Wednesday, April 16, 2014

We started our big trip today.  This morning our driver picked us up at home promptly at 9:00 am and drove us to DFW Airport.  We checked in without incident at the airport.  Craig got TSA Pre check and I did not.  This means that he got to waltz through the metal detector without taking off his shoes, belt, hat or anything.  I had to completely disrobe and go through the body scanner and then after I got through I remembered that I had not taken my pedometer off so I had to take it off and they had to send it through the scanner.  Once we got that over with we had to walk about a mile to get to our gate.

After United kept changing our flights almost a year out, we decided to break our flights up into two days.  We booked using air miles through US Airways when they were part of the Star Alliance.  After United changed our flight where we wouldn't make our connection, US Airways booked us on their flights to get to Chicago.

We boarded our flight around 11:30 and we took off around Noon.  We will be in first class on all legs of our flights so we will have plenty of room to stretch out.  The first flight was from DFW to CLT (Charlotte, North Carolina).  The second leg was from CLT to ORD (Chicago).

We were the first ones to the luggage carousel.  Craig checked with the office to make sure we were in the correct location and they assured him that we were.  Our bags had priority on them which usually means that they will be the last ones out.  We watched bags come out and ours were not there.  Then I noticed the man from the office bring bags out and put them on the carousel.  They were ours!  I guess our bags had caught a faster ride than we had been on.

We were staying at the Airport Hilton so we wouldn't have to deal with any shuttles.  It is very convenient and the rooms seem to be comfortable.  However, they have no air conditioning because it is cold outside.  They opened the windows for us so I wouldn't burn up.

We decided to go find something to eat and the hotel is very limited.  I spied a sports bar and thought maybe we could eat there.  I ended up getting a hamburger that cost $17 and a glass of coke that cost $4.  I am thinking maybe we should have stayed somewhere else.  However, the hotel did give us a late checkout for tomorrow.  We don't have to be out until 3:00 pm and our flight leaves at 6:00 pm so this will work out good.

Tomorrow we leave Chicago around 6:00 pm and will fly to Brussels.  This leg will be on United and then we have a 4 hour layover.  From Brussels we fly to Barcelona where we will stay for 2 nights before boarding the ship.

It has been a long day.  I think I will sign off now.