Air Travel Nowadays

[Jim W]

Mike, I use to fly a lot for CAT, one of the rules was do not give up your seat for cash. The money would belong to CAT (the air miles belong to CAT also). I use to keep a go bag in the closet with hard hat, steel toe boots and my other PPE packed, I could be at O'Hare airport in an hour and be one my way when CAT required me to travel!

I won't fly anymore because of all of the issues flying cause such as lost bags, paying for bags and TSA. If I can't pull my trailer or load up my truck with suitcase I am not going anywhere.

 

[BoeingDiesel]

Mike, I use to fly a lot for CAT, one of the rules was do not give up your seat for cash. The money would belong to CAT (the air miles belong to CAT also). I use to keep a go bag in the closet with hard hat, steel toe boots and my other PPE packed, I could be at O'Hare airport in an hour and be one my way when CAT required me to travel!

I won't fly anymore because of all of the issues flying cause such as lost bags, paying for bags and TSA. If I can't pull my trailer or load up my truck with suitcase I am not going anywhere.

If I can't fly it or drive it, most likely, I'm not going. Just too much of a hassle in this day of; unruly PAX, complainers, it's too hot..it's too cold etc. ad naseum.

 

[mwilson]

We saw thunderstorms forecast for Thursday in NYC, figured it would be a problem....and it was...
Left St Louis and landed at LaGuardia, little bumpy but all good and on time. Watched the boards for the connection flight to Bangor, plus had the Delta app loaded up.
Then it started...flight delayed one hour, then two hours and finally three hours....and then....cancelled..

Had six people in our party, after an hour of work found a Yukon at Hertz.

Drove home from there, right in the middle of rush hour...good times..

 

[mwilson]

Landed in NYC at 2.00 pm. Rented Yukon at 6.00 pm.
In my driveway at 3.30 am..

 

[Ozymandias]

Oh my..
What a Desaster.

 

[Wayne M.]

Drove home from there, right in the middle of rush hour...good times..

I know where you had to go. Once you got into the upper Bronx, I’m sure you flew. That’s some unplanned trip.

 

[jhenderson]

When you have time to spare, travel by air.

 

[mwilson]

When you have time to spare, travel by air.

I’m keeping that one for sure!!!

 

[mwilson]

Landed in NYC at 2.00 pm. Rented Yukon at 6.00 pm.
In my driveway at 3.30 am..

That's just over 500 miles to my driveway, rolled 75 mph or so when feasible.

The Yukon was running just about 24 mpg at those speeds which impressed me. With 6 people in it...

 

[Jim W]

Mike. did you get extra travel expense and hazarded pay (going thru New York) for this road trip? Oh that's right you are management and this is part of the job! Been there done that in the past!

 

[mwilson]

Maybe it's because I'm older but it was a lot to handle as far as being appointed the driver in charge of getting us around the city...I used to go into Queens, Brooklyn and Long Island in my trucking days but that was 30 years ago....and I always had my route figured out in advance..

In this scenario I booked a vehicle on line standing outside of Terminal "C", I went outside for two reasons...

(1) We got up at 4.30 am in Litchfield, Illinois so that we could be on the road to St Louis by 6.30 am all fed and happy. Went through the TSA at St Louis about 8.30 am. Last smoke at that point. Now I can happily get by all day without a cigarette as long as things are going relatively well.....but seeing your flight get cancelled at 4.30 pm and you are facing trying to get out of this mess brings on the urge to either choke someone or simply go outside...I chose option 2..

(2) Wanted to get the lay of the land. Found out all rental cars require taking a bus from Terminal "C" to Terminal "A", then taking another shuttle to the rental company of choice....good to know when you are herding 5 people around....

 

[mwilson]

So after 30 minutes of watching vehicles disappear from the rental pool online I locked onto the Hertz Yukon and went back in through the TSA so that I could get approval from the CFO eye to eye.....may be old but I'm not stupid....told him we had about 5 minutes to make a decision....he said "Do it!"....I said "No turning back now, follow me.."

So I herd 5 people out of Terminal "C" and out to the bus stop....got everyone on the right bus as there were three routes running...

(1) Taxi Stand
(2) Terminal "B" (Purple Route)
(3) Terminal "A" (Red Route)

So made it to "A", crossed the street and found a Hertz shuttle. Asked the driver if he was going to the Hertz location, ha said "That's what I do!"...I said "Great, you're hired!!"...
After 10 minutes at the Rental Counter I took possession of a Black Yukon...with a toll pass stuck to the windshield....bonus!!

Now I had just spent 4 days jockeying a 2019 Suburban so I at least had the controls down pat BUT i have had no time to prep a route, get my bearings, etc...I ask the guy manning the Hertz gate which way to I go to get to the Cross Bronx (I-95)....he points to the right so I screech out of there looking for a place that I can sit still for 10 minutes getting my act together...no room in the Hertz lot for that, pure insanity in there..
Find a gas station where I might not get towed for setting a few minutes and try to get a route together on my phone...my data plan is based out of Maine so I get rear teat when out of my area as far as data goes....
My Garmin is in the suitcase that I checked for final destination that deep in the bowels of the airport somewhere so that is of no use...
Accidents everywhere on 95 Northbound but South was not too bad.

Warned the passengers that I would be Southbound on I-95 for a bit but just trust me if you want to get out of here. Was heading for 87 but then saw Exit 4 for the Parkway....did a hasty route check and decided that was the way to go...so off we went..took parkways all the way to I-91 in Connecticut.....

What a fun time.....

 

[Wiredawg]

I flew LOTS when I was active duty AND when I worked Air Force Civil Service as part of the job. The latter, I flew a LOT on the smaller "puddle jumpers." Most of the time, TSA was OK dealing with my titanium ankle, but a couple of times, they were overly rude in their treatment of me while physically and electronically searching me. AND this was while traveling for the government, having both a retired military ID card and a DoD Common Access Card.

The last time I flew for work, I was traveling from San Antonio TX to Columbus OH for training. Bad weather all the way, two flight cancellations, two flight delays and it took me 18 hours to complete the flight. I was recovering from corrective surgery on my prosthetic ankle and had to resort to a wheel chair to make the long distances between gates. Got to bed at 0230 in the morning with an 0730 showtime for class. Anyway, what a way to fly.

Unless I decide to visit my family in Germany, I may never fly again and be completely happy not to.

That being said, I've had some incredible encounters in airports, like twice on different occasions, running into people I know in international airports. The odds are incredible!

Anyway, that's my 2 cents on the subject.

 

[Wayne M.]

Mike, so I understand it that nobody offered to switch driving duty? Or is that how you wanted it?

 

[mwilson]

Mike, so I understand it that nobody offered to switch driving duty? Or is that how you wanted it?

No volunteers while in the cities.....

I did switch off once we hit the Maine State Line, was still doing ok but figured a 2 hour break wouldn't hurt. Then I drove again once we hit Bangor.

 

[mwilson]

Mike. did you get extra travel expense and hazarded pay (going thru New York) for this road trip? Oh that's right you are management and this is part of the job! Been there done that in the past!

I did mention to the CFO that paying me hourly during this whole fiasco might be a nice gesture....I'll let you know how that goes for me...

 

[mwilson]

I did take the wife to Longhorn last night after returning the rental, the company will pay for that.....they better....

 

[Jim W]

I did take the wife to Longhorn last night after returning the rental, the company will pay for that.....they better....

Mike: that is a business expense? You need to keep the domestic supervisor happy and up to date on your trip report!

 

[jgillott]

I've never been to a longhorn steak house. Is that the one where they throw peanut shells on the floor?

 

[jhenderson]

Nope. That’s the Ground Round.