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I gotta rant to anyone who will listen. If anyone else has a good travel horror story, feel free to describe it. The more I read other folk's woes, the better I will feel.
I just got done with the business trip from hell. Booked a trip from Indianapolis to Minneapolis last week for this week, leaving Monday afternoon at 3:30 in the afternoon, getting back to Indy at 9:00 pm Wednesday. Price was high, I was trying to combine two clients into one trip, but could not work it out till last week. Booking less than a week in advance, no weekend stay, were up to $540 for the flight, and this includes a transfer at Chicago O'Hare (shudder).
Monday morning I call client no. 1 and he tells me not to bother coming for Tuesday. 1/2 the project was wiped out when a 2000 gallon sulphuric acid tank emptied itself into the room. The contractor plugged a leaking line with a brass plug, which dissolved away. Incompetence. At least no-one got hurt.
OK, I call Orbitz to change the fight, leave Tuesday instead of Monday. Its too close to departure time, I must call United (boo hiss) directly.
Called United, ok - we can change but it will cost you $130.01. What the hell is the penny for? Well, time IS money when all your time gets billed to clients directly. Adding $130.01 to $540, the flight is now up to $670.01. Getting costly for a flight that goes 900 or so miles all told. I see adds for US to Europe flights for less than $350. There's a conspiracy going on in the airline pricing industry. How do they figure these things?
The trip out went well enough. Was unable to carry-on my carry-on for the leg to Chicago, the plane was a puddle jumper. No problem, they checked the carry-on at the entrance, picked it up at the door of the plane in Chicago. The carry-on was allowed in on the leg to Minneapolis. As you can tell, I hate checking baggage; it takes too long to pick up at the end, and (especially with transfers), its too likely to get lost or separated from you.
My meeting on Wednesday went well enough, I left in plenty of time - 2:00 pm, to make the 4:30 pm flight back. The trip from his plant to the airport is about 90 miles, and Minneapolis traffic in rush hour can be tough.
15 minutes after I left the client's, I stopped for a soda, and realized I left my company cell phone at the plant. Duh! Well, 15 minutes back, 15 minutes looking for it, and 15 minutes to get back my furthest point of progress. No time, Damn! Fortunes are turning.
The night before, Minneapolis had some good storms. Late Tuesday night I went outside, temperature had dropped to the 60s. Ahh, after days of humid upper 90s, it felt great, but the the storms played havoc the next day. A good wind will blow some ill, if I may twist the line.
Made it to the airport in plenty of time. Found out the flight was delayed 30 minutes, storms in Chicago. I could have gone back for the company cell phone after all. Oh well, I had my personal cell phone, although the batteries were getting low. The delay stretched to an hour and a half - caca, now the connecting flight is screwed.
Well, they loaded the 4:30pm flight at 6:00. I made it through the gate, to the door of the plane, HALT! The flight is full, I was loaded near the end of the flight, we need to take the carry-on. They explain it will show up at the baggage claim in O'Hare. NOOO, I'm already late for the Indy connection. OK, they can check the carry-on through. I quickly grabbed my meds from the bag, but forgot some papers I had in it, worse off my passport. They whisked the carry-on away.
After boarding, the pilot gets on the mike, "the auxiliary power unit is not working, we need a mechanic to get the engines started". Great, this is the aviation equivelant of getting a push-start and popping the clutch. The engines did get started after five minutes of unusual sounds and activity around the plane. I hope they don't need to restart them in flight. We left ok.
From Minneapolis to Chicago, I don't no why they bother with the pretzel and drink thing. With the storms in Chicago, I was givin about 5 minutes to drink my can of Pepsi. "Chug, Chug, Chug" the flight attendants cried. Turbulence is coming, they need to collect everything and button down. I got one of those too much cold stuff down the hatch headaches that did not go away for 12 hours. The last 40 minutes were bumpy, and included 20 minutes of circling to get clearance to land. I got off the plane in O'Hare at around 7:15, 30 minutes late for the 6:45 connection.
Good news, flight 7660 from O'Hare to Indy is delayed an hour until 7:45. People were waiting at the gate, and the display showed the fight delayed. There were no "customer service" reps at the gate, hiding because of the delay, of course. Every half hour, the display showed the fight delayed another half hour. 7:45, 8:15, 8:45.. At 9:15, the "customer service" guy came out, and started typing at his computer behind the counter. The flight changed from "Delayed" to "Closed". Closed, "what's closed mean?" I ask. "Oh, were not letting anyone else on board". "But I have a boarding pass!" "Too bad", he said. WTF? He gave me a new boarding pass for flight 7662, leaving at 10:00 pm. Oh well, I'll be home late, and maybe w/o my carry on, but such is life. Off to the new gate.
Get to the gate, another bunch of people. Once again, no "customer service" to be seen. This display said 7662 was delayed, leaving at 10:30. At, 10:30, it changed to 11:15, and so on, till 11:45. Finally a plane showed up, and a bunch of very unhappy people spilled out. It turns out flight 7662 (leaves O'Hare to Indy at 10:00 pm) is the same plane as flight 7660 (6:45pm departure). Usually the pane goes back and forth. This time, the people leaving the plane were the same poor schmucks that were loaded at 7:00pm. They had sat on the plane on the tarmac for over four hours, 95 degrees, no air conditioning. Maybe it's a good thing I was not able to get on 7660 after all.
"Customer Service" now shows up. They make the happy announcement the people that just got off 7660 are screwed, the folks for flight 7662 will now get on. Having a boarding pass for 7662, I felt sorry for the displaced 7660 folks, but life ain't fair, they say.
The rain did not stop, at 12:15am 7662 was canceled. Now the "customer service" (can I say bitch?) person states we 7662 folks are screwed as well, all flights until SUNDAY are full. The Brickyard 400 NASCAR race is in Indy this weekend, 400,000 people usually show up. We will be put on standby, but don't count on it. There are 240 of of stranded, standby is a joke. Absolutely no help from United, this after paying $670 and one cent.
SUNDAY!!!! I got work to do, I do not want to hang around O'Hare for 4 days. After wandering aimlessly, I find an internet terminal. Amtrak has a train at 10:30 am. Better, but Greyhound has a bus at 3:00 am. Get the ticked on line, scribble down the info, run to the taxi area.
Got a cab, sharing it with 3 others to downtown. $20/person for the fare. At least it was quick, Chicago cabbies are nuts, 90+ mph down I-90, 55+ on downtown streets. It's best not to look.
Made it to the Greyhound station about 1:30am. You meet the most interesting mix of folks at a major City Greyhound station at this time. It ran the spectrum from an Amish family to a group of crack dealers - "no thanks, I don't do crack" I tell one of them after they make their offer.
Near 2:35am, the line for the bus instantly forms. I end up near the end. The last 4 of us are told there is no more room, the next bus leaves at 10:00 am. These are the times I realize why I don't want a gun, ya never know. I getting more than a little PO'd. Dejected, I sit right at the gate, determined to be first in line for the next bus.
Now the fortunes are turning. The driver comes back to the terminal, there is one more seat left. I am first in line. Board the bus at 3:30am, only half an hour late, off we go.
Luck held. I was seated next to a very nice Japanese American guy, he is 1/2 retired, going to Indy to grant advancements (if earned) to a bunch if martial arts instructors. A good friend to have on the bus, a black belt several times over. Very pleasant conversation; I am new to Indy, he used to live there for many years and recently moved to San Diego. Gave advice on good restaurants in my area, and was quite when I snoozed off for and hour.
We got to downtown Indy at 8:30. Another $20 for a cab to the airport. United's baggage claim guy did not show up till 9:15. Of course my carry-on was not there, but they got my name and current phone number, as well as the claim number. "We'll call when it arrives".
Picked up my car, got home, called the office (no cell phone) took a shower, passed out. Guess what, I finally got through to a human on United's 1-800 number. It took several tries, I spoke gibberish to their computer for a half hour. My bag is at the Indy airport, safe and secure. I got there to pick it up at 8:30 pm.
A few drinks later, my blood pressure is down. Wait till the boss sees the expenses for the flight, both taxi rides, and a Greyhound ticket. Oh well.
Writing this down has made me feel better. I wasn't expecting a novella when I started, but what the hell.
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