Travel

Last week I had the worst business trip I’ve ever taken. Normally a travel agency takes care of booking my flight (buying a plane ticket) and making my hotel reservation, but this time I decided to make the travel arrangements myself. Big mistake!

First of all, the plane was overbooked (there were more passengers than seats available) so I was bumped to a later flight. When they gave me my new boarding pass (the ticket that allows you to enter the airplane), they didn’t ask me if I’d prefer a window seat or an aisle seat (a seat next to the corridor) – and I was stuck in the middle. To top it off, it was a very bumpy flight (a flight with a lot of turbulence).

I then missed my connecting flight and had a ten-hour layover (I had to wait ten hours for my next flight) in Chicago. Unfortunately, my checked luggage (the bags in the airplane’s cargo compartment) had already gone through to my final destination, so all I had was my carry-on bag (the bag you take with you on the plane). I checked into a hotel near the airport just so I could take a nap.

When I finally arrived in Los Angeles, it turns out that I had made a mistake with my hotel reservation, and instead of booking a room at a five-star hotel, I had booked three nights at a seedy hotel (a hotel that is not very safe or comfortable)! So I was stuck sleeping on an uncomfortable mattress in a dingy room (a dirty and dark room) while my colleagues enjoyed the luxury hotel.

The trip home was uneventful, but when I arrived I discovered that the airline had lost my luggage. All in all it was a miserable experience. 

Now do the following quiz.

1. Are you adding / bumping / checking any bags today?
2. Hello, I need to change the dates of my hotel district / layover / reservation.
3. I always try to get a window chair / seat / spot on long flights.
4. I won't be in the office next week - I'll be on a business flight / travel / trip.
5. On their honeymoon, Will and Cassie spent a week at a five-star / ten-point / gold-star hotel.
6. Sorry, sir, but your bring-in / carry-on / take-up bag is too heavy.
7. The gate number is printed on your boarding / checking / entering pass.
8. The checkout / layover / stop-off was only 30 minutes – I had to run to catch my attaching / connecting / linking flight!
9. The rooms of the hotel were nice, but the fitness center was rather dingy / red-light / one-star.
10. The travel agency / organization / department is offering a great deal on a 5-day package in Miami.
11. We felt sick on the plane because the flight was really bumpy / seedy / messy.
12. You should book / make / set your flight now, before prices go up.