My trip to and through north America cannot be complete without mentioning all that happened on my flights. Some of you might be used to this but I certainly wasn´t!!
First of all, when we left Mar del Plata to take a special bus that took us straight to Buenos Aires International airport some five hours away,we had my two main bags expertly covered in tough plastic to protect them from damage and having stuff stolen or added
But, when I checked in with United, the first thing they did was cut open the plastic, and they then proceeded to inspect everything while I just had to stand by helplessly. Then, they rewrapped them half-heartedly manually in what seemed to be food wrap.
The next disgrace was when my hand luggage went through xray control. "You´ve got a pair of scissors in there" I was accused. I had a tiny sewing kit with a pair of small fold up scissors! It was taken away and no receipt given ....... they also looked as if they wanted my nail clippers too!
That was all too much for me, and I think I only managed to sleep between Islands in the Caribean (I could follow the route on a screen on the back of the seat in front)
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Next thing was Arrival in Washington DC. Everyone was instructed to line up and wait, and it seemed we had got there before the airport authorities. We just had to wait.... no bathroom in sight. We had to fill in a form giving our address while in the States. Many of us had other flights to get. When I finally got seen to -while watching the hour and half I had slip by - and was questioned as to why there was no address, I said I was just passing through and was going on to Canada, " you still have to go through the formalities, Ma'am" was all the guy would say. I had to pick up my bags for inspection again as the first stop in the States. The plastic "protection" wrap was in a sorry state, but on seeing they had already been thoroughly controlled, they were moved on and I was dispatched off to my gate an awful long way off.
I got there with perhaps five minutes before the flight to Detroit was supposed to leave. A female employee said "Oh, they aren't even calling your flight yet. Sit down girl, you look all flustered" so I immediately took off to find a bathroom - I refuse to call it 'restroom', thats the last place I'd choose to rest. Well, just as I came out of there the same employee came in and said, "now that you are all cooled off they are just calling your flight" I got on the plane there was just one free seat, mine!
The pilot, who was abit of a jokester announced "Sorry ladies and gentlemen. We are taking off five minutes late. We had to wait for yet another person caught up in American bureacracy..."
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When my time was up and I had to return to Detroit Airport, Marie and Garnet took me to the terminal I was supposed to leave from. We were sent to another airline, and from there told it was yet another that left from another terminal. I said goodbye to Marie and Garnet and boarded the airport bus. That sweet driver left me (and my bags)a good hundred meters from the doorway to the terminal, so I left my bags and trotted off to get a cart. Couldn't see one anywhere either inside or out, so I went back and started lugging my bags over to the doorway without any of the idle employees offering to help. Not much time to spare but I handed my bags over with no more than a brief inspection. My hand luggage was thoroughly inspected though, and so was I.
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An hour later I got to Pittsburgh where I was to meet a life-long penpal I hadn't seen in 33 years. But instead of flying United I was flying Northwest. All the baggage was unloaded and the belt stopped moving. One of my bags, the biggest wasn't there!
I went over to the guy in the office...... it seems they pay him to be as slow as possible.He checked his computer, they didn't have time to get it on the flight, he said, it'll come in on the next. Bah!! both bags went in together. Anyway I asked him to page my friends and tell them I was waiting over in Northwest and not United. Twice I had to call them! When they came over they also checked with Mr Slow, he now said 3.30 not 1.30. Linda insisted the passenger hadn't had anything to eat. Reluctantly and slowly,he filled out a voucher for 5$ for each of us.
Let's see, a basic sandwich started at 4.99. They ask if you want cheese, tomato, lettuce mayonaise, whatever and when you get to pay it your sandwich is 10$.Well, my bag came in on the next flight and yes, sure as hell it had been inspected. What do I do if something has gone missing?
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Ok. My holiday is over, we call the airport at Pittsburgh, all is ok no change at all. So in the evening we set off a good two hours early to get my flight home. The United line is going through really fast! Wow! did they get a pay rise??
Nope!They now tell me my flight to Washington is now cancelled. Hang on a minute. I've got a connection to get to Buenos Aires. Stoney- faced, I get the answer "That isn't going either". I just didn't believe this was happening to me!! Now what do I do? They changed my flight to the next day, first to Dallas, then on to BA, no offer of compensation for food, lodgings, days of work missed. Fortunately my friends hadn't left so I went back with them, and my only concern now was let my husband know.
Well next day, off we went to Pittsburgh again, this time I was calm and ready for whatever.But, they had either run out of tricks, or the Circle was looking out for me. (that must have been it)A cheerful guy picked the smallest bag, and says, "I bet this one has clothes" unzips it. Correct (in part). Then the big one was opened, fish underneath and comes up with a........ jar of peanut butter! fish around some more and dig out ..... a jar of blueberry jam. Then I was just waved through. And NOTHING ELSE HAPPENED. The four hour stop over in Dallas went like a breeze, my passport wasn't even stamped on leaving the States, and on arrival in BA, I was just sent non stop through the customs control
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