Friday, June 20, 2014

Peanuts or Pretzels?

Today was a historic day in travel for me…I secured position A1 on my flight home to Phoenix. 

Why is this historic you may ask? Well it is because I usually get B39 or something similarly “sardine-ish”.
C’mon---we all know the ritual for Southwest---it is a first come, first served cattle call fest. 

24 hours before your flight you can check in on-line and secure your spot in A, B, or C. Then we line up accordingly and file in to the plane, so if you get the latter part of B or any of C you are screwed! 

But there are a select group of people who aim for the A spots! Close your eyes and envision all of the A-type (I know ---ironic) personalities setting their phone alarms to exactly 24 hours before the time of departure.  There they sit…like cheetahs on the Serengeti waiting for their prey! Their screens all set to the Southwest.com on-line check-in screen. Their alarms chime---and...clicks are sounding off all around the state of departure. You’d think 50 five year olds were walking around in their plastic Disney princess heels. And yes, I said 50 because the other 130 of us forgot and ended up with B39 and getting stinky looks as we ask to sit between two of the A-type 50.

So how did I get A1? Well, I had to switch my flight and I had a voucher with some extra money on it and thought what the heck---I will upgrade to business select! Well much to my surprise not only did I get the A1 position but Business Select peeps also get to go to the front of the security line AND I didn’t have to take off my shoes---serious bonus because that always grosses me out! So here is the kicker---I think the upgrade is like $25 or something in that range---seriously---$25 to go to the front of security, not have to take off my shoes AND get the A1 position? Why haven’t I done this sooner? It was like the heavens opened and I had a life changing epiphany!

And where do the peanuts and pretzels fit in to all of this? Well, as I sat in my A1 positioned seat that was NOT in the middle---I was offered the run of the mill peanuts and pretzels with my complimentary cranberry juice and gladly accepted the bag then sat there and eagerly opened my shiny 1oz. bag of peanuts! I thought to myself “why do I always take these things---I hate peanuts and don’t particularly care for pretzels?”

So there it is my dear readers----why do we always anxiously sit there staring at the flight attendant as they make their way down the aisle; giving them the look of---“giiiiirl you know you better hurry it up and give me my bag of peanuts!” What is so magical about those things anyway? Do they lace it with crack? I mean we all watched Super Size Me right?--- if McDonald’s can scientifically figure out how to make their fries addicting so we can buy them, I wouldn’t put it pass SouthwestJ Just kidding---just in case the CEO is reading this blog! But seriously---is it the shiny bag (all humans love shiny bags)---is it the sound of the opening rip?---or is it just that we all want our free things in life, even if it is a snack we would never buy on our own?

I guess the world will never know!

Malama Pono<<<Google it!