Flying on Halloween - but not on a broom

October 27th
I'm almost packed. I went to the last water aerobics yesterday so that the scooter can be charged and i can pack the charger. Bob got me a new pair of goggles, and also a new USB hub for the computer. I'm going to try to use the backpack I got from Silversea for my carry-on.

October 30th
I had to use the bigger suitcase because I had to put the battery charger in it for the scooter. And I couldn't use the Silversea backpack- it just barely fit the battery box and the computer. The one Lynde lent me for the Galapagos is a little bigger and things fit better.

I got an email from Lesley that said:

See you soon! We are checked in to our Boston hotel, a mile from the airport. We got a great deal on the room plus two weeks of parking

I'm waiting to get my boarding pass for KLM and watching Green Bay lose to Buffalo. Bob said that I would have a problem with KLM because of the scooter battery. But I've done all I can

31 October 2022 Halloween

I wanted to get to the airport in time for them to complain about the Lithium Ion battery - on the news last night was a story about scooter that was being charged that had started a fire in an apartment. And the travel section of the Washington Post had a story about people being denied boarding even though the batteries that powered their wheelchairs were legal to fly.

The new time for my flight to Boston was 1430. Bob loaded my bag, my carryon and the scooter into the car and we left (as usual) early. Our drive to BWI is a little less than 90 miles and takes about two hours. So theoretically for two hours before the flight we should leave at 10:30. We left at 9:40.

Leaving home

Driving up to bwi

When we got to the airport about 11:30, I wanted Bob to go into the parking garage on level four- handicapped level, but he didn't listen and so he went in on level 2.

Into the parking garage

He unpacked the scooter and we rode into the airport and immediately looked for a restroom for him

We went in Sky Priority and the check in lady got a supervisor in a red coat. My suitcase was exactly 50 lbs. She really wanted me to gate check the scooter and offered to give Bob a pass so he could fold it up for me. But my flight wasn't until 2:30 so I asked them to just check it. I got a wheelchair. When we went through security, I had forgotten my kindle was in my bag and so they had to take that back to go through again, and they wiped the battery and my hands. On the way to the gate

Chicken pot pie soup

I got a small cup of chicken pot pie soup and the guy also filled my water bottle. As I waited I read a book on my Kindle. There was a buffet of snack items across from me at the gate.

Snack table

When it was close to the time of boarding, the red coat lady came and supervised the boarding. There were at least two people on the flight who were going to Amsterdam. Got on the plane and put the backpack under the seat.

BWI

When we took off, I read some more on the Kindle. We were a little late getting to Boston as we took off a little late because they were waiting fr two passengers.

Boston

Coming in to Boston

A wheelchair was waiting with a tiny lady to push. She had a hard time getting me up the ramp.

Lesley and Mike were at baggage claim with a sign that said BEASLEY. There was very little checked luggage. My red bag came out right away and the scooter was at oversized baggage. Lesley called for van pickup for the hotel, and the scooter pusher said we could just leave the chair anywhere so Lesley pushed and Mike handled the bags and we just put the scooter in the van folded up.

I went up to their hotel room and I laid down on the bed and rested. We had a little snack (I had a fruit cup and chicken noodle soup and some cheese and nuts and Lesley had some cranberry juice for me.

My Kindle on the night table at the hoteel

When it got to be about 8, we went down to the lobby and got the shuttle back to the airport. This time to the international terminal. Lesley had repacked the rollator - she bought a bag for it and put some of the stuff in it into her suitcase because she thought there was too much stuff in it and that they would want to take it out and inspect it. She also got me some cushions for the scooter because the seat is hard with no padding - very thoughtful but the foam wouldn't stay in place.

Mike went to get the rest of their luggage from their car, and we all loaded into the van. We found the Priority boarding line and were checked in by two girls in costume for Halloween - one of them had stitches pained on her.

I had originally thought I would do the rollator as a carry on, but when we got to the desk I decided to ride the scooter and to gate check it. And they didn't seem to have a problem with that. We checked three things - Lesley's suitcase, my suitcase and the rollator suitcase. Passport control went fine, and then we had to go through the TSA.

This time I remembered to take my Kindle out and my computer and my phone. But they saw the money belt strap on my neck and wanted to inspect that and they also found an empty water bottle in my pocket. So they took me aside to inspect separately. And when she got done, I had a hard time finding Mike and Lesley. When I was going through my separate inspection, Lesley had picked all my stuff up and stuck it in her bag - my phone, kindle and computer. But she missed the little black bag with my passport in it. Mike volunteered to go back and find it. While he was gone, one of the passport guys came and found us and gave it back. (It did have my name and photo on it)

We went first to the lounge, but it was very crowded and there weren't a lot of seats. I took my night time pills, but the seats were cutting off the circulation to my legs. The plane was to leave at 23:10 but it was starting boarding at 22:10.

At the gate, I asked someone about checking the scooter and he told us to wait right there and we would be taken care of. The lady with all the stitching who checked us in came up to the desk, and said -"I found them", and with her was the crew of the plane. She also led the people who were pre-boarding (our little group and some women and children) down the jetway to the plane. Here we waited as the crew was still getting ready, and then I got my cane and walked to my seat and Mike put the battery into the box and folded the scooter and they put it in the closet - didn't gate check it. They were going to give the battery in the box to the Captain (!) but decided just to put it in the closet with the scooter

First Class Passenger packet from KLM

I found the seat a little uncomfortable. It didn't go really upright and I had trouble reaching things. Like my right foot. I took off the compression stockings and put on socks and the flight attendant had to do my right food for me both times.

Out the window at 11:00

Then they served us dinner, but they said the menu was wrong.

Menu that was wrong

Dinner

She put my tray on the tray table next to me (no one sat beside me) and the first thing I did was to take the napkin out and the silverware was inside it and some of it slid off on the floor. I ate a little of it, and then made the seat go flat. I put my glasses on a shelf I could see when the bed was flat

Air was blowing on me and keeping me awake until I put the pillow from the other sieat over my head. So I slept pretty well until about 4 when they turned the cabin lights on.

TV showing flight information

I got up and with to the bathroom, and bushed my hair and ate breakfast.

Breakfast

And tried to pick up my glasses, and dropped them. The flight attendant had to go into the area of the people behind me to get them.

Crossing the coast - 5 am USA time