Snowy Seat!

10/29/11 Norfolk, VA to Philadelphia 1:38pm
So I get to the airport kind of early... I think it was around 11am.  But it's not like I was 12 hours early for my flight... just 2.5.  So I was nervous when I stroll up to the US Airways Counter, and was the only person.  Although there are 3 workers behind the desk, they force me to check in on the computer.  God forbid they look me up!  I'm at my last point of checking in, and it flashes, "No seats available" and goes back to the home screen.

Um... what?  I looked at the guy standing right in front of me, refusing to personally check me in, and I thought in my head (sorry bout it), "Um.. this just told me there were no seats?"  He then goes on to say, "You going to Phili?  We're gonna get ya out of here at 11:30 instead."  Ok!  Sounds great!  As long as you can promise I get through security and all that in time to board!

Everything worked out great. I got to the gate RIGHT when they announced, "We will now start boarding to Phili! Zone 1.. please.. zone 1" 
No one got up.

"Zone 2.... please... zone 2 can now board."  Well, my pass says zone 2, but NO one else is moving... as he starts to say "zo--" I go up and say, "I'm pretty sure I'm zone 2!"  He looked at my ticket and says, "You're not very smart, but you are zone 2."

Cute.  Thanks guy.  But I didnt let him get me down.  I was the first one to board the plane!  Check me out.  Not only did all that go down.. I had no one next to me, in front of me, or behind me.  So.. I set my bag next to me, reclined my seat, and took down my tray.  Party!

Landed in Phili... nothing was going to bring this star traveler down! Brrr... it's cold as I walk through the tunnel to the gate.... I can see my breath!  I am starving though, so I rush to the end of the gate to get some food.  I hit the door and..
people. everywhere. 

Philidelphia to Hamden, CT 3:00pm

The line to the US Airways guest service desk that goes at least 2 miles long.  (FLASHBACK from my flight from O'Hare to Knoxville... It was US Airways then too.  Not promising) I look at the flight board and see almost alll flights flashing "Canceled."  Both flights to Hamden still look good.  I have a good 2 hours before mine.  Without thinking twice, I went up to F26's gate, and said, "Are their any flights to Hamdem leaving earlier???"  Lady takes my pass, puts me on an earlier flight, asks for my bag color (I love saying, Two huge pink bags!).  She did say she was not sure if my bags would make it, as the flight left in 10 minutes, but, the damage was done!  I got myself another earlier flight.  What a pro! 

I sat in the waiting area in front of the gate, and kept hearing "Flight to Cincinnati... canceled (oooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh), Flight to Birmingham........ canceled (oohhhhhhhhh), flight to Portland....... gate change.. no... canceled (ughhhhh)."  I SWORE Oprah was at the airport, "You get a canceled flight, YOU get a canceled flight, YOU get a canceled flight, everybody gets a canceled flight!!"

Somehow, I lucked out.... Gate F 26 was the ONLY gate that Oprah didn't make an appearance at.  Phew.
Again, with star seating.  No one seated within a 2 feet radius around me.  The flight WAS bumpy, however.  I started counting the seconds we were still.  I did not get higher than 4.... But.. I can't complain, I was flying!

I arrived in CT with one more worry.  Did my bags make it?!  I go down to baggage claim to await the BUZZZ and people running up to wait.  And wait... what was this?? There were a TON of bags sitting unattended, and they were under a sign that said, "Do not leave bags unattended."  After I laughed and took a picture of that ironic scene, I realized MY bags were there!  How on earth did they beat me to the airport?  They must give star flyer's bags a magic potion.  Not complaining! 

There was a TON of snow, and a TON of broken trees.  It was crazy to see autumn colored trees with snow on them!  But, it is what it is.  I made it!