Yes, the silence has been longer than planned. There is much to share, but first a new trip is underway that sends your humble scribe towards Sin City. Not guaranteed, but I am hoping for a very special meal tonight, as well as the chance to catch up with some friends on this trip.
Hope to see one and all at Blog World and the #TECHmunch panels.
Sorry, things have been a bit hectic, and frankly still are. That said, beauty is around you in almost every travel you do. This has been greeting me regularly these last few days, and I decided to share it with you.
Beauty
reprinted from a previous publication
Like it or not, airports play an important role in the lives of travelers, especially business travelers. Gone are the days when airports could get away with minimal services, and airports have found themselves in competition with each other to be gateways and hubs. While some of that is out of the hands of the traveling herd, much isn’t as we vote on airports with our plans and dollars. It is fairly easy to choose to fly through a particular airport, or to avoid it like the plague, when making travel plans. Expense is a different issue, but the choice is there and airports, and the politicians that control them, have noticed.
I am pleased that change is finally, after decades, coming to Dulles International Airport (IAD). Some change is already in the air, as there are new and better food and drink options available and some are — after long and costly delay cause by politics — on the way. At long last, what should have happened at the start is finally clear to proceed, and the DC METRO is slowly making its way to Dulles. That it has taken this long is a testament to the worst of politics and politicians, but any year now (for real this time!) the METRO will arrive. From what I’ve seen, work is actually underway to extend the line, and one can only hope that in not too long a time the work will be completed.
Change is sorely needed at Dulles. What began as a futuristic wonder was quickly dated, and the “temporary” B/C terminal has been effectively permanent. That said, work is underway on new hub(s) and even on new transportation options that don’t rely on the expensive people movers currently in use. As said, that change is needed as if Dulles had not served DC, change or elimination might have come long ago.
One very positive thing I can say is that the food and drink options in B/C are improving.
One of the best things to happen in that regard, in my opinion, is the arrival a few years ago of Vino Volo in the C-portion. Before my second trip to Iraq, I spent several hours (and more money than I care to admit) making use of the “free” plugs to charge up computers, phone, and anything I could. The food was quite good, as were most of the wines sampled. Somewhere I have the notes, and hope to do a proper review one day. That said, try the samplers and pairings. It was a nice way to while away the time on layover, and I left sated and with all electronics charged.
The best I can say for Gordon Biersch there is that it was okay food. It wasn’t great, and overpriced even for an airport, but was serviceable food and the beer wasn’t bad.
I tried my first mojito at Moe’s Grill and Bar, and found it to be enjoyable. That is, both the bar and the drink. I must now test if the bartender was right when she said she made the best in the world. I love a challenge, and she provided a good drink and good service/customer interaction. If I find myself back in the D/C terminal with some time on my hands, I’ll go back and try them again just because of the service she gave. Mark Moe’s as worth checking out.
Like many older structures, the current terminals are not really designed for the modern traveler or modern travel loads. One hopes that the people behind Dulles will put poltics aside for a bit and do a really good job with designing the new terminals. Experience suggest otherwise, but we can hope….
One thing being done to help the modern traveler are “power bars” at some of the gates. These are sponsored by a company (forget which and forgot to take a photo, blame the mojito) and allow multiple passengers to plug in computers, cell phones, and other devices for a charge while waiting for their flight. This is an outstanding idea, and is one that even newer terminals, such as Indianapolis (one of my favorites in the world) can do to make up for a lack of outlets. In fact, if someone comes up with such a thing that can be mounted into existing seat-rows/furniture (another area that needs upgrading across the board), they should be able to make a mint and really get positive recognition for sponsors. Alas, there was not one of these at my gate, but I got lucky in finding a wall outlet behind a seat row and plugging in.
Dulles has a way to go in becoming a truly good airport that has customers in mind. That said, they seem to be making an effort to address both current and the crippling long-term issues that have hurt them.
LW
repost from a previous publication
It used to be that most travel writers skipped the joys of checking in at the airport, either because it wasn’t an issue or it wasn’t one they wanted to cover. Today’s traveller needs to know all they can about airports and airlines before they purchase their tickets, much less head out the door. While I have provided an initial and incomplete version, something fuller is required.
There have been changes in the start of travel for those living near the lair, as the new Indianapolis Airport opened, with much fanfare and rejoicing. The design of the airport is, overall, very good and it is easy to get to, move around in, and find what you need to find. The one complaint I have is that the old paid-for electric outlets are nowhere to be found in the new, and outlets of any type are a bit sparse—a drawback in a facility otherwise designed for the modern traveler replete with free WiFi.
This summer, there was another change at the airport, on the part of United. In years past, especially with my embeds to Iraq, I had very good and cordial dealings with the United team. They were efficient, effective, and consummate professionals. They had seen it all and most likely handled it all over the years. When I was preparing for this last trip, I noticed that I didn’t recognize anyone at their counters. Initially, I put that down to coming by on a weekend afternoon, and didn’t think much about it, other than to be very disappointed with the quality of information and service I got when stopping there to ask a question or two.
Well, it was the same crew there, almost exactly, when I went to check in on the Thursday I left, and I was even more dismayed. First, after having paid a small bit extra online for priority check in, what I found at the counters was chaos. No first class, no priority, just all a big mess with a crowd rather than a line or order. I get up to the counter, and hit problems.
For years, the airline industry has done what amounts to token coverage for the contents of your suitcase. If you wanted more, you had to ask, and the results ranged from reasonable and agreeable to all, to usury and a most disagreeable experience. Most of the time when I asked about extra coverage, to be honest, I got extra at no fee and not a lot of hassle.
Not this time. The new crew representing United claimed to have never heard of any such thing. Phone calls were placed to corporate headquarters, and incredulous exclamations were the order of the day as they found out there was indeed such and detailed (and apparently patient) instructions on how to do same. Even more when they, and I, found out that United wanted a good fee and would only cover damage, not loss. I may actually have used the word “merde” at this point, and ended up declining the coverage and expressing the thought to the person handling my check in that if my knives were lost or damaged, that United would consider United Breaks Guitars (and its follow-up) to be a love tap.
Then, there was the fun joy of scanning my passport. They couldn’t do it. No matter what they tried, they couldn’t scan it. The check-in agent told me I needed a new passport, and I pointed out that it was a new one. They then told me that the corner was too damaged, and I noted that it didn’t look that bad to me. They then moaned and kvetched long and loud about having to manually enter my data, and I made no reply but came close to offering a homily about sucking it up and dealing with it.
There were additional theatrics, including forgetting to give me my luggage claim check, but the long and the short of it is that what has never taken more than ten minutes (more towards five)—even when traveling to Iraq—took some 45 minutes. That’s right, three quarters of an hour.
Nor was I the only one having trouble. It seems no one on this new United team understood or spoke any foreign language from what I could tell. With United doing a lot of international business, this created problems which contributed to the chaos at the counter, as they had issues with a gentleman who spoke Spanish and a lady who spoke a far Eastern language, and there may well have been others. Within five minutes of arriving, I was concentrating strictly on trying to get sense and service for my needs and stopped noting much else that was going on.
Later in my travels, well away from the trauma and travail of check-in, I had the chance to spend some time with someone very familiar with United. According to what they told me, there was indeed a new team at the Indianapolis airport. It seems that United did away with their team that was there, and contracted out those operations. They also told me a good bit more, including how United was squandering the good will with customers and with employees. This person, who had good reason to fly on United, was choosing not to do so in a number of cases. I learned enough that I am strongly considering flying out of another airport, such as Chicago, if I fly United overseas again. That is a big if for me right now, given my experiences this time and what I learned from others. Only one flight crew, and I will give them a commendation later for something else, offered any friendliness and professional service.
From the look of things, United wants to go back into bankruptcy. If they do, they will have little or no sympathy from their customers and even their employees. If they do, their leadership will have no one to blame but themselves, for this could be easily fixed and United taken to new heights. For now, my take is United #fail, with options taken on United #epic fail.
I also notes that the U.S. Airways crew, located directly behind the United counters, has, in comparison, been a positive dream to deal with at the Indianapolis airport.
Not these things specifically, but the general things they represent. 
Not Quite What It Appears To Be
A Range Of Treats
Something More Substantive
In The Midrange
Can You Pay The Toll?
Sigh
An already huge airport, the Frankfurt Airport is expanding. From what I can tell as a traveler, there were already several additions to the airport over the years, which makes it a bit of a toss-up on how good an experience you will have there.
Most of the times I’ve flown in or out, the gates and corridors were much as you would find in most major airports: wide corridors, plenty of shops, and nice waiting areas. This last trip, before a far-too-interesting 10-hour flight, I got to experience a very different side of the Frankfurt airport.
The C-gates were something close to a miserable experience for those arriving as early as instructed for security. In the section where we were, there were few concessions, few seats, and a wait to get into final security and the gate — which had vending machines and nothing else save restrooms. If one was looking for a book, food, drink, well, you were out of luck.
That said, if you are not in C-gate hell, the airport may be huge but it is comfortable and has a variety of concessions. My experiences in other terminals has been average to quite good. It is also fairly easy to get into and out of, via taxi, train, and other means. The construction does have car traffic a bit interesting (based on last fall), but not too bad.
Based on this trip, the train was an excellent choice for getting to the airport, though finding the DB office and getting to the train upon arrival was what I will term an interesting experience. Lessons learned there, but now that I know how to get to the office, it should be a smoother experience next time.
There is no free WiFi, and I didn’t see many options for paid this time either. If you are an e-addict, be forewarned.
I won’t call it my favorite airport, but arrivals there have always been smooth and most of the staff there friendly and helpful. Things appear to vary wildly between different areas, but that does add a note of adventure. Check with your airline ahead of time to find out where they come into and fly out of, and plan accordingly.
When traveling, a hotel is often just a place where you go to sleep at night. It may be nice, it may be so-so, and you simply hope it isn’t too bad (because corporate got a great deal).
It truly has been a pleasure to stay at the Hotel Christine in Landstuhl, Germany on several occasions now. Indeed, my one serious complaint about it, especially on the first stay, was that it was too quiet. My room was so quiet it made it hard to sleep, especially given were I had been before that.
The rooms are nice, clean, and done in pine and tile. The beds are good, in the European fashion, and the bathrooms have always been clean and the large amount of tile bright.
The Cockpit Lounge is not a bad place to grab a quick bite, and I recommend the goulash soup. If you want a beer to go back to the room, they are often nice enough to point out that you can buy a beer at the front desk for half the cost of what they charge.
WiFi in the room costs, but WiFi in the lobby is free and makes for a great way to meet your fellow guests. The coffee machine is a true blessing for an addict like myself, and the staff is generally helpful.
The rooms come with a free breakfast. Not your standard continental breakfast, but a full buffet of meats, eggs done to order, yogurt, fruit, and a variety of breads.
Rates are reasonable and I hope to try a suite with kitchenette here soon. Want to be able to cook or heat some of the delicious things I found at some nearby groceries, especially if I get to go back to the Globus next time (thanks Yvonne!).
If you have business in the Landstuhl/Ramstein area, do check it out.
Well, there appears to be a distinct lack of wi-fi,and I’ve been told that security is a major pain, but I like it none-the-less.
I’m transiting through on my way to Germany and was slightly sad to be missing St. Patrick’s day in my town. Good companions made up for it, as did finding a nice bar/bistro that was featuring both real cheese steaks and some Irish/Scots music for the day.
Were it not for fine spirits and companionship of #1 and #2 daughters, I would be sore put out at the lack of power and wi-fi. As it is, not so much. Charging up in a power booth, able to connect via mobile, and well set for a long overnight flight. While I think a few more dining options and wi-fi would be a good ad for them, not bad. I also have to give some good props to the art I’ve seen — a step above typical airport art, particularly the bird “sculptures” near/in the A concourse.
More soon, but may miss a day with the flights and such. Thank you for reading.
I usually like to visit an airport several times before reviewing, but decided to do a quick review after being there this weekend. In part because whatever else I may say, I can say that Texas hospitality lives there.
It is an older airport, and not a 24-7 operation. That said, it has been modified for new security far better than most, and seems to have a good range of vendors in the cleared sections. My associate was taken, in our very brief time there, with the range of selections as they clearly were aimed at people with food issues/needs. Despite a very long line, we were cleared quickly and made our flight despite some “spring forward” issues that had come up.
The people at the information counter near baggage claim were extremely helpful (our promised ride did not show) and helped us find a free alternative. That level of courtesy extended almost everywhere, and made the trying times that typify airport interactions much better. With the exception of one Southwest ticket agent, even the TSA people seemed to have a good bit of that hospitality in use.
I’m very much looking forward to exploring the San Antonio airport further. More then.
Reposting a previous publication…
A Good Album
If you have ever seen the cover art for I Robot by the Alan Parsons Project, you’ve seen Terminal 1 of Charles DeGaulle airport in Paris. Like many large airports, CDG has expanded and grown, with two newer and larger terminals coming into play. Terminal 1, like the people movers at Dulles, has discovered fate. The enclosed slideways that were once modern and ultra-futuristic today look simply dated and dingy. The newer terminals are avoiding that fate, at least for now, though I am not prepared to call them truly traveller friendly based on previous experiences flying out through them.
That said, getting into Paris was not a terrible ordeal, though the signage could be improved in my opinion. Trying to get to the rail system that connects the three terminals was not the easiest thing, and it is in fact much easier to find oneself outside rather than headed in the right direction. Then again, I am of the opinion that the people behind the signs (particularly in Europe) are often of the mindset of “send them in a general direction, they will figure it out.” Then again, the people worldwide who write directions tend to forget that not everyone is as familiar with a product/location as they are and tend to leave out important steps because “everyone knows that.” The best directions come from those who’ve never done something before.
Over the years, I’ve flown through CDG a good bit, and never had my wish for a flight delay/overnight stay-required-so-I-could-go-into-Paris come true. Darn it. I have caught a quick bite or gotten coffee there, and have had the darndest luck on making connections and such. The connections are why I take anything said by Air France with a large grain of salt (yes, you can still make the connection, they are holding it for you, despite the fact it took off about the time you landed…). I can’t recommend any specific place, but what I’ve grabbed on the go has been good and not too expensive. Coffee varies, from the really good to the average. If you have a connection that is in a different terminal, allow a LOT of time to get to it, especially if you are clearing Customs.
Customs has always been fairly quick once up there, but with large knots of people descending upon them as each plane disgorges, it is the movement to the head of the line that has been slow. My experiences with Customs have ranged from quite nice to average (person was doing job, obviously would have preferred to be elsewhere), with no nasty encounters to date. They do appreciate it when you have everything already out, open, and ready to go –as do the people behind you. My thoughts on those who wait until they get to Customs (register, turnstile, etc.) to get out what they need is best left unsaid…
In my case, I was working my way to Terminal 3 to follow-up on the suggestions and directions provided by some friends. First, I was looking for some specific ATMs that allowed you to get more Euro at once than was apparently standard elsewhere (located just outside the main currency exchange in Terminal 3). Second, I was to get a ticket and catch a train into Paris rather than take other options.
CDG, as with every major airport, has a variety of options available for getting to the city proper or other nearby destination. Cabs, busses, shuttles, and hire cars are there in plenty I am told; but, a different way was suggested and I’m glad I took it. My business at the ATM finished (remember to have your ATM card limit raised if you want more than the normal US limit as well, as it is easy to forget exchange rates and fees in calculations), I walked a short distance to the automated ticket terminals I had been told were there.
While there are a couple of options available, I simply got a ticket for the slow train to Paris. This € 8.70 ticket was money well spent, and do keep the ticket handy as it also gets you into the Paris subway system. If you have difficulties, you can get tickets and directions at a staffed booth, but the coin operated kiosks appeared much faster and were easy to use.
A short walk leads you to a sign(s) saying “RER B/Voie 11 and 12” and a turnstile. Insert your ticket, be sure to get it back for use on the Paris Metro, and go down the escalator. At the bottom, there are two tracks, and it doesn’t matter which one you get on. Find a seat, and sit back for about a 45 minute trip into Paris. You are going to see a very different view on the way in, from industrial areas to some, er, interesting areas. One thing I found fascinating was the number of stops that had the old railroad stations still there, off to the side, fading monuments to train travel days gone by. As you start getting into Paris proper, the line goes underground and there isn’t much scenery save a few stations where the train stops.
In my case, I got off the RER at Saint Michel Notre Dame, and switched over to the Paris Metro. You can also go up, catch a cab, or walk if your destination is close by. Be sure to check the maps to see if another stop would be better for you. When you get off, if you switch to the Metro, be sure to use your RER ticket to get into the Metro system. Keep the ticket handy again, just in case the Metro Police ask to see your ticket (which does happen).
If you have a large suitcase, or more than one piece of luggage, I don’t recommend trying to switch to the Metro. The system is just not set up for anything other than people, and having to lift up the suitcase (or slide it below in front of me), can be a pain. Doing it with more than one piece of carry/wheeled luggage is going to be interesting if not impossible.
If there is one bit of advice I have when travelling to CDG, it is to put a good bit of time on connections. Over the years, I’ve found tight connections just don’t work there. It takes time to get to Customs, time to get between terminals if needed, and time to find where to go back through security for the set of gates you need. Also, don’t count on food or drink at that set of gates, you pretty much have to get food and drink before going through security, and then hope there really is a restroom near the gate(s).
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