THURSDAY, JUNE 26TH – FRIDAY, JUNE 27TH – BELLAMY BROTHERS PERFORMANCE AT 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE TRUCKER AND COUNTRY FESTIVAL, INTERLAKEN, SWITZERLAND:
WARNING: This content “might” contain bad language!
I have the Bellamy Brothers and The Johnny Cash Road Show performing at the 30th Anniversary of the Trucker and Country Festival in Interlaken, Switzerland this weekend. I’ve been coming here since the beginning and love visiting this area and see my many friends!
We all met at the Nashville Airport at 11:45 am this morning to check in for the flight to Zurich via JFK on Delta Airlines. The new “interstate” by the airport is a nightmare so I was late getting there as were Howard, David and Susan. All the guys made it on time.
No problem with check in except the person checking us in at the Delta counter refused to let everyone have my baggage allowance. But, we were still able to “split” up the checked pieces and avoid any excess costs! We had a few minutes to kill so the group split up with some going to a Burger place, some to the gate, and me to the Lounge. There was a Delta flight going to JFK about 20 minutes before our flight. Both fights were showing on-time departures.
Then everything went “south”! We got a delay notice that was going to make our connection at JFK “tight” but still doable. The other plane had already departed to JFK and there weren’t any seats on it anyway. About 30 minutes later, we got a notice that we were not going to depart at 1:50 pm but would depart at 5:13 pm instead. That definitely meant we would misconnect. My travel agent and the Delta Medallion Desk tried everything to re-route us and there were just no flights available. All we could do was stay on the Delta flight and pray we made the connection.
When we finally boarded, I asked the flight attendant if they could send a message to the JFK flight and let them know we were going to be “running” to the plane and please don’t give our seats away and don’t shut the door until we arrive. After all, we have 4 first class and 6 coach passengers. The pilot actually came out and told me he had sent the message and would have a “shuttle” waiting when we deplaned to take us to the next gate.
By the time we landed, our flight was already boarding but said it was delayed by 15 minutes because of a mechanical issue. Good! The shuttle was not there to take us to the gate so we ran like crazy. They had shut the door but the plane was still at the gate. I begged and pleaded with the gate agent to please let us on and he refused. That told me, he had given our seats to standby passengers!
I called my travel agent and she started working on alternatives. I also called the Delta Medallion line and they started working as well. The four of us that had lounge access went into the Delta One Lounge and Howard and I started talking to that agent. Even with 3 people trying everything, there were no flights that would get us to Zurich on Friday. We were in the Lounge with the agent until it closed at 11:30 pm and then went to another Lounge that was trying a “new plan” by staying open 24 hours.
At around midnight, we got the band/crew (6 people) confirmed on an Air France Flight departing out of Newark tomorrow afternoon via Paris and landing at 10:35 am Saturday. I was on the same flight tomorrow at 8:35 pm direct from JFK to Zurich. Howard was on the flight with me but they downgraded him from his 1st class seat so we had to find another flight for him. My travel agent finally found Howard, David and Susan a flight departing JFK at 7:30 via Amsterdam but not arriving Zurich until 1:45 pm!
Next we had to have Delta deliver our bags to baggage claim so we could pick them up! That took less time than I anticipated.
I asked Delta if they were going to cover our hotel, ground transport and a meal and they said “no” because the delay was due to weather. I pulled out a screen shot I took yesterday showing the delay was due to runway construction. They they started back pedaling saying Delta only covers mechanical issues, not “government issues”! Bottom line is, we had to book a hotel called the TWA hotel that is connected to the airport and paid over $500 per room for one night.
On the walk from the terminal to the hotel, there were huge signs saying “Coolest Hotel in NYC” everywhere. It was the weirdest hotel in NYC! We finally got everyone checked in and learned that there’s no water in the rooms and breakfast is not included for their $500+ per night rate. To access my room, I had to walk up these ramps that had a very steep include and were carpeted. I had a huge suitcase with a large duffle on top of it and a rolling computer case with a large purse on top of it. My bags roll better than any other brand but even so, they did not roll on that uphill carpeted incline. And, of course, my room was the last one on the hallway.
I was so relieved when I finally reached my room. I opened the door and rolled my smaller bag inside and then my larger one. Then, a man jumped up and screamed. I screamed LOUDER! They had put me in an occupied room and the man didn’t have the door bolted. If that had been in the South, I would probably be dead because the guy would have been sleeping with a loaded gun.
I had to take all my bags back down the ramps on the terrible carpet and tell the hotel what happened. I told the desk clerk, do NOT put me back on that floor. Put me somewhere that I don’t have to walk up all those ramps with my bags. He clicked away for a minute and then said the hotel was currently conducting an “audit” and it would be a couple of hours before he could check me in. His next suggestion was that he store my bags and I pick them up tomorrow when we checked out. Good Grief!
I asked for a supervisor and even though she still put me in a room even farther away from the elevators, she told the desk clerk he had to roll my bags up for me. He was NOT happy about that and it was a long silent walk to my room.
The rooms are very “bare bones” and they put me in a handicapped room. I worked until 4:30 am!
Jude
SATURDAY, JUNE 28TH – TRAVEL TO INTERLAKEN AND PERFORMANCE:
The hotel has all kinds of “stuff” from decades ago. They have a “Twister” room and a row of hair dryers that are the kind you sit under from decades ago. There is a classic car and a van parked in front of the hotel. They have a row of “vendors” selling various food items in the hotel lobby and that’s their “restaurant” for the guests. I grabbed a cup of hot milk to make my half-caf coffee. Ran into a couple of the guys in the lobby. They are taking Ubers to the Newark airport at 11:45 am. Praying their check in goes well!
I showered in my big handicapped roll in shower and worked for a couple of hours before meeting Howard, David and Susan in the lobby to walk over to check in. I started getting messages from the musicians saying Air France would not let them check their bags and equipment! I called my travel agent and she said for me to call the Medallion Line and ask them to put a message in the record. I did and they referred me to baggage handling who said they couldn’t do anything because baggage is handled by a 3rd party vendor at JFK! The guys were able to find someone with Air France to help them and finally got checked in. When we had their tickets reissued last night, the agent told us he put everyone in a window seat. But when they checked in, several were in middle seats. They had to pay $50 to change their seat!
When I checked out of the hotel, I asked for a reduction on my room rate because they put me in a room that was occupied. The girl was nice but said the “supervisor” was in a meeting and she needed to approve it. She said they would credit my AMEX if it was approved. I’ll never see a penny! The biggest shock was the price of the room went from over $500 to over $800 when their “service fees and taxes” were added! I have AMEX travel insurance that will reimburse me and The Bellamys are going to file a claim with Delta Airlines.
There is a special “room” at the Zurich Airport where First Class Passengers check in. But the agent who checked me in was so rude! We went straight to the Delta One Lounge after checking in and as soon as I sat down, my travel agent called. She had been trying to reach me when we were going through Security and I didn’t hear my phone. She was able to get Howard, David and Susan on my direct flight instead of them having to fly through Amsterdam. We got their tickets reissued and bags rerouted. Finally – something “good” happened. Got a message that all the guys checked items were on the plane and they were departing to Paris for their connection to Zurich.
I got a message that our plane had landed and was at the gate. Then 5 minutes later, got a message that our flight was going to be delayed by one hour! That meant the band was going to have to wait an hour for us at the Zurich Airport if their flight landed on time! When we finally boarded and were ready to take off, we were told we were number 23 in line to depart! That’s when we learned there is only ONE runway working at the huge JFK airport! We have to fly back through JFK to get home so I’m going to see if there’s any other route we can change to without it being too expensive.
We landed at Zurich airport an hour late and when we got to Passport Control, the line had filled the room where the agents work and gone up an escalator to another building and then back down to the main room. I asked three different airport employees if they could please move us up in the line because The Bellamy Brothers were headlining the Interlaken Festival tonight and were supposed to arrive yesterday. Not one person would help us. By the time we finally got through Passport Control, our bags had already come out. We grabbed everything and went outside to meet the band and our driver to Interlaken – a nice man named “Mike”. It was about a 2 hour drive and I asked if he could drop the guys at the venue and then take us to the hotel so they could start sound check at close to the right time.
When we arrived at sound check, Gola was already there! Our friend Zappu was also there and it was so great to see him again. We only stayed for a few minutes because I needed to get everyone checked into the hotel and grab everything I needed to go back to the venue for the remainder of the evening. It was a MAD RUSH!
I rode back out to the venue with the Johnny Cash Road Show. They had paid a lot of money to rent two guitars and the Production Company forgot to bring them. So, they had to do a quick “line check” after the Bellamys finished their sound check. They are really nice guys (and one female).
I had brought a framed certificate and letter from the Country Music Association recognizing the festival for their 30th Anniversary. I met with the Emcee’s and they promised to get all the Festival Staff on stage for the presentation immediately before the Bellamys performed.
The Bellamy’s Band went back to the hotel and I stayed with the Johnny Cash group. They did their quick line check and the doors opened. Their show started at 7 pm and I was surprised to see so many people there for an opening act. They had a GREAT show, too.
The Bellamys arrived at 8 pm while they were still performing. They had two interviews and then a “meet and greet” with VIPS. We saw so many of our friends from Switzerland and one of our promoters and his wife drove over from Germany. And, then it was SHOW TIME! There is nothing I hate more than speaking in public, but I went on stage and presented the framed certificate and letter to the Festival Organizers on behalf of the Country Music Association.
The venue was packed and the crowd loved the Bellamy’s show. Having Gola perform 3 songs with the Bellamys was a total surprise for everyone and the crowd went WILD!!! It was the perfect celebration for the 30th Anniversary of the festival.
We were able to depart the venue and drive back to the hotel at around 10:00 pm. Several of the group are going to Jungfrau tomorrow to film for the Bellamys Reality show and Howard and David are going to walk around Interlaken tomorrow and film as well. I’m going to go jogging for the first time since my accident and then have dinner with my dear friend Iris.
SUNDAY, JUNE 29TH – DAY OFF IN INTERLAKEN:
It has been incredibly hot in Interlaken – like in the 90’s! It’s usually warm but not that hot. None of the hotel rooms are air conditioned except for David’s, Howard’s and mine. The hotel does give everyone “fans” for their rooms but it really doesn’t cool off very much – even at night. I was surprised that so many people attended the festival considering the heat.
I went for about a 2 mile jog instead of 3 miles. Thought I’d better take it easy and build back up. I have a pair of sunglasses that I only wear when jogging and when I put them on, I realized I couldn’t see through them because the lens was so scratched from my fall! I was extremely “cautious” but it felt wonderful to be jogging again.
Back to the hotel for a quick shower and walked over to the COOP to buy a Matcha Protein Shake – which was wonderful. I was going to go to the New Yorker (clothing store) and buy Zac and Zoe a lot of clothes they wanted. Only, the store is closed on Sundays now! So bummed. If we had arrived on Friday I could have shopped on Friday afternoon or Saturday.
Worked the rest of the afternoon trying to catch up from being so far behind because of our travel delays. I walked to the restaurant and met Iris at 6 pm for a fantastic dinner! We sat outside and it wasn’t as unbearable as I thought it would be. She brought her cute little dog “Frankie” with her and he stayed under the table in the “shade” the entire time.
Susan said he had taken “layers” of clothes to Jungfrau because it’s always freezing cold out on the snow covered glacier and inside the ice caves. She said it was so warm, she was wearing a tank top on the glacier!
Stopped by Coop and purchased some candy for the family and worked the rest of the evening. Have to get up at 5 am tomorrow for our 8 am departure to the Zurich Airport. Praying we don’t get stuck at JFK again. If we do, I am NOT staying at the TWA Hotel.
Jude
MONDAY, JUNE 30TH – INTERLAKEN TO NASHVILLE – HOPEFULLY!:
Everyone was on time for the 8 am lobby call. We hit traffic right outside of Zurich but it didn’t delay us too much. We still arrived in plenty of time for check in and I was able to check everyone in through the Priority Lane. After clearing Security, most of us went to Sprungli Chocolate to buy the best chocolate I’ve ever had. I always bring this back as gifts to my family. Then they headed to Marche for breakfast. I skipped breakfast and shopped for the family but didn’t find anything.
I noticed that our flight was departing about 15 minutes earlier than scheduled. I let the group know and also let them know that the line for passport control was as long as it was when we arrived. Then we had to take a tram to the gate area. I did arrive in time for an oatmilk Macha before boarding. We departed on time (not 15 minutes early) and thankfully we had WiFi. I started getting messages about our flight out of JFK to Nashville being delayed due to “weather” again. Which was a lie. The weather app did not indicate even any rain. The delay was again due to the runway being closed! I messaged my travel agent and told her to “protect” us on another flight. Unfortunately, there were no flights with any seats available at any of the 3 airports. And Delta won’t help at all with switching us to a different airline. So, she held fights on the first Delta flight out on Tuesday morning.
Flight only had a little bit of turbulence and we landed on time. As we were picking up our bags, I got the message that our flight to Nashville was no longer delayed – it was cancelled entirely. Which was what I was expecting. We all got our luggage quickly except for one musician who is Canadian and has to go through a different Immigration Line. There was NO agent working the one line he had to go through and it took him almost an hour to come through. We went through Customs and to the counter where I could get our tickets reissued. My travel agent had told us not to leave the airport without getting them reissued. The line was crazy long with everyone who had flights cancelled or delayed and it wasn’t moving. One of the agents had a box of donuts at her stand and the agent next to her grabbed a donut and left – with hundreds of people in line. Way to go Delta.
I went upstairs to departures and tried to check in through the Delta One line but the line was longer than downstairs. Susan waited with me and we finally made it to the counter. That’s when our luck changed. We got the sweetest little guy who was so helpful. He reissued all the tickets and arranged for a shuttle to take us to the hotel where my travel agent had booked rooms. This hotel is about 2 miles away and we have 15 checked large pieces plus 10 large carry on bags. But, it’s better than walking to the $500 a night TWA Hotel connected to the terminal….the one that comes with a ”man” already in the room!
It still took way over an hour to get all the tickets reissued. The agent actually walked us to the location where we were supposed to meet the shuttle. We waited and waited and waited and I called and called and called. Every time I called, they would tell me the driver was about 10 minutes away. Those 10 minutes turned into about an hour. I called the company and told them to cancel the shuttle as we were taking Ubers. The owner freaked out and said “No, No. He really is almost there. He just made the turn into the airport”! He did arrive about 5 minutes later in a Sprinter Van that had 15 seats but barely any space behind the seats for all the luggage and equipment. We ended up putting several pieces in the empty seats.
Once we arrived at the hotel, the line was super long to check in. Susan ordered pizza for everyone while I waited to check in. The desk clerk was really nice and helpful. I ordered Indian food while I was standing in line. I would have loved to eat pizza but the left side of my face is still numb from the accident and I would have to cut it up since I can’t bite into it or anything like a sandwich. It was definitely the best Indian food I think I’ve ever had. But, they forgot to give me “utensils”. Fortunately, I had put a
“spork” in my purse that morning as I was leaving the hotel.
Grabbed about 4 hours sleep.
TUESDAY, JULY 1ST – JFK TO NASHVILLE:
We were supposed to be picked up by the same shuttle but of course, he was late. I was giving him 10 minutes and then calling Uber. It was the same driver we had last night. Only this time, he told two other passengers with luggage they could ride with us. I guess he thought we could all hold our suitcases on our laps! We squeezed in and when we arrived at the airport, we carefully opened the back hatch because we assumed everything might fall out on us.
We were again able to all check in through the Priority Lane. Several of us went into the lounge near our gate but before we boarded, they changed our gate to a location that was as far away from anything in the terminal as possible. We were able to get one of the “carts” to drive us down. I ran to the restroom while we were waiting for the cart and came back to find a lot of Security Agents talking to Susan. A guy had tied a full size hammock between two poles in the gate area and was stretched out using his phone. Security had been called to have him removed. My opinion is…the airlines cancels your flight and then refuses to cover any of your costs. They should have left him alone. No one was in the gate area and he wasn’t bothering anyone. Wonder if I have room in my carry on bag for a hammock?? LOL.
We boarded and at the last minute a young couple got on with two huge carry on suitcases. The overhead was full and the man asked whose backpack was in the overhead. The guy across from me claimed it and the young guy asked him if he minded if he moved it to put his suitcase in. The guy agreed but the young guy put his suitcase in and sat down without putting the backpack back in the overhead. The guy across from me said, “Excuse me. Aren’t you going to put my backpack back”?. The young guy said, “No. There’s no room for it. You have to put it under your seat!”. I was furious but stayed out of it other than telling the nice man across from me that he did not have to do that. The backpack was so large it stuck out in the area where his feet went. He paid for a 1st class seat and had to fly like that on the 2 hour flight home. I can assure you, I would never have agreed to that. There would have been an “incident”!
We landed early and everyone was SOOOO happy to be back. My travel agent and I immediately started trying to change my fight to Bergen next week so that I don’t route through JFK. I called the Diamond Line and explained what had happened and asked to change to a different routing. Their answer was that there were plenty of seats for only $4,000+ to make the change. Ridiculous. Also, there had been a schedule change so legally they should have offered to let me change free of charge.
Anyway, my amazing travel agent got involved and I am no longer going through JFK. Thank God and Angela!!
Jude
