I Don't Wanna Play Anymore... :(

Saturday, two days after our first cancelled flight, we finally got in touch with someone at the Austin airport who told us that our bags had been flown back to Chicago.  Hooray!  So, Steve headed to Midway baggage claim... where over 1500 bags were sitting, which had either missed connections or whose owners never arrived in Chicago.  He looked through them, and he was able to find one of our bags (my bag, actually)... but he couldn't find the other.  So, he gave up, and we decided we'll just put in a lost bag claim and get it back eventually.  Oh well.

At this point on Saturday, it had already started to snow again... as another winter storm was on its way.  Our flight was supposed to go out Sunday afternoon... and Chicago was supposed to get a foot of snow before then.  We were not hopeful, to say the least.

Sunday morning, I woke up and checked our flight status first thing.  Cancelled.  Ugh.  But, at least we knew before we went to the airport.  We cancelled our car, and we rebooked yet another flight.  I contacted my friend to feed our cat again.  This time, our flight was rebooked for Tuesday afternoon.  And, no snow left in the forecast.  Huzzah!

But...it turns out, snow isn't the only thing that will cancel flights.  Sub-zero temperatures will do it, too!  I checked our flight status tonight for tomorrow's (Tuesday's) flight.  Cancelled.  I wanted to scream at this point.  Or cry.  Or die.  I called Southwest, only to be informed that their system was down, and they couldn't do anything from their end.  Are you kidding me?!  Oh, and we couldn't rebook online because we had previously rebooked over the phone.  We noticed there were still flights getting out of Chicago to Austin tomorrow, so we tried booking the only one with seats available.  Gone.  But, wait!  There was ONE seat left.  And, I got it.  So, at least I am going to Austin tomorrow, we hope.  Steve... well... I found flights available to San Antonio, only about an hour's drive away.  So, he's booked to San Antonio tomorrow.  We paid insane amounts of money for these flights, and if Southwest doesn't reimburse us, heads are gonna roll at Southwest, let me tell you.

On separate flights at different times to different airports, chances are, at least ONE of us will make it out tomorrow.  If Steve makes it and I don't, he'll rent a car.  If I make it and Steve doesn't... oh well, I'll have our car.  :)  Now we are just praying that at least one flight makes it out, or hopefully, BOTH flights make it out.  And, maybe, if we search the baggage area again, we might find our missing bag.  Not holding my breath on that one!

Worst case scenario... both our flights get cancelled, and I guess we will drive back to Austin.  Roads should be cleared, and God knows I'm not about to try rescheduling another friggin Southwest flight at this point.  And, next year, let's move the Chicago Christmas to July!  :)

Good riddance, Chi-beria!!!