St. Louis | car service | rental car | Isela Sanchez
Travelin' Man
by
Karl Meyer10:00 a.m. FINAL REVIEW My assistant, Isela Sanchez, reviews
my itinerary for the last time. We do this before every trip.
Before we developed the habit, I had a different habit of getting
stuck in a city with no
rental car, a cancelled hotel reservation,
and plane tickets with the wrong dates.
"You have the 1 p.m. American out of LAX today arriving in St.
Louis at about 6:30. Jose will meet you at the airport so you can
share a cab, since you're at the same hotel ... You leave for
Dallas Wednesday at 3:20 p.m. and arrive around 6. You have a
rental car and will stay at the Melrose. ... Did you bring your
coat? It's snowing in St. Louis today. Did you bring your gloves?
No? Did you check the pockets of the coat? See, right where you
left them last year … Oh, and the car service was booked, so you
need to park at the airport."
She's a machine. I call her my ground control. Never leave the
terminal without her.
11:30 a.m. PARK AND WALK Off to LAX. I don't mind driving,
but I usually use Rick's car service when I'm gone for more than a
couple of days. It's more convenient and cost-effective than the
park-and-walk routine. I arrive an hour before my flight, park my
car, and hustle to the
American Airlines ticket counter.
12:15 p.m. SECURITY CHECK I have a carry-on bag jammed with
three days of business attire, a portable projector, and my
briefcase. I almost never get selected for a random bag check
unless I'm in a hurry. On cue I hear, "Is this your bag, sir?"
...
12:30 p.m. THROUGH THE GATE Preboarding has already started.
I'm starting to get tense because I have a phobia of finding no bin
space for my carry-on. No need. I get the last upgrade to St. Louis
and board with the first group. Once I've stowed my bags and
overcoat and take my seat, I can relax.
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