Amazing-Race-type Day - Saturday, June 13

The day started out normally. I worked seven hours instead of ten because my Southwest Airlines flight to Portland, Oregon, was leaving San Antonio at 6:00 p.m. I made it to the airport and had time to eat dinner before we took off.

The first leg of my journey took me from San Antonio to Las Vegas, Nevada on time. Our plane had 75 empty seats so there was plenty of room to spread out. I read most of the way, but fell asleep a couple of times.

Upon arrival in Las Vegas, things went awry. When I exited the plane, the first thing I did was check to see if my plane from Las Vegas to Portland would be on time. Oh no! Our flight departure to Portland changed from 8:20 p.m. to 9:50 p.m. Then, as I was standing there, the departure time changed to 10:05 p.m. and they towed away the plane at the gate! Not a good sign.

I went to the gate agent and asked if there was another way I could get to Portland, Oregon, by 10:30 p.m., my original arrival time. She checked her computer and said, "Yes, we can get you on standby from Las Vegas to San Jose. You would have to change planes in San Jose and will be on standby there too." I asked her if there were a lot of available seats on the flight from San Jose to Portland. She told me there were 31 empty seats and no one on standby except me. I told her to please book me on standby for the two flights which she did.

While she was working on that, I could hear them pre-boarding the flight to San Jose two gates over. She told me to check in at that gate for my boarding pass. I walked over, got my boarding pass and made my way on the plane. Because I was almost the last person boarding, I had to take a middle seat. It worked out okay. And I know the way to San Jose!

When we got to San Jose, I had 1/2 hour to change planes. It gave me time to walk to my gate and talk to the gate agent about needing my standby ticket. He asked if it was explained to me that there was an extra charge for standby. I told him, "No, I changed my itinerary because the plane I was supposed to take from Las Vegas to Portland had been delayed by two hours." He then said he didn't know the whole story about why I was on standby, but once I explained it to him he said there was no extra fee.

Once again I was at the tail end of people getting on the plane and had to sit between two people. I found the two skinniest people I could and made sure there was overhead compartment storage, then took my seat. I made it to Portland, Oregon at 10:30 p.m., the time I was originally supposed to be there.

Just one problem, my checked bag didn't keep up with me. I filed a missing bag claim and went out to meet my son who was picking me up from the airport. We stopped at Taco Bell for a late snack and he had me to mom's house by midnight. Thanks, Michael, for picking me up.

More on the missing bag in my next blog...

Good night. I'm off to Volksmarch Silver Falls State Park Monday morning.

Bob stayed home to work and take care of the kitties. Thank you, Bob!

The Air Travel Saga Begins - Sat., Sept. 21

Here I sit in the San Antonio International Airport. It's 10:15 a.m.  I have been here since 7:00 a.m. My flight was scheduled for 8:40 a.m.

If you're familiar with air travel and Southwest Airlines, you know that if you check in 24 hours in advance you can get in the "A" boarding group. So, yes, I was in the A boarding group. We got on the plane, pushed back from the gate. Hunky dory, right? Nope, you'd be wrong.

The captain came on the loudspeaker, said they had a problem with a light on the overhead panel being out. Maintenance was on the way to check it out. Once maintenance arrived and diagnosed the problem, we were told it was the battery indicator light and we would have to take a different plane, which they were trying to set up. Our plane pulled back into the gate and we all deboarded.

A few minutes later, the gate agent announced they had reset the computer on the plane and the problem was fixed. We were told to line up to reboard, oh, EXCEPT passengers to Portland, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Philadephia. We were all being re-routed. Sigh, really? Why? It's the same plane and only one hour later getting out.

Originally I was to fly through Phoenix, then on to Portland on the same plane, scheduled to arrive in Portland at 12:40 p.m. Get this...NOW I am being re-routed: leaving San Antonio at 11:45 a.m., flying to San Diego, then Las Vegas, transferring planes in Las Vegas and arriving in Portland at 5:45 p.m. Sheesh! Who thinks up this kind of torture??

I much prefer traveling in our 5th wheel!

And here I was worried about the weather. I'll keep you posted on my progress. With another change of planes who knows what else could go wrong. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the rest of the day will be more fun...and on time. Hey, I do have free wi-fi at the San Antone airport!

P.S. The "more fun" mentioned above has started. My name was called by the gate agent. I went up to the podium and was given a $200 voucher that can be used by anyone on any Southwest Airlines flight for up to one year. Wow! Now that I like.

Update:  As we flew into Portland, I was able to see Wilsonville and Lake Oswego through breaks in the clouds. Then we flew directly over downtown Portland and I wished my camera would have been on at that point. I could have had a gorgeous photo of the downtown skyscrapers and the Willamette River from the air.

I did capture a few photos of our approach to Portland International Airport..

Welcome to Portland!

Active, stormy-looking sky.

Fremont Bridge over the Willamette River and industrial area.

Travel Bug out.