To: John From: Crew Scheduling

Merry Christmas!

I received a present from crew scheduling this year - a 7 AM show time on Christmas Day for a three day trip, meaning that I'd need to leave by 5:30 to get to the airport on time. And I didn't even get them anything.

Thus I've been indoctrinated into the elite group of "Those Who Work on Christmas Day", and I'd be performing my first "Christmas Lift" (For more tales of the holiday lift visit flightlevel390.blogspot.com).

I am based at our Gotham hub, but since we live in the SE United States, I always request to fly out of the base closest to our home. With the holidays upon us, and an increase in flying in the Northeast, this request has been denied more and more lately. My lovely wife is from the extended Gotham suburbs, so we planned to spend Christmas with her family. On Christmas eve we spent the day with all of the kids in the City (our daughter snookered an American Girl out of us), and the evening with the entire family, so I don't feel like I missed out too terribly much - although one day I hope to fly on Christmas Eve and make the "Santa Sighting" announcement. Next year perhaps.

The City that Never Sleeps is quiet at 5 AM on Christmas day, and the drive to the airport was the most pleasant I've had (well, at least the drive through Manhattan, the drive through the Appalachians to the airport in Virginia is always pleasant). I was originally assigned to this trip because another pilot dropped it, so I would only be with the crew for the first three days at which the original pilot would rejoin the crew. Nonetheless, I've blogged before that the upside of early report times, is going home early on the last day. This trip was no exception: one leg from BWI-LGA at 7 AM, and then homeward bound. Until then, however, two long duty days, with only four legs each day. This is made possible through the use of multi-hour blocks of airport appreciation time - that is, time spent in an airport waiting for your next flight. Sure would be easier if all airports had free wi-fi. I certainly don't want to challenge an entities attempts to generate revenue in these economic times, but to that point, are people actually spending $7.95 to use the internet for an hour? But I digress....

So yes, in two days a total of 8 hours and 20 minutes spent sitting in airports waiting for flights. That is a fine Christmas present indeed. I'm home now and all that is behind me. But wait, it looks like Crew Scheduling might have another present for me for New Year's....I really need to get them something....