I have finally found the answer to the question I have been asked 525,600 times in my 37 years in the travel industry –

It seems like almost daily I get someone to ask for my advice about when they should lock in and buy an airline ticket. Will prices go down? Will prices go up? Recently a person shared with me that they were flying to the Caribbean between Christmas and New Years. This is prime time and often has high ticket prices. The first class ticket on his preferred airline, United, was $3500 and American had a price of $1800.  What do I recommend? Suddenly, the light came on and I thought the best strategy was to purchase a fully refundable ticket on the lowest airfare to lock in the low price yet providing you options if the price on your preferred airline comes down. Basically, now you have the best of both worlds.  If the price does come down on your preferred airline you simply book a new ticket and refund your old ticket. The only negative to this approach is that often a fully refundable ticket may cost a few hundred dollars more than the lowest priced ticket. CLICK HERE for more. 

All the major airlines will never be great until they do this one simple thing – Once I had the opportunity to attend a travel conference and had the opportunity to  listen to William Shaw who was the CEO of a new airline called Interjet based in Mexico. William is an entrepreneur and some of the things he said were so simple yet so profound. When asked what area the airlines could do better, he responded, “Be Friendly”. How long has it been since you have gotten on an airplane and the agents smiled and acted like they were glad to see you?  I think a lot of this stems from the seniority systems the airlines operate under so that length of service is rewarded not customer service.  So here is my challenge to the big three airlines in America. You can have all the fancy planes and technology you want but until your people greet your customers with a friendly smile you will never offer the best service. So simple yet so profound.  CLICK HERE to hear more. 

I almost fell out of my seat when I heard a flight attendant say this! – A few weeks ago I was flying from Chicago to Lincoln and I heard the most amazing announcement from the flight attendant, “I am here to help you”. I don’t know if I had ever heard those precious words from an airline employee before. Then low and behold a few minutes later over the loudspeaker came the same words, “I am here to help you.” By this time I had to find out the name of this amazing person who would become so vulnerable to invite people to ask for her help. She walked by and I thanked her for such outstanding service. Her name was Mary. I wish there were more Marys in the world. CLICK HERE for more.

Iberia Airlines brought me the perfect snack – A Dove ice cream bar – On a recent flight back from Europe I used my ff miles to redeem for a business class ticket on Iberia Airlines. During the 9 hour flight I was surprised that 6 hours into the flight along came a flight attendant who offered me a frozen Dove Ice Cream bar. WOW! That was the perfect unexpected delight. That brought back memories of Midwest Express Airlines who flew decades ago with a hub, in Milwaukee. They were famous for chocolate chip cookies that they baked on board. Those were the good days of flying. CLICK HERE for more.

Do architects ever travel?  – I am convinced that architects never travel further than 100 miles from their homes. They obviously have never been in an airplane and visited an airport restroom. On my last trip I got off the plane and headed where 90% of the people head when they get off the plane…..the restroom. Airport restrooms are the worst designed rooms in the history of mankind. The entrances are 4 foot wide and they all curve. This is so a person entering can’t possibly do so at the same time someone is exiting. How can they have four urinals in a bathroom for 10,000 people who all get off the airplanes at the same time in a major hub? I think it should be a requirement to travel to 10 airports and visit their bathrooms before an architect could get a license. This way they would understand how a restroom should be designed.  If we can fly a man to the moon surely we can design an easy to use, hassle free airport bathroom. CLICK HERE for more.

Your AMEX credit card is not accepted for payment at many places in Europe – Many people will be surprised that they are not able to use their AMEX credit card for payment in Europe and many other countries around the world. On my last trip to Europe all the stores I stopped in only accepted VISA and MasterCard. Also before you head to Europe be sure to call your bank and tell them what countries you plan to visit so they don’t put a fraud hold on your card when traveling. CLICK HERE to hear more.

Join our Free and Informative Greek Travel Night
We invite you to join our free travel night hosted by Pastor Jeff Scheich and Anne Fuldby-Olsen this coming Sunday, April 14, at 7 PM at Christ Lincoln, 6700 Chatsworth Lane, Lincoln, NE 68516. You will learn all about Greece, its history, and its culture while following in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul. Our wonderful trip includes a 4-day cruise to Mykonos, Ephesus, Patmos (St. John), Crete, and Santorini. CLICK HERE to see the detailed itinerary. To give us an idea of how many will attend, please RSVP by CLICKING HERE. For more information, call or email our friendly group department at 888.549.1186 /GroupDepartment@executivetravel.com.

Check out our Weekly Travel Alert Podcast – Did you know our Weekly Travel Alert Video Podcast is available on YouTube plus all your favorite podcast stations, Spotify, Google Podcast, Apple Podcast ? Each week we are adding new and upgraded features. Please jump on board. CLICK HERE to see the Weekly Travel Alert podcast that is hot off the presses.