Catman
Feb 22, 00, 9:57 pm
The long awaited followup...(Or will Catman make it to NAWLINS!)
2-18: After nearing collapsing from exaustion and disappointment from missing UA 915 I head to the RCC club, remembering Ellen's suggestion that I try to get a meal voucher since I will be stuck at IAD for the next four hours.
The RCC Club gave me a boarding pass for UA FGT 1053, which was set to depart at 9:30pm.
She also said I was automatically put on the upgrade list by Ellen at the EWR RCC. I can still see her smile. I think she also loves cats.
I told the desk lady I've been on the move since 2am, I only had a horrid a hot dog and asked because of my delays if I could get a meal voucher. Before i could finish my rambling she had a voucher for a $7.
So off to find the one alleged restaurant at IAD (I could not do the Sam Adams brew pub, I needed food.) End up at the T-G-I Fridays (I really hate this places.) the server makes a puss face that he's serving a single and tells me 20 minute wait. I said could I sit at the bar and he says no.
Standing outside with other people. The later it gets he tells people 25-30 min wait. There are empty tables in there. There were a few single people there and I think he was annoyed about giving up tables for singles.
DId I tell you I hate T-G-I Fridays???
Finally 35 minutes later he calls my name and I approach and he says "are you sure you are Mark." I told him if I don't sit down right now I iwll get on the phone to T-G-I friday's headquarters. He takes me to a table in the middle of "traffic" (people getting in and out of the place and walks away without a thankyou.
Upon relection, Maybe Mr. Sunshine Martradee was also annoyed when he saw the 7 dollar food voucher sticking out of my shirt pocket.
Had the onion soup (It gave me fatulance later and was very salty) and buffalo wings with a Sam Adams. My headache went away.
The server was much friendly and his tip reflected it. He said no problem accepting the voucher.
Back to the RCC club and spent the next two hours calling friends, recharging my cell phone and getting a nice call of support from Holly and Dan, already partying in NAWLINS. All I drank was three cans of Coca Cola.
I really really had to get there. If I didn't Friday night I would have to go home and go to work Monday.
I go to the gate and the plane supposedly just arrived. The one gate agent ran to meet meet. 20 minutes pass and no plane and no agent. The passengers are getting anxious.
Then another agent approaches, calls to the plane and says the plane was stuck on runway traffic.
We have to wait at least 15 minutes past departure time to allow for cleaning.
While waiting the marathon runner desk agent returns and resumes boarding passengers. She calls "Mr. Blankard" to the podium. I approach, flash my 1999 PremEx card and say "Is this the Mr. Blankard you called for." She said "Well it's only to tell you we have a first class boarding pass for you."
She asked for certificates. In my rush I left my bags next to a 79 year old lady (who looked younger) I ran to get my folder and she yells "Mr. Blankard forget about teh certificates. Just go have a few drinks at Pat O'Briens for us stuck here in Dulles."
I approached the podium and bowed three times to the gate agents who I said "Bless you ticket angels!" They laughed hysterically.
Ended up in 1A on UA 1053.
Now that the pre-boarding disertation is finished, the REAL flight report!
2-18 UA 1053. There were two empty spaces in First class. 12 seats, an A-312. I had a U-A employee next to me, an F-A who later moved to the empty seat behind me to "sit with her friend," another F-A who moved up from the jumpseat. So a pilot from coach moved to the 1b next to me.
We waited 20 minutes for departure to wait for late arriving flights. about 30 people ran onto the plane, no first class.
I was just happy to have the first class seat. The F-As were very friendly and everyone from them to the pilots apologized for "the endless delays as the captain called it."
There was no meal service. So I had one Becks, no two, No three. I felt very very good and about a half hour into the flight listing to "Soft Sounds" I conked out and slept soundly until landing. It felt so good.
The crew again upon landing apologized for the delays and told us to have a blast in NAWLINS.
I had a wonderful surprise getting off the plane. MIleCrazy was there to greet me and comfort me from my nearly 13 hours of travel to get there. He told me I need to get to Bourbon Street fast and I said "I'm ready."
2-18: After nearing collapsing from exaustion and disappointment from missing UA 915 I head to the RCC club, remembering Ellen's suggestion that I try to get a meal voucher since I will be stuck at IAD for the next four hours.
The RCC Club gave me a boarding pass for UA FGT 1053, which was set to depart at 9:30pm.
She also said I was automatically put on the upgrade list by Ellen at the EWR RCC. I can still see her smile. I think she also loves cats.
I told the desk lady I've been on the move since 2am, I only had a horrid a hot dog and asked because of my delays if I could get a meal voucher. Before i could finish my rambling she had a voucher for a $7.
So off to find the one alleged restaurant at IAD (I could not do the Sam Adams brew pub, I needed food.) End up at the T-G-I Fridays (I really hate this places.) the server makes a puss face that he's serving a single and tells me 20 minute wait. I said could I sit at the bar and he says no.
Standing outside with other people. The later it gets he tells people 25-30 min wait. There are empty tables in there. There were a few single people there and I think he was annoyed about giving up tables for singles.
DId I tell you I hate T-G-I Fridays???
Finally 35 minutes later he calls my name and I approach and he says "are you sure you are Mark." I told him if I don't sit down right now I iwll get on the phone to T-G-I friday's headquarters. He takes me to a table in the middle of "traffic" (people getting in and out of the place and walks away without a thankyou.
Upon relection, Maybe Mr. Sunshine Martradee was also annoyed when he saw the 7 dollar food voucher sticking out of my shirt pocket.
Had the onion soup (It gave me fatulance later and was very salty) and buffalo wings with a Sam Adams. My headache went away.
The server was much friendly and his tip reflected it. He said no problem accepting the voucher.
Back to the RCC club and spent the next two hours calling friends, recharging my cell phone and getting a nice call of support from Holly and Dan, already partying in NAWLINS. All I drank was three cans of Coca Cola.
I really really had to get there. If I didn't Friday night I would have to go home and go to work Monday.
I go to the gate and the plane supposedly just arrived. The one gate agent ran to meet meet. 20 minutes pass and no plane and no agent. The passengers are getting anxious.
Then another agent approaches, calls to the plane and says the plane was stuck on runway traffic.
We have to wait at least 15 minutes past departure time to allow for cleaning.
While waiting the marathon runner desk agent returns and resumes boarding passengers. She calls "Mr. Blankard" to the podium. I approach, flash my 1999 PremEx card and say "Is this the Mr. Blankard you called for." She said "Well it's only to tell you we have a first class boarding pass for you."
She asked for certificates. In my rush I left my bags next to a 79 year old lady (who looked younger) I ran to get my folder and she yells "Mr. Blankard forget about teh certificates. Just go have a few drinks at Pat O'Briens for us stuck here in Dulles."
I approached the podium and bowed three times to the gate agents who I said "Bless you ticket angels!" They laughed hysterically.
Ended up in 1A on UA 1053.
Now that the pre-boarding disertation is finished, the REAL flight report!
2-18 UA 1053. There were two empty spaces in First class. 12 seats, an A-312. I had a U-A employee next to me, an F-A who later moved to the empty seat behind me to "sit with her friend," another F-A who moved up from the jumpseat. So a pilot from coach moved to the 1b next to me.
We waited 20 minutes for departure to wait for late arriving flights. about 30 people ran onto the plane, no first class.
I was just happy to have the first class seat. The F-As were very friendly and everyone from them to the pilots apologized for "the endless delays as the captain called it."
There was no meal service. So I had one Becks, no two, No three. I felt very very good and about a half hour into the flight listing to "Soft Sounds" I conked out and slept soundly until landing. It felt so good.
The crew again upon landing apologized for the delays and told us to have a blast in NAWLINS.
I had a wonderful surprise getting off the plane. MIleCrazy was there to greet me and comfort me from my nearly 13 hours of travel to get there. He told me I need to get to Bourbon Street fast and I said "I'm ready."