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03-11-2008, 07:59 PM
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Delta Dawn (a new meaning)
This is NOT a real trip report but rather a briefing of our recent travel portion to and from Playa. Phyllis & I are not new to this by any means. We’ve been making the same basic trip for 21 years, sometimes 3 or 4 times per year. Our usual routine is to book a “Charter” i.e non-stop flight via, Funjet, Apple or USA3000 and depart from St. Louis. We’ve become accustom to the 2 hr 45 min flight which we always book the earliest departure of 6:00 AM in order to basically have the entire day to dweedle away in Playa at our leisure. Apparently our “penny-pinching” greedy little selves cluttered our logical thinking process and in doing so booked a $200.00 cheaper connecting flight in Atlanta on Delta departing from Kansas City. Kansas City’s airport (MCI) is noted for it’s easy navigation for pedestrian, passenger and pilots alike as it should be as it’s location is in the middle of nowhere. All went smooth thru Atlanta on the way down, no excitement and an on-time arrival at CUN. Now remember, we’ve been doing this for years and I have NEVER seen the CUN airport nearly as crowded as on March 1, 2008. I would have thought that the real “Spring Breakers” would not arrive until a week or so later. I must have been wrong! 2 ½ hrs later we were graciously welcomed back into Mexico. I must also add that the fine folks of Mexico seem to have an orderly way of maintaining long lines of people quite well. I felt that progress was being made at all times (it could be those zig-zag lines making me dizzy though.) We phoned our private transfer company sometime during our slalom course into Mexico and notified them of our late arrival. They must have taken that opportunity to pick-up some other lucky tourist and wisk them off to a sunny beach with our name on it because they were nowhere to be found. We made another call and eventually settled in for the cruise south on 307. Arrival in Playa was somewhere around 3:00 pm, so we made useful time of getting comfy in our new home for the week at the condos of Haciendas San Jose located at 24 y 1st (excellent location.)
………………1week in Playa……the BEST trip yet! (funny how each one gets a bit better) The RETURN TRIP (the true meaning of Delta Dawn). We were picked up at our condo precisely on time, 11:30 AM Sat. March 8th for an a departing flight of 3:00 pm to Atlanta- 2:45min lay-over with a connecting flight into MCI to arrive at 11:30 PM. Well, If we thought the line was long getting into Mexico upon our arrival, I was wrong again. The line in terminal 3 stretched from one end to the other and half again, BEFORE entering the slalom into a Delta check-in. We made countless new friends from all over the mainland USA until we reached check-in where I was overweight on one of our bags of 0.9 lbs. The dear Senorita let me slide though- THANK GOD because it was now 2:30 and we still needed to clear security and as everyone knows is based on what kind of day they are having, not your day, but theirs! We had arranged for Delta to text message us as to any changes in our flight and no sooner than we arrived at our departure gate we were getting the message of a 1 hour delay and gate change- so off we go! 1 hour passed and we received another message of flight delay of 1 ½ hrs AND another gate change. I believe this happened twice more and resembled a first rehearsal for musical chairs with hundreds of participants. Finally, we leave at 6:30 PM-smooth sailing into Atlanta with a mere 15 min remaining before our connecting flight is scheduled to leave- RUN POPEYE RUN! NO wait- another text mess. “our flight is delayed 15 min.” WHEW! Down the hall, around the corner to claim our bags and be welcomed back to the good ole USA at immigration and customs, NOT! There must have been FIVE THOUSAND other penny pinchers from all over this fine country wishing to go home too. Now this is the very spot where the age old adage of “patience is a virtue” was first coined. The Delta Reps (what reps?) had no idea of what was happening to them or the thousands emerging upon them. I now know the look in the eye of a whitetail deer as headlights first graze the animal. Apparently there were multiple flights CANCELED. None of us had anywhere to go so we began forming lines. Random long lines that led nowhere. Some were along one wall, some intersected perpendicular, some were parallel and several lines went nowhere. This is also the very spot where the game of “ Tell-A-Story, Pass-It-On & Hear-It-Change” all began. I mean no one knew the real reason for the chaos or our fate. We lumped over our luggage cart for the next 4-5 hrs until we eventually were able to speak with a Delta agent and guess what, it was due to weather. I should have expected no other as that is the ONLY thing that “let’s them off-the-hook.” At 3:00 AM we were given the option of a rental car and Delta would “foot-the-bill” for a hotel room too but “good-luck” as no affiliated hotel had any vacancies due to the NASCAR race later that day AND that they had secured us the last 2 seats on a flight to Kansas City at 7:45 am (like they were doing us a huge favor.) We declined the car rental and opted not to go searching blindly for a hotel room with a mere 4 hrs until our new flight was to depart. ( we later found out that even though we DID have “flight delay insurance” which we could have been reimbursed for up to $200.00 ea. But ONLY if we had accepted the car, kept receipts and paid for the hotel keeping the receipts ) AHHHH! Dawn arrives in Terminal T after trying to sleep on the floor under the chairs at the gate, none too soon! Boarding and flight went without a hitch this fine morning. Phyllis and I slept soundly the entire flight and touchdown at MCI was never sweeter. Dead tired and having a 2 ½ hr drive ahead of us back to Central Missouri was a sweet reality- finally. All we had to do was wait for that baggage carousel to spew those 4 heavy bags and we’re off! GUESS WHAT? That’s right, they LOST OUR LUGGAGE TOO! We headed to the car without our bags and made it home safe n sound. It’s Tuesday evening now and our bags arrived late on Monday- guess it’s time to look for souvenir I bought for Mitch our pet sitter OR I might just book our next flight on Apple and unpack this weekend. 
    
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03-11-2008, 10:45 PM
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Unfrikkin' believable!! And we thought we had it bad Saturday morning when our flight kept getting delayed...and delayed...and delayed.
 I think that some of our hommies are still in Playa because of a 'travel advisory' due to weather conditions here at home. They too were scheduled to leave around 5:00 on Saturday. However, they didn't do the cheap charter like we did, oh no... they were on Air Canada's scheduled flight and were able to re-schedule to leave Playa yesterday or today....lucky buggers! Breathe Popeye...breathe. I'm breathing with you.  LOL. Life on life's terms, right? Heh, heh, heh.Please wish Phyllis a Happy Belated Birthday for us.  I cannot believe that we forgot to hug her on her special day last week.  We loved spending time with both of you.  Thanks for the touching siggy at the back of your painting. We too are very grateful for yours & Phyllis' friendship.  Hope to see you soon again amigos!!! xoxo  Phyllis!
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03-12-2008, 12:43 AM
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So sorry to hear of your traveling woes, Popeye! Hopefully the middle part in Playa went much more smoothly. I can't believe that, yet again, we didn't get a chance to meet up! One of these days ...
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03-12-2008, 12:57 AM
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Sorry to hear about your travel misadventures. Glad to hear that even with those airline hassles you still consider this your best trip to Playa ever. I hope you continue that tradition -- better trips, not the delays.
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03-12-2008, 08:49 AM
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Sorry to hear about that Barry.
The exact same thing happened to me just over a year ago. It's Atlanta I tell ya. I slept on the floor (Damn NASCAR event was in town) and I got home a whole day later, missed out on the St.Patricks day parties....and lost my luggage!!!! I think we had the same trip. My problem started when NWA sold my flight to Delta without telling me...but essentially the same thing. I met this great retired couple in the Cancun airport that I basically followed for the next day and a half. He made it home about a half hour before me and met me with a beer as I got out of security!!!! I wrote a bunch of letters (had them done before I even got home) and ended up getting a bunch of vouchers... Damn reading that just made me think of sleeping on the floor in Atlanta!!!
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Lucky Bassturd
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03-12-2008, 09:57 AM
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Barry, sorry I missed you guys. We had a few cases of "oh, they just left" close encounters.
Sorry to hear about your nightmare return. I bet you were asking for some "Serenity, now!" a few times.
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03-12-2008, 01:10 PM
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Yeah, "Serenity Now" for sure!! Mark, I'm sorry we didn't hook up- we never stay put too long.
Adam, why didn't you warn me? Libby, next time for sure (July most probably) Louise- Great spending some time w/you & Bryn- more, next time maybe late Nov.?? In a nutshell, Delta sucks!
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03-13-2008, 11:32 AM
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Wow, Barry, good thing you are a patient man!
Jenn and I flew USA 3000 (I love the charters) As usual there was no line for check in even as the Delta & Continental lines were huge! She said, gee Mom, you sure were right when you said this is the best way to go! Isn't is nice as your kids get older you get smarter! As an aside, it was so nice to see you and Phyllis again, maybe we'll run into each other again soon. Sharon
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03-13-2008, 03:22 PM
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It was great hanging out with you and Phyllis. Love the painting. Now I'm going to have to paint the living room before I put it up. The great colors really make the living room paint look old.
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03-13-2008, 05:44 PM
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Hi Barry!
Sorry that you got held up in Atlanta. I dread it when I fly Delta out of Cancun and change planes there. I have had to spend the night, but opted for a hotel. It never fails, that we get held up in customs because the lines are so long and there is not time to make it to the gate. I hope you and Phyllis are well. Hugs, Alicia
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03-13-2008, 06:15 PM
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Sorry bout the painting job ahead of ya David- need paint? Glad you guys like it and it found a good home where it will be appreciated. Great hangin w/ you two in Playadise!
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03-13-2008, 06:51 PM
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Seems Delta had a mouse problem delay a flight in Iowa.
 http://www.kcci.com/news/15585835/detail.html Nick
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03-13-2008, 08:29 PM
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03-13-2008, 08:37 PM
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I am sorry to hear of your plight. I hope you got all your luggage back, I know what you were hauling home.
Me and my lovely painting made it home just fine. Our immigration got really backed up. Several planes came in at once and not enough windows and lines opened. I bitched the whole time( I even got tired of my own bitching)There were more lines opened for the foreigners than for US citizens, hell, we pay the taxes and their salaries, we should have faster entry. I also got mad that some of our returning soldiers had to wait in the long lines too. They should have been moved to the front I sent you your commision. Let me know if you didn't get it.
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I'll take 2, please. Please bring them to me over here. 
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03-13-2008, 08:41 PM
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All is well, Rita. Got our luggage on Tues. Night - finally !
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03-13-2008, 09:18 PM
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