The Traveller - Week 2 (and a half)
To get things caught up, plus I need my daily post, I figured I'd get my travel chronicles on a solid weekly basis. I have no idea why I started straddling weeks. There was no method to my madness.
The good news is I had no problems dropping off my rental car this time. Pretty much drove up, had it scanned, and hopped a shuttle to the terminal. Dulles was not near so nuts this time. Only a few dozen people in the security lines as opposed to the thousand plus that were there last week. As I'm checking in and trying to change seats a woman is booking herself for stand-by on the same flight. I see there are no other seats available, which is a bad sign right off the start. I stick with my seat and became very irritated with the ticket agent because I know there is a snowball's chance in hell that anyone will get on this flight that is on standby.
As it turns out, I was oh so very right. The flight was so overbooked that they were asking for volunteers and offering $200 travel vouchers for people who would be willing to take a later flight. This also struck me as extremely dishonest since I know the next flight is going to be just as booked because it was the one I took last week. Dulles to Dallas seems to be a very popular flight, and apparently there are a lot of connecting flights going out of DFW Airport. It's a total mess and here they are suckering people into screwing themselves just so the airlines can sell more tickets than it has seats. I understand the reasoning behind it, but at least offer to refund the tickets for cash on the folks who can't or don't get on board. Honestly, the airlines wonder why they are having trouble?
I did manage to get on the aircraft myself. Another MD-80. I was sitting in the back next to the engine. Not fun because that means you can't see out the window and I like to be able to see outside to get a point of reference for when we cra...er...land. Furthermore, one of the attendant's seats were broken so they had to take one of the first class seats to sit in. In addition one of the coach lavatories was broken. Personally though, so long as they make engines and hydraulics a priority I'm less concerned. The flight wasn't so bad until we landed, and hitting the ground and not knowing that it was coming was one of the worst experiences I've had on a plane yet. Sketchy landings are bad, but at least I know when to brace for impact.
I did do a couple of things different this time. I brought a game to play and discovered I have enough room on the tray table for a mouse if I scoot my laptop all the way to the side. Also I bought Robert Heinlen's Stranger in a Strange Land to read during the times when we cannot use electronic devices. That has been an excellent book so far and I was glad I bought it. As it turns out, my USB mouse sucks more juice and I couldn't connect my adaptor because the back rows of the airplane do not have plugs. So far that makes 4 flights and not one successful recharge. Batting a thousand indeed.
The good news is I had no problems dropping off my rental car this time. Pretty much drove up, had it scanned, and hopped a shuttle to the terminal. Dulles was not near so nuts this time. Only a few dozen people in the security lines as opposed to the thousand plus that were there last week. As I'm checking in and trying to change seats a woman is booking herself for stand-by on the same flight. I see there are no other seats available, which is a bad sign right off the start. I stick with my seat and became very irritated with the ticket agent because I know there is a snowball's chance in hell that anyone will get on this flight that is on standby.
As it turns out, I was oh so very right. The flight was so overbooked that they were asking for volunteers and offering $200 travel vouchers for people who would be willing to take a later flight. This also struck me as extremely dishonest since I know the next flight is going to be just as booked because it was the one I took last week. Dulles to Dallas seems to be a very popular flight, and apparently there are a lot of connecting flights going out of DFW Airport. It's a total mess and here they are suckering people into screwing themselves just so the airlines can sell more tickets than it has seats. I understand the reasoning behind it, but at least offer to refund the tickets for cash on the folks who can't or don't get on board. Honestly, the airlines wonder why they are having trouble?
I did manage to get on the aircraft myself. Another MD-80. I was sitting in the back next to the engine. Not fun because that means you can't see out the window and I like to be able to see outside to get a point of reference for when we cra...er...land. Furthermore, one of the attendant's seats were broken so they had to take one of the first class seats to sit in. In addition one of the coach lavatories was broken. Personally though, so long as they make engines and hydraulics a priority I'm less concerned. The flight wasn't so bad until we landed, and hitting the ground and not knowing that it was coming was one of the worst experiences I've had on a plane yet. Sketchy landings are bad, but at least I know when to brace for impact.
I did do a couple of things different this time. I brought a game to play and discovered I have enough room on the tray table for a mouse if I scoot my laptop all the way to the side. Also I bought Robert Heinlen's Stranger in a Strange Land to read during the times when we cannot use electronic devices. That has been an excellent book so far and I was glad I bought it. As it turns out, my USB mouse sucks more juice and I couldn't connect my adaptor because the back rows of the airplane do not have plugs. So far that makes 4 flights and not one successful recharge. Batting a thousand indeed.
The Traveller - Week 2
I had to leave the office last Thursday by 4pm to make the flight. I didn't know I was actually going to need nearly two and a half hours to make the flight though. I just lucked out by being a bit overly cautious. Then again, considering how close I ended up cutting it, I'm not sure if I was "overly" cautious at all.
One of my first problems was upon arrival at the airport to drop off my car. Apparently I had the wrong rental contract. They made up a new one on the spot, which was kind of amusing. They gave me the contract for someone with a different first name but the same last name. Oddly enough I think it might have been the guy who was standing next to me arguing about how his rental agreement was messed up. Either that or this happens a lot. I'll be using Avis again when I write up Week 3, so we'll see.
This delayed me getting to the gate. This was my first time flying out of Dulles so I didn't know where the check-in desk was. I did notice there were about a thousand people (no joke!) in the security line. Gotta love tourist season. I did finally find the check-in desk and found out the flight was overbooked so I couldn't get a seat assigned. Oh joy! Surprisingly, I made it through the security line in about ten minutes. They were very organized. I caught a very crowded shuttle over to my terminal and made it to the gate with about 20 minutes to spare.
This is where it gets interesting. Even at the gate they will not give me a seat assignment, and they are turning away everyone who is asking. I think the word I am looking for here is "consternation". I manage to hit the gift shop and buy two toy American Airline planes for my boys as well as a snack for the trip. I get back to the gate and they are boarding. I also have not had time to eat, so this is looking bad all around.
One of my first problems was upon arrival at the airport to drop off my car. Apparently I had the wrong rental contract. They made up a new one on the spot, which was kind of amusing. They gave me the contract for someone with a different first name but the same last name. Oddly enough I think it might have been the guy who was standing next to me arguing about how his rental agreement was messed up. Either that or this happens a lot. I'll be using Avis again when I write up Week 3, so we'll see.
This delayed me getting to the gate. This was my first time flying out of Dulles so I didn't know where the check-in desk was. I did notice there were about a thousand people (no joke!) in the security line. Gotta love tourist season. I did finally find the check-in desk and found out the flight was overbooked so I couldn't get a seat assigned. Oh joy! Surprisingly, I made it through the security line in about ten minutes. They were very organized. I caught a very crowded shuttle over to my terminal and made it to the gate with about 20 minutes to spare.
This is where it gets interesting. Even at the gate they will not give me a seat assignment, and they are turning away everyone who is asking. I think the word I am looking for here is "consternation". I manage to hit the gift shop and buy two toy American Airline planes for my boys as well as a snack for the trip. I get back to the gate and they are boarding. I also have not had time to eat, so this is looking bad all around.
The Traveller - Week 1
I thought it might be a good idea, for posterity's sake, to chronicle the events of my assignment on a weekly basis. This is mostly personal stuff for my own amusement and remembrance, so skip it unless you just really want to know what I'm up to.
I've done business travel before, but never a long-term assignment. Just some one shots here and there. I drove up to a different office on occassion to do some configuration at one of our satellite facilities at an old job and I've travelled for training as well. However, I've never travelled on a regular basis just for performing my regular duties.
DISALLOWED (Random)
I've done business travel before, but never a long-term assignment. Just some one shots here and there. I drove up to a different office on occassion to do some configuration at one of our satellite facilities at an old job and I've travelled for training as well. However, I've never travelled on a regular basis just for performing my regular duties.