AUS-IAH-CDG-BSL (as it happens)

[Nugget]

19-Oct-2001

All prospects for an uneventful travel experience were dashed almost
immediately with my American Express card being declined on a $16
purchase the morning of my departure. In true slacker form, I'd
put off getting a much-needed haircut until the last possible minute.
I was waiting outside the salon at 09:00, hoping to duck in for my
trim, rush home, pack, and get to the airport in time for my 12:20
flight to Houston.

I left the salon, $16 in cash lighter, on the phone with American
Express customer service. The automated messages at Amex indicated
a miniscule $260 unpaid balance on the card and a puzzling $0 in
available credit. Most curious. I waited on hold for roughly the
amount of time it took me to drive across the street to the Exxon
station and begin filling up my car.

By the time the car was filled up and I was on my way home, I'd
explained my predicament, been put on hold, passed off to a supervisor,
and been put on hold again. In the two miles I had to drive back to
the house, Amex was able to determine what had happened.

About three months ago I cancelled my Amex Delta Skymiles Gold branded
Optima card in favor of a regular Optima Platinum card. Now that I'm
no longer living in Atlanta's sphere of influence I rarely have the
occassion to fly Delta. A regular Optima card allows me to earn
Membership Rewards points which are easily converted to more useful
OnePass miles for my Continental flights. However, miscommunication
confusion led to my receiving a Platinum SkyMiles card instead of the
requested Optima Card. At the time I called, had the erroneous
SkyMiles card killed and the appropriate card issued. I've been using
the Optima happily ever since.

However, there was apparantly an error in processing. Although the
Amex rep I spoke with was able to properly cancel the SkyMiles card,
they neglected to halt the pending credit transfer. My line of credit
was accidently transferred to the now-cancelled SkyMiles Platinum card.

oops.

Thankfully, no card reissue is necessary to correct this problem, just
a transfer of the line of credit back to my Optima card. However,
this can take up to a week to complete. Four hours prior to an
international journey is not a particularly convienent time to lose
my "primary" credit card. When I mentioned my travel plans, I was
reminded why it is that I choose to carry an American Express card. The
Optima supervisor then committed to personally make sure that the
transfer was completed by Monday instead of by next week. He also
offered to have travellers cheques delivered to my hotel
in Switzerland to ensure that I was not inconvienenced by their error.
It's service and iniative like this that make it so easy to pay my
annual fees to Amex.

The packing and drive to the airport were uneventful. My wife dropped
me off and I began the checkin process for my first flight since 11-Sep.
I was a bit anxious, although I was fairly certain that I knew what to
expect from having read other trip reports here on ITYT. I checked in
for my AUS->IAH leg and got upgraded to first. It was at this point
that I realized why I hadn't simply been EUA'd -- when I originally
booked this flight, my wife was ticketed to travel with me which made
me inelgible for an EUA upgrade (lowly silver, no companion upgrades).

While talking with the austin ticketing agent, I inquired about jfc's
seat assignment on our mutual flight 10 from IAH to CDG. It was then
that I learned that jfc was actually booked on the earlier CDG flight,
not my flight 10. The Austin agent was unable to look into changing
jfc over to the preferred (777) flight 10. I called jfc and we
decided to simply resolve the issue when we met up at IAH.

I checked my bag and headed over to the gate security checkpoint.
The airlines still had the little cubicles set up at the ticketing
counter with security personnel who were examining pax bags. I'm not
sure how pax are being selected for this additional check, but I was
not so I walked past and on to the gate security checkpoint. The
process was smooth and fast. Security staff seemed more involved in
the process than usual and they were insistant that all items I was
carrying were sent through the xray. Even personal gear like my
phone and PalmV were sent through the baggage carwash unlike the usual
"turn it on and change the display" process we're all familiar with.
Additionally, pax were asked to remove laptops from their cases and
send them through alone. A lone national guardsman silently observed
the entire process.

I only had about 30 minutes at this point so I went straight to my
gate and awaited boarding. The boarding process was normal except
for the fact that I was asked to show picture ID when I presented
my ticket to the gate agent.

The flight was the typical ontime and uneventful experience I've come
to expect from Continental. Within an hour or so of boarding the plane
I was sitting in the International President's Club at IAH typing this
paragraph.

Waiting now for jfc to arrive; More as the travel continues...

[Nugget]

19-Oct-2001

All prospects for an uneventful travel experience were dashed almost
immediately with my American Express card being declined on a $16
purchase the morning of my departure. In true slacker form, I'd
put off getting a much-needed haircut until the last possible minute.
I was waiting outside the salon at 09:00, hoping to duck in for my
trim, rush home, pack, and get to the airport in time for my 12:20
flight to Houston.

I left the salon, $16 in cash lighter, on the phone with American
Express customer service. The automated messages at Amex indicated
a miniscule $260 unpaid balance on the card and a puzzling $0 in
available credit. Most curious. I waited on hold for roughly the
amount of time it took me to drive across the street to the Exxon
station and begin filling up my car.

By the time the car was filled up and I was on my way home, I'd
explained my predicament, been put on hold, passed off to a supervisor,
and been put on hold again. In the two miles I had to drive back to
the house, Amex was able to determine what had happened.

About three months ago I cancelled my Amex Delta Skymiles Gold branded
Optima card in favor of a regular Optima Platinum card. Now that I'm
no longer living in Atlanta's sphere of influence I rarely have the
occassion to fly Delta. A regular Optima card allows me to earn
Membership Rewards points which are easily converted to more useful
OnePass miles for my Continental flights. However, miscommunication
confusion led to my receiving a Platinum SkyMiles card instead of the
requested Optima Card. At the time I called, had the erroneous
SkyMiles card killed and the appropriate card issued. I've been using
the Optima happily ever since.

However, there was apparantly an error in processing. Although the
Amex rep I spoke with was able to properly cancel the SkyMiles card,
they neglected to halt the pending credit transfer. My line of credit
was accidently transferred to the now-cancelled SkyMiles Platinum card.

oops.

Thankfully, no card reissue is necessary to correct this problem, just
a transfer of the line of credit back to my Optima card. However,
this can take up to a week to complete. Four hours prior to an
international journey is not a particularly convienent time to lose
my "primary" credit card. When I mentioned my travel plans, I was
reminded why it is that I choose to carry an American Express card. The
Optima supervisor then committed to personally make sure that the
transfer was completed by Monday instead of by next week. He also
offered to have travellers cheques delivered to my hotel
in Switzerland to ensure that I was not inconvienenced by their error.
It's service and iniative like this that make it so easy to pay my
annual fees to Amex.

The packing and drive to the airport were uneventful. My wife dropped
me off and I began the checkin process for my first flight since 11-Sep.
I was a bit anxious, although I was fairly certain that I knew what to
expect from having read other trip reports here on ITYT. I checked in
for my AUS->IAH leg and got upgraded to first. It was at this point
that I realized why I hadn't simply been EUA'd -- when I originally
booked this flight, my wife was ticketed to travel with me which made
me inelgible for an EUA upgrade (lowly silver, no companion upgrades).

While talking with the austin ticketing agent, I inquired about jfc's
seat assignment on our mutual flight 10 from IAH to CDG. It was then
that I learned that jfc was actually booked on the earlier CDG flight,
not my flight 10. The Austin agent was unable to look into changing
jfc over to the preferred (777) flight 10. I called jfc and we
decided to simply resolve the issue when we met up at IAH.

I checked my bag and headed over to the gate security checkpoint.
The airlines still had the little cubicles set up at the ticketing
counter with security personnel who were examining pax bags. I'm not
sure how pax are being selected for this additional check, but I was
not so I walked past and on to the gate security checkpoint. The
process was smooth and fast. Security staff seemed more involved in
the process than usual and they were insistant that all items I was
carrying were sent through the xray. Even personal gear like my
phone and PalmV were sent through the baggage carwash unlike the usual
"turn it on and change the display" process we're all familiar with.
Additionally, pax were asked to remove laptops from their cases and
send them through alone. A lone national guardsman silently observed
the entire process.

I only had about 30 minutes at this point so I went straight to my
gate and awaited boarding. The boarding process was normal except
for the fact that I was asked to show picture ID when I presented
my ticket to the gate agent.

The flight was the typical ontime and uneventful experience I've come
to expect from Continental. Within an hour or so of boarding the plane
I was sitting in the International President's Club at IAH typing this
paragraph.

Waiting now for jfc to arrive; More as the travel continues...

[Nugget]

jfc arrived at the p-club at around 15:00. His flight 82 was delayed, but the continental agent in the p-club said that due to increased security in response to 11-Sep that there would be no way for her to change jfc's ticket to my flight 10. Both flights were *wide* open.

On the suggestion of dbaker and a onepass rep, jfc headed to a ticketing counter to see if he could go standby on flight 10 and get a boarding pass on the spot since there was no chance of overbooking.

I sat in the p-club and enjoyed the Milano cookies and a Sam Adams.

[Nugget]

jfc arrived at the p-club at around 15:00. His flight 82 was delayed, but the continental agent in the p-club said that due to increased security in response to 11-Sep that there would be no way for her to change jfc's ticket to my flight 10. Both flights were *wide* open.

On the suggestion of dbaker and a onepass rep, jfc headed to a ticketing counter to see if he could go standby on flight 10 and get a boarding pass on the spot since there was no chance of overbooking.

I sat in the p-club and enjoyed the Milano cookies and a Sam Adams.

[Nugget]

I took a few pics so people who aren't familiar with the IAH Presidents Clubs can see where I'm sitting as I type these updates...

They're in the ITYT Gallery

[Nugget]

I took a few pics so people who aren't familiar with the IAH Presidents Clubs can see where I'm sitting as I type these updates...

They're in the ITYT Gallery

[Nugget]

Cruising at about 33,000 feet over Rochester, nice and cozy in seat
17D on Continental flight 10 from IAH to CDG -- I took a few pictures which
I'll be placing into the ITYT gallery. jfc, sadly, was not with
me. The only option we ended up having was for jfc to intentionally
miss his flight and then going on standby for flight 10. Even though CO10
was nowhere close to full, it was too uncomfortable a risk to take.

Apart from an unscheduled and poorly-explained 50 minute delay for "security
sweeps" on the plane, the CDG segment of my outbound trip was quite
pleasant. The plane was only at about half-capacity and I had plenty of
room to stretch out.

In-flight movie selection was the typical bland unoffensive fare that you can
expect from nearly every major carrier. I watched A Knight's Tale and some
baseball movie called "62*" produced by Billy Crystal. I must say that my
Bose QuietComfort Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones once again proved their
value. The final 15 minutes or so of the flight, after I'd removed the
headphones and packed them up into my carry-on bag seemed so terribly noisy
and tiring. I cannot imagine suffering through that noise for the entire eight
hours of the flight.

Despite leaving Houston an hour later than scheduled, we arrived in Paris
on-time a few minutes before noon. Since my Basel flight wasn't until 15:05,
I had several hours to spend wandering around CDG and exploring the sights.

About an hour before the BSL flight was to take off, jfc showed up. With nearly
five hours to kill, he'd left the airport and spent the time in the calmer
surrounding of a nearby hotel lounge.

The short flight from CDG to BSL was unfomfortable but quick. Air France
certainly doesn't commit their nicer planes to this particular run. We passed
quickly through MUL/BSL and took a taxi to our hotel. A brief nap and dinner of
salad and pasta at a nearby Italian restaurant were about all jfc could handle
before we called it a night. I was sound asleep and drooling by 21:00 local
time, just about 29 hours since my haircut.

[Nugget]

Cruising at about 33,000 feet over Rochester, nice and cozy in seat
17D on Continental flight 10 from IAH to CDG -- I took a few pictures which
I'll be placing into the ITYT gallery. jfc, sadly, was not with
me. The only option we ended up having was for jfc to intentionally
miss his flight and then going on standby for flight 10. Even though CO10
was nowhere close to full, it was too uncomfortable a risk to take.

Apart from an unscheduled and poorly-explained 50 minute delay for "security
sweeps" on the plane, the CDG segment of my outbound trip was quite
pleasant. The plane was only at about half-capacity and I had plenty of
room to stretch out.

In-flight movie selection was the typical bland unoffensive fare that you can
expect from nearly every major carrier. I watched A Knight's Tale and some
baseball movie called "62*" produced by Billy Crystal. I must say that my
Bose QuietComfort Acoustic Noise Cancelling headphones once again proved their
value. The final 15 minutes or so of the flight, after I'd removed the
headphones and packed them up into my carry-on bag seemed so terribly noisy
and tiring. I cannot imagine suffering through that noise for the entire eight
hours of the flight.

Despite leaving Houston an hour later than scheduled, we arrived in Paris
on-time a few minutes before noon. Since my Basel flight wasn't until 15:05,
I had several hours to spend wandering around CDG and exploring the sights.

About an hour before the BSL flight was to take off, jfc showed up. With nearly
five hours to kill, he'd left the airport and spent the time in the calmer
surrounding of a nearby hotel lounge.

The short flight from CDG to BSL was unfomfortable but quick. Air France
certainly doesn't commit their nicer planes to this particular run. We passed
quickly through MUL/BSL and took a taxi to our hotel. A brief nap and dinner of
salad and pasta at a nearby Italian restaurant were about all jfc could handle
before we called it a night. I was sound asleep and drooling by 21:00 local
time, just about 29 hours since my haircut.

[Nugget]

The pictures I've taken so far are spread across several different areas:

ITYT Gallery Albums:

• CDG Pictures
• IAH Pictures

I'll also be continuing to post more general pics from my trip at my own, personal photo album at my personal site.

[Nugget]

The pictures I've taken so far are spread across several different areas:

ITYT Gallery Albums:

• CDG Pictures
• IAH Pictures

I'll also be continuing to post more general pics from my trip at my own, personal photo album at my personal site.

[Nugget]

Today I was able to confirm that I will indeed be returning to AUS on Saturday, so stay tuned for more updates to this thread.

I've also promised myself that I'd take a bunch of pictures at BSL, CDG, and IAH and perhaps some good notes so I can flesh out the library and gallery sections for those airports.

[Nugget]

Today I was able to confirm that I will indeed be returning to AUS on Saturday, so stay tuned for more updates to this thread.

I've also promised myself that I'd take a bunch of pictures at BSL, CDG, and IAH and perhaps some good notes so I can flesh out the library and gallery sections for those airports.

[Nugget]

I've posted a hotel review covering my stay at the Swissôtel Basel in the ITYT library.

http://www.ityt.com/library/?file=102

[Nugget]

I've posted a hotel review covering my stay at the Swissôtel Basel in the ITYT library.

http://www.ityt.com/library/?file=102

[Nugget]

I head out to the airport in about 45 minutes. I'll then be spending the next
eighteen hours or so sitting in a plane of waiting in airports. Don't
forget to check my trip report on http://www.ityt.com/ for the full travel
details.

For a more real-time monitoring of my flights, please consult...

Air France flight 1657 to Paris

Continental flight 11 to Houston

Continental flight 441 to Austin

[Nugget]

I head out to the airport in about 45 minutes. I'll then be spending the next
eighteen hours or so sitting in a plane of waiting in airports. Don't
forget to check my trip report on http://www.ityt.com/ for the full travel
details.

For a more real-time monitoring of my flights, please consult...

Air France flight 1657 to Paris

Continental flight 11 to Houston

Continental flight 441 to Austin

[Nugget]

I awoke early, excited about the return trip. I was eager to get back into the
air, but at the same time quite sad to be leaving Basel. I found that the sleepy European lifestyle agreed with me. The leisurely walks to dinner with jfc, the rumble and sway of the morning tram to the office, and the beautiful buildings and scenery. There is something about the persistence of Europe that makes me feel connected to the world in a way I just don't feel in the disposable veneer of the US.

I wasted far too much time online after awaking, chatting in #ityt and catching up on email. Before I noticed, I had barely enough time to pack, check out of the hotel, and catch a taxi to the airport. Basel was just beginning to move as I stepped out into the brisk morning and hopped into the cab, sans coat. I'd packed my coat to avoid having to deal with it in-flight and also in
anticipation of the 76F weather in Austin at the end of my day.

I arrived at BSL with enough time to check in and take a few snapshots of the aiport interior. I had ITYT in mind! I was looking forward to enhancing the BSL library entry as well as creating a gallery album for the location as well.

The Air France flight to Paris was uneventful and not particularly enjoyable. I was preoccupied with concern over my very brief transfer time in CDG. Less than an hour means there's little time for confusion or delay when changing halls. The AF 737-200 was packed with most rows full, even the middle seats.

With an empty center seat next to my aisle seat, I played the familiar game of watching each boarding passenger approach my row. Always cautious for that eye contact that would mean I'd lose the extra space to my left. "Oh please, at least don't let it be this guy... he doesn't look like he's showered all week!" Luckily, I was spared an immediate seatmate and was able to cross my legs during the flight.

I was nursing a bit of a headache, likely caffeine deficiency, so I was wearing my Bose noise-cancelling headphones even before pushback. I discovered that it's very difficult to explain to a french-speaking flight attendent that just because I was wearing headphones didn't mean that I was listening to the forbidden (during takeoff) portable electronic devices. I think the best trick might be to leave the little 1/8" headphone jack plug dangling in sight to make it more clear that there's no discman that needs to be stowed away.

45 minutes or so later, we were descending into Paris, a little bit late as usual. We rode the elevator-bus to Hall B and I made my way to the transfer level to catch yet another bus to Hall C for my connecting flight. Just 25 minutes, and flight CO11 was already boarding even before my flight from BSL landed. I hate this rushed feeling, but at least this time through CDG I
knew where I was going. I'd advise those unfamiliar with CDG to try to book a comfortable layover. You'll end up spending a pretty boring time in what's a fairly uncomfortable airport, but the stress level will be orders of magnitude lower. Thankfully there was no line at the hall c security checkpoint (either that or I'd rushed my way to the front). Regretfully, there was no time for pictures. I wish I'd taken more than just that one on my trip out when I had several hours to kill at CDG.

We rode a packed (packed!) bus from gate C88 to the tarmac and had to board the 777 via a starway to the cabin door. That's three bus rides just to catch my flight. Sometimes I wonder if there's not a bus to take you to the toilet in the restrooms at CDG. I hope they finish the construction soon.

I settled comfortably in 17L on the Continental 777, just one row behind the
bulkead seats of the economy cabin. I fear that I'm quite odd for this, but I was really looking forward to the flight. There's an ambivalence to these transcontinental flights that's difficult to describe. I feel relaxed for having 10 hours during which I'm forced into being disconnected from the world. There's no phone, no fax, no email, no distractions. Heck, there isn't even really a clock. Neither the departing nor the arriving timezone feel particularly real when you're 33,000 above the atlantic ocean. It's a strange sort of disconnect that absolves me of concern for responsibilities and pressures. Yet, at the same time the concept and prospect of travel is envigorating. It's exciting, the change and the travel are self-evident. The boggling distance involved which is continually represented on the in-flight moving map. I doubt I'll ever lose the sense of mystique from having morning coffee in Switzerland and dinner in Texas. Almost as much as exploring my destination, I do very much enjoy the actual activity of air travel.

(as I typed this, I was passing over Indiana, somewhere in between Indianapolis and Columbus - it was 2:02p in Austin and 9:02p in Basel. The only time that has any real relevance or meaning is the 1 hour and 43 minutes left in the flight)

The meal was acceptable, standard fare for these flights. Flight staff was attentive. They were working hard and flying right today. Unable to concentrate on reading, I watched a movie during all three of the entertainment system cycles. I enjoyed "Legally Blonde", I tolerated "The Animal", and I felt guilty for enjoying "It had to be you" which was contrived but somehow still managed to work. One minor frustration in the in-flight selection.
When the shorter films end, they're padded with a sampling of syndicated television such that each channel's entertainment can finish at roughly the same time. For whatever reason, the episode of Seinfeld which padded the channel featuring "It had to be you" was the first of two parts. Naturally, only the first part was included in the programming. Would it really have been that tough to select an episode that resolved itself? How frustrating! Now
I'll never know what happens to Jerry's dad's stolen wallet or the discarded wristwatch!

The flight ended without event and my trip through customs was rapid and smooth. I'm checked in (EUA'd to 1A) for my final leg to AUS and I've got an hour to kill here in the north president's club at IAH.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Nugget on 2001-11-10 16:58 ]</font>

[Nugget]

I awoke early, excited about the return trip. I was eager to get back into the
air, but at the same time quite sad to be leaving Basel. I found that the sleepy European lifestyle agreed with me. The leisurely walks to dinner with jfc, the rumble and sway of the morning tram to the office, and the beautiful buildings and scenery. There is something about the persistence of Europe that makes me feel connected to the world in a way I just don't feel in the disposable veneer of the US.

I wasted far too much time online after awaking, chatting in #ityt and catching up on email. Before I noticed, I had barely enough time to pack, check out of the hotel, and catch a taxi to the airport. Basel was just beginning to move as I stepped out into the brisk morning and hopped into the cab, sans coat. I'd packed my coat to avoid having to deal with it in-flight and also in
anticipation of the 76F weather in Austin at the end of my day.

I arrived at BSL with enough time to check in and take a few snapshots of the aiport interior. I had ITYT in mind! I was looking forward to enhancing the BSL library entry as well as creating a gallery album for the location as well.

The Air France flight to Paris was uneventful and not particularly enjoyable. I was preoccupied with concern over my very brief transfer time in CDG. Less than an hour means there's little time for confusion or delay when changing halls. The AF 737-200 was packed with most rows full, even the middle seats.

With an empty center seat next to my aisle seat, I played the familiar game of watching each boarding passenger approach my row. Always cautious for that eye contact that would mean I'd lose the extra space to my left. "Oh please, at least don't let it be this guy... he doesn't look like he's showered all week!" Luckily, I was spared an immediate seatmate and was able to cross my legs during the flight.

I was nursing a bit of a headache, likely caffeine deficiency, so I was wearing my Bose noise-cancelling headphones even before pushback. I discovered that it's very difficult to explain to a french-speaking flight attendent that just because I was wearing headphones didn't mean that I was listening to the forbidden (during takeoff) portable electronic devices. I think the best trick might be to leave the little 1/8" headphone jack plug dangling in sight to make it more clear that there's no discman that needs to be stowed away.

45 minutes or so later, we were descending into Paris, a little bit late as usual. We rode the elevator-bus to Hall B and I made my way to the transfer level to catch yet another bus to Hall C for my connecting flight. Just 25 minutes, and flight CO11 was already boarding even before my flight from BSL landed. I hate this rushed feeling, but at least this time through CDG I
knew where I was going. I'd advise those unfamiliar with CDG to try to book a comfortable layover. You'll end up spending a pretty boring time in what's a fairly uncomfortable airport, but the stress level will be orders of magnitude lower. Thankfully there was no line at the hall c security checkpoint (either that or I'd rushed my way to the front). Regretfully, there was no time for pictures. I wish I'd taken more than just that one on my trip out when I had several hours to kill at CDG.

We rode a packed (packed!) bus from gate C88 to the tarmac and had to board the 777 via a starway to the cabin door. That's three bus rides just to catch my flight. Sometimes I wonder if there's not a bus to take you to the toilet in the restrooms at CDG. I hope they finish the construction soon.

I settled comfortably in 17L on the Continental 777, just one row behind the
bulkead seats of the economy cabin. I fear that I'm quite odd for this, but I was really looking forward to the flight. There's an ambivalence to these transcontinental flights that's difficult to describe. I feel relaxed for having 10 hours during which I'm forced into being disconnected from the world. There's no phone, no fax, no email, no distractions. Heck, there isn't even really a clock. Neither the departing nor the arriving timezone feel particularly real when you're 33,000 above the atlantic ocean. It's a strange sort of disconnect that absolves me of concern for responsibilities and pressures. Yet, at the same time the concept and prospect of travel is envigorating. It's exciting, the change and the travel are self-evident. The boggling distance involved which is continually represented on the in-flight moving map. I doubt I'll ever lose the sense of mystique from having morning coffee in Switzerland and dinner in Texas. Almost as much as exploring my destination, I do very much enjoy the actual activity of air travel.

(as I typed this, I was passing over Indiana, somewhere in between Indianapolis and Columbus - it was 2:02p in Austin and 9:02p in Basel. The only time that has any real relevance or meaning is the 1 hour and 43 minutes left in the flight)

The meal was acceptable, standard fare for these flights. Flight staff was attentive. They were working hard and flying right today. Unable to concentrate on reading, I watched a movie during all three of the entertainment system cycles. I enjoyed "Legally Blonde", I tolerated "The Animal", and I felt guilty for enjoying "It had to be you" which was contrived but somehow still managed to work. One minor frustration in the in-flight selection.
When the shorter films end, they're padded with a sampling of syndicated television such that each channel's entertainment can finish at roughly the same time. For whatever reason, the episode of Seinfeld which padded the channel featuring "It had to be you" was the first of two parts. Naturally, only the first part was included in the programming. Would it really have been that tough to select an episode that resolved itself? How frustrating! Now
I'll never know what happens to Jerry's dad's stolen wallet or the discarded wristwatch!

The flight ended without event and my trip through customs was rapid and smooth. I'm checked in (EUA'd to 1A) for my final leg to AUS and I've got an hour to kill here in the north president's club at IAH.


<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: Nugget on 2001-11-10 16:58 ]</font>

[Nugget]

The final leg of my flight to AUS wasn't particularly enjoyable. After pushback we were delayed on the tarmac for about 20 minutes. A Continental 737 was escorted by emergency vehicles to the terminal a few gates down from where our plane was parked. Several fire engines, an ambilance, and quite a few police cars. It appears that IAH halted all inbound and outbound flights to bring this one in safely.

We were about seventh in line to take off, once the airport resumed normal operations, and were in the air within a reasonable amount of time.

The MD-80 we were on was certainly not the cream of Continental's fleet, although the flight staff were doing the best they could. The "mood lighting" above the overhead bins on the right side of the first class cabin was broken in some way, causing the light to pulse rapidly. This persisted for the duration of the 35 minute flight and ended up giving me a throbbing headache. I countered the effects by ordering a rum+coke.

The mixed drink coupled with the fact that my brain thought it was well past 02:00, I was pretty loopy by the time the plane landed. I was met at the airport by stacey, decibel, cow, moonwick, and gregh. It's so nice to feel loved, friendly faces at the end of a long day of travel is quite comforting.

The trip was a success, I'm back on the ground safe and sound.

[Nugget]

The final leg of my flight to AUS wasn't particularly enjoyable. After pushback we were delayed on the tarmac for about 20 minutes. A Continental 737 was escorted by emergency vehicles to the terminal a few gates down from where our plane was parked. Several fire engines, an ambilance, and quite a few police cars. It appears that IAH halted all inbound and outbound flights to bring this one in safely.

We were about seventh in line to take off, once the airport resumed normal operations, and were in the air within a reasonable amount of time.

The MD-80 we were on was certainly not the cream of Continental's fleet, although the flight staff were doing the best they could. The "mood lighting" above the overhead bins on the right side of the first class cabin was broken in some way, causing the light to pulse rapidly. This persisted for the duration of the 35 minute flight and ended up giving me a throbbing headache. I countered the effects by ordering a rum+coke.

The mixed drink coupled with the fact that my brain thought it was well past 02:00, I was pretty loopy by the time the plane landed. I was met at the airport by stacey, decibel, cow, moonwick, and gregh. It's so nice to feel loved, friendly faces at the end of a long day of travel is quite comforting.

The trip was a success, I'm back on the ground safe and sound.