Quick advice on bedbugs…

With so many of us coming from all over the U.S. and the world for the DO I wanted to remind people about minimizing the risk of spreading bedbugs. The hotel where many people are staying has had one report of bed bugs:

http://bedbugregistry.com/hotel/GA/Atlanta/Hilton-Atlanta-Airport

Which is actually quite good for a hotel its size. Having bedbugs is NOT an indication of poor house keeping or poor hygiene. Bed bugs are spread by PEOPLE so any place that has lots of people coming through is susceptible.

These two links discuss inspecting any hotel room when you first arrive:

How to inspect your hotel room for bed bugs

http://insects.about.com/od/insectssociety/a/avoid-bed-bugs-in-hotel-rooms.htm

And this one has A LOT of general information:
http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/whats_bugging_you/bed_bugs/bedbugs_faqs.asp

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Wants to Talk to You…

If you are based in the Atlanta area and will be one of the event attendees of Walk a Mile with Atlanta Customer Service who will be a Delta Air Lines gate agent for the morning, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution would like to interview you before your “shift.”

At least two attendees based in the Atlanta area have been requested for an interview.

Because atl runner, atldlff and I have already been through the “dry run,” we would not be ideal candidates for the interview.

If you are interested, please contact me as soon as possible with your contact information and I will pass your name on…

Thinking Like a Delta Employee Now?

Funny thing has been happening as we get closer to the DO.  With each flight, I imagine myself in the Delta roles that we will be living.

At the gate a couple days ago, I was amused as passengers lined up to ask about their chances for an upgrade, ignoring the GIDS next to them.  I saw the anguish from families trying to get re-booked on another flight.  And yes, I witnessed the gate lice inching closer as boarding became imminent.

But mostly I observed the gate agent.  Through my eyes, the pre-boarding process is often chaos but through theirs, this is just another flight.  They are generally courteous, knowing that in a few minutes this flight will be gone only to be replaced by another.  I wonder if I will have their patience when it is my turn to serve.

Now in the air on the way home, the aircraft suffers decompression and we sink to below 10,000 feet.  Too far out to return, our best option is to make it to the destination.

I imagine the pilot contacting ATC, informing them we are no longer able to continue at 36,000 feet and need to have the airways cleared.  Then the pilot makes an announcement to the passengers, a wonderfully simple explanation that keeps everyone from panic.

GoGo Inflight was immediately suspended as was all beverage/food service but the FA’s responded professionally.  A brief announcement, then they buckled up as well for the remainder of the flight.  I imagined dealing with this in RWT and how easy it seemed for the FA’s to make this quick adjustment.

And I wondered how I would respond in the SIM in a similar situation.  How much would the sudden drop in compression and rapid descent change control of the aircraft?  How would I keep everyone from panic as we slipped in altitude?

As passengers, we take all of this for granted.  Indeed, we are ever so quick to complain when the slightest thing goes awry.  It is very different on the other side of the fence and I am looking forward to not only seeing their point of view but having even a little chance to live it.  I hope in their eyes, I am a better passenger for it.

Beautiful October Weather

As I sit out here on the deck in back of my home watching and listening to the birds, I think about how perfect is the weather as the sun shines through the leaves of the trees, which are still green but are getting ready to change. There is a slight breeze, the humidity is low, and all is peaceful and calm.

Other than when a tropical storm approaches, October is one of the most predictable months in the Atlanta area in terms of weather. For as long as I have been living here, the weather is usually as it is right now, which is as close to perfection as possible.

The first Delta Air Lines FlyerTalk event occurred in June of 2009. The weather was hot, humid and sticky, which was certainly not conducive to venues that occurred where there was no temperature control, such as the Delta Heritage Museum. Still, everyone had a great time.

Wisely, the event for 2010 is scheduled on October, ready to begin in fewer than three weeks. All indications suggest that this year will easily surpass last year in many aspects. Hopefully weather will be one of those aspects.

Now if only this weather which I am currently enjoying will last for at least another three weeks and a day…

Got a tie!

Got dragged to a Mall and noticed it has a Burlington Coat Factory and was able to find a silvery tie for only $9 to wear while I am playing dress up to be a (pretend) Delta Gate Agent! They had nicer ties but since I don’t normally wear silvery/metallic clothing, didn’t want to spend too much on this one!

The Six W’s Of Attending a DO

Whether this is your 1st FT DO or your 51st, most of us either consciously or subconsciously go through a mental checklist of the 6 W’s when deciding to attend.

Here’s my criteria for deciding to attend a DO:

1. WHEN: When a DO is being held is probably the key determining factor for most folks. Whether it be jobs, vacation, family issues or something else vying for our time, most FT’ers lead very busy lives and the rigid dates of a DO many times conflicts with what else is going on in our lives.

2. WHERE: In the true FT spirit, where a DO is being held is very important to many FT’ers. It usually must be someplace interesting (that’s why there aren’t an abundance of DO’s in Peoria, IL ;)) and, for many FT’ers, the farther away and more exotic, the more appealing.

3. WHAT: As in “What are we doing at the DO?”, is probably of least importance to me but I realize I may be in the minority here. While the scheduled activities for this DO are nothing short of amazing and I’m looking forward to each and every one, the What doesn’t generally rank high on my list of why I attend a DO.

4. WHO: Now we’re getting into the real meat and potatoes of why I decide to attend a DO. It’s all about meeting and greeting old friends and putting names and faces to FT handles I have yet to meet.

For those attending their first DO, you’ll be amazed at how much your FT posting experience will be enhanced after you physically meet many of the folks who have only been a faceless handle on FT up until now.

DO’s are very much about the social aspects be they shared meals, a drink in the Lounge, a spontaneous breakout session in the hotel lobby or a casual conversation in the bus while riding to dinner. These are all chances to get to know your fellow FT’ers much better and to cuss and discuss miles and points strategies.

5. WHY: This is the easiest one.

Just because. 🙂

Technically there’s a sixth W which is actually an H:

6. HOW: By airplane. This is FlyerTalk after all.

However the ATL locals may be excused from this requirement.

See you all in 19 days!!

Was connecting through ATL…..

…..and I wanted to stop all the gate agents and ask for advice on being a gate agent.  Can’t wait to get to be on the other side of the podium, even if it is just for one morning.  I’m so excited!

It truly takes a village

We are just a little less than four weeks away to the start of the event.    The excitement surrounding the event is growing, and for the planning team, so is the anxiety.   The weekly planning conference call this week produced a list of logistics and planning items that is very LONG and daunting.  We are in full now in full implementation mode!

With all of the work and activity going on, I actually spent a few moments reflecting on how lucky we are all to be a part of this event.  This year’s event is larger and the venues even broader, and for me, the hallmark of this event is already taking place – the ability to create a much stronger sense of community.   You can read it in the posts and exchanges on FlyerTalk.  You can see it in the willingness of so many that step up and not only volunteer and help, but to step in and answer other’s questions.  You can see it when individuals spend countless hours pulling their areas of contribution together, making it the best it can be.   You will see it in person at the event from the incredible Delta Employees who are working along side of us to make this a great event and you will certainly see the team of 20+ FlyerTalk volunteers who are now working harder than ever behind the scenes to pull this together.

Many of you will get the chance to reunite with old friends, and many of you will meet and make new friends for the first time.  We will all be a part of an event that will bring fellow FlyerTalk members and literally over a hundred Delta Employees together for four days of fun, learning and excitement with a true sense of community.  I know I speak on behalf of so many when I say, I am proud and honored to be a part of this community!

Before it gets crazy and hectic again, let me pause and say THANK YOU to everyone that is working so hard to help pull this event together.   Your contributions are greatly appreciated by so many!  What a great team of people.

What’s next… stay tuned for the next update and a sneak preview of the day in the life of an Atlanta Worldport Airport Customer Service employee.   Welcome Aboard!

A few words on volunteering

When Canarsie asked for volunteers, I was ready.  Big C was offering hard work with no pay but he, along with altdlff and WesNSpace, had already put in hundreds of hours coordinating this DO.  My time investment would be negligible.

Turns out I was responsible for the FT shirts.  Fine, I figured it was as simple as write an email or something and that would be it.  Well, nothing is that simple with this DO because our organizers want everything to be just perfect for everyone.

Not complaining at all here, simply highlighting how the Big Three are so totally committed to giving attendees nothing less than the very best.  Take out their part and what we have is a 1-day DO with dinner somewhere.  Everything beyond that is because they have worked tirelessly to make this the Best.Field.Trip.Ever.

Seeing them working so hard, it was easy to say yes to volunteering.  Thanks for letting me give back a little and help all the other volunteers who has given us an event memory that will last a lifetime.

The people behind the persona’s…

There is A LOT to look forward to at the big ATL DO…. Personally I’m looking forward to meeting people.  As I’m not staying at the hotel I’m making a mental list of fellow flyertalkers who I want to make sure to meet in person.  For instance, is Dovester really a dirty old man, or just the kindly old Yiddish grand pa that every New Yorker seems to know?

Fortunately the registration website (thanks WesNSpace!) has a list of the usernames of attendees.

In addition I’m looking forward to meeting the DL people!  First on my list is WoXof_2p2 who has been answering questions on his own thread.

Then there are the various safetly video people:

ExitRowGirl (if Dovester doesn’t scare her away!)

SeatBelt guy (Frank)

And of course Kat (Deltalina)

In closing I’ll leave y’all with a challenge….anyone look familiar in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56nGk04Roq8

And can we get them to repeat their performance?