Reflections on Taking a Trip

We made it!  On ship and ready to sail...

We are leaving on a trip of our lifetime this AM. We have planned it and research it and finally booked it the first of June. It's an anniversary trip...a celebration of 40 years of togetherness that is coming 3 years late. Alaska calls; we are packed; and, the boarding passes need to be printed. But wait! the passes are for a totally different flight!! AUGH! Will they hold the ship? I don't think so...5 hours later after talking with travel agency, travel insurance, credit card company and the airlines...all are pointing fingers at others saying they can switch flight plans and waive the fee. Long story short?....no one can do anything...we are stuck and are rolling the dice to see if we can fly standby on the flight that we originally had thought we were scheduled on...Leaving this AM at O-dawn thirty to see if the Fates are kind...

Lessons learned: 1) Don't trust any agent to make your reservation for you. 2) Double and triple check your dates long before you go to print your passes, and 3) Being nasty only makes you feel worse and doesn't change the situation, and finally 4) a sense of humor is priceless but revenge would be sweeter...;D

Being patient and pleasant didn't change anything but after 4 hours of everyone pointing fingers (Oh yes..yes we did...we went up the supervisor chain with "Do you have the authority to change this flight and waive the penalties? ), it got to the point where we were laughing at the canned dialog from the agents..."No, I am sorry I do not have the authority to do that. Yes, I will connect you to my supervisor...No, I am sorry that can only be done by....(Here you can insert any of the following: Airline agent, booking agent, credit card agent, insurance agent).

So off we go...hoping that we can get shuttle to drive to the airport to catch the flight that connects to the ship that leaves the harbor that cruises Alaska on the 43rd anniversary celebration that Bob and Darlene built...:-D