The Travel Industry News - Editorial Archives

October / November, 2006

MAYBE PIGS CAN FLY ...

WOW ... Bond got it right this time. In the April 2006 issue of TIN, I asked “ARE THEY NUTS? Talk about a squirrel looking for nuts, what on earth are the WA (that’s Washington State for all my overseas readers) tourist people thinking of?”

Of course I was referring to the ‘SayWA’ marketing slogan. WELL ..the Washington Tourism Advisory Committee recently advised the ‘State Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development’, to drop the controversial slogan.

I was on the Governors ‘Board of Travel Industry Advisors’ that was assembled to handle the Mt St Helens eruption effect on the states ‘tourism business’ .. way back when .. I wish I’d been on this one when someone suggested the ‘SayWA’ campaign! As the Seattle PI wrote .. “What were they thinking? What were they smoking?” NEWS FLASH! Seattle’s latest tourism slogan just announced .. wait for it .. ‘METRONATURAL’.

Did I mention that ’SayWA’ was just introduced in March of ‘06 as a leading thrust for a $442,000 marketing campaign??? Oh dear!

AND NOW ...’DLBs Adventures on ... Flying Southwest’ .

I arose at 3.45 am on Thursday October 12, 2006. The sky was black, the temperature cool ( shouldn't have left the window open), I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss my ‘Bellaire Airport Shuttle Bus’ to Sea-Tac from Stanwood .. scheduled at 5.15am.

I was there, so was the bus. off we go on a ‘Travel Adventure’!

The Bellaire service was efficient, the drivers informative and fun. I should have known this was not going to be a very good ‘Travel Day’ when we found there was a traffic accident on I5, (did you know how much traffic there is at 5.30am! ?). No problem, we came down Hwy 405 and not much time was added to our Sea-Tac arrival ... ah, but now the trip was really getting under way ... or so I thought!

Check in was fast and simple. Security wasn’t too bad and took about 45 minutes, then it was onto our Departure Gate ( I use the words loosely!). After what seemed a mass of humanity in all its shapes and sizes, had handed in their boarding passes, we clambered aboard to claim a seat .. any seat! Ah, the cattle were now on board and it was just after 8am .. good .. our departure was scheduled at 8.10am.

Well her we go, one more flight coming up. WRONG! We left the gate at 8.15 and headed for the runway. “Sorry folks, we have a little problem up here”, said the Captain. “ Just a faulty gauge we are returning to the gate, should only delay us about 10 or 15 minutes”.

At 9am we headed for the runway once again. Oops! “Sorry folks we have to head back to the gate again, seems we are still having problems with this gauge, thank you for your patience (Like I had a choice!!!). Back at the familiar gate we were told they hoped to have it fixed shortly AND because of the inconvenience we would all receive Free Peanuts! “ Oh, I’m sorry said the Captain, apparently this flight does not have peanuts aboard, we will give you Free Pretzels”.

AND THEN ... at 11am. “Sorry folks this aircraft isn’t going anywhere, we will try to accommodate you on another flight. Those with connections to make will be allowed off first.” I immediately decided that included me! I managed to get on the next flight because I got off early and arrived in Oakland for my ’ONE DAY’ ... 5 hours late. As I told the desk agent booking my second flight, “If I don’t get on this one I’ll be too late to catch my flight back! People wanted inexpesive air- they have it!

My day in Oakland and environs was outstanding, although needless to say there were meetings I missed and things I didn’t see.

Back at the airport, security not too long, I even had time to get coffee and a cookie .. had to have something to sustain my return flight. At the gate I thought I had come upon a Berkley Sit-in demonstration from another era. No .. it was just Southwest passengers sitting on the floor to ensure they got on the plane through their A, B or C gate entrances ... whatever happened to our civilization?

The flight actually left the ground on its first attempt. The cattle settled down. We arrived in Seattle about 30 minutes late, I missed my Bellaire connection .. ah but there was another one at 11.30pm. I arrived home at 1.30am, just 22 hours after getting up ... mooed gently and dropped into my stall. Never did get those pretzels.

David (Moo Moo) Bond

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