MegaDO Media!

Apologies for being away from the blog for a few days.  Getting caught up from the MegaDO and work travel have bogged me down.  I’m on my way to Frequent Traveler University right now, but I wanted to share with you a new piece on StarMegaDO4.

Stephanie was along for the ride and shares her perspective on her first MegaDO.  Some of my favorite quotes from her article:

“Do not hold up the drink cart in the aisle,” he said. Alcohol is as much a part of MegaDos as jet fuel. At one point Mr. Danielsen’s voice came over the intercom to liken the drink cart to a fire truck: we were instructed to get out of the way so it could roll to those in need. On another leg of the trip he reminded everyone that United would be taking us on tours. “They will definitely throw you off the tour if you are hammered,” he said.

They were bankers, lawyers, programmers, film distributors, entrepreneurs and all-around aviation buffs or, as they lovingly call themselves, geeks. Most were men. All of them had signed up for a MegaDo, a retreat organized by and for travel fanatics who scour Web sites like Milepoint, particularly frequent fliers for whom it is a hobby to accrue miles and learn every last detail about their preferred airline.

“HAVE you seen the toilet?” said the man next to me. “You have to see the toilet.”

Airplane bathrooms are hardly conversation starters, and if they are, it’s generally not a conversation one wants to continue…..But I had just boarded the Dreamliner — Boeing’s new 787 that is outshining its ancestors with roomier overhead bins, larger windows, power for smartphones, a quieter cabin, more humid air and, as it turns out, a toilet that’s a crowd pleaser.

Gotta agree with her on the toilet.  And, it’s not even the best 787 toilet.  The one I experience on JAL’s 787 even goes so far as to lower the seat for you.

You can also read Scott McCartney’s view in the Wall Street Journal.  Scott is a veteran of previous MegaDOs, having been on a few crazy rides with us.

And, finally, you can read some of my SMD4 updates here, though I’m not done yet.