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Liveblogging Air Travel: The Return flight

How long did it take to get ticketed, baggage checked, through security and to the gate today at Austin?

30 minutes. Of course everyone in the boarding area was reading newspapers with the headlines " Chaos at Americas Airports". I just had to laugh. It was no worse than your average Christmas.

However, Im still sitting in Denver due to a delayed flight. It Figures.

Flying is still the same old story of hurry up and wait no matter what is going on in the world.

A good question was asked earlier about the impact on the stores at the Airport. As we all know, airports have become malls, giving the flying population a place to shop between flights. Well one very dramatic impact this week has been to stores at the airport that sold liquids, such as "The Body Shop", or a few boutique wineries and the Duty Free stores.

They are all closed. They arent even going to try. Say good bye to that business model. I wonder of the stores that rent DVD players are next.

I've got several hours and nothing to do, but I've got Wifi, so how bad can it be.

Back in a few...

Posted @ August 11, 2006 08:12 PM | Current Affairs

Comments

Be three hours early for your flight, they said, most insistently, and so I was, yesterday, at the International Airport in Minneapolis. It took me a few minutes to obtain a boarding pass, perhaps another ten minutes to get through security - and that only because of a titanium hip that never, ever, gets past the screeners' machines - and then I had two hours and forty-five minutes to wait for my flight.

Just another day in America's frightening airports.

Posted by: Everyman at August 13, 2006 12:18 PM

It's no surprise that security doesn't take extra time...it's because we've all learned to be Good Germans and to Go Along To Get Along and to Submit To Authority and all of that crap.

"No nail files or knife-like objects!" they said. "What? Are you crazy?" we replied. "NO NAIL FILES OR KNIFE-LIKE OBJECTS! BAG CHECK! STRIP SEARCH!"

"We strongly advise that you remove your shoes." "Really? I mean, these aren't going to set off your sensor, and you can't hide anything in..." "WE STRONGLY ADVISE THAT YOU REMOVE YOUR SHOES. BAG CHECK! STRIP SEARCH!"

"No lighters of any kind!" "...are you guys sure? I mean, have you really thought this through?" "NO LIGHTERS OF ANY KIND! BAG CHECK! STRIP SEARCH!"

"No liquids of any kind!" "Yes sir certainly sir right away sir thank you sir may I have another yes yes hail Caesar and everything sir"

Posted by: DensityDuck at August 14, 2006 01:06 AM