Hello, A-List!
On Friday morning, I had the pleasure of having to wake up at 04:30 so that I could enjoy hitting the snooze button just five times, and hang up on four different phone calls that I had previously set up with wake-up call service. I eventually did rise by 05:07, just in time to brush my teeth, throw my clothes on, and leave for the airport. Although I thought I was quite speedy throughout the whole thing, it was 05:18 when I left my hotel room, which only afforded me 12 minutes to get to the airport.
Ever the lead foot that I am, I was instantly disappointed no more with the new Saturn Outlook SUV Hertz had triple upgraded me to, what with its 3.6 litre, 270 horse power V6 engine and 20 inch wheels. I drove like a mad bat out of hell, and surprisingly made it to Seattle Tacoma International Airport by 05:32! I have to admit, as a person not easily impressed, that was pretty freaking impressive, considering the mere 14 minutes covered the elevator ride, navigation out of the garage, snaking through the famed one way streets of downtown Seattle before getting onto I-5, and a cool 14.1 miles of highway on I-5. Nothing beats knowing you had just commandeered a half ton of steel, rubber and glass at Superman speeds!
I actually was disappointed with my rental car all week, despite enjoying all the creature comforts like leather seating, sunroof, heated seats and automatic climate control. You see, the Hilton Seattle parking garage isn't exactly accommodating for vehicles that size. Navigating around the garage each time I leave or return was a hair raising experience. Am I going to sideswipe that wall on the left as I turn the corner? Is my front going to bump the right wall as I turn the corner to avoid the wall on the left? With each wall and corner nicely decorated with rainbow colors of streaks and several poles bent over, I could tell that this garage had claimed many innocent drivers who didn't know how to drive, or at least unfamiliar with the dimensions of their vehicles. I was glad that after nine weeks of staying here in Seattle, I have not once made a love tap, or ass rape for that matter, between my different rental vehicles and the garage.
Anyway, on Thursday morning while I was on my porcelain throne, I read in the USA Today about how Southwest Airlines will begin its new boarding procedure, to which I had known for months but neglected to tie a virtual ribbon around my finger. And instantly, I realized that I had to check into my Thursday morning flight, because it was 08:00 already, and my flight was going to be at 06:35 the next morning. I wasn't in a hurry, because my experience has taught me that if I check into my flight within six hours of when they allow you to check in, chances were pretty good that I'd get the A group.
Boy, was I wrong.
Instead of the usual A, B and C groups which people can line up as early as they want so as to be the first in that boarding group to get a good seat, Southwest Airlines now assign numbers on top of the group based on when you checked in online. First come first serve. So if my flight leaves at 06:35 on Friday, everybody on that flight could begin checking in online at 06:35 on Thursday. The first 60 people to check in gets the A group, with each subsequent 60 in the B and C groups respectively. And the numerical assignment also indicates their place within their respective group, thus leaving ass holes like me out in the cold.
Because as a business traveler, I sometimes book my flight at the last minute, but I always made sure I checked in promptly 24 hours ahead so that I got into the A group, despite getting a 59, for example. (The numbers had always been printed on the boarding pass for years, but not for the same purpose as now.) Then I made damn sure that I get to the gate early enough so that I could be the first person in the A group by standing in line all alone. Of course, this would cause a snowball effect, because suddenly, even though the flight may not leave for yet another 75 minutes, everybody who had been comfortable sitting in their seats would suddenly get up and stand in line behind me. With seats at the gate abandoned, people were willing to stand in line for over an hour just to get good seats. I guess this is why Southwest Airlines decided to form the new boarding procedure. And now I'm the victim, if I got number 59 in the A group.
Apparently, the flight back to Chicago was filled with fellow loyal Southwest Airlines patrons, because when I checked in online after I cleaned myself up good from the cake making experience that Thursday morning, I got the B group. Yeah! I didn't even make it into the second half of the A group. And it had only been an hour and a half since the check in window of time opened! Group B?!? Luckily, I got position 5. At least I got to be the fifth person to board in the B group. But still, I was displeased!
Well, when I got to work that Thursday, I checked my email, which I had neglected on Wednesday evening because I was busy having a good time at dinner with my friends. I had received an email on Wednesday from Southwest Airlines, telling me that in addition to the new boarding procedures, they will also begin this thing called the A-List, and that I was close to getting in, but no banana. Well, they didn't exactly use banana, but they also wrote to say that once I became eligible, they will notify me first thing in their order of business. Okay, they didn't exact say that either, but something to that effect.
The A-List is another privilege of prestige, on top of the Companion Pass privilege, which I've had for years. Fly with Southwest Airlines enough to earn at least 100 points before a full cycle of rolling 365 days, and you get the Companion Pass for a year. Anyone I designate as my companion can fly with me for free. Anyway, the A-List privilege entailed that if a passenger had made 32 one way flights with Southwest Airlines in a rolling 365 days, then he or she would be eligible for the A-List, whereby Southwest Airlines will check you into your flight for you and get you into at least the A group, so you don't have to wake up at 06:35 24 hours before your flight to check in like for me.
Man, when I got that email saying I didn't make it, I tore up my copy of the USA Today in half, and stormed out like a little girl. Okay, I really didn't, but if I was a little girl who surprisingly enjoys reading newspapers first thing in the morning, then I would totally have done that. =) Sigh...
Of course, just as luck would have it, when I checked my email on Friday, guess what?!? I got another email from Southwest Airlines!
Hello, A-List!
Now it's Sunday evening, and I'm on the plane flying to Seattle. And I'm happy to report that I did not check into my 20:00 flight 24 hours ahead on Saturday, and I still got into the A group! Sadly though, is the fact that I was given position 49. That's pretty much the bottom of the A group, which still doesn't really earn me first dibs on the open seating policy. Or second, or third through the fifteenth dib. But for now, I think this will do. I feel like a rock star for being inducted into the A-List. Sa-weet!
Now, if only they would roll out the red carpet at the gate for the A-Listed passengers.
Ever the lead foot that I am, I was instantly disappointed no more with the new Saturn Outlook SUV Hertz had triple upgraded me to, what with its 3.6 litre, 270 horse power V6 engine and 20 inch wheels. I drove like a mad bat out of hell, and surprisingly made it to Seattle Tacoma International Airport by 05:32! I have to admit, as a person not easily impressed, that was pretty freaking impressive, considering the mere 14 minutes covered the elevator ride, navigation out of the garage, snaking through the famed one way streets of downtown Seattle before getting onto I-5, and a cool 14.1 miles of highway on I-5. Nothing beats knowing you had just commandeered a half ton of steel, rubber and glass at Superman speeds!
I actually was disappointed with my rental car all week, despite enjoying all the creature comforts like leather seating, sunroof, heated seats and automatic climate control. You see, the Hilton Seattle parking garage isn't exactly accommodating for vehicles that size. Navigating around the garage each time I leave or return was a hair raising experience. Am I going to sideswipe that wall on the left as I turn the corner? Is my front going to bump the right wall as I turn the corner to avoid the wall on the left? With each wall and corner nicely decorated with rainbow colors of streaks and several poles bent over, I could tell that this garage had claimed many innocent drivers who didn't know how to drive, or at least unfamiliar with the dimensions of their vehicles. I was glad that after nine weeks of staying here in Seattle, I have not once made a love tap, or ass rape for that matter, between my different rental vehicles and the garage.
Anyway, on Thursday morning while I was on my porcelain throne, I read in the USA Today about how Southwest Airlines will begin its new boarding procedure, to which I had known for months but neglected to tie a virtual ribbon around my finger. And instantly, I realized that I had to check into my Thursday morning flight, because it was 08:00 already, and my flight was going to be at 06:35 the next morning. I wasn't in a hurry, because my experience has taught me that if I check into my flight within six hours of when they allow you to check in, chances were pretty good that I'd get the A group.
Boy, was I wrong.
Instead of the usual A, B and C groups which people can line up as early as they want so as to be the first in that boarding group to get a good seat, Southwest Airlines now assign numbers on top of the group based on when you checked in online. First come first serve. So if my flight leaves at 06:35 on Friday, everybody on that flight could begin checking in online at 06:35 on Thursday. The first 60 people to check in gets the A group, with each subsequent 60 in the B and C groups respectively. And the numerical assignment also indicates their place within their respective group, thus leaving ass holes like me out in the cold.
Because as a business traveler, I sometimes book my flight at the last minute, but I always made sure I checked in promptly 24 hours ahead so that I got into the A group, despite getting a 59, for example. (The numbers had always been printed on the boarding pass for years, but not for the same purpose as now.) Then I made damn sure that I get to the gate early enough so that I could be the first person in the A group by standing in line all alone. Of course, this would cause a snowball effect, because suddenly, even though the flight may not leave for yet another 75 minutes, everybody who had been comfortable sitting in their seats would suddenly get up and stand in line behind me. With seats at the gate abandoned, people were willing to stand in line for over an hour just to get good seats. I guess this is why Southwest Airlines decided to form the new boarding procedure. And now I'm the victim, if I got number 59 in the A group.
Apparently, the flight back to Chicago was filled with fellow loyal Southwest Airlines patrons, because when I checked in online after I cleaned myself up good from the cake making experience that Thursday morning, I got the B group. Yeah! I didn't even make it into the second half of the A group. And it had only been an hour and a half since the check in window of time opened! Group B?!? Luckily, I got position 5. At least I got to be the fifth person to board in the B group. But still, I was displeased!
Well, when I got to work that Thursday, I checked my email, which I had neglected on Wednesday evening because I was busy having a good time at dinner with my friends. I had received an email on Wednesday from Southwest Airlines, telling me that in addition to the new boarding procedures, they will also begin this thing called the A-List, and that I was close to getting in, but no banana. Well, they didn't exactly use banana, but they also wrote to say that once I became eligible, they will notify me first thing in their order of business. Okay, they didn't exact say that either, but something to that effect.
The A-List is another privilege of prestige, on top of the Companion Pass privilege, which I've had for years. Fly with Southwest Airlines enough to earn at least 100 points before a full cycle of rolling 365 days, and you get the Companion Pass for a year. Anyone I designate as my companion can fly with me for free. Anyway, the A-List privilege entailed that if a passenger had made 32 one way flights with Southwest Airlines in a rolling 365 days, then he or she would be eligible for the A-List, whereby Southwest Airlines will check you into your flight for you and get you into at least the A group, so you don't have to wake up at 06:35 24 hours before your flight to check in like for me.
Man, when I got that email saying I didn't make it, I tore up my copy of the USA Today in half, and stormed out like a little girl. Okay, I really didn't, but if I was a little girl who surprisingly enjoys reading newspapers first thing in the morning, then I would totally have done that. =) Sigh...
Of course, just as luck would have it, when I checked my email on Friday, guess what?!? I got another email from Southwest Airlines!
Hello, A-List!
Now it's Sunday evening, and I'm on the plane flying to Seattle. And I'm happy to report that I did not check into my 20:00 flight 24 hours ahead on Saturday, and I still got into the A group! Sadly though, is the fact that I was given position 49. That's pretty much the bottom of the A group, which still doesn't really earn me first dibs on the open seating policy. Or second, or third through the fifteenth dib. But for now, I think this will do. I feel like a rock star for being inducted into the A-List. Sa-weet!
Now, if only they would roll out the red carpet at the gate for the A-Listed passengers.
posted by StHalcyon at
02:12
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