Travel Mishaps and Horror Stories

We are a well traveled group and am sure there are lots of stories to share. I thought there was already a thread like this, but could not find it so here is a new one. Feel free to add!

Whilst I don't consider mine a *horror* story, I am finally home after 27 hours in transit. 

My original itinerary had me flying from Pittsburgh to JFK to Heathrow. My flight out of Pgh was at 6PM, but due to freezing rain/snow, my mom and I decided to leave her house at 1:30 so I could be at the airport early and she could get back home before dark. It's an hour trip in good conditions.

A few miles from her house, 4 tractor trailers wrecked on I-70 and the hazmat crew had to be called. We sat trapped on the interstate from about 2-4:15. At some point I called Delta and found out that I had to be at the airport no later than 5:30. When the road finally opened, we carried on and made it to the airport by 5:15 only to find that my flight had been canceled due to bad weather at JFK. <sigh>

My two options were come back the next day and try the same route, or go via Atlanta missing my original Virgin flight, but going out on the next one. Since they were expecting more snow, and I didn't want my mom to have to drive me again, I opted for Atlanta.

So I fly to Atlanta, only to get off and get straight back on a flight to JFK. The gate traffic was so bad at JFK, that we were stuck on the tarmac for another hour after arrival. When we finally made it off that plane, I had to walk OUTSIDE in the FREEZING RAIN to get to the Airtrain!! It was coming down in buckets too! 

(My apologies to you New Yorkers who have a fondness for JFK, but making people walk outside in the weather to change terminals is UNCIVILIZED! A girl who came out of the terminal with me was walking through ankle deep slush in flipflops!)

I finally get to Terminal 4 and the monitor is showing that my new Virgin flight is now canceled. There are people scattered all over the terminal sleeping on the floor, in phone booths, on benches, wherever since all the hotels are full from the multiple cancellations. I sat around till the Virgin desk opened, and thank god the monitor was wrong.

Arrived at Heathrow this evening but my luggage is still in New York and supposedly will be on the next flight in the morning. I can only laugh at this point.

I'm tired and oh so glad to be home. Fingers crossed that my suitcases actually show up tomorrow with everything I packed still inside. 

Aww, hon!  *hugs*  I'm glad you're finally home.  Fingers crossed for your luggage!

I'm about to head to bed, but I'll post my best travel stories tomorrow....

Welcome home, Courtney... hope your bags arrive soon!

  Oh my Courtney, I am so glad you are home after all of that and crossing my fingers your luggage will turn up ok tomorrow. I can't imagine going through even half of that journey.  

I have done lots of flying over the years, whether it was to visit relatives or my trips to England and haven't run in to too much trouble considering how many flights I've taken. The last trip home from Manchester in December was no picnic, but nothing in comparison to what you just went through.

I spent hours on end sitting on the floor in Manchester airport with my ten year old after my BMI flight was canceled with no explanation. It was a disaster and a long, trying day to say the least, but like I said nothing like your story. In the end we were finally shuttled off to a very nice hotel on the airline, and although I'd have preferred being with my boyfriend that extra night, we survived.

That's the first time I have ever had a flight canceled so I guess my luck has been pretty good. Have had the occasional delay, but always turned out ok. I was searched in Amsterdam and mortified when the lady security guard stuck her hands down my jeans without warning and will never forget being grilled and scared to death in Birmingham by the IO, but I don't like to think about that too much.  

I hope you enjoyed your trip before all of that mess getting home.

What a nightmare story! One always expects these sort of stories for passengers passing through Chicago O'hare! I can't believe you had to schlep through the slop in the open air to get to another terminal. Is that the only way?

Well glad you made it home safe and sound and fingers crossed your bags will be with you soon.

I was debating whether to open and read this thread but finally plucked up the courage. However seeing this

One always expects these sort of stories for passengers passing through Chicago O'hare

has made me wish I hadn't as I'm flying via there next Friday  :\\\'(

I once took a trip in February and thought I was clever for going through Atlanta. On the way back, Atlanta had a massive ice storm and was completely shut down, and I ended up getting rerouted...through Chicago O'Hare!

I'm just glad you're home safe and sound, C! 

OMG how horrible!

Thank goodness for me I have no travel horror stories! I always travel BA and have had good luck with them! Touch wood! I hope you get some rest and your luggage soon!!!

I was debating whether to open and read this thread but finally plucked up the courage. However seeing this

has made me wish I hadn't as I'm flying via there next Friday  :\\\'(

LOL. 99.9% of the problems with flying into and out of O'Hare is the bad weather. Check the local forecast and make sure you get travel insurance WITH baggage cover!!

I love Chicago. It's my home town. I love the airport itself but I've been cancelled way too many times there. Good thing I still have family I can mooch a night with when I have to!
If I could offer any advice when using magnificent O'Hare....NEVER book yourself on the last flight of the day. If that flight gets cancelled you're stuck for the night. In fact I would never book myself on the last flight of the day at any airport!


NOTE: What many people don't know about O'Hare. If you get cancelled and can't get a hotel then after closing hours cots and blankets are brought out but it's first come first served. Just before 5am (approx) you will will be awakened so they can put all the cots and blankets away before the airport opens.

The forecast is for between -1 and 4°C on that day so fingers crossed.    There are connecting flights after mine so if worse comes to the worse I'll still have options. Baggage is included in my insurance but the main thing I'm concerned about is actually getting there as in an LDR holidays are in a premium and I don't want to waste any stuck in a departure lounge.

The forecast is for between -1 and 4°C on that day so fingers crossed.    There are connecting flights after mine so if worse comes to the worse I'll still have options. Baggage is included in my insurance but the main thing I'm concerned about is actually getting there as in an LDR holidays are in a premium and I don't want to waste any stuck in a departure lounge.

Well bon chance! Oh and pack some extra socks and underwear in your carry on just in case! 

I'm glad you finally made it home Courtney. Sorry it was so stressful.

I think my worst was my first time coming back to Houston from Ireland. I had to catch a connecting flight at Gatwick. There was something like 45 minutes between flights. It took a little while to get off the plane and go through everything. I made a quick stop at the ladies room. I walked out of the ladies room to see the monitor flashing "GATE CLOSING" for my flight. So I ran down what seemed like a neverending hallway to my gate with my carry-on bag and got to the gate and the guy who asks you all the stupid questions like "Did you pack your own bag?" (I wonder how many terrorists or drug smugglers have been caught out by answering that one wrong ) was standing there smirking at me while I tried to catch my breath. He winked at his friend and decided to play a game with me asking all the questions over and over different ways..looking over to his friend after each question with a smirk. He thought he was cute. My opinion differed from his. He finally let me board the plane. I was the very last person to board, but was so glad to have made it.
The flight took a bit longer than expected but they never made an announcement as to why that was. Once we landed in Houston they announced that it was because the space shuttle Columbia had broken apart over Texas and crashed and they had diverted our flight around that area. The lines to get through immigration and passport control were so far backed up we were almost out the doors. It took forever to get through. I finally got through all that to find hundreds upon hundreds of bags that had been thrown off the conveyer belts into piles all over the floor because everyone was caught up in the lines waiting to get through while their bags were coming down. So I walked around and around digging and digging trying to find mine but couldn't find them anywhere. At this point I'm frantic thinking they'd been stolen while I was stuck in the long line. There was no security watching anything at all. It was basically a free for all. So then I'm trying to find where I go to report lost luggage. I find the place but am then told I'd have to go to another area so I go there to be told I need to go to another terminal entirely. So I wait while fighting back tears for a shuttle to take me to the other terminal. I finally get to the right place and after what seemed forever they finally tracked down my bags and found they hadn't made the connecting flight that I barely had made myself. They did bring them to my house the next day though. But the entire experience was extremely stressful.

That's horrible! Glad you finally got your stuff back. I am always amazed that most airports have no one checking what bags people walk off with. 

Mine are still not here. They called yesterday to say that Delta had not released them to Virgin in time for the early flight, but that they would be on the evening flight. Hopefully I get them today.

J-man, I'd rather do O'Hare than JFK anyday! Best of luck!

Mine are still not here. They called yesterday to say that Delta had not released them to Virgin in time for the early flight, but that they would be on the evening flight. Hopefully I get them today.

fingers crossed.