A new wrinkle...

Decisions decisions!

I got my upgrade... As I was checking in at the airport this morning, the agents for Continental took many minutes looking at my tickets, the upgrade certificate, and their system... I was a bit concerned.

Finally they tagged my bag, and printed a boarding pass.

Business First.

Then came the Sell.

Suit: "Ah, excuse prease. Smarr probrem."
Oh shit.
(Constant Readers and OCHs (Old China Hands) will know that "Mei wen tai" means "no problem". When someone says "No probrem", there *is* usually a problem.
When they come out and say there *is* a smarr probrem, there is usually a BIG problem.
Suit:"So sorry, Business crass overbooked."
Ah! The light dawns. The close scrutiny of my ticket and upgrade was to find a flaw so they could deny my upgrade without loss of face, and/or compensation.
Suit: "We want to offer you compensation to take voruntary downgrade."
Yours Truly: "Hell no. 15 hours in coach? Again? You must be crazy."
S: "Mei wen tai! 2 seats...we give you two seats- No probrem."
YT: "Two seats? that's all you got? No way."
S: "No no no! We give mires and ticket compensation too!"
YT: "You don't understand. Me- tall guy- 15 hours in coach. No."
S: "Ok ok ok. 3 seats. 20,000 mires coupon for onepass."
Mmmm. Tempting.
But...No! I'm. Not. Sitting. In. Coach!
I'm sticking to my guns here.
YT: "No. Sorry. Bu yao."
Suit: "No! No!... Ok ok ok. 20,000 mires. $2000 fright coupon. 3 seats."
Wow. $2000 and 20,000 miles?
YT: "Well...ok."

I'm such a pushover.

So I'm sitting in the Biz Class lounge, dreading my flight again.
But three empty seats will go a long way to making coach comfortable.
And the flight vouchers and will come in handy for travel this year.

Man. If I could only get them to cough up a camera... Nah. Too much to hope for.

We'll see how it goes.

TBG, on the road again.