OIA - First Leg

We arrived at Orlando International Airport at approximately 11:15 this morning and almost began the trip with disaster. It was just another nail in the coffin for our intentions of ever flying US Airways again.

Pulling up to the curb there was a prominent sign that baggage could be checked at the curb for a $2 per bag fee. Ok, that sounds good and while we're talking it over a skycap approaches, looks at our e-tickets and passports and says he can check the bags so we give him our 3 checked bags and he takes off to his little counter to start putting all the information into his computer.

While standing there I notice a sign behind his counter that reads: "ATTENTION INTERNATIONAL CUSTOMERS. Please proceed to the ticket counters inside the terminal to check your baggage." I begin trying to get the skycap's attention by calling out to him, but I'm blocked by several carts of luggage as well as by his constant talking to some employee seated about 10 feet behind him instead of paying attention to his customer (me). Finally, another skycap tells him I'm trying to talk to him and when I point out the sign, he acts like he had no idea we were on an international flight. I guess looking at our e-ticket (which is another anomaly for us because we have a stop and plane change in Philadelphia, yet the e-ticket states Orlando to Paris) was a pointless exercise. I'm glad I saw the sign or we could have arrived in Paris only to find our checked baggage was still sitting in Philadelphia.

So, it's inside we go and we get our baggage checked and run through the big x-ray machines, get our paper tickets and head off for the security checkpoint.

We had already packed our 3 ounce or less liquids in plastic Ziploc bags as current TSA regulations dictate. The rest of the process got a little more involved. I should probably call myself "Mr. Digital" since I'm traveling with my laptop, digital video camera, digital still camera, digital voice recorder, digital wireless signal detector, 5 GB flash drive and cell phone. The laptop and cameras have to be out of their cases and in the plastic tubs, along with my shoes. Even though it was a little hectic, I thought the process went pretty quickly, and thank goodness none of us were pulled out for the extra once over. It's aggravating in some respects, but I'd much rather go through checks than end up with some nut job in the air.

We grabbed lunch at the Miami Subs Grill outside our gate area, strolled through a newsstand and finally made our way down to our gate where we're now waiting for a scheduled 2:05 boarding and 2:35 departure. We'll only have an hour between flights in Philadelphia and we have to go to a different terminal to get to a different gate to get on a different plane, so I doubt I'll get anything posted until sometime after we arrive in Paris, which will be Saturday morning at 7:45 local time and 1:45 EST.

Thanks for reading!