United We Fail

Although it sounds much like a political rant, in truth this post is about air transportation, specifically with United Airlines. I'm sure those who follow the blog know that I fly a lot. I've been a premium member for the past 5 years and am entering my third year as a 1K member with United, meaning that I have flown at least 100,000 miles with them each year for three years. So, when I say that the overall quality and comfort-level of traveling United Airlines has diminished significantly over recent years, I feel I speak with some authority.

So what's going on? Well, for starters I'm sitting here beside my wife and daughter, trapped in Washington Dulles International Airport. It doesn't help that this is by far one of the most sprawling and dysfunctional airports that I've had the misfortune to navigate on numerous occasions (by comparison, Reagan International Airport, seconds outside the beltway, is one of the best I've ever flown into or out of -- and the two airports are within 45 minutes of each other), but the real issue boils down to pure incompetence by United.

Shame on you, United. Today United Airlines has undermined what little confidence and loyalty I held for them. Having worked very hard to ensure that my two dogs, wife, daughter, nine pieces of luggage, 5 carry on items, car seat and stoller all would make it to Huntsville, Alabama; having gone so far as to split my travel over three days; having arranged seperate domestic flights to ensure that both dogs safely arrived at our final destination; having personnally called and spoken with the 1K extra special customer representative; having paid $800 in additional tickets for the dogs -- 5 in Narita and 3 here in DC; having done ALL of this, we arrive at the gate only to be told that the cargo hold is unpressurized and does not get air, so our dogs cannot travel this flight.

Please understand the gravity here; I spoke to no less than FIVE United Airline's representatives -- two in person, three on the phone -- to arrange this very complicated travel itinerary that got all of us to the final destination on the right day... not just spoke to, but had confirmation from FIVE United Airline's representatives, each looking into their trusty computers and confirming the plans and authorizations, only to be told at THE LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT - just 15 minutes prior to boarding - that the dogs, and therefore I, could not travel to Huntsville Alabama on this flight.

Let me say that I've been chewing on the idea of changing preferred carriers for a little while now. In truth, over the past three years I was pretty much locked into United as the carrier of choice between Narita and Seattle as well as Narita and DC. With so much required travel I've been fortunate to obtain top-tier status repeatedly and for three years I've received the literature and read the promises of soon-to-arrive newer-better-beautiful business class seating upgrades; and yet, each year has passed without so much as a fluffier pillow. I accept that Cathay Pacific or Singapore Air are just phenominally devoted to passenger comfort and that not every airline is willing to sacrafice as much to maintain such customer loyality. Still, I believe that the American Airlines upgrades are a good compromise to fiscal frugality and customer comfort, and that Delta's First/Business One-class concept offers a much better cabin and comfort for the mid-level ticket, if slightly less grandiose for the top-dollar traveller.

So I'm on to greener pastures. The immediate crisis will be resolved by switching destinations to Nashville Tennessee and renting two rental cars at my own expense (a United manager did try to get taxi vouchers for the trip, but was unsuccessful) to transport everyone and everything to Huntsville, about 2 hours south. I received a couple hundred dollars in travel vouchers, enough to reimburse me for the rental cars should I decide to fly Untied again in the future, but nothing that begins to compensate my time or inconvenience. So, from here-on out, when asked which airlines I prefer to travel on, United Airlines, you are no longer my carrier of choice.

Shifting to the Left

In the industry, shifting to the left means finishing early. A good thing in almost any situation. To the Troxels, however, shifting to the left has been hectic. It's hard work leaving a country. Sitting here with departure in T minus 12 hours, it's a little easier to look back and accept that we had to move our departure date to one day earlier; given the luggage requirements, the dogs, the baby, and everything that it takes to leave Japan free and clear flying All Nippon was not an option -- even though the time was more convenient.

Shifting to the left does come with its consequences. For instance, disposing of our cars is still not finalized and we're going to be squeezing it in tomorrow morning as a last minute event before departure. There was also a sending off party that was scheduled the day before our departure, which became the day of departure and ended up turning a celebratory and fond farewell into a hasty speech and a "so long" in brevity.

But the benefits outweigh the consequences. We'll be able to get both of our dogs to our new home city of Huntsville and we'll be there in time for me to check in and sign out on official travel. Mission accomplished.

Quite the parable, actually. Anything can be accomplished, but there will be compromises. In this case however, all things great and small have ended well.

Stay tuned, my next post will be from somewhere inside the United States of America (even if it is from one of the not-so-contiguous late bloomers.)

:j

Big News

After much consideration and prayer, I have decided on a change of career. This has been in the works for awhile and the efforts have finally paid off. I will be leaving the Department of Defense effective 17 October, 2008 and transferring to Boeing in Hunstville, Alabama.

sourced from Wikipedia.org

Believe it or not, even though I'm heading to work for an aerospace company, my day job will still be Navy related. I have signed on to be the Program Manager for the Ground-based, Midcourse Defense, Sea Based X-Band Radar system. Yeah, it's a mouth full, but what an amazing piece of machinery.

Things are going to get pretty heady as we being Monday with what we hope to be a one family transition within two weeks to the states. Anyone who thinks that's going to be easy needs medical attention: 2 Adults, 2 Dogs, 1 kid, 1 handicap (lest you forget I'm still in a boot), and a house full of stuff that has to get inventoried, packed, shipped, and all in less time than it takes to get a paycheck. Hold on tight folks, this is how we roll!

So, other than the obvious excitement, things are pretty much same old, same old. Just kidding. We are very stoked; not only are we heading back to the States, we're heading back to the South and much closer to family. And Boeing; yes, I know what you read in the Papers, but this Company really has something here. The people we've met during the on-site visit, the phenomenal scope of work they do under one corporate roof... there's a very exciting feeling about joining a new family and heading to a new home.

We'll miss the many many friends we've made over the past decade, and especially those that we're leaving behind here in Japan. But we look forward to many new friends--and our doors are always open to visits from old friends.

I'll do my best to keep you posted. Not that I've been the best at posting as frequently as you, the reader, deserve; but you'll understand that during this transition, posting will be squeezed in-between the other daily chaos.

Wish us luck!

:j

Home Sweet Home

The culmination of two year's worth of work I've been doing here in Japan has finally arrived. The USS George Washington arrived in Yokosuka, Japan this past week and it was quite the party! Many of us from the Carrier Program Office spent the day up on the roof top watching the arrival. A few pictures to share and a few more next post.

Oh, and a quick update on the ankle: I'm now at 100% weight bearing with a brace and make short trips around the house without the brace. The healing seems to be going well though there is a small bit of pain from the screws in the bottom of my heal. It's a huge relief to be off the crutches and every day is a noticable improvement. I go in the week after next to get a (hopefully) final set of xrays and to establish some physical therapy.

Without further ado, the USS George Washington:

100 Days Old

There are certain inalienable rights as a parent, those solitary moments of joy and victory when you just know that the picture you've taken will be shown in giant 20 foot by 20 foot glory at your child's wedding reception. Yeah, the above is definitely one of those wondrous moments.


It's hard to contemplate that it's been a full 100 days. Or maybe it's hard to imagine it has ONLY been 100 days.

Who Would Have Believed It?

PLUS

EQUALS

(!)


ISN'T THAT SO

(?)


EVERYBODY SAY

(.)

What I Learned in School Today

Customer Service: (The Ugly Truth About Customers)

• The customer is self-centered


• Customers often do not notice good service; but they always notice bad service.


• Satisfied customers tell, on average, only one other person about their positive experience; dissatisfied customers will tell up to twenty others about their poor experience


• The customer is not concerned with, and does not care about, the day-to-day problems inside the organization.


• Customers are usually not interested in whether you are "trying hard"


• Customers do not want to have to learn your "organization chart" to interact with your organization.


• There is no such thing as long-term customer loyalty (unless your Apple); it is circumstantial, fragile, and fleeting. (take note Steve Jobs)


• The customer is always carrying an invisible, often unconscious, "report-card" on your organization around in his/her head; but you'll rarely know what it says unless you ask.


• It is not enough just to give good service; the customer must perceive the fact that he/she is getting good service.

- Karl Albrecht and Ron Zemke, Service America

A Customer is the most important visitor on our premises.

He is not dependent on us; we are dependent on him.

He is not an interruption to our work; he is the purpose of it.

He is not an outsider to our business; he is a part of it.

We are not doing him a favor; he is doing us a favor by giving us an opportunity to do so.

- Mahatma Gandhi

Good stuff to ponder.

Nothing Yet

Is it just me? Sure, that's a loaded question so let me explain. Being back in the States I've been watching some TV in my off hours working on my SRF leftovers and I saw this Ford commercial for some new cross over something or another - that part isn't important - and they were touting, no bragging, nay PROUD to emphasize their 24 miles per gallon fuel efficiency. Someone is definitely not getting the message. I point out the Ford vehicle because I like Ford so I was drawn to pay more attention to their product than say the top 10 best fuel economy automakers:

Mini - 27.66 MPG averaged from 12 vehicle models
Honda - 23.81 MPG averaged from 27 vehicle models
Chevrolet - 23.36 MPG averaged from 88 vehicle models
Lotus - 22.33 MPG averaged from 3 vehicle models (Lotus makes sports cars)
VW - 22.21 MPG averaged from 28 vehicle models (Bugatti not included here)
Pontiac - 22.20 MPG averaged from 24 vehicle models
Saturn - 22.14 MPG averaged from 21 vehicle models
Kia - 21.80 MPG averaged from 20 vehicle models
Suzuki - 21.77 MPG averaged from 18 vehicle models
Toyota - 21.60 MPG averaged from 55 vehicle models

Is anyone else worried about these numbers? Heck the worst of the worst, the world's fastet car, the Bugatti Veyron get's 10 miles per gallon or roughly half that of the 10th best the industry has to offer.

Okay, so sure, these are fleet averages and companies like GM and Ford are weighed down by their "Huge Honkin' Trucks" (- a technical term.)
So let's look at the "Best of the Best" individual cars: Hybrids included.

Model ---------------------------- City (mpg) -- HWY (mpg) -- Combined (mpg)

2008 Toyota Prius ---------------- 48 ---------- 45 -------------- 46
2008 Honda Civic Hybrid -------- 40 --------- 45 -------------- 42
2008 Smart Fortwo --------------- 33 ---------- 41 -------------- 36
2008 Nissan Altima Hybrid ----- 35 ----------- 33 -------------- 34
2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid ----- 33 ----------- 34 -------------- 34
2009 VW Jetta TDI --------------- 30 ---------- 41 --------------- 34
2009 Ford Escape Hybrid -------- 34 ---------- 30 -------------- 32
2008 Toyota Yaris ----------------- 29 ---------- 36 -------------- 32
2008 Mini Cooper/Clubman ----- 28 ---------- 37 -------------- 32
2008 Honda Fit -------------------- 28 ---------- 34 -------------- 31

So yeah, some of those numbers are respectable as a basis for the new fuel paradigm. But realizing that the new Congressional fuel economy numbers for 2020, a mere and pitiful 35 mpg, exceed 7 of the top 10 fuel performers... it's enough to feel a little doomed.

I'm an engineer and I just don't get it. The US automakers are going bankrupt; the price of gas has widely impacted the economy in addition to reducing the overall "miles driven" by record margins impacting our nations highway funds, the ecological impacts of carbon emissions on the environment are at world wide crisis levels ... and Ford, my Ford, First On Race Day, Ford is proud of 24 miles per gallon? Really? Huh.

How about plug in Hybrids? The technology is there; commuter traffic would benefit hugely from the plug in technology, mpg numbers would soar.

Newer and lighter materials? Do we still need 4000 pound cars and trucks? Where's all that carbon nano-tube technology when you need it?

How about some of those newer desiel technologies... or hey, how about a hybrid desiel combo?

What about something radical like computer assisted driving that could couple cars in long aerodynamic chains, reducing wind resistance - one of the largest opponents of fuel economy?

Why not offer fuel credits for carpooling? Maybe half price gas for validated carpools of four or more people.

My guess is that there is no shortage of fuel economy ideas out there; but who's going to be the company that implements a real change?

Catching up is Hard to Do

The foot, or should I say ankle, is good and I'm partially weight bearing now. If all goes according to plan, I'll be crutch - free in about three weeks. I'm wearing a supportive brace and that will be on just a bit longer, but all in all the doctor's prognosis was that things were doing very well.

More later; I gotta run to work.

:j

And the Beat Goes On

Some recent photos of Cadence. Much more to share, but not a whole lot of time. I'll be traveling next week and will have a little extra time on my hands. Until then, here's some of our favorites.

I'm so Hungry I could eat a...

All right, but next time I pick the show.

Where's Waldo?

This is my princess face.

This is my angel face.

Do these pants make my legs look long?

This is my movie star (incognito) face

I'm ready for my close up, Mr. De Mille