Return Home from Portugal

After an amazing seven days in Portugal, we sadly had to come home.

Train to Lisbon

Saying goodbye to Faro as we board the train to Lisbon for a 3 hour ride.

We Uber’d from Lisboa Oriente train station to our Hotel Star Inn.       

The Hotel Star Inn is literally a 5-minute walk to the airport and has continental breakfast starting at 2:00am. It was important to be close to the airport with a 5:30am flight in two days. The hotel was quite nice and comfortable, and we loved the lobby. It was also a quick 10-minute Uber ride to Praca do Comercio where we spent our time. We will stay here again.

Flight to Atlanta

Departure morning on November 4, we had an 8-minute walk to the Air France check-in counter. It was a short check-in line at 4:00am and very few people at the passport control and security area. We were through security in under 15 minutes. Note to self – schedule early departures at Aeroporto de Lisboa. Surprisingly, it was a long walk to our Gate 11. We walked downstairs to board a bus to ride to the plane. Finally up the stairs to our seat.

Fortunately we are not handicapped. That would be a nightmare. Every time we fly Air France in Europe going to Paris, they bus us to the plane and we walk up the stairs. Jet bridges are used on almost all flights in America. Much nicer, especially in bad weather.

Our plane was an A320. Breakfast was good.    

Arriving Charles de Gaul at Terminal 2E, Hall K, our flight App said our next flight was in Hall M. Great! That’s where our favorite AF Lounge is. We left security and rode the tram to Hall M only to be told at security our gate was back in Hall K. Not great. Back in Terminal 2E, we went through the long security line with typical uncaring French screeners. Finally made it to the Air France Lounge in Hall K. Luckily it wasn’t too crowded and pretty decent for a short stay.

Reaching our gate K27, we had to ride another bus to our plane. I could not believe it. It is an A350-900. A wide-body international aircraft, and there was no jet bridge. The bus ride was almost 10 minutes since the plane was parked as far from the terminal as possible. Incredible.

  We settled in with a glass of champagne.  

One thing Air France international business class does right is their food and drinks. The main course was quite good and their dessert was awesome! AF had a nice selection of movies, which helps on a 9+ hour flight.

               

The Adventure Home From Atlanta

We landed at Hartsfield Jackson at 5:00pm, arriving international Terminal F. We sped through passport control with Global Entry to await our luggage. Ours was one of the last suitcases that came out. Of course. Dropping our luggage off at the Delta counter past customs, it was a short wait at TSA security. A pleasant surprise since it was the middle of the Government shutdown. We went upstairs to the Delta lounge and relaxed as we waited for our flight.

I soon received several text messages asking if I had arrived Louisville. A UPS L-1011 aircraft had just crashed shortly after takeoff at Louisville airport and it was a mess. Watching the news I knew there was going to be a major problem. I shortly learned the Louisville airport was closed until the following morning. I walked down to the Delta agent at the front desk and explained what I knew. He said they hadn’t heard anything yet. A quick phone call confirmed my flight was delayed until tomorrow morning. ☹️

If your flight is delayed overnight

A rescheduled flight due to a catastrophic event like that is not considered a compensable delay. The airline did not cause the delay. This means you must get a hotel room if you don’t wish to sleep in the airport. Buddy and I do not sleep in airports. Start checking airport hotels as soon as you learn you are delayed overnight. Use several search engines for the best last-minute rate. I was nice to the Delta agent and he took pity on me. He worked his magic to comp me a hotel voucher for a room at the Marriott. I always believe that manners, courtesy and respect matter. It did this time. Of course, him seeing I was a diamond Medallion member may have helped. 🙂

The hotel shuttle was quite efficient. As a Marriott member, I also received hotel points for the stay. The problem with overnight delays is your checked luggage stays at the airport. It is a several hour pain to go to baggage section to retrieve your luggage. It is not worth it at Atlanta because you have to check that luggage again in the morning.

If I know I have a short connection (less than 1 hour), especially in the winter, on a late flight, I will prepare. I will add an extra pair of underwear, t-shirt, socks and basic toiletries in my carry-on, just in case. I had no idea there would be a catastrophic UPS crash affecting my final connecting flight. So I checked in to the hotel with just the clothes I was wearing. The hotel did have essential toiletries so I was good. We got some sleep and woke up at 3:00am to catch the 4:00am shuttle.

Even though my flight was not until 8:00am, the Atlanta security line is notorious for being very long. I prefer being early and waiting in the lounge, rather than wait in line for over an hour. The security line was very short and were through in under 10 minutes. Amazing! We went to the Delta lounge in Terminal T since it was the only lounge open that early. I do love the entrance to that lounge. Unique.

We boarded our B737 for our 8:00am flight, only to have an hour delay. ATC (air traffic control) was waiting on Louisville to open before releasing our plane. A little before 9:00am Louisville airport reopened and we were on our way. We finally arrived at 10:30. Tired but happy to be home.

If you travel often, unexpected delays and reschedules happen. The best thing you can do is not panic and be as nice as possible to the airline agent trying to help. A little courtesy and “thank you” goes a long way. What an adventure for our last flight of the year.

One Last Hiccup

Normally this would be the end of our trip as we head to baggage claim.

Au contraire. Our luggage was severely damaged when it arrived. We have a hard shell luggage that is usually quite durable. I have no idea what the Delta ramp agents did in Atlanta, but it was not good. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to take pictures of your luggage before you start your trip. That is evidence in your favor for a damage claim. I went to the Delta baggage agent with my damaged luggage. Again, I was polite and thanked her for her time. She saw my luggage and my “before” photos, and easily confirmed it was damaged by Delta. She entered my information into their system and gave me a claim number.

I submitted my claim online the next day when I was home. I filled out the online claim form, included my receipt, claim check and photos of the damage, along with my original purchase receipt. This is where airlines get you. If you cannot show how much you paid for it, it is more difficult to get compensation. I bought that luggage in November of last year (2024) during a Black Friday sale. Normally it is $320, but I bought it for $260 on sale. Fortunately I saved my purchase receipt in my “Purchases” folder in my email. A week later Delta deposited $260 into my bank account. They only compensated me for the actual price I paid, on sale, not its current value. Well, $260 is better than nothing.

And that, my friends, is the end of our grand adventure from Faro, Portugal, to home. The travel from Lisbon to Louisville definitely required the 3 Ps: Patience, Politeness and Perseverance.

Buddy & Jordan