So I made it to the airport 20 minutes before the plane took off. THis would normally be fine, except I parked in the distance parking. By the time I made it to the inside of the airport, it was too late to use the machines to check in, it was too late to check my bags, and the counter lady frowned at me. Like the petunias, I thought, "Not again."
I combined bags, took off the heels, blazed through security (Pocket knife makes it through security: FOURTEEN times and counting), and ran down 20 gates. They held the gate open for me.
That was a bit close. I hate waiting at the airport, but perhaps that was a bit close.
Posts: 4816 | Registered: Apr 2003
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posted
Haven't had any in a while, but I used to regularly have nightmares that were, like, "Aaaghh! My flight leaves in 30 minutes, and I'm still 60 miles from the airport!"
Glad I haven't had any of those in a while.
(But: time to go to sleep now... hope I just didn't give my brain any suggestions for tonight's dreams...)
Posts: 2911 | Registered: Aug 2001
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When I flew back from Israel last winter, when I went for ten days in december, I had a really tight connection -- 50 minutes, to be exact. My flight to the connection terminal was delayed 45.
I had just flown in from Israel, so I had to go through customs... they let me skip to the front of the line, since I had exactly five minutes to find my gate (which was nice, actually). After I passed customs, I took out my ticket, to check the gate from which my flight was scheduled to leave (first mistake -- never check the ticket, check one of the convenient little TV screens, as changes can and will happen ).
As it turned out, I spent ten minutes searching for a gate that didn't exist.
Finally, I took the intiative to ask one of the men in fluorescent orange where gate 97 was. He told me I'd have some difficulties finding it, since there didn't happen to be a gate 97 anywhere in the terminal.
So, the orange guy and I went to look at one of the TV screens (bear in mind that this is the first time I'd ever flown by myself on a flight where I had to change planes in the middle, rather than a direct flight, so I was terrified) and found out that my flight was at gate 79, not gate 97. They printed it wrong on my ticket.
Orange started running toward gate 79, with me at his heels... we got there, and there wasn't a single person at the gate. Obviously, they were on the plane, right?
Yeah, that's what I thought too. Until I showed the lady at the desk my ticket, and she said "oh, the flight to Indianapolis? That's not here, that was moved to gate 93." I almost had a heart attack. It was now almost fifteen minutes after my plane was supposed to have taken off, and I still didn't know where the blasted gate was. I turned to orange, and he gave me a worried glance, before saying "Gate 93? That's all the way on the other side of the terminal!"
SO... I was in tears at this point, I had no idea what was going to happen to me (remember, I was terrified, never having done this before, I wasn't thinking too clearly, otherwise I would have realized that I could have just caught a seat on the next flight)... orange was obviously trying to think of a way to get me there in time to catch my flight, when suddenly, he said "put your coat on, you'll need it," and grabbed my hand. He took me to a door in an abandoned gate nearby, and outside onto the tarmac, where you always look out of plane windows, and see the little golf carts driving around, full of people wearing fluorescent orange.
He led me (very briskly) to one of the little golf carts, and I climbed in. He jumped in the driver's seat with anxious looks all around him (he kept saying "I'm not supposed to do this, so don't tell anyone!!!!"... it was obvious that something like that could have cost him his job, so I was really worried for him, he was being so kind to me!). He started driving towards the other side of the terminal at absolutely insane speeds, while I held on to the front of the cart so I wouldn't fall out. Finally, we got to the gate that my flight was leaving from, got out of the cart, and went in through the little door.
The door to the plane was closed, and both orange and I, breathless, went to the little desk outside it, and told them what happened. Orange flung open the door, and ran down the long sleeve thing to the plane, while I waited in the gate, catching my breath. He came back, and said "ok, you can go in now... the plane is still there, they're opening the doors for you." I thanked him profusely, and walked down, to where they opened the plane doors specifically for me... two minutes later, and I would have missed my flight. It was kind of embarrassing, walking onto the plane, and seeing the faces of the people there who were obviously thinking "oh, so THAT'S what was holding up the flight... stupid teenagers!" but I made it. That was the tightest flight I've ever caught, and I don't care to go through that ever again!
posted
At the end of KamaCon, I got dropped off at the airport a full hour before the plane took off. I was at the gate before it started boarding. I killed some time in the bookstore, and when I got in line to board, they yelled at me for being too early. The plane landed a few minutes early, and I had saved the slip of paper with my parking number and lot written on it. I even had some cash for tip for the bus driver. I hadn't left my light on, so the car started, and I had enough gas in the car to drive home and to drive to work the next morning, so I didn't have to stop.
I've never had an airport experience go so smoothly. The stars were aligned. That was nice.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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And they freaking wouldn't let me have a little phillips jewlers screwdriver in my laptop case! *sigh*
Posts: 2102 | Registered: Dec 2000
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The last time I flew, I got stopped for my shoes. I wore all sweatclothes with no chance of metal and I get pulled aside at every gate and checked because at the FIRST gate my slip on shoes set off the alarm. Grrr.
Posts: 1777 | Registered: Jan 2003
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posted
I got the thorough frisk job for not going through the metal detectors at the "right speed" as the man put it.
I really don't mind sitting in an airport. I just people watch. Of course, I don't wait in airports very much.
Posts: 440 | Registered: Oct 2001
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posted
On my way to Chicago I got wanded and everything twice. The first time was because I was so out of it I left my watch, shoes, and wallet on. The second time was because I got specially chosen to be searched. I got to wait in a big gray plastic enclosure and got use to special red plastic things to put my stuff in. And then my bag didn't make it and I got to spend an hour going between United and American Eagle trying to figure out which one had it. They both said the other did. But it finally turned up the next day and everything was okay.
The return trip was much less interesting.
edit: Oh, and my flight there was delayed for about 4 hours, so I switched to another airline to get a flight that was only an hour later than my original one. That's why I had to go back and forth between the airlines looking for my bag.
posted
I am headed to Japan and Okinawa in October with a bunch of Fulbright Memorial Fund teachers so I hope my experiences are very normal and downright dull.
I especially do not want to think of movies like Castaway right now.
edit: This post has little to do with airports, but I just could not help thinking of flying in general when I read this thread.
posted
On my recent flight back from german to england, an english gentlemen comment on my knitting needles. I told him that they were officially permitted and he reacted with horror. "What if terrorist had brough knitting needles on board!" I commented that I thought that the 300 or so of us on the plane shouldn't have too much trouble to fighting off a hijacker armed only with knitting needles. His reply was "We'll certainly you won't, You've got knitting needles".
Posts: 12591 | Registered: Jan 2000
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posted
For about a year after 9/11, none of the airlines let my mom take her knitting needles -- even the plastic ones! Gradually, they all started to again. Crochet hooks, which are sharper and potentially far more useful as a weapon, are still verboten.
I am home.
Two bloody hour delay, during which I couldn't actually go anywhere because security closed too early, but I am home. Yay!
Now I have to finish packing up the apartment. I move in 5 days. AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
Thanks. (((((Ryuko))))) I haven't decided which is scarier: the many many boxes already packed, or all the stuff that ISN'T packed yet. Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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I would just like to point out to those who yell at me for getting ready late that I'm all packed and am headed out the door and I have an hour and twenty minutes before my plane leaves. Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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I took the little miniature leatherman (knife/pliars/screwdriver. all Geekchick sized) out of my spare key pouch so they wouldn't confiscate it at the airport...
Now I forgot where I put it and can't find it. ::sigh::
Posts: 7085 | Registered: Apr 2001
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quote: For about a year after 9/11, none of the airlines let my mom take her knitting needles -- even the plastic ones! Gradually, they all started to again. Crochet hooks, which are sharper and potentially far more useful as a weapon, are still verboten.
All of the crochet hooks I've ever seen have rounded ends, I was under the impression knitting needles were much pointyer
Posts: 4655 | Registered: Jan 2002
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posted
Crochet hooks wouldn't work for jabbing someone -- you're right about the end being rounded -- but the actual hook, which curves under, is often sharp enough to draw blood. Knitting needles generally are not.
And kat, good job! *applauds*
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003
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posted
And...*laugh* I got to the airport, it took thirty minutes to come in from parking, they have a new rule that you have to check in baggage at least 30 minutes before the plane takes off, and the security line took 45 minutes to get through.
I missed the plane.
I was in plenty of time for the next one, two hours later, though. I was on that one.
They lost my bag.
They found it and brought it to me later that night.
The take-home lesson from all of this is that if you are early for your flight, the airport screws up. Much better to check in as late as possible.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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posted
As much as possible, that's what I do, Dag. So much easier to just run from the gate to whatever transportation if you don't have to twiddle your thumbs at baggage claim. Plus it helps to limit how much I take with me.
quote:Katie + packing at last second + posting about it several times + in hurry = arrive safely, on time, with all bags in Chicago
From what I understood, it was a frazzled and stressful affair, but yes, you did make it.
quote:Katie + pack ahead of time + leave early + post only once + check bags 2 hours before flight = missed first flight and lost bag from second
"Early" doesn't always mean "Early Enough". As has been said elsewhere - nowadays, it's best to plan to be IN the Airport and checked in an hour before the flight is scheduled to take off. I've never missed a plane, never lost my luggage.
Plus, it's much easier for bags to be lost when records and baggage claim stuff have to be re-categorized and sent around
Oh, and remember this quote?
quote:At the end of KamaCon, I got dropped off at the airport a full hour before the plane took off. I was at the gate before it started boarding. I killed some time in the bookstore, and when I got in line to board, they yelled at me for being too early... I've never had an airport experience go so smoothly. The stars were aligned. That was nice.
Arrival in airport an hour before boarding + At Gate Before Boarding = smoothest airport experience ever. There's nothing to reconcile.
posted
I know! And that success was so inspiring I tried to repeat it, and I had one of the most disasterous airport experiences when I did. Not as exciting as the time I got bumped in Reno and ended up being sneaked onto a prop plane at eleven at night (this is before the heightened security), and not as exciting as the time I was in the wrong city at the end of the flight, but pretty dang exciting. All that effort, and it didn't work.
Posts: 26077 | Registered: Mar 2000
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