Crazy Air Travel in Alaska
I live in Homer, Alaska and have certainly had my share of Crazy Air Travel situations! I’m sharing one of my craziest episodes of travel with you just as a remember when you travel to Alaska, anything can happen. If you are lucky and your flights go smoothly, thank the Lord.
Holiday travel is tough no matter where you fly. But I am so thankful to have made it home on the day before a “big” holiday. Only in Alaska would you experience air service like I did.
I want to share with you my “let me in, let me in” Crazy Air Travel story! Yes I was YELLING “let me in, let me in”. But first, let me share what happened during my flight home from New York state leading to my total frustration.
I’d had a wonderful trip with my girlfriend to New York State. On our trip back to Alaska, about 30 minutes prior to landing in Seattle, I abruptly became nauseated and began throwing up. It came on very fast and it was very nasty! By the time our air service landed, I was barely coherent and my belly ached something awful. I threw up all evening and considered going to the ER but, after taking a medication, my gut started to feel better. I am thinking it was food poisoning.
In the morning we were up at 4AM and heading to the SEA-TAC airport for our air service flights back to Alaska. I was so dehydrated that I walked at a snail’s pace. Being afraid to drink or eat anything for fear I would start to throw up again, but I was able to keep small amounts of water down and slept most of the way to Anchorage.
The airlines had changed our flight schedule so that our arrival time into Anchorage was very early, So I attempted to get an earlier flight to Homer as a stand-by passenger. I felt horrid. I just wanted to crawl into bed. I waited an hour at the gate, but I was told that everyone had checked in and the plane was full. The ticket agent tore up my stand-by pass and gave me a pass for the evening flight.
As I started to leave the terminal walking down the long airport hallway having gone about 300-400 feet when I thought I heard my name being called. I almost ignored it because I thought I was imagining things because I was so sick. But I turned around and saw someone at the ticket counter making a gentle gesture to come here. I yelled, “are you talking to me”? She said ” yes” and motioned me to come back.
When I got there she said they had bumped some luggage and would let me on the flight. She didn’t have a ticket for me and said to the agent, “hurry, unlock the door and take her out, they know she is coming”. I was so happy because I just wanted to go home and go to bed. I had only walked 1/4 of the way to the airplane when the pilot closed the airplane door and locked it! I couldn’t believe my eyes.
I thought they were just trying to keep the plane cabin warm! But when I got up to the airplane the door stayed closed. I could see the pilot, but he didn’t notice me. So I started pounding on the airplane, and I mean POUNDING with my arms and fists! I thought to myself, “this is so absurd, this kind of thing could only happen in Alaska”!
Finally the Airplane door opened and I found myself face to face with a very surprised, very sheepish looking young pilot. I said, probably a little louder than I needed to, “I am the stand-by passenger that you accepted”! He let me get on the plane and virtually everyone onboard was laughing out loud. A male passenger yelled out….“I bet you thought you were going to have to ride on the wing”. And then he kept laughing. Once we were airborne it was one of the smoothest and prettiest flights between Anchorage and Homer that I’ve had in a very long time. I was just so thankful to be on my way HOME and done with Airplanes for awhile.
Well, done with air travel until next week! I’m saying a prayer things go better.
Visited 11 times, 1 visit(s) today
Oh lord LOL, I would have tossed up on the guy who ripped up the ticket! lol
Glad you got on and mad it home!
I have always wanted to go to New York and Alaska! (Hopefully if I do get to go, no sicknesses will happen!)
Sorry to hear of your suspected bout with food poisoning while airborne. Nice that the airlines was able to get you in on an earlier flight so you could return home sooner! Not sure why they made you bang on the door though???
I can’t even imagine how horrible it would be to travel while sick. Glad you made it home on time. I was born in Alaska but I haven’t been back since I was a small child. I would love to see it as an adult.
Wow what a crazy experience I’m glad you made it home okay.
Wow, I never thought about being sick when traveling. Ouch, what awful timing. Being sick is bad enough. Sorry for your bad day, but glad you got home in time for Thanksgiving. You had an extra thing to be thankful for
Glad that you made it home but sorry that you were so sick. I cannot even imagine being sick like that on a plane… it’s bad enough when you’re earthbound.
I bet a plane ride over Alaska is just breathtaking but to do it sick would be just terrible. So glad you made it home safe and sound.
And I thought our regional airport was small because you had to sometimes walk on the tarmac to get on your plane!
I’m glad that people were at least able to smile about it rather than getting angry. Definitely sounds like an adventure, though! And trust me, now you have bragging rights when people start in on their “horrible trip” whose only problem was an hour’s delay or some such (:
Sound like you had quite an adventure! I don’t know what I would do if that happened to me! I know that my face would have turned red when I was let in though!
That’s terrible!! I’m glad they let you on the plane. I wouldn’t have thought to pound on the door.
How awful for you especially after such a long flight already…hope you are feeling better!! I have flown a lot and never gotten sick and I imagine it is not fun…take care..
I’ve flown alot too and this is the first time I got sick. I’ve babied myself and am well now.
I have never been to Alaska; I have only seen pictures. I can’t imagine flying for so long! I am glad that you finally made it home. I feel like I should be sending you some chicken soup and biscuits! I hope your Christmas is less stressful
lolol. I really would have enjoyed that chicken soup!
So sorry to hear about your travel experience and also that you were sick. I would love to travel to Alaska someday. I’m glad that you were able to get on the plane and go home to bed.
Thanks Tammi
I hope you are feeling better!!! I can’t imagine being in your shoes pounding on the door – how could they let the stand-by passenger on and then close he door before he/she can even get on the plane. I hope the rest of your trip was uneventful and that you got plenty of rest! I’ve never been to Alaska but I’ve heard it’s very beautiful!
Hi Faith, yes the trip was really fun. And I”m feeling all better now
But I won’t forget having to pound on the airplane to get in!
i so wanna visit Alaska its amazingly beautiful. the land itself is the beauty of Alaska.
Yup come in July…
Oh dear……you poor girl. What a terrible ending to a most wonderful trip for you an B. Glad to know you are home safely…and probably snug in your cozy bed. Love you ~
Thank you Dear Sis! Yes I haven’t eaten much solids yet but am feeling much better.
Hope your trip was somewhat good! Alaska is so beautiful!!
Yup had a ball
What a terrible time to be sick (on a plane) I hope that you still had nice trip anyhow!
I did have a fabulous trip Yvonne, thanks