Remember when the list had one name on it; LIAT (Leave Island any Time) the original airline from HELL. Then I added SMITH’S Fast ferry for their absurd customer service, etc….
Now we have today’s flying debacle with American Airlines. Let me preface this rant with some comments about maintenance. As a sailor before I start my engine or move my boat I check all the fluids, is anything leaking, do I have rum, do I have the little packages with four nuts in them? You get the idea.
I appreciate that sometimes things break or false indications of safety concerns occur…
Today we arrived three hours early for our 2:05 flight to New York and a connection to Toronto and we are in Toronto by 10. The plane developed engine trouble on the ground in New York and was three and a half hours late to St. Thomas. That would mean we would miss our Toronto connection and would have to be put up (by American (could anything go wrong with that)) in New York and fly on tomorrow.
We chose to try to get changed to a flight to Miami. The agent accommodated our wishes and we were routed through Miami and home in Toronto before midnight. We booked a room at the airport in Toronto to avoid having Jen waiting around and travelling late to pick us old folks up.
Then just when the flight from Miami should be landing they (American Airlines people) announced that the plane from Miami had engine trouble and landed at San Juan Puerto Rico. A replacement plane has been dispatched and should depart St. Thomas at 8pm. Now we will miss the Toronto connection in Miami.
Apparently we will be on a Miami sleep over on them and will fly to Toronto tomorrow at 10:45 to Toronto. (The disclaimer) If everything goes good.
Now those of you who read my blog know I am an idiot about travel. We have now been in the airport since 11:00 this morning and we haven’t moved yet. We will have invested 9 hours before we start this epic voyage.
So, what do sailors do when confronted with a problem that is outside their abilities or powers to fix…they go for rum. We are in the bar knockin’ them back. We will likely be the problem passengers dropped off in San Juan and locked up. At least we would know where we are sleeping tonight.
Then we sat down at a table and against the wall was a pack sack without an owner. The cleaning guy was passing so I mentioned the bag (remember I am an idiot about travelling) then all hell broke loose and more uniforms showed up than I have seen in total to date. They finally took the bag away and left us to our rum.
I have an American Airline App that now says it will be 9:30 before we leave St. Thomas. JEEZUZ
Sailing makes so much more sense than flying.
More as we live it.