day one, August 7th, Los Angeles-Newark-Boston

The flight from Auckland to LA had gone so well. Twelve hours flew by. I had a good seat. Air New Zealand's inflight entertainment service had six eps of Outrageous Fortune which I watched. A long wait at LA Airport but we boarded plane to Denver on time.

Then you hear them trying something. I don't suppose of course it was the same as a car engine. But it sounded like the noise you hear when the car engine is not turning over.... choofa- choofa-choof.... choofa-choofa-choof. Men appear (why are there are no women mechanics still?) and huddle together. They try again and the sound is repeated. The announcement: "This flight has been cancelled."

I had never had a flight cancelled before. I guess I thought it a reasonable decision. After all you could HEAR something wasn't right, and you don't really want to risk a plane failure in mid-air.

Coincidentally, I'd just been reading in the airport, a story in The New Yorker mag about cancelled flights and how it brings out the worst in people. There are many cancelled flights in the US, according to the mag. So I expected the negative reaction, loud swearing and shouting and so on. I guess though I also expected there to be a process - I rather thought we'd be delayed maybe two or three hours while a replacement plane was found.

But United Airlines really had no idea. No extra staff brought out, no plan as such. An announcement is made that we should go to the customer service counter - suddenly everyone starts sprinting to get there. Again, I'd have thought people would have been prioritised on need, but no - if you're at the frfont of the queue, you have the best chance of making another flight. A plea is made by one of the staff (there are only two most of the time to work throgh abt 200 people) that locals go home and ring Reservations as everyone will be able to get a flight tomorrow. She says the people they want to see are those that have no home to go too AND need to make connecting flights. That's me both times but literally NO-ONE leaves the queue.

The woman in front of me in the queue rings Reservations. She's a local. She is quickly booked on a flight the next morning, but they won't give her overnight hotel accomodation because she's a local. She therefore decides to stay in the queue to argue with the counter staff. I did wonder about all the people behind me with needs more urgent than hers, but she's determined to get her due.

After about two hours I reach the front. The smiling Asian woman tells me the next flight I can get on is 1045pm TOMORROW, about 28 hours away. My jaw drops open. "Oh that's a great idea, you can spend the day at Disneyland or whatever you please!" A day in LA in the same hot sweaty clothes. Then some luck. She is called away and someone else takes over. She manages to get me on a flight to Newark that night and a flight to Boston the next morning. That's more like it. She even manages to get my suitcase on the same flights. After that I hold out my hand and thank her. She's very grateful - clearly not many others were thanking her.

Still it does all mean a lot more time wasted at airports. Airports must be the most people unfriendly places of mass transit. You get the feeling airport companies know they're on an earner so really don't care at all about the customers.

So imagine my glee when at Newark I hear my flight to Boston is being delayed. Anyway I eventually get on, and worry about where my luggage is. I'm now on Continental... I am looking forward to running between Continental and United trying to persuade them to take an interest in my luggage. Magically my suitcase is second off the plane and off I go to my hotel.