Now that we're safely home and less sleep-deprived thanks to an all-afternoon nap, here's a quick update on the return from the Orange Bowl.
The Denver airport is a crappy place to sleep. We managed a few hours.
We met up at the gate the next morning with some fellow travelers who had opted for the hotel that American Airlines offered. They confirmed that we were smart to pass on the offer- the hotel was twenty minutes away and due to shuttles being booked, they had to leave their hotel at 3:30 this morning to head back to the airport.
We successfully got on the 6:30 am flight out of Denver and even managed to score exit row seating.
We arrived in Kansas City and watched a family remove at least ten bags and what seemed like twelve pairs of skis from the baggage carousel. And then no more bags came out.
Apparently our luggage didn't make it onto our plane. We suspect this happened in Miami, since the Denver people had all night to get our luggage where it needed to be. And once again, the American Airlines staff was not helpful, telling us immediately upon entry to their KCI baggage service office, "we don't track baggage." All four members of our party were missing bags, along with another five people who we befriended along the way.
Huh? In this day and age where you can find out exactly where your FedEx or UPS or whatever package is, down to almost the minute, an airline can't tell you anything about your bag? The bag claims have a bar code but it apparently serves no purpose.
I got a call five minutes ago informing me that our bags would be delivered within the hour.
Finally. The trip can come to an end.
(Orange Bowl photos of the Sandbar group to follow later.)
