Checking a bag at American after checking in online was
confusing and challenging. Signage was minimal, but the new process is to
proceed to a kiosk to print out and apply your own baggage tag before getting in
the long line to turn the bag over. Several kiosks were out of service, the
passport reader refused to accept my passport so I had to type it all in using
a screen where the calibration was so bad that LYNN came out LYJH -- I had to
almost miss the N to get it to read. Then they wanted payment for our checked
bag, very unusual for an international trip (they told us international free
bags only counted if we crossed an ocean...). While I was fighting the machine,
Jim was managing 2 roller bags, a heavy backpack and soft carryon, and got
tripped up, hurting his left shin and knee.
TSA Pre was loaded with slow people, but we had arrived
early and stopped to get breakfast. I couldn't remember if I had put away my
credit card after the bag fee and mis-read what I had in my wallet, so went
racing back out of the secured area to see if my card had been turned in (no) and going back thru
TSA Pre was even worse because half the staff was on break -- 2 sets of lines
the first time, now one. I was supposed to meet Jim at the gate in Terminal 2,
but our gate was NOT in terminal 2 and American was not helpful telling me to
go to Terminal 1 because they didn't mention the connecting corridor and I was
thinking I had to leave security again AND I couldn't find Jim and he did not
bring his phone. I was frantic and near
tears and boarding was due to start when TSA pointed me to the short cut.
The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful, but the start
was brutal. Our trip leader in Costa Rica led me to a pharmacy where I bought a
knee brace for Jim, hoping it would help his mobility.
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