My latest craze for hummus only matches my love for Ethiopian food. I think. I love the curries that the food is made in! I can never sleep well after all the eating I do, but I crave for it once every week st the least.

Incidents over the last few weeks has lead me to introspect. Introspection has lead to unraveling a number of facets of "the new me". One of which is this.

The new job entails travel every week, and that has been the story for the last year now. While I love the travel, I realize how reliant I am on airline personnel, hotel management and car companies on my "happiness" when travelling.

I must admit that all this travel as in some parts made me a snob. I know expect to be seated in nothing less than Economy Comfort seating for free, receive the cars that I like whenever possible and be put in rooms that have air conditioning that works and internet works across the room and not just when I sit facing the bathroom in the center of my bed.

Since I think I'm being snobbish, I sat and forced myself to think objectively. And turns out that even though I am snobbish, I am also reasonable.

The car industry....

I have been renting cars with Avis since my 25th birthday, and am a Preferred member. In the last six months I have had 3 flat tires. In all instances, I have been asked to go to the nearest Avis Location & exchange my car. Not once has anyone apologized or offered to SEND a replacement car. Not once has anyone said "Oh we are sorry for your bad experience, let us give you a nicer car." And they charged me for it.

I rent a car Mon-Thursday every week. I have been for a year now. So I expect that I do not have to wait 30 minutes to get a car at 5 AM, after having taking the red eye. I expect that I am not given cars that have the maintenance light blinking. I expect that I do not have to spend another 45 minutes to get a regular car after that. Maybe I expect too much.

The airline industry....
I switched from Delta to United when I moved coasts. In the past three months, I have yet to be on United flight that takes off and lands on time. When it takes off, either there is no WiFi (4.5 hours flight), or no entertainment (4.5 hours flight), no blankets and/or snobbish and snooty personnel. When you land you'll be lucky if your baggage made it on the same flight as you. Priority on not.

My travel time in a week is 1 hr (to airport) + 4.5 hr (flight) + 1.5 hr (mix of all delays) + 1 hr (drive to final destination) = 16 hours in 5 days.

So yes, I expect that after having frequent flying status I am treated nicely, offered the opportunity to buy WiFi and be allowed to ask for a blanket that I do not have to pay for. Maybe I expect too much.

The hotel industry....
I must say, most of my stay in the last few months has been with Starwood; and they have lived up to their hospitality. I've had to complaint about the shower/WiFi/etc., but they've responded and understood that I spend more time at the hotel than at home. And have made every effort to make the stay pleasant. Except update their menu. But I'll pick my battles.

To summarize - not snobbish, but instead reasonable, and therefore a subject to bad customer service.