The Evil Continental Airlines ExpressJet Fleet

I flew to Chicago from Detroit yesterday on Southwest Airlines for a business lunch with my boss. I don't like to fly but the trip was good and I was feeling quite ok about it. I have never gotten airsick. I always get a bit sweaty and white knuckled but never ever have I gotten sick, and I'd never even consider the possibility of it. I don't have a weak stomach.

Our flight back to Detroit departed at 5:15p and because of hideous Chicago traffic and Midway Airports slow as molasses in January security, we missed our flight. We ended up having to take a later flight. 2 options were presented to us: Take Continental from Chicago to Cleveland, connect in Cleveland and then to Detroit. We'd have 20 minutes from touch down to get to the connecting flight and if we missed it, we'd have to drive the rest of the way as that was the last flight to Detroit that night. OR we could wait until 9:50p and take a direct flight from Chicago to Detroit. Considering the hour time difference, we didn't want to hang around the airport for 4 hours and then get home at midnight. (it's a 1 hour flight + one hour for time change) We decided to hope for the best and take the Chicago to Cleveland to Detroit. Well, I thought, all will be well until I saw the little tiny ExpressJet ERJ-135 we were going to fly in. Hm. I didn't feel very secure. Well, the plane took off and it went ok...until descent. The last 10 minutes of the flight were a terror. The plane was hitting turbulence, fishtailing in the sky, banking left and right and it felt like we were rolling around in the air. I wanted to die. I exited the plane feeling less than settled and we ran for the next terminal to catch out connecting flight. While handing my boarding pass to the guy at the gate, I felt my stomach heave and my lunch building up in my throat. I needed a bathroom. So, I handing my stuff to my boss and began walking to the bathroom in the lovely Cleveland airport. Half way there I had to break into a sprint and almost didn't make it. Try standing, holding long hair back, puking and aiming at the same time. Yikes. Well, forturnately I had a bottle of water with me and so I rinsed my mouth out and went back to the gate. My boss offered to drive but I thought, naw, I can make it. Not considering that yes...the next flight might be another of the dreaded ExpressJet ERJ-135 planes. And it sure was. The flight from Cleveland to Detroit was only 28 minutes in the air but apparently it isn't the airtime that gets me. I was fine for 18 minutes of that flight but the last 10 minutes or so, upon descent, I started feeling a little bit nauseated. Frantically trying to hold back the bile and think happy thoughts, I didn't consider that if I should barf 1)- I couldn't get up from my seat and 2)- I hadn't located a barf bag. Then I remembered my boss had mentioned at the beginning of the flight that he had one in his seat pocket. So, yup, you guessed it, round two. That was fun. I've never puked on a plane. I had my face in this barf bag and was being as discreet as possible and the guy next to me is actually unaware that I am throwing up. He's chatting away and offering me pretzels, which makes me want to barf more. Let me mention that it is incredibly difficult to puke while sitting up. Things do not want to exit as easily as they should. But the man is still talking and I am still hoarfing. Finally, I lift my face from the bag after he says, "Want some pretzels?" and say in a gravely voice, "God no..." Then he caught on and stopped talking to me. We finally touched down and I practically jumped out of the plane.

I HATE little planes. I will never again fly Continental for fear that I will get a small plane again. If I ever come across a small plane, I will promptly return my ticket and refuse to fly. What a miserable business trip.