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Day 243/365: Top 10 Reason Why I Love Southwest Airlines

September 16, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines, flying home from Connecticut late July

I love Southwest Airlines! Just about everything about it, from the friendly staff, the easy, no hassle reservations on their website and even their phone customer service. I have never gotten my luggage lost with Southwest, nor have I ever been charged a luggage fee. Which didn’t used to be an issue, but now, it’s a hassle on every other airlines.

My first flight on Southwest was probably back in the 1980’s or early 1990’s and I’ve flown several airlines over the past thirty years.

  1. Flight Attendents are friendly and casual (no stuffy suits, and overdone makeup)
  2. Pre-flight announcements are normally random and funny (I actually listen)
  3. I get to pick my seat and who I sit next too for several hours
  4. Passengers are more laid back and relaxed than other airlines (maybe due to more casual travelers and less “business” people who are flying the “other” airlines)
  5. Never have lost my luggage
  6. Checking in is easy (first to use computer terminals at airports)
  7. On line reservations is easy, you know you’re getting the lowest price instead of playing the “pricing game”
  8. No change fees!! No change fees!! Did you hear me, no CHANGE FEES or PENALTIES!!
  9. No luggage charges (Hey other airlines, what’s up with that?)
  10. I notice all the employees help each other out and are friendly to one another. Gotta be the khakis and casual attitudes.

First, Break All the Rules: What the World’s Greatest Managers Do DifferentlyThe Southwest Airlines WayFlying LUV: Southwest Airlines Strategic Analysis

The latest reason I like Southwest, my youngest  son graduated Marine boot camp in early October. I made reservations, and a few days later I received a letter saying he would rather leave on a different day to come home on leave. I assumed I would have to pay a change fee for changing my flight. Considering the reason, my logic brought me to call customer service to plead my case a waive the change fee.

This was not needed. The customer service representative said there was no change fee and it’s very easy to change my reservation on line just by entering the confirmation number. No limit, no change fees and if the flight was cheaper I would get a credit. I reminded her I bought the cheapest “Wanna Get Away” Flight. Still no hassle, if the price was higher I would just pay the difference in the flight cost. She walked me through the website and by changing my reservation I actually saved over $200 on three flights by rebooking during their 2 Day sale. Awesome!

Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take ActionSouthwest Airlines 82 Success Secrets – 82 Most Asked Questions On Southwest Airlines – What You Need To KnowSouthwest Airlines Crazy Recipe for Success Nuts!Lead with LUV: A Different Way to Create Real Success

It gets even better.  The flight attendant on our flight from San Diego home gave a very touching welcome and tribute to the armed forces and our service men and women. She welcomed and thanked my son, the new Marine and gave him a angel medallion when he left the plane. I was so touched.

During my eleven year tenure at Oxbow Animal Health the book “Good to Great” was required reading. Without going into business philosophy on how this good company became great I’ll just tell you what I have seen and heard. There is the story about the elderly gentleman who needed help and a random luggage carrier took it upon himself to go above and beyond, find help, and make the decisions needed to satisfy a customers need.

Employees are empowered at Southwest to do the right thing, make decisions and make a difference. To have an impact on customer, make them remember you, make them remember a company is a philosophy every company should have. I have seen small things throughout the years on Southwest that make me smile. But how I was treated the past couple of weeks, and the ease of the transactions, just made me want to tell others. It was a much needed blessing in my very hectic past two months that made a difference.

Give a Southwest Airlines Gift Card to your favorite traveler $100

So here is to Southwest Airline, thank you for being customer friendly!

As as extra benefit Southwest flight attendants are not only friendly, but they are funny and people actually look forward to the pre-flight announcements. Unlike other airlines like Delta and American where most people ignore the safety brief. Enjoy the rapping flight attendant on Southwest.

What Makes Southwest Airlines Great?

Southwest Airlines to Keep a Lid on Bag Fees

Fly Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), and your bags will continue to fly along with you for free. That is the message CEO Gary Kelly had for attendees of a recent conference on business travel. According to The Los Angeles Times, which was reporting on …

Invisible Tribes — Where are Yours? | Small Sparks Big …

And we were off to the races… swapping Southwest Airlines stories and lots of laughs. Several stories later the plane was nearly full and a perky 30-something woman eyed the middle seat. Aisle Guy quickly got up and waited …

The Seamless Brand: Branding Guidelines: Brick by Brick

Branding books (including my own) use examples like Apple, Starbucks or Southwest Airlines; stories that don’t always resonate with small to medium sized enterprises, business-to-business companies, or industrial product …

Teaching us How to Listen, Lead… and Live

Tags: Carla Sprague, Duke Johnson, Granada Presbyterian Church, Influence, Jim Gasior, Jimmy Johnson, Joe’s Stone Crab, Lisel Allbee, Paul Ting, Peggy Gasior, Russell Maryland, Southwest Airlines, stories, University of …

11 of the Best Customer Service Stories Ever | Mental Floss …

… from design community Orange Hive – Vulcan PostIn “Branding”. At the CrossroadsIn “Life”. On my way: Part 1In “Life”. Amazon, Apple, branding, Lexus, marketing, Ritz carlton, Southwest airlines, stories Leave a comment …

Filed Under: Military Pride, Project 365, Travel Adventures Tagged With: 365project, airplane, Bargain, businesses, clouds, company review, Connecticut, flying, Marine Corps, Nebraska, planes, Product Review, project365, sky, southwest airlines, southwest airlines stories, travel

Day 226/365: Narragansett Inn, Block Island

August 5, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

The Narragansett Inn on Block Island RI was perfect for our I  “Girls Weekend/Mothers Get Away” on Block Island, Rhode Island.  This was a trip we had been dreaming about for over twenty years and it had to be perfect.   After many hours searching on the internet for a place to stay at an Inn that was very similar to a bed and breakfast with all the New England and coastal charm found in a travel magazine.

Narragansett Inn, Block Island RI

Karen Brown’s New England 2010: Exceptional Places to Stay & Itineraries (Karen Brown’s New England: Exceptional Places to Stay & Itineraries)Best Places to Stay: New England: Bed & Breakfasts, Country Inns, and Other Recommended Getaways — Eighth Edition

Our requirements:

  • Quiet location to relax (so we had to stay out of the Old Harbor area)
  • Near the water
  • Two beds (we like each other, but not that much…)
  • Private bath
  • Reasonable distance to the beach
  • Scenery (to satisfy my photography craving)
Narragansett Inn on Block Island
Narragansett Inn on Block Island

Many of the travel review sites did not have an overall favorable score, but I noticed in 2010 the reviews changed. Seems the original Mott family took over the management again in 2010, after an absence of many years, and starting in 2010 the reviews were the opposite of the previous years. So I decided to call, find out the rates and talk to the manager/owner, and I’m glad I did.

Block Island Sailing Canvas BagBlock Island KeychainBlock Island Fitted T-ShirtBlock Island Seafood T-Shirt

The infamous Narragansett Inn has returned to it’s glory days. Jim Mott, the latest of the 13 generations to live on the island is now the proprietor and  from what I could glean from several island residents, the island is happy for their return.

View from the front porch of the Narragansett Inn
View from the front porch of the Narragansett Inn

The rooms have all been renovated, and everything is clean and new. It’s still quaint, like an inn should be, you are on a New England seasonal island, so don’t expect five star accommodations. But do expect family hospitality, good food, a relaxing atmosphere, and views that will take your breath away. Our room had two beds, a private bath and was only $199/night. This is during high season when most of the rooms at Inns were $299 or higher.

 

The Narragansett Inn is one of the original Inns on the island with the main house being built in 1909. Our room was in the original farmhouse, built circa 1709 and we couldn’t have found a better place to stay.  The view of the Great Salt Pond was amazing, the sunsets spectacular and the staff extremely friendly. The bike rental shop was basically in the back yard and we had our choice of four restaurants within 100 yards.

It was a great place to kick back. put my feet up, read a book, and relax.

Put your feet up and stay a while on Block Island
Put your feet up and stay a while on Block Island

I could have stayed at on Block Island all summer. It was a perfect vacation, just too short.

More Information on the Narragansett Inn on Block Island

Ghosts of Block IslandBlock Island MapISLAND STRIPERS: A Fisherman’s Guide to Block IslandA History of Block Island: From Its Discovery, in 1514, to the Present Time, 1876 (Classic Reprint)

Margie O’Hara – A Creative Life: Narragansett Inn’s Outbuildings

This painting is from a photograph I took on Block Island, RI this summer. The Narragansett Inn sits on the shores of the Great Salt Pond with spectacular views of the marina. Behind the Inn are several simple outbuildings that …

Block Island Narragansett Inn – Block Island Family Vacation

The Block Island  Inn is located in new harbor, overlooking the great salt pond. The four buildings that make up the inn date back to the 1700’s. Accommodations consist of simple rooms with shared baths, some …

narragansett inn | Flickr – Photo Sharing!

Follow alan budney abphoto48 Member since 2006. Taken on November 8, 2002; 104 Views; 0 Galleries · abphoto48’s photostream (129) · northlight · uscg · · foreboding · the old movie house …

Block Island Inns – Block Island Family Vacation

The Harborside Inn, Water Street. Rates from $139 up details button · inn at BI Inn at Block Island, Old Town Road. Rates from $199 up details button paw. Hotel Manisses, Spring Street. Narragansett Inn, New Harbor. Old Bakery Inn, Water …

Filed Under: Project 365, Travel Adventures Tagged With: 365project, Bargain, bed and breakfast, Block Island, inn, memories, narragansett Inn, Photography, project365, Rhode island, travel, Vacation

Day 191/365: CraigsList Anyone?

June 15, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Anyone want to buy an iPod shuffle. My fiancee’s son won it at an end of the year party and he inherited his sisters iPod touch, so he doesn’t need it. for only $40 it’s yours, even comes with a $10 iTunes gift card.  Never been used or out of it’s case. I’m selling in on Craigslist in Lincoln NE.  If you’re local I can deliver it, if not I can mail it and arrange for PayPal payment.

Filed Under: Project 365 Tagged With: 365project, Bargain, postaday, project365

Day 190/365: Summer Wardrobe on A Budget

June 14, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

New Summer Wardrobe
New Summer Wardrobe

I love getting new clothes, especially when they are such a bargin. What’s the damage this time?

  • 5 pairs of shorts (two brand new from Casual Corner with tags $29.95)
  • 2 shirts (one with new tag $34.95)
  • 2 skirts
  • 1 purse
  • 1 summer book
Bargin Price!!
Bargin Price!!

A grand total of $21.50, juts the clothes with the tags were $96.00 retail. With bargains like this I can get a new summer wardrobe every year. Where did I find everything? My favorite thrift store, Bits N’ Pieces in Elmwood. Why would I ever shop retail with prices like this? I’m so spoiled.

Filed Under: Project 365, Small Town Living Tagged With: 365project, Bargain, bargins, budget, clothes, consignment, Photoshop, postaday, project365, sale, shopping, thrift, Thrift Store, wardrobe

Day 157/365: Senior Pictures On A Budget

May 11, 2011 by info@3QuartersToday.com

Senior Pictures
Senior Pictures

High School senior pictures can one of the biggest expenses of your son or daughters senior year.  Some parents pay thousands of dollars to professional photographers for pictures that are often dated and forgotten about just a few years later. If you’re on a budget is it really worth breaking the bank? They seem so important at the time. But, with the help of Hamilton Color Labs and my friend Beth at Vivid Image Photography I created a huge senior portraits package for less than $125.

Many photographers will now provide the original images on a disc and you can order prints at a variety of professional labs. That’s what Beth does. She started out taking portraits of her own boys and has expanded her hobby of photography to taking senior pictures for friends and family. For a small sitting fee she lets the senior pick the location and then provides them the original unedited images to do with what they wish.

Original SOOC

This bridge photograph was originally uninspiring, but I loved my son’s Marine shirt, so I cropped it down to the photo at the top of this post. I loved the tight crop, but since the cropping was drastic the resolution decreased. This I compensated for by creating a sepia effect, creating a blurred background layer, and printing it on a metallic paper at Hamilton Color Labs.

The result was stunning. The Marine wallet became his classmates favorite. My favorite senior portrait was the traditional shot sitting by the hay bale, until I saw the printed Marine wallet. Now the Marine print sits in the front of my wallet.

Top printed on metallic paper, bottom SOOC

Another favorite wallet amongst Davids classmates was the creek image, again printed on metallic paper.  The glaring sun in the original bottom photograph made it difficult to bring out his face and seemed to overwhelm the photograph. By changing the color tone and bringing up the blues in a separate layer this changed the focal point and the metallic paper gave the image a surreal effect which was perfect.

Senior Pictures

By far David’s favorite senior picture was hanging upside down in the barn. As a wallet it didn’t have the same impact, but made a great enlargement. There are those that like the “studio experience”, especially girls, the process mimics a model shoot. Many people don’t have the ability, or time, to edit or create post production effects, but I enjoyed this aspect.

With so many favorite photographs, it was hard to choose, but I didn’t have skimp. Since since I was ordering through Hamilton Color Labs in Omaha Nebraska I could have them all. A sheet of 8 wallets costs less than $3.00, and an 8 x 10 on professional Lustre paper was less than $5.00. Amazing! Check out their prices yourself. This photography lab is the same place professional photographers use, but hobbyist are welcome at this professional processing lab.

I’m not saying you shouldn’t use a professional photographer. There are benefits in their years of experience and camera investment. If I was add up all the post production hours experimenting and put a time value on the process it would be several hundred dollars. But it’s something I enjoy and the end result yielded compliments all the way around. It’s a personal senior gift from me and my best friend to my son.

Hamilton Color Labs

The people at Hamilton Lab are fantastic. My first experience was with Shelli when I brought in my digital files on a USB drive. Not only was she extremely helpful, but we had a lot in common and I felt I had made a new friend. In fact, we are now Facebook friends and she reads this blog. “Hi Shelli!” She has her own blog and loves trying new recipes, check out her cinnamon roll recipe, it’s to die for.

Shelli helped my upload my files onto the lobby computer, noted my sized wallets were smaller than the standard size and pointed me to their website where I could upload them from home. In less than a week the package of senior pictures was finished and I picked them up. Three 8 x 10’s, six 5 x 7’s and over one hundred professional rounded die-cut wallets for less than $40.00, can’t beat the price.

David Hamilton is the owner of Hamilton Color Labs and I met him just last week when I picked up some additional wallet reprints. My son had run out of the “Marine” and “Creek” senior wallets and needed more. We started talking cameras and he was very gracious and informative. The Hamilton Color Lab website offers soft proofing plug-ins for Photoshop on all their papers, and it does make a difference. The colors on your computer screen do not normally reflect how the photo will look on a metallic or Lustre paper unless you change the proof set-up. They explain soft proofing much better though.

I’m going to definitely use them again and look into their gallery options, mounting, framing, lamination services, and other photography services. They do provide nationwide service  so if you don’t live in Nebraska you can use their upload function and have it shipped.

Filed Under: Photography, Project 365, Small Town Living Tagged With: 365project, Bargain, Elmwood-Murdock, memories, Photography, Photoshop, postaday, Product Review

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