denver: ida attacks

Ok, it wasn't that bad. But Tropical Storm Ida did wreak havoc on our flights out to Denver. We were loaded on the plane in DC for our 7am flight, taxied out and then got word of a ground stop in Charlotte as a result of Ida-induced weather. So we sat on the tarmac for about 45 min. We ended up landing in Charlotte only 5 min after our flight left for Denver at the same time as the 5:45am flight from National to Charlotte which was delayed due to a plane change.

I'll give it to USAir, they had everyone booked on to new flights with boarding passes ready when we got off the plane. I don't think I've ever seen that before. But the 5:45 passengers were given priority so we'd been booked on the 6:15pm flight to Denver instead of the 1:15 flight. We were able to get ourselves put on the stand by list before settling into Charlotte's rocking chairs for a few hours of Google-sponsored free wifi.

After getting lunch, we staked out the gate for the 1:15 flight with at least 2 others from our original flight. As they neared the final boarding stage, we got hopeful as a few stand by passengers were given boarding passes. When the flight agent rounded up the 4 of us and told us to stay close, we got really hopeful. Then she called final boarding and rattled of about 6 names, we really started to think we might just make it. Two of the 6 ran up to the gate but then she let all 4 of us on the plane and told us to take any open seat. Will and I were even able to get 2 seats together.

The only problem was that since we didn't think we were going to get on the plane until really close to boarding, we had no snacks. So I got off the plane in high pressure Denver starving and well into the beginning of a horrendous head cold.

first sight of the Rockies