The Journey: Part One

I promise these posts will become more interesting once I actually get to Japan. Right now I'm just trying to keep everyone in the loop.

Today I flew from Portland International Airport to Regan National Airport in Washington, D.C. The flight was pretty uneventful. As we were landing, we had to fly right over the city and I could see the White House, the Mall, and the Washington and Lincoln Memorials. When the plane taxied, I spotted the Jefferson Memorial as well.

Because my flight was just a little commuter hop, it landed way out on the tarmac and then we got on a bus to bring us to the terminal.

For those of you who have never been there, the Regan National is made up of small isolated terminals joined by shuttle buses. I prefer the walkway-connected sprawly airports because they give you plenty of room to walk around - but this one was okay anyway. My terminal had bathrooms, a bunch of food places, two news and politics themed shops, and plenty of places to plug in your laptop if you needed to work.

While riding the bus to my next plane, I heard two women and an off-duty pilot complaining about the system. It was loud, they said. It was "like a carnival," they said. What if it were raining or snowing, they said. Setting aside the fact that it rarely snows in Washington D.C., their complaints frustrated me. These people were looking at this from the wrong angle.

In the hour before I left, ten other flights departed from the same two gates - gates 35A and B. The waiting area was loud and chaotic but the crew kept things moving. All the flights left on time, except for one which was grounded for maintenance. The staff announced boarding calls loudly and repeatedly and they were accessible. If you had a question, someone was there to answer it. Those three complainers boarded their flight without incident and took off on time.

That's really all you can ask of an airline.

Here's a little advice for those who plan to fly out to visit me in the next couple of years. The terminal may be loud, crowded, and congested, but if your plane leaves on time and with you on it you should be content. And if you're not - don't come whining to me.

I leave you today with the wisdom of Yugoslavian proverb: "Complain to one who can help you." ... or shut up and let the rest of us enjoy our day.