Travel Review: Etihad Business Class- Short Haul

Posted on February 5, 2013 by admin

My journey to “the other side of the world” (The Seychelles) started out simply enough- OMA-IAD-CDG-SEZ, all on SkyTeam. However, after I had successfully created a low-level SkyTeam award, Air Seychelles suspended their CDG-SEZ service. So there I was, most of my dream trip to the Seychelles planned- without a way to get there. Enter Etihad Airways.

The new plan was OMA-ATL-DXB, transfer to AUH, then AUH-SEZ (and back) with Etihad. I went all out on this trip, including paid J on Etihad. After several days in Dubai, my travel partner and I began the journey to the Seychelles. Since we had two business class tickets, we technically could’ve had our own Audis, but we decided to share. We were picked up by the Etihad Chauffeur service bright and early, and deposited at AUH shortly thereafter.

Upon arrival at AUH, we were whisked immediately to the First Class & Business Class entrance, where we were personally escorted through the airport and to a special security lane. We were given our invitation to the lounge, and enjoyed the expansive selection of food. I poked around and found the amazing shower:

The Pearl Business Class Lounge Ladies’ Shower.

Boarding in AUH was pretty disorganized, which was a bit of a disappointment, considering we were at Etihad’s home airport! We settled into our bright green seats -4A & 4B, for the short 4.5 hour flight almost due South on a very new A320. I ordered the lemonmint juice- a signature of Etihad’s in AUH.

The bright green awesomeness of Etihad J- seat 4D

Lemonmint Juice was amazing!

Our bird on the ground in SEZ.

For our mid-morning flight, we were offered a hot breakfast. Additionally we received fresh fruit, cold cuts & cheese, yogurt and breakfast rolls. It was a lot of food for a short flight. Service was attentive but not annoying. Time flew quickly, especially with some of the unique IFE choices.

French toast for me!

IFE choices on Etihad

10 days after arriving, we had to leave the Seychelles. Departing SEZ was much more organized than in AUH, though they only have one flight to dispatch, so I guess it’s much easier. We had a hot meal on our way back as well. I had the risotto, while my travel partner enjoyed the lamb. We were given lounge access to the premium lounge in Mahe, Fast Track Customs through AUH upon landing, and again a driver took us to our hotel in DXB.

Risotto for the mid-afternoon return flight.

Short haul “amenity kit” consisted of socks and an eye shade.

Fast Track through AUH customs- it worked- we were the first pax through!

The crew returning from SEZ was much better than the first crew, with Lead FA Andrew excelling in customer service. All in all, the short haul experience on Etihad was very good. Decent food, decent IFE, new planes, comfy recliner chairs… and a great lounge experience! I am eager to try their long-haul service at some point in the future.

And We Shall Call Her… TrvlinSalesMom?

Posted on January 24, 2013 by admin

For the past few years, I’ve been tweeting and blogging from the perspective of a frequent business traveler on the road 40+ weeks a year. Given that it’s a new year, and most likely due to the fact that I enjoyed my trip to Dubai way too much, there are a few changes happening in my world.

I’m expecting my first child this spring, so I’m mostly off the road. I’m working hard on figuring out how I’m going to fulfill my desire to travel with a child in tow. I’ll admit I get a little bit jealous when twitter friends tweet pictures from afar, or post boarding passes. Not to mention the champagne PDB’s I’m missing! I feel like in a short of time, my entire world has shifted. And it’s not a bad thing, just a change. Fortunately, my job is being pretty awesome, and they’re allowing me to “create my own destiny.”

So bear with me as I figure out my new identity on twitter. Travel is, and always has been, one of the most important passions of my life. I don’t see that changing any time soon. Perhaps I’ll blog my child’s first #mileagerun?

Soapbox Topic: Careers in Trucking

Posted on July 6, 2012 by SalesGal

There are very few things in life that really get me stirred up, and most of them won’t be shared on this blog. However, because there are a few that are relevant to my sales career, I’ve created my “Soapbox Topics.” The first one is below.

While driving back from the Dodson AvGeek tweetup, JL, Jaspreet, Fish, and I got into an interesting conversation about the vital part that trucking plays in the economy . I don’t think the average American realizes just how vital it is, though. Your food, your clothes, the materials that built your house- it’s all gotten to you because of trucks. It is absolutely a part of your everyday life.

So it pains me that people don’t actually consider trucking careers. I’m a perfect example of that. Though I grew up with relatives in the industry, it was never my desire to be like them. I have a degree in Journalism and Spanish- certainly not related to trucking.

But I took my first trucking job on a whim over six years ago, and I have absolutely no desire to ever leave. Trucking and transportation jobs are excellent- they’re stable (you can’t outsource truck driving!), they pay well and the people in the industry are some of the best I know. So please, if you’re ever considering a career change, or know someone who’s interested, let me know. I’m happy to talk for hours about the subject!

@trvlinsalesgal

Texting, Sales Gal Style

Posted on July 3, 2012 by SalesGal

Fair warning: the word nipples is used in this post. I promise it’s relevant for the important life lesson I’m about to teach you.

For the most part, my customers (99% male), are completely respectful of me. Many of them have wives and family themselves, so a lot of them are actually protective of me. That being said, being a female in a man’s world- once in a while, I get some odd ducks.

Take, for example, the following text I got one day:
Customer: “Hey, Sales Gal, how are your nipples?”

It took me about five seconds to formulate my response. This is the text conversation that followed:

Sales Gal: “I don’t talk about this, but I don’t have nipples due to a birth defect.”
Customer: “Wait, are you serious?”
SG: “Yeah, I used to be sad about it, but now I think it’s cool.”
Customer (no response for five minutes): “I don’t know what to say.”
SG: “Then stop talking about my nipples!”

He’s been professional ever since. So be warned, gentlemen: when you ask a non-work related question, expect a ridiculous answer!

RoadWarriors and Travel Schedules

Posted on July 1, 2012 by SalesGal

Today is Sunday, the “day of rest.” But instead of resting, I’m packing for a quick overnight trip. One of the downsides of being a RoadWarrior is that oftentimes, your schedule can be erratic, and dictated by your customers.

For example, one of my customers is having a problem with a new product installed in his truck. If you know anything about trucking, it’s that if a truck isn’t rolling down the road, it’s not making its company money. So I need to hurry down there and find a solution so this truck can start making money again.

The good part about all of this is twofold: first, my customer can see that I am committed to finding him a solution, and second, since I have the ability to plan my own schedule, I’ll still be home in time to celebrate the 4th of July holiday with my friends and family.

I generally think that having the ability to set my own schedule is one of the biggest benefits of my job. If there’s a week I absolutely want to stay home, then I do it. This job certainly affords me more luxury than typical office jobs I’ve had in the past!

@trvlinsalesgal

Tools of the Trade: Luggage

Posted on June 30, 2012 by SalesGal

Some women are obsessed with purses. And even though I can appreciate the quality and design of an awesome purse, there’s something else that keeps me up at night, obsessing: luggage.

I’ve been through approximately seven bags in two years (yes, seriously!), trying to find the right “set up” for my bags. While the other bags I had worked just fine, they weren’t exactly what I wanted. I started searching the internet for bags and finally settled on my current setup: a Tumi Vapor and a RedOxx CPA.

I can’t say enough about the two bags. My Tumi is durable, goes everywhere with me and fits in the small regional jets I often find myself in- which means no gate checking! The only flaw in my Tumi is that there is no outside pocket, so oftentimes I try to stash something in the outside of the suitcase, with no sucess. The RedOxx is a heckuva bag. It’s built in the USA, strong and I can even use it for an overnight. These two bags together make me a successful road warrior.

What luggage products keep you awake at night?

@trvlinsalesgal

#RoadWarriorProblems

Posted on June 26, 2012 by SalesGal

Frequent traveler and fellow road warrior Brian has launched a relatively new Twitter hashtag on twitter: #roadwarriorproblems. If you’re a roadwarrior, you know what we’re talking about. You get used to certain things on the road, like:

- Checking in to one of your normal hotels and always getting the same room,
- The hotel staff asking you how you’ve been since you were last there,
- Trading Christmas cards with your airline gate agents,
- Extra special snacks and treats in your hotel room,
- Knowing that if your upgrade doesn’t clear, your gate agent will get your fav seat, and
- Remembering to turn off the hotel room alarm.

On my first solo trip as a road warrior, I rolled up into Joplin, Missouri and checked in to my room for the night. Imagine my surprise, at 3:35 a.m., when the alarm started going off. I didn’t know where I was, what alarm was going off and it took me about 5 minutes to figure it out. By then, my next door neighbor was pounding on the wall and I was wide awake.

The next morning, I was tired, but I figured I had survived my first round of roadwarrior hazing. Also, a life lesson learned on my first trip: always check the hotel room alarm to make sure it’s turned ‘off!’

What are some “#roadwarriorproblems” you’ve encountered out there?

@trvlinsalesgal

Essential RoadWarrior Qualities

Posted on June 25, 2012 by SalesGal

Let’s face it, most of my friends are stay-at-home-moms covered in spit up and baby goo. While I certainly commend them for their difficult jobs, at this point in my life, it’s just not for me. Many of them ask me how I do what I do. Somedays, I’m just not sure. But most of the time, I think there’s certain qualities that you need to have as a road warrior:

- A sense of adventure
- The ability to adapt to any situation
- Be able to pack light, and
- Appreciate that home is wherever and whatever you make it.

I’m not saying that I don’t miss home. There are times I miss home so much I ache. But, as you settle into a routine as a roadwarrior, it’s easy to fall in love with the lifestyle- you’re getting paid to travel! On someone else’s dime! To a place you’ve never been before! If you work hard and accept being a roadwarrior, you can reap some really great benefits.

@trvlinsalesgal

How I Became Sales Gal

Posted on June 24, 2012 by SalesGal

I almost turned down the best job of my life. Like many of you, I was victim to the economic downtown. So there I was, mid-2010, unemployed and bored with my prospects. I had just walked out of boot camp, huffing and puffing, when my good friend JD called me.

“I’ve found you the perfect job,” he said. “It’s a sales…..”

And I immediately tuned him out. The thing is, all my life, I had this connotation that sales people were annoying. (Sometimes I still think they are, but more on that in another post!) I thought salespeople were sleazy, conducted bad work practices and it wasn’t something I wanted to be a part of.

But I had to be real with myself. While I had gone on many interviews, nothing seemed like the right fit. The fact that a close friend was recommending this job to me certainly made it jump up in status. So I interviewed for my current position sitting in a car while running errands- going to the bank, grocery shopping, etc.

As luck would have it, my friend JD pushed me just enough for me to leap before I thought about it too much. And here I am, two years later, a female road warrior.

@trvlinsalesgal

TrvlinSalesGal

Road Warrior, Female Style

Travel Review: Etihad Business Class- Short Haul

And We Shall Call Her… TrvlinSalesMom?

Soapbox Topic: Careers in Trucking

Texting, Sales Gal Style

RoadWarriors and Travel Schedules

Tools of the Trade: Luggage

#RoadWarriorProblems

Essential RoadWarrior Qualities

How I Became Sales Gal