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26 October 2005

Come Fly With Me - High Point Oct 2005 (Part 4)

Plane 6 - Greensboro to Detroit - McDonnell Douglas DC9-50 (Canceled)
Flight was overbooked and the airline was asking for volunteers to be bumped off. I volunteered.

Plane 7 - Detroit to Atlanta - McDonnell Douglas DC9-50 (Canceled)
Well, if my earlier flight kena canceled, then this connection also redundant.

Plane 8 - Greensboro to Atlanta - Boeing 737-800
I was asked (At Plane 6) if I volunteer to be bumped off the earlier flight, what I would get in return?

This is the deal that i got:

1) Fly Delta Airlines on First Class. I may have a later departure time but since I don't have to make the connection at Detroit like the previous itinerary, I actually get to arrive at Atlanta 2 hours earlier!

2) I get USD 300.00 as compensation.

How's that for a good deal?

The only down side is that when I switch over to Delta, I fulfilled the criteria where I was:

1) Getting this flight at the very last minute,
2) Not on Delta's Frequent Flyers Program,
3) Taking this flight on a one-way ticket basis since the rest of my itinerary is on Northwest,

As such, I kena the dreaded "SSSS" printed on my boarding pass. My luggage tag also kena the "SPCL" label. It means lim peh is suspected terrorist. Nin Nah Beh Chao Turtle...

"SPCL" obviously means special and it doesn't mean that you are going to get Special VIP treatment. More rather it means that you are getting the Special-I-Think-You-Are-Osama-Bin-Jaywalk treatment. My luggage was searched inside and out. The consolation there was that the TSA agent was very polite and handled the contents of my luggage with care and with enough courtesy to put back everything nicely. A far cry from 9-11 days where the bladdy agents were all gung-ho and guns ablazing. F*cking high and mighty attitude and bladdy rude. Nowadays much better liao and I appreciate their effort to step up security to make our flights safer.

"SSSS" stands for Selected for Secondary Security Screening. When I enter the gate area where the metal detectors and X-Rays are. They took me to another lane and a private clearing area where I have to take off shoes, belt, any and every piece of metal on me. (I get to keep me pants on. Heng ah...). Like a fairy godmother, I was waved the metal-detecting wand all over me and a pat-down. Lucky never pat "there", sekali kena boner, then really hard (no pun intended) to explain liao.

All in all, it was a quick flight but really bumpy, due to the strong winds, as we approached for landing. Probably has something to do with the Hurricane Wilma just South of Atlanta in Florida. We were rolling left and right even when we were inches off the landing tarmac. We landed with the right wheels hitting the ground first then left before the nose wheels touches down for a safe landing.

Not as frightening as it may sound. Well, either that or I really lao jiao from flying already...

- Voxeros


1. zeenie left...
Wednesday, 26 October 2005 1:40 pm
I suspect you're going to sprout wings anytime now. LOL. Safe journey.


2. mihuatang left...
Wednesday, 26 October 2005 3:18 pm
sounds like a good deal to be bumped off. got cash some more. but the body inspection part does not sound good.
hehe!
3. Pam left...
Wednesday, 26 October 2005 4:11 pm
dude! received the greetings from portland...thanks!! :) no, postman is used to it already... :):) have many more safe trips. speak soon.


4. ahdokboy left...
Wednesday, 26 October 2005 8:08 pm
"Special-I-Think-You-Are-Osama-Bin-Jaywalk treatment" - haha that's funny.


5. Lynne left...
Wednesday, 26 October 2005 8:25 pm
Wah, you are one of those "lucky" ones who get searched thoroughly, they always pick guys, dunno why. That's why I try to wear sandals when I fly, no need to take off shoes - except toes will freeze in winter. Avoid being in the South, too many tropical storms/hurricanes lately. Take care!


6. akk left...
Wednesday, 26 October 2005 8:46 pm
yay! another entry! well, at least they search ur bags nicely. it is quite understandable that they do have to step up with these security measures.
*(I get to keep me pants on. Heng ah...)*. so... shirt? hehehehe....:)


7. milktea left...
Wednesday, 26 October 2005 9:57 pm
wow, that's a good deal. flying first class.
when I arrived here, I was also switched to another airline because of the original's flight delay and I wasn't transferred to a first class seat. hmpf.


8. JayWalk left...
Wednesday, 26 October 2005 10:50 pm :: 
zeenie: If I sprout wings, 那我不就变成了 "鸟人"?

mihuatang: Yes and no. Yes in the sense that you have to go through more thorough inspection but at no time are you treated like a criminal suspect. The TSA agents these days, if I may add, are very professional in their job as compared to last time.

No in the sense that you may clear the security faster, especially during peak hours, since you have your own private lane and clearing area.

Pam: Make sure you give the postman a nice bonus this Christmas!

Ahdokboy: Oh no, I wrote Osama and terrorist in the same blog. I wonder if the CIA will pick this blog up and flag it as a high risk suspect?

Lynne: Only when I fly Delta for some strange reasons. Anyway the good news is that Hurricane Wilma is the last hurricane of the year. Or so they say.... fingers crossed.

akk: Aiyoh. Take off shirt, take off pants.... you damn jialat....

milktea: Yes and no here as well. US domestic First Class is really no biggie. If it's an international First Class on board SQ, CX or BA, then it is a totally different story.


9. kIm left...
Friday, 28 October 2005 8:07 pm
I was searched in Australia last year! My mom nearly died from shock. Hahaha..


10. JayWalk left...
Saturday, 29 October 2005 4:14 pm :: 
kIm: I have been to Sydney earlier this year but no problem with them. I do have a friend who had to take out his golf clubs to show them that the clubs have been cleaned and not have any grass seeds on them.

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