Home Again, Home Again, Jigging Jig

Saturday, May 9th

Nearly became Roman citizens this morning. We arose at 4:00AM to catch our Delta flight. Taxi picked us up on time and soon we were dropped off with no questions asked in front of Terminal 5. Wait a minute the guard gates are all down and the taxi can’t even pull up to the curbside and the Terminal 5 is close? Our Taxi driver casual says well this is terminal 5 unloaded our luggage in the road and left us standing in the street wondering if we were in the right place.

Inquiries with all the airport employees reporting to work only indicated that Terminal 5 is closed and would open at 6:00 AM. Hm.., our flight leaves at 7:20 AM, and the terminal doesn’t open until 6:00 AM, okay maybe the Italian’s are more laid back then we thought. A few more early morning travelers arrive but nobody is going to Paris from this special American Terminal? Finally, terminal opens we rush into the ticket counter to obtain our tickets and only find no employees staffing the counter. Departure board doesn’t even show a flight leaving from Terminal 5 to Paris.

Guess what we have experienced a DETOUR Which way do we go?


By chance we were able to team up with a fellow American and his shuttle driver, a quick call to airport operator indicated that the Delta flight was being operated by Air Frances and would depart on time out of Terminal B. It is now 6:10 AM. The shuttle driver graciously transfers us and our fellow American to the proper terminal. It was a mad rush to find Air France, purchase tickets, proceed through security where they made us strip down to our skivvies almost, and run to the gate to begin boarding our flight. Luckily, we had found a great shuttle driver who made the difference.

Our flight then proceeded to Paris, where it began all over again. I’m starting to feel like O.J. Simpson in the old Hertz advertisements running thorough the airport and hurdling over anything our way. Paris we though that we had plenty of time only to find the security line stretching from Paris to New York. Fortunately, a security worker kept the next scheduled flight moving through security and with no resting from running from security to the gate we boarded our final connection to home.

We’re now off the ground and heading home…ZZZZZZ