Non-Revving Nightmare

I've had a lovely weekend in SLC, and stories and pictures will be posted soon. However, I just need to vent a moment on the "perk" of non-rev travel. I enjoy the freedom to travel much more often than I regularly would (although if my husband was not a pilot, I would not be living on the other side of the county and I wouldn't travel home so much to see my family)

I had listed for the 7:24 am flight on Sunday. I checked flight loads the night before, and I didn't like the chances I had. I decided to try for he 1:50 or 5:32 pm MSP flights, but by noon those flights went from open seats to very oversold. I didn't actually "go" to the airport, but it didn't seem at all worth it when the SLC-DTW flight is hard to get on even with a few open seats. There were quite a few open for Monday morning, so I listed for the 7:24 am DTW flight again. Taylor was able to board in a discounted first class seat, but Rosie and I were stuck. We didn't make it on at 8:30 MSP either, and the GAD (gate agent of doom - I've had 6 months of bad luck with her) said she'd list me for the 1:50 MSP....but I'd have to wait until the plane had left before she'd roll over the reservation. So I waited 15 minutes, and she swiftly locked up the desk and ran off while giving me a dirty look. I called up FlightTrack to see if the GAD listed us, and of course she didn't. The reservation agent said the 1:50 was oversold, and 12 were on standby ahead of us....but if we waited for the 5:30 pm MSP flight, we'd be able to get on in first class. We left the airport to spend the time from 9 am to 4 pm in somewhere other than the airport.

When we got back to the gate at 4:30, we were told our chances were still good to board. Unfortunately, a captain and 3 FA's showed up at the last minute who had not been listed on the flight. When all was said and done, there was only one seat left, and I was NOT about to send Rosie off unaccompanied to MSP. So we're trying again in the morning.

Wish us luck.