(no subject)
I'm not sure i should be posting this yet because i dont want to jinx my chances but really i have been shat on by every possible way i could be shat on in multiple airports so i'll write this anyway.
I have just had one of the worst travel experiences EVER. Honestly.
I just spent the past week in Rochester hanging out with the fam and old friends and it was saturday night. Instead of getting rest, i figured i would have plenty of time to sleep on the plane and once i got home i could get a good nights rest before my monday morning midterm on canadian theatre history.
Sunday morning, bright and early after maybe an hour or two of sleep i had breakfast with my dad and got into a car and drove to minneapolis to get on a plane to detroit, where i was to transfer to ottawa. This was 7:30am that i left my house in rochester.
Once in minneapolis it was easy for me and my mum to wander happily around before my flight where i flew comfortably to Detroit airport. I got off the plane and booked it across the airport to my next flight. I saw my japanese professor and her daughter waiting for the same flight, on their way back from Tokyo. Once the flight started boarding i was relaxed and ready to go home.
Yea. Right.
I quickly learned that my ticket had not been assigned a seat, nor had the tickets of two other girls: Stephanie and April. We were told that we would not be allowed on the plane because of weight restrictions. They had over booked the flight and we were not allowed on.
Well i was really upset. I had an oscar party to get to and a midterm to study for! We were given tickets to philidelphia where we would then catch a much later flight to Ottawa.
Fine. Ok. I was annoyed that i would be missing the oscars (and by that i mean really really upset) but at least i'd be home.
We reach philidelphia and find out our flight is delayed. Stephanie, April and I waited two hours after our original boarding time but got on the plane, celebrating profusely that we would finally be going home, over 7 hours later than we were supposed to be.
Apparently that was too much for the airplane gods because literally seconds later a woman steps onto the plane and announces "This flight has been over booked for weight restrictions and we need three volunteers to take a flight in the morning. You will be compensated"
No one volunteered.
"If no one volunteers i will read off names and those people will be forced to leave this flight."
my stomach dropped but it couldn't be me because i was already bumped from another flight. I should be a priority on this one. Right?
She read off three names. One was Stephanie's. the two other names received no response. So she read two more. April's. And Mine.
We were escorted off the plane, stephanie and I in tears because of the worry over our midterms the next morning, and were given flight vouchers and meal vouchers and hotel vouchers. We were treated terribly by one of the US Airway's associates who told us to her faces that our problems didn't concern her, though it was her fault we had been taken off the plane.
What they didn't give us our luggage.
April was told hers had made it onto the philidelphia flight and would be in the baggage claim for US Airways. Some how stephanie and my luggage hadn't made it onto this flight, as far as they could tell.
"It is most likely at the North West Airline's baggage claim. Just go down and get it after we issue your tickets" they told us. After much debate and research we decided that flying to montreal from philidelphia and then finding a way to ottawa from there was best. We were booked through to ottawa and went to go find out bags.
April got her bag at the US Airways baggage claim and we went to the Northwestern baggage claim only to find it was closed. After calling multiple numbers and asking anyone we could find (though it was 1am and not many people were around) we were told that if we came back at 4:30 the next morning we would be able to talk to the people at the ticket counter and they would be able to help us.
Frustrated, defeated, and exhausted, we took a shuttle to the Renaissance Hotel where we were given very nice rooms for the night. I was unable to sleep but I did enjoy the shower and the complimentary tea and chocolates.
At 4am Stephanie and I got our things and checked out. April had said she would meet us at the airport later so we went to go find out what we could about our bags. We took the first shuttle we could to the Northwestern Ticket counter and asked where our bags could be found.
"They're at the baggage claim but it doesn't open until 8" the woman told us.
Our flight was at 7:29. Boarding at 6:59. Not going to work.
"Well let me see what i can do for you then."
After nearly 10 minutes of holding our breath, hoping against hope someone could get us our bags, the woman returned saying that someone should be at the baggage claim office around 5am with the key and she would get us our bags.
We were ecstatic and practically ran to the baggage claim area. It was 4:45am so we had to wait anxiously for our bags to be given to us outside a locked door in a deserted corridor. At 5:10 the person with the key had yet to arrive and we went to try to call someone (ANYONE) who could help us.
As Stephanie began talking to Emergency on the white courtesy phone, the woman with the key arrived and let us in.
Where we discovered our bags were NOT.
"They never made it to philly" the woman told us bluntly. "They are still in detroit. They were scanned onto the flight to philly, but they never made it on."
Stephanie and I gaped at her. Where the fuck were our bags?? She told us she would put in a message on the computer, saying that anyone who found our bags should send them to ottawa but that was all she could do.
Dejected but not entirely defeated, we made our way to the gate where we would wait for our next flight to Montreal. I took the meal voucher to the Au Bon Pain only to discover it was worth 5$. you can't buy shit for 5$. I got a bagel and a small iced tea and i still had to pay extra. But whatevs. I was hungry.
We finally boarded the flight to Montreal and my heart pounded every time someone came over the speaker. I was convinced they were going to try to bump us off of the flight again. I was not happy until the flight began to taxi away from the buildings, and i promptly fell asleep.
I woke up as we landed in Montreal. I had never been so happy to be in canada. I mean... i'm always happy to be in canada as opposed to the states, but as we landed in Montreal... i was the happiest i had ever been (in the last 24ish hours)
we de-planed and went through customs. Stephaine and I filed claims for our missing bags and we went to check in with our new tickets. Imagine our immediate horror when the woman at the Air Canada desk told us that US Airways had screwed up our connection. Though the woman assured us there was more than enough room on the flight and all we had to do was go talk to US Airways and get it cleared up, we were still shaking and worried. It was a very nice change to have the airport staff at the Montreal Airport be comforting and assuring to us instead of telling us that there was nothing they could do because it wasn't THEIR problem (coughDETROITPHILIDELPHIAcough). They made sure we had seats together and that we would be on the plane no matter what. Relieved, and finally seeing SOME humour in our situation, stephanie and I made our way through the security line where they laughed and joked at our immediate reaction to take our shoes off.
"you don't need to do that here! Just go through!" they smiled and waved. Cracked jokes and made us smile for the first time in over 26 hours.
We got to our gate and collapsed which brings us to where i am now. Waiting to get onto the final leg of our tragic journey. We get to file another claim for lost baggage once we reach ottawa and we dont know when we will get our bags, but we are almost home. We are so close we can taste it.
All we need is our bags...>.>
I have just had one of the worst travel experiences EVER. Honestly.
I just spent the past week in Rochester hanging out with the fam and old friends and it was saturday night. Instead of getting rest, i figured i would have plenty of time to sleep on the plane and once i got home i could get a good nights rest before my monday morning midterm on canadian theatre history.
Sunday morning, bright and early after maybe an hour or two of sleep i had breakfast with my dad and got into a car and drove to minneapolis to get on a plane to detroit, where i was to transfer to ottawa. This was 7:30am that i left my house in rochester.
Once in minneapolis it was easy for me and my mum to wander happily around before my flight where i flew comfortably to Detroit airport. I got off the plane and booked it across the airport to my next flight. I saw my japanese professor and her daughter waiting for the same flight, on their way back from Tokyo. Once the flight started boarding i was relaxed and ready to go home.
Yea. Right.
I quickly learned that my ticket had not been assigned a seat, nor had the tickets of two other girls: Stephanie and April. We were told that we would not be allowed on the plane because of weight restrictions. They had over booked the flight and we were not allowed on.
Well i was really upset. I had an oscar party to get to and a midterm to study for! We were given tickets to philidelphia where we would then catch a much later flight to Ottawa.
Fine. Ok. I was annoyed that i would be missing the oscars (and by that i mean really really upset) but at least i'd be home.
We reach philidelphia and find out our flight is delayed. Stephanie, April and I waited two hours after our original boarding time but got on the plane, celebrating profusely that we would finally be going home, over 7 hours later than we were supposed to be.
Apparently that was too much for the airplane gods because literally seconds later a woman steps onto the plane and announces "This flight has been over booked for weight restrictions and we need three volunteers to take a flight in the morning. You will be compensated"
No one volunteered.
"If no one volunteers i will read off names and those people will be forced to leave this flight."
my stomach dropped but it couldn't be me because i was already bumped from another flight. I should be a priority on this one. Right?
She read off three names. One was Stephanie's. the two other names received no response. So she read two more. April's. And Mine.
We were escorted off the plane, stephanie and I in tears because of the worry over our midterms the next morning, and were given flight vouchers and meal vouchers and hotel vouchers. We were treated terribly by one of the US Airway's associates who told us to her faces that our problems didn't concern her, though it was her fault we had been taken off the plane.
What they didn't give us our luggage.
April was told hers had made it onto the philidelphia flight and would be in the baggage claim for US Airways. Some how stephanie and my luggage hadn't made it onto this flight, as far as they could tell.
"It is most likely at the North West Airline's baggage claim. Just go down and get it after we issue your tickets" they told us. After much debate and research we decided that flying to montreal from philidelphia and then finding a way to ottawa from there was best. We were booked through to ottawa and went to go find out bags.
April got her bag at the US Airways baggage claim and we went to the Northwestern baggage claim only to find it was closed. After calling multiple numbers and asking anyone we could find (though it was 1am and not many people were around) we were told that if we came back at 4:30 the next morning we would be able to talk to the people at the ticket counter and they would be able to help us.
Frustrated, defeated, and exhausted, we took a shuttle to the Renaissance Hotel where we were given very nice rooms for the night. I was unable to sleep but I did enjoy the shower and the complimentary tea and chocolates.
At 4am Stephanie and I got our things and checked out. April had said she would meet us at the airport later so we went to go find out what we could about our bags. We took the first shuttle we could to the Northwestern Ticket counter and asked where our bags could be found.
"They're at the baggage claim but it doesn't open until 8" the woman told us.
Our flight was at 7:29. Boarding at 6:59. Not going to work.
"Well let me see what i can do for you then."
After nearly 10 minutes of holding our breath, hoping against hope someone could get us our bags, the woman returned saying that someone should be at the baggage claim office around 5am with the key and she would get us our bags.
We were ecstatic and practically ran to the baggage claim area. It was 4:45am so we had to wait anxiously for our bags to be given to us outside a locked door in a deserted corridor. At 5:10 the person with the key had yet to arrive and we went to try to call someone (ANYONE) who could help us.
As Stephanie began talking to Emergency on the white courtesy phone, the woman with the key arrived and let us in.
Where we discovered our bags were NOT.
"They never made it to philly" the woman told us bluntly. "They are still in detroit. They were scanned onto the flight to philly, but they never made it on."
Stephanie and I gaped at her. Where the fuck were our bags?? She told us she would put in a message on the computer, saying that anyone who found our bags should send them to ottawa but that was all she could do.
Dejected but not entirely defeated, we made our way to the gate where we would wait for our next flight to Montreal. I took the meal voucher to the Au Bon Pain only to discover it was worth 5$. you can't buy shit for 5$. I got a bagel and a small iced tea and i still had to pay extra. But whatevs. I was hungry.
We finally boarded the flight to Montreal and my heart pounded every time someone came over the speaker. I was convinced they were going to try to bump us off of the flight again. I was not happy until the flight began to taxi away from the buildings, and i promptly fell asleep.
I woke up as we landed in Montreal. I had never been so happy to be in canada. I mean... i'm always happy to be in canada as opposed to the states, but as we landed in Montreal... i was the happiest i had ever been (in the last 24ish hours)
we de-planed and went through customs. Stephaine and I filed claims for our missing bags and we went to check in with our new tickets. Imagine our immediate horror when the woman at the Air Canada desk told us that US Airways had screwed up our connection. Though the woman assured us there was more than enough room on the flight and all we had to do was go talk to US Airways and get it cleared up, we were still shaking and worried. It was a very nice change to have the airport staff at the Montreal Airport be comforting and assuring to us instead of telling us that there was nothing they could do because it wasn't THEIR problem (coughDETROITPHILIDELPHIAcough). They made sure we had seats together and that we would be on the plane no matter what. Relieved, and finally seeing SOME humour in our situation, stephanie and I made our way through the security line where they laughed and joked at our immediate reaction to take our shoes off.
"you don't need to do that here! Just go through!" they smiled and waved. Cracked jokes and made us smile for the first time in over 26 hours.
We got to our gate and collapsed which brings us to where i am now. Waiting to get onto the final leg of our tragic journey. We get to file another claim for lost baggage once we reach ottawa and we dont know when we will get our bags, but we are almost home. We are so close we can taste it.
All we need is our bags...>.>