Seat 6D

It always matters. I’ve got an early Saturday flight today out of Atlanta and sam having then opportunity to witness a whole new concept of customer service.  In the past I’ve blogged about flight crews cutting in the TSA line. In that case, even though I log as many miles as a typical flight crew I was will g to gar t that give. Their pay structure, especially for flight attendants, they should be able to cut in line. What was annoying was the rude way in which they did.

Today, there are several flight attendants deadheading on my flight. I was standing at the front of the Sky Priority (oops, gave the airline away) line, and all of them moved in front of me pushi g me back. At first I assumed it was current crew, but no. They were non rev and merely felt it was their right to board first.

My problem with this is with the underlying culture it speaks of. All of us have witnessed the increase in passengers per plane, and along with that the reductio. In available flights. Many of us have participated in the extended holds on the Tarmac sitting on a hot plane so the airline could record an ontime departure, and, at the same time, keep the engines shut down to preserve fuel.

I have also watched flight crew keep their phones on, following a tight game, while at the same time admonishing us to power ours down.

Overall, I have good experiences when I fly. On rare occasions, I have great experiences. For example, I have never personally had a bad Southwest flight. There is a strong culture there of making sure their passengers remain more than loyal; that they remain advocates. Most of the legacy airlines however are still mired in the the thinking that a (diminishing value) frequent flyer program covers all sins.

I suggest that these airlines do one of two things; either have your staff take a trip on Southwest, or, send them to Disneyland to see what a difference a cast focussed on the customer experience can have.

I will apologize in advance to those rare crews that get it. You make a normal flight exceptional, and a bad flight bearable.  To the rest, think about what you do, and if you do cut in front of your passengers, at least smile and say “excuse me” or “thank you” so at least we feel we were politely dissed.

There is a phrase, put the customer first. Personally I think it depends. A company should put the employee first. That is the only way to build employees passionate enough to put the customer first. To all senior executives of the legacy airlines, I suggest you buy a pair of shoes from Zappos, or visit your local Trader Joe’s to see what an impassioned company experience feels like.  

Yesterday I suggested that anyone visiting Santa Fe make sure and plan on attending the Santa Fe School of Cooking. Well, it was so wonderful that I went back today for another class. Here is a summary of today’s fun.

Warm, spicy tastes and enticing aromas evoke Santa Fe’s rich cultural traditions. Three classes on the traditional foods of New Mexico are at the heart of the Santa Fe School of Cooking. These classes allow you to experience this delicious cuisine, including local cooking techniques and the lore of the region. This class includes corn tortillas, cheese enchilladas with red chile sauce, chicken enchilladas with green chile sauce, pinto beans, posole, and capirotada (bread pudding).

Todays class was taught by Chef Danny who brought an entirely new experience to the class. As Rocky did yesterday, Danny used the menu as a starting point and showed us how we could change things up to adapt the recipes as we desired. All in all, a great two days.

I’ll have more on the overall Santa Fe experience coming up, but one thing I have to draw note to. The people I have met here are quite possibly the most friendly people as a group of any I have run into in any of my travels. It makes getting up a joy every day.

I was fortunate enough to take a class today on Contemporary Southwest Cuisine at the Santa Fe School of Cooking.  I’ve long felt that the key to understanding a culture is through its food, and this class totally reinforced that theory. The class was over three hours in length, taught by Rocky Durham who made me re-evaluate everything I thought I knew about cooking classes and a lot about teaching in general. He is a native of Santa Fe who has worked around the world before returning home. The class was filled with loads of information on technique, and some of the history and culture that make up the basis for New Mexico Cuisine. Below is what today’s class covered.

Santa Fe’s unique cuisine melds the region’s rich cultural traditions with new ideas to create a contemporary style of Southwestern fare. You can experience this unique cuisine in depth, including the techniques of master chefs, regional lore and fabulous food: Smoked Pork Tenderloin with Red Chile Cider Glaze, Apple-Pinon Chutney, Tumbleweed of Sweet Potato, Braised Swiss Chard, Chipotle Corn Flan, and Mexican Chocolate Bistro Cake with Fresh Whipped Cream and Toasted Almonds.

If anyone is planning a trip to Santa Fe, I highly recommend taking whatever class is offered. It’s a once in a lifetime experience.

Had dinner last night with a good friend of mine, MF at Rioja in Denver. The restaurant is in the Lodo district on Larimer, and the chef/owner is Jennifer Jasinski. I’ve posted a few pictures up here of the food, and suffice it to say that it’s a must visit if you are in Denver. We had the Rioja Picnic, the Artichoke Ravioli and the Big Eye Tuna with Halibut Ceviche. The flavors were deep and delicious. We chose to eat at the bar which was comfortable and welcoming. The staff there knows the menu extremely well, and did not disappoint. When you are in Denver, make sure and stop by.