So, in spite of all my optimism about being able to make it onto the Sunday night flight to Boston, I did not. The flight, which was oversold by five, went completely full. I almost thought I would get on, because there was one passenger who hadn't boarded when they were about to close the doors, but she came running up at the last minute. So I spent the night in Seattle with my sister, and we went back to try again in the morning. That flight was only oversold by three, and yet EVERYONE actually showed up, and so they had to ask for volunteers for a later flights, as well as offering another flight through Houston (which, my sister informed me, costs the airlines quite a bit of money, so props to them for being willing to lose money rather than piss off customers by forcefully bumping them). So by this time, I had slept about nine hours total the last two nights together, and was rather delirious. And felt rather dirty, still wearing the same clothes. Because the bag with all my clothing went on the flight the night before, and my bag with all my makeup and toiletries was somewhere between Flagstaff, AZ and Seattle, WA. Did I mention that a bag had gotten lost? I actually just found it quite funny, because that bag has gotten lost several times. It's my only piece of luggage that has ever gotten lost. It began when I was coming back from Thailand, and it made it with me as far as LAX, and then it went to Beirut while I went to Phoenix. Really? How does that happen? And how did it get lost on a direct flight from Phoenix to Seattle, with no transfers? I don't know why I even try checking it any more. But I do. At first I was a little worried that maybe someone else had picked it up (it had come to Seattle three flights before me), but then I realized that wouldn't have happened because that would mean it would have been scanned in at Seattle, which it wasn't. So I knew they would find it eventually, and I just laughed about the fact that my bag seems to be cursed. Figures.
So wait, where was I? Oh yes, just got shot down for another flight, and told that the flight that evening was oversold by seven. Yikes. But all I cared about at the moment was sleeping. But first with a quick stop at Ross so that I could have some clean clothing.
After a fabulous nap, I began considering my options. Well, there's a direct Portland-Boston flight. But the leaves at 7:20am. Which is before the earliest Seattle-Portland flight gets in. So I decided that I would show up to try to get on the Seattle-Boston flight that night, and if not, then I would get on the last flight to Portland and spend the night in the airport (I know that Bridgete lives there, but with coming in at midnight and having to be back at the airport at 6am, it would be more trouble than it would be worth to leave). But then, as the evening goes on, the numbers get worse and worse. It begins looking doubtful whether I would get on the Boston flight, and then doubtful whether I would get on the Portland flight. And the flights out of Seattle didn't show any possibility until Thursday, and who knows what would happen between now and then. So I decided to just buy a one way ticket. Which goes through Portland and San Fransisco, getting into Boston about 7:15 the next morning. Oh joy. But I was sick of the standby game. First time ever I've had this hard of a time. I wonder if that's a sign of the improving economy that so many people are buying last minute tickets, which are in the $1,000 range. I mean really? Well, sucks for me, but good for Alaska Airlines and my sister. Job security.
So another thing I've realized during all of this is just how rude and self-centered many travellers are. I mean, I understand that flying these days generally sucks, but that's no surprise. Quit acting like you were expecting to be treated like royalty. And don't be an ass about it when you realized that the airport does not revolve around you. If you would chill out, everyone would be much nicer and all would be happier. Some simple things to remember:
1) You are told to arrive outrageously early for your flight for a reason. Security is a bitch. Again, this is no surprise. So don't get there 45 minutes before your flight leaves (leaves, not boards), and then complain when they didn't hold the plane even though you were checked in but stuck in security. It's called planning. The airlines does it. You should to.
2) Another airline's delay does not mean that your next flight is going to be held for you. Time tables are tight for airlines. If they wait for you, they throw off the rest of the day. Blame the other airline that got you in late and made you miss the connection, not the flight that didn't wait. Especially when they have another flight to put you on in an hour.
3) If you're flying stand-by, don't bitch at the gate agents when you don't get on the flight. It's the nature of stand-by. The gate agents have no control over it. If you want a guaranteed seat, pay for one. (Yes, I know I complain, but I don't do it to the agents, and I do it with the understanding that my ability to fly standby is a privilege I don't have to be granted).
4) Wait at the gate for the 45 minutes before your flight. It's a pain in the ass for everyone involved when they have to page you over and over again to show up and get on the plane because you're too intent on getting your Burger King to pay attention. You are told exactly when you're able to board, so you should be at the gate. When you're not, you're holding everyone up.
5) Finally, be understanding that things happen. Planes are late, flights get overbooked, luggage gets lost, but life goes on. Luggage is found, you'll eventually get where you're going, and bitching at the people who are not responsible is not going to do anyone any good. (And for those of you who take issue with flights regularly being overbooked, it's because people generally don't show up. The flight Sunday night was overbooked by five seats, but five people didn't show up. I bet those last five tickets sold were glad they did overbook, because that means they got seats that ended up being available. It's a small percentage of overbooked flights that actually need to ask for volunteers to take another flight.)
Okay, done ranting now. And finally going to get back to Boston! Yay! Just hoping my bag (yes, I had to check it AGAIN) gets there...
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