The Curmudgeon is NOT happy! Flabbergasted, yes, but happy, NO!!!!
Yesterday was an eyeopener! Poor Marilyn, here in Hawaii for a week, seeing the sights while waiting for her American Airlines jet to take her and her new Border Terrier puppy, Brit, back to Phoenix, AZ, that other state that did not go onto daylight savings time this past weekend. Marilyn had discussed taking her puppy back with her in the cabin when she purchased her tickets, again when she flew to Hawaii and then online was told that the dog had been reserved a place with her. When she checked in online yesterday morning, it seemed that something was amiss. It took hours for her, Marilyn, to be able to talk to an American Airlines real person. I should know. She was with me, hiking down and up Pololu Valley, waiting for American Airlines people to call her back because the wait time was so long. It took her all morning to be able to speak to a real person and then she was assured that her puppy would be on the plane with her, in the cabin, under the seat in front of her, snuggled up to her toes. The flight was a redeye to Phoenix. American Airlines personnel in Kona do not know how to interpret what they "learned" in their training and do not know how to read!!!! Beware, if you are a gambler and dare to try to fly American Airlines with a puppy in cabin with you. The American Airlines people read that flying to Hawaii, Haiti, the UK, and other destinations such as those, forbade in-cabin pets. Last night's staff swore that the only way one could have an in-cabin pet is to have a doctor's note guaranteeing that this was a service animal. All Marilyn had was a health certificate, and even that was not needed. A health certificate is only needed to put an animal into a crate and in the hold for cargo!!! What the poor illiterates at the American Airlines desk last night didn't understand was that what they were reading did NOT include flying FROM Hawaii TO Phoenix. They would not let poor Brit inside the plane in-cabin, but only in a crate. Poor Kathleen got off work in the middle of this, and, instead of coming home to her wonderful canine, Reese, and her grouchy mother, the Curmudgeon, she had to go to Kona and pick up Marilyn and Brit to come back for yet another night in Hawi. Meanwhile, the Curmudgeon TRIED to call American Airlines and talk to a live person who MIGHT be able to read. The wait time was two hours, so I hit one, the number that was to keep me in line for a phone call back. That phone call NEVER occurred, or at least hasn't yet occurred, eight hours later. The phone is charged up and next to me. It hasn't rung. Is American Airlines having trouble? Are they about to commit hari kari? Go bankrupt? Do they need to hire new people who can understand what they read?
It is a bit after 0400 here and I can't go back to sleep after taking the puppies out at 0330 or so. I figured this was as good a time to blog this distressing story warning people about American Airlines as any. Maybe now I will be able to go back to sleep. It has been a VERY long night. I HATE stupidity. That puppy was not flying TO Hawaii, but FROM Hawaii. The desk people at American Airlines Kona may have understood their mistake after Kathleen explained their mistake to them , but they certainly did not want to admit it. BEWARE American Airlines if you ever decide to fly from Kona to the mainland.
I will spend tomorrow again trying to talk to a live, breathing person at AA, hoping to get them to better educate their staff in Kona. The state makes it hard enough getting animals into the state, but the state does NOT make it difficult letting them go, American Airlines does that for them!!! Poor Marilyn, Brit, Kathleen, and even Hector, who was waiting in Arizona to meet his new, sweet puppy. Poor American Airlines, who will have to listen today to a curmudgeon who will demand to speak to a higher-up breathing, alive AA employee.
What a mess! Don't fly American Airlines from Kona!!! Beware if you are at all tempted!!! Warning, WARNING, WARNING!!!!
This is a picture of Mermaid with Tutu.Somehow there are two of the same picture, but so what?!!!
. Watson is doing well on housebreaking and the pups are sleeping through the nights most nights, now which makes both Kathleen and myself quite happy. 
Watson is in the left picture above, Watson and his friend Chip in the right picture above and Brit is asleep on her mom's pillow to the right.
So much for today. Gotta pay bills! Very distressing to a curmudgeon.
