The day started early so that I wouldn’t have my dad too
stuck in traffic getting me to the airport. I arrived more than 3 hours early.
Check in was easy although with TSA Pre for my security entrance the airport
again let non-TSA Pre people in which bothered me because the vast majority of
those people don’t know the rules and hold things up. Belts still on, metal in
pockets , etc… Still it was quick enough
to get through. I wandered around for a bit and then found the Dunkin Donuts
and got some coffee and a blueberry muffin then sat at the gate which was still
clearing out the obviously totally overbooked flight ahead of mine. I played
some games on the cell phone to kill some time while I waited for the boarding
time. I will give credit to terminal B
in that it is bright and clean looking.
Watching the board I was #23 on the first upgrade list so that wasn’t
going to happen. I guess it was kind of
cool to see I was on the upgrade list at all.
The board said it was going to be an airbus 319 for this leg to Houston.
We boarded easily and were off on time. The plane was indeed
an airbus 319. The flight was going
along well, I had been sleeping most of it, until the pilot announced we would
be diverting to Mobile, Alabama because of weather in Houston. We needed to
refuel so we couldn’t make it all the way there and circle I guess? So we landed quickly and just sat on the
tarmac for at least 3 hours. They were
saying the thunderstorms over Houston caused a full ground stop. At the third hour we were told we had to get
off the plane because they have laws as to how long they can keep people in the
plane on the tarmac. So we all
disembarked and the airport in Mobile, Alabama maybe has 7 gates and one
shop/restaurant/bar. The entire plane
went there and the line was insane. I went to the bar eventually and got a Fat
Tire beer and an order of fries. They were cooking burgers fast and I didn’t
think I would get one not burnt to death.
Of course as soon as I got the beer and fries they announced we would
board again. So I had to eat and drink quickly.
We reboarded after probably another hour and then it took another 20
minutes to get back into the air. I am
sure I am messing up all the timing. It was an hour and 20 minute flight though
and we arrived at 5:30 then got stuck sitting waiting for a gate for another 10
minutes. The flight to Lima was originally supposed to depart at 3:45 with
boarding at 3pm. I had already seen on
my United app that the flight was delayed and was supposed to depart at 5:30
when we landed then 5:45. We got out of
the plane at 5:50. I spoke to the
counter about change of flights and they started to give me the grim news that
the flight had left and I would have to check into a flight of some sort the
next day. I was getting ready to take a
flight that left Houston at 8:45am then went to Panama City through Copa then
on to Lima for 7:30pm or so. Bleh. But it
was better than being in the Houston airport until 3pm because they wouldn’t
pay for hotel as it was a “weather delay,” when the lady next to the one I was working
with said the Lima flight hadn’t left. They
said it was at gate E20. I was at E9. I
had to run to the other side of the terminal of course. I got there to be told
they moved gates to E2 (directly across from E9) as they were changing planes
due to the mechanical issue. So the
flight was now supposed to depart at 7. Of course it was used for something
else and had to be cleaned and prepped so they didn’t end up starting to board
until about 7.
I think and we actually took off around 7:45. Still the mechanical error saved my butt big
time. So I was able to board and get on
my way. This plane was a 767 and I was in the back again with no one next to me
which was nice. For all the alerts about the bumpy weather to Houston we had
none. The flight to Lima had a lot though. I started by watching Appleseed
Alpha then Maleficent then chose to sleep after that for the rest of the
flight. They only had chicken on the food service but I didn’t end up eating
it. We landed at about 2am. I was originally supposed to arrive at
10:30pm. I got off the plane and had to
fill out the immigration forms in the hallway because they forgot to bring them
aboard the new plane and handed them to us at exit. I then got through
immigration. Fortunately I have filled out those forms a bunch of times before
and beat most of the other people to the line.
I then waited to the end to find out that they didn’t put my luggage on
the plane. It was apparently rerouted to the flight the next day. I had to fill out a claim and they said it
will be delivered when it gets in quickly because I am a Premier member.
My beautiful Daniela was waiting in the terminal when I got
out and we got our taxi to her house after a joyful reunion. It being so late we both basically crashed
immediately. Even Forest wasn’t too
excited I had arrived. I received an
email from United giving me the option of $100 eticket credit or 5000 miles. I
chose to take the miles. This was for
the plane delays that kept me from having to sleep in the airport overnight.
Ironic really. If only they had gotten my bag through too.
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