Liberia to Phoenix = 38 hours
We had come full circle and were back in Liberia. Katey was flying out on United, we were flying out on American. Everything was smooth until we pulled away from the terminal and headed to the runway. It seemed odd to be waiting so long to take off … and then we were notified there was something wrong with the plane. We’d be delayed a few minutes they said - after 2 hours, we had to return to the gate.
As the evening wore on, with many false starts and hopes, folks were starting to stake out empty benches to rest on. We were told a new plane was on it’s way and our flight would leave at midnight - they were concerned this small town wouldn’t be able to accommodate so many stranded passengers all at once.
It wasn’t too much later when we were told the new plane was on time, but there was not any flight staff available to fly it back. Everyone needed to leave the airport and find accommodations. Approximately 250 very tired and frustrated people were now scrambling for a place to sleep.
We didn’t have checked luggage so were able to quickly get out of the airport and found a small local hotel just up the street. They sent a shuttle to pick us up and by the time we got to the hotel, everyone was booking online and they were almost full. The receptionist was constantly on the phone fielding calls for rooms when Keith had to be very direct with the young man to make sure our room didn’t get booked out from under us. The young man finally realized what was happening. He laid the phone down and handled the few of us at the counter and we all got our rooms.
The room had a small bed, a clean bathroom, and an air conditioner - we were happy.
We returned to the airport at 6:30am for our 8:00 flight, only to find the flight had again been postponed until 12:00 or 1:30 (both were listed on the reader board). Because the flight was delayed, there was no airport staff on duty yet to help the many tired and frustrated people waiting in line to check their luggage and even more waiting upstairs in the passenger area trying to get answers to the delay on the 8 am flight.
We decided to try the VIP lounge and it was excellent. Breakfast was available, comfy couches and chairs, soft music, free secured wifi, and most important… quiet. The cost for the lounge was comparable to 2 meals purchased out in the terminal so we were good and it was practically empty.
We finally board the plane for the 12:00 departure time and the Captain was so kind. He welcomed us all aboard, emphatized with our frustration, and commented in 34 years of flying, he had never seen this type of failure before. It had something to do with a computer malfunction with the tail flaps. When we were finally airborne, everyone clapped and cheered - I’m sure some held their breath.
We made it into Miami a little of over two hours later, and then had to wait five more hours for our next connecting flight. We finally arrived home at 1:45 the next morning and dropped into bed. What an exhausting 38 hours.
