20th Trek

On May 30th, I began my twentieth trek (though not on foot...but still a long, arduous journey) west across the Pacific to the Marianas.  When I arrive back in Oklahoma later this summer, I will have made TWENTY of these round trips. Crazy!  (And none of them get any easier!)

Perry and I celebrated this 20th Trip-aversary with flight issues.  So....here goes....

After friends dropped us off at the airport, we were greeted with a not-so-nice airline employee.  (One would think in the year of very bad publicity, the airline would try just a bit harder, but apparently this wasn't the case this day.)  Mr. Cranky told us that I could not check my bags all the way through. Though my flights were booked on two separate itineraries (part of it paid with money/part paid with miles), I was assured that my bags would be checked all the way from OKC to SPN.  There was even a "note" made in my account so the airline employee would know they needed to go all the way to Saipan.  Well, Mr. Cranky was rather put out I needed a human to help with endeavor instead of just using the automated ticketing machine...and then even more put out he had to do something.  After crankily pushing buttons, he told me he couldn't do anything, and I would need to collect my bags in San Francisco.  I explained there should be a note in my account and to please try again.  His next excuse was that since I was in Japan so long it wouldn't let them go all the way through.  I explained that I had done this trip many times before and a six hour layover in Japan would not deter my bags from being checked all the way through.  Let's just say the conversation ended with 1) this is your fault (he tells me this) 2) a ticket should never be done this way and 3) I was to get my bags in San Fran.  I once again tired to explained that I had 1 hour and 25 minutes after landing before the next flight.  I also explained (which I shouldn't have needed to) that less than 60 minutes before a flight the computer won't let one check backs internationally.  Therefore, there was no one we could land, taxi, let the bags come out of the carousel, me go back to a ticket counter, wait in line, and check in....all in 25 minutes (assuming we arrived on time). Yep, you guessed it. He didn't give a rip.

While waiting on my flight in OKC I also learned that the express service used between Guam and Saipan had not flown in four days. (There is typically five-six flights a day between the two).  Could this day get any worse?

Of course it can! Once we get on the flight in OKC, we had a mechanical delay.  THEN, once that was clear, San Fran Air Traffic Control wouldn't release us to take off because they had a low ceiling and flights were backed up.  Yep...I was toast.

Fast forward to San Fran.  We arrived miraculously close to "on-time" but I had 21 minutes to have my bags to a computer to check them in.  Sadly it was well over 21 minutes before my bags even came out of the carousel.  I RAN to an elevator with my 4 bags (2 checked & 2 carry on) to go upstairs to check-in.  But despite my efforts, I could not check in.

I proceeded to the long line to talk to a human.  This time it was Miss Wonderful.  She was so friendly, so nice, and didn't even yell at me once. (I even thanked her for not yelling me. ha ha)  She was very concerned there was nothing she could do for me this day, but hoped for the best the following day.  Then the next sentence out her her mouth was, "Wow, this is unbelievable.  There are seats still to Japan today on the noon flight."  I told her I had been praying for most of the last 4 hours.  She said, "God must have heard your prayers." She then rerouted me to Narita (Tokoyo) instead of my original city of Osaka then Guam and Saipan as previously planned.  I would still arrive in Saipan at the same miserable time (3:35am)!  Since my ticket was purchased on miles, I was originally flying business class from San Francisco to Japan then coach the rest of the way. But now, I also had business class from Japan to Guam! (I think she really felt sorry for me and my experience with Mr. Cranky.)

Instead of the dreamliner (787) we were now on the old 747. BUT, I got the top deck!  Of course, Perry also go to experience the luxury, so here a few pics of the good part of our journey...

Look! Perry has a seat just for him.  (And the TV is even bigger than Perry!)

Perry is enjoying his pre-flight drink and chocolate. 

Time to snuggle into his bed.

Time to sit at the foot of the bed while I sleep.

 Once we arrived in Japan (after the smoothest flight across the Pacific I have ever had), we had a seven hour layover in Narita.  Thankfully, we had the opportunity to take a shower and "nap."

The remaining portion of the trip was uneventful.  We both arrived in Saipan ON TIME (quite the miracle after the original delays.)  Here's to the 2017 Summer in Micronesia!