Come Fly With Me

I remember long ago when flying was fun. I was a child and going on an airplane not only meant we were going somewhere, but there were new coloring books and crayons saved for the trip. We got to order sodas from the stewardesses and eat little bags of pretzels or peanuts. There was a movie that hadn't come out on video yet and sometimes we got little pillows.

Now when I think of flying, I feel dread. It starts with planning the trip and gambling online trying to find the cheapest flight at the best time with good seat selection. Then, you get to the airport and security is a disaster. I always seem to get behind people who have maybe flown once in the last 2 or 3 years, which means the rules have changed and they live under a rock and don't know about liquid restrictions or taking off shoes. Once on board, you have to bring your own entertainment and food, which is fine by me, I prefer my own books and snacks but I know some people are bothered. Of course, everyone is also fighting over overhead space, under seat space and bringing lord only knows what on board.

Then airlines had to compensate for fuel prices, so flight cost went up in addition to costs for checking bags. Fine by me, I adjusted my packing and only checked when needed. If I carry on only, it is a rolly that fits in the overhead and I can lift it up and down myself. I managed to control the dread by being an efficient and semi-frequent traveler. I can adjust to challenges and still choose to fly as a means of travel when practical.

But now, I'm pretty annoyed. Spirit Airlines has announced they will start charging for carry-on luggage. Seriously! And Ryan Air (based in Europe) is charging people to use the bathroom on board. I don't fly either of these airlines and don't really intend to, but what makes me nervous is that if one company does it and people don't boycott and protest, will the others follow suit? Ryan wants to encourage people to use the restroom before or after boarding- I have news for them, I do that and I still usually use the bathroom on board depending on flight length!

My dream superpower is to be able to teleport just so I could avoid nonsense like all of this. Absolutely crazy!

But then that being said, I'll be on a plane a month from today, CA bound. My goal is carry on only with a good book and even better snacks. :)