The Newest Reason I Hate to Fly..!
By cjsmom
@cjsmom (1423)
United States
August 2, 2007 5:35pm CST
I understand that it's quicker, and, supposedly safer to travel by air; I used to love to fly. But ever since 9/11 it has become an extreme discomfort for me.
There is a certain airline that we've flown throughout the years because of the fact that's it fairly inexpensive compared to other airlines but they have lost part if not all our luggage everytime!
This year I swore I wouldn't fly them and I kept my word only to find out that if I didn't have bad luck with flying I'd have no luck at all.
CJ and I went to visit my mom in Oregon first. Mark dropped us off at Midway/Chicago 50 minutes before our flight time only to find out once we got up to reservation desk that we were LATE!!! WHAT???
I was informed that we'd have to go stand-by, even though they were just boarding the plane when we got to the gate. So, we had to wait for the next plane. We had to stop in Denver and because we missed our original flight we had to go stand-by AGAIN!!!
So we waited...When the next plane came I was informed by the agent that there weren't two seats together and that they had no intention of asking anyone to move so that we could sit together. Boy, was my hide chapped by then.
Fortunately I kept my cool and CJ didn't seem to be upset about the situation; he was playing with his gameboy and using his dvd player. I told the agent that we couldn't sit apart because of CJ being Autistic. He didn't seem to care. Go figure...
So we waited, once again for the next plane. I guess he decided he was going to feel sorry for us and came to where we were sitting informing me that he'd reserved actual seats for us on the next flight. How very kind of him...(sarcasm)
So, it took us all day just to get to my mom's. We then had to take a taxi to her place and the taxi driver, once I told him the address had the 'gall' to ask me what street he should take to get there. Anything to get more money out of you; he knew I was unfamiliar with the area. It cost $35 for that ride.
But on a good point, when I left mom's to go to dad's in California, I had figured out how to take the Light-Rail to the airport; so it cost less than $10. Live and learn, I guess...
In the long run we had a good vacation other than the travel part.
Anyone else have nightmarish air travel stories?
4 people like this
8 responses
@theprogamer (10532)
• United States
14 Oct 07
Well that's no fun Cjsma. I avoid flying because of things like this. Plus I don't like to fly and that was pre 9/11. Now that the airports really like to annoy and violate ya, I'm really not flying. Here's to getting major light rail here, but I know its not gonna stick. Stateside is too busy planning out the major North American highway (Mexico, US, Canada) and its also trying to put together a west coast to east coast superhighway. Yippee -_- *rolleyes*
1 person likes this
@cjsmom (1423)
• United States
14 Oct 07
That's for sure, programmer...I didn't like flying pre 9/11 either. I wish they would make our rail system more prominent instead of decreasing it; to me there's no hassle and I just feel safer. Not saying that there isn't accidents on the rail but far and few between.
@suspenseful (40192)
• Canada
13 Oct 07
We never had things like that, but then we were told we have to be at the airport TWO hours ahead. Most of that time was spent in sitting down, walking around the airport, looking at the shops after we got our tickets confirmed. When we went on our cruise, we left Winnipeg, my husband got searched (he has is of Mennonite Low German descent, but he does has dark hair and brown eyes and he tans easily so I guess that is why they were mistaken as to his origin), we got on the bus to the dock and had to go through the long customs line up, show our passports, and then get on the ship. When we got back to Vancouver after seven days, my husband got searched again even though I told them not to. Oh the flights went okay, it was the preliminaries, and all that red tape.
@ElusiveButterfly (45942)
• United States
21 Aug 07
Wow, sorry to hear of your travel woes. I haven't had such a problem because I have never been in a plane. Hearing so many other's stories of their flight nightmares, I am not sure I want to.
@Debs_place (10520)
• United States
22 Aug 07
This is my son's story, he is in the Navy. The last time he came home on leave, the airlines lost his luggage. The next day they called to say they found it, in another state.
They would deliver it the following day.
So the next afternoon, the doorbell rings, and there is a guy with a pair of skiis. My son looks at it and says, they belong to the guy who was on a ski trip in vermont, he was in back of my son in line at the airport. So this poor guy was without his skis and my son without his luggage.
Finally they locate his luggage, but since he packed it Navy style, when they finally got around to giving him his luggage (the day before he was to leave) they came with his suitcase and another one, after they opened his luggage to inspect it, it could not be closed, so they took an unclaimed bag which had been sitting around for a while and packed his stuff in it. Funny thing was, there was extra stuff in my son's bag that they gave us. We did not dare call to complain
1 person likes this
@byfaithonly (10698)
• United States
21 Aug 07
Oh dear - know I'm way late responding to this discussion but I know how you feel about flying. I've flown millions of miles in my life but it never gets easier - just something not right about those thousands of pounds being up in the air. If God had wanted me to fly He would have given me wings...
My worst story - lost my 2 oldest boys (2 & 4 at the time) in the Dallas airport :( Nightmare for me, they were fine and we were only seperated about 15 minutes but the airport staff was terrific through the whole thing - that was back in 1980 though.
@cjsmom (1423)
• United States
21 Aug 07
I know what you mean about if we were meant to fly...LOL
And losing a child, even if it's for only a few minutes is the most terrifying experience in life.
When I lost my daughter(age 2 at the time) at Disneyland I thought I was going to have a heart attack and die right then and there. Turned my head for split second and 'gone'...We found her after about 1/2 hour but it must have looked to others in park as if I were a 'crazy woman'...Running at top speed to the last place we had been. Not fun..!
@maximax8 (31044)
• United Kingdom
3 Aug 07
I think the airline that you describe is awful. Arriving late at a check in desk means that that the plane might be already full though. Traveling on a stand by ticket is worrying as there might not be room for you. I think not sitting you together was a very silly thing to do as CJ is Autistic. A few taxi drivers are known for getting lots of money from people not familiar with the area. So traveling on the Light Rail was a better idea.
The worst flight I did was London to Tunis then Sfax. On the first landing I got terrible ear pain. Then on the second landing, and it was a rough one, I was sick. In all the mess I lost my immigration landing card. I had some explaining to do at Sfax Airport. I had stupidly locked my backpack and left the key at home!
The worst taxi rides I have had in Paris in France. The fares were so expensive. The best taxi ride was paid by Amtrak in the USA. My train was 5 hours late and it arrived at midnight. So they gave me a free half hour taxi journey to the town where I would be staying. Yes, you can learn a lot by traveling.
1 person likes this
@cjsmom (1423)
• United States
4 Aug 07
Thank you for the kind thoughts...I can just imagine what you went through with losing your card and leaving your key to backpack at home. It was very nice of Amtrak to do that for you on the taxi fare. I used to be a reservationist for them years ago and I dearly loved it.
@ItTakesAllSorts (4096)
•
3 Aug 07
Good to see you back cjsmom!
It definately seems that traveling by plane does not agree with you, what a disaster!!
Luckily I have never experienced anything like this, but when on a plane I spend the whole time in a panic, thinking we are going to crash!!
1 person likes this
@fn187zbabe (174)
• United States
2 Aug 07
I feel the same way as you do. Flying has become an inconvenience unless you have to travel for business. Even then it's an inconvenience. Last time I flew was right after 9/11 and the airports were loaded with guards. I felt as if I was in the middle of a war. They also practically strip searched you in front of everyone. It was very unhumane almost like we were cattle. What really got to me was I went to another country and they acted this way to the people leaving the USA but on my return there was nothing like that for the people coming into the USA. Does that make sense?
1 person likes this
