A while ago, I was considering joining a blues band. I don't know what I was thinking... I really don't like blues. I guess I just like to play; thankfully, the band never got off the ground, so it saved me the trouble of having to figure it out the hard way.
Anyways, I thought that "Good Little Traveler" would be a great name for a blues band. And it's based, as you may have guessed, on the little chick.
Well, we're in Canada now, which is what reminded me of this. She did great on the flight, but it was almost a close call. Even though I bought an adult ticket and an accompanying child at the same time, they had our seats reserved for a dozen rows apart.
"Why," you ask? Who knows.
Anyways, the guy at the Geneva airport noticed it, but didn't have access to the Air Canada seat system, so sent a message on to Frankfurt. When I got there, they managed to get us in two aisle seats, one behind the other. I guess if I would have waited, I could have flagged down an attendant to try to change the seating, but I figured I'd give it a go, first. I thought maybe we could sit side by side in the middle section, and the person who had a middle seat beside me would be happy to trade for an aisle in the row in front. Ideally, we could even trade out to a side section where there are only 2 seats... much easier to keep the little chick contained if there's a wall on the other side.
So, it turns out that asking older Germans to trade seats is kind of a pointless exercise. They either didn't understand why I felt I needed to be next to my three year-old daughter, or they grasped that, but failed to see what it had to do with them. I tried a few people, and no one was willing to part with their previously-assigned seat. Alrighty, then.
Eventually, I noticed a woman in the side section a few rows in front of us. I went and asked her if she spoke English... and she did.
Good start.
I explained what had happened, and asked if she'd be willing to take one of our seats. She said "of course" and, in fact, was packing up and ready to go before I even finished explaining. Then I just hoped the other person who was supposed to be by a window would be just as understanding.
Thankfully, she was. She said she was flying solo on this trip, but had had the same thing happen with her kids before, and was happy to help. And the little chick did just great.
So it makes me wonder... when they get two tickets booked at the same time, on the same credit card, do they do some kind of seat lottery to see where to put them? Or was there someone who looked at our names and ages, and figured that I might like to have a break on this flight? Either way, it seems a bit strange. I'm glad it worked out.
We're enjoying being back... and, despite the jet lag, have had a wonderful couple of days so far. I think it's going to be a good week.
How have you been?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Germans are a funny breed. At first glance they can seem unfriendly, but I think it's something else. They are perfectionists. (Just think of their cars and the famous German Engineering!) If a rule exists, it is not to be broken. Even if there is a good reason to break it, they don't really care -- it's a rule.
Contrast that with Italians. They may seem like nice people. But when it comes to things like line-up etiquette, cleaning toilets, or scheduling trains, rules are treated more like suggestions.
If I had to choose between the two cultures, I would have to go with the Germans. The Italians may have a smile on their face, but their disregard for rules makes me not like them.
As for the seat assigning, that is something I don't get. I blame it on Air Canada, because they seem to screw up so much other stuff. :) Our first easyJet flight also was frustrating when it came to seat assignments. If I was flying alone I would not be bothered, but the fact that I have to be at the front of so many lines right up to boarding to ensure I can sit with my wife seems a little ridiculous.
I think it may be the communists.
I've just realized that all of my usual responses to that (Easterners, someone from Edmonton, Americans) now make up some of my regular readers. My highly appreciated regular readers.
So, yeah, it's probably the communists.
And here's my take on the cultural thing: you should live in Germany and vacation in Italy. Or actually, live anywhere and vacation in Italy. I guess I have a pretty high tolerance for crap from people who do coffee, painting, wine, and beauty like the Italians do.
Post a Comment