Next in the continuing saga of my airport adventures!
So, when last we left our heroine, she was waiting to get a plane out of PDX. It was supposed to depart at 11:40 am, but was delayed by 2 hrs (one hour at a time, of course) so we actually boarded at like 1:45 pm. Still. After 2 hours of delay due to Tstorms in Dallas, we were allowed to board. But not to depart. We were held over on the runway while Dallas considered. Then we were airborne, and there was much rejoicing. But it was short-lived, as we reached the outskirts of the Dallas area and were told to wait 45 and circle due to the heavy tstorms still coming in/ going on, or something. And then to likely wait some more. However, our trusty steed, in this case being an aircraft, did not have sufficient fuel to wait and fly the holding patter for that amount of time.
So we flew south, to Odessa/Midland, about an hour from Dallas/FTW airport or so, and landed to refuel, at a dinky tiny little airport that was surprised to see ...people! on the plane at all. We were not allowed to leave the plane. We were assured that since the Dallas airport was essentially closed we'd likely make our connecting flights. Then the cap said a batch of planes had been let in and out, and he'd try to hurry us so we could get in on that. We missed it, and the airport was 'closed' again. We sat there until the captain gained clearance, inspected the fuel, signed papers, and filed a new flight plan. Food was gone. I had eaten for breakfast a literal handful of Crunchy corn bran and a small fry from Wendys at the airport. Other than that, I had nothing but a bottle of water, since we can't carry stuff in to the airport from outside. I was starving, but good humored. If you can call laughing hysterically every time the cap would come on the PA 'good humored'. Restrooms, thankfully, were functional.
After two more hours of waiting for ok from Dallas to return, we did so, flying an hour back to Dallas. We flew a holding pattern for a while, joined a waiting line of landing planes, and were finally allowed to land.
Next we joined huge line of planes who had landed and were waiting for a gate. I think the cap said we were 12th in line. Another hour went by. Then we were able to disembark the plane at 10:30 pm Dallas time.
Figure that's a lot of time on a plane for a 2.5 hour ride.
Once we arrived, there were 2 agents to help us, because, unsurprisingly, in the rush to empty gates to get new arrivals in, many folks, including me, missed our connecting flights.
Commence line.
11:45 I have a seat on the 6th flight to Tampa the next day.
Commence calling for hotels to stay the night. Natch, by now, hours after the fiascos started, they are all full.
ALL OF THEM. SERIOUSLY.
Except...for one little dive that won't even take reservations by phone. This place, and I kid you not, is a guaranteed first class shithole. "Dive" hardly does justice to the level of suckitude present in this den of nastiness.
But getting there! That was the next arm of my intrepid adventures. An arm I shall write about, dear readers, after I recharge my laptop and find somewhere else in this place that gets a wireless signal with any degree of consistency. ^^