Girls Write Out
Wednesday, February 21, 2007

FLYING THE UNFRIENDLY SKIES
Is it just me or has air travel become less efficient and more frustrating?


Most of us have had a travel nightmare, but it became obvious on my recent trip to Kauai that things have gotten worse. We had twelve-hour travel itineraries with two connections each direction--A total of 6 planes, for the math impaired (me). A long trip, by anyone's standards.


But what we got was 1 flight diverted to another city (3 hour delay), 2 technical problems, 1 switch of airplanes (2 hour delay), 1 malfunctioning coffee maker (45 minute delay), 2 timed-out pilots (3 hour delay), 4 paperwork delays, and a partridge in a pear tree.


It was enough to test the most patient traveler, and I assure you, that's not me. Our trip to the islands, from first take-off to final landing, took 24 hours. One flight went from 6 hours to 10--all of it spent sitting on the plane. When the pilot announced (once again) that we were stuck on the tarmac because they had paper work, I wanted to tell him I could fold the paperwork into an airplane and get it to the islands faster than they were getting us there.


Seriously. We encountered more inept employees (flight attendants notwithstanding) than I'd want working at my local deli much less the airline who puts my body at 35,000 feet. Somebody please tell me this is not the new norm.
Denise Hunter  
posted at 3:48 AM  
  Comments (4)
 
 
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4 Comments:
At 2:34 AM, Blogger Kayla said...

Last year when I traveled across the country with my church's band and choir for a conference, the sound guy got stopped. He had the pastor's mic and some of the really expensive sound equipment with him, and he's got really dark hair and a dark goatee so they snagged him for searching. They kept him so long that he was going to miss the flight, so his wife and the pastor's wife raised a huge ruckus and delayed the flight for about 10 minutes so that he could make it.

He was then placed on a watch list.

*eye roll* It was completely ridiculous. But makes for a good story.

 
At 9:00 AM, Blogger Colleen Coble said...

Oh my gosh, what a nightmare, D! You could have gotten blood clots from sitting on the plane. That should be illegal to leave you on the plane when it's that long of a delay.

 
At 9:17 AM, Blogger Denise Hunter said...

They really have no regard for the passenger. The flight attendants were great, but the people higher up don't care. They string you along making you think "any minute, any minute." Very frustrating. They have you at their mercy and they know it. There were people with little kids on that plane. I really pitied them.

 
At 12:17 PM, Blogger Jaime Wright said...

My flight to London in April will be shorter than your flight to Hawaii. go figure. 8 Hours planned with no layovers and no stops. Chicago straight through. So assuming they don't hold the plane up in Chicago ... oh GEE .. now I'm worried. Thanks Denise. :)
Of course, I have a fear of flying anway, we're probably doomed to crash over the Atlantic.

 

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The Authors
Kristin Billerbeck
Kristin Billerbeck is a proud Californian, wife, mother of four, and connoisseur of the irrelevant. She writes Christian Chick Lit; where she finds need for most of the useless facts lulling about in her head.

www.KristinBillerbeck.com

Colleen Coble

Colleen Coble writes romantic suspense with a strong atmospheric element. A lovable animal of some kind--usually a dog--always populates her novels. She can be bribed with DeBrand mocha truffles.

www.ColleenCoble.com

Denise Hunter

Denise Hunter writes women's fiction and love stories with a strong emotional element. Her husband says he provides her with all her romantic material, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too.

www.DeniseHunterBooks.com

Diann Hunt

Diann Hunt writes romantic comedy and humorous women's fiction. She has been happily married forever, loves her family, chocolate, her friends, chocolate, her dog, and well, chocolate.

www.DiannHunt.com

Hannah Alexander

Cheryl Hodde writes romantic medical suspense under the pen name of Hannah Alexander, using all the input she can get from her husband, Mel, for the medical expertise. For fun she hikes and reads. Out of guilt, she rescues discarded cats. She and Mel are presently taking orders from four pampered strays.

www.HannahAlexander.com

 
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