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
AHHH!!! Kels! I'm so sorry. That sounds like a nightmare. I've been in that situation, too, and I think it helps you appreciate flexibility :) Love you and am glad you are home (finally) safely!
ReplyDeleteKels! I totally understand your pain. My experience was not nearly as bad, but this is what happened to me (and obviously not going home).
ReplyDeleteSo, first of all, I had Lauren and Allie and Alex weigh my suitcase tons of times trying to estimate it. Thank God for Lauren because she was pretty spot on. She kept telling me to take things out and I did and when I finally weighed it in the airport it was 20.8 kilo which is .8 over. So for the rest of the time before check-in I sat there contemplating the options and of course one of them was trying to cry my way out of it. Luckily, that never happened because
they didn't say anything about it.
Oh, also I wasn't sure if they were going to weigh my back pack or not/make me check it and I didn't know how much that weighed. So, I took my computer out knowing that it was 3 pounds and shoved it into one of my coats and shoved my third layer (of coats) over that so it just looked like I was fat from all my layers. I also had my waller, my liquids bag, and some other things shoved into random pockets. I'm sure I looked like a freak, but who cares! I wanted to get my stuff through!
So I head through the security and all and that was smooth like butter. I also had to go through passport control and the guy started talking to me in Hungarian and BOO YA I totally could converse with him. That made me so excited. Nothing too crazy just asking if I knew Hungarian and if I was learning it here and some other things along those lines.
Then it was time to wait. I got to the airport around 3 and now it was probably 4/4:15 and the flight was supposed to leave at 5:45. Well, it was delayed. AND it ended up getting delayed over and over again. We finally took off at 12:30am. WTF MATE! That's like a 7 hour delay! Luckily, they gave us some food vouchers (2 times). The first time I purchased an Edami Salata and a bag of chips and the second time I purchased a sandwich that was 935 forint (of the 1000 voucher each time). At this point I was so tired I for some reason thought there was enough money left over for a twix bar which cost 420 Forint. Of course there wasn't any left over and I got into a little dispute with the lady about it. Oops. Luckily, I saved that sandwich.
So, the plan for me was to get into London around 8:00pm. A distant family member was going to pick me up and I was going to spend the night with them before making my way to the Coach Station the next morning. Well, none of that ended up happening. But, what did end up happening was that I tried to stay awake in the airport until 5am to get a bus to the coach station (there were buses all night but the airport seemed safer). I tried reading and walking around and then I decided to set an alarm and catch some sleep. So I proped my suitcase up behind me against a wall and turned my backpack face down and put my arm on it and slept.
Then I got up and got a bus to the coach station. P.S. EVERYONE in London was so rude! It was INSANE! At around 2am I went to see how much the bus was and I gave the guy my sheet and asked if it took me to the coach station and he's like "what is this? I don't know what this is. It has nothing to do with me. What is megabus." OMG seriously? So I didn't go on his bus. He was a stupid head.
Anyway, once I got to the bus station everything was smooth. Rode 12 hours to Aberdeen and now I'm here! Yey!
Anyway, sorry, I had to rant about that one too.
Glad you made it home safe! <3 <3 <3 Also glad I got to see you before you left :)
Aww, Rach I'm so sorry! Yeah, London airports are lame. Ha. But I'm home safely now and I miss you all so much it's ridiculous :(
ReplyDeletewow im so glad you are both alive! quite the fiascos there...wish i had something exciting too. guess the only thing i got is that we almost missed our flight going home from frankfurt because my relatives like to spend hours eating lunch and walk like molasses in january. but i love them :)
ReplyDeletemiss all of you SO much already!! Kels, enjoy that nice, temperate cali weather for us!
well shit. That all sounds ridiculous. I'm so happy you all ended up safe and sound at your destinations- due to recent travels through Cairo I can definitely relate to the hell. It's funny how people tell you crazy stories, but it never really seems real until you're standing in a long line at some ungodly hour knowing nothing positive will happen when you finally get to the front...
ReplyDeleteBrief Cairo synopsis: Arrived at 8, waited in line until 12 after which they took my passport and set me loose in the city. 30 min bus ride later (14 peps for 8 seats..classic style...) I arrived at what could be a downtrodden vegas hotel around 1. Room around 1:30. Alone +No alarm+no passport+no communication= no sleep. Adopted a family. 3 lines later got my passport. 4 hours later gate opened. Lots of crazy characters in-between...
So flight home leaves tomorrow- after reading your harrowing tales I'm expecting to arrive next year (haha!)
Miss you all to the max
MEGAN SCHLECK. only YOU would be able to survive that- thank god you spent 50 days in the arctic! holy crap im so glad you're ok. i can't believe they took your passport like that! that can't be legal....
ReplyDeletebut we all need to hear more about your times in the Middle-east (ha wow, when i say it like that it just sounds dangerous)! can't wait to hear about times with lindsay and sasha:) hope you got home ok too and are harassing ramey in full force now!!!