[ adventures downunder ~ part 1 (delta sucks) ]

sooooooo... off we go to australia for my husband (mike) sister's wedding & christmas...

we get to JFK airport @ 2pm... do the usual self check in at the kiosk, that never works for us & then queue up to sort that out ~ check in bags etc....

we are told that we need visas to go to australia!! i had no idea & stupidly hadn't checked when i squeezed the $9500 for the flights on the credit card!!! yes $9500 & that's economy...

i was on the phone for half an hour trying to sort this out with the lovely lady @ the australian consulate & she informed me she can’t apply for us & that the airline should be able to.

so we line up again... & after a lot of persuasion delta help us out... the boys are travelling on usa passports & got their visas instantly... my nationality wasn't on the drop down menu...!! so i call the consulate back & the wrong visa was being applied for... so i hand over my phone so the process can be walked through... my phone is handed back & i’m asked to listen ~ i’m informed that my visa can take up to 12 hours to be approved & that the consulate have no control over this... & there's no way to expedite anything.

we have to check the bags in at least 1 hour before the flight. mike & i look at each other... i can’t be checked in without the visa...

the delta lady is busily typing away & on the phone ~ who the heck knows what she’s doing ~ but we are lost in our thoughts so it doesn't matter. after 30 minutes she says the visa has been approved!!! thank goodness ~ what a relieve!! hooray!!!!!!

but... now there is another problem... our tickets!!! seriously!! i’m not even allowed to feel the full effect of getting the visa & being able to travel with my family before having to plummet into the fact we have no seats...

delta had called me a couple of weeks ago saying that the plane was over booked & would we mind taking a later flight... they offered $100 each. the time actually worked out better for us so i agreed. then i realized it wasn’t $100 cash but a delta voucher...

so apparently when the delta person made that switch they did it incorrectly... the flight was completely booked... all the time i’m watching the minutes ticking away to get our baggage checked in... it’s becoming more & more apparent that isn't going to happen... there’s no other way to get us to LA to make the connecting flight to sydney...

then just like that we are told to come back tomorrow...  get the flight then & have a lovely relaxing 6 hour layover in LA & miss a day of our holiday... goodnight!

WHAT!!! so this is when my lack of sleep, the fact that we have been stood waiting at this desk for 4 & a half hours with a 5 & 7 year old kicks in.

the supervisor told me to lower my voice... that he was right there ~ my response was i know you are right there that's why i’m yelling!!!

they wouldn't help us with anything, no hotel, no compensation, nothing. after bursting into tears of frustration (mine)  they said they would get us a taxi home... (probably to get me the hell out of there!!)

mike got on his phone & got us a hotel in ny so we were taken there instead :)

& now we are checked in at the airport (this time it only took 20 minutes!!) & are waiting for the first leg of our flight to LA!!