Back in Texas!

Quick note to let you all know we're back in Austin again.
We flew back yesterday afternoon and it was an uneventful flight although a total miracle we got ON the flight!

I made a stupid mistake when I looked at my tickets for my flight-- the line right above was for my flight into SLC, which was a different airline than my flight out of LAX, but the way it was printed, it looked like Frontier was also the airline I was flying out of LAX. So we got in line for Frontier, said goodbye to my dad who helped me get all my luggage (10 items to check!!) into the airport, and then I saw that there were signs at all the kiosks saying they would not be open until 12:00. Well, my flight left at 12:50, and I started to think that was crazy since that would give everyone on that flight only 5 minutes to get checked in before the 45 minute cut off! So I pulled out my tickets to see if maybe I got the flight time wrong, and then realized I was at the wrong airline ticket counter, I was supposed to be at the American Airlines ticket counter.

I got out of line as quick as I could, with 3 boys and 2 luggage carts, and went outside to find an airport worker. Found one who told me American Airlines was in Terminal 4. I was in terminal 3, so I thought, not so bad. Wrong. The international terminal sits between terminals 3 and 4, and so I had to walk all the way around to the other side of the airport. I didn't have my dad's phone number so I called my mom who called my dad who called me back, and he ran back to find me (Iuckily he hadn't left the parking lot yet). At this point it was already 12:10, 40 minutes before my flight, and I had pretty much resigned myself to the fact that we had missed this flight, I'd have to pay $200 to get on the next flight, and sit in the airport for hours waiting.

But my dad, who never takes no for an answer, took the luggage carts and ran to Terminal 4 and the American Airlines ticket counter. By the time I managed to get there with the boys in tow, he had somehow convinced the ticket agent to get a supervisor to approve me checking in with my boys and getting my luggage loaded onto the plane. It was now 30 minutes before my flight. Turns out she has a good friend with MS and I guess she felt sorry for me traveling by myself with 3 little kids. I was amazed though, I've NEVER heard of a ticketing agent bending on the 45 minute cut-off rule.

Getting through security was another lengthy matter, as the ticket agent (thinking she was helping I'm sure) called a wheelchair to meet me at security. But my boys and all our carry on items still had to go through the x-ray machines and metal detectors. It took them quite a while to figure out what to do since I guess it isn't common for a wheelchair person to be flying alone with children. I'm not wheelchair bound, I could have managed to get myself through the metal detector, but by then it was too complicated to change plans. Anyway, 2 TSA agents ended up taking the boys and the carryon items and another wheeled me around to where they do the manual pat-downs. It would have been far faster for me to just walk with the boys over to the place where airplane crews go through-- on my last flight the TSA agent told me just to walk up there and I could go right through without waiting in the security line.

But anyway, we did eventually get through security although it took about 20 minutes! We were the LAST ones on the plane, the gate agents were waiting for us. When we got up to the gate the lady asked, "Are you the Turner family?" So they were clearly waiting. Anyway, we got on the flight, it was fine, we got back into Austin, found our luggage already off the baggage carousel and waiting for us, went outside, Ben drove up, and home we went! Pretty miraculous. American Airlines gives pretty good service!

My brother Brigham and his wife and 2 kids had an opposite and awful experience at the same airport earlier that morning, flying United. The ticket agents failed to give them an infant pass, so after they waited throught he security line, they were told they had to go back, stand in line at the special services counter and get the infant pass. So they did that, got new boarding passes, waited in line AGAIN at security, only to find that the boarding passes they had been given were wrong again! Wrong names, wrong destination, wrong flight. So back they go to the special services line for the 2nd time, finally got the right boarding passes, went through the line for security for the 3rd time, got through 2 minutes before their flight, sprinted with 2 kids down to their gate desperately trying to make the flight, only to find that the flight had just been canceled. Not delayed, canceled. So back they go to the ticket counter along with everyone on the flight to get rebooked on different flights. Finally they got on a plane to Chicago where they were to go and once there they were told another ticket agent would help them find a flight to Boston. Hopefully they got there. But isn't that awful? They were flying United, so if you ever have the choice between United and American Airlines, go with American Airlines!!

Ok, that's enough for now. At 3:00 we go to the boys' school to meet their teachers. Should be fun!