After hours of flying, hotel rooms and a variety of culture and experiences, I have returned from a week’s vacation.
Of course, now I need another week to recover.
I had not left the comforts of my homeland since I last flew to Los Angeles in 1997, so this was a treasured break from things. The plans were originally made for March of this year, but we all know that nobody was dumb enough to travel then. This month, as a second choice for the same vacation, was for the only slightly batty like me. It was worth it.
Tourists are needed desperately everywhere, but while we are still waiting for an ease in the numbers of sick people (and higher numbers among those electing to–finally–take the shots), the places are the same, but access is limited. I found no shuttle rides were available, and one key attraction had a mechanical issue which needed fixing, so I couldn’t go there. Still, I was able to relax for once and take my time getting familiarized with places I feel sure I will visit again at a later date, when things get better for good.
So what can I talk about here? I can save people like me, who don’t get out much, some headaches by making some observations about my experiences flying these days.
First, not every airport is accommodating when it comes to an orderly method of getting checked in for a flight. On one occasion I found myself needing to rush to the ticket counter for a boarding pass so I could pass through the TSA screening, which was the reverse at another airport. I highly recommend using apps to get boarding passes when possible, even though this means making sure you have a fully charged device which will enable you to flash it at the right moment. Barring that, try to print a paper ticket in advance (and ignore the commercials’ pooh-poohing that idea from actor Bill Glass’ Dr. Rick and his “becoming like your parents” schtick) to avoid having to go to a kiosk or counter for one. Have one spot for your ID and keep it there at all times, because you will flash identification often. If you don’t have a passport, even if you would only use it for domestic travel, get one. Also get Real ID when you can, on your driver’s license.
Second, wear comfortable shoes that don’t need a lot of effort to put on and take off, because TSA screening requires shoe removal. Also, feet can get tired on long flights, so you can flip your feet out of the shoes and let everything air. Don’t put your tablet or other devices in the bottom of the bag, either; you must remove them for screening.
Third, women beware of the airports where they will argue with you about whether a purse is a third carry-on item. To be safe, leave space for it in one of your allowed carry-on bags so you can shove it in for screening and take it out when you board the aircraft. I actually took a lesson from an old movie to get myself through this snag: The Three Musketeers (1973) featured a scene in which Michael York’s hero, D’Artagnan, had to take a boat to England with his servant Planchet (Roy Kinear), but he managed to nab a single signed pass, so when they were challenged at the dock as being two people, he explained that he is one person and Planchet is a servant. So when the agent said I was allowed two bags, I said, “These are two bags; this is my purse.” My smaller carry-on did actually have room for the purse, but who wants to start stooping, bending and shoving in a moving queue while in unshod feet?
Fourth, if you get cabin fever, my experience revealed that not all airport hotels are good for stepping out and taking a walk. There may not be anything outside the buildings except more hotels, restaurants and bars. This can cause hunger pangs if you were on a late flight and/or one not serving anything beyond snacks.
Fifth, airlines don’t really feed you. It’s not their fault that changes forced them to do this, but I must say I have had more pretzels, Stroopwafels and little bottles of water in one week, it was hilarious. The mini pretzels come in a bag and are about the size of a finger digit. Being salty, the folks are smart and give you water to wash them down and keep you hydrated at 30,000 feet. One flight also offered cookies, for which I was grateful and anxious to find them in the store. Only my one overnight flight gave me a meal, and it was quite good. For better fare, download the app and keep a credit card on it, as airlines are getting into specialty meal services and accepting payments that way rather than cash or credit card swiping.
Sixth, airports are not all equipped to handle connections with the current security issues. My best connection was at the Denver airport, which enabled me to leave one flight on the left side of the terminal, and simply walk around the moving sidewalks to the right side for my next flight without having to undergo TSA screening again. And they had open restaurants and shopping, plus I was able to grab my daily potassium (bananas) and a vitamin water.
Seventh, the interiors of airplanes are refrigerators, so bring something with long sleeves and be ready to tuck your hands inside while napping.
Eighth, in-flight entertainment is great, and I enjoyed some of my favorite movies and shows (on United they offer podcasts, too) while confined for hours, but the earbuds left me sore. The screens on the backs of seats may not be on smaller aircraft yet, though. Bring something to amuse yourself, with an Internet connection, or be ready to enroll and pay for access for the flight’s duration.
When Frank Sinatra sang in “It’s Nice to Go Trav’ling” that it’s fun, but so nice to come home, I never knew how much that would mean until I stepped into my home again. I do feel recharged and ready for more of the old routine starting Monday.
But I do want to get more of those cookies.
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