Background
One year. That's how long it takes to be employed by the Ford Motor Company before you earn paid vacation. On November 21st of this year, I completed my one year anniversary and I decided to reward myself with the traditional gift of paper. Boarding pass paper! Stamps on my passport pages (which are made of paper, please work with me here). But where to go? And how to get there? And why am I speaking in all questions? That was what needed to be answered. Eventually, after a little research I decided I would hit Eastern Europe and see the city of Prague that everyone I know (save one ex-girlfriend who was probably crazy anyway) says wonderful things about. Checking the map, I noticed that Vienna was right next door and as I do love fried veal and beer, I decided swinging by there was only natural. Then I glanced at my mileage balances and noticed I had over 100,000 DL miles that were looking at me saying “we're not Sky Pesos, prove those nay-saying Flyertalkers wrong and cash us in on International Business at the Low Rate!”. And cash them in I did! Eventually I put the following together:
December 5: US Y 25K Award RDU-LGA-IAD
December 5: DL J 100K Award: KLM, IAD-AMS-PRG
December 8: CO Y 12.K Award: Lufthansa, PRG-MUC-VIE
December 10: DL J 100K Award: Air France, VIE-CDG
December 11: DL J 100K Award, Air France: CDG-IAD
December 11: US Y 25K Award: IAD-CLT-RDU
This trip was going to be a first for me as for the vast majority of it, I would be alone. People at work thought I was crazy, family members thought I was crazy, hell my dog thought I was crazy (in her own special way) but I don't know anyone else with a week off and 132,500 miles sitting around so solo I went. Luckily, fellow Flyertalker
Top of Climb chose to cross the channel to see me during my Paris Stopover giving me a chance to finally talk to say more than “one ticket to your museum, please”.
Ok I think that's enough backstory, now onto what you really came here for, pictures and brief travel descriptions!
US 3570 RDU-LGA 0859-1030 CRJ-200
US 4653 LGA-IAD 1205-1405 Saab-340
Amazingly, despite being very excited I had no trouble sleeping the night before and buoyed by excitement I parked my car at my parent's house and bummed a ride off my Dad. In fact, I was so excited, my angsty 15 year old sister even quipped “are you ALWAYS this talkative in the morning?”.
After a short drive we had reached RDU and I was awarded with my first of many Christmas tree sightings of the trip:
Now that's a routing!
Once I was through security (including a trip through my beloved Nude-E-Scope) I headed to the RDU Skyclub. Unfortunately, it took a little longer than it should have to say “I'm flying International Business today, just not from
here ” but eventually I was let in. I say luckily because this is one of the nicer Skyclubs (smaller markets always seem to have the best lounges) AND AND AND they had hot oatmeal!
Finally fortified, I headed to the gate to board the CRJ-200 up to LGA. It would actually be possible during the flight to see IAD and wave to it as we flew north, I love going out of my way!
So after pushing back and getting to the runway, we did something that made my stomach drop. We parked, and the engines shut off. The pilot came on to explain that since we left the gate (he said that so many times that I didn't believe him) an ATC hold had started for LGA. Apparently there was morning fog that stubbornly refused to lift (“give it Viagra” I say!) and LGA was down to 35 movements an hour. We were told there would be an “update” in 45 minutes. So this meant I was sitting in 1F panicking. “Why didn't you fly via CLT, Charles? Was getting a new line for your Flight Memory REALLY this important? Why didn't you fly nonstop to DCA? Why didn't you suck it up and pay 37.5K UA miles for the nonstop? Also, why are you talking to yourself?” and many more questions (punctuated with choice four letter words) went through my head. Finally, the engines started up! We were going!!!!!...Right back to the gate because the flight canceled. We sat on the ground for two hours to make no progress.
And if THAT wasn't fun enough, the gate agent (pictured here) couldn't attach the jetway. It took her literally thirty minutes, which means I missed the next US flight I could have gotten on.
As if that wasn't enough, there were no rampers to get our bags and the agent refused to let me off the jetway until I got it. So I informed her I was going to stand in the lip still technically inside it and as I was off first, she had to rebook me first. So I stood there and we shouted back and forth until I was rebooked on the 1:42 PM United nonstop to Dulles.
So things were off to the best start since the 2007 San Francisco Giants started the year by going 1 and 7. And now I had to kill another two hours at RDU and I really didn't want to play the “YES YOU HAVE TO LET ME IN!!!” Game anymore.. I ended up treating myself to an excellent lunch of Shrimp and Grits at the 42nd Street Oyster Bar, a place I'd always wanted to try, so things weren't THAT bad. Eventually it came time for my next flight and thankfully, United stood tall for me and we even got to leave early!