A brief rant before I board my flight to Buffalo.
If I were a Catholic granny, I’d use the word “miffed,” but since I’m not a Catholic granny, I’m going to use the word pissed.
This is going to sound so bratty, but I’m putting it out there anyway. I’m flying United. I never fly United. I ALWAYS fly Southwest because the flights from Tampa to Buffalo are direct and cheap. For this trip home (for Ro’s bridal shower) I booked through Travelocity because MANY MOONS ago I signed up for a Travelocity MasterCard thinking I’d accumulate enough points to circle the globe twice.
Wrong. Over the course of four years I barely amassed enough points to get from Tampa to Miami — until I transferred my Discover balance and earned a $100 credit toward one Travelocity flight, which is a pittance considering the people at Travelocity MasterCard duped me into signing up for this card. I would have never signed up if I knew there was a $30 annual fee.
$30 annual fee x 4 years = $120. So technically today’s NON-DIRECT UNITED flight cost me an additional $20.
Now, want to hear something even more irritating?
I didn’t want to check luggage. I like to travel light. (Most of the time.) So I shipped a box of stuff to my parent’s house. It cost me $25, but took a load off my back, so to say. I was so proud of this calculation that I called Ro last night to BRAG about it..
“WHAT? YOU’RE NOT CHECKING A BAG?”
“Nope. I like to travel light.”
“You’re crazy.”
She was right.
This morning, the kind folks at United informed me that my tiny suitcase was too cumbersome to carry on. Irked, I wheeled it back to the check-in counter, where I was promptly charged $25 for it.
$30 annual fee x four years + $25 USPS shipping + $25 luggage fee = $170.
Oh right. Plus the cost of the flight: $220.
$390.
Even more aggravating, we’ve since boarded and I’m sitting next to a woman whose carry-on luggage is bigger than mine and currently shoved into the overhead compartment. Lucky bitch.
___
PS. Do not EVER sign up for a Travelocity MasterCard. It’s a sham.
I hate flying. Seriously, between the high price of everything and the waiting and the tiny seats and the bad food and the claustrophobic tin can you’re actually flying in… I hate flying.
All that to say that I feel for you, I really do!
That’s why I’m flying southwest – 🙂
Just think how nice it will be to be home – mama deb said it’s just about now you should be stepping off that plane into mama gail’s weeping arms 🙂
see you soon heid!
Ha! Love the new photo of the lady with the ginormous carry on bag.
I actually love flying, but lately the most I’ve paid for a plane ticket is 16€ (20$?) to go to Paris, and for that price you can’t expect much… How could I complain about not being allowed to check in any extra baggage or about the small sized seats when flying from Spain to London for 0.01€ (all taxes included) each way?
oh no! you know i advocte for checking baggage-but only on SW since it is free 🙂
1. I almost got thrown off a flight in rural Senegal for refusing to allow them to put my camera gear in the cargo hold instead of carry it on. (they won – in the end – but it was only a 1.5 hour flight)
2. If you fly international to Senegal you get 50 lbs of FREE baggage… just sayin! 🙂
Have fun with ma and pa and congrats Ro!
Southwest it is! Damn airlines are out of control! I know it was a pain in your rump–but I was so happy to see you :o)
I love that you got so angry. Is that wrong? I hate flying. Bastards.
I booked a United ticket to Cancun. The wedding I was in in Cancun was canceled due to the groom’s serious illness. So I tried to cancel the ticket THREE MONTHS in advance. Plenty of time to resell a ticket to Cancun, over Memorial Day weekend!!! But no, they had to charge me $150 for an e-ticket I had for 2 weeks, that they have 3 months to resell. I will never be flying United again if I can at all help it, because that is some bullshit right there.
Southwest, you are awesome. Please stay that way.