Mediterranean Day One

DAY 1 AND DAY 1 AND DAY 1 (May 13 and May 13 and May 13)

Our May 13 began at 2:30 AM. Worry about traveling and ash clouds made it impossible for us to sleep. In an effect to spread the pain, Tom and I made poor Brett get up at an unheavenly hour to drag us to the airport. We arrived, went and sat down and crossed our fingers so hard that I was afraid they were going to fall off that we would make it on time to Atlanta to catch our flight (hopefully) to Barcelona. Boarding was supposed to start at 7:40 AM and at 7:30 AM they announce that the plane is overbooked and if your ticket does not have “confirmed” on it you might be out of luck. Our tickets did not have “confirmed” on them. So thus begins the total freak out on my part which unfortunately lasted until we were wheels up in Atlanta. Turns out that it was for people who had no seat number but a confirmed flight. We’ve had seat numbers for 6 months. Phew. They were looking for volunteers to give up their seats. Which was NOT going to be us.

Oh, and btw, for those of you with young children they have now changed the rules that you have to inform them that you are bringing a baby on board and your ticket has to say traveling with infant in arms on it. I heard that announcement like 200 times while we were waiting for the flight. Well then, just before they start boarding they say okay this plane (the one at the gate which we were assuming was our plane) was the plane that was supposed to depart at 6:20 AM and did not -- so now we are going to have to move gates. So an entire stampede of humanity rushes to the new gate and there is no plane. So we wait and wait and still no plane. And then we hear the gate attendants talking and one of them asks what happened to the plane and they said it is blocked in by an American Airlines plane and so it can’t get out to come over here. The plane had actually been at the airport for a while although couldn’t get to the proper gate due to that other plane.

So when the plane did show up it was being driven by a grounds crew man. You could tell because of his orange vest. So we ended up leaving 45 minutes late because of the time it takes to board the plane but since the plane no longer had any one it we didn’t have to wait for them to deplane first. And it reminded me of Brian Regan talking about flights because they say we are boarding Zone 1 and every zone in the boarding area rushes the gate. But they made up time in flight and we arrived in Atlanta only about 10 minutes late although the guys in front of us going to Memphis for the BBQ competition missed their flight. Well anyway we get on the plane and the plane is PACKED with people – even business class was cramped – I can only imagine what it was like in steerage.

So on with the day. The flight was uneventful and we arrived in Atlanta. I thought LAX was a busy airport. Atlanta was packed. There was not one seat available in the area for our flight. We even went into the Sky Club and there were 4 seats available in the entire club. We went in there with some rapper dudes. They spoke. I did not understand a word they said. I’m not sophisticated enough I guess. And no I don’t know who they were. So anyway we go over to the check-in and finally got onto the plane. You cannot imagine how excited we were after all that worry. And international business class is HEAVEN. They brought us food. And then they brought us more food. And then because we were hungry they brought us even more food. And then followed that with food. We had asparagus soup and seared ahi and salad and cheese and steak and potatoes and cheesecake. No kidding. And the seats were amazing – like the lounge chairs at home. And for the first time in a long, long time we were able to sleep. A little but it was nice. And thus ended our entire day spent on a plane or in airports.