Carter Makes Five: Round and round we go...

This morning started off just as we expected. We arrived at the airport at 4, went through check in and security, boarded our plane and were ready to go to Chicago where we would connect to Beijing.

Then, an agent came onto the plane and asked if we were the Allen family, party of 5, headed to Beijing. "We are sorry, we have an overbooked flight and don't have enough seats. Would you be willing to let us drive you to Dulles airport (about 1 hour away) so we can put you on the direct flight to Beijing? We will also give you credit with United towards your next ticket purchases." One less flight and we will arrive at virtually the same time?

Sure, why not.

We should have known something was wrong when we were given new tickets for the new flight but they did not have seat assignments. When we asked the agent, and explained that we needed to make sure we were sitting with our children, she said, "They will take care of that at Dulles."

Driving to Dulles..we were so excited!

Two and a half hours of stop and go traffic later, with both kids green and clutching plastic bags we made it to the United ticket gate at Dulles. We handed them our tickets and they said, "No one told us you were coming. This flight is already overbooked. You were given tickets for an overbooked flight and there are no seats for you. The only thing you can do is wait at the gait and hope enough people don't show up for you to all get on the plane."

Wait.

What?

You had us get OFF a plane after we were already boarded and ready to go, drove us here, and there are no seats for us here.

Yep.

And that's when I lost it. Shaking, sobbing, ugly faced crying, lost it.

It was not pretty.

"Well, maybe we can get you on a flight to Beijing through San Francisco."

Ok, what time does it arrive in Beijing?

"I don't have time to tell you that."

What?

"The flight to San Francisco leaves in 30 minutes and we need to get you on that flight, but we will give you the boarding passes to Beijing later."

Wait.

What?

No.

So United lied to us, drove us here for a flight that was full, and now you want me to believe you?

Yep.

Where is our luggage?

"We don't know. Probably in Chicago."

Wait.

What?

I'm not sure how long this exchange took place, but it felt like an eternity.

Then, all of a sudden, a woman runs up and says, "We just had a group cancel! We can get you on this flight!

One guy actually said, "I can't believe that just happened. That never happens. If you believe in miracles, you just got one."

I'm not sure what was more upsetting. Thinking we wouldn't make it to Beijing today, or realizing that we had been lied to. Unquestionably lied to. It seems unimaginable to me that someone would have no qualms about taking a family with two young children off a plane, putting them in a car to another airport in a different state, all the time KNOWING there were no seats for us when we got there.

The moral of this story is:

1. Never fly United if you really need to reach your final destination.

2. Don't trust anyone who works for United to tell you the truth.

and most importantly-

3. Be grateful for the miracles when they do come your way. We made it on our flight and that's all that matters in the end

Ready to board and get to Beijing!