Can We Add to Your Stress Today?

We like to go to the airport early to cut down on stress. We'd rather have our boarding passes and be through security way ahead of time. It doesn't matter if it's international or domestic - that's what we do.

What we don't do is pay extra to choose our seats. A seat is included in the price. When you're flying coach, none of them are particularly comfortable and we're never in such a big hurry that we absolutely must be the first people off the plane. I don't care which seats we have although we do like to sit together.

On our flight to Fort Lauderdale, we were a bit surprised that our boarding passes did not include seat assignments. Maybe it was because we were two hours early for a flight where we weren't even checking luggage. But we didn't notice the lack of a seat assignment until we arrived at the gate. Once we realized we had no seat assignments, Mark went to the desk to get it fixed. We were on American, by the way.

Mark returned to where I was sitting. "She says she's working on it." Who knew it was such a time consuming task?

"I don't like it when I don't have a seat assignment. The last time that happened half the plane was boarded before they gave me a seat. I don't like it at all", I said

About that time a woman seated near me weighed in on the topic. "It just adds to your stress level."

I agreed. "It does." She asked how long ago we'd booked the flight. "Weeks, maybe as much as a month."

"Hmmmm" she said.  "Who did you book it through?"

"American."

"Hmmmm" she said again. We shared a few air travel horror stories and she told us she was part of the crew on our flight and offered to check with the desk for us.

When she came back, she told me that she'd advised the desk to "take good care of Mr. & Mrs. Elliott."

We chit-chatted some more until it was time for her to board. We were still waiting for seat assignments. Boarding was starting so I went to the desk to check on it and was told that she was working on it and to just listen for our name.

Our name was eventually called. Our seats were opposite each other but it was fine because we each had an aisle seat. Our new friend was surprised that we didn't have adjacent seats, but we reassured her that across the aisle was absolutely fine. And with that, she put us on the list for free food and drinks because they'd "inconvenienced" us.

I wish I got free food and beverages every time someone inconvenienced me. I'd probably be more overweight than I am already. Not that the food was that great, but by that time I was getting hungry. And it was free.