Hospitality Management Schools

Dread flying? You’re certainly not alone. The airline industry has been the source of nightmares for decades, causing ordinary people – like you – to suffer amid the chaos of disorganization and general ineptness. What’s more, you have to deal with your fellow passengers who aren’t always considerate and enjoyable to be around. If you’re a frequent flyer, you’ve undoubtedly accumulated numerous reasons as to why you hate to fly, including the 10 listed below.

• Delays, cancellations or overbooked flights
  Nothing is worse than patiently waiting for a flight just to be told it’s delayed or worse – cancelled or overbooked. Sometimes a voucher makes up for it, but that’s only when you have time to spare. Frequent flyers tell horror stories about the meetings or reunions they’ve missed due to the inconvenience. Rebooking can get you to your destination on time, but several variables have to fall into place in order for it to happen.
• Navigating through the airport
  It’s not uncommon to feel like Moses after you’ve finally found your terminal. The miles-long trek usually includes a few unintended detours, causing you to dodge other travelers as you attempt to not miss your flight. Additionally, finding a decent restaurant or restroom can turn into a scavenger hunt. But hey, at least it’s exercise.
• Security stress
  All common sense is tossed aside when it comes to airport security. These days, everyone is a suspect and privacy is no longer a concern. Your bag is turned inside out, you have to undress in front of strangers, and you take a brow-beating if you’re deemed suspicious. If your name – or something close to it – shows up on the no-fly list, don’t expect a timely arrival at your destination.
• Sandwich seats
  Nobody wants to be the meat in an airplane meat sandwich. But if you’re flying solo in a packed flight, you become a magnet to the habitual space invaders. Forget about elbow room because these pompous passengers have claimed it for themselves, willfully ignoring the rules of flying etiquette.
• Big bag guy
  He’ll spare nothing – including your bag – to ensure his bag fits into the overhead compartment. It’s his bag’s world and everyone else’s bag is just living in it. God forbid he puts it under his seat like everyone else who arrives late.
• Talkative next-seat neighbor
  Despite making it obvious you’re trying to go to sleep, they just can’t refrain from telling you their life story. But because you’re a polite person, you muster enough motivation to carry on a brief conversation, which ultimately opens the verbal floodgates. Unfortunately, you know they won’t stop because there’s nothing better to do. Who wants to watch “Kate and Leopold” or read Continental Magazine, anyway?
• Tall or fidgety rear-neighbor
  It can be a six-year-old with jimmy legs, a sleeper who’s having a lively dream or a basketball player who missed the private jet. Any one of these offenders makes an already uncomfortable flight unbearable. And the longer the flight, the worse it gets.
• Kids
  You may absolutely adore kids, and perhaps you even have one or two of your own, but if you’re like most people, the first sight of a rambunctious kid darting down the aisle as your settling into your seat sends a chill down your spine. In each case, they seem to have just finished ingesting a pound of sugar, so they’re screaming, bouncing off the walls, and taking incessant bathroom breaks. Not only do they ruin your flight experience, but they make you question whether or not you should have kids of your own.
• Bad weather and turbulence
  You’ve watched enough TV to know that one mistake from the pilot could end the lives of you and 200 of your closest friends. The margin for error decreases during thunderstorms and turbulence, causing your anxiety to increase. If you suffer from motion sickness, you better grab hold of the barf bag; otherwise, you’ll become the subject of other passengers’ horror stories.
• Delayed, lost or damaged baggage
  Ever gone a day or two without a change of underwear after flying? Delayed or lost baggage is a common problem endured by passengers who board connecting flights. Dealing with damaged baggage is not quite as bad but also not fun. A busted bag can be a hassle to fix or replace, and depending on the airline, they might not claim responsibility.

Most people think of rest, relaxation, and euphoria when they think of going on vacation.  Vacations are supposed to be enjoyable and meant to bring people together to have a great time, whether it’s with friends, families, or couples.   Here are 5 stories of when vacations have crossed calm and happy and went horribly wrong:

Natalee Holloway- In what has been one of the most highly televised disappearances, Natalee Holloway, just 18 at the time, disappeared when she and 124 other high school graduates went on a vacation trip to Aruba in May 2005.  What was supposed to be a celebration and all around good time turned into a nightmare for Holloway’s family- the day the graduates were supposed to fly back to the US, Natalee was nowhere to be found.  Holloway was last seen the night before leaving a popular hot-spot, Carlos N Charlie’s, with some locals she had met.  Natalee’s parents immediately flew to Aruba and started a massive hunt for the missing teen.  Several people have been arrested and questioned, and some even re-arrested and released in her disappearance, but no one was charged and she has not been found.

George Allen Smith- A couple’s honeymoon dream vacation turned sour on the night of July 5, 2005.  The couples, both 26, were just married and had embarked on a lavish 12 day Mediterranean cruise.  A couple of days into the cruise, on July 5^th the couple spent their night drinking heavily and gambling with a group of young men they had met- George Smith was never seen again.  It was reported early on that the cruise line had dismissed any foul play was involved in the disappearance and that he probably slipped and fell overboard.  However, blood had reportedly been found in and around his cabin and the FBI became involved in the disappearance.  While his wife, Jennifer Hagel Smith and several others on the cruise have raised suspicion, no one was ever charged of a crime and George was never found.

Arturo Gatti- Arturo Gatti, a well-known Canadian boxer, and his wife were vacationing with their 10 month old son in Porto de Galinhas for their honeymoon.  On July 11, 2009, Arturo’s body was found dead at the sea-side Brazil resort that the couple had been staying in, his death ruled a homicide.  Gatti’s wife, Amanda Rodrigues was arrested after she couldn’t explain to police why it took her more than 10 hours to call for help and after police found blood stains on her purse.  On July 30^th Gatti’s death was ruled a suicide and Rodrigues was released from prison.  Gatti’s death still remains a mystery and some of his friends and family refuse to believe Gatti would kill himself, and have started their own investigations.

Monica Beresford-Redman- Monica Beresford Redman went on a Mexican vacation in April of 2010 with her husband and their two children.  What should have been a great vacation in the beautiful Mexican city of Cancun, took a quick turn for the worse when Monica was reported missing on the morning after leaving to go shopping the day before.  Her body was found strangled and beaten in a sewer at the resort where the family was staying.  Employees and vacationers at the resort were investigated and questioned and recalled stories that the couple were seen arguing the night before.  Her husband, Bruce Beresford Redman, who is known for producing shows such as Survivor and MTV’s Pimp My Ride, was immediately considered a suspect and arrested and released under the condition he stay in the country until the murder was solved.

Adam Pemberton- A luxary romantic getaway to Cancun ended in horror when a 24 year old British tourist fell to his death in June 2010.  Adam Pemberton and his fiancée’s vacation were cut short when she and some friends went to the store.  It was reported that after returning from the store and not being able to find Adam the friends kept up the night, until he was discovered dead 3 hours later.  It appeared Adam had fallen from the 9^th floor resort balcony and fell 100 feet to his death.