American...Polish Resident...Returning to the land of milk and honey

I'll be heading over to the US for about a month. I figure I might as well let you folks know it goes. I have enough time downrange to be able to differentiate between life in Poland, and that of the US. I travel back and forth a couple of times a year, so I figure I might as well give you an account of the trip.

Right now we're T-26 hours from the first flight. I'm just taking a backpack with my laptop, a couple of books, a pair of underwear and socks...I'll buy the rest when I get there, Walmart is cheap. First flight is 0530 from Wroclaw, so I figure I'll just drink through Friday night and get delivered at the airport. Then it's off to Warsaw-Brussels-Chicago-Dallas-Home...sadistic? yes! I put on the kneepads and pleasured a friend at AA, business from Brussels on out, sweet! Will let you know when I get to the promised land!

ah geez.... so we'll have to read your every day diary now.... have mercy....

;)

have a safe trip!

shush woman! you'd do the same if you put yourself on the spot...

My personal, self important log of what I'm doing. Lots of family, guns, intoxication, and flying....not in that order..

Yeah baby!

Like I said in random, Cat Away = Mice Play!

Have fun, and watch the blood sugar in the land of honey!

yes, but only because i don't like people.... :D


so you're gonna update your diary even from under the fence in a cold Sunday morning? hehe...

I hate people, especially you folks.. still feel it necessary to tell you what I'm doing.....g'damnit


Absolutely, bad ass phone...records video...


I feel the need....to shoot the AR!

On a side note, will be getting a new CCW, got a healthy beard going. YES!

i thought my flight was sadistic.... but your is worst.... how you call that then?

I call it business and a bottle of Belvedere... I don't expect to be conscious past Brussels.

just in case write on a piece of paper your flights so somebody can put you to the correct airplane....

Another one bites the dust..

airport hopping vs bar hopping- hmmm- you can do both;).

I did TORONTOO-LONDON_ AMSTERDAM_ BERLIN once and it was hell was winter, so I got stuck in London.

I wish you have a smooth flight(connections) and get home on time:)

I hope you have your leaf undies with you?

Guten Flug! :)

It feels like a saturday for me today and theres no real reason for it other than the fact that im doing naff all.

Have a nice trip its a shame i couldnt head into Wroclaw tonight for a few beers for the send off.


That would have been my next question "what no leaving party". We'll sort something out hopefully it wont be that cold but even if it is im up for a winter BBQ.

Just got off the phone with American Airlines, apparently LOT can check me through all the way home. They also have a baggage agreement. I thought that was just done with airlines in the same alliance.

Bring plenty of cash as Obama, in his effort to pay down the deficit, has upped the tax on cow and bee products.

:(

Avgas is about $3.70/gallon... that more than makes up for it for me...about a fourth of what it costs here.

Also, just found out that there's a special two week mini deer season around Christmas. Getting giddy.

Read the fine print. The agreement is that everybody will point at the other guy when the baggage gets lost.

hey! there is one lagguage limit and we have to pay for the second, am i correct?
it has changed since last year....

That's normally the case. Unless you travel with United (Lufthansa) which are Star Alliance and American Eagle (OneWorld & Star Alliance) flies you domestically. AE which is AA's regional carrier has an agreement with United Airlines and flies some of their routes (the regional jets have United paint scheme though). Confused yet? ;)

Not sure how it's done in your case, better double-check it just in case...


Depends on your frequent flier status but generally you're correct.

is it on international or domestic flights? or both?

Depending on the airline and your status. Here's Delta for example: (they're still combining Delta and Northwest programs after the merger)

For travel between the United States or Canada and Europe:
First checked bag: No fee applies
Second checked bag: 50 USD if checked in online or 55 USD at the airport

Checked Baggage Exceptions

First and Business Class passengers may check up to three bags up to 70 lbs each at no charge on Delta and Delta Connection operated flights.

SkyMiles MedallionŸ members traveling in Economy may check up to two bags up to 70 lbs each at no charge on Delta and Delta Connection operated flights.

Passengers with a confirmed Full Y Class Economy ticket may check up to two bags that comply with our size & weight restrictions at no charge on Delta and Delta Connection operated flights.

Gold, Platinum, and Reserve Delta SkyMiles Credit Cardmembers from American Express may check their first bag for free for all Delta and Delta ConnectionŸ flights.

Let me know if they have trouble scanning your passport.

If they do they'll type in the numbers manually, no biggy Ms. RFID activist ;)

Dunno :) A while back you could take two bags up to 20kg.


Not at all. Lot is Star Alliance, that's why it was strange. But they verified that they have a baggage agreement, even though Lot and AA are in different alliances. It would have to clear customs in Chicago.


Heh, they didn't have problems in September. Shouldn't be an issue now :)

Why? The machine readable code is still intact.

Which machine? I thought he nuked his RFID.

Machine readable just means that the text is formated so that it can be swiped through the machine.

t minus 4 hours...

When I traveled to Poland this summer, it was after most airlines had discontinued free checked in baggage. I got to the USAirways check in and they were about to charge me for my suitcase. I mentioned LOT and they looked again and said I did not have to pay for it due to it being a continuous flight with LOT, and it stayed on route the whole way which was great!

The RFID chip being operable or not has nothing to do with the validity of the passport. I'm not aware of any restriction where the chip must be in working order - even America only insists that people (after a certain date of issue) have biometric passports, but doesn't demand that the chip actually works.

It's not even an obligation to have a machine-readable passport in many cases. By machine readable, it means that it has the two (I think?) lines of code at the bottom of the passport information page.

According to flightradar24.com Convex's AAL89 is flying over Gloucester right now. I sent him a text message in the morning wishing him a good flight. He obviously overslept, cause 50 mins before his flight to WWa he answered that he had just taken a taxi to the airport :D. Eventually he made it, but I guess only just.