Jetting Blues with JetBlue

You've probably noticed that I've been neglecting you. I didn't mean to, honest. It's just that I had no idea that Disney World would be so exhausting. I mean, seriously. We would go to sleep around 1 am, and wake up around 10 or 11 with barely enough time to get out of the room before breakfast. Even then, we managed to get to the park only once before 12:30. I needed a vacation from vacation. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention that they lost my luggage on a direct flight from New Orleans to Orlando. Joy.

But then, to push the neglect a bit further, I left my family and flew to NYC for the Hot Blogger Calendar Shoot! It was the first time in almost 2 years that I had been on a plane without my daughter. I didn't know what to do with myself. Ok, who am I kidding? Yes I did. I watched Baby Mama.

When I got to NYC I realized that it was a bit chilly for my flip flops and short sleeves, so I was eager to see my luggage and change shoes for the evening into a nice, closed toe little number. Alas, I had no such luck. I stood, staring at the luggage belt, watching the other families returning from Disney World joyously reclaim their luggage as I continued to wait. Maybe I missed it? Oh no, no way. My bag is Zebra print. Easily identifiable.

The belt stops moving. Two pieces of luggage are left. Neither of them mine.

Twice in one week? Man, I have sucky luggage karma.

I drag myself to JetBlue Baggage Claim, but it's closed. Like, with a gate pulled down over it. Ironically, the sign posted on the outside of the gate says they're open 24 hours. Someone from another airline spots me and walkie-talkies the JetBlue guy to tell him he has a victim customer. I fill out the report that I'm given while he tries to figure out where my luggage is. Ok, it's in Boston. Or maybe White Plains. Hmm...nope, neither one. Honestly, we don't know where it is.

At this point I am pretty much freaking out. I have the Hot Blogger Calendar photoshoot tomorrow and nothing to wear for it. I tell the guy this, he calls his supervisor. Tells her I have a photoshoot tomorrow. I'm thinking that finally someone will understand the gravity of this situation. That currently I will have to take my photos with Space Mountain hair because I have no shampoo to wash it with. That all of my clothing options are in my bag for the shoot. That I, at the very least, need to purchase a tshirt and shorts to sleep in tonight.

He hangs up the phone, looks at me, and says "I called my supervisor to ask her to approve a small amount for you to get some items for tonight and she said no." I blink. Then I smile. I get it, he's joking (I mean, he was being kinda flirty). So I say, "You're being sarcastic, right?"

"No ma'am. Trust me, I wish I was. She won't approve any amount for reimbursement."

You have got to be kidding me.

So I ask to speak to the supervisor. I wait almost an hour for her to arrive, with excuses like "she's getting a flight off and then she'll be down." She finally shows up. She tells me, in an accent that I can barely understand, that "She can only go to point A, but she can't go all the way to point B." Huh? I look at her like she has antenna growing out of her head. Then I tell her (still looking at her like she is indeed sprouting antenna) that she hasn't gone to point A at ALL! There has been no help at all. She tells me to call the 800 number and leaves.

The nice guy behind the desk basically tells me she is lying, and that she does have the power to approve it, she just won't. I call the 800 number, and after some time on hold, they tell me the same thing.

I get on twitter and send out a tweet that says "@jetblue lost my luggage. I have nothing and they refuse to give me ANYTHING. I have the hot blogger calendar shoot tomorrow and nothing!" Well, let me tell you, the twitter world went nuts! With some help from some of my dear twitter friends retweeting my plight (thank you Katja Presnal!), I get a DM from JetBlue telling me I will get help soon.

I leave the airport, figuring I should just head into the city. I end up at a McDonalds in Times Square, waiting for my sister in law to get off of work. I still haven't heard from JetBlue, though they are telling me help is imminent. After about an hour and several tearful conversations with my hubby, I decide to call LaGuardia Baggage Claim, just in case.

"Yes ma'am, we found your luggage. It's at JFK."

"Great, so when will it get to me?"

"Well, we are so busy that we can't promise that you'll even get it tomorrow."

"Do NOT send it out, I'm coming to get it."

So I hop back in a cab, and ride to JFK, almost getting killed in the process. On the way there, my phone rings. It's the JetBlue people, saying they heard my luggage was lost. I wanted to laugh. I tell her that I'm in a cab, on my way to JFK to pick it up so that I will be sure to have it for tomorrow. She offers her cell number for me to call her back next week with receipts to reimburse me for my cab ride, which is nice.

The short of it, I got my luggage, but missed dinner with all of the Hot Bloggers, which I heard was fantastic! I'll save the experience of meeting all of the HBC folks for another post, but I'll tell you that my weekend was indeed awesome.

After a long 2 days, I'm in a cab on my way to the airport to go home, and my cell phone rings. It's someone from JetBlue -- they heard I was missing some luggage and wanted to see how they could help? I'm sure they could see me rolling my eyes all the way in Salt Lake City.

Photo of me by Katja Presnal.