27 September 2005

The Return - Stage 3

Well, here we are at San Francisco airport.
The hotel service didn't improve after the room stuff up. We arranged with the reception for 2 shuttles at 5:00am. They said they would organise it. I rang again at 10:00 to confirm it and they called Lana back at 10:25 that it was OK.
So, sure enough, only one was there at 5:00am. And the "On the go" breakfast bags which they said would be ready weren't. Hopeless!
Anyway with only one shuttle we had to make the trip to the Airport in two trips. The plane which originally was scheduled to depart at 8:00am was now 7:00am which I only discovered by calling United about 2 days ago!
We found our way to checkin and had to play with some bag contents to keep the weights below 70 pounds. Then it was time for security with lots of carry on luggage. Rose had to be detached from the back pack, all shoes off, and - other than Rose and me - the rest had to have additional screening. No profiling donchaknow? Clare certainly shows terrorist potential.
The method of choosing a special screening target is simple. Irregular travellers, one way ticket, foreign passport. 3 out of 3 and you win a special screening.
As the stopover in San Francisco is over 4 hours, our bags couldn't be checked through to Sydney. This means we had to get the bags in San Francisco and then check them in again at the International terminal.
We got to the Terminal (furthest away of course) and went to our seats at the very rear of the plane. There was no space nearby for our carry on luggage, so some was under feet, the stewards placed bags all over the cabin and one went with the checked in luggage.
Once we finally made San Francisco and I had more weight lifting at the carousel, we went towards the International terminal. New rules mean we can't check in greater than 4 hours before the flight so we were stuck with lots of baggage. We had planned on hiring a car and looking around town, but that was now out. So we are limited to the airport.
Other than that, all is going well. The children are all in good spirits.
By the time we board the plane, we will have been up 21 hours. The children should sleep once we board!

No comments: