The Earth has stopped rotating

The Earth as I know it has stopped rotating.  The spinning has stopped and it's thrown me for a loop.

Why?  you may ask..

I just realized that I lost my status with USAir. 

Now for those of you that don't travel often this may not seem like much of a crisis.  Most people who travel don't have status.  So yes, I now have to travel like "everyone else". 

Except that I do a lot of traveling for work.  (although apparently not enough these days...)  I have had status with an airline my whole professional career.  While there is an upside - I'm not traveling as much as I used to - the truth is I still have to travel.

And this is a problem. 

Within the next 6 weeks I will be on a plane for 4 of them.  That's a pain in the ass - regardless of what kind of status you have.  But consider that I have to fly this next month and a half without:

• priority check-in
• priority seating
• free checked baggage
• priority boarding
• possible upgrades to first class
• not to mention bonus miles for flying and a bunch of other little tidbits that I won't bother mentioning here

I know, I know.  You're thinking "boo hoo.  poor little thing has to travel like the rest of us in cattle class."  But consider this.  Remember back to the last time YOU traveled via plane.  Did you pay an arm and a leg to check your bags (and maybe that of your whole family)??  When you checked in did they tell you they couldn't assign you a seat yet?  Did you get bumped from your flight?  Did you get stuck in a middle seat flying from JFK to LAX??  (NYC to LA)  When you flight was cancelled did you not get the best alternative flight because everyone with "status" filled that flight too??

If any of the above happened to you I'm sure it was a royal pin in the ass.  But I'm also betting that you were traveling for vacation. Maybe a wedding...  But you weren't traveling for work.  Where you're expected to show up at your destination.  On time.  And ready to "work". 

And the last time you flew I'm guessing you probably did it only once, maybe twice within one year.  (Ok, Christy and Neda are exempt from this.  But on the other hand you probably feel my pain.  And maybe Emily too.  Especially Emily because maybe you flew a lot in the past pre-babies and now have to look forward to traveling forever in the future with twin babies....)

I'm on the road four of the next six weeks. 

Not having status when you're traveling for work SUCKS!!!!  As a matter of fact, having status makes it worth it to be on the road for as long as it takes to get it.

So excuse me for the next six weeks while I travel all across the US and back several times....  If I'm cranky you'll know why.