Have I got a story for you. Forgive me if it’s a bit long or perhaps borders on the complaining, but it really is a good one, depending on how you look at it.
 
We went to Kansas City to celebrate my niece’s Bat Mitzvah a few days before the public schools went on spring break, March 12. We had a great time visiting with family and friends and eating barbecue.
 
It wasn’t until we were in the air on March 18 on our way to Dallas to make a connection for Honolulu on an American Airlines flight home that our ordeal began. That flight sure was bumpy. And sure enough, due to inclement weather, we were unable to land in Dallas. After close to two hours in a holding pattern, the pilot announced that we would be landing in nearby Longview, Texas to refuel and reattempt our approach to Dallas.
 
The pilot was very helpful. He offered regular communication and let us know what was happening every step of the way. But the weather just wouldn’t cooperate. We stayed on the runway  in Longview for seven hours before they finally announced that we would be returning to Kansas City and they would rebook our flights for another time.
 
It sounds worse than it was. Because of the care and consideration of the flight crew, we were fed pizza and offered water bottles. They let the lady with a puppy take her dog our for frequent walks. The smokers were given a few smoke breaks and the pilot offered the children a tour of the cockpit. We all made the best of it as there was really  nothing that anybody could do.
 
The flight back to KC was quick, but not the line to rebook when we got there. Two and a half hours later, tickets in hand for the next day, we collected our luggage and boarded a shuttle for the nearby Marriot. Hotels are not provided for weather problems, so we had to pay for it ourselves. Oh well, what’s a tourist to do…….
 
This is not the end of our story by any means.
 
Confident the skies were in our favor, we cheerfully returned to the airport on Wednesday to board a Midwest flight to LA. After a five hour layover there, we would take an American flight to Honolulu.  Wishful thinking.
 
The Midwest flight was delayed two hours. While it did not pose a problem for our connection, our connection became the problem.
 
A Whopper Jr meal, several trips to the bathroom and a leisurely cruise around the LAX American terminal book store later, ten minutes before boarding for Honolulu they announced that there were mechanical problems and we would be getting a new plane. An hour later there were problems with the runway. After that they couldn’t find a captain to fly the new plane. It went on and on until they finally cancelled the flight.
 
Back in line we learned that all flights were booked and they couldn’t get us out until Saturday. We would just have to wait. It didn’t matter that my husband had work, our kids had school. We were at the mercy of the airlines.
 
They gave us hotel and meal vouchers that were only good for a day we once again picked up our luggage and were  on our way to yet another hotel Marriot. They all have the same carpeting in the hall as well as the same breakfast buffet. I consider myself an expert at this point. 

 Hours on the phone with unsympathetic agents were to no avail. We found seats on a Delta flight the next day, but were denied access simply because they were first class and ours were coach. If we wanted to pay an extra $4000.00 they could help us.
 
Thursday found my husband back at LAX twice just to get the vouchers straightened out. By the afternoon we were resigned to our fate and decided to have some fun. We rented a car, took the kids on a Hollywood tour and promised Disneyland on Friday. Might as well make the best of it, even if it wasn’t in our plans or our budget.
 
In the long run we got home on Saturday and life is back to  normal. Nobody was hurt or suffered. It was just terribly inconvenient, a bit expensive, and extremely annoying.  Good to get away. Very good to finally be home.