Cross Country Flying, not for the Frail or Faint
Time was when one could get to an airport 30 minutes before ones plane flew out with minutes to spare and a chance to get a little cozy around friends who gathered to say goodbye, then wave from the windows as the plane took off. There was an excitement around all thatwatching folks weeping as they hugged one another before parting. Now the weeping takes place outside, at the airport curb an hour, or two, or three before ones flight timeand often not just because of the anticipated leave but because of the anticipated struggle that lies ahead.We were booked by others this trip. I usually use the Internet to schedule trips since I have practiced the travel route, know the connections and can anticipate delays and other issues. Travel agents, I am certain, often dont travel the routes they schedule. Nor do they ordinarily have any knowledge of the geography, weather conditions, airport rerouting schedules, distance from gates, and other characteristics of any given airportor any airport it seems sometimes. Perhaps most of them no longer travel themselves because of the feedback from customers and other agents and still gloriously schedule hoping that some computer out there will itinerize for them.
If it takes 20 30 minutes to walk from one gate to another, for connecting flights and the plane starts boarding 30 minutes before takeoff, how much time should be scheduled for passengers between flights? Now, get out the calculator and figure it out. Right. Its an hour. Now travel planners and airline reservationists must be entirely optimistic, or fall into one of those categories I mentioned above, because it is seldom that airplanes are on time, for whatever reason. So factor in the following: the consequence of 17 minutes circling the skies before landing late. Ah, now you have it. The answer is 77 minutes. Now if the plane connections are scheduled by the travel folk not an hour but 55 minutes between flights how late will you be for the plane? And at what mph should you move in order to get to the gate? I wont give you those answers because the test does go on.
Here comes the interesting piece. Given what we have learned about the time concerns, lets mix in additional factors: disability, (Ive had hip replacement and must be careful not to fall when moving fast), age and carry-ons. We can check in everything, in which case we take our chances on whether or not well have shoes for our socks, clean underwear or that all-important file folder well need at our final destination. Nothing sharp or gooey in a tube, weve learned. Our meds have to be in their original containers, all nicely labeled. So now with that extra poundage we dash through halls, stairs, doorways, corridors, up and down non-functional escalators, over, past, and sometimes on delayed trains, carts, and buses as we valiantly aim to make our flight. We know if we dont well be lost in some unknown airport or hotel without cash or courtesies, so we must win this race. We muster our courage, our last vestige of strength, our endurance in spite of lost sleep and no food for hours, and using all of our collective 135 years of life experience, my husband and I made it safely across that stretch of time, space and silliness, back home quite safe and sound. Until we go on another trip when the whole bizarre episode will repeat, unless we decide like many of our peers, and stay home, sweet home.