Well, it is 9pm in Orlando now, and as they were arriving around 6pm,
Oh ha ha ha - let me tell you the story of our trip ........
Our flight from Sydney to LA was scheduled for 11.25 am so we caught a train at 7.28 and were ready to check in when they opened at 8.25 am. Guess what? Our flight was delayed until 2 pm as their had been bad weather in LA the day before and it had arrived late and the crew would not be finished their mandatory stand down until 2 so that was when we could leave.
No problems. We were assured taht 1 hour and 40 minutes would be enough time for us to clear immigration and make our connection - a direct flight to Orlando.
The flight was uneventful and we arrived in LA at 9.05 am giving us a short time to get our bags, clear immigration and do a bag drop and run to our comnnecting flight - this would have been achievable had Delta's processing area not been closed for renovation diverting us to the main immigration centre just as an airbus from China arrived!!!!!!
We were clear of immigration by 10, bags dropped by 10.10 and racing two terminals over ------through security, down a corridor where a lady gave us a lift on her golf cart only to reach the counter ten minutes after our flight, the last direct flight to Orlando on Delta, left!!!!
THey tried to get me to agree to fly the red eye that night - no way, they tried to get me to wait til the next morning - no way!!!
Finally they found four seats on a noon flight to Atlanta which arrived at 8.30 pm with a midnight arrival in Orlando - Done!!!!!
THey also gave us $6 each for lunch - God only knows what you can buy in an airport for $6!!!! We used all the vouchers and got the kids Maccas.
We went to our gate 1 hour before boarding so I could see if I could change the seats so that at least we were sitting in pairs - the lady took or details and told me to sit and listen for her to call my name. At 11.30 am they nnounced that due to bad weather in Atlanta we would not depart until 3.45 arriving at 10.15 pm. This would only give us 30 minutes to make the connection.
Back to the service desk with everyone else (one man in front of me was told they could not rebook him until Saturday). Once again they tried to convince me to wait until the following morning and they would pay for a hotel. Finally we agreed we would risk the Atlanta connection and if we missed it they would get us a hotel in Atlanta and book us on the 7am Thursday flight to Orlando. Done. And we got another $24 in food vouchers.
We board the plane but because we arrive in Atlanta almost 4 hours late no gate is available!!!!! We get to the gate at the exact time our connection is due to leave. We get off the plane and race to the boards and.......... breathe a sigh of relief - the plane was delayed until midnight.
We board our very full plane at 11.40 am, they close the doors and then - nothing. At 12.30 am the pilot announces that we need to de-ice and it will be at least 30 minutes. We finally take off at 2 and arrive at Orlando airport at 3am. We got our hire car and got to our resort at 4 am!!!! We checked in, set the alarm for 8.30 am and went to sleep.
We ignored the alarm and got up at 1 pm on Thursday!!!!!!!