The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide

What are your favorite Thanksgiving memories?

One of my favorite Thanksgiving memories is recalling the times my family traveled to Cashmere, Wash., to celebrate with my great-aunt Mable Kenyon and my aunts and uncles.

The food was fantastic. Wonderful turkey and trimmings, homemade bread, and pies of all kinds.

We’d load up our 1938 Chevrolet and head off for the one-hour trip to Cashmere. When we moved up the Columbia River to the Wenatchee Beebe Orchard Company near Chelan, it was a two-hour trip.

I also enjoyed cooking Thanksgiving dinners when my kids were older and my parents weren’t gathering with my father’s family anymore.

Then, when my parents grew older, I had great fun preparing Thanksgiving dinner for them. I’d put a turkey in a big ice chest, with ice, and head to Wenatchee.

After my dad passed away, I’d gather items to take for the dinner, but buy a turkey, duck, or goose at the nearby Safeway when I got to Wenatchee. I spent a lot of time with my mom after my dad died. We enjoyed each other very much.

What were your best and most enjoyable Thanksgiving celebrations? Being with relatives or friends? Traveling to visit loved ones? Volunteering at a community gathering? Taking a vacation?

Leave me a comment below about your Thanksgiving memories.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

How to take photos of fall colors

The fall colors in the Pacific Northwest are beautiful this year. I’ve spent hours in and around my community taking photos.

Here are my top 10 tips for taking photos of fall colors:

1. Start early.

Keep an eye on the trees and bushes so you’ll know when the peak of their display is happening. While photos of piles of leaves are interesting, photos of trees with many of the leaves on the ground show your readers that you didn’t get there in time.

2. Watch the weather.

In the Pacific Northwest, we’d had a lot of rain this fall. I had to dash out several times when the sun peaked out to work on my fall colors photos. I also took photos on overcast days. Gray days can work well, as they allow the fall colors to pop out.

3. Make a list of the attractions in your community and think through the best way to photograph the fall colors near them.

I spent several hours on Tumwater Hill looking for a place I could photograph the legislative building, the domed building in the Washington state capital of Olympia. A few days later, I found two much better spots to photograph it: from the other side of Capitol Lake and right on the capital grounds.

4. Focus on an interesting item.

Select a tree, rock, fence, or building and put it in for foreground, off to one side. It will add depth to the photo with the fall colors providing a framework.

5. Go out in the early morning and the late afternoon.

The light and shadows at these times of day add depth to photos. In addition, early morning is one of the best times to photograph fall colors reflected in a lake or pool of water.

6. Take close-ups.

Photos of leaves, branches, and bushes can provide interesting results, especially with the light peaking through the foliage.

7. Dress warmly.

When I went out to the Nisqually Delta Wildlife Refuge, I wore my winter coat and leg warmers. Although it was a nice day, it became cold when the sun went down. I walked two miles along the trails. Take water if you’re going on a hike.

8. Think safety.

When I went to the Capitol Forest, the rural roads were narrow. I waited until I could find a place to pull over to take photos. I also used care when I walked along rural roads. I wrote a post on “Which States Kill the Most Pedestrians.” Rural pedestrian crashes have a higher fatality rate. This is due to increased vehicle speeds found on rural roads and the fact that many rural areas have no sidewalks, paths, or shoulders for pedestrians to walk on.

9. Be prepared.

Take an adequate supply of film or computer disks. If you have a digital camera, be sure to bring an extra battery. I was almost done taking photos at the state capital when WHAM. My battery died and I was finished. In addition, remember accessories – a telephoto lens, a polarizing filter, and a tripod. I was out at sunset several times, and I could have gotten some better photos if I’d brought a tripod.

10. Take lots of photos.

Experiment. Overexpose and underexpose photos. Zoom in and zoom out. I took 1,500 photos. I’ll put together a slide show of my best 50 photos, and I’ll also have a great collection to use next year to sell free-lance articles on “How to Take Photos of Fall Colors.”

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What were the best and worst consumer experiences you had this week?

Recently, I launched a best and worst consumer experience feature on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide.

I think looking weekly at these experiences helps us learn from our successes and mistakes.

Here are my most and least successful consumer transactions for this week:

My best consumer experience: Finding masks to wear on the airplane

When I to Walgreens to look for masks to wear on upcoming airline flights, I found a package of the usual thin masks that I’d seen before.

The sales associate told me there were others at another location. I couldn’t find them, but she directed me to the right area.

I found two masks by US Germicide Technologies Inc. that said they would protect the wearer against swine flu, avian flu, seasonal flu strains, and other germs.

I’m glad I persisted and found the better masks. I’ll try them on my trip and see how they work.

My best consumer experience: A bothersome cell phone user

My trip to the post office was going well. The line was short, and I was about to have my turn.

Then a woman entered, got in line, and began talking loudly on her cell phone. She complained about how hot the post office was and gave a friend or relative advice about what she should do about people in her family moving.

Suddenly, the man behind me turned around and left the building. The woman moved right up next to me and continued talking loudly.

Finally I had my turn. Before I left, I spoke to the woman and told her that her cell phone conversation had been disruptive. She said she was sorry. I appreciated her apology.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What were the best and worst consumer experiences you had this week?

Recently, I launched a best and worst consumer experience feature on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide.

I think looking weekly at these experiences helps us learn from our successes and mistakes.

Here are my most and least successful consumer transactions for this week:

My best consumer experience: Receiving a Priceline coupon

Recently I wrote about trying to find a less expensive airline ticket. I searched the Internet for cheaper fares and coupons.

Disappointed, I gave up and ordered my ticket from Priceline.

As I was checking out, I was offered a coupon for 15 percent of the airline ticket if I joined Priceline’s Great Fun club. I signed up. The first month was free, and if you canceled your membership before the end of the month, you wouldn’t be charged the monthly fee for the club.

I’m happy to say that I finally received my coupon for $35.70.

I didn’t receive the e-mail I was to get containing the form to fill out. I had to call to obtain it.

Then I forgot to include my itinerary so I had to send the information in again. It’s a good thing I’d kept a copy of the original mailing.

My worst consumer experience: Eating airline food

The traffic was heavy when a friend drove me to the airport for a trip. I didn’t have time to buy lunch to eat on the plane, a traveling technique I’ve been using for a couple of years now. I arrived at the gate just as the plane was boarding.

I was stuck with the food I’d brought with me – organic almonds and hazel nuts – and airline food. Since I don’t eat sugar anymore or many carbohydrates, I bought the two items that I thought wouldn’t contain sugar – potato chips and mixed nuts.

When I arrived at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, I had about a half hour to make my connecting flight. I was one of the last people to board the plane. I didn’t have time to buy dinner.

Since the flight was less than three hours, American Airlines only had snacks, no sandwiches. I bought Tostitos and salsa, which I ate with organic nuts.

I'd like to see the airlines would do something about the food they serve. It keeps deteriorating in quality and offerings.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Going back in time: A visit to the Beebe Bridge

This weekend, I attended a high school reunion for my class at Chelan High School in Chelan, Wash., in Central Washington state.

I wanted to visit Beebe Orchards, which is a seven-mile trip down the hill and across the Columbia River from Chelan. It’s where I grew up.

The orchard has been torn out, and is being replaced with million-dollar homes overlooking the Columbia. I wanted to see if the recession is slowing the building of the new houses.

However, I wasn’t able to get there.

An accident occurred on the Beebe Bridge on Aug. 31. A semi tractor-trailer hauling apples veered sharply to the left, and the cab crashed through the rail, plunging 100 feet into the Columbia River.

The driver, Kathleen L. Walker, 48, of Olympia, Wash., was killed.

The crash tore off a vertical hanger, one of the supports that hold up the bridge, and heavily damaged two beans, which hold the weight of the bridge structure, reports the article  on The Wenatchee World.

A portion of the bridge deck is noticeably sagging at the location where the truck damaged the bridge rail and steel trusses, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation.

The crash also killed Walker’s husband and co-driver, Peter Wooley, 60, whose body was found downstream five days after the accident.

So I drove to the bridge to see the damage.

I was allowed to walk onto the bridge and take photos. The bridge will be closed for about two weeks for repairs.

People who live on the Douglas County side of the river and work or go to school in Chelan are walking across the bridge and getting a ride on the other side.

It was about 95 degrees the day I was there. I saw a man and his two young children walking across the bridge. When they reached the other side, they sat in the shade of a road sign waiting for their ride.

In 1959, the department began construction of the current Beebe Bridge, which was opened in June of 1963 for a cost $1.1 million, likely less than the cost of the current repairs, reports the department.

The Beebe Bridge is named for the Beebe Orchard Company, which built the first bridge over the Columbia at Chelan Falls to carry irrigation water to their properties on the east – Douglas County – side of the river in 1919. It also incorporated a wooden deck for cars, which had to pay a toll to cross. It was a one-lane bridge.

When we lived at Beebe Orchards, we had to walk across the bridge twice a day. The wooden bridge wasn’t strong enough to hold the weight of the bus and the school children.

The students were unsupervised. Fortunately, there weren’t any accidents on the bridge.

The bridge made a clickity-clack sound when a car drove over it. It always made me worried about its safety.

These are the towers from the old bridge.

School children are walking on the Beebe Bridge again now. One of the construction workers said teachers accompany them – one leading them across and another at the end of the line.

So with the reunion and walking again on the Beebe Bridge, it was a big trip down memory lane.

After my bridge walk, I drove up the Chelan County side of the river and took photos of the new houses.

It’s certainly disappointing that Douglas County rezoned prime agricultural land and is allowing houses to be built on it.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

What flight attendants can do to make me happy

The Consumerist recently had an article on “10 Easy Ways to Keep Your Flight Attendant Happy.”

Interesting topic, but not the one about flight attendants that intrigues me.

With the significant problems in airline industry it seems as though the attitude from flight attendants is that consumers are the enemy.

Here are six things I’d like flight attendants to do on a flight:

1. Answer the light within a reasonable time after I push it. It seems to take a half an hour or more to get a drink or headphones these days if you missed the attendants when they went by your seat.

2. Be polite. I’m a consumer who paid money for a ticket. I deserve to be treated with respect. If you’re mad at the airlines about your pay or schedule, don’t take it out on the passengers.

3. Serve drinks more often. People get dehydrated on airplanes. That’s why drinks are served. It’s a health issue.

4. Don’t wear tons of fragrance. It affects my breathing.

5. Check with the passengers to see how we’re doing occasionally rather than rushing through your duties so you can spend as much time as possible in the back of the airplane reading a book or knitting.

6. Read the safety script as it’s written, don’t substitute your own incorrect grammar.

That’s what I need on a flight. I don’t think it’s too much to ask. These days on airplane flights there’s such a minimal amount of customer service, it’s almost as though there aren’t any flight attendants and the customers take care of themselves.

Here’s the list of what flight attendants want passengers to do, from The Consumerist article.

10. Smile.

9. Don't hog the overhead compartment.

8. Keep the aisle clear.

7. Keep the demands reasonable.

6. Listen to the safety briefing.

5. Take your headphones off when ordering.

4. Be nice.

3. Appreciate what's left of the food.

2. Deal with dirty diapers yourself.

1. No touching.

Flickr photo

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Top 10 Fourth of July celebrations

After enjoying a barbecue with family and friends, a picnic in the park, boating, or hiking, it’s fun to watch a spectacular fireworks display.

What are the best July Fourth celebrations in the United States?

I reviewed several dozen lists of top Fourth of July events. Here are the cities that came up most often as the best in the country:

1. Washington, D.C.
2. Boston
3. New York City
4. New Orleans
5. Chicago, San Diego, Philadelphia
6. Mount Rushmore
7. Philadelphia
8. Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha's Vineyard
9. San Juan Islands, St. Louis, Mo., Lake Tahoe, Houston, Los Angeles, Orlando
10. Queen Mary 2, U.S. Virgin Islands, Seattle, Williamsburg, Miami, Austin

See these Web sites for descriptions of the Independence Day celebrations in various cities:

“Top Places to Celebrate July Fourth” – Yahoo! News

“Top 10 Places to Celebrate July 4” – msnbc

“Top 10 Places to Celebrate July 4th” – toptenz

“Fourth of July Travel: Best Places to See Fireworks” – Cheapflights.com

“Top 10 Places to Celebrate Independence Day 4th of July” – Ezine Articles

“Best Places to Watch July 4th Fireworks” – LowFares.com

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Which airlines are the safest?

Baby boomers enjoy traveling, so it's important for boomers to consider airline safety.

The airline industry contends flying on a large commercial aircraft is one of the safest forms of transportation.

Consumer groups argue more needs to be done to make air travel safer.

There were 0.2 fatal accidents per 1 million departures in the United States in 2008, compared to 1.4 per 1 million departures in 1989, reports LiveScience.com. A review of the statistics between these years shows an improving trend overall.

The following list shows the five safest airlines in America based on number of accidents per 1 million takeoffs, according to data gathered from the Federal Aviation Administration, MTSM, and the U.S. Department of Transportation and reported on Injury.com.

These numbers are the yearly average from Jan. 1, 2002 to Jan. 1, 2007:

1. US Airways (.89 accidents)

2. Southwest Airlines (2.59 accidents)

3. America West Airlines (2.96 accidents)

4. Continental Airlines (3.17 accidents)

5. Alaska Airlines (3.32 accidents)

Methods vary for comparing air travel to other forms of transportation. Some show cars are safer than airplanes. Others show the opposite.

For information on airline accidents, see the “10 Worst Accidents in North America” on Aviation Safety Network.com.

The Federal Aviation Administration provides a list of countries whose air carriers can’t initiate new service and are restricted to current levels of any existing service to the United States while corrective actions are underway.

The European Union maintains a list of airlines that are banned from serving countries in Europe.

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Here are more resources to help you evaluate airline safety:

“Accident and Incident Data” – Federal Aviation Administration

“Aviation Accidents From the Past 10 Years” – Federal Aviation Administration

“Aviation Accidents From More Than 10 Years Ago” -- Federal Aviation Administration

“Safest Airlines and Planes” – Frommer’s

“The Worst Airlines in the World” – HotelClub Travel Blog

“How Safe Are America’s Airlines?” – msnbc.com

“Airlines Record Safest Two Years” – eTN

My next post will be on "Safe and Dangerous Airports."

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Journalist

Comparing Airline Performance

As a boomer consumer, what’s your favorite airline? Why do you like it? Is it usually on time? Does it always handle your luggage correctly? Is the staff friendly?

Here is information from “Air Travel Consumer Report February 2009” comparing the performance of different airlines for January to December 2008.

Nineteen airlines are required to report information to the Bureau of Transportation Statistics, a part of U.S. Department of Transportation’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration.

The department’s Office of Aviation Enforcement and Proceedings compiles reports from this information. The comparisons below are from this data:

Flight delays – Percentage of on-time arrivals

Three highest

1. HAWAIIAN AIRLINES – 90%
2. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES – 80.5%
3. US AIRWAYS – 80.1%

Three lowest

17. UNITED AIRLINES – 71.6%
18. COMAIR – 69.9%
19. AMERICAN AIRLINES – 69.8%

Mishandled baggage – Reports per 1,000

Lowest rates of mishandled baggage

1. AIRTRAN AIRWAYS – 2.87
2. HAWAIIAN AIRLINES – 2.97
3. JETBLUE AIRWAYS – 3.47 

Highest rates of mishandled baggage

17. COMAIR – 8.32 
18. ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST AIRLINES – 9.82 
19. AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES – 9.89

Oversales – Involuntary denied boardings per 10,000 passengers

Fewest denied boardings

1. JETBLUE AIRWAYS – 0.01 
2. HAWAIIAN AIRLINES – 0.07
3. AIRTRAN AIRWAYS – 0.34

Most denied boardings

16. AMERICAN EAGLE AIRLINES – 2.44
17. COMAIR – 3.41
18. ATLANTIC SOUTHEAST AIRLINES – 3.89

Consumer Complaints – Complaints per 100,000 enplanements

Fewest complaints

1. SOUTHWEST AIRLINES – 0.25
2. EXPRESSJET AIRLINES – 0.42
3. ALASKA AIRLINES – 0.45

Most complaints

17. DELTA AIR LINES – 1.80
18. UNITED AIRLINES – 1.85
19. US AIRWAYS – 2.01

How did your favorite airline rank in these listings? If you didn’t see it, check the report for details.

In October, the bureau began gathering data on tarmac delays. I didn’t include information on this because statistics for 2008 aren’t available.

For information on tarmac delays for February 2009, see this news release from the bureau.

FlyersRights.org, an air passengers' rights group, doesn’t think the bureau statistics on tarmac delays are accurate. 

In a report, the “2008 Real Air Travel Consumer Report Card,” the group said there were more than 1,200 tarmac strandings – in which passengers are locked in planes on the runways – in 2008.

The report card is based on government statistics, press reports, airline website data, FlyersRights hotline reports, and eye witness accounts provided by the group’s coalition members for the period from January 2008 through December 2008. (Click on 2008 Report Card on the left side of the Web page under “Events” to find the pdf report.)

In the FlyersRights’s report, Delta, JetBlue, American, US Airways, and Comair received the grade of "F" for tarmac delays of four-plus hours.

United Airlines and Atlantic Southeast got a "C." Alaska, Northwest, Frontier, Hawaiian, and Southwest received an "A."

My next posts will be on “Which Airlines Are the Safest?” and “Safe and Dangerous Airports.”

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist

Are discounts for airline tickets a myth?

This fall, I’ll be visiting my daughter in Miami.

It’s time to sign up for an airline ticket, so I thought I’d spend some time on the Web to see if I could find a way to get a cheap ticket.

I know you need to be a wise consumer and start early to get a good price. The longer you wait the more the price goes up.

I called American Airlines and the cheapest ticket they had for dates and times I wanted to travel was $300. My goal was to beat that price.

I began by checking Expedia.com, Cheapflights.com, Orbitz.com, Cheapoair.com, Cheaptickets.com, and Travelocity.com.

The flights on American were consistently $20 less, which is the $20 booking fee that American charges if you call to make a reservation.

If I’d been willing to take a “red eye,” I could have purchased a ticket for about $30 less.

Next I tried coupons. I started out with coupon sites I’d listed in my post “Opportunities Abound for Baby Boomers to Cut Costs With Internet Coupons” because I knew they were reputable sites.

I tried RetailMeNot.com and Coupons.com. I was hopeful when I saw a 10 percent off coupon for American Airlines on RetailMeNot.com. A reviewer said he’d obtained the discount 18 days ago.

But alas. The promotional code didn’t work when I tried to buy a ticket.

Then I found a note on RetailMeNot.com and another coupon Web site that stated American Airlines and another airlines had requested all coupons for the companies be removed.

Next I did a search for an airline coupon on any site. Some sites merely take you to the Promotions section of airline Web sites.

I didn’t find a coupon and even ran across several coupon sites that were considered “dangerous.”

I checked the rewards program for my credit card, but I haven't accumulated enough points to receive a reduction on my ticket. The Safeway rewards program was closed on the weekend, so I couldn't check my point total.

I tried Priceline.com, Yahoo! Travel, AOL Travel, and a consolidator. Same $280 price.

After several hours on the computer, I decided to give up. I put a ticket on hold for $280 through the American Airlines Web site.

The next day, when I went buy the ticket, I discovered that I’d made a mistake. I’d signed up to go on a Tuesday when Wednesday was the day I wanted.

I had to start over.

I decided to get the ticket through Priceline.com. Although I had to leave an hour earlier, I was still able to get the $280 price.

After I completed the details for buying the ticket, a window popped asking if I’d like a 10 percent discount. I laughed and clicked on it.

Priceline said it would upgrade me to a 15 percent discount if I’d join their Great Fun club. I agreed. Membership is free for the first month and $12 a month after that unless I cancel.

I’m to receive a Cash-Back Claim Form that will be e-mailed to me within 72 hours.

We’ll see how that works, whether the form is sent and the check received.

Have you been able to find discount coupons for airline tickets? If so, let me and my readers know where to locate them.

Copyright 2009, Rita R. Robison, Consumer Specialist