Venice or Vanish?

I love Venice. It’s like walking back into time; living in a world without cars and buses. Not an Uber in sight! If the canals flood, you put on high rubber boots and walk on the raisers laid out in the streets. That on the surface (pun intended) seems charming and uniquely characteristic. But there is a more serious side to all this.

Climate change, sea levels rising, cruise ships and thousands of tourists descending on a delicate infrastructure, is cause for serious concern. How can we let the home of so many art and architectural treasures be lost?

Venice was built with technology from the year 450. It hasn’t been updated much since then. Unlike the Dutch, who over the centuries, upgraded their water removal technologies, Venice had been sinking. Venice is about 6 feet below what it was back in 450 and continues to sink 1.5mm/year. Sea-level is rising 5.6 mm/year.

MOSE (Modulo Sperimentale Elettromeccanico, or “Experimental Electromechanical Module”) is a sophisticated engineering system of gates, designed to create a temporary wall at high tide. Even though it was started in 2003, it’s still not finished due to corruption, scandal. financial and structural issues. Projections for completion are 2020. It will not protect Venice, as well as the Delta Project protects southwestern Netherlands. But it’s a start.

Venice has other solutions to help. One being talked about is to ban large cruise ships that create huge damaging waves in the canals. Another is to create rules to try to reduce the number (60,000) tourists that visit this city (of 55,000 residents) each year.

If you plan to visit Venice, here are some things NOT to do. Get caught and you risk a fine, ranging from $27-$550.

• Leaning against storefronts

• Picnicking

• Lying down on public benches

• Feeding pigeons (that should be an international law)

• Buying from street traders (I hope that doesn’t mean the street artists)

• Standing still on bridges (don’t linger as you take your photo)

• Drinking on the street after 8 p.m. (No “Roadies” in Venice)

• Swimming in the canals (Who would do that, the canals are so polluted)

• Affixing padlocks to bridges (this is happening all over Europe, the locks are damaging infrastructures)

• Wearing a bikini (The only beach is on Lido island)

• Being bare-chested (that goes for men too!)

• Riding a bicycle in the city center (This isn’t Amsterdam)

• Walking a bicycle through the city center(Leave the bike home)

Now that you have the above down pat, Here are the unofficial cultural faux pas to avoid:

• Men – Never wear open toed sandals.

• Venetians drink Martinis, not Bellini’s

• Don’t drag your wheelie suitcase over the cobblestones. The noise is annoyingly loud.

• Café Florian in St Mark’s Square opened in 1720. Tourists sit out front. Venetians know the better priced coffee, tea and cocktails are served in the quiet, back bar.

• Spaghetti alla Vongole, a beloved Venetian dish, is never to be eaten with Parmesan cheese on top. If you do, you might find yourself swimming in the canal (with the aid of a little push from a fellow Venetian diner) and end up being fined as well (see the rule above about swimming in the canals).

Go to Venice, enjoy its uniqueness, its charm, the art, the architecture and more. But remember, you are treading through a very delicate antique.

Please be respectful and careful.

We want this treasure to last for many more Millenniums.

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How Early is Early?

If you have flown recently, it’s very likely you have experienced, delays, cancellations and/or schedule changes. More so than ever before. Since March of this year, over 500 737Max planes have been grounded. That’s a lot of planes taken out of service, with no date, as to when they will be flying again, if ever and how long it will take to replace 500 aircraft. Dozens of these planes are sitting in Boeing’s employee parking lot.

Airlines don’t have 500 spare planes sitting around in hangers. They are flying every plane that is safe to fly. However, if the TV doesn’t work, or the seat won’t go back, there isn’t time, to send that plane, out for non-safety related repairs/maintenance. Unfortunately, you’ll just have to deal with it, for now.

If it seems bad now, just think about how Holiday Travel will be impacted. You will have to have the patience of Job, bring lots of things to entertain yourself and the kids. Maybe finally use that Yoga room at SFO. Load meditation tapes on your phone and take lots of deep breaths. Remember there’s nothing you can do, so try to make the best of it. Getting upset with airline personal, who have been dealing with this, every day since March, is not going to make it better for anyone. Random acts of kindness will go much further, than upset rants.

So, what are some practical things you can do to take some of the stress out of flying these next several months? The #1 thing you can control, is your arrival times.

Some of us can remember the days when you ran through the airport and got to the gate 15 minutes before take-off. Those days ended with 9/11. Now minimum 1 hour before domestic and 2 hours before international. However, that can depend on the airport. Some move people through security with efficiency. Others are slower than molasses. TSA PreCheck helps with domestic flights, not with international departures. It’s time to arrive even earlier.

If you fly a lot, you may want to get a credit card that gives you access to airline lounges or sign up for Priority Pass Get to the airport early. Enjoy the lounge, do your calls and emails, there. Have something to eat and drink. If there’s a delay, you are comfortable waiting it out.

International Connections need to be, at bare minimum, 2 hours, 3 hours is even better. In Europe you must go through security again. If it’s London Heathrow, add even more time.

Returning to the US has many variations. Some international airports have US customs there. You are able to clear customs before you get on your flight. You can do that in Canada, Ireland, The United Arab Emirates, just to mention a few. If you are clearing customs before your flight, you need to allow extra time to do that. If your first touch down in the US, is not your final destination, you have to clear passport control wherever you land. Plan 3 hours. Bags can take time to get off the plane, then you have to recheck them for your connecting flight. Several flights can land at the same time, creating a huge backup. Global Entry helps to avoid the huge lines and move you through more quickly.

Your connecting flight could very well be in a different terminal. You may have to take a train to the other terminal and go through security again. I missed a connection in Seattle because our jet-way broke. It took an hour to move the plane to another gate. That extra hour delay, caused us to miss our connecting flight to SFO. We had to wait 5 hours for the next flight.

The good news is airports are getting to be nicer places. Many have great local restaurants, interesting museum exhibits, lovely shops. You can get a massage, a manicure, do some yoga stretches at SFO. Think about it as beginning of your trip; enjoy what is there to make your time less stressful.

Your vacation just started earlier. Who doesn’t like that?

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High Fashion at 30,000 Feet - This is not the Red Carpet

We have all seen fashion faux pas in magazines, but on a plane, it could mean your health. Take Lady Gaga for instance. In 2010, on a transatlantic flight, she wore blue platform Alexander McQueen shoes and an outfit made of black and yellow tape. In flight, Ms. Gaga began to experience symptoms of deep vein thrombosis, a life-threatening condition commonly caused by a combo of in-flight risk factors like low cabin pressure, dehydration, immobility during a long trip and cramped seats (according to the American Council on Exercise). Symptoms include swollen or red limbs, but individuals suffering from deep vein thrombosis often exhibit no symptoms. Gaga, knew something was wrong and fortunately when she complained to the cabin crew, they convinced her to change into less constricting clothes.

Most likely you don’t have a comparable wardrobe to Lady G. However you might have something that’s looks great but is not designed for sitting in a seat, with limited mobility, at high altitude for hours. Think tight jeans.

Tight clothes can restrict blood flow in the already-confining space of an airplane seat. Save those skinny jeans for when you arrive. My favorite travel outfit is loose fitting travel slacks from Paskho and a nice knit top.I look fashionable, but more importantly,I'm comfortable. Go for loose-fitting natural fiber garments (clothes made from cotton, rayon or linen). Give your skin and your veins some breathing space.

Part 2 of Lady G’s problem were her high heels. Any woman knows the problems these shoes offer, just standing on solid ground. When you watch the on board safety features video, they always say not to exit the plane in an emergency with high heels. They can puncture the evacuation equipment. I don’t know about you, but I want shoes on my feet if I have to run from a plane. Why not wear your bulky, but comfortable shoes and leave space in your luggage. If you have to change planes and have a long walk between gates; comfy shoes are best. And if you didn’t take my tip on how to get TSA PreCheck all the time (no shoes off), then please consider slip on shoes. That’ll save you (and everyone behind you in line) some time.

Odors are intensified on a plane, passengers are in close quarters and the air is recycled throughout the cabin. The perfect seatmate is one who doesn't smell like anything. Just because your flight is at the crack of dawn, don’t wear yesterday’s jogging outfit. I love perfume but don’t wear any when you fly. Scent is subjective. We’ve all sat next to the guy with too much after shave cologne. People with allergies or asthma could have a reaction to strong perfumes; could be uncomfortable for both of you.

You can go through a range of temperature climates in just one flight. There's the tropical feel of a jog through the sunny airport terminal, then the stuffy and warm wait while the plane sits on the tarmac, followed by the in-flight arctic chill, especially if you are seated next to a window. Layers are a traveler's best friend for varying temperatures. I always have a shawl and blanket in my carry on. Air plane blankets have become an endangered species.

You can look fabulous and fashionable when you get to your destination.
En route, look smart and comfortable.

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Where is the airline's sweet spot?

Every year, the air travel experts come out with when is the best time to buy a ticket. Some even have it down to the day of the week and the hour of the day. The experts vary a bit. Common agreement is, an international air should be bought months before a domestic ticket. At the bottom are the links to the articles and you can compare what each one says and come up with a plan.

What I want to share with you is what I see as a travel advisor.

Choices that can affect your trip in relation to when you book your air.

Do you buy your air or your land/cruise arrangements first? Well that can depend. Most of the time, I recommend working out your land or cruise itinerary first. I had clients come to me with air fare bought round trip to Madrid, yet they wanted to include Barcelona. It made their planning constrained and they lost time and flexibly because they had to start and end in Madrid.

What if your travel advisor comes up with a better idea and now you have to let that go because you have an airline ticket that doesn’t match where you want to go or the time you need in the destination? Those change fees can add up.

I had a client looking at cheap air to Italy. Fortunately, she hadn’t bought the ticket. We came up with a different itinerary and a very good fare, that included premium economy on her return. If she had bought the “deal”, she would have had to pay a lot in fees to change her ticket and wouldn’t have the upgrade we got for her.

What about using points? Airline schedules come out 330 days before departure. That’s the earliest anyone can book a flight. If you know you are going someplace and are certain of your dates, you can snag those business class seats that may be scarcer later. The nice thing about miles is, if you have to change or cancel, the fees are much less and you can put your miles back in your account.

Should you book air through a cruise line? That depends. Some cruise lines have great contracts with their air partners and some don’t. You need to have an idea of what the published fare is, then you can compare. I had a group on a river cruise. The people that booked their air early, saved $1000 or more on business and premium economy air, than those that waited or booked later. These companies buy air wholesale or have contracts. They are allotted a certain amount of air in each fare basis. Once they sell that, it goes up to the next basis.

What about discounts? Sorry but there are no discounts on economy tickets. If you catch a sale or can find a ticket at a lower fare basis, that’s the best you can do. However, if you are in the market for premium economy, business or first class, then many times, a good travel professional, can save you money off the published fare. Airlines will offer deals to select travel partners.

Do itineraries matter? Of course, they do. Sometimes non-stops are less and sometimes they are more. The biggest mistake I see with clients, is not enough time between flights. International flights need a minimum of 2 hours to change planes, more is better. Often, you will see a cheap ticket with a one-hour connection. Chance of you making that flight, on an international connection, is very slim. It’s okay for domestic flights, but not international. Coming home, you also need time when you land in the US to go through passport control. If you don’t have enough time you, can miss your connecting flight home. Not only do you have to recheck your bags, you may have to change terminals and go through security, to get that last leg home.

Here are all the links to what the experts say. Just remember a good travel advisor can save you a lot of anguish and dollars, by making sure you have the best flight possible.There is more to a good ticket than just price.

Wishing you uneventful flights!!!

Skyscanner, Nerd Wallet, Farecompare, The Points Guy, Travel & Leisure

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