Somewhere Over The Pacific
I always wanted to start of with an evocative dateline, full of the mystery and intrigue of travel. However, this trip is starting ought to be one of slapstick and misdirection.
Several months ago, when planning this trip, I booked us on connecting flights Chicago-Maui, because the nonstops were about $1300 each and connections on American via Dallas were about $900 or so. I didn’t want the early set of connecting flights because the time in Dallas was too short; also the fare was lower.
Who knew Texas, and indeed 49 out of 50 states would have snow on the ground? Who knew our Dallas flight would have a mechanical delay, and a double gate change? Who knew that the earlier flight had NO delay, but we might not have made it in 10 minutes’ time? Who knew that our eventual flight to Maui would end up with a change of aircraft in Los Angeles?
Thank God, it WAS a quick swap and we’re now about 3 hours from Kahului. We’ve seen a movie, “The Boys Are Back,” and now it’s the rest of the so-called in-flight entertainment.
And now it remains to find out if we’ll get in before Avis closes at 11pm (looks like 9:30pm) and if we can find the lockbox with the condo key (talked to them, sounds like no repeat of the Great Expedia Debacle of 2007, when nobody was in the office and there was NO lockbox code).
Yeah okay, rambling.
Our day’s been shot going back and forth between the B, D, and back to the B terminal, and the delay (about an hour and 20 minutes) and the extra stop.
Everybody on the Maui flight has been pretty good natured, although a few people that missed the first flight had to stand by (and I don’t know if they made it, think they got some volunteers).
In spite of the mechanical and the bobbled gate change, American has been pretty good about pulling the aircraft change and re-seating everyone. But I don’t think that one gate agent will live down her cheery, wrong “I have found another aircraft for you, please proceed to Gate B39” anytime soon. At least Dallas’ skytrain is better than their old people mover was, which was outside of security.
So that’s where we are, somewhere over the Pacific, looking to outmaneuver the Mauipocalypse, Real Soon.
UPDATE: About an hour and a half to go. It seems the only time I ever watch “30 Rock” is on airline flights.
At least the TV part is over and now the tiny plane is getting closer to the Hawaiian Islands. The cabin is dark and relatively quiet… Uh oh, more NBC-Universal programming. Eureka!
It’s a rerun, but I’ll take it. It’s the one with the “network update” and “smart asphalt.” And the annoying product placement.
And Kim 2.0. Ah, poor Henry.
