Arg

My day has been pretty awesome. After checking in for my flight, going through security, yadda yadda, I went to the gate to get my seat assignment for my direct flight to Amsterdam. Mind you, I did have a confirmed seat on this flight until I attempted to check in this morning. I wait in line for an hour until a representative shows up at the gate. I'm informed that my seat has been volunteered. Apparently the flight before mine has some mechanical issues so they put all those people on my flight and selectively bumped people who has reservations already. A queer practice. Typically when the airline screws up in this way, they call for volunteers. The next direct flight was full, so I had no choice but to take the following route the following day:

Houston > Newark
Newark > Birmingham
Birmingham > Amsterdam

To make matters worse, once I am in Birmingham, I have to check in all over again. This is going to be problematic seeing as I have 3 bags each weighing around 50 pounds. Getting them around this dodgy hotel was difficult enough. Which reminds, me: when I got done with customer service, I was instructed to pick up my bags at carousel 11. I waited for 2 hours before going to the baggage service office. Apparently, no one had sent down my bags. They were just sitting back at the gate. I waited a bit longer and finally they brought them too me (or, rather, pointed in the general direction of where I could pick them up). They did not offer to help me with them despite my protests that they were too many and heavy for one person. I was instructed to get a "skycap", which I could not afford since I had already changed my money into Euros (naively thinking that I would not need dollars after having passed through security). Thus, I had to manage the bags myself, which was a difficult task. And of course I am in winter gear since I thought the next time I would be outside, it would be 35 degrees; however, this is Houston, so I was slowly pushing this bags around dressed in a pea coat and long sleeves.

So, what do I get for my troubles? I get a $500 voucher to fly on this irresponsible airline again and a couple meals.