This is so cool!  I had a package sent to my parent’s address and it was upgraded to next-day air on UPS.  I checked flightaware.com and I’m able to see the planes it flew on!

First it left on one of these two flights [click image for link to source]:

UPS917, a Boeing 757-200 (twin-jet) (B752/Q)
  UPS919, a McDonnell Douglas MD-11 (tri-jet) (H/MD11/Q)

And then flew on this plane:

UPS618, a Boeing 757-200 (twin-jet) (B752/Q)

I’m going to say it left on the first one since the second was scheduled to leave earlier than it was scanned for departure, plus it’s the same type of plane that ended up going to Decatur.  I don’t know how UPS operates, but they may have certain palates that they know are going to continue on to another destination and just put them in the back of plane.

If you click on the images, you can see the flight data from FlightAware, and clicking on track log under status will even tell you the ground speed, altitude, and which air traffic control facility the flight was under control from.

If you want to see the flights for your airport, find the airport code online [Wikipedia is a good source], and then enter it on FlightAware or FlightStats.  FlightExplorer is also a cool web site, since you can see the planned route as well as actual, although it is a little more difficult to use and only carries data within the last two days.

As you can see, last night we had some nasty weather, some of it was snow, other parts of it was freezing rain and sleet – yuck!  Thank heavens it was at night, because the last storm we had occurred during evening rush hour.  Even thought it had less precipitation, the timing affected everything and Chicagoland’s interstates came to a halt.  I had taken a screenshot of Live Search Maps traffic showing complete blackout, literally, of almost all the roads, but I lost the image.  Over 200 flights were cancelled at O’Hare, 50 at Midway, with Midway closing for a few hours Southwest Airlines had to divert many flights.  They definitely didn’t want a reoccurrence of flight 1248.

@Matthew

Woo-hoo, I just booked a flight for Peyton at 65% off the retail price!!  I didn't even think it would work, I was trying $115 to see the counter-bids I would get.  However, the price was accepted on United non-stop service from Chicago O'Hare to Greenville/Spartanburg, SC.  The retail price for those same flights are $397.30, for both non-stop American [$381 base] or United [$354.43 base].  The lowest fare is out of Milwaukee on Delta with a connection through Atlanta or Cincinnati for $193.60 [$158 base fare].

 

Confirm Itinerary Details and Charges Departing Flight Information - Saturday, December 8, 2007 United Airlines Flight 7172 1h 46m, 577 mi Chicago- O'Hare Intl (ORD) Chicago, IL Departs: 9:04 AM To Greenville Spartanburg (GSP) Greer, SC Arrives: 11:50 AM Aircraft Canadair Regional Jet (Jet) Economy/Coach Class Returning Flight Information - Sunday, December 16, 2007 United Airlines Flight 7198 2h 10m, 577 mi Greenville Spartanburg (GSP) Greer, SC Departs: 12:20 PM To Chicago- O'Hare Intl (ORD) Chicago, IL Arrives: 1:30 PM Aircraft Canadair Regional Jet (Jet) Economy/Coach Class

Passenger and Ticket Information Itinerary Number: 592-926-591-02 Booking ID: 5FCMRX Confirmation Number: S9GSMU - United Airlines Ticket Type: Electronic Ticket Passenger #1: Peyton Marshall  Seat Preference:      Flight 7172: No Seat Preference      Flight 7198: No Seat Preference Ticket Number 1: 0167011727206

Summary Of Charges  Airline Ticket Offer Price:  $115.00 per ticket  Airline Ticket Taxes & Fees:  $23.75 per ticket    Number of Tickets:  1  Airline Ticket Shipping & Handling:  $0.00   (Electronic Ticket)  Airfare Subtotal:  $138.75  Total Trip Cost:  $138.75  Last 4 Digits of Credit Card:    Priceline Customer Service Number:  1-800-340-0575

Lowest Published Airline Ticket Price:  $397.30 per ticket  Your Total Airline Ticket Cost:  $138.75 per ticket  Savings Per Airline Ticket:  $258.55  Total Trip Savings*:  $258.55   (You Saved 65%) * This is your savings on the total cost of your airline ticket(s) when compared to the lowest published airfare available at time of booking for the itinerary and airline shown.

It is the passenger's responsibility to confirm flight information and check-in location prior to each departure. We recommend that you arrive at the airport a minimum of 90 minutes in advance of departure for domestic flights and at least 2 hours in advance of departure for international flights. If you fail to arrive at your gate on time, the airline has the right to cancel your reservation and make you ineligible for denied boarding compensation. If you choose not to take any of the flights for which you are ticketed, the airlines will automatically cancel the remainder of your reservation.

All adults, 18 and over, are required to show valid photo identification when traveling domestically (examples include a driver's license, passport or state identification card). If you are traveling outside the U.S., all travelers, including persons under age 18, are required to present a valid passport, and you may also need to show additional documentation at your destination and/or in connecting countries.

Carry-on and checked baggage guidelines vary by airline, we recommend that you check your airline's Web site for answers to specific baggage questions. Airlines will not always guarantee seat assignments prior to airport check-in. If there is not a seat assignment printed on your ticket and/or itinerary, your carrier will assign one at the airport on the day of departure

For requirements due to disability, requests for special meals, or questions about traveling with pets, skis, etc., call your airline in advance so they are prepared to meet your needs. Please note - Priceline cannot guarantee that special needs requests will be met. Special meals are not available on all airlines and meal service is not guaranteed on all flights.

If your flight is delayed or canceled or you are denied boarding at the airport due to over booking, immediately check with your airline gate agent for information and instructions.

If your journey involves an ultimate destination or stop in a country other than the country of departure, the Warsaw Convention may be applicable and the Convention governs and in most cases limits the liability of carriers for death or personal injury and for loss of or damage to baggage. Also see the notices entitled Advice to International Passengers on Limitation of Liability, and Notice of Baggage Liability Limitations, Notice of Incorporated Terms, Notice - Overbooking of Flights.

Air transportation to be provided between points in the U.S. (including its overseas territories and possessions) is subject to the individual contract terms (including rules, regulations, tariffs, and conditions) of the transporting air carriers, which are herein incorporated by reference and made part of the contract of carriage. Also see the notices entitled Conditions of Contract, Notice of Incorporated Terms, Notice of Baggage Liability Limitations, and Notice of Overbooking.

@Matthew

I about fell over in my chair this morning when I read the newest "Ding" from Southwest:

Chicago (Midway) to San Francisco for $57-$61 One-Way on Flight 184/680 Only!

- Flight 184/680 is currently scheduled for a morning departure
- Fare is valid for travel Monday-Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, December 1 through December 18, 2007
- Fare is valid for travel on Flight 184/680 only

Chicago (Midway) to San Francisco for $58-$62 One-Way!

- Fare is valid for travel Monday-Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, December 1 through December 18, 2007 only

I have never seen such a long distance California flight for that price!  Florida maybe, but no way California.  That is simply amazing, I love Southwest!  I'm assuming this fare is so low because SWA recently restarted service to San Francisco, having utilized Oakland's airport solely for a while now.  There are still a lot of people who want to fly to SFO that think SWA still only services OAK, so the planes could be leaving fairly empty.  Southwest doesn't use any travel agent site like Orbitz for their bookings, so they're entirely reliant on self-advertisement.

A sample itinerary:

Air Itinerary
Trip	Date	Day	Stops	Routing	Flight	Routing Details
Depart	Dec 01	Sat	N/S	MDW-SFO	1837	Depart Chicago (MDW) at 1:05 PM Arrive in San Francisco (SFO) at 3:55 PM
Return	Dec 18	Tue	N/S	SFO-MDW	210	Depart San Francisco (SFO) at 4:50 PM Arrive in Chicago (MDW) at 11:00 PM

Pricing
Passenger Type	Trip	Routing	Type of Fare	Base Fare	U.S. Taxes	PFC	Security Fee1	Passenger(s)	Total
Adult	Depart	MDW-SFO	Ding Fare	$53.95	$7.45	$4.50	$2.50	1	$68.40
	Return	SFO-MDW	Ding Fare	$53.95	$7.45	$4.50	$2.50	1	$68.40
			Total	$107.90	$14.90	$9.00	$5.00		$136.80
1 Security Fee is the government-imposed September 11th Security Fee.

This price expires at 7 PM CDT, so if you want, book soon.  I always recommend people who have flexible travel plans to also check out Priceline's bidding system and Hotwire's no-name cheap flights.

@Matthew

Last weekend, my parents came up for a quick trip to Chicago.  I was able to Priceline a 4* hotel in O'Hare for $55/night [the Hyatt Regency].  It was a really nice hotel, and although they had to pay for parking, they were right next to the interstate so it was convenient.  I've stayed at a number of Hyatt's myself, and I really love the brand.  They offer a lot to travelers, including the ability to print your airline boarding pass at the hotel.

Anyway, I decided on short notice to ride back with them since they were driving.  Of course both of them really don't like driving in Chicago, especially my Dad, so I did all of the driving while they were in town and most of the way back home.

Although they were working all week, I still had a good time.  I saw James and Dena on Monday, we went out to eat and did some shopping.  I called a number of my friends, but I guess they were all busy.  Actually one had his phone temporarily turned off since he was a couple dollars over his spending limit.  The poor guy is still on that nasty Sprint!!  Yuck.

This train trip has been superb so far.  Sometimes the car has screaming kids or other annoying passengers, but tonight it's very quiet.  The guy in front of me is watching DVDs without headphones, but at least it's not too loud [although the film must be rated R by how many times they're saying the F word].  I guess most people aren't looking at going to Chicago on a Saturday night.  James and Dena wanted to go with me and take a day trip to Chicago, but all except the morning train was sold out going from Chicago to Champaign-Urbana tomorrow.  Oh well, I told them we should do it in advance anyway since it can be expensive booking last second.

I got a lot done this week, including grabbing some stuff from home I need.  I wanted to grab some winter clothes too, but I think I'll do that another time.  I should have brought all my summer clothes with me when I came down, but I didn't pack beforehand.  Oh well, I have enough clothes as it is, but when I opened my closet at home I was surprised by how many I still have!  Working at WalMart was a bad thing for me, I have way too many clothes, lol!

I also fixed the computers at home, showed my parents how to send picture messages [MMS], and found out that AT&T roams onto T-mobile now.  I think we have a new tower nearby, because I've noticed the phone hopping between towers a lot.  It's caused some problems since our phones will sometimes do too much hopping and the call quality will degrade.  It seems to affect my parents' phones more than mine for some reason tho.  I showed my Dad how to force it onto T-mobile since they have only one tower and he can try out the call quality.  I placed a number of calls today while on T-mobile and it seems to work well.  I'm really considering about switching to T-mobile since they're cheaper and roam for free to AT&T if you get a headset with the 850 MHz band.

Well, we just passed Gilman and are making excellent time.  I think the train is so empty that the people getting on and off aren't slowing it down.  I was running late myself getting to the train station.  I was so concerned since ticketing can close down 5 minutes prior to departure, but I think that's for trains that are leaving the station, not going through it.  I got my ticket with about 3 minutes to spare to scheduled departure, but based upon recent data, the train has even left Champaign-Urbana 5 minutes early.  I was so worried I had my parents park and bring in the luggage while I got my ticket.  The Illini Terminal is so nice, but their brand new QuikTrak machine still isn't working.  Luckily the ticketing agent was really nice, although James says he's been nasty to him before.  Thankfully the train was 10 minutes late, although the train status went from 2 minutes late to on-time after Mattoon.  Phew!  We're still expected to arrive into Chicago 11 minutes early [down from 22, then 19 mins after we stopped for freight twice].

I love the train! <3

                           THIS IS NOT A TICKET                         
==========================================================================  
Reservation Number Is 0C5E33
Subject To Cancellation Unless Ticketed By October 27, 2007                 
==========================================================================  
Weyer, Matthew Mr
 
Train:     392    Illini
Departure:  Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
            Saturday    October 27, 2007     6:49PM
Arrival:    Chicago (Union Station), Illinois
            Saturday    October 27, 2007     9:35PM
Accommodation:   1 Reserved Coach Seat
 
Special Service Has Been Requested
 
Charges:
Total Reservation Charges:      $     11.05
Ticket Delivery Charge:         $      0.00
-------------------------------------------
Total Charges:                  $     11.05
 
 
TICKETING INFORMATION
---------------------
This confirmation notice is not a ticket.  You must obtain a ticket for travel.
 
 
IMPORTANT POLICIES
------------------
*Valid identification is required for all passengers 18 and over.  For detailed information, please visit http://www.amtrak.com/IDrequirements.html or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).
*For important baggage policy information, please visit http://www.amtrak.com/BaggagePolicy.html or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).                                                                      
*Please Note: All Amtrak trains except Auto Train are non-smoking (smoking is permitted on Auto Train in a designated, enclosed smoking area).
 
 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
----------------------
* We recommend that you arrive at the station at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled departure.  Allow additional time if you need help with baggage or tickets.
* If you are traveling on the Auto Train you must check in at least two hours before scheduled departure.                                                                                          
* To change or cancel your reservation, please call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).  Refund fees may apply.  Additional travel, refund or exchange rules may apply if any trip segments have been priced using passenger discounts, promotions and/or fares orders.  Contact Amtrak for full details regarding fare rules and restrictions relating to this reservation.
* Need a hotel?  Amtrak offers great deals for your destination.  Please visit http://www.amtrak.com or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245) to learn more.
 
 
HAVE A GREAT TRIP!
------------------
Questions?  Contact us online at http://www.amtrak.com/contactus.html or call 1-800-USA-RAIL (1-800-872-7245).

@Matthew

I found a new web site tool recently: yapta.com.  It's great because with some airlines if you purchase a ticket and the price drops, you usually can get a refund of the difference [minus a $100 or $200 change fee in some cases].  This can amount to a lot of money if the fare later goes on sale drastically [for example, American just put on sale fares from ORD to DTW, MCI, IND, STL, CMH, OMA, and SDF at $62 for travel on Halloween [I guess it's going to be a slow travel day].  So Yapta will track your fares and send you an e-mail as soon as it noticed the fare drop.  This can only last a few hours in some cases, as seat inventory and airline market changes all the time, so it's impossible for a person to do.

I happen to add Peyton's flights to Roanoke, and saw how much the price fluctuated for Dena's flights to Seattle [she's coming back Friday].  Look at the change:

Date	Time	Price Per Person
10/09/07	08:25 AM		Unavailable
10/09/07	12:25 AM		$642.80
10/08/07	04:31 PM		$746.80
10/08/07	08:27 AM		$1050.80
10/05/07	04:42 PM		$687.80
10/02/07	10:59 PM		$583.80
10/01/07	02:52 PM		$432.80
09/29/07	10:07 PM		$402.80
09/29/07	05:48 AM		$372.80
09/27/07	10:59 AM		$402.80
09/26/07	05:27 PM		$372.80
09/26/07	08:30 AM		$402.80
09/26/07	12:30 AM		$372.80
09/25/07	04:33 PM		$402.80
09/25/07	08:30 AM		$372.80
09/25/07	12:25 AM		$402.80
09/24/07	12:30 AM		$372.80
09/23/07	08:26 AM		$342.80
09/21/07	08:36 AM		$372.80
09/21/07	12:36 AM		$342.80
09/19/07	03:07 PM		$372.80
09/18/07	03:06 PM		$302.80
09/17/07	07:00 AM		$289.80
09/15/07	09:27 AM		$302.80
09/14/07	07:03 PM		$362.80
09/14/07	09:30 AM		$341.80
09/13/07	10:21 PM		$386.80
09/13/07	10:58 AM		$384.80
09/12/07	08:50 AM		$369.80
09/09/07	07:02 PM		$339.80
09/09/07	11:07 AM		$309.80
09/06/07	10:09 PM		$339.80
09/06/07	11:11 AM		$278.80
09/03/07	11:03 AM		$339.80
09/02/07	02:51 AM		$309.80
09/01/07	06:52 PM		$339.80
09/01/07	02:56 AM		$334.80
08/31/07	02:55 AM		$325.80
08/28/07	08:28 AM		$334.80
08/25/07	02:59 AM		$364.80
08/21/07	06:51 PM		$334.80
08/21/07	06:51 PM		$258.80	Purchase price

Additionally, look at my flights for Las Vegas:

Date	Time	Price Per Person
10/17/07	10:51 PM		$720.30
10/16/07	02:57 PM		$700.30
10/15/07	02:57 PM		$710.30
10/14/07	10:55 PM		$700.30
10/12/07	10:55 PM		$710.30
10/08/07	10:49 PM		$700.30
09/26/07	05:53 PM		$670.30
09/14/07	11:35 AM		$686.30
09/08/07	01:37 AM		$680.30
09/03/07	10:20 PM		$670.30
08/13/07	07:11 PM		$650.30
08/10/07	03:19 AM		$660.30
08/01/07	03:49 AM		$650.30
07/31/07	05:51 PM		$394.30
07/30/07	08:05 PM		$404.30
07/30/07	08:05 PM		$138.29	Purchase price

Wow - all I can say is wow.  I really like how Southwest has a refundable fare that you see up front and you know how much the maximum price is right away.  Sometimes I've seen some economy tickets that are more expensive than if you bough a first class ticket, it's insane!

I still love traveling...

@Matthew

Talk about cool!  Southwest Airlines is going to completely makeover all of their gates by the first half of 2008.  The new look is what every traveler dreams of: power and USB ports to charge up, a work area with flat screen televisions showing news programming, a separate family area with kids programming - it's simply a dream!  I'm sure I'm one of many who's tried to find a working power outlet at an airport, and wished that the screaming kids would go to the other end of the gate.  Now our dreams have come true!

This sums it up well:

As part of the "gate makeover," the carrier will eventually install stainless steel columns and television monitors to support its new numerical style boarding at all of the airline's 64 airports. The enhanced gate area also exhibits new elements that cater to different types of Customers, including: a family area containing small-sized tables and chairs, "kid friendly" programming displayed on a flat screen television, and low to the ground power stations for charging electric devices; and a business/leisure section with padded seats, tables with power outlets, power stations with stools, and flat screen televisions with news programming. San Antonio International was the first airport to adopt the new look, and Dallas Love Field Customers will reap the rewards of the new boarding system and gate redesign on Oct. 15, 2007. The airline will implement its new boarding at its other 62 airports in early November 2007 and anticipates a full gate makeover in the first half of 2008. For a virtual view of the new gate design, please visit http://www.southwest.com/makeover or http://gallery.swamedia.com/photos/value=open/type=jpg for photos.

This is an excellent idea, especially given the fact that all of the airlines seem so similar.  United does have a fairly nice gate area at O'hare, but it's so inconsistent from airport to airport.  Southwest is providing an excellent gate experience, while at the same time making it consistent.  With their competitively priced fares, it's going to be difficult for legacy airlines to stay in business.  This announcement comes after Southwest decided to change their boarding process, which is an improvement I'll blog about later.

I'm so excited about this, I can't wait for the opportunity to fly Southwest sometime.  I actually haven't flown them, but I know a lot of people that do, and their overall satisfaction is high.  Given that Southwest is the only major airline not to have serious financial trouble, they obviously know what they're doing.  They carry more passengers than any other airline, and they keep growing.  My wish is they would fly to smaller airports, but that can be an expensive endeavor.  I can't wait until they start international service, expected sometime next year!  Additionally, their frequent flier program, although simple, has it's points expire exactly two years after the posted date.  I wish they would be like most other airlines that will hold on to points as long as you earn more within 18-36 months.

I was hoping to have a friend fly them next year to Vegas for the International Consumer Electronics Show, but unfortunately we didn't book right away and sure enough the price from MDW-LAS went from $60 to $109-129 [the lowest only applying to service on Tue & Wed].  I was disappointed that the fare doubled, but the holiday travel season will be starting and fuel prices are high.  If anything, I'll probably try Priceline to get him a good deal.

See you on Southwest!

@Matthew

The rest of the press release:

Southwest Airlines Redesigns Its Gate Area; Customizing the Airport Experience to Meet the Needs of Each Customer

Same Southwest You've Grown to LUV - Only Better

DALLAS, Oct 10, 2007 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- Southwest Airlines unveils today an updated gate design to customize and enhance the airport experience for Customers. The carrier's new boarding, which was announced last month, alleviates the need for Customers to "camp out" in line at the gate. Now, the airline is providing Customers a comfortable and productive space to enjoy their preflight moments. Combined with the airline's new organized style of boarding, Southwest continues to upgrade and refresh its brand-while keeping its Maverick character intact.

"We recently announced a change to our boarding that will give Customers back their time in the gate area -- no more standing in line," said Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines' Chief Executive Officer. "The new gate architecture we are introducing is designed to improve the airport experience for each type of Customer-families, leisure travelers, and business road warriors alike."

[quoted above]

"We understand that the Southwest experience begins the minute you step into an airport," Kelly said. "Our Employees work hard to safely and efficiently fly our Customers to their destination. We are confident that the new gate design will provide the most comfortable and productive lounge area while they wait to board."

The new boarding will start systemwide in early November. Southwest tested the new gate design this summer in San Antonio International Airport and tweaked the elements based on Customer and Employee feedback. The fine-tuning included changing furniture colors, increasing the number of power outlets, and installing stools to provide more comfortable charging stations for Customers.

"We do not take change lightly, and we depend heavily on input from our Customers and frontline Employees to make sure we are making the right choices," Kelly said. "As far as costs are concerned, we consider the expenditures to refresh our gates as an investment for our Customers. And of course, in typical Southwest fashion, we've successfully created a design that is bold in look and functionality but not in costs!"

Southwest Airlines announced a plan to enhance its product in late June 2007. Today's announcement is the second step in a list of items the carrier will introduce before the end of the year (last month's enhanced boarding announcement was the first). The carrier plans to announce additional initiatives that will allow product customization and additional incentives for the business and leisure traveler.

Southwest Airlines is one of the most honored airlines in the world. Among Southwest's recent honors was being named to Business Week's first ever list of "Customer Service Champs," which ranks the best providers of Customer Service. For eight years in a row, Southwest Airlines was named to Business Ethics magazine's list as one of America's "100 Best Corporate Citizens" for excelling at serving a variety of stakeholders and for leadership roles in corporate citizenship. And, for an impressive 11 consecutive years, FORTUNE magazine recognized Southwest Airlines as one of America's Top Ten most admired corporations.

http://www.southwest.com

SOURCE
Southwest Airlines

On Friday, Jennifer from Dallas flew up to Chicago to visit me and go to a friend's wedding.  As everyone surely knows by now, I'm obsessed with planes.  Thus, I was up early and decided to track her flight to [AAL2324] and from [AAL2321] Chicago.  I'll blog about her visit later since Dena is now in town, but I did post the photos of her flight on my space.  Some of the photos are just of airport activity as well, so you have to look for her flight.

@Matthew

Of course it depends on the type of train, but the one I'm on goes 79 MPH - wow, not bad at all!  Of course they have to make stops, but even if you drive, you have to make stops.  At least with a train, the restroom and restaurant is on board, you can read or do whatever you want, and there's absolutely no traffic to worry about so you can sit back and relax.  I love it, and actually as long as I book in advance, it costs less than the gasoline it would take me to go the same distance!!  Me <3 train, hehe.

Update: Acela Express service in the northeast runs at speeds up to 150 MPH.  Additionally, I thought the following spreadsheet was interesting, comparing different types of transportation [Amtrak advertises how green they are].

Rail passenger efficiency versus other modes

The relevant statistics suggest that passenger rail is competitive with other modes in terms of energy efficiency and safety per mile. Nevertheless, in the current economic environment challenges remain with respect to cost per mile.

Mode	Revenue - per passenger mile[55]	Energy consumption - per passenger mile[56]	Safety - Deaths per 100 million passenger miles[57]	Reliability[58]
Domestic airlines	12.0¢	3,297 BTUs	0.02 deaths	82%
Intercity buses	12.9¢[59]	3,496 BTUs	0.05 deaths	N/A
Amtrak	26.0¢	2,100 BTUs[60]	0.03 deaths	74%
Autos	N/A	3,527 BTUs	0.80 deaths	N/A

Another interesting thing I learned tonight was this article: Stuck on the runway again.  It was very informative, stuff I didn't even know!

@Matthew

I'm really disgruntled at American Airlines, and not because the flight was bad [although the American Eagle bus was horrible, but that's another story].  I'm disappointed with America because their ticketing kiosks suck.  I've flown a number of airlines, mainly American at first, United a lot more recently, and Delta, Alaska, and Spirit all once before.  I've started checking in online ever since my fiasco at Lambert St. Louis airport, when I had approximately 28 minutes until departure, and the kiosk wouldn't let me check in.  I would most likely have made it given how slow security was!  At the time, their kiosk wouldn't even let me standby for an earlier flight like United does.  Additionally, United will let me get on the standby list for any earlier flights by checking in online!  That proves to be very helpful if you need to get somewhere earlier than planned, because the sooner you get on standby, the higher up on the list you are [FYI, the other determining factor is elite frequent flier status].

Anyway, so I checked in online for my American flights to Fort Myers via Miami.  I booked through Miami because 1) it was a big Boeing 777 with personal video screens on all seats 2) it was an international Boeing 777 with only 16 lie-flat first class seats and a business class section 3) I was hoping to get an offer to upgrade to first [typically $45 or $90 depending upon length of the trip] 4) business class is sold as economy so I could easily change my seat to business [or so I thought] and 5) the flight from Miami to Fort Myers was short and a turboprop so I would be able to see a lot of the everglades.

After I printed my ticket online, I assumed I could check-in at the kiosk again and see what business class seats were available.  However, I was disappointed to see that I could only check baggage and print my tickets again - no seat assignment was available!  Let's just say I was very disappointed...  I realized this on my return trip, and thus didn't check in online.  In fact, I even put a reservation on hold for a front-window business class seat by booking it in Y-class [full fare].  However, I forgot to bring the reservation number with me to cancel, and didn't really have time to look it up on my laptop.  I knew it would automatically cancel 30 minutes prior to departure, but when I got to the gate to see if the seat was available, a ton of people got added to the standby list and we were full.  She could have moved me, but that would mean more hassle.  I think they might have canceled a flight, but I didn't see any cancellations online.  I could have selected a middle business seat at the kiosk, but I really like looking out the window.

Checking-in online is a great feature, in fact on my trip to New York City, I arrived to the airport at 5:29 am, which was less than 30 minutes prior to departure.  So, the United kiosk wouldn't let me print my ticket, although I was also to standby for the 7 am flight.  In fact, another reason I would suggest checking-in online, is that ticket agents can mark passengers for additional TSA screening.  In fact, this happened recently to a friend of mine flying from Detroit to NYC.  I wondered what "SSSS" meant at the top of her ticket, and now I know why.

American needs to make the online check-in feature work better [similar to United], and present people with the same level of service at the kiosk.  I even called American the night before to reserve the seat, but they said there was no availability, although I could see seats on the Y-reservation.  In fact, I called only because flight attendants on my first leg told me that anyone in economy can get a business seat.

Oh well, I'll have to keep a look out for international triple-7s in the future [any hopefully a 787 Dreamliner to grace our domestic skies].  It will probably be the only opportunity I will have to fly international business.

@Matthew

LOL, okay, not really, but I'm in Fort Myers airport right now, waiting for my [now] 11:04 am departure.  This airport is really nice, it's quiet, and has nice music playing.  Only problem is they had to start testing the fire alarm [this happened to me the one night I stayed at St. Louis' airport too!].  It didn't last for long tho, maybe 10 mins.  I moved twice now because I guess they're cleaning all the floors tonight too, but that meant I ended up moving to a part they had already cleaned, and isn't playing the fire alarm noise either.  They also have free WiFi, although I didn't find that out until after I was on AT&T EDGE for about an hour, lol.

When I arrived, I went down to baggage claim to get my bag, which came fairly quickly.  I then went up to Spirit Airline's counter to see if I could go ahead and check-in, but their counter was closed as the last flight [to Detroit] was leaving in 10 minutes or so.  I was hoping to go ahead and get past security, since sometimes the seats past security in the concourse can be better than those in ticketing.  However, I think I might have been kicked out as it looks like some of the concourses don't have their lights on.  I ended up grabbing some brochures on the different airlines, and decided to find a restaurant.  I found it interesting that Continental Airlines has stickers for people to fill out and place inside their bags.  I always try to stick a copy of my itinerary in my bag in case it gets lost, but the stickers are a neat idea.  Usually what I'll do is print a duplicate copy of my tickets and receipt when I check-in, and then place them in the front pocket.  That way, in case my bag looses me, there will be no question who's it is.  It would be neat if they allowed you to print a baggage ID tag when checking in, instead of having to fill the card/sticker out.  They already have your name and address in the system.

Anyway, I found a Chili's restaurant, and although I'm not really fond of them after visiting the Evanston, IL restaurant more times than I would like, it didn't look like there were many other options.  I had a Chili Cheesesteak sandwich, which tasted good, although I should have ordered all red peppers since the green can be a little too strong for my stomach.  They said they were grilled so I thought it would be find, but they only seemed "warmed" to me.  I probably didn't say anything, because last time I tried to do that on the vegetable medley or something, they said "well, it comes in a pack" - yuck!  More and more restaurants don't have fresh food anymore, almost everything is packaged.

I got on my laptop and checked to see if I could Priceline a hotel near the airport.  I was perfectly fine staying at the airport, I've done it twice before [at STL and DEN], it's no big deal, but after talking to Peyton he convinced me otherwise.  I tried to get a 2* at $45 and a 1* at $40 with no luck.  It's so weird how when we were just here, we stayed at a Fairfield Inn by Marriott [2*] for only $35!  It could be the one-night hotel stays don't get that low, they know you're most likely a business traveler there for a meeting.  Oh well, I didn't want to spend that much money on this little adventure anyway, I even brought some food and drink with me!

It started getting late, and the restaurant was closing, so I packed everything up and tried to find an A/C outlet for my laptop [it was close to dying].  Some airports [DFW and MIA] are beginning to shut off some of their A/C outlets, which is very annoying!  It's not like I come to the airport to use their power, I paid all the taxes on the ticket, the least I could get is some power!  Anywho, I found one right next to a Starbucks, which proved nice since I was able to order a drink and snack without having to pack up all my stuff.  It's a real pain traveling by yourself, since you have to pack everything up when you want to get something to eat or need to use the restroom.  I was also able to watch the planes, which I love to do, from these huge windows.  I've never been able to compare the planes landing with those that are on Flightaware.  Most airports are too big to see the runways, or too busy to know which flight is which.

Thankfully it's fairly quiet in here, so I bet I'll be able to get plenty of rest.  They're replacing some tiles down the hall, but it's pretty far away and they seem to be slowing down.  I'm actually surprised that those annoying security recordings aren't going off all the time like most airports.

Well, I'm off to bed!

@Matthew

No, not really, but I was on the phone with a friend telling her how I was going to Florida for a day trip, when she asked why.  I told her I forgot my toothbrush as a joke.  Well, I thought it was funny anyway, lol.

Anyway, I'm going to Florida tomorrow [9/26], because originally I booked a flight from Chicago-ORD to Fort Myers-RSW with Spirit Airlines for $0.30 each-way.  However, they only have selected dates at that fare, and the dates I could find with fares still available were 9/11 - 9/27.  I booked the airfare not knowing if I would even take the flight, and if I did I was going to either 1) try to stand-by for an early flight back or 2) buy a one-way ticket back to Chicago before the 27th.  Well, I did some research and American had flights for $44 each-way.  However, although at first this fare was valid for one-way trips, by the time I was ready to book, they changed those rules.  One-way flights ended up going up to $60-70, while round-trip stayed at $88 [sometimes the airlines are so aggravating].  I thought well, I could always book a round-trip ticket to fly back to Fort Myers for the Spirit flight back to Chicago.  I would then get more miles in my American account too, which is almost to 25,000 miles [or a free domestic round-trip ticket].  I love flying, so I ended up going with this option.  It may seem crazy to most people, and maybe I am, lol.

Below are both of my flights, you can check my flights on Flightaware and Flightstats.

From: reservations@spiritair.com
To: matthew_weyer@hotmail.com
Subject: IMPORTANT TRAVEL UPDATE
Date: Mon, 10 Sep 2007 07:40:29 -0400

Thank you for choosing Spirit Airlines and we look forward to serving you on your upcoming flight. This e-mail will show you the necessary times to arrive at your respective airports for your flights and important baggage information that will help you save time and money.

Airport Arrival Time
Please note that it is important to get to the airport early to make your experience easier and less stressful. Suggested arrival times fluctuate depending on the time, date, and day of the week and we want you to have a smooth experience with out hassle or wasted time. Please see the recommended arrival times below.

Checked Bags
Are you planning on checking bags? If so, you can pre-purchase your checked bags online now and save time and money. You will save 50% on the first two checked bags by booking ahead of time online. Click here to pre-pay now.

Click here to view detailed carry-on, checked baggage, and other travel policies for your flight.

****** IMPORTANT TRAVEL UPDATE*****
Click here to visit the TSA website and learn all about the new carry-on travel requirements.

Passenger Name: WEYER/MATTHEW
Record Locator: KMFFJN
Flight Date: 09/11/2007
Scheduled Departure Time:13:35
Scheduled Arrival Time: 17:25
Flight Number: NK223
Departure City: CHICAGO(ORD)
Arrival City: FORT MYERS(RSW)

Approximate airport processing time from arrival at the terminal through check-in and security to arrival at your departure gate at CHICAGO (ORD) is 2.0 Hours

Flight Date: 09/27/2007
Scheduled Departure Time:10:50
Scheduled Arrival Time: 12:45
Flight Number: NK220
Departure City: FORT MYERS(RSW)
Arrival City: CHICAGO(ORD)

Approximate airport processing time from arrival at the terminal through check-in and security to arrival at your departure gate at FORT MYERS (RSW) is 2.0 Hours

We encourage you to take advantage of checking in online at www.spiritair.com and printing out your boarding pass in advance so that you may go directly to the gate and skip the ticket counter. If you already have your seat assignment, you may check-in to print your boarding passes within 24 hours before each flight's departure and up to 1 hour before each flight departs by going to www.spiritair.com. You may always obtain boarding passes at the airport on the day of departure. Once you create your boarding pass, you may not change your seat assignments.
Please note: Boarding passes may be printed online but check-in at the airport ticket counter on the day of departure is required for passengers checking luggage, passengers traveling as unaccompanied minors, passengers traveling with pets, group reservations and reservations containing international destinations. Other restrictions may prevent you from printing your boarding pass online.
Follow these steps to print your boarding pass online.
1. Click on the link provided in your confirmation e-mail and also indicated below:
www.spiritair.com
2. Enter your last name along with the Record Locator provided in your confirmation e-mail.
3. Click on the "Boarding Pass" button.
4. Your boarding pass will display.
5. Click on the print icon in your Web browser to print your boarding pass.

 Fare breakdown

ADULT Fare     0.60 USD, 
                5.00 USD, US Security Tax NR Pax Types
                0.04 USD, US FET
                9.00 USD, US Passenger Facility Charge
                6.80 USD, US Segment Tax
           --------------
Total Fare    21.44 USD
           --------------

---

Date: Fri, 27 Jul 2007 02:41:30 -0400
From: notify@aa.globalnotifications.com
To: MATTHEW_WEYER@HOTMAIL.COM
Subject: AA eTDS Itinerary Notification

MATTHEW WEYER Date of Issue: 27JUL07 Thank you for choosing American Airlines / American Eagle, a member of the oneworld™ Alliance.  Below are your itinerary and receipt for the ticket(s) purchased.  Please print and retain this document for use throughout your trip. Record Locator: BKQBIY You may check in and obtain your boarding pass for U.S. domestic electronic tickets within 24 hours of your flight time online at AA.com by using www.aa.com/checkin or at a Self-Service Check-In machine at the airport.  Check-in options may be found at www.aa.com/options.   For faster check-in at the airport,  scan the barcode at any AA Self-Service machine. You must present a government-issue photo ID and either your boarding pass or a priority verification card at the security screening checkpoint. Date: 18 SEP 07 - TUESDAY Flight : American Airlines 4966 ATR72 TURBOPROP Departure: FORT MYERS RSW 11:40 AM 0HR 50MIN Arrival: MIAMI INTERNTNL 12:30 PM NON-STOP Operated By: OPERATED BY AMERICAN EAGLE/EXECUTIVE Name: WEYER/MATTHEW SEAT 2D ECONOMY FF#: AA-9H028R2 FOOD FOR PURCHASE Date: 18 SEP 07 - TUESDAY Flight : American Airlines 1037 BOEING 777 Departure: MIAMI INTERNTNL 3:55 PM 3HR 10MIN Arrival: CHICAGO OHARE 6:05 PM TERMINAL 3 REF: BKQBIY NON-STOP Name: WEYER/MATTHEW SEAT 25J ECONOMY FF#: AA-9H028R2 FOOD FOR PURCHASE Date: 26 SEP 07 - WEDNESDAY Flight : American Airlines 400 BOEING 777 Departure: CHICAGO OHARE 10:30 AM TERMINAL 3 2HR 55MIN Arrival: MIAMI INTERNTNL 2:25 PM NON-STOP Name: WEYER/MATTHEW SEAT 22J ECONOMY FF#: AA-9H028R2 FOOD FOR PURCHASE Date: 26 SEP 07 - WEDNESDAY Flight : American Airlines 5013 ATR72 TURBOPROP Departure: MIAMI INTERNTNL 5:10 PM 0HR 57MIN Arrival: FORT MYERS RSW 6:07 PM NON-STOP Operated By: OPERATED BY AMERICAN EAGLE/EXECUTIVE Name: WEYER/MATTHEW SEAT 2D ECONOMY FF#: AA-9H028R2 FOOD FOR PURCHASE Receipt PASSENGER TICKET NUMBER FARE TAXES TICKET TOTAL WEYER,MATTHEW 0012182742129 81.86 USD 41.60 123.46 Payment Type:   Ticket Exchange - 0010428134689 Total 123.46 USD Endorsements/Restrictions - NONREF/CHGFEEPLUSFAREDIF/CXL BY FLT TIME OR NOVALUE  NRID: 4221274219352701395556200

@Matthew

Hello everyone,

This is such a good deal that I had to pass along the word!  Usually the lowest price I've seen for flights have been $39 one-way, for short distance routes.  Tonight my Southwest Airlines Ding application "dinged" me with a new fare sale of flights starting at $30!!  I've never seen flights so low, especially given the cost of oil lately.  I recommend that you download Ding if you live nearby a SWA city, and also check Southwest's web site before booking air travel, because they usually are the lowest priced airline.  They don't publish their fares to any web site, including Kayak, Sidestep, Orbitz, or Travelocity.  You have to go to their web site to book, which can be nice since it avoids the typical booking fees with Orbitz, Travelocity, and the like.  Although those web sites all have great search features, so I usually check a number of web sites before booking with the airline directly.  If your schedule is flexible, use Southwest Shortcut to find the lowest priced flights [usually on Tue, Wed and Sat].  Note that sometimes their lowest priced flights have a range [i.e. $49-79] and they don't tell you which dates those fares apply, so you have to search individual dates in that case.

Check out the fares!  Some of the $30 fares are short distances, like Chicago to Detroit or Indianapolis, but others are surprisingly longer: Chicago to D.C., Buffalo, or Baltimore.  If you are looking at traveling and need some help or handy tips, please send me a message.  I'm well known by my friends and family for finding some great deals.

Update:  This sale has expired, but another came right after, until 11:30.
Update 2: And two more on the 26th, just download Ding already!

@Matthew

PS--That's 7:30 pm CDT.

                           THIS IS NOT A TICKET                          
==========================================================================   
Reservation Number Is 137C56
Subject To Cancellation Unless Ticketed By August  2, 2007                   
==========================================================================   
Weyer, Matthew
 
Train:     391    Saluki
Departure:  Chicago (Union Station), Illinois
            Thursday    August 2, 2007       9:15AM
Arrival:    Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
            Thursday    August 2, 2007      11:25AM
Accommodation:   1 Reserved Coach Seat
 
Train:     392    Illini
Departure:  Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
            Tuesday     August 7, 2007       6:49PM
Arrival:    Chicago (Union Station), Illinois
            Tuesday     August 7, 2007       9:35PM
Accommodation:   1 Reserved Coach Seat
 
Special Service Has Been Requested
 
Charges:
Total Reservation Charges:      $     22.10
Ticket Delivery Charge:         $      0.00
-------------------------------------------
Total Charges:                  $     22.10
 
 
TICKETING INFORMATION
---------------------
This confirmation notice is not a ticket.  You must obtain a ticket for travel.
 
 
IMPORTANT POLICIES
------------------
*Valid identification is required for all passengers 18 and over.  For detailed information, please visit http://www.amtrak.com/IDrequirements.html or call               1-800-USA-RAIL        (              1-800-872-7245       ).
*For important baggage policy information, please visit http://www.amtrak.com/BaggagePolicy.html or call               1-800-USA-RAIL        (              1-800-872-7245       ).                                                                       
*Please Note: All Amtrak trains except Auto Train are non-smoking (smoking is permitted on Auto Train in a designated, enclosed smoking area).
 
 
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
----------------------
* We recommend that you arrive at the station at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled departure.  Allow additional time if you need help with baggage or tickets.
* If you are traveling on the Auto Train you must check in at least two hours before scheduled departure.                                                                                           
* To change or cancel your reservation, please call               1-800-USA-RAIL        (              1-800-872-7245       ).  Refund fees may apply.  Additional travel, refund or exchange rules may apply if any trip segments have been priced using passenger discounts, promotions and/or fares orders.  Contact Amtrak for full details regarding fare rules and restrictions relating to this reservation.
* Need a hotel?  Amtrak offers great deals for your destination.  Please visit http://www.amtrak.com or call               1-800-USA-RAIL        (              1-800-872-7245       ) to learn more. 
 
 
HAVE A GREAT TRIP!
------------------
Questions?  Contact us online at http://www.amtrak.com/contactus.html or call               1-800-USA-RAIL        (              1-800-872-7245       ).

==========================================================================   
Reservation Number Is 11F7DB
Subject To Cancellation Unless Ticketed By March 16, 2007                    
==========================================================================   
Weyer, Matthew Mr
 
Train:     11     Coast Starlight
Departure:  Seattle (Amtrak), Washington
            Friday      March 16, 2007       9:45AM
Arrival:    Portland, Oregon
            Friday      March 16, 2007       1:50PM
Accommodation:   1 Reserved Coach Seat
 
Train:     506    Cascades
Departure:  Portland, Oregon
            Monday      March 19, 2007      12:15PM
Arrival:    Seattle (Amtrak), Washington
            Monday      March 19, 2007       3:55PM
Accommodation:   1 Reserved Coach Seat
 
Special Service Has Been Requested
 
Charges:
Total Reservation Charges:      $     47.60
Ticket Delivery Charge:         $      0.00
-------------------------------------------
Total Charges:                  $     47.60

==========================================================================   
Reservation Number Is 010659
Amtrak Will Mail Tickets Out On Approximately March  5, 2007                 
==========================================================================   
Weyer, Matthew
 
Train:     324    Ann Rutledge
Departure:  Carlinville, Illinois
            Wednesday   March 21, 2007       4:15PM
Arrival:    Chicago (Union Station), Illinois
            Wednesday   March 21, 2007       8:40PM
Accommodation:   1 Reserved Coach Seat
 
Special Service Has Been Requested
 
Charges:
Total Reservation Charges:      $     16.15
Ticket Delivery Charge:         $      0.00
-------------------------------------------
Total Charges:                  $     16.15

Hello everyone!

Currently I'm on Amtrak train 392 The Illini from Champaign to Chicago, for the incredibly expensive price of $12!  And to think American Airlines wants ~$300 for a flight from CMI to ORD!  Plus, I can use my phone and hop on the Internet with the laptop - pretty cool!  Actually, with how incredibly annoying and time consuming security can be, taking the train is an excellent idea for short runs.  If I would have booked 3 days in advance, I could have used my AAA 10% discount, although my AAA account has been canceled and expired, LOL!  It's nice to avoid all of the Chicago traffic!

Anyway, this is like my fourth time to Chicago since Seattle, but instead of having to go to see a Doctor like usual, I'm mainly going for pleasure.  I've met so many cool people online and one of them happens to live in Chicago and have memberships to tons of museums and theatres!  Maybe I'll have to move to Chicago?  hehe

Anyway, I know I've neglected to blog about my Dallas trip and the groin frisking at Decatur's airport, but this holiday season has been incredibly busy!  Thankfully I'm almost completely done with Christmas shopping, which has mainly been for myself since I no longer receive bountiful gifts from my parents.  I spent almost $800 on Cyber Monday alone!  Luckily $200-300 of that is coming back in rebates, and I've scooped up all the deals.  Actually all of the stuff has been on buy.com since they've had this deal with Google Checkout for $20 instant cash back on orders $50 or more, or $10 back on $30-$50.  For example, I bought a compact Linksys wireless-g router for $31.18 w/ a $10 rebate, and a Cables To Go Port Authority 2 Retractable Cable Kit for $29.38 w/ a $22 rebate.  Since the order was above $50, I got $20 off instantly for a total of $40.56, and then minus the $10 and $22 rebates, that will make the total $8.56!  These deals are so good it almost feels sinful!

I'm also planning on taking some kind of short vacation this winter since I have a friend to fly with now [Peyton in Chicago].  I'm thinking about possibly going to Florida, maybe even Denver [cabin in Rocky Mountains], perhaps Canada [the train that goes through the mountains], or Washington D.C./Philidelphia [some place where flights are cheap].  In addition to my $250 travel voucher, American has a deal now until the end of January, all roundtrip flights to/from Chicago will get 5,000 bonus miles, with a third trip bonus of 15,000 miles [or a total of 25,000 miles which can be used for a free roundtrip flight].  It's a really good deal, although I'm tempted to book United since I can fly in Economy Plus thanks to Paul!  If anything I do have my tickets booked for both Vegas and Seattle on United.

Well, I'm almost to Chicago, in fact we passed the last stop until Chicago just now [8:35 pm], although supposedly we still have an hour to go.  Maybe the tain will end up arriving early!

Happy Holidays!
@Matthew

Hey kids!

Well, I got back from Dallas last night.  Long story short, I upgraded to first class, seat 6F for only $45 more, and then when I arrived in St. Louis, they overbooked the flight, so they offered a $250 travel voucher and I took it!  They chartered a shuttle bus to take us to Decatur, which was only about 2.25 hours, compared to 50 minutes via the turboprop plane, so it wasn't that big of a deal.  However, when I arrived at the airport, I couldn't get my bag because they close at 8:30 pm, and my bag was on the flight [supposedly]!  I'll blog more about it later, I have to get up at 4 am, because I'm an Election Judge volunteer tomorrow.  Until then, Jen already blogged about our weekend adventure, and she uploaded some photos [check out her space]:

Quote

Fun Weekend With Matthew

Wow! This weekend went super-duper fast! My friend Matthew from Illinois came to Dallas for a visit. It was his very first trip here. We had a blast!

I picked him up at the DFW airport on Thursday night. It was amazing he made his connecting flight after a 40 minute delay... We ate dinner at the Red Robin restaurant down the street from my apartment. They have the most delicious strawberry lemonades. We caught up on computer geek "gossip" as well as some personal stuff. He slept on my brand new Eddie Bauer queen-sized blow-up mattress! I was so afraid it would be terribly uncomfortable. Matthew said it wasn't too bad...Just frigid cold! The temperature got down to 38 degrees on Thursday night. I hadn't turned on my heat yet, so Matthew just about froze his tush off. :( I felt so bad! He said if I ever move to Chicago I'll DEFINITELY need to buy some more blankets to keep warm!!!.....

Friday morning I went to work to finish up a project that had to ship. (Oh joy!) By 10am I was home. We drove over to the American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum located at the AA headquarters in Ft. Worth. I'd never heard of this museum until Matthew told me about it. What an interesting place! We ate lunch at On The Border. (Matthew had never eaten Tex Mex before.) The restaurant has the best margaritas and tortilla soup. For dinner, I took him to Kobe Steaks which is a hibachi steak restaurant my family frequents. Matthew couldn't eat all of his food, so he took a huge doggy bag home! He got a little buzz off one of Kobe's delicious rum punches. Since I was the designated driver for the evening I couldn't consume my normal hot sake! That stuff gets me soooo tipsy!!!! ...And most of my gentlemen friends know what a little alcohol does to Jen! ;) ....(Matthew just had to show me a replay of the "Dancing Queen" video from the 2005 MVP Summit. Jen shaking her booty while drunk off her a**....How embarrassing!)

On Saturday morning, we went over to Starbuck's for coffee and cake. (Matthew is addicted to Starbucks!!!) Then we headed over to my mom and sister's apartment. We visited Downtown Dallas for the day. Since my mom works in Renaissance Tower, we went up to her office, checking out the great aerial view of Dallas. After the building tour, we walked over to The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza which is at the site of the president's 1963 assassination. We walked through the museum listening to the audio tour about the life of John F. Kennedy, his policies as president, his assassination, and the theories behind it. Very interesting. We ate lunch at Cafe Express and drove over to the Dallas Museum of Art to check out the Van Gogh Sheaves of Wheat exhibit. I had not been to the DMA in years. It's improved quite a bit! Exhausted, we all drove back home. Matthew and I ended up hanging out at my apartment Saturday evening. He was lucky enough to have one of his new boyfriends from Yahoo! personals call him that night! They chatted for the longest time. Lucky guy. He's got three male potentials at the moment! Awesome for him. :) I wish I could have as much luck in the men department. Oh well. Hopefully my time will come someday.......

Sunday morning we slept in. (I guess I'll need to go to Confession after missing Sunday Mass!) We drove through Jack in the Box. They have the best breakfast for a fast food place. There are no Jack in the Box in Chicago which surprised me!

I really enjoy visiting with Matthew. We were toying with the idea of going to a male strip club one night during his visit. But, the places around Dallas are quite dangerous! Plus, we were just both so exhausted from all the walking and driving.

I look forward to seeing Matthew in Seattle for the MVP Summit next year!

-J.

Plus, don't let me forget to talk about my groin pat down at security in Decatur.

@Matthew

@Matthew

This fall has turned into traveling madness for myself, first Seattle, then Chicago twice, then Carbondale, then St. Louis, and now Dallas, wow!  Later this month I'm also going to Chicago again, but probably more places as well.  Right now I'm sitting in the Dectatur, IL airport for an AmericanConnection flight to St. Louis, then to Chicago, then to Dallas - it's going to be fun.  I love flying, but this is crazy.  I could have flown direct out of St. Louis, but for ~$40 I could fly out of Decatur, which is only one hour away [compared to three], plus for only $10 more I could connect in Chicago as well to take a Boeing 777!  I've always wanted to fly a triple seven and usually they only fly international routes, with the occassional domestic route during peak travel seasons for certain cities.  Plus this will be my first time flying in a turboprop, and the lack of crowds is quite pleasing.  Hopefully as I keep earning miles on American, than I can fly for free out of Champaign, which is usually quite expensive.

Here's the itinerary Jennifer came up for me, we're going to have a blast:

Thursday, November 2nd
7:30pm I'll pick you up from the DFW Airport. We can go out for a late dinner.

Friday, November 3rd
6am-10am I have to go to work! :(
11am-12pm Lunch (Tex Mex!)
1pm-4pm Visit the American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum
6pm-8pm Dinner at Kobe Steaks Restaurant
8pm - ??? Xbox 360 gaming & cocktails (Get drunk at Jen's apartment. LOL!)

Saturday, November 4th
9am Meet at my mom's apartment
10am-11am Tour of The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza (JFK Memorial)
11:30am-12pm Tour of my mom's work (Great arial view!)
12:30pm-2pm Tour of the Dallas Museum of Art (Van Gogh Exhibit)
2pm-4pm Late Lunch at The Grotto Ristorante
6 pm- ??? Movie @ AMC Grand (The Prestige - My mom says there are HOT men in this movie. LOL!)

Sunday, November 5th
7am-8:30am Sunday Mass (You can sleep in!)
9am-11am Brunch (tbd)
2:40pm Return flight to Chicago (It'll take me a good 45 minutes to drive you to the airport.)

@Matthew