mridley2

Sounds like delta MX blamed on something else ATC lets reboot a few times and see if error goes away. Like a PC. Lol.

OP glad you and your son made it to ATL safe and sound and got home without said keys.

Yikes. This is definitely a lesson for all of us travelers including me. Never know when/where you might get stuck, stranded, abandoned, left in the hot summer night. So be prepared for anything. At all times.

pricesquire

She had a friend drive down from ATL to get her. "One of the lucky ones" she said.

Really interested to see what kind of compensation will be thrown your way.

CrazyEddie

My car *was* at the the airport, but I used my spare keys yesterday and had my wife drive me down there (just under 40 miles) yesterday to pick it up. Unbeknownst to me, but my bag was being delivered to the claim area about the same time, but I didn't find that out until I got home and checked online. Doh! Supposed to be delivered here today.

CrazyEddie

17,500 Skymiles. Not sure what I should expect. Would really like some MQMs!

CrazyEddie

So dumb! I put them in the roller bag on the outbound (when I didn't check) out of habit (since I normally never check). Hopefully I won't need to change that habit since I won't be checking again....

exwannabe

FWIW I have re-purposed one of those international C class amenity kit bags into a holder for all my valuable/critical items.

In most cases it stays in my carry on, but I can quickly get it out if things change. Works well.

Also, considering where you were stuck, would "Lord of the Gnats" not be a better subtitle to the thread :-)

CrazyEddie

Great suggestion. I have something that contains similar stuff, including passport if I lose my driver's license (another bad experience), backup contacts, etc.

You are the first to comment on the Lord of the Flies reference - good point! The way people were reacting was very interesting - ranging from helpful/cooperative to accusatory, and worse. We were in FC (paid for once) and my son suggested that should mean we would be first on the buses (if they showed). I told him that I did NOT want to make that point, especially given we were in great shape compared to the family with the infant, the diabetic and the several families on their way home to the Netherlands.

VegasJosh

I had a flight from EWR to BDL on the 23rd of December a few years ago that was delayed 4 hours till midnight then canceled, UA said there were going to try and get buses cause all flights were oversold for the next day. After waiting around a while they said the bus would not arrive till 7am and there were no hotel rooms available, thats when I was a soda came flying at the gate agents as well as a few other objects. Police coming running in and I decided at the point to call a friend and catch my own ride. I understand your frustration OP seems like you and the other passengers handled very well. Good job and hope you get a positive outcome.

MSPeconomist

The idea of a bus from EWR to BDL sounds pretty bad, but then again it was UA......

sethb

I've never heard of MQMs being given in compensation.

Was your actual flight longer or shorter than your purchased flight? (Watch them give MQMs only to the diversion airport.)

ND76

I had an adventure like this circa 1993; was flying LAX-DFW-DCA on the last trip of the day (we left LAX around 3:00 pm). As I remember, the DFW-LAX leg was on a 757. About 45 minutes out of DFW we get the word from the captain that DFW was forced to close due to severe thunderstorms. Of all the airports we could have used for the diversion (ELP, MAF, AUS, SAT, OKC), we ended up at Wichita Falls (SPS), which consisted of a 13,000 foot runway (shared with Sheppard Air Force Base) and a really tiny cinder block building which served the Rio Airways propeller planes that was the Delta connection in those days).

There were no jetways or airstairs at SPS, so we couldn't get off the plane; the one airport attendant who was there had to get out a ladder for the pilots to be able to get down to the ground to inspect the aircraft.

There were telephones on airplanes at the time (I don't think I owned a cell phone in 1993). Because of the storms the circuits were overwhelmed so I couldn't call home, and my wife went into a panic.

The movie of the month on Delta at the time was "Groundhog Day". The FAs, not knowing what else to do, played it twice while we were on the ground at SPS, which turned out to be about 5 hours. We were supposed to arrive at DFW around 9 pm; we ended up getting there at around 3 am.

spd476

I occasionally used to put my keys in my roller bag instead of my laptop bag. I didn't think much about it because the roller bag was with me. My home airport is only served by regional jets so most rollers get gate checked. Flying home one time, I gate checked the bag as usual, with my keys inside. The plane lands and I'm waiting for my bag at the end of the jet bridge. It never comes out. Somehow it got mixed in with the other checked bags. Eventually it showed up at baggage claim. Since then I've always kept my keys with me.

sethb

I learned not to do that (fortunately, I hadn't) when a baggage elevator at MSP froze shut with a load of bags in it. There was over an hour wait for gate-checked bags, and PMNW wasn't being at all nice about holding connections or guaranteeing to forward bags.

CJKatl

Or have a few charged up external battery chargers in your bag.

Been there. My license never comes out of my wallet at the airport. It's too easy to not put it back, shove it in a pocket and find it's not there later. I use my passport, which may be more expensive to replace, but no rental car counter will deny you a car because you lost your passport. My GA card is a third back-up, and it's in my computer bag in case I lose the passport and my wallet. I lost my license once in Vegas, and while I was able to get on the plane, I could not rent a car nor check into a hotel at my next destination, SF. Fortunately, there was a Club Quarters, where you check in via kiosk and don't need your license, so I was able to stay there and take a cab to my customer site the next morning.

mattp1987

My flight was also diverted Friday evening during the popup storms, but we went to AGS. I don't think the facilities are a concern because DL generally doesn't deplane passengers in this situation. The only reason OP deplaned was because of the mechanical. They did eventually let some passengers, including my seatmate, deplane via the rear steps if they wanted to get off at AGS, but there was no option to deplane and then reboard.

I was lucky though. I missed my ATL-ORF connection, but I was able to get on the last flight of the night from the standby list. I think I was the last person to clear before boarding, and about 4 passengers were brought on before the door closed and seated in the remaining empty seats.