Travel - Blah!

Remember back when traveling was fun and it wasn't horrible to go to the airport or fly?? I remember loving flying when I was a kid. I loved everything about it. Maybe it was a nightmare for my mom, but I don't remember it being so horrible until recently. The airlines are mean to their customers. They are even rude to the first class/business class customers who are paying $6k just to get an extra two inches of leg room and an extra 20 lbs of luggage. By the time I get back to Baghdad, I will have been on 10 flights in the last 10 days, all of them on American Airlines, but one. The one that wasn't American Airlines was the only one that was on time. Let me paint you a little picture here....

I left Baghdad, spent the night in Amman. From Amman, I connected through London and then arrived in New York an hour late, which gave me about 3 hours of sleep before heading back to the airport and heading to Costa Rica via a layover in Miami. Flight to Miami, delayed. Flight to Costa Rica, arrived an hour late. Shocker! I mean...I was flying American. Do any of you ever remember taking an American Airlines flight that was on time in the last 10 years or so? On the way home from Costa Rica, American Airlines managment told the crew that they couldn't fly or something, so all of us passengers show up at the airport to board the plane and AA realizes that there is no crew for our plane. They realize their mistake and call the crew and tell them to pretty please come to the airport because apparently we made a mistake. So, an hour and half after our flight was supposed to leave the crew shows up to several rounds of applause and our flight leaves only two hours delayed. This, of course, means that I missed my connection in Miami and the next one out doesn't even leave until an hour after my original flight would have landed. I suck it up, grab a Nathan's hot dog and wait. I get to New York about 4 hours late. Are we seeing a pattern here?? (Hint: Each delay is getting longer).

Sooo....now the coup de grace. I get a phone call from American Airlines telling me that my direct flight to Amman (on my way back to Baghdad) is delayed by 2 hours. So I show up to the airport last night three hours before when I think my flight is supposed to be. Silly Jilly..... My flight was not actually delayed. Thanks a lot American Airlines!! By the time I show up for the flight (45 minutes before it leaves, since it isn't actually delayed after all), the flight is full and there is no seat for me. Thank you again for overselling the flight!! I go to American Airlines to rebook. The agent, very nice, is able to get me into Amman before my flight to Baghdad. No harm, no foul. Little problem. Only an hour and a half layover in London. Is that enough time, I ask? Sure. Of course it is. Great! Book 'em, Dan-o. Show up to the airport this morning after $100 at a hotel to sleep for 4 hours and am told that it is an illegal booking because it is 5 minutes too short of a layover. Really?? I mean....really? : P

Soooo, they won't check my bag all the way to Amman because those pesky 5 minutes make it an illegal booking. So the very nice agent, tells me to take all three of my bags as a carry on. Two of which fit under my seat and so should really only be considered one carry on, right?? I think so too. Well, the AA guard at the security gate disagrees. The male supervisor she brings over to okay it also disagrees. When try to explain that I am in this predicament thanks to American Airlines and all their infinite wisdom, he kindly explains to me what an idiot I am, thank you very much. Well, I am not the most patient of people as those of you who know me are well aware. I explain again how AA is to blame for all of my troubles and how they are trying to fix it by allowing me to carry on these three bags. He tells me no and doesn't care that if he makes me check my bag I will miss my flight to Amman and will therefore arrive in Baghdad 1-2 days late. Lovely fellow...really. After 9 terrible flights on American Airlines (my fault really for choosing American Airlines, but I have just been lazy about signing up for another frequent flier program), I have decided never to fly American Airlines again if I can help it. I inform the supervisor of this decision (as if he cares). And he so kindly responds "Thank you". Gotta love a guy who represents your company by telling customers "thank you" for no longer using your company.

I am trying to figure out how to create an "I hate American Airlines" group on Facebook. It has been very cathartic sitting here and writing this as I wait for my failed flight to London. Of course, I suppose there are worse places to be stuck. So, I guess it was a good thing that I have money left over in savings....it turns out I needed it for this trip back to Baghdad, all thanks to your favorite airline and mine, American.

Actually, this entry is not really part of my blog. Mostly, it is just a public service announcement. Do not fly American Airlines if you care about little things like flying on time, courtesy, being treated like you are not, in fact, an idiot, making connections, not loosing your luggage, etc. I mean, because of pure laziness, I have been very loyal to American Airlines over the last 1o years. Silly Jilly..... So I do know what I am talking about where they are concerned. Ahhhh....remember when traveling used to be fun, instead of causing gray hairs and huge stress? : )