What Would Emily Post Do?

Coming to an Airport Near You: Peace, Quiet and Privacy

By Anna Post

 

Ever dreamed of some privacy in the crowded holiday airports? Or perhaps a place to relax and read or get some work done? Delays or scheduled layovers have left all of longing for some peace and quiet in cramped terminals. 3M Privacy Filters, who I've worked with over the past year, have created the opportunity to find just that with AirportPrivacyHavens.com. The site offers a place for frequent flyers to share their favorite quiet spots at airports around the country--and learn a few new ones. After all, it's easier to be a polite traveler when you aren't stressed out!

To help get things started, 3M Privacy Filters has created three Airport Privacy Havens in some of the country's busiest airports this Thanksgiving. Here, travelers can enjoy a quiet corner with free massages and Wi-Fi between 8 am and 5 pm on November 24-25 and 28-29. Locations are:

• Chicago O’Hare International: Terminal 2 near entrance to concourses E & F (through Nov. 30)
• Dallas-Fort Worth International: Terminal C near Gates 2 and 3 (through Nov. 30)
  
  
• John F Kennedy International Airport in New York: Terminal 8 near entrance to American Airline’s Admiral Club (through Dec. 7)

Everyone has their horror story when it comes to air travel. Many have more than one. Was it the time I had three flights in a row canceled? The time I missed a connection in London by minutes and had to stay an extra 24 hours at the Gatwick airport hotel, home to the worst food on Earth? Or perhaps it was the time my carry on bag--yes, carry on--went to San Juan for three days without me after a simple Burlington, Vermont to Washington, D.C. flight. 

But I've also had some unexpected moments of peace and quiet to read or catch up on work at airports around the country. I've found a few favorite spots in tucked away in various terminals--havens I know will offer some privacy from the crowds while I wait for my flight. The rocking chairs in Philadelphia and the big, comfy chairs in Detroit are two favorites, along with the spacious coffee shop seating near the Jet Blue gates in San Francisco's SFO airport. And there's the terrific healthy food cafe (whose name I can never remember) in St. Paul-Minneapolis that feels like a Scandinavian spa.

Do you have a favorite quiet corner at an airport? Share it at AirportPrivacyHaven.com, and find a few new quiet corners while you're at it. Who knows--I might even see you there...

No More Headaches: Holiday Travel Etiquette Tips

by Anna Post

With holidays comes air travel for many of us, and with holiday travel can come crowds, delays and headaches. The clip above is from ABC News Now, and takes a look at holiday travel etiquette. Working with 3M privacy filters, I've put together a few tips with to think about while traveling, and a checklist to help you prepare before you leave home. While you can't control weather delays, traffic, or long security lines, you can be prepared to make it as easy on yourself as possible.

Sounds, Sights, and Smell

• Sounds: Use headphones to listen to music or movies, whether you're in the terminal or on the plane. Step away from others in the terminal to take cell phone calls, and keep calls while taxiing to the gate after landing brief.

• Sights: Reading over someone's shoulder is nosy and intrusive. Avoid the temptation yourself by coming prepped with books, magazines, or your laptop. Keep wandering eyes off your computer screen by using a 3M privacy filter. It's a thin film that sits over your screen and blacks out the view from anyone on other side of you, while you see the screen clearly.

• Smells: With airlines cutting back on complimentary in-flight meals and snacks, it's smart to come prepared. Avoid foods with strong smells that may bother your neighbors though, such as tuna fish, egg salad, or hot meatball subs. Enjoy these in the terminal instead.

Emily Post believed in practicality, and so do I. You can't always choose your neighbors on the plane or in the boarding area, but you can take responsibility for your own comfort and come as prepared as possible. Before you head out the doors to catch your flight, consider this pre-flight checklist:

• Headphones and earplugs
• No-nut snacks for the planes
• Eye shade for napping
• Privacy filter for your computer or phone
• Power up all electronics

Safe, happy, and temper-free holidays to you all!

AirTran Introduces "Internetiquette" Tip Cards

by Anna Post

 

USAToday reported today on AirTran issuing "Internetiquette" cards in the seat backs of all of its airplanes in an effort to help travelers enjoy in-flight internet access--not annoy with it. Touted as "a guide to keeping everyone in line, while they're online," it's a great call for passenger awareness. Wi-Fi on airlines is neither rude nor polite on its own--it's how we choose to use it that makes a difference, and AirTran is right to make this effort. I reported on this a little while back, so I'll just reiterate the top tips:

1. Be aware of what's on your screen. Is it appropriate content for others to see in public? (Think R rated movies or confidential business information.) Use a privacy filter to avoid problems.

2. Always keep volume low, and always use a headset or earbuds.

3. Your seat isn't your new office. Papers fanned out around you are messy and inhibit your seat mates from wanting to ask you to move them so they can get up; hardly fair or considerate.

"Planeguage": Delta Gives Defintion to Etiquette in the Friendly Skies

I travel an awful lot for work. While I'm not always the most patient person, I'm a surprisingly copacetic traveler--almost zen-like in my "what will be will be" attitude about delays and lost baggage.  (At least I like to think so.) The one thing that gets me: Listening to the safety announcements. "Please direct your attention..." I think I can recite them in my sleep, and I would dearly love to opt out of listening to them several times a week. (Much as I know they might save my complaining behind some day.)

When I was asked to do an interview with the Associated Press for an article on some new videos Delta Airlines produced on travel etiquette, I was expecting to see something stodgy. Something preachy. Something that would be a token effort only to show passengers "they care".

Boy, was I wrong. They get it. I mean, they really get it. Currently there are four videos, all animated and about a minute or so long. (After viewing the first one, there are links to see the others.) Called "planeguage" (plane + language), they present common, frustrating situations that travelers often find themselves in, and most interestingly, they don't pose the solution. At first I thought, "Wow, I wish we could get our hands on these at Emily Post and give the answers!" But my colleague Matt wisely pointed out that leaving them unresolved was spurring comments below the videos--and it was fascinating to see how united people were in their reactions to the annoying situations.

In the AP article I talk about how raising people's awareness helps to alleviate the problem: if you're aware about a problem, chances are you won't do it to someone else. I love that the series is called "planeguage"; of all words to pick, language is great. By offering definitions to these problems, and asking the public to comment, Delta is opening communication. And good communication is one of the biggest keys to good etiquette.

Plus, it's always nice to know that the giant machine that is corporate airlines actually does get the frustrating situations in which fliers find themselves. It feels like they're on your side after all.

What do you think of the videos? Have you been in these situations? I know I've been caught in the middle, and I've had a kid kicking the back of my seat all the way from Heathrow to Dulles. What video would you most like to see made?