Flying with Blue: A candid look at jetBlue's A320

**Author's disclaimer:  The following post is my own opinion as an Independent Travel Agent, and not those of jetBlue Airways or Lakonia Asset Investment Company**

My last flight on jetBlue Airways was in 2005, and for good reason.  The same reason why I only flew them once before, in 2001.  The in-flight crews made all 3 segments I was on in both years the absolute worse inflight experiences I've had in my long life of riding around in rarefied air.  These crew of yore made the customers feel like they were the privileged ones to be flying with them, not vice versa, as it should be.  It left such a bad taste in my mouth both years that I swore not to fly jetBlue for a long, long time.

Now it's 2015.  Free flying on jetBlue is part of the perks of working for them.  So earlier this week I listed myself on today's morning flight (March 18th) to Long Beach, California, and returning this afternoon.  I not only wanted to see if the inflight attitude has improved, but also give a fair and balanced review of jetBlue's Airbus A320 offering, seeing as I sell them for jetBlue, and within my own Travel Agency as well.


Check-in in Salt Lake City is a snap, considering how small jetBlue's operation is.  The ticket counter is in the far South Side of Terminal 1, just past Southwest's massive digs.  It's small enough you might miss it if you're not careful.  The kiosks jetBlue use are painless and even if you're flying standby, check in and printing of your boarding pass is simple.  As it should be.

The line at Security was extremely light for a Saturday morning, and I breezed by, and on my way up to the Gate.  jetBlue's gate is A4, a relatively short walk from the Terminal 1 escalators past security.  Plenty of room to stretch out and relax while waiting for one's flight, as the only airlines in that part of the concourse are Alaska Airlines down in the rotunda and American Airlines on the South Side, covering A1, A3, A5, and sometimes A7 (which Alaska uses frequently, and even jetBlue still uses during double enplanement operations).

About 35 minutes before boarding the gate agent showed up, and I went and introduced myself and asked if its possible to find out what seats are open.  He not only told me, but he even assigned my seat right there.  He gave me an excellent window eat, 10A, an Even More Space(TM) seat in the Emergency Exit row.  My traveling cohort, Justin, showed up and got 10C, with the middle seat between us empty.  Awesome.

Boarding went by quickly, and as we got on the flight, we were greeted by the crew, who recognized we were employees and greeted us like long lost relatives.  A far cry from the snobbery of the past.  Justin, his first on a plane in a very long time, got the invite to take a seat in the cockpit of the A320 (did he notice theres no control yoke?) while I took a few snapshots of the empty cabin.  As usual in most jetliners of the A320's size and mission profile, the seating is 3x3, separated by the aisle that is 18" wide.  The normal pitch between seats is 34", while the Even More Space seats are a marvelous 38".  Brilliant for a guy as tall as me.  Oh, and the A320 is also wider than the Boeing 737 and Boeing 757, its closest competitors, translating into an extra 6" shoulder space per seat.

The customers boarded and we pushed back from the gate a full 9 minutes early, and off we went.  After a brief pause on the runway to allow for an aircraft that just departed some space, we hurtled ourselves into the air and turned to the South for the hour and a half jaunt to Long Beach.  We settled back and enjoyed the view and flipping through the 36 channels of Live DirecTV.  I myself kept the TV in front of me pegged to the Inflight Map and the window shade up so I can see the geography of the West spread out underneath.

The cabin crew came by with the snack service, or if you prefer, the buy-on-board options.  I picked one, and, as custom for me, examined it, photographed the box and contents and enjoyed.  One flight Attendant came by and took our drink orders, then came back with a drink tray, much like the ones in use on Virgin America and Air Algerie, among a host of other French carriers.  I was suitably impressed, having been used to the metal carts click-clacking in the aisle and destroying kneecaps.  Another thing I've noticed, the crew have their own zones of rows.  I like this,  Makes it feel a LOT more personal and friendly.  No wonder B6 (jetBlue's two-digit IATA code) keeps raking in the JD Power awards.  Alaska Airlines, take note, you have a few things to learn from these guys!  Also, jetBlue staffs their cities with their own people (except for a few spots not in the public direct, like the ramp), Legacy carriers listen up!!

The seats are all covered in leather, which makes for easier cleaning, and are comfortable.  The 1:47 hop passed by fast and next thing we realized, we were on the approach into Daugherty Field!  The captain must've been ex-Navy, as he slowed our winged chariot FAST and pulled us into the gate a whole 16 minutes early.  Deplaning in Long Beach is a bit different than most major airports nowadays, and hearkens back to a time when flying was glamours, worth getting dressed up for, and a family event.  The stairs were placed against the L3 door, at the rear of the plane, and a ramp was placed at L1, in the front, for those passengers who may have a rough time with the stairs.

All in all, jetBlue has most definitely improved their product since those early years, and is now in its 3rd management cycle (long time CEO and one of the original founders of jetBlue, Dave Barger, just retired from the airline, leaving behind a legacy of growth, thrivability, and record profits while other airlines struggled to keep afloat).  The seats are just right for any flight under 6 hours, and I don't hesitate booking jetBlue passengers on these planes, nor my own high end clients.

The "new" American Airlines: Reviving Something Special in the Air

As promised in December 2013, I'd update you on the merger between US Airways and American Airlines.  So far, repainting of the US Airways fleet is continuing, some interesting new routes have popped up, including my personal favorite, Miami-Salt Lake City, with a Boeing 737-800.  It's a red-eye, but it's a start.  With the loads I'm seeing, I'm hoping they'll add a second daily flight in the daytime.

Both carriers have replaced their aging Boeing 767-200ER fleets (American has replaced them with the uber-amazing Airbus A321T on the JFK Transcons) while US Airways have upgauged previous 767 routings with Airbus A330's, while lesser demand routes have the 757.  The Legacy American side is currently in the middle of a protracted retirement plan for the workhorse MD-80's, while US Airways is retiring the oldest 757's and A320's, while taking delivery (with new American colors) of new A321's and A330's, as American keeps receiving new 737-800's, A319's, A321's (both standard layout and 321T layouts), 777-300ER's, 787's, and the amazing new Airbus A350-900 (slated for delivery in 2017).

On the real estate side, both carriers have for the most part either combined their gate areas, or have come next to each other, to make connecting between flights easier (you should see some of the routings I've personally witnessed), while ticket counters and baggage service counters are still either independent of each other until the single certificate is issued, or semi-combined with the new American branding and layout with a smaller tag line underneath stating "Also serving US Airways".  

On Board, American Way magazine has taken over on the US served routes, meal/serving times have all been aligned, and boarding and deplaning have equalized across both airlines.  Elite Frequent Fliers can now use their status from one airline on the other, and upgrades have now been extended to the US Airways Dividend Miles members.

Speaking of Dividend Miles, as of today, March 18, fliers can no longer sign up for the Dividend Miles program and are being directed to apply with American and their award-winning AAdvantage mileage program (https://www.aa.com/AAdvantage/quickEnroll.do), which is one of the best non-revenue based accrual programs out there.  Heck, it made me jump ship from Delta after Delta jacked up their SkyMiles program and watered it down by charging more per mile.

Both airlines are still using their respective websites while they are both still using their own reservation systems, however that will change by the 3rd quarter of this year, along with finally receiving the single operating certificate to become the new American Airlines.  

Is Doug Parker really trying to make American Something Special in the Air again?  Time will tell, but so far, he and his management team, and everyone on down to the last gate agent and ramp rat, are working their asses off to turn this historic company around.  So far, they seem to be do everything right, and have made me a fan. Keep up the good work.

SkyMiles, SkyPesos, or SkyRubles?

I've had it.  I've jumped ship.  I don't give a damn that I live in one of Delta's fortress hub cities, I've ditched them for American Airlines.  Not because of bad customer service, or lost luggage, or anything like that.  I'm jumping ship because Delta does NOT value my hard earned dollar like it used to.  I'm sorry, all my widget-loyal friends, but I cannot stand to see the value of my SkyMiles get watered down further.  I just don't spend that kind of money per ticket, per year, yet.

What do I mean by this rant?  Let me spell it out.  Last March I blogged about Delta announcing changes to its award winning SkyMiles program, one that I was loyal to for a few years, and how it is more loyal to fliers who spend more money per ticket, thereby making the miles worth less per dollar, than to those fliers who don't spend quite so much to amass their miles, such as myself.  

A few days ago, Delta made a few small changes to this new policy, one that has further infuriated frequent fliers, and I haven't stopped hearing of the complaints from my clients.  One change is that Delta has upped the ante and now you have to fly 30 qualifying segments to hit Silver Medallion Elite status, or earn 25,000 qualifying miles PLUS spend $2,500 qualifying dollars.  This may not seem like a lot, but when Delta also announces that each dollar is only worth 2.2 miles, well, it becomes ludicrous.  Let me give you an example:  I'm flying from Burbank to Salt Lake City on March 28, and the fare is $191.  The mileage I'll be accruing is 509 miles, but only 317 are Medallion Qualifying, and only $79 of the fare is Medallion Qualifying.  See how someone could think that is a rip off?  

Luckily, this is the smallest segment of a larger trip to and from New York City.  Am I about to spend my hard earned money on Delta's longer flights?  Not a chance.  I'm flying on US Airways to JFK (due to time constraints), American to Los Angeles (how can you say no to those new A321T's?), and back home on Delta, only because of the time constraints and having to be back at work in the late morning on the 28th, otherwise I'd wait and fly on American or jetBlue up to Salt Lake City.

Another change Delta is making is increasing the fee for using those watered down miles.  This is what is infuriating my clients the most.  Its already pricey to use the miles, why the hell would Delta penalize the lower end just to make a few extra bucks?  Beats me.  But United does the same, and now Southwest has jumped on the bandwagon.  At least, for the time being while the merger is sorting itself out, American is not touching their legendary AAdvantage program, and I like that kind of stability.  It's making it worthwhile for me to earn miles on American, even if I have a lack of nonstop options out of Salt Lake City, I don't mind connecting.

Alaska Airlines: Has the Eskimo had it?

Things are heating up in Seattle.  Things are heating up in Salt Lake City.  Oh, and in Los Angeles, too.  Delta Air Lines, for the last year or two has been building up a true Pacific Gateway Hub in Seattle/Tacoma, seemingly almost smack on top of Alaska Airlines' route map, with additional Trans-Pacific legs as well.  At last count, quite a few formerly loyal Alaska fliers have jumped ship and begun utilizing Delta more with their vastly larger array of routes, options, and worldwide access.


It all began when Delta announced a downsizing of the former Northwest hub at Tokyo/Narita, and a buildup of Transpacific flights from Seattle.  Some wondered why not do them out of Salt Lake City, where Delta has their fortress hub?  Well, altitude for one.  The A330's, 767's and 777's that serve Asia would ALL have to be weight restricted and cargo restricted on those hot and high summer days in Salt Lake City's elevations.  Seattle, on the other hand, is at sea level, and a much shorter distance to Asia than Salt Lake City is.  Heck, the Salt Lake flights would have to overfly Seattle on their way to Asia anyways.

In addition to starting multitudes of Trans-pacific flights out of Seattle, Delta wasn't going to stop there and hope for the best.  Oh no, how would they feed all those jumbo jets heading to the Far East?  Why, with local traffic, AND connecting traffic too! Delta began flying non-hub cities such as Ketchikan, Juneau, Anchorage, Sacramento, San Francisco, and more, right on top of the flights Alaska Airlines already operated as part of their codeshare with Delta.  Well, when push came to shove, what did Alaska do?  They fought back.

Alaska already had flights to Salt Lake City from Seattle, so why not do a roundabout to Delta and see if we cant kick them where it hurts in one of Delta's most protected hubs, Salt Lake City?  Flights began to Boise, Portland, Las Vegas, San Francisco, San Jose, Los Angeles, and San Diego.  Salt Lake City's Concourse A is bursting at the seams with all the new flights, or is it? Average loads are only in the 30% range?  How can this be?  I'll tell you why, and what's wrong, and what Alaska should do about it.

I have taken a grand total of 7 segments on Alaska in the last 2 months.  This surely does not make me the expert on the airline others most definitely are.  But I was observant from check-in to baggage claim.  I paid attention to the smallest details.  There were things I saw that I liked, and others not so much.  Let's take it from the top.

Outstations like Salt Lake City are outsourced both above and below wing.  You guessed it, all those people you see wearing the Alaska uniform are not actual Alaska employees.  Heck, in Salt Lake City, there's only 2 people who are actual Alaska folks, the City Manager and his assistant.  You'll never see them out at the counters or gates. Depending on who you get to help you check in or tag your bag, you may get the full real Alaska reputation, or, you may get someone who could care less if you fly Alaska or any of the other airlines in Terminal 1.  They are simply there for the paycheck.  They don't give two shits about you, or the Alaska experience, or if they treat you so bad you desert Alaska and fly someone else.  Not a good sign.

Stations that have actual Alaska employees are, for the most part, OK.  But in my travels, I have noticed some of their own self-proclaimed "best" employees, are some of the worst people in front of passengers.  In San Diego for instance, one black employee, who was touted as one of the best, and frequently gets sent to Seattle as a trainer, was so condescending and rude to not just me, but to the rest of the passengers on our flight to San Jose, and onto Salt Lake City.  She made each and every one of us on the flight feel like it was a privilege that we had booked with Alaska and were in her presence, instead of the other way around.  A pure diva princess.  A few weeks later I flew through San Diego again.  Same agent at the ticket counter and at the gate.  SAME ATTITUDE.  I told her straight up I want her fired and will stop to no end to see that it happens, and save Alaska from the heartburn of mysteriously disappearing bookings and dwindling passenger loads.  People like that have no business being in front of the traveling public, especially when your carrier is in a life or death struggle against a far bigger, more powerful and more financially secure competitor.

In late March of 2014, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Alaska's CEO, Brad Tilden, and having lunch with him.  He said the biggest problem he sees at Alaska is trying to keep the same family style environment that had served the airline so well for decades.  I told him the fastest way to lose it is the outsourcing.  He nodded in agreement, took a few notes and told me that the sub-contracted employees all get sent to Seattle for a week of training in Alaska procedures and style.  I told him straight up that might work for about half of each class, but I'm willing to put money down 75% or more of those subcontractors don't give a shit and will screw around in training, while in Seattle, and when they get back to their station, continue screwing of and not fully giving their all for the Alaska passenger.

So, with all those problems on the ground, what should Alaska do?  First off, get rid of the subcontractors.  Hire their own people from within at those wage levels in each city, with all the benefits other Alaska employees receive, or not, and enlarge the training sessions to a full 5 days with tests at the end of each day, and practice at the terminal at SeaTac.  Continue monitoring them for their 90 day probation, and make sure the consistently live up to the Alaska promises.

That's what Alaska needs to win this war with Delta, and as the airport director in Seattle said, "there's room for both carriers to have a hub".  Will Alaska succumb to Delta and merge or go broke?  It's far too early to tell, and Alaska continues reaping profits, although they continue getting smaller and smaller.  When it comes down to the wire, I certainly hope Alaska turns around and brings all stations in house.  Only then will it win against the mighty Widget.

Reinventing a Legend: Transcontinental with American Airlines

Few air routes in the world have a pedigree like the US Transcontinental flights from New York to Los Angeles and San Francisco.  From the time the flights began in the 1920's until about 1978, the only airlines flying them were American, TWA, and United Air Lines.  Deregulation changed all of that.  The transcons almost became just another air route, a glorified bus in the sky.  Niche carriers like MGM Grand Air came and went offering pure First Class or Business Class only flights, with no success.  The Boeing 767-200 became the workhorse on the routes between United, American and to a smaller extent, TWA.  Continental entered the fray from their hub in Newark, Tower Air came in with decrepit and aging 747-100's, seats flooding the market.  In hindsight, I think it is safe to say American and United were banking on their massive corporate contracts on both coasts to keep their Premium cabins and fare levels booked.

In 2003, though, United took a somewhat bold move and replaced the 767-200's (retiring the type completely) with the smaller 757-200 and a somewhat radically changed layout with more of an emphasis on the premium passenger and the transcon VIP.  A few changes have been made to the p.s. (Premium Service) cabin on United since their merger with Continental Airlines in 2009, but nothing worth writing home about.

Seeking to replace its own aging fleet of 767-200 workhorses, American struck a deal with Airbus for 17 radically configured A321's (as part of a larger order including standard A321's and A319's) to target the transcon corporate market.  The result is an amazing airplane perfectly suited top bolster American back to the top of the market, and keep it there, despite new offerings from jetBlue, and a badly needed refurbishing of Delta's premium offerings (although I will admit, their new Terminal 4 at JFK is an amazing oasis to depart from, and the new Delta One Transcon service looks promising).

The flight I picked was the legendary Flight 1, departing New York/JFK at 9:00AM, as it has since the 1930's.  Departure was out of Gate 42, and on time.  Due to the unique nature of the A321T, boarding went by in a cinch, as First and Business Class were completely full before ANYONE in Group 1 in Coach got to board.  After getting to our seats I was pleasantly surprised by how much perceived room there is, and how comfortable the seats were.  Anyone who knows me knows that I don't much care for in-flight entertainment and keep the in-seat TV locked on the AirMap channel, but my daughter was with me, and she says this IFE system made it hard for her to get bored during the 6 1/2 hour long flight to Los Angeles.

Takeoff out of JFK at this time of morning is usually a pain, but after push back we hurried on out of JFK and over Rockaway Beach, then turning to the West for the duration.  I have to admit, this crew was definitely one of the happiest bunch I've had the pleasure of flying with in a long while on American, and they made the trip even more enjoyable.  Meals on this flight, at least in Economy, were for purchase only, and because we had already eaten in the terminal, we didn't bother buying anything.  Our cruising altitude for the majority of the flight was 28,000 feet due to rough air above, which made for some great views out the window heading West of Denver, Colorado. I do love the intimate size of the Economy section on the A321T, though, it does not feel like a flying transit bus as other aircraft have the tendency to do, with 36 standard economy seats, and 36 Main cabin Extra seats, while Business Class is at a phenomenally laid out 20 seats and 10 first class seats ahead of that, American definitely knows where its bread is buttered.


Landing was smooth for an Airbus, but in my opinion, the 767-200 had the best landings after a long transcon flight.  Still, you can't beat the experience of the A321T, and later on this year I'll be able to better compare it to offerings by jetBlue, Delta, and Virgin America, and in different classes of service, but for now, the A321T is definitely the new kid on the block, ready to rock, and ready to beat the pants off of all comers.



The professional opinion of this Travel Agent is:  If you are going transcon, pick the A321T by American Airlines.  They have really brought back the glamour the transcon was known for before the 1980's, and it will be the yardstick by which all other offerings are measured by.  Even Doug Parker, AA's new CEO, and legendary cost cutter at America West and US Airways, swears by the product, and has been suitably impressed with how the new product has increased revenue and return passengers keep raving about, and returning to fly on the A321T time and time again.


Photos courtesy of American Airlines and the author.

Modern Luxury, Urban Sophistication: Langham Place 5th Avenue

We've all heard hotels claim to go above and beyond the call of duty for ALL of their guests.  But how many of us who aren't part of their Elite membership levels have really seen it or experienced it from check-in to check-out?  In my travels, I know I sure have not...until now.

It all started two months prior to check-in.  I get to my email and lo and behold there is a welcome email from the Langham Place's Personal Assistant Team.  What is the role of the hotel's Personal Assistant Team you ask?  Well, according to them, it is a combination of the traditional hotel concierge with the more personalized experience of a personal assistant.  In a Global Metropolis such as New York City, this experience is essential.

I had booked this trip to New York as a trip for my daughter's 13th birthday.  I let the Personal Assistants know this, and replied back in kind.  A few days later, I find at my doorstep a FedEx package from the hotel, with a personal note from our Personal Assistant, Derek, to my daughter wishing her a very happy birthday and enclosed please find passes to the Empire State Building observatory, and a few other things to get her psyched up for the trip.  My jaw dropped and I was awestruck.  I've noted special occasions on hotel reservations before, but never...NEVER...have I ever had a reply such as this!  Anyways, moving on!

The day of travel finally came around.  Because of our weird multiple leg flight itinerary on both Frontier Airlines (my daughter made me promise to book her on Frontier for her birthday) and US Airways, we didn't get into New York's iconic John F. Kennedy Airport until 11PM or so, but our driver was there waiting for us, and once baggage was collected, off we went back in that (shameless Ace Frehley plug) New York Groove.

Arrival and check-in at the Langham Place was a breeze and welcoming.  We couldn't have been the only late arrivals, but, the front desk staff recognized me and welcomed me by name, and not with those fake and cheesy smiles you'll get from other accommodations, but a genuine warm greeting from someone who is genuinely happy your at his establishment.  With that same warm smile, the bellman took our luggage up and gave us a tour of the room.

Because we had booked a package deal, and wanted a slightly larger room since there was supposed to be three of us originally.  The 900 square foot room was amazingly spacious and well laid out.  The two Duxiana Queen beds were spaced well enough apart and the room overlooked 5th Avenue down below.  The Walk-in closet was pretty massive and spacious for all our belongings, with nothing left out in the open.  The bathroom was drop dead gorgeous.  From the deep soak tub and Italian marble throughout, to the deep, glass-enclosed rainfall shower, we felt truly at home here.  My daughter's favorite feature in the bathroom was the Magic Mirror, with the TV built inside.  Also at our disposal was the minibar with complimentary drinks, a very cool Nespresso machine with a fine selection of Nescafe and Teavana coffee/tea packs, our own personal use of the house car (a Maserati Quattroporte, on a first come, first serve basis), and free pressing of up to 5 items upon arrival.

Since it was my daughter's birthday present, and she's into art and music, I had booked the Little Collectors package for the trip, which includes an 8x10 limited edition framed print by David Levinthal, a signed copy of his book "Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty", a Lego model of the Empire State Building, and several other nice additions, including passes, entry and private escorted tours through some of the greatest art museums in Chelsea.  As with any package, there are blackout dates, and you must stay a minimum of 2 nights.

The next day we had a pleasant surprise waiting for us after we got back from lunch.  The Personal Assistants desk called our room and asked if we'd like a tour of the hotel.  Absolutely!  We beat feet down to the lobby and met up with Tina, one of the Personal Assistants, and Matt, from the Front Desk, who wound up taking us on the tour.  We started off by visiting the 20th floor, and into one of the hotel's Signature Langham Suites.  At 1,040 square feet, the Langham Suite has a LOT of space and room to move around!  The suites come equipped with private laundry facilities (located in the closet, right next to the bathroom entry from the bedroom side), and a separate living room and a small kitchen area.  The bathroom is the same size as the Family Place bathroom (which in itself is massive), and the nightly rate for the Langham Suite is not that much more than any of the Empire State View rooms.  Heck, with the Langham Suite, you have your pick of either a 5th Avenue view, or the Manhattan Skyline view.

Next we were taken up to the 22nd floor and into the Empire Suite.  Slightly smaller than the Langham Suites, the Empire Suites are still pretty spacious at 935 square feet.  The main difference in the Empire Suite is the view, floor to ceiling windows allow guests to view the iconic Empire State Building in all its glory (or as far as your neck will allow you to crane).  Another difference is the price, and the addition of a half-bath at the entry of the separate living area.  If falling asleep with the Empire States majesty is your thing, this is THE room for you!

Suitably impressed with the Suites, Matt took us downstairs to the 3rd floor, and the meeting spaces, business center, and current fitness center.  In a town where meetings are an hourly occurrence, the Langham Place 5th Avenue is all set up and capitalizes on its amazing location as THE place to hold any sort of function, be it business or personal.  Down the hall from the meeting rooms are two closed in alcoves with computer and printer access, and the 3,100 square foot Gym just around the corner from there.  The Gym will be moved to the 4th floor, adjacent to the Chuan Spa when the hotel goes in for a major renovation in 2015, which makes more sense, and adds more value to the Spa's guests.  All in all, not a bad size gym, and had I brought my workout stuff with me on this trip, I'd take advantage of this awesome facility, and maybe even try out the famed Chuan Spa.

Off we went, downstairs to the 2nd floor, and into the Michelin starred Ai Fiori Restaurant.  Aside from winning their first Michelin star and well on their way to a 2nd, Ai Fiori has just recently been awarded recognition from Relais and Chateaux, the ultra luxe and strict organization of exclusive hoteliers and restaurateurs.  While we were there, we were awarded with reservations for that Saturday night, our last night in the city, even thought the restaurant has had no seating for the last week or so for that particular night (Thank you Matt!).

Last, but not least, was the trek down to the main floor, and into Measure, the hotel's superb lounge, where the bartenders hold court and make some amazing drinks with showmanship and flair. Measure has to be the best place on 5th Avenue to unwind and sip a drink while waiting for dinner upstairs or just to chill out before or after a shopping binge.  A fantastic tour nonetheless, and Matt proved his knowledge and experience beyond a shadow of a doubt.  The same can be said for the Personal Assistants I met.  Derek, Tina, and Lillyann helped us out tremendously during our stay.  Their roles alone are well worth the nightly rate at the Langham Place, not to mention the unmatched room amenities and levels of comfort.  The absolute attention to detail and knowledge and experience of not only the surrounding area, but of New York in general, and of the rest of the Langham portfolio of properties have left me looking forward to my next stay at ANY of the Langham hotels.

The professional opinion of this travel agent is: By all means, whenever you have a trip to New York City, and are in the 5th Avenue/Empire State Building area, the Langham Place 5th Avenue should be your one and only place to lay your head at night.  I strongly urge all my clients to book here, each and every time.

Photos courtesy of the Langham Place 5th Avenue and from the author's private collection.

Buyer Beware: Online Travel Agencies versus the REAL Travel Agencies

Quite a few of us book through Online Travel Agencies like Expedia, Egencia, Orbitz, and Kayak, just to name a few.  When you call these folks for help, do you think you are really getting an actual travel agent employee of theirs?  I'm here to tell you you're not, and what you might not know just might disturb you.

To demonstrate my point, let's look closely at one of these agencies: Egencia, which is owned by Expedia and is their Corporate Travel arm, where the demands for travel are more last minute, higher priced, and with a more urgent need to get out on a somewhat more difficult itinerary usually covering multiple stops, airlines, hotels.  You'd think the agents who deal with these corporate travellers of such companies like Federal Mogul, Chipotle, Allegiant Air, PHI Helico, the Screen Actors Guild, and more, would know what they're doing, right?  More often than not, they do.  Are they all travel agents? No.  Are they all knowledgeable and usually full of hard-earned info to get their clients where they need to go?  More often that not, they aren't.  But aside all that, here is what gets me...Egencia (and I'm assuming other OTA's as well) outsources to third party call centers like Teleperformance and Actelion!

Not only is there a huge difference between the work ethic and knowledge and experience between front line Egencia employees and their lower-paid under trained counterparts at the call centers, but there is also the risk that the travelers secure info (like their credit card numbers and private information!) can be lifted with ease by some of the more unsavory call center employees.

Let me give you an example:  I worked for Teleperformance on the Egencia project for a while and what I found was insanity.  The training was incredibly sub par for the work to be done.  The project manager does not have a week of travel experience and should be removed from the project by one of the mangers who are far more capable and knowledgeable.  Several employees have nefarious pasts involving credit card fraud, securities fraud and one even had a bank robbery charge! (The only way I found this out was to do background checks on those I work with, as I am paranoid of having my own identity stolen again).  Do you really want to give your credit card info to someone with a shady past like this?  Not me.

Now let me ask you this: Don't your lawyers, doctors, and accountants all have to be certified by the state to practice their trade?  Why wouldn't you ask that of your travel agent?  Any travel agent who has their CTA (Certified Travel Agent) or CTC (Certified Travel Counselor) or even the CTIE (Certified Travel Industry Executive) is worth their weight in Gold.  They have knowledge and experience on their side and can get you where you need to go and when you need to be there.  Not only that but they can give you all the info on visas, passports, and government travel warnings without having you take the time to do it yourself.

A real travel agent lives and breathes travel.  The OTA call center people do the job for a paycheck, not because they are passionate about what they do or who they serve.  A real travel agent is as trustworthy as your family doctor, the call center...not so much.  Also, a real travel agent can usually make you feel more comfortable during a travel crisis than the OTA call center folks can.

Take your pick, I'll be waiting right here to help you with your next booking.