Anyone who knows me knows I am not a planner.
So why did I think it would be a good idea to book my South America trip all at once?
JFK –> Cartagena
Cartagena –> Lima
Lima –> Cusco
Cusco –> JFK
^^ Worst decision ever.
I learned the hard way that when you book everything altogether and decide to miss a flight because your inner spontaneity is tackling your soul, you lose ALL OF THE FLIGHTS AFTER THE ONE YOU MISSED. Basically, let’s say your confirmation number is XYZ for ^^^ all of those flights. You definitely save money by booking this way (multi-city verses one-way). So now let’s say, hypothetically, that you get bored in Lima because you already live in a major city like, let’s say, Brooklyn, and you decided you’d rather head out to nature and see things in Cusco instead, perhaps a day early because you found a fifty-dollar flight that leaves first thing the next morning. After a few too many Pisco-sours, you book it and now, voila, you’re leaving Lima a day early.
Well since you’re missing your original flight from Lima to Cusco, any flights included in that original confirmation number are now void. This meant, unbeknownst to me at the time, my flight back to NYC was cancelled (two days before the end of my trip was when I realized this and had to buy a $700 new ticket home).
This is the first (and last) time I had ever travelled this way.
My flight from Lima to Cusco was 80 dollars and was supposed to be an easy breezy forty-minute flight. Once I arrived to Jorge Chávez International Airport, Avianca airlines insisted I checked my bag so I did, and I met these awesome Australian chicks (a duo of best buds) that were also headed to Cusco. We waited by our gate and none of us spoke / understood Spanish enough to realize that they had cancelled our flight. It was actually the most bizarre thing in the world; apparently they announced that they cancelled our flight, scanned all of our tickets (we thought we were boarding), and we walked to what we thought was the airplane, but were led to baggage claim. We were completely baffled and thought we had gone the wrong way. An older couple from Florida started screaming at security (highly unnecessary) demanding “WE NEED SOMEONE WHO SPEAKS ENGLISH.” The Australian chicks and I decided to go our own way and figure out what was happening.
We found out our flight was delayed by six hours, so we just hung out at the airport and became friends. They taught me about how healthcare works in Australia, explained to me that they were both in school (and explained how paying for school works) and basically convinced me that I should move to Australia. While we were discussing all of this, I noticed my phone had gone completely black. I wasn’t too concerned at first, but little did I know, my phone would not turn on for the remainder of the trip.
Six hours later, we finally started to board our flight, and they announced my name to come to the front (What now?). Lucky me! I got moved up to business class. I got to eat fancy pants food and drink free beer (obviously both are gateways to my heart). A cool dude from Denver sat next to me and we didn’t really chat much; we were just about to land when the pilot announced “Weather conditions in Cusco are pretty windy. We are going to circle for fifteen minutes and if they don’t lighten up, we have to return to Lima.” I burst out laughing uncontrollably, which caused Denver dude to laugh. He said “I have an ear bud stuck in my ear. I think it’s just that kind of day.”
We ended up landing in Cusco safely. What I thought would be an annoying day stranded at the airport ended up being one of my favorite days from the trip. Company is everything.