Airline Travel

Jul 30

I enjoy traveling. Really I do. It’s always an adventure. Sometimes you have good adventures, and sometimes you have bad adventures, but it’s always a learning experience.

Public Domain photo from Pixabay.com

Public Domain photo from Pixabay.com

Airline travel is even more interesting. We Americans love to travel by automobile. We get to control when we leave and to a certain extent when we arrive. We decide when to stop for food or fuel and where to stop. When we’re riding someone else’s bus or plane we lose that control. It makes some people very, very angry.

Sunday when I returned from my trip to BlogHer 2013, I had the unfortunate experience of bumping into Mr. Angry Man at the airport. This is what I wanted to tell him.

Dear Mr. Angry Man,

This airport is crazy. There is bad weather everywhere and flights are being delayed and canceled all over the airport and all over the country. It will not help you get home any faster to yell at the gate agent. It’s not her fault. When you get on your cell phone and yell obscenities at your staff, it doesn’t change a thing. I know you’re a Very Important Person. Or at least you think you are.

Even Very Important People can’t change the weather. Stop yelling. Stop cursing. Please. 

Elizabeth

Elizabeth Lee waiting at the gate

Elizabeth Lee waiting at the gate

To make my day even better, when I eventually got on the plane, I found myself seated across the aisle from Mr. Angry Man. I immediately went to the flight attendant and asked to be moved. I’ve had a lifetime supply of angry man exposure and will not subject myself to that any longer.

The flight went well, service was exceptional (in part because the majority of passengers originally scheduled on the flight had made alternate arrangements due to missed connections, etc.) and I finally arrived home. Much to my dismay I realized that I couldn’t find my purse. Fortunately, my keys were in my carry-on bag. I had some cash in my bag as well, so I was able to get my car out of the hock and make my way home.

Delta Airlines

And then, I had an amazingly wonderful experience. The lovely people at Delta Baggage Services at O’Hell O’Hare Airport called in the middle of the night to say that they had my purse. From what they told me, all the contents are intact. Of course I canceled my credit cards as soon as I got home, but I will NOT have to get a replacement driver’s license, Costco Card, etc.

Sadly, I had yet another adventure tied to this whole experience. Here are some excerpts from the message I finally sent Delta after multiple phone calls trying to retrieve my purse.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. I flew on the 5:00 pm flight from O’Hell Airport in Chicago to my home town on Sunday night (7/28/13). Despite delays due to a problem with the plane, we eventually left and arrived a few hours late, but I was glad to be home.

Then, I realized that I had lost my purse. Oh no!

However, your amazing night staff in Delta Baggage Services found my purse, found my contact information, and called me at 2 am to let me know that the purse had been turned in. All I needed to do was set up a FedEx account and give them the information and it would be shipped out to me. Yay!

So, the next day I called back. Over and over. No one ever answered the phone. No one ever returned the call even though I left messages. It was awful.

Today, I decided I needed a new tactic, so I called the 800 number to try to get a better contact number for baggage services in O’Hare. I spoke with Agent Y. He is an interrupter. I don’t like interrupters. He made me sad. Eventually, he gave me a number to call.

I found myself in Phone O’Hare Hell. This particular phone hell shuttled me off to a message saying that I needed to contact lost and found at O’Hare. That wasn’t helpful AT ALL, since I knew where my purse was. It was safe in the hands of the lovely Delta Baggage Services. I sat down and cried. I might never see my purse again!

Finally, I tried one more time. This time, I asked for a supervisor as soon as I got a real human. The wonderful, amazing Tad Martin listened to my tale of woe without interrupting. He gave me the direct number for Baggage Services at O’Hare. Then he connected me to them. Yay!

My purse is being shipped out to me today via FedEx and I’ll have it again tomorrow. Yay!

This message is my way of thanking Tad and the lovely people in baggage services at O’Hare. Agent Y? He needs a little teeny bit more training.  

I enjoy travel. Really I do. Particularly airline travel. It’s always an adventure.

Elizabeth Siggy

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13 comments

  1. Poor Elizabeth! To quote another great work, all’s well that ends well!

    • Elizabeth Lee /

      Thank you, Darlin’. It was quite an adventure. Mostly I’m glad to be home and I’m glad my purse will be here soon.

  2. Oh man, I just woke up from a nap when I read this post, and now I’m feeling Sympathy!Exhaustion over all your travel difficulties. I’m glad you’re home safe and sound. Boo on Angry Man and Agent Y, though.

    I wish I could have caught you at BlogHer. Stacy shared a sheet of Booby stickers with me, though, and I passed out a bunch. 🙂

    • Elizabeth Lee /

      I’m glad you got the stickers! It was so busy that I missed a lot of people I wanted to meet. We’ll have to try again next year.

  3. “How heavy do I journey on the way,
    When what I seek, my weary travel’s end,
    Doth teach that ease and that repose to say
    ‘Thus far the miles are measured from thy friend’ ” Sonn 50 (1-4)

    Sorry that you had such a horrible time leaving Chicago. I’m even more sorry that you left me. 🙂

    • Elizabeth Lee /

      I miss you, Julia! I can’t wait to see you again in October.

  4. Hi Elizabeth,
    I’m so glad you finally persevered and are getting your purse back. How awful that it was lost in the first place, and angry man and Agent Y certainly didn’t help matters.
    I am sorry we didn’t connect at BlogHer. It was so busy; it is just impossible I believe to meet everyone you need/want to meet. Maybe the next one.
    Estelle

    • Elizabeth Lee /

      Hi Estelle,

      We’ll have to catch up at another event. My purse arrived home safe and sound yesterday, but I still had to close an account. 🙁 On the plus side, I do NOT have to replace my driver’s license. 🙂

  5. Heck, I’m just glad I got to meet you!

    Sorry about the airline drama.

    • Elizabeth Lee /

      Hi, Sharon! I’m so glad I finally got to meet you, too. I’ll see you again next month at Type A.

  6. OMG, I would absolutely freak out if I lost my purse. I’m so impressed with your coolness. Of course I’m also impressed with your eyes. I know this has nothing to do with your post but I’ve always been fascinated with the color of your eyes. Just so icy blue gorgeous. Now back to your blog. You handled it all beautifully, from Mr. Angry to the Delta agent. Kudos to you! Sorry the good times had to have such an ending. Next year it will be diferent. Right?

    • Elizabeth Lee /

      Love you, Sandy. Next year will be great. I hope we get to spend more time together then, but I enjoyed sharing a taxi with you.

  7. Hi Elizabeth,

    I love your letter to mister Angryman 🙂
    I know that kind of men and hate them passionately. Thinking so highly of themselves, so poorly and carelessly of others and taking that “business and money” is the alpha and omega of everything and that it justifies any kind of bastard behavior. Yuck!

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