Is that Hell? No, it is just the Northeast.
 

I was scheduled to head out to Chicago today for a quick lunch meeting:

My scheduled flights:
4/21 UA505 BOS 7:45a ORD 9:20a 320
4/21 UA528 ORD 4:44p BOS 8:01p 72S

My girlfriend (from now on known as g'f) left last night for New York on DL Shuttle, and was to come home tonight on DL Shuttle. She planned to get on a 5:30p flight and meet me at my United gate.

My alarm jarred me up at 4:45a. It was the last thing I wanted to hear. After my long seder (four cups of wine... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/redface.gif) and chatting a little too long on FlyerTalk Live with Jon Toner and Hammertoad, among others, I didn't get much sleep!

After getting ready and taking my loving beagle to my neighbors, I hailed a cab and got to Logan's Terminal C by 6:30. I went straight to the RCC and checked-in. The flight was scheduled ontime.

I thought a walk around the terminal might do me some good. Around 7:15 I went to the gate and saw those god-awful words: "Flight Cancelled". The agent said that the A320 was experiencing mechanical problems and was unable to fly. They'd reaccomodate us. As the line was a mile long, I ran to the RCC, which also had a long line. I went into the club and called up 1K Reservations. They wouldn't be able to reaccomodate me until a 10:00 flight. By the time that got into ORD and I got into the city, I would have already missed the bulk of my meeting.

I could have gone to one of the RCC agents and had the ticket endorsed to AA, but I was so tired that I just caught a taxi home.

I never went back into the office, let them think I'm in Chicago http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif.

In the end the mechanical problem with the A320 turned out to be a blessing. Later in the day northeast air travel came to halt. All flights ORD-BOS were cancelled. I would have been stranded overnight in Chicago.

I relaxed most of the day and spent some time on FlyerTalk Live chatting with my fellow FlyerTalkers.

Then came the issue of my g'f in NYC. She didn't have her cell phone on, so there was no way I could contact her. I didn't know if she would get home or not.

Then my dear friend "Chairman's Preferred" called me from his cell phone. He was stuck on the Philly tarmac. His PHL-TPA flight pushed back ontime at 12:30, but at 3:00 he was still on the ground. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif We chatted for a little while and I gave him my sympathy.

I logged onto FT Live and Burkey and I were trying to track DL Shuttle flights between LGA and BOS, to see if she could have possibly taken off.

The worst part was that while she was trying to get flights at LGA she thought I was in ORD, so she couldn't communicate with me, as she left her cell phone off.

Finally she called me at 8:30, assuming that I just arrived from Chicago (or, better put, hoping that I did). I explained what happened earlier. She said that all Delta Shuttle flights from LGA to BOS were cancelled, and she didn't want to hastle with US Airways Shuttle. I advised her on Amtrak, but the best they had was a "redeye" that would arrive at BOS at 3:30a. By no means worth it.

She was at the apartment of my friend "NY Emerald Flyer" (also a FT), and she'll try to get home tomorrow morning.

Later CP called me and told me that he finally left at about 3:30 and arrived into Tampa at about 6:00. At least he is home safely http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif.

Well, I'm home alone again tonight. I hope my g'f can come home early tomorrow, because I'm off to NRT on Sunday am http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/redface.gif.

What a day...

BB

PS: There are probably tons of errors, spelling/typos, in this, as I'm still dog tired. Sorry about that. I need to recover before NRT!

Yep. And I bet you'll be reading a Trip Report from Catman about his adventures today trying to get from Newark to Vegas. Due to the weather I think he had 4 or 5 flights cancelled or delayed. Last I talked to him he had been at the airport all day. Routed through DEN. Cancelled. IAD. Cancelled. ORD. Cancelled. Finally a non-stop to LAX due to arrive at 10pm and I was going to drive out and meet him. But now I just find out his flight was delayed several hours and he won't be getting in until the wee hours of the morning! He has to overnight at LAX and then off finally to Vegas on a early morning flight, losing a day of play and pay. Poor Cat!

Oooooooh. The hairballs will fly for that one!!! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

I'm sure the RCC angels took care of the Cat as best they could. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

I think April is the worst for cancellations due to weather, but then, any year with an April in it can be equally bad http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

The weather affected me even though I was comfortable at home -- my parents had booked a trip to St. Louis for the weekend, and I had gotten them a hotel room using priceline.

Their flights were all cancelled, but they moved the trip to next week, and I was relieved to find that after a few minutes of coaxing, a pricline agent was willing to refund the hotel due to the weather ("just this once").

Ah yes, the lovely weather of the past few days...

I also got stuck out east in BOS yesterday. Almost all UA flights BOS-ORD were cancelled although my flight was spared (at first). I got to BOS, went to the RCC & went on standby for the earlier flight still there & checked in for my own. The equipment for my standby flight was there, but one of the engines was broken, leaving them to try to find another aircraft. My flight was delayed due to waiting for equipment that had to come from NYC to IAD before reaching BOS. Needless to say, with both possibilities looking pretty grim, I got a room at the Logan Hilton. It turns out that my flight was cancelled & the other flight (waiting for another plane) didn't leave BOS until almost midnight. I managed to get out this morning on the only on-time ORD flight of the morning. Hopefully, things can only get better! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

------------------
Regards,
- Anna

BostonBoy.....I know what it is like trying to track a girlfriend down. I know DL doesn't give out info on other passengers records but what I do is tell them to pull up flight XXX for (whatever date) last name of XXXX (all of this would be the original flight record that she held). Then I ask if she was able to take an earlier flight or "what happened with the weather? Did DL put her on another flight?" or "she said there were maintenance problems. What did DL do about that?" They will usually fill me in with where she is.

Chris Moss

Thanks for the advice, Chris.

Update: The storm knocked down a radar at Logan, probably causing extreme problems for the next week. Luckily, my g'f did arrive on Delta Shuttle Saturday morning.

BB

Yes, all I made it to Vegas a day late but thanks to my buddy MileCrazy I'm forgetting whatever frustration getting therre was.

A long trip report will come after I break the bank in Vegas!!!!

I'm sure there were alot of trips from hell for people trying to get into or out of BOS this past weekend. My US Metrojet flight from PBI-BOS on Saturday was cancelled. US told me they would be happy to re-book me on their next available flight --- on Wednesday! After 1 1/2 hours at the ticket counter (Preferred/First Class station at least so I was first on line) I ended up with this wonderful routing: PBI-ATL on DL; overnight in ATL (at my cost, since the cancellation was not "US's fault"); this morning ATL-LGA on DL; connecting to US shuttle from LGA to BOS. While sitting in DL's Crown Room at PBI, I get a call from US on my cellphone - just to let me know that they've changed my flight number from LGA to BOS. Why is that I ask - oh they respond, because "that flight will operate to Manchester"! Bailing out, I rented a car at LGA and drove back to Boston. Thanfully, my two kids (ages 6 and 1 1/2) slept for most of the ride after getting up at 5:30 am for our flight out of ATL. And yes - I tried every other routing possible out of PBI or ATL to get me closer to home, including non-stops to PVD, BOS, MHT, Worcester, BDL - all booked and oversold with spring break familes returning home! So instead of getting home last night at 10:00, I slept for 4 hours, and got home at 2pm. Nice trip - and they say the radar may be down for 3-5 days!!!! US is running shuttle from LGA into Manchester, and DCA shuttles to PVD!!!