Thank You Soutwest Airlines Yes , it’s 5 am, but I just had to relay the series of events that have unfolded in the last 12 hours. I’ve had some unfortunate events when trying to travel this year. This may take the cake. Long week. Flew to Omaha on Monday. Drove to Lincoln Monday night. Drove to Grand Island Tuesday night. Drove Grand Island, 6 hours, to Des Moines on Wednesday night. Thursday afternoon I was to Fly out of Des Moines, connection in Chicago, and arrive home in St. Louis at 11:00 pm. Not quite. As we were lined up ready to board the first leg to Chicago, the pilot came out and told the gate agent that there was a problem with the plane. After about 20 minutes they announced that the plane had been hit by lightning and would need service. Half hour later, they said the plane could not be fixed, and we would have to wait for another plane. At this point, we would get to Chicago at some point that night, but we would all miss our connections. Chaos. Thinking ahead, I immediately got online to book a morning flight from Chicago to St. Louis. 6:00 am flight. Paid for it. Great. About half an hour later they announce that they are not sending a plane in to help us. No flight would be going out tonight at all. Next flight out was 6:00 am this morning. Huge line formed at the counter. They asked all of us with computers or phones to try to make our new travel plans by contacting Southwest ourselves as the line was more than a hundred deep. I got online and tried to book the morning flight. Computer sail it was sold out. I told the gate agent and he said that was not the case and I should call directly. I called Southwest and after 15 minutes on hold, I was told that there was room on the flight, but that local agent must have put a hold on the seats and they could not access them. OK. I again asked the gate agent what was going on. He said I would have to get in line and hope for the best. Hour and a half in line and the morning flight was now sold out. They could get me on the 5:45 flight on Friday afternoon, but the connection to St. Louis was overbooked and I might not get out of Chicago until sometime Saturday. Crap! OK. So now it’s obvious the only thing to do is rent a car and drive 6 hours, at night, through bad storms. Nope. Due to the sudden flood of people looking for cars, all of the rental counter froze their cars for local rentals only. No one way rentals. No exceptions. Now I head for the other airline counters. Nothing else available to get out to Chicago last night. Remember I had booked that flight on Southwest at 6:00 am from Chicago to St. Louis. Well I couldn’t get to Chicago to get on it. Finally. United could get me out at 11:00 this morning, connection through St. Louis, arriving t St. Louis at 4:30 this afternoon. One way ticket $380.! Now I head back to Southwest o get a hotel and meal voucher. Sorry, the issue was weather related and Southwest was not paying for anything. Getting frustrated! Hotel. Checked out what was available and ended up at the Quality Inn Downtown. 20 minute ride. I checked in and headed for their restaurant. Sorry, kitchen was closing, all they could give me was a cheese sandwich. Now to the present. 3:45 am. Fire Alarm! Had to go outside, very cold, and then we were told there was no fire. So, here I am. 5:00am. Adrenaline pumping. No way to get back to sleep. Wondering how today will go. Thank you Lord for giving me the ability to accept the things I cannot change. And thank you to again Southwest Airlines.
Posted on: Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:11:50 +0000
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