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Date:
July 14, 2002
Hello all !
I hope this email finds you well.
I just returned from one last look at the Grand Place
in Brussels. I will miss it.
On the walk to the Internet cafe I was surrounded by
the sound of French while I ate my gyro as I passed
musicians playing traditional Irish music. I am not in
Kansas anymore. The Hungarian woman who loved all
things American loved The Wizard of OZ. I met her in
my hostel last night.
I had to get out of my hostel. The TV room is packed
with Irish boy scouts. The aroma of sweat and hair
mousse was stifling.
I was reminded by my friend Regina that I never told
you all my experiences at Newark Airport. In the past
I have been very happy with the service I have
received form the airlines. Lan Chile did lose my bike
for a few days but it did not interrupt my travel
plans. So I arrive at the airport with a bounce in my
stride after a wonderful few weeks at home.
My parents dropped me off at terminal 1. We said our
goodbyes and I entered the terminal. I waited in line
armed with my ticket that stated I was flying Untied
Airlines. I had bought the ticket from a travel agent
in Buenos Aires. I reached the counter and handed my
ticket to the agent. She frowned. (The first of many
to come) She said ," You are not flying United
Airlines. You are flying Virgin Atlantic." She
informed me that their ticket counter was located in
terminal 2.
I drug my bike box and the rest of my gear to the
tram. Twenty minutes later I arrived at the Virgin
Atlantic ticket counter. He asked where I was going.
He frowned and said, " We don't fly there. You are
flying Continental Airlines. They are located in
terminal 3.". I started to lose my cool as the I
checked my watch.
Twenty minutes later I arrived at the Continental
counter. I dropped my bike box and second cardboard
box of gear in front of the agent. She frowned. She
said, " You can not check 2 boxes onto the airplane.
You can check 2 suitcases but not 2 boxes." I lost it.
"What do you expect me to do ! I did not know I was
flying your stupid airline !" She left and returned.
Typed something on her keyboard. Then she went and
talked to her supervisor. She returned again and
granted me the privilege of checking 2 boxes. (Just
this time) This transaction had taken an hour.
She started to type in the information for my boarding
pass then she stopped and frowned. " The plane is
overbooked." I just laughed. I was instructed to go to
my gate with my written boarding pass and to wait for
my name to be called.
I was greeted at my gate with a long line at the
service counter. Most of the passengers in line traded
horror stories about their past experience with
Continental. I received my boarding pass and again
waited. Three hours had passed since I strode happily
into the airport. I still did not know if I was going
to get a seat on the plane.
My named was called ahead of an anxious family of
three. I felt guilty as I boarded. I stowed my check
on luggage and soon discovered an elderly man in my
assigned seat. He had been assigned the same seat
number as mine. I showed it to the flight attendant.
He frowned. Twenty minutes later he was granted
permission to seat me in the only empty seat that
virtually screamed for recognition. Why did it take 20
minutes?!
As I finally sunk into my seat the pilot announced
that the flight was delayed an hour . They could not
unhitch the mechanism that they used to tow the plane
into place. This really raised my level of confidence
in the ground crew. I kept thinking that I will never
see my bike again.
Continental dealt with the situation with an
innovative type of customer service. They passed out
massive amounts of booze and soon the plane took on a
festive and sedated aire.
Whew! Give me a bike any day !
Dennis
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