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Whew!
Posted By: Lauran
Date: Tuesday, 17 December 2002, at 9:47 a.m.
Time for a lighter tone? Well, I'll try. Dad and I finally made it home. A three hour airplane trip became 30+ hours at airports. We got to Newark airport at 8:15 for a 10:10 AM flight. We were barely seated on the plane (AirTran)(after going through security checks, and of course, we were targeted for the EXTRA search, Dad in the wheelchair. We had to take off our shoes, get all luggage inspected by hand, etc.) when they canceled our flight. They held us hostage for nearly five hours at the gate, telling us we had to *check-in* every ten to fifteen minutes to see if they had found us another flight. This meant, of course, we had to retrieve our bags (oh no, all that security checking was for naught!) with no way to eat, etc. Finally, at 3:10 they tell us that Delta can get us through to Atlanta, where we could catch another AirTran flight to Savannah. This meant we had to race to Delta, because that flight was leaving in half an hour. Through the terminal we race, with two suitcases and the wheelchair depending upon my rather slight navigational skills. We make it to Delta, but there is no time to go through security checks again and so we were not permitted to board. Another flight at 4:30 we were able to catch (again, another *strip-search and pat down) and actually made it to Atlanta by 6:10PM. OOPS, we missed the connecting to flight on Airtran and we must wait till 8:30. We actually had time to eat at last, again having to go through security checks with all our luggage. (They would not let us check our baggage all the way through since now you must be on the same plane as your luggage and who knew what plane that would be) Managed to eat a rather expensive and very poorly prepared meal and race to the gate. We arrive on time for the 8:30PM flight only to be told it was delayed until 10:30 PM. Finally, at 11:30 they tell us that this flight was cancelled as well. We have had one meal, have waited nearly fifteen hours and have gotten halfway home. (Mind you, I could have driven home in that amount of itme, but foolish me, I thought it would be easier on Dad if we flew!) I think the worse part was that they kept taking the wheelchair! They would tell us they needed it and would return it ASAP, which of couse never happened. I kept having to go on quest for a wheelchair, because having Dad sit somewhere unable to walk out in an emergency made me extrememly anxious.
AirTran decides that we need a hotel room, after an entire plane load of people insisted we would not remain in the airport all night. They give us vouchers for a hotel (The Crown Plaza by the way was a delightful hotel) and give us $7.00 for a meal. Quite a trick when everything was closed at the airport and a cup of coffee at the hotel was $4.00. It was too late to eat anyway, so we decided to just crash. Of course, the first flight out in the morning to Savannah wasn't until noon, so we had to eat breakfast at the hotel. 2 eggs, nothing else included was $8.95! Coffee at $4.00, juice at $4.00, well, you get the idea! Back to the airport by 9:30 because, of couse, we had to go through the security checks again. And don't you know, we are *randomly* selected again for the extra security checks. Off with the shoes, take apart the luggage, dump the purse, pat down the wheelchair, all over again! We actually took off *on time* and made it home to Savannah by 3:30! Home to Cottageville by 6:30. We should have been home by 4:30, but naturally, they lost our luggage!!!!!
There was one light moment, when at nearly midnight, Airtran is giving us tickets for the noon flight. I asked the customer service rep what the odds were that this noon flight would actually occur. He looked me right in the eye and told me that they had successfully made nearly four hundred flights that day and only three flights were cancelled. What did I think the odds were? I told him that since I was booked on two of the three cancelled flights, I didn't think the odds were so great! then he says *for our trouble*, he was giving me a coupon for a free round trip ticket. I took it, but I sincerely doubt I will ever use it. Putting my fate into their hands again is more than I think the ODDS can handle! GRRRRR!!!! But it is great to be home! To sum it up, a three hour flight became 30+ hours. It cost nearly $100.00 to feed the two of us, and now my feet and hands are both blistered from pushing the chair and pulling an OJ Simpson running through airports!
Messages In This Thread
- Whew!
Lauran -- Tuesday, 17 December 2002, at 9:47 a.m.
- Re: Whew!
Mary1973 -- Tuesday, 17 December 2002, at 8:01 p.m.
- Re: Whew!
Lauran -- Tuesday, 17 December 2002, at 8:44 p.m.
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