Sunday, December 31, 2006

Trains, planes and automobiles

This is all I gotta say about American Airlines--pppppppppppppppppfffffffffffttttttttt

My story begins Friday December 29, 2006 at 4:00pm.

It just ended Sunday December 31, 2006 at 10:20 pm.

Er, yeah.

Know why it's called the road less traveled? Cuz not a bloody soul wants to fricken' travel it, that's why!

We arrive at the airport in plenty of time for our flight to Dallas from Detroit. We check in, skip on through security and wait at the gate. We don't see a board with our flight up, but whatever. R and I are just glad to be going home and have time to hang out minus the beasts for a couple of days.

Weellllll, we hear that all flights to Dallas are cancelled due to tornadoes. I think, huh. You bunch of sissies. What's a tornadoe in the scheme of natural disasters. I mean, really. LOL. And, how come they didn't share that with us BEFORE we went through security, but okay, I'm not too tweaked yet.

Yet.

We get on a line the length of the state of Texas and also find our flight had been cancelled before we even got into the gate--this flight, another Dallas flight, is also cancelled. Fine--s'okay--we'll wait on line and book another one.

Er, no. After 45 minutes waiting on line, R on the 800 number, trying to call AA ( not that AA, but we were close to hitting it after this. LOL). we're hedging our bets see. Hoping we'll either get to the head of the line or get someone on the phone. Whichever happens first, I'm cool. R is on hold forevah--we wait on line longer than forevah only to be hung up on. Get to the head of the line and find out they've kindly booked us for SATURDAY at 8 in the morning--it's the only flight available with all the cancellations and stuff from not only Dallas, but Denver.

I say to R--let's just get a hotel room and hang. We certainly can't stay at the airport all night. Now, keep in mind, we're flying first class. We paid some purty good money to fly the friendly skies in the lap o luxury.

Er, yeah.

So for whatever reason,on our way to collect our bags, Rob all of a sudden looks at the new boarding pass for Saturday and realizes he's only got one for ME. Hmmmm. So we hit Svetlana from some foreign land up at the AA counter and she says, they only booked MOI. If we want to fly together, we have to wait until SUNDAY at 7 in the evening.

Fine--I'm tired. I hate everyone right now and I just want to lay horizontally on ANYTHING that doesn't move. So we call the Hilton and grab the shuttle. We spend two days in a lovely room, complete with King sized bed and coffee pot. I don't need much, really. I'm happy they even have room service. We lay around--we watch TV--I work--we walk to the Big Boys and have some lunch. All's good.

Sunday arrives and checkout is 12--our flight is 7--you do the math. However, we're hoping for a standby flight if luck decides to shower us with a little sunshine.

Er, NO. After twenty trips through security to try and catch one of those standby flights unsuccessfully, we park our butts at Starbucks and mess around on the Internet for FIVE hours total. I'm coffee logged, tired and not in the least feeling friendly.

FINALLY it's time to hit it and we board the nice airplane. YAY, right?

Er, NO.

We arrive at DFW and the flight was pretty good. They fed us, pampered us and all is well until we hit the baggage claim and four other flights are there with us. Um, that makes for a buttload of luggage, yes?

Er, YES.

Bags are piling up, jamming up the daggone carousel, people are pushing and shoving, kids are crying and still, NO LUGGAGE.

Guess whose luggage isn't on the flight we spent so much time fricken' getting on?

Yeah, ours. And guess what else? R's keys for his car are in his LUGGAGE.

ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

Thankfully, R thought to go and ask about our baggage only to find out our baggage wasn't on the flight we were on at all--it's in terminal D and has been since like three hours ago.

Oh. Peachy.

So, we have to catch a tram over to terminal D. Which, BTW, is for foreign flights. Now I'm not a happy flier. Not at all. We catch the the tram and I want BLOOD. Why, I ask you, wouldn't you take the luggage, slap it on a van and send it over to terminal C????

Anyone?

Doesn't this make more sense--especially when some of it belongs to families with kids who are exhausted, crying and in general, just want to be left alone. They had three damn hours to do it!

So I gotta ask myself--if this was how they treated first class passengers, what the hell did they do to the coach people? Are those poor people picking up their luggage in Walla Walla?

The first class thing happened via an accident when R booked, but you'd think they'd make the stupid upgrade of like 100 bucks a piece worth your money, yes?

Er, no.

Oh, and the topper--because it was an act of GOD that kept us from flying--no reimbursement for the hotel room...

I do believe, AA is due a piece of my mind--don't you agree?

Snort.

DC--who undoubtedly took the road less traveled.

5 Comments:

  • At 11:31 PM, Blogger Maura Anderson said…

    Oy - glad you're home but what a mess!!!

    I expect to see this feature in a story at some point and I'd like the hero or heroine to go all furry on their asses - okay?

     
  • At 12:03 AM, Blogger Erin the Innocent said…

    I'm glad you made it home safe Kota. I'd definitely be talking to someone at AA as soon as possible!

     
  • At 8:31 AM, Blogger Michelle said…

    It's about damn time you got home, shortbread, I've been biting my nails and having nightmares about you being lost in a knitted mitten thumb and not being able to work the lights and -- well it was all a silly dream so we don't need to go into details, right?

    Oh and I could have told you not to fly AA - omg - that is the airline I flew for RT last year. Do you remember that nightmare? Hours in airports - standby lines to no where - and a plane that landed in Jacksonville, Fl - over three hours away from Orlando (where my luggage was) by rental car ~shudder~. I swore I'd never fly American Airlines again.

    And, I'd forget calling, writing, faxing, emailing, or western unioning AA cause they don't give a rats ass about their customers and trust me, anything they send you in answer to your complaint will only make you mad!!

    Anywho's I'm glad yous home.

    Michelle

     
  • At 10:48 AM, Blogger Cafe Cats said…

    Glad that you're home safely, but let me get this right ...

    YOU WERE HERE AND I DIDN'T KNOW IT??????

    Color me displeased. Next trip, babe. You, me PHOTO OP! *g*

     
  • At 10:56 AM, Blogger Dakota Cassidy said…

    I had no idea, Anni! Cuz, I'da called ya so we could hitch a ride LOL

    Is displeased in your color wheel? LOLLOLLOLLOL.

    Next time I see you--you-me--as many phot ops as ya want, k? LOL

    Michelle, I do remember. I didn't remember that is was AA. Damn it all!

    DC :)

     

Post a Comment

<< Home

Powered by Blogger