when I lived in Chicago years ago, O’Hare used to have a holding place right near the end of one runway in which planes would squeeze during bad weather, wingtip-to-wingtip, awaiting clearance to get back into the runway queue. We used to call that holding area, the “penalty box”.
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Phoenix…there is always a line of planes lined up waiting to either take off…or get to a gate. When our son flew here mid October, he saw no difference from any other Phoenix departure or landing.
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I just hope that 
flights will be almost normal in a week. I know, wishful thinking. We have DH flying from Europe on Monday -that should be OK as international, and DD coming for Thanksgiving school break on Delta on 21st… It is late at night flight with connection in Atlanta, so I keep my fingers crossed 
.
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O’Hare has always been one of my least favorite places to fly into. Busy, complicated, too many runways, controllers often unpleasant, giving you shorthand instructions that they assume you understand (actually no I don’t, I don’t fly into here often), and being annoyed when you don’t understand their coded directions. I can’t imagine flying in there when they are also short staffed, and unpaid. Yikes!
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We will be flying out t see the kids/grandkids for thanksgiving. I was planning to check a bag filled with the holiday toys, but now I am thinking about shipping some stuff out to them in advance (I have toys and clothes for them here, and have a fedex account)so I hopefully can travel with carryon only
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We call that spot at ORD the “play pen”
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Really good idea. With all the mess lately and what could be coming up, it’s so much better to carry on your bags. If your flight gets cancelled or delayed, and you want to jump on an earlier or different flight, that makes the decision for them easier to put you on a different flight, since they say they want the bags to go with you. I understand it’s for security reasons. We just jumped on an earlier flight out of the Big Island because there was availability, and the first question they asked was, “Did you check your bags?”
I have carried my bags on at all times for three decades, until a trip I had to Spain a few months ago. My friend checked her bags, so I thought, why not? Our flight was cancelled, we had to spend the night at an airport hotel (thankfully we were given separate rooms), and since I was completely unprepared because I never check my bags, I had nothing with me. Had to scrounge up toothpaste and a toothbrush late at night, slept without my shirt on because I didn’t want it to wrinkle. Never, ever, do that if you’re a woman, flopping all over. Ugh!
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I typically check a bag. My carry on ( which fits under the seat) contains basic toiletries, a change of socks and underwear, a clean top and pj’s. I have only had a bag not arrive a few times and this has saved me.
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H generally checks his bag but I never do except heading home. Thus far, knock wood, no incidents of luggage not arriving.
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We had a flight cancelled once but were able to grab another plane heading out only because we were carry on.
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I read reports this morning that some members of the House are encountering difficulties getting flights back to DC to vote on the shutdown bill….because of the shutdown.
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Poetic justice!
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Except for the people waiting for it to reopen to get paid… Younger S works for a federal contractor. He is lucky that he is still working, but many of his coworkers have been furloughed. Unlike the federal workers, they won’t get back pay when the government reopens. I’m worried if it keeps on, he’ll be furloughed next… And this is after losing 30% of their 10K employees already this year.
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Yeah, their leadership probably shouldn’t have given them an eight week paid vacation. Particularly when they had plenty of work to do.
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The airport bartenders are rude, too. 
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I’m sure they’re being overworked at the moment. 
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And won’t they leave again at Thanksgiving, not returning until well into January?
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D flies to SFO for the wedding of a college friend next week. Her flight got cancelled and she was on the phone for a lifetime getting it rescheduled.
Fingers crossed that by the time mid-next-week is here, things will be calmed down….
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My husband’s flight took off on time this morning from our “boutique” airport. He is flying back to the craphole one, unfortunately.
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My husband got to Boston/Logan early, is hanging out at Legal Seafood as we both hope that his flight goes as planned. Glad it’s a direct flight.
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