This will be the first of a 3 part post about our Christmas trip to the Middle East. I would have never thought i would write a post solely on our time in the airport but after all we went through in Chicago O'hare, i think you will enjoy a full post. Looking back we can laugh about this crazy experience and people love hearing the story, but in the moment it was literally hell on earth. I'm sorry i just said hell. Maybe you will forgive me after reading....
We left Charlotte on Friday December, 18th. If you dont remember this day, it was the day that the weather called for a "wintery-mix" in Charlotte. This really didn't have me too worried since any other time the weatherman calls for snow in Charlotte, it NEVER snows.... But this time it did. Of course it did. This was when i started documenting our journey on my facebook statuses. I am not one to always have a status, but this proved to be a very good outlet for me since i am what some call a verbal processor. :)
Angela Elrod please no snow....
So American Airline cancelled us for "weather" but then put us on a US Airways flight 2 hrs later. hmmm... At this point we had to decided if we wanted our bags on the Istanbul flight which was our connection that we were only going to have about 15 min. to make. We went for it and checked them all the way there... As i made call after call to try to get in touch with Turkish Airlines in Chicago (instead i called Turkey), this happens:
Angela Elrod are u kidding me? Christmas carolers arrive just as we find out we r going to be delayed st least 24 hrs most likely. I literally feel like i'm in a movie right now and this is the part where we gain all perspective. Real life is not like the movies.
This is a picture i took on my phone of the carolers. Not the best quality but one of the few that we have from this whole experience. Not one of my greatest moments either, i will be the first to admit that. At this point we have not reached Turkish Airline but it doesn't matter anymore b/c or US Airways flight was delayed... who knew where the bags were going to end up.Angela Elrod
we r n chicago now. Just got booked on a flight to jfk then to London then to Beirut. We arrive there at 9.45pm Sunday. Please pray for no more delays b.c if we miss another flight all this starts over.
December 19, 2009 at 6:58am ·
Now getting to this point was an adventure. We arrived in Chicago at midnight friday night having obviously missed out flight to Istanbul. There was NO ONE in the airport, i mean no one to talk to to figure this whole thing out. We were not inside the actual airport but at the ticket counter b/c we had to leave the US Airways terminal to get to American. So we got on the phone and after MUCH time talking to multiple people at AA, we got this flight. I have to give this one to Matt, he got it done:) Then we tried to find a place to sleep with lots of noise, doors opening and closing and COLD concrete floors. We didnt get much sleep to say the least...
Angela Elrod needs real sleep. The airport concrete floors are no longer my friend.
The ticket desk opened about 4am, they issued us our tickets and we got in. At least there was carpet!!:) we found another place to sleep and laid down for a couple hours. I KNOW we looked like crazy b/c people would stare at us as they walked by. I didnt care though. It is amazing what you are willing to give up with a lack of sleep... looking sane was one of the first to go!
Angela Elrod
we slept on the floor last night bc no one was here when we got here. We got rebooked this morn but now that flight is cancelled. Now trying to get rebooked again. This is the most exhausting thing I have ever been through
December 19, 2009 at 1:27pm ·
This was definitely my breaking point. The lady that was trying to rebook us over the phone literally said there was nothing for us. there was a flight going directly to London and we could still make our connection but she said it was booked and there was no option of stand-by. So she told us to go BACK to the ticket counter and see what they could do. So we went... The most frustrating thing for Matt was that he knew he was going to take his shoes off again. He did not like that part.
Angela Elrod
New news!!! We r on a flight from Chicago to London at 5pm today!:) we will still be able to make our flight to Beirut that arrives at 9.45. This is so the Lord bc this flight has been booked up until now. Love you guys thanks for all the support.
December 19, 2009 at 1:55pm · delete
This was a tag by one of my best friends. it was such a blessing:) the comments and support we got in this whole adventure were so encouraging!
Angela Elrod finally on a flight to London. Pray that ours bags make it with us! Thanks for the love friends:)
That's right folks, back off the plane!!! At this point we were wondering if this trip was even meant to happen at all.... but 3 hrs later we got another plane and headed for London. 24hrs in the airport, at least we set a record for ourselves. THANKFULLY our layover was long in London so we had no worries about our connection!
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