The "United" Empire Strikes Back...

It's Saturday morning and my original 8:55 AM flight from Lansing, MI to Denver, CO is delayed for 3 hours.  Something about a cabin pressure issue...

I've been in Lansing since Wednesday night to teach an Intro GIS class at MSU.  Getting here was an adventure in ineptitude for United Airlines.  My outgoing flight was delayed 2.25 hours due another mechanical problem - a gear indicator light.  As the annoucement was made for the delay, I sprinted to Customer Service to rebook my flights as I had "already" missed my connecting flight in Chicago to Lansing.  I'm glad I ran b/c I was 4th in a line of 75-80 people.  If you've ever stood in a Customer Service line you know the lines move glacially...cockroaches move faster...

So I was rebooked on a United flight to Minneapolis and a Northwest flight to Lansing - I seriously doubted my luggage would make it.  I was correct.  The luggage spent the night in Chicago, I spent the night in Lansing.  I spent at least 1 hour in my hotel room with United and Northwest to arrange delivery of my suitcase to my hotel.  Neither would accept responsibility b/c I had not filed a claim report in person at the Lansing airport.  Here's the rub - there was no one to file a report with!  My flight arrived at 11 PM in Lansing and customer service for NW and UAL (in Lansing) hours are 7 AM - 9 PM...  AND they said they could not do it over the phone even though they had all the information they needed from the computer systems.  I WAS LIVID!

So no thanks to NW or UAL, I had to drive to the Lansing airport after class Thursday in my 2-day worn clothes to pick up my suitcase.  I now have clean undies!  Class continued Friday and the students were happy with the materials and presentation. 

I toured the old "Holiday Inn" homestead, got some dinner at Clara's (an old railroad depot in downtown Lansing) and went to a Blues Fest for about an hour.  Headed back to the hotel, packed my suitcase, talked with Karen, and went to bed in preparation to be home in Denver by 11:30 AM MST.  That was not to be the case...

So, here I am in the Lansing airport waiting for a delayed flight and hope to be home by 5 PM today...I'll miss a cookout this afternoon...BUT I am hiking Mt. Princeton tomorrow with good friends Pete and Nancy.

In sum, UNITED SUCKS *SS! 

Climb On!