How to Handle a Change in Plans

Robin and I flew to Ft. Lauderdale in January. We did everything the way you're supposed to. We checked in 20 hours before the flight, online. We printed out boarding passes. Our passports were well within the 6-month expiration. We arrived at the airport an hour and 45 minutes before the flight. 

Robin checked her bag with the Continental agent, and when they reprinted her ticket, we noticed that it was a different seat than the original one. "No problem," I thought, thinking we could move her seat at the gate. So we went through security and headed directly to the gate (I didn't even stop at Starbucks first!). We were told that sometime overnight, the plane had to be replaced with one which seated 40 fewer peopler. 40. I no longer had a seat. For us, it wasn't terribly critical, merely aggravating. For others, it meant that their families were split up, or that they would be missing a cruise ship departure. 

We stepped away from the agent to think through our options. I was told that they could put me on a flight to Miami 7 hours later (I'd still need to get to Ft. Lauderdale), or I could fly the next day (I was only going for 3 days, so this didn't really make much sense). An announcement was made that they would give anyone who chose to be bumped a $500 voucher. We huddled together and came up with a plan. Going back to the gate, we said that Robin would volunteer to be bumped, which left both of us off this flight. We asked to be put on the Miami flight later in the day, which they did. We were also provided with free transportation to the Ft. Lauderdale airport (so Robin could get her bag, which was now airborne), and vouchers for breakfast and lunch at the airport. We each also received a $500 voucher for flights. 

Ok, so now we had flights, but what to do for 7 more hours in Newark Airport? We had parked the car at an off-airport lot, so if we decided to drive home for a few hours (we're only 15-20 minutes away), we would have to pay to get the car, pay the Turnpike tolls (twice) and then pay for another day when we brought the car back. The better option was to stay put. At least we were in Terminal C, which is the biggest and newest terminal at EWR. I went upstairs to the Continental President's Club, and pleaded my case. I didn't fly quite enough last year to get Elite status, which would give me Club access. They were nice enough to give me two one-day passes for the price of one ($45). Not THAT great a deal, but at least we had a much quieter and far more comfortable place to hang out. This gave us WiFi access, drinks (alcoholic or not), snacks, big comfy chairs, free newspapers and magazines, TV, and kept us away from the masses.

The bottom line is that we managed to make an unplanned change in plans something more bearable. How? After the initial annoyance, we took a collective deep breath, talked through our options and priorities, then put on our smiles and talked. In an interesting aside, there was a very irate gentleman in line ahead of us who ended up with a deal that was no where near as good as ours. It pays to remember that it is not the gate agent's fault when you are bumped, and most importantly, they are a human being, just like you and I. Patience and a smile will get you farther (usually) than screaming and carrying on like a two year old. 

We did eventually make it to our final destination, and now have free tickets for our next trip. Oh, I did get that coffee at Starbucks eventually :-)

The Drunken Baggage??

Ok, so "where did the name of this blog come from?" you may ask. In the Disney Vacation Club's Old Key West Resort in Orlando, Florida, is a little poolside bar called "The Gurgling Suitcase." When my family stays there, we ALWAYS go and have a drink or three...or four...

At any rate, we can never remember the actual name of the place (and this is BEFORE we've had a drink), so we call it a variety of things. Some of the more creative are "The Soused Satchel," "The Drunken Duffel," "The Buzzed Backpack,"The Pickled Portmanteau." You get the idea. But the one that stuck was "The Drunken Baggage." It has, as they say, become the stuff of legend in my family. While Disney is not, by far, my first choice in vacation destinations, thinking of this little bar always brings a smile to my face.

10 Things I Won't Travel Without

Over the years, I've managed to pare down my carry-on travel crap quite a bit. I've learned that I really don't need 5 novels, or 2 portable gaming systems, or 2 sets of headphones. I don't need a change of clothes for every day, if I plan a little. But I do need the following essentials in my carry-on bag, in no particular order:

1. Inflatable travel pillow. It packs very small, and in this new era of airline cutbacks, one can never be sure that the little pillow you get on the plane is REALLY clean. Eew.

2. Bose Quiet Comfort headphones. Expensive, yes, but if you travel frequently you'll appreciate the way they eliminate the jet roar and they way they muffle your chatty seatmate.

3. My iPhone. Music, games, movies, and communication device all in one. And with AT&T, the ability to call from almost anywhere on the planet.

4. Travel documents in a slim case. These include my passport, health insurance cards, emergency contact info, drivers license, credit cards. I leave the wallet at home, because I'm pretty sure I'm not going to need my Shop-Rite card.

5. Water. Buy the biggest bottle you can find once you get past the security checkpoint. Buy two. You can never have too much water.

6. One book. This is usually the hardest thing for me to pack. I try and go for the smaller novels, ones I can leave behind so I don't have to carry them twice.

7. Bare minimum toiletries - must include moisturizing lotion, toothpaste, mini toothbrush, lip balm, deodorant. These pretty much ensure that I'll feel like a human being, no matter how long the delay. Unless I'm on some trip to an exotic locale, I can buy the other stuff (shampoo, etc) when I get to my destination.

8. Baby wipes. You just never know when you might need these.

9. Protein bar. Most short-hop flights don't give you ANYTHING, so be prepared. Protein bars are my favorite to carry - a meal in a bar, and they pack easily.

10. Spare undies. Usually quick-dry. I think this is self-explanatory.

I most frequently pack all of this in here. The Osprey React pack is very lightweight and has lots of useful pockets. With two mesh water bottle pockets, and a large outer pocket, everything I need is easily accessible. Sometimes I carry my North Face Recon pack instead, mostly if I'm bringing my MacBook along. Other than these essentials, I usually have one clean shirt, a rain jacket, two 1-gallon ziploc bags, a small camera, and sometimes a laptop. I'm heading to Florida next week for a 5-day stay, so when I pack, I'll post some pics.

On the Road in 2008

I have to say that 2008 was sort of an exception to the norm. I traveled 5 times for work, which doesn't happen that often, since I work for state government. On those trips, I managed to pass through Denver, Albuquerque, Chattanooga, Charlotte, Cincinnati,Washington DC twice, Houston, Atlanta, and Bethesda.

The part about traveling for work that escapes most people is that there really isn't any time to explore. Unless you count the airports, because let me tell you, I had plenty of time to do that. As of right now, in 2009 I have no travel for work lined up.

On the personal front, I only managed two trips by plane, but they were biggies - Bonaire in July for a week of diving, and Palau and Yap in October/November for the BEST diving I've ever done.

None of this counts the 70+ miles a day I drive going back and forth to work, all the weekend travel to see the family, or go into the city (New York), etc. And, I just bought a new vehicle 15 months ago, and have put 30,000 miles on it already. It would be safe to say that I never sit still for long.

In a later post, I'll share how I planned and packed for these trips.

Why?

I love to travel. Period. Whether it's for pleasure or for work, there's something about going elsewhere that makes me happy. I love to see new places, whether here in my home state or halfway around the world. So why not write about some of the places I've been? The good, the bad, and the ugly. Believe me, I've been to them all. I'll even throw in a little about where I'm headed - my expectations, what I'm taking, and who's going with me. And I'll include some of what I've learned along the way - travel tips, packing tips, templates of packing lists, photo tips, travel gadgets, etc.