Mark Kolier’s Blog

Posts Tagged ‘LaGuardia’

Since I will be traveling from Connecticut to New York more frequently now that we are opening a New York City office (Soho here we come!), the need for my being ‘connected’ has never been greater. Up until now I have ‘managed’ remote internet access by ducking into Starbuck’s or other establishments that offer Wi-Fi access – be it paid or free.

The object here is to be 100% connected anytime I want. Yes I am well aware that laptop cards (and iPad’s for that matter) afford nearly universal connection. The cost was off-putting from $ 40/month to over $ 70/month often times with a 2 year contract. Until recently I was not out of the office all that much that I could not get by but those days are over.

This week I was in Raleigh for a day with my high school daughter visiting NC State as one of her prospective colleges. We arrived back at the RDU airport with nearly 2 hours to spare before our flight left. I brought my laptop for a few reasons not the least of which was to log on and pick up email and answer a few longer ones that my handheld was not well suited to do. I found a few wireless networks including one named ‘Free Wi-Fi’. Pretty good signal. Only I could not connect. Even the AT & T signal was good. I could not connect even though I was willing to pay. To say I was frustrated was an understatement.

Yesterday I was in New York and again had a half hour to spare and tried to connect to the internet. I found another ‘Free Wi-Fi’ network. And again I could not connect. I began to think that somebody up there didn’t like me.

Earlier this month I was at the SFO (San Francisco) Airport and was able to log on to their free wireless access with no problem. Why SFO does not charge but LaGuardia, O’Hare and other airports do is a mystery to me. There does not seem to be any consistency in this area at all. Of course it’s all about a revenue opportunity for companies like Verizon, AT & T, and Boingo just to name a few. But how much money could they possibly be making? It’s bad enough that many hotels charge you $ 300 per night and then whack you $ 14 or more a day for internet access. I simply am not in love with living in this a la carte world.

In order for Americans to be more productive there has to be a movement to have a nationwide free internet access system. It could not come soon enough for me. In the meantime I am in the process of getting the wireless all the time access (likely from Virgin who has a very interesting program as noted by David Pogue of the New York Times in a recent post http://nyti.ms/bsOAl5). Their program is no contract and $ 40 per month. I will let you know how it works out.

Free Wi-Fi access. It was a nice dream. Do you use on the go wireless access? How is it working for you?

I carry an Amex Platinum card for several reasons not the least of which is free access to several airline clubs (I wish there were more included but as you will read below the Delta Sky Lounge access is was a great thing for me this week). I also use the Platinum card for reservations in hard to get-in restaurants as they have a few tables every day and night in all the top places.

Amex Platinum also offers 2 for 1 business or first class tickets if purchased on the card – no other discount applies but still it can be a very good value. So it’s worth the high yearly fee since I get a lot of use out of it.

On Monday I was at LaGuardia and as I went through security the TSA agents asked to look through my bag. This was the second time in my last two flights. Last time they said it was random. This time they saw something which turned out to be a cigar lighter that I had forgotten was in the bag (and I have been looking all over my house for it – I just knew it would turn up). My Dad gave me that lighter and it has a lot of sentimental value to me as well as the fact that it works really well.

When something like this happens normally TSA takes it and it goes into the great abyss never to be seen again. This has happened with a cigar cutter I had (right after 9/11) in my luggage that was confiscated. (Apparently a then overzealous TSA agent felt I could pressure the pilot or flight attendant to put their finger through the cigar cutting hole and I would then threaten to cut it off – this policy has changed from what I am told).

So what to do? I remembered the Delta Sky Lounge was right next door so I asked the TSA agent to wait and quickly went into the Delta Sky Lounge to see if could get one of the attendants to come out to pick up the lighter and hold it for me until I returned. I walked in, explained my situation, the lovely attendant Marilyn was ready to help and walked right out, to pick up the lighter from the Agent Eric whom she said she knew. (We forget sometimes that the TSA agents are people with names, families and yes, personalities).

Marilyn came back in smiled and said she had it and would hold it for me and would be there when I returned since she was working that today. She was, I picked it up from her she escorted me out as per the TSA policy. This was a great example of a Delta Sky Club employee representing the brand as well as it can be done. I have had my issues with Delta Airlines http://wp.me/pJX7l-6a but they should be credited with having a class act like Marilyn as a part of their team.

Wish I had taken a photo of her – thanks Marilyn!

It’s 11PM and I’m sitting in seat 4D (First class) on a Delta/Northwest (why can’t they make up their mind already?) flight to Ft. Myers, FL.   I am to attend a 1 ½ day conference with other marketing agency folks via the DMA’s Winter Executive Briefing.   Sounds good right?   Only I shouldn’t be here.   In First Class that is – or on this particular flight. 

You see I left my house at 7AM this morning and it is now 9PM the same night.  It was snowing when I left (‘snow showers’ turned into 4 inches at my house I am told).  A harrowing ride down the parkway made making the 9:49AM flight no sure thing.  But I arrived at the airport at 8:50AM and breezed through security in about 8 minutes (I was really pleasantly surprised).   The flight was supposedly delayed 20 minutes which did not seem too bad in view of the weather as it was still snowing at LaGuardia.  And then it went straight downhill. 

No less than three separate times the plane left the gate only to return for one reason or another.  Finally after 3 hours they allowed us to get off the plane (the passenger bill of rights in action perhaps?) and we were immediately told once entering the gate area that the flight was in fact cancelled.  Good thing I paid the $ 25 upgrade to an exit row seat in coach.  My M.O. is to fly as cheap as possible.  I got what I paid for apparently. 

Since I have access to the Delta Sky Miles club I immediately walked in there where I learned that the next direct flight to Ft. Myers was at 8:30PM.   But somehow the desk attendant was able to get me in First Class (I did not ask but gladly accepted).  After a short flirt with flying to Detroit then to Ft. Myers that would had me arrive an hour earlier that became a moot point when it ‘disappeared’ according to the desk attendant.  Flying another airline through Philadelphia got me in 2+ hours earlier but that airline was experiencing delays as well and I declined that option.  Little did I know that the 8:30 did would be ‘delayed’ until 9:15.  We actually boarded at 9:30 and then proceeded to sit at the gate until 11PM because the pilots were flying in from another city.  Apparently La Guardia was using only one runway.  A fact that was not reported  until 11PM.   Airline communications with passengers (i.e. CUSTOMERS) sucks wildly. 

So I have spent more than 14 hours at the airport and finally (I hope) am going to get somewhere.  I well realize that many people have much more horrific travel stories than this one.  I have never slept in an airport although I have been delayed overnight more than once but always managed to get out to a hotel or head back home.  The food choices at the Delta/Northwest terminal at LaGuardia are awful.   Unless you like to eat at Chili’s, Burger King or Sbarro.  Eating that stuff twice in one day is not a path to feeling good or good health in general. 

Hard to believe that the best experience of the day was getting through security in 8 minutes.  If this journey is its own reward the rest of the trip will have to be better.   I wonder how?