(This is the photo Nate used for today, of the CLT Atrium)I popped awake this morning at 0522. I know this because when I popped awake I looked at my phone (aka my alarm clock) to check the time. Since I had it set to go off at 0600, anyway, I didn't see any problem with going ahead and getting up. As I was making this decision, I noticed that I had a missed call- and a voice mail. The missed call was an 800 number, so I figured it was just the airline calling to confirm my flight. I went ahead and listened to it, just to be sure.
Good thing I did.
It turned out to be a message informing me that our flight out of Huntsville had been delayed- by an hour and a half, as of 2300 the previous night (when the message was left). I muttered expletives under my breath, eased out of bed (no need to wake Nate just yet), and headed into the living room so I could do some confirming online.
Yeah, definitely delayed. So delayed, in fact, that it wasn't going to land in Charlotte until our next flight was already in the air for Gatwick. I briefly considered texting my fellow-travelers, then realized there was no point in getting anyone in a panic until I'd seen what I could wrangle. It was possible, after all, that I might be able to get us an earlier flight out of Huntsville- it would mean missing our scheduled breakfast at the Original Pancake House, but that wasn't such a big deal in the grand scheme of things. So I started dialing.After half an hour on hold without speaking to anyone at US Airways, I got pissed and hung up. After twenty minutes on hold without speaking to anyone at Huntsville International Airport, I got pissed and hung up again. I went ahead and sent out an email to let people know what was going on, and that I was working to get it fixed. It wasn't quite 0630 yet (about four and a half hours before we'd planned to leave the city), so there was still plenty of time. Then I called Orbitz, spoke with a human for about three minutes, and settle back into hold.
About half an hour later (during which time I woke Nathan, got dressed, and had a bowl of cereal for breakfast) my dude Gio managed to patch me through to a US Airways agent named Karen, whom he'd already appraised of the situation.
Karen did a bit of clicking, then told me in a fretful tone that she might be able to get us on a flight at 1057- but that it was out of Birmingham. I started laughing and explained that we live in Birmingham! That made her laugh, too, but she stopped when she realized she only saw two seats. Then she put me on hold to go talk to her supervisor.
While I was waiting I sent out another update via email; made the executive decision that if only two could be on the Birmingham flight it would be my in-laws while us youngsters would rent a car and drive to North Carolina (only six hours away!); and had Nathan call his parents to tell them to get on the road now (they live about an hour and a half south of us).
Twenty minutes later Karen got back on and announced that she'd booked us on the Birmingham flight. "Which two?" I asked, panicking that she might not have put the elders on.
"All six!" she replied, and if I could have kissed her I would have. "Now I'm just trying to get you all routed back through Birmingham so you're not stranded in Huntsville without a car!" A few minutes later that, too, was accomplished, and Karen moved to the top of my Awesome Person list for at least the next month.This is why, rather than meeting up for a leisurely breakfast at 0900, we found ourselves at the Birmingham airport, having to be checked in individually by a couple of agents, because something was weird. I'm not sure what- I didn't want to ask- but they got us processed so no worries, right? Right.
(They have moving sidewalks in Charlotte that can keep a body entertained for just hours...)
(They have moving sidewalks in Charlotte that can keep a body entertained for just hours...)
(Here's a little Post Modernism for you...)
What was wierd was your "late" booking, and then "early" arrival at the airport .... national security and all that, you know .... Glad it worked out! XOXOXO
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