100k benefits

I'm a bit annoyed by the airlines' new policy of charging us for each piece of checked luggage. It seems like petty nickel-and-diming to make us pay $15 - $25 to take a bag with us to our destination. Aren't we already paying to transport ourselves (and by association, our luggage) from point A to point B? We already pay extra to have the privilege of stretching out our legs, have a bite to eat, or drink something other than water, soda or coffee/tea. And on many airlines, we have to pay for the cheap headphones so that we can watch out-of-date movies on tiny screens. What else are they going to make us pay for? "I know you paid $300 for a ticket, but if you actually want a seat you're going to have to pay an additional $50."

Yes, I understand that fuel is more expensive than anticipated and the airlines are scrambling. But isn't the ability to manage your business effectively through market fluctuations a sign of competence? When did it become acceptable to run straight to your consumer and charge them for your inability to successfully operate your business? We're talking about an industry that already feels free to charge anywhere from $200 and $800 for the exact same ticket.

Anyway, this isn't what I intended to talk about. I wanted to give a quick description of what we paid 100,000 frequent flyer miles to enjoy:

• SEA to ORD: Relatively painless. We requested an aisle seat and the bulkhead row since we have a baby on our laps, and got neither. But the woman seated in the aisle seat of our row graciously traded seats.
• ORD to PGH: Flight delayed 2 hours. When we finally got on the plane, we weren't seated next to one another. Again, another passenger agreed to trade seats. This is only a 90 minute flight, so we were looking forward to a quick trip, especially since the delay meant that it was cutting directly into Zachary's bedtime, which can create a very screamy and uncomfortable situation for everyone involved. After 2.5 hours in the air (remember, it's a 90-minute flight), we get the announcement that PGH is closed to incoming traffic due to thunderstorms and we are out of fuel. So we land in CLE to refuel and wait out the storm. We finally get back in the air and arrive in PGH 5 hours late.
• PGH to ORD: Sitting at the gate 30 minutes before the flight is scheduled to leave. No plane. Still sitting there 5 minutes after the flight is scheduled to leave. Still no plane. Gate still says, "On time". Finally find out that flight is delayed an 1.5 hours. On a good note, we were given Economy Plus seats, so Chris is able to stretch his legs a bit during the flight.
• ORD to SEA: Flight is an hour late. When we finally take off, the air conditioning AND the television monitors at the back of the plane are broken.

On the bright side, Zachary was a very well-behaved little boy for the vast majority of the flights. We got several comments about what a good baby he is (including from the passengers who were sitting right next to us, which is a testament to just how good he was). One woman who traveled all the way from Seattle to Pittsburgh with us said, "We've taken a vote back here and have decided that your baby is the best baby in the world. He has been SO good on such a long travel day." People were even stopping us in baggage claim to tell us what a good boy he is. Such a clever boy!

Now that I've gotten all of my flight angst out of my system, I'll come back soon and update you on the actual trip! We went back east to introduce Zachary to the PA side of the family and have him baptized in my grandmother's church. It was a lovely and special trip, and I'll update soon with pictures!