Since several people have asked me, I realized that I’ve not yet blogged about my experience getting home for Christmas. Well, I ended up originally getting a flight that got me into Rochester, via Washington Dullas, at 11:00pm on Christmas night. On Saturday I went to look at my updated schedule online and didn’t find it. So, I called United back (was on hold for only an hour this time) and confirmed my Monday flight. During that call the agent asked me if there was a different city I could fly in to. I mentioned Buffalo and she found me a flight that got me into Buffalo at 6:15pm Christmas Eve. I snagged that one fast. The only hitch was that it took me through Kansas City (which finally has facilities inside security!) and Washington Dullas. On Sunday I ended up getting up at 4:30am, getting to the gate at 6:30am, and leaving Denver at 8:30am. I ended up getting to Buffalo roughly on time, but for some unexplained reason my luggage stayed behind at Dullas.
The baggage clerk “found” my bag at Dullas ans said that it would be arriving in buffalo at bout 11pm. Unfortunately, I needed to get to Rochester and didn’t want to impose on my parents any more than I’d already done by making them pick me up about 70 miles from home. The clerk told me he had no more drivers for the night but that he’d have my bag delivered to me in Rochester the next day, Christmas.
Christmas day was fun as the photos can attest. We were able to keep my earlier arrival from my brother and his family so that was a nice surprise for them. Around noon I started wondering where my bag was so I tried calling the automated baggage claim phone system. I wouldn’t accept my claim number nor would it recognize “sauers” as a last name. I tried transferring to a human but every time I tried that I was told that the “transfer had failed” and that I could try the automated system or “call back later”. It’s interesting that instead of being put on hold, I was, in essence, being hung up on by the system.
About 2pm Christmas day I got the call from United confirming the delivery address for my bag and informing me that it would be on the 6pm run. Finally my bag showed up at five to midnight.
Now I’m hoping I don’t get stuck in Chicago on the way back home on Saturday as I hear the snow is starting again in Denver and they’re expecting another two feet of the stuff.
