Karma Tries to Make Up for Flight Trouble

[canyonwalker]

Getting to Vegas yesterday turned out to be way more of a chore than usual. Our flight— the one I was rebooked onto after my original one was delayed multiple times and then canceled— left finally at 4:45pm. That was 4.5 hours late for the flight and 3.25 hours later than my original flight was scheduled to depart.

At LAS airport my colleagues, Tim and Tiffany, agreed to meet at baggage claim. We figured we'd share a Lyft or Uber to the hotel after collecting our bags. On the elevator down to baggage claim I noticed a chauffeur holding an pad that read "T. LASTNAME" with Tiffany's somewhat common last name. "Haha, I chuckled to myself, she should totally ask that guy for a ride."

Tim arrived next at baggage claim. He'd seen the same driver and thought the same thing. We agreed we'd tease Tiffany about saying the ride was surely for her.

When Tiffany arrived she laughed off the joke. Of course it wouldn't be for her. Why would it?

Then Tiffany got a phone call just as we pulled our bags off the conveyor belt. "Good evening, I'm your driver at the airport, where may I meet you?"

The driver actually was there for Tiffany....



...And he was driving a Rolls Royce Phantom.

A $650,000 car.

The driver asked questions fishing to understand who Tiffany was to get this level of VIP service. Not everyone gets picked up by a Rolls. Usually the chauffeur drives Hollywood A-listers, sports stars, and big-money gamblers.

Tiffany gushed about how she's a nobody and has no idea why the car was set for her.

"Wrong answer," I teased. "When you travel in style you act like it's normal. The correct answer is, I'm a friend of Steve's."

"Who's Steve?" she asked credulously. The driver laughed— because he knew exactly who I meant. He's worked there for 18 years.



We're staying at the Wynn for the next few days. As in Steve Wynn, the casino mogul.

I remember when this hotel was being built umpteen years ago. I think I visited the casino once to see what it was like and left, unimpressed. I mean, it's plush.... I just don't like Vegas anymore. I would've been just as happy if this SKO were at an airport hotel at any mid-sized city in the US. Though then I wouldn't have been able to hitch a ride in a Rolls Royce.

Anyway, I'm here now. My room is nice. And since I've got to be in Vegas I packed to take advantage of it. I packed... hiking gear! Hawk will fly out out on Friday after work, and we'll stay in the area (not at a casino) for the three day weekend while going hiking the desert.

Comments

[some_other_dave]

For a minute, I thought the "stars" on the limo's roof were overlain onto your hair somehow! I finally figured out it was your sunglasses reflecting the light from the roof.

[canyonwalker]

Yes, I have sunglasses pushed up over my forehead, and the lights of the headliner are reflecting off them. The driver informed me, BTW, that that "Night Sky" or "Starlight" headliner is a $50,000 option. He listed that as one of the options when I challenged him on the $650,000 cost of the vehicle.

"I haven't priced out a Rolls recently," I said with a short pause, "But I'm surprised it's that much given you can buy a Maybach for, what, two-fifty?"

The driver then explained some of the costly options that added to the roller's bottom line.