Most ridiculous journey you've done/heard of?
Sep 20, 2018, 8:04 pm
#92
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,284
In college one of my housemates did a MR-like trip except it wasn't an MR-- it was paid for by his employer! We were both doing engineering co-op, him in Pasadena, me in Washington D.C. He flew LAX-IAD and back same day to meet a group of visiting Russian scientists (he's a native Russian speaker) upon their arrival at IAD and help them navigate the onward trip to California.
Coincidentally I met him at the airport, having only driven from near DCA to IAD myself, because we needed to hand off some paperwork for renting our apartment for the next semester back at school.
Coincidentally I met him at the airport, having only driven from near DCA to IAD myself, because we needed to hand off some paperwork for renting our apartment for the next semester back at school.
Sep 24, 2018, 11:50 am
#93
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,220
Did JNU-SEA-ATL-SVO-PKC once. By the end of the trip I just wanted to curl up in a fetal position and cry. It was much faster when ANC-PKC flights existed, about 35 hours faster... for good news, virtually no jet lag because of how close JNU-PKC are.
Sep 24, 2018, 12:01 pm
#94
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: BNA (Nashville)
Programs: HH Diamond
Posts: 6,225
Mine wasn't the flight, but the ridiculous car ride to get to the airport.
I booked a nice flight from Memphis to Cancun. It was about $400 cheaper than flying from Nashville. My plan was to drive in from Nashville on a Friday afternoon, stay overnight in a Memphis hotel, then grab the Delta flight in the AM.
I drove the 3.5 hours to Memphis, got into my hotel room. At 5:00 I decided to log in and check in to my Delta flight. It asked for my passport number. I realized that I left my passport home.
Really stupid mistake. So, Friday, rush hour, I hop into the car, mad as heck, only to sit in traffic. It took 4 hours to get back to Nashville to grab my passport, and then another 3.5 hours to get back to Memphis. I cussed at myself for the first 2 hours, then just accepted my fate and drove quietly the rest of the trip.
Total drive time of 11 hours to catch a 2.5 hour flight to Cancun. That was the most ridiculous journey I have ever done.
I booked a nice flight from Memphis to Cancun. It was about $400 cheaper than flying from Nashville. My plan was to drive in from Nashville on a Friday afternoon, stay overnight in a Memphis hotel, then grab the Delta flight in the AM.
I drove the 3.5 hours to Memphis, got into my hotel room. At 5:00 I decided to log in and check in to my Delta flight. It asked for my passport number. I realized that I left my passport home.
Really stupid mistake. So, Friday, rush hour, I hop into the car, mad as heck, only to sit in traffic. It took 4 hours to get back to Nashville to grab my passport, and then another 3.5 hours to get back to Memphis. I cussed at myself for the first 2 hours, then just accepted my fate and drove quietly the rest of the trip.
Total drive time of 11 hours to catch a 2.5 hour flight to Cancun. That was the most ridiculous journey I have ever done.
Sep 24, 2018, 2:52 pm
#95
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: PDX
Programs: AA LT PLT (3.6+ MM), UA 1K LT Gold, Hilton LT Diamond, Bonvoy Gold.
Posts: 1,660
AUS-TPE in a day
I was working on a project back in 2005 and we were having a lot of issues communicating with the supplier and trying to get them to understand what we wanted. In the Friday call it became apparent that continual conference calls were pointless, so I said, I'll be there on Monday morning. I left on Sat AM from Austin. Went AUS-LAX-TPE and arrived Sunday night. Met all day Monday, got all the issues sorted out and the project back on track. Left Monday PM from TPE on the BR flight at ~6:00 PM and arrived back in Austin at 8:00PM the same day via the magic of crossing back over the International date line. . Was back at work on Tuesday morning. Good thing about such a short trip is you don't even have time to get jetlagged.
Sep 24, 2018, 11:44 pm
#96
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: SJC/SFO
Programs: WN A+ CP, UA 1MM/*A Gold, Mar LT Tit, IHG Plat, HH Dia
Posts: 6,284
Years ago my online friends and I decided we should start meeting in person occasionally. At first it was like, "Hey, these 5 of us live in the same metro area, and so-and-so will be in town for the weekend, let's meet for dinner." Quickly these gatherings started catching on, and people considered traveling longer distances just to meet in person for a few hours. Two of our friends in Chicago decided they'd hop in a car and drive to Washington, D.C. for the next one. Their other friends and relatives were in disbelief. "You drove 14 hours each way just for dinner?!?!?!" A trip like that many not be so crazy for a lot of us FTers, but to the average person it looks pretty nuts.
Sep 28, 2018, 7:34 pm
#98
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,207
I once flew BA 2 for a meeting that lasted about 90 minutes before flying back aboard BA 1. The ticket was book as full J, and I maxed out on the RDM allowed by American for that privilege.
Sep 28, 2018, 9:44 pm
#99
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: STL
Posts: 1,546
SJO-EWR-MAN to stay in MAN for 5 hours. Picking up a piece of paper for my dog that was held in customs due to a skewed stamp 
. Only the owner could pick up in person in the UK and had to be back before 72 hours or dog would get put down. After the 5 hours I flew MAN-ZRH-SJO. About 29 hours of travel to be there for 5 hours.
. Only the owner could pick up in person in the UK and had to be back before 72 hours or dog would get put down. After the 5 hours I flew MAN-ZRH-SJO. About 29 hours of travel to be there for 5 hours.If my boss asked me to fly any of these trips, I think I'd probably tell him no effing way. But if I had to fly one of these trips to save my dogs life I'd be on the next plane out.
Oct 1, 2018, 7:28 am
#100
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: SJO - MAN - LAX
Programs: MileagePlus Gold, Avis PP, National EE, Lifemiles Silver, ConnectMiles Gold
Posts: 532
Perhaps it's the dog lover in me, but I think yours is the only one that I don't think is crazy.
If my boss asked me to fly any of these trips, I think I'd probably tell him no effing way. But if I had to fly one of these trips to save my dogs life I'd be on the next plane out.
If my boss asked me to fly any of these trips, I think I'd probably tell him no effing way. But if I had to fly one of these trips to save my dogs life I'd be on the next plane out.
Oct 1, 2018, 7:50 am
#101
Moderator: SAS
Join Date: Feb 2018
Location: BLL & CPH & ZRH
Programs: LX, SK EBD (*G)
Posts: 3,146
SJO-EWR-MAN to stay in MAN for 5 hours. Picking up a piece of paper for my dog that was held in customs due to a skewed stamp . Only the owner could pick up in person in the UK and had to be back before 72 hours or dog would get put down. After the 5 hours I flew MAN-ZRH-SJO. About 29 hours of travel to be there for 5 hours.
. Only the owner could pick up in person in the UK and had to be back before 72 hours or dog would get put down. After the 5 hours I flew MAN-ZRH-SJO. About 29 hours of travel to be there for 5 hours.
Oct 1, 2018, 1:34 pm
#102
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: SJO
Programs: CO Gold
Posts: 1,229
Oct 1, 2018, 10:53 pm
#104
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: ATL
Programs: Global Entry, UA, AA, BA, DL, Bonvoy
Posts: 281
... Also once did an award trip to Fargo and spent 6 days in North Dakota around Memorial Day weekend. People I knew thought it was an odd place to go on vacation, and even those in the tourism office in Fargo where I stopped (to collect maps & other free stuff) thought it unusual. I guess 98% of the people they see drive there from neighboring states.
...
Unlike with so many people, ND wasn't my 50th state to see. That was Vermont (on a car trip out of Montreal one April)
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Unlike with so many people, ND wasn't my 50th state to see. That was Vermont (on a car trip out of Montreal one April)