Grr

[la_marquise]

So the marquis' return journey depended on a tight change of planes in Washington, which Those Who Booked It assured him would be fine, no problem, perfectly do-able.
He had to run to make it on the outbound journey, which allowed more time, because of the whole immigration thing.
The return journey... Oh, no. His first flight can't possibly take off on time, or even near on time. Leaving him with no onward flight. The airline are rearranging something for him (it's their fault, so they had better do this properly, or they will be getting a Brisk Letter from me). But come what may, instead of being home by lunchtime tomorrow, it will be practically midnight at the earliest. Plus, I suspect, a great deal of hanging about in empty, largely closed airports.
Colour both of us highly unamused.

Shoulders are a lot better today, and I pushed on with the rewrites. I guess I'll get a lot more of them done tomorrow, too.
Skirt of the day: black pinstripe wrap.

Comments

[aberwyn.livejournal.com]

How irritating! Sympathies to you both.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I'm mostly worried about him. He's going to be completely exhausted by the time he finally gets home.

[ms-cataclysm.livejournal.com]

How very unimpressive. Would you like me to take Holly round to growl at the travel agent?

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I think Holly and Ish could both go. Growling and spraying.

[klwilliams.livejournal.com]

That infuriates me, when airlines book you to essentially be abandoned in the airport. I hope the airline at least gives him a hotel room if he's stuck somewhere for a while.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Oh, he has to organise his own room, because it's weather, and that lets them off.
His employer will probably refund him for it, but all the same, the very tightness of the connection to begin with was not at all good.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

We got caught out by the 'weather' thing last year on the way to Nova Scotia and ended up with an unplanned overnight in Philadelphia without benefit of baggage when they cancelled the last leg of the flight due to a storm in Halifax. Our friends who live there asked 'What storm?'

Yeah, right.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

At least they apparently have planes this time. Last year, he and I went through the whole, 'flight cancelled because we don't have enough planes' thing.

[birdsedge.livejournal.com]

Ah, airlines. Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em.

The damaged my friend's hurdy-gurdy. She's a professional musician, so this is an instrument she uses to earn her living. She called head office when she got home, unpacked it and found the damage. They told her to take it back to Seattle airport (a long round-trip) so their customer service staff could see the damage, but the guy in charge there refused to look at it. When she asked him to call headquarters he had the police escort her off the premises as a troublemaker. Anyone less like a troublemaker would be hard to find.

Full story here: http://oplandfreeman.blogspot.com/2011/11/in-conclusion-continental-break-hurdy.html?spref=fb
She still hasn't been fully compensated.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

That's appalling.

[lagilman]

oh argh. If only it had been a NYC airport, I could have offered him crash space...

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

That's really kind -- thank you.

[timill]

You can put me on the list for help with problems at DFW for at least the next few months.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Thank you.

[aliettedb.livejournal.com]

Wow. Often had to rush, but never quite missed a plane. Sympathies, and I hope he's home soon.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

It's a weather problem, but all the same I'm not impressed by the airline's attitude. Poor P.

[eleyan.livejournal.com]

Hopefully the day job will also give him time off in lieu of the personal time he has lost coming and going at weekends?

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

This is our hope, certainly.

[korintomichi]

How awful. Hope he gets home soon.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Me too.

[ex-triciasu.livejournal.com]

:(

I hope he gets home soon and gets some restorative time afterward.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Thank you.

[autopope.livejournal.com]

General rule of thumb? Unless I know the airport really well, or am carrying a piece of plastic with frequent flyer status on the airline I'm flying with, I try to allow three hours for transfers.

Because something will go wrong. And if it doesn't, I can pay for lounge access which makes some of the pain go away. (They have showers and wifi.)

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

So do we, when we book the trip ourselves. This was booked for him by his employer, who clearly were not using their brains. He wasn't keen, but they insisted it would work.

[autopope.livejournal.com]

Oh.

"Booked by employer" == "Booked by a low-status/young office worker who doesn't travel and therefore doesn't know the practical issues".

(Some day, let me tell you the horror story of my two signing tours, and how well they worked. Not.)

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

That's the one. Plus, they are told to go for what ever costs least...
Last year, they failed to realise that a plane taking off on day N in the US will arrive on day N+1 over here and stranded him at Heathrow.

[shewhomust.livejournal.com]

This is the stuff of my nightmares. I hope the rearrangements are better than the original "plan".

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

Not hugely -- he faces a long wait at Chicago and a hotel he is expected to pay for himself and hope to claim for from his employer later. He's not amused, to say the least.

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

I hope he's home soon.

Does Washington airport have a name? Sounds as though they should consider Franz Kafka Airport.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

I think it was Cincinnati that he was stuck in, in fact. But yes...

[saare-snowqueen.livejournal.com]

I think you should name and shame the airline - also on Twitter. Hope he's home safe by now.

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

He's due home at around midnight, if there are no more hitches.

[saare-snowqueen.livejournal.com]

I'll keep fingers crossed.

[timill]

If he's stuck at ORD, he's on United...

[http://users.livejournal.com/la_marquise_de_/]

It was United. They rebooked him via Chicago, so now he's flying with American, and as far as I know, the plane is on time and will land at H'row in about two hours.

[hawkwing-lb.livejournal.com]

I hope things go well going forward, at least.