Skip to main content

Even a Perfectly Planned Vacation to Hawaii Can Go Awry

 airplane; air travel

A Trip to Paradise with a Detour to Hell

Hello, my polite travelers.  There are times when our most perfectly planned trip goes sideways.  When this happens, we can either roll with it or fight it.  I choose the former choice and roll with it.  Or, as I like to say, "Just flow with the current."  How would you respond to this event?  

Typically, a flight to the beautifully vibrant islands of Hawaii is about five hours for those of us in California. Most of the time, these trips are uneventful and result in a marvelous, relaxing visit.

In fact, the Hawaiian Islands are one of my favorite vacation spots. I love the brilliant, clear skies and the fragrance of tropical flowers wafting through the air. Five hours in the sky seems nothing compared to the joy I experience once I've landed. Nevertheless, on this particular trip, one disaster after another nearly quashed my love of travel.

Planning Our Trip

It was a well-deserved vacation to the main island of Hawaii, better known as Oahu. My husband and I chose a date and a reputable airline specializing in flights to Hawaii. At the time, my MS mobility issues necessitated the use of a wheelchair. I notified the airline about my specific needs, and all seemed perfectly planned. Nevertheless, no one can possibly plan for what happened next.



What’s That Smell?

All began as it should with our flight departing on time. However, roughly halfway through our flight, we received a dreaded message from the pilot: "There appears to be a gas leak, so we will need to return home." Consider this; we were 2-1/2 hours into our flight, which meant we would be in the air for the full five hours and yet no closer to the sunny skies of Hawaii.

Disappointed as we all were, most remained positive expecting repairs to go quickly. However, as time clicked by, moods darkened. Dark moods worsened, as we didn't take off for another five hours.

Fingers Crossed We Land In Hawaii

Once again seated on the plane, we remained there until arriving in Hawaii.  Deplaning hundreds of passengers into a dark and empty airport in the middle of the night was another drama-filled event. However, the real drama was about to unfold.

Wait; is That My Brand-New Wheelchair?

Tired, sore from sitting for over 13 hours in cramped seats we wait for my wheelchair to be returned to me. What arrived looked more like a pretzel than a brand-new wheelchair.

At two in the morning, shocked and nearly in tears, my options were limited to an airport wheelchair. It was gigantic with tall poles on each side, but it worked. To this day, I can't keep from chuckling about what other vacationers thought when they saw me wheeling toward them in that oversized airport-issued wheelchair.

More by The Polite Traveler

Tips for Enjoying the Louvre: Louvre Etiquette

Top 5 Free Things to Do When Visiting Paris

Top Three Traditional Foods of Beaune


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Pluses & Minuses of The Hyatt House Vacaville

Beautiful But Needs Adjustments to its Accessible Rooms My Dear Polite Travelers I recently read about a new Hyatt House and since I needed a short brain-tidy-vaca near my home base in Davis, CA, I ventured twenty miles west to the sprawling city of Vacaville, the shopping mecca of our general area.  The Lobby/Bar/Restaurant Walking into the lobby, I noted calming tones, striking art, décor, and welcoming faces.  The registration staff was delightful and efficient.  The attractive bar and eating area are tastefully decorated and have ample seating areas. In fact, the entire area was so lovely that I brought many of those decorating ideas home with me.  The restaurant’s menu was limited and similar to what is typically found at bars: hamburgers, pizzas… etc.  I ordered a hamburger which was delivered overcooked.  Grr… Accessible Room 133 First off, this is a gorgeous room filled with outstanding artwork.  It includes a kitchenette, small ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cruise Room Review: Grand Princess L307

Comfy, Rocking Room on the Grand Princess Revised 4/2021 Dear Polite Traveler, What does a person really want in a cruise ship stateroom?  Well, I suppose the answer would be different with each passenger.  For my hubby and I, we wanted to be able to see the ocean and be comfortable.  Since this was a relatively chilly weather cruise, we skipped a balcony room and chose an outside cabin with a window.  Not many were available when we decided on an Alaskan cruise anyway.  Even so, I think ours was perfect.  Not too small and not too expensive.  After all, this is our second Alaskan cruise, so I did not feel it granted an extravagant suite.  We are not that type anyway. Note : Follow CDC and Princess guidelines when visiting.  Always wear your face mask when in public.  Where’s our room? We knew our room was on the Lido deck.  Check.  Nevertheless, we couldn’t find cabin 307.  Ever...
Post a Comment
Read more

I expected more from the Hyatt Regency Sonoma Wine Country Hotel

My Dear Polite Travelers, Our first stay in a Hyatt was less than stellar.  In fact, it’s more of a mixed bag of frustration and comfort.  The hotel was beautiful, don’t get me wrong.  It was just … incomplete.  Really? Room #281 is considered accessible ? We booked an accessible room due to my hubby’s back issue—a typical old-person problem.  Typically, an accessible room would naturally have a shower with ease of entry.  In room #281?  Nope.  Getting into a tub requires some dexterity that a mobility-challenged person may not have.  This is a major problem that should be addressed.  I hope Hyatt is listening.  Other than that oversight, there were no towel bars in the bathroom — strange.  Plus, it would have been logical if there was at least one hook for clothing/robe in the bathroom as well.  And, speaking of robes, robes are an accessory in these rooms.  There were none.  In fact, I had to call down f...
Post a Comment
Read more