Travel Blog
Nov 10, 2010
Friends tell me I should blog about my travels. I’ve even had people tell me they live vicariously through the postings I put on my Facebook page. It’s nice to hear that because I enjoy sharing the fun things I get to do and the great adventures I have. However, I don’t want to bore anyone with the mundane details or daily itinerary.
Instead, I like to give people a good laugh or even inspire them to stretch their wings and discover a fun, new place for themselves. Just helping someone try a new restaurant or go ANYWHERE new excites me! If I could be a travel agent or tour guide, I think that would be sheer bliss. Actually, I would just like to hang with Samantha Brown.
So my first official “blog” will be a happy story:
I love to fly. Mostly, I love to fly First Class. I’ve flown Economy. I don’t recommend it. If you’ve never flown First Class, you don’t know what you’re missing. You may not want to continue reading. In First Class, besides having a bigger seat with more legroom, you get a pillow, a blanket, and food. Real food, on glass plates and real utensils, not plastic. You also get free cocktails. It’s super cozy!
I fly stand-by (aka "non-rev") because I fly courtesy of my boyfriend Steve, who works for an airline. This is a great benefit because it makes travel extremely affordable and highly stressful, but most importantly… affordable.
I work nights on the weekends. Two pm until 3 or 4 am. Three thirteens and I’m done, so it’s nice, in a way because I get four days off. It's hard when I travel. I work all night Sunday and get off at 4 am Monday morning. I then rush to the airport to catch the 6:30 am flight to Denver (DEN) or San Francisco (SFO) without getting any sleep all night.
On this particular Monday, November 8, 2010, I had a 6:30 am flight to Chicago. I was driven to the airport by my friend Melissa, and had plenty of time to get through security, get to the gate, and I even got my seat assignment fairly quickly. This is a big deal to those of us who fly standby. Just because you have a piece of paper in your hand saying you are booked on a flight doesn’t mean squat. Until you get the actual ticket in your hand with a seat number on it, you’re not going anywhere. So I was able to relax knowing I was going to be on the hour-long flight to SFO.
The flight was good. I ended up moving from my aisle seat to a window seat in the row in front of me, so that a woman could have her child sit by her. She had been told they would be together and then they weren’t. See? Travel is stressful even for those with guaranteed seats. So, once again, I will emphasize that my travel is affordable. Thank you, Steve!
I arrived safely in SFO. I used my eye mask and earplugs and was able to get about 20 minutes sleep. I would have got more but the kid behind kept kicking my seat. I gave up my seat for that kid. Tell me again why I did that? Because, it was the right thing to do (window seat…hee hee).
Anyway, I tucked my good deed away and headed to the gate for my connecting flight to Chicago (ORD). When flying standby and waiting for a seat, it’s almost like a game of roulette where you watch the big monitors to see where you are on the standby list. I routinely land in the middle of the list. If there are 10, I’m 5 or 6. If there are 50, I’m 25th. That’s normal. Rarely I’m first or second or third. Today? I’m last. Out of 7, so I’m thinking “ok…I can handle that”. Then I see there are only 5 seats left. Not so good. I remember my lucky bhudda.
I have a beautiful piece of jade with a bhudda carved in it that I wear for luck when I fly. It’s not because of a fear of flying, but because of my fear of not getting a seat.
I rub my bhudda then sit near the gate counter so I can hear my name if they call me for a seat. As I watch the monitor I realize there is a list of 71 people who requested to upgrade to First Class. I don’t blame them. Unfortunately, there are only 12 seats and they are already full. Damn.
As I continue to watch the monitor I see there are now 4 seats left and I’m still 7th of 7. Huh? Who did they give the seat to? Oh well, one of the mysteries of travel. Then there are 3 seats. I’m still 7th. Suddenly I’m 5th. Then I’m 3rd of 3 with no seats left. Economy is booked full. Double Damn.
I text Steve. I guess I will just get breakfast while I wait for the next flight. Steve told me a long time ago: don’t leave the gate area until the jet way door is closed and they tell you there are no more seats.
Meanwhile, the gate agents have been calling names of ticketed passengers who have not arrived at the gate yet. Ah ha! Maybe I will get one of their seats at the last minute. It has happened before.
Now the agents are saying “final boarding” and still calling three names. There are three of us in the waiting area who are rooting for those three people to not show up!
Finally, the gate agent calls our three names. Mine last of course. He tells us to go down the jet way and wait there to see if we get the last three seats. Meanwhile, I’m rubbing the bhudda. Rub rub rub.
They try to take our roller bags to check them, while we are waiting. I’m not giving mine up until I know I’m on this plane. The gate agent comes out and says we all have seats so I gave up my bag.
The two men ahead of me are immediately given their seat numbers and they enter the plane to sit down back in Economy. I’m still waiting for my seat assignment. I’m beginning to really worry now that I gave up my bag. Rub rub rub.
The flight attendant steps out of the plane onto the jetway and says “One seat left…5D”.
Gate agent says “We can’t put her there.”
Flight attendant: “We need a body in the seat.”
Gate agent, to me “Five David. Go!”
WHOO HOO….FIRST CLASS!!!
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