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24th APRIL 2009 - TICKET TROUBLE IN HAWAII & WORST FLIGHT EVER!!!
I got up at around 7.30am. Had breakfast and watched a spot of tv before going to the room to pack up my stuff. Nat not so good this morning...she had developed a bad rash on her lower leg...think it was an allergic reaction to a cleaning product used in the restaurant the previous night. She hadn't slept and it was burning...poor girl!! Once packed up we headed out. I went to the net and Nat went to the net via the pharmacy hoping they could help diagnose and treat. They gave her some cream and tablets but not the best service! At the net we used up the time we had paid for and booked a hostel for Mexico...couldn't believe our time was up in Hawaii! Once done on the net we headed back to the hostel, said bye to the guys we went for dinner with and got in our shuttle bus to the airport.
At the airport we tried to self check in but there was a problem so we had to go to the desk. They needed our e-ticket number which we have never been given. Without that number they would not let us fly and the lady behind the desk was no help. She implied that we must have had the number and had lost it. I firmly explained that we had never had it and had yet succeeded to travel almost full circle around the world. She gave us the phone and a number and told us to phone Quantas for it. Such a hassle and we couldn't get through! Only 50 minutes to take off! I could feel a bead of sweat on my forehead! We continued trying and seeing our struggle the lady then tried to help us. She was disgusted that our booking agent had never given us an e-ticket number and advised us to get onto them. We assured her we would after getting to Mexico. 30 minutes until take off! Eventually the lady took the number and said she would go and try and sort something out. She disappeared for what felt like forever. We clock watched...tick tock, tick tock!! She came back and said she had our e-ticket number and could now check us in. 15 minutes to spare...woohoo!! There were no seats left next to each other but we didn't care by that point. We just wanted to make it onto the plane. The lady was extra helpful from that point onwards. She printed the tickets and number for our connecting flight from LA and gave us our e-ticket numbers for all our remaining flights too to make it easier at check in. By the time she had sorted us out we had about 5 minutes to spare and after thanking her we walked briskly to the gate. Phew...made it!!
My seat was right in the back row next to the window. Nat was miles nearer the front in row 21. I was very sleepy and it was a 5 hour flight so I hoped that I would sleep for the majority especially as there would be no meal interruption. Can you believe we didn't get a meal on a 5 hour flight...ridiculous!!! The lady next to me was foreign (couldn't tell where from) but she was very rude. She didn't put her arm on the armrest between us, she put it over the armrest practically on my knee. She kept leaning over me without asking to stick her face in the window. Every time she stood up she dumped her blanket on me and she elbowed me so many times that I thought I would have a dint in my chest by the time we got to LA. I was less than impressed as you can imagine but I relied on my talent for sleeping and that was what I managed to do for the first 2 hours of the flight.
I woke up thirsty and unluckily had just missed the drinks trolley. As I closed my eyes again I felt another thud into my chest by the wandering elbow! I was getting angry by this point but no use speaking to her as she didn't speak English and by the way she was acting, I may as well have been invisible. She basically used me and my chair as her own personal drop down tray! Thankfully, 'Marly and Me' was just starting and so I settled to watch the film. It was a good job that it was good as it managed to keep me calm and sane. It even brought a tear to my eye...I think it was the film anyway...it could have been the lady's elbow!! I could not wait to get off the flight, get some food and have a drink without being abused in some way!
As it hit 9pm (LA time) we started the descent. I looked out of the window when I got a chance and wasn't being leaned over. I was like a kid who lived in the country and had been taken to London for the first time. So many bright lights everywhere. So different from where we had been recently and my eyes were wide. Queuing traffic, tall lit buildings and streets aglow with the light of a million fairies. Wow!! Not like I had never been to a big city before but just been a while. Silly really but I was amazed! We had landed in LA!!
Off the plane we headed to the Mexicano desk to check in for our connecting flight to Mexico. I had a slightly anxious feeling about not seeing my bag and just hoped and prayed that it would be transferred to the correct flight. Check in did not go smoothly even though we had the e-ticket number. The guy asked us if we had paid for our tickets. Jesus wept!! Could anything else go wrong?!! I showed him the proof that we had and he called over his manager who tried to sort out what had happened! It took a while and turned out that our flight dates were booked for December. I know that I didn't have the money to stay for that long and not sure my mum would have been too pleased either had I phoned her and told her the news..."I'm staying in America until December and then flying to Mexico to continue my planned trip. Can you wire me some funds because I don't have enough?" Not sure it would have gone down too well!! We showed the guy our itinerary and he sorted it out for us and checked us in. Dreading what will happen on our next flight...they will probably have us down as being wanted by the police or something!!
Armed with our boarding passes we went through security. Nat still having trouble with her rash, we were both tired and hungry and bolshie Americans on the security desks didn't help! Honestly...think Obama should bring in a compulsory people management course for all American citizens!! Don't get me wrong...we have met some good ones like the lady who helped us in Hawaii but we have met a lot of awful ones too that just don't know how to speak to people in a normal way! Nightmare!!
Once through security we went for something to eat. Nothing open except McDonalds! I didn't care that I had not had one in over 10 years...cheeseburger and chips for me. It tasted quite good too though having not had anything since breakfast I think even school dinners would have tasted good!! Filled a hole! Once eaten we went to sit at the gate. Nat's rash still giving her grief and so whilst I waited with our stuff she went to see if there was a medic who worked at the airport. She spoke with Airport police who totally misunderstood and called for the paramedics to come. They were too helpful and kept telling her they would delay the flight if needed until she was ready and had been checked over. Bit of a language barrier confusion I think but she managed to tell them that there was no need for the paramedics and she would see a doctor in Mexico. It had all been a bit hectic today!! I would have loved to have seen the paramedics come...would have been funny and the perfect ending to a dramatic day!! As it was, we boarded the plane just before midnight. It had been a long and tiring day!! Next stop...Mexico City!!
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james
non-member comment
quite funny indeed miss lol i have a flight to australia on monday and i have 2 connecting flights i hope everything goes well as i have an e ticket too NIGHTMARE!:P NO SEAT NUMBER ON IT :P