Somehow lost the draft of yesterday's travel adventure - about an hour's worth of work. Must be "punishment" for being too wordy. Let's see if I can recapture the essence.
Arrived at the Wichita airport 2 hours early. Ticket agent eyed my harp in its shipping case with obvious disdain, and informed me it exceeded size limitations. You see, last week, I drove down to this same place to check whether my harp in its custom flight case would fly, literally. Oh, absolutely not, I was told; it was 5" beyond the linear restrictions. I had invested in a case that was useless to me. So Plan B was to simply carry on a lap-sized harp.
However, Dave at Heartland Harps had a Plan C for me - a slightly smaller floor harp he was willing to share for this trip, and FedExed it to me. It was definitely well within the size restrictions given on the United Airlines website baggage info. And now I was being told this was too big? On the express jets, apparently there's an even smaller limit, info I didn't see on any site I'd read. "You'll just have to wait 'til they load the baggage and see if it fits; if it doesn't, you'll have to retrieve it."
Now the departure marquee showed a new posting: my flight was delayed nearly 2 hours. Thankfully, sis Jane & her hubby Gary (my transportation to the airport) offered to stay and if the harp wouldn't fly, they would take it home and I'd revert to Plan B. Even when an additional delay had us waiting 'til 6pm, they stuck around. Chicago's stormy weather yesterday delayed most flights to and from O'Hare. The good news: I watched that harp package glide up the conveyor and into the cargo hold, slick as a whistle. It was a huge relief to be able to call them and say, "Harp's on!"
The gate agent rerouted my connecting flights, but upon arrival in Chicago, I was given the dreaded news that I'd missed my flight. Was directed to United's customer service, along with at least a hundred other stranded passengers.
An hour later, I stood before a rep who checked her computer and said, "You're not in our system." Huh? I showed her the paper work, complete with confirmation number, and she simply repeated her statement. I refused to budge until, somehow, she 'found' me, and finally set up new connecting flights. Friday afternoon.
Okay, so what will you do for me for lodging tonight? She produced a pink slip voucher with 50% discount on nearby hotels. A phone call to the listed number produced a room at a Holiday Inn, and the shuttle was "just across the hall, outside." Yeah, well, kinda. Trouped out with a Wyoming couple enroute to Vermont for Grandparents Day. By now it was after 10pm, and we waited more than half an hour for THE shuttle, which was mobbed by a crowd of folks holding those pink slips. The driver barred the door, saying they were sold out and only folks with reservations could board. What we held were not valid reservations. Again, huh?
Back inside the terminal, to the hotel listings board, more phone calls, more shuttle lines, until at last we were delivered to a Days Inn that actually allowed a bit of a discount with our vouchers. I signed on for 2 nights. Slept in, walked downstairs this morning for a cold-cereal-banana-juice-and-coffee breakfast.
Could probably have taken advantage of today for some scenic tour around the city, but somehow, I needed to just hang loose and recharge my energy. Wonderful setting...McDonalds is next door, and there's a Dunkin' Donuts & a Subway across the street at the corner. And a nearby pizzeria offers free delivery. What more could I possibly want?
Tomorrow, the journey continues. Chicago to Newark to Oslo. Wish me luck! RoJean
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