June 13, 2001 - "a day that will live in infamy," to quote FDR, or at least in my travel infamy anyway. It started innocently enough. Our ticketed flight on BA to CDG was scheduled to depart LHR at 10:05am. However, given the scheduled arrival time of 12:20pm into Terminal 1 at CDG, we had a rather tight connection to the new TGV MED departing at 1:13pm from CDG Terminal 2. So, we decided to arrive at LHR a little early and try to standby for BA's 9:15am flight to CDG, thus giving us a little more breathing room at CDG. When we checked in, BA had oversold our flight and was asking for volunteers to take their next flight (@12:10pm) in exchange for 125GBP(ca. 175USD) each. Not a bad deal but then we would have missed our TGV connection, and the next TGV that we would have been able to take to AIX/TGV (our desired destination) would have made a tight connection with our ticketed flight from MRS to AJA (@ 8:45pm). So we passed up the $$'s and requested standby on the 9:15am departure. Unfortunately, it was sold out and everyone showed up. So, on to the 10:05am flight we go as originally scheduled. And this is where the fun begins. As we back away from the gate, the captain announces that because we do not yet have a slot into CDG we will be going to an inactive runway to wait just in case one comes up before the one they have given us 1.5hrs. from now!! Well, there goes our 1:13pm TGV connection, for which I had already purchased a ticket. We finally arrive CDG at 1:10pm, get our bags and find a taxi at about 1:40pm. The next TGV to AIX/TGV departs the Gare de Lyon at 2:20pm. So, 30 min. and 250FF later (neither bad for that journey) we arrive at G de L. But we have to stand in line to change our ticket (fortunately it was full fare 1st class). With 5 min. to go before departure, the ticket agent tells us that the train is FULL. No 1st, no 2nd. And the next TGV to AIX/TGV doesn't leave for two hours! But we are able to get two 1st class seats. Remember back at LHR? 125GBP. Should've taken it, of course! Oh well, at least we'll still make our flight to AJA, or so we thought. We depart right on time, albeit in the middle of a thunderstorm (an omen of things to come I now see). But the weather clears and all is well, or is it? About an hour north of Lyon we slow down for 5 to 10 min, then resume regular speed. Hmmm. Then, about an hour south of Lyon, we stop! The announcement says there are problems with the "signalization" at the new Avignon TGV station. Finally, after 40 min., we are on our way. Then comes the announcement the we will NOT be stopping in Aix but will go straight to Marseilles!! We will then be put on a navette (train) back to Aix. And this on a TGV that was never intended to stop in Marseilles! All the French are asking/saying (among other things): pourquoi? (why?). So, now we have missed our flight to AJA. And no phone on board to call our friend in AJA to tell him not to go to the airport. We are ultimately able to use a cell phone from one of the French businessmen on board to call AJA. All's fine at that end. We finally arrive in Marseilles at 10:00pm (originally scheduled arrival time in Aix: 7:53pm), are told to get our "reimbursement" envelope from SNCF customer service and board the navette to Aix on track H. No departure time given. After 30 min. or so, they turn out the lights on the train! They are back on 10 min. later. Then another TGV arrives on our track. And just as I guessed, 20 min. later we are requested to take our bags off the first train and move to the second train. Finally, at 11:45pm we're off for Aix, sans hotel but avec voiture reservation at least. Upon arrival, SNCF personnel are waiting and one goes with us to the car rental office (across the tracks) while another waits with our bags in the beautiful, new, but not quite completed station. Upon arrival at Europcar, there is no electricity in the office yet, and thus no computer to fill out the rental agreement. So, half an hour later we finally get our car and return to the front of the station where, believe it or not, our bags are still waiting, along with a French lady my wife had met on the train and who has offered to let us stay at her home in Aix for the evening! Quelle chance! At 2:30am we are finally in bed!!

But the story is not yet finished. The next morning we call Air France to rebook our flight to AJA, only to be told that all flights from MRS to AJA are full for the next two days! OK, since I have a car, how about the flights from NCE to AJA. Ah ha. There are two seats left on the 5:30pm departure today. Done. No charge to reticket and we're off to Nice. Bottom line: one day lost in Corsica.

Now, about this "reimbursement." We are told by friends that this will probably be a free ticket, probably with an expiration date, for future use. That's not going to do us a lot of good. Upon arrival in Paris, we go to the SNCF "service clientele" office at the Gare du nord where they handle customer service problems. My wife explains, in her best and most polite french, our problem/situation. The customer service rep is very understanding and offers, you guessed it, a ticket. My wife explains the problem with that and asks for a refund. "OK, we'll send you a check," is the reply. That's not so good either since a FF check would throw the banks in our small town for a loop. Why not just credit the CC we used to purchase the tickets? Bien sur. And so we'll see. The request goes to someone else's desk for approval but she seemed to think that would be no problem. Give them two months anyway before calling. So, all's well that ends well, I guess. If only I had taken the 125GBP at the start too!