Finally in Wuhan

I left the Canyon at 10:15 AM on Thursday November 4th. I arrived at Flagstaff's Pulliam Airport at approximately 12:30 PM. My flight out boarded at 6:10 PM. I arrived in LA at around 8PM (7PM LA time). I went to my Hotel the Travellodge in El Segunda CA. the shuttle to my hotel was about 5-10 minutes late picking me up. I left my Hotel at 5:00 AM for LAX. My flight to San Francisco left at 7 and arrived at 8. MY luggage was tagged as going to Beijing with the connecting flight info on it, but not for Wuhan, which made me worry, since when buying the ticket the quoted price was more than the price charged when paying for ticket. at 10 AM I was able to get my boarding pass for the air china flight to Beijing. They didn't give me a boarding pass for my connecting flight so I was worried I didn't have a ticket to connect to Wuhan. The flight was also delayed, what should have left before 2pm was now not boarding until 2:30PM. By the time we boarded it was after 3pm, and after 4:30 when we took off. I was now worrying that I would not have a ticket for a flight I was most likely going to miss. We landed in Beijing at around 4:30 am (7:30 PM local) and I had to claim my luggage. I then went to see about the boarding pass for Wuhan and was told the plane had already left. I was directed to a ticketing counter.

This is where Air China really stepped up to improve my first impression. I was given a flight out the next morning, and they arranged for accomadations, including a meal. I was about the only one going to Wuhan, but the flight to Shanghi had also been missed by about 20 or so people. They took us by shuttle bus to the CTS Beijing Hotel. When I got there we were told that it was two people per room. I was put in a room with another american, from Colorado that was headed to Shanghi on business. We got to the Hotel about 9:45 PM local, and there was a small buffet available to us. I had horrible hot and sour soup, as well as some chinese dishes I really had no idea what they were. Other than the soup the food was good. I was glad I knew how to use chop sticks as there was no silverware available. We were told that they would wake us at 5AM for a 5:30 shuttle to the airport. At 4:30 they knocked on our door to wake us. We got on the shuttle and headed to the airport. It was about 6:30 or so when we arrived back at the airport. My flight out was at 7:45 AM. I was the only american and really i think the only non-chinese on my flight.


A long time in airports/on planes, but I think it is worth it. I am so happy to be reunited with my Snow.