**REVIEW** Delta Airlines (and Delta Comfort)

I thought that I would use my experiences of this latest flight to review Delta Airlines for both their customer service and their Comfort seating offering.My itinerary was Anchorage (ANC) to Minneapolis/St. Paul (MSP) and to my final destination of Des Moines (DMS). Since this is a blended review, I will preface remarks with CS or DC when speaking about Customer Service or Delta Comfort.

The Anchorage counter staff was okay. Courteous and efficient, they didn't seem to have much to do since most passengers checked in electronically or via one of the consoles set up in the airport. I did (and always do) my check-in via a phone app. At the counter, I only had to hand in my luggage (pre-paid) and show I.D. to confirm my information. I even filled out and attached my own luggage tags.

Ted Stevens Airport (ANC) is pretty basic and I like that. Gates are called just that - "gates" - so that it's easy to locate and navigate where you need to be. With such diversity in the mix, simplicity and uniformity are important when traveling. That;s my opinion anyway. At Ted Stevens, gates and signs and walkways are easy to find and use.

That last point is going to come up later.

The flight crew on the ANC to DSM leg was kind of awesome. They were helpful but not overbearing. I wonder how many people realize that flight attendants are on board primarily to help out in the event of an emergency - not to just to serve and pamper passengers. I sometimes lose sight of that fact myself, but I appreciate an FA who makes the job look easy. There was just that kind of FA on my first flight. She was as nice to the "regular" passengers as she was to those in First Class.

Now. Here is where I have to talk about the worst part of this trip. It had nothing to do with the plane, the seats, or the onboard crew.

I'm not sure who to blame for the fact that when we landed in MSP we had to sit on the taxiway for about 20 minutes, but I'm going to blame the gate agents for not helping more once we docked and some of us had to race to make connecting flights.

This is where my trip went bad.

While taxiing, the pilot mentioned that we were going to dock at Gate F. My connecting flight was going to board at Gate C. I mentally ran through the letters - C, D, E, F - and thought, Eh, shouldn't be that bad.

Right. It shouldn't have been but... I did ask the agents standing on the jetway how far the C gates were. One was just robotically saying to each of us passengers, "We have carts waiting up front." So I assumed he was directing us to keep moving and we'd have some assistance making it to other gates. There are reasons that it's bad to make assumptions and, in this case, one of the reasons is that the gate agent was a liar. There were no carts waiting anywhere. I couldn't even find another gate agent to ask about this. Since it wasn't useful to just stand there being mad, I asked the first person I saw where to find the C gates and took off in that direction.

Here is where I hate the way things are labeled at MSP.  I saw nothing labeled directing passengers to gates. I did see lots of overhead signs indicating "concourse". A B C D Concourse. Because I was feeling stressed and worried about missing my connection, I really resented not having the assurance that C concourse actually meant C gates. Each time I passed someone wearing an airport badge, I asked if I was headed toward the correct gate. Just when my legs were getting stiff, I heard one of those carts coming up behind me. I practically carjacked the driver and demanded that he get me to the C15. If I'd had to keep hoofing it, there is no way I'd have made the boarding. As it was, I raced up to the gate agent and was waved through immediately.

So, yeah, I'm not too happy with that part of the trip.From what I could tell, C gates and F gates are nowhere in the same time zone. It would have been nice that, since our deplaning was delayed, if the Delta gate staff had been more helpful.

To sum up, I find that it is worth it on long trips to upgrade to Dela comfort. I've seen other reviews that opine the extra leg room doesn't make up for the narrow seating but, in my case, it helped. Tall people will definitely want to have the extra inches. Of course, I was lucky to have such lightly booked flights. (Although, it wasn't much of an advantage to have a row to myself when I couldn't raise the armrests!)

There is an older (and better) review done by The Points Guy.

Peace
--Free

**RANT** Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Express 3

If you think we aren't being controlled by our electronics and gadgets, just let something happen to your computer or cell phone. Trust me, I know.

Galaxy Note 4

The day before I was set to travel here to Iowa, my Note 4 phone crapped out. It had been acting snitty for a few weeks - shutting itself down at random intervals and needing to be coaxed into turning back on - but I thought all it needed was a fresh battery. Bought a battery. Spent 30 bucks on a battery. Phone went from having a bad attitude to needing a spanking.

Of course, I searched online for help and suggestions. Apparently, mine wasn't the only Note 4 having toddler-tantrum issues. I found suggestions that actually worked:

• Take out the battery and hold down the Power button before re-inserting battery.
• Turn phone off and hold down the Volume Up button while pressing the Home button.
• Hold phone up to the sun as a sacrifice to Martin Cooper, then toss phone against a brick wall.

Okay, that last one... yeah, not so true.

I think an interrupted software update is what started these problems. Not that I interrupted the update, but that maybe the power went out (or my battery died) during an update. All I know is, I woke up one morning and realized that my phone was shut down (good thing I hadn't needed the Alarm to wake me). When I turned it on, I got a weird message on screen that was all nerd-speak: lots of red, white, and blue letters and numbers up left-top above an urgent message Not to turn off phone. 

Ohhh-kay...

I didn't dare shut the phone off for over an hour. Finally, I popped the battery out (only way to shut it down) and did a re-start. The phone worked fine. For about 2 days. Then the random HAL2000 stuff started happening.

Bricked this thang!

AT&T was zero help. They could only suggest sending the phone back to the manufacturer for a re-set. Great idea except that could take around 4 weeks. Since the phone did start occasionally behaving - with the Power-Home-Volume reboots - I let it ride. Keep in mind, I was in the middle of prepping for a move.

I could use my upgrade to the get S8, but I'm trying to hold out for the Note 8. Of course, 

Galaxy Express 3

Something told me that I might want to have a back-up plan just in case the dang phone decided to go from toddler-tude to teen-tude.  The only backup I could afford was this lovely little, er, phone:

If my broken phone had teen-tude, this thing was just straight out ADHD affected. But it was only $50 and that was all I could afford because my budget is so tight that it has zero circulation.

First, let me say that this is such a first-world problem that I should be ashamed of complaining. However, we do live in a society that is dependent on electronics. Because I would be traveling, I needed a phone to stay in touch. Also, my plane ticket, boarding passes, and luggage tracking were all e-based. 

My entire journey - travel and hotel - were controlled via a phone app. So you can see how I kind of needed a phone. Well, I got that Express 3. Only thing is, it can only be loosely referred to as a phone. Let me bullet-point the ways this phone has tried to convince me to check myself into a mental institution:

• I've used 8gigs storage on device, but it won't let me fully use the 4 gig external storage
• To take and/or share a photo, I have to delete one of my apps, then re-install afterward
• The sound quality is crap
• The picture quality is crap
• Dang phone is so small that I lose it in my purse, the car seat, the deep pockets of my jacket, etc.

Don't get me wrong - I am so glad to have a phone at all. But. Dangit!

If I take a photo and want to view it - let alone share it - I have to delete other apps just to work with the photo, move the photo off the phone to the cloud or other online storage, then re-install whatever app(s) I deleted just to do all of that.

sigh

For now, I have given up on having a decent phone until the Note 8 comes out but, boy, it's getting hard not to run down and sign up for an S8. The other day, I saw someone with a Note 5 and was tempted to offer a price for it. 

In the meantime, I am phone-feigning like an addict and chomping at the bit to show off some photos of my new hometown. Soon, my friends, soon.

Peace

--Free

Travel Tips From a Novice

Just a quickie post since I'm leaving on Thursday and won't post for a minute.

I'm not a person who travels a lot (and y'all know how I hate flying), but I have done my share. I thought I would pass on a few tips that I've learned over the past several years. (NOTE: Things change so none of this is written in stone.)

• 
• Check here to see what the rules are about what you can and cannot take on your flight!
• If you can, try to get luggage where the 2 main pieces match closely in size. Most airlines give you the same weight allowance for both bags (if you are given the option of 2 bags). This time, I get 50lbs for each of my 2 bags (for which I'm paying a very reasonable fee) and I was able to make the best use of every pound. 
• Make sure to "try on" your luggage and carry-ons before you leave. Make sure you can handle the luggage solo (should you have to) and that you are comfortable with the weight of your carry-on items. Can you hold or wear it all without straining your hands or body? Can you walk quite a way holding it all? Can you easily access your money, tickets, and other essentials? True story: I once found myself at DFW, trying to balance one piece of luggage on another because I  had started out with a travel partner who got sidelined during the return trip. It took forever to find a porter to help me out.
• If you are going for an extended stay somewhere (or if you are going to have a lot of excess luggage), it's cheaper at times to use USPS's Flat Rate boxes and mail things ahead. It's fast, insured (to a point) and you can even request items be held for pick-up.
• Invest in empty bottles and containers from the "dollar" shelf at a store. You can take a lot of essentials (shampoo/conditioner, lotions, etc.) by using the containers and tucking them throughout your luggage. Much easier to tighten up your packing space with smaller containers. 
• To save room in bags, you can tuck some things (like your containers from above) into socks or shoes,
• Never, ever pack your essential medications in checked luggage. You might get stranded at a layover, or your luggage could simply get lost or delayed. I had an aunt visit once and we ended up taking her to the local air base to get an emergency replacement of a daily med that was lost with her checked luggage. Her luggage was located - three days after her flight landed.
• Always keep a bit of cash on hand - but also keep a debit or credit card handy. Some (if not most) airlines don't accept cash for in-flight items.  If you don't have (or want a credit card), get a re-loadable Visa or MasterCard. These are available at most big box stores. (By the way, these cards are great for buying things online or applying for trial versions of services.)
• Unless necessary, don't dress to impress. That was fine when air travel was a major, major luxury. These days, you might get stranded somewhere or have to jog half a mile to a gate. Dress for cleanliness, comfort, and neatness. Comfy footwear is essential! If you do make the mistake of wearing tight shoes on a plane (or train, or long auto ride) do not take them off. Your feet might swell and then you have to get your dawgs back into those already tight shoes. (Trust me on this one.  I had a bad experience thirty years ago that I only was able to laugh at about 5 years ago...)
• Keep baby wipes, talcum powder, and deodorant in your carry on - even if you have to get the teensy-tiny trial/travel sizes. Again, you don't know what kind of delays you might run into. Baby wipes are good for freshening the body or, in some cases, getting small stains or lint off clothing. Talcum powder helps keep your body cool and fresh-smelling. I like to dress in layers when I travel (maybe a cami or t-shirt under my outer top) and I will dash the powder in between the layers to keep me comfy. 

• If you happen to have extremely long (or multiple) layovers, you might want to look into paying for a day pass to an airline club room. I detail my experience with one in this post. Well worth it if you are traveling at a personally stressful time or just want to treat yourself.
• Ladies, keep a bandana or headband or some hair clips in your carry on. You might start out having a good hair day but there's nothing like some unexpected stress to ruin that achievement.
• I also suggest not wearing a full face of makeup. Makeup can be drying. The canned in-flight air is drying. It's better to do a little touch-up just before landing on the last leg of your flight. You might want to dab your face with a wet towel or napkin to keep your skin happy.
• Enjoy the layovers. Don't just people-watch; try interacting with other travelers. Of course, you want to be careful, but how often do you get a chance to spend time around people from so many different places? 
• If you are a loner and want to kill time on layovers (or onboard), you can see if your local library has electronic reading/listening services for mobile devices. Make sure to fully download the books for offline use. (I use the Overdrive app to borrow audiobooks from my local library. After downloading the app, all I needed was my library card to sign in an.) You can use the Overdrive app on PC as well as mobile devices. Check a previous post about the app.
• Use the bathroom at every layover if you can. I don't know about you, but once I get on a plane, I don't like to leave my seat. Depending on your location, you're bumping and squeezing past other passengers coming and going. 
• This last tip is one that I am only half-sure about but it's always worked for me so I wanted to share it: Try to download the app for whichever airline you're traveling with. Whenever I have done this and gotten an electronic boarding pass, I've usually been given the wonderful, delightful gift of TSA Pre-check. I'm not sure if it's because of the electronic pass or the credit card tied to my ID and ticket, but it is lovely. I know that you can apply for and pay a fee to get the luxury of pre-check, but I don't have the budget for that. Only once did my pre-check status get ignored and I didn't mind at all because it was during a high-security alert. So, basically, I'm not sure how I got picked for the pre-check so I can't swear how it works. I'll see tomorrow when I do my check-in via the phone app.

For some of you, these tips are ho-hum but, for a lot of people, travel is not an everyday thing. I hope that these tips help make your next flight easier.

Keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I get ready to head out and into a new chapter of my life.

Peace

--Free