Well, I promised a blog about our trip to Indiana so here goes... This is going to be a 2 parter, atleast.
I have to start from the top, which would be the actual plane ride there, which was something I had been worried about. Our flight was initially delayed about 30 minutes, which is becoming more and more typical in today's airline industry. Once we boarded and were settled into our seats, everything started out smoothly. Garrett was distracted through take-off with new snacks and a new sippy cup with his favorite "Queen" on it (Lightning McQueen, for you non-Cars fans out there). We then got out the always-loved DVD player with an assortment of DVD's to make this 2 hour flight pass by in the blink of an eye. But, what happens? The DVD player won't work!! I made sure to charge the battery for atleast 24 hours prior to packing everything in our carry-on bag, but for some reason the darn thing would not cooperate. So, plan B consisted of allowing Garrett to pretty much do whatever he wanted to ensure a happy flight for everyone involved. This basically included shoving toys down inside the now-defunct DVD player, but hey, he was quiet and happy so in turn, I was happy. This DVD glich should have been a sign of things to come...
About an hour into the flight Keith turns to me and says "Do you smell that?" Well, when you're traveling with a 2 year old that isn't the best thing to hear, but thankfully he wasn't smelling a dirty diaper, but smoke. (Also, not something you want to hear mid-flight...) I initially chalked it up to my husband's over-active sense of smell and his mechanical abilities which allow him to always assume the worst of other mechanics, particularly those who work on planes. But unfortunately this was not to be just a figment of Keith's imagination because about a minute later we see 2 flight attendants "running" up to first class, one grabs a flight extinguisher and another starts pushing buttons on some control thingy that happened to be inside one of the front over-head bins. We see 2 or 3 first-class people standing in the aisle while the fire extinguisher is being used. The pilot then comes on to tell us that there has been an "electrical issue causing an odor" and we would be needing to make an emergency landing in Memphis. Now, the next thing that happens is our plane starts a nose dive (basically) in order to land. I'm not one to suffer from motion sickness, but this was rough enough to even get me a little queasy feeling. Thankfully it didn't bother Garrett's stomach, but it did affect his ears so we were all treated to a little screaming courtesy of my son and his ears that needed popping, while our plane dive-bombed it's way to the Memphis airport. We had to disembark and sat around at the gate waiting to hear something. After about 30 minutes we were told that they were still waiting for a mechanic to come to our plane and check out the problem, so it would be atleast another 45 minutes. Keith and I took advantage of this to get a bathroom break and let Garrett run around a bit. After an hour, we were then told that the FAA had said that our plane was grounded until they could figure out what had caused the smoke, so a plane was going to have to fly to Memphis from Dallas to pick us up and take us on to Indianapolis. This would take 5 more hours and this was "the best that American Airlines can do". As one of my fellow passengers shouted, "5 hours is the best American Airlines can do?! I guess we should have all flown Southwest. You may have to hop and skip all over the country but atleast they get you there!" Needless to say, we were NOT happy. After eating lunch, getting another bathroom break, and trying to keep Garrett from rolling around too much on the floor of the airport, we finally get the announcement (about 6 hours later) that the plane has arrived and we would be boarding momentarily. 30 minutes later, another announcement is made saying that a gauge isn't functioning properly on the new plane and we were going to have to wait for another mechanic to come out and check on it before we could board! At this point we all thought we were being filmed for Candid Camera. How in the world can this kind of thing happen? During this 6 hour stay in the beautiful (yeah right) Memphis airport, we were forced to watch non-stop cable news. One of the stories that was repeated over and over (and over) that day? How American Airlines had broken records on their profits made in the previous quarter. Not something stranded AA passengers wanted to hear. Another fellow passenger (can you tell we were all friends by this point?) said that they made such a profit because they apparently got rid of all of their mechanics. By this point Keith is ready to just ditch this plane, get a hotel room, and then rent a car and drive out the following morning. I was also feeling the same, but I knew that our time with my family had already been cut into, so I didn't want to lose any more if possible. Thankfully the gauge was fixed quickly (probably just ignored due to the almost mutiny they had on their hands), we were loaded onto the plane and then sat there for another 30 minutes. By the time our plane took off into the air, we had been in Memphis for 7 and a half hours! Garrett was not the least bit thrilled to be strapped into his seat yet again. Thankfully the majority of our fellow passengers were drunk from the bar next to our gate and the rest of them were very understanding so we didn't get one dirty look or rude comment resulting from Garrett's lack of enthusiasm. So you might be wondering what kind of compensation American Airlines offers to their passengers in this kind of situation. (Maybe some of you already know because you've been there before.) We got.........(wait for it)........a $12 voucher for a sit-down BBQ place inside the airport! Isn't that just the greatest? And definitely practical for the family with a small 2 year old. So needless to say we didn't enjoy that lovely piece of Memphis heaven.
This is just the flight there, I promise to write more later about my actual visit and the flight home. Thankfully none of them are as traumatic as this one.
Showing posts with label flying. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flying. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Leaving On a Jet Plane
Next week we will be flying the friendly skies. Well, not really, that's Delta's slogan right? We're actually flying American, I don't know their slogan. I would wait until closer to our actual trip to write this blog, but I'm going to be pretty busy during the next week getting ready, packing, cleaning, etc.
So, "where are you going" you ask? We are flying to Indianapolis for a visit with my family! I am really excited. I've been thinking about the last time I've seen most of my family. I realized that the last time I saw my youngest brother Jesse was back in February, my husband hasn't seen him since last August, more than a year ago! The last time I saw my dad was for one day in March, when he flew to Dallas for a Bible conference, and the last time Keith saw him was back in December. The last time we both saw my mom and my sister Christie was in June when they came down for a visit. I will also be seeing Grace, Paul, and their kids, but I've seen them pretty recently. Up until a couple of weeks ago, they lived in Texas, but I'm still excited to see them too. If it was up to me, I would definitely see everyone more often than I do, but God called all of them up to the Indy area to start a church and who am I to argue with God? Keith and I haven't been called to go anywhere, so we're still in Dallas for now, which is fine, I'm at peace with being here. Plus, I still have my brother Brad and his wife, Kristen, with me in Texas, so we're not alone.
So, back to the actual leaving on a jet plane. Keith, myself, and Garrett will all be boarding a plane next Thursday morning around 9:30ish. I have flown somewhat regularly and Keith flies frequently for work, so neither of us are scared of flying or nervous about the actual flight. What gets us shaking in our boots is the thought of a 2 hour flight with a 2 year old! That's downright scary if you think about it. But what's even scarier? Driving 15 hours with a 2 year old. So give me the 2 hour flight anyday. Garrett has flown before, back in February when he was about 18 months old. It was just me and him and I didn't buy him a seat, since it isn't required until they're 2. He was actually pretty well behaved, considering. He did hit the guy sitting next to us a few times, but that man was super nice and very helpful to me throughout the entire flight. I'm in hopes that Garrett's second plane ride will be just as smooth, especially since he will be in his own seat and Daddy will be with us to help out. We'll have our own little row of 3 seats, so the only potential people to be disturbed by him will be those in the row in front of us. Hopefully it will be another family or grandparents who love all children, regardless of how many times the back of their seat might accidentally get kicked.
I'm not sure how many of you keep up with the news, but as a mom, who is also about to fly with my small child, I do keep up with the news. Especially the stories of all the families who have been kicked off of flights in recent months. I realize that most of the time there is more to these stories than meets the eye, but I'm still horrified for a lot of these parents who are kicked off of their flights simply because their child is talking loudly. I think the airlines need to loosen up a bit. All children under the age of 5 or so have issues with sitting still and being quiet for long periods of time. Should these families not be allowed to fly simply because they have a small child? I don't think so. Maybe they need to have a designated section for parents with small children on their flights. That would minimize the number of people who might get upset about your child talking loudly. Now, I am not saying that parents should allow their children to run up and down the aisles of the plane, or sit back and watch while their toddler is throwing a fit. Parents should have control of their kids as much as possible. Honestly, if my toddler starts throwing a fit on the plane and I'm unable to distract him with a different toy, then we will be heading to the bathroom to have a "come to Jesus" meeting. Of course, does that then mean that when we get off of the flight some of the people sitting within earshot of the bathroom will immediately call CPS on me for spanking my unruly child? Probably! That's what's wrong with this world. People don't want children acting up, but they're not ok with parents who choose spanking as their method of discipline. How exactly would one impose a time-out on the airplane? "Son, sit there in your seat, where you'll be sitting for the next 2 hours, and have a time out" how exactly is that supposed to work? I'm not anti-timeouts at all, I just think that sometimes some discipline methods just aren't going to work in some situations.
Now, with all of that being said, I will be heading to the airport as fully prepared as I absolutely can be with MANY things to distract and entertain my child during the 2 hour flight. I've bought quite a few new toys, books, stickers, crayons, markers, small containers of play-dough, many snacks, etc. Plus we will be bringing our portable DVD player and many DVD's that Garrett likes to watch. I think we'll be ok and he'll behave himself for the most part. But, if you're a parent reading this, we all know that sometimes kids just have melt-downs for absolutely no reason at all. You don't see it coming, and then, bam!, your child is screaming and kicking. I will definitely avoid anything that I think will bring one of these tantrums on, but sometimes there's no avoiding these things, like fastening the seat belt. I can see that becoming a major problem, I'm just in hopes to have him completely distracted with something else, so that I can quickly snap the seat belt into place before he realizes what's going on.
So, in closing, if you happen to be flying from DFW to Indianapolis next Thursday, you may see us. We'll be the ones carrying a huge bag stuffed to the brim with toys and distractions and hopefully we'll have a happy, content child with us who will make everyone around us say "What a great child, your son is so well-behaved". Hey, we can wish, right? Hopefully you won't see us on the news as the next family to get kicked off a plane. I'm afraid if that was to happen, my husband would also be arrested for punching the flight attendent who attempted to do this. That wouldn't be good.
I will blog when we get back to let you know how the flight and the visit went. I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures to share as well (hopefully none of my husband in a prison cell).
So, "where are you going" you ask? We are flying to Indianapolis for a visit with my family! I am really excited. I've been thinking about the last time I've seen most of my family. I realized that the last time I saw my youngest brother Jesse was back in February, my husband hasn't seen him since last August, more than a year ago! The last time I saw my dad was for one day in March, when he flew to Dallas for a Bible conference, and the last time Keith saw him was back in December. The last time we both saw my mom and my sister Christie was in June when they came down for a visit. I will also be seeing Grace, Paul, and their kids, but I've seen them pretty recently. Up until a couple of weeks ago, they lived in Texas, but I'm still excited to see them too. If it was up to me, I would definitely see everyone more often than I do, but God called all of them up to the Indy area to start a church and who am I to argue with God? Keith and I haven't been called to go anywhere, so we're still in Dallas for now, which is fine, I'm at peace with being here. Plus, I still have my brother Brad and his wife, Kristen, with me in Texas, so we're not alone.
So, back to the actual leaving on a jet plane. Keith, myself, and Garrett will all be boarding a plane next Thursday morning around 9:30ish. I have flown somewhat regularly and Keith flies frequently for work, so neither of us are scared of flying or nervous about the actual flight. What gets us shaking in our boots is the thought of a 2 hour flight with a 2 year old! That's downright scary if you think about it. But what's even scarier? Driving 15 hours with a 2 year old. So give me the 2 hour flight anyday. Garrett has flown before, back in February when he was about 18 months old. It was just me and him and I didn't buy him a seat, since it isn't required until they're 2. He was actually pretty well behaved, considering. He did hit the guy sitting next to us a few times, but that man was super nice and very helpful to me throughout the entire flight. I'm in hopes that Garrett's second plane ride will be just as smooth, especially since he will be in his own seat and Daddy will be with us to help out. We'll have our own little row of 3 seats, so the only potential people to be disturbed by him will be those in the row in front of us. Hopefully it will be another family or grandparents who love all children, regardless of how many times the back of their seat might accidentally get kicked.
I'm not sure how many of you keep up with the news, but as a mom, who is also about to fly with my small child, I do keep up with the news. Especially the stories of all the families who have been kicked off of flights in recent months. I realize that most of the time there is more to these stories than meets the eye, but I'm still horrified for a lot of these parents who are kicked off of their flights simply because their child is talking loudly. I think the airlines need to loosen up a bit. All children under the age of 5 or so have issues with sitting still and being quiet for long periods of time. Should these families not be allowed to fly simply because they have a small child? I don't think so. Maybe they need to have a designated section for parents with small children on their flights. That would minimize the number of people who might get upset about your child talking loudly. Now, I am not saying that parents should allow their children to run up and down the aisles of the plane, or sit back and watch while their toddler is throwing a fit. Parents should have control of their kids as much as possible. Honestly, if my toddler starts throwing a fit on the plane and I'm unable to distract him with a different toy, then we will be heading to the bathroom to have a "come to Jesus" meeting. Of course, does that then mean that when we get off of the flight some of the people sitting within earshot of the bathroom will immediately call CPS on me for spanking my unruly child? Probably! That's what's wrong with this world. People don't want children acting up, but they're not ok with parents who choose spanking as their method of discipline. How exactly would one impose a time-out on the airplane? "Son, sit there in your seat, where you'll be sitting for the next 2 hours, and have a time out" how exactly is that supposed to work? I'm not anti-timeouts at all, I just think that sometimes some discipline methods just aren't going to work in some situations.
Now, with all of that being said, I will be heading to the airport as fully prepared as I absolutely can be with MANY things to distract and entertain my child during the 2 hour flight. I've bought quite a few new toys, books, stickers, crayons, markers, small containers of play-dough, many snacks, etc. Plus we will be bringing our portable DVD player and many DVD's that Garrett likes to watch. I think we'll be ok and he'll behave himself for the most part. But, if you're a parent reading this, we all know that sometimes kids just have melt-downs for absolutely no reason at all. You don't see it coming, and then, bam!, your child is screaming and kicking. I will definitely avoid anything that I think will bring one of these tantrums on, but sometimes there's no avoiding these things, like fastening the seat belt. I can see that becoming a major problem, I'm just in hopes to have him completely distracted with something else, so that I can quickly snap the seat belt into place before he realizes what's going on.
So, in closing, if you happen to be flying from DFW to Indianapolis next Thursday, you may see us. We'll be the ones carrying a huge bag stuffed to the brim with toys and distractions and hopefully we'll have a happy, content child with us who will make everyone around us say "What a great child, your son is so well-behaved". Hey, we can wish, right? Hopefully you won't see us on the news as the next family to get kicked off a plane. I'm afraid if that was to happen, my husband would also be arrested for punching the flight attendent who attempted to do this. That wouldn't be good.
I will blog when we get back to let you know how the flight and the visit went. I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures to share as well (hopefully none of my husband in a prison cell).
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