Pre-Travel Day

I’m greeted by a text message telling me that I’m within the 24 window so my flight is available for check in. I’m not even sure there is a point to checking in ahead of time other than getting the opportunity to have boarding passes in your hands. I guess it is all about time saving and maybe not having to deal with a real person. Plus, checking in with a gate agent requires them to type an entire novel before they can print your boarding passes and the little stickers that go on you bags and send them onto the belt that you hope will get them to your final destination.

(Side note – I don’t fly often so this may be a common thing but the Delta app actually sends you a little text message when your bag is loaded on the plane. Why I find that comforting I don’t know but it is kind of nice to know your bag isn’t headed off to another destination. Unless the bag decided you were going to a boring place and jumped ship to go somewhere better)

Anyway, because we are leaving the country (US to Canada), it requires passports. For check in purposes, they have a feature that will scan your passport from your phone. Again, I don’t travel a lot so this may be something you are used to – for me it was new. Got my wife taken care of no problem and then we get to me ….

When I booked the ticket, there was a space for a middle initial. I probably shouldn’t have put one in but I see a space, I’m usually going to add the information. Somehow, in the electronic world, they have added my middle initial to the end of my first name and, lo and behold, the name doesn’t match what is on my passport. Request denied! I’m one of the sad, sorry people who has to get my boarding pass at the airport.

So now I’ve got this little bit of worry about getting hung up in some kind of bureaucratic nightmare because of a stupid misplaced middle initial. Like can you prove that you are really the person who made this reservation? OK, you got me. My evil twin actually did that. This is why replacing people with automated stuff isn’t always bright and shiny. These two fields don’t match and you are kicked out of the process and there is nothing you can do about it. Sucks to be you. I get that people can be just as silly with having to follow rules to the letter but at least with a person I could explain the situation and it will all work out.

This is a good thing about having the first flight out because the lines shouldn’t be that long and we are getting to the airport with plenty of time to spare. Unless there is unexpected construction or I have an unusually slow driver or something happens to his car.

Now the other thing to semi panic about is that I couldn’t find a confirmation for the motel where we are supposed to stay tonight. Most places give you an email confirmation and I sort of remember that this place just showed a confirmation screen with instructions to print it. I hate printing stuff so I ignored it. Not that this will be a big problem as there are other options and I think it will be fine anyway – I’m sure I’m in the system somewhere.

I do actually love it when we finally get to where we are supposed to be but the process of getting from point A to point B is the problem. Why we don’t yet have Star Trek transporter technology is beyond me. Beam me the heck up!

While we do have a layover, both flights are around 2 hours. It is probably less actual air time but they have to pad the times to allow for delays at the hub we have to visit to get to our final destination. There’s good and bad about that. It is about as long as I want to spend in a little metal tube breathing in recycled air so that’s good. But because airlines need to cut as many costs as possible, they tend to use those stupid “regional jets”. I’m slightly taller than the average guy and there is nothing worse then having to duck your head because you can’t stand up inside the freaking plane.

Yes, I’m going to enjoy the vacation. I do enjoy seeing new sights. We just have to get through tomorrow so I can really start to enjoy my vacation.