Jaunted Interview: Chatting with Peter Greenberg
10/15/2007 at 9:35 AM
Tags: Peter Greenberg, Jaunted Interviews, Travel Trends, Pitch Your Travel Book (all tags)
Late last week we got a chance to sit down with Today Show travel editor Peter Greenberg to chat about airlines, hotels, Kyla and his new book, The Complete Travel Detective Bible. This is one serious travel tome: It appeared on the New York Times Best Seller list just one week after it went on sale. Peter's mission is to keep travelers from getting abused on the road, something we definitely wanted to know more about since, as he says, "There are about 47 different points of abuse from the time you decide to go somewhere until the time you limp back home."
Jaunted: What's the pulse of the travel right now?
Peter: There's been a quantum change in travel: The world relies on the American travel media but not the American market.
Jaunted: Why is that?
Peter: We do a better job: We look at travel as news rather than destination promotion. But it's the Europeans and Asians that set the market. They are the ones who will pay $700 for a hotel room.
Jaunted: Do you think we'll keep enduring these flight delays? Is there any relief in sight?
Peter: They'll stop when there are economic consequences. It can't be through legislation. It has to be with rule making at the Department of Transportation and at the local level. But even then, look, New York State just passed a Passenger Bill of Rights. It sounds good, it reads good, but the thing is, federal law prohibits state regulation of airlines. (That's deregulation.) So it's really going to be a test case after January 1.
Jaunted: It's become so easy for the travel media to criticize the airlines, hasn't it?
Peter: Well, they're serving up softballs for us. They keep screwing up!
Jaunted: What are the odds some airline will institute a dress code after Kyla-gate?
Peter: I'll tell you what my great surprise was with that story. It wasn't her dress and whether it was or wasn't skimpy. My great surprise was, They have blankets?! I remember when people dressed like this [points at his suit]. And these days, I get on a flight and it looks like an episode of COPS. And I don't blame the passengers. I blame the airlines because they could've instituted a dress code, and they would've had better passengers because of it.
Jaunted: At Jaunted, we have this dream, which we call Airline 2.0, which would be a company with great amenities, fair prices and some style. Do you think that we'll ever see that become a reality, and why or why not?
Peter: Every airline is trying to cut costs while increasing revenue. So they'll charge for food, charge for a better seat, charge for an extra bag. You remember I talked about the time EasyJet charged me $516 for my extra bag. [We do!] In the next year, who knows, there could be pay toilets. And so far the market has stepped up. Why? Because I'm not on the airline for the food, I'm on it to go from point A to point B.
Jaunted: So what airlines do you like to fly?
Peter: You have to ask me about routes. If you pick a route, I'll tell you which airline does the best on that particular route.
Jaunted: Ok, how 'bout transcon?
Peter: I take American because they have the most frequency. Something like 13 or 14 flights a day. That's a lot of flights.
Jaunted: And to Asia?
Peter: When I fly to Bangkok, I take Cathy Pacific through Hong Kong because I like to stop there.
Jaunted: Our sis site HotelChatter would kill us if we didn't ask about hotels: Where do you like to stay in New York City?
Peter: The Ritz, on Central Park South, and the Four Seasons on 57th St. But it's $975 for a room. I have trouble justifying that.
Jaunted: If you could pick anywhere, what hotel would you choose for an isolated, relaxing getaway?
Peter: I can't tell you that because then you'll know where it is! But it's East Coast USA.
Jaunted: Let's talk about your new book: Can you give our readers a sense of what it's all about?
Peter: I just found out today [Friday, October 12] that it's already on the New York Times Best-Sellers List. I'm shocked and thrilled by that. What it speaks to is people's desperate need for information. People want to not be abused. My goal, and why I wrote the book, is to show people that they have options and to give them solutions. You always have to keep your options open.
Jaunted: Your book tour took you to Sky360 by Delta--what'd you think?
Peter: Well, I remember when that was a deli. It's a shame they're gonna tear it down in five weeks. The challenge all the airlines have is that you can brand all you want but you have to be able to match it with the service. But Delta is trying to get back on track.
Jaunted: Any other appearances where our readers should look for you and pick up the book?
Peter: It's a 16-city tour. Coming up I have stops in San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Washington DC and Chicago.
Related Stories:
· Peter Greenberg Pays Dearly for His Excess Baggage [Jaunted]
· Peter Greenberg [Official Site]
· The Complete Travel Detective Bible [Amazon]
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