A Crazy Finish To Go With My Crazy Start!!

Anyone who read my first two entries knows I didn't have the easiest time getting over to Europe well the return was even worse!

I, of course, hadn't heard from my stupid travel agency at all while I was gone. They had told me when they changed my flight going over that my return flights would still be the same but I still wanted to make sure and confirm. I emailed my mom to check this and call them about a week before I was supposed to come home. My mom called all week and no one answered and on the last day she called the lines were disconnected which is never a good sign. So my mom tried to get ahold of the airlines to confirm. She spoke with someone at United who said I had reservations and was confirmed on Austrian Airlines from Budapest to Vienna to D.C. and then United from D.C. to Denver. So my wonderful mom emailed me and said I was good to go, what a relief!

Not so much! So I get to the airport in Budapest Sunday morning and they take me right over to customer service where they tell me I do have a reservation...I have five reservations but NONE of them have been paid for. Of course I'm at a loss for words at this point considering I paid the travel agency over two months ago! So the lady is calling people and typing away but there was nothing she could do. Finally the plane is supposed to leave in like ten minutes and she said I would have to buy a ticket, which I did having no other choice.

Thirteen hours later I arrived in D.C. and went to get my bag to go through customs. Considering how things were going so far I was thinking "yeah I'll bet my bag will get lost!" Fourty-five minutes later my thoughts turned into reality as the luggage belt stopped moving and I still had no bag, not a big shock! So I filled out a report and went on my way...who needs luggage, travel light I say! After I finally made it through the customs line which had about 400 people in it, not exaggerating and no AC, I made my way to the United customer service counter. I assumed I would have the same problem here, reservation but not paid for. I explained everything to the very nice agent who looked me up and said in fact I had no reservation, it had been cancelled due to some sort of expiration. Fabulous! Well can I need to buy a ticket I told him since I need to be at work in the morning. He said all Uniteds flights out to Denver were sold out that night as well as every other airline. He suggested I get on the internet and gave me a voucher for a discounted hotel room.

I got on the internet and all the flights were indeed sold out to Denver so I had to book one the next day through Phoenix then to Denver. Well after that I got some gossipy magazines and a shuttle to my hotel and headed of to dinner at the Holiday Inn bar by myself...how depressing but at least I got to watch the Cubs lose!!

The next morning I got on my flight to Phoenix. Once there I couldn't figure out where my flight to Denver left out of as there are like four terminals and you need a bus to get between them. My flight was on U.S. Airways but operated by United and both were in different terminals. So I finally figured it out and got to my terminal where I had to re check-in. I get up to the counter and of course have no luggage, been traveling for two days, and going one way on a ticket I bought the day before. Needless to say I got taken into the "special" security line where I got padded down and they went through all my stuff (that didn't take long!) Finally, finally I got home to Denver Monday night!!!

So this part has nothing to do with my trip but it makes my story funnier! So I get to work Tues. morning early to catch up on some things and my car won't turn off! Yes I'm turning the key in the ignition won't turn off. I take the key out of the ignition, car still running. I have no clue what to do so I call my step-dad and he laughs and says good luck...thanks Tim! Finally some other people arrive and after the initial laugh try and help me. One of my co-workers goes with me to his mechanic...where they laugh also and take my car away from me for three days. Who does this happen too!!??

My luggage finally arrived Friday night...five days late!

Hope you all enjoyed my stories and it makes you want to GO!!!