If you read the blog comments, many of you want to know more about the people behind Global Traveler. Karen S. specifically wants to know about me, so I thought, a good way to accomplish this would be to put together a Facebook page. So, that is what I have done! It is a work in progress and I plan to take more pictures when I travel the world and add these to the collections.

So, please enjoy and use this to learn more about me if you interested! But, of course, you will have to be my friend to see the pictures and read my Facebook page.

I encourage the readers of this blog to join and create a community!

Cheers!

-Fran Gallagher, publisher and CEO

Happy Anniversary to us, the blog!

Today is the one year anniversary of GT’s blog. Fran Gallagher, appropriately, had the pleasure of being the first blogger. Over the last year, many members of the GT staff have contributed to these blogs. Some of us had never written before, while others had varying levels of experience as writers. In all, I think we have had a lot of fun and have also learned a few things along the way.

I remember the GT meeting via conference call when it was decided that the website should start running daily blogs by staffers. Publisher Fran Gallagher threw out the idea of a daily blog. It did not take much discussion to decide in favor of GT blogs.

The blogs have been successful in many ways. On the business side, traffic to GT’s website has increased by over 35% since the inception of the blogs. More new viewers, more return visitors, longer visits and more feedback are all directly related to the blogs.

The blogs have done a wonderful job of giving us added exposure. In this forum, the blog writers express views, relay information and choose tangential topics which don’t make it into the printed magazine. This range of topics has brought in new viewers, as well as regular GT readers. New website viewers translate to potential new readers and subscribers.

The blogs have also sparked conversations among the GT staff about everything from potential articles to distribution points. Each writer has an area of expertise. The chosen topics have often struck a chord with different staffers, who took the idea and implemented it in a different area. For instance, I have gotten several distribution point ideas from reading the other blogs.

I have used my blog space to write about a myriad of topics (some very thinly relative to global business travel). Through my notorious self-promotion (well, I promote GT too…), I have brought in some new readers. That is the beauty of the cross-section of the blog writers. We all have our areas of expertise and we all bring in viewers from new areas.

It is purely luck that has allowed me to be the blogger on our 1 year anniversary. However, I am proud to produce this special edition blog (I am sure it will be included in the upcoming DVD, GT Blogs: The First Year). Thank you to GT for allowing me to write here. Thank you to the readers for your continued viewership.

Now, I plan on blowing out the candle on the GT birthday cannoli and making my wish (for another great year), before I wash it down with my traditional big Coke.

-John Wroblewski, distribution specialist

***Thank you to all of you who have helped make our blog such a success. We value you as blog and Global Traveler readers and thank you for letting us open the doors of GT to you!***

Last week I used this space to ask you what you wanted to read here. The response was great. Many people left comments on the blog and even more emailed me directly. I appreciate the feedback and have tabulated the results.

Celebrity travel stories & meet and greets - 20%

Reader contests (perhaps for GT stuff) - 15%

Conventions coverage - 15%

Business info for smaller cities - 12.5%

Info on GT staff and behind the scenes - 12.5%

Expanding on GT articles - 10%

Travel deals - 5%

Diet and fitness on the road - 5%

Travel bloopers - 2.5%

Very specific topic ideas (aka the rest) - 2.5%

All are interesting ideas. I can start delivering some of the requests immediately. Others will show up gradually. Unfortunately, some are out of my control, but not out of the question. Each suggestion has been noted and is appreciated.

I will continue to write celeb stuff, because I like it and my work brings me in contact with a lot of celebs. I will start getting travel stories from them. As a matter of fact, on a recent trip to Los Angeles, I started working on this. Those stories will be told in the near future.

I meet most of the celebs at conventions. Since I work with the people who run the conventions, I will give more in-depth coverage of the specifics of the convention’s inner workings.

I would be happy to share my travel bloopers. I usually don’t make it through any trip without at least one mishap. Since I do a lot of work in smaller cities like Kokomo (IN), Novi (MI), Rosemont (IL) and Madison (WI), I can bring some attention to them as well.

I will do the best I can with all of the ideas. This is your blog, as much as it is mine. I hope you continue reading, responding and suggesting.

-John Wroblewski, distribution specialist

Dear Blog Readers,

I have been writing this blog for over 6 months. This is my 29th effort. I have blogged about marathons, distribution, celebrity meet and greet conventions, scooters and more. Some have been silly and some have been serious.

So far, I have written about whatever I want. Hopefully, for my publisher’s sake, most of my blogs have had some sort of travel or business connection (no matter how tangentially).

Aside from the (usually positive) comments that some people leave, I have no idea what you really might like to read here. Global Traveler’s editor-in-chief Lisa Matte is always open to ideas for articles in the magazine. I am going to follow her lead.

If there is something you want to see here, this is your chance to request it. You can either do so by leaving a comment or you can email any requests directly to me at john@globaltravelerusa.com. I promise to take all ideas seriously and I will respond to each of you. So, let’s hear it. What do you want from my blog?

-John Wroblewski, distribution specialist

I was searching the internet this morning hoping for blog inspiration when I happened upon a blog on the website Gadling. The blog, “Galley Gossip“, is written by Heather Poole, a flight attendant for an unnamed U.S. carrier. I was directed to the site from a link off my homepage about flight attendants’ biggest pet peeves. Poole uses the blog to recount her tales of asking passengers 2, 3 or more times if they would like something to drink before the passenger removes the headphones and pays attention! I, personally, am always paying attention when the food and drink carts are coming down the aisles towards me!

I perused the site and read Poole’s other blogs. As a new blogger to the site, she has only written three, but they were very enjoyable. She writes in a funny, biting style and recounts tales with a dry sense of humor. I enjoyed reading about her thoughts when someone called her “Sandvich Girl“! It is definitely a blog worth checking out - especially for the frequent traveler. Now, you can figure out what the flight attendants are really thinking. And, in case you missed it, I also offer a behind the scenes look at flight attendants in our June issue. Read all about my experiences at Korean Air flight attendant training school!

The website also offers a blog “The Cockpit Chronicles” by Kent Wien, a pilot. An interesting blog by Grant Martin posted on the site was all about Air India’s refusals to hire overweight flight crew. All in all, the site is filled with interesting blogs covering all facets of the travel industry. Along with Global Traveler’s blog, this is a must-visit blog site for travel fanatics!

-Kimberly Krol, circulation and public relations executive