I came here today to write about Ridiculous Travel Nonsense ~ Part C and I see that the last time I posted was Ridiculous Travel Nonsense ~ Part A, so let me catch you up on my travel (mis) adventures since then.
After I FINALLY got to San Antonio, (First Class, thankyouverymuch!) the ISTE conference was amazing. Coming home was worse than getting there. Yes, that’s right, you heard me, WORSE than getting there.
Here is a brief synopsis of my June 27, 2013 aka the day I almost moved to Atlanta.
4:30am-Awaken and stumble downstairs to check out of my hotel and head to the airport
5:15am-Arrive at airport, check in, flight status on time. Awesome!
11:00am-Arrive in Atlanta, flight to Lexington delayed 45 minutes. No big deal really, but all of this drama started with a 45 minute delayed flight, so I don’t have a good feeling.
11:40am-Flight delayed 4 hours. I decide to eat some lunch.
12:50pm-Flight delayed 8 hours, 55 minutes. I could DRIVE to Lexington by then.
1:30pm-Placed on standby flight to Lexington to depart at 3:15. Thirty of us are on standby, I am #27 on the list. The flight is full. All flights to Cincinnati and Louisville are also booked for the rest of the day.
2:30-Find a flight to Charleston, WV. The Greatest Parents Ever have offered to come pick me up. I say “YES! PLEASE!” and “THANK YOU!” to both.
2:45-Flight to Charleston delayed. Well, of course it is.
3:05-Board to Charleston. I kid you not... Flight attendant "Welcome aboard Delta flight 5482 with service to... Wait, where are we going again?"
The rest of the time is fuzzy, I feel asleep a lot after that… but the gist of the matter is, I landed in Charleston, my parents were waiting on me, my luggage was waiting in Lexington. Mom and dad drove me to Lexington (stopping for Big Loafer of course), I got my luggage, they drove home. All’s well that ends well…
Now, fast forward about two months.
Learning.com has invited me to Portland for a one-day focus group, and of course, I say “YES! PLEASE!” and “THANK YOU!” (contrary to semi-popular belief, I can be polite.) I was flying out of Lexington on Delta through Atlanta. I braced myself for the worst, but you know what? It was all smooth as silk! I didn’t get in until 10pm Portland time, which my body thought, was 1am, so I was S-L-E-E-P-Y, but the flights were good.
After all day Wednesday in Portland (where I had this amazing doughnut):
I had a to get up at 5:00am (which my body thought was 8am) for a 7:30am flight on American (YAY!) through Dallas (YAY!).
The plane in Portland was full, so they offered to check our carry on bags for free, so I let them. Flight to Dallas was smooth, and landed early at 1:05pm. I checked my next flight on my phone, gate B-18, On Time. On my way to the tram to get to Concourse B, I pass two display boards. I check them both: Gate B-18, On Time. When I get in the tram, I check my phone again, Gate B-18, On Time. (This seems way OCD I realize, but I forgot to mention that when I checked my gate after landing in Atlanta (from Part B), they had changed it before I could even get there, so now I check several times.) At this point, it’s 1:25, I have 15 minutes until boarding begins, and I start to wonder what kind of food I can find for lunch.
Then my phone buzzes.
An email.
From American Airlines.
American Airlines flight 3399 to Lexington Blue Grass (LEX) has been canceled.
BUT TWO MINUTES AGO, IT WAS ON TIME! I check my phone again.
Yep, cancelled. This cannot be happening to me.
I continue my travel to Gate B-18, where I wait in line to see how to get home. Upon arriving at the counter, the American Airlines employee tells me cheerfully, “We have you booked on the first flight out to Lexington in the morning. We will cover your hotel tonight.” Well, that might work if I had LUGGAGE…but I am not spending another day in these clothes.
Me: “I need to get home today, actually.”
Her: “I can get you on standby on the flight to Lexington that leaves at 7:50pm, and arrives at 11pm.”
Me: “Nope, that means I will end up staying here. Can you get me to Cincinnati?”
Her: “There’s a flight to Cincinnati that leaves at 5:00pm"
Me: "How about Louisville?"
Her: "There's a flight to Louisville at 3:40pm"
Me: "Book it"
So they rerouted my luggage and booked the flight, and I was at least on my way to the right STATE this time (next time maybe I will make it all the way home). Flight on time, friendly flightmates, landed in Louisville at 6:45.
Then I went to rent a car. I got nearly completely through my Budget transaction, they were giving me a deal, plus my UK Alum discount! The girl behind the counter got stuck for a second and needed her coworker's help (who was already helping someone else), so I asked if I could step away and get my luggage. She said yes, and I went to the baggage claim.
Except my luggage wasn't there. And no one was at the American Airlines Baggage Claim office.
I went back to get my car, only to realize they wanted me to return the car to 1059 South Broadway (which for you non-Lexingtonians, is suffice it to say, NOT at the airport. Apparently Budget doesn't have airport service in Lexington.
Awesome.
I head to Enterprise and start all over. When I get my keys, I head back to the American Airlines Baggage Claim Counter, where lo and behold, a human sits.
Me: (handing claim ticket) Can you tell me where this bag is?
Her: (after typing) Dallas
Me: Oh, okay, do you know where it's going to end up?
Her: Probably Lexington.
Me: Probably Lexington?
Her: Yeah, probably.
Awesome.
I left at this point. I just wanted to be home.
So after a semi stressful "How do I get out of here?" moment in my car, I got on I-64 and I was good to go.
Then it started raining.
How to Work the Wipers in a Hyundai Elentra wasn't something I had studied before. Luckily I can learn on the go.
Then I realized that the only way that made sense to get to the airport in Lexington from Louisville was through Versailles.
Which means construction.
Which means traffic.
Which nearly meant nervous breakdown, but I made it... Even though at one point, I thought I was going to have to get to the airport via Nicholasville, because I thought they had actually shut down Versailles road. But anyway...
I got to the airport, parked the rental car, and went inside and waited to return the keys. The Enterprise guy asked how many miles were on the car. I answered, "However many were on it when I picked it up, plus however many miles it is from the Louisville airport to this one." He did the math.
Afterwards, I went to the American Airlines ticket counter to check on my luggage. When I told the employee my story, she asked me if I had filled out a claim. I said, "No, because they told me my luggage would probably end up in Lexington." She sighed and said, "Well heaven forbid someone in Louisville actually do their job..." and looked up my bag for me. Luckily, she said it was on the flight headed for Lexington right then, and it should land around 11pm. I told her I'd be back tomorrow.
When I went back this morning... Imagine my surprise. It was actually there.
So, to make a long story short... Don't fly with me.
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