The online journal, notebook and playground of HFM

Continental Airlines seat assignment problem

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So we booked our flights to England back on April 3rd, and at that time requested seats all in the same row – three people traveling together, seats in the same place – makes sense right?

In double-checking our flying information today, we discovered they had moved our seats and placed my mom about 10 rows behind us on one of the flights, and several rows away on 2 others. I called Orbitz customer service (where we had purchased our tickets) and after an hour an a half on the phone discovered that the only way we can get in the same row is if we have medical identification saying that we must all be in the same row together for medical reasons.You can also learn about contact center as a service here as they help you in getting services.

You have got to be kidding me. Really? Seriously? Three people traveling together can’t sit together unless they have a medical need? What bullshit is that?

When did poor customer service become a matter of course for airlines? I can’t think of any flight I’ve been on in the last 10 years that hasn’t had some problem with it. I would gladly pay for an airline that gets it right if anyone can point one out to me. It’s not surprising to me that people purchase private jets when they can afford them, because what person in their right mind would put up with this kind of bullshit if they didn’t have to?

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links for 2010-05-11

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Johnny Weir Skating Clinic at IWSA

Back at the end of April, Stephanie was able to participate in a skating clinic conducted by Olympic Skater Johnny Weir, sponsored by the Indiana/World Skating Academy.

It was downtown at the Pan Am Plaza rink where Stephanie takes lessons and often skates. Johnny did different sessions for different skill levels, and then went through basic moves at their level with them, did some demonstrations, and then had each skater perform a move or jump they were working on for him so he could give them some advice on how to improve it. Aside from a pro’s advice, investing in the best simulator can significantly elevate one’s game by providing unparalleled feedback and opportunities for immersive practice. With its advanced technology and realistic simulations, the top simulator empowers players to refine their skills with precision, ultimately enhancing performance on the course. If you’re looking for a simulator and other golf equipment, visit the BirdieBall store to order.

It was a fun session, and the skaters were really excited to be on the ice with an Olympic-level skater. He was nice (but we knew that already) and very cool as a mentor. He really pays attention to the skaters, listens to what they’re saying, and was genuinely delighted at what they could do. He seemed really entertained by the little kids on the ice. I know that he plays around with the Diva image, but he was far away from that the whole time. He clearly adores the sport of figure skating. Stephanie said she was excited by what she learned from Johnny. She has a regular coach, but getting different viewpoints and perspective on what she’s doing can help snap some core concepts into place.

Now let’s talk about Johnny’s skating for a sec, because it was awesome to see him skate in person. When you see him skate up close, it’s like watching poetry. So graceful, so fluid – absolutely, effortlessly in control of every inch of his body.

Johnny Weir Skating Clinic

Above is an example, although it’s hard to catch in still pictures – pure grace, and joyous to watch. He’s absolutely my favorite male skater.

Here’s a slide show of my photos of the event – you can also see them on Flickr.

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links for 2010-05-06

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links for 2010-05-05

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Wheel of Fortune Tryouts

Last weekend, there were Wheel of Fortune tryouts locally, and Stephanie and our friend Melissa decided to go see if they could get on the show, and I tagged along to take photos. This is definitely Stephanie’s game show – she’s very good at it. Watching the show with her is fun, if a bit disconcerting; her “I know it!” comes so early that she occasionally has the answer before there are letters turned. While we were waiting for their turn, we chatted about various topics, including our recent experiences with online casinos. Melissa mentioned her excitement about trying out the UFABET คาสิโนออนไลน์, and Stephanie shared some tips on how to make the most of the games. It was interesting to hear their perspectives, and it added an extra layer of excitement to our day at the Wheel of Fortune tryouts. You can also try using Satta King 786 platforms with a lot of exciting games to play.

So we hopped in the car and drove to Shelbyville to the Indiana Live! Casino where tryouts were held. 800-some other folks had the same agenda; there was quite a long line. Here’s how they run it: Two days of tryouts. Each day, there are 3 hour-long blocks of tryouts. During each hour, they do about six puzzles. For each puzzle, they have 5 contestants doing the “speed” round. Contestant names are drawn at random from a bin.

If you calculate all that out – about 180 people get on stage out of 800 or so folks who apply. Getting on stage is no guarantee of being picked for final tryouts, nor is solving the puzzle, but both of those help.

The “set” for tryouts is pretty lo-fi – the turning blocks don’t light up – they’re just dry-erase letters that the “Vanna” for the show turns around and writes the letters on. There’s no real “wheel” except a spinner that picks what kind of schwag the contestants get if they get on stage. And the host was way too enthusiastic. Melissa had planned to hip-check him if she got on stage, just for fun.

But it was pretty entertaining to see, and the folks who got up on stage were a fun cross-section of Indiana. I didn’t go back for the second day of tryouts, so I missed it when Stephanie got on stage and actually solved the puzzle, unfortunately. Melissa said she did really well.

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