FlyerTalk Forums - SFO to MCO (with variations)

I wonder if there are any budget minded members out there who will be amused by this!

My wife and I, (both in our 60s), travel purely for pleasure. We live in Ireland, and visit Florida twice a year. Economics dictate that we travel on the cheapest economy ticket we can find. We do however with some planning manage to retain our SM status, which we value highly. It was this planning that found us travelling from Ireland to Orlando via San Francisco.

For the purpose of this, I shall ignore all but San Francisco to Orlando.

We left SFO early on Sunday 25th. September for our short hop to Los Angeles. At the gate we discovered that we had been upgraded! Not particularly important on a short flight, but enjoyable for all that.

At the gate at Los Angeles, we discovered that our flight was 'overbooked', and flexible volunteers were sought. Flexible being our middle name, we offered our services, and were rewarded with a pair of $400 vouchers, plus business class boarding cards for Los Angeles to Memphis and Memphis to Orlando. While enjoying our pre take off drink, it was announced that the plane had developed a technical fault that would take about half an hour to fix, and sure enough about 30 minutes later, we headed off in the direction of Memphis. Not quite all the way however. Having circled for some time, the Captain announced that due to some very unpleasant weather down below, the airport was closed, and we were being diverted to St. Louis to refuel and wait for Memphis to re-open. On landing, the fault that had delayed us at Los Angeles had reoccured, and there being no maintainance staff available, our plane could go no further.

Delta ground staff had 'found' us a spare plane. However, I overheard a conversation during which it became obvious that the new plane had fewer seats, and four of us would need to be left behind. Being two of four left in St. Louis sounded rather more attractive than whatever we might find in Memphis. So with this in mind, we introduced ourselves to the Gate Agent who seemed delighted. He produced 2 $400 vouchers, a night in The Crowne Plaza, some vouchers for food, and business class boarding cards for St. Louis to Atlanta and Atlanta to Orlando the following morning.

After a good nights sleep, we made our way to the airport the following morning. At the gate for our flight to Atlanta, we were greeted with "This flight is overbooked, anybody with any flexability" etc. etc. On this occasion, to go along with our $400 vouchers, the plan was St. Louis to Memphis and Memphis to Orlando in business class, this journey duly accomplished, we arrived at Orlando almost exactly 24 hours behind schedule, more that compensated by the $2400 in vouchers in the back pocket.

I certainly claim no records. However this must be a reasonably unusual experience for a tourist!