Fort Lauderdale airport’s terminal 3 isn’t my favorite experience. There’s no airport lounge and the best food option I’ve found is the Chili’s.

Nonetheless, there are those that would call is paradise. That’s the excuse given for plenty of third world facilities in the Caribbean.

Several hotels were sold out nearby the other night, and I wound up at the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Airport & Cruise Port Hotel. It was perfectly functional, though the decor doesn’t necessarily fit South Florida.

I thought the hotel’s essence was captured perfectly the next morning. There was crashing down rain, pouring heavily, and parking is a decent walk from the front of the hotel (the lot was mostly full, so I was parked at the far end of the lot). I asked ‘Guest Services’ if it was possible to borrow an umbrella just for a moment, to walk to my car and I’d drive it right back over.

• They had an umbrella to lend to me!
  
• It was broken.
  
• And I had better bring it right back I was warned sternly.

See? They had everything I need, perfectly functional, but that didn’t make the experience nice.

The upgrade for my first flight last night leaving South Florida cleared at the gate. Second flight — and mind you “through passengers” get upgrade priority on American, and I’m an Executive Platinum member — I tweeted this (and it wasn’t at all a complaint, just a notable statement!):

As I shared last month, my travels aren’t all rainbows and unicorns. I’m lucky to do a certain amount of that. But just like anyone else’s time on the road, it’s only almost paradise.

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