Cancelled Chicago

I show up at the airport way early. Truthfully, I'd much rather be early than late when it comes to air travel. So, I grab a bite to eat and then head over to check in. They tell me that my flight has been cancelled. I phrase my next question very carefully; "Huh?" Seems that Chicago has some bad weather and they had to cancel my flight as well as many others. So, I get to be rerouted. She tells me that she can put me on a flight into Chicago that will miss my connecting flight. I consider this and then decline the no-connection option. She offers me a flight to Boston. Not exactly going to make my connection there either as it departs from Chicago. She tells me that the Boston flight (really my only option at this point) will give me a new connecting flight there. As long as it's my only option and gets me to my destination, book it.

Then comes the questions I don't like the answers to. Is the connecting flight a British Airways flight? No, she says. It's an American Airlines flight. I try not to retch at that. Will I be in the same service class of seat? No, she says. They don't have premium economy so I'll be flying coach. I damn near pass out. So, what happens to the extra money that was paid for said seat, will I get that refunded to me? No, she says. Because American Airlines doesn't have that class of seat and it's not actually business class, they will not upgrade me to business class nor refund the difference. Oh hell no! I explain to her my opinions of how I'm being screwed. Some of you may read that as: I get indignant! Eventually, I realize that she's not going to actually help me in this matter. She apologizes (again) and I tell her that it's not her fault. I will deal with the problem at a later date.

The flight to Boston is a short flight. We have major tail winds that shave 45 minutes off the flight time. I find my next gate and wait the couple hours until they let me on board of that plane. At least I got a window seat on this flight. We take off over the ocean and they charge me for my drink. Yes, you read that correctly. The bastages charge me $5.00 for a rum and Coke.

"I didn't realize that they were no longer free on international flights", I say.

"Yes, ever since 9/11 all airlines now charge on all flights", she replies to me.

"Really? Not British Airlines", I inform her.

"United doesn't", the lady next to me chimes in. "And I don't recall Continental charging me either".

The flight attendant doesn't know how to respond to this. So, she smiles, takes the portrait of Abe Lincoln from me and pushes her cart on. Stupid American Airlines.

So, I sit back and nurse my very expensive drink. That's when I find out that my seat's entertainment system doesn't work. Of course it doesn't. Why on Earth would I think *that* would go right. I'm on a flight that has no entertainment, no free drinks and smaller seats. On the plus side, I'll be getting to London a couple hours earlier than I planned.

It's a plus until you realize that I arrive in London sometime before 6 in the morning. After luggage collection, customs check, rental car pickup and drive to the other side of the city it's about 8:30am. I'm tired as I didn't get much sleep on the planes. I can't check into the hotel because they were booked solid the night before. I grab breakfast at the hotel for just under $24 and I still cannot check in. I head to the library and set down to read my book for a bit. By 11:30 they have a room ready and cleaned for me. I check in and pretty much pass out when I get inside.

I wake up later that night and grab some dinner and do some reading before heading to bed "for real".