Having finally
posted, during a flight hiatus, what was written some 5-6 days ago, I come to
reflect on today’s traveling habits. Other than finding connectivity.
Yes…
years ago I was, like so many others were and still are today, a Sky Warrior…
this meant that my travels would keep me in airplanes, airports and home-away-from-home
hotels at least 60-70 % of my time. Those
were days when travel meant getting away from all immediate surroundings
without a trace, if that is what you wanted to do. Distances were real and communication,
although good for the times, was very limited in comparison with what is
available today for the common traveler, let alone a business one.
It
was impossible not to compare, all throughout this trip, travel as was then (80’s into the late 90’s… OMG!!!! ... That is
last century time!!!), with travel as is now. There is no need to talk about ticket price;
this has gone up considerably but, in basic inflationary calculations, the increases
are truly within reasonable parameters.
Measurable
changes begin at the counter if there is more than one bag to take as baggage.
Back then, you really had to carry the kitchen sink to generate an extra
charge. Today… after the first bag, there can be an additional charge of up to
$45 per bag… Forget taking the extra clothes… You know... those you take just in case you are invited to
the royal wedding… or have to appear at
a dinner reception for a movie star… Yeah... right!! The good side of this is that it will
reduce your hotel tipping costs.
Remember
the peanuts we all complained about?
Well… now they are called “Spiced Nuts” and you gotta fork over $5.00 to
have the pleasure of their company… A
chocolate chip cookie? Hmmm! That’ll be
$3.29 please… all credit cards accepted… All sandwiches run about $9-11 and
they are truly undersized but then, right on the menu it says “light and fresh
snacks”… and they mean this… literally.
The
demeanor of the flight attendants has changed also. Theirs is a harsh lot,
especially those who traverse the national skies back and forth with very
little rest time available. They seem to be overly tired, often dressed in somewhat
wrinkled uniforms and do not always necessarily believe in that ditty about
flying friendly skies. Yes, I know this is a motto of a major carrier, but it
does not mean the attendants of the other carriers should not be prone to
communicate with a smile…
On
my way back from Central America I was talking with a fellow traveler… he, who
also did the bulk of his travel back around the same time as I, told me he was
taken aback by the subtle and the not so subtle changes in his experience. Gone
is the extra smile or the extra service along with the ubiquitous peanuts… in
fact, all food freebies are gone. Of course, you can upgrade to business but
then, the food plate will cost you a pretty good amount… Gone is the spanking
clean cabin environment; it seems cleaning is done in a hurry now, just to get
the bird back up in the skies … Gone are the attendants who would often take
turns roaming the cabin and asking: “Is there anything else you need?... now they
just come around the second time in order to pick up the empty coke cans or
water glasses… excuse me, plastic cups.
For
all intents and purposes the job of the flight attendant, a plum and exciting
job for a young man or woman back when, has become an glamour-less, tiring,
demanding and underpaid version of its old self. And it shows in their demeanor.
Most of them are good people handling an increasingly stressful job but not all
can manage these changes… Too bad… for them and for us.
Up
are the delays due to maintenance issues, not a good sign. Two out of my four
legs on this particular trip were delayed due to such ditties. Yes, the airline
in question rewarded my almost 4 hour patience (as if I could walk away at a stopover location…) with a mileage
gift. I rather leave on time.
These
are general gripes; it is still exciting to be able to board a flying
contraption that will take you to another destination, to discover anew those
places and, especially, those longtime –and longtime not seen- friends who make a difference in one’s life.
For
now… we have been told we are approaching our own city and I can see from up
here that huge lighted arrow pointing the way to the landing strip… THIS WAY!!!
It seems to scream up into the night sky… This way and welcome home…
Be
Well … Be Back!!!
Final Notes:
- Pray for those who are fighting an illness which
may take them away from their loved ones… Every request is heard, and
counts!!
- Follow us on Twitter … @RJAsPandora
- Any comments please send to otherboxp@yahoo.com
- “La
Otra Caja de Pandora”… The
Spanish language Blog… “otracaja.blogspot.com”
… Bienvenidos!!!
- A new blog… once a week or thereabouts… “policoment.blogspot.com”… a view on current politics from both sides of the fence… serious and irreverent but transparent (can I use this word in politics???)
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