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Saturday, December 10, 2005

Travel Updates

Holy Crap, what a trip.
I have a few updates to my two previous posts.

1. regarding pointer #10 from Monday's post. There was actually a woman on my return flight who not only turned on her cell phone and started a loud conversation while we were all trapped in the people traffic jam, but she asked other passengers to get her luggage from the overhead (she couldn't put down the phone) AND proceeded to KICK her duffel down the aisle instead of taking three seconds away from her fascinating conversation (YEAH, WE'RE HERE. NO I'M STILL ON THE PLANE. YEAH, WE WERE REALLY DELAYED) to pick the stupid thing up. For the LOVE of all that is holy and good, people. You are on the planet with 6 billion other people. If you could be considerate of the other 57 in your immediate vicinity, the world would be a better place.

2. regarding my post from Tuesday. I am NEVER flying United again. Now, I know, people say that when they are angry and in the heat of the moment, but I'm waaaay over it. My bag did arrive, and everything was accounted for, but the name label thingy (Target special) was ripped off and the bag appeared to have been vertically compressed and was bent way out of shape. There was no 'sorry', no free toothbrush. But, boy, that was not all.

3. I have never heard of an airline delaying a plane for two hours but never sending anyone to the gate to tell you. In the Sioux Falls airport (which, by the way reeks of airplane fuel to the point at which you think you might pass out), I'm working away when I suddenly realize it is 10:40. My plane was to depart of 10:38. I get up and wander about the gate area. No agent. Lots of bewildered people. We finally began to get information from the friends and family members we called (thanks Boooogs). Seems the flight should leave around noon.

4. New lesson: be careful gambling with your travel arrangements. We heard from a fellow traveller that their travel agent said that the noon flight to Chicago did not have a crew, and might never leave. There was a 1:30 flight that did have a crew. A couple of passengers headed for the ticket counter to change their flight, and I followed. Now, when I got to the counter, the agent told me the noon flight was just arriving and would leave on time, so I should hurry back to the gate.
NOTE: going back and forth through security with a ticket that shows a past departure time is certain to raise the suspicions of the TSA, even in Sioux Falls.
The rest of the story ... the noon flight did arrive and did depart at noon. The passengers who changed their flight to 1:30 were not happy with the results of their gamble.

5. When you think you have it bad, someone will do you one worse. I met a gentleman at the airport who had arrived in Sioux Falls three days earlier with no luggage and was departing Sioux Falls, still with no luggage. His computer bag was stuffed with toiletries. He had no room for the tshirts he had purchased, so he threw them away. And, he had worn the same dress shirt and tie to all three days of client meetings. Ouch.

6. Learn from previous lessons. I consolidated bags and took my suitcase as a carryon through Chicago. I hated schlepping that thing around, but it turned out good for two reasons. (A) My electric razor was jarred "on", and I was able to turn it off instead of my suitcase being subjected to a baggage handler's perusal, and, (2) the flight out of Chicago was so delayed that it left after the later scheduled flight, which was a larger plane. So, the checked bags went on the other flight, and the line at the baggage office in Indy was loooooong.

You know, I said what great luck I'd had with travel. Spoke too soon.

PS I think I got in around 10 pm Friday. Only 3 hours late.

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