randy,

when i began my ft gig, i quickly altered
my behavior. others may disagree - but
these are my *personal* rules, in no
particular order:

- no nwa dc9's (old and prone to mx delays)
- no nwa dc-10's (ditto)
- no aa dc-10's (ditto)
- never take the 1st flight of the day
(possible duty day limitations and
incomplete mx)
- never take the last flight of the day
(possible duty day limitations)
- if connecting (almost always) check the
weather at the hub. if it's snarled,
ask to be rerouted thru another hub. if
the whole sys is a shambles; get a hotel
rather than launch into the mess.
- if less than 250 miles; drive!
- if arriving at the airport early; standby
on an earlier flight is almost always a
safe(r) bet.
- always, always, always get paper tkts
- never, ever use e-tkts
- did i mention that paper tkts are better
than e-tkts? <g>
- carry copies of the dot rules and airline
rules for the airline(s) you are flying.
know these rules cold.
- never, ever check bags
- use the 800 nbrs and ask to be protected
on a later flight. if at first they
don't cooperate - keep calling ... while
walking to the club.
- if flying a foreign carrier that permits
pax to jumpseat, ask for a jumpseat.
- the best agents seem to work in the clubs.
i.e. the walk is probably worth it.
- get in line behind a screamer ... and
then be as nice & sweet as you can be
when it is your turn.
- if possible, ask the deplaning pilots if
there are any mx squawks that might
delay departure. if yes; get protected
on another flight.
- if delayed; inquire about the crew's
duty day limits.
- if your plane is not at the gate 45 min
before your departure time; ask'm to
check flifo for the status of the inbound.
do not trust the data in the resv sys

i am certain that i am leaving a few things
out ... <g>

-doug