My oh my.......

What a morning!

I have lots to say about my 2nd day in LA, however for now, I have a much funnier story to tell...I know you will like it, (except maybe Mum - you will be angry).

Day 2 in LA & I decided I didn't want to spend the entire seven days here. Without a car it's just too hard. So I booked a flight to San Francisco. From what I've been told there is SO much more to do and it's easy to get places.

I booked my flight for 1.30pm so I could check out as normal at 11am and leisurely make my way by shuttle to LAX (I really wasn't keen on another $65 USD cab ride).

The morning of my flight...or should I say the afternoon...

I roll over in my bed and can immediately feel that I've over slept. Leaning across to read the time on the clock and my body has already taken off on a mind of it's own. My flight leaves LAX at 1.36pm. The time is now 12.01pm. Check in is at 12pm.

I am on the phone to concierge within seconds asking for a cab to be out the front in five minutes. "How long does it take to get to LAX?"

"30-40 minutes."

"Fantastic!"

Somehow I get my things together and find myself out the front within minutes.

A hire car turns up out front (not a generic cab) & I know I'm going to pay through the nose for this. "Get me to LAX ASAP. I am very late."

I'm not sure if it's just Sydney that stresses me out, or if it's me being on my own that doesn't stress me out? Because when I explained my story to the cabby, all he could say was "I'm sorry but I have to laugh about this", and I laughed with him. Not a normal Laura reaction at all!

"What airline are you flying with love?"

"Crap. I have no idea. I haven't even written down my flight details. No airline, no booking number; no nothing."

I pull my MacBook out of my bag and attempt to get wireless as i'm driving along the freeway. Wishful thinking I know, but after many sets of lights and about ten minutes down the road, success!

I got my booking up & everything was looking up. Well except for the fact that it was already 12.40pm.

We pulled up out the front at 1.03pm and I ran. Cab only cost $55 USD (plus tip mind you)

It is all self-service check in. I put in the booking details and it was all looking fine until it asked if I had any baggage to check in. Did I ever! Then the inevitable popped up on the screen. Check in for this flight has already closed.

Ok. So I'll get on the next flight. $50 USD to get a standby ticket, or $75 USD to get a guaranteed seat. Guaranteed seat for sure. Lucky I did too. We are just being called up now, and they have announced that the flight is full and no standby tickets will get on this flight. I'm silently laughing to myself.

Oh, and then it charged me another $60 USD to check my bags in. Unbelievable! I questioned this after I had paid, and the lovely man at self-service told me I could claim it back if I'd been on an international flight within the month!

Thank goodness for that...