Cathy Classics by Cathy Guisewite for July 02, 2010
July 01, 2010
July 03, 2010
Transcript:
Cathy: We could have paid $220 for vacation plane tickets two weeks ago. But my sweetie insisted on searching for better fares, lower luggage fees, roomier seats and reachable phone reps. Now we're paying $540 to travel to the same destination on a red-eye with three stops and one four-hour layover. Why fly coach when you can spring for the aggravation upgrade?
Irving: let this be a lesson to you, guy!!
Red-eye flights are the norm to Europe. Otherwise you waste 8AM-9PM (local times) on the eastbound plane, landing just as it’s time to start thinking about bedtime - but, after losing 6 hours out of your day, not being sleepy yet. Brutal as it sounds to have a night that’s short by 6 hours, the red-eye actually makes sense compared to a day flight. I got used to it. Waking up in Europe *is* awfully nice.
But then my boss poisoned the very word “red-eye” for me. I had to fly to San Francisco from NYC one Wednesday evening for a Thursday conference. My boss said to fly home Thursday night … if I could’ve counted on a plane at 3:30 I’d get to NYC around midnight, but more likely I’d have to catch a 10pm red-eye flight that gets to NYC before breakfast, with less than 6 hours in the air to try to sleep. That way, he could have me for a full day’s work at the office Friday.
I told him I’d save him 50% ($400) on airfare by staying over a Saturday night in SF, at a friend’s house (for free), if he’d just give me Friday off. After all, I’d already have worked on the westbound plane til 3am (NYC time) on Wednesday night. Plus, after a Thursday redeye flight I wouldn’t be good for much quality work Friday. He said Nope, I could use a vacation day if I wanted to stay over. (Amazing guy.)
We ended up “compromising.” I got debited a half vacation day; he got his $400 discount.
I played with my friend in SF for two full days, but I can never again hear the word “red-eye” without cringing.