The trip home turned into a two day odyssey. We checked in uneventfully, said good bye and boarded on August 19th. They announced a mechanical delay but I've heard the words to this song enough times... It was tuning quickly into what we call a "rolling delay". I wasn't too concerned because we were still on the airplane. The pilots explained that only one tow can be used for the A380 and Air France was using it, but even when we were taken back to the gate, we were kept on board.
On both my airlines, because the crew was better paid with passengers, it was in their interest to off-load the passengers into the terminal for a long delay. This could be a pre-curser to a cancellation so again, I wasn't concerned because we were still on the plane! Either Lufthansa has different rules and/or the fact that the passengers had the entertainment system to use on board or even just the simple fact that this monster plane has so many passengers... I can't say for sure. But sure enough, they announced a cancellation.
I sneaked my iPhone out, hoping to get the message to my parents to return to the airport when they warned that this could happen. I knew they had their cell phones with them or were already home but I couldn't risk an actual phone call, since this isn't allowed. I wasn't sure if they could get a text. I thought maybe my sister?? Then I came up with a good idea. I had the free Wifi at SFO and posted on Facebook my dilemma. I said simply "Could someone please call my parents and let them know?" I purposely did NOT include my parents' number, so that only someone who already had it would call. Sure enough, one of Marshall's brothers did see it and called them. He then even posted that he had so no one else had to. Whew!
Deplaning was kind of strange. We did not have to go through customs but stayed on the departure level and were exited next to security, into the check-in area. Turns out that international terminal is equipped with a baggage carousel right on that level for these kinds of occasions. It was in a very small room, far too little for the baggage coming off an A380. Imagine the chaos...
The agents were going nuts. They were asking that people call the toll free number themselves to rebook. They were making announcements in several languages. I managed to pull aside a ground agent. I gave her the skinny "We have a place to stay. We don't need a hotel. We don't have connections (not entirely true but this was the time to keep it brief) and we have nothing terribly pressing to attend to back home." I also pointed out, the fact I was alone with three children. She took down my name on a list of those who weren't using the hotel voucher and told me, go home, get out of here and call once back.
Luckily, the kids are old enough that I could leave them right outside the baggage room while I pulled the bags out. Of course, I paid $5 for a cart, only for a line of free carts to arrive two minutes later. Ours' were among the last ones out and I did hear the ground agents telling people to go back to the check-in desk. Maybe I should have known better but I thought it was for rescheduling and hotel vouchers. Marshall had arrived and I just wanted to go home!
On the way back, I did see on my iPhone that Lufthansa had not listed the flight as cancelled. I thought it was odd but wasn't concerned. It was still listed as delayed.
When I got home, and our take-out orders organized, I called Lufthansa. I got a very nice lady who kindly informed me that... our flight had left without us! "Don't worry. I can get you on the next day..." Still, I was in shock! That's why they were supposed to go back to the check-in counter. I had never heard of a flight canceling and then leaving anyway!! That wouldn't have been allowed as the crew's work limits would have been reached but again, another airline, another country, different rules...
She did guarantee that I was on the next days' flight, leaving at the same time, same aircraft, etc. Unfortunately, she couldn't give us seat assignments which were already sent to the airport, 24 hours prior.
We actually ended up having a nice evening. Cheese steak sandwiches followed by watching the Wizard of Oz. I had wanted the kids to see this classic. Ronnie laughed at the cheesy effects but I reminded him that it was a 70 year old movie!
So we had to go through the whole good bye scene again! I got a really nice agent who let me skip the line and ran to get a supervisor to approve some locked seats so that we could sit together. Apparently, Lufthansa saves seats specifically to accommodate families to sit together. He even got me something to drink. Another small plus, he looked for me in the boarding area to let me know about the "big kid" pre-boarding they have. These days, most U.S. companies are getting rid of pre-boarding for little kids. Lufthansa actually has three groups; handicapped and unaccompanied minors, followed by families with little babies and then families with older kids. It was nice to get them settled before the hoards came on board.
The rest of the trip was uneventful. We barely got the Lufthansa bus because of the extra time it takes to get the A380 bags off. The stupid Lufthansa bus driver was telling a family that they could take this bus, even though it wasn't their scheduled one. I actually leaned in and told him "Dreyfuss, family of four are HERE". Well, guess what?!? Weren't enough seats and they had to get off. So surprising! :/
We had lunch at the Hilton where I retrieved my poor car which had been sitting in the outdoor parking lot for a month. The only problem was that all the chewing gum had melted and the poor car needed a wash but otherwise, Arnie was fine!
On both my airlines, because the crew was better paid with passengers, it was in their interest to off-load the passengers into the terminal for a long delay. This could be a pre-curser to a cancellation so again, I wasn't concerned because we were still on the plane! Either Lufthansa has different rules and/or the fact that the passengers had the entertainment system to use on board or even just the simple fact that this monster plane has so many passengers... I can't say for sure. But sure enough, they announced a cancellation.
I sneaked my iPhone out, hoping to get the message to my parents to return to the airport when they warned that this could happen. I knew they had their cell phones with them or were already home but I couldn't risk an actual phone call, since this isn't allowed. I wasn't sure if they could get a text. I thought maybe my sister?? Then I came up with a good idea. I had the free Wifi at SFO and posted on Facebook my dilemma. I said simply "Could someone please call my parents and let them know?" I purposely did NOT include my parents' number, so that only someone who already had it would call. Sure enough, one of Marshall's brothers did see it and called them. He then even posted that he had so no one else had to. Whew!
Deplaning was kind of strange. We did not have to go through customs but stayed on the departure level and were exited next to security, into the check-in area. Turns out that international terminal is equipped with a baggage carousel right on that level for these kinds of occasions. It was in a very small room, far too little for the baggage coming off an A380. Imagine the chaos...
The agents were going nuts. They were asking that people call the toll free number themselves to rebook. They were making announcements in several languages. I managed to pull aside a ground agent. I gave her the skinny "We have a place to stay. We don't need a hotel. We don't have connections (not entirely true but this was the time to keep it brief) and we have nothing terribly pressing to attend to back home." I also pointed out, the fact I was alone with three children. She took down my name on a list of those who weren't using the hotel voucher and told me, go home, get out of here and call once back.
Luckily, the kids are old enough that I could leave them right outside the baggage room while I pulled the bags out. Of course, I paid $5 for a cart, only for a line of free carts to arrive two minutes later. Ours' were among the last ones out and I did hear the ground agents telling people to go back to the check-in desk. Maybe I should have known better but I thought it was for rescheduling and hotel vouchers. Marshall had arrived and I just wanted to go home!
On the way back, I did see on my iPhone that Lufthansa had not listed the flight as cancelled. I thought it was odd but wasn't concerned. It was still listed as delayed.
When I got home, and our take-out orders organized, I called Lufthansa. I got a very nice lady who kindly informed me that... our flight had left without us! "Don't worry. I can get you on the next day..." Still, I was in shock! That's why they were supposed to go back to the check-in counter. I had never heard of a flight canceling and then leaving anyway!! That wouldn't have been allowed as the crew's work limits would have been reached but again, another airline, another country, different rules...
She did guarantee that I was on the next days' flight, leaving at the same time, same aircraft, etc. Unfortunately, she couldn't give us seat assignments which were already sent to the airport, 24 hours prior.
We actually ended up having a nice evening. Cheese steak sandwiches followed by watching the Wizard of Oz. I had wanted the kids to see this classic. Ronnie laughed at the cheesy effects but I reminded him that it was a 70 year old movie!
So we had to go through the whole good bye scene again! I got a really nice agent who let me skip the line and ran to get a supervisor to approve some locked seats so that we could sit together. Apparently, Lufthansa saves seats specifically to accommodate families to sit together. He even got me something to drink. Another small plus, he looked for me in the boarding area to let me know about the "big kid" pre-boarding they have. These days, most U.S. companies are getting rid of pre-boarding for little kids. Lufthansa actually has three groups; handicapped and unaccompanied minors, followed by families with little babies and then families with older kids. It was nice to get them settled before the hoards came on board.
The rest of the trip was uneventful. We barely got the Lufthansa bus because of the extra time it takes to get the A380 bags off. The stupid Lufthansa bus driver was telling a family that they could take this bus, even though it wasn't their scheduled one. I actually leaned in and told him "Dreyfuss, family of four are HERE". Well, guess what?!? Weren't enough seats and they had to get off. So surprising! :/
We had lunch at the Hilton where I retrieved my poor car which had been sitting in the outdoor parking lot for a month. The only problem was that all the chewing gum had melted and the poor car needed a wash but otherwise, Arnie was fine!
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