Featured on NPR

If you find yourself stuck in an airport, Jeff Michaels has some ideas to keep you from going crazy. Host Liane Hansen speaks with Michaels, author of a new book, Please Hug Me – I’ve Been Delayed. Click to listen to interview.

Featured on NPR

…brilliant – and hilarious – ideas for the airline industry. (Orlando Sentinel)

…head straight to your terminal’s bookstore and buy this humorous yet informative read. (MORE Magazine)

…plenty of helpful tips, particularly about surviving delays. (Chicago Tribune)

 

Girl screaming after delayed flight from Jeff Michaels on Vimeo.

This is an air travel companion that’s the perfect combination of humor and information for travelers of all types. Every one of the 800 million people who struggle to keep their sanity in the insane world of air travel will be desperate to get their hands on Please Hug Me–I’ve Been Delayed. Author Jeff Michaels offers his off-kilter observations on everything from earplugs to air stewards, along with practical tips on how to improve the flying experience. Michaels offers his readers:

  • Clever and constraining techniques for wasting time in airports
  • Surprising (and dismaying) air travel trivia
  • Secrets to sourcing the lowest possible airfare
  • A 5-minute program for overcoming the fear of flying
  • Tear-out forms for surviving an overnight stay in the airport

Be sure to pick up your copy today! Click here to order now.

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No company has ever succeeded by treating their customers like crap. The airline industry is notorious for not always keeping their customers first in mind when making their decisions…

Chronic Seat Kickers (CSKs)

Apparently, my ranting on NPR about the Chronic Seat Kickers (CSKs) on board our flights has been hitting home. And while this is a terrible problem we must all face, I’m happy to find there are others out there as unlucky as I am to always find themselves sitting in front someone who thinks they are the only human on the plane. Now, as I mentioned in Please Hug Me–I’ve Been Delayed, you have to remember that Chronic Seat Kickers need to be broken down by age before you can determine how to react to their barbaric behavior.

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Is a patdown really necessary? (Only if he’s cute)

Everyone is up in arms about the new security procedures, claiming our human rights are being violated, and freaking out about privacy once again. Here’s the thing kids. In case you haven’t noticed, privacy is a thing of the past. Everything you do is for public scrutiny these days. Thanks to Facebook and Twitter, I know what every single one of my friends ate for breakfast, how their first date went before they even get home, and on the day after Halloween, what they look like naked.

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Getting Bumped: The Art of Free Air Travel

Everyone has that one annoying friend who is constantly bragging about all the free stuff they get. Free hotel stays, free meals, free prizes in cereal boxes (some people just have to brag no matter what), etc. With overbooked flights at unprecedented levels, your opportunity to become one of these annoying people has finally arrived.

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Why should you book all your connections through Salt Lake City?

Travel and Leisure recently released their report of the best and worst airports for delayed flights for 2009. Topping the list of the worst was Newark, NJ (EWR), which confirms what we’ve known all along–everyone in Newark is so excited about Jersey Shore they’ve forgotten all their responsibilities, including getting the planes off the ground on time.

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Dog on runway causes flight delay at LaGuardia

By • April 26, 2012 • Flight delays • Leave a comment

No, not that kind of dog on a runway. A real dog. On a real runway. Like with scary planes. Come on. Finally a delay we can all agree is worth sitting through. I mean, no one wants to risk running over a dog with a 747… right? Dog was happily returned to its owner, [...]

Man Strips Naked At Oregon Airport in protest of TSA Screening… really?

By • April 19, 2012 • Airport Security • Leave a comment

Sigh. Why is it always an ugly dude doing foolish things like this, and not a beautiful woman? Because beautiful woman are intelligent. Let’s see. Scanners that virtually guarantee no evil-doer can smuggle a harmful weapon or substance on board a plane, and now we have Mr. John Brennan so desperate for his 15 minutes [...]

Top 2 Airline customer service moments since Please Hug Me—I’ve Been Delayed was published

By • April 18, 2012 • Baggage, Customer Service, Random Musings • Leave a comment

Yes, this started out as a Top 10 list. But sadly, two was all I could come up. Recently, it seems no matter where I go, I’m met with the absolute worst in customer service. This morning I’m putting off a call to my bank (who shall be nameless unless they don’t resolve my erroneous [...]

How to Make Travel Easier During the Holidays

By • April 17, 2012 • Holiday Travel • Leave a comment

by Deborah Jones Planning a holiday with the family is the exciting part. Choosing where to go, how long to stay and what activities to take part in while you’re there is all part of the anticipation. Getting to the holiday destination is another matter, especially if long distance travel is involved. Packing Being laden down [...]

First airline to ban crying babies from section of plane

By • April 11, 2012 • Crying Babies • Leave a comment

Okay, it may be time to award a Hug Me Award of Excellence to Malaysia Air. Yes, it seems their airline executives have finally got a copy of Please Hug Me–I’ve Been Delayed, and my suggestions for a simple seating structure by crying baby or no crying baby preference. According to recent reports, Malaysia Air [...]

What happens if I miss my flight?

By • April 10, 2012 • Flight delays, Missed Flights, Online Ticket Purchasing • Leave a comment

After travelling recently to the land of endless entertainment and overpriced coffee–otherwise known as Las Vegas, it occurred to me McCarran International Airport has to be ranked pretty high on the list for the most missed flights. (I could be mistaken–all the mad sprinting through the terminals could simply be a hangover cure of which [...]

Kudos to Delta: Fixed our flat tire AND owned up to a delay?!

By • March 21, 2012 • Flight delays, Getting bumped • Leave a comment

I was fortunate to perform a couple of shows during this years SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX. While every flight is always an opportunity to see how the airline industry is performing, this trip was sure to be one to monitor, with 2,000 bands and 20,000 music fans arriving and departing from one tiny [...]

Travel Delay Protection

By • February 21, 2012 • Flight delays • Leave a comment

Here is an interesting item I came across from American Express. We all know the hassles of a delayed flight, and of course even all the great tips and tricks we’ve been offering can only do so much. American Express has a new program you might want to check out, called Travel Delay Protection. According [...]

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