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So I was reading Travel Trade Magazine recently and came upon this article by Joanie Ogg. http://tinyurl.com/c4s5h4
It really gets to the point. Joanie is more politically correct than I. Joanie says “Now, more than ever, we need to stay connected to our peers and our business partners. It is not the time to shelter oneself away and simply wait for the phone to ring. We have to make it ring!”
I would say “What the heck are you doing just sitting there? Get out there. Move around! While networking with peers, you’ll find two types of people; the complainers and the movers & shakers. If you find yourself in the midst of a group of complainers, move on. I promise within ten yards you’ll likely find people that have some neat ideas.
On June 4-6, the Travel Trade Show featuring Cruise-a-thon is taking place in New York City. Make sure you register and make sure you show up. I know there are a hundred reasons to stay hold up in your office. However, you really need to get to this show. Get out and mingle, exchange ideas on how to drum up business and how to cut costs. Register now - just click here: http://tinyurl.com/tripTTshow
Happy selling.
We’re up for the “Innovator of the Year” award from the US Travel Association and we would like to ask for your vote. (Voting is easy. Go to: http://tinyurl.com/d4kwen)
We’re out telling people that travel professionals are still the best booking option for consumers. We tell consumers every day to forget the online booking engines and stick with experienced, professional travel consultants.
Let’s prove to all the naysayers out there that travel specialists are better than any online booking engine. Do so by visiting: http://tinyurl.com/d4kwen
Thanks for your continued support.
John
As the CEO of Tripology.com, I recommend daily that people should travel with their children. I also recommend traveling to “kid-friendly” resorts. The challenge is getting there. If you’re going to fly, you are forced to take public planes unless you can afford a private jet or unless you’re driving. So, until they put soundproof “quiet zones” on planes, people are going to have to deal with kids making noise on planes.
Why am I so passionate? After years of complaining about kids on planes, I now find myself traveling with my own little ones; a two-year old and a seven month. My daughter has been flying since she was three months old and she’s normally the perfect traveler. We pick flights that match her sleep times and we avoid long or connecting flights. But, on a recent trip to Chicago to visit family (normally a 90 minute flight), our flight was delayed four hours due to weather. Four hours! Worse yet, we didn’t learn of the delay until AFTER we boarded. Had we known beforehand, we clearly would’ve flown another day.
We sat on the runway for 90 minutes. We circled in the air for another 90 minutes and add to this the normal flight time and top it off with some turbulence….voila; my daughter had a melt-down and this caused my son to start crying. We tried everything. All I could do was apologize to my surrounding seat-mates. If i could have bought each of them a pair of noise-cancelling headphones, I would have. I have to say though; some of the glares being sent in my direction were downright obnoxious. It was as if I was pinching them to make them louder. Yes, that’s it. I love it when my children melts down, cry and screams, especially when they’re synchronized.
I’ve been flying for business for more than 20 years. I’ve been listening to crying kids for two decades. I’ve sat, in my seat, while the kid behind me repeatedly kicked my seat even though his mother said to him “Now Freddie, don’t kick the nice man’s seat” a thousand times. She forgot to say “because he looks like he’s about to go postal”. So, after all these years, it was now my turn. I’m sorry. I did everything I could. I did not plan on being locked in a plane for an additional four hours. (I had enough diapers, toys and food, but didn’t plan on such along journey for the kids.)
Please note we are not those parents whose kids do what they want without punishment. Parents who ignore their kids while they run amok and cause trouble really bother me because they give responsible parents (and kids) a bad rap.
Sometimes however, a child just screams on a plane. It might be because of popping ears or some other ailment. We’re kind, caring, responsible, kid-loving adults and I want my children to see the world with me as they grow up. I’m not going to keep them in the house until they can drive themselves to the airport. I too remember being on planes all the time as a privileged (some would say spoiled) child. If I didn’t behave though, my mother and father’s wrath would come down upon me. My mother would politely ask me to join her in the ladies room for a quick discussion where I’d be read the riot act. “Sweetheart, come with me, I would like to speak with you.” “Thanks Mom, but I’m fine here” wasn’t an option. My father need only squint in my direction to remind me of the last time I misbehaved. Don’t get me wrong, my parents showed me love every day… as long as I behaved. They never hit me, though my father threatened me with his belt regularly. When a big guy waves a belt at you, you behave.
My parents are now doting, loving grandparents who couldn’t discipline a grandchild to save their lives. Somehow they got soft as they aged.
As I started researching for this post, I found a great article by The New York Times’ Frugal Traveler. I loved the article and encourage you to read it if you’re traveling with children. But wait. Want to know how others feel about parents who take their children with them on airplanes? Check out the reader comments to the article. Wow! I always knew there were some very passionate child-haters out there, but the tone in some of the responses is amazing. String up those little noise makers!
Happy travels.
Here’s the article: http://tinyurl.com/dzg2t4
Travel, travel, travel. Like I said, life isn’t ALL travel. After all, we have families and I’m always interested in talking about technology.
So, this is just a short note for all of you with children who want or need a cell phone. This is a really cool product; kajeet, the cell phone service for kids. As I understand it, kejeet was started by several dads who wanted a safe cell phone for their children. What’s so neat, you ask? The service is pay-as-you-go, with no contracts, and no termination fees. The service plans start at only $4.99/month. Plus, all of the content and services have been selected with kids in mind. Additionally, kajeet parental controls are included in
all service plans for no additional cost which means parents can block certain numbers (no calls or texts to/from), calendar controls prevent the phone from ringing during class, and GPS ensures that parents and kids can locate the phone.
This would be a great conversation starter with any potential clients with children… “Have you heard about that cell phone for kids that includes GPS so you can track them? What a wonderful piece of technology that provides peace of mind while on vacation.”
Check it out: http://www.kajeet.com/4u/index.html
Happy selling.
Everyone is always asking me; “where is the coolest place to go?” My response is always the same; “what does ‘cool’ mean and with whom are you going?”
For those asking about extreme travel, I found this great photo gallery of “the world’s most extreme ancient sites”. What if your clients want to do extreme Greece? You might suggest they climb Mt. Olympus. Check out these amazing photos. If any of these destinations are your area of expertise, could you also help with “extreme” trip suggestions?
For those consumers asking “Can I get there from here?” we always say their best bet is a travel specialist or “Tripologist”. Consumers are hoping this isn’t as difficult or as costly as they think. Is it?
Visit http://tinyurl.com/alu2bo
Happy selling.
