My Gypsy Life

I flew from SFO to Seattle on Alaska Air…hmm what does this note say…

Surprised to say the least…

The plane began boarding. I waited in line neither anxious nor scared, just ready to sleep. Beep went the person’s ticket in front of me. When it came my turn, I didn’t hear that beep. Swipe again. Denied. Am I not going to Shanghai today? The woman told me to see the front counter as I might have been upgraded. Heading over to the crowded counter I was hoping for another travel miracle. “I’m sorry miss but we’ve had to move you…we didn’t have any seats available so we’ve now put you in business class.”

Rejoice!  For the first time I flew business class internationally and it was my own personal christmas. The first present I opened was a blanket and pillow. I tore off the plastic covering to feel the warmth of the duvet and fluffiness of the pillow. Next, the red one; an oval shaped travel case. Ooohhh! Just what I always wanted. I received not one but multiple presents in this one; a toothbrush, toothpaste, socks with traction, an eye mask, gum, ear plugs, tissues, and lotion…much nicer than I’d ever been given in economy. More gifts came throughout the flight including gourmet meals, choices of hot tea, and a warm towel. Yet, my favorite gift was the reclining chair. Pushing the buttons, I slowly reclined further and further back until I was laying horizontally, eyes close…ahhh, sleep! A very, merry christmas from Delta.

With a layover in Tokyo I arrived in Shanghai pretty late and so did my bags, but a nice man from the hotel was waiting for me with a sign and a comfy car. As we got closer to the city center, I was expecting more lights as Shanghai has consistently been compared to New York. It’s not like the Manhattan skyline though; the buildings are more like ghosts. I could see their blurred silhouettes in the dark sky and sometimes a hotel sign hovering high in the darkness. It’s probably the smog.

From the moment I stepped on the plane, to right now as I sit at my desk, I’ve had my eyes wide open and my lips pressed together only to open them to say “ni how” (hello). My eyes haven’t had this much exercise in awhile, as I look from left to right, up and down, watching and observing those around me. I’ve had moments of pure joy like walking to work this morning, my inner monologue said, “That sign is in Chinese and I can’t read it and I have no idea where I’m going and I love it!” I feel like a toddler who is just getting her footing right, curious about everything, with a big smile on her face.

Back on the road again…it was a pleasant surprise when I went to LGA to find they re-did the food court. What do they have? A small gluten-free section which made me really happy. Props to Delta LGA terminal.

Delta FAIL (again)!

I boarded the plane to fly home to nyc today. I was excited about the TV in front of my seat because that meant I would be able to watch the World Cup match this afternoon.

To my surprise and sadness, they got rid of their live TV feature! Shame on you Delta. I’m not going to pay $6 for your pre-selected “on-demand” bs.

I have to fly Delta (yes, haveto). They pretty much have a monopoly on my life. Meaning they are quite literally the only airline that flies into my hometown. Which is fine because I’m a medallion member.

I promised I wouldn’t vent too much about the fiasco yesterday but what I will say is I was on the phone with 5 different customer service reps, over the course of a few hours. They would not admit wrong doing until I threatened the power of reviews on the interwebs. It was beyond frustrating.

Oh well, I’m home now…home as in nyc. Thought I’d post my travel outfit from yesterday as well.

dress: anthropologie, necklace: anthro, watch: again, from the 80s, shoes: nicole

Gogo inflight internet sent out surveys if you registered in the past for wifi. The survey is lame, kind of long, but if you fill it out they’ll give you a code for free internet on one flight.

And it works!

I had another I love to travel moment tonight. Grabbing a quick bite in the airport food court, I lonely sat at a 4 top. It was busy and my only seating option. About 5 minutes into my meal a young guy asks if could share the table. “Sure” I said, eager for the company. I also thought, Ok, he must be European…I’ve never seen an American do something like this. I was right! It was a pleasant surprise as we chatted in those brief moments before boarding our respective flights.

Also, what the hell is up with the flying corn in Terminal E in the Atlanta Airport?

(picture courtesy of ATL Airport.com)

I forgot to take my own photo of this masterpiece.