NEW MEXICO, DAY 1: AMERICAN AIRLINES FAILS US AGAIN, BUT HATCH, NEW MEXICO, IS A WINNER

Friday, June 25, 2021

I'll get a confession out of the way: When Bob suggested New Mexico for late June and early July, I thought he was crazy. Washington State or Oregon, maybe, but New Mexico? We'd be roasting along with the chiles.

As it turned out, we had only one or two hot days at the beginning and end with a spate of unseasonably cool weather for most of the trip. Meanwhile, Portland hit a historic high of 117° F. Who would have guessed?

Second confession: When Bob told me he booked a 12:45 AM flight on American Airlines leaving out of Ontario, connecting in Dallas, and arriving in El Paso at 8:11 AM, I was sure he was crazy. Turns out, we stayed up late and got no sleep for nothing because when we arrived in Dallas, we learned that our American Airlines connecting flight to El Paso had been cancelled. 

In its place we were offered a substitute flight that would be leaving at 1:15 PM, EIGHT HOURS LATER.  For that we stayed up all night? Almost all of of first-day-plans were now impossible. We pushed a little harder and learned that we could choose to get on a list for a stand-by flight at 9:00 AM, and then another at 11:00 AM if the first one didn't work. If neither worked, we still had the 1:15 PM option.

Bob got in a line to talk to AA Customer Service at 5:45 AM to discuss other possible options. No employee showed up until after 6:30, and by that time about 20 people were in line. Bob, about 4th or 5th in line, made it to the front at 7:10. There was still only one agent and a long line. No worries. Bob's turn was quick because there were no other options.

Meanwhile, I drowned my sorrows in a Pinkberry smoothie. Such a nice thing to find in the airport!

I walked by this shop several times, and I am proud to say that I did not give in to temptation.