Lesher Speaker Series Takes Off With Travel Industry Expert Peter Greenberg

Peter Greenberg, author, investigative reporter, CBS News travel editor and opening speaker in the Lesher Center for the Arts' 2010 Newsmaker Series, was a trip.

Ok,  that's a tongue-in-cheek tag for a travel writer, but when you consider that the guy flies more than 400,000 miles each year, has been to 151 of the world's 196 countries and knows the magic formula for getting an upgrade, (read on, we tell all)  the description fits like a glove.

Which is what you should have on hand whenever you encounter an airline blanket, according to Greenberg.  That, and other insights into the wild, whacked-out world of travel, kept the nearly sold-out audience spellbound for 90 minutes during Wednesday night's kick-off lecture in downtown Walnut Creek.

Greenberg's talk in Walnut Creek Wednesday began with Scott Mac Cormac, board president of the Diablo Regional Arts Association, doing a Where's Waldo?  "Where's Steve?" he asked the crowd.  Steve Lesher, the series' producer and the anticipated announcer, was, ironically, forced to travel out of town, ending his 37 lectures-in-a-row record.

Mac Cormac introduced the series, the evening's non-profit partner, Loaves and Fishes, and the moderator, KTVU Consumer Editor, Tom Vacar.

 "We are wanderers, explorers, and seekers," Vacar said, offering an explanation for mankind's fascination with travel.  And with those words, he welcomed Greenberg to the podium.

 Greenberg, in a pale, gray suit and sporting a trim beard and carefully-arranged hair, looked professorial.  Which was appropriate, because his lecture was instructive, stringently researched, and worth the price of admission for many in attendance.

Barrels blazing, he posed a question.  "How many of you have passports?"  Unsurprised at the scarcity of hands, he announced that only 26 percent of Americans hold passports.  And only 40 percent of the members of Congress have them, he added, shaking his head in disgust.

Greenberg described two kinds of travelers.  Tourist: a victim waiting to happen; and Traveler: a Tourist who's been victimized.  For most of the evening, he accused the airline industry of perpetrating the worst crimes.

"The airlines have managed the miraculous," he said.  "They've lost millions.  The bad news?  They've decided 2010 is the year to make it up."

Saddle travel, a recently proposed "innovation" involving suspending passengers in slings, jacked up his temperature. 

"The airlines will do anything to make money," he said.  "Eighteen billion dollars, not including the ticket [revenue], have been collected from add-on fees."  He suggested a new motto for Spirit Airline, (but intimated it could be used by the entire industry): "We're not happy, 'till you're not happy!"

Armed with statistics, Greenberg made audience members consider traveling by horse and buggy.  But he also offered a load of suggestions: "You've got to beat them at their own game," he began.  "Phone the 800 number.  Get the best price, book it, but don't purchase it.  Then go online during the 24 hours [you have before you must purchase or lose the reservation] and ask for the best price." 

He actually did this for a last-minute flight from Los Angeles to New York.  He gave his "crack staff" (who he said would text him, even if they were standing right next to him) the same challenge.  They all started the airlines best offer: $908.  HIs children-of-the-internet staff spent their time online.  Greenberg stayed on the phone line, asking if there was another flight close to the same time, but maybe with a lower ticket price?  The endgame?  Staff, $908;  Greenberg, $108.

With hotels, Greenberg offered the opposite instruction: "Don't use the 800 number," he said.  "Call the hotel directly, and when you do, don't let them roll you over to Reservations.  They're not empowered to give a 'yes.' "  Instead, Greenberg asks for the manager on duty or the director of sales and marketing, negotiates the best price, hangs up, and immediately writes the person a thank you letter.

Building relationships takes the abuse out of travel, according to Greenberg.  "An upgrade: if you ask for it, that's the worst way to do it," he said.  "At the airport, go up to the counter.  If you're nice, and just talk to them, the five magic words happen: 'Let me see your ticket.' "

Greenberg builds an inverted pyramid of friends everywhere he travels: getting to know employee John Doe, Jane Smith, and so on.  Eventually, every airport, hotel, or cruise ship is an opportunity for a mini-reunion.

As his hour-long lecture neared its end, Greenberg's tone sharpened and he touched on a range of topics:

On Safety:

"Prior to 9-11, security was a psychological attempt to deter emotionally disturbed people. Now, they're trying to make people who don't travel often feel better."

"The TSA, {Transportation Safety Administration} it stands for Thousands             Standing Around, or Take Scissors Away."

On Luggage:

"There are two kinds of baggage: carry-on and lost."

On Fear: 

 "The worst four letter word in travel, is fear.  The only country I won't visit, is one where no one is in control.  Like Newark…."

On Internet Add-ons:

"Why is it that the internet is free at Hampton Inn, but $17 at a luxury hotel?"

On Travel as News:

 "The airline stoppage last April: the real story was all the economies on the brink  of collapse because travel stopped.  The oil spill: there were almost no school openings because those states depend on tax revenue from tourists."

On Politics:

 "We are the only country in the world without a Cabinet level position for travel."

Responses to questions from the audience:

• Asked about his concerns relating to aircraft maintenance in a recessionary environment, Greenberg said the FAA had been given a two-pronged agenda it can not manage.  Given the 61,000 aircraft in the air at one time, he called safety "remarkable."
• Answering a question about the safety of specific locations, he gave the following answers:

            Syria: None

            Egypt: "There are incidents in Cincinnati as well."

            Zimbabwe:  "You can bungee there: I wouldn't do that."

            Mexico:  "Get a map.  The violence isn't happening everywhere."

• What's the best thing to do with travel miles?  "Go to an art supply store, get a picture frame, and hang them on your wall," he answered.
• Upgrade to business class?  Not a good idea.
• All inclusive resorts?  Look for the asterisk and read carefully

• Five days in Paris?  Go to the Musée d'Orsay and the Eiffel Tower—especially the third Friday of every month, when hundreds of rollerbladers circle its base.
• Luxury trains?  The Orient Express is overrated; Indian Pacific from Perth to Sydney is worth it.  Amtrak doesn't own the tracks, but we should have high-speed rail in this country.
• Does Greenberg fly coach?  "I do.  Ninety-nine percent of my audience is back there, so I should be too."
• Would he fly in a saddle seat?  "I might, but only if there was an orthopedic surgeon next to me."
• Country he enjoyed the least?  He said it was tough to name one, because he's always learning, even when a trip is hard.

In the end, Greenberg made a poignant statement.  The key to happy travel is something our grandparents knew and practiced: treat others with courtesy, kindness, and respect.  

For more tips from Greenberg and to follow his latest travels, visit his website.

Click here for more information about the Lesher Newsmakers Speakers Series, and check out producer Steve Lesher's informative, chatty blog about Greenberg's talk, as well as about past and upcoming speakers.