Let's hope they have enough cars to honor all their reservations. We totally effed over whoever may have been expecting this minivan after we were supposed to turn it in.
Now that I've had a little time to reflect, today has been one of the most surreal days ever. Not because our travel plans were interrupted, but because of the whole chain of events leading up to the cancellation until now.
I watched this unfold starting at about 10 or 11 this am. Our plane from LGA to HOU was delayed for about 45 min. When that happens, I always go to flight aware to see where the inbound plane is.
The plane to LGA was coming from DEN. But it wasn't even in DEN. It was in Kansas City and had been for over two hours. When I started tracking, the KC flight to DEN was delayed by about 2 hours, but our LGA to HOU flight was only delayed by about an hour. Then that was a hour and a half. Then two hours. I think we finally peaked at a 2.5 hour delay.
In the meantime, the KC flight departs for DEN, but about 3 hours late. Then they cancel our flight (I assumed because they expected the crew would time out).
I'm also trying to watch my son's flight from BHM to HOU. It still shows as on time, then delayed for 25 min. Then 40. So I start tracking that inbound plane. It's supposed to be coming from Vegas. But it has to get from Dallas to Vegas first. And that plane is also sitting. It's an hour delayed out of Dallas, then two. I think it also peaked at about a 3+ hour delay before SW pulled the plug on my son's flight.
In the meantime, a 1:40 pm flight from LGA to HOU leaves on time. I see our cancellation notice shortly after 2 pm and immediately start trying to call SW and do whatever I can on the website or app. And that's when all hell breaks loose. Can't get through on the phone, app won't load, website is frozen.
I tell my son to call SW knowing that his flight is likely to be cancelled too, and he needs to get in line. He's gets the busy signal, is disconnected a few times, and even gets routed to a Spanish line at some point (and has to hang up)
That was all wasted effort. It took a travel agent and $500 to get him moved to a United flight.
20+ min on hold and $600 gets Budget to extend the car rental reservation to Wednesday so we can drive it to TX.
If I had to do it all over again, I would have called Budget as soon as we had my son rebooked. We wasted about 2 hours trying to get through to SW/decide what to do about the car.
I think somewhere around 2 or 3 is when SW cancelled all remaining flights for the day that weren't already in the air. I had been watching the dominoes fall to get them to that point but didn't realize it.
And now it's 2 am, and I'm somewhere between Kingsport and Knoxville, TN, with a 19 year old driving and my BF and his other two kids asleep in the back, trying desperately to stay awake until the next driver shift change.
Watching the craziness unfold, aside from the shock of it all (I will never understand how SW effed up THIS BAD), I feel nothing but gratitude that we moved quickly and I'm in a warm minivan that's taking me closer to home and not stuck on a bench at LGA airport with absolutely no clue when I might be leaving. And United is bringing my boy home tomorrow.
