Tried Northwest Air again this afternoon. Same drill...after about 15 minutes of menus and music, the computer "transferred me to an agent". Got same message..."unable to take call due to high call volume." Now I know there was a major storm yesterday, but I checked the Air traffic control site this afternoon and it showed very few delays nationwide. Tried calling again. Same drill.

The third time I got mad. When I got the first initial answer of the phone, and the cheerful computer asked would you like to check a reservation, check a flight, etc... and then finished with "say your answer", I screamed at the phone "I WANT TO TALK TO A #@&^@! AGENT!"

I must have scared the hell out of the computer...it answered in a sweet voice, "Oh, let me transfer your to an agent."

What do you know the nicest lady came on! I explained my predicament. She checked and even though it had been two and a half weeks since Travelocity had told me everything had been taken care of, and charged me, guess what...Jenny had never been ticketed! The lady took care of that. When I told her what I had been through, and the $309 dollar charge for the name change she couldn't believe it. She offered to talk to a supervisor and when she came back they had agreed to refund $150 of the $309 change fee. At least it was something. She was helpful and did what she could for me.

That was the good news, we are finally confirmed on the plane. Of course there was one on other minor problem she explained. Since the T company hadn't seat assigned us, they also had never followed up on the promise their agent made that they would seat us together, and of course now the plane was full and we were at the mercy of the available singles scattered here and there.

One of us may be strapped on the wing yet.