Posted by Seth on March 19, 2012 under News | 
When I arrived in Belgium this past weekend I didn’t get a particularly welcoming feeling. The lines at immigration weren’t too bad, but apparently my frequent, short-duration trips raised a red flag with the immigration officer I was dealing with (more of that story here). It ended up OK and I had a great time, but it was a bit eye-opening to be seen not just as a visitor looking to spend some money and support the economy, but as a visitor that they might not actually want in their country. It was the second time I’ve had that experience and both ultimately ended OK. But it also raised some interesting comments from friends when I posted about it on my FaceBook feed.
In that it was the morning in Europe I mostly got responses from my European friends, and their views were not particularly flattering to the USA.
Of course, it hurt me to say it, but when faced with the suggestion that what I was getting was just turnabout for the way the US treats visitors, I had to admit that what I dealt with was, in fact, trivial compared to the "welcome" that they receive.
There was an OpEd piece published in the New York Times last week, one that I read just before boarding my flight to Belgium, that hammers this point home rather pointedly. The author of the piece is Mark Vanhoenacker, an airline pilot. This makes him rather familiar with crossing borders and with the experience of being welcomed – or not – when arriving in a new place. He points out a number of failings of the system, starting with the fact that the USA requires visitors to pay a fee to answer idiotic questions such as whether you’re a spy, have been involved in terrorism or if you’re planning any crimes. Yeah, like anyone is going to answer "yes" on those. Of course, immigration loves having those because it gives more chances for a deportation later due to lying on the form, but they’re still ridiculous questions.
There are also the issues with the Customs process, one that I’m fortunately mostly exempt from thanks to Global Entry, but one that is horribly labor intensive and inefficient at actually meeting its stated goals. Everyone arriving must fill out a form, a rather senseless one. Much like the ETSA application, it seems unlikely that anyone is going to tick the yes box when asked if they are carrying "disease agents" into the country. Worse than that, however, is the fact that the forms don’t really do much good, other than – again – to provide a paper trail leading nowhere.
Just about every other country I’ve visited in recent memory simply has a green lane and a red lane. The rules are published and you go in to the lane that applies to you. Agents still pull passengers aside for spot checks, just like they do in the USA, but without the need for a piece of paper to trigger it. After all, the paper doesn’t actually accomplish anything other than to produce more bureaucracy and waste.
There is no doubt that the border agents have security-related responsibilities. And I am not suggesting that those be limited or done with any less focus or vigilance. But they can be done with more respect for the visitors and with a more welcoming attitude to the vast majority of those crossing the border, the ones who are bringing their money to spend to support our economy.
Inconsistent enforcement of irrational policies is rarely the right way to solve any problem. But the US sure is trying.
Related Posts:
Posted by Seth on January 27, 2012 under Flying, Trip Reports |
Take a random, tiny airline with a handful of prop planes flying the islands of Hawaii and give them a little bit of encouragement and what happens? Something ridiculous like this. Mokulele is a regional operator in Hawaii, flying a few Cessna aircraft on hops within the islands. And now they’re aiming big, really big.
The company has received approval to operate scheduled charter service from Honolulu to Rockford, Illinois and continuing service to London‘s Stansted airport. Of course, they won’t be doing this with their Cessnas. They are chartering a 767-200 aircraft to run the operations. I cannot imagine that it will be a particularly comfortable in-flight experience, nor a particularly cheap one. We are talking about roughly 18-20 hours wedged into a tight, charter seating configuration with minimal amenities.
Still, the lines and the operator have me pining for a chance. Oh, and I’m going to be in Hawaii anyways at the beginning of June thanks to the inaugural Hawaiian Airlines JFK-HNL service, so I’ve got the opportunity.
Now to see just how ridiculous it prices.
Hat tip to the folks at NYC Aviation for sharing the details on this one.
And, as always, thanks to GCMap.com for the cool maps.
Posted by Seth on January 17, 2012 under News |
Allegiant apparently decided to leave a quarter of the plane behind on a flight last week, arguably due to understaffing their station in Lafayette, Louisiana. According to passengers the agent working the ticket counter simply walked away with about 30 customers still in line trying to get checked in and obtain boarding passes. The passengers claim this happened more than 60 minutes prior to the scheduled departure while the airline claims it happened 32 minutes prior, actually inside their published 45 minute rule.
The part of the story that simply doesn’t make sense at all to me, however, is this claim from an Allegiant spokesperson:
We made every effort to contact the flight crew and hold the plane, however, we were unable to do so.
In what world are we living that an airline is unable to contact the crew operating a flight while the plane is still on the ground? Did they not have the number to connect with the local station office? Or the gate? Or the pilot? Or the tower? Or the ACARS system? Seems to me there are a lot of ways they could have held the plane; it is shocking that they all failed.
The other rather awkward part about this is that they’ve basically admitted they are understaffed at their stations. Having the same agent responsible for the ticket counter, baggage and the gate is just begging for something to go wrong. It is certainly possible to share some of those responsibilities amongst a limited staff, but if there’s really only one person doing that stuff then they’ve got a problem.
And this brings us back to the post title. Always check in online in advance, even if you think you’ll be at the airport in plenty of time. There are so many different things that could happen – many of which I’ve personally experienced – where having already completed that online check in process more or less saves the day. It is a couple moments out of your life at any point in the 24 hours leading up to the flight that can mean the difference between making the flight or not.
Posted by Seth on December 30, 2011 under News |
Filing a lawsuit against a company for causing you to feel ashamed and distressed is an interesting claim. It seems an especially ridiculous one, however, when the claim is based on having gotten in a fight with a gate agent at the airport following a missed connection. It is doubly so when the basis of demanding better service from the agent was throwing your elite card at them and expecting them to "hop to" and move worlds because of that. And yet even more ridiculous when you cannot even properly do that, instead presenting your debit card to the agent.
The woman demanding $150-300,000 for having spent 15 hours in jail as a result of being such a block-headed, self-absorbed, over-entitled moron doesn’t even deserve the $10-30,000 that Delta supposedly offered in a pre-trial mediation.
I know that it will cost delta more than the settlement cash offered in legal fees to see this one out. Hopefully the plaintiff learns another hard lesson here. What a moron.
There’s also a chance that I’m completely misreading the situation and that she really was maliciously prosecuted by the company for quite calmly asking for help and the debit/Medallion card thing was completely made up by the gate agent. But I’m betting against it.
Posted by Seth on December 14, 2011 under News |
And who the heck is buying it? I don’t know the answer to those questions but there’s a guy currently under arrest in Reunion who apparently knows the answer.
The 28-year-old photographer, based in Canada, would travel first class on Air France and other carriers and disembark with a stash of airline napkins, glasses, plates, blankets and anything else he thought he could sell online, according to French police.
OK, so I’ve taken a blanket before. And I’ve got a set of the cool airplane salt & pepper shakers from an airline or two. But even clearing out an entire plane of all the tableware it seems that it would be difficult to generate so much in sales as to net €10,000 in sales, even over a 3-year period as is alleged. That’s some serious eBay action.
Posted by Seth on October 17, 2011 under Trip Reports |
I picked up my passport containing my brand new visa to visit China from the Consulate in New York City this morning. I didn’t use a service or expeditor to handle my request; I did it in person. And it was most definitely an interesting experience.
For starters, the application must be completed digitally rather than by hand. This policy change went into play a few months ago and it is reasonably well publicized on the web site. That apparently doesn’t stop many people from showing up with hand written copies. As I waited in line to drop off my visa application last week I saw no fewer than three folks turned away before they even got to the security checkpoint because they had handwritten applications. One of them was rather frantic about the situation, nearly attacking the guard outside when he refused to let her in to the building. Fortunately, I made it past that little fracas and inside before things got too out of hand.
It is also worth noting that a few enterprising folks have seen the plight of these applicants who are turned away with their handwritten applications. Running out of a rental van parked on the side of 42nd Street they have a print service available. Assuming you have your paperwork in hand and can fill in the form quickly the process to get it typed into the computer they’ve got in the back and printed out on the attached printer isn’t all that bad. I didn’t stop to ask how much they charge for the service but they had a line of folks waiting to pay them so it definitely isn’t a horrible business to be in.
Next up is the application submission process. The application is four pages long and includes very detailed instructions. Apparently, however, those instructions are not complete. Each application requires a photocopy of the passport even though that isn’t noted anywhere. If you have a previous visa to enter China a copy of that is required, too. But no one tells you that until you get to the front of the line. Oy.
There is a copier in the building so you can make the copies needed and then fight back to the window to finish the application submission but it is ancient and ornery. Copies cost 25 cents each, which isn’t really all that bad considering that they’ve basically got you over the barrel at that point. And the machine takes dollars but doesn’t always manage to give change. Needless to say, the three folks behind me in line all got free copies while mine cost a buck.
Once all the paperwork is in order and you get to the front of the line the process is actually pretty easy. An agent quickly flips through the papers and hands you a receipt. Come back in a few days to collect your passport and pay the fees.
As I left the Consulate – roughly two hours after I started my morning there – I chatted with the aforementioned security guard to find out if it was always that crazy inside. He assured me it wasn’t, though I’m not all that convinced. I was back today to collect my passport and the lines were better, but still not great. There is also a distinct lack of signage inside so figuring out where to go was a bit of a process. Basically I stood around looking dumbfounded until others who had just done the same explained where to go, a favor I paid back a few minutes later.
First you drop off your receipt and collect another receipt from one agent. That’s assuming you can figure out which line you’re supposed to be in, but let’s not get caught up with such a trifling detail. After making it through that line it is off to another line – now with your new receipt – to await the opportunity to pay and recover your passport.
The payment is apparently another problem for some folks to figure out. The Consulate has been only accepting credit cards, bank checks or money orders for roughly 18 months now. They stamp the receipt they give you with the words "No Cash" in both English and Mandarin in really big, red letters. And the woman in front of me was fighting with the agent behind the glass to pay for her visa with two crisp, clean $100 bills. Literally shoving the bills under the little window thing and not letting the agent push them back. It was nuts.
This trip was only about 30 minutes to get my passport and pay the Visa fees. Now I’m all set for my visit. But, wow, was there a lot of crazy involved. And that doesn’t include the various other folks choosing to ignore the lines, shouting at each other in various languages and all sorts of other fun that kept me entertained during my waits.
Posted by Seth on September 22, 2011 under News |
Most discussions of airline compensation have to do with what any particular passenger is due for a delayed or canceled flight, bump, broken equipment, lost luggage or other, similar, event. But those aren’t the only compensation discussions going on out there. What happens, for example, when your airplane is late?
And I’m talking about years late, not hours.
Boeing and Cargolux, are engaged in this discussion right now, with a rather interesting genesis to the situation. Cargolux is the launch customer for the new 747-8F freighter aircraft. The first was supposed to be delivered from Boeing to the carrier last week. Boeing was all set to host a party as part of the delivery of the first aircraft of the new line when things quickly fell apart. Cargolux has refused to accept the aircraft.
The spat is apparently linked to the presence of a new member of the Cargolux Board of Directors, a representative from Qatar Airways which now owns a third of the cargo company. Qatar is frustrated with the delay in delivery of their 787 Dreamliner airplanes. With those planes now years behind schedule on delivery many carriers are trying to figure out an appropriate deal with Boeing to account for the delays. Qatar, however, is the first to make such a public statement about the issues.
Doesn’t’ really have much effect on me as a guy out traveling but it certainly is an entertaining twist to the compensation discussion that seems to happen all too often.
Posted by Seth on September 1, 2011 under News |
Fuel dump [fyoo-uhl duhmp] (noun):
1. An airfare construction designed to reduce the YQ fuel surcharge that airlines place on certain routes. Used by passengers to save potentially hundreds of dollars per ticket.
2. A tax avoidance scheme perpetuated by airlines via shell companies to avoid paying millions of dollars annually to the city of Chicago
A nod of the cap to Frequently Flying for mentioning this story yesterday. Basically American Airlines and United Airlines have both set up shell companies in Sycamore, IL where they buy lots of jet fuel. Sycamore is just over an hour west of O’Hare and doesn’t really have much to do with airport or airline operations, other than that the city government there was nice enough to set up a great kick-back system for the airlines.
When jet fuel is purchased in Illinois it is only taxed at the retail level. By placing the wholesaler in Sycamore the airlines are able to avoid a 1.75% Chicago city tax on fuel. Even better, however, is that the city actually refunds part of the city tax paid. Of the 8% sales tax charged only 5.25% goes to the state. The city gets to decide how they want to spend the other 2.75%. And the city has decided to give most of the cash back to the airlines in exchange for hosting the operations in Sycamore. The city keeps only about $400,000 of the funds and is "thankful for the revenue stream."
Makes me feel a bit less bad about trying to trim a couple hundred dollars of fat from a few fares every now and then.
Posted by Seth on August 25, 2011 under frequent flyer, points |
I’ve been feeling a bit unwell this afternoon and I wasn’t quite sure why. Maybe because of the rain currently coming down outside. Or because of the impending doom from hurricane Irene coming to visit this weekend. Or any of a number of other reasons.
Then I got an email from Continental reminding me that I had registered for their OnePass Auctions website. So I clicked on the link to see the special deals they were offering. This is what I saw:
No wonder I feel ill.
The 32GB WiFi-only iPad 2 is a $600 device. At a penny per point (generally accepted as the baseline price for valuation) the price is currently almost triple what the retail price of the device is. And it will certainly increase in the next 20 days. Ludicrous. I know that plenty of people have plenty of miles that they see as relatively worthless and so they do things like this to unload them rather than spending cash. But it still hurts.
Seriously, folks, if you find yourself in this sort of position drop me a line. I’m sure we can come up with a better way to spend those points.
Posted by Seth on August 17, 2011 under News |
Apparently this concept is harder to comprehend than it should be. And, recently, the issue is apparently managing to use a lavatory at all. Ick.
First up was the guy on a JetBlue flight who, while underage, got tanked prior to a flight and then couldn’t quite make it all the way back to the lav before unloading his bladder.
I was drunk, and I did not realize I was pissing on her leg.
Yeah, not so classy. And apparently the indecent exposure charge comes with a potential $1,000 fine and 1 year in prison, along with the loss of his position on the US Ski Team development squad. Not that it matters all that much, but the family is insisting that the guy missed.
Fast forward a few days and switch continents to France and apparently the situation repeated itself. Apparently French actor Gerard Depardieu had a few too many drinks (it is not clear if they were alcoholic or not) prior to his flight yesterday and needed to use the lav. The cabin door was closed and they were taxiing for departure so the flight attendants instructed him to remain seated. He apparently didn’t like that policy so he relieved himself in the cabin.
France’s Europe-1 radio aired an interview with the passenger, identified only by her first name Daniele, saying that Depardieu appeared inebriated and announced "’I need to piss, I need to piss." The passenger said when the cabin crew told him to remain seated during takeoff, "he stood up and did it (urinated) on the ground."
Not a great week for lavatory service.
Posted by Seth on July 13, 2011 under Flying, News |
Gotta appreciate a sense of humor from an airline. Due to the closure of I-405 (a/k/a "The 405") in the Los Angeles area this weekend a massive carmageddon experience is being predicted. And JetBlue is having some fun with it. They’ve loaded a couple special flights into the system for this Saturday only between Long Beach and Burbank:
This is a pretty entertaining promo and were I in California this weekend I’d definitely be on it. Sadly, however, I do not think that I can swing the time for the transcons. But it is darn tempting, just to get the line on my map.
Yeah, I’ve got problems.
More details from JetBlue here: http://www2.jetblue.com/deals/overthe405/
