The high point of my day would be an evening Zoom Meeting

 

Yesterday, I did some serious "damage" to the clutter in my living room/dining room areas of my apartment.  Today, it was time to toss out all the garbage, rearrange things, and finding homes for things displaced from their previous storage spaces.  After yesterday, I didn't need any strenuous work, and I made sure not to do any.

So, I did a little bit more decluttering work, putting books in donation boxes, and others into the remaining bookshelves that I have in the apartment.  Yet, for the most part, I wasted time during the day, and I didn't get showered, dressed and out of the house until 6:15 pm.  And it was time to get something to eat before my zoom meeting.

At the diner, I was served by a woman who was the spitting image (and voice) of someone I worked with several years ago.  I knew that she was a doppelganger for my former coworker, as my coworker lived on Staten Island with her husband.  There was no way that she'd leave project management to be a waitress.  But I'd have loved to ask the waitress about her ethnic origins, just so I could ask if she had a doppelganger relative from the Philippines living in the USA.

All too soon, I had to rush home for my zoom meeting.  (The picture above is how I appeared before everyone started signing on to the meeting.)  I can't wait for all of us to meet in Chicago in two and a half months' time.  Four gals on the town in the big city - we won't have enough time to do it all on this trip, so we may have to schedule something for next year soon....

This is why I don't fly discount carriers

 

 

My Texas friends are flying on a budget airline to meet us in Chicago this fall.  Unfortunately, it looks like the budget airline has changed its route structure, and now my friends will arrive in the Windy City 3 hours later than planned.  AARGH!  This screws up the plans for the first evening of our stay.

The following is a clipping from a chat that went on earlier in the day:

• Just got an email regarding my flight to Chicago. Instead of going direct, it is now flying to New Orleans for a 2 hour layover before flying to O'Hare, arriving in Chicago at 6:35 pm
• 11:50 AM

  Message from you, Aargh, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:50 AM.

   

  Aargh
•  

  Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, I am beyond pissed, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:51 AM.

  S

  I am beyond pissed
• 11:51 AM

  Message from you, I would be too. They probably canceled the direct flight and sent you on a different path than you paid for, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:51 AM.

   

  I would be too. They probably canceled the direct flight and sent you on a different path than you paid for
•  

  Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, Looks like it, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:53 AM.

  S

  Looks like it
• 11:53 AM

  Message from you, We'll be at the hotel when you get there, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:53 AM.

   

  We'll be at the hotel when you get there
•  

  Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, And the flight is non refundable, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:55 AM.

  S

  And the flight is non refundable
• 11:55 AM

  Message from you, Damn!, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:55 AM.

   

  Damn!
•  

  Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, I am tempted to by a new ticket that is direct but concerned that they will do the same with the new ticket, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:56 AM.

  S

  I am tempted to by a new ticket that is direct but concerned that they will do the same with the new ticket
• 11:56 AM

  Message from you, Keep an eye on plane tickets from other airlines if you don't like this one. I tend to stay with the old majors, JetBlue and Southwest, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:56 AM.

   

  Keep an eye on plane tickets from other airlines if you don't like this one. I tend to stay with the old majors, JetBlue and Southwest
•  

  Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, Mind reader, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:57 AM.

  S

  Mind reader
• 11:57 AM

  Message from you, Yup, Sunday, June 11 2023, 11:57 AM.

   

  Yup
•  

  Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, Looking at the flights for Spirit and JetBlue, their sites are both taking me to Southwest out of Love field instead of DFW, Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:08 PM.

  S

  Looking at the flights for Spirit and JetBlue, their sites are both taking me to Southwest out of Love field instead of DFW
• 12:29 PM

  Message from you, Are you closer to dfw?, Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:29 PM.

   

  Are you closer to DFW?
•  

  Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, Both are about the same distance just slightly different direction, Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:32 PM.

  S

  Both are about the same distance just slightly different direction
•  

  Message from Jennifer Sasser, I got the same email. they may change it again., Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:34 PM.

  J

  I got the same email. they may change it again.
•  

  Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, That crossed my mind also. Which is why I am not rushing to change the flight yet, Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:35 PM.

  S

  That crossed my mind also. Which is why I am not rushing to change the flight yet
•  

  Message from Stephanie Bernzweig, Jenn, did you see the important message to accept the new itinerary? Just wanted to make sure, Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:55 PM.

  S

  Jenn, did you see the important message to accept the new itinerary? Just wanted to make sure
•  

  Message from Jennifer Sasser, I didn't get a message to accept new itinerary, Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:56 PM.

  J

  I didn't get a message to accept new itinerary
• 12:57 PM

  Message from you, Hopefully both of you will have no more headaches with the flights, Sunday, June 11 2023, 12:57 PM.

  

  Hopefully both of you will have no more headaches with the flights

S

Looks li

Both of my friends are taking a "Budget Airline" to get between Point A and Point B.  Neither realized that their discount carrier has a habit of "nickel-diming" its customers, and that one can often get an equally good deal from one legacy carriers.  Now, they are thinking of a more expensive "Plan B", in case things get screwed up again.

Can I trash the discount carrier for changing flight schedules 4 months in advance? Possibly.  But I choose not to do it, as getting a cheap fare involves trade-offs, and the possibility of experiencing events like this is one of the trade-offs one has to make for the cheap fares.  As for me, I'd rather pay a full rate and get better service....

 

 

 

PS: One of my friends cancelled her flight on Spirit Airlines, and got a flight on Southwest for a similar fare.  Yes, she may be out the money.  But she simply doesn't like what Spirit did, nor does she like their terrible schedules.