A Trip to the Airport

Why get anywhere early when you can instead be late?? (Our family motto)

Mission for the day: make it to the Denver airport to catch a 4:55 flight to Orlando. So we made plans to skip the bus hassle and drive ourselves, take the toll road, park in the cheap $5 lot, and be at the airport 1.5 hours early. We decided that August would get home from work at 2:30pm. Then we would leave immediately. In his head we were leaving the hacienda at 2:50 - error #1: that's pushing it really. Its a good 40 minute drive to the airport plus we would have to park and take the shuttle.

So we left at 2:55. error #2: we left the credit cards on the copy/printer at home, where we had very responsibly made copies in case of pickpocketing in Spain. We got the copies but not the originals. This we realized about 7 minutes down the road. We did turn around, somewhat unaware of how close we were cutting it. So now we're running even later but we do have methods of payment.

No problems with traffic or toll road. The 90 degree heat combined with the lack of air conditioning in the truck combined with the sick feeling that we were about to get in trouble made for a less than enjoyable ride. Thank goodness for the new "Vehicle Tag" toll system where you don't have to stop.

We get to the parking lot and are on the shuttle bus by 3:47. (Error #3: Why didn't we just cough up the extra $4 per day and park where we could walk to the terminal?) At this point we are expecting to be yelled at by the ticket agent about the 45 minute cutoff for checked baggage. We got around that once before though.

Now for an aaaagonizing shuttle bus ordeal. Wait wait wait. The driver (with bad toupee) was obviously paid by the hour and not by the load because he then drove 3 mph and waited leisurely at each bus stop. Everyone including us is having a heart attack. We are spitting distance from the airport. I wanted to grab our luggage and haul off across the field, but I knew we would get taken out by snipers if we tried that.

The Denver airport has two sides, so the bus of course went to the wrong one first. We got off anyway, as you can easily run from one side to the other. This run reminds me how I should really be getting more exercise. We round the corner and there is the Southwest check-in line, 2 miles long. Up to this point I had totally forgotten about the check-in line. I haven't checked luggage since they started charging. Southwest doesn't charge though, and so naturally everyone still checks luggage. Its 4:09. PANIC!

Good idea #1: I ran around the back side of the line and frantically asked a very kind check-in agent who was leaving for break what to do. She told me a couple of times, very sweetly, that everyone has to wait. Seriously, we are going to miss this flight and chaos will ensue. August won't get over it for the entire trip. Then she says "oh, you could try the SkyCap out at the curb. The line is probably shorter."

EXCELLENT idea #2: If you are ever in a pinch, use the Skycap. There were only seven people in line. I think it was 4:12 or so by this time. Panic again here, but these people look manageable. This brings us to Good Idea #3: With a line this short, put on your best panicky face (didn't have to fake that one) and start working your way up. Each person VERY kindly agreed to let us go in front of them. Including the lady in the #2 spot who's flight was only 25 minutes after hours.

Lady in the #1 position is of course checking 3 bags, 2 of which are giant cylinders. One was 5 feet tall. August suggested that they contained stacked hat boxes and from the looks of the lady, I believe it. She gave the agent lots of instruction on how to carry them as he hurled them onto the conveyor belt. This all takes uhm forever of course.

Finally at the Skycap check in. The guy merely takes are luggage, slaps late-check-in tags on them, and hands us boarding passes. No lecture at all. I had money out to give him (bribe him) but I think I put it back in my pocket in the confusion. Oops. I yell thank you to all the lovely people who let us jump them in line. I should have given them all money.

From this point on, we ran everywhere. The security line was doable, as usual. Props to the Denver TSA. We did of course pick the slowest line where the checker lady was asking everybody about their day etc etc etc. But we made it through security by 4:22. We arrived at our gate hearts racing. We still have "lake check-in / not really official / see the gate agent" boarding passes. Of course no one is even boarding yet. The plane hadn't even unloaded from its previous flight yet. Now I feel a little bad for busting in front of those nice people in line. We maybe could've made it without the grovelling, but I don't think our blood pressure had any room to rise further without rupturing soemthing.

Rest assured we will be back at the airport tomorrow with PLENTY of time to spare. 2.5 hrs. maybe.