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| Name: |
MrHodja
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| Subject: |
Ahhhh
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Date:
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11/20/2009 6:38:54 PM
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Back on terra firma USA,,,,,and it is great to be home (or at least in Atlanta for a few more minutes - see the ASA talk below).
The Italians are gracious hosts, but.....there is more to be said, and I will expand later. Another chapter for another time.
If ASA, the Delta Disconnection will just get me (and my bags) to MGM all will be even better.
Speaking of the Disconnection, I will have to wait until I am a little less sleep-deprived...but you can be assured that the blast will be coming. I just feel sorry that the MGM airport commission has to depend on them as a primary traveler source. In my case I'll be warming up the concrete on I-85 to Atlanta from now on.
A very tired,
Nasreddin Hodja
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Welcome back.
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| Name: |
alahusker
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| Subject: |
Ahhhh
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Date:
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11/20/2009 8:01:02 PM
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Mr Hodja, how can you say "ahhha" at Hartsfield? Will be there next week, enroute to Cancun, with kids and grandkids.. but ATL is never much fun.. guess it's all relative.. Don't get lost at the MGM international terminal..
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| Name: |
willallie
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| Subject: |
Ahhhh
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Date:
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11/20/2009 8:41:59 PM
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When we moved to the lake permanently we went to MGM for flights and, as you know, most all went through Atlanta. Flights to Atlanta were never a problem. Return flights were always a nightmare. Can I say late, late, later or I'm sorry we cancelled that flight. Granted, most of them were the evening flights. In a nutshell, we now drive to Atlanta...takes us about 2 l/1 hours to get there, park the car and get inside. The last 3 international trips I have taken (less than 1 year) have been painless. Checked in, through security and at gate in an hour...and I go through the cattle car lines.
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| Name: |
MrHodja
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| Subject: |
Ahhhh
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Date:
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11/21/2009 9:24:06 AM
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| Name: |
MrHodja
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| Subject: |
Ahhhh
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Date:
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11/21/2009 9:24:08 AM
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| Name: |
MrHodja
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| Subject: |
Oops - Jet Lag
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Date:
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11/21/2009 9:24:44 AM
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| Name: |
MrHodja
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| Subject: |
Dang It!! (long post)
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Date:
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11/21/2009 10:29:07 AM
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I keep hitting the Enter key too soon. Still sleep-deprived and my fingers aren't communicating well with my brain. But can't sleep because the body tells me it is mid-afternoon and I should be wide awake.
The story got much more bizarre after that post from the Crown Room...uh now the "Sky Club"..... last night.
Got to ATL from Rome at 3:35. Went through Passport Control, got my bags, went through Customs, and rechecked them - no problem. But there were literally hundreds of people in the security line to get back into airport main. Didn't clock it but was a good 20-30 minutes to get through, and got to my gate at 4:54 for my 5:00 flight. They refused to board me "flight closed" 10 minutes before scheduled departure. Apparently they won't let someone on who arrives FOUR MINUTES past their closeout time, period. I explained my situation and their answer was "Tango Sierra", go get rebooked". I don't scr3w with those help desks in the concourse so I called the Delta 800 line and was told I was rebooked not on the 7:07, but the 9:45! I was "rather forceful" on the phone (to say I was pi$$ed would be a gross understatement) but the answer was the same -- if I wanted to get on the 7:07 I would have to plead "Mother, may I?" with the gate agent. I told the lady on the phone rather emphatically (but without the profanity that was at the absolute tip of my tongue) that I would NOT do that because the ASA gate agents in Atlanta are terribly unaccommodating and are forced to lie repeatedly to us poor masses attempting to use their "service".
So, I then go to the Sky Club and explain the situation to the assistance agent there. Voille', up pops a boarding pass for the 7:07 with my name - and a seat number. OK, things are looking less worse. So I go to the gate just to find the 7:07 is now "scheduled" to take off at 7:30. Always a bad sign when ASA is involved. I had previously pointed out emphatically to the Delta lady on the phone and in the Sky Clkub that ASA can inconvenience us paying passengers at will at their convenience, but they couldn't bend for me for FOUR minutes.
On of the few bright spots in this story (it gets a lot worse) is that the departure gate was C-32 and the C Concourse Sky Club was only a two minute walk away, so I managed to get the gate agent and the Sky Club lady talking to each other and they would notify me when the plane really left. So while waiting for the boarding announcement the only thing to sully the Tanqueray was ice and a wedge of lime....
OK, so they finally board us about 8PM or so and we wait for some time before finally getting airborne. OK, things are getting better, and I had the pleasure of sitting next to an old friend who is highly placed within the Alabama judicial system. We had pleasant conversation during the extensive ground time and during the flight. After about the right amount of time to begin our descent into MGM, the pilot pulls back on the throttles - but comes on with an announcement - not that we are beginning our approach - but that the maintenance problem that delayed the flight had cropped up again and we were RETURNING TO ATLANTA!.
Now the obvious question to us was if we are closer to MGM, why not land there, let us off, and fix their problem. Hard to believe that it was any more safe to go back to ATL especially if the pilot was being honest when he announced "oh, don't worry you are safe". More likely it was a convenience and $$ thing, but we will probably never know.
OK, so we get back to Atlanta and they quickly tell us that as soon as the bags are taken off our plane and put onto a plane right there at the gate we would be leaving. We get into the gate area and almost immediately thereafter another announcement comes saying "The Montgomery Airport closes at 10, so your flight is canceled".
To conclude this little oddyssey I called my travel agent, got them to reserve me a car at Hertz, and drove home, getting here a little before 1AM (there had been PLENTY time for the effects of Tanqueray to have subsided).
Suffice it to say there will be a loooong letter sent to the CEOs of Delta and ASA, and copies will go as well to Todd Strange and Mark Wnuk (MGM Mayor and airport director). Not sure it will do any good but they need the feedback. I am afraid that this experience has driven the last nail into the "Fly from Montgomery" coffin. The construction on I-85 is winding down and ATL is only a two hour drive from my house.
But, after all is said and done, and in spite of the foibles involved in the trek and my whining, it is great to be home safely!
Nasreddin Hodja
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| Name: |
rude evin
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| Subject: |
Dang It!! (long post)
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Date:
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11/21/2009 1:27:28 PM
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Sounds like a bottle of your favorite red vino is in order......
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| Name: |
MrHodja
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| Subject: |
Dang It!! (long post)
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Date:
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11/21/2009 1:38:22 PM
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Its in my suitcase - but I don't know where my suitcase is!
But I did have one he!! of a breakfast at Cracker Barrel just now. Breakfast consisting of hard salami, swiss cheese, and hard boiled eggs for two straight weeks makes one appreciate the "finer" things in life!!
Uncle Hershels, eggs over easy, country ham, fried apples, grits, biscuits, gravy - now THAT's breakfast!!
NH
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| Name: |
Talullahhound
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| Subject: |
Thank you
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Date:
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11/21/2009 3:44:54 PM
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for reminding me why I HATE, HATE, HATE to fly. I admire your restraint in not resorting to profanity -- I don't think I could have done it.
LOL about the breakfast. Nothing like a good American breakfast. The rest of the world just doesn't get it.
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| Name: |
willallie
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| Subject: |
Ahhhh
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Date:
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11/21/2009 8:51:28 PM
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I feel your pain and that's why I no longer fly to MGM. However, I still say ATL entry into USA is much easier than other airports..on the east coast. Have not flown into New York and, quite frankly, have no desire. I did, however, fly to DC and it was a nightmare going through customs...except for the man who took my mother-in-law for a mad dash through the airport in a wheelchair, with us running behind, to catch our plane. He was great!
Happy Thanksgiving to all! We have 20+ for dinner. Tonight we decided to have smoked, fried and baked turkey...in addition to everything else. Glad I'm not doing all the cooking.
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