After 2 very pleasant, if long, KLM flights Mark and I landed in New York, JFK at 3:30 pm. It took us another hour before we were through customs to collect our bags, and by quarter to 5 we were anxiously waiting outside to catch a bus to LaGuardia, where we were supposed to be catching a 7pm flight to Newport News, VA.
Now let it be known that one should never, ever, EVER trust NY bus-ticket-sellers. We were told the bus would be there soon and we would be at LaGuardia by 5:15. This would have been fine since we had to check in an hour before our flight, but Mr ticket seller was a big fat liar and the bus only arrived at 5:30.
It was well after six by the time we made it to LaGuardia, and on top of being incredibly pissed off at Mr ticket seller, we were met with further complications. Our flight reservation had been cancelled, and we knew nothing about it! Too late to make the flight even if we paid for it ourselves (the HUGS organisers had bought our tickets, as part of the summer school), we settled down at an internet cafe (the only one in the airport) to take stock of the situation and figure out what we could do. A few wordy emails were sent off, to our families to let them know we were alive, and to the HUGS people, to try and figure out just what exactly was going on here?! Being 7pm in the states, and 1 am in South Africa, we weren't exactly expecting answers soon either.
We figured we should make a reservation for the flight to Newport News at 10am the next morning, but we didn't have enough cash ourselves to pay for it, so we would have to try to get hold of someone in the morning and hope they could pay for our ticket by 9:30am. So we went back to the AirTran counter, explained our plight at length to the nice lady at the counter, and made the reservation. Actually it went more like:
AirTran lady: Y'all wanna check in?
Mark: Umm.
Me: Well, actually, here's the thing...
AirTran lady: Oh Lord, you have a thing! (does a nice show of staggering backward and collapsing, which made us laugh)
We then decided that we were going to find a hotel to stay at, because we were absolutely NOT going to sleep in the airport. We went to the Airway Inn, the cheapest one we could find, although our enquiry efforts were not exactly exhaustive, nor did we care too much. We had a rather nice large meal of curry and rice at a pakistani/indian/halaal/etc take-out place across the road, went back to our room and propmtly fell asleep.
We made sure we were up at 6 the next morning, so we could be back at the airport just after 7 to try and organise things. In the rush, I managed to leave our vuvuzela (that green horn thing Mark is blowing in the picture above) in our room. We were taking it as a present to JLab, so I am rather pissed off with myself about that. Mum, you're going to have to bring me one when you come through! (i love you?)
Now, the only phone number we had that was of any use to us was the JLab Residence Facility's. We bought a phone card, which didn't work on the phones at the airport, turned some dollars into quarters, and left a message on the answering machine. We then went to get some breakfast, and at this point I realised I had lost my bright green notebook with loads of important info (to me, anyway) as well. I had left it by the phones, but it was gone when I checked again :(((((
After 8 we called the ResFac back, they had got our message and were going to pass it on to the organisers of HUGS, they gave us their number as well. We then went on a mission to Lost&Found on the 3rd floor, but alas, no sign of my notebook. If anyone is passing through LaGuardia and happens to see a bright green covered spiral notebook, please keep it for me. It's got a shrek sticker on the front.
Just after 9 we went to the ticket counter to see if our ticket had been paid, but no. We missioned back to the phones (I was getting to be rather kick-ass at going up and down escalators simultaneously with a big suitcase and a pullalong by this point) to call up HUGS and see what was up. As we phoned, they had just paid our ticket, so we missioned back to the ticket counter and lo and behold! we had our boarding passes. What a relief, and just in time before the 30 minute cut-off.
Sitting in the domestic departure lounge, we were eyeing the suspicious-looking seats 3A and 3C on our tickets, when our flight was called. What a surprise it was then, after all the annoyances we had been through, to find that we were actually seated in Business Class! This more than redeemed our bad moods and pretty soon we were basking in legroom and grinning in lovely large seats :)
They gave us cookies after takeoff, and the napkins they came with were really funny. on the front read "Introducing the very best deal in the history of napkin reading" and on the back...
"How to use this napkin:
1) Read about free flights.
2) Fold gently.
3) Place into front pocket for safekeeping.
4) Wipe hands on your shirt."
hehehe :)
The only regret was that the flight was only just over an hour long, so we didn't get much time to enjoy our newly-upgraded status. But we were so happy just to be there when we landed in Newport News that it didn't really matter.
We took a cab from the airport to the lab. Everything is so green and pretty here now, a wonderful contrast to the dead brown that it was when we left in December, and that we have left at home too. It's great to be back, and we went to say hello and get our user cards activated as soon as we got in.
We popped by Sarah's office to say hi, as well as our supervisor's, and then went to go have lunch at the Quark Cafe, JLab's cafeteria. After that it was our weekly project meeting, and then off to start some work and let our families know that we had, finally, arrived.
So to all of you thinking about becoming physicists, I hope you like to travel, and I hope you can deal with interesting problems as they come your way, because I have yet to make a physics trip without having to make a contingency plan!
I love those napkins!! Ingenious way to come up with an advertising message. And delighted to know that you and Mark are safe and sound in Newport News - if somewhat travel-battered. And yes, we will try to find you a vuvuzela!
Posted by: Karen | May 27, 2005 at 06:08 AM
That's a pretty intense travel story. It's pretty typical though, most physicists I know have similar stories to tell.
I really should write a post about how I managed to avoid paying for 20kg of excess baggage in my move from OZ to Austria...
Posted by: mick | May 30, 2005 at 08:09 AM
Yeah, been here twice now and both times missed my flight to Newport News. Tried Washington, tried New York, maybe next time I'll try Altanta.
Quote: "I managed to avoid paying for 20kg of excess baggage in my move from OZ to Austria"
Nice one! How *did* you do it!?
Posted by: claire | May 30, 2005 at 06:51 PM