Trapped at O'Hare - Timeshare Users Group Online Community Forums

summervaca · August 12, 2008, 12:08 AM

My daughter and I were stuck at O'Hare from yesterday at 8:00 a.m. until tonight at 6:32 p.m when we finally took off. Flights were cancelled all over the East Coast due to weather apparently. Wow, am I tired!!!

ricoba · August 12, 2008, 12:17 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by summervaca

My daughter and I were stuck at O'Hare from yesterday at 8:00 a.m. until tonight at 6:32 p.m when we finally took off. Flights were cancelled all over the East Coast due to weather apparently. Wow, am I tired!!!

That must be a miserable experience.

I guess the only thing that may have been worse is being trapped in the plane out on the tarmac!

derb · August 12, 2008, 11:13 AM

We also did the overnite routine at Ohara when all rooms in the airport area were full. The airport was absolutely jammed.

We did use the underground connection to the Hilton hotel and ate there and relaxed in their plush lobby. Eventually the stares from the staff promted us to go back to the airport but it was a nice 5 hr break from the madness at the airport.

bnoble · August 12, 2008, 11:17 AM

Sorry to hear that. Ohare is easily one of the worst airports in the states to be stranded in.

summervaca · August 12, 2008, 11:38 AM

I have had a good night's sleep now and woke up at Marriott Fairway Villas

I haven't been here before, but our Villa backs up to a woodsey area with a golf course kind of view to one side. The weather is absolutely gorgeous and my husband and I are going to go for a walk. So, all is well now.

I love the story of hanging out at the Hilton

My daughter is 12, and I told her she will be laughing her head off at ridiculous change of events that happened in the two days that we were there. We were unloaded and loaded onto planes twice. When we finally did get on the final one, we had to sit for an hour and a half first. There were families on the plane with babies and little ones who had sat on the ramp for 5 hours the day before, and I thought someone was going to blow!

One of the men that I sat next to talked to me about how he used a wheelchair and that he and 2 softball teams of other men with various disabillities (all using wheelchairs) were on the flight and were returning from a softball tournament they had played in in Omaha. When the airline kept changing their minds about what they were going to do, it was obvious that all of these guys were not going to just hop up and leave. I felt a little sheepish about climbing over this man to get on and off the plane, but he kept making jokes and eventually it just became so ridiculous, I was laughing also. I returned every so often to give him an update about what was happening in the gate.

I have to say that I met many interesting, funny, helpful people while there for 2 days. Kind of the silver lining I guess.

Jaybee · August 12, 2008, 02:18 PM

Summervaca, I love your upbeat attitude. A sense of humor can make a miserable experience at least bearable.
We once spent an iced-in night at DFW sleeping on the floor, with one small pillow & an airline blanket each. We were 69 and 70 yrs. old, and on a return trip from Madrid. We didn't get out until around 2:30 the next day. It was a very long trip home, but what's the point of making an awful situation even worse with negative energy?
I remember a haughty little gentleman from the UK, I guessed, who marched up to the AA desk and announced, "I am 60 yrs. old, and I do NOT sleep on the 'flaw'!. I'm sure it was his first time. Jean

irish · August 15, 2008, 05:28 PM

just about the same thing happened on our last trip home from michigan leaving from DTW to JFK. got to the airport at 9:00am for a noon flight(i am always super early). at 11;30 they announced the flight was delayed. at 1:30 still delayed. at 3:00 still delayed. at 4:00 CANCELLED!! all the airports in NY HAD CLOSED DUE TO EXTREMELY BAD STORMS. well i made the best of the delays, plugged in the dvd player and watched a movie, then went for a walk around concourse B. got something to eat and drink and then heard the cancellation. luckily, we had family in the area so we called and they came to get us at the airport and we stayed overnight. left the next day at 4:00PM.
now, as annoying as all this was, it was the first time in my years of flying that our flight was cancelled and i was just REALLY glad that we were not sitting on the tarmac for all that time.

Jestjoan · August 15, 2008, 05:44 PM

A friend from Omaha was stranded there for 3 days some years ago. She met a woman during the storm at O'Hare and they've been friends ever since even though they live miles apart.

This friend was DD's Girl Scout leader.

August 12, 2008, 12:08 AM	#1
summervaca TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 12, 08 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 226 Resorts: Marriott Grande Vista, Wyndham Seawatch Plantation 254K Wyndham Branson at the Meadows 326K	Trapped at O'Hare My daughter and I were stuck at O'Hare from yesterday at 8:00 a.m. until tonight at 6:32 p.m when we finally took off. Flights were cancelled all over the East Coast due to weather apparently. Wow, am I tired!!!

August 12, 2008, 11:38 AM	#5
summervaca TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 12, 08 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 226 Resorts: Marriott Grande Vista, Wyndham Seawatch Plantation 254K Wyndham Branson at the Meadows 326K	I have had a good night's sleep now and woke up at Marriott Fairway Villas I haven't been here before, but our Villa backs up to a woodsey area with a golf course kind of view to one side. The weather is absolutely gorgeous and my husband and I are going to go for a walk. So, all is well now. I love the story of hanging out at the Hilton My daughter is 12, and I told her she will be laughing her head off at ridiculous change of events that happened in the two days that we were there. We were unloaded and loaded onto planes twice. When we finally did get on the final one, we had to sit for an hour and a half first. There were families on the plane with babies and little ones who had sat on the ramp for 5 hours the day before, and I thought someone was going to blow! One of the men that I sat next to talked to me about how he used a wheelchair and that he and 2 softball teams of other men with various disabillities (all using wheelchairs) were on the flight and were returning from a softball tournament they had played in in Omaha. When the airline kept changing their minds about what they were going to do, it was obvious that all of these guys were not going to just hop up and leave. I felt a little sheepish about climbing over this man to get on and off the plane, but he kept making jokes and eventually it just became so ridiculous, I was laughing also. I returned every so often to give him an update about what was happening in the gate. I have to say that I met many interesting, funny, helpful people while there for 2 days. Kind of the silver lining I guess. Last edited by summervaca : August 12, 2008 at 11:43 AM.

Thread Tools	Search this Thread
Show Printable Version Email this Page	Search this Thread: Advanced Search
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

August 12, 2008, 11:13 AM	#3
derb TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Coral Springs, Florida Posts: 543 Resorts: HGVC Flam, Jockey Cb, Marriott HP, Murray Valley,Diks, S Gate Villas, Powhatan, Blue Ridge, Polo Towers, LV Desert Cb	We also did the overnite routine at Ohara when all rooms in the airport area were full. The airport was absolutely jammed. We did use the underground connection to the Hilton hotel and ate there and relaxed in their plush lobby. Eventually the stares from the staff promted us to go back to the airport but it was a nice 5 hr break from the madness at the airport.

August 12, 2008, 11:17 AM	#4
bnoble TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Nov 14, 06 Location: The People's Republic of Ann Arbor Posts: 1,891	Sorry to hear that. Ohare is easily one of the worst airports in the states to be stranded in.

August 12, 2008, 02:18 PM	#6
Jaybee TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: Sun City, CA Posts: 763 Resorts: Harbortown Point, Marriott Desert Springs II, Welk Platinum	Summervaca, I love your upbeat attitude. A sense of humor can make a miserable experience at least bearable. We once spent an iced-in night at DFW sleeping on the floor, with one small pillow & an airline blanket each. We were 69 and 70 yrs. old, and on a return trip from Madrid. We didn't get out until around 2:30 the next day. It was a very long trip home, but what's the point of making an awful situation even worse with negative energy? I remember a haughty little gentleman from the UK, I guessed, who marched up to the AA desk and announced, "I am 60 yrs. old, and I do NOT sleep on the 'flaw'!. I'm sure it was his first time. Jean

August 15, 2008, 05:28 PM	#7
irish TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Location: NEW YORK Posts: 836	just about the same thing happened on our last trip home from michigan leaving from DTW to JFK. got to the airport at 9:00am for a noon flight(i am always super early). at 11;30 they announced the flight was delayed. at 1:30 still delayed. at 3:00 still delayed. at 4:00 CANCELLED!! all the airports in NY HAD CLOSED DUE TO EXTREMELY BAD STORMS. well i made the best of the delays, plugged in the dvd player and watched a movie, then went for a walk around concourse B. got something to eat and drink and then heard the cancellation. luckily, we had family in the area so we called and they came to get us at the airport and we stayed overnight. left the next day at 4:00PM. now, as annoying as all this was, it was the first time in my years of flying that our flight was cancelled and i was just REALLY glad that we were not sitting on the tarmac for all that time.

August 15, 2008, 05:44 PM	#8
Jestjoan TUG Member BBS Reg. Date: Jun 6, 05 Posts: 2,103	A friend from Omaha was stranded there for 3 days some years ago. She met a woman during the storm at O'Hare and they've been friends ever since even though they live miles apart. This friend was DD's Girl Scout leader.