Alysonma,

We don't fly but usually 2-3 times a year but I've experienced all you've mentioned over the years. 'Stuff' happens on all carriers.

Last April we were among the first few passengers booked on our SXM flights. No problems going down but coming home JB gave away our extra room up front seats that we paid an extra seventy dollars each to purchase and placed us further back in the plane in exit row seats. We went from row 2 to row 11 without any say in the matter. Not the end of the world but basically they told me tough luck - stuff happens. We were checked in at PJIA hours early and upstairs in the Exec Lounge when we heard our names being paged and we were advised of the change, and when we asked for our original seats back, they told us it was a full flight and they couldn't do it. Huh?! Really?!

We have often had to gate check our legal carry-ones when traveling on heavily booked flights or utilizing regional airports and smaller planes. Again, not the end of the world but still annoying.

What I do absolutely love about JB is theirT5 at JFK - it sure beats the long walk we typically had to make when arriving back in NY on AA from our SXM trips to clear C&I. Having their own convenient international arrival hall is the best!

My theory has long been, if you fly often enough and/or long enough, this sort of thing will happen with virtually all the carriers and all you can do is make the best of it. Friends who flew Delta to SXM recently were disappointed in how tight the seating was but with SXM waiting for them in the end, it was doable. Basically, the 'end' justified the means. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />