The panic is on - been on the 405 for the past hour, bumper to bumper, heading to LAX.
Need to drop off a couple of people. Fill rental. Return car to Thrifty's Car Rental.
Pull into Chevron after dropping one later departing passenger to the Casino near the airport (note: the Casino has baggage check in). Insert my Amex. It asks for a pin number.
Go inside. I can prepay but I'm suppose to tell them how much gas. How the H*#* am I suppose to know that? It's a rental.
Go to next station. An ATM machine this time. Identify pump number, agree to pay an extra 45 cents and then get the request for a PIN again. My card doesn't have a pin. Leave.
Head to airport - drop off my work colleague (along with my luggage - gosh it is much easier to travel in pairs) and go to return car. Decide to try one more time - I'll put in $20 just for the heck of it.
Same thing except this time I persist. Four times in and out of the station. Manager comes out. Explains why pump is jammed. We try the backside of pump 12. Finally get gas. Sign. Leave. Bloody nuisance. Thriftys - do you think they could mark the entrance of their return route better. Or just post a sign for those who miss the first sign to advise where they should go? That would WAY to be easy.
Finally van gets returned, I get to airport and find out flight is 40 minutes delayed. Go figure.
My question of the moment: how is a person suppose to get gas for their rental when every gas pump in town wants either a zip code or a 4 digit pin number?
Showing posts with label Delays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Delays. Show all posts
15 May 2009
28 December 2008
Stand-by - Dec 28 - 12:08 PM
The AC flight to Portland was cancelled.
Grabbed my carry bag and got off the small engine plane and followed the rest of the sheep along the salt sprinkled path, through the corral and up a staircase that said restricted passage. We banged, banged and banged on that fateful door. Finally came down the same staircase and started to follow the exit signs.
No AC staff spotted.
The freshly let loose passengers continue to wander around like lost sheep -- baa baa -- having no idea of what do to. Finally we sort ourselves out.
Canadian Customs let me back in; wait for 30 minutes and pick up my checked bag, exit the luggage area and wave at people I don't know waiting for loved ones to arrive; grab the elevator and head for the AC ticket purchase line-up. Chat with the nice gay couple, the never ending chatty cathie and the "let's sue AC" woman who scarcastically asked if I was a Canadian when I suggested that sueing won't help (and why bother - talk about a waste of time and energy).
40 minutes later I have a confirmed seat on the 16:50 flight to Portland with a stand by at 13:10. Back through American Immigration and Customs, Security Clearance (I didn't get picked for the random check this time) and back into the Maple Leaf lounge (the best lounge group in North America for sure).
The gates are miles away (okay 15 minutes away). Time to go see if I am getting on the stand-by flight. If I do please, please, please get my checked bag onto that flight. I really don't want to go to the airport again!
Grabbed my carry bag and got off the small engine plane and followed the rest of the sheep along the salt sprinkled path, through the corral and up a staircase that said restricted passage. We banged, banged and banged on that fateful door. Finally came down the same staircase and started to follow the exit signs.
No AC staff spotted.
The freshly let loose passengers continue to wander around like lost sheep -- baa baa -- having no idea of what do to. Finally we sort ourselves out.
Canadian Customs let me back in; wait for 30 minutes and pick up my checked bag, exit the luggage area and wave at people I don't know waiting for loved ones to arrive; grab the elevator and head for the AC ticket purchase line-up. Chat with the nice gay couple, the never ending chatty cathie and the "let's sue AC" woman who scarcastically asked if I was a Canadian when I suggested that sueing won't help (and why bother - talk about a waste of time and energy).
40 minutes later I have a confirmed seat on the 16:50 flight to Portland with a stand by at 13:10. Back through American Immigration and Customs, Security Clearance (I didn't get picked for the random check this time) and back into the Maple Leaf lounge (the best lounge group in North America for sure).
The gates are miles away (okay 15 minutes away). Time to go see if I am getting on the stand-by flight. If I do please, please, please get my checked bag onto that flight. I really don't want to go to the airport again!
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