Going back south today, weather perfect, got to airport early, to no avail. Plane was delayed for one hour - cause unknown. But perhaps......... they knew something. We took off some time after 2:30 and were just getting comfy waiting for the service cart when the pilot announced hydraulic trouble and we had to go back to Toronto!! So we turned around and thought, well that's not too bad, we'll just land, find another plane and go - ha - not so fast. We were too heavy, too much fuel and I guess there could have been a possible fireball upon landing so we had to circle, and circle and circle burning/wasting fuel. Chris thought she should tell the stewardess to make the pilot stop, she was getting dizzy. Then, to top it all off they made us change altitude and we lost the TV reception! But on the bright side they finally served some drinks. Of course Gerry couldn't resist the opportunity to snag a free drink and asked if she was giving them out because of all the inconvenience. Well she was, they just didn't announce it - cheapskates. Pilot finally announced we were landing, any minute now, but we could see by the screen that we were heading towards Pickering, we had overshot. Chris had another brilliant suggestion, perhaps we should invite the pilot back and let him look at our screen so he could see where he was. Crew did attempt some levity when we landed: "Thank you for attempting to fly to Freeport with us today."
So here we sit (on the floor) at the airport, it's 6 p.m., our new departure time and there's not even a plane out there (plane blocked by snow plow activity). I should mention we're corralled into a small space with not enough seats and no bathroom (airport security won't let us wander) but plenty of snacks and plenty of drinks (how smart is that with no bathroom privileges). I should also mention I'm not quite recovered from a wicked cold and I'm not the happiest person here. What I wouldn't give for a bed.
I am totally amazed though - there is free internet at the airport!!!
Guess we'll get there some day, maybe, oh no, snow plows - not a good thing...............
UPDATE
Finally get on the new plane at 6:45 and then were told they've stopped accepting flights into Toronto and no one is allowed to push back from the gates till further notice! Not what we want to hear. Eventually though we did leave, and were allowed to get in line for de-icing (30th in line) - a 1 hour procedure (and can I sell you some swamp land in Florida?). To make a long story short we made it Freeport 2 hours after the airport was closed (they stayed open for us and for the people getting back on to come north) and arrived at the boat at 1 a.m. We weren't even taken off the plane when Chris was raving "I'm being hijacked, I'm being kidnapped."
