COMING AND GOING
COMING AND GOING
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UPRIGHT AND LOCKED
Fed Up but Not Fed
US Airways was accommodating when it was clear that a recent 2:30 p.m. flight from Baltimore to Philadelphia would be leaving too late for Columbia resident Ronald Hartman to make his connection to Paris. The airline paid for him to take a cab to Philadelphia, and voila: The US Airways flight to Paris left the gate on time, and Hartman was aboard.
Then came the announcement: Mechanical problem; won't take long to fix. But four hours later, the plane returned to the gate. By now, about 10 p.m., only one food kiosk was open nearby in the terminal and hundreds rushed to spend the $10 voucher US Airways offered.
At midnight passengers boarded another plane and applauded as it pushed back. But as they awaited takeoff, they heard a flight attendant screaming that she had union rights and would not fly. The plane returned to the gate.
At 4:30 a.m. passengers boarded again with a different crew, and at 5:30 a.m., the plane finally took off.
Several hours into the flight, Hartman inquired about food. Pretzels are all we have, he was told. The plane finally landed at 7 p.m. Paris time, about 12 hours late. CoGo should note here that there's no requirement to compensate passengers for delays. But this tale does answer the question: How bad does it get in these times of crowded skies and cost-cutting measures?
US Airways spokesman Morgan Durrant said the crew members -- including the angry flight attendant -- would have made it to Paris within moments of the end of their shifts.
As for food, he said the catering company was closed, and waiting for it to reopen would have delayed the flight even longer."We heard repeatedly from customers that they wanted us to fly the flight," Durrant said.
CoGo will say it again: Be careful what you wish for.
TRIP TIPS
Buy the Book
CoGo is now a convert to the Read & Return program offered in some airports by the Paradies Shops. Our only regret? We waited so long to get around to trying it.
The Atlanta-based retailer operates stores under a variety of names, including MarketPlace, TravelMart and CNBC News. And here's the deal: Buy any book and return it (with receipt) within six months to get 50 percent back. Fast readers can buy a book at Dulles and get half back when landing in San Francisco; Paradies resells the used books in the airport shops for half price or gives them to charity if they're worn.
Between 10,000 and 15,000 books are returned each month, says company spokeswoman Bobbi Passavanti, who adds that the program has helped boost sales by 25 percent as readers use their refunds to buy more books.
Locally, CNBC stores at Reagan National and Dulles participate. To locate shops participating in the Read & Return program, visit http:/
TRAVEL TICKER
Travelers to Utah should check wildfire conditions at http:/
Bargain of the Week
Fly Aer Lingus nonstop from Washington Dulles to Dublin in September for $578 round trip, including taxes. Travel Sept. 2 to Sept. 30; flights operate on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Book by July 18. Some airlines are matching on connecting service. Info: 800-474-7424, www.aerlingus.com.
Reporting: Cindy Loose, Caroline Mayer
Help feed CoGo. Send travel news tocogo@washpost.com. By mail: CoGo, Washington Post Travel Section, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071.
