After a long 24 hours, my girlfriend Linda and I finally arrived in Paris! Our trip consisted of sitting on the tarmac due to plane electrical problems which couldn’t be fixed, booking a later flight, missing our connection to Paris from Frankfurt, rebooking another flight, and finally arriving in Paris only to find my luggage hadn’t arrived! Ooh la la!
In Paris we were greeted at baggage claim by Rémi, our “Meet & Greet Representative” from AA Elite. I find having someone meet you at the airport reduces stress and mitigates inconveniences. He helped me file a missing luggage report, and we found out that my bags hadn’t even left Portland! How did this happen? Tired and ready to be at the hotel, we loaded Linda’s luggage into Rémi’s car. The normally 40-minute journey from airport to Hôtel Providence took 90 minutes, but despite all the delays, we finally arrived! We sat down for a much needed glass of wine by the fireplace, followed by a delicious dinner at the hotel.
My luggage caught up to me 48 hours later!
From previous experience, I have learned to always pack an extra outfit in my carry-on luggage, and luckily I had packed what I was going to wear to lunch at La Girafte Restaurant with my friend Marie de Tilly. Always carry your medicine, car keys, and a change of clothes with you in your carry-on bag, as you never know if your luggage will arrive at the same time you will. Also remember a smile and a good attitude! Traveling can be difficult, but its benefits far outweigh its challenges. After all, we were in Paris!
For more traveling tips, see the “Traveling with Granddaughters” chapter of my book, Ooh la la, French Inspirations for Entertaining and Travel, available here.
