The Plane Ride From Heck

So this might surprise some people because of how much I flew around this year, but flying makes me nervous. I'm not nervous about crashing or anything, I always get nervous of getting lost in the airport, missing my flight, or losing my luggage. 

But luckily I've never really have had any issues until my flight to Idaho last month, and THAT was pretty bad.

First thing, DON'T EVER FLY UNITED AIRWAYS!!

I always get nervous the day before, like I can't sleep, I don't know why but I just do, but this last time I was more anxious than usual and I figured it was because I usually fly Southwest and I know how they do things and such, and I never have flown United before, also I thought I was scheduled to fly in the morning, because I like to get it over with, but a few days before I realize it was 7 in the evening instead, so I wasn't too happy about that because Thomas' bed time is around 8 and if he didn't fall asleep on the plane it was not going to be very fun.

Anyway the day of, I got to the airport, said my goodbyes to Dustin and things seemed to go pretty smoothly, getting my ticket was kinda annoying and long, but whatever. I wait at my gate, get Thomas' juice ready, diaper changed. When they said there was a ten minutes delay because the plane was late, not a big deal since I had an hour and a half lay over, but they asked for us to get in line anyway because they wanted to load the plane ASAP because there were some storms ahead and they wanted to beat them so I got in line with everyone. Well, we were in line for a good thirty minutes and Thomas was getting fussy staying in one spot, but I didn't want to leave and walk around because my fear of missing my plane and since we were running late I didn't know exactly when they were leaving. I didn't know why it was delayed so long because the plane was empty and they had enough time to tidy up. Anyway, we finally got in and we had to wait another 30 minutes with no AC because of "paperwork"? I don't know why because every time they said why it was for something different, also I guess some of their workers were running late. I started to get nervous because I had a connecting flight. 

We finally leave but we were an hour or so late, I was kinda nervous because that didn't give me a lot of time to catch my next flight, but with southwest I've been there ten minutes before and there wasn't a problem and usually the airline's gates are pretty close by so I figured I was ok and a lot of times the plane ride is slightly shorter than it says so I figured we would make up some of that late time.

Thomas is usually good on plane rides and this one he wasn't too bad, but he was really fussy because he was really tired and every time he was almost asleep they made some type of announcement, it was getting really annoying, and it kept him up. Also since it was a long flight and we had to wait for an hour or so before we left Thomas' diaper got a little too full and it leaked all over me, I was not a very happy camper, especially when I knew I wouldn't be able to change him between flights, so I just changed him right there on my lap, the guy next to me was super nice letting me do that (I asked first). An hour before we arrived in Denver Thomas finally fell asleep. 

We landed to Denver 50 minutes late and many people, including me, were anxious to get off the plane because we all had connecting flights. The pilot asked for people who didn't have connecting flights to stay put so the ones that did could get off quicker, well I was far in the back, and I heard a guy exclaim, "yeah right I'm going to wait for them." That really made me mad, and most people weren't willing to wait, so I was stuck in the plane for another 20 minutes before I got out, so I ended up only having 22 minutes before my next flight. And if you ever been to the Denver airport, you would know how crazy LONG it is. The gate I was at was #16 and I had to get to #88 in 20 minutes! So I strapped Thomas in the stroller and ran like a mad women, I really think it was about a mile, but I kept running and running. So here I was almost 5 months pregnant, with a bag, stroller, and Thomas booking it as fast as I can. I was breathing so loud that any other time I would have been embarrassed but I didn't care. Than when I got near  the end, I saw the gate was in the lower level, so I had to take an elevator down (which adds another couple of minutes) because of the stroller.  I finally get to the my gate 8 minutes before it was to take off, and they just closed the door to get to the airplane, I just starting bawling like no other. I asked them if I could get in, and they said no because I had to be there 10 minutes before, 10 stinking minutes. And I was there 8 minutes before. And it was just a flight to Idaho Falls, and it was 11 o'clock at night so it was one of the last flights of the day, and NO ONE goes to Idaho Falls for a connecting flight, it's their final destination, that I think people would be willing to wait a few minutes for a pregnant woman with a toddler, but she said she couldn't do anything and that I needed to go to a help desk. I pleaded and she said no and that she couldn't help me. I just kept crying and crying and I was furious because I WAS LATE BECAUSE SOME OF THEIR WORKERS WERE LATE! And I really felt like she just wanted to go home it was end of her shift I really felt like she didn't care. So I had to go back almost ALL THE WAY I started to get help and get another ticket. 

I waited in line, and there were A LOT of angry people there. I finally get to a person with a computer she asks for my tickets and where I came from and my destination. Also at this time, Thomas is crying because he is WAY tired, it was 12ish Orlando time at this point,

 I told her I came from Orlando, Florida, than she asks "Is that an island?" 

You got to be kidding me???? I just about lost it there. 

"Ummmm, noooo. You know, Disney World?" 

Than she took really FOREVER, and she didn't know how to get Thomas a ticket so she had to look it up, than she finally said.

 "Well the soonest flight I can get you is 7 in the morning tomorrow but it will take you about 6 hours to get there."

WHAT? 6 hours to get to Idaho Falls from Denver?

I asked her why it's that long when it's like an hour flight away? Than she said, "O your not flying to Orlando?" Remember I gave her my tickets too that she has been looking at for the last 30 minutes, so I had to correct her and get it all taken care of. Well she finally got me a ticket AND THOMAS to Idaho Falls early the next day, but than when she went to print it, it wasn't working. I understand stuff like that happens, but she kept trying and trying, and NOTHING was happening. So at this time everyone else is gone and taken care of so I'm the last customer there, that FINALLY she decided to go on another computer and just do it again. But than when she did it again she got confused and didn't know how to do it, and I was thinking "didn't you just do it like 5 minutes ago?" Anyway, she finally got things figured out and she got me a complimentary dinner at the airport, I look around everything is close, um thanks, no good. And a complimentary breakfast and a night in the hotel. I asked her how far was the hotel and how to get there. She said it was 30 minutes away and that there was a shuttle that I needed to take that was in either this door or this door.

 And I was like "Well, find out EXACTLY which door I need to take so I don't have to run another mile to be at the wrong door and end up missing my shuttle like I missed my flight, because I don't feel like running with a toddler and being 5 months pregnant again tonight." 

Well she finally found the door and it was getting late that there was NO ONE to be seen at the airport  but the cleaning crew I finally find the door, I met some people there and asked what hotel they were staying at, hoping to find someone with the same one so I can have a buddy and make sure I got on the right shuttle. Well NO ONE had the same hotel and everyone's was only ten minutes away, and I'm thinking why did she send me to the one 30 minutes away?

I was staying at a Holiday Inn, and I see a shuttle that had their logo and I gave him my ticket and starting loading, when he told me he wasn't the right shuttle and that I had to wait for the next Holiday Inn. That made me frustrated because I was tired, Thomas was tired, and by than every one had been picked up but me. Finally the other Holiday Inn shuttle came I showed him my ticket and I asked "Are you the right Holiday Inn?" He looks at the ticket, confused, and he asks "They didn't give you an address?" Ummm, no. "Well there are like 3 Holiday Inns here and I don't know which one that is without the address" he said. You got to be kidding me. I told him that the other shuttle said it was him, but he doubt he was the right one. I told him they said it was the one 30 minutes away, but that still didn't quite tell him which one. But he was really kind, and the first person that I felt that cared about me that night, and said, "Well, I'm the last shuttle of the night and your the only person so I will just drop you off at each one until we find it for you." I was so grateful since I didn't want to be stranded in the airport by myself, so I got on the shuttle, and one good thing, Thomas LOVED it! He thought it was so cool. Anyway, we stop at EVERY Holiday Inn, and not till the last one, and furthest, did they say I was at the right place. 

I thanked the Shuttle driver and told him how grateful I was because it was about 1 (so 2 at Orlando time) in the morning and I knew he could have gone home a lot earlier if he didn't drop me off at every hotel finding the right one. 

Than I felt sorry for the guy at the hotel desk, because at that point I was at my comical angry mode, and I told him my whole story in a very sarcastic way. Ha ha poor guy, anyway we finally got to our hotel room and it was very nice, in any other circumstance I would have loved staying there. Thomas thought it was great to share a big bed with mom since that never happens, that I finally got him to calm down, I took off his bottoms since they were wet from leaking on the plane and changed his diaper and he finally fell asleep. I, on the other hand, just stayed up with wet pants from Thomas and watched TV because I was so worried that I would sleep through my alarm clock and miss my early flight. 

The first shuttle was the following day was at 4:30am so I decided to take that one, since it was a half hour away from the airport and my flight was at 7. So I got Thomas up, he wasn't very happy since he had only 4 hours total the night before, but luckily he liked the shuttle again. I got to the airport, security was quick, got some breakfast and waited at the gate while Thomas was playing on the Ipad. It was very empty that I felt like maybe I was at the wrong gate, but it said I was at the right gate on the computer so I thought I was ok. Than I was talking to a lady who was also flying United and her story was a lot worse than mine, than it's been taking her 3 days to get home!!! WOW! She told me her story that she was at the gate it said she was to be at, and she kept asking the worker if she was at the right spot, and she kept reassuring her that she was, but than she noticed that he wasn't saying her destination by the gate and the lady kept telling her she was at the right gate, that finally she asked why her plane hasn't arrived yet, and why it was late, than the worker said well you are at the wrong gate and it has already left, and it was the SAME WORKER! After hearing her story I decided to check the computers again and they CHANGED The gate!!! Thank goodness I looked. So I had to go to the other gate. Anyway, obviously I finally made it! Thomas and I were asleep during the whole flight. 

BUT I WILL NEVER FLY THEM AGAIN.

And I know things happen, you miss your connecting flights, but there were A LOT Of things that happen, and everyone I talked to that had issues was United. 

My flight to Dallas, I flew Delta. I fly Delta usually if I can't get a SouthWest ticket and I've liked them in the past. And this time they were WAY awesome, that had me board first because I was with a child, they were on time, and everything else.

Anyway there is my LONG story, so if we read through it, I'm impressed.