TRAVEL FLOTSAM

Bear in mind from the 4th of July through the 20th of Aug, I have flown to NOLA, Kansas City and Atlanta.

Business and leisure travel is no longer what I remember. The routine of preparation seems to take longer, contradicting the efficiency that was to come with technology. Have we piled on more task in our “to do” list?

With our American penchant for doing it ourselves (DIY), I am expected to confirm flights, hotels, ground transportation because of the “ease” that comes with the internet. Further, you can opt to check in on-line, that includes your luggage, so as to arrive at the terminal to be greeted by the pre-printed destination tag. Yet one stands around the baggage carousel waiting for the suitcase to come full circle, even with the priority tag attached to your luggage.

At the carrier’s website, you are presented with options: paper vs. e copy version of your boarding pass or “sent,” e-mailed to your smart phone for scanning at the security and gate.

WORK prep time involves, copying files onto thumb drives or storing into the cloud, email vacation responses to be created and saved, and a glance at the meeting agenda and meeting scheduler made available on line. Printing out papers/articles you want to work on, while on transit, because it is likely one of the few times when the phone and desktop is not commandeering your attention.

Luggage fees are taken, food purchase is available on flight, and on-board entertainment can be charged to your debit or credit card. To ask for a blanket, a pillow and a headset adds additional cost. Why not simply add these to the ticket’s cost at time of purchase. This is not my idea of a good deal. I feel nickeled and dime’d, and it adds that extra harrumph to the cumbersome trek across country. I digress.

An exercise in patience when dealing with the tediousness of TSA “security” check; do you stand in the line with an infant in tow, the elderly couple on their way to see other family members, or the efficient looking under 30 something whose appearance suggest they slept in their clothes in order to get to the airport on time.

Hotels do not fare better in contributing to the list of things to do, example, double check the amenities, is there free Wi-Fi at the lobby? Is there a gym, indoor/outdoor pool, dry/wet sauna, or on site spa? Have you wondered why we have a hard time speaking about our notions of social class? Hotel choice can really divide the business (leisure) class, vs. those of the motel/lodge/inn frequenter (proletarian); or to consider a boutique hotel vs. corporate monikers, for those exercising a liberal bourgeois orientation.

One can almost opt to stay home, if that was truly an option for itinerant professional white collar workers.

Part of the hassle of business/leisure travel is not “just” about the going, getting and returning. Seeing the surlier side of human nature at its ebb confounds it. What happened to customer service, courteous passengers, helpful flight attendant’s and ground crew?

Or is it, are we collectively experiencing the hassle of doing/producing more with less? Then there is the preoccupation of placing our immediate discomfort and anxiety, ahead of considering what others may be undergoing?

My fellow travelers, we share the same cramped quarters of a flying tube made of steel, plastic and rubber, catapulting us hundreds of miles, defying gravity, and relying on thrust, can we make an effort at equanimity?

Discourtesy seems rampant in the service industry, from hotel desk staff to the restaurant host obligated to seat you at your reserved table. It seems that I am a disgruntled frequent flyer. Yes, I am and I try to also treat others along the way with courtesy, if not an occasional smile.

Do you have travel notions you wish to share?