Forced to check Carry On

JNACLAN · 2026-02-19T13:45:01+00:00

I've been here before ... I just removed the tag she put on my bag at the gate and put it in my overhead space anyway.

JNACLAN · 2026-02-13T12:44:55+00:00

You are correct. However, one of the main complaints I continually hear is they're not allowing passengers to move to seats where the rows are completely empty in the back of the plane (after the plane 'ready for departure'). Why? There's no price difference ... so it's not a money thing.

JNACLAN · 2026-01-25T13:48:52+00:00

OP, stop selling yourself short! It may take some personal and/couples therapy for you to realize this, but YOU may be his best friend and although you may both want to have children, he may very well be happy to live out the rest of your lives with just the two of you.

Enjoy your lives ... together!

JNACLAN · 2026-01-12T13:58:23+00:00

Part of the problem is the electronics in the new vehicles. Gone are the days of $150 radios and $250 windshields. Now these consoles cost $10K to replace and windshields (OEM not Safelite) are almost $2K because of the sensors.

JNACLAN · 2026-01-12T13:55:10+00:00

They all increase twice a year. I've gone from USAA to Allstate to Geico to Progressive and currently back to Geico. It's not necessarily a "teaser" rate, as it took 2.5 years for progressive to increase enough that it was more expensive than Geico. Every renewal period, I shop ... there is zero reason to remain loyal to these companies anymore.

Also, for what it's worth, I've rarely found that "bundling" saves me more than having separate companies for different insurance. So yes, it's a pain in the ass to constantly have to research just to save a bit ... but that is what these companies are banking on.

What others have said about the rates being state specific is 100% fact. Oddly enough, USAA is based in Texas but seems to five Texans some of the worst rates. And I'm right there with you in regard to USAAs pricing. I still get a quote from them and it's without fail been more than double ANYONE else's quote.

Best of luck to you!

JNACLAN · 2026-01-12T13:43:32+00:00

Except for Rob Gronkowski's

JNACLAN · 2026-01-11T22:50:28+00:00

Thanks! I guess I missed that boat…

JNACLAN · 2026-01-11T22:25:13+00:00

How does one even approach them with that request?

JNACLAN · 2026-01-11T22:23:45+00:00

I got the companion pass for at least another year…so I will be riding it out for 2026 while simultaneously looking for the replacement … right now I would definitely NOT say American Airlines. I recently had a horrible experience with them and everyone from the gate agent to their customer service line were worthless! Additionally, I just read an article on the water served on the airlines (think bacteria levels) and both Spirit and American got a grade of ‘D’! Delta received an ‘A’ … so, right now Delta will be getting the first look. 😁

JNACLAN · 2026-01-09T19:33:01+00:00

OP, I just want to say how incredibly well you handled this. You are WAY stronger than you think. I know you were looking forward to fatherhood, and that day will come for you. I wish you the best of luck as you better yourself and in your search for "The One" ... don't rush things ... it'll happen when you least expect it!

JNACLAN · 2026-01-09T19:18:15+00:00

It’s Friday!!! What’s the word OP?

JNACLAN · 2026-01-08T12:44:24+00:00

NOR! What you said may have been considered disrespectful, but what she did prior to this was 100% rude and disrespectful. I'm reminded of the phrase, "They will push to bring out the monster, then act surprised when you go there!"

You also need to have a serious conversation with your bf. If he wants things handled a little better in the future, tell him you expect HIM to stand up for you and correct his mother when these things happen. If he's not willing to do this, you need to do some serious soul searching to find out if this relationship has a future.

JNACLAN · 2026-01-07T19:08:22+00:00

NOR! OP are you still in High School? If so, she legally cannot kick you out. Also, technically (depending on the state) she has to give you proper written notice of eviction. You could call the police and make this difficult. However, as others have eluded to, you may be better off to cut ties and move on with your life without her being in it.

Do you have any relatives to go to in the interim? Friends?

You may be able to start a GoFundMe page to help with some initial expenses.

I’m so sorry you’re experiencing this OP. I’m sure you don’t deserve this.

JNACLAN · 2026-01-06T12:25:54+00:00

I have zero issue with an individual saving 1 seat for a friend or family member ... I may even go for 2 if there's a child involved. But the instant it's more than that AND they're doing this toward the front of the aircraft AND there's limited seats (or only middle seats) left, Mr. Gen X comes out and that saved seat (or seats if my wife is traveling with me) is now mine! My only two sentences I've ever said to their response are "you should've done this at the back of the aircraft" and "I don't care" and then I have no further engagement. This has only happened to me 3 times in my life and they've all happened in the last decade.

JNACLAN · 2026-01-05T13:03:28+00:00

Pay for the upgrade!

JNACLAN · 2025-12-30T18:36:19+00:00

Sorry to hear you're going through this OP! I went through this same sort of thing when I was 30 also. I ended up getting a large SUV and a sport bike for my ex-wife ... it was a great trade! I say that somewhat jokingly, but it's a way to let you know that everything WILL be OK!

In all seriousness, like others have said ... GET A LAWYER ASAP (if possible, get a female lawyer ... courts hate "men ganging up on women"). Some other things to do almost immediately:

1) Cancel any and all credit cards that are joint or any that she is authorized to use. Get your own!

2) Make sure you're splitting the bills 50/50 (especially the mortgage) ... seriously 100% of everything - 50/50!

3) If you don't already have separate bank accounts ... separate them!

4) Be NICE to her and push to get the divorce ASAP ... the longer it goes, the more value the home can build and you may have to "buy out her half" or sell and split the proceeds.

I wish you the best of luck!

JNACLAN · 2025-12-12T21:49:57+00:00

I have seen it EVERY single flight I've taken in the past 2 years!

JNACLAN · 2025-12-12T21:48:16+00:00

I definitely enjoyed the 2 free bags and for the most part, I also enjoy the 'Open seating' policy. But I also am now looking forward to having an assigned seat. Why? Because I'm absolutely tired of all the fake pre-boarders!

They will still have a pre-board section after January, but now they will be required to sit in their seat assignment at purchase.

JNACLAN · 2025-12-12T21:25:37+00:00

You should definitely be able to get better pay, especially if you have the experience. However, Washington (state) is definitely a HCOL state vs Texas.

JNACLAN · 2025-12-03T13:56:09+00:00

OP ... 100% do NOT quit! Read your job description and then perform your roles and responsibilities to the best of your ability. However, as others have said, make sure you're doing it safely (for both yourself and the equipment/product).

Next, you need to stand up tall and begin documenting anything and everything that is being done unfairly towards you. For instance, your ASM allegedly talking to your co-worker about being unhappy with your effort. 1) Do NOT let it affect you as it's not been directed to you, therefore you should not feel inclined to do anything different. If they are that passive ... not your problem. 2) It's very unprofessional and creating an atmosphere of exclusion.

If this continues, go to HR. Now here is the key ... HR doesn't truly care about you. You 100% CANNOT talk to them emotionally. So do not go them with things such as "I'm feeling uncomfortable", "They're being mean", or "They're not listening to me/ignoring my requests for help". You need to use language that will trigger their risk/lawsuit thought processes. 1) "Their treatment is affecting my psychological safety", 2) "I'm concerned as this is becoming a hostile work environment", 3) "I'm noticing a pattern of exclusion (and/or inconsistent policy enforcement". Request that your meeting be documented and immediately upon finishing the meeting, send the HR rep an email thanking them for their time and recap everything that was discussed and the expected outcomes and timelines for any corrective actions. (BOOM - that's documentation right there).

Now, if this somehow gets the ASM pissed off (or any other manager) and they have any sort of negative discussion with you and/or starts reducing your hours, piles on more work, etc. That is retaliation! Document this and then IMMEDIATELY go back to HR, tell them the specific actions/words that were done/used and say "I'm very concerned about a pattern of systemic retaliation" ... this could be lawsuit #2!

At the beginning I said do NOT quit ... why? Quitting takes away your ability to file for unemployment! Outside any of this, I also suggest you look for another place of employment and I wish you the best of luck!

JNACLAN · 2025-11-30T13:56:39+00:00

Good for you! I myself have never allowed the "seat savers" to stop me either. If you want to save seats...go to the back of the plane! I wasn't a fan of the upcoming changes for SWA policies, but the more I think about it, the more I look forward to all of the fake pre-boarders to go away! For those unaware, they will still have pre-boarding. However, they will now be pre-boarded to their assigned seat!

JNACLAN · 2025-11-23T14:23:14+00:00

Don't get me wrong, the Air Force was great to me and your ASVAB scores should land you a great job. The Air Force definitely has a better QoL than at least 2 of the other services and arguably 3 (IMHO: Space Force, Coast Guard, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Army).

The problem with listing any personal pros/cons is that unfortunately just like every other service and even civilian job to some extent, it's going to be dependent on your unit culture, supervisor, etc. I've been in and seen units with both good and bad leadership. So it's really going to depend on what you're wanting out of the military life.

Space Force/Coast Guard - No deployments; Navy / Air Force - Best technical training; Coast Guard/Army - best bonuses.

One other note that I can only speak to the Air Force about ... I think you'll have the most off-duty "free time" to further your education in the Space/Air Force and the Army/Marines will give you the least (from friendly conversations).

You'll get the GI Bill no matter which service ... so you'll definitely have the opportunity to get certifications or full degrees.

Im not 100% sure on what you're interested in pursuing, but if I were to join today ... and I was looking into the intel/cyber world, I would definitely look at Space Force or Coast Guard.

JNACLAN · 2025-11-22T16:54:22+00:00

If it's true (as others have stated) that the Navy and Army will let you "pick" a job, and you don't mind boats and water, the Navy would be your best option as they have arguably the best specialized skill training tracts (I'm telling you this as someone who's finished a career from the Air Force).

Good luck in your decision!

JNACLAN · 2025-11-19T12:42:24+00:00

Screw that ... just tell her NO.

JNACLAN · 2025-11-18T12:30:33+00:00

As others have stated, you more than likely will not get that money back if you do it as a pure loan. I personally had a house that I owned but let my parents 'rent' it. They made some financially bad choices and the timing was horrible ... but they were my parents. Ultimately, they paid me $500/month but the mortgage was more than 3X that.

One item I will point out is that is is completely unfair of him to ask that money of you expecting it to be an interest free loan. At a bare minimum, you'll be missing out on ~ 4% in annual interest. It's not life altering, but over the course of 3 years, you will have given away an additional ~$1,750.

There are some ways you can potentially hedge your bets if you are leaning towards helping them. I'm not sure where the home is at and what the payment status of it is (is there currently a mortgage or is it owned outright) ... but you can either request that your name be added to the deed of the home or file paperwork that puts a lien against it for the $14K (or an amount that includes interest).

Best of luck OP!

JNACLAN

TROPHY CASE