Mr. Know It All called United the week before the trip to Jordan. He said he had an aisle seat on the first leg to Paris and wanted aisle seats on the other flights and the United rep asked if Mr. Buntjer had really read the flight itinerary. Mr. Know It All replied, "I am a world traveler and why are you asking me this question?" I was told ORD isn't Paris, it is Chicago! Plus, I would be changing airlines in Chicago from United to Austrian Airlines and flying to Vienna and then on to Jordan. I needed to call Austrian Airlines to book an aisle seat and proceeded he proceeded to give me the phone number and a special code. I thanked the rep, and called Austrian Airlines. They asked for the flight number, there wasn't a flight number and they kept saying no aisle seat if no flight number! So I thought and said I was given a special code by United and she keyed the code in and it worked! $35 for an aisle seat from Chicago to Vienna and a $15 charge for the aisle seat from Vienna to Amman! Sounded good to me!

Uber to SFO

So Saturday morning I kept waking up as my flight was at eight a.m. and I finally just got up and decided to walk to BART (subway system), two blocks away. It was five a.m. I got to BART and the elevator wasn't working as usual. So down to the end of the block and the entrance was closed! A man said it would open at six a.m. I stood there for a while and then thought I had downloaded the app for Uber on my new smart phone! Instantly it said there were drivers within a few blocks and did I want a single ride for $31 or a mulit pickup ride for $21? A cab ride with a tip is around $40.00. A Bart ride is around $7.00. So $21 isn't too bad for the comfort and conveniance. I got to the airport at 6:05 a.m.

SFO United Desk

I talked to an agent who is from the Philipines and he said he and his wife love to travel and asked where I was going and I gave him my card. He said I probably needed a wheelchair in Chicago as it was a mess, the termials were about half a mile apart. He ordered a wheelchair and said he made sure to confirm it.

United Stalled at the Gate

We were ready to take off on time and after a while the captain came on the loudspeaker and said they couldn't get the cargo door closed where the baggage was stashed. It took half an hour for the crew to get the door sealed and off we went to Chicago.

Chicago Transfer to Austrian Airlines

We got to Chicago on time and a young woman picked me up with a wheelchair. I felt silly but she said just get on the chair. We went about three blocks, down an elevator, up an elevator and then down again. She pushed me eventually out on the sidewalk and said a lorry was coming and I could ride it to the other terminal half a mile away. I got off at the next terminal and then kept walking as there were about 12 airlines. I finally saw a woman smoking and she asked if I was lost? I asked for Austrian Airlines and she said TSA and the airline was right inside the door I was standing at! So off to the screening and then several blocks to the gate. I had about 15 minutes but later heard some missed the flight due to such a short time to get to the gate. I am glad I had a pickup at the United gate.

TSA Halted the Airline from Taking Off

I got on the plane and was seated at an aisle seat way in the back. We sat there for a while and I looked up and way in the front of the plane was a luggage compartment opened and empty? This was very strange. Suddenly the pilot got on the horn and said TSA had let several people get on the plane who were on the "list" - excuse us! He said it might take half an hour as the crew had to try and find the luggage of these people in the hold where there were around 400 pieces of luggage. The plane was full with around 250 passengers! We did take off after about 20 minutes or so and made up the time going to Vienna.

A Mess at the Vienna Airport

We get to the Vienna Airport and had to go upstairs to the TSA screening area. The very steep escalator was broken and no elevator so we all had to drag our carry on luggage up the escalator. The screening personnel were rather rude and I had to walk about three blocks to the gate. Everyone was irritated as to how far the gate were. There was a very steep escalator going down and I almost fell on the steps. I was not happy but made it to the gate on time.

Freezing Cold

They called a bus and we all got onto it and they drove us to the airplane. No attendants, just opened the doors and we all got out and the youngest or pushiests, got to the stairs first but the maintenance men were coming up and down the steps and the temperature was 30 degrees and a 40 mile an hour wind. We ended up freezing while waiting to get on the plane.

Baby Screaming

There weren't many on the plane and across from me was a man with three young children, his wife behind him with a one year old and I think she was pregnant again. The youngest started to scream and screamed for three hours on the flight to Amman. He as Muslin and decided to move over to my row and talked to me for about an hour about life and so on. I was politically correct and smiled a lot! Some of the others on the Globus tour were on the same plane and were not amused!

Pick Up and the Visa

I was greeted by a Globus Rep and he proceeded to show me were to go to buy the Visa. He then took five of us in a transport to the hotel. Amman had 3 million people and no buses/subway or even bicycles. It looked like LA rush hour, a mess, took 45 minutes to go 10 blocks. We hit a bad rain storm and eventually a policeman came out to direct traffic. We got to the hotel at 5 p.m. and I took a long hot shower. The phone rang and I was told the tour guide was in the lobby and where was I? So down to the lobby, the talk was ten minutes long, I and two others went into an early dinner and then early to bed as the next morning started at 7 a.m. for breakfast and 8 a.m. to board the bus for a long days tour!

Flying Back to the City

I flew Lufthansa from Amman to Frankfurt and on to Vancouver! The men at the counter were so nice. They saw I had a wheelchair in Chicago and said they would get one for me and I said I thought I could manage as I would be staying in the same terminal. They almost insisted I get a wheelchair and then looked at my bag and told me I had to try and lift it. I told them it was very light and lifted it very easily! They said it did look like I could manage without a wheelchair and canceled the request. Both men were considerate and really worried if I might really need help in finding the gate! So nice to see someone actually wanting to be sure one was safe and able to function in the airport!

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