Friendly Skies

---

This may not be the most objective, scientific or eloquent observation that I've ever made, but airlines suck! I realize that everyone has airline horror stories about being screwed over, but the Phelps name just seems to precipitate bad luck out of any airline experience. If a Phelps is traveling with you, meeting you, or is in any way, shape, or form connected with your travel plans, you're in trouble (just ask Jen R!) So it shouldn't be too surprising that I got an email on the morning of my flight telling me that my flight into Ghana was moved to Tuesday, giving me a 25 hour lay over in Dubai instead of a 2 hours, and saying that my return flight in August will now be returning to Perth at 1 a.m. on the 18th instead of the 16th. As my flight from Perth to Chicago leaves at 5a.m. on the 18th, my total return trip would look something like this:

8 hour flight Accra - Dubai
11:30 hour flight Dubai - Perth
4 hour flight Perth-Sydney
14 hour flight Sydney - L.A.
4 hour flight L.A. - Chicago

giving me a total of 41:30 hours flying time, not including layovers or the inevitable and much enjoyed delays.

Calling Emirates Airlines to sort things out I learned that the original flights I was book on never existed. I thought that this was interesting as I had the original tickets with these non-existent flights in my hand. A little more inquiry revealed that indeed the flights had existed in February when I made the reservations, but had been discontinued that same month. The travel agent who was supposed to notify me of this change in February decided to wait until this morning, which incidentally meant that it was too late to get a free hotel room from Emirates for the 2 nights I would have to spend in Dubai due to the flight changes.

Now I feel a little silly complaining about such matters. Here I am, soon to be surrounded by people who have lived without water and electricity for years and I'm complaining about the airline delays? Oh to have such fantastical luxuries as airline travel! How can I get upset over one night's accommodation when the people I am going to go help have had no such security for years

Invariably getting pissed off at the airlines gets you nothing except high blood pressure (unless your flying business where it gets you free hotels, drinks, or an upgrade). And that feeling that you have been somehow deeply wronged, that the airlines have upset the natural balance of the universe, the way things should be, by giving you the one over lies rooted in some natural sense of entitlement cultivated within us by growing up in a world of plenty. My flight was delayed therefore I should get a hotel room- that's whats fair, its the way the world works according to my spoiled 1st world logic.

Everything was settled with the help of my dad, so I have one more night in Perth instead of spending it in Dubai and don't leave until Monday night now

I'm sure my airline complaining will find plenty of sympathetic ears at the refugee camp. They've been wait

---