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"Fun" with flying.
Apr. 18th, 2018 06:43 pmI am home after the journey from hell. Summary: There was an ice storm in northwest New York state and southern Ontario which caused a whole load of flights to/from Toronto Pearson airport to be horribly delayed or cancelled. Mine was delayed for 26 hours.
It was rather awful because we got no food and drink provided by the airline until around 5 am, when we were supposed to have taken off at 9.55pm the previous day and been fed and watered within an hour of that time. There was some food and drink for sale at the airport, as well as a water fountain, which we could use while stuck at the gate - but no cups were provided for free, so people not in the habit of going through security with an empty bottle to fill once they're through were dehydrated. Also our checked luggage, having been screened, were not given back to us once it was decided that the plane would be cancelled. So we all had to spend the day with nothing but whatever we had in our hand luggage - which was a particular problem for me since it meant I did not have my wheelchair charger.
Unsurprisingly, between stress, spending all that time in an airport or aeroplane with thousands of other people, and sitting upright for far more hours than my spine will allow, I am now rather ill. All I can say is that if this had to happen to me, I'm glad it was when I was 41, with a credit card, travel insurance, and a well-treated anxiety disorder - rather than when I was 21. Tomorrow's job is to claim on said travel insurance. I have the letter from the airline stating the delay, both of my boarding passes, and receipts for my food, hotel, and taxi. (I'm not sure if I have the receipt for the emergency phone charger which I had to buy at the airport, nor if that's a thing I can even claim for, but I'm going to try.)
I would like to write a timeline of events, but that involves more spoons than I currently have available. So just "enjoy" my Skype and/or text messages. ( Long. )
It was rather awful because we got no food and drink provided by the airline until around 5 am, when we were supposed to have taken off at 9.55pm the previous day and been fed and watered within an hour of that time. There was some food and drink for sale at the airport, as well as a water fountain, which we could use while stuck at the gate - but no cups were provided for free, so people not in the habit of going through security with an empty bottle to fill once they're through were dehydrated. Also our checked luggage, having been screened, were not given back to us once it was decided that the plane would be cancelled. So we all had to spend the day with nothing but whatever we had in our hand luggage - which was a particular problem for me since it meant I did not have my wheelchair charger.
Unsurprisingly, between stress, spending all that time in an airport or aeroplane with thousands of other people, and sitting upright for far more hours than my spine will allow, I am now rather ill. All I can say is that if this had to happen to me, I'm glad it was when I was 41, with a credit card, travel insurance, and a well-treated anxiety disorder - rather than when I was 21. Tomorrow's job is to claim on said travel insurance. I have the letter from the airline stating the delay, both of my boarding passes, and receipts for my food, hotel, and taxi. (I'm not sure if I have the receipt for the emergency phone charger which I had to buy at the airport, nor if that's a thing I can even claim for, but I'm going to try.)
I would like to write a timeline of events, but that involves more spoons than I currently have available. So just "enjoy" my Skype and/or text messages. ( Long. )
