Loose Ends
Travel arrangements
Susan Nienow

Everyone I know has made travel arrangements over the Internet. Well, if they haven't, they're not admitting it. It shouldn't be that hard. After all, these airlines and travel agencies want my money, don't they?

The first time I tried to find out about flights from here to the Third World country where my daughter works, I spent three hours on the computer and never found a discount travel site that knew where we wanted to go. They had the three letter symbol for the airport, but came up blank on getting us from here to there.

After spending three more evenings on South Africa - we have to fly there first - I gave up on a discount. Then I remembered our frequent flyer miles. We've never used them, so I called the number on our last statement. I pushed the required numbers, spoke to the computer three different times and got the recording that said, "All calls are important to us, but all lines are currently busy. Please call back."

Maybe they aren't as interested in helping us if we are spending miles and not money. The last call took 23 minutes, but I finally talked to someone halfway around the world.

Yes, our miles would work for part of the trip. The agent gave it a trial run for possible routes - D.C. to Frankfurt to Johnannesburg to where our daughter lives. Coming home, we were to go through Singapore. I asked him to repeat it four times. "You mean that city on the other side of the earth?"

Then I got a lesson in politics, geography or semantics. It is a "state," not a city. Nevermind. "How long does the return trip take?" I asked.

"Four days," he said.

"I think we can do without the side trip to the Singapore airport. Thank you." And I hung up.

I do have a little bit of information, now. There are no daily flights from Johannesburg to where my daughter lives. But, there are flights. I just can't find out which airline or which day or days of the week. A friend suggested the phone. The last time I tried the phone, we ended up going through Singapore.

I waited until morning when I was rested and fortified by my bowl of cereal and two cups of coffee before I called a travel agent someone had recommended. The company is in Iowa or maybe it's Idaho. She got through to the airline miles people right away and laughed when I asked if it is really necessary to go through Singapore. I think I love this lady.