Off to Europe for business--pretty light schedule though with meetings Monday and Wednesday in Holland and potentially Friday in CPH. Need to be in STL on Sat 8 February for a memorial service for a friend, but need to be in AMS by 7am Monday the 10th for a 2.5 hour (!) train trip to Groningen for an 11am meeting--decide this is too risky, so end up leaving on Sat. Between my company's preference for Delta (we get 31% off biz class) and scheduling, best option is a 2030 flight from ORD to CDG, connecting. So I find an AA flight at 1830 (only leaving 45 mins for the connection--i.e. illegal time), and think I'm good to go. Plus, as a dedicated FTer, find out that a flight to HAM is both cheaper than a flight to AMS, plus lets me take a KLM Cityhopper F70 HAM-AMS (new plane type, new airline for me!!!)

Anyway,,,

ATL-STL on TW, 4/8 1400-1447
Forgettable flt on TW a few mins late leaving, about 15 mins late landing due to bad weather in STL (my dad waiting for me said he got drenched in the car at the sked arrival time). 100% full in f/c, 95% in coach

memorial service out at the nearby Boy Scout ranch, kind of sad and memorable...

Got done pretty early though (it was kind of loose, hence needed the late flight on AA). Stopped by AA counter to convert eticket to paper b/c both TW and UA had earlier flights. Hot footed it down to TW for their 1540 flt at C6 (one of the TW One gates for ORD, LGA biz flights) to find them calling nonrevs (it was about 4 mins before flt time) and they (quite legitimately) said that they were full and couldn't get me on (I didn't have a TW reservation and it would have delayed the flt to take care of me...)

UA had a flight sked at 1611, so I headed to ticket counter, to see it delayed 1 hour until 1715 (the monitor was really doing a bob and weave--gave you a headache to look at it). Anyway, presented my AA tkt to the counter, who looked at it quizzically, and took it to another agent (it was full ($142) one way reduced refundable fare) who eagerly accepted it. Gave me a coach bp and put me on waitlist. Turned out that after some bad weather at ORD on Friday, they had a plane stranded in STL and they cancelled a turnaround to get the plane out, so this was an "extra section"--flight number 8860 (never been on one of those) and was an A320 (which doesn't fly into STL). Went to gate to wait.

Presented my tkt to gate agent, who said "always ready to take their (AA) money", checked me on the waitlist, and told me to take a seat. Ended up getting called in abt 15 mins to give up a certificate.

Boarded abt 1700. Advised flt time of 47 mins. Gate agent had trouble with the destination ck because PA system on Airbus is electronic and different than on Boeing. Flt attendants advised that there would be no service for coach on the flight (usually there is a service on all airlines on this flight). No orange juice (or anything else fresh)--all they had was canned drinks and ice.

Arrived right on time.

Onward to AirFrance.