Against All Odds

A few challenges on the home front the week before departure (leaking water softener, potential root canal and more) did nothing to prepare us for what lay ahead as we prepared for our trip to Africa.  On Sunday, I got the expected notice to check in for our flights today which, when I happily  attempted same, resulted in a strange message that thwarted my attempts.  So let's try that again a few times since you never know what may change from one key stroke to the next.  No boarding passes.  Instead Ron and I were instructed to bring 2 credit cards to the airport the last 4 digits of those requested matching nothing in our arsenal.  On the advice of my clever brother-in-law and traveling companion, I called the airlines and was on hold for the most part, listening to ungodly music and asking the agent to repeat almost everything she said. Elder ears.  After 30 less than delightful minutes, Delta told us that we could present ourselves at the airport on September 15th but that unless we produced the credit cards requested, our tickets would be canceled and we would be required to purchase two new tickets.  Note:  We are traveling to and from Africa flying business class.

Kudos to Scott Hutchinson, our agent at Let's Fly Cheaper.  He took over the problem on Sunday about 3 P.M. and worked on it for 4 hours.  He anticipated continued issues but advised that perseverance would likely work for us.  The next kindness came from our friend Terry M. who picked us up at 4:30 A.M. for the trek to LAX.  An hour at the Delta counter did the trick! The supervisor there got it straightened out after I assured him that 1) I was not M.A. Clausen; 2) I knew no one in NYC and had not been there recently; and 3) I had not booked a flight from Caracas to JFK to Tel Aviv.  Apparently, this exotic itinerary was prepared by a travel agent in Caracas using my personal information.   Ron had no problem.  What a guy.  I must admit to a flash of paranoia when the agent discovered the alternate route.  I harkened back a few months when someone used our credit card to book a trip from the east coast to South America.  I am happy to say that I quickly let that one go.

Further adventures in Atlanta.  Comfortably ensconced in the Delta Sky Lounge and enjoying a latte and nice salad, a guy near me was overheard on his phone saying that no international flights are leaving the airport because of a "suspicious device" that is currently being investigated.  He says no one can check in for overseas flights.  We have a bit of a layover here so it may well be resolved prior to our scheduled boarding time.  If not, we will arrive late in Johannesburg.  Breaking news:  All is well!  You gotta' love travel.  This trip is definitely going to be one day at a time.