Before I return to civilian life completely, let me complain some about travel. Or at least say that Sunday was one of the less satisfying flight experiences I've ever had. It doesn't quite edge out the marathon day o' travel back from Italy. Mostly cos it wasn't as long, and it actually improved as the day wore on, unlike the return trip from Milan which just got worse and worse. But I gotta say that the Continental Express gate area at Bush Airport in Houston is a pretty unpleasant place to wait for a flight. At least it was last Sunday. Too small/not enough seats. AC couldn't keep up. Restrooms were of a quality usually seen only in gas stations. But the plane shows up. I get on. All good. Taxi out to runway. Wait. Wait. Wait some more. Captain gets on the PA and tells us that we've been waiting so long that we'll have to go back and refuel now before we can take off. More waiting ensues. Finally we take off and have one of the roughest, bumpiest flights I've ever flown. At least the landing was smooth. And since I was landing at home (RDU), I wasn't impacted by the fact that RDU was in the middle of some kind of massive ground stop. And my luggage came out maybe 5 min. tops after I got to baggage claim.
(that may be the most boring post I've ever written... my apologies)
at least there weren't screaming children on the flight, right?
the worst flight i ever took featured some of the same elements as yours, but add this horrifying event: the child in the row behind me *shat his pants* and apparently the contents spilled out of his diaper and onto the floor. the stench was unbelievably horrid, and it took two flight attendants (and the parents) to figure out how best to eliminate the waste from the area.
i think they used whatever absorbent powder they have on board to soak up vomit. it took a half-hour to get rid of the smell, though.
horrible, horrible, horrible.