Tuesday, July 20, 2004

Up, Up and Away

Megan is on a plane.  At spiritair.com you can actually put in the flight number 874 and virtually see her plane.  Wasn't easy getting her on the plane, I can be so dense sometimes.  As we were checking her in I asked if when I picked her up I would be allowed at the gate, and they said no, you can pick her up right at security - where you drop her off today.  I said no I am taking her to the gate.  They said no, only ticketed passengers or those accompanying unaccompanied minors.  I said that I would be accompanying said unaccompanied minor.  They said she was not an unaccompanied minor.  I explained that as she was flying with out a companion, and was a minor that I would expect her to be an unaccompanied minor.  They said that minor were 12 and under.  I said she is 12, as if this explained my point.  They stared at me like "Duh" as if this explained their point.  We stared for a while, and finally I said, okay explain to me again why I can't have a gate pass.  They said that starting TODAY, they only issued gate passes to unaccompanied minors.  I said she is an unaccompanied minor.  They said no, if she was an unaccompanied minor I would have to pay an additional $40 for me to get a gate pass.  That YESTERDAY they could have issued me a gate pass, but not today.  I said that makes no sense.  And they decided to bring in a manager.  Now keep in mind that at no time did I use a word that would have had to be bleeped on Airlines or did I say anything loud enough to rally the crowd around me.  They came back alone and said that the manager said to make and exception for me as a courtesy.  I told them that I appreciated it, although I still did not understand it.
 
And then, today being my lucky day, I was selected as a special security passenger and received extra special attention.  Which made it difficult for Megan, and she did not and had to stand away from me, and in the middle of traffic.  But we made it. 
 
We made it to the gate (not the farthest one) and awaited.  When they called for first boarding for handicapped, those traveling with small children, and unaccompanied minors, THEY were standing right there and signalled the person taking boarding passes.  Megan was not allowed on at that point and had to wait for general boarding.  She made it on and the plane took off, the last time I checked it was just clearing Illinois and is scheduled to be in LA a half hour early.
 
On another note, I called the Michigan State Police and they said to file a report in West Branch.  Seems, nobody wants to do it.  I will go back to West Branch and start over. 
 





2 comments:

EZ Travel said...

I can't figure out the virtual flight thing, and I really want to before she lands.

And with that attitude miss you are not getting on that plane. Did you have to take your shoes off and everything?

KathrynVH said...

In California they just passed a bill that allows you to make a police report where you live, not where the card was stolen or where it was used.

Megan is here and happy. We went to McDonald's for lunch and now she is hanging out at the Mall with Marisa and Adam (Melody and I had to go back to work).