The O'Hare Snare

Day 09 Wed Dec. 10, 1997

Pack up, time to go home. We went down to the Gold Chamber booth to get our meals comped. We bill all our meals to the room and they usually comp them after. The previous three times we've gotten most of it back.

Last time they comped about $80.00 worth and also gave us a $30.00 comp for the Pyramid Cafe for our play after we'd checked out. We had a long wait for the plane that trip.

Anyway, to make a long story short, they screwed us around. The rep said we had 3 hours play. She offered $30.00 off our meals. We argued for quite a long time. I asked to see the boss, and she phoned up for advice. She offered $30 and comp meal which we now had no time to eat.

She still insisted we played for 3 hours, even though we generated 1200 points (at $5.00 per point) I asked her how you can do that playing quarter machines? That's 4800 plays on a quarter machine in three hours.

The boss came down and found we played 20 hours each. But she still would not comp all our meals. They were much better last time. Their computer records are incorrect and unreliable. She said we played mostly dollars last time but this isn't so. Our budget was the same, too.

Compared to the treatment we got at Treasure Island, this was pathetic.

We got $30.00 in cash back for 40 hours of play total.

We are very disappointed in Luxor and won't stay there again. Guess where we'll be? Treasure Island! Its better located on the strip too, with lots of other options nearby for gambling, shopping, entertainment, and eating.

Off to the airport. There was snow at O'Hare and our plane is delayed.

The plane to take us to Chicago originates there, so we have to wait for it to arrive. The delay is three hours. We lose our shirts on the Airport slots and VP.

Because of this delay, our connecting flight home has already left when we arrive. They announce on the plane as we near landing, "Sorry, we have no connecting flight info. It will be available when you land."

Bull-shit! They don't want to tell us on the plane what they already know - there *are* no connecting flights and we are screwed.

Sure enough, when we get off the plane they hand out sheets telling us how to get a room for $59.00 (reduced rate - I'm supposed to be happy about this). They hand out little 'overnight kits' with toothbrushes and deodorant in them. I grab 8 of them. I hate American Airlines.

We fly with them because we generate points with their affiliate, Canadian. When we fly on points, that's who we have to fly to Vegas with.

They claim that since the delay is weather related, they won't give us a room for free. But I challenge this. The flight *to* Vegas was weather delayed. Because they chose not to replace that airplane with another for the flight *from* Vegas, we missed our connection and had to wait.

Karen and I decide to spend the night in the airport as our flight home leaves at 6:30 AM. We decide to see as much of O'Hare as possible and start walking. At the end of concourse H, we get talking to some American employees. They offer to get pillows and blankets off the incoming flight they are waiting for. When this flight arrives, they are handing out those sheets to passengers who are connecting. After they are all gone, this nice American staff person hands us a sheet for a free room at the Westin! We are saved.

Cool, a comped room at O'Hare. I didn't think it could be done.

American was willing to screw us for the night. We had a reasonable night (2 hours sleep) in comfort due to serendipity and the thoughtfulness of one employee.

When we arrived at our gate in the morning, I recognized fellow passengers sleeping on the carpet who had had to spend the night in O'Hare.

I will be writing to American about this experience. The weather delay was BS. A fellow traveler also from Canada, had her mother down in Vegas with her. She was flying out on United. Their planes were scheduled to leave Vegas 10 minutes apart. By the time our friend got to O'Hare, her mother was in bed in Toronto. No weather delays on United!

All in all, even though it ended poorly, this was our best trip ever.

Hope this trip report isn't too long!

I hope you enjoyed this retro trip report. Many things have changed, and some things (airlines) are just the same.

We did stay at T.I. but as the comps dried up there, we returned to Luxor, our first and favorite Vegas home.

It would only be a couple of years until Luxor was swallowed up by the corporate oligopoly and plans for de-theming it implemented. I'm still not over how they ruined the place.

But I am so thankful that we experienced a different kind of Vegas on our early trips, and that I have mementos like this trip report to enjoy.

I hope you enjoyed it too.

Royal Flusher