Becky Says...

December 20, 2000

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Sunbird, Part I

A friend wrote a while back and mentioned Sunbird Airlines, and that reminded me I wanted tell you about my experience with it. Sunbird no longer exists as such, by the way; the small company got bought out several mergers ago and its assets are part of US Airways.

My story goes back some years, to a holiday season when Sunbird was running a promotion---fares were incredibly cheap for one-way flights. And as often happens, other airlines were lowering fares in the same coverage area. That's why it was cheaper for me to fly home for Christmas than it would have been to drive. So I got my ticket to Charlotte (closest to home) on Sunbird and my return ticket on another airline.

A friend had taken me to the airport, to say thanks for the use of my apartment for overflow houseguests while I was gone. As an additional thank-you, his wife had send a small bag of cookies for me. I planned to have them as a midnight snack, thinking I would have supper at my mother's. The people who were staying in my apartment over Christmas weekend were to arrive about an hour after I left.

Departure was December 23. I had the tickets, and got to the airport in plenty of time for my flight. My first hint that the whole experience would be different was that the gate agent, who appeared to be age twelve, asked if I had ever flown on Sunbird before. He wasn't making polite chitchat; when I said that I hadn't, he said the airline was required to balance the weight on the planes, and he needed to know what my weight was. I didn't want to cause a problem (or a plane crash!), so I told him.

Next clue: there was no real waiting area. There was a doorway out onto the runway itself. No chairs, no desk with information person, just the door. I was tired---I had been at work all day---so I sat down in the floor. I don't usually sit on floors when I'm in public, but what the heck.

The gate agent came over to tell us that the flight was going to be delayed a bit. The plane was there, but the ground temperature was too cold to allow it to take off just then. Now don't ask me if they hoped the temperature itself would rise; the sun had gone down already. I guess they were doing the airplane equivalent of letting the car warm up. I didn't ask.

Anyway, we were finally allowed to board the plane---assigned seats by weight. There was a grandmother on board who had with her a small suitcase filled with cookies she had baked and was taking to her grandchildren. That presented a problem; it was hard-sided and passengers weren't allowed to have anything hard-sided with them. We were not told that ahead of time. She objected, but agreed to check the bag since all that entailed was handing it to the flight attendant---who was also the co-pilot. He came back from stowing it in the cargo area and told her it was safe.

The story continues tomorrow.

Text � copyright 2000 Becky