18 hours to San Diego
Yesterday lordaerith and I headed out to San Diego to visit my father. Before we left I was joking that as long as we got there on the same day, it would be better than last time. More prophetic words may never have been spoken.
Our flight out was at 7:15am. The plan was Austin to Salt Lake City to LA to San Diego. We figured that since the Austin airport is usually so quick, that an hour time would be fine. HA! We forgot about the insanity of the holidays. We left the house probably slightly later than intended and had to turn around after 5 minutes or so because we forgot something important. Get to the airport. Have to park in the lot furthest away, but there are shuttles there. Check in no problem. Then we see the security lines. All 3 were HUGE. Go to the one furthest away from our gate because it tends to move the fastest. Took at least 30 minutes to get through line. Flight says still says "Final Boarding" on boards. Aerith runs to gate, but it closed 5 minutes before.
We find out there's a 1:30 or so flight to Atlanta that we can use to connect through to San Diego getting us in at 8 something SD time. Can't be booked on flight until 3 hours before departure because Delta lets people buy tickets up until then. Hang out inside of airport for a bit. Eat. I call Delta and find out there's a 2:10pm flight connecting through Salt Lake City that will get us to San Diego around 5:30pm. Of course if we book now there's an extra fee. We decide to go outside of terminal area and talk to a ticketing agent. They tell us that there are seats on the flight, but can't book until 3 hours before. We sit down in a cafe and I call Delta again. This time I find out that because of how the tickets were purchased, it would cost $150 for ticket A, but over $300 for ticket B. We decide to leave it to fate, because if we can't get on the 2:10, by 11:10am it's within the 3 hour window for the Atlanta one.
We spend the 2 hours reading, talking, and trying not to obsessively check the online Delta flight to make sure the flight we want is still available. At 11:10 we go up to the counter and are very polite and get booked on the flight path through Salt Lake City. The guy even says that he's not going to charge us as a holiday present. It so pays to be nice, polite, and patient.
We go back through security, which now takes about 10 minutes at most. We hang out, get lunch, play Angry Birds, etc. Around 1:45 or so I notice that there's no plane at our gate. At around 2 they tell us that the plane is delayed, but we should be leaving at 2:30. At 2:30 or maybe later the plane finally gets to the gate. I've never seen a more efficient unloading and loading of a plane. We're in the air by 3pm. Of course it's 2.5 hour flight, so we don't land in SLC until 4:30pm MST. Our flight out is at 4:36M MST. Also we're at the end of concourse C and have to get to the end of concourse D. Turns out there are 2 other people who are next to us on the flight to SLC that are also going to SD. Everyone on the plane is awesome and those who don't have a pressing time frame all stay seated while those of us with tight connections leave first. We all run as fast as we can to D. I'm the slowest. Being pregnant really does slow one down! By the time I make it to the gate and see the other 3 standing there, I can't deal with it and run to the bathroom where I break down crying.
There is another flight to SD leaving at 9:45pm MST getting in at 10:45pm PST (aka 12:45am CST). We're all booked on that flight and given travel and food vouchers. Aerith and I find a microbrewery and he as the "Polygamy Porter." Well, we are in Utah ;). Hang out at by our gate and charge our phones. I go wandering around and find a toy store, a book store, and a store that sells Northern Sun bumper stickers. Aerith and I also see this really adorable onesie in green, but decide not to get it. Hang out, play more Angry Birds, have frozen yogurt and finally board the plane.
Turns out that the 2 other guys who were with us on the flight to SLC are in the same row as us, so Aerith and I were able to switch with them so that we could sit together, instead of just in the same row as was on our boarding passes. Also, there is free wifi (happy holidays from Delta!) on the plane. We leave early. Once we're in the air, I log in, chat with people, post to twitter and facebook, and log into WoW to brag to our guild that I'm 30,000 feet in the air. Of course the lag is awful, but at least I can say I did it.
The flight gets in about 20 minutes early. We get off of the plane and there's a woman with reindeer antlers on in a cart thing offering people a ride to baggage claim. At this point I'm so bone weary that I'm getting the over tired restless back of knees thing, so we accept her offer. Get our bag (it's there! Yay! It was probably waiting for us since 2pm PST). Dad and Stepmom show up. We head back to Dad's place, eat and chat a bit and then fall over.
6:30am CST to 10:30pm PST. 18 hours of airports/travel. But at least we arrived on the same day (mostly). We have decided that all winter holiday travel to San Diego is cursed and we may never try it again.
Our flight out was at 7:15am. The plan was Austin to Salt Lake City to LA to San Diego. We figured that since the Austin airport is usually so quick, that an hour time would be fine. HA! We forgot about the insanity of the holidays. We left the house probably slightly later than intended and had to turn around after 5 minutes or so because we forgot something important. Get to the airport. Have to park in the lot furthest away, but there are shuttles there. Check in no problem. Then we see the security lines. All 3 were HUGE. Go to the one furthest away from our gate because it tends to move the fastest. Took at least 30 minutes to get through line. Flight says still says "Final Boarding" on boards. Aerith runs to gate, but it closed 5 minutes before.
We find out there's a 1:30 or so flight to Atlanta that we can use to connect through to San Diego getting us in at 8 something SD time. Can't be booked on flight until 3 hours before departure because Delta lets people buy tickets up until then. Hang out inside of airport for a bit. Eat. I call Delta and find out there's a 2:10pm flight connecting through Salt Lake City that will get us to San Diego around 5:30pm. Of course if we book now there's an extra fee. We decide to go outside of terminal area and talk to a ticketing agent. They tell us that there are seats on the flight, but can't book until 3 hours before. We sit down in a cafe and I call Delta again. This time I find out that because of how the tickets were purchased, it would cost $150 for ticket A, but over $300 for ticket B. We decide to leave it to fate, because if we can't get on the 2:10, by 11:10am it's within the 3 hour window for the Atlanta one.
We spend the 2 hours reading, talking, and trying not to obsessively check the online Delta flight to make sure the flight we want is still available. At 11:10 we go up to the counter and are very polite and get booked on the flight path through Salt Lake City. The guy even says that he's not going to charge us as a holiday present. It so pays to be nice, polite, and patient.
We go back through security, which now takes about 10 minutes at most. We hang out, get lunch, play Angry Birds, etc. Around 1:45 or so I notice that there's no plane at our gate. At around 2 they tell us that the plane is delayed, but we should be leaving at 2:30. At 2:30 or maybe later the plane finally gets to the gate. I've never seen a more efficient unloading and loading of a plane. We're in the air by 3pm. Of course it's 2.5 hour flight, so we don't land in SLC until 4:30pm MST. Our flight out is at 4:36M MST. Also we're at the end of concourse C and have to get to the end of concourse D. Turns out there are 2 other people who are next to us on the flight to SLC that are also going to SD. Everyone on the plane is awesome and those who don't have a pressing time frame all stay seated while those of us with tight connections leave first. We all run as fast as we can to D. I'm the slowest. Being pregnant really does slow one down! By the time I make it to the gate and see the other 3 standing there, I can't deal with it and run to the bathroom where I break down crying.
There is another flight to SD leaving at 9:45pm MST getting in at 10:45pm PST (aka 12:45am CST). We're all booked on that flight and given travel and food vouchers. Aerith and I find a microbrewery and he as the "Polygamy Porter." Well, we are in Utah ;). Hang out at by our gate and charge our phones. I go wandering around and find a toy store, a book store, and a store that sells Northern Sun bumper stickers. Aerith and I also see this really adorable onesie in green, but decide not to get it. Hang out, play more Angry Birds, have frozen yogurt and finally board the plane.
Turns out that the 2 other guys who were with us on the flight to SLC are in the same row as us, so Aerith and I were able to switch with them so that we could sit together, instead of just in the same row as was on our boarding passes. Also, there is free wifi (happy holidays from Delta!) on the plane. We leave early. Once we're in the air, I log in, chat with people, post to twitter and facebook, and log into WoW to brag to our guild that I'm 30,000 feet in the air. Of course the lag is awful, but at least I can say I did it.
The flight gets in about 20 minutes early. We get off of the plane and there's a woman with reindeer antlers on in a cart thing offering people a ride to baggage claim. At this point I'm so bone weary that I'm getting the over tired restless back of knees thing, so we accept her offer. Get our bag (it's there! Yay! It was probably waiting for us since 2pm PST). Dad and Stepmom show up. We head back to Dad's place, eat and chat a bit and then fall over.
6:30am CST to 10:30pm PST. 18 hours of airports/travel. But at least we arrived on the same day (mostly). We have decided that all winter holiday travel to San Diego is cursed and we may never try it again.