First Class all the way

Let's face it; air travel just isn't what it used to be. So, when faced with sitting in a crowded middle seat and paying a la carte for checked bags, food (primarily snacks), extra legroom, and many other options, first class isn't always something we think we can afford. However, it's not always out of our reach. You don't need to have an elite frequent flyer status, thousands of frequent flyer miles, or an unlimited budget. You just have to ask!

Recently on my first flight sans kids from Portland, Oregon to Honolulu on Alaska Air, when checking in, I asked the agent if there were any upgrades available. Now, I don't have an elite frequent flyer status and didn't even have any miles with this airline. However, the agent informed me that for $150, I could upgrade. When considering the fact that I had one checked, overweight bag that was going to cost me $70 ($20 for a regular traveler checked bag and $50 for being overweight), I thought it was worth the cost. I almost forgot about the other first class advantages: fast track lane through TSA, pre-boarding, free meal and drinks (including alcoholic), free Digiplayer (giving me free movies, TV, and web access). Adding the costs that these would have cost me in my regular coach seat, $150 was a value!

So, on the return flight I again asked for the upgrade. Unfortunately, there were no seats available. But, just for asking, the agent put me on the waitlist, stamped my coach ticket with the MVP Gold Lane access (giving me the fast track TSA lane and pre-boarding advantages) and also checked my overweight bag for free!

Upgrades may not always be available, but the worst that can happen is that they say no. The best is that you get the upgrade!

Comments

Leadership Mom: SWOT Analysis

In business, leaders often analyze our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats through a SWOT analysis. So, if we are going to look at our role as moms as being the greatest leadership opportunity to us, let's start with analyzing ourselves and our kids. Here's the SWOT I developed for my family: Family SWOT Analysis As a doting mother, there are hundreds of strengths that I could put up here for my kids. Their hugs, kisses, bedtime stories and prayers, the fact that they come to me when they're seeking healing from an injury (physical or emotional), the notes and drawings they make for me, their precious hearts when they try to help me or that they've learned how to use the Keurig to bring me coffee in the morning...I could go on and on. Now, here's the part where we get honest with ourselves. Yes, we love our kids and we love our family (or, hopefully, most of the time), but we are not perfect. Nor should we be perfect. As we analyze oursel

I'm no longer telling my kids to have fun

Today, I've made an important realization that is changing the way that I talk to my children. I am no longer going to tell them to have fun. Don't get me wrong, I desperately desire that my children find joy, happiness and laughter through numerous experiences and adventures. But, my children's definition of fun and mine have two VERY different meanings. I'll give you an example. My almost four-year-old son loves to destroy things. He's like his dad - a man who just wants to learn how things work, as well as cause and effect. So, he takes apart toys, sister's dolls, kitchen appliances, and more. He tears books because "the story was in the wrong order." He pushes buttons - both literally and figuratively. He colors on walls, floors, computer monitors, furniture, carpet and more because he wants to create maps and "building plans" for his Duplos. This is his idea of fun . Do you see my dilemma? His idea of fun is so completel

Why can't they just be friends?

Why can't my kids just be friends? I must ask myself this question hundreds of times during the week. I thought that having kids relatively close together was going to be great. They'd have a playmate and an automatic friend. However, the truth is that - most of the time - they don't get along. It's not that they're enemies...it's that they drive each other crazy. They each want the other one to do what they want to do. Then, when the other one does what they want, they get mad at them because they wanted to do it themselves. They don't want to share their toys. Then, they play together only to then get mad and purposefully break the other sibling's toys. They want to get the other one in trouble so that they look like the "good" child and get more rewards. Then they get upset that the other sibling got them in trouble when they *tattled* on them. At mealtimes, they want to sit where the other one is sitting. They want the c

Murphy's Laws for Moms

Search This Blog