Saturday, August 9, 2008

Hello from Sioux Falls, SD

Let me tell you internet readers how fun it was getting here. I arrived at the airport in Albany to find my flight not even on the board, then when it finally showed up there was no gate assignment and no one to tell us what gate to go to. Finally one helpful employee said all the gates were at the end of the A wing. So we head down there, where all the boards are blank and there isn't a gate agent in site. United Airlines really dropped the ball here. Thankfully the pilots for the flight were there waiting and getting as annoyed as the rest of us that there was no information available. They called Chicago to find out what was happening.

Finally the flight landed 15 minutes after we were supposed to have taken off. Then we got on the plane and sat at the gate for 30 minutes waiting to be fueled. Finally we take off an hour late. So that ate up 1 hour of my 2.5 hour layover in Chicago. Then we couldn't land in Chicago and had to circle a few times. By the time we landed and I got off the plane it was 1 hour and 10 minutes to take off of flight #2 and I spent 15 minutes sitting on a shuttle. By the time I arrived at the gate there was no time for the leisurely Chili's dinner I had planned (it was right across from my gate) and I ate McDonalds before boarding my plane.

Now let's talk about my seatmate from Chicago to Sioux Falls, it was a small regional jet, and my seatmate was about 6'2" and 300lbs, his leg was pressed up against mine the entire way and the guy behind me had his knees pressed into my back - so comfy and then my seatmate started bouncing his leg up and down and up and down the entire trip. I wanted to scream. I sat there in silence instead.

But I'm here and now I'm going to sleep! It's 1am my time 12am here and I have to be up at 7:00am or so.

5 comments:

robkroese said...

Sioux Falls, eh? I've got some family not too far from there, I think.

BTW, you asked me what college I went to a while back, and I don't think I answered you. I went to Calvin, in Grand Rapids, Mi.

Anonymous said...

GROSS. I hate airports and everything associated with them (except for visiting fun places).

Anonymous said...

Somehow you seem to have ended up with my airport karma. Sorry 'bout that. ;-)

Anonymous said...

What were you there for, vacation or work or to judge a show? I gather there are no direct flights to SD, that sucks, I hate connecting flights! Even direct, the state of airline travel these days is just frightful. I have heard so many stories from friends and co-workers lately on various airlines. I've always been oddly lucky about airline travel, let's hope it holds! It's a shame Virgin America doesn't fly more places, this recent trip was my first time flying them and I can't say enough good things about the whole experience! I would've ABSOLUTELY had to lean over to the knee jiggler seatmate and smilingly but firmly said something like "Are you nervous? I'm sorry, but that is driving me bananas". :-)

Anonymous said...

ugh see this is why I don't fly-- I don't feel like having someone's leg all up on me unless they are paying ME