Trying to Get to Sacramento

Getting from one coast to the other seems simple enough.  For me day-before-yesterday it wasn't really so.

For some reason, airfares that I've been seeing for the places I need to go have been outrageous.  Gone, it seems, are the days of a DC to Sacramento flight for sub-$300.  So, I ended up paying almost $600, and even with that ended up having to double-connect, out of National, through Minneapolis and LAX, and into Sacramento.

When I got to the Delta SkyClub Thursday afternoon, my flight to Minnie was already delayed ten minutes.  The delay continued to increase, a few minutes here and a few there, and we ended up pushing off the gate almost an hour late.  And, we were in "downgraded" aircraft, which means that the configuration had fewer seats and their system had reassigned everyone's seat.  Great.  The flight was bumpy for about 2/3 of its duration.

We made it to Minnie and I had just twenty minutes to make it, literally, from one end of the airport to the other.  But, I did make it, and got to the gate as they were about halfway through boarding.  We pushed back about five minutes late and were off to the West Coast.

Deplaning in LAX, I checked the monitor to see the status of my flight to Sac.  I had two-plus hours to connect, so there were no worries about not making my connection.  The board offered up yet another unwelcome surprise:  the flight was delayed two hours.  In fact, the aircraft for that flight was just pushing back from its gate at LAX to go to Sac and then come back for us.

At this I threw in the towel and asked to be rebooked for the next day.  I had checked and could get a hotel near the airport for less than $100, and I was okay with that.  So, what a pleasant surprise when the agent in the SkyClub offered a hotel room and meal vouchers!  I stayed at the Westin near the airport, on Delta's dollar, and ate at the Daily Grill in the hotel, also on Delta.

I woke up Friday morning to beautiful, warm sunshine, had breakfast, relaxed, and had a nice breakfast, before heading to the airport for my quick hop up to Sacramento.  Sounds easy, right?  Wrong:  after spending an hour or so in the lounge, I headed to the gate for my flight.  Folks deplaning, so the aircraft was there.  Good sign.  Then, I saw the crew deplane.  Okay...  So, I'm looking around the boarding area for our crew, but saw none.

I went up to the podium:  "Do we have a crew?"  It apparently occurred to them about the same time it did to me:  "She's on the phone to the tower right now trying to figure out where they are and when they'll be here."  This was 12:45; departure should have been 13:15.  Our crew was in San Francisco, and wouldn't be in until at least 14:30, so our new departure time was just shy of three o'clock, almost two hours late.  We eventually pushed back at nearly half past three, for a smooth, quick, 55-minute flight to Sacramento.  And, it only took 25 hours.