Happy Wednesday, everyone. Spoiler alert: I won’t have a useful post for you today, but it’s not for lack of good intentions.
As I write this, I am in Las Vegas at the annual SHOT Show–Shooting Hunting and Outdoor Technology–doing research for my novels and touching base with my technical consultants. My travel plans have been in place for months. I would fly out of Washington Dulles on a direct flight on Sunday afternoon which would deliver me to LAS with plenty of time to pick up my badge and meet some friends for dinner. On Monday, I would go to Range Day in the morning, get back to my hotel in the early afternoon and get this blog post written before the main part of the show started on Tuesday morning. The show, after all, is what this trip is all about.
That long-lasting plan had me returning home on Friday night, and all would be well.
Then reality hit. All of my flights were scheduled on Boeing 737 Max 9 aircraft owned by United Airlines. You might have heard about the little problem of 737-9 exit doors exiting unexpectedly last week on an Alaska Air flight. So, wait for it . . . All 737-9s in the United States have been grounded pending FAA inspections.
Now, I’m the first to agree that flight complications are way better than flights falling out of the sky, and my heart goes out to whoever is responsible for rescheduling the thousands of passengers on hundreds of grounded flights. But this is about me. After FIVE iterations of flights being canceled and rebooked only to have the rebooked flights also canceled, my non-stop trip to LAS turned into a two-stop trip that got me to the hotel after the restaurants had closed.
Yesterday, as I was leaving Range Day, United Airlines texted me with the news that all of my rescheduled return flights had been canceled, and that no seats–NO SEATS–were available to get me home before 11pm on SUNDAY night. And that solution came only after 90 minutes of sitting on hold and another 30 minutes of haggling with the UAL customer service people.
Now, I’m not a bitter or vindictive guy. I understand that stuff happens. But can we all agree that the CEOs of Boeing and United should be sent to prison to pay for the thousands of hours of inconvenience thrust upon travelers because of their cutting corners on quality control that could have gotten people killed? At the very least, isn’t it reasonable for the law to require that they must travel exclusively in the last middle seat at the rear of standard aircraft?
I will immediately stop complaining about the little stuff.
Hope you get there and back in a reasonable time – that sounds epic.
Yikes. Safe travels.
So sorry this happened to you. I was recently scheduled with United on a max 9 to fly to LA right after the Alaska Airlines debaucle. I was on pins and needles watching to see what would happen with my flight. By some miracle they were able to get another plane but it was smaller and I know we had people bumped from the flight. Watching the continuing cancellations, I realize how lucky I was my flight to LA happened at all.
John, best wishes for your safe return home. I have reservations on Friday for United 737-800 flights and so far no cancellations or hiccups. Fingers crossed.
Here’s SNL’s take on recent problems:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZf0bNDWH4s
I don’t know about prison, but I like the idea that the CEOs of all airlines and airplane manufacturers should have to travel in the middle seat, back row for at least one year of travel. And their baggage should be put on another flight, never to be seen again. (Am I overreacting? 🙂 )
I’m truly sorry for your travel problems, John, but you’ve given me an idea for a future post. Thank you, and have a safe trip home.
the old saying is, there are two kinds of luggage, carry-on and lost.
Absolutely safety first, but this still stinks. I’m sorry you’ve had things upended like this, John. There needs to be consequences for these safety failures.
Grumble, grumble, grumble. That’s on your behalf. But Las Vegas.
Yikes, John. Sorry for your travel nightmares. Hope you get home safe.
Not to make light of your traveling travails, Mr. G, but my pop, who flew for Eastern Air Lines for nearly 35 years, always said, “Time to spare? Go by air…”
And back when I smashed suitcases for EAL while in college, the late Frank Borman was President at the time. He (almost) always flew standby… sometimes it was first class, sometime it was steerage, er, coach… of course, he was a fighter pilot and astronaut, so cramped spaces were second nature for him I s’pose…
From now on, make sure your shoes have polyurethane polymer soles.