Adventures in Travel: St Croix to Port Angeles: Hour 25

I climbed into my sister’s car yesterday, at least I think it was yesterday, and headed to the airport. Three hours “they” said. “Be there three hours before your flight,” which dutifully I was for my 1:50 flight. Before I got through TSA the delay notifications began … 2:20, 3:09, 3:42, 4:27, 4:56, 5:13, 7:45.

This winter storm is affecting a lot of folks. If everything had gone seamlessly, I would have boarded the 7:45PM flight for Seattle and be snoozing at the hotel I booked after the scheduled near midnight arrival. But, now the arrival time in Miami was projected to be 8:35PM … well after my flight was to depart.

My sis was more than willing to come back to pick me up and try the whole thing the next day but if by chance the flight was delayed on the second try I’d be starting over again and we both felt that I’d be more emotionally comfortable getting to the mainland and gutting out an overnight in the terminal which is something I’ve done before just not for 23 hours.

I was automatically rebooked for the Miami/Seattle leg. Then I was informed by the gate agent that my bag would only be checked through to Miami and once in Miami I would have to exit the terminal, go to baggage, claim my bag, re-enter the terminal to check my bag in again and go through TSA screening again. 😳

I talked to four different agents in Miami and they were evenly split on whether the bag would automatically go to Seattle or stop in Miami. The last agent tracked it down for me confirming that yes I would have to exit to baggage and check it in again. What the tracking didn’t show is that I’d already paid for it to go to Seattle and I didn’t want to pay an additional $40. But, pay or no pay, first I needed to retrieve it which I set off to do after a little bite of my sister’s rice and peas which I’d tucked into my daypack along with two protein cookies we’d made the day before. Got to keep up your stength!

As I walked the long hall of the terminal I saw a rebooking line several hundred people long and I was so relieved that was taken care of already.

I got to baggage and found my bag set aside. I claimed it and started the bag check process once again. The line took two-hours and would have taken a bit longer had not an agent bekoned me and twenty or so behind me to follow him to another set of check-in desks.

I explained for the fourth or fifth time that day my luggage predicament. He was surprised when he saw its small size that I didn’t carry it on which is something I do 90% of the time. I explained that packed in it was a bottle of an artisan ginger flavored gin … a gift for my son and DIL who have been taking care of Mr B while I’m gone … and other special seasonings, jams, jellies and syrups from the island. “Oh yes.” Now he understood why I stood for two-hours in the line. “It’s much worse inside,” he said referring to the line I’d passed by before.

Bag now checked, he gave me the directions to TSA. As it was now nearly midnight, there were few travelers queued up. The sign said just a 1-3 minute wait and as I was about to go through, the agent who had checked my bag rounded the corner with my phone in his hand! Now, that is what I call service! I do not for a moment want to imagine what I would have experienced had he not made the effort to find me.

TSA, at that late hour and because of the government shutdown, had a skeleton crew letting only two people through at a time. When my turn came I asked if they were being paid right now. “No.” I thanked each of them for their service which they seemed to appreciate. Making TSA agents work without pay is NOT right and until the shutdown is over neither the Executive or Legislative branches should be paid either.

I spent the rest of last night taking catnaps, walking, visiting restrooms (for me) and charging stations (for my phone and earpods). In all those lines I saw no-one complaining but people responding to smiles both given and received. Over 10k+ steps I clocked in the wee hours of the night, I experienced such kindness & connection.

If all goes well, I’ll be home tomorrow around 5PM Pacific.

Estimated travel time: 70 hours