BGonline.org Forums

The Travails of Travel

Posted By: Bill Riles
Date: Monday, 23 March 2009, at 7:31 p.m.

Getting home from Chicago was fun and interesting.

First, having a rental car in Chicago, I offered a ride to anyone else that was heading to the airport about the same time. Gregg Cattanach took me up on the offer -- his flight was 40 minutes earlier than mine but I was glad to leave a few minutes early to accommodate him. As we approached the I-88/I-294, Gregg, with map in hand, informed me I was in the wrong lane to take I-294 South (to Midway) and I informed him I was in the correct lane to take I-294 North (to O'Hare). We had a good laugh at ourselves and, fortunately, I had plenty of time to drop him off, curb service, at Midway and still make my flight with plenty of time to spare.

Then, at O'Hare, I was able to successfully play Continental for some nice freebies -- if I'd only had anywhere near as much success over the board in Chicago. As usual, the flight was well overbooked and they were asking for volunteers. I didn't necessarily have to be back last night, and I was due into Houston at 10:00 pm, so I asked of the available terms for giving up my seat. $200 voucher but no space on flights Monday from O'Hare to Houston. But, they were willing !!! to fly me to Newark last night (arriving after midnight) and on to Houston at something around six this morning. After, my semi-profane "you've got to be $&#&@( kidding me", I sat back down.

They kept asking for volunteers with limited success. They got some 'idiot' to bite on the O'Hare/Newark/Houston deal and they found another guy who was going to Austin that they could put on a direct American flight that got him to Austin an hour earlier (than going through Houston on Continental) with the $200 voucher in his pocket.

We finally boarded and I comfortably nestled into my middle seat on the front row of coach -- at least there was leg room. In came the agent lady -- same one I'd talked to earlier -- begging for one more volunteer. I waved at her and told her I could be bought, but the terms were going to have to change. She agreed to give me a $300 voucher, first class today on the 5:30 a.m out of O'Hare to Houston (remember there was no way earlier to get me out of O'Hare Monday), a food voucher, and a night in the Intercontinental Hotel in Rosemont, near O'Hare. One nice place, by the way.

Messages In This Thread

• The Travails of Travel
  Bill Riles -- Monday, 23 March 2009, at 7:31 p.m.
  • The Travails of Travel
    Bill Riles -- Monday, 23 March 2009, at 7:35 p.m.
    • The Travails of Travel
      Jason Lee -- Monday, 23 March 2009, at 8:30 p.m.
      • The Travails of Travel
        Coolrey -- Tuesday, 24 March 2009, at 11:13 p.m.
    • The Travails of Travel
      garyo -- Tuesday, 24 March 2009, at 6:51 a.m.
      • The Travails of Travel
        Jason Lee -- Tuesday, 24 March 2009, at 7:24 a.m.
        • The Travails of Travel
          Matt Cohn-Geier -- Tuesday, 24 March 2009, at 9:49 a.m.
          • The Travails of Travel
            neilkaz -- Tuesday, 24 March 2009, at 5:40 p.m.
            • The Travails of Travel
              Matt Cohn-Geier -- Tuesday, 24 March 2009, at 7:28 p.m.
              • The Travails of Travel
                Frank_N_Stein -- Wednesday, 25 March 2009, at 12:00 a.m.
  • The Travails of Travel
    Coolrey -- Tuesday, 24 March 2009, at 11:09 p.m.
    • The Travails of Travel
      Bill Riles -- Tuesday, 24 March 2009, at 11:34 p.m.