Delay @ O’Hare = Not a Pretty Sight

Got to Richmond International Airport by 12 pm. Flight departs at 1.47 pm. Monitor shows flight is on time.

Get my boarding pass, went through security checkpoint, and at the gate by 12.30.

Monitor shows: 12.38 pm flight to Chicago is delayed. 1.47 pm flight still on time.

Called Neeraj. He says, “teri flight delay ho jaane wali hai.” (Your flight is also going to be delayed.)

Announcement: 12.38 pm flight will leave at 2 pm. 1.47 pm flight will leave at 3.20 pm. Delay due to bad weather in Chicago. On a regular day 125 airplanes land per hour in O’Hare Int’l Airport in Chicago; on Friday, 95 airplanes were landing per hour.

12.38 pm flight leaves at 2 pm as said.

2.35 pm they start boarding for the 1.47 pm flight (my flight). 3 pm we move to the area to enter the runway. Pilot announces: “We do not have a release yet from Chicago so we will sit here for 50 minutes!” Oh this sucks.

3.50 pm we depart Richmond and reach Chicago at 4.35 pm. I take the long walk to Terminal 1 to get my bags on baggage claim #12 (as shown on the monitor). After 15 mins, no sign of our bags. Lady says: “Richmond bags coming into claim #6.” Take the long walk to #6. Guy says: “The monitor shows 12, its going to come to 12.”

I am getting enough of this by now. Go back to #12 and wait. Finally after 45 mins, they show up on claim #11. My bag is the first one out (that NEVER happens).

Go out the door and on the AVIS bus, which will take me to my rental car. Being a preferred member, everything was ready (even the key was in the ignition :grin:). All I had to do was find the car, put my luggage, and off I go.

Got lost getting out of the airport. All I knew was that I needed to take I-294 towards Indiana, and I didn’t see the sign for it. Its now 5.45 pm.

Reach home @ 8.35 pm. Two and a half hours late (I should have been home by 6 pm if reached on time). Yes, I was driving atleast 80 mph.

I had a deadline to send a file @ 7 pm, which if my plane was on schedule, I would have met, but unfortunately I didn’t meet it. I hope I don’t get in trouble.

Alvida. Jai Mata Di.