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joann07
10-03-2007, 12:10 AM
Hello everyone!

Hope all is well.
Just wanted to share with you another one of my lastest greatest outting adventures.
Last week, I spent my vacation in the great city of Chicago and boy was that a great time.
To start out my trip, I flew up dressed in femme.
Yes. I can officialy say that I have flown in femme and what an AMAZING experience that was. :)

I got up early in the morning (5:00AM), put on my makeup, and changed.
I wore was a business woman type outfit consisting of a black button down business suit top, light grey pencil skirt, Hanes barely there pantyhose, and black pumps, basically, an outfit for a lady going on a business trip.

Once I was done, I made one last check to make sure I had everything and I was out the door and on the road.
It was 6:30AM, and the morning traffic was quite busy. What made it worse was the pouring rain so what should've taken me about 20 minutes actually took me close to 45 minutes.
Well, I still got to the airport early enough so that if there were any issues, I could go back to my car, change into some male clothes (which I left in the car), and still be on the plane on time.

I found a spot in long-term parking, parked, gathered all my things, and proceeded to walk towards the airport entrance. It was definitely warm outside and it didn't help that it was still raining so the humidy made it feel even worse. :mad:
I wished I had parked closer because it was such a long hike pulling an 70+ lb suitcase and a 20+lb garment bag while wearing 3 inch pumps. When I finally got into the airport, I still had a ways to go before I got to baggage check-in because it was all the way in the other side. GREAT! :(
Once I got to baggage check-in, I was tired and a sweating and hoping my makeup didn't melt so I felt a somewhat nervous. I stayed calm and walked up to an attendant, directing flow of passengers, and said hello. She greeted me back with a pleasant good morning and directed me where to go. I thanked her and lined up behind a few other passengers waiting for the next open terminal.

As I waited in line, I took a moment to gather myself and cool down. Again, I was afraid that all the sweating would cause my makeup to be in total dissarray, but when I quickly looked at my compact mirror, everything was ok. Whew!
I when it was my turn, the attendant got my attention and pointed to an open terminal so I gathered my things and walked up. I pulled out my credit card and e-ticket boarding pass then proceeded to enter my information.
Once I was done, another attendant came up and asked for my male ID and credit card so I presented it to her.
She looked them over, confirmed everything and handed them back to me.
Then, she proceeded to take care of my baggage. She asked how many I was checking in and I said two so I put my garment back on the scale, and she tagged it, and then my suitcase. Unfortunately, she noticed that it was overweight and said that I could pay $50 or I could take out some items, but just said no and that I'll just pay it so I gave her my credit card again. She charged it, gave me my receipt, tagged my suitcase, and said to have a nice flight. I said thank you and headed to the boarding terminal.
Everything went smoothly, so far, and my only little hitch was paying for the excess weight, but it didn't matter to me. I made it through the baggage check-in without any issues and so I was feeling pretty good. :thumbsup:

After the check-in area, I went up the escalator and over to the shuttle to take me to the boarding terminals.
Before anyone can board the shuttle, passengers must present their ID and boarding pass to airport officials, and so I did. The lady attendant looked at my male ID, checked it with my boarding pass, and when she was done gave it back and said thank you. I thanked her and proceeded to wait for the shuttle to arrive.
When it arrived, I walked in and sat down next to a GG. As we rode the shuttle, we didn't say anything to each other and waited for it to get to the other side.
Went it stopped, we walked out, and entered the TSA ID check point.

There were two lines leading to security and so I took the one on the left following behind another woman passenger.
The line I was in was a little backed up so the security offical in the other line gestured to me, called me "Ma'am", and said I could come on his side, since he was open.
So, I walked up to him, smiled and said hello, gave him my ID, and boarding pass. He greeted me back, checked my ID and my boarding pass, and then gave them back. He smiled and said to go ahead and proceed to the check point and have a nice day. I thanked him and then lined up behind a few ladies loading their things on the conveyer belt.

When it was my turn, I took off my pumps and put them, along with everything else (i.e., purse, carry-on bag, ziplock bag, etc.), into a plastic bin and slid them on the conveyer belt.
A security official on the other side gestured for me to walk through the screener and so I did. As I went through I didn't set off the alarm or anything and when the offical asked to see my boarding pass I gave it to him and then he checked it briefly. After he was done, he gave it back and so I went over to other end of the conveyer belt and began to retrieve all my things. Once I was done, I walked over to the ladies room to check myself one more time. Everything looked good so I powdered my face, fixed my outfit, and freshened up.

After I finished touching up, I walked out to get a quick snack so I went over to the gift shop and bought some cookies and a magazine (In Style). When I went up to pay the cashier, she greet me with a pleasant good morning and so I kindly greeted her back. After I paid, she bagged everything and said to have a nice flight.
I, then, I walked over to the concession stand to get some orange juice then sat at open table.
I sat for a while eating while reading my mazagine and once I finished with my snack, I walked over to the gate and sat patiently in the waiting area.

Once they announced that boaring will begin, I got up and quietly waited until it was my turn.
As I was waiting, a middle aged GG came up next to me and asked if the boarding had started and I pleasantly said yes and said that they're currently boarding special passengers. She said ok and then went back to minding her own business.
When it was my turn, I walked up to the attendant, handed her my boarding pass, and she waved it under the scanner.
Once it confirmed it, she handed it back and said to have a nice flight.
Woo hoo!! I said to myself. I made it though baggage check-in and the TSA security check point all without a hitch.
I felt so ecstatic that body was tingling. I was smiling with joy as I was walking down the tarmac and into the plane.

When I entered the plane, the stewardesses pleasantly greeted me and so I did the same.
The plane was almost full and, as I was walking down the isle, I noticed that nobody gave me a blink of an eye or a stare.
Once I found my seat, I put my carry-on bag in the overhead bin, sat down, buckled my seatbelt, kicked off my heels, and got comfortable.

I sat in an isle seat next to an eldery couple and they didn't bother me.
Even the people around me didn't seem to look or stare at me.
I just minded my own business and tried to sleep through the whole flight.
The flight went well and was quite relaxing. The total time flying was about 2 1/2 hours.
When the stewardesses where giving passengers their complimentary drinks, I had no issues when they came up to me.
Again, they were very courteous and didn't treat me any differently.

Once we landed at Chicago O'Hare, I gathered my things and proceed to walk up the isle towards the exit.
The flight crew said goodbye and to have a pleasant visit. I said thank you and walked up the tarmac through to the airport waiting area. The terminal was very busy, but I just minded my own business and followed the signs to the baggage claim area. As I was walking, I would briefly glanced around to see if anyone spotted me, but nobody was.
I would get an occasional glance from a male, but I know that's expected so I just continued walking until I got to baggage claim. As I headed to the claim area, I quickly stopped in the ladies room to freshen up, and when I was done, picked up my baggage.

So far, my trip was been going very well. I went through check-in and security without any problems and my flight was as smooth as ever. My day couldn't have started any better and so I was on a high.
The last thing I needed to do was pickup my rental car so, after retrieving up my luggage, I walked outside and waited for the bus to take me to the Hertz rental center.
When the bus pulled up, the driver pleasantly greeted me asked for my name and so I gave him my male name.
He said ok, and then picked up my suitcase and my garment bag and placed them in the baggage storage area. I thanked him, walked in sat in an open seat, and waited for other passengers to arrive.
After a few minutes, the driver closed the door and proceed to drive us to the rental center.

Once we got to the rental center, again the driver picked up my luggage and placed them on the curbside.
I thanked him and he returned it with a pleasant "you're welcome", then I walked into the customer service center and over to the waiting line.
As I patiently waited, my feet were a little bit tired so I did the typical girly thing of slipping feet out of my heels and cracking my toes to loosen them up. Boy was that relieving. Anyway, I took a few moments to organize my things and get what I needed so I'll be ready for when I'm called up.

When next associate was done, she called the next person and so I walked up. She pleasantly greeted me and asked for my ID and credit card. Again, I gave her my male ID and she didn't blink an eye.
She confirmed that my ID match my credit card and then handed them back to me.
We conversed back and forth about the rental fees and other rule and regulations. She also asked me if I wanted to get insurance, but I said that I didn't need it because my car insurance would cover it.
Then, she mentioned other things about what I costs I would be responsible for if it were to get damaged.
I agreed, and then she proceed to continue processing my reservation.
The last thing she asked was whether I wanted to pay for gas now or fill the car up for returning, but I just said that I wanted to go ahead and pay now so I gave her my credit card and she charged it.
Once she was done, she handed back my card and gave me my final instructions and also how to find my car.
She said to have a pleasant visit and I said thank you then left.
I found my car, put my luggage in the trunk, and was on my way.
Woo hoo! Chicago here I come! :GD:

That was just the beginning of my trip and what a WONDERFUL experience it was.
To fly in femme was something I had been thinking about doing, but didn't have an opportunity to actually do it until now.
Leading up to that flight, I had debated whether I should do it, but then I was inspired by Monika (MonikaW), Jennifer (JennMW), and Aleria's experiences so then I said to myself that I should just go for it and so I did.
Everyone from the attendants in baggage claim, security, and the rental office was very kind and courteous and they treated me no differently.
I made sure to be friendly and cooperative and everyone gave me the same respect.
After going through that experience, I would have no problem with flying in femme again.
I can't wait for the next opportunity.

Stayed tuned for more details on this trip. :D

Hugs!

raleighbelle
10-03-2007, 12:15 AM
Hi Joann,

I am glad that went so smoothly for you. That must have been great! But I must say, looking at your pictures - I wouldn't question you for a minute - you come across as totally female.

Keep us posted on your other adventures! I'm envious!

DianaGomez
10-03-2007, 12:25 AM
Wow, thats great! I am quite surprised because with the crappy idiots most TSA are, I would have expected them to give you at very least a grilling to make sure you arent some weird terrorist. I'm a very frequent flyer and have seen them make a fuss over all kinds of idiotic things. So anyway, great going for you and us!!!

My Lady Marsea
10-03-2007, 12:58 AM
You look absolutly stunnin girl,:D but because of that fact I an sooo dying to ask this: Is your ID a picture one and do you look like in the posted pictures? Or were these ppl just stunned with your femme beauty (as I am LOL):love: and maybe a little dazed LOL. Even though I'm pretty much not concerned with most stuff that part of your experience would have shaken me a little:o:eek: (which is why I had my name and IDs (with pics) legally changed).

noname
10-03-2007, 01:01 AM
I must say, you look convincingly female.

JennMW
10-03-2007, 01:25 AM
Joann,

I'm so happy that things worked out well for you too!

I never would have had overweight bags before, but now I'm right on the borderline myself! Last time I got a heavy tag, but no extra charge.

Jennifer

Suzie Green
10-03-2007, 01:29 AM
Awesome job Joann...thanks for an enjoyable post, and glad you had such a rewarding experience! :happy:

Jamie001
10-03-2007, 01:32 AM
Congratulations Joann :hugs:

It is girls like you that are making a difference because folks can see that we are proud of who we are and that we are normal. Thanks for making a difference. You should be very proud of the beautiful and courageous woman that you are.

:love: Jamie

sterling12
10-03-2007, 01:46 AM
I thought you were just a little bit distracted at the Board Meeting Monday Night. You told us you would be flying up there next day, and I reckon you had that on your mind.

I told you to have fun in "That Toddling Town." I still mean it! If I get to Orlando Saturday, I'll make excuses for you. If not, I'll see you on The 20th. Now you will have to do two reports. Southern Comfort AND ChicagoLand!

To paraphrase an old commercial: "I'm Joann....Fly me, fly me!"

Peace and Love, Joanie

DawnL
10-03-2007, 03:42 AM
You look great and I'm glad you had a good experience. You probably wouldn't have had to pay the extra $50 if you weren't packing for two. :D

eleventhdr
10-03-2007, 03:47 AM
Veyr nice outfit!

Suzy Ann!

Angie G
10-03-2007, 04:35 AM
Sounds like a great trip you go girl :hugs:
Angie

RachelDenise
10-03-2007, 04:39 AM
Another success story! You make it seem so easy. I cannot believe how scared I'd be!

uknowhoo
10-03-2007, 04:46 AM
I'm so proud of you!!! :bighug:

Congrats on your first flight Joanne! :cheer: I never had a doubt you'd do so well. Thanx too for this lovely thread describing your experience- it really is motivational to alot of others out there. Oh, and for the record, you looked as lovely as ever ;)though I might've suggested the school girl outfit! :p

xoxo

Tammi

Suzy Harrison
10-03-2007, 07:35 AM
Thats so cool Joann... But you look great, so I can see why it would go so well for you. I'm surprisied that they never took a 'double take' when they saw your male ID. Either they are super professionals (unlikely) or they have been trained in this area and/or have come across this situation many times before. Either way it's good news for the rest of us. But you Joann are a true trail blazer! on this one - brilliant.....

I wonder how well this would go with an Australian Airline ..... can you come over here and try it out for me ??!! :hugs:

Sally2005
10-03-2007, 08:51 AM
Cool. That is great that you had fun! I'll stick with biking because I can make a quick getaway if required. Thanks for sharing.

renee k
10-03-2007, 08:59 AM
Hi Joann,

Thanks for sharing, the world's a different place since 911. Glad to see you made the trip without any hassles.

Take Care,

Renee

janet1234
10-03-2007, 09:03 AM
so great Joann, I am so happy for you.

Michelle S
10-03-2007, 09:09 AM
What a great story. Your picture is beautiful. Thank you for sharing both.

nikki_t
10-03-2007, 09:39 AM
That's awesome Joann!! Thanks for sharing!! :thumbsup:

KateSpade83
10-03-2007, 11:12 AM
Nice for you to tell us it's safe to fly in drag with no security problem. They did see a male ID though, right? I thought about flying from the Phillippines to Chicago while wearing a new bra and panty set but good I didn't becasue they single me out for security scan check and the bra would have set off the personal scanners. Yeah, I'm Filipino...

What did you do in Chicago? Sightsee? Shop? One thing about Chicago compared to other cities - it has great thrift store and flea market shopping for the bargain hunters. Houston sucks thriftwise.

jaina
10-03-2007, 12:12 PM
As long as your ID is good, flying no problem. TSA's have had the job long enough that they are now just routine security people with very little to prove anymore.

joann07
10-03-2007, 12:24 PM
Hello again everyone,

Thank you for all your compliments and kinds words of support.
As always, your comments are very much appreciated and they really mean a lot to me.:hugs:
It's so nice to know that I have such wonderful sisters like yourselves because it's through you all that I get the encouragement and inspiration to do things like this.
Because of that, I like to return the favor and share my experiences, with the hopes that it will inspire others.
You all are the greatest! :love:

With regards to my ID, the picture is definitely me in male mode and I look completely different than my femme side. In pretty much all my ID's, I wear eye glasses, but when I'm Joann I wear contact lenses.
Whenever I was asked to present my ID, nobody blinked an eye.
At first, I was unsure what kind of reaction I would get, but I just stayed calm and made sure to be courteous to everyone I interacted with and, in return, I got a pleasant greeting and they wished me well on my trip.
Once I felt a ease, the rest of the trip was pure enjoyment.

I'm still here in Chicago and having a great time with family and friends (In guy mode only, since they don't know, except for two friends).
My plans are to visit a local group called the Island Girls and then particpate in another social event called Pinkfest, which runs from Thursday to Saturday.
Of the places I've been to, so far, (i.e. restaurants, grocery stores, etc.) the people have been very nice and friendly. I'm having the time of my life up here.
I know I'll be a little depressed when it's time to go home, but that's ok because I know I'll be doing another trip like this in the future so there's always something I can look forward to.
For my next trip, I'll definitely have to pack my clothes wisely since now I'm packing for two. :heehee:
I definitley don't want to be charged again for the excess weight. :p

I'll be sure to do a complete write up on this trip, once I get back, so stay tuned for that.
It'll probably be a long post, but I'm sure you'll all enjoy reading it.

Hugs!

Dayna
10-03-2007, 12:36 PM
Once again: you are my heroine! Wonderful story, Joann!

Eileen
10-03-2007, 07:44 PM
Joann not to worry! The guys you thought were reading you, were just checking a pretty young lady. Enjoy the rest of your trip and those in the future!

Eileen

Phoebe Reece
10-03-2007, 07:57 PM
Good going Joann! Doing things like that helps all of us gain more public acceptance. The right attitude means everything, and you've got it girl.

trannie T
10-04-2007, 01:34 AM
Wow! Great story! I'm still a bit leery of TSA they're not the sharpest knives in the drawer. I'm happy you're having a good trip.

Suzy Harrison
10-04-2007, 05:35 AM
I think it's so cool Joann doing this. But you have to ask yourself is there any challenges left for her ?! - I can't think of any, so surely this must be the ultimate.

Maybe I should start a thread called "How could you improve/go futher than this?

As they say here in Aus - "Good on ya Joann!"

God, I'm still stuggling to go and order a coffee - you're having yours at 39000 feet !

:hugs::hugs:

JulieC
10-04-2007, 11:40 AM
I think it's so cool Joann doing this. But you have to ask yourself is there any challenges left for her ?! - I can't think of any, so surely this must be the ultimate.

There's been times that I have thought in a similar vein. "Well, I've done this, now what can I do to further stretch the boundaries?" I imagine you can feel like driving over a cliff when you've done the ultimate. There is no next.

The "next" isn't in the acts, the amazing things we get ourselves to do while en femme.

The "next" is in personal acceptance of yourself, and crafting a happy life around that. THAT is a hard trick.

RobertaFermina
10-04-2007, 12:05 PM
Well now, next time I take a flight, I'll have no excuse NOT to fly EnFemme !

Thanks for showing the way !

:rose: Roberta :rose:

Suzy Harrison
10-05-2007, 12:17 AM
I think it's so cool Joann doing this. But you have to ask yourself is there any challenges left for her ?! - I can't think of any, so surely this must be the ultimate.

:hugs::hugs:

This is good - I've never quoted myself before...!

Anyway, I just thought of something that no one has done yet (so this is one for you Joann - as I can't do it as I'm still struggling just getting that coffee ordered !)

...and it is ............... go on a cruise enfemme from start to finish ! :happy:

I bet no one has done that yet - surely that must be the next target

Joann....... over to you :heehee:

PS: Now I'm just waiting for (TX)Kim to say "I did that last month !" :hugs:

joann07
10-05-2007, 12:52 AM
This is good - I've never quoted myself before...!

Anyway, I just thought of something that no one has done yet (so this is one for you Joann - as I can't do it as I'm still struggling just getting that coffee ordered !)

...and it is ............... go on a cruise enfemme from start to finish ! :happy:

I bet no one has done that yet - surely that must be the next target

Joann....... over to you :heehee:

PS: Now I'm just waiting for (TX)Kim to say "I did that last month !" :hugs:

Hi Suzy!

That's a good idea.
I'll definitely add that to my list.
When I was at SCC, I sort of compared it to a cruise, but the only difference was it was on land.
I've been on 4 cruises they are so much fun.
I guessing I'll have a lot of admirers if I ever to go on a cruise. We'll see. :heehee:

Thank you again everyone for all the lovely comments.
I'm glad that I had the opportunity to do this because I hope that I made an impact, big or small, on how the general public perceives us.
And the more people who follow Monika's (MonikaW), Jennifer's (JennMW), Aleria's, and my footsteps the more the public will know that we are decent and law abiding citizens and not the one's that the news media negatively portrays.
We need more pioneers to help spread the word about ourselves so that "being in the closet" will be a thing of the past.

By the way, I'm still here in Chicago and I'm having the time of my life.
I've met some really great gals and they're such a wonderful bunch who have made me feel right at home.
Be on the lookout of my next writeup on this trip. :happy:

Hugs!

robyn_csn
10-06-2007, 05:26 PM
Good for you. I have to be put on my to do list also.

Girly Sara
10-06-2007, 06:02 PM
Well done, Joann! Proud of ya hun! What a buzz that must have been for ya!

Flying enfemme is something i would like to do one day. Flying to Orlando next year (enroute to Clearwater Beach - near you in Tampa) Who knows? May go for it! :-)

TxKimberly
10-06-2007, 06:32 PM
Anyway, I just thought of something that no one has done yet . . . and it is ............... go on a cruise enfemme from start to finish ! :happy: . . . PS: Now I'm just waiting for (TX)Kim to say "I did that last month !" :hugs:

As a matter of fact Suzy I have . . . NOT done that! lol The bad news is that you would be wrong in assuming no one has done it though as there have been cruises set up specifically for TG's before. Unfortunatley my wife can't be dragged (no pun intended) onto a cruise ship. I'm thinking I've watched one too many shows on the Titanic or something.

Joy Carter
10-06-2007, 06:52 PM
"Melanie" a member here is a travel agent in the South West, and has put on cruises for several years for us girls.

MonikaW
10-07-2007, 09:28 AM
Congratulations Joann,

I'm glad to hear that your trip went well. I can't hardly wait until I get to travel as a woman again. I did have to fly this week for a quick business trip, unfortunately it had to be as a guy. Throughout the flight I was thinking about my previous trip where I could be Monika. Oh well, hopefully next time I'll be able to do it as Monika. It's definitely the way to go.

Clarisse
10-10-2007, 09:03 PM
I'm so envious. Good for you. You are very lovely and I hope you can enjoy another trip very soon. Clarisse

Billijo49504
10-10-2007, 09:39 PM
The TSA folks at GRR told me that a male traveling as a female would be questioned. I guess that is just midwest, small town pissant trouble...BJ

Laurie909
10-10-2007, 10:02 PM
You were cool, calm and collected and you looked fabulous. You are an inspiration to us all.

joann07
10-10-2007, 11:16 PM
Hello again everyone!

Again, I want to thank you all for your lovely comments and encouraging words. :)
You all mean a lot to me and all this wouldn't be possible if it weren't for your support. :hugs:

I just wanted to let you know that I've edited my original post and put all the details of my flying experience. Its a bit long, but I know you'll enjoy reading the full details.
My flight was just the beginning of this wonderful trip and there's definitely more so stay tuned for a complete write up of my entire trip.

You all the greatest! :love:

Hugs!

Suzy Harrison
10-11-2007, 09:25 AM
I just wanted to let you know that I've edited my original post and put all the details of my flying experience. Its a bit long, but I know you'll enjoy reading the full details.

Hugs!

I've just re-read your updated post - I found myself nervous for you while I was reading through it ! - but it all turned out so wonderful.
A truly great adventure and an inspiration to the rest of us.

I'm about a million miles behind you, but I'm making progress ! :happy:

Well done Joann - a fantastic achievement :love:

Michelle (Oz)
10-11-2007, 10:51 PM
I wonder how well this would go with an Australian Airline ..... can you come over here and try it out for me ??!! :hugs:

Hi Suzy

You wanted to know about experiences flying in Australia. I've being flying en femme with Qantas in Australia with more than a dozen flights since June. Each has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Qantas staff from the check-in counter, cabin staff and Qantas Club have been fantastic. You will be referred to as M'am and treated very respectfully. I feel that I have received more friendly service en femme than I have in my business suit. BTW, I dress appropriately but do not pass as female.

Getting through security has never been a problem. Security personnel are very polite and, again, more friendly. While I carry my drivers licence with male photo, I have never had to show it.

So, what is left. Taxis ... not a problem. I'm guessing that they have seen it all before. Toilets/rest rooms ... always use female but tend to get in and out fairly quickly. Qantas Club facilities are a little quieter. Concession stands ... take your money like any business.

If you have the opportunity to fly en femme, Suzy, take it. I arrive at my destination and I'm still "flying high". It is just such a buzz. Don't hesitate to ask any questions. I tried to research before first flying but couldn't locate much information in Australia.

Michelle (Oz)

Suzy Harrison
10-12-2007, 04:56 AM
Oh thanks for that Michelle - now you've mentioned this I'm going to have to do it sooner or later - probably sooner. :heehee:

jandebs
10-12-2007, 05:12 AM
hi Joann, a marvelous experience and so reassuring. Airports are the one place i'm nervy about, and the only place i go in guy wear, because of all the passport issues, potentially causing confusion etc.. I had no idea airlines could be so accomodating. Were your e -ticket and flight details booked under your femme or guy ID?

Suzy Harrison
10-12-2007, 10:41 PM
I guess the ultimate flying trip would be to not only to travel en-femme but only pack female clothes, stay in a hotel as female and fly back as female....

Has anybody ever tried checking in at a hotel en-femme?


God, here comes that pink fog again..........................


:hugs:

jandebs
10-13-2007, 03:55 AM
i always book in to hotels en femme these days, and never any problem. I guess the usual rules apply: be polite and dress to suit. If I'm booking ahead, I usually get someone to make the booking for me, to avoid any chance of my voice giving me away.