Travelogue of sorts

[judecorp]

We tried to fly to Florida this morning to go visit Jen's parents for a couple of days. Here is a brief synopsis of our "travel" experience:

1. Wake up at 3:30am.
2. Leave for airport just before 4:00am.
3. Arrive at airport at 4:35am.
4. Pull into long-term parking lot. Get ticket. Realize that they plowed all of the cars in on Saturday and that we will have to snowcrash into parking spot.
5. Try spot #1. Get stuck. Spin out. Back out.
6. Try spot #2. Get stuck. Spin out. Almost can't back out. Parking shuttle looks annoyed. Feel like crying.
7. Try spot #3. Jen gets out and kicks at ice for a couple of minutes. Pull into spot. Shuttle has left.
8. While Jen is kicking ice, Orbitz calls. Flight is cancelled. They have courtesy rebooked us on a flight leaving Tuesday. I tell Orbitz Lady that we are supposed to be returning on Wednesday. She tells us to talk to someone at ticket counter.
9. Give Jen bad news. Get on new shuttle.
10. Get off shuttle. Man getting on shuttle says a plane to DC is cancelled. We were going to Charlotte. That's 2.
11. 4:50am - walk into terminal. Look for end of US Airways line. Find it in another section near Delta counters. Notice that all other airlines running on schedule.
12. Dial US Airways 800 number. Wait on hold for 1 hour, 10 minutes. Hang up.
13. 6:20am - dying of hunger, try to forage for breakfast. All real food is inside security gates. End up with blueberry muffin and milk.
14. Alternate between standing with Jen and sitting in chair in another area because pelvis hurts.
15. 11am - Witness screaming match between disgruntled customer and disgruntled ticket counter worker. DC is upset because she has waited two hours for a delayed flight. DTCW tells her to shut up because people have been waiting since 5am. I love her. She walks out.
16. 11:30am - Jen and I reach the ticket counter and are determined to be as nice as possible. (Me: I guess it's not a good day to work at the airport...)
17. We get rebooked to our satisfaction, though it's annoying. We're going to try again in a couple of days, had to shift days off and stuff, but hopefully have good flights AND our ticket counter worker was very kind and helpful.
18. Our rebook is on another airline, so we walk to the Delta counter to get seat assignments.
19. 12pm - Get back on parking shuttle, go back to car.
20. Get charged full day's parking rate. $7. Suck.
21. 12:20pm - Find Ruby Tuesday's on road to highway. Eat.
22. 2pm - Pull into driveway. Home sweet home after 10 hours.
23. 5pm - Wake up from nap. Feel very disoriented.

Dear God, this had better be the best trip ever... eventually.

Comments

[changinglight.livejournal.com]

that TOTALLY sucks.

it damn well better be the best vacation ever!

[ladygreyy.livejournal.com]

Oh no, that sucks. What a mess. :(

[happy2beso.livejournal.com]

Jeff has been trying to fly here on US Air since Saturday. Both of us tried for 36 hours to even be able to wait on hold to talk to someone.... finally waited in que for 2.5 hours to be told that MAYBE he can rebook for Tuesday.

I'm sorry you're having to deal with this mess, too. It's so annoying!

[evewasframed.livejournal.com]

Ahh! What a horror story! I'm so sorry!

Pelvic pain

[(Anonymous)]

I think we're at about the same point in our pregnancies and I've been having the SAME THING.. It's such a pain! I didn't have it with my first..but it's been really troublesome this time around.. Good luck and hope you do have a great trip..eventually (again here via FF)
Amanda

[mermil.livejournal.com]

Wow. There better be goddam unicorns and rainbows when you finally go on vacation!

[aminahfiddler.livejournal.com]

That sucks.. I fly AA a lot since it's one of the few that fly into State College Pa. I regularly get my luggage delivered free to my house the next day.

I hope you can make it to warm weather soon. Both of you deserve a relaxing fun, warm vacation.

[yerbrainondrugs.livejournal.com]

That sucks. Airline travel is horrible even without having to go through all that stuff. You were very smart to not lose your temper at them.

At least nobody left you in the snow for hours as he tried to pick you up at the wrong airport. Now THERE would be a sucky trip. But none of your friends would be stupid enough to do that, right? Right??

Do I get bumped to your "second worst airline fiasco" now that this has happened? :)

[(Anonymous)]

you M U S T be kidding! That is crazy!

e.
http://twomomsarebetterthanone.wordpress.com/

[spacecadetjen.livejournal.com]

Oh how awful! So sorry that you both had such a stressful day. I really hope that your rescheduled trip goes much better. *hugs*

[shanneeluee.livejournal.com]

Where in Florida are you going? I live in Florida! :-) The weather is beautiful here right now...I hope you can get here to enjoy it!

[artjax.livejournal.com]

My trip got nixed, too, except I can't go later in the week. thankfully, I didn't even get out of bed and go to the airport - After spending 2 hours on hold w/ Delta on Friday night, I said "f-it." When my mom found her flight cancelled out of NJ and decided to not deal and quit trying then and there, it made it easier for me to not do anything. Though I'm sad I'm not on a beach somewhere.

hope you have a great time when you do manage to leave!