Although I have been an FT member for several months, and have taken a number of trips during that time, and have intended to post some of the details, the "comedy(?)" of errors that my wife and I encountered with our flights last weekend finally prompted me to write my first trip report in this venue.
I guess you might call this an err-line experience not to be soon forgotten. By way of a little pre-report explaination, my wife and I were travelling on separate carriers (she on DL and I on TW) as part of mid-level requalification in our respective FF programs. The trip was made to attend her class reunion at Albion College in Albion, MI.

October 12 TW 622
LIT-STL

We arrive at LIT at 5pm for her 6pm flight on DL to ATL. My flight on TW to STL didn't depart until 7:30pm. Since we were both upgraded, check-in was a breeze and it was off to security. Again, no real problem there - only about a 15 min. wait. She boards and departs right on time. So far, so good. Since I have an hour and a half until departure, I stroll down the concourse, grab a pizza and a brew and watch CNN until boarding time. Due to the late arrival of the aircraft from STL, we don't begin boarding until 7:30. Following pre-flight drinks of H2O or OJ in first, we push back at 8pm or so. Just after completing push-back the captain announces that we have an "indicator" problem and we have to go back to the gate to check it out. Sould only take a few minnutes. Famous last words! He then leaves the cockpit. After 45 min., and no communication as to our status, I hear the co-pilot say to one of the FA's: "We need to tell these people something" and he also leaves the cockpit. About 15 min. later we are told that we need to gather up all our carry-ons, exit the aircraft and go back thru security. However, security has gone home for the nite, so we need to stay in the gate area until they can find some folks to "man" security. Two of Little Rock's finest are standing in the concourse by the gate to make sure we do just that. They do finally relent a little and let people use the near-by restroom. About half an hour later, we are then marched down to security, the gate is closed and the airport is shut down! We have been told NOTHING, but surmise it has something to do with our flight. Several officers then proceed to "sterilize" the concourse. About 45 min. later the gate and the airport are reopened and we are allowed to proceed back thru security (i.d, boarding pass checks, x-ray, etc.) and back to the gate. More waiting. Of course by now we have missed our connections in STL. I call our friends in DTW, with whom we were going to spend the nite, to tell them of my situation and to tell my wife when she calls, not finding me at the airport at the appointed place and time, to just pick up the rental car and go to their house (near the airport) for the evening. She can just me up in the morning and then we'll go directly to Albion. OK, or so I thought. More waiting at the gate and we finally reboard following another i.d. and boarding pass check. It is now about 11:30pm. After another 20 min. or so, a LR police officer and a plainclothes FBI agent now board the plane. The officer stands in the FC galley while the agent goes back to coach and removes three men of Indian sub-continent descent from the plane. One of the men returns shortly thereafter. At 12:15am we're FINALLY on our way to STL. We have been assured by the gate agent before we reboarded that we will be rebooked on the first flights out of STL in the morning. Check upon arrival in STL. The flight was fine. The FA's great. I was given 5 liquor minatures for my trouble! Naturally when we arrive at STL at 1:15am, no one is around to help us with flights or hotel. Eventually, several agents show up and we begin the process. "No, there's no indication in your record that you've been rebooked," they say and "No, since this is security related, we don't provide (read comp) a hotel. We'll give you a voucher for a reduced rate." Oh goody! I ask them to rebook me on DL to AZO via CVG since this will get me to Albion sooner than TW's first flight to DTW in the morning. I'm trying to be there in time to see a friend receive an alumni award. OK, done. I'll just pick up a car at AZO and meet my wife in Albion instead of DTW and then we can return the car back to AZO later in the afternoon. Now off to the hotel (STL Hilton - nice; $36 rate) and a wait in line with everyone else. It's 2:30am before I finally flop on the bed.

October 13 DL 5228 & 5467
STL-CVG-AZO

Up at 4:15am for my 5:45 departure to CVG. No problem with check-in, somewhat of a line at security but not toooo bad. Arrive at CVG on time and call our friends in DTW to tell my wife of my change in plans. My friend says she never arrived last nite!! Oh oh. Now what?? "Well, if she does call, tell her of my plans and I'll call back when I get to Albion after the awards ceremony." When I do, I find out that her flight from ATL-DTW was cancelled and they rebooked her on the "redeye" into DTW arriving at 1:30am. She gets the car and heads off to our friends, arriving about 2:30am, only to find she is locked out! No amount of banging on the front door gets any attention, so she spends the rest of the nite "sleeping" in the car in their driveway. Turns out one of their daughters decided, late and unexpectedly, to spend the nite at her parents following a party nearby instead of going back to her apartment some 20 miles away. So she takes the key meant for my wife, lets herself in and locks the door. We finally rendezvous at Albion and enjoy, as best we can, fatigued as we are, the rest of the class reunion events.

October 14 TW 349
DTW-STL

We arrive at DTW at 5pm for our 7pm flights. I find a long line for TW coach check-in but no one in the FC line, so I'm taken almost immediately. I'm given a handwritten(!) boarding pass because their computer is down. This explains the long coach line. At DL, the FC/Medallion line is slow so we decide to check my wife in at the CRC. It's before security and since there was little, if any, line at security, this should work. Also, this was the last day of operation for the DTW CRC. Check-in was fine, we have a "consilliatory" drink and we're the last customers when they close for good at 6pm. Sad. I've enjoyed this oasis over the years. Thru security and off to our respective gates w/o problem. Upon arrival at the TW gate, it appears that pandemonium reigns. The flight is oversold, some folks are still waiting for boarding passes and there are some duplicate seat assignments! They're offering a $200 voucher to take a bump. Kinda cheap, but since it looks like I'm going to miss my connection in STL anyway, I decide to take it. "Do I get a hotel voucher," I ask? "Hmmm, I don't know. You're the first one to ask" comes the reply. "Check at the counter in the terminal." When they're finally thru sorting out the seat assignment confusion, the flight departs an hour late. We volunteers are then told to write down our name and address and we'll be SENT a travel voucher! That's interesting. And we're rebooked on flights for the next morning. Then it's off to the counter in the terminal for our hotel and meal vouchers. Since they have just moved their operations down next to AA, they can't seem to find what they did with the hotel vouchers. Finally they are located and we're off to the Doubletree for the nite. The meal voucher can only be used at the airport and by this time, all the restaurants there are closed! Oh well, it's valid for a year so I can use it on another trip, if I don't lose it in the meantime.

October 15 TW 155
DTW-STL

I wind up oversleeping a little and get to the TW counter at 6:15am for my 6:53 departure. Woops. This time the security line is a mile long! As I'm heading to the end of the line, I see a couple from the nite before who are near the front of the line and they let me in! Whew. The flight departed pretty much on time and was fine. Still going by TW's service rules(2 liquor miniatures). Great.

TW 141 STL-LIT

While sipping a pre-departure OJ, the captian announces that we have a little problem with the engine de-icer. Normally, on a sunny day this wouldn't be aproblem, but due to some clouds between STL and LIT, a de-icing advisory has been issued. So, they need to fix the problem. Bottom line - they can't! So, we have to deplane and they'll find us another aircraft. What else could go wrong on this trip?? Fortunately, there's another 717 just across the concourse that we can use. It was headed for....DTW. So we eventually board it, wait a while while all the checked baggage is transferred and then depart "only" about an hour late. Again, the flight was fine and 2 more miniatures. OK, now I'm almost home. Did I say that I still have a two hour drive to go? And my wife took the car the nite before when she arrived pretty much as scheduled. Well, an hour late due to weather in CVG. So now I have to find a rental vehicle that I can one-way to our small town in south AR. No such luck. The best I can do is TXK fifty miles away. Well, that beats driving 140 miles back to LIT to return it. So that's how this saga ends. Still awake? Well, at least we got to and from safely.

And that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!