Ah, Thanksgiving. It’s my favorite holiday of the year. This time, a quick road trip brought me to Phoenix, so no airplanes needed. For everyone else, hopefully you’ve had easy travels despite the snow in some parts of the country. (If you live in Buffalo, that’s an understatement.) As always, I’ll let Robert take it away with the true meaning of the holiday.
Dear traveler,
As the last of the leaves flutter down from the trees, the seasons roll forward to a festive time of year. A comfortable mid-November day in the skies with middle seats left empty and upgrades cleared can cleanse and prepare us anew for the great holiday bumping bonanza that lies ahead. It is a fine time to reflect on the True Meaning of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving may be a time to give thanks, but Thanksgiving must be a time to get bumped.
It is a fine time to be an airline. The economy is healing and fuel is falling, so it’s high time to mint money. More people now pledge allegiance to the new frontier of the spirited discounters who push the Thanksgiving stuffing to new heights; it’s a wonder that the stuffees can still breathe at the end of their voyage. The airlines still make believe that there can be more people than seats, and when their fantasy goes bad, the opportunity turns golden for those who are ready to grab the bump. The rewards are easy for those who are prepared: clear your calendars, bring your array of screens and chargers to pass the time, and reap the bonanza of free travel that can be yours by volunteering early and often for the bump.
May your frequent freebies fly furiously this festive holiday season!
..robert
The True Meaning of Thanksgiving, years past
2 comments on “The True Meaning of Thanksgiving 2014”
I hope you and your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving here in Phoenix. The weather is cooperating. Sunny and 83 degrees isn’t bad.
Happy Day After, Brett and I hope you are enjoying some leftovers. Thanksgiving is not only my ‘favorite holiday,’ the traditional Feast and Gathering make it nearly the only holiday that truly moves me. At least for TG and my preferences, spending the day with lovingly loyal (adult) friends is far better than endless hours with otherwise boundless youngsters who won’t know the benefit of a quiet moment for another 40 years.
Of course, TG travel is nearly always an issue: some endure a holiday trip of 3k miles to be in the chosen spot. Where I live, I skip the **nearest neighbor at 5-6 miles and risk it all** for the folks that I really enjoy, some 28 (one-way) miles distant. Sorry, but travel agents, award ticket consultants and travel “Fixers,” cannot do much around here. (Helicopters for the wealthy are a joke because TG Day rarely permits flying – anything. While the 28-mile trip may take >>2 hours, I darn sure Won’t Be Late For Dinner; they depend upon my contribution as much I enjoy theirs.
Heading home after dark is often a poor idea and all are too old to be conducting survival experiments: we never travel without a small ‘carry on,’ and here, a sleeping bag. Cots are provided and more than once many have deemed the return trip a “Weather Cancellation,” even if the road distance is slightly under 30 miles. There is no carrier, so there is no cancellation clause, hotel (other than the cot and plenty of hot water for a shower) and if on can tolerate turkey dinner leftovers, there are no Meal Vouchers; (we just EAT!) If I may, there are NO blood relatives in this group; just a modest gaggle of friends that gather to celebrate, off our thanks for what we enjoy, and without having to bother with Public Travel on a holiday weekend. In daylight, the return trip is again about 2.5 hours, mostly over roads on which one won’t see another for an hour or more. And, if the weather does go sour – and it has… – we’ve got our ‘Carry-on Bags,’ a comfortable place to sleep and shower and, perhaps, a long weekend with peer-group adults that is often a lot more fun than family. If we can safely get there, a bunch of us think that this is a far better idea that battling the mass flesh in airports, hoping that our travel or special services agent values our business – and do something, when the carefully planned schedule goes to hell. And the next alternative is to Stay Home!
I hope that you enjoyed the holiday, Phoenix, I gather and heck yes, with a party of four or so, driving to Phoenix the day before – or even on the day, is truly not a horrible idea. What on earth would you do if the important, extended family lived in Maine? Happy Busy Season!!
-C.G.