Category Archives: It’s not always so bad

Texas Calling

09 Wednesday Nov 2011

Posted by in It's not always so bad

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Trip type: Personal

Airline: Delta

Route: MSP-AUS // AUS-MSP

As alluded to in Monday’s post, last weekend also brought the opportunity to travel for fun and the travel itself was actually rather enjoyable (so much so that E is now convinced I just make up the rest of this blog).

Glorious leg room

The flight to Austin came complete with an exit row (the glares from tall people are almost as delicious as the ridiculous leg room–see picture where I’m actually sitting on the very edge of the seat to get my feet this far forward).

Because we were on a Barbie jet, we had to gate-check our roller bags. I really enjoyed the Delta guy unloading the bags loudly muttering to himself when everyone was crowded in the jetway waiting to retrieve bags after the flight (“Can’t anyone read the signs? What is the matter with people?!”)–as if we were choosing to loiter and annoy him.

The flight home from Austin went smoothly as well, but the gate agent was one of the weirder representatives I’ve seen. He’s clearly been relegated to a corner of the Austin airport all on his lonesome for far too long (and perhaps with just cause).

At first I thought perhaps he was just a little off (like when he would make “announcements” every few minutes which pretty much just consisted of him babbling incoherently until he lost his train of thought and drifted off mid-sentence) but when it came time to start boarding, I decided he was just looking for some validation of importance. Why, you ask? Because he called roll for first class. Yes, one by one. He called their names and scanned their boarding passes individually. Happily, just when I was starting to worry that the entire boarding process would go in a similar vein, he jumped to zones.

The rest of the flight was smooth and we got home just in time for me to repack for this week’s adventure to Atlanta. If only I could have found a way to work my newly purchased cowboy boots into work attire…

Yee-haw!

Observational Flying

23 Friday Sep 2011

Posted by in It's not always so bad

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Trip type: Business

Airline: Delta

Route: ATL-MSP

This week’s travel was exceptional in its unexceptional-ness. Which is a nice change every now and then…two flights that left on time with little to no excitement (“Just how I like my flights!” as my mother would say). Well, with three minor-ly amusing exceptions:

1. As I mentioned in my brief post earlier this week, the flight to Atlanta did come complete with a 10-person bachelorette party and I had to wonder what brainiac maid of honor had booked them on a 6am Monday flight to Mexico connecting through Atlanta. Although there was much excited chatter pre-boarding about whether the bars at the Atlanta airport would be open by the time we landed at 10, they were relatively quiet on the actual flight. Perhaps wisely deciding to stock up on sleep.

2. I got to the gate early (in my usual quest to control the uncontrollable by being present and accounted for) and got a nice seat in front of the desk  which gave me a front row seat to every self-important businessman (yes, they were all male) on the flight approaching to ask for an upgrade. You would think these guys would know better…a flight from a hub (ATL) to another hub (MSP) on which almost everyone has at least middling status, will almost never yield you an upgrade unless you’re Diamond and the few who are Diamond never bother asking. Then I see my own previous comment about self-importance…

3. The guy next to me got wasted on the way home. On a two hour flight where they only serve beverages for 90  minutes or so, it was impressive how quickly he put away four beers. Luckily, he was not chatty in his inebriated state but I was dying to know if he got fired, lost a deal or worse…the mysteries of flying. At least he didn’t drool on my shoulder.

Until the next adventure!

Back to School

14 Wednesday Sep 2011

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Trip type: Business

Airline: Delta

Route: ATL-MSP

Because you can never assume things will go smoothly with Atlanta traffic, I always end up at Jackson-Hartsfield early. Very early. Then, I go and visit the Delta desk to see if there’s any chance of getting on an earlier flight (there never is but it’s a fun little game I play with same, sad looking woman who’s inevitably working when I’m flying).

As I’m waiting, there’s a frazzled mother with her two sons in line behind me. They have very heavy Southern drawls and it’s clear from their demeanor and story that they don’t fly often (she was very upset she had to throw out her full-size hairspray at security…). Naturally, I strike up a conversation and end up chatting with the older of the two sons who is probably about 12.

Boy: “At least we got out of school early!”

Me: “Wow, it’s still August; I didn’t realize school had started for some people. When did you go back this year?”

Boy: “Three weeks ago. When did you start?”

Me: [caught-off-guard-laugh] “Oh, I’m a grownup!”

Not my smoothest of responses (please see previous post for proof I can be smooth) but I was so taken aback at being taken for this kid’s peer (I decided later the better response would have been “1989”). I may be the height of a seventh grader but I could swear I seem slightly more adult. Maybe next time.