Comments on: Choo Choo Man http://www.contrarianconsulting.com/choo-choo-man/ Architect of Professional Communities® | Alan's Blog Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:34:45 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Sam http://www.contrarianconsulting.com/choo-choo-man/#comment-1670 Sam Sat, 06 Dec 2008 20:07:55 +0000 http://www.contrarianconsulting.com/choo-choo-man/#comment-1670 Airlines have transformed the best way to travel into the worst way to travel by treating its customers as a nuisance. Starting from security checks, unreliable schedules and delays, to ever-increasing trend to make traveling with luggage (even carry-on luggage) as uncomfortable and unnerving as possible. I also take the train or just drive myself in my ULEV vehicle (which gets better mileage than hybrids on the highway, has more room and it is far more comfortable). Also, I know when I am going to arrive when I don't fly. As you mentioned, modern technology makes it easy to be there even without physically being there.. Airlines have transformed the best way to travel into the worst way to travel by treating its customers as a nuisance. Starting from security checks, unreliable schedules and delays, to ever-increasing trend to make traveling with luggage (even carry-on luggage) as uncomfortable and unnerving as possible. I also take the train or just drive myself in my ULEV vehicle (which gets better mileage than hybrids on the highway, has more room and it is far more comfortable). Also, I know when I am going to arrive when I don’t fly. As you mentioned, modern technology makes it easy to be there even without physically being there..

]]> By: Peter Bodifee http://www.contrarianconsulting.com/choo-choo-man/#comment-1661 Peter Bodifee Sun, 30 Nov 2008 07:03:25 +0000 http://www.contrarianconsulting.com/choo-choo-man/#comment-1661 When thinking about the first flight I ever took I recall that we dressed up for the flight and where treated as if we were royals. Back in those days (early 70s) a transatlantic flight would stop at every island en route due to fuel supply and (lack of) fuel efficiency. So a journey that is now done in 9-10 hours took 24 hours. Quite some time to kill. And the masses took a ship who did the same journey in 14 days. The captain was the absolute authority and only God had more power. Passengers behaved as if they were invited on a party by some celebrity. There was no on-board movie or music. People sat together, read a book or talked (if you were not too close to the engines). The flight attendants would check regularly if everything was all right with the passengers. Off course there was food on real china and with real cutlery. And drinks in glassware. And kids were allowed to see the pilots in action. Making flying available to the masses in the late 80s certainly did change the travel experience, not always in a positive way. It made people from all over the world a little closer and created a more global world, but the down side is that certain professionals where expected to travel (read fly) to any imaginable location. Modern information and communication technology makes it possible to work remotely for almost any knowledge worker. This is not only better for the worker with respect to his well being but also for the environment. The only thing that needs to happen is that managers in organizations start changing their operating modes. Then all these people that have to fly now will likely fly a lot less. And air travel can return to the experience as in the 70s. Who knows. When thinking about the first flight I ever took I recall that we dressed up for the flight and where treated as if we were royals. Back in those days (early 70s) a transatlantic flight would stop at every island en route due to fuel supply and (lack of) fuel efficiency. So a journey that is now done in 9-10 hours took 24 hours. Quite some time to kill. And the masses took a ship who did the same journey in 14 days.

The captain was the absolute authority and only God had more power. Passengers behaved as if they were invited on a party by some celebrity. There was no on-board movie or music. People sat together, read a book or talked (if you were not too close to the engines). The flight attendants would check regularly if everything was all right with the passengers. Off course there was food on real china and with real cutlery. And drinks in glassware. And kids were allowed to see the pilots in action.

Making flying available to the masses in the late 80s certainly did change the travel experience, not always in a positive way. It made people from all over the world a little closer and created a more global world, but the down side is that certain professionals where expected to travel (read fly) to any imaginable location.

Modern information and communication technology makes it possible to work remotely for almost any knowledge worker. This is not only better for the worker with respect to his well being but also for the environment. The only thing that needs to happen is that managers in organizations start changing their operating modes. Then all these people that have to fly now will likely fly a lot less. And air travel can return to the experience as in the 70s. Who knows.

]]>