Crappy Travel Day

As some of you read, I took a vacation with my wife and daughter. We went to Florida to visit my family. I’ve traveled a lot. I enjoy traveling, except the occasions when I get massive headaches that literally (and yes I’m using that term appropriately- make it feel like my head is about to explode). One time when I traveled for business and landed for a layover, I got off the plane, rounded a corner, dropped my carry-ons and started bawling my eyes out. I had to call my wife, still crying to tell her I loved her because I was scared I was about to die. I almost couldn’t bring myself to get on the next flight.

OK, Anyway, the point, I’ve traveled plenty and had my share of hiccups, missed flights, delayed flights (I’ve been stranded at O’Hare a few times, including sleeping in the terminal on my luggage), I’ve had luggage lost, all the typical issues. But this was one of the worst.

The day were supposed to fly, they’re of course predicting horrible weather in the northeast. So I check the Southwest website. A 10 minute delay, no biggie. We’re about an hour and a half from the airport, so we head out. My dad is driving us. “You should call the airline and see what the status is.” I tell him it’s too early. It was just delayed 10 minutes. And honestly, I just want to get to the airport. I’m expecting a delay. With this kind of weather, it’s gonna come. But I want to be at the airport to be prepared for any changes. I don’t call. Finally, we’re almost at the airport… my dad again, suggests I call. “OK, fine, I will.” I call their automated line and enter the flight number.

“The flight has been canceled.” No one believes me and thinks I’m kidding. I repeat myself numerous times and I’m transferred to an agent to help reschedule. We’re driving and can’t decide on what we want to do so decide to hang up and once we know what we want to do, call them back. We make a decision to get on the first flight in the morning. I call them back, and when I enter my flight # it says it will transfer me, then transfers me to a Bank of America customer service line? HUH? I hang up again, this time, it just hangs up on me when I transfer.

I finally get a hold of someone and book on the first flight in the morning, 9:40am. We turn around and get back to my folks place. Most of us are all in pissy moods. Things get better around dinner time and we’re all happy again.

We get up super early to get to the airport, again, anticipating a delay from the heavy snow that night. Sure enough, 3 hour delay. Our 9:40 flight takes off at 12:30. The flight is an easy one, we land around 3pm and go to get our luggage.

Lambert Airport in St. Louis was the worst baggage claim I’ve ever had to deal with, it ALWAYS took forever, and it wasn’t that big of an airport. We had to wait about an hour and a half before they finally spit out luggage out.

Now during all this, I have to say, my daughter was an ABSOLUTE angel. She was so good and happy. She played, she read, she watched her DVD player (even though there was a big crack in the screen right in the center). She was perfect. She made it sooo much easier than it could have been

Instead of going right home, we stopped Friendly’s for dinner. Then got home. Then spent 2 hours shoveling our driveway in the dark. What was about 6-8 inches on the driveway, was a foot of snow, solid, heavy icy snow, that the street plows had pushed onto my driveway.

The end of a perfect day.