merrylander
AK Member
Well after a bowl of Florence's excellent chicken soup (yes, chicken soup cures anything) I do believe I will live.
There was a day when airline travel was civilized, then some barking idiot in the gummint decided de-regulation was the order of the day, may his soul rot in hell.
As Eric noted elsewhere, it was neat, Jim drove us to DTW in ample time to board our flights, my suspenders still set of the alarm bells so they had to make sure I was not about to blow up the aircraft. Big mistake, no decent restaurants once inside the secure area and the only bar was overflowing. At least my flight to Philadelphia was at the gate that my boarding pass said it would be, mirabile dictu.
Finished my book about the DaVinci Code Explained over some rather good Chilean white wine during the flight, and we landed in Philly. Went to my departure gate, but on the way noted my flight was cancelled and the Baltimore flight was at a gate back where I started. So I shlepped back to that gate. When a young lady showed up I presented my pass and asked if I was OK. She told me that I should have gone to Customer Whatever -8 gates away and no I was not on that flight.
Went to the Customer Propoganda gate and it appeared that there were not enough people on the flight to cover the fuel costs so they bumped everyone - well almost everyone. Now this flight I have had booked for over a month, but I guess because my ticket was bought with points I did not rate consideration. Now where do they think I got those points? They did not come from a box of CrackerJack.
So they put me up in a Quality Inn - IN NEW JERSEY! - and booked me on a 7:30 flight the next day! I got to my room at 12:15 AM. and arranged a wakeup call for 5:00 AM. Should have brought my Marriott Gold Card and booked in there.
Well the Gods smiled, we made it to the airport in time, my suspenders did not set off the alarm so I was not strip searched. Got my shoes on (of course they don't provide shoe horns) and looked around, I was at Gate 1 and walked (hobbled is more like it) to Gate 28. Sat there for a bit and thoughht - this is not right. Looked for the departure screen and sure enough Flight 3822 was still ontime - at Gate 35. Talk about the gang who could not shoot straight - good old USless Airways. Lady at the gate informs us that our plane was ready and we would board as soon as the pilot and first officer showed up - excuse me?
Don't you love farce, isn't it rich, me sitting here on the ground and not in mid air ...
We finally got airborn after working our way from twelfth in line to first we actually got to take off and landed at BWI - at Gate D48! By this time my right heel is on fire, but that's OK, I'll just wait for the electric cart and join the two elderly ladies from the flight - except no golf cart. Well my shuttle was on time and we reached the house about 9:00 AM. Chatted with my bride for a bit and went upstairs, washed the dried blood off my heel and used antiseptic and a band aid. Went to bed and got up about 1:15.
Despite the fact that the Fest was great and I would not have missed it for the world, I do believe I shall not be at the next one, much as I would like to. Air travel has become un-civilized, despite the fact that we taxpayers subsidize the terminal buildings, (subsidize, hell we pay for them outright) they are designed for the airlines, not for people and it is the terminal builldings that make people irritable. The difference; (flash back to New Jersey) on the way back from the hotel the driver asked if anyone wanted US Airways Express, two of us answered yes, the after a pause I said "but I'm not sure about the express part." and they all laughed, and one family, father, mother and teen aged daughter had come back from Rome the day before and they had not held their connecting flight for the 15 minutes it would have taken, with their jet lag I would have contemplated man-slaughter.
When I get the pictures out of my camera and get a shot of the superb plaque Ernie picked, and the framed AKFEST 07 cross-stitch Linda (Mrs Ernie) made, and I can try to come up with some text somewhere in the neighborhood of Wiggy's, I'll put them up (sorry geeks, mostly people and not equipment). It seemed a far too short two days, probably because this old fart was supported by so darn much love directed his way, no idea why but I will take all I can get.:yes:
Rob
There was a day when airline travel was civilized, then some barking idiot in the gummint decided de-regulation was the order of the day, may his soul rot in hell.
As Eric noted elsewhere, it was neat, Jim drove us to DTW in ample time to board our flights, my suspenders still set of the alarm bells so they had to make sure I was not about to blow up the aircraft. Big mistake, no decent restaurants once inside the secure area and the only bar was overflowing. At least my flight to Philadelphia was at the gate that my boarding pass said it would be, mirabile dictu.
Finished my book about the DaVinci Code Explained over some rather good Chilean white wine during the flight, and we landed in Philly. Went to my departure gate, but on the way noted my flight was cancelled and the Baltimore flight was at a gate back where I started. So I shlepped back to that gate. When a young lady showed up I presented my pass and asked if I was OK. She told me that I should have gone to Customer Whatever -8 gates away and no I was not on that flight.
Went to the Customer Propoganda gate and it appeared that there were not enough people on the flight to cover the fuel costs so they bumped everyone - well almost everyone. Now this flight I have had booked for over a month, but I guess because my ticket was bought with points I did not rate consideration. Now where do they think I got those points? They did not come from a box of CrackerJack.
So they put me up in a Quality Inn - IN NEW JERSEY! - and booked me on a 7:30 flight the next day! I got to my room at 12:15 AM. and arranged a wakeup call for 5:00 AM. Should have brought my Marriott Gold Card and booked in there.
Well the Gods smiled, we made it to the airport in time, my suspenders did not set off the alarm so I was not strip searched. Got my shoes on (of course they don't provide shoe horns) and looked around, I was at Gate 1 and walked (hobbled is more like it) to Gate 28. Sat there for a bit and thoughht - this is not right. Looked for the departure screen and sure enough Flight 3822 was still ontime - at Gate 35. Talk about the gang who could not shoot straight - good old USless Airways. Lady at the gate informs us that our plane was ready and we would board as soon as the pilot and first officer showed up - excuse me?
Don't you love farce, isn't it rich, me sitting here on the ground and not in mid air ...
We finally got airborn after working our way from twelfth in line to first we actually got to take off and landed at BWI - at Gate D48! By this time my right heel is on fire, but that's OK, I'll just wait for the electric cart and join the two elderly ladies from the flight - except no golf cart. Well my shuttle was on time and we reached the house about 9:00 AM. Chatted with my bride for a bit and went upstairs, washed the dried blood off my heel and used antiseptic and a band aid. Went to bed and got up about 1:15.
Despite the fact that the Fest was great and I would not have missed it for the world, I do believe I shall not be at the next one, much as I would like to. Air travel has become un-civilized, despite the fact that we taxpayers subsidize the terminal buildings, (subsidize, hell we pay for them outright) they are designed for the airlines, not for people and it is the terminal builldings that make people irritable. The difference; (flash back to New Jersey) on the way back from the hotel the driver asked if anyone wanted US Airways Express, two of us answered yes, the after a pause I said "but I'm not sure about the express part." and they all laughed, and one family, father, mother and teen aged daughter had come back from Rome the day before and they had not held their connecting flight for the 15 minutes it would have taken, with their jet lag I would have contemplated man-slaughter.
When I get the pictures out of my camera and get a shot of the superb plaque Ernie picked, and the framed AKFEST 07 cross-stitch Linda (Mrs Ernie) made, and I can try to come up with some text somewhere in the neighborhood of Wiggy's, I'll put them up (sorry geeks, mostly people and not equipment). It seemed a far too short two days, probably because this old fart was supported by so darn much love directed his way, no idea why but I will take all I can get.:yes:
Rob