Well-Mannered Traveler

How to stay out of jail at the airport

Well-Mannered Traveler,

Given how stressed we all get over air travel these days, it’s easier than ever for even the most well-mannered traveler to do or say something that gets them in hot water at the airport. But sometimes a mishap or a meltdown can boil over into a potential or actual federal offense.

So it’s a good idea to know where the lines are drawn.

Read about how to stay out of the airport pokey – and how I almost landed there after coming this close to causing an evacuation of Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) – in my Well Mannered Traveler column posted today on MSNBC.com.

(Column illustration by Duane Hoffman, MSNBC.com)

My Miserable Summer

Well-Mannered Traveler

Well, gang, we’ve made it to the mid-point of the summer travel season. For folks who’ve had to scale back or cancel summer plans due to rising gas prices, airline fare hikes, or the deeply dipping dollar, it’s already a miserable summer.

I’ve been there and it stinks. Rising gas prices, and comments such as “Let’s check your temperature, Missy,” have put my planned road trip to the nation’s airports on hold.

But for you glass-half-full folks eyeing the August calendar and still holding out hope for some sort of summer vacation, there’s still time to have fun. You may just need to be more flexible and a bit more creative than usual.

So get out that “souvenir” pen you took home from that last hotel stay. In my Well-Mannered Traveler column today on MSNBC.com – part of the “My Miserable Summer” series – there are some tips for salvaging a summer vacation.

(Column illustration by the very talented Duane Hoffman. Thanks!)

Spitting, slurping, and other tips for traveling to Beijing

Etiquette, Well-Mannered Traveler

Unless the International Olympic Committee acts fast and makes heaving overweight carry-on bags into overhead airplane bins an official Olympic sport, my chances of visiting Beijing this summer are nil.

But if committee members do finally come to their senses, I’m ready to go. I’ve been practicing my technique on plane trips with multiple connections. And I’ve been prepping for free time in Beijing by gathering advice on how to be a well-mannered traveler in China.

Find out what I learned about spitting, squat toilets, staying safe, and slurping soup in China in this week’s Well Mannered Traveler column on MSNBC.com.

(Column illustration by the very talented Duane Hoffmann / msnbc.com)

Cars, couriers, and fast cross-country plane rides

Shopping, Transportation, Well-Mannered Traveler, ,

Flying anywhere this holiday weekend? I volunteered to serve as a courier and will be heading to the Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL) to pick up Joplin, a retired service dog being adopted by a friend.

While I’m there, I may have just enough time on the ground to do a little shopping for maple products and local handicrafts in the airport shops.

In the meantime, I bet lots of folks will be spending this weekend complaining about the high price of gas. And I bet on Monday, like the people I talked to for this week’s Well Mannered Traveler column on MSNBC.com, some of them are going to do something about it.

Column illustration by MSNBC.com’s Duane Hoffman

Setting air fares by weight

Charge by weight, Fees, Well-Mannered Traveler

Folks were intrigued to learn about Derrie-Air, a new “carbon-neutral luxury airline” that charges passengers by the pound. It turned out to be a publicity stunt, but it got folks talking about the concept of treating passengers more like freight.

The folks at NAAFA, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance, found it “sort of funny,” but ultimately “preposterous.” But as you can read in my Well-Mannered Traveler column on MSNBC.com, others thought it was actually a great idea.

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On the road, every little bit helps

Food, Well-Mannered Traveler

US Airways just announced a new cost-saving measure: no more free snacks for coach passengers. Complimentary soft drinks are still on the menu, but probably not for long.

Now more than ever, travelers need a little relief.

In my Well-Mannered Traveler column today, I offer a round-up of some of the gas-rebate offers travelers can take advantage of out on the road this summer. The list includes everything from hotels offering gas rebate checks and free car washes to a car rental agency throwing in a free tank of gas.

One offer I didn’t list in today’s column is Kimpton’s “We Got Your Bag” offer. Through September 9th, the hotel chain is offering travelers rebates of up to $25 to offset those new charges airlines are charging to check-in second bags. There are, of course, some restrictions, so be sure to read the fine print.

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Votes on in-flight cell-phone service

Cell Phones, Well-Mannered Traveler

More than 2800 people have voted, so far, in the survey about in-flight cell-phone service that accompanies one of my recent Well-Mannered Traveler columns on MSNBC.

The results? 64% say “In-flight text and e-mail service is great, but please no phone calls!”

So I’m not that surprised at the results of a recent Harris survey conducted by Yahoo! on the same subject:

74% of the 2,000 consumers polled for that survey say “mobile phone usage on airplanes should be restricted to features that do not require talking.”

But never say never: The survey showed that “If usage of mobile phones was allowed while in-flight, more than two out of three (69 percent) consumers agreed that there should be a designated area of an airplane for passengers who want to talk on their mobile phones.”

For more numbers and details see the full Yahoo release.

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Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day – the travel version

Etiquette, Holidays, Kids, Well-Mannered Traveler

Today, April 24th, is Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day. Started by the Ms. Foundation for Women back in 1993 as a career day for young girls, the program is now on its own and has broadened its focus to include boys.

The goals for the day have expanded as well: parents and mentors are asked to expose girls and boys to the choices they have in the workplace and to offer lessons about the “family-work balance.”

But what if your work involves lots of travel? My Well-Mannered Traveler column today offers tips on taking kids along on a business trip.