I hate international flights. I know as a well-seasoned traveler I should be used to them by now but I still hate them. My flight from Atlanta to Seoul was about 13 hours. My upcoming flight to Finland will be 13 hours and then from Finland to Thailand, will be another 13 hours. The worst international flights are those with lengthy layovers. On my way to Vietnam, I landed in Seoul Incheon Airport and was there for 24 hours (23 hours and 55 minutes if you want to get technical). Sadly, very few shops were open due to Covid-19 and the only shops open were selling high end jewelry or bags. My mom and I often talk about how something always seems to go wrong on our trips. This one was full of surprises and the entire process of getting to Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi and then to my hotel was a mess, how about we take a walk down memory lane!
Day 1: Flight Troubles
My first flight was scheduled to leave at 6:00 AM to take me to Atlanta, Georgia. When I checked Delta’s website, it said that the flight had been cancelled. I immediately contacted the flight provider that I used to book the flights and asked for them to find me another flight. They stated that the flight was scheduled and that I should go to my airport the next morning to board the plane. I didn’t believe this but still went the next morning, just in case Delta’s website was incorrect. I arrived and was told that the flight was indeed cancelled. I spent over an hour on the phone arguing with the company trying to find a way to get a flight to take me to Atlanta’s airport. At last I get another flight booked from a city 3 hours away from me, meaning I had to drive and there was a potential that I would miss my flight from Atlanta to Seoul. I made it to the airport, checked in, and then was told I couldn’t board the planes. The woman at the desk in front of the boarding gate had to call down and request verification that I could board the plane. Finally, I was allowed onto the plane and was on my way to Atlanta. We arrived in Atlanta with about 15 minutes to run and grab food, then get into line to verify our Covid-19 negative tests and get on the plane.
