What airlines do poorly and Disney does so well

Name: Budget Travel LLC
Price range: $

By Sean O'Neill

October 3, 2012

Why is it so annoying when an airline charges you a fee at the airport or on the plane, such as $15 fee for checking a single bag?

The most interesting explanation I've read so far comes from marketing guru Seth Godin.

He says there's a problem with "bait and switch" selling tactics. He says that when the airlines charge you one price up-front, and then hit you with a baggage fee at the gate, they "have to be very careful to apply the fees equally because people hate being treated worse than everyone else."

For example, if you feel that you've carried the same bags onto flights without being charged in the past, or think that the person in front of you escaped from having to pay a charge for a similar bag, you'll feel resentful for having to pay a fee. Yet here comes Seth's truly insightful point:

A key lesson from Disney:

When there is both pain and pleasure associated with your service, work extremely hard to separate them by time and geography.

Disney charges a fortune for the theme park, but they do it a week before you get there, or at a booth far far away from the rides. By the time you get to the rides, you're over it. The pain isn't associated with the fun part.

Airlines, on the other hand, surround the very thing they sell (getting you home) with armed guards, untrained TSA agents, long lines and sneering gate agents eager to take your money when you have absolutely no expectation or choice and when your stress is at its highest. This is a problem in the long run.

Do you think the airlines could learn from Disney in this--or any other--way?

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Few people are as adept at traveling on a budget as classical musicians, especially when they're on tour. Being musicians, they tend to visit culturally vibrant cities and towns and seek out reliable hotels in artsy neighborhoods. I sometimes scroll through the blogs of some classical musicians to see what funny experiences they have on the road and what trends they're noticing. Does the following story from one classical musician Nico Muhly strike a chord with you? Something to think about: When traveling (or sometimes when not) there are a lot of moments where you approach somebody in a position of some sort of authority, say, a hotel clerk. You brandish your paperwork, you give her your last name. She makes a FACE, and it's this FACE that I want to explore for a second. The FACE is like, "Oh, I don’t think we have your reservation." Even if it lasts a microsecond, that face is the difference, I think, between Okay Service and Not Okay Service. Seeing that face is completely devastating, especially after complicated travel. I got that face yesterday about seventeen times, attendant to every appointment I had. Have you ever experienced this? Or is this peculiar to him?

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Quebec toasts its 400th anniversary this year with several quintessentially Canadian events. Tomorrow, Friday, August 15, check out The Walking Road, which is a nighttime event that includes outdoor movies and a floating dance floor that extends over the St. Lawrence River, with acrobatics, fire effects, and high-tech projection screens showing artful images. During the day, you can stroll a new, one-and-a-half mile walking path along the St. Lawrence River, named Promenade Samuel de Champlain. Pass wharfs, marshes, gardens, interpretative trails, and tennis courts along the way. Ongoing through September 28: 11 out of 250 garden designers from around the world were chosen to create the 3,660-square-foot Ephemeral Gardens, a set of fascinating garden and art installations.

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Roadfood experts Jane and Michael Stern appear weekly on the public radio show "The Splendid Table" as well as run Roadfood.com. Here's what they have to say to BudgetTravel.com readers about roadside eateries: If you could eat only one chicken meal: deep-fried, pan-fried, Broasted, or Cornell? That's like asking Hugh Hefner if he prefers blondes, redheads, or brunettes. But if you held a gun to my head and forced me to choose (oh, what a great dilemma!), I would go for the pan-fried, especially if it was the pan-fried chicken served at Stroud's in Kansas City, where it is presented with crusty skin imbued with the flavor of chicken fat and as rich and savory as bacon. It comes with real, rugged pan-drippin' gravy, fluffy mashed potatoes, buttery-sweet cinnamon rolls and even superb chicken soup with homemade noodles and juicy shreds of thigh meat. Everything comes in big bowls meant for passing among friends and family. What is a region of the country with some of America's most delicious food? The rough triangle between Atlanta, Charleston, and Savannah is one region. In Atlanta, I would start my trip with fried chicken, pot likker (collard greens "liquor"), and plates full of southern style vegetables at Mary Mac's Tea Room. If you prefer classic old-style diners, drop by the Silver Skillet: ham and red eye gravy for breakfast, and some of the best lemon icebox pie anywhere. Of course, who can leave Atlanta without a visit to the Varsity, the world's largest drive-in restaurant, for a slaw dog or two? I don't know the route you are taking to Asheville, but I suggest you plot it so you can stop in Statesville at Keaton's for barbecued chicken—it is fried, then dipped in hot, hot sauce, emerging with a taste like no other. Charleston is an eater's paradise: seafood at Hyman's, great southern food of all kinds at Jestine's, and if you want an upscale version of Southern food, check out Magnolia's. Even more upscale, and pretty pricey (but very, very good) is 82 Queen. Oh, and the Hominy Grill must not be missed—for breakfast, lunch, or supper. In Savannah, be sure to have lunch at Mrs. Wilkes Boarding House. For many more tips along the way, check out Roadfood.com. There are state-by-state listings and maps showing where the restaurants are, as well as discussion forums where you can ask for suggestions. You can also check out our new blog Imagine a road trip from San Diego to New Jersey taking a Northern route there and a Southern route back. Can you recommend some not to miss, non chain places to experiences local foods Oh, my gosh. You could take 5 years to make that trip and not hit half the great eateries along the way. A small handful of must-not-miss opportunities that come immediately to mind are barbecue in Memphis (at Interstate, A&R;, or Cozy Corner), a green chili cheeseburger in New Mexico (at the Owl Bar in San Antonio) or a full-bore New-Mex meal at the beautiful and romantic Rancho de Chimayo north of Santa Fe. It wouldn't hurt to take a copy of our book Roadfood with you; that's what it's for! What's your advice for travelers looking for tasty food? Probably the biggest mistake is looking for something familiar. For us, the whole point of traveling is to experience the place we are, and that means eating the food people there eat, the way they eat it. That could range from Indian pudding in a Maine diner to carnitas tacos from a truck in South Tucson. In other words, be adventurous! Try new things! Meet new people! MORE FROM BT Answering our call, readers named the best places to eat like a local from sea to shining sea.

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