New York - Maddison Square Gardens

We went to New York city yesterday and tasted both the ends the city is so very famous for. The elegance and creepiness. With all those awe inspiring sky scrapers, the city looks so cramped with soooooooo very well dressed people always hurrying everywhere.

But we did encounter the muggers. My basketball fan son wanted to see the Maddison square garden stadium, home to the New York knicks. So after getting out of Penn station we headed down the quiet alley towards the back of the building. lesson No: 1, in New York, never step near any where quiet. With all due respect to all the people in the world, for the color, race and country, I got terribly scared as the two men standing near the stair way (in the back entrance of Maddison Square garden) approached us. It was a quiet alley, with a huge entrance and only stairs to climb up. No way to transport a stroller. We stopped and asked my husband to take my basketball crazy boy, who was already gazing so reverently at the buildin up to show him the stadium.

With formidable grin, one of the asked, "do you want me to lift your strollers up the stairs for 20 bucks?" We were a group of 4 adults and 4 children. And my BIL is been living in the east for about 12 years now. But even he couldn't decipher the look. We said "no" politely but firmly. Nevertheless he started going near our kids. We started walking as fast as we could with pounding hearts toward the exit. My husband was half way up the stairs with my boy, he rushed down and we literally ran out. As we headed out, the men started laughing and called us back telling us "we dropped something down". Until we reached 5th avenue, none of us spoke - all terrified. I shudder to imagine the worst, but who even visit New york, please stay in busy streets. never go near an alley or any person sitting alone. It definitely is NOT safe at all. And did I mention my son never got to see the stadium close?

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines, the almost only airlines that has everyday flying service to Chennai from San Francisco had been something like Comcast. Monopolizing the Asia Pacific region to connect North America's West Coast with the Asia Pacific Region. They had very little, if any competition until recently. Fixing up the airfares sky high for summer and all peak holiday seasons. We immigrants from India and South East Asia with families still back there in our respective countries buy the ticket no matter what the airlines fix the ticket fare to be. And during the peak travel periods (inspite of fuel costs, airport taxes etc) ticket prices were always at least $400 to $500 higher than their normal flying fares.

I guess no one has really thought about that, as getting together with family must have weighed in the travel than money involved. Even when the fuel sells for the same and the airport taxes are the same, no pragmatic traveler to APAC regions have ever questioned or voiced out their rate hikes. Because we all know that's how the Singapore Airlines can do business and make profit to offer world class service to the customers, of course.

Now we have a competitor. Cathay Pacific. To be very statistical, Cathay Pacific is offering SFO to Chennai $1560 to SQ's $1840 for June 12th to July 2nd. July 3rd Cathay's tickets are $1270 and SQ is still $1640. My humble math skills suggest it is almost $400, a whooping $400 difference on the ticket to the same destination.

Agreed Singapore airlines is connecting bay area people with families back there in the Indian subcontinent and East Asia for a long long time. Agreed their service is great. Their food is excellent. They can/should have a difference in airfare for their quality. A little higher like $100 or so is fine. We can take it. But $400 difference?? What do you all think?

I, for example am locked now for this summer's travel with Singapore airlines. because I bought my tickets way too early. here I need to tell how I HAD To buy the tickets just a three days earlier before Cathay had slashed the rates. I was working with a travel agent. I requested to wait until a certain Monday to purchase my tickets. But she suggested she CANNOT re block my dates again and I HAVE to purchase the three tickets in Singapore Airlines that very week itself. Or I'll be wait listed again. I told her in my own words that I WANTED to go to India. So there you go I got trapped by words and feelings. Lessons learned:

• Never let the travel agent know that you NEED to go to India on a certan date.
• Always shop around with several travel agents before buying tickets.

Because after all selling tickets are their livelihood. Their first priority is their profits and Not us, the un suspecting mortals looking for tickets. So shop around with agents and be DEMANDING. Never succumb to agent's sale strategy.

Getting back to Singapore Airlines saga, I did approach them with my cause. Even quoted their competitor has reduced rates as much as $400 per ticket. And requested some compensation in cancellation. And asked them are they willing to o anything for me as a customer. I did get a response. Their customer service representative, Tan Shu Yan, was very courteous and nice in snubbing. The response was very nice and very diplomatic but DID NOT serve any purpose except their own.

Nevertheless I responded to let them know how I feel. My final email was like this:

Hello Tan Shu Yan,

Thank you for your email and I do appreciate your time.

I totally understand you cannot waive your cancellation completely. At this point I am going to travel in Singapore airlines for the planned dates. But am I a satisfied customer? NO, of course not.

May be keeping ONE customer happy and offering some compromise is not important to Singapore Airlines. I know you cannot keep everybody happy if you want to run a successful business. But meeting somewhere in the middle, to do something that benefits both the business and the client always goes a long way in keeping customer loyalty.

May be in future I would opt for other airlines with much better rates to and from the same destination. When hard economy hits, that will be the case, when people have options to shop around, they only look for competitive airfare. The mistake I did was to book the tickets well in advance. I have learned a mighty good lesson from my mistake.

Again Thank you very much for taking the time to respond.

Sincerely,

However I do not expect anything to happen. But with the very good intentions of letting the people in the bay area benefit from my experience and loss with Singapore Airlines, I think I have a moral responsibility to express my experience.

Now instead of loosing $750 in cancellation charges for three tickets as my moral self suggests, I am going to travel Singapore airlines this summer to India. But next time I am sure to shop around (with different travel agents too) for the best air fare and wait to buy my tickets.

So welcome Cathay Pacific. Let your competition with Singapore airlines be a healthy one. In your competition let all of us - Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific and "us" people who make it possible for you to run your business successfully, benefit from that competition.

"Cheney warns of new attacks"

A news article in yahoo caught my attention this morning and make me wonder. This Cheney was the VP for 8 years and as soon as his political rival takes office and tries something different, he gives a Statistical reports of terrorists and warns the country of another attack.

Is he sending out to the terrorists now that Bush administration is long gone, they can try and attack US once more? What kind of mindless interview is that? After being in the high office for so long, would anybody talk so irresponsibly?