Seriously, I went into this trip expecting some major drama but not so early in the game. I left Lincoln late-ish because my sister and I kept forgetting things at various places across town and we made it to the Omaha airport with about 35 minutes before my flight was scheduled to leave. Normally this is ample time to make even an international flight out of Omaha–trust me this is a solidly proved fact, I have extensive firsthand experience with my mother.
Anyway, we get there and I am trying to check in and the blasted kiosk is not working. It’s not taking my passport or frequent flyer number and I, for the life of me can not find my confirmation number any place. So I waste sometime trying to figure out if man indeed rules over machine or if machines are here to destroy the world. I finally decide to walk up to the unmanned desk in the hopes that an attendant would appear on a glistening steed to save my day. Apparently saviors on steeds are not commonplace any more. The attendant that comes to help me (after a noticeable wait) stands on the scale and tells me that he will not check me onto my flight and that I wasn’t going to make my flight and so I had better just head back home and return the following day.
At this point I am adamantly stating that I need to be in Atlanta by 8pm so that I can make my connection and it is absolutely necessary that I make my connection to Johannesburg. Jerko numero uno does me the courtesy of checking one alternative that he than sardonically notes will still have me missing my connection in Atlanta. So here I am rather desperate and not quite understanding what my next move should be. So focusing intently, I turn on the waterworks, truth be told, I try to turn on the waterworks and I sure I wasn’t any good but it worked because before I know it, Joe Hero is at my side asking if the flight can be re-routed through, Chicago, Cleveland, anywhere. JoHe finds that if I flew to Detroit, I would make it into Atlanta with about 47 minutes to find and board my flight to Jo’burg. I am ecstatically happy.
One catch, the flight from Detroit to Atlanta has only one seat left, in first class. In addition, my bags were overweight, the large box was 55lbs and the suitcase was 59lbs- crud! Jerko Uno wants me to pay the overweight charges but JoHe waves it off and is on the phone making sure that I get on the flight to Detroit and is trying to figure out what the price difference is on the fares that I would be expect to pay. I’m off to the shifting weight around to make sure that suitcase sits at 52lbs (just enough to slide by), while there, the valet attendant helping me sees my Big XII bag and asks if I am from a Big XII school and I mention that I am from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and this is actually an official trip that I am making for the university, thus why I need to make my connection in Atlanta. Super valet goes back up to the counter and relays this information to the Delta Airlines attendant while I am sitting on top of my bags to get them to close and when I get back to the counter, JoHe mentions that he was able to get them to waive the extra fees for my new flight schedule and I would not be required to pay the $1400 differential. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?!!??!!? JoHe goes a step further and introduces me to the gate attendant and tells them how important it is that I get on the flight.
I got on the flight, caught up with my colleagues in Atlanta and made all of my connections.
Adventures in Zambia 2009 