So the Frankfurt airport was normal. We boarded and had a reasonably comfortable flight, although having to pay for booze on a transatlantic flight is air piracy.
We arrive for our stop over in Chicago's O'Hare airport, and everything seems fine and good. Unknown to us at this time is that Lee and myself would be spending the next 40 years trapped in the O'Hare airport (okay it only felt like 40 years).
After being given the run around for a couple of hours they finally cancel the flight. Lee and myself are forced into the pergatory of line standing. UNITED airlines is very misinformed and this leads to several bored and irrate travellers (including you humble blogger). UNITED books us a new flight on AIR CANADA and this of course means a whole new line up. The AIR CANADA lie up tells up to get back into the UNITED line up, UNITED informs us to return to the AIR CANADA line up (can you understand the insanity?).
After line ups are all done, we then decide to make our way to our Hotel. Our flight is not until the next day, so we make our way to where the Hotel's shuttle buses exist. Trouble is we are waiting with hundreds of standed travellers. After an hour or so of no shuttle to our Hotel we become a little frustrated (to say the least). Rumours start flying of "no more rooms left in all of Chicago". We decide to call our Hotel, they say there is no room, we explain that we have a voucher, they say they are full, we become more frustrated.
We stand in a new line up to get some info about what we are supposed to do. We are informed that the line is going to close, the airport is going to close. We are given two options (options are great).
Option #1 - We can go through security once again, and sleep in the airport onn a bench.
Option #2 - We can sleep on the streets.
We chose option #1. Slept under a TV blaring CNN. Shoved two benchs together and made TERMINAL references. (TERMINAL starring Tom Hanks as the traveller trapped in an airport for months) What a terrible night of "sleep".
...next update: Waking up in O'Hare
