Fighting an Airline & Winning

Two years ago my siblings and I arranged for our parents to go on a "romantic" trip to Paris for their 35th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, the initial elation of the destination wore off as me and several family members, including my parents, went round-for-round with one of the undisputedly, "rudest", commercial airlines, AIR FRANCE…and won!

My mother being a French teacher, and from a French speaking region in Louisiana was floored by the surprise trip we presented to she and my father at their anniversary party. She never visited France, though teaching the language since the 70s. Why? Well, she had six children and as everyone knows that life happens. Everyone was teary-eyed when she jumped up-and-down after reading her itinerary. Finally, she would take a trip she had dreamed of so many years ago.

We booked the tickets in August so they could leave in September. However, their plans were stumped when my father became gravely ill, was hospitalized, and told that he could not travel. I phoned Air France to see what I could do and I was given instructions to cancel my first tickets, re-purchase some more then write to the airline's headquarters in Florida to request a refund. My mother and I followed the directions in detail and about a week before they were to board, I got my money back.

Their flight was out of New York, but they live in Los Angeles, so we arranged for them to arrive in NYC early enough to comfortably travel. Everything was going great until they attempted checked in. They discovered that AIR FRANCE cancelled the wrong tickets! That was when all hell broke loose.

For almost 48 hours we were embroiled in a nasty, and I mean nasty fight with some of the discourteous, unprofessional, and cowardice customer service people you ever want to come across. At first, I thought, hey, it was a little mistake by AIR FRANCE, they can fix it. All they have to do is just book them on the appropriate flight and they're off to gay Paris. Oh, but hell no, AIR FRANCE told my parents they would not honor their previously purchased tickets and that they had to pay the current rate which was almost $2000.00 more than the original price.

Of course they refused and demanded to speak to a manger. The people at the counter conveniently explained that they really weren't AIR FRANCE, but DELTA, and that my parents had to get in contact with the proper airline. Don't you just love beaurocratic bullshit?

Well, we started with customer service. That poor guy didn't know his arse from his the holes in his nose. So we asked for the guy's manager, who was such a nasty bitty, I still wonder how she got to be "manager" of customer service based in Canada. But that title is still in question because these people refused to give their names or corporate information when I requested it—totally out of protocol.

Then I called the headquarters in southern Florida, but the woman who brought up the case files also rejected my request to assist in getting them on a flight and also refused to give her name. This was after I waited for almost twenty minutes on my cell phone. It seemed as if everyone was double-checking with the other so that they wouldn't give the wrong information and stay in wrong position. However, they didn't know my family, we are relentless and we are strategists.

I can give you all the details, but just to let you know there was a lot of ball passing, playing dumb, and then finally, people hanging up on us when we called because they knew who we were. All along, we logged every detail of this fiasco. I even faxed and phoned the headquarters of KLM (a partner of AIR FRANCE), and AIR FRANCE's headquarters.

There was one ray of hope. I knew that AIR FRANCE partnered with DELTA, so I called Delta so see if they could clear up what had gotten into a shitty mess. I was on the phone for about three or four hours with the nicest customer service representative who indeed fought for me. She told me that AIR FRANCE was supposed to at the very least, offer my parents to purchase tickets at the rate they originally bought them and then commit to investigating the situation further so they could get a refund. She was very upset at the story I retold and went back-and-forth with her supervisor. The most she could do was to extend the original price through DELTA and my parents ended up buying a third pair of tickets.

By this time, my parents have spent a night in New York. The hotel in Paris told me that it was too late to cancel and the charges would still end up on my credit card. My mother, who suffers from rheumatoid arthritis was exhausted and doubled over in pain. Everyone was else was pissed!

Finally, when my parents went to check in with their new DELTA tickets the bastards at AIR FRANCE refused to honor them. It was on again!

Luckily, I lived in Atlanta at the time, the headquarters of DELTA. So I went to the office and requested to speak to the manager of AIR FRANCE. My strategy was the non-threatening, very rational black woman façade. So, I put on my Anne Klein suit and pulled back my locks, slapped on the heels, took the car to get a quick wash. Please, don't let my locks fool you. I've had a time or two, or three in corporate America.

Well, I got some answers and some progress. I spoke to the regional manager, who was quite polite. I asked if arrangements could be made so that my parents could be placed in first class. They weren't, but that was alright. They finally made it, a day late, but not a dollar short because DELTA refunded the third pair of tickets they purchased.

However, the fat lady did not sing. I wrote a detailed argument of the dilemma and sent it to AIR FRANCE's headquarters in Florida. They didn't respond to the first packet, but they did to the second correspondence. My parents were given approximate $500.00 back for the fiasco.

The process was very exhausting and I was very disappointed with AIR FRANCE. However, when I look at the photos of my parents that I have graciously shared, my mother's smile and my father's satisfaction are worth it. I would do it again.

Remedy for Seasickness and Bubble Guts

The cruise line industry has seen a huge surge in black travelers; especially black women. If you are a cruise fanatic or you are preparing to take your first trip—BEWARE—you might get seasick during your trip.

If you are trying to avoid that to happen, then get a cabin on the upper decks of the ship. Cabins in the lower decks rock more with the waves. During my first cruise experience I got this great deal on Hotwire.com, and caught the second to the lowest deck. I was heaving big time in the beginning.

No need to swear off cruises and get cold feet at the idea of the sea. A good remedy for seasickness is ginger.

You can cop it in a capsule as a powder; get it in a tincture (those small amber bottles with the little eye droppers); buy some ginger tea bags (get a strong herbal tea b/c some of those cheaper ones are diluted and ineffective); or if you can, sneak in some raw ginger root. Raw is the best, but for convenience, capsules and the tincture are fine. Just be sure to double up.

Ginger is also good for nausea and bubble guts. The properties of ginger soothe the digestive system. Many women use ginger for morning sickness during pregnancy.

Oh yes, let me mention a sex tip with ginger. This medicinal root stimulates the blood, It is a very hot herb literally, so if you sip on some ginger tea before sex, it will heat up your pyramidal structure and increases the orgasm. HELL YEAH!

This is also great for men's prostate which gives them a harder, stronger erection.

So don't be scurred. Get your ginger on!

Bewitching Cruise Germs

As I was boarding Royal Caribbean this summer, attendants stood at every door passing out Purel sanitary wipes. My first reaction was, "What the fu*k!?" Then there was this recorded message from the captain in each room explaining that there was a virus that was spreading, especially on cruise ships. He encouraged everyone to take safety measures, but also encouraged people to do civilized things like washing their hands and ass before they ate.

Cruise ships bring a whole wave of folk. Many of the travelers are from the United States, Europe, Austrailia, and Canada—with splotches of other nationalities. Also, much of the workers come from different parts. Then you have the day trips to different tropical islands that bring another element. There are so many factors in getting sick, but the main one is tht there is a huuuuuuuuggggggggggeeeeeeeeeeee cultural divide in the concept of cleanliness.

Other than the nightly vomit spots and secretions on some lawn chairs, you can come into contact with the serious shit—literally. Since I was a pool lifeguard for 10 years I don't care too much for chlorinated water, so I stay away from pools. The main reason—on several occasions, the swimming facilities on the ship was terminated because people defecated in the pool.

As a pool lifeguard, I know about these disgusting situations. In order for that to be completely removed, a pool's water has to gradually be sucked out while new water comes in while buckets of chlorine and acid (to balance the PH levels of the water). However, the Royal Caribbean used recycled water and that shit is not fly. Recycled water brings a host of illnesses that can be deadly to children, the elderly, and those with weakened immune systems. If you check out water parks, they must deal with that regularly.

During my time on the Royal Caribbean, I did not go into the pool area, but as a water baby and member of the black surfer's association I tried out a simulated surfer machine. I thought the water was like the other cruises where they siphoned water from the sea. This is much cleaner because salt is great for getting rid of infections. Every went into the ocean with a cut! Ouch!

Anyway, the water on the Wind Surfer was recycled and it was dingy as hell. So I was swimming in piss, suntan lotion, and all types of body secretion. The next day, my whole body was covered in uncomfortable hives.

Oh, but it didn't stop there. Children were throwing ice cream cones in the Jacuzzi. People were smelling like death ran over them twice. Then there were those that ate directly from the buffet trays with their fingers.

So cruise is pleasurable, but take your personal disinfectant and spray it in your room, and keep some at all times. It can be as simple as a small bottle of rubbing alcohol.

Get on the Bus, Chinatown Express Bus Lines Dominate the Road

by Cali Santana

So you're a jet-setter at heart. Got folks spread up & down the coast. You're super ready to hit the road. And lastly, but quite importantly...you are traveling on a TIGHT budget. And like most make-it-happen Excursionista types, you would never allow that tight budget to keep you from your destination. You have an entire world that awaits you!

Well, if just getting there has been an issue for you, and if you aren't hip to the Chinatown Express (CE), this blog will change your life. This is your passport to making it happen, with enough comfort and convenience to boast about. It's your easy fix to somewhere close and/or far. For a small nominal fee, you can get to most highly visited states, and select major & minor cities within those states. From Boston, to NYC, to Phila, to Norfolk, VA – you name it & the Chinatown Express is there!

"I don't do buses"

Okay. I feel you. Quite frankly I didn't either, until the Chinatown Express. My first experience on the CE was in 2004 and some friends from out West were meeting up in the City. I wanted to go…had to go…but I wasn't too sure how I wanted to make that happen.

1) There was no reason to drive to NYC. From prior experience, this never seemed like a good thing to do. Specifically, I was staying in Manhattan so it made absolutely no sense to have the hassle of a car to deal with.

2) I was in graduate school. So you know that the funds were LOW! I couldn't travel as leisurely as my natural self would have liked so I had to pay very close attention to the funds.

3) All things considered, I was still bourgeoisie with the travel. Let me be real about that. My thinking was like what yours may be: I just don't do buses. I just don't get along with Greyhound. The train is cool, but I may as well purchase an airline ticket. Right?

Well somehow, someway, I was introduced to the Chinatown Express and it all clicked with me. My ever growing appreciation of 'something new' surfaced, or it may have been my hearing that they sometimes show Japanese/anime movies. It may have been that the CE informant (whoever you are-thank you!) just dazzled me that much, or maybe it was the fact that somebody outside of the normal stronghold provided a cost effective alternative, and I liked that!

Regardless of what the reason, it was enough to make up my mind. I was getting on the bus.

Pick up was at some random spot on Broad Street (I was back in Richmond, VA at the time). Pops brought me up there & it was all legit. It looked like some storefront Chinese spot with a handwritten neon orange sign in the window. Don't be alarmed, everything looks official now – the signs from city to city are standard so no need to consider sketchiness. I personally liked the bootleg feel. The brothers and sisters running the ship were very cool and helpful as well. I went in to purchase & just like that the deal was done. Much less hassle than most travel transactions I've had to make.

The CE was clean & just seemed larger in size (compared to Greyhound). On a regular basis I've had a row to myself (2 seats) & of course you have to love this. During that particular trip, I got on the bus at 1AM & I was in NYC by the first speck of daylight the very next morning!

It was an easy & restful ride, so by the time I got to The City I was ready to start the day. We pulled right into Chinatown & the stop was conveniently close to the subway which is great. No travel sluggishness that morning. Everything went smooth.

"I'm game. Just get me started."

Check out the website. www.chinatown-bus.org is the most comprehensive site for the various lines and destinations. It includes departure & pick-up times & locations, and pricing, and direct contact information.

And for my West Coast massive, it looks like the CE is also in Cali now! With destinations ranging from LA, to Vegas, to SanFran, to Reno – you are bound to get your travel game on at a more than reasonable price.

On the East Coast, the states are so close together that you're paying close to nothing for the ride. Literally, 20 bucks RT from Phila-NYC. From DC-NY it's about 35 bucks RT. Overall the price varies between distance, mileage & frequency. And once you compare airline tickets & fees, or driving accessories such as parking, tolls, and gas – the Chinatown Express is a complete win for a quick trip.

They recommend arrive 30 minutes before the CE leaves & I say that it's mandatory. Again, consider the city you're leaving from & what time of day it is. For example leaving out of NYC on a Sunday afternoon at 4 or 5 is major! You need to be there in advance & in a line to make sure that this happens. After a while you'll get a feel for what works best, but as with anything, the early bird catches the worm. CPT & APT are not on the same clock. Chances are that they will depart on time.

If you are paying on the spot, you must have cash. I've forgotten this once in the past, and worked up a sweat to making what could have been an avoidable ATM dash. Never again. Nowadays, I purchase my ticket on line & have it on hand at the point of arrival. Be sure to print off two copies if you're traveling RT.

One of the coolest features of the Chinatown Express (besides the low cost!) is the fact that you can use the ticket for up to a year of the purchase date. So depending on how much of a drifter or floater you are on your travels, there's no big fuss over heading back on the day you stated. Another plus is that the ticket you purchase is not name specific. So you can pass a ticket to a buddy if need be.

And while I thought my first time would be my last time, I have undeniably been proven wrong. The Chinatown Express has become one of my trusty, when in doubt resources – mainly for big cities where I have folks & family with wheels and access to get around.

< O:P>

I've taken the CE for day trips to NYC to celebrate with friends. Weekend trips to help relocating friends in Phila move. It's easy, reliable, and convenient. So in effort to keep my standard, I still say "I don't do buses". But I'll also be honest & say that I do the Chinatown Express! So get on the bus, and don't forget to let your Excursionista Crew know all about it…safe travels.

Cali Santana is a business woman-on-the-go who treks up-and-down the east coast, and sometimes makes mad dashes to central and south America. A country-city sista who has her own company called Virtual self, also dabbles in poetry, and is preparing to publish her first book for young girls. Cali Santana is Excursionista's business travel editor, but she is more than just work!