Bad News Passengers

Yes, airline passengers really are misbehaved sometimes. And for flight attendants there's no escape until the jet bridge is attached and someone opens the door from the outside. No wonder a bag of chocolates from the occasional passenger can mean so much -- take note, frequent flyers.

The Six Worst Airplane Passengers of 2009 (so far)

DOT: Fewer airline complaints

Breathe a sigh of relief. Whether you're racking up the miles as a seasoned business traveler or towing the kids and all the gear to Arizona for a week at Grandma's, things are looking up for you. Either we've become complacent with the level of service offered by commercial airlines and have given up on complaining, or we are actually finding less to complain about. Whatever the reason, there has been a drop in customer service complaints made to major airlines.

http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_12086303

That is, unless this guy is your pilot.
http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_12089681

Bottle Warmers and Athletes Foot

Yes, believe it or not, on the same flight. Granted, the destination was L.A. so take that for what it's worth.

I am always shocked when people are willing to remove their footwear and stroll around the airplane barefoot, no socks, no stocking, no anything. I was beyond words when a fairly put together woman removed her shoes to reveal bare feet and proceed to walk towards the back lavatory. The worst part was not that she was willing to expose naked skin to God only knows what forms of nastiness are spawning on the lav floor, but that she herself was spawning some form of fungus between her toes...evidenced by the chalky white dusting covering on and around her pretty pink toenails. Frankly, there is no hue of polish that will cover up, disguise, or otherwise distract the eyes away from the anti fungal dust.

To top it off, while fungus foot lady is in the bathroom, a lovely, young dad walks back, bottle in hand. I know what's coming, I've done it a dozen times before. I prepared the ever so snazzy "hot water bath" to warm the baby's bottle. (Don't be fooled, this consists of pouring hot water into a plastic drinking cup and dunking the bottle in it until it reaches the desired temperature). The funny part is that as I'm submerging baby's bottle into its bath, Dad looks at me quizzically and asks in a befuddled voice, "You mean you don't have a bottle warmer on the plane?" Now I don't know what airline he's racked up his frequent flier miles on, but I'd sure like to try them out if they come with everything...including a bottle warmer. Except the bottles I prefer require an ice bucket, but I'm sure they'd have that too.

The Importance of a Broad Smile and a Fresh Scent

Along with a slightly darker complexion that is still peeling in places and a few souvenirs, I brought home some important lessons from my most recent beach vacation. We began our sojourn on the island of Curacao (the "C" island of the ABC islands in the Dutch Antilles). We lasted two days there, but only because all the other desirable hotels on the island were booked for the week and the travel agent was closed on Sunday. By Monday morning however, Bobby, at Majors Travel in New Dorp, NY, was on top of things.

Upon arrival at the Breezes Superclub, I am sad to admit that I was left with a less than appealing first impression. We pulled off Martin Luther King Road straight into the parking lot of our hotel. There was no winding path through a tunnel of trees, no carefully shaped shrubbery, and no tropical flowers or potted palms welcoming us at the entrance. Where is my paradise?!

Disappointment also lurked behind the door to our room in the pneumatic form of a rudely pungent odor. Imagine sea foam with the essence of mildew and hospital bleach. To escape the odiferous ambiance of our room we went to the bar for some tropical libations. One of my favorite images soon became a smoky plastic glass (day care size) with rum swirling around on top of its frosty contents. Unfortunately, it was rare that our drinks were served with a smile or friendly banter from the bartenders. Mama Love soon became our exclusive bartender because she loved to interact with the guests and never let anyone slink away from the bar with a drink made by her hands without at least finding out how their day was going.

Now, it's imporatnt to lower one's expectations when traveling in order to induce a state of being pleasantly surprised more often than not. Doing my best to abide by this rule of thumb, it was not until we reached the Occidental Grand Resort in Aruba that I realized how much energy it took to see the sunny side of our accommodations in Curacao.

Upon arrival, I received my answer; I had found my paradise. Not only was there a lush drive and circle in front of the resort, but there were pots of tropical foliage in the entrance along with a bellman who opened the taxi doors for us, and yes, even helped with our luggage. We were greeted warmly by the front desk agent and showed to our rooms. Like the front drive, our rooms did not disappoint. They were nicely, yet subtly decorated, overlooked the pool oasis, and smelled clean -- but not institutional -- without a hint of mildew or leftover swim suit water.