“
Home For The Holidays” November 21, 2012 A Lincoln Daily News Magazine Copyright 2012
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seats. This makes securing a reservation as early
as possible a necessity around the busy holiday
flying season.
One advantage of a local departure airport is
the free parking. Another is the much shorter
lines encountered when passing through TSA
security. Just make sure
that when parking, you
note the section and row
where you leave your car,
so that it can be easily
found on the return trip.
Some local airports offer
shuttle service from the
lot to the terminal -- a big
help when multiple bags
and toddlers are involved.
The use of regional
jets with limited seating
makes for some other issues. In this era of roll-
aboard luggage, even the smallest one will not fit
in the tiny overhead compartments on regional
jets. The small overhead compartments seem
only fit for small bags and coats. The airlines
recognize this and offer valet luggage service,
where a legal roll-aboard is checked at the
entrance to the airliner and then brought to a
similar location at the destination. These bags
are usually the first ones removed from the bins
on the airplane on arrival.
When a traveler decides to drive to a major
Midwest hub such as Chicago or St. Louis, say
to catch that Southwest flight, one should allow
plenty of time to deal with big-city traffic delays
and gigantic parking lots. Long TSA lines are
the norm on busy travel days. The day before
Thanksgiving and the Sunday after Turkey Day
are typically the busiest airline days of the year.
When boarding a flight in a larger airliner, be
aware of some issues regarding your roll-aboard
luggage. Since some airlines have been charging
for checked luggage, most everyone has a carry-
on. Make sure your carry-on is the proper size.
Bloomington resident and American Eagle
flight attendant Glenn Owsiany says he is
constantly amazed at the difference between
what the airlines consider to be a carry-on and
what the passenger considers to be acceptable.
The aisles are often clogged with passengers
toting bags for carry-on that are obviously in
the checked category.
On some of the
smaller
airliners,
such as the MD-80
or 737, the overhead
compartments may be
specific for the travel
bag you are using.
The overhead on the
right may be reserved
for a roll-aboard only,
with wheels in first,
and the left may be
reserved for smaller
soft-side bags. Coats
should not be placed in the overheads until all
luggage is stowed.
On a recent flight, one passenger with a
roll-aboard did not hesitate to take someone
else’s soft-side bag from the inappropriate
space and move it across the aisle to the other
overhead. During the flight, the owner of the
soft-side could not find his bag to retrieve
something from it. He just knew it was in the
space on the right-hand side. Finally, a kind
passenger mentioned a possible switch. Help
your fellow passengers by sticking to the
rules on luggage size and placement.
In-flight service has been reduced to a
bare minimum if you are seated in coach.
The airlines do not even serve the tiny bags
of pretzels when the drink cart comes down
the aisle. While soft drinks and coffee are still
free, there is a fee for everything else.
The airlines are using credit card readers
for onboard purchases now. Cash is no longer
accepted on some flights.
If cash is still the only way to purchase
drinks, such as onAmerican Eagle, make sure
you have some $5 bills and at least five $1s