Hello from cloudy Berlin. I made it. But first, a couple of flight reports.

My first leg on this trip was from LAX (Los Angeles International) to DFW (Dallas Fort Worth).

Let’s start with the flight review first. Then I can get into the drama.

LAX to DFW American Airlines A321neo Coach on a Miles Fare

I am very excited because I purchased this entire flight route with miles. So it was basically free (minus a couple of bucks for taxes).

This particular flight was through Tom Bradley terminal, which is the international terminal at LAX. 

LAX to DFW is a pretty easy flight. It’s a couple of hours long. And since I have status with American Airlines, I board first. 

I board and place my backpack in the overhead compartment and my camera bag under the seat in front of me. 

I am seated in a middle seat, not by choice (but I’ll get to this in a moment.)

The Flight

The flight was smooth and quick. Even though I was in the middle, it was okay for a short flight.

We were given Biscoff cookies and a beverage of choice. I chose coffee.

The flight attendants were great. They assisted everyone with care and diligence. 

Even the passengers were well behaved on this flight. 

As far as the flight goes, it was good. Nothing bad to report.

The Delay

We were delayed 30 minutes upon taking off, which is not a big deal unless you have a tight connection. I had about three hours in DFW, so I wasn’t worried.

Even though this first leg went well, we have to talk about all the drama that led up to this easy flight.

The Drama

Let’s go back 24 hours. 

I get an email from American and a phone notification to check into my flight.

I log into my app, and it promptly says, “There was a schedule change with your flight. Please check back later for the updated information,” or something to that effect.

I tried several times that day, but it just wouldn’t tell me what the changes were.

At this point, there is no schedule change in my app. So, I ignore it.

I attempt to check-in, and it does not allow me to.

It says I must check in at the check-in desk. This isn’t a problem, though. Sometimes they just need to verify your passport at the airport. It happened to me on my way to PVR last year. So I shrugged my shoulders and went about my day.

My scheduled flight is for 10:30 am, so I have to wake up early and drive to LAX and make sure I’m a couple of hours early just in case.

I pack and head to bed.

The Morning Of…

I wake up in the morning, and the first thing I try to do is check in again.

Upon opening my app, it suddenly refreshes and shows my new schedule. It is now 7 hours delayed. This means I will miss my connecting flight to Helsinki.

My partner, who flies more than I do and pretty much has many American routes memorized, freaks me out some more. 

He’s like, “just so you know, American doesn’t fly to Helsinki, so I’m not sure how you’re getting there.”

Why would he say that?!

So I’m freaking out, and I call the American app and press the appropriate numbers for a callback (within the next 25 minutes.) I tell my partner to take me to the airport in case talking to someone in person is easier or more helpful.

During the drive there, I get my callback. And they tell me they might be able to put me on the 9 o’clock flight, but they need permission to open the reservation since its cutting it close to departing.

Ultimately they do it for me, and the agent says, “Are you near the airport? Will you make the flight? Otherwise, there’s no point in rebooking this flight.” This is not a direct quote, but that’s what she was saying.

The good news is that I was literally entering the LAX horseshoe of dread.

“One more thing,” says my oh-so-helpful partner. “You have eight minutes to check-in, or you’ll be locked out of their system.”

My new flight now departs from Tom Bradley, but I tell him to drop me at terminal 4, since I’m familiar with it. I try the kiosk at 7:59, and it lets me check in, and I get my boarding passes. Mind you, I’m frantic!

I now have 30 minutes to run to Tom Bradley and go through security before boarding. Boarding doors shut at 8:30 am.

I never thought I would be an airport runner. But I run.

Precheck saved me.

I make it to my gate and sit and cool down.

My Boarding Passes

So I start to wind down, and my boarding pass to HEL (Helsinki) is pretty much blank. I’m confused. I look it up on FlightAware, and it tells me I’m flying to HEM, not HEL. My heart starts to race, but I quickly check the map.

If this is the case, I can get to the correct airport to connect to my Berlin flight. I have about six hours in Helsinki. I can get anywhere if need be.

I asked the gate agent for assistance, but she just assured me I should check the screens in Dallas.

Feeling a little better but still nervous, I board my flight and grab my new middle seat (the only available seat on this flight.)

Too much drama for the beginning of this trip! But at least it worked out. I owe it to my “well-intentioned” partner and the fantastic phone agent. I wouldn’t have made this flight without them.