I wrote a week ago that I was negotiating to get on the Google plane back from the Davos conference to the Bay Area. One exec said it was looking good, another said they’d try to get me on. But so far, nothing. The plane leaves in about twelve hours and no official invitatation has come.
Meanwhile, I’ve heard that Tim O’Reily, Mitch Kapor, Reid Hoffman and Mark Zuckerberg will be on that flight. Basically, every Davos attendee from the bay area except me managed to hitch a ride back with Google. The plane seats 25 people with a full bed, I’ve been told, and is now completely full.
Oh well, I’m sure my coach ticket on Swiss Air via Frankfurt and New York will be just fine. And I can’t really blame Google – the entire flight I would clearly have been eavesdropping on conversations, rummaging through papers and unattended laptops, and generally making a nuisance of myself in the search for a good story. They probably would have had to make an emergency landing in Greenland just to kick me off. Then I’d be stuck in Greenland, and I’m not even sure if they have the Internet there. We’ve certainly never covered a startup from Greenland.
Update: I caught Tim, Mitch, and Reid leaving the hotel to make the flight. Boy do they look happy.
maybe they are afraid you will do interviews on the plane…
A good story like “the super awesome cool room with all the celebrities at this great conference.”
Cry Baby….. My 14 month old niece doesn’t cry like this….. get the hint Michael, Mark is preferred over you….
payback is a bitch, time to run some stories about how Google sucks and bash all of their future products
Not every attendee from the bay area got a seat. I’m stuck in coach too!
You fly coach, Mike?!? What is wrong with you!!!! How can you stand sitting amongst the peons?
4lawnotes – cattle class all the way.
crybaby – you think?
Maybe mrs nobel price is there too, warming up the globe? I plain like that for 25…
This is a really important subject, but they are giving it publicity of a mistaken way. These subjects must be dealt with greater seriousness.
“Oh well, I’m sure my coach ticket on Swiss Air”
Swiss air gives you a muffin and those little chocolate bars. You won’t get that on the Google jet.
Mike,
maybe this is one is better.
http://img529.i...308/failjc8.jpg
-Dave
Good luck getting home on Swiss Air.. Just a heads up: Swiss Air doesn’t exist anymore.
( http://en.wikip.../wiki/Swiss_Air )
O’Reily passes WICKED gas when he’s napping, so you actually lucked out.
If memory serves correctly from my flights from Zurich, Swiss air also gives you white moist hand towels, also unavailable on the Google jet.
Maybe Google does not realise how important you are…maybe someone there will read this post though and rectify things (we hope).
Business, News = Good. Crying = Bad.
??
Dave – heh. thanks, changed the image.
Are you really craving for this much attention?
Rob – yes.
an excellent lesson in how completely unimportant you are outside of silicon valley
Mike, I have more respect for M. Arrington flying coach than for the bunch of riches burning more than their fair share of fuel. Keep it humble. I think this is why people like you.
rick, actually, these are SV folks making the decision, so I think you could have just ended your sentence after “are.”
Now go back to kicking kittens or whatever it is you do for fun.
Why am I still… surprised… at what assholes so many internet commenters are.
This is the guy’s blog, and he was just barely not able to fly home on the Google jet? He tells us the story and that makes him a cry baby, etc?
Seriously, you trolls are complete fuckheads. I’m so sick of sifting through asshole comment after asshole comment to find the informative or funny stuff.
Jeremy – yay! a defender. Thank you.
The Goooooooooooooooogle Jet is probably a sweet ride… but you fail. Better luck next time.
The best part about is is that there’s wifi on the plane.
I simply lament that idiotic/interesting comment ratio, as am I sure most reasonably civilized ‘net user does.
Perhaps every commenting system should have “simple” digg-style voting to discourage random idiots? Trolls need to be filtered, like the spam they are.
I am not talking about people I simply disagree with. Disagreement is great. Its the pointless, easy, slobbish nonsense of fifth-grade insults that I am tired of having to scan past.
Jeremy – yeah. those guys are dickheads. immature jerks.
I think the main thing is they don’t get my sarcasm and the fact that I’m making fun of myself. Or, they do get it but don’t think it’s funny. Or something else entirely.
If I had the chance to attend the Forum in Davos and I’d have to swim across the ocean to get back, I’d still be smiling all the way … except for the sharks.
Come to think of it, there’s probably a good number of sharks on that flight as well
now your going to miss scoble spooning with zuckerberg on the jet…sounds like they found each other in davos…and they are now finishing each others sentences while eating cornish hen in the hot tub.
I cant help but thinking … what happens if this bird fall from the sky? Does that mean the end of Silicon Valley and Web 2.0 as we know it?
Well, let’s hope that plane doesn’t go down.
Nice meeting you at Davos. Sorry you didn’t make it on the plane, there were some other planes heading this direction.
If only I had known. I would have packed you in my luggage on Stringer’s plane.
Figured you were tapped in
Josh
At least you can fly home with your pride intact, knowing you never used TC as leverage to try and embarrass or publicly guilt Google into gifting you a ride home.
So what are the chances then, that everyone has their wireless devices out and the plane goes down from interference? Wouldn’t that suck.
Not that I would wish that upon them, but every time I’ve been in a plane they tell the us passengers to keep their devices off.
At least you got to attend Davos, and I’m sure that was worth the trip, regardless of whether you make it onto the Goooooooooooooooogle Jet or not.
How are you supposed to arrange for a seat anyway?
david – yeah but I did try to, so I lost my pride and didn’t get the ride.
Oh wait, you were being sarcastic.
Michael:
More importantly, we should work on helping you get upgrades. It’s definitely worthwhile for the startup entrepreneur to understand the ins and outs of the upgrade system. If you don’t have the time to sift through http://www.flyertalk.com, might I suggest concentrating on one easy-to-upgrade airline (United and American are best) and shooting for Top-Tier status on them? This’ll give you a bunch of upgrades per year (6 or 8 international, 8-10 domestic, plenty of time-based ones) that will ensure you rarely sit in the back.
You probably travel enough to make a small sacrifice and choose a carrier/alliance to commit to.
Has CrunchNotes now been merged in to TechCrunch? It seems like non-techcrunchy stories are popping up here with greater regularity.
Mike, best not complain, you could have got screwed by getting on the plane, and ending up sitting next to Zuckerberg for 12 hours – having watched a few of his presentations – chances are you swimming home on a raft would be more appealing than having to put up with his drone-like voice and lack of personality.
on another note – u reckon they have google branded peanuts on the plane? that would be cool
perhaps when you go through security to get on the google plane after the security questions they ask “sir, are you planning on being evil?”
Michael,
can’t blame you. I also would love to be on a plane with California KKing Size Bed… and Marissa.
Oh, admit it… she’s hot!
oh yeah – and another thing….having seen some of your pictures from Davos…what are you?? like 9 ft tall or something?
BTW, Mike. Not sure why you’re complaining. From looking at your pics, it seems that you had a great time with that HOT Indian chik
Man, I wish I ran a site like TC. I would get so much action!!
I’m envious of the fact that you have contacts who could potentially get you on the plane. You’re already about 10 steps closer to that ride than I am!
this post is something I was not expecting from you Mike. Yeah there are moments in our life when when we feel lack of attention but people like you never make that public:) looks like you are changing, to good.
So what?
Michael, just buy yourself your very own plane next year. I bet you can. =)
Hahahah ! hahaha!
Firstly mike, great humor.
Never seen you responding to so many comments, good to see you like online at TC.
There is always next time.
Still, you get to go home soon landing at SF. Google plane lands in moffet field(NASA). Which is far from you home
Have a good weekend.
Cheers, Nag
Boo freaking hoo.
I hope you get stuck between two heavy fraus in the center bulkhead seat.
What an arrogant freaking narcissistic jerk! You make Dvorak look plainly rational!
good post Michael !
posts don’t always have to be about “who started what, how good /bad it is”,
can be about light humors types such as this !
bring back the fun.. once in a while..
:0)
Ujw
p