Lessons learned in transit.

OK. I'll begin by saying that even though we wished to remain in California indefinitely, we couldn't because we work and apparently our employers seem to think we should actually show up at work occasionally. Both of us have extremely understanding and flexible workplaces, but my wife's office was holding its annual conference this week and she's heavily involved, etc. So we came back. For now.

Two lessons I've learned:

1. Do not fly AirTran. It simply isn't worth it.
2. Do not fly through Atlanta. It simply isn't worth it.

AirTran's configuration on the 737 or 757 -- honestly I don't know which it was -- is the cruelest I've ever encountered. The carry-on bag that I've taken on quite a few flights (a medium/large messenger bag) wouldn't fit under the seat without considerable forcing. The largest item in the bag was a laptop computer, and it wouldn't fit properly. Additionally the seats themselves were closer-set than any other seats I've ever been on and thinner (talking actual seat thickness from front to back). I'm figuring they managed to squeeze a few more rows on the plane through this innovation, which is all well and good in some QBA major's wet dream, but sucks incredibly if you're actually a passenger on this banana republic bus with wings. The plane was pretty well full leaving LAX, but the second leg of the trip, from Atlanta to DC, was at best a third full. Before that flight took off, we asked for a blanket for our son. The flight attendant (cue The Replacements' "Waitress in the Sky") replies that they were all out of blankets. How the hell can you be out of blankets on a ghost flight that hasn't even left the ground yet?

Of course, I'd be more forgiving if we weren't delayed by nearly five hours. Our flight from LAX, supposedly leaving at around noon, didn't get off the ground until after 3 p.m. AirTran staff in LA blamed Atlanta. Once in Atlanta, our new connection (having missed the original thanks to the 3 hour delay in LA) was itself delayed 2 hours. A trip that was supposed to end at 10 p.m. actually ended at 2:30 a.m.

Atlanta is apparently a hellish place to fly into or out of. An older couple who missed their connection due to delays informed me that their children told them not to fly through Atlanta because they're always delayed. As if that wasn't enough, the cabbie who took us from National back to Adams Morgan asked us how our trip was. As soon as we said we were delayed in Atlanta, he told us that Atlanta always has problems.

That's powerful knowledge when a cabbie who specializes in picking up travellers in DC knows that Atlanta is a bad airport. It tells you that he's heard the story quite a bit.