The story

[fbhjr]

This week I had to go to Cincinnati to inspect the giant freezers for our giant robot freezer machine. 
Usually when I go I fly the night before, spend the day there and don't get back until very late the next night.
This time I decided to do it as a one day trip.  Fly out early in the morning, back that night.
I booked the tickets for myself and the quality guy for out at 6:30 and back by 9:45.  Yes, a long day, but better than two long days.

This was only going to leave us two hours at the factory to do the inspection of three giant freezers.  But, it is the fourth time they have made them, granted always wrong, and I hoped they had it right.

Our first problem was when our flight from Philadelphia to Dayton was delayed ninety minutes.  So I called USAir and put us on a fight two hours later coming home.

The factory part went well.  A few minor problems. Nothing that should bust the tight schedule.

Then, we drove back to the airport.
First, I couldn't return the rental car because I hadn't had it long enough and their computer didn't know what to do about that.
If the woman working the booth had been concentrating on getting my car checked in it might not have been a problem.  But, she was busy trying to order something by phone while doing it one handed on the computer.
While this was going on, I got a message from USAir that our flight was two hours late.

No problem, we had a three hour layover.  So we had a nice dinner and waited.

Then I started getting more and more emails from the airline giving later and later times.  When it hit three hours I went and talked with the gate agent.
"No problem," he said.  "we've built in an extra 20 minutes.  If we go past that, we cAn do something."

Fifteen minutes later I got three emails in one minute saying 20 more minutes, 40 more minutes and 60 more minutes.
"Yeah, that's a problem," he said on my return to his counter.

Apparently all flights on the east coast are late tonight.  We could try and go through four different airports and at each one we may or may not make the connection depending on how late the other plane ends up when they get there.  And there is no way to predict that,

He has kept our seats on the last plane to Boston tonight.  But also saved us a spot on the first tomorrow.  He gave us seats at the very front of the plane into Philadelphia so we can be first off of the plane to try and race to the other plane.

There are a total of 60 people from 4 planes that are scheduled to be late to that flight.  No one will promise to hold it.  But, there is a chance they won't leave that many folks behind. 

Update:
No joy.
We got to Philadelphia 20 minutes after the plane left.
We tried to get out boarding passes for tomorrow printed and all the printers were down.
We tried to get to the terminal for tomorrow, but the shuttle bus was stopped for the night and the driver told us to walk.
That took us outside of security, and they closed it so we can't get back in.
The only hotel here with open rooms is $300 a night and we have to be back here in 4 1/2 hours.  I opted to stay.
Sad.
I had very much wanted to be home with my wife by now, or at least some tonight.

Comments

[morgan-lafaye.livejournal.com]

I am so sorry you are going through this. Good luck. I hope you can get some sleep when you do get home.

[max-boma.livejournal.com]

I had a layover at Seattle-Tacoma once on a trip to Vancouver, BC. Similarly, I booked two rooms at a hotel next to SeaTac before we even left Chicago, knowing that we would be there overnight. It was expensive, but it let us be relatively rested for a client meeting in Vancouver the next morning.

And, yes, when the East Coast goes bad, it goes very bad.

Is CVG still a Delta (mini-)hub?

[brickhousewench.livejournal.com]

I've slept in an airport before (this was pre 9/11 obviously). It's not fun. =(

[palusbuteo.livejournal.com]

Yikes.

[evrgreen.livejournal.com]

Ugh! I *HATE* it when that happens! I'm sorry to hear it - I guess that the travel gods really do want you to use 2 days for a trip to Ohio. In the "good old days" of air travel, you would have stood a better chance: more flights, no security, etc. Many, I am just glad that I am not traveling 1-2 weeks out of every month anymore - these days, it would be even worse than it used to be.

At least the freezer factory part wasn't a disaster!

[chris-warrior.livejournal.com]

yuck. :(

so... could you drive next time? drop your wife off in Syracuse to stay with me and collect her on the way back? ;)