Saturday, March 15, 2008

Transatlantic Ping Pong

I'm flying out to London this Sunday.... yet again.  No matter how many times you do it, there's no getting used to 7+ hours in coach.  They call it cattle class for a reason.  It's even worse when you come back.  Due to the lovely head winds your flight becomes 9+ hours.  Fantastic!!!  Where can I sign up for that?

Other than the frequent flyer miles there's no allure in the travel for me.  Domestically my flights are much better, but going across the pond on a US based airline tends to suck and not in a good way.  The one time I was able to use a European airline was British Airways out of Dulles airport.  Just asking if there were any emergency exit rows left at the ticket counter turned into a complimentary seating class upgrade.  To this day it is still the most comfortable flight I've ever had.  More so than even 1st class on domestic flights with US airlines.

When you are a road warrior for work its the little things that make life nicer.  Being able to tap into all those travel programs helps.  I've heard horrid tales of companies that didn't allow their employees to use the programs and garnished all the status/miles/nights on their own corporate accounts.  It's bad enough being in the air just as much as the pilots, but to have the perks denied is just plain cruel.

Honestly I'm exhausted just thinking about the travel I will soon embark upon.  Ticket counters, security, customs...  They should turn it into a Disney ride for Halloween.  Nonstop fun for the whole family.

Its not always that bad.  My bitterness quotient is set to high coupled with serious burnout.  Having worked like this for about 2 years solid I'm the mood for a little change.  A nice Easter vacation should smooth me out for a bit.  Hopefully I'll be less crispy around the edges when I return.

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