StringGrrl sees the World

A pleasant surprise as we (StringGirl and Eric) board another flight to Europe today. The red jacket (delta customer service rep) who took care of me last flight-a scant two weeks hence-was working my gate again. It gave me a chance to pass on the "me delta awards" points voucher I wanted to share with him last time (he found me a upgrade into the big seats in that last overbooked flight). This time Abdul (pictured on the far right) gave the points to Derek the gate agent today, who also scrounged up an upgrade today. Derek (second from right) and Steve (left) took a moment to pose for a shot with the StringGirl. Regretfully, Delta only gives us a few of these Delta Awards to give each year and I have only a few more to give. Once again, the personal touch means a lot and the fact that an employee who sees thousands of faces a day, can see me once a month and recall my name, destination, and how long it has been since I have seen him. It shows a level of customer service th...

http://struxtravel.com/ posted a photo essay of Bridges that inspired by to look in the photo archives and see what others I might have: Big Mac (the Mackinac Bridge, MI from Lower Peninsula to Upper Peninsula) St Charles (i think) Bridge Prague  Some Bridge in Frankfurt Germany Pont duGard (Souther France near Nimes) Arasmusbrug Rotterdam Erasmusbrug (in the daylight) Search for Travel Deals   Outside Magazine Gear of the Year Summer 2010: eBags Mother Lode TLS Junior

As a frequent business travelers with "elite" status on a major carrier, we are wooed with ever more alluring bids for our business. For the longest time I had looked at such "perks" as empty and shallow ploys at getting my loyalty (read dollar) into the coffers of this airline or that. Customer service superstars from Delta However, recently I have seen the light. Elite status is nice; access to lounges, upgrades to business (on domestic flights mostly but that's a different topic), free bags, etc. The perk that has meant the most is getting to know some of the professionals that keep the airline running. Most recently this was reinforced for me when i recieved a call from my friendly neighborhood "Red Coat" (disclosure: I fly Delta) on a Sunday afternoon as I raced through Costco. He wanted to see if I could drop by the airport a speak to the other Delta service reps at DTW about my experiences as a Diamond Medallion member. Give my feedbac...

Flying out of the airport on the early flight is never easy; checking out early, getting the shuttle to the airport, checking in, and then flying out. Rarely have i managed to feel rested after such a night. That is all different now when StringGirl flew out of Dusseldorf Flughafen (Airport). First of all, the Maritim is smack dab in the middle of the Dusseldorf Airport campus (not airside but just outside the concourses). So if you want you can sleep until the last minute and just take a short walk to the airport. The hotel is one of the nicest i have stayed in on a airports premises. It has a large sweeping lobby nicely appointed and modern. Directly you see that their are multiple restaurants inside the atrium-like lobby, with seating in the atrium or their dining rooms. StringGirl opted for the Sushi place for a bowl of Udon with tempura and a few spicy tuna rolls. One might not expect to find reliable sushi in Germany but the Dusseldorf Sushiso restaurant did not disappoint. A ...