Can I get an nonstop upgrade for $1?
I wondered as I shuffled through the OR Tambo International Airport to pick up my bags from the international baggage claim and take them to domestic check-in. It was getting to be a bit too much.
I mean how would you feel after a Memorial Day trip to Atlanta, then returning to Tallahassee at 4:30 a.m. With about ¼ of the sheep counted, you wake around 9 a.m., finish packing bags and trek down I-75 for four and a half hours. You run into the Tampa International Airport.
Stand here. Adjust your weight. Pull out your passport. Take off your shoes. Walk to gate E8. Board at zone three. Put your seat in the upright position. Turn your phone off.
An hour in the air and then it’s time to rest for the night. Don’t forget checkout is at noon. At 12:01 p.m. you are shuttled to Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport. After an eight-hour wait you finally head across the Atlantic to Johannesburg. With an uncomfortable night’s sleep, this brings me back to my original point.
Is there an easier way?
I dream of traveling the world, but I guess there’s a price to pay for such a perk. I will take my lengthy experience over any nonstop, domestic flight, ANYDAY!
