Ian's Travel Journal, Part 1: Stream of Consciousness

[ilai]

The start to my plane trip was kind of unsettling. I went to the American Eagle ticket counter, handed the ticketing agent my printed itinerary, and she gave me my boarding passes without ever asking for my ID. Is this new, or was the agent merely distracted while she was chatting with her friend?

I hadn't been back to the South for quite some time (and Nashville for at least 7 years?), so it was somewhat comforting to see Piggly Wiggly and Waffle House from my airplane window. Then I passed I-65 and a Krystal's on my way to the hotel.

This week was going to end with my watching TV and going off to New York, but I never would have guessed that Vanderbilt has random public net drops in its engineering building. Go figure. So I was zephyring and writing e-mail and (much worse) checking invoices on QuickBooks remotely, all during today's presentations (progress reports are never that exciting). And I returned a phone message. What would I ever do without a net connection....

Comments

[tla]

Re airport ID check: It is a new thing that they are phasing in. The ID check is done at security, and it's the only one they do. It seems almost, you know, efficient.

Last time I flew anywhere they weren't doing that at Logan though. I guess they are now?

[76trombones.livejournal.com]

Not also at the gate?

[tla]

Correct. Only at the security checkpoint.

[ilai]

Now that I took four more flights, that does seem to be the case. I guess that's what the security checkpoints are for, in a way...?

[dmaze]

In addition to what Tara said, it's now possible to check in over the Internet, at least on American, and there's essentially no ID check on that at all (you need to know your frequent-flier number and the associated password). I don't know how they deal if you try to check in multiple times.

[ilai]

Printing boarding passes over the Internet seems a little weird to me, though I'm guessing it's not actually that strange that it's becoming possible. Perhaps if you have luggage that you need to check in, you can check in over the Internet as well as at the counter?

[dmaze]

"If you are not checking bags, please proceed directly through the security checkpoint to your gate as there is no need to see an agent prior to boarding. Carry-ons are limited to one bag plus one personal item. If checking bags, please visit our convenient OneStop Curbside Check-In."