Monday, December 22, 2008

Travel Nightmares: The Real Deal

Since I moved to San Diego from Boston, people frequently ask me if I miss the snow. Not really I say, because snow is pretty while it's falling, then its just a royal pain in the bootie.

Case in point: My recent trip home. Here’s what went down.

Saturday

Direct red-eye flight from San Diego to Boston, expected to land early Sunday morning: Cancelled

JetBlue’s offer to put me on a flight that will get me in Tuesday morning: Unacceptable, though apparently only alternative.

United Airlines flight from San Diego to Washington, DC to Boston that will get me to Logan International later Sunday night: Discovered on Cheaptickets. Booked.

Sunday

Flight to DC: Boarded. Arrive one hour early.

Voicemail from parents discovered upon arrival: Connector to Boston has been cancelled.

JetBlue flight from DC to Boston: Booked, by awesome parents.

JetBlue flight from DC to Boston: Delayed, several hours.

Checked luggage, which was supposed to go from DC flight to Boston connector: Down in DC baggage claim, according to bored sounding United flight attendant.

Baggage from DC flight: Not coming. Wait at baggage carousel for one hour. Bags finally come down.

My bag: Not among them.

Line to talk to baggage claim: Long.

Phone call from parents while in line: Bad. JetBlue flight has been cancelled. Logan apparently closed, at least for the time being.

Attempt to not lose it and start tearing up and kind of crying: Fail.

Amtrak train that leaves DC at 10 p.m. and will get into Boston at 8 a.m.: Awesome parents say will book.

Older brother’s former roommate: Lives in DC, agrees to hang out with me for a little while until I get on train.

United Airlines: Booked me on a flight to Boston at 8 a.m. the next morning. (Without alerting me in any way). Amtrak will get me in quicker. Tell them to cancel it.

Baggage: Supposedly being sent on a flight from DC to Boston at 10 p.m. that night.

Faith in this plan: Low.

Hatred for United Airlines and desire for it to go bankrupt: High.

Amtrak train at 10 p.m.: Full

Time I got up this morning: 6 a.m. PST.

Food I've eaten: One piece of toast.

Eyes: Tearing up again.

Amtrak train to Boston at 3:15 a.m.: Booked by awesome parents.

Bus ride to where brother’s former roommate lives: $3.10.

Amount spent to get exact change for bus: $4.76 (approx).

Brother’s former roommate: Most gracious.

Wings, pizza and Guinness at The Capitol Grill Pub: Delicious.

View of the Capitol from brother’s former roommate’s apartment: Impressive.

Temperature in DC: 29 degrees, wind chill of what feels like -75 degrees.

Sleep attempted before 3 a.m. train: 4 hours.

Sleep achieved: None

Monday

Train: On time!!!

Cities between DC and Boston: Far too many.

Sleep achieved on train: 2 hours (approx)

Boston: Welcomes me at 11:30 a.m.

Awesome parents: Haggle with baggage claim guy at Logan and convince him to give them daughter's bag. Then pick up travel weary daughter at South Station.

Home cooked meal, nap and warm shower on arriving home 30 hours later than expected and literally taking planes, trains and automobiles to get there: *siiiiiigh*

10 comments:

Red said...

I'm so sorry for joking about your flight being canceled and getting stuck in some random city and saying, "That's some real Planes, Trains and Automobiles shit for your ass" before you left. I'm glad you finally made it in one piece!

BeckEye said...

This was the last thing I wanted to hear about right now. I have a flight home on Christmas Eve and they're calling for more snow that day. I better not get stranded alone in NYC on Christmas. And I'm flying JetBlue too, because I ALWAYS fly JetBlue.

Liz said...

Hopefully I suffered enough bad kharma for both of us, Becks. Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Sorry to hear that u had such a miserable trip back home. If it makes u feel any better, I no longer have a back after helping shovel my parents' megaass long driveway like 5 times this weekend. Get some deserved sleep.

Nooch said...

Liz, sorry the trip back was so horrible. I just hope the train didn't make every stop from DC to Boston, that's a lot of stops. Did you wave to other Andrea and I when you past New Ro? I hope so.

BeckEye... I heard today we will be getting rain, not snow on Christmas Eve, not great.. but much better than snow.

Falwless said...

Man, I am so sorry this happened. Wow, nightmare indeed! Glad you're safe and sound in Boston!

Anonymous said...

Hey Liz - that's terrible - we need to hang out at some point now that you're back in Boston though!

words...words...words... said...

Wow, that's awful! I had a bad travel experience yesterday and I was going to blog about it but it PALES next to yours. I will probably still blog about it though, since I have nothing else to write about.

At the very least you have a good story. Ten Christmases from now you can always go, "Hey, remember that Christmas I got reamed in the cornhole by half the airlines in America?"

danielle970 said...

I am so sorry, Lizard. That sounds pretty awful =( I hope once you got home things got better.

On a brighter note, isn't it nice knowing people in every city you pass through? =)

paperback reader said...

My never going anywhere life plan keeps looking better and better.