Travel 2

After my job was no longer flying to another city to work life settled in a bit more.
I started in reservations, now I was at the ticket counter. Oh boy, the doozies you deal with in those departments.

In reservations, you were asked silly questions like where you'd be picked up. Really? how about the airport?

At the ticket counter, you were just abused because everything that happened including their parking spot was your fault. I was called names, I had things thrown at me and I had people ask me, "Do you know who I am?"   I think they had dementia. 
Being the little wench that I am even if I did know who they were, I always said no.  It was a practice we all did at the counter. If you are going to throw that around I am going to really make you angry and tell you I have no idea who you are or how important you were. That bothers those types more than anything, even losing their luggage. 

One time the mayor's wife said that to Jim at the USAir ticket counter. I was closing up the counter at my airline because our last flight had just left. I heard her say those words to him and I thought, "'oooh she is not saying that to Jim"  Jim is like my husband and wouldn't say something nice or smile while saying anything like I would.  I turned to watch what was happening over at USAir and he said, "No I don't should I? Do you know who I am?"  She huffed and said nothing else. He proceeded to finish what he was doing for her and she walked away all mad. Jim looked over at me and winked. He knew damn well who she was and so did I but I loved that he said it. I wouldn't have had the guts.

But the best thing about working in the travel industry was the travel. You see this was before terrorists, people dressing terribly inappropriate for travel and when people still had manners. Imagine that for a minute. Real food, high costs to fly, people dressed well, people were polite, and best of all it was a real treat to fly somewhere. One saved for it. It wasn't easily accessible to everyone as it is today. 
Yes, those were the good ole days.

I always flew what was called non-rev (non-revenue).  Flying non-rev meant you got a seat when there were empty seats on the plane. Flying non-rev in those days also meant dressing in appropriate business attire. For women that meant skirts and stockings, suits etc. For men, it was always a jacket and tie and absolutely for both no jeans. Funny isn't it? Last trip I saw people in pj's and slippers and bed head. 

Sometimes if I had a few days free I would just look and see which flights had openings. I would just go somewhere. Explore alone or with a co-worker and come home. We all worked shift work so when someone wanted to have a long succession of days off and it wasn't vacation time you worked someone else's shift. So for example, I had Thursday & Friday off. So Kathy may ask me if she could work my shift, even if it meant she was working a double shift. That way I owed her. That also gave me many days off so I could go somewhere. I would ask which days she wanted me to work for her and if I agreed then we would switch. That way she would get everyone she worked for owning her days and then she could literally take 7 days off in succssion without asking for time off. We all did this and we all did all the time. 

Because I was from this city everyone wanted the holidays off. I always volunteered to work their holidays. I got extra pay and they got to fly home to see their loved ones. I worked one Christmas 5:30a - 2pm. I got home just in time for the big dinner with the family and didn't miss a thing really. I made double time and my friend got to be with her family in another state. 

Jay, who worked in operations, loved Bruce Springsteen. He got tickets for 4 of us and we flew to see him.We all got our schedules worked out so we could fly to New York to see him and fly home that night. It was great. There really wasn't much that I didn't do during those couple of decades. I had a ball. Want to go skiing? We flew to Aspen. I don't even ski. But I had a ball. Want to get some great BBQ? We went to Memphis, ate well and went to hear some great blues. February and you need a tan? How about the Netherlands Antilles? Sure why not. Flew to Maine once for a lobster dinner with friends and I don't even eat seafood. But we had a wonderful time. We took a ferry to an island where the restaurant was located. It was gorgeous! 

You could fly to the Caribbean for free but standing in line to get through customs in that heat in heels, panty hose and all those clothes was never fun. But I would just remind myself that all those folks in shorts and comfy shoes had to pay and I didn't. In fact, I probably was even in first class. I think I flew 2 or 3 times in over 25 years in coach. I was oh so spoiled.

As I mentioned I was working for a regional carrier in my hometown. It was bought out by a larger carrier called Piedmont Airlines. At that point in time they were a big company based in Winston-Salem. All of our flights connected to their hubs. 

One day we were told of their inaugural flight to Denver. The flights were not booked so a bunch of us who had that day off decided to fly to Denver for the day. There were 5 of us. Two pilots, Jay from operations, me and another woman from the ticket counter. We boarded in the morning. They were serving mimosa's in first class for the inaugural flight.
We landed in Denver and the first thing I recall looking out the window was, "Where are the mountains."  Having never flown into Denver before I was expecting to see the mountains. It looked like a vast wasteland to me and I was so surprised. We rented a car, we got maps, yes before a GPS, and took off for parts unknown. We asked people things to see and do and we did them. We had a fabulous late lunch and then flew home.

I was living with my sister at the time and I was dating a man who lived in Huntsville Alabama. 
I really thought my sister would love his roommate. I watched all the flights to see how they were booking. My boyfriends roommate was going to be in Washington DC for the weekend. My sister and he had been talking on the phone, it was now time for them to meet. I watched the flights and saw which ones were not fully booked. I spoke to the captain and co-caption flying that route and asked if I could just get (sneak) my sister on the plane. We worked it out. She flew to DC and met her future husband. Can't do that anymore. 

They had a great weekend and she came home and said how much she liked him and on and on. The next few trips she paid for and went to his hometown and then I believe Nashville. Sure enough she did indeed like him. They have been married now since 1987 

In my life I have no regrets of anything I've done, only what I didn't do.
One of those was flying more to Europe. I spent weekends in the Caribbean, visiting friends around the country and Canada. I was perpetually tan because if I had down time I would go to St. Kitts, Martinique, you name an island and I've probably been there. Why I never went to Europe is crazy. At the beginning, it was because I didn't have the money. While I could fly for free in the US and Canada, it cost about $50 to $100 to go to Europe or Hawaii. I was working 2 jobs and that wasn't feasible.  Hell I went to Aruba with $150 in my pocket and came home with change. 
I didn't pay to fly there nor did I pay to stay in a hotel because I was with a travel agent friend who got her rooms comped. So yes, me not forking over a few bucks for Europe was damn stupid. Normally that amount was my spending money, not the money to fly there. I kept thinking there was time. There never is, is there?

By the time I reached my 3-year goal of working in the GDS (computer systems) of the airlines, I was now making money. And yet, I still didn't go. Dumb ole Margaret
I was so fortunate to do all the things I got to do and I must say I appreciated it then too.
I knew how lucky I was. I had my dream job by this time and I got to travel when I wanted.

A woman I worked with in Ohio had just returned from a long weekend in Jamaica at a Sandals resort. She raved about the first class treatment and what fun she and her boyfriend had there.
I looked into it, but it was couples only. I wasn't dating anyone. Rick was just my friend living in another city and he was dating a bevy of bimbos but none in a committed relationship so I asked if he wanted to go there with me. I explained it was couples only so we had to pretend we were a couple. 

He bought himself a ticket to Montego Bay and I said to my friends at the Eastern Airlines ticket counter that my friend was traveling with me and could they please let him sit upfront in first with me. They said as long as he is dressed appropriately we'll do it. So I told Rick that he had to wear nice pants, a jacket and tie. He asked, "If I don't will you sit in coach with me?"  I laughed and said, "not on your life."

 So he wore a jacket and tie. We had a ball, laughing and drinking in first. He told the flight attendant I was his wife and we were on our honeymoon, she said, "no she's not." 
Then he said, " would you believe she is my girlfriend?"  She said, "NOPE."  
I told him they know me, they can see I'm an employee you numbnut, you can't tell them stories. Save it for the resort.

We had to pretend we were a couple to stay there so we did. Looking back on all this is funny to me. It's not like they saw our sleeping arrangements. We were a boy and a girl and that was the only requirement at that time. So when we met couples who asked how we met we told them. We never lied. No one asked if we were a proper couple. We just didn't say anything about it. 

While I could fly free here I had to pay to stay at this 5 star resort. I had to pay $35 a day. 
Rick sucked that down in bacon and booze by noon so this was a steal for us. 
This resort is all-inclusive, no tipping of any kind, no money out of your pocket once you are there. All meals at all the restaurants, all the booze, all the toys, boats etc. All inclusive. 
We only stayed for 4 days, a quick weekend getaway. We spent $140 and were treated 1st class all the way. Want a bottle to take to your room, sure no problem mon. Never another cent. We watched a couple renew their vows there one afternoon. It was beautiful. Rick turned to me and said, "this would be a really great place to get married wouldn't it?"

Never in a million years did I think that I would get married there to my buddy Rick 6 years later.
Never in a million years did I think I would date him so that alone is pretty funny looking back.

Traveling then was so civilized and different than how it is today. I miss traveling a great deal but then when I do get a chance to go somewhere it is so horrific. It saddens me in a way and yet, I have to say I am so glad that I spent my youth flying all over the place and experienced so many kinds of cities, people and food. I learned that no matter the beauty of an area, the people make it beautiful or not. I learned so much from travel. I think it is still a great thing for young people to do and experience. To open their minds. I have found those with a closed mind normally don't leave their small area.  
I also learned that while Dallas may not have been for me I sure did like Galveston, and Austin, but never got to San Antonio which I wanted to experience.

I don't get o fly every week now, but I still hope that I can cross one thing off my bucket list. That would be driving through New England in fall in my Winnebago with Rick and Izzy. Stopping for apples, driving through the Adirondacks, boating on lake George, having fresh maple sryup, and just taking pictures and enjoying all of the beauty surrounding us. That is what this old broad would do now. Then a trip to Positano before I die.  Wine, water and the Amalfi coast, how bad can that be?