Friday FUN VIDEO --Delta Wars and United Break Guitars

After signing a contract with NAL for my new Shelter Bay series set on the Oregon Coast, I decided this was a great time to take a trip back home to Oregon, most specifically to Depoe Bay. Not only is it the model for my fictional coastal town, it's also where my sweetie proposed to me, so naturally, I have a lot of good memories of the place. Since I had a LOT of frequent flyer miles saved up, it made sense to use them before Delta Airlines figures out a way to take them away.

Thus began a frustrating two month process which had me going online several times a day only to be blocked for various reasons at every turn. Last week, as the flights I needed began running out of seats, two different customer service reps both essentially told me I was flat out of luck. To quote one when I asked him if that was the case, "Well, I don't want to be blunt. But the answer is yes." Undeterred, I called back and tried a new rep. Who, when I asked if my only hope was to pray to the Delta gods (with whom I'd begun to lose faith), she said that unfortunately she had to agree with rep #1.

But, the way I looked at it, Delta and I had a bargain. A contract, so to speak, going back 30 (!!) years. So, I fought on, and eventually outwitted, outplayed, and OUTLASTED Delta Airlines. So now I have my two first class seats to Oregon for my sweetie and me. Of course, they could still cancel our flight. Or keep us on the tarmac. Or lose our luggage for two days as they have in the past -- which made the Saks store in NYC very happy as we scrambled during a rushed thirty minute window to buy clothes for a special dinner with my publisher, editor, and publisher's PR person. But at least I've gotten over the first hurdle.

For all of you who've suffered your own frustration at the hands of any airline, all of whom seem to have forgotten the meaning of concept of customer service, I offer this hilarious three-part Friday Fun video passed on by friend Michele Benard: United Breaks Guitars. (Oh, and yes, I did buy the song. Partly because I think it's super, and partly to support such a clever response to a year-long airline fight.) Enjoy, and for those of you in the States, have a super holiday weekend!