flying home

Posted by Drew | Filed under General

I’m back in Mississippi. And there are things I really appreciate about that. First, that home is comfortable. Air conditioning, carpet, very clean. Second, everything is so green here. I miss front yards. Then, this time more than any other, I appreciate that I actually made it after a long day of travels. It was such an adventure I thought it would merit a blog entry.

Tuesday June 3.
Reservation for a 6:35am Lufthansa flight from Florence to Frankfurt, Frankfurt to Chicago O’Hare, Chicago to Memphis arriving at 5:22 pm CST. My teammate Marti, from Yazoo City, is booked on the same flight all the way home.
4:30 alarm goes off.
5:00 Gary arrives offering a ride to the Airport. He already picked up Marti on the way.
5:20 arrive at Florence Airport and learn that the Frankfurt leg has been canceled, begin waiting in line to rebook.
7:00 still waiting in the same line. Marti goes to the ticket window to see if it’s faster. We’re communicating through cell phones as the situation progresses.
7:55 Marti reaches the front of her line, the ticket agent promises bookings for both of us, so I leave my position in the original line.
8:15 tickets in hand, rerouted on Swiss Air through Zurich, leaving at 9:25. Stop in Chicago, connecting through Northwest to Memphis. Neither Northwest nor Swiss Air have any affiliation with Lufthansa.
9:30 boarding in Florence
10:45 arrival in Zurich.
11:55 tempted by the Swiss chocolates. Gifts for family and friends, whatever isn’t eaten on the flight, that is.
12:15 paid $15 for a sandwich and a bottle of water.
12:55 boarding for Chicago. nicest international flight I’ve ever been on. But landed with terrible headache and a little nausea.
3:35 arrival at Chicago O’Hare. Should have rented a car to drive home. Arrive at Terminal 5.
3:50 through customs on our way to the Northwest desk in Terminal 2.
4:00 more waiting in line, Northwest check in desk.
4:15 Northwest agent informs us that our flight to Memphis has been canceled. We have to go back to United/Lufthansa to be rerouted or we can wait for the next Northwest flight the next morning at 9 am.
4:20 moving to Terminal 1 to the United desk.
4:30 waiting in line again at United. Longest line of the day. We split up and I go to the Lufthansa ticket desk. 6 people in line v. about 300 in front of Marti. No way to communicate.
5:00 I reach the desk, find a very helpful agent. We are rebooked on an American flight leaving at 9:15 pm, or so we think.
5:20 ticket receipts in hand, we move to the American desk for boarding passes. Terminal 3.
5:30 Sympathetic lady at American gives us our boarding passes, and points out the near impossibility that our luggage will follow us to Memphis after all these changes. Sends us to the Northwest desk.
5:55 Terminal 2 again. Northwest desk. Another very kind lady calls baggage claim and arranges for our bags to be re routed to the American flight.
6:15 Back in Terminal 3, moving towards the gate. We both qualified for the bonus screening in security. Boarding is at 8:45. So they say.
6:45 medicine for nausea, sleeping on the floor in the waiting area of the gate. 20 minutes or so.
7:30 some food, some medicine for the headache. Feeling optimistic. Almost home.
7:35 gate change, 40 minute delay announced.
9:30 still at the gate waiting to board.
10:00 finally boarding. ETA 11:55
10:45 still waiting on runway. Pilot announces a potential different route to avoid the fog. Taxi back to Terminal 3 to refuel.
11:15 pilot announces that the flight has been canceled due to weather.
11:25 talking to the American desk about another flight, hotel vouchers. 6:45 the next morning for the flight. American offers discounted hotels, but aren’t obligated to more for me or Marti since they didnt’ cancel our first flight and this one was weather related. Too late to risk going to Lufthansa. We take the hotel because it has a free shuttle, and plan to contact Lufthansa about reimbursement.
11:50 found the shuttle pick up. No shuttle. We call the hotel. Shuttle has stopped running, they offer a number for a cab service. At least it will take us there the next morning. No, earliest shuttle is 5:30, “you’d be pushing it.”
12:00 we walk halfway back to the terminal to inquire about the free cots provided by the airport. Hotels were getting too expensive. The thought of not getting cots compelled us to just take the cab and the hotel. Turned out to be a good decision.
12:15 cab arrives. We split with 2 other stranded passengers.
1:00 check into the hotel
1:20 finally able to lay in a bed 28 hours after waking up in Florence.
4:50am. wake up call. Shower. I decided the shower was worth the full price of the hotel. Feeling somewhat fresh, willing to take the risk with the 5:30 shuttle.
5:35 shuttle leaves after a round of enthusiastic “good morning! I can’t hear you…” from the shuttle driver. At 5:35 in the morning.
6:15 back in security. Bonus screening again. flight is boarding as the security man makes casual conversation and thoroughly searches my carry on.
6:35 walking briskly to the gate, still surprised that the display board says the flight will leave “on time” but still hasn’t started boarding yet.
7:00 flight boards. on the runway. cautious optimism creeping in.
9:05 landing in Memphis. All our bags miraculously arrive with us. On our way home.
10:30 my parents and I arrive home.

3 canceled flights. 36 hours of travel. Thankfully we reached a point in Chicago where it was so incredible it was amusing. We almost hoped the shuttle would arrive late and we’d miss the next flight just to make the story better. But we both made it home. And I’m thankful.

Permalink | June 6th, 2008

3 Responses to “flying home”

  1. Elisa Says:
    June 6th, 2008 at 12:07 pm

    Ciao Drew!
    I hope you’re feeling better after this terrible (but unforgettable)travel. I’m studying for an exam I have wednesday, I’m a bit worried..
    I’m so sorry you leave, also because I’m realizing that in a month also Lea Anne, Ryan and the others will leave, maybe forever, and I’m very sad, because of the very good relation I have with them. Anyway I hope to continue to see all you next year, because I like the byble-study, the parties, the conversation, but expecially simply stay with you, american friends.
    See you soon, enjoy your month at home. If you want to write me my e-mail is elisina86@hotmail.com
    Ciao,
    Elisa
    ps: sorry if I made some mistakes

  2. Blake Says:
    June 6th, 2008 at 12:39 pm

    Dude, that sounds more than crazy. I bet that was one of the most expensive showers you’d ever taken, huh? We should grab a few bites to eat over the summer. We just got a house in Oxford.

  3. kathscof Says:
    July 16th, 2008 at 10:05 am

    Holy cow Driu! That is terrible! I never thought anybody could have a worse trip home than I did, but yours took the cake! I’m glad you had Marti to amuse and help you :)

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