Mood:
smellyNow Playing: "Forgotten" Avril Lavine
Topic: Airline Industry
Okay! Where to start?!?!?
How about the fact that this is the "FOURTH TIME" I've put this entry in and hope that I don't hit the wrong key to delete it again! UGH!
How about the day my dad calls me to tell me that while he's visiting a friend in West Virgina that Amtrak calls to tell him that his sleeper car that he paid for is now not a part of his return. He's hyperventilating and stating that there's no way in hell he's taking a coach seat for the long duration of his trip home! Okay, no problem dad! What do you want me to do? He wants me to put him on a flight home. Allrighty then! After last year there's no way in hell you're non-reving home given the fact that you have a health condition that I will not let you do that. You are now going to pay for a ticket home with a "confirmed" seat! I can't be there to travel with you so this is the only way you can do it. Lucky for him we found a fare and a seat that was affordable. My son met him at the airport and took him home. Ofcourse, after I insisted that he took a wheelchair from the gat to the car!
Now, let's start the "Four Day From Hell!"
I report for duty with time to spare for paperwork, heading to the gate to get the plane ready, meet the Captian, brief and board the flight. Well, "Go Time" comes and goes and we still don't have our First Officer! Captain calls operatons to find out where he is. He's called in sick! Okay, so, when are we going to get a First Officer? Well, we have to wait for a flight to come in so they can get one. Okay! We wait and we finally get one for our first turn of the pairing.
First turn of the pairing comes and goes. Our first First Officer comes and goes. We then head to the gate for our next set of flights while we wait for our second First Officer. Time passes....say oh, an hour and a half (play "Jeopardy Theme Song"). No First Officer. Captain calls operations to find out where he is. He's on a flight from another outstation that's been delayed. Okay, we look at each other....dinner? Okay, we get something to eat. Another hour passes, still no First Officer! Captain calls operations again to find out where he is. He's diverting for fuel! Allrighty then! Now what? Operations says they're finding another First Officer! Another hour passes, we get another First Officer! Yay! We board! Last passenger boards, I close the cabin door and we're hit with a major storm that includes hail pelletting the plane! Guess what? We have to wait for push back!
Finally the storm passes! I do my safety demonstration! I hear a ding! It's the Captain calling saying that we're going to the "Ballpark" to hold for another hour or so indefinatly because of A.T.C. Allrighty then! I can handle this! I just plaster on that "Smile" and start the snack/water service until we find out more!
Two hours pass and we're "finally" on our way to the second for five destinations of the day. I can't be more thankful for a great group of passengers than I've ever had. Especially after enduring a delay at the gate, delay on the ground before finally getting to thier desitnation! They were fantastic!
We get to our destination, turn that flight and head to the next to only find out that we were staying the night there. Our last flight of the night was re-crewed because of our extended delay!
We head to the hotel, check-in and being a smoker I ask if there's any smoking rooms left (our company only books non-smoking rooms), well, none left! No suprise with the way things have been going. We all head to our rooms, I settle in, head outside for one last smoke before calling it a night!
Next morning: I wake-up, head outside for a smoke then grab a wonderful breakfast of a farmer's omlette, milk, o.j. and coffee! Then head outside for one more smoke before getting ready for our flight back to base to pick up the rest of our pairing.
After getting out of the shower I check my schedule to only find out that our next set of flights has been cancelled leaving us staying the night in base before catching our "next" set of flights!
I inform the Captain of the situation and we meet outside catching the van to the airport for our deadhead back to base. We head to the airport, check-in for our dead-head back to base and head to the gate to only find out that that flight is now delayed by an hour due to A.T.C.
Oooookay! We take it in stride! No worries! Just accept it as it is and start joking how long it's going to take me to either head to the ice cream parlour or "Cinnabon" for something sweet to eat. Well, not enough of a delay for that before they start boarding us. We board the flight, settle in and push back for our return to base. We head for the runway and the plane pulls off to the side. The Captain of this flight comes on to state that we have been delayed and given a "Wheels-Up" time of 45 minutes later.
Allrighty then! So, I start a conversation with the two girls sitting next to me, one of whom was flying for the first time, and sharing magazines!
Finally comes the time for us to approach the runway! We line-up for take-off, start our roll and the abort! Another A.T.C. delay!
Time passes and we finally take-off! We arrive at base, head to the shuttle area for our hotel, head to the hotel were we find mirads of folks waiting to check-in because of the delays and cancelleation's. We check-in, I ask if there are any smoking rooms left and am given a look of "Oh MY GOD!" Okay, forget I asked! I accept it, Captain and I agree to meet for something to eat in a half hour. We eat, we go outside for my one last smoke before calling it a night. Wake-up the following morning, eat breakfast, get dressed and decide to head to the airport earlier so I can have my smoke and get back in the swing of things hoping for a smoother day! I call Captain to tell him of my plans and agree that I will meet him on the plane later.
All is good! We meet on the plane, work of First Officer #3 at this point and head for our next destination. We close on time, start taxxing! Then, I hear a "ding". Oh no! What now? We now have a maintainance issue! Thus this flight is now delayed another two hours before we "finally" wheels-up two hours later!
We get to our destination, turn the flight as quickly as we possibly can and head back to base. We get back to base and now have another issue! As we reach the "Minnimums 100" mark I have a passenger at the back of the plane with a lap child holding her child, standing up (right before we touched down), in the aisle and slowly turning towrds the lav. All I could do was think to myself..."oh NO! This REALLY isn't happening now!" Sure as all get out! It was! I immediatly yelled "Ma'am, please sit down!" She didn't comply! She was still standing in the aisle! I again yelled..."MA'AM, SIT DOWN NOW!!!" She was still standing in the aisle! One more time...."MA'AM! SIT DOWN NOOOOWWWWW!" She finally sat down in the seat behind where she was, still holding her toddler and leaned her head on the seat back in front of her!
At this point I'm frayed! We landed and I waited until we taxxied off of the runway before leaving my jumpseat to walk back to her to find out what was going on!
As I approached her, she was ill. It was then decided that we needed to declare a medical emergency. After all was said and done I had to leave her with medical assistance so I could then take my next flight of the pairing. I could only hope that it would finally stop! Like I said, I could only hope!
First Officer #4! We're on our way to Canada! Yay! No hitch! No delays, we board and our on our way!
We get there! I go through customs, no problem, First Officer goes through, no problem! Captain? He's detained, questioned, held for another 45 minutes before we're FINALLY released!
We FINALLY get our cab to the hotel. Get to the hotel only to find out that our rooms are no longer there! Oooookay! Now what?!?!?!? Captain is on the phone trying to figure out where we're going to stay! Hotel personelle are trying fratically to find us a place to stay. NOTHING! At this point I've decided that it's time to head outside for a smoke and then to start drinking my bottled water and pretending it's something else! Then, after an hour and a half we have a hotel that has rooms for us. Mind you it's a "Swanky Hotel" with suites for us. Who cares? I do! At this point I just want to collapse!
We get there, ofcourse no smoking rooms left. We get to our rooms, I head "OUTSIDE" for one more smoke before calling it a night, calling the front desk for n 0830 wake-up call.
Next morning: I wake-up past the wake-up call. Call the Captain to find out when our van time is, 45 miutes!!!!!!! Oooookay! I rush to spritz up and head outside for a smoke, snack on snacks on the way to the airport for our showtime, board the flight and get the heck out of "Dodge"!
The rest of the pairing went smoothly! Thank goodness! We finished our last turn after returning from Canada. Captain briskly headed for his gate for his flight, First Officer #5 headed for his flight home and well, you know the rest of the story. I remained at base!
All I can say is "WOW!" Of my past year of inflight this has got to be the "WORST" four day pairing I've EVER had!
Anyone else with anything worse please chime in to let me know that I'm NOT ALONE in this! All I can hope for is that at this time I've paid my pennence or suffered for any past life karma due!
Peace to all and "Safe Flying!"
