So, I booked my BD trip to Coz

[DandyDon]

That is a lot of whinning, huh? I do enjoy adventures of travel challenges in a way, trying to make the best of them. I do wonder about some of those Xed seats. They're better at this game than any of us, and I'm sure they have their reasons.

 

[Johnoly]

....those Xed seats. They're better at this game than any of us.

It's usually the airlines attempt to manage MTOW. Being Coz is usually max-bag being dive gear it's difficult to achieve "balance" front to back. Compounding problems is they have to carry their 'return' fuel with them. Holding those X seats gives them easier flexibility to shift weight by asking passengers to temporarily move seats for take off/landing. (you don't want to move cargo) But they won't know until the baggage is weighed. On smaller planes, that's one reason your luggage won't make the flight til the next low-load flight.

 

[DandyDon]

It's usually the airlines attempt to manage MTOW. Being Coz is usually max-bag being dive gear it's difficult to achieve "balance" front to back. Compounding problems is they have to carry their 'return' fuel with them. Holding those X seats gives them easier flexibility to shift weight by asking passengers to temporarily move seats for take off/landing. (you don't want to move cargo) But they won't know until the baggage is weighed. On smaller planes, that's one reason your luggage won't make the flight til the next low-load flight.

They do have so much to manage in their attempts to fly these planes. Then when their plans go awry, back to the instructions...!

I guess that I should just shrug and go with it, happy with the cheap fare I snagged in the beginning.

And I am happy about that. Before Pandemic, we'd often expect the cheapest fares a couple of months before departure, and we may yet in another week, but it's not looking like it. I paid $312 for seats that they hope to fly in on August 16 & 24, but booking those today would be $645 even with the crappy layover changes...!!

 

[ojo]

I had a nice 8:45am departure with a one hour change in DFW and 1:20pm arrival.
Currently, I have a 6:30am departure with 2¾ hours in DFW and 1:23pm arrival.

Worse, I had a 4:20pm Cozumel departure with 3 hours in DFW to clear I&C and TSA and change planes to arrive Lubbock at 11:27pm.
Now I have a 2:15pm departure with less than 1½ hours to clear I&C and TSA and change planes to arrive Lubbock at 7:45pm. That's certainly optimistic. At least I don't have to remove my shoes and belt for TSA.
I could ask them to book me on the later flight to Lubbock instead that would get me there by midnight, but I hate the idea of a voluntary change to 5½ hour layover!

I'm thinking I'll stick with their scheduled rapid change and ask them what they can do to get me from Customs to my gate fast.

Hi DD, since you apparently have some experience via DFW, do you consider an hour there sufficient? Thanks.

 

[DandyDon]

Hi DD, since you apparently have some experience via DFW, do you consider an hour there sufficient? Thanks.

Since I am staying on American for both flights and they have such a great train, one hour is plenty going. Coming back into the US, I like at least two hours to clear I&C, but I'll try their shorter connection, then hope for space on their latter flight home if that fails. But these feelings are based on pre-pandemic experiences. The airlines are in such chaos now that one can only hope for the best and stay flexible. If you have to be on a cruise or somewhere else, I used to suggest arriving the day before, but nowadays I'd say shoot for two days early.

 

[ojo]

Since I am staying on American for both flights and they have such a great train, one hour is plenty going. Coming back into the US, I like at least two hours to clear I&C, but I'll try their shorter connection, then hope for space on their latter flight home if that fails. But these feelings are based on pre-pandemic experiences. The airlines are in such chaos now that one can only hope for the best and stay flexible. If you have to be on a cruise or somewhere else, I used to suggest arriving the day before, but nowadays I'd say shoot for two days early.

Great, thanks. I'm staying on American too, end point CZM. Coming home, I go through Phoenix, which should be a lot easier.

 

[DandyDon]

Great, thanks. I'm staying on American too, end point CZM. Coming home, I go through Phoenix, which should be a lot easier.

I've only been thru PHX once returning from Arizona so I don't know what it's like. I do not think that American has nonstop service from CZM to PHX, so it looks like you'll enter the US in DFW or worse - Miami. Maybe they do on other dates than I looked at.

 

[NAUI Wowie]

I love the $312 plane tickets as I have paid much more some summers. I could use AA miles I scored on a credit card bonus, but if I value those at $10/1k (about half what I valued them at decades ago) and they want 30K + $105 - nope! I could have spent $80 more for the main cabin so I could make changes and select seats, but that didn't appeal to me. I expect the airline to make changes on me anyway as they do whatever they want to with people these days, so when that happens - I'll be in charge of changes anyway. And I am not especially picky about seats as I usually sleep most of every flight. They'll assign me one from the leftovers when I check in the day before, then I'll decide if I want to change at that time. I've been booking aisle seats three rows from the back going as that's far enough to avoid privy lineup crowds I think, and they have been deplaning from the front and back both, but I'll check on that in August.

And I booked my trip insurance the same day to avoid problems. In fact, I used dates two days before actual departure and two days after actual return so I'll be less likely to have to file changes when the airline changes my flights. It doesn't cost extra, so fine. I used DAN trip insurance last time as they are more competitive than the company I had been using, but someone pointed out that Generali, the insurance company that actually writes their insurance, has their own trip insurance so I looked. They offer more medical coverage for less! I just booked a $500 trip cost to cover the plane as that's the only noncancelable aspect aside for the first few days hotel, but of course at my age I pay a lot more than most.

DAN offered $50K for $69 or $100K for $88, but Generali gave me $150K for $78 along with the other coverages expected. Sweet. Well, that level does not include preexisting problems, but I'm ok with that. They do cover preexisting at the $250K level, but I didn't see a need in paying that much. I'm really in pretty good shape in spite of my age and myself.

And I booked my favorite dive op with 100cf tanks @ 3300 psi before repeat customer discounts, along with my favorite cheap hotel a block from the plaza. So now I just need to make repairs on my camera strobe and one of my wheeled bags.

Could you type that message out without any numbers in it please?

 

[DandyDon]

Could you type that message out without any numbers in it please?

Why would you ask that?

 

[ojo]

I've only been thru PHX once returning from Arizona so I don't know what it's like. I do not think that American has nonstop service from CZM to PHX, so it looks like you'll enter the US in DFW or worse - Miami. Maybe they do on other dates than I looked at.

Oops, neglected to say that I am flying back out of CUN. I've flown From PHX many times though not passed through it. Really not fun getting through security, but I'll stay within American's zone, so should be a piece 'o cake. Haha.