Hey Everyone!
I just got home (arrived in SF at 10:45 this morning... wednesday) and I wanted to 1) say how much I missed everyone and how strange it is to be home without all ya'll and 2) whine about my experience a little bit.
Basics: Weight of Bag 22.8 Kg. 49 lbs. SWEET
Missed Flights: 2
Cancelled Flights: 1
Total travel time: 39 fricken hours.
So I woke up bright and early tuesday morning (4am) to catch my shuttle to the airport which I arrived to in plenty of time to make my 7:35am flight. I wait in line for a half hour just so they could tell me - not that my flight had left, not that my flight was delayed - but that my flight no longer existed. No flight. No connection in Zurich. No way home. They sent me upstairs to talk to the "Malev" people who watch me bawl with stone cold faces. "Was the flight just cancelled? Just like that?" Apparently not. Apparently it was rescheduled and they tried to tell me but there was no contact information attached to the ticket (here I would like to insert that I purchased the tickets from Orbitz and gave, not only my home address, but my e-mail address and phone numbers for home and Hungary. No contact information my ass.) and they tell me they can get me to Zurich at noon. I say my connecting flight leaves at 10:20. They say it's not their problem because the flights were booked separately. "Go find the American Airlines desk in Zurich, they'll help." Okay, fine.
I arrive in Zurich with no plan. Saunter (always saunter when stressed) to the American Airlines desk. They tell me since the flights were booked separately and I didn't make my first flight for them I was a "no show" meaning all my flights are null and void. I may purchase another if I like. "Malev is responsible for the mistake" they say. Great, thanks guys. The American Airlines ladies are very nice though so I stand and chat a little about my options. "Look" one of them tells me "I can't get you to San Francisco today, but I can probably get you to Dallas, Chicago, or New York." Well, Dallas is closest but has unrealistic connections. Chicago it is. I can spend the night in that airport. And off I fly to London.
I arrive in london, go through crazy security and then am told that my flights that I just booked to Chicago were also cancelled because of my "no show" status. Shit. Well, I flew standby and it all worked out. Made it to Chicago.
Chicago was 13 degrees. One three. 13. I had left my cold weather clothing in budapest. I don't know how you guys do it. I almost froze to death waiting for a shuttle to a cheap hotel room that I shelled out for because I couldn't get into the airport with a standby boarding pass and it was too cold to sleep in the front lobby (and perhaps a little too homeless).
Got home early this morning. It was a slightly Hellish experience and I wish you all a more pleasant experience. OH. But I did fly British airlines for the first time and remembered Lauren saying they have complimentary wine. True true true! Probably kept me sane when I arrived in London. Props to them. Anyway, that was me whining. Sorry for the rambling!
And Istanbul videos to come soon :)
Kels
