Not red carpet ready

On Wednesday I flew here to the pacific NW. Leading up to the flight I realized that I had recently hit "premier" status on my airline and quickly began lording it over J that I would be checking in in the premier line, I could check two bags for free (!!), I would be boarding ahead of the rest of the cattle, etc etc. I knew these things because I was in the gold class with another airline two years prior and I really really enjoyed it! (It's the little things people!)

There aren't many perks to flying these days. And just getting to board 30 seconds ahead of group one and knowning I'll have overhead space for my carryon makes me a happy flier.

So it was a running joke in the house with J asking me to remind him frequently about my new status and what would come with it. He kept encouraging me to believe that I would be boarding on the red carpet. You know, that line next to the normal boarding line with a dirty red mat lying on the floor...

At the airport on Wednesday I hustled up to the gate with my carryons, all ready to get into my seat with extra legroom, to find that there were 6 agents swarming all around our waiting area. It threw my game off a little. I got nervous. I had nothing to be nervous about but they just made me twitch a little. I couldn't tell if they were waiting for the arriving plane or if they were planning to strip search everyone in line for my plane or just what. They kept STARING and trying to make eye contact. Very unnerving.

So in a huge effort to be extra cool and collected (which I am not), I got right up to the front of the pack ready to board with premier. But it was noisy and I didn't listen well. And so after strolling up their little red carpet line to board I was cruelly dismissed back to the pack. Apparently premier people do not board with first, business or whatever other classes were called. So I hung my head a little and stepped to the side.

Wait. It gets worse. I was standing next to an agent and I could just feel that at any moment I was going to be chosen to be "screened" so in my eagerness to get away and on board I didn't fully listen to the second announcement. Come on. I just assumed that I would be boarding at least in the second group. So again, I sauntered up that red carpet line. Only to be told in a very not so quiet whisper that I was still not in the right group. Apparently there are several layers of premier folks infinitely more important than me.

In a final humiliation they called premier, I went up the red carpet line, only to have them slam the little rope off in front of me and open up the economy line next to me. I actually had to back my way down the red carpet and get in line behind group one who was already boarding. And that. That was my first premier experience. No red carpet.

I guess I will have to fly another 25,000 miles this year to be deemed worthy of boarding early. It was sad really. My previous airline had a more classless society. Or at least less levels, which meant that even if you were only on the first rung of the rewards class you felt closer to the top.

I think the agents took pity on me because in the end I didn't get chosen for a special screening. But I was paranoid the entire time because I was sure they would mistake my eagerness to board as overeagerness to get away from them. And god forbid we are ever eager to get away from agents in rubber gloves who look like they are eyeing our personal body cavities from a mile away.

It is humiliation that keeps us humble I suppose.

It was a good flight and in an effort to avoid a repeat of the Christmas week debacle that was my last conference related hotel stay I decided to stay at my sister's apartment and commute up to this next conference.

Sorry. Still no adoption news. I am thinking a lot about Haiti and the fear that must be every adoptive parent's worst nightmare that their child is there and can't be reached or cared for.

~A