Thursday, December 29, 2011

It's Worth Sharing

Hello Blog Readers.
I plan on blogging about Christmas very soon, and how awesome it was celebrating with June, but before I get to that wonderful holiday I feel its worth mentioning the HELL (pardon the language) we went through to get to Canada and back to Texas.

We booked our tickets on Cheaptickets.com in July to make the expense of flying international a little cheaper and so that there wouldn't be any problems when it was time to fly. We wanted to make traveling during the holiday's a little easier since we would have June and Ranger with us.

(Call #1) December 12th comes and in order to fly with a dog you have to call and make a reservation for the pet. Our flight schedule was fly up to Canada with Continental airlines and fly home with American airlines. I called Continental on the 12th to reserve a spot for Ranger. The agent on the phone told me that there was a problem with our tickets, that they have June and me as an adult and Dan as the infant. The Agent said it shouldn't be a problem?!?? Really?!?! So she said we can book your dog a ticket, but I didn't have my credit card at the time so I had to call back.

(Call #2)December 13th: I call Continental with my credit card number for Rangers ticket and the agent then said there was a problem with the tickets (Same story I heard already), but this time she said that there was nothing Continental could do and that we would have to call Cheaptickets.com to fix the problem, and we would also have to call American airline to fix the problem for the flight home.

(Call #3) December 13th: Call Cheaptickets.com they said that their records show that all the names are correct and that it is a continental issue and that they couldn't solve the problem themselves.... (I said a swear word at this point)

(Call #4) December 13th: I call Continental and they say the exact same thing... (I Hung up on the agent)
-Dan takes over at this point-

(Call #5) December 14th: Dan calls Cheaptickets again. They call Continental. The agent from cheaptickets said that the problem is solved and that June is now the infant and Dan and I are shown as adults... FANTASTIC.

(Call #6) December 21st/22nd: 10:30p.m. I first Call American airline to confirm that the information shows correctly on their side. It does... I also book a reservation for Ranger. Confirmed. I then call continental to confirm and make a reservation for Ranger. They said I couldn't because June is showing as the adult and Dan the infant and they can't solve the problem. I said another bad word.. or two...or three... I am on the phone with continental until 3:30 in the morning. We got a free ticket and everything it resolved.

(Call #7) December 22nd: I call American airlines again to CONFIRM Ranger and that our tickets are correct. The agent GUARANTEED ALL information was correct.

December 22nd: Go to the airport. Our tickets can't print because June is the adult and Dan is the infant (SHOCKER!!) Good thing we arrived early. Took an extra hour! Get through security.
Flight is delayed 15min.... 30 min.... 1 hour.... 1 1/2 hours.... Its finally here. We fly on the WORST and LOUDEST PLANE EVER! I made a video of how loud it was. I can't wait to share it.

We arrive with about a half hour to make it to our connecting flight. The gate agent tells us that we wouldn't make it and that she rebooked us for the next flight out. Great! That gives us an extra hour to get something to eat and stretch out legs. She said we just need to go to the gate agent at the other flight to get our tickets... About six of us go over there and that agent hadn't heard a thing. At this point we had missed our flight with no connecting flight in site.
3 Continental managers later everyone gets a ticket but us.... Why you ask? Because our child is showing as an Adult and Dan as a child. They re-worked out tickets, hand wrote one of them and we made the flight...
4 hours later than we should have.. We arrive in Canada. We go to get the carseat from cabside check in... They haven't seen a carseat. (They accidently checked it.) Had to wait.

We watch all the luggage come out. Of course none of ours. Our luggage was lost. They said it would arrive on the next flight... Our luggage missed that flight and didn't arrive in Canada until about 8:00pm the next night. My Birthday. With a baby you can't just go without things so we had to go buy Everything!!!


COMING HOME:
Go Check in. Oh what? June is the Adult and Dan the infant? I haven't heard that before. Remember I called to confirm that it was all correct. We are holding up the line and American Airlines computer goes down. We have an hour before our flight leaves and we still have customs and security to go through. We FINALLY get it all worked out and then they tell us that Ranger might not be able to fly because there are to many pets on board. I MADE A FRIKIN RESERVATION!!! I had to walk away and Dan took over because I was embarrassing him. FINALLY! with ANOTHER hand written ticket and ANOTHER delayed flight we made it.
Thanks goodness we had a direct flight. Range had enough and wasn't so good on the plane. June was an angel and slept the whole time! That helped. Our luggage did make and we are now home safe and sound.
I have never been through that horrible of an experience. I feel really bad for the rude comments and bad language but I was in the heat of the moment and I am hoping that I'm forgiven.

4 comments:

David and Vanessa said...

That is the worst!! But I'm really glad you guys made it, it wouldn't have been the same. xoxo

Nancy said...

Oh, my goodness! That is horrible! You tried so hard to make it go smoothly and then they messed everything up. I'm so sorry! I'm glad you guys were able to make it there and back.

Anonymous said...

I cannot believe how ridiculous that was for you guys!! Which airline??
They sound very incompetent haha
Well I hope you still had a wonderful Christmas...air travel aside.

Jacqueline Clark said...

Wow that's ridiculous! I would be so upset! Glad you were able to get there and back though!