We Have Arrived

Well our adventure began at Sky Harbor at around 12:00 yesterday. We checked our bag at the self check-in, dropped it off for scanning and then headed up to the gates. There was only 2 people in line ahead of us, so getting through was a breeze. So far so good. We get to gate 4, and there is a bunch of people there and a long line at the counter, so I go ahead and get in the line because I don't have seat assignments yet (we flew American Airlines which I have never flown before). I look at the monitor behind the gate agent and all I see is DFW delayed until 8:00 and get real nervous all of the sudden. I eventually figure out that it is the flight scheduled to leave my gate before my flight. So, I continue to stand in line thinking that I still need to get my seats and they will just move this plane. Come to find out the plane sitting at the gate has mechanical problems, which was why the flight was moved back to 8 that evening. So, everyone is scrambling to rebook while Ben and I are just standing there waiting.

Finally, the gate agent announces that our flight has been moved to gate 6, so we stroll over there (while a bunch of people bolt over there hoping to get standby) and again begin waiting in line for our seat assignments. Well, there is no attendant at this gate, and we end up having to wait there for about 15 minutes until a guy shows up and starts going to work on the computer, but not talking or looking at anyone in line. He punches away at the keys for what seems like forever, but was probably less than 5 minutes, all the time with a very serious, if not at times strained look on his face, before he finally decides to make an announcement. He tells us that the flight is full, explains standby rules, and then says if you are already checked in, he will call your names when your seat assignments are ready. I have never heard of this before, but I go ahead and sit down anyway and watch the world fall apart on CNN. I realize how long at has been since I have watched the news when I have no idea what is going on and a lady from the midwest is explaining to me that NoCal is on fire and the midwest if flooding. She and her husband came out to Phoenix for the weekend and were heading home. She complained about the heat and it was better to live in the cold cause you could just put on more layers (yeah...but snow) and she was looking forward to getting back home. Eventually, the gate attendant calls my name and we get our boarding passes and seat assignments...row 8, front of the plane!

The plane shows up, they unload, and then 15 minutes later than they said, they begin boarding passengers. I take advantage of the kid rule and Ben and I get on early. Our flight was to leave at 1:35 and by the time we start loading, it is already about 1:30. So, the people begin piling on, and at the time we were supposed to leave, the kind flight attendant begins to push everyone over the intercom to get seated quickly. She even comments that this is the time we were supposed to depart, so the sooner everyone get seated, the sooner we can leave. She goes so far to say, "you all know when your connecting flights are, so we need to hurry up." So, we all finally get seated about 1:45ish, and then just sit there. Finally, the captain says to us that there are 2 sensors, one on each side of the plane that measure temperature, one is in the shade, one is in the sun, and because of that the temperatures are different, and the unit basically shuts down. So, they are going to try and cool the one down so that they can get going. So we sit there for 20 minutes waiting for this thing to get right, which it never does, so they basically have the mechanic sign a document saying it is legal for them to fly with just one unit measuring right, which then leads you to ask, why were we waiting than, especially after our verbal beat down by the flight attendant. We finally get airborne almost and hour after our scheduled departure. And the only thing on my mind is that I had a 40 minute layover in DFW. You can do the math.


So, to make a long story longer, the pilot was able to make up some time in the air and we touched down in DFW about 30 minutes before my next flight was to take off. The announced that we would be at gate C-11 and that our flight to Boston would be out of gate A-21 - a whole different terminal. Meanwhile, it took almost 20 minutes for them to finally get to the gate and for us to get off, and we were at the front of the plane. Ben and I raced upstairs to the terminal train, which seemed to take forever to get there, and then rode it to the next stop, which our terminal was right in the middle of two train stops, so we took the first one and ran all the way across the terminal to arrive at gate A-21 with about 3 minutes to spare.

Frantically trying to catch our breath, we are casually told by another lady standing in line that the flight had been delayed until 8:00. All that running, and we had time to spare. Good times! At last though, at about 8:15 we took off for Boston, and after a slightly bumpy flight because of weather in Boston, we arrived at around 12:30 in the morning Boston time.

All in all, it was not too bad. At least we got there. Next long post will be day one. In the meantime, here are a few pictures.

PS...no free wi-fi until Denver...yes Denver. Will explain on a later post.