Travel woes

[CascadeClone]

Another tip I need to remind myself of is try not to book a connecting flight through DFW on American. Problem is, if you’re flying out of Cedar Rapids your choices are already limited, and sometimes your schedule/price seems like it works better to go through Dallas, but American has left me stuck there twice.

I have 300k+ miles on AA and always choose DFW instead of ORD if at all possible. Never problems in DFW but have had weather issues in ORD more than once.

Funny how individual experiences can vary so much.

 

[BCClone]

I have 300k+ miles on AA and always choose DFW instead of ORD if at all possible. Never problems in DFW but have had weather issues in ORD more than once.

Funny how individual experiences can vary so much.

Ate at Tin Roost in north liberty last year. Server told us he wanted to go to ISU for engineering and couldn’t get in. He was now at Iowa and was disappointed he had to settle for that.

 

[FallOf81]

What's the difference between a pick pocket and a peeping Tom. One snatches your watch and the other watches your snatch.

 

[Isualum13]

I don't fly very much, this was on a school trip to Germany in high school. On the last flight from Iceland back to MSP I was in a middle seat. Every flight to that point I was seated next a reasonably attractive girl from one of the other high schools on the trip. The last flight I was stuck by myself. I'm in the middle between two average sized humans, no big deal. There is a family of 4 in 3 seats accross the aisle. The flight attendant asks the gentleman next to me if he would be kind enough to fly first class so the family can have more room. Of course he obliges. I actually repeatedly asked my German teacher leading to the trip if I would be able to fly first class and was repeatedly told no. I was one seat away from getting to do so. Instead, I spend 7 miserable hours with an obese man spilling into my seat staring over my shoulder at my video iPod.

Too add to all this the plane was absolutely awful. Seats were falling apart and the headphone ports in my row were broken so I couldn't even watch the ****** in-flight movie. My iPod battery was atbabout 30% at this point and i know it wasnt going to last the whole flight. When I say something about it to the flight attendant, she says yeah its broken and just walks away. I get it, there absolutely nothing that can be done about it while in the air, but I was irritated about the situation with the obese man. Iceland air was in the process of renovating their planes. We had just gotten off a nice, newly renovated plane and put on one essentially falling apart on the inside.

On the way to Germany, the flight from Minneapolis to Iceland got delayed and they actually had to hold our flight in Iceland so 50 some kids weren't stranded.

Story time over, thanks for sticking around.

 

[CYdTracked]

No horrible stories to tell but I try to avoid checking a bag if I can when I fly and just do carry on if I can. Obviously can't always do that so the other trick I have is if you have to check bags for an extended trip with your significant other or family split up your change of clothes into different suitcases that way if 1 gets lost you at least have some change of clothes for everyone until the baggage is found or you have time to go buy some more outfits. Also never make plans for something immediately after you are scheduled to return as a delayed flight or weather can ruin that fast. Maybe not earth shattering advice there but simple things like that can prevent a lot of stress and frustration if you pack and plan appropriately for certain scenarios.

 

[cincy_cy2014]

Traveling sales man where my job description is around 75% travel.

1. Anytime I check a bag, I use an Apple Air Tag in it. Makes tracking so much easier.
2. I always unplug hotel alarm clocks. After a few times of alarm going off at random times very early in the morning, you learn your lesson.
3. Always schedule a wake up with the hotel front desk call for early flights or after nights of drinking with colleagues.
4. Always travel with a snack, water bottle, Pepto and Advil when you board a flight. Never know when you are going to get delayed for weather or mechanical reasons out of your control. All of these things are incredibly handy.

 

[wxman1]

When flying for leisure don’t schedule anything important the day after arriving.

 

[BikeSkiClone]

1. Get TSA PreCheck if you travel even just quarterly or so. $85 for 5 years so if you take 4 round trips a year, that’s about $2.13 per airport security visit. No pat downs, shoes stay on, electronics stay in bag. And if you’re ever in the regular line, and the couple in front of you is arguing over literally anything, have small children, and/or can’t find their boarding passes or IDs for the security checkpoint, go to a different baggage scan line than them. They’ll be the ones to get all the way up to the scanner before they realize they need to take off their shoes and their jacket and take out electronics and all the things that the officers have been shouting at you and there are 800 signs for.

2. Clear is another program, but I’ve never used it. It bumps you to the front of whichever line you’re in – TSA PreCheck or the regular line. I travel about 20 round trips a year for work and I’ve never had to wait more than five minutes in a PreCheck line. If it ever gets to a point where I’m consistently waiting 10 to 15+ minutes, I’ll look into it more.

3. When checking into your hotel, even if you have the digital key on your phone, stop at the front desk. Especially if you’re a rewards member with that chain because a lot of places will give you some sort of small perk that you otherwise would not have received because they didn’t put it in the room. Usually just a water bottle or two, sometimes a free soda or a snack, but it’s nice after a long day of traveling. Also helpful for double checking if you need to get a parking permit.

4. And if you ever get on your flight, the front door of the plane closes, and you then realize that you still have the rental car keys in your baggage, just drop it off at the same company in your ending destination. They will overnight them to the original airport at no cost to you (that was my experience with National, at least). Also, in my experience National Car Rental is far away the best and easiest rental car company to use in the US if you sign up for their loyalty program. No ******** messing around with forms and insurance cards and any of that. Just pick the car you want from the lot, show ID & credit card, and get on the road at any major airport location. Smaller airport you’ll probably have to visit the desk agent but even then the paperwork is super easy & minimal and they’ve always been wonderful to work with.

 

[NWICY]

I travel a lot for work - I guess I travel a medium amount now but I traveled more until March 2020. Domestic trips. Most are completely uneventful or you have the usual small annoyances that other passengers blow out of proportion.

In 2018 or so, I was flying home after a layover at ATL. I had checked my bag that time, and when I do that, I always try to be the last one on the plane (why would I want to get on any earlier?). I had a Comfort Plus aisle seat.

I get on the plane and there is a woman in my seat starting straight ahead. I say excuse me, I think that’s mine. She says, well my husband is here (in the middle seat next to her) so you can have mine, and gestures at an open seat across the aisle. I briefly think this would be fine before realizing there’s already a bag there. Turns out that wasn’t even her seat. So I no longer even care what seat she was offering me because I have no interest in helping her.

I say politely but firmly, no this is my seat, thanks. She says, and I remember this burned into my brain, “Well, I’m sitting with my husband so you’ll just figure it out.” Summoned a flight attendant and listened to them argue for at least 3 full minutes, which is a long time. I sense that the woman finally moved in a huff just before the FA would have called police onto the plane to make her move. The whole time I stood unflinching with absolutely zero intention of sitting in any seat but 11D.

Her husband didn’t say a word the whole time or during the entire flight sitting next to me. Her seat was probably 15 rows behind us and I think it was a middle seat too.

I fly very seldom, is it no longer a thing that you can book seats together?

 

[BikeSkiClone]

I fly very seldom, is it no longer a thing that you can book seats together?

You definitely can on most airlines (Southwest being an (the?) exception). Some airlines will charge for seat selection or not assign them until check-in if booking the cheapest fare, but will try to put people on the same reservation together. If it’s a popular route though and all that’s left for the computer to plug people into are single seats, then folks are SOL. Or the couple in the other person’s story tried to get seats together, realized there weren’t any like that (because the seat in question had already been reserved), and booked anyway thinking they’d get a pushover who’d agree to their nonsense.

 

[BCClone]

1. Get TSA PreCheck if you travel even just quarterly or so. $85 for 5 years so if you take 4 round trips a year, that’s about $2.13 per airport security visit. No pat downs, shoes stay on, electronics stay in bag. And if you’re ever in the regular line, and the couple in front of you is arguing over literally anything, have small children, and/or can’t find their boarding passes or IDs for the security checkpoint, go to a different baggage scan line than them. They’ll be the ones to get all the way up to the scanner before they realize they need to take off their shoes and their jacket and take out electronics and all the things that the officers have been shouting at you and there are 800 signs for.

2. Clear is another program, but I’ve never used it. It bumps you to the front of whichever line you’re in – TSA PreCheck or the regular line. I travel about 20 round trips a year for work and I’ve never had to wait more than five minutes in a PreCheck line. If it ever gets to a point where I’m consistently waiting 10 to 15+ minutes, I’ll look into it more.

3. When checking into your hotel, even if you have the digital key on your phone, stop at the front desk. Especially if you’re a rewards member with that chain because a lot of places will give you some sort of small perk that you otherwise would not have received because they didn’t put it in the room. Usually just a water bottle or two, sometimes a free soda or a snack, but it’s nice after a long day of traveling. Also helpful for double checking if you need to get a parking permit.

4. And if you ever get on your flight, the front door of the plane closes, and you then realize that you still have the rental car keys in your baggage, just drop it off at the same company in your ending destination. They will overnight them to the original airport at no cost to you (that was my experience with National, at least). Also, in my experience National Car Rental is far away the best and easiest rental car company to use in the US if you sign up for their loyalty program. No ******** messing around with forms and insurance cards and any of that. Just pick the car you want from the lot, show ID & credit card, and get on the road at any major airport location. Smaller airport you’ll probably have to visit the desk agent but even then the paperwork is super easy & minimal and they’ve always been wonderful to work with.

Flew in December and most of what you said was the advantage of the $85 was standard for everyone there. Shoes stayed on, electronics in bag, no Pat downs. They had a dog that you had to walk by and he would check you out as you walk this 10 yards.

 

[BCClone]

You want to bump up the line? get the smell of whatever the dog wants. Guy behind us, the dog went crazy, they pulled him to the front, wander him, checked him over and then turned him loose. We watched as we worked our way through the line and still had a ways to go when he got through everything.

 

[charlie_B]

Flew in December and most of what you said was the advantage of the $85 was standard for everyone there. Shoes stayed on, electronics in bag, no Pat downs. They had a dog that you had to walk by and he would check you out as you walk this 10 yards.

That depends on what airport you are at. Some have newer technologies that allow people to keep electronics in their bags, etc.

 

[RLD4ISU]

Traveling sales man where my job description is around 75% travel.

1. Anytime I check a bag, I use an Apple Air Tag in it. Makes tracking so much easier.
2. I always unplug hotel alarm clocks. After a few times of alarm going off at random times very early in the morning, you learn your lesson.
3. Always schedule a wake up with the hotel front desk call for early flights or after nights of drinking with colleagues.
4. Always travel with a snack, water bottle, Pepto and Advil when you board a flight. Never know when you are going to get delayed for weather or mechanical reasons out of your control. All of these things are incredibly handy.

1. Get TSA PreCheck if you travel even just quarterly or so. $85 for 5 years so if you take 4 round trips a year, that’s about $2.13 per airport security visit. No pat downs, shoes stay on, electronics stay in bag. And if you’re ever in the regular line, and the couple in front of you is arguing over literally anything, have small children, and/or can’t find their boarding passes or IDs for the security checkpoint, go to a different baggage scan line than them. They’ll be the ones to get all the way up to the scanner before they realize they need to take off their shoes and their jacket and take out electronics and all the things that the officers have been shouting at you and there are 800 signs for.

2. Clear is another program, but I’ve never used it. It bumps you to the front of whichever line you’re in – TSA PreCheck or the regular line. I travel about 20 round trips a year for work and I’ve never had to wait more than five minutes in a PreCheck line. If it ever gets to a point where I’m consistently waiting 10 to 15+ minutes, I’ll look into it more.

3. When checking into your hotel, even if you have the digital key on your phone, stop at the front desk. Especially if you’re a rewards member with that chain because a lot of places will give you some sort of small perk that you otherwise would not have received because they didn’t put it in the room. Usually just a water bottle or two, sometimes a free soda or a snack, but it’s nice after a long day of traveling. Also helpful for double checking if you need to get a parking permit.

4. And if you ever get on your flight, the front door of the plane closes, and you then realize that you still have the rental car keys in your baggage, just drop it off at the same company in your ending destination. They will overnight them to the original airport at no cost to you (that was my experience with National, at least). Also, in my experience National Car Rental is far away the best and easiest rental car company to use in the US if you sign up for their loyalty program. No ******** messing around with forms and insurance cards and any of that. Just pick the car you want from the lot, show ID & credit card, and get on the road at any major airport location. Smaller airport you’ll probably have to visit the desk agent but even then the paperwork is super easy & minimal and they’ve always been wonderful to work with.

Apple Air Tags are great! My husband travels frequently and decided to buy a couple. Thank goodness! He had a trip where nearly every flight was delayed/changed and his checked luggage was lost. He also lost the receipt for the luggage (I've suggested he start taking a picture of this). But he was able to get ahold of someone and between his flight info, plus the Air Tag, his luggage was located and we also knew when it was on the way back home. We now have Air Tags in everything we take on a flight.


Clear is also a good one to get. After you pay & go through the initial check in process, it's easy. Walk up, hand the person your flight info, scan your eyes for verification and then they escort you to the front of the line. We also have TSA Precheck and Global Entry.

 

[BikeSkiClone]

That depends on what airport you are at. Some have newer technologies that allow people to keep electronics in their bags, etc.

And luck of the draw on day/time and security checkpoint used. Denver is my home base and I’ve been there when the dogs were going through the line maybe 5 times in the 100+ times I’ve flown out. I’ve seen it twice at other airports. Denver has some of the newer security scanners, that work via everything (including roller bags) being put into barcoded bins and electronics can stay in bags, but it’s only one or two lanes at each end of security here.

 

[jbhtexas]

I have 300k+ miles on AA and always choose DFW instead of ORD if at all possible. Never problems in DFW but have had weather issues in ORD more than once.

Funny how individual experiences can vary so much.

Well...DFW does have its share of weather issues...particularly during spring and fall storm seasons. My flight a couple of weeks ago was delayed 6 hours due to storms around the airport (at least it wasn't cancelled like a bunch of others were). But generally I do like DFW.

The taxi times after landing at ORD are crazy. I'm sure somebody gets to land on a runway close to the terminal, but it has never been me...

 

[VeloClone]

San Francisco is notorious for smash-n-grab crime. It's become so common that the police won't even do anything beyond take a report for insurance purposes). I have told people for years that if you're visiting SF or any urban part of the Bay Area, do not leave so much as a nickel in the cup holder between the seats because someone will smash your car window, grab anything they can and be gone in ten seconds or less. Either take nothing with you when driving around or take it ALL with you when you leave your vehicle. I've seen video of dudes who stopped their car at a freeway offramp traffic signal, smashed out the back window of an suv that had video equipment visible in the window - WHILE THE DRIVER WAS IN THE SUV at the light - then sped off in another direction. They must have spotted the gear in the window while driving next to them on the Bay Bridge into the City and saw the opportunity when the victim got off the freeway.

In the fall of 2021, I was in SF with three friends, about to do an Alcatraz tour. We'd stopped at the Palace of Fine Arts for some photos, returned to the vehicle and the back passenger window was smashed in and the bag of camera lenses under the seat were gone. While I'd said not to bring anything with (two of them were leaving the next morning, so we'd already dropped off their stuff at the hotel), but didn't see the one carrying the lens bag. Then it took a minute to get it to fit under the seat before we walked away. Little did I know we were being watched the whole time. Gone less than ten minutes, we returned to the vehicle, then had to deal with the consequences (calling the police, calling the car rental place, getting to the closest rental location for a new vehicle, etc). Needless to say, we missed our Alcatraz tour (and were out the $240-ish it cost for the four of us) and the group was shook that it had happened for the rest of the day.

It's especially important to remember this tip if you're driving your own vehicle in SF. Out of state plates, especially in tourist areas are the FIRST thing criminals will look for as a target. They know you're much more likely have some valuables with you when you're sightseeing. It really makes me not want to spend any time in SF anymore (which I rarely do when I travel to northern California anymore anyway), just so I don't have to worry about it and be paranoid every time I walk away from my vehicle. I had a friend who lived in Haight-Ashbury for over 40 years and he'd said how disappointing it was that San Francisco wasn't the city it used to be. It's definitely not the place I used to love visiting even 10 years ago. It's sad, because it truly used to be such an incredible place. I guess it still is, but it's lost the shine it once had (to me).

This is part of the reminder we get from the MPD every year or so. When parking in a ramp, lot or streetside make sure you not only stow any valuables out of sight, but make sure you do the stowing BEFORE you get to your destination. They may be watching you when you arrive to park.

A coworker from New York swears by never locking his car. He leaves nothing in it and gives thieves no incentive to smash his windows.

 

[swiacy]

We used to take 2 trips in the winter to resorts in the Caribbean or Mexico. Quit for 2 reasons: I was threatened by a fellow resort vacationer in Puerto Vallarta when I went to enter a hot tub he considered his personal space. Typical looking Mexican drug lord looking dude & he wasn’t kidding. Mexico has gotten very scary off the resort. Other PIA is the additional stress of flying in and out of the country. Primarily in the Southern Hemisphere airports & then incoming flights to the US. Won’t go into details but spent 6 hours in Miami in security holding room over TSA screw up. Got to Hotel @ 1 am & had 3 am wake up for early flight. Been traveling to domestic locations in the SE since. What has happened in Mexico in the past 20 years is very sad. That’s why our southern border is overwhelmed & I don’t blame them.

 

[Big Daddy Kang]

Avoid Kansas.

 

[BACyclone]

I have 300k+ miles on AA and always choose DFW instead of ORD if at all possible. Never problems in DFW but have had weather issues in ORD more than once.

Funny how individual experiences can vary so much.

Same. DFW is probably one of my favorite domestic airports. I wish more places were just like that one.