Don't know how interesting this will be, but writing it helped pass time in a LONG day of traveling. Am here in Biloxi for a wedding but added a couple of days so that I could do a little sightseeing since I've never been here before (and probably won't be back).
The “joys” of travel. . . .
After checking in on-line Wednesday morning for the Thursday 10 a.m. flight to Memphis (changing there for Gulfport, Mississippi), I went for a 4-mile walk with a group from the YWCA along the Mississippi where we observed the flooding first-hand. Fortunately, in this area the land being flooded is parkland where the intent is to serve as floodplain so the water does less damage than when the area contained homes and businesses.
Then I went to the Univ. of Minnesota to meet with JunYoung, my partner in English. Upon returning home I received a recorded phone call from Delta telling me the flight to Memphis had been cancelled. No reason why was given. It was a full flight so a shortage of customers was not the reason. Delta had booked me onto a 10:30 a.m. flight that took me to Gulfport through Atlanta, a routing I’d been hoping to avoid.
Arrived at the airport early on Thursday morning in an attempt to score an aisle seat (which I did) and eat breakfast. Once at the gate I quickly learned that mechanical problems had delayed the flight until 11 a.m. I wasn’t too worried since I could still probably make the connecting flight. However, at 10:40 the gate staff announced that departure had been delayed until at least 1 p.m. and suggested that those with connecting flights from Atlanta check about rebooking. At this point rebooking through Atlanta would have resulted in an after-10 p.m. Gulfport arrival time. So I returned to the original Memphis routing – but, of course, with a 4-hour later arrival time.
The system did work rather well (she says with reluctant admiration). A phone call to the Delta 800 number and then putting my old boarding pass bar code into the machine at the “Help” area resulted in a printout of my new routing and a coupon good for $6.00 toward a meal. Not much one can get for that amount in the airport, but it was a nice gesture and happened automatically. Checked the departure listings and discovered a flight to Memphis leaving almost 3 hours before the one on which I was scheduled. Went to the gate and found I could get on that one. It wouldn’t get me to Gulfport any sooner but would break up the waiting time and reduce the risk that other problems might interfere with getting out of Minneapolis. Departed and arrived on schedule.
Spent almost four hours in the Memphis airport looking out on blue skies and green grass and trees (in the distance) wishing I could be enjoying the nice weather rather than sitting in the airport. But at least I got partway and was able to enjoy a pulled pork sandwich at the airport version of Corky’s, a well-known Memphis barbecue joint. Flight to Gulfport was timely and uneventful. After waiting until all the luggage had been delivered, realizing mine wasn’t there, and checking with the luggage service folk, I was told it was coming in on a flight arriving at 10:30. They promised to deliver it to my hotel this evening. One can hope.
Found that the van transport from the airport promised by the hotel didn’t run after 5 p.m. so had to take a $40 taxi. That does increase the price on the hotel “special deal.” One hopes that the rest of the trip will go well. At least the promised WiFi at the Four Points Sheraton does work so this could be posted.
No comments:
Post a Comment