Fly American from Providence to St. Louis

Hey there jet-setter! Got your suitcase at the ready? Your gloriously pressed Hawaiian shirt hung out in advance, and the special socks your Auntie knitted for your Christmas ready to sample the wafts of recycled airplane air? Now, you may be thinking: ‘I’m gonna hop on one of those direct flights from sweet little Providence over to the bustling metropolis of St. Louis.’ And to that, I say, “Hold your proverbial horses!”

Ever considered the joy, the victory, the sheer bragging rights of surviving not just one, but multiple connecting flights instead of that too-easy, commoner route of non-stop? Go ahead, be a show-off for once! After all, why fold yourself into the cramped, plebeian quarters of a single aircraft, when you can sample the taste of a variety of airfare classes?

The round-trip journey from Providence, RI to Louis, you see, isn't just a process, oh no! It's a tantalizingly exotic tasting menu of domestic flights. A proverbial smorgasbord of running from gate to gate, praying your luggage is, in some way, keeping pace. It's the delightful challenge of surprise layovers, where you can sample the delights of some mystery airport's finest vending machine food at 3 am. It’s the thrilling gamble of “Will they or won’t they?” over the flight cancellation policy, right when you least expect it. Then again maybe you’ll even get to witness the performative dance of the overworked airline staff as they juggle shouting customers, rude luggage, and frazzling systems. An unrivaled Broadway show unfolding right before you!

You could indeed book a flight deal on one of those blissfully uneventful, smooth-sailing, straight-through flights, but why rob yourself of the robust drama on offer in the multi-stop journey - with its loops, twists, and roller coaster ticket changes? For those of you frequent flyers out there, a marathon of sorts beckons, promising ample mileage program rewards and double the in-flight services - double the ham sandwiches, and if you're lucky maybe even double the overpriced blue tin of Pringles!

Flying non-stop from Providence, RI to St. Louis is certainly nice in an austere, curt, businesslike way, but it truly lacks the grand narrative arc, the ebbs and flows, the Greek tragedy that unfolds in a well-planned (or perhaps poorly planned) journey involving several flights, each with its unique character, drama, and flight duration.

To those brave explorers looking for cheap flights, I’ll let you in on a secret: forget about those average, run-of-the-mill, non-stop flights. Lean rather toward the odyssey, the expedition, the grand tour of America, from Providence to St. Louis, via Albuquerque or even Honolulu if that's where your missing luggage ended up. Bask in the glory of that boarding pass collection, a badge of honor, a pyramid of aerodynamic achievement!

So, get ready to fly like a true warrior and show the world your indomitable spirit. After all, nothing says ‘seasoned traveler’ more than turning a 2-hour journey into a 3-day adventure. Just remember to pack your necessities… and a sense of humor.

Happy trails - or should I say, intriguing layovers!