June 18, 2010
We arrived at the airport at 5 am. We paid our exit fees and got in our respective airline lines. Scott at American Airlines and me at Taca. I quickly got my boarding pass and went through security and waited for everyone but they did not make it until everyone was boarding their flight. With still time to board they were told there was a problem with immigration and could not take this flight. American Airlines obviously overbooked the flight because the boarding passes they were given were not their original seats. To make matters worse, American Airlines would not take responsibility and made them take a later flight to Miami (1:40 pm) in the day and their connecting flight to St. Maarteen the next day. And charged them $750 for their inconvenience.
I am so proud how they handled the situation. They got their new airline tickets, got an inexpensive hostel on Miami beach, and will take an inexpensive bus to the hostel from the airport. They had done an incredible job adapting to the backpacker lifestyle of traveling during the trip. However, today at the airport they earned their Backpacking Wings. I could not be more proud of each of them for confronting to the situation and solving it.
Traveling, whether 1st Class or backpacking, has its up and downs. It is knowing how to handle the situation that makes everything okay. Adapting is a part of everyday life and traveling is no different.
About Me
- Bill Passman
- I am a bohemian nomad, someone who acts and lives free of regard for conventional rules and practices, but also one who moves according to the seasons. After traveling to over 100 countries and all 7 continents over the past 12 years I feel that I truly subscribe to the words of Mary Poxon, who said. "I sought to see the amazing as normal and the daily as unique, and in that swirling paradox I found the joy of travel." I will be forever in pursuit of new sights and adventures and hope that maybe I can convince a few more to give budget travel a chance. Budget travel gives those with little money an opportunity to travel and those with money an opportunity to travel longer.
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