When I have to fly somewhere the whole airport experience is something that I and others dread.

It all starts with the purchase of my tickets, on-line of course.  Whether its 6 months or three weeks before traveling I never seem to get the lowest price.  Getting that is like playing the lotto, you never know when you are going to win $1 or $5.  Secondly, the remaining seats always seem to be at the back of the plane.  Oh!, there are seats near the front but now airlines charge a premium for those and certain stratigically located seats.  I never have much luck either when going online to check-in and print my boarding pass.  Even if its exactly 24 hours til flight time I always get high boarding numbers/group etc. 

The fun continues once at the airport and past the slow hide-a-line through TSA, having been half striped, poked, proded, and scanned, its on to the departure gate.

In almost all of my experience my gate is always the furthest away from the terminal lobby.  I look at the gate numbers, stare down the length of the terminal and just know mine is the last gate.  Many times I get to that end only to discover that the corridor splits into a V with yet another long walk to my gate.  Yes, the last one as suspected.  I really don’t get it.  Who the heck gets to depart from the gates right by the TSA screening area?

My luck doesn’t end there.  The boarding process is also something to behold.  Each airlines handle this procedure a little differently but basically with the same result whether its the SWA cattle call and lining up by your number when your letter is called or the airlines that board by group numbers, rows from either front or back!  After passengers that need assistance, first class, and airline loyalty members, I am with certainty almost always in the last group to board.

On the plane you have to search for overhead storage space and cram your carry-ons into the remaining spots.  Every one seems to have an over sized carry-on.  This situation is something the airlines have created by charging for luggage now.  And I don’t know how one can get excited about the for ounces of soda in an ice filed cup and the six peanuts in a bag that the flight attendents finally deliver to you.  The packaging has got to cost more than the product!

It really is not as bad as I make it appear.  I just wanted to have a little fun with the process.  Safe travels everyone.

Until next time,
Bon Voyage

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