This morning I checked out of the hotel and walked to Sol station to take the train (I realized that the metro was not running on a section of the track to the airport, so the train was the best option). My travel card was still valid for the trains inside the city.
I had to change trains and had to wait 15 minutes to get the second train. At first I was slightly worried as there were no trains to the airport on the screen. Once it did show up I rushed to the track (they only gave 2 minute warning). When I got to the platform the sign made it seem like it was arriving on a different track. I started to change, but for some reason went back to double check and they fixed the screen.
The train went directly to Terminal 4 where I checked in without any problem and proceeded to security. Once through security I had to take several lifts and a train to get to passport control.
I decided to visit the Aena lounge first as it is open 24 hours. They did have some sandwiches and I also had some yogurt. After a while I decided to visit the Iberia lounge. The food selection there wasn’t that great either. I had some snacks and then went to my gate.
The first flight (American Airlines) to Charlotte was mostly uneventful, except for some turbulence that delayed the crew from serving lunch. Lunch was chalk that we were told was beef. I believe it was beef colored chalk and not chalk flavored beef.
Upon landing in Charlotte I got my luggage, went through immigration and customs and re-checked my bag. I had to go through security once again, and there was no CLEAR line to get me through quick, however I did manage to go through the TSA Pre-Check line.
I decided to get some actual food at Chic-Fil-A, however the chicken nuggets were dry and unsatisfying. By this time I needed to go to my gate instead of the lounge. What happened next was groundhog day for 3 hours. American kept delaying my flight for a mechanical issue every 30 minutes for 3 hours. At the end they delayed it for a longer period, but instructed us to not leave the area in case the boarded sooner. All told the delay was longer than the scheduled flight.
I was disappointed that American Airlines didn’t even offer the first class passengers water after such a long delay. The food was okay, but not spectacular.
Eventually I made it home.
Today’s timeline:
