be careful what you wish for is the understatement of the week

Yesterday I was sitting against a wall looking at my boarding door at the Atlanta International Airport. I had a nice trip to LA planned, starting with a booking with Isobel Wren. My biggest worry was the car rental fees. 

Then it happens. The small pebble that started a 24 airline hell. 

I was nursing a hangover, so I hadn't noticed the extreme fog outside. The man behind the counter went on the loud speaker to inform everyone that our flight was going to be delayed an hour due to "visibility". Delays, ok, fine, it happens. I make a joke on twitter via my iphone saying "I want my bed or to be on a plane, just not in the airport". God, seeing the opportunity to punish me for drinking the night before, decided I was going to get my wish. 

Normally, I fly Delta, because I'm a sucker for free blankets, private tv screens and nonstop hassle free flights. I booked this ticket last minute, and ended up with US Airways, which I was already unhappy about because all the 5 times I've flown with them, a catastrophe happens. Today is not an exception. 

Turns out, with my MINIMUM delay of one hour, I'm going to miss my connection flight to Los Angeles. Since it's a "weather" issue, they will not rebook me on another flight or airline. They will just bump me on the first flight going out the next morning. Not great, but, I'll only be two hours late to my shoot, and since it's a full day booking, I'll still get paid, so I just have to deal with the 3 am wakeup call. 

I arrive to the airport and try to check in. Apparently, there was a downward spiral of people being bumped, and those that were taking red eye flights were still waiting at the airport to leave. So I'm bumped from my flight due to people above me rescheduling and being moved around. They move me to another flight *nonstop*, that is taking off 40 minutes after my original one....not bad. I'll be late, but not horrible. Then I get the news. Due to the previous day's schedule and delays, my flight is now delayed two hours. It's 4:30 am, and I'm not taking off til 9:40. The reason is "crew rest requirements". I'm missing out on a full day booking because the crew has to take a lunch break. My flight has also been rerouted to Phoenix due to landing schedules in LA, so I will arrive to a two hour layover, before getting to fly to LA. Awesome.

For those of you who are lost, here's a time chart

Sat March 14: 

2:30pm: arrive at airport, check in proceed to gate. scheduled departure at 4:09pm

4:00pm: informed we are delayed an hour *fog*. scheduled departure now at 5:00pm

5:30pm: informed that I will not make my connection flight and they will reschedule me for the earliest flight in the morning.

6:40pm: finally leave the airport and go home to nurse hangover and nap

Sun March 15:

3:00am: wakeup to make 5:30 flight

4:15am: arrive at airport to check in. upon check in, am told my new flight info 7:40 departure

5:30am: am told my flight is delayed due to crew rest requirements. 9:40

will be landing at 11am pacific time. following flight to LA departs at 1:40. arrive in LA at 3pm, just enough time to miss my shoot. awesome.

i am tired.