This Aviation Lifestyle
Helpful Air Travel Hints That Seem Dubious
I never can decide if I’m irritated by the kind of “helpful-tips” columns and articles out there on the Internet about how to deal with airlines and airline employees. Or if, on the other hand, I find these blurbs rather to be, in an odd way, encouraging on the side of those folks working hard within the airline industry. Running across titles and headlines ranging the gamut of, “8 Ways To Get The Attention You Need From Your Flight Attendant” to, “How To Ensure Your Luggage Gets To Your Destination” seems kind of juvenile these days doesn’t it? I find myself thinking, “Oh come on! Just plan for the best, prepare for the worst and be nice above all else. There’s so much about the flying process that’s not within anyone’s individual control.”
I’ve been flying around a fair amount each year of my life and have rarely had anything totally upsetting happen to me or my luggage. As a child I traveled by airplanes for visits to relatives and friends. As a teenager, I flew off to meet a cruise ship, do an orchestra tour around England, be an exchange student over in Germany, summer in Upper Michigan and so forth. As a college student, I actually commuted by airplane back and forth to college after the initial Freshman Year’s drop-off since I just stored each summer my dorm room’s contents in a local storage unit facility near the college. During college I also hopped back n’ forth to Europe as well. In my adulthood years, I’ve been flying all over even before James decided on a career as an airline pilot; sometimes for work, sometimes for pleasure and often for care giving grandparents and parents plus the usual weddings, funerals and family holiday trips.
During all of this flying from approximately the early 1970’s through to today’s 2009, maybe I’ve just been super lucky, but I’ve never had my luggage completely lost nor had a bad experience on a flight with its crew or passengers. Of course bad things do indeed happen as we all read about in the news- most certainly injuries, drunk passengers and of course crashes and horrendous acts of terrorism. I’d never want to downplay those because they are indeed truly awful to every innocent individual involved and to their families and loved ones as well. I also know of some particular instances where folks I am friends with have experienced various negative, but not fatal or injurious, situations while flying. But as for me, aside from my luggage being delayed 3 times and taking awhile to find its way back to me, I have been personally fortunate indeed to find flying an overall pleasant experience.
I will admit that the most stressful experience for me so far was when, due to delays from a mechanical problem and then some rerouting with weather conditions, I missed my flight from LAX to Australia the first time I was traveling there. A few of us had been moved all round the US from the early morning hours with flights backed-up or cancelled due to thunderstorms. My initial flight had been delayed and then changed because of aircraft maintenance issues as well. It was now the end of a long, crazy day but we had frantically run through to the international terminal trying to get there in time to go on into the gate area.
We had been told that security and the gate agent were called and made aware of our situation however, when we arrived sweating and out of breath, there was no mercy to our missing the cut-off of being in the gate area within the required time of pre-boarding. What a disappointment. No apologies or helpfulness came forth from the airline representative as to her not being able to excuse our unavoidable 5 minute tardiness. She was not only unsmiling and unmoving but the attitude emanating from her was bordering obnoxious. So I turned away from my flight still sitting there which had not yet begun the boarding process and went back to the domestic airline’s counter in the other terminal that I had used to get across the US with earlier. After explaining the situation, the agents there checked on my luggage status and checked on the flights to Australia heading out at 11:00 p.m. the next day as to their available seat status. Once they had rebooked me, they then got me a hotel room for the night and a meal coupon for the next day as well. Wow, what a difference! Yea Delta and yea Qantas! Both airlines understood the situation and did something positive about it.
And so, I hopped a shuttle bus with my carry-on bag heading over to a hotel for the night. I was able to have a nice shower and get in a few hours of sleep. The next morning, I had breakfast and lounged around as long as I could before checkout time and then went back over to the international terminal where I spent a very long day people-watching in between reading the novel I had with me. At last, in the early evening hours, the gate agents arrived with the international carrier and processed us through into the secure areas of the terminal. Ironically enough, I saw from my vantage point in the long, winding line nearing the international counter areas that the unmoving gate agent from the night before was being a tab bit icy to a passenger, hmm. It pleased me greatly to see that this was cut short by a supervisor motioning her to the side and then escorting her away from the counter with a very stern look.
Sometimes there just is unfortunately a bad apple in the bunch. However, once I was finally in the waiting area for my flight to Australia, everything from that point on went absolutely perfect. Overall, I was pleased with the people and the process. It was a very long flight and I did arrive to my brother’s a whole day late but overall, all’s well that ends well.
If that was the worst experience I’ll ever have flying, I’ll more than take it! People can write all they want about various ways and hints that may help one travel better or more comfortably. However, ultimately it takes thoughtful professionalism on the part of airline employees and a good attitude on the part of passengers to make any flight, or even flight delay situation, a positive experience.
Here’s to the airline employees and fellow passengers out there who know how to make flying a pleasurable process- thank you all!