I have several pens now with an appropriate nub in case I need to sign digitally or “docu-sign.”
I can prove who I am with a voice ID. Even if I had a cold, a voice apparently has so many characteristics that I was assured it would work.
More than a year ago I had to verify my identity, my address, and more through an international app.
This involved uploading an ID with a digital chip, my photo and either a bank statement or a utility bill with my address.
Greenland, Albania, Boznia and Herzegovina, Madagascar and a whole list of places I have yet to visit were listed on the dropdown.
But not Guam.
I had to upload as “USA.”
I don’t know what residents of Greenland, Albania and some of the Baltic states did to get on the list, but I complained — politely.
This year I had to go through the whole process again.
Guam is in the dropdown now.
One small step …
But as I write, my mind is now filled with the need to firm up travel plans.
“TSA screened a record number of passengers in 2023, and we expect that trend to continue this year,” the agency said in a release in March. “So far in 2024, travel volumes are trending at nearly 6% above the same period in 2023.”
So as of April 1, 243,370 more people than last year had already stood in lines somewhere. TSA aims to keep us waiting for no more than 30 minutes.
Last year I read about all the lost luggage and mentally blacklisted various airlines.
Especially after reading that one American only retrieved his luggage from Heathrow because he saw his suitcase on the front page of a British newspaper.
This year I read about the man who boarded a Delta flight with a photo of somebody else’s ticket. When another passenger tried scanning her ticket, she was told she’d already boarded.
Depending on your priorities, you may be more concerned about legroom and seat width than the manufacturer of the plane you are flying on. A lot of people have learned to ask not only about the manufacturer, but whether the plane is a wide-bodied or a narrow-bodied one.
Given I live in Guam, I’m also concerned about layover times on potential pitstops.
These days I’m also interested in airport facilities at the airport of our layover on a long-haul journey.
But nothing dampens my enthusiasm for travel, whether for business or pleasure, so I consider myself lucky. I first flew at the age of 16 from London to Paris, and I have never looked back.
Emerald Insight gathered 17,726 observations from the Skytrax review website and released its findings in February. The lowest satisfaction ratings were from passengers from the USA, Canada and India.
Factors that affect “perceived service performance” include customer service, delays and baggage management.
And guess what? The attitude of airline staff “have the biggest impact on the perceived satisfaction of passengers,” Emerald said.
One year we flew from London to visit our son in Philadelphia. The United team out of London were little short of amazing — engaging and service-oriented, and I complimented one of the crew.
His response?
“And we get the nicest passengers,” he said. mbj
— Maureen N. Maratita is the publisher at Glimpses Media. Glimpses Media includes the Marianas Business Journal, Guam Business Magazine, The Guam Guide, Wave 105.1 FM and Power98.