I Know How You Feel...

A young traveler two rows ahead of me on my flight from Frankfurt to Istanbul.

Travel. It can be fun. This last trip wasn't. Flights everywhere are full. Finding a good route from A to B with only a few days notice is very hard. To get over to Izmir, where I am now, I had a Portland to Vancouver to London to Istanbul to Izmir route. Due to all of the different airlines, my bags were only checked through to London. Then, my Portland to Vancouver flight was delayed enough so I would miss my Vancouver to London flight. They quickly re-routed me through Frankfurt right before I got on the plane in Portland. They radioed out to have my bags re-routed as well, but I don't think there was time. I have a nice flight up to Vancouver and check in with Condor. I haven't heard of them, but they are actually some division of Lufthansa. I tried working with both Horizon and Condor to get my bags figured out, but no luck. I was assigned a window seat, and thought I would prefer and isle, I'm not going to complain. That is, of course, until I get on the plane. My "window" seat has no window. Just the hull of the airplane. Sigh...

In Frankfurt, I switch over to Lufthansa for the flight down to Istanbul. Seat in the middle. In Istanbul, I go to check in with Turkish Air. My ticket has been canceled as I did not do my London to Istanbul leg on Turkish. That means two more people for me to go through. Then the flight is delayed an hour. And yes, a seat in the middle.

I land in Izmir at the domestic terminal. Of course, my bags are nowhere to be seen. I talk to the Turkish Air representative there, as that's what I was told to do, and she said "No, you must talk with Lufthansa". Of course, they are in the international terminal. I walk over there, and they finally take my report.

I'm on the fourth day with these clothes, but my bags are supposed to be coming in today...