- Joined
- Dec 27, 2016
- Messages
- 7
- Reaction score
- 1
I scheduled my exam kind of late so I'm taking it over the holiday break. A note to anyone planning travel this time of year, buy good insurance. I booked my flight and hotel through orbitz. I got to the airport, and after waiting an hour trying to check a bag (NEVER fly spirit airlines), they pull all going to Houston in another line, hand us a card with a number that doesn't work and routes us to their main number and inform us our flight to IAH was cancelled, and they would gladly book us on the next one.... 4 days later! Lesson number 1, dont arrive the evening before the exam when flying in the winter.
I am not one to panic, but..... yeah, that got me close. There were a group of us that got cancelled , all flying for different reasons. We searched flights and compared notes. I got booked a ticket on the last flight getting there before midnight (last ticket too) on Southwest. At the gate, the attendant suggested I go down a few gates and check on another, earlier flight with no seats, try standby in case the flight I was booked on cancelled. I did, and got lucky enough to get on. So I arrive at 8 something now. However, I was not aware that my bag did not transfer flights. So, about 11 o'clock it arrives. There was the "that flight got cancelled" scare somewhere between checking on my bags at HOU and their arrival as well. Where do you get a labcoat in an unfamilliar city at 11PM? I would have carried on, but I'm 2 weeks post op with a lifting limit of 5 lbs, and restricted from lifting anything over my head. Lesson 2... dont check your bag under any circumstances!
Got a rental car (Im in Houston, but at a different airport than planned) and got to the hotel just before midnight, when they close registration. Got the GPS unit, because, yeah, not messing with Murphy and his law anymore this trip. Looked up the address to the testing center, looked over the maps, figured out approximate travel time. Get in the car in the AM to find Garmin has at least 3 versions of the testing center address with varying directional modifiers that aren't on the official one on the web N Sam Houston Blvd west, "" ending in east, and at least one south variant that clearly wasn't it. It also calls most exits from this road North Sam Houston Blvd, with the actually names in parenthesis half cut off. I made it there a tad late, but I got there and tested. I want to believe I passed, but I literally fell asleep standing up after dropping off the rental car so its anyone's guess.
Then tonight I found out the travel insurance I got only goes into effect if I cancel the flight. Oh, and Orbitz can't see flights from spirit, they can't even confirm it got cancelled. Well, I have told my story. If it saves someone from this, its worth telling.
I am not one to panic, but..... yeah, that got me close. There were a group of us that got cancelled , all flying for different reasons. We searched flights and compared notes. I got booked a ticket on the last flight getting there before midnight (last ticket too) on Southwest. At the gate, the attendant suggested I go down a few gates and check on another, earlier flight with no seats, try standby in case the flight I was booked on cancelled. I did, and got lucky enough to get on. So I arrive at 8 something now. However, I was not aware that my bag did not transfer flights. So, about 11 o'clock it arrives. There was the "that flight got cancelled" scare somewhere between checking on my bags at HOU and their arrival as well. Where do you get a labcoat in an unfamilliar city at 11PM? I would have carried on, but I'm 2 weeks post op with a lifting limit of 5 lbs, and restricted from lifting anything over my head. Lesson 2... dont check your bag under any circumstances!
Got a rental car (Im in Houston, but at a different airport than planned) and got to the hotel just before midnight, when they close registration. Got the GPS unit, because, yeah, not messing with Murphy and his law anymore this trip. Looked up the address to the testing center, looked over the maps, figured out approximate travel time. Get in the car in the AM to find Garmin has at least 3 versions of the testing center address with varying directional modifiers that aren't on the official one on the web N Sam Houston Blvd west, "" ending in east, and at least one south variant that clearly wasn't it. It also calls most exits from this road North Sam Houston Blvd, with the actually names in parenthesis half cut off. I made it there a tad late, but I got there and tested. I want to believe I passed, but I literally fell asleep standing up after dropping off the rental car so its anyone's guess.
Then tonight I found out the travel insurance I got only goes into effect if I cancel the flight. Oh, and Orbitz can't see flights from spirit, they can't even confirm it got cancelled. Well, I have told my story. If it saves someone from this, its worth telling.
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