Set the alarm for 7:00, and was out by 7:50 for our 10:00 flight. Ten minutes from the house we got a text saying the flight was delayed and hour, so I rerouted to the post office to drop off some mail I was otherwise going to send from Texas. Ten minutes after that, we got another text saying the flight was cancelled altogether! This is the first time we’ve flown United in decades (or maybe never, I can’t remember, it’s been so long!), and this is a very auspicious beginning. Shortly after that, I got another text saying that the flight had been rerouted through Newark, but now wouldn’t get in until four hours after our original arrival. Not a happy camper with that one! We decided to stop for breakfast at an IHOP, not the best one we’ve ever been in, but it did the job. Arrived at the airport by 10:15, went promptly to the United counter to get our itinerary, where we discovered the new flights included two stops! Hubby and I, whenever possible, insist on direct flights, as we both hate the ups and downs of takeoffs and landings. The only other alternative was to have a four hour layover in Newark and not arrive until after 9:00! This was not a very happy situation. Fortunately, the lady at the counter then offered to check other airlines, and found a Delta flight that left at noon for Atlanta, then connected with a flight that would have us arrive in San Antonio at 5:00, a huge improvement. Normally, I don’t fly Delta, as every time we’ve ever flown Delta has been a disaster in a whole variety of ways, but at least they had a flight going, and beggars can’t be choosers, as they say. At least the schedule was a good one. We got the paperwork, headed to Delta, they issued us a boarding pass, though no seating assignment, including TSA Pre-boarding, which made us very happy. We even got really good seats, better than the puddle jumper we had originally been booked on. Got through to the gate in no time, where they started boarding within 15 minutes or so, though they insisted on taking our carry-on bag and checking it. An uneventful flight to Atlanta, a quick cheese and fruit plate before we soon were boarding another flight on what looked like a brand spanking new 757, where they were assigning seats as we went (guessing they changed equipment at the last minute) and got good seats, again, on the wing. I’m happy as long as we’re not behind the wings, which is where we were on the original flight, so all worked out beautifully! But just when I thought we would be able to give Delta a pass, the curse continued. We arrived at baggage claim to discover our confiscated carry-on was nowhere to be found. We eventually went to the service desk and discovered that our bag was still in Atlanta, but would be sent on the next flight and delivered to the hotel, sometime between 4-6 hours after it arrived here. In other words, probably the middle of the night! So much for my plans for hanging out at the pool for the evening. They gave us a couple of tiny cosmetic bags with the tiniest of supplies before sending us on our way. We took the shuttle to the car rental, and one good piece of news, my Alamo gift of a double upgrade (which they sent me as a birthday present), became a triple upgrade, as they had more premium cars than full size, and let me take a nice big Chrysler. Got to the hotel in no time, got checked into a very nice room, returned to the lobby for a few complimentary glasses of wine before ordering delivery Chinese and watching a movie. More good news, the bag arrived just after 10:00, a great relief to us both! Still, Delta is not moving up on my list of preferred airlines, sorry!
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