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Friday, June 13, 2008

Could The Airline Industry Be Any More Frustrating?!?

I feel like I'm waking up after a night of cramming for finals or some such nonsense. My body is limp with exhaustion, and my eyes feel swollen in their sockets. All this because I had the gall to try and book airfare for the kids and I to fly to Seattle this summer.

What, pray tell, is the REAL reason that, almost a full month out, a ticket for a three and a half year old must be on the upwards of $700? And who, in the name of all things sacred, came up with the HAIRBRAINED idea to charge people to check EVEN ONE BAG?!?!?

Given, I would not have had this frustrating situation had I been travelling alone. I could've taken the flights for around $450 and had pretty good flights. But no, that would be too easy. In the airline industry's sincere, heartfelt attempt to make travelling with children a harrowing, mind-numbing, curse-word infested experience as early as possible, they make even finding a flight the most painful thing as they can.

Yes, I know the airlines can't help who makes what reservation, got it. But when you enter into your search that you are travelling with children in the ages 2-11 range, you think they would show you only those flights that have seats REMOTELY NEAR ONE ANOTHER! As tempting as it is to hunker down in first class and let some irritating "businessman" entertain Bud and Lil' G, it sends pictures shooting through my fatigued brain of K-Mart-esque kid nappings and other scary, inappropriate things. I'm always reminded of a girl on the plane with S4J and me on our way to Palm Springs one year. She was probably 11 or 12, but sitting next to Chester the Child Molester. At one point, I heard him tell her how pretty she was, and the mommy in me wanted to: a) switch chairs with said child, and b) make a new Coach coin purse using freshly harvested testicular material. Needless to say, that is not an acceptable arrangement for my kids.

Is there a light at the end of this tunnel? Yes. I did, in fact, make a fairly reasonable reservation. Here's hoping everything turns out the way we reserved them, people will be willing to be accommodating to us, I can pack efficiently, and the kids will be so excited about their first plane ride to go see someone we love so dearly that they will be little angels without me having to spike their drinks with Benadryl...

I'll double up on scriptures to make up for the mayhem yesterday! Forthcoming...

4 comments:

JO said...

I like option b.

Glad you were finally able to find flights.

His Girl said...

ugh. just did a like struggle with our chica tickets! took like 5 hours, no joke.

glad you got tickets, and hope it is a fabulous flight for you!

Halfmoon Girl said...

booking tickets is very time consuming! I have noticed a big jump in prices recently, as fuel has gone up. That makes booking flights even less appealing... Glad you got it all worked out!

Sing4joy said...

Um. yeah. I passed out after, "traveling with kids". I've been looking for my flight to Chicas too and that caused me to consider trains and automobiles - even busses as a viable option. Is 21 hours in the car too much? Is it? Pack dramamine in case your littles are the air-sick type.