Monday, July 09, 2007

Customer Lack-of-Service

Our journey home started with our cab ride from the Paris to McCarren airport. Once in the cab we realized that our driver had no intention of taking us the fastest route, and didn't even ask which way we wanted to go. He was also talking on his cell phone the entire time. No tip for ACE cab #6663.

We tried to check in using the self-service kiosk, but the computer could not find my itinerary. We persuaded a clerk to help us and managed to off-load our checked baggage at the security drop-off without further hassle. We had a little time for hi-jinks with the lizard statue on the way to our gate. Our flight boarded on time and we each took a Dramamine before take-off.

We both managed to sleep most of the 4+ hour flight to Miami and stumbled off the plane at about 6:30am EST. Our connecting flight to Key West was scheduled to depart at 10:10am, so we again found a corner in the airport and fell asleep, setting an alarm to wake us in time to board the plane.

Right on time we boarded the bus to take us out to our small plane. Instead of stopping at the plane, the driver continued in a circle and dropped us back off at the starting gate. Our bewildered bunch of comrades piled OFF the bus and back in to the terminal. Soon the helpful intercom voice announced that our flight was canceled due to "maintenance issues" and to "please see the help desk located across from the escalator."

The next flight to Key West was at 1:10pm and was already full. We managed to secure seats on the 2:15pm flight and were given a $20 voucher to use upstairs in the remaining 3+ hours we had to wait. Back to the nap zone.

About 20 minutes before we needed to be back downstairs at our gate, Scott spent the voucher at a Starbucks, loading up on teas and juices since it was a "use it or lose it" $20.

We also got a call from Katie and Kevin, who were still in Vegas after having their flight to Seattle canceled, being bullied and nearly kidnapped by a psycho cab driver, booking and canceling a room at one hotel, finding a room at another hotel, and scoring free tickets to come visit us for their trouble.

It seems that all the luck of 7-7-07 caused a distinct curse day on 7-8-07.

2 comments:

Jim Thomsen said...

Yow ... bad cabbies, surprise sprinklers and flight delays ... good thing you had a great time. Or you just might be ... y'know ... PISSED OFF.

Travel blows, really. It's like everybody in the industry knows you're completely vulnerable to their whims and it amuses them to pass the time by torturing you. Probably they hate their jobs and this is the only way they can express it.

Can't say this makes me ever want to visit Las Vegas ... but I'll take "Scott's Family" for $600, Alex.

Marisa said...

Yeah, they're good peeps.