Anthrocon 2013 travelers affected by air traffic difficulties
Posted by Patch Packrat on Tue 9 Jul 2013 - 13:36 — Edited as of Fri 20 May 2016 - 08:59
We should have all extended the con by a day given the air traffic!, said one responder to a mailing list message asking if anyone else was having trouble getting home from Pittsburgh.
During the convention, an Asiana Airlines jet crashed at San Francisco International Airport, killing two, injuring 181, and delaying many flights.
What's your traveling experience been like for Anthrocon? Did you experience any other issues, such as difficulty with the high traffic in fursuit bins searched by TSA agents, following the Guinness World Record attempt to assemble the most fursuiters in one place?
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I was relatively lucky - got out of Dallas/Fort Worth around 1AM last night. Felt sorry for the flight crew, who looked exhausted.
Getting out of Pittsburgh was fine, but my connection in Chicago was delayed. There were so many standby passengers, they put on a 777. First time I've flown one of those domestically.
At this moment, I am stuck in Denver at the airport.
Got to my flight 2 hours ahead of schedule on Monday. Automated call tells me the flight is canceled. Checked at the gate, and told that it was due to mechanical problems and the soonest they could get me home was thursday or friday (very annoyed at how insensitive the gate person was, when i said thursday was unacceptable, she immediately said "do you think those 2 dead girls at sfo care about your inconvenience?")
So I made some calls, found some friends who were driving to California I could ride with, they picked me up at the airport. And we were off, the beginning of a spontaneous cross country road trip with 2 awesome furries. At least until we got to the ohio turnpike outside of Cleveland, hydroplaned, spun out, slammed into the median wall going 70 mph. Some how, no fursuits or suiters were injured, but the car was toast. Highway patrol, tow truck, tow lot, hotel so dirty you had to sleep fully dressed on top of the covers.
Called in some favors with my brother who works for an airline. Pulling some strings that could put his job at risk, i was able to get a flight to denver. Missed the first flight when it was delayed for "sfo air traffic control issues", or as my brother told me, the plane's air conditioner was broke. Being 12:30 and having had nothing to eat all day, i made sure to check with the person at the counter who told me "absolutely nothing will happen before 1pm, and i have you confirmed". Went to get some food, came back at 12:55 and the same lady told me "we got permission to load early, and are full now". (The plane was still sitting there).
Really hoping I might catch this next flight. Several people have suggested I just need to take a train for the rest of the way, then the furry version of Planes, Trains, and Automobiles will be complete.
Really hoping if i do get home that my 2 fursuits also make it. But at this point i am not getting my hopes up.
The other 2 in the car were able to book very expensive flights back to Cali, but as they were flying to Chicago, and later at night, we parted ways in Cleveland. Hopefully i was the curse and they have better luck than me, last I heard their flight was being delayed due to weather.
Wow, it's a good thing you're all OK! I didn't know you caught the ride too (nice to seeya at the con). That was my con roommate's car. I was happy to hear he was OK, last I heard from him before my phone battery stopped working. I thought he was crazy for driving all the way across country, then lucky to have it when the plane mess happened, then unlucky. Hope you all get home OK soon. I was able to make it to Houston so far, after being grounded in Pitt with an airline hotel overnight... I'm currently on standby for an SFO flight, or if that doesn't open, I'm supposed to have a seat reserved into San Jose later. Seeya at Frolic on the weekend.
Wow. I share your hope, though right now it sounds like you should be glad just to get back in one piece!
Update: 2:55 flight was delayed, finally boarded at 3:30. Managed to snag a furst class seat due to standby too! I guess I was super tired because I fell asleep as soon as everyone was on and they closed the doors. Was really nice to get an hour of sleep, but kind of annoying to wake up to the pilot asking everyone to get off, flight delayed indefinetly. Now sitting back in the lobby at denver airport.
FA journal about that car crash.
A Toronto attendee reported their flight home was cancelled due to flooding and a power outage at the Toronto Airport.
I had a flight from PIT to DEN to LAX leaving on Monday afternoon.
Early Monday morning, I was being e-mailed saying the DEN to LAX section was being delayed (first 40 minutes, then 90 minutes).
After I left the Westin Monday afternoon, I got an e-mail that the PIT to DEN section was cancelled (no reason given) and was automatically booked to a flight at 6:15am on Tuesday morning (PIT to IAD to LAX).
The United CSR had no sympathy, not even bothering trying to find another flight to LAX from anywhere (I advised him multiple times that I didn't need to connect at DEN). He even made a crude joke saying "we can't make planes fall out of the sky".
In the end, I took the 6:15am flight (with hotel, meal and one-way cab ride from hotel to airport voucher - had to pay $40 to go TO the hotel), and got home around noon.
Still going to complain about the CSR's attitude and the $40 expenditure to the hotel.
Traffic & construction on Route 80 East SUUUUUCKED. D: took us longer to get back than to get there!
As someone who's had to travel that to go to NJ when I worked in that state, that's seems to not be unusual for the end of July 4th weekend.
In 2009 I went from Syracuse to Middle NJ, a trip that usually takes 5 hours in total. Took me 5 hours to get through PA alone (80 east was part of that trip).
It's one reason sis and I didn't go this year. PA and July 4th are nothing to we wished to mess with. I've been there before.
The only real problem I had with flying was on my way back from AC a few years ago in 2009. I had a connecting flight from Pittsburgh to NYC then to Dallas since the Pittsburgh to Dallas flight was full (I booked at the last minute). When I got to NYC, there was some problem with the plane not being able to show up for the flight or some crap like that (I cant recall what it was exactly) that caused it to be canceled. Since I didnt have any status or membership with the airline and their were so many standby passengers getting to Dallas, I got shuffled to the late evening flight. Not only would I be forced to wait for several hours in the airport, I would miss my connecting flight to Laredo there. I tried talking to one of the staff, but they said there was nothing that can be done. After waiting what seemed like forever, I boarded the flight to Dallas around 7 pm after being stuck in the airport since 10 that morning. When I got there, I explained to the United staff about my situation. Luckily the next flight to Laredo, the midnight one, was less then half full, and the airline staff happily allowed me to change to that flight with no extra charge. Got there around 1, was happy to see my luggage safe and sound, another 30-40 minuites to drive home, finally got there a little before 2 am. I was so tired and fed up by then to say the least. :)
Delta lost my rollaway bag for a day. I flew Pittsburgh-Memphis-Shreveport and when I arrived in Shreveport my bag wasn't there.
Luckily the person at the baggage claim was nice and computer tracked it. (PS save that baggage claim tag they give you!) Somehow my bag wound up in Atlanta instead of going to Memphis. The bag arrived the next day and instead of having to drive 62 miles to the Shreveport airport to get it, Delta had a delivery guy drop it off at my home.
I've had some problems with Delta (layovers, canceled flights) but their people at the desks have been friendly and helpful about it. After reading about the bad experiences here, too bad other airlines dont give a damn.
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