El Paso is in TEXAS?!?

Any job that requires working with the general public usually comes with interesting characters/stories. However, the travel industry is a cut above…simply because Americans are fuzzy on geography and travel policies in general.

2003 is off to a great start. A few of the gems that I recall…

-A man asked if he could still take his “jerky knife” on the plane. I told him that NO knives are allowed on the aircraft. After pausing for 15 seconds to take it all in, he says “Well, guess I’ll have to bring my soft jerky to chew on…”

-A woman calls to book travel into an area that US air and United Airlines service. When asked what carrier is preferred, she says “Aren’t they one in the same? I mean the United States is also referred to as the US.” Is she for real???

-A man calls in extremely upset because he was served fruit for the meal service. I look in his profile and see that his meal request is FPML…also known as “fruit meal”. I advise him of the request in the profile (that he filled out!). His response? “I only wanted fruit as a dessert. I expect to get meat like everyone else for a meal. Who eats just fruit?” *sigh*

-Another man (I swear he’s related to the guy above) calls to set up a new travel profile. When I ask him if he has any special meal requests, he says “Steak and potatoes.” Umm, this isn’t an AIR RESTAURANT…you’re in cattle coach. You’ll be lucky if you get a piece of bologna.

-A *special* gem from this morning…
A client calls and advises he needs to book an international reservation. I ask him where to…he says El Paso. I honestly feel the Lord helped me keep it together and not laugh at this man. I should have told him that while he doesn’t need a passport to go to El Paso, he will need a translator. LOL That would have confused him for days. As the great scholar Dolly Parton said, “He doesn’t know whether to scratch his watch or wind his butt…”