Trains, Planes, and no Hot Meals

The other day I was working a flight from Atlanta to Denver.   During service, a guy asks me if he can order a cheeseburger.  Thinking it was a joke, my response was "sure you can order it,  just don't expect to get it".   What was supposed to have been an LOL bonding moment between me and a random passenger quickly turned sour.  The man in 28B was completely serious; he and his daughter were rushing from one plane to the next, no time for lunch, starving blah, blah, blah.  I have heard a different version of the same story scores of times.  At this point in my career, the story no longer garners the same type of sympathy with me it once did.  I know, I know, I am supposed to care about the customers yada yada yada but where does personal responsibility come into play?  Planes can only hold so many supplies and even those snacks and drinks are not a guarantee.

On a normal day, this flight is about 3 hours which just so happens to be my personal limit on the amount of time I can go without eating something unless I am sleeping.  I have an unusually healthy appetite and food is one of my favorite things to talk and think about.  I am away from home three or four days at a time and I have two bags dedicated to my personal in-flight meals.  So we have a hundred something people on this jet for 3 hours of flight.  We give them a 4oz bag of snacks and 6oz of beverage and then I sit down to my lunchbox buffet while these poor people feed off of the extra peanuts we toss them.  With about 30 minutes left in the flight the captain announces that the Denver airport is closed due to weather and we are low on fuel so we are diverting to Colorado Springs.  Sounds great to me because all I can think is "$$$". 

Unfortunately for all of the folks who thought they could tough it out on an empty stomach for a few hours, and all the parents that didn't bring snacks/formula/anything for their children, this is quickly turning into a nightmare.  One thing I will interject here is that off all of the cities I have had to divert from, the Denver crowd took it the best by far.  Yet regardless of how cheerful and easy going they were on the surface, we could hear the rumblings of all 124 bellies and those snack packs were running out quicker than cockroaches in a house fire. 

I don't like seeing people suffer. I especially hate to see irresponsible parents with children in tears because they haven't eaten all day.  There is no reason, in this country, why people should be in this predicament.  I strongly advocate taking snacks wherever you go.  I rarely leave the house without at least a granola bar or something in my purse.  I think it is even more important for everyone, especially when travelling with children, to bring at least a hefty snack or small meal for each person in your party.  I mean you are going to be at the mercy of other people for the next few hours of your life, BE PREPARED! How, you say? Ahhh, let me tell you...

First of all, plan ahead, bring extra stuff.  This may not be as easy to do when you are traveling by plane due to security restrictions but you can still bring a few small items that can make all of the difference with a tight connection.  I definitely recommend splurging for a direct flight if you can afford it but if your budget calls for you to make one or more connections a little bit of preparation will make your trip a lot more enjoyable. 

Be on time. No, be early.  No airline is going to adjust the flight schedule because you are running late.  Do the best that you can to give yourself ample time to get to the airport and to get thorough the various lines.  In smaller airports you can get away with arriving less than 2 hours prior but in the majors it is best to play it safe especially during peak travel times.  Also, if you do have to make a connection, try to give yourself an hour or more between flights.  That way, you can have time to stop and get food, use the facilities etc.  This also pads your schedule so that if your first flight is delayed it may not affect your connection.  Once you make it past the security check-point, go ahead and shell out the 4 bucks for a bottle of water or if you are a superstar traveller, unhook your empty, reusable, BPA free bottle from your bag and head to the nearest fountain for a refill. 

If you have small children, keep in mind that TSA allows exceptions to the amount of liquids you can bring on board an airplane.  Check the TSA website ahead of time if you need to bring formula or breast milk.  There are no rules against bringing other types of food.  Apples make a great snack (make sure you wash them at home first).   You can also bring cereal packaged in individual bowls or pack in a baggie that way you can buy milk later or eat it without the milk (don't forget a spoon).  Sandwiches are easy, just leave the condiments off and you can pick up mustard or mayo at any airport restaurant if needed.  Carrots, celery whatever; anything that won't get squished or spill bring it, just in case! 

Work Shoes Update!

Well, I thought I found a winner.  I should have known better.  The second I out those shoes on with my uniform I knew something was wrong.  They didn't feel the same.  I only worked three legs in those things today and what a mess!  They seemed to stretch out so what was once a perfect fit now had my foot flicking out of the back of the shoe during safety demos.  Then my foot would slide forward and my big toe kept pressing against the inside.  Ughhhh, what a nightmare. At least I had my flats to fall back on.  It is really hard to pull off the cute flight attendant look when your feet are all jacked up! Somehow, I still managed.  Guess it is off to the store next set of off days, maybe I will get a size smaller :(