First off I highly recommend not to fly standby to HNL. On August 3 2003 I got up at 4:00am very excited. My group had 6 people on tickets out of BWI and 7 people on standby out of IAD because UA uses bigger planes and more planes out of IAD to LAX or SFO. After we waited in a short first class line to check in we realized our seniority was squat with 2 employees and 5 companions. We got to our gate and I thought there would open 1st class and get on at 8:00am. Well was I in for a surprise. We attempted to get on about 8 flights. Finally we got flight 947 with a 747-400 from IAD-LAX. It was on N173UA. No first for us. I was in the back of the plane and it was packed and UA's 747 y class seats are the worst I've evere sat in. The plane was going to leave at 6:00pm but there was a delay because of weather and we left at 8:25pm and we sat at the gate the whole time. The ac wasn't working real well because the engines weren't on. Well a couple people got over heated and they brought paramedics on board with ambulance and everything. We had an extremely rude flight attendent who was cold and unfriendly but we also had a very nice flight attendent who my Grandfather remembered when he flew 747's. The meal was tasty a choice of pasta or roast beef and I had pasta. They showed 3 movies. Anger Management, View from the Top, and From Justin to Kelly. All 3 were awful and I fell asleep during from Justin to Kelly.
We arrived at LAX at 11:00pm and we went and stayed at a hotel and I was exausted from being up at 4:00am EST and being up at 11:00pm LA time. Well we woke up early for the firdt of four flights to HNL. The ticket agent said we should rent a car and go do something because we couldn't get out. Well us being stubborn sat all day at LAX . I love airports but there is a point where it gets boring. Well we went back to the hotel and got up the next day and had the same ticket agent who was very friendly but said again we wouldn't get to HNL that day. All of us sat the first flight to HNL and watched it leave. My grand father suggested we fly to the other islands and fly Aloha tho HNL. We listed to Kona and got on flight 51 on a 767-300 whith N669UA. We were thankful to get on any plane. The seats were alot nicer thn the 747 and it left on time at 11:10.The meal was good. It was roast beef or pasta againd and I had the beef and it was better than home. The movie was Down with love which was funny. We landed in Kona which is a very neat airport. It is totally outside. We walked down a staircase to get out of the plane and went to Aloha's ticket counter and got on the flight that left at 3:00pm and our flight from LA arrived at 2:18. With our good luck the flight was delayed due to late arriving aircraft so we left at 3:18. It was a 737-200 with N827AL. Nice flight and that little bugger flew fast because it was late. We were flinally in Honolulu. My aunt who lft BWI on tickets leiged all of us with 3 day old leigs we ordered and the looked dead but who cares I had a wonderful time on Oahu. But the fun hadn't begun. On August 14 my aunt and two cousins left for BWI and the next day my Dad , stepmother, and little brother left for BWI. On August 16 we tried to leave but there were over 100 standbys and every flight was over booked and because of our senoirity we were dead last. They said we might get out after Labor day. Sure an extra couple of weeks in Hawwaii sounds nice but we needed to get home. If UA needs money they could sure make it if they flew 747's in and out of honolulu and add more flights. Not complaining as a standby non-rev. but the bumped passengers were growing also with every flight that left there were about 5 people bumped off. We waited 1 more day in HNL to get on and we decided to buy tickets to LAX. The problem was all airlines were booked to LAX or SFO for the next week until we got online at my garndparents friends house and it was Sunday and the first day we could get out was Tuesday. Well 6 of us bought tickets on AA at an ungodly price. We stayed at the Marine base on the Island because my grandfather was in the military. All of us stayed there till Tuesday and got on the 3:05pm flight to LA on AA. Flight 284 it was a 767-300 with N347AA and It left 10 min. early and we took of on the reef runway and the pilot turned toward Waikiki fot the last time. The flight was very nice and all of us sat in the front row of coach and we had so much leg room we couldn't touch the bulkhead with our feet. The food was good and it was pizza or chicken with rice and I had pizza and it was delicious. The movie was Agent Cody Banks and I didn't even watch it. The plane arrived at LAX early when we were sceduled to arrive at 11:16pm and we arrived at 11:07. Great flight. My garnd father got on on standby at HNL because when the 6 of us left his senoirity was the second highest of the 100 and he got on at seat 1B. Lucky Duck. Hearrived at 6:20am and we meet at gate 68B to go on flight 946 on a 747-400 to IAD. The regesration was N195UA. I sat in coach but our group got 1c class seat and 1 1 class seat. The flight was quite full but after we got in the air I got up to the back row and got a row to myself and a window. My graetgrandmother was in seat 3b and she had a pod or bed it was very nice. The meal was an omlet or fruit and I had an omlet and it was good. The moivie was Down with Love again and I watched part of it and fell asleep. We finally got to IAD on August 22th 2003. The disappointment was I never flew on UA in and out of HNL. The cool thing was I flew 3 different airlines to HNL and back. It was a great experiance and tirering but I had a fun time in all the airports. Aloha and Mahalo!!

Interesting! You show a good point about why you should never travel with more than the allowed number of companions when needing to use seniority! Greuling few days, though...wow!

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