Why don’t airlines board planes back-to-front?

My husband and I recently flew from Sacramento to Cancun and back on US Airways.  We purchased our tickets two and half months ago, our seats were assigned and we checked in online 24 hours before flight. We don’t know the mystery of how boarding zones are assigned, but we were zone 3 on the outbound flight and seated in row 30. We were assigned zone 5 (last) on the return flight and yet we were seated mid plane. Jet2, JetBlue, Maxjet, Northwest and US Airways all use random boarding to load their planes. Ever wonder why airlines don’t board in an orderly fashion from the back rows forward? In a society that is fixated with a “me first” mentality and a transportation model that includes Southwest where zone A actually means you get to pick your seat before other passengers, maybe it is understandable.  But our seats were already assigned; the airlines know where every passenger will be seated on the plane. Wouldn’t it make sense and make an easier boarding process to assign zones so that the back rows were seated first?

Air Canada, Alaska, American, British Airways, Continental, Frontier, Midwest, Spirit and Virgin Atlantic all board from the rear forward. It seems much more streamlined. The passengers aren’t stalled in the isle as the person in front of us is trying to figure out which side of the plane they are on or where to put their carryon.  They are already tucked in the back as the boarding moves forward to the front. We don’t have to wait as the person with the oversized bag tries to stuff it in the overhead bin. You’ve seen them, clearly it is not even an approved carryon, but with increasing baggage fees, more and more of us are carrying our baggage on board. You would still see this, but in sections, as the rear compartments are filled.

And I personally would let First Class get on last so they could stay as long as possible at the airport.  Really, is it that much better to get on before the rest of us, just to sit in your seat on the plane. I’d rather stand or walk in the airport rather than start sitting early for a long flight. Either way, First Class could board first or last, but the rest of us could board from the back rows forward.

Turns out, studies prove that that back-to-front boarding, which is still commonly used by many airlines today, is one of the slowest ways to board an airplane. I was surprised by these results. Also, the amount of carry-on luggage significantly affects the total boarding time no matter what boarding strategy is used. Go figure?

What do you think?

Cancun, a week in paradise…

At 7:45am we met our driver who transported us to the pickup site for our day trip to Chichen Itza. Vic would be our guide and teacher for the day. Traveling by tour bus, Vic shared information about the Mayan people. We learned about their history, culture, their counting systems and the Mayan calendar. Vic was very thankful for us spending a day of our vacation to learn about the Mayans.

First stop was cenote an underground spring that created a series of caves. There are many underground cenotes in this limestone rich area. We first looked at the spring from a hole above ground. Then we descended down into the cave and were greeted by Mayan’s in traditional dress.

The cave was complete with stalactites and was flooded with a stream of light from the hole above.

Later when we climbed out of the cave we met two small parrots that hang out with the local vendors providing coconut water for hydration.

No, not the kind that comes in bottles and containers, they chop the top off of a coconut and hand you a straw. It was very refreshing.

Next stop, Ek’Balam where we were served a Yucatan luncheon complete with entertainers.Local artisans displayed their wares for us to admire and we purchased a Mayan calendar representing our wedding date.

Now we were on our way to Chichen Itza. Jose, our guide at the site, met us at the gate. He was from Puerto Vallarta but he had been leading guided tours of Chichen since he was 17.  He was extremely knowledgeable and shared many details about the Mayans and Chichen Itza.

We left with a new appreciation of the archeologists that search and study the ancient civilizations, providing us with a glimpse of our past.

Still winter in the Northwest

It is still winter in the Northwest, I left the 70 degree weather in California to come to Spokane.  I was greeted on Saturday when I arrived, by HUGE snowflakes! Seriously, they were 2″ snowflakes! We woke the next morning to a nice blanket of white on the ground. And while running around on Sunday we were treated to another downpour of white.

Here are some scenes from my weekend in Spokane.My son in law, hot tub, Spokane-style. I took this photo through the screen door, because I didn’t want snow on my camera.My girls!Baby Tucker, the newest member of the Wheat clan.This is how we roll Nana.Bath time.So precious.A winter wonderland.Can’t play with our yard toys right now. 😦

I am headed back to No Cali and spring-like weather.

Cancun, a week in paradise…

Today we lounged by the pool and read books before heading out to snorkel at Isla Mujeres.  We left at 12:45 right from the beach at our resort.  The boat was small and one other couple was already onboard.  I asked them where they were from and they said Portland… neighbors from home. But their accent was giving them away and I asked what nationality.  Ukrainian, they answered.  The family that boarded with us were from Denver.

We skimmed across the water to Isla Mujeres with our guide and the boat captain. We stopped at the island and picked up another couple from British Colombia and two young men from a hostel on the island, from Norway and Ireland. They had met at the hostel.  We turned south to the snorkeling site.  Now you can’t really plan for the weather you get when you want to snorkel, as we headed south the swells grew bigger and the spray from the ocean blew harder. Soon we were drenched. We should have had a clue when we met our captain wearing a rain slicker! Our guide outfitted us with masks, snorkels and fins. Arriving at the snorkel site as wet as we would soon be in the water, we jumped in without hesitation.  The ocean was warmer than the surface air.  We circled the boat following our guide. Soon we spotted blue, yellow, stripped and spotted fish. There was an underwater museum located at this site and we viewed the statues in our underwater world.  The fish swam by un-impressed with the statues. I was the first back in the boat…cold from the water; I am usually the first to return. The Ukrainian couple never got in, she had never snorkeled before and he was seasick.  The swells had proved too much for him.

After the rest of our group returned we tried another site and enjoyed more fish there.  I saw a beautiful starfish, my first glimpse of a live one!  Our captain treated us to ceviche that he made right on the boat. It was delicious and it is my new favorite.

A weekend in Bodega

We welcomed the chance to visit Bodega Bay this weekend with our friends Michael & Michele. To break up the drive over we stopped at one of our favorite wineries, Jacuzzi Family Vineyard on highway 121 in Sonoma. We happened on an art showing at the winery while we tasted wine and flavored olive oils and vinegars from the Olive Press. We loved mixing the different flavors of olive oil with the balsamic vinegars, finally deciding to purchase a Blood Orange olive oil and Peach balsamic vinegar.  Can’t wait to try this delicious combination on my next salad. We arrived at Bodega Bay just at dusk.  The mustard seed was in full bloom coloring the fields vivid yellow as we approached the ocean.  The tide was out and the sun was setting when we arrived.

The weather man cautioned that it would rain on the coast this weekend.  We awoke to fog that quickly burned off revealing beautiful blue skies with fluffy white clouds. The guys headed out for a day of golf.  Michele & I had our hearts set on a walk and our tradition of delicious crab sandwiches from Spud Point Crab Company.  We started off for Spud Point. 

Many other visitors had the same idea today.  After a short wait we were soon enjoying the sweet succulent crab sandwiches with their award winning clam chowder on the picnic tables in front of the shop.  If you are ever visiting Bodega Bay this old-style Fisherman’s Warf is a “must stop” for sure.  Now our taste buds were satisfied and we were ready to tackle Bodega Head.  It is about 3 ½ miles from Michele’s house.  We hiked along the road enjoying the herons and snowy egrets fishing at the water’s edge and the people mucking for clams in the low tide areas.Soon we were hiking up the dunes and once we arrived on top we could see the sun glistening on the white froth of the ocean lapping the rocky coast.  What a gorgeous day it turned out to be, glad we didn’t listen to the weather man. Many people were out on the head enjoying the sunshine mixed with wind, the roar of the ocean and the views.  We even caught a glimpse of whales spouting close to the shore.

After soaking in as much as we could we headed back.  It was a peaceful walk and we enjoyed many scenes from nature; blooming ice plant, wispy moss stringing down from the trees and weathered pinecones. The last hill back home caused our calves to scream at us but we were glad that we pushed ourselves.  A hot cup of coffee would warm us up for the night.

Soon the guys arrived back from golf.  They had a great day too and couldn’t wait to share their day with us.  They golf course was in the redwoods and they had experienced a cool front nine, then the sun broke and gave them a warm back nine.  They played each half of the course with a different couple.

That evening we enjoyed a delicious fish bake from Jamie Oliver’s cookbook with lemon spinach and a bottle of white wine from Jacuzzi. We were relaxed and tired from our treks. A perfect end to an awesome day.

Cancun, a week in paradise…

Today is our 10^th wedding anniversary.  We decided to explore Isla Mujeres.  We took the public bus to the ferry, the Ultramar which we rode to the island.  While onboard the top deck of the ferry we were serenaded by some wonderful musicians.  It was a beautiful day to spend on top of a boat gliding across the gateway to the Caribbean. The sun is bright, the skies are beautifully blue with white puffy clouds and the water is that beautiful shade of turquoise that almost glows.

After a quick ride to the island we rented a golf cart, yes they have golf carts on the island and it is the best way to get around.  We quickly realized that we didn’t allow enough time to really explore this island.  We may have to come back again.  The views are spectacular.  We head to Punta Sur (South Beach) to see the remains of the temple to the fertility goddess.  We were careful not to touch the temple, lest we like Abraham and Sara would become pregnant at an old age…

We stopped for a quick fish taco and a cerveza before heading back to the Ultramar for our ride back to Cancun.

We had to get back on time for our dinner reservations aboard the Columbus. Larry had a tip that if we went to one side of the hotel we could catch a cheaper taxi.  Well after scurrying around to the other side, we found that all the taxis have zone sheets and charge the same price depending on your final destination.  So much for saving a few pesos! The taxi drivers in Mexico are genuinely friendly and many are happy to share their country with you.

A beautiful wooden ship complete with Saxophone player awaits us at the Aquatours dock. Onboard we met a delightful couple from Dallas and some honeymooners from England. The Columbus motored inside the Hotel Zone in the center of downtown Cancun. We enjoyed the sunset while listening to the beautiful saxophone music. It was a magical night with tropical breezes caressing us. After the sun finally settled, we dined on lobster and steak, top deck while sharing tequilas with our new friends.  After dinner we danced on deck to the music just before a tropical downpour.  Everyone scrambled below deck for just a moment and then it was clear again. The weather changes every five minutes in Cancun. We went back on top to enjoy the lights on the boat as we made our way back to the marina.

Cancun, a week in paradise…

This morning we woke to the sound of tropical birds singing out over the palm trees.  The sun streamed in our windows and the curtains blew out slightly with the breeze. We could hear the sound of the ocean even from our 6^th floor room at the back of the property. We were ready to explore. After breakfast we donned our swim suits and grabbed our books… “To the pool” for sun and relaxation. Just what the doctor ordered. After the pool we decided to check out the beach.  The sand was white and extremely soft, like sifted flour.  We walked for a while with the ocean lapping at our feet.  The water was warm and inviting. We ventured in after awhile, but decided not to swim because the coral in the sand was hurting our feet.

Tonight we will try the Italian and Mediterranean infused Davino Restaurant at the resort.  While we waited for a table we were served fresh pita bread toasted in a wood fired grill.  The pitas were served with eggplant humus and Greek yogurt.  Larry tried the lasagna and was very pleased. I had red snapper grilled to perfection.

Cancun, a week in paradise…

As soon as we step off the plane we experience the humid weather of Cancun. The airport is nice and air conditioned, not like we are accustomed to in Mexico. We go through immigration, gather our luggage and then on to customs.  This time I press the button to see if our luggage must be searched.  Usually Larry does this and he always receives a red light. But this time I take the chance and we receive a green light. It feels like winning the lottery.

First I must tell you about Mexico; we know this… have visited here every year for over 10 years… but still sometimes manage to get sucked into the tour/activities operators.  They act like they are being helpful, but they just want to sell you activities or timeshare presentations.  You need to walk past them, almost be rude, which is not our nature. But you have to get outside the airport to the sidewalk to get a taxi or your transfer to the hotel.  One lady was exceptionally nice and before we knew it we were whisked into a conversation with a sales person about what we wanted to do in Cancun.  As soon as it dawned on us we tried to get out of the conversation, finally resorting to telling the man that we had already purchased our activities for the week. No, and we walked away. The next guy waves a brochure in our face and tells us he will help us with a taxi. No gracias! Once we were outside it was easy to locate our transfer shuttle. We were so happy to see the Villa del Palmar sign and the smiling face of our driver.

The 40-minute ride to Villa del Palmar, north of Cancun, included glimpses of the jungle. We had arrived in paradise. We checked into our room and took in the view.  It was obvious that we were at the entrance to the Caribbean, the ocean color is actually turquoise.  There are stretches lit up by the sun that are luminescent. We hurried down to check out the grounds. Everywhere we looked was impeccably manicured, tropical flowers were abounding. Some plants were familiar to us as houseplants back home. The pools were expansive and we tested the waters at each of them before tasting the fare at Zama located just opposite the hot tub. It is centered in a pool of water that gave a moat like appearance around the building.  We shared a plate of fajitas and they were delicious, not like California fajitas, but local fare and very tasty.

By the time we headed back to our room, the lights of the resort decorated our view and we could make out the island across the bay, Isla Mujeres, by its garland of lights.