Thoughts about leadership, lean thinking, psychology at work, and my adventures traveling and delivering workshops. Trying to help people to become better leaders and create better organizations.
My travel agency is a very small side-hustle. I started it for a couple of reasons:
1. I love to travel
2. I was traveling a lot and wondered if I could offset some costs with Travel Agent commissions. It’s also a fantastic tax shelter.
3. I want to work with travel companies like cruise lines, hotel chains, and airlines in my lean and leadership consulting businesses
You’ll notice that I didn’t include “make lots of money.”
Still, to learn the business, you have to DO the work. I have booked a couple of dozen vacations for people - mostly cruises, but several land vacations for people. I find it fun but it’s pretty time consuming to do the research and then get the booking done and make sure every client is treated as if they are my only client.
Of course, this year destroyed the travel industry. Cruise lines have been anchored since March. One of the last things I did before the pandemic really hit was a Ship Inspection of the Disney Magic cruise ship in Port Canaveral. Yes, travel advisors get to do ship inspections, which for us are really just familiarization tours of ships.
Because my business is small, I have not had to cancel a hundred vacations for people - just a few. Yesterday I had to cancel a European river cruise for a client after Avalon Waterways, following global health guidelines, suspended all cruises through the end of the year.
Now, with United and American laying off 38,000 employees and Disney having to cut 28,000 mostly from California Theme Park operations,
And now with the early aid money gone, more and more suppliers of travel products on on the brink of disappearing.
But in speaking to both Carnival Cruise Lines and with Globus, which operates Avalon Waterways, and with people in general, there is still demand for traveling, but its bottled up right now.
What that tells me is that when the pandemic lifts, there’s going to be a huge opportunity to take advantage of that pent up demand.
If you think you might want to get into this business, send me a message and I’ll walk you through how I did it and get you hooked up with my Host Agency - which really makes it easy and very cheap to get started.
For the next few travel updates, I’m thinking about profiling particular places or suppliers. I can show some pictures and video if I do this through zoom. I want to offer more luxury vacations, so I’ll likely focus on small ship and expedition cruising, river cruising globally, and some other places that offer unique experiences.
If you want to plan a vacation for late 2021 or 2022, they are all booking now and I’d be happy to find something special for you. You can reach me at David.veech@clandestinetravel.com.
What can you expect if you go out for a trip that involves a flight, rental car, and hotel these days?
But first...I broke my streak yesterday. Until yesterday, I had done 86 daily Facebook Live posts in a row. I missed for a good reason, though. Yesterday I was working with a client. That is pretty significant for a number of reasons I won't get into right now.
I plan to get back on track with two videos today, then I'm going to pretend that the streak is intact!
But Today; Today is Saturday, and Saturday is Travel day and I’m going to share my experience this week traveling to the client's location.
Here's a little background info:
Pre-COVID, I was traveling at least a couple of weeks every month. My engagements are usually 2 to 5 business days each. Because business had been pretty good for me, I've been in Delta's Platinum or Diamond frequent flyer status for years. I'm at the top level for both Hilton and Marriott. And I'm at the top level for Hertz.
I also have the kind of American Express card that includes membership in Delta's SkyClub, so I have access to all of their lounges, plus the Priority Pass lounge network that gets me access to hundreds of lounges around the world.
As a business traveler, I am spoiled rotten.
Here's my first recommendation for you: Pick your favorites (airline, hotel, and car rental) and stick to them.
AIRLINE: I've used Delta for as long as I can remember. Every time I've flown with American or United, I have a less-than-optimal experience. Sometimes for convenience, I will fly Southwest.
HOTEL: I first picked Hilton because there was this nice embassy Suites I liked to stay in whenever I worked in St. Louis. I'm also a time-share owner in the Hilton Grand Vacations Club, so that keeps me in Diamond status with them.
But I tried Marriott and really love their properties. I went through their travel agent training program too, that taught me a ton about how they promote their different brands.
RENTAL CAR: I picked Hertz because USAA has an awesome discount that works with them. I've had good and bad experiences with them, but they’re usually easy, so I stick with them. I got mad at them a couple of months ago for leaving me stranded at the airport after their last shuttle bus ran, but trying to find anyone who does as good consistently is not easy.
All right...back to my experience this week.
For the Flight, you can expect airports to be at about 30% of the crowds I experienced pre-COViD. Lines are short. The TSA Pre-check line was really no faster than the normal line, but I get to keep my shoes on and all my crap in my backpack where without TSA Pre-check all electronics have to come out.
Delta has first class cabins on most planes now, and because of my status, I am always near the top of the upgrade list. They are loading planes with about half the number of people. On my flights, first class had a 1 seat - 2 seat configuration and they were only putting one person on the 2 seat side. The rest of the plane was 2 and 2 and they did the same - unless you wanted to sit with a loved one, you didn't have anyone sitting next to you.
AIRPORT:
I was in three different airports coming and going this time. Columbus and Hartford are not necessarily major markets and their airports are pretty small. Most of the stores and restaurants were closed in both because there just isn't enough demand to support the cost.
You can expect to have to go a little out of your way to get a snack or a drink.
In Detroit, it is a major hub for Delta and pre-COVID you couldn't walk 15 feet without having to change direction a little to avoid bumping into someone.
So yesterday, a Friday evening where before, tons of business travelers would be crowding the barstools and lounges trying to make it home after a busy week, the airport was a comparative ghost town.
Detroit has an internal train in Terminal A that usually runs constantly along the 2 mile stretch from gate 1 to gate 78. It wasn't operating. There are 4 SkyClubs in Detroit, but only 1 is open.
On the plus side, everything was spotlessly clean. Hand sanitizer is everywhere, and everyone, except for a few pilots I saw, complied with the mask-wearing order.
Yes, in all the airports and on the plane the entire flight, masks are required. They allow you to remove your mask to eat or drink but will gently remind you on the plane to keep it on.
On arrival in Hartford, I had to stop by the health desk they had set up on the way to baggage claim. There, they show a map of the US with states colored Red or green. If you're arriving from a Green state, you're good to go. If it's red, there are a couple of additional steps - and several health related questions to answer first. Ohio was green there, so I was good, but Ohio was Red on Massachusetts's map, so they required a negative result from a sample less than 72 hours prior to arrival.
Fortunately, I was good to go.
RENTAL CAR:
For rental car service, with Hertz, in most airports they have a President's circle area of upgraded cars that I usually get to pick from. At Hartford they had a convertible Mustang I could have gotten, but I usually try to stick to more utilitarian cars, so I picked up an Altima. I should have gotten the convertible because the trees were changing color and the hour plus drive I had from the client to the airport would have been beautiful.
All the cars are sanitized now and Hertz puts a yellow sticker over the edge of the driver's side door saying so. You can see that no one has been in the car you've chosen since they cleaned it. I thought it was a nice touch.
HOTEL:
The hotel I chose was the Hampton Inn in Auburn, Massachusetts. I picked it because I had two different facilities to visit during this trip and it was sort of centrally located. It's a Hilton property and I've stayed there a few times. This time it was a little cheaper than the Fairfield Inn by Marriott that's just around the corner. Hilton has signs everywhere to remind you that masks are required pretty much whenever you are out of your room. The room was spotless and it too had a seal on the door saying so.
What I missed most was the breakfast area. This time, there was no breakfast area and not even any coffee. They did have an in-room, one cup at a time coffee maker, but before COVID, they had three varieties of coffee with French vanilla and hazelnut creamers that I always loved.
I don't miss the crowds.
I don't like having to wear the mask, but I like spreading the virus a lot less.
I miss the convenience of buffets in the SkyClub and the hotel, but I understand the precautions taken. The SkyClub still had plenty of food and snacks but everything was individually wrapped now.
When you're a frequent traveler, you learn that the most important travel accessory you can take with you is a good sense of humor. Things happen. Flights get cancelled. Passengers are dicks. The car you want isn't available. A million little things go wrong. But with a sense of humor, you can smile and roll with it.
I still love traveling. I love airports. I love all the people going to all those different places.
I love walking past the gates in Detroit where all the big planes get ready to fly to international destinations - and wish I were on those instead.
Traveling is one of those sweet rewards we can give ourselves. I’ll be very happy once things are safe again.
If you are anything like me, you’re ready to travel again. But because we’re not through with the pandemic, we need to be careful with where we go and what we do.
The CDC still has a No Sail Order in place that’s affecting all cruise lines. It’s been extended to the end of this month. The American Society of Travel Advisors is trying to get that lifted, but most cruise lines have extended their voluntary closing through the end of the year. That includes Carnival, the largest cruise line with brands that include Carnival, Princess, and Holland America, and Disney Cruise Line.
I have a cruise booked for January and I’m not confident at all that it will sail.
So where can you go?
Marriott International just inked a partnership with the National Parks Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the National Parks Service. They are offering discounted rates at their properties near National Parks - they have 406 properties that fit that description. They are also allowing members of their frequent stayer program, Marriott Bonvoy, to redeem points to purchase a National Parks Annual Pass or to donate to the National Parks Foundation.
There’s a National Park in every state, so you don’t even have to go far. Go out and enjoy a trail and breathe in some clean, clear air, as long as you’re away from the wildfires out west. Please keep those firefighters in your thoughts and prayers. They need all the help they can get.
You can also go to Mexico. The state department lifted its travel ban to Mexico this week. To be clear, they went from a Level 4 warning which says “do not travel” to a Level 3 warning which says “reconsider travel”. I’m getting plenty of ads from resorts in Mexico who are desperate for tourism revenue as you can imagine.
You can also visit Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, technically, but even traveling between states, there are certain restrictions. I’m going to Massachusetts next week, but since I’m coming from Ohio (or any state where the infection rate is over 4% - which is a bunch of states) I have to have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of travel. The trick is, in Ohio, the test results take up to 72-hours to come back. So I’m working with that.
Experts are saying that it will likely be 4 years before the travel industry is back. I’m keeping a close eye on this because I want to take a few groups to a few places in the coming years as part of a Lean Leaders’ Mastermind Program I’m pulling together with Norman Bodek and a few others. Please use a travel agent. They’re usually free and they’ve taken a worse beating through the pandemic than most.
If you get out of the house, stay safe. Wear your mask. Keep your distance. Wash your hands. Quit arguing with the good scientists who’ve studied and studied and have empirically determined that wearing a mask is the best way to prevent the spread of this very real virus that is still killing way too many people.
If I can help, please send me a message or give me a call.
If you don't already know, I have a travel agency as a side hustle. It's been pretty idle as you can imagine over the past several months, but I expect more people will be ready travel as soon as we can get this virus under control.
Here in the US, we're still struggling to get it under control since our independent nature is showing up as sporadic adherence to the strict prevention guidelines provided by the CDC. For that reason, a lot of places are not open to Americans and I would advise against anyone traveling to the US.
Still, we can travel and still be safe, but it takes some thinking. I found a great blog post from Headout.com offering 6 emerging post-COVID-19 travel reopening trends.
1. The world is reopening sooner that expected. This may or may not be a good thing! 10 countries have reopened doors to all landmarks and attractions: They are Greece, Vietnam, Denmark, China, Croatia, Egypt, Bulgaria, Portugal, Netherlands and Switzerland. Some require specific negative testing. Croatia has been advertising a lot about being open and trying hard to get their travel industry back in business.
2. Safest International travel destinations right now: based on the number of cases per day, include Italy, France, Spain, Japan, Greece, and Hong Kong. Still, you may or may not be allowed in without certain restrictions and precautions
3. Everyone is emphasizing Domestic Travel over International. For us, this is a great option. We have some really fantastic destinations that are open with restrictions for all of us.
4. Outdoors before indoors. Go visit a national park and camp. Keep your distance from others and you'll have a wonderful and safe vacation.
5. Online tickets. Most tourist sites here are requiring advance purchase of tickets online. That's how they are keeping to their admission restrictions.
6. Masks, Sanitizers & Temperature Checks - The New Norm. Globally, 56% of open attractions are restricting admission. 50% require face masks. 30% provide hand sanitizer and 18% are requiring temperature checks. In the limited traveling I've done since March, I've had my temperature checked at restaurants, distilleries, and the VA hospital. I've avoided any crowds out of caution.
Bottom line: Travel is still risky and subject to your personal tolerance. There is a way to go where you want to go, but there might be some rules to follow before and after you get there.
Cruise lines have continued to push their own ban further and further. It's through October 31 now. I am expecting them to push that to the end of the calendar year just based on the current trends for infections. That will all change if we get a safe vaccine, but most don't expect that until after the new year as well.
If you can't stand it anymore and want to go somewhere, give me a call and I'll put my travel advisor hat on and we can figure out what's possible.
