Holiday Travel

So if you've seen any of my tweets over the last let's say day's worth of travel then you know that my trek from the left coast to the right one wasn't exactly smooth sailing.  I mean all thing considered it could been been a lot worse.  To make a long story short it boils down to weather and resulting delays, delays, delays. Delays in the airport until 3am before even leaving Oakland, delays on the runway in Dulles, and delays in the air waiting for the Boston ground crew to plow and reopen the runway. Like I said though it could have been worse for sure. As I finally collected my bags at Boston's Logan Airport I started to put myself in the shoes of the people who made it possible for me, and two planes full of people, to ultimately make the journey successfully.

It occurs to me that behind the scenes of this whole air travel industry, espeically, at this time of the year there is a cordinate effort of ordinary people doing hureuclean tasks in extraordinary circumstances.  From the counter agent who was able to get me booked on the flight that ultimately got me to Boston, as opposed to being stranded on stand-by. The flight crews and gate agents dealing with irate people. Or the pilots landing the plan in Boston in a literal sea of whiteness. To the ground crews keeping the runway clear enough to land on. 

I don't know what any of these people are getting paid to deal with all of these things at this time of the year in what must already be fairly stressful positions, but I don't see how it is enough.  Perhaps it is just the season of giving kicking in but if some of the ticket price is going to reward all the JetBlue employees who got me home for the holidays then I don't mind that much. 

Thank you all, happy holidays.  From a grateful, if weary, traveler.