Home, sweet home

Wednesday at 08.00 I went to Corporate Wear to pick up my DL uniform and ID. The uniform was already ready, but the ID had to be made on the spot. They took my photo and I waited a few minutes for the ID to be made. After I signed for everything, I took a taxi back to the hotel. I started packing most of my clothes, because I thought I would be leaving the next day and I had to make sure my bags weren't too heavy. You are only allowed 23 kilo's in each bag. When I was done, I called KLM and listed myself on Thursday's flight. In case KLM was full on Thursday, I could just walk up to the DL counter and check-in if there was space available. After all that was done, I took a cab to the DTC to do my exam.

At 10.00 the exam started and by 11.00 most were done. We were all from Delta international outstations (AMS, CDG, LOS, MEX, DXB etc.). The training coach told us that we could call after 17.00 for the results and in the morning we would get our certificates.

Then I went to have lunch at an Italian eatery in downtown Atlanta and from there returned to the hotel. In the lobby I saw Alfonso, a Delta Supervisor from Mexico City. He told me that he just came back from the DTC and he got news that he passed. Huh? It was only 13.00! We were supposed to call after 17.00! But according to Alfonso the results were already in! Alfonos also told me that he wasn't waiting for any certificate, because after 6 weeks of training he was ready to go home to his family. He was on the Aeromexico flight to MEX at 18.45! I was like... "wait a minute. I want to go home too"! So I immediately called the DTC and got the coach. I asked him for my results and he said I passed. I asked if the certificate thing was required in the morning and he told me of course not. Delta could also send it by mail if I wanted. Oh, yes!

I called the front desk to tell them to get my bill ready. I packed the rest of my stuff fast. With jeans, a dress shirt and flip-flops on my feet, I headed downstairs to pay my bill and then I took the hotel shuttle to the airport. I went straight to the KLM check-in desk and they told me not to even bother to try to get on the flight, because it was oversold. Passengers from a cancelled flight in Memphis were being rerouted via ATL. When I went over to the DL desk, they told me the same story. Okay, so the 2 direct flights were full. Then we go indirect, because I wasn't planning to spend another night in Atlanta. I checked on the information screens and saw that later that evening there was a flight to London LHR. I went to the DL Ticket Office and asked them if I could use my Duty W ticket (seat available travel for work) to Amsterdam AMS via London LHR. She said the ticket was usable from any two points between the US and Europe. She said the flight wasn't full. She re-issued a new ticket that had a segment LHR-AMS attached. So I proceded to check-in and the agent told me she would upgrade me seeing that I was DL staff travelling on duty. I laughed and said... "No, I am a KLM employee, not Delta". She said, "I don't think so, because your ticket has your DL employee number in it and in the system there is a comment that you were here for training for DL. So I will give you a seat in BusinessElite".

Delta check-in

After that I called Ricardo at the hotel to let him know I was on my way home and I called KLM to let them know that I passed and that I was coming home. I sat in the lounge for 3 hours just reading and chatting on MSN with Remesh until it was time to board. After I passed all that damn United States security, I switched my slippers for boots. Here's a tip from a seasoned traveller: taking off and putting back on shoes is a bitch when going through airport security. So just wear flip-flop slippers to the airport and when everything is done, put your shoes on.

My aircraft from the lounge

My flight was a 777 and the seats were very comfortable. Overall the flight was great, but I slept through most of it.



At the gate

On board

Take-off from Atlanta's Hartsfield





In-flight ATL-LHR

This morning I arrived at Deathrow..uhm... I mean Heathrow. I went to the SkyTeam transfer desk and checked-in with KLM. From there I headed to the Menzies lounge and waited for my flight. 3 hours after I arrived, I was on my way to Schiphol.

Lounge at Heathrow

In-flight LHR-AMS

"Dames & heren, welkom in Amsterdam..."

At Schiphol, I collected my bags and took Fyra straight to Rotterdam.

Fyra at Schiphol

While I was walking from the trainstation to the metro station, Remesh grabbed me from behind almost tripping me up over my own luggage. I was glad to see that face of his. We then headed to his car so he could drop me home. He had to get back to work, so he didn't stay long. I unpacked, called my people to let them know I was back and then headed straight to bed around 17.00. Damn was it cold! I woke up around 23.00 feeling hungry and completely dissoriented. Jetlag! When I looked over, I saw Remesh sleeping next to me. I did not hear him come in or even get into bed. I thought he would go to his own house after work. I got out of bed and threw a frozen pizza I had there into the oven and ate that. I watched the news and then it was back to bed for me around midnight. When I woke up this morning Remesh was already off to work. Around 10.00 KLM phoned me to ask me how it was in Atlanta and I said it was great and that I was happy that I passed. When my Unit Manager asked me with what percentage I passed, I couldn't give him an answer. At that moment I realized that in all my hurry to get my @ss out of Hotlanta I never asked my training coach what my percentage was...