UMTravels

Guess this means that there will be more than one post for New Orleans as there were some “interesting” events on the way to The Big Easy.

It started out WAY too early – and I stayed up the night into the morning before. Short story – bed at 1am, alarm at 3am, flight at 5:30am. The only good thing about this was that I was in First Class so after breakfast I got an hours sleep or so. But here is what I look like at that time of the day – not pretty:

This was on the Seattle to Denver leg – Seat 1B, my favorite. And the breakfast was tasty, but a tad under warmed:

Choice of biscuit or cinnamon roll – since I’m headed to the south, it was biscuit (where is my gravy!)

Since it’s a domestic only ticket – no lounge access EVEN on a Paid First Class Ticket – something that Alaska Airlines does (Paid, but not on upgrades) but apparently United Airlines doesn’t. This meant that I took a two hour “nap” (much needed) on the carpet at DIA. Man did I need that nap!

But the real reason for this post is TWO different run-ins with Service Dogs – BOTH times I was seated in 1B – maybe it shouldn’t be my favorite seat after all!

The first time it was on a Seattle-Tucson direct flight with the woman sitting next to me reeking of cigarette smoke and for most of the trip was on her shoulders – panting in my ear, and going after my meal.

The guy behind me seems freaked out as well. This was in in August of 2014. Here is the post back then: https://blog.unclemarkie.com/2014/10/05/trip-report-ficos-birthday-in-tucson/

I boarded the flight for my favorite seat (1B) to find my legroom filled with a service dog the size of a small pony. When I went to sit down, the woman noticed my apprehension and asked if there might be another first class seat that I’d be more comfortable in – “First is booked full.”

The said small pony:

Luckily, the woman pestered all the flight attendants trying to get a gate agent involved – I actually didn’t say anything, but she could tell that I was uncomfortable. The matter was solved when the guy in 1C offered to switch seats saying, “I like dogs.” Situation defused, but you can see the dog is clearly laying across the leg room of 1A and 1B.

My post on the other dog (https://blog.unclemarkie.com/2014/10/05/trip-report-ficos-birthday-in-tucson/) was skeptical of the “service dog” – seemed more like a cranky, smoky, old lady wanting to keep her pooch with her.

On this trip I actually saw the “small pony” in action.

Turns out that she has HUGE fear of flying issues and was flying to New Orleans when there are huge storms and flooding all over the region. She said she refuses to board flights with expected turbulence – she shouldn’t have boarded this one (I was expecting to be it bumpy), or they gave her bad information at the gate. When we hit the expected turbulence she really started to freak out – grabbing the arm of the gentleman who traded seats – she was pushing the call button, yelling for more alcohol, etc. That’s when the dog (who was totally chill), got up and snuggled up to her – and it did help her, but she was still a mess, not helped by the captain telling the flight attendants to strap in.

After my day I said the hell with the hour plus bus to the city ($2.50) and then a trolley ($2.50) and opted for the UberXL (no UberX from the NOLA airport) for $50.00 – it was just nice to get to the condo in half an hour.

Next post will be the fun of New Orleans.

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