Customer service Archives - EbonyTravelers | Tips From The Experienced Traveler

Traveling with pets.

by Donna Hunter, PhD | Feb 9, 2022 | 0 comments

For travelers with pets, considerations must be made when making travel plans. For many, pets are a part of the family, and traveling decisions are made around the pet’s needs. Can the pet be taken on the trip? Will they have to board the pet? How long can they make a trip? How will the pet travel? These and many more concerns need to be well thought out. Here are a few thoughts for travelers with pets.

Traveling with a pet.

Traveling with a pet locally is not as cost prohibitive as traveling with a pet internationally. Most small pets can travel with the owner in an approved pet carrier when traveling domestically for a small fee. For larger breeds, travel must be in the cargo area and will require a specially designated approved pet crate. Some pets can also fly at no charge if they are fully trained service animals. When traveling internationally, your pet needs to have a health certificate to prove that they are in good health and free from parasites or any contagious diseases. In addition, based on the country’s destination, other paperwork, including a picture of your pet, microchip information, as well as health and vaccination records, are required.

Pet documentation.

Pet owners should ensure their pets have a sturdy leash and collar with current identification. In addition to having a recent picture of your pet and copies of your pet’s health and vaccination records. It is prudent to have your pet microchipped and access to that information with you when you travel. It is not uncommon for pets to become alarmed and run off when in unfamiliar surroundings.

Boarding costs.

The average cost of boarding a pet in the US averages $30 to $50 per night. Rates can vary based on the size of your pet, the length of stay, or boarding accommodations. Depending on your dog’s age, other special considerations and needs will have to be addressed, and if you want your pet to socialize daily, this may also add to the boarding costs. In addition, the pet must be current on vaccinations as they will be exposed to other dogs.

Pet accommodations.

Not all hotels have pet accommodations, so travelers must ensure that their hotel will allow them to have their pets on the premises. Like when traveling with babies or toddlers, pet owners should ensure the hotel is free from any hazards that could harm the pet. In addition, consideration must be made on whether the pet can stay in the room without supervision or if it needs to be always with the owner to prevent costly damages to the room.

Travelers need to take many other travel considerations, including your pets’ food and water, potty breaks, exercise, and even travel sickness. In addition, any delay or cancellation of your travel plans will also affect any accommodations you have made or will have to make for your pet. If you plan to travel with your pet, I hope you think it through as much as you do for yourself and your family. For me, pets are like family too.

What your flight attendants may know about you when you board an airplane?

by Donna Hunter, PhD | Jan 23, 2022 | 0 comments

In my years as a flight attendant, I have had passengers try to claim premium seats, embellish their airline status, and even claim to have paid more for their ticket than they did. Passengers do not realize that the flight crew is provided a passenger information list (PIL) or passenger manifest list before the plane leaves the gate. That PIL has a wealth of information on passengers. Here are a few things your flight attendants may know about you when you board the airplane.

Name.

You must provide identification before boarding an airplane. Before that airplane leaves the gate, a passenger list is provided to the flight crew listing everyone on board by name. This information is often utilized in premium cabins to personalize the flight experience, but it is available for everyone on the airplane. Immigration also uses this information to prescreen arriving and departing passengers.

Seat assignment.

Recently a flight had to be returned to the gate because passengers refused to leave premium cabin seating. Although there may be empty seats on the airplane, they are not for the taking. Seat assignments are allotted by ticket pricing, airline status, and other factors. Flight attendants do not assign seating, the gate agents do, but flight attendants have some leverage in reassigning seats while on board. Often passengers are asked to accommodate other passengers traveling together. However, once you are assigned a seat, you do not have to give up that seat assignment unless requested by a flight crew for a specified reason.

Airline status.

Depending on your airline status, you may be entitled to certain perks onboard the airline. Many were the days when I had passengers declare themselves to be “million” milers, platinum passengers, or VIPs demanding a particular service. That information is available on the passenger manifest, so claiming a status you are not is often a waste of breath.

Flight itinerary.

One of the initial reasons for the passenger information list was to assist passengers with connecting flights while onboard. Before landing, the flight crews are provided with connecting gate information. When traveling in a premium cabin, passengers are often individually given connecting gate information before the list is relayed to main cabin passengers. This list also helps flight attendants request other passengers’ patience to allow connecting passengers to deplane first. In some cases, if seats are available, the flight crews can move passengers closer to the front of the airplane for faster deplaning.

Travel status.

With the many security matters that have arisen since 9/11, flight crews now can know if you are traveling alone or with a group, if you have or need medical assistance while onboard the aircraft, or even if you have been a problem passenger on a previous flight. If a problem arises and authorities meet the flight, they will already have your information when the flight lands.

I hope you realize that you are far from anonymous when you board an airplane or travel in general. The flight attendant can note your behavior, bad or good, in your flight itinerary. It’s not all to your detriment however, I remember wishing passengers a happy birthday, congratulating couples on their wedding or anniversary, even upgrading passengers for special milestones, or assisting grieving passengers. Were you aware of how much your information is shared? Please comment below and let me know.

What do travelers not realize about checked luggage?

by Donna Hunter, PhD | Dec 26, 2021 | 2 comments

I recently read a recent article about someone finding their packed luggage filled with Christmas gifts, stolen, and replaced with trash and dog food. I don’t know the facts of the situation, but the story made the news. I have heard of items missing from luggage and even had my misplaced baggage issues. Here are a few tips to help you with lost luggage or missing items from your checked baggage.

Lock your luggage.

From the time you hand your luggage off when checking in for your flight, it goes through many different hands. The reality is that not all those hands are honest. Travelers should think about what items they place in their luggage and if they are willing to face the reality of not all their packed luggage being returned to them.

Use a TSA lock.

Baggage goes through a lot of screening behind the scenes. Travelers should always use a TSA-compatible lock. If your luggage is selected for screening, TSA agents will be able to open your baggage without breaking the lock. It is within their rights for TSA agents to break nonTSA compatible locks, even locks built into the luggage if chosen for extra screening.

Have your luggage stand out.

Yes, many bags look alike, and bags are often mistaken by an honest mistake. The chances of someone walking off with a brightly colored bag or a bag with clearly distinguishable stickers is much lower than a standard piece of black luggage. It’s best to have a unique way to recognize your luggage instantly. Try to find a quirky bag tag or brightly colored ribbon to attach to your luggage and make it easily identifiable.

Leave valuables at home.

Within the fine prints of the airline ticket is the fact that, in many cases, the airline is not liable to replace all the items that may have gone missing from your luggage. Many US airlines only provide an average of $3,000. for lost, damaged, or delayed baggage. In some cases, the limits can be as low as $1,500. per checked bag. Additionally, electronics, cameras, jewelry, and computers, are not covered by most airlines.

Travel insurance.

Many travelers’ insurance or even homeowners’ insurance can cover lost or damaged luggage. In addition, certain credit cards will provide limited coverage for lost or damaged items if used when purchasing from the airline. Some airlines will sell excess valuation coverage that may increase the compensation they will provide. It’s best to have travel insurance and ensure it covers loss or missing luggage.

There’s not much that travelers can do once their luggage is lost or misplaced. Taking photographs of your items beforehand might help when filing a claim, but few people do so. Even fewer people keep a record of the things they pack. Have you ever had items from your luggage lost or missing? I’d like to know. Comment below.

https://www.nbcboston.com/news/local/nh-woman-finds-xmas-gifts-stolen-swapped-with-dogfood-trash-after-flight-to-boston/2598545/

Being a black traveler

by Donna Hunter, PhD | Nov 17, 2021 | 6 comments

It’s 2021, and it still amazes me to see the reactions of people I assume think I don’t belong in a particular space. Stereotypes are well established, and I still get the microaggressive questions like, where are you from? What do you do? What does your husband do? Sometimes I also get blunt questions like What brings you here? I remember the famous Oprah Winfrey shopping experience quite well, and I realize that no matter the status, being a black traveler comes with some unique experiences. Here are a few recollections from my experiences.

First-class

I’m a luxury traveler, and whenever possible, I indulge myself with that experience. I can’t count the number of times I have queued for the first /business class travel lane and had fellow passengers step around me like I was invisible. I often also get the automatic direction to the right from a flight attendant when boarding a plane. It amuses me to go left, and then I get asked again for my boarding pass for a second verification as if somehow there was a mistake.

Travel lounges

Entering a travel lounge is no different. I often see people flash their boarding passes and walk into the lounge. However, I am frequently asked not only for my boarding pass but for identification. When in the lounge, I see other passengers being asked if they would like a refill or a request if service is needed. Frequently I am overlooked and must request service.

Customs and immigration

Customs and immigration are no different. I realize that some questions are valid, but I sometimes feel a sense of invasiveness when asked, what brings you here? Where are you staying? How long are you staying? Although these might be valid questions, I’ve stood in line long enough to see that not everyone is questioned in the same way. My history of microaggressive behavior makes me question the questioner.

Hotels

As a frequent traveler, I often stay at the same hotel chain for loyalty points. As a loyal customer and quite knowledgeable about hotel services, I am rarely recognized as a loyal customer. I know my wants are documented in the system, yet my room is often not as requested. Again, this may be just assuming the worst, but historical experience tells me I’m not off the mark.

This article is by no means meant to be a complaint. It is simply a sharing of my lived experiences. Have you noticed or experienced similar experiences? If you haven’t, I invite you to take notice and claim your validity of space. It’s incredible that even now, in 2021, the spaces I enter question my presence simply because of my hue.

No retirement regrets

by Donna Hunter, PhD | Nov 3, 2021 | 0 comments

Since retiring from my flight attendant career, my most asked question is, do I miss it? I do, but not in the way most people expect. My flight attendant career gave me some of the most incredible memories of my life. However, as I think about the job and the realities that flight attendants face now, I have no regrets about leaving the career.

Recently, a flight attendant was assaulted on an American Airlines flight and may have had her nose broken. The assailant claimed that the flight attendant “hit her nose against the palm of his right hand” and claimed he had “psychological damage from the injury.” I have read and listened to stories about the incident, but few from the flight attendant’s perspective involved or any other flight attendant’s perspective.

According to reports, the issue began when the flight attendant informed the flight attendant of the Fasten seat belt sign. She was doing her job!!! Contrary to what many people think, the primary duty of a flight attendant is to save lives. They train continually and yearly for the career, guided by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) rules. Not advising the passenger of this obvious fact was putting her job in jeopardy.

Flight attendants, like many others, are not self-employed, and they have families and loved- ones that depend on their ability to provide. Their job is governed by the rules and regulations not only of the airline but of the FAA. Most importantly, interfering with the duties of a crewmember violates federal law. Recently the job has brought more risk than reward.

An airline ticket is valid only to and from the cities on your ticket or trip record. An airline will provide service as they see fit, and the flight crew does not determine that service. The flight crew performs the service provided by the airline. They cannot deliver items or services not provided in advance by the airline.

A flight attendant may have several flights in a day and be on several different airplanes within the same day. Sometimes their duty days are more than 10 hours, and rarely is there time to get off the aircraft and purchase food. More so, once duty starts for a flight attendant, there is usually no designated lunch break until the duty day ends.

The realities of Covid have not only increased stress for air travelers but flight crew as well. Flight crews are not provided meals in many cases, and if they are, individual dietary needs are not acknowledged. Before Covid, many airlines cut back on service, and passengers were advised to purchase food at the airport or bring their own.

The career I left provided many opportunities to travel the world. Currently, airplanes are more crowded, services are fewer, and people are more frustrated by wearing masks or being told to comply. In addition, the stress of airport security and baggage fees or allowances make the travel experience much more stressful than it ever has been.

The next time you travel, I hope you have no regrets but, more importantly, cause your flight crew to have no regrets as well.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/man-charged-after-alleged-assault-on-american-airlines-flightattendant/ar-AAQf6cP