Plan Carefully for Travelling Ugly
Ron Spomer Outdoors Jets
The great thing about living today is ease of travel. We can do in hours what used to take weeks. Well, that's the theory anyway. The bad thing about travel today is it sometimes takes days to do what the airlines promised to do in hours when you paid them. And you aren't getting a refund. Airlines are one of the few businesses that do not have to give you what you pay for. Recently, United Airlines left Betsy and me standing at the gate like jilted brides at the alter while the plane flew off with only half the passengers on board. No warning. No request for volunteers. No offer of vouchers. People had to stand in line for hours to rebook or beg for vouchers. Betsy managed to get United on the phone and grab the last two seats on a later flight. If we'd missed that one, we'd have missed the next morning's charter to North Haven Resort, ruining our entire fishing trip for the week. Who wants to book fishing and hunting adventures with those kinds of risks? This is why its wise to book early morning flights or even flights an entire day early. Built in fudge factor. Of course, this rather ruins the whole idea of quick, efficient travel. If you have to figure two days of travel to complete a six-hour flight, you might as well drive. For 500-mile trips and many 1,000-milers, I drive. Heat, thunderstorms, blizzards, mechanical breakdowns and drunk pilots will ground planes, but rarely my 4-WD RAM. And my truck never loses my luggage. Last night's United flight was only delayed 3.5 hours. Got to my layover hotel at 1 AM. Last week we didn't reach our hotel until 2 AM -- and we had to leave it by 5 AM in order to catch our charter flight. Three hours of sleep! That's $50 an hour. Thanks United. To the airline's credit, we did get our baggage. What will really tick off travelers is paying $25 or more for each bag and then not getting them. If the airline doesn't have to deliver your bag as promised, what exactly are you paying for? Shouldn't they at least be required to refund your money if they don't deliver the bag on time? Well, enough venting. Now for some travel advice:
Book early flights. Weather is less likely to be a problem early and if flights are delayed or dropped, you have more options for finding others.
Minimize connecting flights. The more landings and transfers, the greater your odds for being stranded and losing your luggage.
Minimize luggage. To be safe, ship your gear a week early by UPS or even USPS. When anyone chooses the U.S. Postal Service over an airline to assure supplies get through, you know there's trouble at the airlines
Study your airline's obligations under the law. These should be on their website. If they overbook a flight and bump you from it, they are required to give you a travel voucher for another flight plus place you on the next available flight to your original destination. They must also provide meal vouchers for use in the airport and a hotel voucher if you must stay overnight. (If you can find a room. Often there are no vacancies, as was the case last night in WA, D.C.)
Ask your outfitter which airline he recommends. He should have a pretty good idea which are most reliable in his area.
Keep your airline's re-booking phone number handy and call for help the instant you discover your flight has been canceled for whatever reason. Waiting in a long line at airport Customer Service is no fun and sometimes unproductive. Try the airline's website for rebooking, too.
For overseas flights, use a travel service like Gracy Travel of San Antonio, TX. (www.gracytravel.com.) They know the best airlines and flights, how to apply for and ship firearms and ammo, what govt. forms and permits to obtain, how to get through the entire experience with minimal hassle. They'll even meet you at your destination airport with a guide to get you through everything including firearms permits. Wonderful service.
Drive to your hunting and fishing adventures if you can. This way you can depart early if you want to, drive around storms, travel at your own pace, see the country, haul sufficient gear and even change your venue if needed. Why leave yourself at the mercy of an uncaring airline?
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