We travel very frequently, but for pleasure, rather than business. In particular,once I discovered this horrid phenomenon called WINTER I decided to travel as much as possible.

While I’d move back to California IN A HEARTBEAT, I will say this for MSN: it is SO FREAKIN’ CIVILIZED!! You park for almost nothing within easy walking distance of the terminal. Polite, friendly gate agents help you with your check-in. Polite friendly TSA staff (no, seriously) help you through security. We consider it a HORRENDOUS line if there are 20 people ahead of us. Often it’s just 5 or 6. Polite, friendly people staff the departure gate, and the airport is so under-utilized that there is always a ton of space to stretch out.

I’ve discovered that this pleasant, easy start to every journey more than makes up for the hideous mess that is O’Hare (we fly United). And when we get to the end of our trip, it’s so nice to know that our car is a 7 minute walk from the gate, and a 10 minute drive home from there.

Of course, nothing makes up for the fact that when you arrive home in January it’s five below zero.

Did I mention I’d move back to CA in a heartbeat?

don’t know why i haven’t payed for a priority pass.

taking the first flight of the day is so true–have had SO many more problems leaving in the afternoon!

I’ve had more staffing snafus (crew yet to arrive) than mechanical problems in my flying career, and usually catching the early morning flight avoids those. The only exception is if the previous night was horribly stormy and the last crew came in so late that they can’t get their required rest time before the next morning flight. That happens occasionally on some airlines (like ones that rhyme with “USAir”) but Southwest seems to have that sussed pretty well.

Anyway, I am a huge fan of both Tom Bihn and Red Oxx bags. I have a Red Oxx Air Boss that probably has a million miles on it. You could drop it from the plane at 32000 feet and pick it up when you land.