Wednesday: It's here...our trip home

I received my response from JetBlue tonight about getting a refund after our travel disaster. They gave us both $100 credit (at least that's what the email says...I haven't verified it). So I have a great offer for you...you can have our credit for a reduced price. Maybe $75 each? Or really the first offer that we get. I figure that enough people travel JetBlue that they must have some good luck. Anyway, without further ado, our story. Oh, there is further ado. Sorry it's so long. I had a lot of time to write it while waiting. And Ben and I might not agree exactly with the time frames...I really only checked my watch a few times.

Well, I'm sad to say that I have had my worst travel experience. We were sitting in the airplane (there was ac at least) and heard that the doors were going to close in five minutes. Ten minutes later, there was a big hydraulic leak in the landing break. Then the flight was canceled. period. They led us back to the terminal and left us at gate two. This felt like the middle of no where, especially since we had left from a completely different section. They told us to sit anywhere and listen for the announcement. do they not realize how hard it is to hear announcements in an airport? we tried finding out information and standing in lines that didn't move for the next two hours, while hearing rumors that we would be bused to Santo Domingo. But nothing was done in those two hours...there was just mass confusion. a whole plateful of people that were confused.

finally they said that they were going to take us back to the checking area and we could choose one of two options...to stay in Punta Cana and try to get a flight tomorrow (no guarantees) or take a bus 3.5hours to Santo Domingo to try and get a flight. Emphasis still on try. ok, we formed a line and started moving again. No problem. We got to immigration and since they had to check every passport, our line got lost. No one knew where our bags were going to come out, nor where to go after we got our bags. Someone said carousel two, a bit later they changed to carosel two. someone was trying to help at this point at least.

Then we ran to check-in, where tempers were starting to flare. Not that it really mattered...the computers were down and so no one was rebooking anything. one more line to stand in that didn't move. The person in charge then said that there were 60 seats (for about 130 people) and we were going together on the bus in an orderly manner. Ha. He tried, I'll give him that. Ben and I barely made the last bus, but he had to play the pregnancy card (although he had said pregnant people could get in the first bus). Three cheers for the kid.

The bus ride was nice. our driver drove quickly and caught up with the first bus. And we got to see a lot of the country...a big church, a big bridge, cows and birds grazing in a field, tobacco (we think), and stores in several cities. then all the stations at the Jet Blue counter were manned, which was nice. tempers were still a little high, but after the ride in an air conditioned bus, people were doing a lot better. the airport was almost empty, so customs and such went very quickly. the power went out briefly, but luckily turned back on after about thirty seconds.

Well, this flight ended up leaving 2.5 hours late. I think they delayed the plane by thirty minutes for us, but we would have been fine anyways. There were paperwork problems, so by the time we got to NY and were waiting for our luggage it was 3am. Oh, the nice attendant at Punta Cana did give us one of the seats with extra leg room though, so that was nice.

Then we went to check back in and I was disgusted at the service. The attendant said "no" to our request for food vouchers without even checking anything. (As a side note, we were so late that we didn't ask for a hotel. Some other people we talked to later got a $50 voucher...there is no place near the airport where the voucher will cover.). Then the manager came over and we told her the story. In the meantime the attendant is rather rude and surprised that we are going through NY to get to Chicago...but that is how connections work. TWENTY minutes later we finally get a food voucher for $8 a piece. I'm not sure how $8 can be considered a good compensation. We went pretty conservative on food (but still got a meal) and had to pay an additional $10.

Then to top everything off Ben's tray table didn't work on the last flight and we werent sitting together, so he had to stay awake to hold his drink.

We got in 12 hours late. Twelve hours doesnt sound too bad, but when you consider that we were now required to drive home after little sleep (I.e., no motel for the night) and the terrible service, it all adds up to the worst traveling I've ever done.