Flying Home!

It was great to get to the airport at about six o’clock in the evening instead of at one like the ship transfer.  And I am sure those people did not have the wonderful day we ended our trip with.

There was a very long, very long line waiting to check in but luckily that was for Delta.  We on the Argentinian line walked right up to the several kiosks available for check in – no waiting.  I used the rest room to change into my jeans and long sleeve shirt for the flight because I am always cold on planes. I cut through the Delta line by Linda and Fred.  We did have to wait about 15 minutes before we could check bags.  So when I went to fill my water bottle I asked the people behind me to watch my bags.  Funny thing is for the Argentine Airline you can take water through security but not onto the plane both for domestic and international flights.  Of course I cut through by Linda and Fred again and back again.  We were laughing, or at least I was, as I teased them about me having the no sweat check in.  

Once the check in line for this, my seventh flight since I left home, started moving for us it went quickly.  Security was easy, no pat down!  At our gate I was sitting next to the couple who watched by luggage while I teased the chases and discovered that they were from San Angelo, Texas.  So I took their picture and sent it to Gary and Sue Ann who are also from San Angelo!  What a coincidence.  I gave each of them the other’s email and hopefully they will connect up.  

The wait went pretty fast with talking to my new people, and also with another couple who had been on our cruise but not in our tour group.  They let me plug my phone into their multi-adapter which was lucky since I didn’t have one that worked properly.  Pretty soon airline employees started rolling tables to our gate.  I recognized from previous flights that this meant another security check.  As people got into the line I went up to ask which of the three lines to get into based on my seating.  The gentleman looked at it, looked at the long line and pulled me into a separate section with a lady with a stroller and three kids.  Not sure what this meant but it was great.  When they opened up I was suddenly the first in line.  It took much longer to go through the stroller, diaper bag, backpack etc. than through my one little personal bag. 

I had an aisle seat and it turned out to be a good thing.  Most everyone on the plane went to sleep right after the dinner was served at midnight.  I skipped the iffy pasta and had very good chicken instead.  Then I was able to get up and walk around and also stretch into the aisle if no one was using it.  At one time when getting hot tea around three in the morning I had a long chat with the male flight attendant. He was very interesting as he is flying in order to travel.  He plans carefully and does those wonderful young people trips of staying in hostels, motor biking through the Alps, and just “winging it!”

A couple movies later and it was time to have a lite breakfast and land in Miami.  I was hoping that I figured out my connections correctly and the timing would work out.  I had originally booked an 11 a.m. flight but changed it to 12:50 to allow for a late arrival from Buenos Aires, delays at baggage or immigration, missing the train on the schedule, delay for the shuttle in Ft. Lauderdale – whatever.  Turns out I wish I had kept that flight.

We arrived early by fifteen minutes at five to six.  I used the ladies room and when I got to the baggage carousel my bags were the first ones coming out!  There was no customs and with Global Entry I just went to the kiosk and there was no Passport Control beyond that!  Crazy!  Especially after the ordeal I experienced coming in from England three weeks earlier!  I guess coming from Argentina is not a threat or something.  I just walked out and took the train to the main terminal. Followed the signs to the Tri-rail and bought my ticket at the kiosk.  The train was waiting.  I took my seat at 6:45 a.m.!  At seven on the dot we left Miami Terminal.  My luck continued and the shuttle bus was waiting in Ft. Lauderdale. So I was in the Ft. Lauderdale Airport and the only one in the baggage check at Southwest by eight o’clock!  

There my luck ended.  I asked if there was space on the earlier flight and there was one at 9:30 but it would be a stopover and an extra $200!  The original eleven o’clock already had a long standby list.  So even though Christine said she could have picked me up earlier it wasn’t worth $200 to me.  That was the same as I had paid for the whole round trip ticket!  

Since I had plenty of time I wandered in some of the shops and walked up and down a lot.  Sitting on the plane all night makes me realize I need to walk it out.  I just had my little personal bag so it was easy.  At eleven I got a notice from TripCase, my go to app for flight and travel updates, that the 12:50 flight would be delayed.  I got several updates from them before there was a gate announcement.  First five minutes, then ten, then half an hour.  The plane wasn’t delayed because of the major storms in the Midwest and northeast but was stuck in Orlando!  At about one-thirty, after we should have already been well on our way, our gate was moved.  It was a long walk to the new concourse where we continued to sit and wait.

My new reading list!

A plane arrived to the announcement that if passengers were going on to Montego Bay their plane was waiting for them at the next gate!  Lucky them.  Yea for us though, this plane was being turned over for us!  When we boarded we were glad to be finally on our way at 2:30ish.  But no.  Mechanical delay held the plane in Orlando and now there was a computer system error.  The new flight route could not be loaded properly.  

See that concourse way across there?  

We were at the far end of that before we hurried over here, just to wait some more!

Confusion was added in when the gate agent came on to say if anyone was connecting to a Raleigh Durham flight they would be able to make it.  People clapped.  A few minutes later she returned to say that now you would not make it but could go with her to a different flight that would be non-stop to Carolina.  People were getting up to go with her when she did remind them that their bags were already loaded and would not be shifted to the new flight.  Some still wanted to change and were gathering up their things including the lady next to me.  She just wanted to get to her meeting.  Another agent came on and said, oh sorry, the Raleigh flight was now full.  What a mess.

At 3:10 my eighth flight finally took off.  I called Christine who was heading to the airport to pick me up. I called when I got my first bag and told her which door I would be at and she was waiting in the Cell Lot.  Bags stopped coming up and when I checked was told that when the last bag was on the carousel an empty blue crate would come up.  So called my daughter again and told her to keep waiting.  Well, you guessed it, up came the blue crate.  Ten of us were missing our luggage.  I wasn’t panicked since this was home!  I have clothes at home so it isn’t as bad as if you were at your vacation destination.

We all went to the claims area.  I was at the end of the line to go into the booth to find out the next steps and leave delivery information for when the bags were found.  Just then another person came to help out.  Before going to the desk she came out to talk to us. She looked around and started by saying that she had found a three more bags and to give her the claim tickets.  The next thing she said was to me, “I have your bag!”  Gotta love my red and white polka dots!  That moved me to the head of the line and out the door.

In just a few minutes Christine picked me up.  She always brings tea or a Coke for me and I took advantage of both.  We had lots of time to chat about my trip and what the kids were doing.  We were now in rush hour traffic. At her house I switched to my car and finally was heading home.  Wonton Noodle and Daisy Doodle were waiting for me!  The house looked great.  Got laundry started and did a quick sort of the mail.  Karen had turned on the hot water so a bath was in order and by nine I was unpacked, laundry done, bath enjoyed!  Ahh!  Everyone loves to be in their own bed, don’t they!

There are 34 posts for this Antarctic Exploration.  The first is titled And So We Begin Again.  Please enjoy and share.

I am home for eight whole weeks!  After that I hope you will join me on my trip to the Balkan States, Romania and Hungary.   That will be a land tour with my friend Elva using OAT and connecting with a Viking River Cruise.  Time to start planning!