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Last update: July 16, 2011 v4

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     How many of us are tired of the problems airlines are experiencing around the world because of their complexity? It’s not their fault, it’s the fault of too many rules.  I typically travel mostly in the USA and am preparing to travel extensively internationally with my rapid problem solving business www.BuiltByKeith.com found at www.BidOnKeith.com 

    Foreword: This article is long because I did a brain dump and felt it was more important to rapidly identify multiple solutions and let you (and the airlines) decide what works best. I promise you it's worth reading to the very end.

      Here are my biggest issues and the solutions. Keith's Promise: I will never disclose a problem without a complete solution and all parties must benefit, otherwise I stay silent.

Problem #1a:  Baggage charges. First, everyone hates paying a dime for any bag especially checked-bags. I recently paid $150 each way for a third bag (legalized highway robbery). The solution is obvious. The first 40 pounds of ALL bags are free. This includes total weight of checked, carry-on, briefcases, hand-bags, and so-on. Any pound of bag over 40 pounds is flat $1 per pound. So how do you regulate this? When the passenger checks in, they weigh everything and the bag agent records the checked weight and total carry on weight separately and records it on your boarding pass and bag claim ticket. It's in plain site. Right before you board the plane, the gate agent checks the weight of your carry on bags to ensure you didn't slip in another 20 pounds. In fact, to speed things up, all that is needed is an in-floor scale that measures weight of passenger PLUS their carry-on. This solution also validates to TSA that person boarding is the approximate weight of the person who bought the ticket.  There are +8 other ways to reduce baggage charges, reduce total aircraft weight, and speed up loading process.   See below.

Problem #1b: Loading Aircraft. The delay in loading any airplane is easily solveable. Reverse the unboarding process.  On your flight, is everyone stepping all over each other and tossing bags in the overhead bins? There IS a very simple solution, a simple re-organization of how to load a plane with a new system and with cooperation between passengers coordinated by great flight and gate attendants.

ADD ON as of June 1.  Loading an aircraft Better Solution.  Our aircraft just took 34.5 minutes to load a B757. I can load the same aircraft IN about 18 minutes, saving valuable time for both the revenue producing aircraft and the millionaire passengers. Just kidding.  Simple.  Don’t assign seats at first. The check in folks scan your boarding pass and send you to the back of the plane. After everyone is seated and door ready to close, then each boarding pass is scanned (suggest Symbol BarCode wi-fi scanner) and now you are associated with a specific seat and the boarding roster is generated automagically. Ask TSA(security) if this is not the best way to identify WHO is in what seat for later identification. It WILL work.  Optionally, at the check in boarding counter, the gatekeeper scans your pass and assigns you what seat and row is best for you based on your height, weight, age, # of children, etc because they have #1 Problem solved above. Is anyone listening?  Simple solutions are just that, simple because no one but “guess who” goes right to the solution without wasting the time of complexity.  Now the airline gurus have at lest 10 suggestions (see below) about boarding aircraft that they can stop watch.  Don’t you think folks like me would LOVE to not wait 20 minutes on the jetway but would LOVE to walk straight onto the plane, grab my seat and off we go singing, Row, Row, Row your boat, gently down the aisle. Does anyone get it yet?  I hope so, it’s corporate profit (your money) and your time at stake. What are you worth per hour? 

OR THE ORIGINAL SOLUTION Problem #1.

Available resources:  In front of boarding check in counter, the flight announcer insists everyone loads the last row first, then second to last, etc.  Forget the zones, call out the row and specific A,B,C,D,E,F… numbers. Better yet, put the row #’s (last digit) on the carpet such as 0,9,8,7,6,5,4,3,2,1 on the floor. Everyone has their seat #( row and column) on their boarding pass. Plus each group of 10 rows can be staggered in multiple ways of loading outside seats (columns) first, then moving toward the middle. In other words, the left and right window seats(A+F) are loaded for the entire plane first, then the next “column B+E”, then aisle seats. Quit thinking ROWS, think Columns like an Excel Spreadsheet. There are SO many different combinations to try. The new rules are: Fill the aisle quickly and no one has to pass anyone, load the overhead bins, take your seat, then next wave fills the aisle, repeat until loaded.  This method just takes a stopwatch to see what happens. Also, those with heavy bags can pass them to us big strong guys to take down the jet way and place in overhead bins. The bags are pre-screened by now anyway. How come no one else thinks of these SIMPLY solutions that save MILLIONS of dollars and better yet, millions of hours of our precious time. Added bonus, boarding gate agent holds up a sign of the next group to board such as: 

Row 50 thru 25 Seat A and G.

Row 24 thru   1 Seat A and G. 

Row 50 thru 25 seat B and F.

Row 24 thru   1 seat B and F.

Row 50 thru 25 seat C and E,  continued.

Do you get the point??  A major problem is solved. No more stumbling past each other. How fast was that? 

Objection Handling: I get comments that people won't change their behavior. I can assure you they will when they see the huge benefits of bending the rules by thinking outside the box.  Is anyone listening? Simplification is the new game in town.

 

Problem #2: Seats –Butt and Legs. On any flight, if you are tall or big, you don’t fit in the standard seat.  The airlines are now charging for that extra legroom.  It’s bad enough now that few of the seats properly fit to adequate legroom.

Available resources: Everyone has a drivers license that shows their height, weight, age, and nationality.  If Passports around the globe have this information, even better. If not, the height and weight would dramatically cut down on fraudulently using someone else’s passport.

Summary of Solution: Assign the right butt and legs into the best seat.

A. When making a reservation online or any other way, collect the passenger’s height, age, and nationality. For online reservations, that is an easy one time entry. The airline reservation system then automatically assigns or offer the right sized seats based on your height, weight, and age (older people to the front please), and groups similar language travelers together.  I'm a little different than most as I

B. The demographics for each regular flight routes would be used to set up an assortment of seat length (think TALL/SHORT people). Most people travel alone so no problem with sitting next to your family.

COST: One time cost to move rows of seats for leg room length by group. Arm rests can me modified so they slide horizontally on slider arm to give +/- 3” on any seat width. Massive savings with progressive improvements. No new seat designs needed, just a simple sliding armrest +/-

 

Problem #3:  Airport signage is horrible, especially Lost Angelos (lost in the smog).  I missed my plane to China because I had no idea what TBIT was on signage.  How about painting directional arrows to correct destinations and airline groups on the floor at every major decision intersection. 

Better yet, place flat screen TV’s or reversed LCD screens under pexiglass floor with map of airport, current gates and flights in graphical position. You can point at your flight with your foot and get others to agree with you on your next airport leg to get to your gate.

Related: The inter terminal bus should pick up at each Baggage claim, then go topside and drop off at Ticketing, then alternate down, leapfrog style. My bus dropped me off 1000 feet from terminal entrance.  And the taxi stand was never pre-queued with enough taxis. Try two queue lines instead of just one and a cheap walkie talkie tied to the taxi cab stand dispatch pole at other end to call N number of cabs.  www.FixTaxis.com coming soon about what a taxicab driver makes $20 a day and max $220 while cab company max’es $1200 for 12 hr day. Shameful.

Problem #4. Lost Bags  So many more to come, like tracking your bag with your iPhone mobile app. If you have an issue with TSA tagging your bag, they txt message you where to meet them. All they need is your cell number associated with your bag when you get the baggage sticker.

Problem #5.  Check in kiosks. Can’t find the next free one or waiting in line for someone to point one out? Simply put a pressure mat pad in front of each checkin kiosks with a grocery store style light above. When the station is free, the light comes on.

Problem #5b Permission to stay cool. In Honolulu airport, TSA agent’s complaint was that everyone was HOT. Huge fans were 30 feet away and the TSA agents were not allowed to move them closer because, well who knows, there was no extension cord and someone might get cut by the shielded fan blade. Consider turning it off first.  And how about those rat mazes that look like cattle loading ramps. How about letting customers build their own rat courses to minimize their walking.  A simple sign would say: “Move it yourself, make your best path.” 

Problem #6. Getting luggage on/off a plane. See #1 above. Get a fellow passenger to usher your bag on and off the plane if you are hauling the queen’s jewelry and shoe collection.

Problem #7. Headset jacks and volume controls. Mount them at front of arm rest so plug points away from you and doesn’t stick you in your oversized thigh. See #2 above. Volume controls should be on top also, not on the side. 

Problem #8. Alternate laptop on planes. How many of us use laptops on the plane? Its awkward to type on those little tables. Considering doing all your work on your SmartPhone. How?? This is a little unique yet cool solution. I mount my AT&T Iphone 4 on my www.PhoneCradle.com on the folded up lap table and use a $69 dollar Apple Bluetooth keyboard to do email, surf the net, and control my iPhone Notes, music, and other apps. I also use a $50 Sony noise canceling headset to reduce cabin noise by 80%. Ask Glen Lurie, President of AT&T Emerging Devices the possibility of placing millions of these Phone Cradles in 2300 retail stores.  AT&T might have been embarrassed last November 2010 when I was consulting for them and I suggested 2 simple suggestions that would result in multi million dollar savings for their IVR (Interactive Voice Response) system, such as how to get clients off hold and how to auto-rank Customer Service reps. If agreeable, Glen gets first dibs on our next production run to compensate for any embarrassment I may have caused the Common Services Integration and We Serve North America organizations as I truly was interested in helping AT&T streamline their process. Remember: I have been a top paid consultant at BellSouth and Cingular since 1993 through 2010 and was responsible for many of their process methodology, databases, operational methodology, billing and fulfilment systems, ran the Bellsouth.com website, designed LNP, multiple GUIs, and worked on fraud prevention. I know my IT and was constrained as a Project Manager that severely limited my expertise.

 

Problem #9. Lost bags. Put your cell number on it and the airline CALLS you or text messages you when IT loses your bag and tells you where your bag is located.  Side problem: Overhead baggage is brought on board because of lost bags. And airlines charge per bag. Suggestion is start charging for the weight of each bag regardless if carry on or checked. As far as allowance, should a 90 pound child have same 50 pound limit as a 250 pound muscleman? How about a prorated weight scale based on your size such as 30 lbs for a kid, 40 for under 150 lbs weight, and 50 lbs for big butts. Here is the exception: If your old bag happens to be your husband or your wife, the airlines better not discriminate because of my butt size (see #2 above).  On the flip side, an on board weight watcher programs is a novel idea that leads to next #9c.

Problem #9c: Cost of airport food. First after turning 42 years old, eyes change. Few can see the food signs and prices. It’s absolutely horrible and the food servers won’t change the system because they are scared to death of being innovative (a corporate problem).  And to be realistic, the one arm bandits don’t live in Las Vegas, they live in corporations selling food in airports  because of the captive audience. They might as well be side-selling snake oil and table dances to keep clients coming back for more shell games(money).  How about reducing prices to street value, not be so air-heads about flighty food. Does everyone get the picture?

 

Problem #10. Free WiFi, it’s not. Need I say more. I carry my own Clear.com Wi-Fi hotspot and have live SkypeVideo in my car using my Iphone, IPad2, or MacBook with a webcam. SKYPE ID: IseeStand And sometimes I serve Starbucks coffee (not really).

 

Problem #11. Drink and food service. Do 3 service carts at one time equals 3 times faster service, then aisle is clear, especially on 2 aisle jets.

Problem #12. Small children who cry. Make friends with a grandmother or older mother sitting next to you and see if they have any games and stories to occupy the child's mind. Often the kid is just bored. Just a thought.

 

Problem #13. Annoying passengers who talk too much. Ask them if they know a good psychologist for your tendency to react violently to distracting, repetitive noises like people talking. Alternative: Wear noise cancelling headset or learn one foreign phrase such as: “Me no speak no English” or “Can I tell you all about my grandchildren first?” or "my trip to Las Vegas."

 

Problem #14.  First time flyers or those with fear of heights. Suggest to them the following. Has height every killed you before?  No…. then why do you waste precious brain power over something that is out of your control anyway. When is the last time someone fell out of an airplane window.  Just a thought.  It may be funny to you, but gently encouraging and practcal words can some times be life-uplifting to others.

 

July 11, 2011 additions.

Problem #15.   TSA security lines.  Shorten the wait time by using QR codes printed at home by each passenger. The QR code is scanned by TSA staff against a new encrypted and secured national database called TrustedTraveler.com  The QR code decipher displays on the computer screen with photo of traveler, weight, height and other distinguishing factors, and here is the big one: A list of people who know and vouch for this passenger by first name. If you are a no-body or no-one will friend you, you go through the normal lines.

 

Problem #16.    Length of TSA security lines. How many times do you walk the rat maze at the airport regardless of how many people are in line and you get yelled at by TSA if you duck under the ropelines. Instead take the BIG serpentine line and break it down to a group of lines where each line serves the TSA ticket checker.  Now all passengers have shorter walking distance and first in, first out still applies.. The passengers also move the rat maze straps as needed.

Next ones coming….

From Author, Inventor, Brain-stormer: Keith Duncan

www.BidOnKeith.com 770 289-3050 and Skype Video id: IseeStand

 

      Ask all the airlines if this series of solutions doesn’t deserve giving me lifetime flight privileges on every airline in the world so I can serve the needs of all corporations.

My mission in life is to provide solutions that benefit the customer first as well as the corporations. I have a business methodology called www.ProfitShareHolders.com that does just that.  Corporations make more profit because they usually only care about the numbers = profits and employee retention, and employees mostly care about more pay, better benefits, and less hours because they are not penalized for being faster and more efficient. It is the ONLY way cooperation should work, not competition. And if anyone is interested, check out www.CEOSpace.net  where I am learning about cooperative marketing rather than competitive destruction. 

Another side interest of Keith is that the legal system is badly broke because of complexity and lack of accountability at some levels. Keith is involved in two long term lawsuits out of matter of principal.  I am amazed at how the legal system protects the guilty.  I now know of many inmates in our prison system because of child support issues and simple drug offenses. I wrote HelpJails.com a few months ago. Someone PLEASE tell me how most inmates can earn a living while stuck in prison for sometimes years because the legal system (police, lawyers, bondsmen, jailers, + judges) often profit from having them locked up.  A simple solution to prevent most crimes is to use your SmartPhone to live video stream ( CatchAThief.com -a future mobile App -hint-hint.) a potential crime directly to E911 using FaceTime or Skype Video. Is anyone listening?  Or if I get mugged, I'm going to shout out to bystanders, "video tape this THUG."

Enough said. (at least for now).

 

Just ask, says Keith Duncan, inventor of www.IseeStand.com, www.PhoneCradle.com and author of www.TeenMoneyMachine.com and www.TurnOffLights.com (coming soon, placeholder for now) that remotely or automatically controls every major streetlight and yard light in the world and kills our energy dependency forever.  For the first time in my life, I'll be bold and say I deserve a major prize for brilliance of thought. Do you agree?  If you doubt, just try out www.FlashHOV.com  and www.FrogLeft.com that saves millions of dollars in highway construction and a host of other Fix*.com $10/yr websites that fix one problem at a time like www.KillLitigations.com and www.BlueGreenCycle.com

Just a simple thought. And sometimes, one man can make a difference in the life of his world, one idea at a time.