We made it!  Our hosts warned us that planes had been turning back due to high winds earlier in the week, and when we saw the forecast for the day of our flight, we were none too confident that we’d get to land.  The pilot came on the PA as we were making our descent to say that it was windy and rainy, but we were going to attempt to land.  Yay:)

Once we were below the clouds, I could see the ocean tossing violently.  I’m not going to lie — I was pretty tense.  Our plane was bouncing all over the sky, and I held my breath.

Finally I caught a glimpse of the island from my window seat — we were very close!  I have no idea how to estimate our altitude at the time, but let’s just say we were probably no more than 10 seconds from landing when the pilot pulled the nose up and we started to climb again.

Damn.

I woke up at 4am for that flight, and I’ve never been one to sleep on a plane, so I knew if we had to turn around, I’d be in for an even longer and more stressful day.  Luckily, we circled the island and made a successful landing on the second attempt.  It was the bumpiest landing I’ve ever felt, but we made it! 

Today the winds are even wilder.  The wind actually woke us up this morning, screaming at our window and shaking the house.  Our hosts say this is not uncommon for this time of year in Bermuda.  My bridge partner is scheduled to land this afternoon, and let’s just say I’m not exactly counting on it.  I’ve been checking BDA on FlightStats.com, though, and all three of today’s flights so far have landed, so I’m at least cautiously optimistic.

I’ve never flown on a rickety old turboprop in the Himalayas, or on any Air Third World airline, but in all the flying I’ve done, approaching Bermuda (this is my second visit) is definitely the diciest landing I’ve ever experienced.  Even for a frequent flying globetrotter, this one’s a little bit terrifying.  But it’s so, so worth it.  Stay tuned for more from Bermuda all week.

Before I met McKenzie, I was married for about five minutes to my college — I hesitate to say “sweetheart” — I was married to that dude I dated in college.  During that five minutes, I updated my passport, so I have this ID that doesn’t expire for a bunch of years yet, and it’s got my old married name on it.  When I married McKenzie, I couldn’t drop “Taylor” fast enough, so all my IDs reflect my first name, maiden name, and married name.  Except my passport, which everyone said I wouldn’t have to update.  I’ve done a little bit of international travel with this passport, and it’s never been an issue.  But that was before that jerkwad set his pants on fire on a plane last month.

When we booked our tickets to Bermuda, my husband double checked that the name on my passport, which has my actual first and middle names but former last name, would not be a problem.  He was told that as long as the passport is not expired, and I have valid ID with my current name, this is no problem.

When we checked in online, Continental Airlines’ website even asks if your name matches the name on the passport.  Mine doesn’t, so I entered the correct information and checked in.  No problems.  I was actually impressed with how easy Continental’s online check-in was, especially with the passport information.  Of course, it was too easy.

We needed to print our boarding passes at the airport, which for some reason required us to go through the whole check-in all over again.  Because we are flying internationally, the ticket agent has to scan some badge to verify that she’s checked our passports — though I wonder why this is necessary, considering that if we’d had a printer, we would have skipped this step altogether.  It was about 5:30am at the Richmond International Airport (RIC), and no one was in a great mood.  This ticket agent was particularly grumpy.  When she saw that my passport had a different name on it, she told me I couldn’t fly unless I could produce proof that the passport was mine.

Apparently a driver’s license, social security card, face that matches the passport photo, and a stamp from customs in Bermuda when I took the exact same trip two years ago do not constitute proof.  They wanted my marriage license.  They told me it was my responsibility to know that I would have to have this.

I disagree.  I think it’s Continental’s responsibility to tell me, when I tell them that my legal name doesn’t match my passport, 24 hours before I try to fly, that I’m going to need more documents.  Or maybe when I book the ticket, you know, WHEN WE ASKED THEM. And you know what?  I’m pretty sure Continental WOULD HAVE given me this information.  I think that their user-friendly online check-in would probably include a blip about this requirement, were it actually a real requirement. After all, remember that I could have skipped all this nonsense if only I’d printed my own pass.

After a few minutes of arguing with me and telling me I should be more responsible (because all responsible people carry their marriage licenses around, along with at least two forms of government issued identification, at least $100 in cash, their Kroger Plus card, and their pets’ vaccination records), she changed my ticket to my former married name, as if this was some gargantuan favor.  Why the hassle in the first place, then?

Look, I get that rules are necessary, and having inconsistent IDs could indicate some sort of threat, so I get that they have to be careful with this sort of thing.  But there don’t appear to be any actual rules about it, and those that exist are at best halfassedly enforced.  So until the guidelines are clear and consistent, I reserve the right to bitch about it.

I’m sitting in Newark waiting to make my connection to Bermuda, and I’m a little tense about potential issues with customs and my return ticket, but at least I’m on my way now.  What’s the worst that could happen?  I get stuck in Bermuda?  What a shame that would be.

I love the window seat on flights.  Aisle seats have the advantage of a little space to stretch out to your side and not having to climb over anyone to move around the plane, but in my opinion, the view is the best part of a flight.  I’ve recently started keeping my camera in my carry on bag so I can take photos of the views I just don’t get any other way.  It was mostly cloudy on Sunday’s flight from Portland to Salt Lake and then Salt Lake City to Atlanta (guess what airline I was on!), but there were still some nice views.

We flew out before sunrise.   I wasn’t on the right side of the plane to capture the sun itself, but here’s a hint of sunrise coming through the clouds:

The clouds started to break somewhere over Idaho:

The clouds came back, though.  I love how the tallest mountains poke through, almost like some sort of liaison between the earth and the heavens:

Flying from SLC to ATL, I was at the back of the plane, so a wing made it into most of these shots.  Some photography snobs might edit the plane out of these photos, but I like it, actually.

I really love how the low clouds just lap at the base of these mountains in Utah like a calm lake.  The Great Salt Lake is under there somewhere.

The mountains in Utah are just stunning.  I kept snapping photos until they were out of sight.

As we headed east, we crossed that great landmark, the mighty Mississippi River:

On Friday, I fly to Bermuda.  I’m hoping it’s clear enough to get some good photos of the gorgeous approach.  I’m experimenting with some photo gallery features here so that future Window Seat posts will be in gallery form — I hope you enjoy them!

McKenzie and I are currently on the first leg of our three-flight cross-country journey.  We took off from PDX at 6am, and it’s first stop, Salt Lake City… (I have to quote Dave Carter every time I fly this leg.)  PDX – SLC – ATL – RIC.  What a roundabout way to get to the other side.  All of our layovers are short, though, so for a little bit of added stress, we at least get a shorter travel day — a reasonable trade-off.

I’m loving GoGo Inflight Internet — most Delta planes have it, and other airlines are adding it as well.  It’s especially nice for all the coast-to-coast travel I do.  I’ve used it before, so I knew that I could purchase a day pass for around $10, but when I logged on, the welcome screen only gave me two options:  $9.95 to access the web for the duration of my flight (I have THREE flights today; no thank you) or $29.95 for the month (my return trip is on a different airline, and I’m not sure GoGo will be an option).  Where’s the day pass, GoGo?  Either of these options would be a huge ripoff for me.

After poking around the page for a while, I found the small print that said “Show all passes.”  Aha!  I clicked through, and at the bottom of the next page was the option for the $12.95 day pass.  More expensive than last time, if my memory is correct, but at least it’s there.  Still, GoGo, you didn’t make it easy for me.  Considering I woke up at 4am for this flight, I was lucky to have enough brain power to figure it out.

I love being able to pass the time on these long travel days by surfing the web, but it really rubs me the wrong way how it’s just one more way for airlines to shake you down, especially when they try to trick you into paying more than you have to.

***

Speaking of shakedowns, USAir has joined Delta and Continental in raising fees to check bags.

Delta Airlines and Continental Airlines have always been among the most expensive to check bags at $25 for the first and $35 for the second.  It used to be that you could save a little bit by checking in and prepaying for bags online — then these airlines charged only (only, ha) $15 for the first bag and $25 for the second.

Now both airlines have upped the online fees — you’ll still save money, but only enough for a cup of coffee.  First Delta raised fees to $23 and $32, and then Continental matched the increase.  New fees will apply to tickets purchased after January 5.

The fact that some flights now have tighter carry on restrictions will make it harder to avoid checking luggage.  Fantastic.

There’s only one major airline left in the US that doesn’t charge to check your first two bags, and in my experience, Southwest Airlines is the best carrier in the states for plenty more reasons.  They always have competitive fares, their seating policy is great, their seats are comfortable, their employees are the friendliest, and the free snacks on the plane are the yummiest.  Fee hikes by other airlines only farther separate Southwest from the pack.  Delta, Continental, all the rest  of you:  you’re doing it wrong.

The Canadian Transportation Agency (CTA) has recently ordered that Air Canada a nut-free buffer zone on all its flights, following complaints from two passengers with severe nut allergies.  Nut allergies tend to be more intense than other allergies, and in extreme cases, even being in the same room as a bag of peanuts can set off a bad reaction.  Now imagine that room is a small flying tube — you can’t just leave the room for fresh air.

I’ve always wondered why peanuts are the go-to snack for airlines, given that so many people have such harsh allergies.  Severe nut allergies are rare, but not pink diamond rare — so on any flight with 100 or more people, there’s a good chance that someone on board has some degree of nut allergy.  I’ve heard of flights having buffer zones, or offering alternative snacks when someone on the flight has a severe allergy, but in all my time flying, I’ve never been aware of a nut buffer in effect on one of my flights.

Even if an airline doesn’t serve nuts on a particular flight, what’s to stop the passengers from bringing on nutty snacks?  The idea of the buffer zone is that passengers in certain seats are not allowed to have nuts, so that an allergic person can safely sit in that region.  Most airlines seem to have vague nut policy guidelines, where the crew will try to accommodate a passenger with severe allergies by asking other travelers to create a voluntary buffer, but those with allergies are not satisfied with these practices.  Sophia Huyer, one of the passengers that complained about Air Canada, says she wants all nuts banned from all flights.

This sounds like an extreme demand, but given the extreme nature of the allergy, I’ll stop short of slamming her for it.  Still, there will always be issues of some kind.  There are more than just nut allergies in the world.  Maybe travelers should stop using soap or wearing deodorant to protect those passengers who are allergic to the chemicals in these artificially scented products…that would make for a fun flight, wouldn’t it?

I think the answer is not a ban, and probably not even a new official, legal policy — that would only make the ticketing process more complicated.  The key is understanding, sensitivity, and flexibility on both sides of the issue.  Airlines, just like any other business, should be willing to accommodate customers with special needs, but it should be the responsibility of the one with special needs to communicate those needs in advance.  I don’t see how this needs to be any more complicated than keeping a backup stash of pretzels instead of nuts and making a couple of friendly requests over the PA at the beginning of the flight.

I’m curious if anyone here has ever experienced this peanut buffer zone.  Are there airlines that have them in effect all the time, or is it only at the request of a passenger?  I’d also like to hear from anyone with super severe nut allergies — would a buffer zone be enough, or do you need a completely nut-free flight?

I haven’t chimed in yet about last week’s foiled terrorist attack by passenger Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab.  In the wake of this news, rumors were flying about new security rules, and I just refused to believe that any of these rumors could be true.  Homeland Security was banning in-flight entertainment?  No reading my book within an hour of landing?  I mean, come on.  I just don’t see how Jane Austen is a threat to national security.

I thought that surely these new policies were just a bunch of overblown rumors — I remember watching the live coverage of the 9/11 attacks, and the news stations would report any minor fire or accident anywhere in the US as a possible terrorist attack — people tend to lose their heads when news like this breaks, and I thought it was more of the same this time around.  But the reports of new rules that I thought were too wacky to be real were actually accurate.

Initial reports said that airline passengers would now face more intense security checks at the airport, including tighter restrictions on carryon luggage, possible full body scans, and many more restrictions on board the plane — like no moving around during the last hour of a flight, no accessing your own carryons during that time, no in-flight entertainment, no flight maps, and so on.  Whether or not these restrictions stick remains to be seen — from what I’ve heard from traveling friends, these rules are inconsistently enforced.  But one thing’s for sure — flying, especially internationally, just became an even bigger pain in the ass.

No one was hurt, except for the wannabe bomber who caught his own crotch on fire, so in that regard, the attack was about as unsuccessful as the attacker could hope.  But this incident gave rise to all these new restrictions that will severely inconvenience air travelers for who knows how long.

My husband and I road tripped to Reno for the holidays, so we haven’t been on a plane since Abdulmutallab renewed America’s collective panic, but I’m so glad I have an international flight planned later this month…  I’ll let you know what new rules I encounter.

One of the longest travel days of my life was when I was on one of my many cross country flights.  Against all odds, I managed to fall asleep on the plane before takeoff, and after a long and blissful nap, I woke up on the ground — the same ground on which I’d started the day.  The plane had been delayed for 90 minutes, and didn’t take off for another 45.  If anyone gave an explanation, I slept through it.  I missed my connection and spent the rest of the day frustrated and scrambling to get to my destination.

Even without the stress of the missed connections, sitting on the tarmac is the worst way to be delayed.  You can’t go anywhere.  You get hungry.  You’re usually not allowed to get out of your seat, so hopefully you don’t have to use the lav.  All you can do is sit in your tiny little area and stew.

I really feel for the passengers on an Air Jamaica flight from Baltimore to Jamaica that was stuck on the tarmac for eight hours on Saturday.   These passengers were not given food or drink or any explanation — it was always “20 more minutes….”  Ultimately, the plane returned to the gate at BWI and passengers got off after the excruciating wait.  They were given vouchers for Subway, but no other reimbursement was offered.  Ugh.  What a nightmare.

Today, the Department of Transportation announced a new rule that will limit the amount of time US airlines can delay passengers on the tarmac.  The rule, which goes into effect in approximately four months, states that US planes flying domestic routes cannot delay passengers on the tarmac for more than three hours, and must return to a gate to let passengers deplane if the delays will be longer.

A victory for passengers’ rights?  Eh, it’s a step in the right direction, but at best a baby step.  Three hours is still long enough to screw you out of your connections, bore you out of your mind, and make even the sanest passengers go stir crazy.  And the rule — “rule,” not “law” — only applies to domestic flights on US carriers.  Way to flex your muscles, DOT.

I change time zones like some people change clothes.  That means a lot of long, cross-country flights and a lot of meals in airports.  The last thing you want on a five-hour flight is an upset stomach, so you really have to be careful what you eat on travel days.  Keep in mind that if your flight encounters turbulence, the crew won’t allow you to get up and use the lavatories, so you don’t want to eat anything that could be cause for a potential gastronomical emergency.

In addition to bathroom logistics, your flight schedule can throw your meal plan for a loop.  Often you’ll have the choice of a 10:30am lunch or no real food again until 4pm.  If you do eat the earlybird lunch, you’re going to be hungry for dinner when you land at 4, and if you give in to that craving, you’ll want another meal before bed, won’t you?  It’s a mess.

My last cross country flight was a 5+ hour ride from DC to San Francisco on United, and they didn’t even serve a snack on that trip!  Five effing hours and all I got was one tiny cup of oj.  Not even a half a handful of pretzels.  Any 60+ minute flight on Southwest and you get two beverage services and all the free cookies, crackers, pretzels, and peanuts you can handle.

My point, though, is that it’s hard to plan your meals around your flight schedule, and you know you’re taking a risk any time you order an airport burrito.  My solution is to carry a box of meal replacement bars in my carry-0n luggage.  Thanks to a year of dieting, I’ve tried all the brands, and my clear favorite is the Special K Choclatey Chip Protein Bar.

The Special K meal bars are available in five different flavors — all are yummy, but the three different chocolate flavors (Choclatey Chip, Double Chocolate, and Chocolate Peanut Butter) taste like candy bars.  You can find them at just about any grocery store — they’ll be with the diet food like Slim Fast shakes and other meal replacement products, and a box of six usually sells for $5-$7.  The bars are about the size of a large candy bar, and are approximately 180 calories each, with 10g of protein and 5g of fiber to help you feel full and satisfied.

If you try these and don’t like them (I can’t imagine!), sample a few other brands of snack or meal replacement bars.  I also really like Fiber One (though these aren’t as filling), and the Slim Fast bars are tolerable, but not delicious.  Stash a few of your favorite meal replacement bars in your carry on luggage, and eating and hunger will be much smaller concerns the next time you fly.