This week I'm out east visiting my grandparents and some dear friends. So far my trip has been such a welcome get-away and I've loved every minute.
Except Friday.
I woke up that morning and as I was packing in Tampa, my Grandpa told me the news was saying that the storms in the Northeast were causing a bunch of travel delays. But I wasn't worried -- I was flying from Tampa to Nashville to Greenville -- all relatively warm places out of the path of the storms. Little did I know I was in for one of the worst travel nightmares of my life. I've had worse -- getting back from Angola, Africa took 42 hours. And I know I'm not alone -- the whole east coast air travel fell apart Friday, and some people are likely still not to their destination. But I had to write this post, if only to remember the craziness for myself.
10:00am -- Left my Grandpa's house in Tampa for the airport.
11:30am -- Scheduled departure Tampa to Nashville. Informed that our flight crew was not there due to canceled flights coming in from colder climates.
12:30pm -- Quiznos for lunch
3:30pm -- Actual departure Tampa to Nashville
5:30pm -- Stood in a one hour line to get rescheduled to another flight since I missed my connection to Greenville. Simultaneously on hold with Southwest for 45 minutes only to find out there were no more flights that night or the next day from Nashville to Greenville.
6:00pm -- Considered renting a car to drive 6 hours to Greenville
7:00pm -- Boarded a delayed flight from Nashville to Baltimore to catch another flight that was delayed from Baltimore to Greenville (scheduled to arrive at 11:10pm). Separated from my luggage since there was no time to get it on the flight with me.
7:30pm -- Pretzels for dinner
9:15pm -- Stranded on Baltimore runway. Looked up next flight status to find out it was cancelled.
9:45pm -- Stood in my 2nd hour-long line of the day with no hope. I was further from Greenville than if I had stayed in Nashville (now a 9 hour drive instead of 6), with no luggage, and no more flights departing to Greenville that day.
10:00pm -- Saw a gate across the way with a flight nearly fully boarded to Raleigh and ran over in time to get on standby.
10:20pm -- Got the last seat on the flight to Raleigh
10:40pm -- Departed Baltimore to Raleigh
11:50pm -- Stood outside in 19 degree weather waiting for a rental car shuttle (Mind you, I hadn't planned to be anywhere that cold that day so I was shivering convulsively in my leather jacket and jeans.)
12:15am -- Started the 4 hour drive from Raleigh to Greenville
12:50am -- Wendy's drive-thru
4:05am -- Arrived in Greenville without luggage but thankful to have a bed.
It's Sunday afternoon and I still have no luggage.
Total travel time: 18 hours
Total time if I would have just driven from Tampa to Greenville: 8.5 hours
Lesson Learned: If you're traveling on the East coast during winter, just drive.
Except Friday.
I woke up that morning and as I was packing in Tampa, my Grandpa told me the news was saying that the storms in the Northeast were causing a bunch of travel delays. But I wasn't worried -- I was flying from Tampa to Nashville to Greenville -- all relatively warm places out of the path of the storms. Little did I know I was in for one of the worst travel nightmares of my life. I've had worse -- getting back from Angola, Africa took 42 hours. And I know I'm not alone -- the whole east coast air travel fell apart Friday, and some people are likely still not to their destination. But I had to write this post, if only to remember the craziness for myself.
10:00am -- Left my Grandpa's house in Tampa for the airport.
11:30am -- Scheduled departure Tampa to Nashville. Informed that our flight crew was not there due to canceled flights coming in from colder climates.
12:30pm -- Quiznos for lunch
3:30pm -- Actual departure Tampa to Nashville
5:30pm -- Stood in a one hour line to get rescheduled to another flight since I missed my connection to Greenville. Simultaneously on hold with Southwest for 45 minutes only to find out there were no more flights that night or the next day from Nashville to Greenville.
6:00pm -- Considered renting a car to drive 6 hours to Greenville
7:00pm -- Boarded a delayed flight from Nashville to Baltimore to catch another flight that was delayed from Baltimore to Greenville (scheduled to arrive at 11:10pm). Separated from my luggage since there was no time to get it on the flight with me.
7:30pm -- Pretzels for dinner
9:15pm -- Stranded on Baltimore runway. Looked up next flight status to find out it was cancelled.
9:45pm -- Stood in my 2nd hour-long line of the day with no hope. I was further from Greenville than if I had stayed in Nashville (now a 9 hour drive instead of 6), with no luggage, and no more flights departing to Greenville that day.
10:00pm -- Saw a gate across the way with a flight nearly fully boarded to Raleigh and ran over in time to get on standby.
10:20pm -- Got the last seat on the flight to Raleigh
10:40pm -- Departed Baltimore to Raleigh
11:50pm -- Stood outside in 19 degree weather waiting for a rental car shuttle (Mind you, I hadn't planned to be anywhere that cold that day so I was shivering convulsively in my leather jacket and jeans.)
12:15am -- Started the 4 hour drive from Raleigh to Greenville
12:50am -- Wendy's drive-thru
4:05am -- Arrived in Greenville without luggage but thankful to have a bed.
It's Sunday afternoon and I still have no luggage.
Total travel time: 18 hours
Total time if I would have just driven from Tampa to Greenville: 8.5 hours
Lesson Learned: If you're traveling on the East coast during winter, just drive.
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