Greetings from Massachusetts! My flights from Phoenix to Boston were primarily free of hassle and stress, with the exception of a 40-minute takeoff delay in Dallas-Ft. Worth due to weather somewhere else, and a turbulent flight from DFW to Boston which had a couple of whiute-knuckle moments. Actually, come to think of it, I can’t remember the last time I travled back to NE without at least one leg of my flights being turbulent. But that’s travel for you…

A few observations since my last trip back to New England alone, which was in October:

1. Maybe it’s just anecdotal, but it sure appeared to me that there are a lot less families with young children flying these days. On neither of my flights were there young children, and I can’t remember the last time that happened. Wonder if the economy has finally startd to hit family vacation travel…

2. That being said, it sure didn’t stop both of my flights from being jam-packed. Both flights had lengthy standby lists and numerous pre-flight announcements begging people to defer their travel in return for the offer of travel vouchers.

3. Maybe it’s just me, but I’m not much of a travel voucher guy. First of all, when I’m traveling either to or from for leisure, I just want to get there. The idea of hanging around an airport any longer than I have to is just not my idea of time well spent. All you end up doing is overpaying for average food and drink, and I’ve heard horror stories of people with vouchers getting bumped off of the later flight they supposedly were promised a seat on.

4. The most important number when you fly is the zone number indicated on your boarding pass. Today I was lucky enough to have “Zone 2” marked on both my flight passes, which meant there was still plenty of room in the overheads for my carry-on. If you’re unlucky enough to get Zone 4 or above (and I’ve had it happen to me even with a Zone 3), you’re screwed. Prepare to know that feeling of helplessness walking up the aisle to see most, if not all, the overhead doors closed or showing zero space for your bag, then having to fight your way forward like some pathetic salmon trying to swim upstream to have the flight attendent check your bag as a tide of people are going through the same thing.

5. Conversation in the waiting line between a male passenger on my flight from DFW to Boston and a female flight attendent also waiting to board (she had a jump seat on our flight):

She: “It never ceases to amaze me how people cram the boarding gate no matter what their zone number is.”

He: “Doesn’t surprise me the way the airlines treat passengers with luggage these days.”

She: “I know how passengers think.”

He: “Then you also must know how cattle think when they’re at the slaughtehouse.”

I thought it was pretty funny…