Planes, Trains & Automobiles

CEO Commentary:

Has anyone ever seen the old movie Planes, Trains & Automobiles with the late John Candy & Steve Martin? For those of you who haven't I would highly recommend renting it for a good laugh. Sometimes I think I am destined to re-live parts of that movie in my life over and over. Having just come back from another trip I look back with a roll of my eyes- I am in Planes, Trains & Automobiles. Don't get me wrong, I totally understand the value of the national training I receive and how it directly impacts the service proposition and delivery to the membership but sometimes......

This particular trip to Indianapolis to participate in the REAL TRENDS AE Advisory Council was relatively sparse in its P,T & A moments but had a few.  As I was getting ready to leave the week before last I pulled up my itinerary, literally as I was leaving for the airport (shame on me for waiting so long to do this) , and realized that my return flight was leaving at 6am Wednesday morning but I only had booked the hotel through Monday night. Quick phone call, not really, to the hotel and it is all fixed but for some reason he can't just add to the reservation he has to make a separate one? Does anyone else wonder what takes those hotel people so long to check you in? I am always like, "What are they doing? What takes so long? Is it in secret code? Does every hotel computer move at the speed of a glacier?"

I had taken a few days off before the seminar began to stay with my son in Bloomington. He drove an hour to pick me up from the airport. And of course my phone is dead when I arrive so he spent another half hour circling the airport. I did see him drive right past me! I ran after him like an idiot but to no avail.  Why was my phone dead? Because although I had purchased my tickets 3 months in advance and had business class which lets me choose my seats (I am horrifically claustrophobic and although I don't mind a middle seat I just can't sit in the back rows of the plane) for some reason Frontier had bumped me to , you guessed it, the back of the plane. While I was able to fix this for my current flight- getting my original seat request of row 2 (so if my seat was available why did they bump me?), the attendant could change my OK & Denver flights but not the return flights- I need to call the 800 number.

After 29 minutes on hold, I know this because the I-phone has a timer on calls, I go up to the attendant and ask why they just can't change my return flight seats and am told "I am too busy getting ready to board this flight to help you -call the 800# " at which I put my phone on speaker and show him the timer and said I could not get through". His response, they are very busy at registration and walks away. Okay I guess they are busy bumping people from their seats. At minute 39 I put the phone on speakerphone and let all their customers listen to Frontier expound how their customer service is superior to all others and I keep it going until the ticket agent brings me a different phone number to call. Just as I am taking the number at 53 minutes Frontier finally answers. Personally I think they were waiting to see if I would just give up and hang up. "No problem Miss Kennedy- we have you back in row 2 for your return flights" So why did they bump me in the first place? A mystery only Frontier will ever know the answer to. Upon arrival in Indianapolis my phone is dead.

My luggage arrives in baggage claim with a huge new stain on the front- par for the course. I spend two delightful vacation days and Saturday with my son and his girlfriend. My agenda starts Sunday afternoon so we enjoy a nice drive into Indy. I get into the hotel- I have no reservation. "We have a reservation for you arriving Tuesday Night and leaving Wednesday"- the clerk says to me cheerfully. Why do they do that? I am obviously standing before them on Sunday- why do I get that look that says "Your Turn". So then I must ask, "Well I am here now, I had a reservation, I added a day to it, the clerk said it was no problem." The response- "he must have changed your reservation" - Your turn- "Well could I get a room today?" Finally the lightbulb goes off in her head that perhaps I need to stay in their hotel tonight. Thankfully, they honored the REAL TRENDS block room rate for the three night stay. but I had to ask, it wasn't offered.

After much learning and exchange with my fellow AE's I return to my hotel room to pack and am a little nervous about how early my flight is. I am flying on a Wednesday and I know that is "commuter day" having missed a 6am Wed flight once before. It is a 30 minute drive to the airport. So I set my alarm for 3:45am to make sure I don't miss the cab I had ordered a day ahead to arrive at 4:30am. I write my travel report for the Board of Directors. Kelli McNeal, our OKCMAR Communications & Marketing Director, has sent me an updated version of the OKCMAR annual report. There are several "holes" she needs me to fill and I need to proof the document for accuracy and for typos. I look at the clock it is 12:18am when I finish the report. Of course, now I am worried I will oversleep. I turn off all the lights and the TV and proceed to stay away awake- the last time I look at the clock it is 2:53am. So with under an hour of sleep I head down to the lobby to catch the cab. I will sleep on the plane I tell myself. Ha!

I arrive at the airport to learn my flight has been delayed one hour- I think wistfully of the 60 minutes of sleep I could have enjoyed. I left my neck pillow in the office and am too cheap to buy another one and it is like 30 degrees on the plane and I am dressed for OKC return weather. I ask the attendant for a blanket. His response which I guess was supposed to be humorous "Oh honey we haven't offered blankets since gas was $30 a barrel".  So I chattered and shivered sleepless to Denver. For my 2.5 hour layover. I did not sleep on the return flight although I desperately tried. I get into OKC at 1:12pm. The travel gods throw me an appeasement, my stained luggage is the very first off the track. I am so happy to be back in OKC! As I am bringing in my luggage to my house I hear my son's girlfriend's voice in my head, "You are so lucky to get to travel as part of your job!" I think I will buy her Planes, Trains & Automobiles for Christmas.