Well, we were finally able to get started on our trip after delayed flights yesterday. We were lucky that Expedia took care of all of our flights and rebooked us for today. We didn’t have much to do this morning since we were already packed and ready to go. We headed to the airport around 11:15 a.m. after parking our car at Wally Park. We had a great driver who was very knowledgeable. She knew lots about Iceland and Scandinavia.
Once we got to the airport, we went to the self check-in kiosk to avoid the long lines for check-in. The machines would not print out our boarding passes. After talking with a Delta agent about our boarding passes, Billy went to the Baggage Services (Delta kept our luggage since we would be flying out today), and I went to make sure our flight itinerary would work at the security check point. I breezed though the security lines, and Billy followed behind a few minutes later.
We waited at gate B1 for our 2:30 flight to Boston. Yay, no delays! Our flight to Boston was smooth sailing. We got to Boston around 5:30. I was amazed at how nice Logan International is; it has been a dump in the past. Due to the lack of connectivity, we had to talk a walk to get to Terminal E, the international terminal. We checked in with Iceland Air. We had a great agent who checked on our luggage for us. He told us that he would have an answer before we got on the flight. We waited a few minutes in the security line, and then scoped out places to eat dinner. Houlihan’s was our final choice, or should I say biggest mistake? We were promptly seated, and then ignored for at least 10 minutes. Luckily, by the time our server came to us we were ready to order both food and drinks. The other customers provided us with entertainment during our dining experience. On couple was requested to move by the hostess because they were sitting at a table for 4. They were highly offended; they finally talked to the manager who gave them a free round of drinks. Another group of people, who got there are the same time we did, was upset that there food was not there quicker because it was time for them to board their flight. Good times! I hope that it was just an off night for Houlihan’s because the service was very slow. If it is like this on a regular basis, I would recommend finding somewhere else to eat.
The IcelandAir agent was good to his word. He paged us before boarding to let us know that one of our bags was on the flight, and the other one was in New York. He said that both bags would be in Iceland when we arrived. The boarding of our flight was smooth. The plane was a 757 with 3 seats-aisle-3 seats. Fun stuff for an over 4 hour flight. Billy and I had the window seat and middle seat. I was sat next to a pre-teen girl who was interested in my every move, but it could have been worse. To take away the pain of being own a plane for more than a couple of our hours, IcelandAir has provided personal in-flight entertainment units in front of your seat. You can watch movies or T.V. episodes, listen to music, or play games for a fee. Shortly after boarding, we were treated a drink service. But you can forget food, IcelandAir has joined other airlines in having their customers pay money for food in an effort to save money or make money. After a couple of Benadryl, I was on my way to dreamland while Billy watched Sex and the City: The Movie. Surprisingly, I slept most of the flight, and woke up with only 40 minutes left in the flight. This will take us to day 2.
Ratings (out of 5 stars, 1- worst & 5-best)
Delta customer service: 3 stars
Pros: Helpful agent
Cons: Kiosk would not print out boarding passes, long lines, had to go to two location to find out information about our luggage
Delta flight: 4 stars
Pros: Drink service with choice of snack (peanuts or cookies)
I was so happy that we finally had a flight that didn't leave early in the morning. Billy and I were able to finish packing up this morning, and we even got a chance to run a few errands, as well as get some lunch at Fellini's. Around 12:15, we got a call saying that our 4:05 flight was delayed until 5:30. We were planning on leaving the house around 1:30 to get to the airport on time, but after the phone call we waited a little. Billy then realized we should probably head to the airport just to get checked-in since it wasn't allowing us to check-in online.
We tried to park our car at one of our usual lots, but they were only taking people who had reservations. Then we headed over to the South Economy lot at the airport. It was full! After drinking too many cups of water and hot chocolate, I was desperate to use the restroom. Since the traffic was bad, I had Billy drop me off. While I was gone, he decided to use curbside check-in. We could use curbside check-in for some reason. So I just had Billy drop me off with the luggage, and he went to find parking. Eventually he found a spot in the North Economy Lot while I got in line to check-in.
We checked-in without any problems except for the long line. We then breezed through the security checkpoint with absolutely no lines. Amazing! As we enter our concourse, we saw that our flight was delayed until 6:20. The delays were caused by fog in the region and come to find out after the paper: the radar was out of service earlier in the day causing delays. Ugh.....would we have enough time to get to Boston to get on our connecting flight to Iceland?
After we found our gate, Billy immediately got on the phone with IcelandAir who was no help at all. Eventually he got in contact with a supervisor at Expedia. Luckily, we booked our flight with our Thank You Points, and they use Expedia as their travel agent. The supervisor at Expedia rescheduled both of our flights for tomorrow.
Then we wondered about our luggage. We had to wait in a long line to talk to the a customer service agent. Billy waited on line to talk to a Delta representative while we waited. The agent said that they would hold our luggage for our flights tomorrow. I guess we will find out if our luggage makes it to Iceland.
Billy and I made the best of it. It went out to dinner at Doc Chey's, one of our local favorites. We also made a stop by Lowes and Best Buy. When we got home, we found out that our flight did not even leave until after 7:00 p.m. It's a good thing that Billy was so proactive. We will see Iceland in a day or two...hopefully.
Merry Christmas! Billy and I have had a great time celebrating with family that lives close by. We wish we were able to spend it with our family that lives further away as well.
Tomorrow we head to Iceland if all goes well with the weather. We are looking forward to celebrating New Years Icelandic style. Until then, Happy Holidays!
