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Top Ten Reasons to Love Southwest Airlines Today

Top Ten Reasons to Love Southwest Airlines Today

3035470-inline-i-1-southwest-airlines-unveils-modern-colorful-redesignLast weekend’s trip to the Accessibility Summit conference was wonderful, as always. But this trip included a bonus perk: the flights too and from the conference were wonderful, too. In fact they were so wonderful, I feel compelled to list Southwest’s top ten wonderfulnesses since previous posts on this blog have bemoaned travel travails associated with this airline.

10. No flight delays. Not one. Most of the time we got to the gate early.

9.  The early Sunday morning flight from DC to Chicago Midway had only about 3 dozen passengers. So my flying buddy and I sat in the front row. With extra legroom. The perfect opportunity to pretend we were flying first class. And I was the first person off the plane for the first time in my whole life.

8.  2 bags free. Which for an author carrying books to sell is money in the bank.

7.  Southwest now has free gate-to-gate WiFi. Which, if I had enough tech savvy to figure out how to make it work, would have been a real perk. My flying buddy got it running on her phone, but she didn’t know how it happened, so she couldn’t teach me.

6.  They still serve free snacks. Pretzels and peanuts.

5.  Southwest has Goldilocks layovers. Not to long, not to short, but just right.

4.  Their magazine is about more than travel. A few years ago, it had an article about Harvard Medical School’s Brazelton Institute, dedicated to healthy development of infants and young children. It was a boon to the research for Does My Child Have PTSD?

3.  Some of their employees must moonlight as stand up comedians. More than one of them have jazzed up the safety instructions at the beginning of their flights so people actually pay attention. And maybe even laugh.

2.  Those same employees can also use the perfect combination of humor and steely determination to keep 40 eighth graders–on their way to DC for a class trip–from running amok on a crowded plane.

1.  Southwest flies out of Des Moines, so after a long day of air travel home is only a 45 minute drive away.

What’s your favorite airline? What makes it your favorite? Leave a comment.

Top Ten Ways Air Travel Drives Me Crazy

Top Ten Ways Air Travel Drives Me Crazy

aircraft-airplane-flying-2105-828x550Tomorrow I’m getting on an airplane for Norfolk, VIrginia. That means most of today will be spent packing so that my bags meet the TSD requirements, which is just one of the 10 ways air travel drives me crazy these days.

10. Trying to cram into one zippered, clear plastic bag all the liquids and gels needed to keep a nearly 60-year-old woman is a huge undertaking. I need a 2 gallon bag, at the very least.

9. Just what constitutes gels and liquids anyway? Not chapstick, lipstick, or solid underarm deodorant, I hope. But what about lip gloss? Cold sore balm? And the pasty goo that makes my hair look less like a limp dishrag? These decisions are killing me.

8. Baggage fees. Both ways. Please Southwest, expand your flights out of Des Moines, and I promise to fly exclusively with you!

7. Delays and airport employees kept purposefully in the dark by their higher ups so no one can be easily accessed and held accountable for messing with peoples’ lives willy nilly.

6. Escalators. Mom said I wouldn’t be afraid of them once I grew up. She lied.

5. Unpacking the computer and the 2 gallon zippered clear plastic bag, placing them in a plastic bin, and hoping I didn’t forget to unpack something else that will be confiscated or mark me for a pat down.

4. The security gate strip down. Off comes the belt, the shoes, the jacket, the travel pouch. Be forewarned TSA folks, I draw the line at removing internal organs!

3. Once through the security gate, all food options are a minefield for my dairy allergy. I can do nothing to expand those menu options since my milk and butter substitutes couldn’t be packed in my carry on luggage because they exceed the 3 ounce maximum.

2. Powering down all electronic devices as the plane powers up. Not that I’m adverse to clear radio signals, mind you. But I always forget to turn something off, and my guess is everybody else forgets something, too. So we’re already toast if all our electronic devices really to mess with the radio signals.

1. Airplane potties. ‘Nuf said on that one.

What about air travel drives you crazy? Leave a comment

Top Ten Items to Take on Your Next Plane Trip

Top Ten Items to Take on Your Next Plane Trip

Air travel

Plane trips from here to there and back again have lost their luster in the last few years. Maybe because airlines are cutting amenities right and left. Maybe because more of my travel is for business rather than for fun. Maybe because I’m getting older and crankier. But I’m hoping this list of the top ten things to take on a plane trip will put the glitter and shine back into my next up, up, and away adventure.

10.  A five day food supply. Airline snacks aren’t enough to keep Barbie and Ken alive, much less full-sized humans. So it’s best to take enough for the time in the air plus enough to keep me going for a few days in case of delays in the airport.

9.   A personal assistant. Take someone along to organize boarding passes and itineraries, know the whereabouts of my picture ID at all times, carry luggage, watch my carry-on bag while I use the bathroom, and keep me from acting like a crazy person when things don’t go according to plan. Not that I’ve ever acted like that before, but it’s always good to be prepared.

8.   Pilot speak translation program. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a little gizmo to plug in when the pilot’s voice comes over the intercom? Imagine being able to understand what he or she says?

7.   Odd Couple DVD. For reference purposes when my sinuses start acting up. That way I can practice and imitate Felix’s “Mmmah. mmmah” and then make everyone suffer with me.

6.    Spanx or a girdle. Because the seats on the airplane keep getting smaller and smaller. Plus I want to look my best for the full body scan at security.

5.   Airsick bags. Anybody else notice the absence of these essential items from the seat pocket? Ever since a friend of mine told how she became the recipient of the contents of her seatmate’s stomach, I pack my own bag, just in case.

4.   Drool catcher. I’m working on the prototype for this. A small, kidney-shaped bowl that can be suction-cupped below the lower lip. It could save a lot of embarrassment for messy nappers.

3.   Hidden camera. To record those who use items listed in #5 and #4.

2.   Hazmat Suit. In case I need to use the bathroom on the airplane.

1.   A sense of humor. Essential if you want to make new friends instead of alienating fellow travelers.

What’s on your list of top 10 things to take on a plane trip? Leave a comment!