US Air Venting

I fly Delta about 95% of the time. I have status and I'm generally satisfied with both their operations and their customer service. But every once in a while I take US Airways. Sometimes it's the only way I can get home on a Saturday night after a game. Sometimes I don't feel like driving from Savannah to Charlotte, and sometimes the connection schedule is nice and tight and it makes the most sense. Like today.

I used to frequent USAir quite a bit back when LaGuardia was my home airport and Pittsburgh was a hub. But that was a long time ago, before they started charging $45 for the exit row, and $3 for a blanket.

Today, I almost missed the 12:50 PM flight out of Savannah because of an unprecedented line at security, so I was huffing and puffing when I was one of the last ones on the plane. But exhaling was not an option. The idle jet was about as hot as the Savannah Power Yoga studio, so US "Air" was in fact a misnomer.

When I asked the flight attendant if they could do anything about the heat, she said that they couldn't turn on the air because they had to save fuel. I have no idea if that's even true, but it does appear to be consistent with their miserly ways. There's even a Facebook page titled "US Airways Sucks."

The flight from Charlotte to Knoxville wasn't as hot, but it was just as stale - they wouldn't give us any air either. The flight attendant told me that she was sorry but she "can't address it with the pilot." To make matters worse there were a couple of crying babies with loaded diapers, and some choppy stormy conditions. I haven't lost my lunch on a plane in 22 years, but today was close.

Fortunately when I landed in Knoxville, I stepped outside and purified myself in the cold, rainy air. Then I got to the rental car lot and grabbed an Infiniti G37. Sweet ride! I just might drive home.

March Madness At Savannah Hilton Head International

So here's the timeline: On Sunday evening the NCAA Tournament bracket was released. Immediately after that, the NIT schedule was released, and at approximately 10:30 PM on Sunday evening I learned my assignment: Tuesday night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

On Monday morning, I called travel and couldn't get a flight until much later in the day - thanks largely to the St. Patrick's weekend exodus. So I got a seat on the 6:25, complete with an upgrade.

But once I got to SAV, Atlanta was shut down. There was a tornado watch and several planes were diverted into Savannah. This added to the mayhem at an airport that does very little activity (at least outgoing) in the evenings.

Since there was an indefinite delay I waited in the gate area. I sat on the floor close to the desk so I could monitor the off-mic updates while I charged my cell phone and read my book.

By the way, how is it in this day and age we don't have cell phones that can be fully recharged in a minute? We put a man on the moon, right? I can send a message halfway around the world in a millisecond, but I have to sit in one place while my phone interminably juices?

Sorry about the digression. My proximity to the activity gave me a keen read on human behavior, and it was kind of like watching a bell curve in a petri dish.

Lined-up customers went from frustrated to irate to resigned to their fate. The (one) gate agent went from overwhelmed to extremely rude to mildly helpful. The diverted Atlanta-bound plane from Fort Walton Beach off-loaded and re-boarded before our doors even opened, adding to everyone's misery. I simply canceled my hotel in Tuscaloosa and thought about where to stay in the Atlanta area tonight.

We finally took off (pictured above) 3 hours and 20 minutes late with an arrival time more than 4 hours behind schedule. Now I consider myself a pretty hardcore veteran traveler. I can handle a crappy seat on an airplane or a long delay, but turbulence sucks. We flew right through the storm, and I closed my eyes and gripped my hands on the armrests like a scared little kid.

The phrase I use with my colleagues about the NIT is "The Victory Lap." After a long, hard basketball season there's one or a couple nice, low pressure games. Unfortunately it timed out with the low pressure in the Georgia atmosphere.

Savannah To Clemson: Drive Or Fly?

Clemson SC is a 4 hour and 15 minute drive from home. It is a tedious and boring drive, but it isn’t all that long in the scheme of things.

But today I opted for a different plan. I flew to Atlanta and drove 2 hours to Clemson from there. That doesn’t make much sense does it? Well here are the factors in making that call, a choice I’ve been making more and more lately.

Primarily it’s necessary for preparation. In my brief time between events, I often have the kids. I also have workouts to catch up on, and many TV shows to digest from the DVR. Add these past couple of weeks of surveying potential new SUVs, and you’re right up against it until it’s time to leave.

While the time at Savannah airport or on the plane isn’t plentiful, it is a chance to hit the books. There is no work you can get done in the car besides making phone calls.

The second and less important reason is every segment counts. It’s usually a motto I don’t employ until November/December, but why wait? Get to Platinum Medallion a little earlier and you don't have to make such hard choices.

Driving is for going home after the game when I’m all keyed-up on adrenaline and 5-Hour Energy, but alas I have to go from Clemson to Columbia, Missouri for a Saturday game. So it’s going to be a 2-hour drive back to Atlanta, a flight to St. Louis, and then a 90-minute drive to Mizzou. Then a 90-minute drive back before two flights home.

It’s like the worst of both worlds: The hard choices are the price for having made such a good career choice.

Nice Job Today, Delta Airlines

I left Lexington this morning to take a conference call at The Tap Room at Blue Grass Airport. The call was 11 AM, the flight to ATL was 12:30 and the weather was miserable.

In Atlanta - flight to CHO was cancelled, so a number of us made it to Richmond  In fact some colleagues of mine were agreessive in getting seats on the next flight to Richmomd, and we got our rental car in Richmond to drop in Charlottesville. I rocked the aisle seat, overhead space, and turned my brain off reading, Neil Young's Waging Heavy Peace took my mind for and hour and a half.

But the key was what would happen to my 40-pound bag that I checked at the outset of the trip. I used the Delta site during flight and it said that it was scanned for Richmond. I thought that was pretty cool, my bags were being tracked like Fedex and I had hope I'b be whole by the time we hit the road.

We waited a little at baggage claim, but it was ultimately a sucess. Then I rented a suburban without XM. On the ride, I talked with the kids and the boss, and by the time the delay ordeal was over at 7 PM I was checking in in Charlottesvile, VA, life was in order.

So Delta got a curveball and doubled it down the line. I tip my hat. Although why when you can take a straight shot, and avoid airline headaches, 6 hours door to door on one road?

Of course I was impressed by Delta's team response to a bad situation to get everyone to Charlottesville through Richmond because of a canceled flight and bad weather. But as the plane landed there was no bad weather. It was a travel drill, The drive would have been better.

Backtime 2012 Big Finish: Day 8

OK the blog streak ended at 165 days (just 200 short in a non-election year), and lasted way longer than my plants. I was just too busy working, with the responsibilities of a TV producer and digging myself out of a blizzard. Or as they call it in Detroit, "snow," a mere 4-6 inches doesn't qualify as anything more.

My 7th Detroit Bowl game was a lot like many of the previous ones, wild. The 4th quarter involved a (carried over) 9-minute drive, a 7-minute drive, a TD with a fumble upheld, a TD run overturned, a blocked punt in the end zone, and a very questionable 4th down play call. Central Michigan ultimately prevailed over Western Kentucky.

The 19 buses from Bowling Green, Kentucky all managed to arrive in Detroit for the game, and several pulled up in front of our hotel after the game. It was a mad house. Not only were there 5 inches of unplowed snow in front of the hotel but they couldn't even take may car for close to an hour. The story works better visually, but I just can't take pictures everywhere I go.

It was still fully dark when I dropped off the rental car in the slush at Detroit Metro in the morning. While I undersell the holidays, I know what to ask Santa for before my next Christmas in Detroit: a hat, gloves, scarf, and boots. Almost none of which are needed in Savannah...ever.

My seat assignment from Detroit to San Francisco, 21D, reminded me of my first day as a Delta Platinum in 2008. I was traveling from Detroit to the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio and I drew 29E - a middle seat. Welcome to Platinum. Well I must have more clout now, because I was the first one called to be upgraded.

And traveling at 30,000 feet with Wi-Fi and a charger, it was a productive and relaxing experience. I didn't mind the snow so much...while flying over Yosemite.

What's Up Homes? Network Director Edition

When you're an accomplished TV director, sitting in the big chair for top-notch NBA, college basketball, and college football programming, you can live pretty much anywhere you want. So why not the tranquil setting of Lake Norman in North Carolina?

It's just north of Charlotte, and just down the road from the impeccable campus of Davidson College. So what if there are still a few McCain-Palin '08 lawn signs up in the neighborhood?

The protagonist of this story is a little more progressive. He hob-nobs with the money behind the Edwards campaign. How'd that work out by the way?

Despite the calm surroundings, he is true to his neighborhood and lets his inner Jesse Helms out every other Thursday. And if I know my man, I'd say the Delta Airlines representative on the other end picked up the wrong phone on this day.