I have been flying between Salt Lake and San Francisco on an almost weekly basis for the past 6 years and this is the first time I am stuck at the airport trying to get home when the flight isn't expected to depart until after midnight. I don't expect to get home until 4am. This isn't a good way to start my long weekend. Other people I fly with have experienced such delays but this is a first for me. About the only thing I can do is try to occupy my time with something entertaining. Fortunately I have 2 smartphones, a laptop, a magazine, and my PlayStation Vita.
My original departure time was 9:10pm. Then it changed to 9:23pm followed by 1:04am. Now it is scheduled to leave at 12:51am and I expect it to change several more times before I board. That means that I really can't fall asleep or I run the risk of getting left behind. I got to the airport and did a little reading on my iPhone. I have a number of reference books on it and I was finishing up an article I started earlier today. Then I pulled out my PS Vita and started playing Uncharted: Golden Abyss. I will be sure to include a review when I am done, but so far it is an entertaining and fun game to play. The only reason I stopped was because I knew I had some time and wanted to create another blog entry. Once I am finished with this entry I will continue playing the game until my battery is drained to zero. I have the cable to charge my handheld console but the airport is crowded and I don't feel like searching for an outlet. At least not yet.
I really hate feeling like I am wasting my time and so when I think about what I would be doing if I was spending another night on the boat, I would just be playing a video game. My PS Vita is not as enjoyable as a PS3 or PS4 but it does come close. It is definitely better than trying to play a game on one of my smartphones. At times like this I just keep telling myself that sometimes the destination is not nearly as important as the journey. Tonight's journey is going to be a long one.
Showing posts with label delays. Show all posts
Showing posts with label delays. Show all posts
Thursday, January 14, 2016
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Waiting for the Storm
I am in California today but my family is back in Utah. There is supposed to be a huge storm rolling in this evening. The National Weather Service has been predicting this storm since Sunday and been using terms like "a significant storm like we haven't seen for several years." I'm not sure if that means it is a once-in-a-decade storm or once-in-a-century storm. Or if it just means "a really big storm."
The storm has been getting so much attention that my son was told not to come to one of his University classes today, to give him extra time to get home before the storm hits. It is only a 30 to 40 minute drive for him, but several of his classmates will be driving many hours to get home for the Thanksgiving break.
I have a keen interest in this storm because I will be flying home tomorrow and don't want to be stranded here in the San Francisco area. The Internet has been very helpful in keeping me abreast of the weather situation. While you may be tempted to look at www.weather.com, the best weather site is really www.weather.gov. It gives you all sorts of weather and travel advisories that are very useful.
While it is nice to get weather forecasts, there is a lot to be said for simply looking out a window. Unfortunately I am over 500 miles away and looking out a window isn't an option. If only there was a camera in the Salt Lake area that is connected to the Internet. More importantly I need one looking outside. Traffic cameras are a pretty good resource and you can get to a huge list of them for the Salt Lake area by going to www.utahcommuterlink.com. The site has a map showing all of the traffic cameras in the area and it is really easy to click around Salt Lake and see where it is snowing and where it is dry.
Finally, I want check and see how air traffic is backing up. Sometimes I fly Delta and sometimes I fly Southwest. Both carriers have websites where I can go to see if specific flights are delayed. Southwest's is a little easier to use because it will allow me to select flights between two cities without having to know the flight number. Delta requires knowing the flight number, which isn't too difficult to get. A more general place to go for getting an idea about delays across the country is the FAA's site. It shows a map of the United States with the major airports represented by a colored dot. Green dots show that most flights are on-time, orange dots may have weather or other delays greater than 15 minutes, and red dots indicate delays of an hour or more. Moving your mouse over the cities brings up a balloon with information as to why the airport may be experiencing delays.
I talked to my wife earlier and she said that the news is telling people to avoid travel if they can. It will be interesting to see if the storm really hits with the fury that has been predicted. When it does, I should be able to see it from the comfort of Sunny California.
The storm has been getting so much attention that my son was told not to come to one of his University classes today, to give him extra time to get home before the storm hits. It is only a 30 to 40 minute drive for him, but several of his classmates will be driving many hours to get home for the Thanksgiving break.
I have a keen interest in this storm because I will be flying home tomorrow and don't want to be stranded here in the San Francisco area. The Internet has been very helpful in keeping me abreast of the weather situation. While you may be tempted to look at www.weather.com, the best weather site is really www.weather.gov. It gives you all sorts of weather and travel advisories that are very useful.
While it is nice to get weather forecasts, there is a lot to be said for simply looking out a window. Unfortunately I am over 500 miles away and looking out a window isn't an option. If only there was a camera in the Salt Lake area that is connected to the Internet. More importantly I need one looking outside. Traffic cameras are a pretty good resource and you can get to a huge list of them for the Salt Lake area by going to www.utahcommuterlink.com. The site has a map showing all of the traffic cameras in the area and it is really easy to click around Salt Lake and see where it is snowing and where it is dry.
Finally, I want check and see how air traffic is backing up. Sometimes I fly Delta and sometimes I fly Southwest. Both carriers have websites where I can go to see if specific flights are delayed. Southwest's is a little easier to use because it will allow me to select flights between two cities without having to know the flight number. Delta requires knowing the flight number, which isn't too difficult to get. A more general place to go for getting an idea about delays across the country is the FAA's site. It shows a map of the United States with the major airports represented by a colored dot. Green dots show that most flights are on-time, orange dots may have weather or other delays greater than 15 minutes, and red dots indicate delays of an hour or more. Moving your mouse over the cities brings up a balloon with information as to why the airport may be experiencing delays.
I talked to my wife earlier and she said that the news is telling people to avoid travel if they can. It will be interesting to see if the storm really hits with the fury that has been predicted. When it does, I should be able to see it from the comfort of Sunny California.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
