Fireweed - Colorado Trail Journal - 2011

Air travel tribulations

I am including this journal entry for those who fly to get to and return from backpacking destinations. When I checked in my pack, the ticket agent was kind enough to offer a large clear heavy duty plastic bag to put the pack in (Frontier Airlines). Some airlines do not provide this. She also had locking plastic bag ties to secure the bag end and attach the luggage receipt. I flew Frontier into Denver and changed to Alaska Airlines in Denver to get to Seattle and Medford, Oregon. Unfortunately I was flying standby in Denver, so only checked my bag through to Seattle even though my final destination was Medford, Oregon, in case I didn't make it on the plane in Seattle. I was pretty sure of my ability to get on the plane in Denver because a friend who worked for the airline I was flying on checked the flight "Loads" and the flight I had chosen to get to Seattle still had empty seats. I arrived in Seattle uneventfully. I had to gather up my bag, which arrived safely but not on the general luggage merry go round. It was dumped with other unusually shaped and large luggage by the airline baggage claim office. Luckily I spotted it before I had time to build up a nasty case of angst looking for it on the regular luggage carousel.

The flights out of Seattle to Medford were all full, so I decided to spend the might in Seattle and book on the earliest flight at 6:30 AM--it always has seats available. I made it back home the next day, with only one rip in the plastic bag my pack was in. That's why I prefer to put my pack in a heavy duty cordura duffel bag to do air travel.

Entry 46 of 46
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