One week ago our Seattle family was scheduled to fly to Denver to celebrate Christmas with us, the first time in two years.
Little did anyone know that the five day, four night visit would double in length, at least. Yep, they got caught in the omicron/weather foul up that has affected thousands of travelers. Their initial Alaska Airlines flight was cancelled last Wednesday but they were able to get on a late flight that arrived in Denver about midnight.
Alaska Air claimed the cancellation was due to weather, but we all suspect that crew shortages were the real culprit at that points. That late flight was a hassle but other than not getting to bed until 2 a.m. last Thursday, crisis averted. Well, delayed.
Last Saturday came Seattle snow and cold, quite unusual and quite paralyzing for the Puget Sound area. Sara, Barry and the boys spent about seven hours in limbo on Monday in DIA, hoping their 1 p.m. flight would take off... though it was eventually delayed until 5:45. After all that teasing, the airline ended up cancelling the flight altogether, sending me back to the airport to pick them up and bring them back to Highlands Ranch.
The good news is that they have our house to stay in and we have space and food, etc. Plus there are no weather problems around here (though it might snow a bit on Friday), so we can get around.
The grandsons are 11 and 9 and need to get out and run and generally NOT hang around their grandparents' house. So there's that. The omicron/delta crisis means that some indoor activities that could be fun for them are not good options. Maybe some swimming (after going to Target for suits). Maybe a movie, if the theater is not crowded.
The good news: Barry's construction/home repair business is on autopilot, so to speak, since most customers can't leave home in Seattle -- few plows, steep, slippery hills, holidays, etc. -- and they have a renter who can watch the house and the dog they are dog-sitting (another concern). Sara loaded up her Seattle Times work to a server, worried that they might end up quarantined due to Covid while here. That turned out to work well for the worse-than-expected Seattle storm, as she is just finishing her section for the Sunday paper online.
Right now they are booked on a Sunday flight on the last four seats available -- all first class. That is not in the budget but what can they do? On the other hand, no one would be surprised to see THAT flight cancelled.
Alaska Airlines is clearly not covering itself with glory here, and their entire customer service system has melted down. No one knows anything. No one shares anything. No one is going to help customers who might be stuck away from home for a number of extra days. "Act of God" is the excuse, but we know that human incompetence is also at work here.
So their quick visit now extends into the new year. I have a couple bottles of sparkling wine in the frig and our only weather event coming is a chance of light snow Friday.
Our guests are understandably anxious (not to mention hopeful that their vehicle battery will turn over after being parked at SEATAC for 10 days or more in record breaking cold).
Kathleen and I weren't going anywhere so we are now in the acceptance stage of the situation. Maybe this whole debacle will eventually become family lore, complete with heroes and villains and fun moments.
As several in the family have said, "It could be worse."
That may become America's new motto as we trudge, weary, into 2022.
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