21... And Hopefully Counting

I'm asking for it by writing this post.  I know I'll regret it, but I need to brag and tempt fate a bit.

There have been a multitude of stories in the press on airline flight delays.  Weather, congestion, a lack of traffic controllers, aircraft maintenance, unrealistic schedules calling for too many planes to land or depart at once... the reasons are endless.  Many of the problems are at an airport I frequent, Chicago O'Hare.  But, strangely, I don't recall the last time one of my flights was affected.  In fact...

After reviewing some of my past travel, I realized that over the last couple months I've had 21 consecutive flight segments that were on time.  Twenty one.  Is that phenomenal or what?  Those flights touched numerous airports... LAX, SBP, SFO, ORD, IAD, DCA, DEN, TVC, MBS, SLC, PHX, and RNO for starters.  All, believe it or not, on United.  Yes the golden handcuffs of their Mileage Plus program.

But maybe I should give myself more credit than being simply luckly.  I always try to take the first puddle jumper flight of the day from my SBP home, as the plane is already sitting there from the night before and therefore it doesn't have to land in the occasional coastal fog.  I always try to fly from SBP to LAX instead of SFO, as SFO is max'd out and delays or cancels commuter flights with the slightest fog.  LAX has better weather and more flights to my usual next destination, ORD.  Chicago is a bit dicier, but I allow an extra couple hours of layover and try to get there as early as possible.  I always take the earliest flights out of TVC and MBS as later flights are succeptible to cascading delays. 

You get the story... I've learned some lessons.  I'm sure I'm not alone.  Frequent travelers also have learned other tricks... or solutions... with regards to packing, what to wear, and where to park.  I've experienced failure, analyzed the root cause, and developed solutions.  Perhaps informally, and perhaps some of the solutions are really just band-aids.  But they've helped improve my traveling process.  Which is what we should all be doing instead of just complaining. 

I'm flying to Sarasota, Florida next Wednesday for a couple meetings and a day or two of R&R.  I'll let you know how it goes...