Come fly with me

 

#12....We didn't take a selfie today! :O I told you it would happen. But here's a good old one of me and Dice when we went camping at home...and since we're heading to a similar climate in Phoenix, I figured it would be ok. Just wait until be forget again and I have to pull out the big guns...really old photos from when we were young. Dice will NOT be a fan of that I can imagine.

The most fascinating thing about airlines to me, to this day would be the safety demonstrations. Why after all these years do flight attendants still pull the vest over themselves, obviously bored and dreary, and then proceed to  show us where the whistle is located? Honestly, the most ridiculous thing. If I was plummeting to my death at a zillion miles an hour into the ocean, the last thing I would be thinking is 'thank goodness I've got this whistle'.

Bill Bryson (good old Bill) shared this story with me about his flight from Boston to Denver once. When he opened the storage compartment overhead he found an inflated dinghy covering the entire space. 

Classic Caty - the '1 liter water marathon 'before security check. Lucky I'm good under pressure.

All loaded up

 

~Take it away Bill~

“There’s a boat in here”, I breathed in amazement to a passing flight attendant.

“Yes sir”, said the flight attendant snappily. “This plane meets FAA specifications for overwater flights”.  

I stared at him in small wonder. “And which ocean do we cross between Boston and Denver?”

“The plane meets FAA specifications for overwater flights whether or not overwater flights are scheduled or anticipated”, was his crisp reply, or something similarly inane and mangled.

“Are you telling me that if we go down in water, a hundred and fifty passengers are supposed to get into a two-man dinghy?”

“No sir, there’s another flotation craft in here”. He indicated the bin on the opposite side.

“So tow boats for a hundred and fifty people? Does that strike you as just a little absurd?”

“Sir, I don’t make the rules, and you are blocking the aisle.”

I would agree with Bill in saying that there is no single industry anywhere in the US where customer service and satisfaction are less regarded. 

Leaving Texas fo sure

Cowboy who asked us 'yall from outta town?' we had interested conversions with him on the flight to Denver, as he chewed and spat tobacco out the whole plane ride, inquired about drinking Bourbon and delighted us with his Southern drawl. And yes he was heading to snow but brought his cowboy hat. And yes his t-shirt says "I <3 BEER"

Our Texan plane friend

And since I’m at the airport, waiting for yet another delayed flight, let’s look at carry-on baggage, shall we. Oh joy. It’s the policy of paying for checked in luggage that inspires oh so many Americans to bring on jumbo wheeled suitcases that are far too big to fit down the aisles, and then watch them rush to get onto the plane first, far before their row is called, try to stuff them into the overhead baggage bins, encounter difficulty because, hey, I don’t know, THEY DON’T BLOOMING FIT, struggle, hold up the aisle till a flight attendant inquires, and then they assure her that yes, yes it can and will fit. 

Carry on baggage