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July 02 How We Spent Our Summer VacationA Journal Entry by Valerie Serdy
Saturday, July 1st. 3:15 AM**
Alarm goes off. Can't wait! We're off to the airport for a very special tour. Shower, dress. Wake up Ben ("I'm very excited to see Grandpa today!") and dress him while Steve gets ready. Stow our suitcases in the car and we're on the road by 4:00.
4:40 AM
Drop off the car at MasterPark. They have lovely yellow shuttle buses to the airport and a very nice young gentleman to help us with our suitcases.
5:00 AM
Stand in line at United to check in. ("Mama! I have to pee! I really really have to pee. See? I'm holding myself!") Discover we need to stand in line at US Air. We swing by the rest room then join the throng at US Air. In direct contrast to United, they have three people checking in 120-ish people. United had a dozen plus automated check-in machines.
5:15 AM
Through security to the airport deli for breakfast. Yum, BBQ ham and cheddar panini. Steve opted for the more traditional bacon, egg, and cheese panini. Ben decided he just wasn't hungry ("I said I'm NOT hungry!").
5:45 AM
Early boarding for people with families! Yay! While we get our gear stored away (three backpacks: one for Ben full of toys and books; one for me full of extra clothes, toiletries, snacks, apple juice, and water; one for Steve with laptop, DVD player, magazines for us grown-ups), our tour guide welcomes us on our very special tour ("This is the captain speaking. Welcome to flight 728 to Philadelphia. On behalf of US Airways, we're glad to have you aboard.").
6:30 AM
Our tour guide annouces we're having some maintenance issues and we'll be taking off shortly. ("When is the airplane going to take off?")
6:45 AM
Our tour guide repeats his last message. ("I want the airplane to take off now!!")
7:00 AM
Our tour guide announces that he must "reboot the system" and would everyone please leave the airplane to take another look at Seattle's nice airport? We explore the benches and play "I Spy" out the giant windows overlooking the tarmac. ("I spy, with my little eye, something that is square and white and moving.")
8:00 AM
Our assistant tour guides welcomes us back on board the plane row by row.
8:15 AM
Our assistant stops letting people on the plane. No explanation given. Ben and I run from one side of the "waiting room" to another. Steve watches on from the wall he's holding up.
8:30 AM
Our assistant lets us back on the plane so "everyone can get the same information at the same time."
Our captain gives us info every 15 minutes: please bear with us; we're still working on fixing the problem. The flight attendants annouce rebooking for those with connecting flights. Worse case: a group of 10 people traveling to Rhode Island. No flights available July 1st. Next flight out July 2nd. No hotel rooms available in Philly so you're on your own. You can try to talk to US Airways; they might possibly give you a refund.
Ben starts singing Rock-a-bye Baby after Steve tells him to be quiet because some people are trying to sleep.
9:00 AM
We're allowed off the plane again.
9:30 AM
Our tour guide annouces the problem: the maintenence crew cannot fix the plane. They need a new part. If the part is in Seattle, the plane will take off at 2:00 PM. If it isn't, the part will be shipped from Pittsburgh and we'll leave at 8:00 PM. Everyone needs to get their stuff off the airplane. We walk back onboard to get our stuff ("If the plane is cancelled can we still see Grandpa?")
10:15 AM
We manage to corner one of the onboard flight attendants to figure out what's going on. Flight is delayed till 8:00 PM. (Flight was supposed to have taken off at 6:30 AM.) We ask about getting our bags off the plane. We're directed to the front desk. Off the plane.
10:30 AM
I stand in the shorter line to reach an attendant to ask about how we can get our bags out of the plane so we can go home and come back later. Steve and Ben walk around the corner to watch DVDs and play with his LeapPad.
10:45 AM
We hear gossip that the part must come from Pittsburgh.
I finally reach a flight attendant. I give her our baggage claim tickets and ask about a refund. She directs me to the other line. The one that hasn't moved.
10:50 AM
I switch lines. I call Steve. I call Alamo to cancel. I call our hotel to cancel. I call Expedia and United to check into refunds. No dice. I call US Airways next. On hold. The line does not move. People are surprisingly resilient considering we've been waiting with no food or water or other drinks other than what we've managed to find for ourselves. Our flight crew makes no effort to either clearly direct people to rebooking, refunds, or getting their luggage or to provide entertainment, distraction, or food. The gentleman in front of me missed the wedding he was participating in. His rental call company will charge him $50 if the flight isn't officially canceled despite the 8 to 12 hour delay so far.
11:30 AM
Our assistant makes a final announcement. Flight 728 has been cancelled. Everyone needs to go back down to baggage claim, collect their things, and rebook for the next flight. Which might be leaving at 11:30. PM. Or midnight. Or later.
11:45 AM
We end our tour of the airport. Head down to baggage claim and look for our bags. We're in luck! They're already up. Not so true for the others on our little tour. Two suitcases and three backpacks for this quick adventure. We were misinformed how much gear we'd need!
12:00 PM
Catch the shuttle back to MasterPark. Nice yellow bus. Same nice young gentleman asking if we enjoyed our tour.
12:30 PM
Ben starts to fall asleep in the car. I can count the number of times he's fallen asleep in the car on one hand. And that includes when he was an infant.
12:45 PM
Drive-thru at McDonald's ("I want a plain cheeseburger. And apple juice!")
1:00 PM
Home. Eat lunch. Nap. All of us. For three hours.
And the moral of this story?
We will NEVER EVER fly US Air.
EVER.
Discovery of the story? Ben is an amazing trooper. He never lost his temper (well, not until I put him to bed for nap). He let us distract him with toys and games and snacks. He ran when we asked him to run, let us know when he had to pee, peed when we asked him to (to keep accidents at bay). His spirits stayed up even while we were getting extremely frustrated and disappointed that we'd miss this trip. Ben stayed in a good humor. Even when we told him he wouldn't be able to see Grandpa.
We love that boy.
We gave him presents for such good behavior. A bug vaccuum. And now he's been sucking up ants and releasing them in the house.
We're so bummed we missed this trip. And we hate US Air.
Because I still have to call people Monday or Wednesday to get a full refund.
** All times approximate |
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