travel agent – Living, Loving, Laughing….

Remember about a month ago when I said I was preparing to fly to Chicago and go through the lovely x-ray machines? Remember that?

Well, it didn’t happen. Chicago got its first snow of the year and although my flight from DFW would have been fine (although late). Several other parties were completely canceled and there was not another option until the next day. Which is fine if you are going to Chicago for more than 24hrs, but sadly we were not. Therefore, they rescheduled the group and tomorrow is the BIG day!

This trip is work-related, but not working…….not exactly (?) working….

You see, long ago, in a far away land, travel agents used to go on what they call familiarization trips. A tour company would pay for your air, hotel, meals, transportation, and tours, on trip to wherever they service, to get you familiar with the place and the hotels, tours, and services. They paid for IT ALL. Then you knew what they offered. You knew the set-up and you could send clients that way because of your familiarization. Brilliant, right?

Well, they don’t do that anymore. Not free any way and certainly not for business travel agents. BUT this Chicago trip is as close as it gets.

We will be visiting American Airlines at O’Hare airport. We will be touring a few planes, and the American Executive Center. Then we will get to visit several hotels in downtown Chicago that are part of the Kimpton Brands.

And all set up (for free) to stay in one.

Image by Google

Free air on American Airlines, free hotel room stay, meals, and airport tour. It’s a fam trip! I get to see Chicago (which I’ve never seen) and learn about the products I sell. It’s a win-win. Except, it’s only for a night, and not a whole week. Not to mention bitterly cold, but I will probably get to see snow, and it might be the only snow I see all year.

Soooooooo…… I am excited! I am packed. I am ready to go.

The only bad thing (the worst thing!) is my flight at 525am. LEAVES the airport at 525am. Yeah, 3am is going to come awfully early. But hey, I can sleep on the airplane, riiiiiight?

Be sure to follow my Tweets for all the exciting details. I am going to go all Wil Wheaton when I get there – CHICAGO I AM IN YOU. I just love him.

I’ve been a travel agent since January 1990. As I approach the dawn of my twenty-second year, I must say, things have changed……from smoking on airplanes to meeting friends at the gate…..and everything else in between.

Those days are gone.

We can wish, want, and cry for the good ol’ days, but it won’t bring them back to life. Not even a spark of it.

You know what? I wouldn’t want them to.

Why?

I’ll give you one reason – September 11th.

And that should be the end of my post. But nooooo. With every new unveiling of more security measures comes what? CONTROVERSY.

It started with the shoes, the liquids, and date of birth implementations.

Now, the latest being Advanced Imaging Technology at the airport. Travelers believe this is invasive of their privacy (parts) and harmful due to the incredible imaging the machine provides.

(source)

The alternative? Being patted down.

The uproar? Being patted down. The alternative? The imaging machine. The uproar? The subject’s privacy (of body parts being viewed). The alternative? BEING ~~TOUCHED~~ pat searched (professional and non-invasive). The uproar? The damaging radiation machine (alleged). The alternative? Same gender pat search!

Do you see the dilemma?

For me, I don’t even have to think about this one. Yes, I would go through the machine. No, I don’t think it’s harmful (no more than holding an iPhone to your head while standing in front of a microwave). What I do have a problem with is boundaries. I have a personal space radar and would prefer not to be ~~touched~~ patted (if say, I had a choice) (by going through an imaging machine). And thank GOODNESS there is a choice now.

My travel career includes a time when passengers were not just afraid, but downright terrified of flying. I would get calls (more than one) after 9/11 of being in the gate area and seeing a man wearing a turban awaiting the same flight. They would insist on being moved to another airplane. A bit much? Of course, it was a major overreaction, but that is what fear does to people.

How do you combat fear? More security measures. More safety. More assurance; enforcement of I.D. checks, baggage scanning, birth dates, boarding passes, x-ray of shoes, laptops, people, and anything else they can think of to make it safer (backscatter machines).

I had my purse checked more than once for a bomb. Was I carrying a bomb? Or bomb materials? No. Did I look like a bomber? I don’t think so. Was I offended? No! Why would I be? I don’t think on 9/11 any one person stood out. No one seemed threatening or suspicious that I know of. But then again, I probably couldn’t pick a terrorist out of a line-up that was trying not to look like a terrorist. I hear a lot of noise about seniors, or handicapped travelers being put through extreme security measures when they are harmless individuals. Listen…threats do not come packaged as threats. Just like drug smugglers don’t carry hash over the border in a ziplock bag (do they?). They are smuggled and hidden, and honestly? If it were my job, I wouldn’t want to be the THAT guy. The one to put 200 passengers in danger. I don’t think you can be too careful and I don’t understand why more people don’t get that.

Can you hand-pick a threat out of crowd? How do you choose? How do you exclude?

Controversy or confidence?

Let’s not be part of the problem. Let’s be part of the solution. Confidence to fly without fear.

Stick to the guidelines that a team of aviation security has designed to define safer travels, or don’t fly. It’s that simple.

I’m not just talking the talk on TSA. I’m walking the walk (x-raying the walk?). I’ll be flying to Chicago this weekend……I’ll probably be going through an imaging machine at DFW airport.

Smile for the camera…

(source)

Haha.

Edit

Please know, this is just my stance as a corporate travel agent, and a very laid back person.

I can be as skeptical and fearful as the next person. Maybe, I do trust more than I should. I believe flying is safer today. I believe there is more evil plans by terrorist than ever. I believe EVERYONE is entitled to their views and I absolutely respect that.

P.S. I found a great CBS news article on the radiation of the ATI machine. You can read it on the link below.
TSA Airport Scanners: Radiation Truth & Lies

This post part of Mama’s Losin’ It writer’s workshop. I choose prompt 3.) CONTROVERSY! Are the new security measures performed by the TSA really that bad? Take a stance!