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DELAYS, CANCELLATIONS, LOST AND FOUND BAGGAGE, and ALL IN ONE TRIP

The unexpected can and does happen when you travel.  Even a well planned trip can create detours and it even happens to travel advisors.

This weekend we planned a trip with flights from Sarasota, Florida, to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, well in advance.   All indicators that all was going on as planned as we departed for the airport.  We were going to celebrate my granddaughter's high school graduation with a party scheduled for early Saturday afternoon.  Well our plans were turned around and redirected.  The adventure began.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, FRIDAY, DELAY ONE: 

We arrived plenty early at the airport in the Sarasota.  Time to park our car.  Make our way to the terminal.  Check in our bags and go through TSA, and time to relax before our flight was scheduled to depart.  While sitting at our gate we received our First Notice, a delay of an hour.  No problem.  We have time to make our connection in Charlotte, North Carolina, provided we felt at that time.

SARASOTA, FLORIDA, FRIDAY, DELAY TWO:

Yikes, we got our Second Notice, another delay. Stating that "You will miss your connection.  Rebook."  We opted to rebook  a flight through Dallas as it would put us in Milwaukee about the same time we would have if we waited for our oriignal flight to Charlotte and went with a  flight leaving Charlotte at a much later time.  Having family in Dallas, and knowing that Milwaukee was expecting storms in the area about the time of scheduled arrival, we would have somewhere to spend the night. 

Surely our bags would follow us.  Right?  One would expect so.

DALLAS, TEXAS, FRIDAY, DELAY THREE, CANCELLATIONS, AND BAGGAGE ISSUE NOTICE:

While at the airport in Dallas, we received a notice that the flight to Milwaukee was delayed an hour.  We waited it out to see what happens. 

During this time we got a call from the airline.  "Your flight out of Charlotte that you were originally booked on was cancelled.  Your bags are here in Sarasota."  We explained that we rebooked, and are scheduled to be in Milwaukee that night and that should have been reflected on their end.  They gladly said, " No problem.  You will receive your bags at your daughter's address there tomorrow morning".  They would not willing to deliver the bags to the hotel that we were staying at.

DALLAS, TEXAS, FRIDAY, RENTAL CAR CANCELLATION:

The delays in Dallas resulted in our having to cancel our car rental.   We called the car rental company in hope of the possibility of an after hours pick up, or being able to pick up the car we had reserved early Saturday morning.  .  No such service exists at that location.  We did not prepay  for our rental car.  Prepaying would have saved us money, but not doing so saved us hassles. 

The next time a car would become available would be 6 p.m. the following day.  No thanks.  This would not help us as we were leaving out of Milwaukee and turning in the car early on Sunday morning.  

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, SATURDAY:

We opted to take an UBER from the airport in Milwaukee to get to our hotel.  Ultimately, we arrived at our hotel in Milwaukee at about 1 a.m., Saturday, exhausted.   We were originally to arrive at 6 p.m. on Friday.   I don't wish this on any one.  

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, SATURDAY, MISSING BAGS:

Our baggage never arrived as promised.  We were unable to track our bags either.  Okay...where are they?   I've had clients who had their bags lost completely and I feared I was about to be among those people.

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, SUNDAY MORNING, BAGGAGE FOUND, DELAY ONE FOR RETURN FLIGHT HOME:

Arrived in plenty of time at the airport.  One, was to find out where our bags might be, and secondly to make sure that we did not have any unexpected long lines at TSA .   

We went to the Lost Baggage Claim and spoke to the airline representative about our bags.  She told us that a group of bags were sent along with a courier and that they are probably among them.   The representative was unable to locate our lbags based on the luggage claim tags.  She went in the back anyway because there were a number of bags received that seemed misplaced.   There they were!   We were elated that we had our bags and then went to check our bags for our flights back to Sarasota.  To us it was a miracle that we recovered the bags.  This is almost unheard of.

At the gate, as we were awaiting to board our flight, we received a notice for Delay One.  Our flight from Milwaukee to Charlotte was delayed an hour.  We went to the respresentative to redirect and rebook us.  She was successful in booking us onto another flight leaving from Charlotte much later that afternoon.  We learned that the delay was due to a mechanical issue and they were awaiting a part.  Oh, I've been in this position before, and things can go wrong.

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, SUNDAY, FLIGHT CANCELLATION, NO OTHER AVAILABLE FLIGHTS:

The flight from Sarasota to Charlotte was cancelled due to the mechanical issue.   They are unable to get the part they need or the repair was not satisfactory. 

Now what?

Back to the airline representative we go.    She checks for alternative flights.  Nothing available out of Milwaukee on their airline until Tuesday. 

How about another airline?  Nothing available with them either.

Now what?

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, SUNDAY, DEPART FROM ANOTHER CITY AND AIRPORT:

Representative did find a nonstop flight from Chicago O'Hare, over an hour away that departs the next morning (Monday).   That was great!  Now, how did she expect us to get from Milwaukee to Chicago?  My daughter can't help us out to get there.  Where were we to stay?   It would be best if we stayed in Chicago for the night since we had an early morning flight out.  To stay at a hotel with a complimentary airport shuttle.  Will the airline fulfil their obligation?

Since it was a mechanical issue, I know that the airline is responsible to see to it that you get to your destination, and in the event they are unable, they are responsible for putting you up in a hotel, and other accommodations.   The representative tried not to have the airline incur the expenses and asked if we could stay where we were staying while in Milwaukee.  We explained that we stayed at a hotel.  She did ask how we got to the airport from the hotel.  Our daughter at that time was able to take us to the airport, but she works and would not be able to get us to a from places.

The representative obliged, and gave us a voucher to stay at a hotel that was conveniently located by the airport, and gave us vouchers to take a bus from the Milwaukee airport to O'Hare in Chicago.  

EN ROUTE FROM MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN, TO CHICAGO O'HARE AIRPORT, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, SUNDAY AFTERNOON:

When we got to the bus stop the bus was conveniently there.  There was room for us, and we were able to board.  We enjoyed a smooth ride to the airport in Chicago. 

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, CHICAGO O'HARE AIRPORT, SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

Once in Chicago, I remembered that we were also entitled to food vouchers.  The representative in Chicago was reluctant, but gave a small amount. 

Next, we had to find the hotel shuttle station.  This was located at Terminal 3, but at a wing or extension from the main terminal area.  This took a while to find as the signage to the hotel shuttle pickup zone were very poor.  

CHICAGO (ROSEMOUNT), ILLINOIS:

We finally made it to the hotel.  We were put in a suite hotel (much like Embassy Suites, but not an Embassy Suites hotel).  Very clean, but the furnishings seemed to be a little tired and the decor in the room a little dated.  All in all very comfortable.  No complaints.  What do you want for nothing anyway?  We just relaxed and enjoyed dinner at Harry Carey's at a neighboring hotel within walking distance.  Then enjoyed a glass of wine at our hotel utilizing the food/drink voucher that helped cover the cost of the drinks in part.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, MONDAY, WE'RE OFF AND WE'RE BACK HOME

Off to a great start.  We left the hotel early to be at Chicago O'Hare two hours prior to the scheduled flight time.   No problems with the shuttle.  Arrived at the airport with plenty of time to enjoy breakfast before we boarded our flight.  Flight left as scheduled and we arrived in Sarasota at noon with most of the day to be enjoyed at home.