So we started out leaving Omaha on time on Sunday the 21st... we made it to Denver, early in fact. We go to our next gate, all looks well, the plane is slightly delayed about 20 minutes but thats all, so we head upstairs to get some food. While in line, I get a phone call from a 1800 number, which seems odd, so I answer it (already having a bad feeling). Of course it is United Airlines automated call telling me that our flight has been canceled and we HAVE NOT been rebooked on another flight. Ick. A few phone calls to my dad and we pretty much can do nothing but get in the customer service line with the other 5 million people who are now stuck in Denver. After about 45 minutes on the phone but NOT getting ahold of United (I was on hold) and about two hours in line... we make friends with the people in front of us, and luckily, one of them gets a hold of a United ticket agent on the phone. She is told there are seats available on the flight to San Fransisco that leaves in like 20 minutes but that is all - None to Portland or Seattle. So she takes 5 seats, hands the phone to me and I take 2 more. We literally RUN to the gate and are the last two groups of people getting on. Okay, great, now we're in San Fran... Basically all there is to do is get on the standby lists for all outgoing planes to both Seattle and Portland and hope those flights don't get cancelled so that the standby list doesn't get any bigger then it already is! Nightmare is the only way to sum that experience up. We started at number 50 out of 150 for all the flights going to Portland and number 227 out of 350 to Seattle. Clearly PDX was the better chance! We didn't get on the two flights left that night, so curled up behind some gate and attempted to sleep for a few hours before the next flights to Portland left at like 7am... Many many many hours later, we got on a tiny plane out of San Fran to PDX and arrived in snowy icy Portland at like 9pm! Jeremys parents met us, and after arriving at their house we quickly fell asleep! Thats where Jeremys story ends, but mine continued to the next day where I had about 3 different train tickets booked (which got cancelled) and a couple plane tickets (which got cancelled). Thanks to my dad who was constantly on the phone finding ways to get me home.... I got a seat on a plane that was suppost to leave PDX at like 9pm.... so I went to the airport and held my breath that it didn't get cancelled. I still am thanking God that it didn't! My mom, aunt, and sister were at SeaTac to pick me up around 10pm and you can ask them, I was beyond exhausted and happy to see them!
Pretty fun sounding right?
Not really, but we made it home safe and in time to celebrate Christmas with our families.
I hope everyone else did as well :)
Me being held up by my wonderful Westbrook cousins!
