Off to Puerto Rico!
Our journey begins at Frankfurt Airport — we have plenty of time and are among the first at check-in, full of excitement for our upcoming vacation.
Unfortunately, the airline discovers that we are listed twice on the passenger manifest, then not at all. After some serious persuasion, we finally manage to convince the US Airways staff that we desperately need to catch our flight, and we receive a replacement ticket just minutes before departure.
(We tried calling our travel agency — OPODO in this case — until our fingers were sore, getting transferred back and forth without ever reaching anyone remotely willing to help. What a shame — all we got out of it was €17 in mobile phone charges.)
With a good dose of luck, we made it through check-in at 12:20 PM, because just ten minutes later, the plane was already taxiing to the runway.
Arriving in Philadelphia
After a 10-hour flight, we land in Philadelphia. Luckily we have an hour and a half to make our connection — but unfortunately, customs and US immigration see things differently. Endlessly long lines snake through the security checkpoints. With zero regard for passengers with tight connections, the officials go through their bureaucratic motions — and our time runs out. The plane is gone, and thanks to the customs authorities, we end up spending a night in Philadelphia.
Apparently this is perfectly normal. Amusingly, we meet a couple who are also heading to San Juan the next morning to board the very same cruise ship.
For US Airways, this seems to be nothing out of the ordinary either — for a $30 surcharge, they arrange an overnight stay near the airport. Rebooking the flight is hassle-free and costs not a cent.
We settle into our room, enjoy the lovely view toward the airport, and meet up with our fellow cruisers for a drink at the bar.
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