Melissa,
Sounds like you, finally, got on a flight to Dallas—after an entire day of “touring” northern Virginia!
Perhaps you were traveling on some kind of discounted coach fare, or maybe even an “award” ticket. Even if you paid only with “miles” for your ticket—was all the s**t you went through really worth it?? Maybe, someday, domestic air travel will be totally, or partially, re-regulated, and sanity will return to the terminal. Until then, travel from Washington to Dallas, or any other domestic destination, on a plane, and within a reasonably predictable time frame, will be no more reliable than a toss of the dice. You “won” on this toss, but barely. On this trip it was a broken cockpit door. Next trip it could be weather or air traffic control. Or a flight attendant or gate agent, on a power trip, who has you thrown-off the plane.
Amtrak is slow, expensive, and always 30 minutes to 3 hours late on long-distance runs. But, it keeps moving, and the attitude is a lot better. There is a bed and a toilet. If you’re standing on the tracks, and not moving, you can eat, sleep in your bed, or use the rest room. And, you’re not threatened with arrest for doing any of these things.
Unlike deaths in a family, which force people to be victimized by airlines, weddings are usually announced well in advance. Depending on the distance of your final destination from an Amtrak station, the higher fare will allow you to arrive in substantially better physical shape, and in better spirits.
Washington to Dallas, on Amtrak, for 2 adults, is $1,143.00—with two beds and a private bath. The travel time is 2 days with a 5-hour lay-over in Chicago.
In my profile / blog, I suggest some airlines that might offer a hassle-free experience in cases where Amtrak travel is not an option.
See:
http://groups.google.com/groups/prof...o7PylW0wCVGllQ
