oh Delta

I’m in New Orleans for a conference, flew down yesterday. It coincided with a trip to Lafayette, LA, I was planning on taking for a music festival.

My trip out just got progressively worse. At first they were little problems with quick solutions, but then the solutions stopped appearing.
1. Couldn’t check in online and wouldn’t tell me a reason.
– Checked in at the airport without a problem. Had to check at least one bag of camping equipment so I figured I might as well check both since the plane I was on was too small for carry-ons and I would have had to check it at the plane any way. All I had now was my briefcase.
2. Got pulled at security for a random check.
– Didn’t take too long and I was on my way again.
3. While waiting for the flight, my name got called. Went to Delta counter and after making several calls, she was able to find out what they wanted with me. Apparently the tag had ripped off one of my bags.
– They put a new one on and everything was supposedly fine.
4. Transfer in Atlanta to a larger plane. No problems.
5. Get to New Orleans at 11pm and my bags don’t appear. Want to shoot myself for not keeping one of them with me.
– Delta gives me a toiletry pack with toothbrush and tshirt, because I’m obviously very worried about having pajamas. I’m told my luggage will arrive at 8:05am and take 1-6 hours to be delivered to my hotel.
6. Get to the hotel and am told that the airport doesn’t tell people this but they only send out couriers at 9am and 9pm, so if my bag isn’t ready to go by 9am, I won’t get it until late that night.
7. Get a call from Delta at 9:40am, they couldn’t identify one of my bags. Because of the tag that had ripped off, it now had a new tag number, which I didn’t have the receipt for. I was able to describe it and convince them it was mine. They tell me it will be delivered in 4-6 hours.
8. I wait the original 6 hours (from 8:05am arrival) and call Delta because my bags still aren’t here. A recording tells me they’re out for delivery and it could take until 1am, which is not nearly close to 6 hours away. I talk to a representative and they tell me delivery could take up to 12 hours, despite my being told twice that it would only take 6.

So I’m still waiting. And I’m thinking my stuff won’t arrive until late tonight.

I’m now exhibiting at a business conference in jeans, an EMS tshirt, and cowboy boots. And my clothes are not even clean because I wore them yesterday. No makeup, very dry skin since I had no moisturizer and hotel water is awful, my eyes are red and killing me since I had to sleep with my contacts in, my hair is a mess since I don’t have my curling iron. My prescription cold medicine is also in my suitcase, so I’ve missed 2 doses at this point and am getting sicker again, not what I want since A) I’m in freaking New Orleans right next to Bourbon Street, and B) I’m vacationing after the conference. Kind of wanted to stop coughing and sneezing and snotting for that.

I could’ve gone out and bought new clothes and toiletries this morning but instead I spent it waiting in my hotel room because I had explained to the woman I talked to from Delta that I needed a rush on it, and she said she’d tell the driver. Besides the fact that I resent having to spend more money because Delta sucks.