Airlines, Airports, Storms and Out of Fuel Make for Nightmare Travel

The phone rang early in the morning with an unfamiliar number on the caller ID, but with most of our family living in a 937 area code I sleepily answered to hear the voice of my ex husband's aunt, "Lisa, it's Karen, I was calling to tell you about Nancy." My mother in law had been fighting leukemia for two years and was currently doing a two week long stay in the hospital for complications from pneumonia. Hearing a voice from my past calling so early, I knew the news couldn't be good. Nancy had passed away.

Heartbroken, I hang up the phone. Knowing that this day would come I still was totally unprepared. Let me explain, my (ex) mother in law was a very important person in my life. I had known her since I was 16. She, in part, helped to make me the person I am today. Even after my divorce from her son she was an involved member of my life and my new family; remembering my children's birthdays, my new anniversary and encouraging me in my writing efforts.

In order to attend the funeral just two days away in Ohio I would have to fly alone with two little girls under the age of 4. Hours of research for a last minute airfare meant flying United and connections in Chicago at O'Hare International Airport. And, you know those "bereavement fares?" Yeah, well they were actually higher than simply purchasing a regular ticket online. So much for the hours spent calling airlines to find out the best possible price.

Taking the double stroller to the airport was a gamble but with children and car seats the only way. In Chicago my connecting flight is three terminals away and I have very little time to make it. A kind airport employee helped me get the children down the steps to the shuttle and loaded my stroller on board. I made my connection and arrive in Dayton on time.

After the funeral, which is a sad enough experience, especially when dealing with an ex's extended family; I prepare for my departure from Dayton. The United flight arrives late leaving me worried about my connection in Chicago. We get into the air and find that storms have rolled into the Indiana and Chicago area reaching all the way over to Wisconsin. The children are frightened as the plane bounces, dips and sways. I attempt to comfort them ignore her own fears and say the occasional prayer for their safe journey. Lightning flashes across the windows breaking up the dark as night sky and the rain is pouring down.

Looking at my watch I realize we should have already landed quite some time ago. But we continue to fly. The children are tired, hot, hungry and scared and I am not feeling much better than they are. An announcement is made that due to weather we have been circling the area but cannot land. Then we are told that we are low on fuel and will be flying to Indiana to refuel and hopefully the weather will clear by then. Low on fuel! In a thunderstorm?! Even better.

We arrive at a small airstrip in Indiana, on what I hoped were not jet fuel fumes. We weren't allowed to get up or move around so as to be back in the air quickly. I have now spent over 8 hours traveling and was back in Indiana just a short drive away from my departure in Dayton, Ohio.

The children are hungry, tired, cranky, off schedule, need changed and to go to the bathroom and over the whole "adventure" of flying. No food services or drinks were available as apparently they had only stocked snacks for the short flight from Dayton to Chicago. When we requested drinks or at least pretzels we are told there is no time for that, and back into the air we go.

Two hours later we finally land in Chicago, most of the passengers including me ready to kiss the ground of the airport. I am sure most of the passengers were ready to head straight to the bar as many of the children on the flight had become pretty travel weary.

I check the board to find my flight is still in Chicago, delayed also due to weather. I begin my journey to the other terminal to find that there is no elevator available to get me down to the shuttle. After lugging my double stroller down two flights of stairs holding tightly to two small children I am turned away from the shuttle and told that they can't take strollers or children on it, yet these able bodied adults are boarding and I had just used it 4 days earlier.

I make my way back up two flights of steps without any help and race across three terminals with my Graco double stroller now a jogging stroller. Hot, sweaty, hungry, tired, emotionally exhausted and with two screaming children who need to go potty and eat I arrive at my gate to be told, "Don't anyone leave, we don't know when we will board but we will need to board quickly." I explain my problem, and am told "Well it's your choice to leave but if you aren't back when we board your seats may be given away." I give up and take my children to the bathroom and purchase junk food snacks from the machine.

Fifteen hours of travel, eight hours of thunderstorms, lightning and turbulence, one refueling, one connection, four flights of stairs, two tired children, one emotionally drained mom and 4 packages of fruit snacks and peanut butter crackers later we arrive in Houston, happy to be home safe and sound where the sun will be shining in the morning and Dad is waiting at baggage claim for his girls.

We always have the best time traveling . . . find out about My Toddler Daughter's Experience with Airport Security (TSA)

Sources:

Personal experience