Okay, I'm dealing with an idiot. I'm traveling with a group of students. The tickets were booked and paid for by the foundation that supports the program. I go to the website to sign up for email alerts, because you often get more information through those than at the airport. According to the website, you have to "sign up" for their Trip Alerts program, not just entering your flight and phone number. You sign up for the program using the instructions in the email sent to the email address that you used when you booked the ticket. Now, since the foundation paid for the tickets, no email was sent to me (or them for that matter, since it was a group thing) I explained this to the group sales woman at the airline TWICE. And her response was "well, do you want me to see if the flight's on time?" I explained it a third time, and she said "well, there's no email address on file for the ticket" YES, I TOLD YOU THAT.

I'm on hold now.

She won't just take your email and use that one? What a goon, Vortex.

Yes, I just got off hold, and she told me that the program is only for people who have booked their tickets online. I can't sign up for the alerts because it was purchase through group travel. ARGH.

Because I'm a glutton for punishment, I called the main phone line instead of the group phone line (plus, the group woman seemed like an idiot, so I thought I'd check) The new person understood the problem right away, but told me that I would have to call the travel agent who booked the tickets, and ask them to request a trip alert, and give my contact information.

WTFF? Is it just me? Does this have to be a 12 step process? Why couldn't they just put in a freaking trip alert? I mean, it was bad enough that I had to "join the Alert program", but this is even stupider.

There must be some sooper- secret info that gets sent out in the trip alert

That is stupid. And bad customer service on their part. Feh on them.

We've had a glut of cell phones left at the bookstore in the past week--last Saturday, they put two back in the office, and more since then.

That is stupid. And bad customer service on their part. Feh on them.

Oh yes. I told them that i didn't buy the tickets, but they could be sure that I would never spend my money on them again. Luckily, it's Alaskan Air, so I can totally make good on that threat.

dunno, Vortex - the way things are going, they might be the last airline functioning.

Well, that'll make F2F planning simpler at any rate.

These are the new skull shoes I'm wearing tonight. You have to look closely to see the skull print. I bought them for $7 on the clearance rack at Marshalls.