, so no worries, no politics here folks!

The words are not new in the industry, but the focus on them has certainly ratcheted up recently.  Experience and Engagement are on the lips of many in the industry today.

Experience - We are all trying to find ways to improve the experience of everything.  We want people to have the ideal experience in booking, at check in (air or hotel), using the product (airplane seat, hotel room, rental car, driver) and in the extras that come with each of the above.  The challenge, that I will come right out and talk about, how do you accurately measure experience?  You can give my colleague and me the exact same experience and we will measure it differently in that moment.

I have to come determine that I cannot make everyone's experience ideal all of the time, but my goal can be to make their next experience better than the one before.  Experience measurement isn't about one instance, it has to be measured overtime and as long as the trend line for experience is improving, I see that as a win!

Engagement - Getting engagement right is a tough.  People don't like to take surveys, or do they?  People don't care about offers, or do they?  People don't want to talk to anyone, or do they?  People don't like getting more emails, or do they?

We are tackling engagement in a few different ways.  We are bringing travel suppliers to the people in travel fairs and office visits.  We are sending targeted messages to get people information that is specific to them, their travel or their needs.  We are working on response times to traveler questions and issues.  Suppliers are working to understand travelers more and that is happening through engagement and data analytics.

No matter how you are tackling the E's noted above, I am excited that as an industry we are talking about them.  It's a game changer for corporate travel and a much welcomed one by the employees in our companies.  Let's remember, our job is to keep them going.  

Social Experiment, North Dakota Style

I have been travelling the last few weeks and thought I would try a social experiment to see how people react to what I am wearing in airports and cities around the US. 

Trip one, I wore a University of North Dakota sweatshirt.  The comments I received were geared toward their hockey program and the Fighting Sioux nickname controversy as well as one about the aviation program (from a pilot).  I had 4 comments total, which I thought was a good baseline. 

Trip two, I wore a University of Mary sweatshirt.  While in Marauder Blue and Orange, I received comments about the integrity of the school, how someone’s son went there and it was the most amazing choice for him and that is changed his life, and I also had a few people question where it was and was I instructor there.  I also had someone talk to me about the school’s leadership!  I had 6 comments total, which I found odd for a small Catholic college in ND, but it proves that school is making a name for itself and Monsignor James Shea is a rockstar! 

Trip three, I wore a North Dakota State University sweatshirt.  I was met with passing “horns up” signs in the airport (no words spoken.)  I had people talk about the football team and how they had been to a game in Fargo and how nice the fan base was.  I received comments about the “strength of the herd” and their travelling fan base.  I stopped counting at 9, but if I had to guess, it was probably close to a dozen people who commented on that choice of clothing. 

We have great schools here in the state that people are talking about outside our borders.  We have schools that offer world class programs in aviation, medicine, law, ethics, engineering, technology and agriculture to name a few.  We have a lot of be proud of in this state and it’s not about football or hockey, it’s about offering education options that make a difference.  I intend on wearing Lake Region State College on my next trip because as always, I keep going! 

More Tomorrows

A few weeks back, I wrote about how a small town came together to support my nephew with Cystic Fibrosis in his quest for a double lung transplant.  I am happy to say, Kyle got the call last week and today marks a week since the miraculous surgery happened.  Here is a timeline that I think is interesting, touching and amazing

 

Wed, Sep 4

5:29p – Kyle gets the call from the transplant coordinator telling him that the lungs have been located. 

5:50p – My phone rings, it’s my brother, but I was on a work call, so I ignore the call.  (Not Kyle’s dad, but another brother.)

5:55p – I get a text that says, “Kyle’s lungs are here!!”

9:51p – I meet Kyle’s parents as they stop for fuel in Fargo.  I am met with HUGE hugs and tears of excitement from both.  Send them on their way knowing surgery was schedule for Sep 5^th at 9:00a

 

Thu, Sep 5

8:43a – Kyle’s Dad texted to say “Just gave him hugs before going in.”  (Insert tears, prayers and more tears.)

12:10p – Text from Dad saying OR called and surgery going well and they are prepping for transplant. 

2:35p – Text from Dad saying that new lungs are in and working well. (Insert tears and prayers.)

4:45p – Doc visited Mom and Dad and said surgery went VERY well.  Kyle is in a sedated slumber for the night and resting well. 

 

Fri, Sep 6

Kyle had a good night under sedation and his first question via writing to his night nurse, “Did the Packers win?” meant he was totally aware!  The day continues with a lot going on. 

5:53p – We received a video of Kyle taking his first breath with his new lungs.  Yes, a day later, they removed his intubation and he was breathing on his own!  His parents were as excited to see that first breath as they were when he took his first over 31 years ago. 

 

Sat, Sep 7

Kyle went for a stroll in the ward. Amazing, up and walking less than 2 days post surgery. 

 

Sep 12

Kyle continues to get stronger every day and while he has months left for full recovery, he is on his way to more tomorrows

 

Why do I share all this?  Because miracles happen and I while I wasn’t there physically, I KNOW that it happened. 

 

Do we think this happened without tragedy?  No, and that is both difficult and inspiring.  Someone had to say goodbye so Kyle could have more tomorrows and we are forever grateful that the person and their family said yes to being a part of a miracle for our family and countless others.  I will never know anything about the person or the family, but I pray for them nonetheless. 

 

My message this week; We all want to make a difference in someone’s life.  I ask that each of you reading, seriously consider becoming a donor and maybe, just maybe, you will make a difference in someone’s life that you can’t imagine.  As Kyle enjoys another tomorrow, with tears in my eyes and a prayer on my lips, I keep going. 

Why Rita Visser

In less than a week, I will stand on stage in front of my peers in the industry and ask for their vote to represent them on the Global Business Travel Association Board of Directors.  In doing that, I think there are few things you should know about me that may help you make the decision.


1 - My family means the world to me.  What does that have to do anything we are talking about?  NOTHING, but I wanted it clear who comes first. 
2 - I work for Oracle and am blessed to have been with the company for 15 years (25 if you count the years I was with them on the agency side).  I have held a number of roles within the organization and I have an amazing team of people I get to work with everyday. 
3 - I LOVE this industry.  I love that in one minute I am talking about the new aircraft coming up, next I am talking about how connected cars are the future, then I move into a conversation on how online booking tools are evolving to meet the needs of travelers and end on how hotel inventory challenges in a certain city will impact the company!  That's all in one day!  Having been in this industry for 25 years....did I just type that?...I like to think I know something about almost everything but still have so much to learn. 
4 - I never start a project I can't finish.  Which is why I decided to run again.  There is work to be completed and I want to see initiatives through to completion. 
5 - I am a strategist.  I am the person in the room asking the, "then what?" question.  If people don't have an answer for the "then what?", I love working with them to create the "then what."  I enjoy thinking beyond what is now and I believe that will serve well on the Board of Directors.  GBTA is evolving and I can see the "then what" and want to work to get the association, the industry and most importantly, my peers to that place. 


I hope this has helped you to know more about me, convinced you to #VoteforVisser and that you are inclined to wear the ribbon below and support my journey.  If you have questions or would like to chat about anything, I am always available, so please reach out.  In the meantime, as always, I keep going. 

Convention Must See/Do List

GBTA Convention is less than 20 days away.  Everyone is working on their meeting schedules and social agenda.  I thought I would share my list of top 10 things to see and do this year during convention in order of when they are happening.  I hope you find this helpful! 

 

10 – WINiT – Saturday - This is will be the first WINiT Summit since the GBTA/WINiT acquisition and this one is one NOT to miss.  Amazing speakers on relevant topics like leadership, sales skills and brand building. 

• Meeting with Suppliers

9 – GBTA 5k Run/Walk – Sunday - With American Airlines, the walk will bring awareness to the issue of human trafficking.  Enjoy a Sunday morning stroll in the Windy City. 

• Meeting with Suppliers

8 – Sunday education sessions and Peer to Peer sessions.  With longer education sessions, these really get into the “how to” of many of the things going on in the industry.  Don’t miss out! 

• Meeting with Suppliers

7 – Education, Education, Education – With over 150 Education sessions, there is something for everyone. 

6 – Annual business meeting – Monday – There are many contested races this year and that will be your time to hear from the candidates who will help shape the future of GBTA.  I will be there and would appreciate your vote! 

5 – Hometown CEO Panel – Monday  - Some great CEO’s taking the stage. 

4 – Did someone say NDC?  There will be MANY education sessions on the topic and even a Center Stage discussion on the matter!  You won’t want to miss that one. 

3 – Arena Stage – Each Day - Some exciting announcements coming this year that you don’t want to miss! Speakers like Bob Costa, Andy Cohen and Ashley Judd will all have relevance to our industry, but you have to show up to see what they have to say!

2 – Trade show – Each Day - With an expansive trade show floor in Chicago, you will be able to meet with the newest and most innovative suppliers in the industry.  Wear good walking shoes because you won’t want to miss seeing any of them! 

• Meeting with Suppliers

1 – Networking – DAY and NIGHT, Start to finish - This is THE place where I find myself having many 5 minute conversations that form my thoughts, ideas and plans for the future!  Where else can you get that? 

Freedom

When people think of Independence Day in the US, they think fireworks, grilling out and a cold beer.  I know every country has their own way to celebrate their respective Independence Day and that is amazing.  However, I want to call to mind not HOW we celebrate, but WHAT we celebrate. 

 

Independence equals freedom and it means different things to different people.  For a Veteran, it’s the freedom for which they fought.  For a person with a diseases, it’s a few minutes out of the hospital and free from the watchful eye of the nurses.  For a teenager, it’s a trip away from their parents where they finally feel free.  For a person with an addiction, it’s freedom from that monster that is tearing them and their family apart. 

 

I think we are all looking for independence/freedom from something and  we should look for those and celebrate those whenever we find them.  As we embark on the Independence holiday, I want to wish everyone the freedom they are looking for and when you find it, share it, celebrate it and keep going! 

Raised in a Community, By a Community to Support the Community

There are times I have to defend my upbringing, where I live and or even why I still live here and each time I proudly speak up for my rural upbringing and my choice to stay in ND!  I do it with pride in being raised in a community of and by people who support each other.  Is it ONLY in North Dakota where you find this?  No, but I feel like it's easier to do here because people take time to get to know each other. 


Point in case, my brother and his family are going through some tough times right now.  My nephew, who was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis in the spring of 1987 at just a few months old, has now reached that point where he is on the double lung transplant list.  Tough thing to get your head around as a family member, but my job as aunt and sister is to support them, love them and pray.  I got that! 


Their local community, upon finding out the news, jumped into action.  Within hours a fund raiser was planned and people started to work on how they can support my nephew on his path.  And not just that one community, but the surrounding communities have also become involved in helping with this event. 


My sister-in-law has used the word "humbling" and it really is that, but it's also how people were and are raised here.  Someone gets hurt in a farming accident, the neighbors get together to bring the crop in.  Someone loses their home in a fire, the community shows up to bring what they need to get them safely into their next home and on with their lives.  A family loses their barn and the community shows up on a Sunday afternoon to build a new one. 


How do I know all these things?  Because each of them either happened to me or someone in my family and the community came together to help in all of the situations.  So, while I keep going, I am also glad to be able to keep coming home to this place I call home and my community of communities that make it all worthwhile. 

Come Fly With Me

Remember, I fell into this crazy world of Travel.  It was never my life long aspiration or dream.  I had never flown until I was adult and working in my first real job.  Growing up as the youngest of seven in small town North Dakota, we didn't think about travelling the globe.  Now, it's easy and within the span of three week, myself, my son and my nephew will have been or will be in in 7 different countries.  Times have certainly changed. 

Something else is changing and I would like to make sure everyone is watching this space.  Distribution, NDC and Next Generation Store Front are the new hot topics in our industry.  I have said this before, but I feel like we are back in the late 1800's to early 1900's with the Wright brothers.  Sure, this isn't about putting a plane together and shooting someone across the sky, but this will change how products are on the shelf, heck, it's gonna change the shelf itself! 


When the NDC conversations started years ago, I was absolutely against the initiative.  Through learning and education, I have found myself on the side of innovation, technology and service.  Was it overnight?  NO!  Was it easy to understand?  Not really.  Was it worth the time I spent in trying to understand all the sides?  For sure! 


There are a number of opportunities coming up to learn about all of these and I would invite you to take part in any of them.  Additionally, I am always happy to talk to anyone about why I changed my mind and why I am an advocate of this much needed step in our industry.  You are welcome to comment on this post if you want to set up a time to chat. 


It's not all sunshine and roses, but when I think about people in our business staying relevant and focusing on our traveler experience, these are the solutions that will keep us going. 

Little House on the Prairie

So, most people know I work from home.  Most also know that I have three teenagers in my house who are all home from college/school for the summer.  Inevitably, at some point in the day, I leave my office to find one or two of them sitting in the living room watching some stupid show on TV.  I have to say, "the crap they put on daytime TV is crazy!" 


I recently started recording reruns of Little House on the Prairie.  Yep, Ma, Pa, Mary, Half Pint, Kari and just a few weeks ago, Grace was born.  I am eagerly waiting on Albert to be adopted and Almonso to come along, but in the meantime, I enjoy having that on in evening while I am doing things around the house.  Then, if I find a tidbit of wisdom, I make the kids sit down and watch it with me! 


My kids think I am weird because one minute I have Little House playing and the next minute, I am eagerly awaiting the Big Little Lies season 2.  I guess it speaks to diversity of the TV I grew up with and what is out there today.  Ah, how times have changed.  If you get the chance to watch an episode or two of Little House, I think it's worth the hour and I hope that you find yourself being nostalgic like me.  Now if I could just the kids to watch it...wish me luck.....Keep going. 

Dignity of Work

A few weeks back, actor Geoffrey Owens, actor from the Cosby Show, was all over social media about his job at Trader Joe’s.  How his fall from grace landed him in a job like being a checker at Trader Joe’s.  Interesting how the person who made that video and claim hasn’t been brought up, cut down or made to face public scrutiny?  I am going to leave that there and let you think about that while I move on.  (Lord knows others would have been made public enemy number one!) 

 

This is a societal challenge.  There are jobs out there for the taking, but it would mean swallowing pride and just doing them!  Did Mr. Owens have a lifelong dream of being a checker?  No.  Did he take a job so he could survive, help his family and make a living?  Yes!  So many people these days wouldn’t think about taking a job at the local grocery story or fast food chain because those jobs are beneath them.  Who are these people and who raised them??

 

I remember going to the potato fields at 5:30 in the morning with a hoe in my hand (only to learn we didn’t need a hoe, just a good pair of gloves!)  Then, leaving that job mid-day to go be a waitress in the evening.  Neither one were glamorous, but I worked with some great hard working people who loved being together and knew they needed to put food on the tables of their families.  No job shaming, no fear of people learning that you worked in the fields, just people out making a living. 

 

This morning I heard a term “dignity of work” which I think means doing the best in the job you have and not being ashamed of doing that job.  NOW this is a skill we should be teaching our kids!  The person who took and shared the video of Mr. Owen (and to all who liked it, laughed at it, shared it, etc.) I offer you to come to our house or to our farm and we will make sure you know what it’s like to work for a living.  If you prefer not to take my up on my offer, put down the phone and go to work just one day and I pray your attitude changes and you learn about dignity of work!

 

Moving on….

Back to School for All

As my kids head back to school (and my oldest to college…sniff sniff) I find myself telling them learning never ends when they leave school and doesn’t start again simply because they are in a classroom.  Made me think about all our learning opportunities that we may not take advantage of and is making me think I should practice what I preach.

 

Just today, in my multiple inboxes, I have the following learning opportunities:

• Meet with a financial advisor for some investing tips
• Invite to an education event for the industry
• Reminder about the leadership training classes available internally
• Chance to meet with school officials to chat about the upcoming year
• Technical training opportunities
• Invite to wellness event with classes available

 

Then I ask myself, how much time can I devote to my learning and still be a mom, a wife, an employee, a VP, a sports fan, a volunteer and a person.  Based on the list above, I counted and I could have 43 hours of training (that isn’t including time away or getting to any of these event….it’s JUST the events) in the list above and that is only in emails I received TODAY! 

Now that is totally unrealistic.  I want to be a mom, a wife, an employee, etc....so how do I tackle this?  I can't be the only one trying to juggle this.  So, I have made a personal promise to myself to learn something each week, or try to learn something each week.  (Let’s be honest, some things may take more than a week to learn.)  It doesn’t have to be anything new, maybe its something I know, but a different look at that issue.  Maybe its something VERY new…I don’t know, but I have to learn something each week.  I encourage all if you to do the same, keep learning, keep growing and keep going. 

Steps That Will Make a Difference

Some know I am getting ready to send my oldest daughter off to college.  Lots of things come into play with that readiness, but the one that I hate is getting her ready for that big world where not everyone is your friend and not everyone can be trusted.  Sadly, we have spent a number of family dinners talking about the horrendous topic of human trafficking and I’m asking my readers to join me in putting one foot in front of the other to help.

This year at the GBTA annual convention, we are partnering with ECPAT-USA and American Airlines to raise money and awareness of the epidemic that is taking over the country, human trafficking.  According to ECPAT-USA, 1.2 million children are trafficked every year.  This inaugural 5K will work to bring awareness and raise funds for this issue which has deep implications for the business travel industry. 

Here is your call to action, I invite anyone attending the convention to join me in making a difference, one step at a time and walk or run the inaugural 5k with me on Sunday, August 12.  Registration information can be found at this link.  If you can’t be there Sunday morning, you can still make a donation to the event. 

Now, my personal commitment – for every 100 people registered, I will donate an additional $100 to the event.  So, 100 registered walkers/runners = $100, 200 registered walkers/runners = $200…you get the picture. 

Please help to be a part of the solution.  My hope is that by the time my youngest goes off to college, we won’t have to have the same dinner table conversations because our industry stepped up and made a difference. 

Chex Mix

You have all seen the commercial bags of Chex Mix.  You can buy them at any grocery, convenience or even big box stores.  Last week, I was in Costco and overheard a couple talking about “to buy or not to buy the bag of Chex Mix?”  The conversation went something like this:

Wife – I just wanna buy this and not have to worry about it.  The kids will eat it and that’s all I care about. 

Husband – Yeah, this is fine, but I like the stuff you make better.  They don’t add peanuts, I don’t like the pretzels in here and yours is less salty.

Wife – How about we buy this and I add peanuts? 

Husband – I just think you making yours makes more sense because in the end, we know it will get eaten. 

It was a small exchange and in the end, they didn’t buy the Chex Mix because the wife ended it with, “They’ll eat whatever we buy.” 

I was giggling a little bit during the exchange, but I realized this is the state of travel as we know it.  Let me explain. 

Some people want to buy what’s on the shelf.  They don't care about a bag, they can get their seat when they are ready and all that other "stuff" isn't needed.  It’s there, it’s easy, it gets me the basics of what I need and who cares that it’s not EXACTLY what I want? 

Some people want to get all the ingredients and pull it together for the perfect outcome.  They want flexibility in their purchase, their seat, the ability to use the lounge and they want to board first. They are happy to look at the options and create the best product that is more to their liking. 

Who’s right, the husband?  The wife?  BOTH!  The world of travel needs to be able to give people the options they want.  Easy route?  We got that.  More selective?  I think we are working to get to that point, but I think it needs to happen faster. 


Think of travel the next time you see that bag of Chex Mix and work with me to keep this conversation going. 

Facebook vs. Mass Surveillance

Last night, my son Dalton was tasked with writing a speech on mass surveillance.  He asked me to look it over and give some pointers.  I think he wrote a pretty good speech, but it got me thinking about what is going on in the way of mass surveillance and things that are happening in the social media platforms. 

 

Companies like Facebook have been taken to task about selling data and information that the public has been okay sharing with the masses.  I mean, think about it, I post something on Facebook for people to see then I am supposed to be mad when people get that information?  Who is to blame?  The entity where I shared the information.  Let me repeat, where I shared the information.  I am not the smartest kid in the class, but I know that if I wanted to keep anything from people, I would certainly NOT take to Facebook to “keep it from them!” 

 

Edward Snowden is still in Russia trying to get a fair trial for exposing the NSA and their monitoring tactics, yet the government doesn’t need to answer to any of the questions around that topic?  They were monitoring cell records, emails and texts that people thought were private exchanges? 

 

Sometime I wonder if I am only one who sees the irony in these things.  Okay, moving on….

The Talk

A few weekends back, we took a family road trip to “The Cities” (aka Minneapolis/St. Paul.)  In the car, I thought it was the perfect time to have “the talk” with our 17, 16 and 13 year old.  Now, before you stop reading and think “This just got weird!”, know that I am talking about the ALICE training they have been receiving in schools.  ALICE stands for Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter and Evacuate. 

 

In schools today, they are talking about how to act, react and defend in the wake of an active shooter or threat in the area.  We talked about best practices they have learned and heard about.  I talked about some of the things I have been watching and exploring in my job and we talked about our family plan if something like this ever came up. 

 

While I hate the thought of anyone I love having to deal with these scenarios, I think it’s important to arm people we love with the tools to make the right decisions when needed.  I encourage travelers, security managers, employees, employers, parents and friends to have those “what if” conversations.  I know I learned from my kids and I think they learned something from me.  I also hope, that in my quest to keep going, I, nor anyone I know, has to use the skills we discussed. 

What the What??

The airlines that have been in the news lately should be ashamed of their service and delivery, but there are more questions that need to be asked. 

Allegiant was lambasted on a 60 Minute special about their dismal safety records and what looks like them trying to hide their challenges. 

Sun Country left people in Mexico because “their seasonal service ended” and those left there were told their next option is JUNE!? 

What the what is going on here? 

Allegiant, seemingly has flown below the radar on safety and the FAA has known about it but hasn’t done anything to bring their challenges to the public.  Instead, they have been sending them letters about their problems?  No sanctions, no enforcement of safety rules, nothing that would hit the eyes of the public.  In an article from CBS News, it states, “Over the last three years, the FAA has switched it’s priorities from actively enforcing safety rules with fines, warning letters and sanctions – which become part of the public record – to working with the airlines behind the scenes to fix the problems.”   So, the FAA knew and did nothing to tell the public and allow them to make informed decisions.  Interesting!   (I urge you to go back in time and look at my blogpost from Jan 13, 2014.  These issues have been going on for YEARS under the radar and that is wrong!)

Sun Country passengers were made to pay thousands of dollars out of their own pockets to complete their travel because they had a weather cancelation and they cannot be responsible in those scenarios.  So, they have NO responsibility to their customers to give them options or at least help them find options?  Interesting! 

Someone needs to hold these airlines to a standard of safety and reliability.  Seems as if the agencies who are meant to do that are NOT, so who?  The travelling public?  The media?  Let’s be honest, in the next three days, these issues will have rolled off the TV and newspapers and people will move on to the next issue.  This one cannot be left on the cutting room floor.  Travelers need to reach out to their government officials and keep these stories going.  I have already started a note to my peeps in Washington to not let this be a forgotten issue.  I urge all of my readers to do the same thing.  With a passion for purpose, I keep going. 

All the Comforts of Home

Recently I have been spending a fair share of nights in hotels.  People ask me all the time, "Do you have a favorite brand?"  Yes, I do...my house.  But when that can't happen, I look for all the comforts of home.  Here are things I love to have when I check into a hotel for a night or maybe longer. 


My TV, my way.  I want to be able to stream from my device to the TV in my room and I want to know that the sleep timer works!  I am like many, I never WATCH TV, I have it on for noise.  I fall asleep to noise so I don't have to hear hallways noise, etc.  Plus, being able to stream Grace & Frankie or my DirecTV DVR is a nice feature.  Not having this will make me rethink coming back to the hotel in the future. 


Reliable Wi-Fi that I don't need a degree to figure out.  I want to be able to easily connect and move on with my work. This one is game changer too.  If reliability is an issue, I take my business elsewhere because I need to be connected when I travel for work. 


Ice.  I drink iced beverages all day.  I love to have an ice machine close that I can go to as needed or a service that will bring it to me when I want. 


Plug-ins a plenty.  I am sitting in a hotel room now and I have a phone, an iPad, a laptop, a portable charger, a hair dryer, straightener and headset all plugged in. 


Bottles of water.  I think this is a standard request anymore, but I am shocked by the hotels who do not offer water in the rooms. 


Windows that open.  I love to bring the outdoors in and sometimes, that isn't possible. 


Oh, the list could go on and on, but those are my hot topics and I don't think my wish/want list is different that most corporate travelers.  Heading off to my bed to see if I can figure out the sleep timer on my TV so I can get some rest so tomorrow I can keep going.