Thursday, April 7, 2011

Spirited Cringe


For northeasterners with Floridian snowbird parents, there’s an airline called Spirit. It’s less luxurious than a city bus. I’m five-foot-one (and one half!) and my knees graze the back of the seat in front of me. My husband’s knees rest under his nose. No snacks. Not even water unless you whip out a credit card. But the basic fare is cheap. Crazy cheap—I often wonder if Spirit Air is a front for drug running.


Spirit charges a la carte for checked luggage, carry-on bags and seat assignments. I’m not partial to any section on a plane, so I never opted to pay for seat position. It always just worked out when we checked in. No seat assignment presents a problem when the following variables exist: oversold flight, all seats assigned, two little boys stuck sitting alone, both kids simultaneously vomiting during flight.


I’ve changed my laissez-faire policy on seat assignment fees. Going forward, I’ll pay and pay.


The cringe started on a Wednesday afternoon in February when we drove into Atlantic City International. What international folk visit Atlantic City? Brendan, my four-year-old, complained that his stomach hurt as we parked. He un-clicked his seatbelt, opened the car door and puked on the pavement. There’s a moment when parents look at each other in these situations, facing up to the inevitable snafu. Then, they try to cheer each other up: maybe it’s something he ate or car sickness? He’ll probably be fine to fly. Yes, yes.


It’s been a dismal snow-slammed winter in New Jersey. Florida was so close.


At the gate, I edged through a packed crowd to appeal to the attendant. Can she try to switch our seats so that our children don’t have to sit alone? She hates me. I’m the cheap jerk who didn’t cough up the $10 to avoid this scenario, and now I’m making it her problem. The flight is oversold and she is busy begging passengers to voluntarily bump. She’s offering two flight vouchers for the trade. I look over and see Brendan sitting on the floor next to a potted plant, throwing up in his lap. Marty is standing guard like an accomplice to a robbery.


“When is the next flight we can get on?” I ask the harried Spirit rep. It was probably prudent to delay our trip. She sighs. “Sunday.” That’s no good. We’re scheduled to come home the next Tuesday. A generous couple offers to change seats so that at least one of our children can sit with a parent. I mop the terminal floor by Brendan with wet-wipes and think he might be over the worst of it. He’s content--even cheerful.


We board the plane and Marty sprints towards row nineteen—a seat near the back of the plane --with The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest under his arm. I’m next to Brendan in row eight. Seven-year-old Christopher sits directly in front of me between two middle-aged men. The take- off and first fifteen air minutes are quiet.


“Hey, Chris. How are you doing up there?” I say, trying to peer through the space to see him. His freckled nose appears.


“I’m okay. Except I barfed in the barf bag.” He’s holding a sack of vomit and the two guys next to him, reading their newspapers, didn’t seem to notice. I beg the man next to me in the aisle seat to trade positions with my little hurler. He obliges.


Synchronized puking ensues. I’m sitting in the middle of two kids tossing their cookies, lunch, breakfast, last night's chicken nuggets. Their skin looks like pistachio ice cream. I’ve blown through my wipes and hand sanitizer. The people around me are both annoyed and sorry for us. Cringe!


An angel flight attendant, Julian, comes to my rescue. He brings a kitchen trash bag and packs of ice to stick behind their necks. “Have they flown before?” he asks me. I nod yes. Spirit’s fares to Florida have made them frequent flyers.


“I think this is more than air sickness, “Julian offers.


“Hmmm.”


“I think you need some wine,” Julian suggests.


“Yes.” I agree. I down a mini-bottle of sugary Sutter Home like a shot.


Julian comes up the aisle to check on us. Chris is resting his head almost inside the giant plastic bag.


“Another wine?” Julian points at me with his fingers in a trigger gesture.


“Yes, please.” I answer like a person who has just come upon a water cart in a desert.


Now Marty, although shoehorned in row nineteen, is enjoying the Swedish adventures of Lisbeth Salander and Michael Blomqvist.


“Julian,” I ask my savior-friend, “My husband is the tall Irish guy in row nineteen. Can you clue him in as to what is going on up here?”


He smiled like a cat and sashayed up the aisle.


“Sir, Sir? Marty? I want you to know that your wife is handling two kids barfing their little heads off up there. I just want to tell you that Valentine’s Day is next week, and I’d suggest the purchase of a little blue box.”


When we finally landed, we waited for the other passengers to disembark. Julian teased Marty over the intercom.


“Sir, I’ve got the limo waiting to take your wife to Tiffany’s!”


I love Julian.



P.S. It was a quick twenty-four hour stomach flu, and our vacation proceeded nicely after the flight from hell.