Join Me in Snarkville

When writing yesterday’s post about the tight connections, I thought about what the ideal situation would be.  I even dared to speak it outloud. 

“I want my first flight to be a little early and my second flight to be late.”

Ah, you know what they say about being careful what you wish for?

After a 20+ minute delay on the ground for flight number one, we arrived THIRTY minutes early!  (Yes, I can do the math too, had we pushed back on time, we would not have had a full extra hour, but just been circling forever.  I have a feeling that the delay was less to do with “weather” and more to do with fuel economy — but I digress.)

I arrive.  I wait FOREVER for the plane to unload.  I get off and ask for my next stop.  I’m told the flight is on time and I was right in my guess that the gate is one the other side of the universe from where I am standing.  But I had nearly an hour before the flight left, though only 30 minutes before the plane was to board.

We arrive at the gate, the sign reads “On Time”  Yippie, I think — they will be boarding in 5 minutes.  I made it AND while I don’t have time to grab lunch, at least I don’t have 6 more hours to wait here.  I pick up my cell phone and make calls.

Call One:  “I’m a the gate.  Looks like I’ve made it and I’ll be boarding in a few minutes.”

Call Two: “Um, looks like they pushed the departure about 20 minutes.  No biggie, probably will be there about the same time.  But bonus, I have a chance to go potty — how wonderful.”

Call Three: “Just checked with the gate agent as we are not boarding yet and it is 5 minutes before the sign says we are departing.  I was told that the plane is coming over from International gates (yes, I’m thankful they didn’t do a gate change on me — do you have ANY idea how big this airport is?) and we will be boarding in 20 minutes.  Um, I think I’ll be late.

Call Four: “Ok, I give up.  I’m on the plane now — YEAH — but I’ve been told that there are 30 planes in front of us for take-off.  Pilot says it will be 15 minutes before I’m in the air, but I’m really beginning to question the ability of pilots to tell time.”

Arrival TWO hours late, yet somehow our pilot declared that we were 15 minutes ahead of schedule.  While I firmly believe that he meant the revised, new estimates based on a new route (”around weather”) and the delay with the 30 planes who were ahead of us in line, but still, two hours late with nothing but two bowls of cheerios for the day is tough to take.  But arrived.  Safe and sound.