Flight 591... Memphis to ....Memphis??
Consulting has its perks, traveling, 4 day work weeks, a little bit of a glamorous lifestyle sometimes with eating out, luncheons, great pay. But just so our consulting heads do not get to big we need to be reminded of why the pay and the fringe benefits exists.
A routine flight from Minneapolis (MSP) to Gainesville, FL (GNV) connecting via Memphis (MEM) is what I embarked on yesterday for my client. It wasn't my favorite to begin with as I had to leave at 3:30 right when the Vikings/Packers game was to start (Shameless plug - GO VIKS). Earlier that day I had decided to program into my cell phone all the travel partner phone numbers, Hertz, Avis, Hilton, etc. I had a funny feeling it was not going to be a good travel day (did I doom myself?) Left the gate on time in MSP when the pilot announced we needed to de-ice and it would take 10 mins. 45 mins later we, being the first plane into the de-icing area, were the last to leave. Landed in MEM with 5 mins to catch my next flight, the last of the night to GNV. Naturally, I missed it and they wouldn't hold it for 5 more mins so I could Carl Lewis it to the other concourse. Next flight to GNV, 2pm the next day!!! Quick on my feet I see that a flight to Jacksonville (JAX) is leaving in 20 mins and I can drive 75 mins to GNV. I take it!! Running to the next flight I call the airlines desk and notify them I will be submitting my car rental bill for their reimbursement. I make the flight, and we take off. This is good, only a minor technicality but all is well with the world and im enjoying my wine in first class. I am watching a movie on my portable DVD player but I can overhear the announcement from the pilot.... "folks, bad news, we are almost to JAX (2 hr flight mind you) and the airport just closed. We are returning to MEM and you will be reaccomodated for tomorrow". Oh great. I just flew MEM-MEM and ate up 3 hours.... Do I get frequent flyer miles for this? Add insult to injury.. the big lady next to me must get gas when she is stressed out because the flight back was terrible!
Landing in MEM, I am first in line for reaccomodation when I inform the gate agent, no, I don't want to go back to JAX tomorrow, I did that for tonight, put me through to GNV my original contract with you. She says no, ill get to you last. LAST?! I was in line first! Funny though, this woman came off the plane last, walks past us with her child happy, came back 2 mins later to the front of the line and says "Are we in Memphis????" with the most bewildered look on her face. I heard the announcment over my headsets and movie on the plane, where was this lady on the flight? She was so shocked and beside herself it was quite the laugh. She had no idea we flew all the way back to Memphis. Long story short. I was rebooked at the terrible hour of 5 am departure to Atlanta (ATL) then to GNV arriving at 9:30. ok great 9:30 am not to bad, but 5am, that's horrific. I would have to get up at 3:30. I am shuttled off to a hotel some 20 miles from the airport and set the alarm and hit the bed. I awake at 5am!! The hotel alarm didn't go off and I missed the flight.
To recap. I normall go MSP-MEM, 35 minute layover, MEM-GNV. 4:30-9:30 with the loss of an hour. Now I went MSP-MEM, miss flight to GNV, MEM-MEM, miss flight to ATL, MEM-ATL, ATL-GNV. Total time... 22 hours!
Needless to say, I am here, in GNV where I hustled to... well.. err... what did I hustle for, now I have to work.
A routine flight from Minneapolis (MSP) to Gainesville, FL (GNV) connecting via Memphis (MEM) is what I embarked on yesterday for my client. It wasn't my favorite to begin with as I had to leave at 3:30 right when the Vikings/Packers game was to start (Shameless plug - GO VIKS). Earlier that day I had decided to program into my cell phone all the travel partner phone numbers, Hertz, Avis, Hilton, etc. I had a funny feeling it was not going to be a good travel day (did I doom myself?) Left the gate on time in MSP when the pilot announced we needed to de-ice and it would take 10 mins. 45 mins later we, being the first plane into the de-icing area, were the last to leave. Landed in MEM with 5 mins to catch my next flight, the last of the night to GNV. Naturally, I missed it and they wouldn't hold it for 5 more mins so I could Carl Lewis it to the other concourse. Next flight to GNV, 2pm the next day!!! Quick on my feet I see that a flight to Jacksonville (JAX) is leaving in 20 mins and I can drive 75 mins to GNV. I take it!! Running to the next flight I call the airlines desk and notify them I will be submitting my car rental bill for their reimbursement. I make the flight, and we take off. This is good, only a minor technicality but all is well with the world and im enjoying my wine in first class. I am watching a movie on my portable DVD player but I can overhear the announcement from the pilot.... "folks, bad news, we are almost to JAX (2 hr flight mind you) and the airport just closed. We are returning to MEM and you will be reaccomodated for tomorrow". Oh great. I just flew MEM-MEM and ate up 3 hours.... Do I get frequent flyer miles for this? Add insult to injury.. the big lady next to me must get gas when she is stressed out because the flight back was terrible!
Landing in MEM, I am first in line for reaccomodation when I inform the gate agent, no, I don't want to go back to JAX tomorrow, I did that for tonight, put me through to GNV my original contract with you. She says no, ill get to you last. LAST?! I was in line first! Funny though, this woman came off the plane last, walks past us with her child happy, came back 2 mins later to the front of the line and says "Are we in Memphis????" with the most bewildered look on her face. I heard the announcment over my headsets and movie on the plane, where was this lady on the flight? She was so shocked and beside herself it was quite the laugh. She had no idea we flew all the way back to Memphis. Long story short. I was rebooked at the terrible hour of 5 am departure to Atlanta (ATL) then to GNV arriving at 9:30. ok great 9:30 am not to bad, but 5am, that's horrific. I would have to get up at 3:30. I am shuttled off to a hotel some 20 miles from the airport and set the alarm and hit the bed. I awake at 5am!! The hotel alarm didn't go off and I missed the flight.
To recap. I normall go MSP-MEM, 35 minute layover, MEM-GNV. 4:30-9:30 with the loss of an hour. Now I went MSP-MEM, miss flight to GNV, MEM-MEM, miss flight to ATL, MEM-ATL, ATL-GNV. Total time... 22 hours!
Needless to say, I am here, in GNV where I hustled to... well.. err... what did I hustle for, now I have to work.
posted by Runin_Amuck at
Monday, January 10, 2005
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