From the Tarmac: Dress for Success

I'm of those people that dress up for flights.  Not anything fancy and always comfortable - but always nice.  Being in an airport and on a flight means you're out in public; now it might not be anyone you will ever seen again, but you're still in public. 



How I dress depends on two things: what is the occasion for the travel and how long is the flight.  When I travel for business, I look like I'm ready to do business as soon as I disembark.  I don't wear a full blow suit, but a nice sheath dress and a cardigan does the trick nicely: 



When I travel for myself on domestic flights, I'll wear jeans and a blazer.  I know a lot of businessmen down this same uniform when they travel for business and in some ways, this is why I do it.

When I travel internationally and on longer flights, I like to be more comfortable than jeans and I'm most comfortable in maxi dresses (like this one).  A head of warning - some TSA gate agents will frisk you to make sure you're not carrying anything under there... however, I've also had them check on cuffs of jeans.  To each their own prerogative I guess.

You might be asking WHY I dress up instead of just giving in and downing pajamas or work out clothes to be comfortable. It's simple and it really boils down to three main things:

1. Foremost, business travelers receive precedence over leisure travelers to get re-booked on flights.  If you look the part then you play the part.
2. I have an issue with first impressions, mainly, if I don't dress to impress people stereotype me as the "buxom blond" while I in fact try to shield that genetic buxom-ness.  With this strategy, I gain more unspoken respect.
3. You never know who you're going to meet.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not a fan of talking to my seat partners and in fact do not initiate any conversation. I would much rather be working or reading.  Love it or hate it, I'm pretty approachable and people strike up conversations.  In one of these instances, I met a pilot who was jumping the flight to return home.  It struck me that every time I saw a pilot dead heading or jumping a flight, they always wore something nice.  Not a uniform, but a sweater, black pants, what have you.  The reasoning behind this is because they are representing their brand, their company.  In an ever increasing world of networking, why wouldn't you want to represent the most important brand of all:  yourself?

From the Tarmac: Path to Purchase

From experience, DON'T purchase from a third party travel site.  Seriously, just don't do it.  I've heard so many horror stories from friends about lost reservations, and lower boarding priority, and hidden fees, that it's really just not worth it.  However, if you're a novice traveler and looking for the best option, DO use these websites to research the best prices and schedules.  I recommend kayak.com and then if you're really into just the price, remember to check out southwest.com too. (Personally, Southwest terrifies me and I don't fly it.  However, I have friends that swear by it.)

Once you've found the best option for your travels, go on that specific airline's website and purchase directly from the carrier.  You are more likely to get good (or at least in the airline industry's definition of good) customer service versus the customer service of expedia or travelocity or whatever-other-site there is if heaven forbid something goes wrong.  Also, with airlines (and hotel chains for that matter) offering a best price guarentee, there's really no reason to have a middleman/website in the process.

And while your at it, sign up for the frequent flier program.  You might get nice perks even if you rarely fly.  I know of a girl, only the third flight in her lifetime, who got bumped up to first class because she was a member vs not a member. 





i honestly have no idea where this is, but doesn't this lake look like 'merica?



From the Tarmac: Understanding the Business

I enjoy traveling.  Be it for work and for pleasure but I tend to spend more time than the average person in airports.  Because of this, my less travel adept friends come to me asking for advice from everything from where to purchase to how to have less headaches while in the airport.  So I've decided to have a little series here on my blog with tips and tricks:  From the Tarmac.

The first thing I always tell people is to have a better travel experience, you should try to understand the experience from the point of the airlines. (This is a good theory in life as well, try to put yourself in another's shoes and you will feel more empathetic.) 

So here is the cold, hard truth:  The point of the airline business is to make money. They are corporations and this is the goal of a corporation - love it or hate it.  Now, my dear leisure traveler, what types of passengers do airlines covet?  The type that travels the most and therefore brings the most profit.  These are the travelers that airlines want, they're the ones that the airlines market to, they're the ones that airlines want in their loyalty programs.  And this, dear leisure traveler, is not you.  These passengers are business travelers - the ones that fly regularly and for that matter don't mind paying a little more for a ticket (since it won't be paid out of their own pocket, in most cases.)   It might be hard to hear if you're not used to the fast-paced corporate eye-on-the-prize environment - but it's the truth, these corporations are in it for the money.  In it to save themselves from bankruptcy.   So next time, when an airline doesn't re-book you  in favor of that man in a suit jacket, just take a deep breath and remember - he's probably given the airline a lot more money than you have and probably has loyalty with the airline.  They simply care about his business more than your bottom-dollar-not-much-profit-in-it ticket.

I'm sorry if that's too harsh for you, but once you calm down I hope you realize it's the truth.  And honesty really is the best policy.




flying over those fly-over states.



A Healthy, No Wheat Sandwich Option

Since I've tried to eliminate gluten from my diet, the one thing I'm beginning to miss is a sandwich. Something easy and healthy to pack for work that is still diet friendly.  I don't remember where I saw the option of replacing the bread with a a cucumber, but as I didn't come to that conclusion on my own I do not want to take credit for it.  However, it cuts out a ton of calories AND is wheat free.  What more can you ask for?!

No-Bread Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1 Whole Cucumber
• Meat, your choice
• Other Sandwich toppings, your choice 

  

  
• In the picture I used basil from the garden, deli sliced beef, Cedar Valley cheese, and green olives.  Nom Nom!



Instructions

1. Cut the cucumber in half then "core" the inside seeds to make room for your sandwich meet, etc
2. Compile sandwich and enjoy!
• I like making my work lunch the night before, so I wrapped this ditty up in some saran wrap.  The benefit?  It also keeps the toppings on as you eat and unwrap as you go.

Total Time: 5 Minutes