Up on the very lowest slopes of Mount Olympus, barely acceptable to any deity, no matter how lowly, the Magical Unicorn Pony God of Travel (MUPGT) resides. She looks down on the world of travel, seeking opportunities to sow mischief. She is a bit bored. She really didn't have much to do with the shutdown of the U.S. government though it has certainly caused plenty of chances for travel chaos. She is old school. She relishes the more personal travel disruption interaction. Call it the clash of heroes from the classic Greek literature.
Ah! What is this she spies. It is one of her favorite foes, de-Intimidator. He's getting ready to go to the Alicante airport evidently to return some mercenaries he hired to do some dirty deed. Since he is not himself flying, he will never be suspecting a bit of torment from MUPGT. That will be his misfortune.
Wife and I, Wednesday morning had the VEFS crew up and ready to head to the airport. We set off with plenty of time. It is hard to believe that the fearsome Vikings 3.1 and 3.2 have to fly as unaccompanied minors. This is always a bit of a pain at the airport but something we have dealt with numerous times.
We know our way to the airport quite well now. Many of our day trips have gone right by it. As we get to the exit off the highway, however, the traffic is completely backed up. Fortunately, I see vehicles pulling out of line and determine there is a breakdown in front of us. We've lost some time but not that much.
Now we head into the airport. We know where to go to park. Well we should know. For some reason, Wife and I miss the turn (which is for arrivals and then to the parking garage) and go to departures. What the @!%$. This is terra incognita for us. There is a HUGE back up. Turns out the only way through is to go through an express parking area. You get a ticket. Enter. It is a single lane. THEN you have to wait as cars BACK INTO DIAGONAL PARKING PLACES. Crazy. This takes valuable time. I can hear a snickering from the ether. I have suspicion. We finally get through, Exit and go around the airport, reenter and park where we should.
Now we go to our airline (Norwegian of course for Vikings) to check-in and do the unaccompanied minor thing. The line is long but not too long. But there are some people ahead who have some issues and are taking a lot of time. By the time we get to the agent it is 45 minutes before boarding. In fact, we are a few minutes later than that. We know this because the agent says we were to be there 45 minutes ahead of time and the Vikings' reservations have been deleted. (Uproarious laughter on lower slopes of Olympus.)
Wife calmly says we were in line in plenty of time and cannot control someone ahead of us having a problem. The agent reluctantly acquiesces. She calls her supervisor and they reinstate 3.1 & 3.2. (Humph of disapproval on Olympus). BUT, the agent says, "Do you have the special form for each Viking that has to be filled out in duplicate?" #3 never told us of any forms (she says she checked on their website and there is no mention of it). The agent gives us the forms that we now need all of us to fill out as it requires information only known to the Vikings as well as our own. (Equine smirking..."Time is running out de-I").
We finally get the forms completed. Boarding passes and passes for Wife and I are provided. They tell us they've called the gate but we need to not tarry. Well conditioned from following the Vikings around their conquests, Wife and I hustle with them to security. Wife puts down her pass on the reader to gain entry. In she goes. 3.1 does the same. Nothing. Multiple tries. Nothing. 3.2 tries. Nothing. The security person tells us we need to go back to the check in counter to see what the problem is with our the boarding passes. (Raucous demi-deity laughter wafts over the supernatural communication pathway. "You will never make it now de-I.)
Back to the check-in counter. Wife is having nothing to do with lines and just muscles her way back to the agent (even the Vikings are impressed with this martial prowess...MUPGT, not so happy). The agent realizes she gave 3.1. and 3.2 the old arriving boarding passes, not the new ones. Updated boarding passes in hand, it is back to security. In go 3.1 & 3.2. But now Wife's entry pass isn't working. Since she used it once to get in, it is no longer valid. Wife talks the security agent into letting us all through.
(What the &@#!$ MUGPT shouts with dismay!)
Boarding has already started. We have to go through a huge long shopping arcade (typical of international airports) before we get to the gates. But the Vikings gate is the very first one. And unaccompanied minors are the last to board. We even have time to quickly get a drink for the two warriors.
"You haven't heard the last from us Magical Unicorn Pony God of Travel! We are Vikings and know plenty of good recipes for Grilled Unicorn."
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