********September 6th
This is my second week, albeit shortened, at the Residence Inn. The moment I walked in, they knew my name, but they had a hard time pronouncing it. My last name is quite a clusterfuck of letters, like Coach K from Duke/Men's Olympic Basketball Team although it isn't that bad, nor is it Polish. Anyway, I was really surprised that they knew. The entire time I was there, even when leaving right now, "Goodbye Mr. Potsie." It really is the little things.
I got in on Tuesday and a card was waiting for me. It was my birthday yesterday, and my wife sent me a card from my son of 7 months. It was one of the best welcomes I could have had. I brought it in yesterday and have it displayed at my desk. I guess I'm one of "those guys" now...one of those situations where you'll never know until you are in that person's shoes. Now that I'm a dad, I find myself looking at online articles where you are supposed to do XYZ in order for your kids to be brought up right, and make sure they don't start drinking too early, and if they don't put their shoes on in the proper order, I'll have raised a serial killer. I suppose I just don't want to fuck up. Yeah...I'm swearing a lot in my blog today. My bad. Shall we talk about posies and tulips? They're fun!
***************
Why is it that birthdays get so mehhh when you get older? My coworker will be turning 33 soon and she is ready to party like it is her 24th. I haven't gotten excited about a birthday in forever. I thought 30 was going to be a big one, but my family was struggling a bit financially, so I put the kibosh on anything big. I did get my son during my 30th year, which is all I wanted, so I suppose it worked out in the end. Who needs a party where we stay up all hours when we can have a perfectly healthy baby boy screaming at all hours keeping us up instead?
****************
I completely forgot to check in! This is a first ladies and gentlemen. I will now be checking into my flight to see what seat assignment I can procure. Let's see how Potsie fares:
Oh well. I have a decent aisle seat in the front of the main cabin. I suppose I can't really complain.
ON TO THE TRAVEL!!!!!
Security is still empty. It better fill up soon so I can point my ever large nose up at people. Or is it down? I don't recall. Either way, you peasants should be thankful to be graced with my presence in the security line at all.
Check this article out about the TSA Pre-Check. I signed up for GOES and I'm supposed to have an interview next month, although since I have status with American, I don't necessarily need it for domestic travel. Even though this chap is on a special list with Delta, AND is square with the GOES program, he still got ushered into the regular line. That sucks pal.
http://overheadbin.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/30/13568373-tsas-precheck-program-reveals-promise-and-problems?lite
I find myself not getting frustrated with TSA, but with other travelers who look like deer in headlights. Security hasn't changed much in the past 10 years. It still sucks but we all have to deal with it. If you have a valid argument, fine...otherwise take off your damn shoes and keep the line moving.
It's interesting to see so many familiar faces week in and week out. I don't recall if I wrote about it, but 5 or 6 weeks back, some dude got picked to have his carry-on looked at by TSA before boarding. I ended up sitting next to him on my flight and chatted him up a bit. I see him on almost every single one of my flights on Mondays. Last Thursday, I sat in the same exact seat that I did 4 weeks back. The same guy that was on my flight 4 weeks ago one seat in front was once again, 1 seat ahead of me. I remember him because he got bumped into first and I stole his seat a month ago. I wasn't as lucky this time around.
The one thing I don't understand about getting bumped to first class on my flight is "why use the 500 mile upgrades?" If I buy a full fare economy, I get bumped into first class for free, if there is a spot. Otherwise, I need to use vouchers to get bumped in. So if the flight is 1200 miles, I need to use 3 500 mile vouchers. The thing is 1200 miles isn't a lot. My current flight is less than that...so why waste it? The flight is so short! I'd rather save my vouchers for a long haul. Sure, maybe i'll only have enough for 1 leg, but 1 leg in first class and 1 leg in economy for a long flight is better than first class on multiple <2.5 hour flights.
That's just my opinion, and I'm sticking to it. I just hope the dude in front is there today and decides to use vouchers again. His gain/loss is my gain.
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Family. Show all posts
Monday, September 10, 2012
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Just My Luck
Drafted on 8/30. I am a lazy SOB
I was at the airport on Monday, and after printing out my boarding pass, I walked over to security. I was in for a shock. I paid $140 to do the AA challenge. I attained Gold status to get through security, to get on the plane faster and possibly check bags for free (which I don't intend to do often). Security was empty. For the past 7 weeks, it has been a zoo. I'm away for one week, and the place became a ghost town. I didn't need any status to get through security fast. I have to keep reminding myself that it'll still work out for seats, bags and speed. But why try to attain an elitist status when it doesn't mean anything? Yeah...I'm an elitist prick.
*******************
This week I stayed at a Residence Inn by Marriott. This is my fourth hotel in 6 weeks of being on site. This should be it though. I'm not bouncing to anymore hotels. I left a bag at this one, meaning I'll be back next week, and the week after...maybe the week after that. Since I have stayed at so many hotels recently, I'd like to think I am somewhat of a pro when it comes to hotels. Let's start at the beginning:
My first job had me stay at Hampton Inns. This was when I was single and traveling to implement software. I didn't travel as often as I'd like, but it still scratched that itch. I really wanted to stay at hotels where they had bars, where I would meet women who are also on the road, and potentially turn conversation into some sort of tryst. Sorry, this is an adult blog, isn't it? I'm just telling the truth. I was in my early 20s and didn't get out of Massachusetts enough. It never happened though. Hampton Inns do not have bars. So instead, my coworkers and I would hit the hot tub with a 12 pack of bud lights, and talk about who is/is not attractive at the company we worked for. THE LONG OF THE SHORT OF IT, is that if I had to choose a business hotel that served breakfast, the Hampton Inn would definitely be my choice. Nice facilities; nice rooms; decent breakfast; cheap, for those who would be footing my bill.
I have stayed at a couple Courtyard Marriotts, and while in the same class as a Hampton Inn (in my opinion anyway), they just don't match up to the Hampton. Sure, I had a real crummy experience the last time I stayed there 7 weeks ago, but the people going at it in the next room definitely made it interesting. They did have a bar downstairs, so maybe they fulfilled my dream? The pillows stink. I need a fluffy, yet firm pillow. I can't sleep otherwise. This place just did not cut it.
The Hyatt Place is next on the list. It has great TV, comfortable beds, decent breakfast, bar, and a few other odds and ends. It really wasn't a bad hotel, but I had just stayed at the Hyatt House, and I kept longing for it instead. If I was just staying for 1 or 2 weeks, then I would definitely do the Hyatt Place. They had the cheapest rate for the company I am consulting for, which is a bonus. Overall, not a bad place if you haven't stayed at their sister hotel.
I stayed at the Hyatt House for 3 straight weeks. It was glorious, except the handicap room I stayed in. I wasn't a big fan of that particular room. It has all the amenities that the Hyatt Place has, and more. Breakfast wasn't bad, but the big thing is that they have an early evening social. They serve food and beer/wine. I'm a bit of a beer snob, but I will not turn down free Miller Genuine Draft. They also have to beastly Weber grills outside, where I cooked a couple steaks. The first steak I cooked was too thin and the second was the beautiful choice NY Strip that was excellent. They also have a full kitchen in every suite, which is great. Unfortunately the Hyatt Place had a better rate and I hate to leave the House to go to the Place.
Which leads me to the Residence Inn. The company was able to get a matching rate from the Residence Inn, so I basically get all the amenities of a Hyatt House, at the Hyatt Place price. The room isn't as nice, but I think that is because I got a studio instead of a 1 bedroom. The 1 bedroom truly costs more, so maybe after staying there long enough, I'll get an upgrade. Status, Status, Status.
If I really wanted to be nit-picky, I'd ask my wife where she wanted to go. Then, I would have figured out which airline flies there. Then, I would have booked solely on that airline (based on price). Then I would have researched what nice hotels are in the area. Then, which brand are they affiliated with. An example would be the Waldorf-Astoria. When I watched Coming to America with Eddie Murphy, I thought that it was a one off hotel. It was only a few years ago that I realized it was part the Hilton brand. When I went to Paris for my anniversary, we stayed at Le Meridien, which was part of Starwood. Normally you can find one of those really nice hotels whenever you go to a decent city, but you always have the option of being scrupulous.
I suppose it doesn't matter right now. The chances of me going on vacation are ZERO. My sister is getting married, and there was a chance of going to Israel for it, but that got nixed. I was hoping to fly BA, hang out in one of their posh lounges, maybe even take a couple of days in England, stay at The Dorchester, have a couple decent pints of Fullers London Pride and call it day. Oh well. I'll just stick with Massachusetts for now.
BTW, I would NEVER stay at The Dorchester, and not because of the price. I'd rather stay at The Savoy.
I was at the airport on Monday, and after printing out my boarding pass, I walked over to security. I was in for a shock. I paid $140 to do the AA challenge. I attained Gold status to get through security, to get on the plane faster and possibly check bags for free (which I don't intend to do often). Security was empty. For the past 7 weeks, it has been a zoo. I'm away for one week, and the place became a ghost town. I didn't need any status to get through security fast. I have to keep reminding myself that it'll still work out for seats, bags and speed. But why try to attain an elitist status when it doesn't mean anything? Yeah...I'm an elitist prick.
*******************
This week I stayed at a Residence Inn by Marriott. This is my fourth hotel in 6 weeks of being on site. This should be it though. I'm not bouncing to anymore hotels. I left a bag at this one, meaning I'll be back next week, and the week after...maybe the week after that. Since I have stayed at so many hotels recently, I'd like to think I am somewhat of a pro when it comes to hotels. Let's start at the beginning:
My first job had me stay at Hampton Inns. This was when I was single and traveling to implement software. I didn't travel as often as I'd like, but it still scratched that itch. I really wanted to stay at hotels where they had bars, where I would meet women who are also on the road, and potentially turn conversation into some sort of tryst. Sorry, this is an adult blog, isn't it? I'm just telling the truth. I was in my early 20s and didn't get out of Massachusetts enough. It never happened though. Hampton Inns do not have bars. So instead, my coworkers and I would hit the hot tub with a 12 pack of bud lights, and talk about who is/is not attractive at the company we worked for. THE LONG OF THE SHORT OF IT, is that if I had to choose a business hotel that served breakfast, the Hampton Inn would definitely be my choice. Nice facilities; nice rooms; decent breakfast; cheap, for those who would be footing my bill.
I have stayed at a couple Courtyard Marriotts, and while in the same class as a Hampton Inn (in my opinion anyway), they just don't match up to the Hampton. Sure, I had a real crummy experience the last time I stayed there 7 weeks ago, but the people going at it in the next room definitely made it interesting. They did have a bar downstairs, so maybe they fulfilled my dream? The pillows stink. I need a fluffy, yet firm pillow. I can't sleep otherwise. This place just did not cut it.
The Hyatt Place is next on the list. It has great TV, comfortable beds, decent breakfast, bar, and a few other odds and ends. It really wasn't a bad hotel, but I had just stayed at the Hyatt House, and I kept longing for it instead. If I was just staying for 1 or 2 weeks, then I would definitely do the Hyatt Place. They had the cheapest rate for the company I am consulting for, which is a bonus. Overall, not a bad place if you haven't stayed at their sister hotel.
I stayed at the Hyatt House for 3 straight weeks. It was glorious, except the handicap room I stayed in. I wasn't a big fan of that particular room. It has all the amenities that the Hyatt Place has, and more. Breakfast wasn't bad, but the big thing is that they have an early evening social. They serve food and beer/wine. I'm a bit of a beer snob, but I will not turn down free Miller Genuine Draft. They also have to beastly Weber grills outside, where I cooked a couple steaks. The first steak I cooked was too thin and the second was the beautiful choice NY Strip that was excellent. They also have a full kitchen in every suite, which is great. Unfortunately the Hyatt Place had a better rate and I hate to leave the House to go to the Place.
Which leads me to the Residence Inn. The company was able to get a matching rate from the Residence Inn, so I basically get all the amenities of a Hyatt House, at the Hyatt Place price. The room isn't as nice, but I think that is because I got a studio instead of a 1 bedroom. The 1 bedroom truly costs more, so maybe after staying there long enough, I'll get an upgrade. Status, Status, Status.
If I really wanted to be nit-picky, I'd ask my wife where she wanted to go. Then, I would have figured out which airline flies there. Then, I would have booked solely on that airline (based on price). Then I would have researched what nice hotels are in the area. Then, which brand are they affiliated with. An example would be the Waldorf-Astoria. When I watched Coming to America with Eddie Murphy, I thought that it was a one off hotel. It was only a few years ago that I realized it was part the Hilton brand. When I went to Paris for my anniversary, we stayed at Le Meridien, which was part of Starwood. Normally you can find one of those really nice hotels whenever you go to a decent city, but you always have the option of being scrupulous.
I suppose it doesn't matter right now. The chances of me going on vacation are ZERO. My sister is getting married, and there was a chance of going to Israel for it, but that got nixed. I was hoping to fly BA, hang out in one of their posh lounges, maybe even take a couple of days in England, stay at The Dorchester, have a couple decent pints of Fullers London Pride and call it day. Oh well. I'll just stick with Massachusetts for now.
BTW, I would NEVER stay at The Dorchester, and not because of the price. I'd rather stay at The Savoy.
Monday, August 27, 2012
Fidgety
I was reading that people who constantly move their legs, especially if they are sitting/laying down/relaxing, have some sort of health issue. Unfortunately I don't remember what it is called, and since my legs were fidgety, I got up to take a walk and forgot all about searching for that article. Ooops.
*****
I'm in a Fantasy English Premier League League. I tried not to write League twice, but I had to. I root for West Ham United, and I have one of their players on my team. My father likes Liverpool and has a couple of them on his team. My sister's boyfriend is a Manchester United fan, which, in my humble opinion, is like rooting for the Yankees. My main problem with this dude is that he is from Minnesota, and instead of his main team being the Twins, Timberwolves, Wild (or Dallas Stars I suppose) or the Vikings, the team he follows the most is Man U. I write Man U because most Man U fans hate it when you refer to their team as Man U. It's either Man United or United. So, my father and I decided that it doesn't matter which one of us wins, as long as our team beats his.
Just so I don't sound like a hypocrite, the team I follow more than any other is the Boston Bruins, and not because they won the cup in 2011. I have been a serious follower for 30+ years. It goes Bruins, West Ham/Patriots, Red Sox/Celtics, Whoever plays the Yankees/Man U/Chelsea FC.
*****
I don't know what it is, but I love seeing back to school stuff at Target, Staples, etc. I never liked going back to school, but I loved getting all the crap I would end up using. I still get that feeling of nostalgia, but I don't buy anything anymore. No need. I have a feeling my wife is going to go nuts on our joint account the moment "he who does not sleep at night" is old enough to go to school. Hell, she refers to daycare as "school".
*****
Octoberfest is almost upon us. I'd like to go to Munich once in my lifetime for the party, but I hear it is an absolute shitshow. So instead, I'll just cook lots of brats and drink lots of Oktoberfestbier. I had my first Sam October the other day. It was very good. I normally like to buy 5-8 different types and do a blind taste test to see which one made the best that year. 3 years ago, it was Spaten. 2 years ago, Paulaner. Last year, surprisingly, I thought it was Sam Adams.
*****
On to the TRAVEL!!!
Jet Blue was delayed, like most flights last Thursday (16th). Due to them being delayed, we got free movies, which was nice. I watched Wrath of the Titans, which was very "ehh". My jet was a lot smaller than I wanted. 2 seats on each side. Right as we took off, it seemed very wobbly.
There was an article about how the added a la carte fees benefit those that pay for them, but seriously hurt the ones that don't. Here is the scenario:
Two people pay for the same flight on Jet Blue. Remember: the first bag is free, they have free entertainment, free food. But, they still charge for early boarding and faster security lines.
Person A pays $30 per flight to get through security faster, get onto the plane faster and gets more legroom.
Person B does not pay the extra money for any of those a la carte items.
The flight leaves Boston @ 7:30 on Monday morning. They both get to the airport 2 hours prior to departure. Person A gets into the "Even More Speed" in Terminal 3 at Logan. Person B gets into the regular line.
Person A is through security in <15 minutes due to the line being so short. Person B stands in line easily for 45 min+. It is a good thing they are there early. I'm not lying about the length of that line. It was ridiculously long last week Monday. I have to assume it is always like that. So while Person A is figuring out what he/she wants to do about breakfast since they have time to spare, Person B is still waiting in line longer. Person A COULD HAVE slept 30 min longer, shown up and gotten through security before Person B.
Person A and Person B have carry-on luggage. Person A gets on the plane because the money paid for "Even More Speed", which is for security and access to the plane. Person B wanted to be in the front of the plane, but didn't want to pay for the extras, so they got an aisle in row 7. After people from Person A's group get on, they start boarding the plane starting with the last row moving forward. Person B doesn't get onto the plane until rows 5 through the back of the plane get called, ergo the last people to board. Person B doesn't get any overhead space because everyone has boarded first, and therefore must check.
NOTE: Even though the first bag is free on Jet Blue, if you already checked a bag and there wasn't any room for an overhead compartment, Jet Blue won't charge you for the extra bag. Nice job Jet Blue.
Person A and Person B are both around 5' 11". Person A paid the extra money for "Even More Space", so they are able to get more legroom. This legroom is at the expense of Person B. Person B took the aisle seat because it would allow him/her to stretch their legs into the aisle, except that there is a constant flow of people/flight attendants. Person B would like to recoup the rest they lost since coming to the airport early to stand in the security line. However, due to the lack of legroom and constant bumping into fellow travelers, this is not going to happen.
So $30 gets you through security faster, onto the plane faster and more legroom, which is all at the expense of the travelers that do not pay for it. And while Jet Blue touts that there aren't typical "classes", they have created a system that is quite similar.
My co-worker pays the $60 round trip for these extras. I'm on American, and now have status, so I get all these perks for free. I think that loyalty should be rewarded. I also think that if you pay more, you should get more, but not necessarily at the expense of others. Faster security? Sure. Faster boarding? Ok. More legroom at the expense of others? No. Sorry.
I am flying American for the perks that I built up through loyalty. If I flew Jet Blue every week, while a nice experience when in flight, the pre-flight crap would probably drive me nuts. I'm not spending $60 out of my own pocket every week. I don't want to have to pay to work.
Ok. I'm off my soapbox.
*****
I'm in a Fantasy English Premier League League. I tried not to write League twice, but I had to. I root for West Ham United, and I have one of their players on my team. My father likes Liverpool and has a couple of them on his team. My sister's boyfriend is a Manchester United fan, which, in my humble opinion, is like rooting for the Yankees. My main problem with this dude is that he is from Minnesota, and instead of his main team being the Twins, Timberwolves, Wild (or Dallas Stars I suppose) or the Vikings, the team he follows the most is Man U. I write Man U because most Man U fans hate it when you refer to their team as Man U. It's either Man United or United. So, my father and I decided that it doesn't matter which one of us wins, as long as our team beats his.
Just so I don't sound like a hypocrite, the team I follow more than any other is the Boston Bruins, and not because they won the cup in 2011. I have been a serious follower for 30+ years. It goes Bruins, West Ham/Patriots, Red Sox/Celtics, Whoever plays the Yankees/Man U/Chelsea FC.
*****
I don't know what it is, but I love seeing back to school stuff at Target, Staples, etc. I never liked going back to school, but I loved getting all the crap I would end up using. I still get that feeling of nostalgia, but I don't buy anything anymore. No need. I have a feeling my wife is going to go nuts on our joint account the moment "he who does not sleep at night" is old enough to go to school. Hell, she refers to daycare as "school".
*****
Octoberfest is almost upon us. I'd like to go to Munich once in my lifetime for the party, but I hear it is an absolute shitshow. So instead, I'll just cook lots of brats and drink lots of Oktoberfestbier. I had my first Sam October the other day. It was very good. I normally like to buy 5-8 different types and do a blind taste test to see which one made the best that year. 3 years ago, it was Spaten. 2 years ago, Paulaner. Last year, surprisingly, I thought it was Sam Adams.
*****
On to the TRAVEL!!!
Jet Blue was delayed, like most flights last Thursday (16th). Due to them being delayed, we got free movies, which was nice. I watched Wrath of the Titans, which was very "ehh". My jet was a lot smaller than I wanted. 2 seats on each side. Right as we took off, it seemed very wobbly.
There was an article about how the added a la carte fees benefit those that pay for them, but seriously hurt the ones that don't. Here is the scenario:
Two people pay for the same flight on Jet Blue. Remember: the first bag is free, they have free entertainment, free food. But, they still charge for early boarding and faster security lines.
Person A pays $30 per flight to get through security faster, get onto the plane faster and gets more legroom.
Person B does not pay the extra money for any of those a la carte items.
The flight leaves Boston @ 7:30 on Monday morning. They both get to the airport 2 hours prior to departure. Person A gets into the "Even More Speed" in Terminal 3 at Logan. Person B gets into the regular line.
Person A is through security in <15 minutes due to the line being so short. Person B stands in line easily for 45 min+. It is a good thing they are there early. I'm not lying about the length of that line. It was ridiculously long last week Monday. I have to assume it is always like that. So while Person A is figuring out what he/she wants to do about breakfast since they have time to spare, Person B is still waiting in line longer. Person A COULD HAVE slept 30 min longer, shown up and gotten through security before Person B.
Person A and Person B have carry-on luggage. Person A gets on the plane because the money paid for "Even More Speed", which is for security and access to the plane. Person B wanted to be in the front of the plane, but didn't want to pay for the extras, so they got an aisle in row 7. After people from Person A's group get on, they start boarding the plane starting with the last row moving forward. Person B doesn't get onto the plane until rows 5 through the back of the plane get called, ergo the last people to board. Person B doesn't get any overhead space because everyone has boarded first, and therefore must check.
NOTE: Even though the first bag is free on Jet Blue, if you already checked a bag and there wasn't any room for an overhead compartment, Jet Blue won't charge you for the extra bag. Nice job Jet Blue.
Person A and Person B are both around 5' 11". Person A paid the extra money for "Even More Space", so they are able to get more legroom. This legroom is at the expense of Person B. Person B took the aisle seat because it would allow him/her to stretch their legs into the aisle, except that there is a constant flow of people/flight attendants. Person B would like to recoup the rest they lost since coming to the airport early to stand in the security line. However, due to the lack of legroom and constant bumping into fellow travelers, this is not going to happen.
So $30 gets you through security faster, onto the plane faster and more legroom, which is all at the expense of the travelers that do not pay for it. And while Jet Blue touts that there aren't typical "classes", they have created a system that is quite similar.
My co-worker pays the $60 round trip for these extras. I'm on American, and now have status, so I get all these perks for free. I think that loyalty should be rewarded. I also think that if you pay more, you should get more, but not necessarily at the expense of others. Faster security? Sure. Faster boarding? Ok. More legroom at the expense of others? No. Sorry.
I am flying American for the perks that I built up through loyalty. If I flew Jet Blue every week, while a nice experience when in flight, the pre-flight crap would probably drive me nuts. I'm not spending $60 out of my own pocket every week. I don't want to have to pay to work.
Ok. I'm off my soapbox.
Monday, July 9, 2012
Backstory
As I sit here with my personal laptop and my work laptop, AND smart phone, I realize that things must have been easier for the forefathers of my current quest. There was free sex, cheap drugs and nips of alcohol didn't cost $5 while cruising at 30k feet. Flights had multiple course meals that had delicious food from Michelin starred chefs. Did the chefs have stars back then? Let's just assume "YES".
What do we have now? Long security lines; X-rays where people in far off and distant lands (people not in the current purview of the flyer being scanned) can you see parts you wouldn't show until at least the 3rd date; a la carte food options; rude airline employees and fees to choose an aisle seat. It's nuts. It's crazy. It's today's flying norm. Flying used to be half the fun of the trip, but it is becoming more and more of a bus ride, if anything. There must be something an average joe like myself can do in order to make this experience more rewarding...right?
I decided to become a consultant. I'm no George Clooney though. I mean, I am, but I'm not. Right? Right? Did I just lose everyone? If it was David Schwimmer in "Up in the Air", I would have hit that joke to a T. Oh well. Let's just say that instead of flying place to place to place like Georgey, I am going to fly to the same place almost every single week for the next 8-10 months. And then, I'll be put onto a different project and start the whole cycle over.
While discussing this new job with my wife (with whom I have a 6 month old son, and YES, we weighed the options: in this economy, we need as much money as we can get ahold of in order to put ourselves into a better situation....wait, why am i explaining this to you? I shouldn't have to give you my reasoning, should I? Shit. Maybe I do. Sorry. My apologies. Where was I?) While discussing this new job with my wife, I thought to myself "Self, you will get status eventually, but when you start traveling, you should be good for at least a window/aisle seat in the middle of the plane most of the time". I was wrong. Dead wrong. But more on that when we get to my "motive".
I got the go ahead from the PM of my company stating that I can start booking flights and other required travel arrangements. Here are the variables:
*I can only book up to 4 weeks in advance
*I can only book flights for the cheapest airfare available
*I can stick with an airline if, and only if, it is within a reasonable amount of money to a cheaper carrier
*Hotels are through a client rate (there are ways to get better hotels through bartering, or so I am told)
*Hertz Gold through my company
*X amount of dollars per day for food
Fast forward, errr, rewind to when I was told I could book 2 weeks in advance. I know I said I could book up to 4 weeks, but I need to visit with the client to discuss a schedule before I can truly start booking. I was hoping to keep airlines, hotels, etc anonymous, but I'll try to be reasonable without giving too much away.
*I am flying out of Boston [insert another person from Boston sigh here]
*I will be traveling less than 1k miles, but more than 700 miles per segment
*I will be traveling to the same place for 8-10 months until my next work engagement
*I will be doing the standard 3-4-5 (3 overnights, 4 days on site, 5th day remote)
My goal is to attain status at 1 hotel and 1 airline as fast as possible. During this process, I will be:
*documenting how credit cards can help gain miles/points
*researching how some mileage cards may in fact be useless
*trying to gain access to airline lounges and scoffing at their costs
*talking about Frequent Flyer Challenges, and whether other airlines do them along with American
*gauging how my individual airline is doing in terms of customer service
*debating as to whether or not I need to change airlines and start over
Motive:
Remember when I said I was "DEAD WRONG"? I was wrong because I booked 2 round-trips back to back and got middle seats in the ass back of the plane for 3 out of the 4 flights. I ponied up $24 just to get a window seat on a return segment because I wasn't given an option to even a crappy seat. There is a potential to change seats when I get to the airport/check-in at home, but I'm balking at extra fees if they are required for me to migrate.
So there's my story. Now you are caught up to speed. My first flight isn't until next Monday, so stay tuned in case something changes. It won't though. I'll probably fly out on Monday and forget to update on how things went and it won't be until 3 weeks from now when I remember that I wrote this blog. But hey!!! Here's hoping!
What do we have now? Long security lines; X-rays where people in far off and distant lands (people not in the current purview of the flyer being scanned) can you see parts you wouldn't show until at least the 3rd date; a la carte food options; rude airline employees and fees to choose an aisle seat. It's nuts. It's crazy. It's today's flying norm. Flying used to be half the fun of the trip, but it is becoming more and more of a bus ride, if anything. There must be something an average joe like myself can do in order to make this experience more rewarding...right?
I decided to become a consultant. I'm no George Clooney though. I mean, I am, but I'm not. Right? Right? Did I just lose everyone? If it was David Schwimmer in "Up in the Air", I would have hit that joke to a T. Oh well. Let's just say that instead of flying place to place to place like Georgey, I am going to fly to the same place almost every single week for the next 8-10 months. And then, I'll be put onto a different project and start the whole cycle over.
While discussing this new job with my wife (with whom I have a 6 month old son, and YES, we weighed the options: in this economy, we need as much money as we can get ahold of in order to put ourselves into a better situation....wait, why am i explaining this to you? I shouldn't have to give you my reasoning, should I? Shit. Maybe I do. Sorry. My apologies. Where was I?) While discussing this new job with my wife, I thought to myself "Self, you will get status eventually, but when you start traveling, you should be good for at least a window/aisle seat in the middle of the plane most of the time". I was wrong. Dead wrong. But more on that when we get to my "motive".
I got the go ahead from the PM of my company stating that I can start booking flights and other required travel arrangements. Here are the variables:
*I can only book up to 4 weeks in advance
*I can only book flights for the cheapest airfare available
*I can stick with an airline if, and only if, it is within a reasonable amount of money to a cheaper carrier
*Hotels are through a client rate (there are ways to get better hotels through bartering, or so I am told)
*Hertz Gold through my company
*X amount of dollars per day for food
Fast forward, errr, rewind to when I was told I could book 2 weeks in advance. I know I said I could book up to 4 weeks, but I need to visit with the client to discuss a schedule before I can truly start booking. I was hoping to keep airlines, hotels, etc anonymous, but I'll try to be reasonable without giving too much away.
*I am flying out of Boston [insert another person from Boston sigh here]
*I will be traveling less than 1k miles, but more than 700 miles per segment
*I will be traveling to the same place for 8-10 months until my next work engagement
*I will be doing the standard 3-4-5 (3 overnights, 4 days on site, 5th day remote)
My goal is to attain status at 1 hotel and 1 airline as fast as possible. During this process, I will be:
*documenting how credit cards can help gain miles/points
*researching how some mileage cards may in fact be useless
*trying to gain access to airline lounges and scoffing at their costs
*talking about Frequent Flyer Challenges, and whether other airlines do them along with American
*gauging how my individual airline is doing in terms of customer service
*debating as to whether or not I need to change airlines and start over
Motive:
Remember when I said I was "DEAD WRONG"? I was wrong because I booked 2 round-trips back to back and got middle seats in the ass back of the plane for 3 out of the 4 flights. I ponied up $24 just to get a window seat on a return segment because I wasn't given an option to even a crappy seat. There is a potential to change seats when I get to the airport/check-in at home, but I'm balking at extra fees if they are required for me to migrate.
So there's my story. Now you are caught up to speed. My first flight isn't until next Monday, so stay tuned in case something changes. It won't though. I'll probably fly out on Monday and forget to update on how things went and it won't be until 3 weeks from now when I remember that I wrote this blog. But hey!!! Here's hoping!
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