Airline Travel Tips From A Delta Airlines Flight Attendant
For 27 years, my friend Cille has been a flight attendant with Delta Airlines. She has clocked in, probably, millions of miles and has traveled extensively for free on standby with her husband and two children as well. She is a wealth of information when it comes to air travel tips.She knows a whole lot about flying in an airplane, long and short distance. Having two children of her own and serving thousands upon thousands of passengers… from Los Angeles to Tampa, Memphis to Chicago, New York to Atlanta… the destinations are different but the nature of her work is the same.I asked her to share some tips and lessons learned from her 27 years experience and am so glad she did.Parents, your feelings transfers and shows in your children:One of the most interesting thing she said was, if a parent is afraid of flying, somehow that fear will transfer to little children. Parents with anxieties, unprepared and tense during flights and travels are the ones who usually have children that are difficult and ‘troublesome’.It does not matter what age your children are, parents who are calm will have happy little travelers.Importance of snacks:The days of free drinks, free snacks and food are long gone. Since airlines are cutting back on free things, Cille continues by saying the need to bring your own snack for local or international travels. You may not have enough time to grab a snack at the airport and usually the prices at the airport and in the airplane are way higher than what you could get at your local grocery store.Plan ahead and get plenty of snacks for your children.Don’t forget the baby formulas and food:There are times when parents with babies did not bring enough baby food and baby formulas. That could be devastating if the child needs a certain type of baby formulas. Usually the airlines have ‘emergency supplies of baby formulas’… but what if the child is allergic to the type they carry?Bring baby formulas, baby food and extra diapers. Have ample time to prepare ahead.Something to drink always:”Mom, I’m thirsty,” kids crying in the background. With the airlines restrictions on liquid, parents and guardians with children need to prepare enough water for the flights.Cille said parents should always prepare for enough snacks and water for the unforeseen circumstances of delay or lack of suitable snacks carried by airlines or in the airport terminal.Your carry-ons and overhead compartments struggles:These days with baggage fees, most passengers carry the maximum size carry-ons. Those that board last may find the overhead compartment bins taken. Usually passengers are frustrated with the crowded planes and lack of space for carry-ons.Most airlines, including Delta Airlines, provide free service to passengers who have no space for their carry-ons. Airlines will accommodate carry-ons for free. Of course, you need to know the maximum size and weight of your carry-ons you bring on board.One good tip is to get duffel bags or soft bags you can place underneath your seat if the overhead compartment bins are full. Soft duffel bags take up little space and are more flexible for storage.Remember seat assignments for the whole family in advance:With airlines cutbacks, Cille has been noticing most flights are full in capacity. Families who do not have seat assignments in advance may be sorry at check-ins because of the separations of seats between parents, children or both.It is important to have your seat assignments in advance to avoid disappointment and inconveniences.Something to occupy their time:Children of any age and adults as well need to have ‘something’ conveniently placed in their carry-ons or small bags at all times. Bring books, little toys, hand-held games, laptop, iPod, iPad… anything that can occupy their time and your time.Extra clothing and undergarments for a day:Tuck in a Ziploc bag essentials (toothbrush, tooth paste) and extra clothing and undergarment for a day. If your baggage is mishandled, you have something to change into for the day. Or if a child spilled a drink, he or she will have a set of dry and clean clothes to wear throughout the flight.Tips on unaccompanied minor:Flying and traveling on an airplane is a great experience for children and adults. Delta Airlines and most other airlines have complimentary unaccompanied minor programs for children 5 years and above. A child between the ages of 5-8 can travel on a direct flight unaccompanied. Children above 8 years old can travel unaccompanied on flights with connections.Happy traveling.
7 Tips for Choosing a Property Management Company
#1 Choose a company that knows the local market.
Knowledge of the local market means that your property manager knows what renters are looking for. If your property management company is a good one, they will think of the property as if they were a renter. Making smart and cost conscious recommendations to the owner that will increase overall return while improving the property so that it becomes more desirable, will help increase rental rates, lower turnover and decrease vacancy. Your property management company should make sure that your property always stays competitive in the leasing market. This knowledge will help maximize your rents while minimizing your time-on-market.#2 Set up a meeting with the property manager and make a plan.
If the property management company you are choosing is a good one, they will set up a meeting with all new property owners and make a game plan. Getting to know your property manager will help improve the interaction and can give both the owner and the property manager a good idea of how they will work to improve the return for that property. Each property plan is different and is based on the goals, plans, and budgets of the owners. Designing a property plan that is right for each owner’s needs is the key to successful property management.#3 Don’t take our word for it… ask our clients!
Nobody can give a better picture of the company’s service than a current customer. Ask your property management company to give you the names of three clients with similar properties. Get in contact with those people and ask them questions that you feel are important to the success of your property. They can tell you best and can usually give a good picture of the strengths and weaknesses and their contentment with the service.#4 Make sure you’re getting premium customer service.
Probably the most common complaint about management companies, both from tenants and owners, is that their customer service is terrible. Wouldn’t it be great if you could reach your manager whenever you needed? Choosing a property management company that strives to offer great customer service and actually delivers will mean the difference between headaches and satisfaction. Good customer service is something you should expect and a company with good customer service has to make sure the other aspects of their business are on point because they are always telling you about it. Keeping owners informed with frequent communication about the market and how their property is being managed is necessary in any management relationship.#5 Show me the money!
Property management companies typically collect rents between the 1st and 5th of each month. It should take no longer than eight days to collect rents and prepare all monthly statements for each property. That money is the property owner’s and should be in their bank accounts as quickly as possible. Earning interest on the rental revenue can really add up in the long haul. Some management companies will try and keep the revenue in their account as long as possible so that all interest earned is earned in their accounts, not the owners. We don’t do that. Our job is to collect your money, not hold onto it.#6 Make sure your management company knows accounting.
Accounting for revenues and expenses with investment property can be a difficult task. Organization and great accounting skills will ensure your property management company is accounting for your property correctly. At the end of the year when tax season comes up, all of your income and cash flows should be easily accessible and in the correct order to make your tax paying easy.#7 Your management company should maintain good relationships with tenants.
Your management company should keep up good relationships with their tenants. Tenants are a customer of the property and should be treated as such. Keeping happy tenants results in lower turnover, which means lower re-leasing fees for homeowners. Happy tenants will also make releasing much easier because they tend to keep homes cleaner and are easier to work with when it comes time to show homes to new prospective tenants. A reputable property management company with a good name in the eyes of the tenant is not easy to come by. Choose a company that cares, it will increase your property’s return.
Unleash the Woman in You With Boudoir Photography
A lot of people may not be agreeing to this, but according to a number of men, women are at their sexiest when they are just about to go to bed. This might be actually true since a lot of women have actually looked their best in their negligee and lingerie. This can be proven by many celebrity stars which initiated the “bedroom look” and succeeded. Perhaps this may sound taboo for some people, but this kind of look is the ultimate expression of a woman’s sensuality. This is probably the reason why the boudoir photography came about.Boudoir photography is practically an expression of womanhood caught in still pictures. It is a set of sensual images done in negligee or lingerie. Other people refer to this type of photography as glamor photography as well. Ever since the great Marilyn Monroe became an instant hit as a pinup in a glamor magazine, many have been inspired to follow suit.While the idea of barely clothed women and beautiful bodies clad in flimsy lingerie seem very erotic for other women; boudoir photography has slowly gained its momentum, and is in fact accepted by the majority of the community already. Although this concept has been considered as anti-feminist in the past, this has been gradually corrected as the society realized the artistic aspect of Boudoir photography.In fact, Boudoir photography is considered by most people as an expression of womanhood and a way of liberation for women. It is so because in this type of private and intimate photography, a woman is given all the chances to unleash all the femininity within her. Definitely, there is nothing wrong with this because this aspect of women is what separates them from men. It is through Boudoir photography that a woman is made to feel good about her body, and made confident about herself.In London, there are many professional studios which offer excellent Boudoir photography. With the objective of making every woman feel special, these studios offer the best packages and assistance that any woman can ask for. In fact, photography sessions are taken at the convenience of the client considering all the needs and preferences of the client as well. Since most of these studios include hair and make-up, there is practically nothing left for the client to do except pose in front of the camera and be the woman that she dares to become.Since such photography is sensual, sessions are kept private including the image gallery as well. Every client is guaranteed of full privacy and confidentiality of photography sessions. Moreover, women of all shapes and sizes are most welcome in any Boudoir photography. After all, this type of photography is all about women and the celebration of femininity.