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United We Stand, United We Wait

Remember this pic from Tuesday, and I said I was in the plane, in seat 8-D?


Well, I lied. I wasn't in the plane. I was still in the airport. I waited an hour and a half to board because United had a slight problem. "We can't seem to start the engines" said the announcement on the public address system. Well this put a crimp in my travel plans, to say the least.

I'd arrived at the airport at 4 a.m. I'd checked in, got my boarding pass, checked my luggage and been through customs and was waiting for the first leg of my trip to Panama to get under way. No such luck. The flight was due to depart at 6 a.m. It took off for Washington Dulles airport at 7:30. My connection to Panama was set to depart at 9:26 and I arrived breathlessly at the gate at 9:15. Phew, made it. Not so fast. The plane had departed. "Departed?" I said incredulously. "Well, yes sir. Everyone was on the plane." "Oh, no they weren't," said I, dripping with sarcasm. This missed flight was the beginning of things to come.

My original flight would have gotten me to Panama at 2:16 p.m. Plenty of time to wait for my brother-in-law to show up on his flight from Los Angeles at 5:00.

The friendly folks at United booked me on competitor American Airlines flight departing for Panama via Miami that would have gotten me in at 5:30. Cool. This would work out well after all.

Then the fun began. Remember this guy?


Yeah, O.J. He used to run through airports, jumping over passengers. I really needed to be this guy. The trip from United's Customer Service Kiosk to American's departing gate was quite a hike. And I'm old for Christ's sake. Again I arrived breathless, crawling on my hands and knees like some guy who'd been wandering in the desert for weeks only to learn my flight was delayed. Shit...deja vu all over again.

Guess what? It was delayed by 2 hours. I missed my connecting flight in Miami. And to get from my landing gate to where I needed to re-book my flight was another three week trek through the desert.

Never met up with my brother-in-law. But a $100 tourist van ride later got me to his condo in Santa Clara by the Pacific.

I'm still waiting for my luggage to catch up with me, including my precious golf clubs.

I think it's time to take a lesson from Mr. O.J.



Or book a friggin' direct flight!

Comments

Nicky said…
See, I told you that you should have come to Montreal...
nonamedufus said…
Why do women always say "I told you..."?
Quirky Loon said…
Aw poor Dufus! However, I wouldn't look to OJ as an example... just saying. HA!
Cheryl P. said…
You so have my sympathy. I used to travel for a living. One year I average 3 flights a week for 48 weeks. Airlines suck. Obviously, United realized that not everyone was aboard (major FU) or they would have never put you on a competitors airline. They are supposed to put you on the next flight out no matter who's but usually they pull the we will be glad to seat you on OUR next flight at blah, blah, blah.

I trust that you FINALLY arrived???? Better start ordering those cervezas.
Lindamedrano said…
Damn! That exhausted me just to read about it. I hate the stress involved in travel any more. There the security thing, there's the being crammed into small spaces, there's the inability to even stretch your legs for hours. I'm glad you are there and hope your luggage is too by now. Now go play some golf and have a Corona!
Ziva said…
Oh, the horror! There is nothing I hate more than running through airports, clinging onto the hope that you'll make a flight that departed 10 minutes ago. But, on the plus side, the airlines usually treat you to really nice hotel rooms when they fuck up. I'm glad you made it to Panama safely, Dufus.
Brett Minor said…
I have heard so many traveling horror stories and keep getting lucky that they never happen to me. I did have to sit on a tarmac for 5 hours once because of s storm, but there was no connecting flight to miss. I just got there late.
nonamedufus said…
It's okay, Quirks. I don't have to worry about the gloves fitting. I didn't wear any.
nonamedufus said…
It was a long, long day. But the problem was mechanical failure. The airline agents and baggage folks were actually swell...very helpful. Yes, I finally arrived. And the next day so did my bags. All's well that ends well.
nonamedufus said…
The annoying thing going through US security is having to still remove your belt and shoes. So time consuming. Especially when you're running late!
nonamedufus said…
Yep, in the end I got here safe and sound. I'm enjoying 88F temperatures now and the odd cerveza. Well, actually I'm enjoying the even ones too.
nonamedufus said…
Air travel can be a bitch. It's like Murphy's law. The more connections you have to make, the more that can go wrong! And, this time, did.
jannaverse said…
OMFG. It took me 20 minutes to get Disqus to work, but here I am.
Almost makes me wish I had something worth saying.
nonamedufus said…
Just knowing you made the effort is enough, Janna.
Nicky said…
Because we did. And you didn't listen.
nonamedufus said…
Like I say to my darling wife "I heard". And she says to me "But you didn't listen." Women have a unique talent of always being right.
meleahrebeccah said…
Oh man. Traveling can be very stressful sometimes. I sure hope you have your golf clubs by now!
nonamedufus said…
Well I arrived Tuesday night around 8:30. My clothes and clubs finally arrived around 12:15am Thursday. I was in a foul mood (and state of personal hygiene) for a day. But I've played golf almost every day since then!

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