Tuesday, July 26, 2011

A close call

I was all packed last night  and ready for my 9:52 AM flight to Mérida via Newark to Houston. I was getting ready for bed about 10:30 and decided to charge my cell phone overnight. I glanced at my e-mails and the first to pop up was a message from Continental informing me that the flight to Newark had been cancelled. What...? This is not a good sign, I thought. I immediately called Continental and after a 25 minute wait connected with a customer service representative. She checked and said that all the flights to Houston were booked. However, while I was waiting, I was on the Continental web site and found a United flight leaving Norfolk at 10:25 AM, connecting in Washington (Dulles), that showed 3 seats remaining. I mentioned this to the rep and she took a look.  Sure enough, there were seats available. She booked the flight, I printed my boarding pass, and at midnight crawled into bed- a relieved gringo.

P.S. I've never connected flights at Dulles without some hitch. Flight cancelled, missed connection due to delays with plane, cancelled flights due to inauguration of POTUS (GWB), missed connection due to long lines in customs.

Tuesday: When I walk through the gate to board Flight 3011 to Houston I will really be a relieved gringo.
If all goes as planned we will touch down at MID a little after 9 tonight.

3 comments:

  1. What a good omen for a successful trip. Have fun, and don't feel so badly that you've made me jealous as hell.

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  2. Hopefully, about now, you've cleared customs and are heading toward the taxi line! I'm jealous, too. Enjoy!

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  3. Thanks Lee and Susan. The plane touched down at 9:10, perfectly on time. Customs was quick and although I had to wait about 20 minutes for a taxi, when I got to Calle 47-A Ruben had the lights on, the house was sparkling clean, and the pool was just waiting for this tired gringo. After a 12 hour travel day, when the plane landed I let out a big sigh- home.

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