Fired Airline Ticket Agent Reveals Airline Secrets (4 page)
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Authors: Nicholas Depinto
Securing Your Home
Advise police and a trusted neighbor of your trip. Ask them to check your home while you are away. You might consider having a friend "house-sit" for you.
Buy a timer device that will automatically turn lights on and off during evening hours. Cancel newspaper service and stop mail delivery. During summer months, arrange to have your lawn mowed; in winter, arrange to have snow cleared. You may even arrange to have a neighbor share trash bins on pick-up day. Pay bills in advance so utility service will not be interrupted. In the case of longer trips, make sure your homeowner's policy remains in effect during your absence. Leave valuables in a safe deposit box. And, never announce a trip in the newspaper's social column, post your trip to Twitter, facebook, online blog, or elsewhere where strangers would find out.
Staying in Good Health
Before you leave on an extended trip, consider having a physical check-up. Get your "shots" and start any new medication well in advance of your departure. Carry an extra supply of medication, labeled and in the original container, with a copy of each prescription. Be sure to pack all medication in your hand luggage so it will be available if your bags are lost or stolen. (Check with your travel agent or the appropriate consulates to be sure your prescription drugs can be taken into countries you plan to visit.) Also, take your eyeglass prescription with you, as well as an extra pair of glasses.
Take along a small first-aid kit. Depending on your destination, bring medication for upset stomach or motion sickness. Other useful items include nasal spray, sunscreen and insect repellent. Check with your local health authorities for further suggestions.
Be careful about drinking the water in some foreign countries--avoid ice cubes too. Drink bottled water or soft drinks. Check with your travel agent for guidelines. When visiting developing nations, ask your doctor for advice on inoculations, and take along a record of your blood type. If you become ill overseas, consult the American consulate for suggested medical or hospital services. The Center for Disease Control has information on dire health situations around the world. Here’s the phone number, in case you need it 404-639-3311.
Illegal Drugs
Be aware that drug laws in most foreign countries are stricter than those in the United States. If you are arrested abroad on a drug charge, U.S. laws do not protect you. Foreign laws often make no distinction among various illegal drugs, or between possession of a small amount and drug trafficking. Frequently, bail is not granted in drug cases and you are guilty until proven innocent. The average sentence for possession is seven years. The penalty for drug possession in some countries is mandatory death by hanging.
Traveling in the United States
It is as important to be prudent while traveling in the United States as it is abroad. Drive carefully, wear seat belts, obey traffic laws, be sure your car is serviced properly and get a good map or opt for the GPS that comes with the rental car. If you bring your GPS along, remember it may not have different state maps, or if you cross the border outside the US, international maps will also not be installed, so you may be out of luck. Always research the cities you are visiting. Get the latest information on safe areas and good hotels from your travel agent. You may want to tour by cab, bus, or in your own car. Public transportation is a good way to travel in many U.S. cities. Be sure to inquire about correct routes and schedules.
Traveling Abroad
Visiting other countries can be exciting and educational. Here are a few prudent precautions to help you travel with confidence:
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Once your itinerary is set, make as many advance reservations as possible. Make sure someone knows where you are at all times.
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Ask your travel agent about State Department information on the countries you will visit. The agent's computer reservations system should list travel advisories. For details, call the State Department at 202-647-5225.
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If you are renting a car abroad, reserve it in the US through your travel agent or online. At your destination, ask the rental agent to explain the car's features, which may be different from cars at home. Know the international traffic signs and rules of the road. Ask your travel agent whether you need an International Driver's Permit or find out on your own before you leave. Also, ask about insurance coverage in each country; U.S. insurance may not be valid in all countries.
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Carry the address and telephone number of the U.S. embassy or consulate for each country. In case of difficulties, contact U.S. authorities promptly. If you plan to stay in a foreign country for an extended period, register and leave your itinerary with the embassy or consulate.
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When traveling abroad, avoid being alone. If you carry a shoulder bag, keep it closed at all times, clutched between the arm and body. Do not carry a wallet in your hip pocket or inside jacket pocket. Empty the wallet of all unnecessary items and carry it in your front pants pocket. If you find yourself near a civil disturbance or other dangerous situation, move away quietly and inconspicuously. Do not run. If this is not possible, take cover behind the nearest shelter and stay there until danger passes.
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Truth in advertised prices, schedules and seat availability.
Airlines should attract consumers on the basis of fair representations about prices and services that are generally available in the marketplace. They should not lure consumers with offers that are available in such limited quantities that more consumers are misled or disappointed than benefited.
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Equal access to unbiased, comparative travel information and all fare and service options.
Air transportation services should be available to everyone on an equal basis. Consumers must have access to the same information to make intelligent travel choices. The service a traveler receives, and the price paid, should not depend on owning a computer or preferring to receive information through other means.
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A comfortable seat, reasonable space for carry-on luggage, healthful meals, and clean sanitary facilities, regardless of class of service.
An airline ticket entitles the passenger to a package of transportation services with several components. Among these are a comfortable seat, transportation of accompanying baggage, a place to put personal items that may be needed in flight, access to clean sanitary facilities, and, to reasonable sustenance, i.e. meals, on long flights. The cost of a lower priced ticket fully compensates the airline for each of these basic components. While an airline may choose to sell some tickets at a lower price, it must not deny basic services to travelers or displace the lower fare passenger in favor of a passenger who pays more.
Airlines can, of course, sell enhanced or even luxurious service and amenities to those willing to pay for them. Airlines should not create differentials in classes of service simply by making the lower cost class so uncomfortable and unattractive that consumers are driven to pay premium prices for higher service categories in order to get the basic services to which they are already entitled.
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Timely and courteous assistance in making connections.
When an airline's route structure requires one or more stops between origin and destination, the airline must assume responsibility for making the travel as seamless as possible. This requires clear, accurate directions to connecting flights and the assistance of airline personnel in making connections.
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Use all, part or none of the segments on any ticket purchased.
Use of a combination of roundtrip tickets, a ticket with a point beyond the consumer's final destination, or only one leg of a roundtrip ticket, are sometimes necessary to achieve the most economical travel under an airline's fare structure. Regardless of an airline's fare restriction policies, and in keeping with the treatment of all other consumer purchases, a consumer who purchases a ticket buys the right, but never the obligation, to travel to the points covered by the fare.
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Timely, complete and truthful information and courteous assistance regarding delays, cancellations, and equipment changes.
The consumer keeps the bargain with the airline by paying for the ticket. If the airline fails to provide the transportation it promised, the consumer is entitled to know why, and to adjust travel plans accordingly.
Regardless of the cause, when an airline cancels a flight, it is often leaving the consumer in unfamiliar surroundings and without access to that person's usual resources. The airline must then assume responsibility for providing the consumer with the next available alternate transportation, assistance in contacting others who may be dependent upon the consumer's arrival, and, when appropriate to the circumstances, food and lodging.
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Timely and courteous assistance for the disabled and unaccompanied children.
Airlines have a special responsibility to see to the well being of passengers requiring assistance due to disabilities and of unaccompanied children. Such persons must never be abandoned or put in fear of being abandoned.
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Appropriate in-flight medical emergency assistance.
The outcome of a serious in-flight medical emergency should not depend on the airline on which a passenger has chosen to travel. All airlines should commit themselves to prompt adoption of the highest level of in-flight care available, and to follow the best industry practices in effect for dealing with particular medical problems.
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Access to the courts and state consumer laws to resolve disputes with airlines.
From time to time disputes may arise about service or other issues between consumers and any business. The states have provided laws by which these disputes can be resolved, and courts, including small claims courts, to resolve them effectively. Airlines should not be exempt from the same consumer protection laws that apply to other businesses.
If you
have any problems with oversold compensation, involuntary bumping, complaints about the way you were treated by the airline, or airline personnel, your baggage was mishandled, or flight delays that you feel you were misinformed about, contact the Department of Transportation at the following site http://www.dot.gov
When people find out I’ve been working for the airline, I always get asked questions. Here are some frequently asked questions that I want to answer before we move on.
Question:
If there are obvious empty seats in first class, why can't the gate agent bump you up for free?
Answer:
Since the service level in First Class is much higher (along with the costs of those services, meals, etc), the airlines are reluctant to give those services away for free. Most of the people who want the free upgrades to First Class are the lowest paying leisure travelers and the airlines are already losing money on them.
Question:
What's the most annoying behavior you've ever encountered?
Answer:
Anger has to be the most annoying. When the flight is delayed or there is any problem, it is not always the airline's fault or the airplane's fault or an act of God. Passengers seem to think that gate agents control the weather, the maintenance of the aircraft, etc.
Question:
Do passengers know the stress of the job of ticket agent?
Answer:
Probably not. Most passengers, even the frequent flyers, only spend a few days a week and a few hours at the airport. They are not subject to the maddening crowds that airport workers see day in and day out. Also, most people don't realize that, as airline workers, we hear the same stories from passengers daily, so we’re used to hearing them. For example, dozens of passengers that I would check in every day would say they were having surgery or back problems, or neck pain, etc. and that they needed to be upgraded to first class because of their medical issues. This never worked.