In This Case, Getting There Is Not Half The Fun
By Kevin Wilkerson, PubClub.com Travel Blogger
I love going home for the holidays.
Spending quality time with the family that I only get to see about once a year, having mom cook for me – and do my laundry! – and watching Alabama basketball games with my dad, who is also an Bama grad, are all parts of the fun.
The problem, tho, is getting there, specifically from Los Angeles to Knoxville, TN. Because Knoxville has a small airport, I always have to connect through somewhere – Dallas, Cincinnati, Nashville or the familiar Atlanta – and finding flights is a pain.
It used to not be that way. In fact, it was easy. I would call Delta, speak to a friendly reservations agent (we would always share a few laughs) and I would always have a flight at a good price.
Now, tho, it’s all done via the Internet (Delta actually charges to talk to an agent!). And airline websites are incredibly frustrating things these days.
First of all, there are so many options with all the add-on fees, it’s difficult to know what you are getting when you look at the site. They are also divided into one-way fares with literally a dozen or more flights both coming and going, so much so that I always have to pause and rub my eyes.
A few of those flights have something like 8 hour layovers, so I have to note the travel time, which is in small type almost hidden from view.
It takes me a good 15-20 minutes to review all the options each way and get a flight at a reasonable price – anything under $700 seems to be a “good deal” these days; heck I used to go to Europe for less than that – then I’m bombarded with more choices. Those are all the add-on costs that can add $50-100 to the already absurd ticket price.
I always decline those add-ons. I don’t like them and refuse to give the airlines any extra of my dollars for “premium economy” seating, “early boarding” privilege or any of these rip-off things that used to be free.
The whole thing is a maddening experience and when finally completed, I sit back and catch my breath as if I just had to sprint to catch a tight connection.
The upshot is I do get to spend the holidays with my family, and that’s something I treasure each and every year.
Holiday cheers!
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