On the Road Again!

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Lift off! No problem getting from Tucson to Chicago. Thanks Susan for picking me and up and taking me to the airport.

And then the drama began. My seat was in the back of the plane, one up from the toilet. Convenient only if the fasten seat belt sign if OFF. As usual, I was the most dutiful passenger, making sure I paid close attention to the Flight Attendant's safety speach. I tend to think I'll forget everything I heard if there's an emergency, but I think better to remember some than not have paid attention and be totally clueless!

I schleped my carryon bag and huge tote bag filled with all my necessities (mostly electronic gadgets to keep me occupied ... oh and an extra pair of panties just in case I got stuck in Chicago for the night). I looked on the monitor outside my arrival gate to check out where I needed to go for the flight to London. There was only one listed; it sorta matched what I remembered to be my departure time. It was in another building which I thought was curious, but that building was designated as "Internaltional Gates" and I wasn't sure whether I should go there or not. So I stopped at an airport information booth and asked the question "blah, blah, London flight, AA, blah, blah" and the info guy say I have to go to that building. I'm thinking this doesn't seem familiar -- last time I did this trip through Chicago I didn't go to another terminal. And I'd have to leave the secured area and that meant I'd have to go through security again. UGH.

But I went. Got on a airport train, head out to M Building. Out of the train, up the escalator, see the security gate and there I head. Made a pit stop at the ladies room and displayed my passport and nonrevenue ticket to the security guard. No, No. Not. Wrong. The ticket says AA. You must be going British Air. Need to go to the British Air ticket counter. Ok. Back up. To the ticket counter line. After a ten minute wait, a ticket agent tells me, No, No. Not. Wrong. Yes that flight leaves from the building you just left. Go back downstairs, take the train, back to where I started, after I went through security again.

Miles of corridors ... well, it seemed like miles ... and I find the correct gate. I sit. When you're a non-rev passenger you have to wait around until all ticketed passengers are on the plane, and then cross fingers that you hear your name called. There's a list of standby passengers that flashes on a screen behind the gate ticket counter. I'm 7th, then 9th, then 10th, then 7th again. I'm doomed. There are around 10 of us who did not get on the plane. We get "rolled over" to the next flight, the last flight of the night. Sameo, sameo. No luck. Now we are "rolled over" to the first flight in the morning and are given a voucher for a $59 room at the Hyatt. I met a very very sweet American Airlines retired flight attendant. Although her number was higher, meaning she was number 2, she didn't get on either. We mutually decided it was better to be in the game with another person, so we walked down to baggage, waited for our bags (they don't put them on the plane if you don't get on .... or they do put them on the plane if you don't get on ... guess it depends on the phase of the moon), she helped with my numerous had-to-have bags, out the terminal, find the shuttle bus to the Hyatt, check in, set the alarm for 6:00 a.m. (it is now after midnight), and enjoy a fabulous room (for $59.00).

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