The Net Dog Blog

Saturday when I arrived at the Louisville airport to begin my new life in London, I decided that from now on I'm going to try to have a better outlook on things. After spending the afternoon with my mother I realized I saw a lot of her in me ... and I didn't like it! Anyway, I decided that no matter what I was going to arrive in London fresh and happy and excited to see my man and start our new life together. The airline gods, however, had different plans.
First, the flight from Louisville to Detroit was delayed two hours because of a mechanical problem with the plane. Something to do with pressure or something. Now I wasn't going to let this upset me because honestly I'm usually relieved when mechanical problems on airplanes are fixed before I fly on them. Call me crazy, but that's how I feel. But I was a little concerned because my two cats were in Detroit waiting to fly with me. (Long story short, they had to fly up earlier in the day so the customs people could examine them or something.)
When we finally boarded the plane and took off, the fine people at Northwest assured me that I would be able to make my connection flight. I actually got off the plane (deboarded? unboarded?) at 9:30 a good 10 minutes before my 9:40 flight was supposed to take off, however, I was told that because they couldn't get my luggage to that plane in time (and TSA regulations require one to travel with one's luggage - remember this!) I wouldn't be able to make my scheduled flight. My cats were on the flight and would be waiting for me at Gatwick airport, however, I was going to be re-routed through Amsterdam and then to London. Before I could try to find a better way to get there, the ever so friendly and competent people at Northwest shoved a new ticket in my hand and instructed me to run approximately the length of a football field because my new flight was boarding at that exact moment.
Luckily I made that flight and, after stowing all my personal items in the overhead compartment and/or under the seat in from of me, I decided to look at my new itinerary. Oh joy! I had a six and a half hour layover in Amsterdam!
You might be saying, "Hey! Amsterdam sounds cool!" and if I was there I would slap you for saying that. While I'm sure Amsterdam has its charms, the airport should be listed as one of the nine circles of Hell. I couldn't find anyone who could help me. As it turns out my flight to London would be on a different airline, so Northwest claimed they couldn't assist me and British Airlines personnel were nowhere to be seen.
One hour before my flight, I finally found somebody to talk to. She seemed amazed that I didn't have a boarding pass. I told her that I had been there for five-and-a-half hours already and she was the first people at British Airways to speak to me. Anyway, she asked me if I had any luggage checked and I said that I indeed had two pieces of checked luggage. She seemed a little confused by the Northwest luggage receipts in my possession so she called down to check if my luggage was going to be loaded on the plane. She informed me that they didn't have my luggage and she wouldn't allow me to board the plane without it. I told her my sob story and I guess she took pity on me because an hour later I was on the plane headed for London.
Upon arrival, I immediately went to the baggage department and got somebody to write up a report after, of course, they verified that they had no idea where my luggage was. So basically Northwest wouldn't let me board my original plane because I couldn't travel without my luggage and then they lost my luggage. Isn't it ironic? Don't you think?
Oh! And just when you think it couldn't get worse, it does! After the luggage debacle, I find Blake and he tells me that the minimum wage genius cargo worker in Louisville didn't send the original paperwork for Jake so London customs wasn't going to release them.
At this point in our little drama, my luggage is supposed to be on its way from Amsterdam and Blake should be able to pick up the cats after customs verifies things with our vet in Louisville.
Keep your fingers crossed, kids! This may not be over yet!