NextGen Can't Come Fast Enough

Confession time...I am a Good Morning America fan.  Who doesn't love Robin Roberts and just saying George Stephanopoulos' name makes me smile.  Last week, not once, but twice, my friends at GMA told me about two near misses at large US airports.  How, in the age of GPS and technology, can this still be an issue? 

For those of you who read this, but aren't in the industry, NextGen is series of programs that will air travel faster, more efficient, more reliable and last but not least, SAFER!

Faster - With NextGen technology, airports will be able to more effectively manage higher levels of take offs and landings.  It will help pilots to fly more direct route without having to connect over radar towers.  (We all know the easiest way from point A to point B is a straight line and anyone who thinks airlines have been flying in straight lines for years is wrong.)  This program will enhance how airports manage planes on taxi and landing so that 20 minute taxi could be a thing of the past. 

Efficient - Airlines will see decreased fuel consumption because NextGen will help them to fly more direct route, thus using less fuel and decreasing the carbon footprint by flight.  Additionally, fuel continues to be a highly volatile cost for the airlines and being able to be more efficient will save them money as well as the consumer. 

Reliable - How many of you have been stuck in San Fran waiting for the fog to clear or in Chicago waiting for a snow storm to blow over.  NextGen will allow for more reliable on-time departures and arrivals because with the technology, it will allow those flights to leave on time because it's not dependent on ideal conditions. 

Safer - When my friends at GMA tell me about two reported incidents in a week of planes coming too close to each other, it screams, "We need to fix this!"  NextGen can do that for us.  It will safely and accurately monitor air-crafts and their comings and goings.  No longer will it be the responsibility of a single person with binoculars and a lookout tower.  (Okay, it's more advanced than that, but sometimes you wonder.) 

Will I stop traveling until NextGen is rolled out across the globe?  No.  Do I think about NextGen every time I board a plane?  No.  Do I think about it each time a member of my family does?  Yes!  We will talk to the folks in DC about it next month and I encourage anyone who cares to do the same when you chat with or email, or send letters to your elected politicians.  You can read more about NextGen at http://www.faa.gov/nextgen/.  Until next time, keep going! 

A Stranger No More

How many times do you sit down on a plane, or in a restaurant, or stand in a line or an elevator with a complete stranger.  You probably don’t strike up a conversation, because who does that anymore?  There are emails to read, posts to like, blogs to follow, games to play and mindless entertainment at our fingertips. 

Last week flying from Fargo to Chicago, I was ecstatic to see that the seat next to mine, 1A, was open.  Then, 3 minutes before the door closed, in walked a pilot looking to dead-head to Chicago.  Through a three minute conversation, we came to understand we were neighbors growing up, separated by 6 miles and about 15 years.  We talked about airline inventory and pricing, Icelandic cooking, funny names like Amma and Afi and how proud we are of our heritage and where we grew up.  He was a stranger no more.

Also last week, I sat across a dinner table from a stranger, a woman who came to Fargo to meet her biological son she had given up in adoption years ago.  He is the adopted son of a dear friend of mine.  She shared the amazing story of how she selected the perfect family for her son.  She shared how it felt to spend those last few hours with her child before giving him up forever.  She shared how, while knowing it would be hard, it was the best decision for everyone.  She shared how not being able to hear his voice weighed heavily on her heart for years.  She told us about getting on the plane and sobbing, thinking, “What am I doing?  Can I handle this?”  She was a stranger on a plane. 

Then, magically after agreeing to get on that plane and travel to Fargo, ND, and, after seeing her amazing 8 year old son, hugging him and watching him hit an out of the park home run at his baseball game, she was at peace.   If someone, anyone had listened to her story, they would have been able to share in this fabulous moment with her.  To her son, his family, and our family of families, she is a stranger no more. 

I was blessed by strangers twice last week and in those blessings, I keep going. 

What Hollywood is missing

Fargo is once again on the screen, TV this time, but still in the spotlight.  I have never seen the movie Fargo and haven't watched an episode of the FX series yet, but let me tell you a few things about my hometown that I think everyone should know.

People are genuinely nice.  They are not nice because they might gain from being nice, they are just nice.  This morning, three TSA people who don't know me, smiled at me and said good morning!

People are fanatical fans.  Whether you like the Bison, Fighting Sioux (they will always be the Fighting Sioux to me), Vikings, Packers, Wild, Blackhawks...the fans are loyal! 

People work hard and play hard.  We are known for our work ethic, but let's not lie, winters are long and summers short.  We play hard in both seasons.  Winter, to get through it and summer, to cherish it!

Let's talk about the winters, sure, they are cold but being the intelligent people we are, we don't go out for a morning run at -25 degrees, just like when it's 100 in Phoenix.  We use our God given smarts and respect Mother Nature.

Ok, let's move on the God.  On one street in Fargo, very close to my house there are 6 churches whose capacity averages 1200 people and every Sunday, you can bet they are all filled.  We have places of worship for all faiths and it's interesting to see how the people of all these faiths work together for each others common good. 

The western part of the state is "Living the life of the oil boom," Fargo is thriving with well educated people, lots of great jobs and new companies coming to town all the time. 

This list go on and on, but you get what I am trying to tell you.  You are welcome to come experience my a hometown and welcome to look me up when you do.  You might get to experience a day on our farm, a day on the lake, a nice evening bonfire on our patio, but when you leave, a part of Fargo will leave with you and I think that's a good thing. 

This weekend, runners from all over will descend on Fargo for the 10th annual Fargo Marathon.  I will not be running the 26.2 miles, but I will take part in the 5k and 10k. So, while running in Fargo, I keep going. 

Who's got talent?

I’m gonna admit something here that will surprise some people.  I have never seen even a full episode of any of those “make me a star shows” like The Voice,  American Idol, So You Think You Can Dance, etc.  I know, probably lame, but I don’t have time for that stuff.  BUT, I have watched ONE full episode of America’s Got Talent.  Why?  Because it’s variety and some of the stuff that night was really cool! 

That’s what we need in Travel.  Who’s got talent?  Who’s got the next big thing?  I think PhoCusWright does a nice job of showcasing some of the hot and upcoming trends, but nothing seems to stick and be that NEXT BIG THING.  I want our industry to produce the next Carrie Underwood of Travel.  She can rock with the best of them and meet the needs of 70 year olds in the crowd.  She’s talented, well rounded and can be accepted by most people in the music industry.  THAT’s what we are looking for.  Maybe it’s a person, maybe it’s a thing, maybe it’s a new way to do the same old same old, maybe it’s a new idea or product. 

I know that personally I continue to try to push the envelope in every conversation.  Get people to see things differently and think about things in another light.  Maybe, just maybe, it will be conversations like that that produce the NEXT BEST THING.  One can only hope…in the meantime, we keep going! 

When speed matters

Having my home airport as Fargo, ND, things like TSA Pre-Check are not always available, but trust, when available, they are worth every penny! 

I traveled home from China two weeks ago to find the customs line in O'Hare nearly meeting me at the gate.  Luckily, I bit the bullet last year, made the appointment for Global Entry and voila...I was on my way.  Within in minutes, I was rocking through the line, claiming my bag and off to re-check it!  

After rechecking my bag, I had to get back through security to catch my connection home.  Thankfully, the TSA Pre-Check line in O'Hare was ready and waiting for me.  So, off I go to stand in a line, but a MUCH shorter line than the others. 

Later in the night, I saw someone who was on the same flight with me from China.  He mentioned that it took him an 1:20 (one hour and twenty minutes) to clear customs and another 30 minutes to get back through security.  That's almost two HOURS of someone's time and energy.  I would guess all in, I waited about 20 minutes. 

The moral of the story, jump on the chance for both programs.  Sure, the Global Entry interview took time and effort (I had to drive 80 miles for the interview) but it was worth it.  In this crazy world, its all about the experience and my experience was tenfold better than the guy who had 2 hours he will never get back!  With ease and efficiency, I keep going. 

A line I sometimes cross....

It’s taken me a while to put pen to paper on this, but the time is now.  There is a line out there between supplier and buyer and I, proudly, cross it at times. 

If you become a trusted supplier, I get to know things about you.  I ask about your Dad who is ill or who has recently had surgery.  I ask about your kids and applaud their recent dance recital or sports win.  I ask about your vacation and plans for the upcoming holiday.  I am friends with you on Facebook and connect with you on Linked In. 

Does this mean that when it’s time to chat about strategy, savings and expectations that I back down?  NO!  Does it mean that when we talk, I trade insider secrets or give you the inside track on how to get more business?  NO!  Does it mean that when it’s time for business, it’s all business?  YES! 

Last week, the world lost a great person, a great supplier and to me, a wonderful friend.  She and I had an interesting bond.  We joked that when we were together in a room or on a call, we thought better.  We played off each other’s ideas and pushed the other to think about things differently.  She is someone I crossed the line with because I wanted to know more about her, how she was doing and to encourage her in her battle with cancer.  When I got the call about her passing, I wept, not because I lost a trusted supplier, I lost a friend.

So, yes, I cross that line at times but I won’t apologize for it.  God’s speed my friend and know that you are missed everyday!  While crossing that line, I will also, keep going. 

What DO you do?

I know I am not the only one who gets asked this question....What DO you do for a living?  I think I get asked this question at least once every other week.  It's an interesting question because the answer changes daily, but I am okay with that.

My degree, Communications (Broadcast Journalism and PR) was chosen, by me, because I wanted to do something different every day.  I wanted to cover a different story or event everyday.  I never wanted to be stuck doing the same thing day after day.  That's why this travel gig works well for me. 

One minute I might be looking at spend patterns over India and how are best leveraging our contracts.  One minute I might be looking at a hotel on a heat map to understand where is the hotel and do I feel safe suggesting someone stay there.  The next might be working with an internal team who is trying to save money on travel costs/events but can't get their hands around what they should be looking at. The next call I pick up is looking to understand our emissions, tracking of those and how we can effectively report them.  (This is a recap of my last 4 conversations TODAY.)

So, when I am asked what I DO for a living, I try to keep things simple because I know it won't make sense to anyone else who doesn't live in our world.  So, in this crazy world of ours, I simply, keep going.