so it was off to the airport for an 11ish flight into JFK. as it turns out the flight was delayed about 3 hours because of snow in NY.i took pics of a couple of alaska airlines' planes. i really like the salmon paint job.
the flight into JFK was really not so bad. as they were handing out headphones to people (coach had to pay, and yes, while i was on the 1st class list, there were enough people on the upgrades/standby who paid full fares i wasn't able to sit up there.) i had my own so i wasn't going to buy any, but the steward hands one to me and says 'i hear you're 1 of the family'. yes, the flight crew has a list of passenger names and seats, and if any are non-rev i.e. employees, family of emps, or those with special needs etc. so he knew i was on a buddy pass which meant i was with an employee. so i got a free headset. that was nice. later i was standing while i waited for the window seat to return from the lav and he walks up and asks me very quietly if i wanted a drink. - you know, the kind coach has to pay for. i really didn't, although i was tempted to ask for OJ. but i didn't. i landed about 11 and as i'm about to exit teh jetway into the terminal i hear this very texas voice telling a JFk gate agent 'i don't know what she looks like, i just know her name and she's on this flight'. it was around 1pm by the time we got to stacey's house.
the next morning we went out to breakfast with bill, her new stepdad, ran a few errands, and then bill, her mom, and the 2 of us headed back to JFK for the flight to roma, italy.
her mom and bill got on the plane with no problem. i was the last person admitted onboard from the waitlist. all 3 of them were up in 1st class and i was stuck in coach, but i was on the plane. personally i really hated the fact i was in coach. but what made it so terrible was the fact that the coach crew had left *every* single light on full illumination until well past food service. and this was a night flight! OMG i couldn't believe it. but what made that trip especially miserable was the fact that it was freezing. everyone within 4 rows of me was grabbing their coats. the blankets we had were laughable. i can't believe they would even dare call them blankets! i was shivering the entire flight. the snotty flt attendant - and that's not me dissing her, as you'll learn soon. she said it was just cooler there because we were near a door. well i tell you, i was right behind an exit door on the flt to JFK, and have sat near/next to and behind doors before and NEVER been that cold on a plane. my throat hurt, i was shivering, i could barely sit still. the attendant says 'it's so hot in the back we can't turn up the heat anymore. well, if that's the case go get all those blankets from back there and bring them up here as we need them. but no, that's actually doing their job and making the people they essentially hold hostage when you're on a plane, feel better. so why would they want to do that? i didn't sleep more than an hour on that flight. and i always sleep on planes. after the 2nd food service the people across the way were done with their trays while the crew was starting a *2nd* drink run. with the cart. and of course anyone who's flown a long flight where there's a cart in service knows how friggin difficult to get down the aisle to the lav. they asked her if she had a trash can to get rid of the trays. totally reasonable, and it's not as if they thrust their trays on her and demanded her to take them away. she just chewed them out. 'this is a drink cart. not a trash cart. can you see that? did i ask you for your trash? no, i asked if you wanted another drink." well, i got 1 word for her and it rhymes with witch.
we landed in roma to beautiful weather.
to be continued.
