Got a phone call tonite from my sister, who's a well-traveled Fodorite herself. Actual conversation.

- Where's my plane?
- Huh?
- I'm in LGA, and my AA Eagle ERJ is missing.
- Where are you going?
- BGR
- Let me check. Hm... AA4865 is an E135. Let me see what AA Eagle E135 is heading to LGA. Ha, there it is, AA4900 from CLT, about an hour behind schedule. It's right now in NJ, across from Philly. Should be at your gate in about 20 minutes.
- Okay, thanks!

Yeah, it's true. My family don't ask airlines rep status of their planes. They ask me.

Here's another actual conversation, happened last Friday.

- Hey son, we just arrived back to EWR from EDI. It was a good trip.
- Whatever, mom. After you clear immigration and customs, don't recheck your bags. Go straight to gate C74 and standby for CO51 back to Houston. It's leaving in 90 minutes, you have time. If they don't have room, you can then go to C88 to stand by for CO311 an hour later. Otherwise, your original flight CO88 departs from C82. Call me when your plane lands at IAH.

what was that number again? 911-4RK-KWAN

Way to go! You need a free upgrade since you save the airlines customer service people a lot of time.

Your advice is always right on. Brings up an interesting point, though. Husband and I have found info available on various websites is almost always more accurate than what the airport personnel or even flight crew tells you - can't begin to count the number of times he has called me on cell phone from either airport or even plane so I can check on cause and likely length of delay and then suggest alternative options if necessary.

And an additional advantage is that we are based in US and speak English.

rkkwan, LOL! However, do you blame them? Your information is always so reliable. How about sharing your phone number with us.
I have friends and family members who call or e-mail me when visiting Alaska or/and Paris asking "What should we do next?"

OK - that settles it. Everyone call rkkwan nbot only for travel interruptions but while planning a trip for best fare/best route suggestions.

OK, rkkwan and other experts, where should I fly for my birthday in the end of September? We have 170,000 miles in one account with Continental. We can fly from AVL, GSP, CLT, BTV or ALB. If a flight is longer than 3 hours we fly business/first. We can be away three-five nights. I want to go to a place with endless outdoor activities and decent weather. No Caribbeans or Alaska.

Go to the NW or Western Canada. Start from Seattle, Vancouver or Calgary. Weather should be nice at that time, and you'll have tonnes of outdoor stuff to do. Same mileage requirement for Canada (25k standard coach, 45K FC).

See, I knew it, I knew it, I knew it. You are the best, rkkwan. I need to think about it. This a very new idea

rkk...I have to believe that if porno sites can make millions, well so can you.Set yourself up as "SkyBoss.com" charge $10 a month, voila.....Oh, and please send my commission check to...

go rkkwan! what's your cell phone number? ;-) your help would be invaluable to me at work! lol!!

I wonder how helpful RKkwan was in locating the lost artificail leg on the US forum

What's your number again? Might come in handy some day

I helped a fellow Fodorite traveling on a Delta award ticket when he needed to get home earlier due to a minor medical emergency and wasn't having any luck getting his ticket changed. I looked up award inventory on KL and gave him the flight number to give to the DL agent when he called back (I don't know why the original agent didn't see it, he must have been talking to India or something).

FainaAgain - No, I didn't provide any help in locating the artificial leg.

Anyways, maybe I'll set up a 1-900 number for you guys to call me. Hehe.

rkkwan has always been one of my favorite fodorites!! 1-800-4RKKWAN

here's to rkkwan!

rkkwan, your name came to mind when I was reading the thread asking about what the heavy duty posters do for a living. Now I know. Thank you Clark Kent.

Rkkwan, You have been extremely helpful to many, thank you.
What exactly do you do for a living?
You must be in the travel industry!
??

Nah, I'm not in the travel industry, and I don't even travel that much lately. Just very interested in air travel - I really really love planes. Also know a little bit about Hong Kong/China and European travel, and do plenty of planning for my parents and extended family.

This post is hilarious. I guess I'm one of the lucky ones who have rkkwan's cellphone #.