The trip from Seattle, WA to Okinawa Japan was supposed to take roughly 16 hours including layovers (22 hours if I were to include the requisite 0230 check-in , 6 hours pre-departure). That is a long, but perfectly acceptable, amount of time. For the kids and I (and 214 other military people), the journey took closer to 72.
After spending an incredible day exploring Seattle with my mom, dad, and Weezie, we arrived at the SeaTac Air Mobility Command (AMC) terminal at 0230 Thursday morning. The process went faster than I planned, mostly because people traveling with children went to the front of the line. Upon checking our bags, the attendant told me our flight would be leaving three hours later than scheduled. (I later found out this was because the contracted airline, North American Airline was flying over a new aircraft because the original needed repair) This wasn't such a problem because it meant more time to spend with the family before we took off.
Following an amazing early morning breakfast at the 13 Coins restaurant, we returned to the airport to say our see-you-laters (I don't believe in goodbye). When the kids and I arrived at the gate, we learned that the flight was delayed an additional hour and a half.
While waiting, we made friends with other people on the flight. Tony, a Marine Major was traveling with his three children to Okinawa. Like me, his spouse was already on the island awaiting his arrival.
The nine hour flight to Yokota AFB on the Japanese main island of Honshu was relatively uneventful. We watched in-flight movies and attempted to sleep. The kids were much better at accomplishing any of this than I was.
We arrived at Yokota around 1415 Friday afternoon (which was around 2100 Thursday back in Seattle). This is where the nightmare began. The AMC terminal staff there were not friendly, but it didn't matter since we were only scheduled to be there for two hours. We spent two hours at the terminal, both inside and on the patio. As the kids and I stood on the patio and man came walking over from the aircraft to the AMC staff who were standing near us. The man said that he had been trying to tell them for 20 minutes that the aircraft was ready to board passengers. The staff members continued to talk for another 10 minutes before the announced reboarding for the second leg of the trip to Iwokuni.
As we were about to take off, the pilot came on the intercom to announce there was a problem with an air conditioning valve and that maintenance would be coming out to try to fix it. This could take about 45 minutes. People grumbled slightly, but nobody cared too much.
Nearly and hour later, the pilot informed everyone that the valve was rigged to stay open and should be sufficient to last our two short legs to Iwokuni and Kadena. But as we prepared to take off again, the pilot added that an electronic card must also be replaced. Maintenance was going to insert the card and we would be off. The downside to this was that all electrical systems would have to shut down. After another 20 minutes the captain relayed that the maintainers had the wrong card and this was a problem. If the aircraft reached an altitude where the air temperature was cold enough to freeze lines within the airplane, it would begin to ice over.
Since this repair could take awhile, all passengers had to return to the terminal. Once we all arrived, the less-than-friendly AMC staff announced that the airline would be providing a meal for all the passengers and that updates on the repair status would be announced every 20 minutes. The terminal was full of tired travels, many with kids and pets (that were loaded and unloaded from the aircraft each time the passengers had to board or depart) we waiting to reach their destination.
There were several useless announcements (more than 20 minutes apart each time) that reiterated the fact that there was no information on the status of the repair and that meals would be brought to the terminal.
Around 2030, we were informed that the aircraft would not be repaired until morning, the airline would provide lodging for the night, and that there would be a meal brought to the terminal (for it still hadn't arrived). We were instructed to return to the plane to remove all our carry-on luggage.
Forty-five minutes later, the meal (Burger Kind and Pizza Hut) was delivered and distributed to those who were hungry. The kids ate, but I was pretty tired and too upset to eat- I was sick of traveling and wanted to get to Okinawa. I already had my first weekend planned and this was cutting into my schedule!
As people ate and everyone waited for the busses to take us to lodging, the staff announced that the baggage had been laid out on the flightline. We could take bags to lodging or simply remove items we would need for the night. As I had the toothbrushes in the carry-on, I grabbed a pair of clean underwear for each of us and called it good. As I walked back into the terminal, a new announcement stated that since it was starting to rain, passengers needed to collect their luggage from the flightline and move it to the baggage area or the covered patio. Cole and I returned to move the bags while Lily watched the carry-on items inside the terminal.
Cole and I could only find five of the six bags. As we looked around in the near darkness which was poorly illuminated with truck headlights, we overheard the staff say that not all the bags had been removed from the airplane yet. At this point the level of incompetence and disorganization from the AMC staff had me very irritated. This is their only job, to deal with AMC passengers and baggage. We found the other bag as it was unloaded from the truck and placed it with the others.
Two hours after we were stricken with the news we would be staying the night at Yokota, busses showed up to transport us to the lodging office. We waited on the busses for 20 minutes before AMC personnel came to announce we had to wait for customs officers to check and stamp all our passports which they would then re-stamp before we left less than 12 hours later. Not a one of us could fathom why this didn't occur while we were waiting in the terminal for the last three hours.
Finally customs arrived, stamped passports, and we were off to check into our rooms. I checked into our room and was handed meal vouchers that could be used at any services restaurant. Because our room was on the east side of the base and across the flight line, we were bussed there as well. As we exited the bus, we were told it would return at 1030 to take us back to the terminal.
By the time we got to the room, brushed our teeth, and the kids got in bed it was 0030 Saturday morning. Cole and I woke at 0630. We called Blair on Skype (the room had internet, the only blessing in this situation). He had access to the arrival information for Kadena which showed our flight arriving SUNDAY! I was incredulous. I called the AMC terminal who confirmed this new information. They told me there would be a briefing at the lodging office and to meet the bus at 1030 outside the building. I asked about places to eat near our room, but the airman on the phone confirmed there was nothing on our side of the base except a Subway (which wasn't open until 1030) and a shoppette which would not accept the meal vouchers we were given. This made everything worse because Cole is a kid who wakes up famished every morning. I hung up with the AMC "professionals" and went to get Lily ready so we could walk to the shoppette to buy some breakfast.
The walk to the shoppette was nice. It was raining lightly, but the breeze was very nice. Inside, there was very little to choose from, so the kids each picked a cinnamon roll and juice while I grabbed a large coffee. We went back to the room to eat and wait for the bus.
At 1015 we went down to wait for the bus. There was nobody else waiting. This made me uncomfortable. There were at least 70 other people in our lodging area and nobody was waiting for the bus. We looked all around the building trying to find where we were supposed to be. At 1030 a bus showed up, but it was not the bus we needed. This driver directed me to another area. There were four Marines from our flight waiting there. They told me that they'd received a phone call telling them the bus was arriving at 0930 to take everyone to breakfast and then the briefing. They had missed that bus, and this was the base shuttle (that nobody had told us was available) that drives back and forth to the other side of the base.
We arrived at the lodging office AFTER the briefing ended. As we were walking to the building, we ran into Tony and his kids. He also did not get called about the time change, but had just been in the right place at the right time as he left the building to take his kids to find breakfast. He gave me a map of the base with the shuttle schedule.
I went into the lodging office to renew my key and was told by the AMC people that there would be a bus to pick up everyone at 0230 to take us back to the terminal.
Realizing the kids and I had no clean clothes at this point, I went over to the BX to buy some clothing and find a more substantial meal. While there, I ran into many people from our flight buying necessities (deodorant, underwear, razors, etc). The woman who was staying in the room next to me bought a container of laundry detergent which she offered to share so I could wash our clothing.
When we returned to the room, I put the kids in a new pair of underwear and wrapped them each in a sheet. I did the same to myself and threw all our clothes in the wash (thankfully each room had its own washer and dryer). We sat around and watched movies until the kids were hungry for dinner.
We all dressed and walked to the Subway nearby that was now open. The kids and I each got a sandwich, went back to the room to eat, then shower and go to bed.
I had set all three alarm clocks plus my phone to wake us at 0130 so we could pack up our few things, brush our teeth and get down to the bus. When the alarm went off, Cole came to my room saying he felt sick. Five minutes later he was throwing up and stricken with diarrhea.
As we got to the elevator to go to the bus, Cole threw up again. I ran back to the room and grabbed the roll of paper towels and every plastic bag I could find.
As soon as we got to the bottom level, Cole told me he had to use the bathroom again. Thankfully, Tony and his kids were waiting for the bus, too, and he said he would be happy to watch Lily.
I took Cole back upstairs. We arrived back downstairs a minute before the bus arrived. The bus, which was supposed to take everyone to the terminal went instead to the lodging office. Though we had been told check-out would be handled at the terminal, the plan had apparently changed. Cole had to use the restroom again. Since most people were just sending one person in to check out, I asked Tony's girls if Lily could sit tight with them.
Cole ran into the restroom while I checked out. As I was waiting for Cole, I looked out the window and saw the bus leaving with Lily on it! I yelled for Cole and ran out of the building screaming that my daughter was on the bus. It just kept going. The bus behind it stopped and let me and Cole on. Fighting back tears, we followed the first bus. At that moment I had a horrible thought: what if Lily had gotten off the bus at the lodging office?
At the terminal, Lily was already off her bus standing with Tony and his kids. As I scooped Lily into my arms, Tony told me that everyone on the bus had been yelling to the driver that there were people missing, but he just kept driving.
Inside the terminal, we processed through security and waited. One SrA who had been at the terminal Friday night was there again this morning: in her pajamas and slippers! The level of professionalism from this staff was astounding! The AMC staff told us breakfast would be served on the first leg of the flight. We waited about two hours before we boarded the flight which took off with no problems.
There was no meal served on either leg of the flight taking us to Okinawa, but Cole spent the entire flight throwing up and Lily and I weren't hungry. Many people offered help, medicine, or advice for Cole. Nothing helped, but it was nice that people were concerned about my son.
After talking to other people on the flight, I determined Cole had food poisoning from the Subway sandwich he had the night before.
When we finally arrived at Kadena, Blair was happy to see us! He brought us home, then we took Cole to the Emergency Room on the next base. Cole had been unable to hold down any liquid for over 12 hours by this point.
The most important thing I realized on this flight is how blessed I am to be part of a military family. On that flight, everyone took care of each other and made sure they were taken care of.
can thankfully say this trip from hell is past. Okinawa is absolutely beautiful. There is so much to do and people are very friendly.
What a journey!! I am glad you made it safe and hope Cole got feeling better soon. I am also proud of you for not killing any of the AMC people (I think I would have!!)
ReplyDelete