more on airlines squeezing us

My parents are going to be renting a condo down here for the winter, and Steven and I want to bring down my nieces so they can visit everyone over their school vacation in February (they live in Massachusetts). I had enough AA miles for two tickets, but the airline blocked out almost all non-stop flights from Boston to Miami that I could choose from using the miles. So, the girls (13 and 16) were going to have to change planes somewhere, which would require an escort. This required me calling an agent and booking the tickets over the phone. Now, in their defense, the agent I spoke with was very helpful and extremely nice. I appreciated that. But, I had to pay $150 for the escort (no problem, I want the girls to be safe during their connecting flight) AND a $30 "agent fee" because I called to book my reservations and didn't do it over the Internet. Wait, I couldn't do it over the Internet, so why am I paying the fee? Again, this is a case of the airlines grabbing money wherever they can. And they got it. I booked the flights.

One cool thing that I learned through all this is that when their father brings them to the airport in Boston he can go right to the gate with them and make sure they get on the right flight. And I can go right to the gate in Miami and meet them when they arrive. There is no cost for this, thankfully. Do you remember the days when anyone could go to the gates? Those were the days.